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Cardboard Bicycle Can Change The World, Says Israeli Inventor

A bicycle made almost entirely of cardboard has the potential to change transportation habits from the world’s most congested cities to the poorest reaches of Africa, its Israeli inventor says.

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MOSHAV AHITUV, Israel (Reuters) – A bicycle made almost entirely of cardboard has the potential to change transportation habits from the world’s most congested cities to the poorest reaches of Africa, its Israeli inventor says.

Israeli inventor Izhar Gafni holds his cardboard bicycle as he poses for a photo in Moshav Ahituv, central Israel September 24, 2012.

Izhar Gafni, 50, is an expert in designing automated mass-production lines. He is an amateur cycling enthusiast who for years toyed with an idea of making a bicycle from cardboard.

He told Reuters during a recent demonstration that after much trial and error, his latest prototype has now proven itself and mass production will begin in a few months.

“I was always fascinated by applying unconventional technologies to materials and I did this on several occasions. But this was the culmination of a few things that came together. I worked for four years to cancel out the corrugated cardboard’s weak structural points,” Gafni said.

“Making a cardboard box is easy and it can be very strong and durable, but to make a bicycle was extremely difficult and I had to find the right way to fold the cardboard in several different directions. It took a year and a half, with lots of testing and failure until I got it right,” he said.

Cardboard, made of wood pulp, was invented in the 19th century as sturdy packaging for carrying other more valuable objects, it has rarely been considered as raw material for things usually made of much stronger materials, such as metal.

Once the shape has been formed and cut, the cardboard is treated with a secret concoction made of organic materials to give it its waterproof and fireproof qualities. In the final stage, it is coated with lacquer paint for appearance.

In testing the durability of the treated cardboard, Gafni said he immersed a cross-section in a water tank for several months and it retained all its hardened characteristics.

Once ready for production, the bicycle will include no metal parts, even the brake mechanism and the wheel and pedal bearings will be made of recycled substances, although Gafni said he could not yet reveal those details due to pending patent issues.

“I’m repeatedly surprised at just how strong this material is, it is amazing. Once we are ready to go to production, the bike will have no metal parts at all,” Gafni said.

Gafni’s workshop, a ramshackle garden shed, is typically the sort of place where legendary inventions are born. It is crammed with tools and bicycle parts and cardboard is strewn everywhere.

One of his first models was a push bike he made as a toy for his young daughter which she is still using months later.

Gafni owns several top-of-the-range bicycles which he said are worth thousands of dollars each, but when his own creation reaches mass production, it should cost no more than about $20 to buy. The cost of materials used are estimated at $9 per unit.

“When we started, a year and a half or two years ago, people laughed at us, but now we are getting at least a dozen e-mails every day asking where they can buy such a bicycle, so this really makes me hopeful that we will succeed,” he said.

A ride of the prototype was quite stiff, but generally no different to other ordinary basic bikes.

“GAME CHANGER”

Nimrod Elmish, Gafni’s business partner, said cardboard and other recycled materials could bring a major change in current production norms because grants and rebates would only be given for local production and there would be no financial benefits by making bicycles in cheap labor markets.

“This is a real game-changer. It changes … the way products are manufactured and shipped, it causes factories to be built everywhere instead of moving production to cheaper labor markets, everything that we have known in the production world can change,” he said.

Elmish said the cardboard bikes would be made on largely automated production lines and would be supplemented by a workforce comprising pensioners and the disabled.

He said that apart from the social benefits this would provide for all concerned, it would also garner government grants for the manufacturers. source – Yahoo News

 

 

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Israel

Israel Launches ‘Operation Rising Lion’ And Eliminates Nearly All IRGC Commanders In First Wave Of Attacks On Iran’s Nuclear Facilities In Early Morning Hours

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June 12, 2025

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Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation aimed at dismantling the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel’s survival. This operation will continue for as long as necessary to eliminate this danger.

Operation Rising Lion launched as a complete and total surprise for the military of Iran, it happened so fast that Iran never even had time to sound the warning siren. In moments, precision airstrikes took out, one by one, nearly the entire top brass of the IRGC, as they lay sleeping in their beds. For over 16 years, NTEB has written about what this day might look like, tonight it happened. That’s the memo.

“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalms 121:4 (KJB)

Iran will certainly retaliate, that is if they still retain the ability to do so, but as of yet, no news of an Iranian counterattack has surfaced. Iran has been bragging recently about have advanced long range missiles, perhaps they do, but they better move fast. Israel is pounding them with everything they have, so it begs the question of will Russia or China, both of whom have a signed military defense pact with Iran, step in and help their ally out? Below is the message that Benjamin Netanyahu gave the Jewish people and the entire world tonight about the reasons for Operation Rising Lion, and why the time had come.

‘Never again is now’: Netanyahu announces strikes on Iran nuclear targets

FROM THE JERUSALEM POST: For decades, the leaders of Tehran have openly called for Israel’s destruction. They have backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a nuclear weapons program. In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atomic bombs—nine. More concerning, Iran has recently taken unprecedented steps to weaponize this uranium. If not stopped, Iran could develop a nuclear weapon in a very short time—it could be a year, or even just months. This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s survival.

Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were victims of a Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi regime. Today, the Jewish state refuses to be a victim of a nuclear Holocaust, especially one initiated by the Iranian regime. As Prime Minister, I have consistently made it clear: Israel will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to carry out their threats. Tonight, Israel has backed those words with action.

We have struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment and weaponization programs. We targeted Iran’s primary enrichment facility in Natanz. We also targeted leading nuclear scientists involved in Iran’s nuclear weapons project. Additionally, we struck at Iran’s ballistic missile program. Last year, Iran launched 300 ballistic missiles at Israel. Each missile carries a ton of explosives, threatening the lives of hundreds. Soon, those missiles could carry nuclear warheads, putting not hundreds, but millions at risk. Iran is preparing to produce tens of thousands of these missiles within three years.

I assure the civilized world: we will not let the world’s most dangerous regime obtain the world’s most dangerous weapons. And Iran plans to give these nuclear weapons to its terrorist proxies, making the nightmare of nuclear terrorism all too real. The increasing range of Iran’s ballistic missiles would bring that nuclear nightmare to the cities of Europe and, eventually, to America. Remember, Iran calls Israel the “small Satan” and America the “great Satan,” and for decades, it has led millions in chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.” Today, Israel is responding to those genocidal calls with action—and with a call of our own: Long live Israel and long live America.

Our action today will help make the world a much safer place. I want to thank President Trump for his leadership in confronting Iran’s nuclear weapons program. He has repeatedly made it clear that Iran cannot have a nuclear enrichment program. Today, it is evident that Iran is simply buying time, refusing to meet the basic requirements of peaceful nations. This is why we have no choice but to act—and to act now.

The hardest decision any leader faces is to stop a threat before it fully materializes. Nearly a century ago, facing the Nazis, a generation of leaders failed to act in time. They were paralyzed by the horrors of World War I and determined to avoid conflict at all costs—and they got the worst war in history. They adopted a policy of appeasement. They ignored all the warning signs. That failure led to World War II, the deadliest conflict in history, claiming 60 million lives, including six million Jews—one-third of my people.

After that war, the Jewish people and the Jewish state vowed, “Never again.” Well, never again is now. Today, Israel has shown that we have learned the lessons of history. When enemies vow to destroy you, believe them. When enemies build weapons of mass destruction, stop them. As the Bible teaches us: When someone comes to kill you, rise and act first. This is exactly what Israel has done today. We have risen like lions to defend ourselves.

Over 3,000 years ago, Moses gave the people of Israel a message that has steeled our resolve ever since: “Be strong and courageous,” he said. Today, our strong and courageous soldiers and people stand united to defend ourselves against those who seek our destruction. And in doing so, we defend many others, and we roll back a murderous tyranny. Generations from now, history will record that our generation stood its ground, acted in time, and secured our common future. May God bless Israel. May God bless the forces of civilization everywhere. Thank you. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

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But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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Headline News

BREAKING NEWS: Israel Has Begun The Process Of Pre-Emptive Strikes On Iran’s Nuclear Facilities As Bombs Are Falling Tonight On Tehran

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June 12, 2025

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Israel begins preemptive strike against Iran, defense minister says; sirens wail across Israel

The chatter across social media tonight is deafening, and everyone is talking about the same thing, the soon-coming strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities by Israel. The US has evacuated all non-essential embassy staff across the Middle East, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted this: “At our Embassy in Jerusalem and closely following the situation. We will remain here all night. ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!’ “ Something is about to go down soon, that’s the memo.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalm 122:6 (KJB)

The US Department of State posted this earlier tonight: “Due to high tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex and can change quickly. We remind U.S. citizens in Israel and the broader region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments.” Word from NTEB sources in Jerusalem have informed us that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has entered the Mossad Command Bunker. Would you like to guess what that means? NTEB will bring you all the developments as the situation on the ground, and in the air, unfolds. Pray for the Jews, pray for Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

UPDATE: Israel has started the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities

FROM THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has declared an emergency situation across the country due to Israel’s action in Iran. “Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Katz says.

He says he has signed “a special order, according to which a special state of emergency will be imposed in the home front throughout the entire State of Israel.” READ MORE

Israel launches preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear sites, military targets

FROM THE JERUSALEM POST: Warning sirens have been set off to get the public ready for potential Iranian counter attacks of ballistic missiles on Israel. Iran has not yet fired ballistic missiles, but has thousands of them.

According to the IDF, Iran has enough uranium to weaponize it to nuclear levels, to 15 nuclear weapons within days In recent days, Iran developed a plan with Hezbollah and Hamas and other proxies to destroy the State of Israel, potentially including attempts to attack via all borders, including Egypt and Jordan. This was the point of no return according to the IDF. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has entered the security cabinet.

The IDF targets also include commanders, bases as well as nuclear sites, though the main goal is nuclear sites. Further, the IDF said in the last 20 minutes, Iran was taken by surprise and they were attacked in places they didn’t expect.

Israel has had strong coordination with the US, but Israeli military officials refused to say whether America was pre-updated or fully coordinated into the current attack, coming hours after Washington seemed to suggest it might not be in the loop or approve. There was also a possibility that Israel having its navy in the area of Yemen and Iran could have military implications, though the IDF did not fully specify.  This is a developing story.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

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But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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Donald Trump

President Trump Tells Prime Minister Netanyahu To Not Take Out The Nuclear Sites In Iran Saying He Is ‘Close To A Deal’ With The Terror-Supporting State

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2 weeks ago

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May 29, 2025

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US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call last week not to take military action against Iran that could disrupt Washington’s ongoing nuclear negotiations

I am no expert in US foreign policy, but I know this much. After watch the dealings of the government of Iran with other nations for the past 16 years, I know that they cannot be trusted and will break any and every deal they make with western powers. Trump has just as much of a chance of successfully making a deal with Iran over their nuclear program as he did with making a deal with Putin to end the war in Ukraine. That’s the memo.

“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.” Revelation 17:12 (KJB)

The only thing that will stop Iran from successfully creating viable ICBM with nuclear capability is a strike on their facilities, and the appropriate nation to deliver that strike is Israel. Of course, the longer you delay that the more entrenched Iran will be and much harder to eradicate. Donald Trump telling Netanyahu to ‘not strike Iran’ is very bad advice, and Netanyahu would do well to not listen to it.

Trump: I told Netanyahu striking Iran would be ‘very inappropriate,’ as deal is close

FROM THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Trump’s statement came after The New York Times reported details from the call, while stating that US officials were concerned that Israel may seek to carry out strikes on Iran’s nuclear program without much warning, which would leave the Americans little time to attempt to pressure Netanyahu to change his mind.

Asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he had told Netanyahu not to target Iran, Trump said: “Well, I’d like to be honest. Yes, I did… I told Netanyahu this would be very inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution.”

He added: “That could change at any moment. It could change with a phone call. But right now, I think Iran wants to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, that would save a lot of lives.”

“We’re having very good discussions with Iran, and I said to Netanyahu, ‘I don’t think that’s appropriate right now.’ Because if we can settle it with a very strong document — with inspections and not based on trust,” he continued. “I want the deal to be very strong, where we can go in with inspectors, we can take whatever we want. We can blow up whatever we want, but with nobody getting killed.”

Two Iranian official sources told Reuters Wednesday that the country may agree to pause uranium enrichment if the US releases frozen Iranian funds and recognizes Tehran’s right to refine uranium for civilian use under a “political deal” that could lead to a broader nuclear accord. The sources, close to the negotiating team, said a “political understanding with the United States could be reached soon” if Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions. One of the sources said the matter “has not been discussed yet” during the talks with the United States.

In Washington, a US official told Reuters the proposal aired by the Iranian sources had not been brought to the negotiating table to date. The US State Department and Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Iranian sources said Tehran would not agree to the dismantling of its nuclear program or infrastructure or the sealing of its nuclear installations, as demanded by Trump’s administration. READ MORE

Trump Says He Told Israel’s Netanyahu Not To Strike Iran During Talks

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, President Trump discussed what he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about striking Iran.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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