Day: July 12, 2026

Today in 1917, mustard gas is first used in combat during a German attack on Allied lines near Ypres.

A blistering agent that gives off an odor often compared to garlic or horseradish, sulfur mustard (as it is also known) damages the skin, eyes and lungs. Its effects are delayed, meaning many soldiers initially had little idea they had been exposed.

Within hours of its use, dressing stations were overwhelmed by more than 2,000 casualties suffering agonizing chemical burns. Many were temporarily blinded, while others struggled to breathe as the gas ravaged their airways.

Over the following weeks, roughly a million mustard gas shells fell around the Ypres salient, leaving thousands disfigured or permanently disabled. By autumn, mustard gas was being used across the Western Front and would remain a feature of the war until the Armistice.

For a brief history of mustard gas, visit:  militaryhistorynow.com/2014/…

Russia Expands in Sumy as Deep-Strike Campaign Intensifies

Russian forces have taken control of Bachevsk in Sumy Oblast, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Moscow also reported a coordinated overnight strike using long-range precision weapons and attack drones against

Kuwait and Bahrain under attack again.

Sirens and air defenses activated.

If you are only relying on your eyes to spot fake images online, you’re falling behind.

AI-generated content and sophisticated manipulations leave traces that the human eye can’t see, but forensic algorithms can.

A breakdown of the essential image forensics techniques you need

Four Pakistani men have been arrested in Lahore over the kidnapping, gang rape, robbery, and extortion of two foreign tourists, Dutch national Stephanie Adriana Mo-Asim and Venezuelan national Astrid Robinson Bracho.

The principal suspect, Muhammad Raza Dar, is a close relative of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Investigators say the women traveled to Pakistan on June 29 after accepting an invitation from Dar, whom they had met in Singapore in October 2025. Police say he also helped obtain their Pakistani visas.

The women were taken to a residence in Lahore’s upscale DHA neighborhood, where they were held captive, repeatedly raped, robbed, and threatened with knives and a firearm.

The suspects demanded a $1.5 million ransom from the victims’ families. The case came to light after the father of one of the women, who was in Spain, called Lahore’s emergency police line to report that his daughter had disappeared and that the family was receiving ransom demands.

Within two hours, Pakistani police located the women, rescued them, and arrested four suspects. The Dutch ambassador to Pakistan also became directly involved after learning that one of the victims was a Dutch citizen.

Medical examinations reportedly found evidence of rape. Police are searching for a fifth suspect, Ali Dar.

Senator Faisal Vawda called the case a “national disgrace” and demanded Ishaq Dar’s resignation, alleging the government was attempting to downplay the case and facilitate the victims’ early departure from Pakistan.

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