[HotAir] Last Thursday, resident in Woodland Hills performed a citizens arrest of a man they saw riding a bicycle with a blowtorch. You may have seen this video before.
It wasn't just that this guy was riding around with the blowtorch, but that neighbors claimed they saw him trying to start fires with it. The Kenneth Fire which is now fully contained, is believed to have started in this area around 2:40 PM. The citizens arrest of the guy above happened around 4:30 PM. The neighbors zip tied his hands and held him until police arrived.
Officers responded and took the man into custody. "After the interview (with the arson suspect) and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that was present, they made the determination that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion of arson, and therefore this person was arrested on felony probation violation," Choi said.
He said the investigation is ongoing. "I would like to thank those community members that were involved in this and helping us, bring this person to our attention so we can have a thorough investigation."
So they couldn't conclusively connect him to the Kenneth Fire but they were still investigating. Yesterday we got a clearer picture of who his person is. Hisname is Juan Manuel Sierra and he's an illegal immigrant with a long record.
Juan Manuel Sierra, 33, aka Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, Juan Leva, Leyva Moniker, and Juan Sierra, is a Mexican national who entered the U.S. unlawfully at an unknown date and location without inspection by an immigration official. Sierra has multiple encounters with law enforcement from November 2016 to present for a variety of charges and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon Oct. 10, 2023, in Van Nuys, California.
Bill Melugin has the details of his record. Based on this, it sound like he was here as a drug dealer initially.
[IsraelTimes] ‘Zagros’ category reportedly equipped with electronic sensors, has cyber-operations capabilities; navy chief says vessel will be ‘watchful eye’ on oceans.
Real or vapourware? Usually it’s the latter. More at the link if you want more details, dear Reader. I’m just tired of thinking about the hudna — hopefully Israel will get a few living hostages back before Hamas starts the next round.
#1
...Taking a look at the pic, this may - stress the 'may' - be for real. It looks like they put some thought into designing it to be vaguely stealthy, and not seeing any firepower on there. On the other hand, it's a pretty distinctive design, so we should have no problems picking it out of a crowd.
#3
USS Liberty was a spy ship, too. Israel bombed it, just like they will this new ship.
What, is this a conspiracy theory? USS Liberty was quite real, as were the sailors killed.
#4
You’ve long had a bee in your bonnet about the USS Liberty. It is dreadful that Israel attacked the ship of an ally during the Six Day War, for which they subsequently apologized and paid $13 million (about $120 million in current dollars) for repair and penalties to the sailors they harmed.
But it is dumb for any ship, allied or not, to move too close to an active war zone. Mistakes happen in the fog of war, mistakes that get people killed.
#5
#3 Appears to be consistent only in message(s).
Other nyms used? :
Anginenter Sherelet4063
Anginenter+Sherelet4063
Angulet Glomoper3773
Butch Spump3316
Cromonter Spawn of the Faeries8102
Cromonter Spawn of the Faeries8107
Ebbease Panda9307
Fat Bob Thrart2867
Fat Bob Untervehr8471
Harcourt Tholuse6841
Herman Hapsburg8987
Hupese Snereper1814
Hupung Untervehr9838
Injun the Wicked3081
Jairong Scourge of the Gepids2435
Jairong+Scourge+of+the+Gepids2435
Omeath Spaling8608
Oscar Crereque5255
Otto Gurly-Brown9938
Phugum Uluth9531
Sheba Smith8503
Snorong Chirong8493
Spike the Hairy6811
Thrineck Cheagum3082
Uleremp and Company7042
Ulimble Forkbeard2690
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/16/2025 13:42
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Too late. The new team doesn’t care about this kind of thing.
[IsraelTimes] Israeli settlers broke into the Palestinian West Bank town of Huwara overnight and attacked its residents, according to Palestinian reports.
Video footage purportedly captured during the incident shows the settlers roaming the streets of the Nablus-area town, before fleeing down the road as residents fling stones at them.
According to reports, the settlers attempted to attack the town’s homes, and a Palestinian child was said to have been injured in the violence.
The residents of Huwara have endured heavy violence at the hands of extremist Israeli settlers in the past. In early 2023, dozens of settlers rampaged through the town, setting fire to homes and cars and killing a Palestinian man in response to a deadly terror shooting in the area.
[News With Views] Control of zoning controls lives. For instance, in California:
"NEW DENSE MULTI-FAMILY CONSTRUCTION ON PRIVATE HOMEOWNER LAND ALLOWED"
California Senate Bill 1123 passed last summer — May in the Senate, August in the House — and was signed into law by Newsom this past September.
I have to wonder how many Californians were even aware of this
This law was already on the books when the fires hit. It was passed in 2024. Then, the fires took care of much of the rest. Those victims of their own government may find that developers are constructing multi-family residences where once there were beautiful homes . This may or may not be found to be unconstitutional but the bill seems to have become law nonetheless.
A total of only NINE legislators in both houses — ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE — voted against this Marxist land grab.
Remember, Karl Marx felt that Communists should seek ’the abolition of bourgeois property’. That meant, property belonging to the upper class, not the "worker". Pretty much describes a lot of the properties now in ruins in the wealthy communities of LA.
In my last Substack on the subject, I suggested that Newsom, Bass et. al., allowed (encouraged? planned?) these fires to ravage the wealthy areas, in order to remove many of the beautiful homes, because they had plans to rebuild LA in the image of a UN C40 City, with multi-family residences only, in tall "stack and pack" towers.
Ron DeSantis, recently pulled something like this over on his constituents. After his reelection at the end of 2022, Tallahassee quietly and quickly (only 6 weeks!) passed FL SB 102. This is the “Live Local Act”, one of the first laws passed in the new 2023 legislative year:
“deleting the authority of local governments to adopt or maintain laws, ordinances, rules, or other measures that would have the effect of imposing controls on rents; providing an exemption from ad valorem taxation for land that meets certain criteria; authorizing local governments to adopt ordinances to provide an ad valorem tax exemption for portions of property used to provide affordable housing meeting certain requirements; suspending, for a specified period, the General Revenue Fund service charge on documentary stamp tax collections; authorizing the Governor, under the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, to approve state or local public infrastructure projects to facilitate the development or construction of affordable housing, etc.”
To facilitate the construction of “affordable housing”…rather than “bourgeoise”…
This bill is much less direct but it essentially does the same, removing local government from their own control over zoning and taxing ordinances and allowing the Governor to approve local building projects for affordable housing, ETC. What’s the “ETC”, I wonder…? How much more can Tallahassee slip in here?
This “Live Local Act” is not nearly the obvious grab of private ownership rights as is California’s law, but it does remove some Constitutional rights of governance. I couldn’t help but point it out, with the latest behaviors of Tallahassee as it tried to remove America First Republicans from power in the Party. Remember, those counties most in the eye of that storm are those with plenty of land yet to be developed.
#4
"NEW DENSE MULTI-FAMILY CONSTRUCTION ON PRIVATE HOMEOWNER LAND ALLOWED"
I see it everywhere I go these days. Huge new, multistory apartment and condo complexes are popping up like mushrooms all over southern California. We didn't have the infrastructure for all of the people who already live here. It will only get worse.
I keep saying this:
The only way to make California affordable for all of the people in the whole wide world who want to live here is to turn the entire state into a Third World slum and Newsom is hell bent on doing just that.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/16/2025 14:13
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#5
^Have you considered giving it back to Mexico?😎
#6
...everything west from the Coastal Ranges and below Mendocino. Only takes 2/3rds of the Senate to approval a change to the existing Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
[Breitbart] An alleged intruder was rushed to a hospital early Wednesday morning after being shot multiple times by a Fairfax, Virginia, homeowner.
WIJL reported the homeowner called 911 around 2:3o a.m. to tell police someone was allegedly trying to break into his home. As the homeowner remained on the phone, the alleged intruder continued to try to make entry.
FOX 5 DC noted that the homeowner “was still on the line when he opened fire.” shooting the alleged intruder and leaving him with life-threatening injuries. The alleged intruder was hospitalized in critical condition, according to WUSA9.
Police indicated the alleged intruder assaulted someone in a nearby house before trying to break into the home where he was finally shot.
Neither the homeowner nor anyone inside the residence was harmed.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Russia must be ready for World War Three within three years, a pro-Putin MP has warned in the latest grave threat to Ukraine's western allies.
Our congresscritters say stupid stuff, too. But even with hired North Korean cannon fodder, is that a realistic goal?
Aleksey Zhuravlyov, deputy head of Russia’s parliamentary defence committee, urged that while Russia has enough volunteers to fight, it must start to prepare the male population for a major confrontation with the West by 2028-29.
'Europe explains to us that in 2028–2029 [it and its allies] will be ready to fight Russia,' he assessed. 'Here it is necessary to prepare the male population and, naturally, defend the Motherland. We must talk about this and not be ashamed of it.'
Responding to the comments, Yuri Shvytkin, deputy chair of the State Duma Defence Committee, firmly agreed with the assessment, telling Ridus that 'every Russian must understand that in the event of external aggression, he must take up arms and defend the Motherland.'
He shied away from calling for immediate mobilisation, suggesting the threat was not yet a pressing issue.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Putin will not shy away from causing mass casualties in the next phase of Russia's 'hidden war' against the West, an expert has claimed in the wake of suspected 'hybrid' efforts to sow disruption in Europe through alleged sabotage plots.
Keir Giles, an expert on the Russia at Chatham House, told Metro that civilians are 'likely' to be the victims of future plots, and that the West should expect a surge in terror attacks soon.
The Kremlin has been accused of orchestrating attacks on European soil as retribution for the West's broad backing of Ukraine against Russia's full-scale invasion, or to undermine support for Kyiv.
Counter-terrorism police in Britain were last year said to be investigating suspected Russian involvement in the planting of a hidden incendiary device in a parcel on a plane headed for the UK. The device ultimately burst into flames in a warehouse and no casualties were reported.
Mr Giles said that where, during the Cold War, Russia sponsored terrorist movements to carry out attacks in Europe, 'now with these airlines parcel plots, the willingness from Russia to cause mass casualties has returned'.
'We should soon expect a surge in Russian state terrorist attacks across Europe,' he cautioned.
The stark warning came as Poland's Prime Minister claimed that Russia has been planning acts of 'air terror' against airlines worldwide, staging sabotage and diversion on Polish soil and beyond.
#1
'Europe explains to us that in 2028–2029 [it and its allies] will be ready to fight Russia,'
Some Europeans might have said that but does anybody really believe it?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/16/2025 14:07
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#2
Putin would be insane, considering how expensive Ukraine has been. Conversely, attacking Russia would be insane considering how such attempts have always failed.
[Breitbart] Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has removed Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) from the chairmanship of the House’s intelligence committee, reportedly due to concerns President-elect Donald Trump had about Turner.
Johnson’s decision to remove Turner from atop the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), first reported Wednesday by Punchbowl News, marks the first significant shakeup from Johnson in the new Congress.
The Speaker has sole authority to appoint the chairmen of select committees, and although Johnson had delayed an official announcement on the committee’s leadership this Congress, his removal of Turner surprised most on Capitol Hill.
Privacy advocates on both sides of the aisle have frequently criticized Turner for doing the bidding of the intelligence community. His fervency towards preserving Section 702 provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that enable intelligence agencies to spy on Americans without warrants particularly rankled Trump. Critics of 702 argue the provision empowers the Deep State beyond constitutional grounds.
Turner was also one of the most vociferous proponents of foreign aid to Ukraine to fight its increasingly quixotic war against Russia. I don't know, divorce your wife, marry a moslem, get compromised, divorce moslem, lose job. Sounds about right.
Posted by: The Walking Unvaxed ||
01/16/2025
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#1
Is she Moslem? She’s Lebanese-American, but most Lebanese-Americans who are not recent immigrants are actually Christian, not Moslem. They’ve been moving here since early in the last century — the pretentious poet Khalil Ghibran is one of a great many.
Strange, they shalt Criminal Charges against Trump and civil charges against Rudy G., just for saying the Ga. Election results were fraudulent.
Now, 4+ years later, we see Buck-Tooth Stacey Abram's non-profit illegally used $ Millions in Non-Profit funds for her election bid for GA governor and tried to hide it.
Yet no Criminal charges, just a fine?
I am sure GA can find or build a Jail Cell large enough to house Ms. Abrams
Posted by: NN2N1 ||
01/16/2025
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[World Net Daily] Nearly two-thirds of Kamala Harris voters would ignore lawful order if they didn't think it was good
Republican senators highlighted a growing deep state opposition to President-elect Donald Trump, citing a revealing new poll on the federal bureaucracy and urging Trump to be vigilant as he enters office next week.
The poll, which the firm RMG Research released Monday, revealed that 42% of what the survey calls "federal government managers"—federal employees who live in the National Capitol Region around Washington and earn at least $75,000 annually—plan to politically oppose the incoming administration.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the federal government managers who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in November said they would ignore a lawful order from Trump if they considered it to be bad policy. Only 17% of the Harris voters in the federal bureaucracy said they would follow Trump's order.
[DieWelt] The joy over the ceasefire is not only great in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Spontaneous gatherings also took place in several German cities. In Berlin, some participants chanted forbidden slogans and the police had to intervene.
After the agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Islamist Hamas was announced, dozens of people spontaneously gathered in Berlin's Neukölln district. The rally at Hermannplatz, which was announced at short notice, was "celebratory in nature," said a police spokesman. The police said there were up to 150 participants.
Initially, there was talk of a peaceful event, but later in the evening, according to the police, there were repeated crimes. Since the leader of the rally no longer had any influence on the demonstration, it was being broken up, the police announced on X. Three investigations had been initiated, including for chanting forbidden slogans, and several people had been arrested.
A video on social media showed participants chanting the slogan "From the river to the sea," expressing a claim to the entire area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, which would amount to the annihilation of Israel.
There were also spontaneous, smaller demonstrations in other cities, each with a few dozen participants, for example in Hamburg at Hachmannplatz, in Frankfurt am Main at Kaisertor, at Mainz Central Station, in Leipzig and Hanover. The police spoke of peaceful rallies and good-humored demonstrators.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
01:14 ||
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#1
A Tale 9f a Hail
"Ahoy, there, in full press of sail
Or wearing bare poles for a gale,
Are ye bound for the beach
Or some peaceable reach
Or--"
She breaches. He screeches.
She summons the leeches...
"To Bedlam!" A tumbril, a wail.
[GEO.TV] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked in a phone call on Wednesday US President-elect Donald Trump ...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US... for securing a hostages deal and putting an "end to the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families," according to a statement by his office.
Netanyahu agreed to meet Trump soon in Washington, the statement said, adding the Israeli prime minister also thanked US President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. We hold these truths to be self-evident. All men and women created ... by the — you know — you know, the thing... for his help in the hostages deal in a phone call.
The statement says Hamas “is demanding to dictate the identity of these murderers” and accuses the terror group of seeking “to go back on the understandings” in the agreement.
Siegel is part of the category of elderly hostages, while Dekel-Chen was shot on October 7 and is therefore considered among the wounded. The third American hostage believed to still be alive, Edan Alexander, is a soldier, and therefore won’t be released until the second 42-day phase, but the US is committed to securing his release, the senior official says during a briefing.
The bodies of four other Americans still held in Gaza will be released in the third phase, the official says.
While the senior US official says five female IDF soldiers captured on October 7 will be released on the first day of the deal, Israeli officials later tell reporters that is not the case.
[GEO.TV] The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which in addition to Hamas holds hostages in Gaza, affirmed it will remain alert to guarantee the full implementation of the ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, it said in a statement on Wednesday. Fingers crossed behind their backs
Possibly they mean enforcing Israel’s part, not their own.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
00:24 ||
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[GEO.TV] Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has slammed the ceasefire deal, saying it was a ''bad and dangerous deal for the national security of the State of Israel''.
''A clear condition for us to remain in the government is the absolute certainty of returning to the war,'' he was quoted by Israeli media as saying.
He claimed continuing the war would be necessary to achieve ''complete victory'', meaning ensuring the ''destruction of the Hamas terrorist organisation and the return of all the hostages to their homes''.
''We will not be silent. The voices of our brothers' blood cry out to us,'' he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
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[GEO.TV] Mohammed Abdul Salam, a front man for Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... 's Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... rebels, says the ''great sacrifices'' of the Paleostinian fighters and their continued resolve in confronting Israel despite the liquidation of their leaders — including Ismail Haniyeh ...became Prime Minister of Gaza after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh from office on 14 June 2007 at the height of the Fatah-Hamas festivities, but Haniyeh did not acknowledge the decree and continued as the PM of Gazoo while Abbas maintained a separate PM in the West Bank. Zapped during the 2023-24 war, to eveyone's satisfaction... and Yahya Sinwar — forced the Israeli government to accept a ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported quoting the Yemeni Saba news agency.
Abdul Salam said the Houthis, who have carried out hundreds of attacks on Israel, as well as shipping in the Red Sea, since the war on Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , had no choice but to enter the conflict in support of the Paleostinians. He said the rebels, who have also been fighting a Saudi-led coalition that backs Yemen's internationally recognised government, had not been deterred by the ongoing conflict in the country.
''This did not dampen resolve, but rather motivated and encouraged us to assume the responsibility of supporting Gaza, which is a religious and humanitarian responsibility for which the entire nation is responsible,'' he said.
''The Israeli invasion of Gaza left no room for our dear people, who are saturated with the spirit of faith, to participate and support in fulfilling their responsibility towards an oppressed people who are being subjected to genocidal massacres before the eyes and ears of the entire world.''
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
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[GEO.TV] Israel intensified strikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, residents and authorities in the Palestinian enclave said, and mediators sought to quell fighting ahead of the truce's start on Sunday.
The complex ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, emerged on Wednesday after months of mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US and 15 months of bloodshed that devastated the coastal territory and inflamed the Middle East.
The Hamas-run civil defense agency in Gaza says that at least seven people were killed in fresh strikes overnight, hours before Israel’s cabinet is set to vote on a hostage-ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group.
“Our crew retrieved 5 dead and more than 10 injured from under the rubble of a house… that was bombed by the Israeli army in the Al-Rimal area west of Gaza City,” the agency says in a statement.
It adds it had retrieved the bodies of two more people killed in a strike at “the Al-Sha’biya intersection in the center of Gaza City.”
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
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Trump's attorney general pick Pam Bondi just went toe-to-toe with Adam Schiff for 7 minutes, calling him out for constantly lying to the American people.
🔥🔥
Bondi to Schiff: "I'm not going to mislead this body, nor you. You were censured by Congress for comments like… pic.twitter.com/NeWcHJghab
"You’re so worried about Liz Cheney. Do you know what we should be worried about? The crime rate in California right now is through the roof. Your robberies are 87% higher than the national average."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
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#1
Schiff should be worried about Ms. Bondi investigating him.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/16/2025 14:42
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Evgeniy Konovalov
[REGNUM] There is growing evidence that the US and its allies have disrupted the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine in the spring of 2022, while the West is now discussing the possible introduction of "peacekeepers", that is, European troops, into Ukraine, which Moscow will definitely not agree to. This means that a diplomatic settlement of the conflict is again in great question, Western media note.
Russian troops are advancing in the SVO zone. They are encircling, liberating, or simply bypassing entire fortified areas and key logistical hubs of the enemy, writes Ted Snyder in an article for the American Conservative.
In addition, the liberation of Donbass opens up vast fields for a further breakthrough by the Russian Armed Forces, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to suffer heavy losses. But all of this could have been avoided, Snyder notes: in the first days and weeks of the Russian special operation, there was an opportunity for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict - "and Ukraine would not have lost so much territory and so many lives."
Now, the author of the article continues, new details are emerging about the breakdown of peace talks in Istanbul: there is increasing evidence that the US and its allies are to blame for the failure of diplomacy.
In March and April 2022, Snyder recalls, Ukrainian and Russian officials met in Istanbul, where they negotiated and initialed a draft peace treaty. But the United States opposed it: Ukrainian negotiators admit to this, among others. And the list of witnesses is growing: Swiss, Ukrainian, and American officials say the same.
Back in the spring of 2022, then-Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that "some in NATO want the conflict to continue: they want the proxy war to continue and Russia to weaken." At the request of Volodymyr Zelensky, then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tried to act as a mediator. He later reported that the negotiations were blocked by the United States.
Kiev also invited former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to act as a mediator in Istanbul. He soon declared that “nothing could have happened because everything was predetermined in Washington,” and “the Ukrainians did not agree to peace because they were not allowed to.”
In fact, the West has undermined the diplomatic process, writes the American Conservative, by increasing military aid to Kyiv.
The latest information, the author of the article continues, came from Jean-Daniel Ruch, the former Swiss ambassador to Turkey. During the negotiations, Ruch was in Istanbul and took part in consultations on neutrality for Ukraine.
"We had the opportunity to stop the conflict. Why did all these people die? It really hurt me. I think there was something deeply immoral in the decisions made in London, Washington and Kiev... We had the ceasefire in our hands, but the Americans and their British allies said 'no,'" American Conservative quotes Rukh as saying.
"EUROPEAN LEADERS ARE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE"
While many are waiting for US President-elect Donald Trump to act as a peacemaker in the conflict in Ukraine, the issue of other “peacekeepers” is being discussed – in fact, the introduction of European troops into Ukraine.
At a meeting with Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron last month, Trump said that European troops should monitor the ceasefire in Ukraine, Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, recalls in an article for the British publication The Financial Times.
At the same time, the very idea of sending troops to Ukraine seems ambiguous, the author admits. First of all, he suggests figuring out what functions European troops can perform.
"One of the models of post-conflict troop deployment is peacekeeping forces, the need for which in Ukraine may arise after the cessation of hostilities. But international organizations like the UN have a monopoly on peacekeeping - they can be considered a neutral third party that can resolve disputes and act as an honest broker. European states, given their large-scale support for Ukraine, can be called anything but a neutral third party. They cannot lead peacekeeping forces in Ukraine by definition," Charap is sure.
Another model for sending troops to foreign territory is the so-called border protection force. Their task is to deter potential aggression. In the event of war, they would have to confront the aggressor, and an attack on them would automatically entail a corresponding military response, the FT publication says.
"So far, it seems that European leaders are putting the cart before the horse. They first need to decide whether they are prepared to realistically commit to going to war with Russia if the conflict resumes," Charap notes.
In addition, he points out, it is premature to take on such commitments before the start of negotiations to resolve the conflict. Moreover, Moscow, the FT author predicts, will probably demand from Kyiv commitments "not to deploy any foreign forces on its territory - regardless of the terms of the settlement."
RUSSIAN ARMY BYPASSES POKROVSK, AND "KYIV NEEDS KURSK REGION"
Currently, one of the main hot spots on the front in the SVO remains the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a city in the DPR. The logistics hub, still held by Kiev, is considered another "fortress" and the key to the Ukrainian defense, from where the path to other important defensive positions opens, writes Ellie Cook in an article for the American publication The Newsweek.
At the same time, the Russian army is not storming Pokrovsk, but is advancing southwest from the Ukrainian Armed Forces positions in the city and threatening to take the Ukrainian garrison in the key city in a pincer movement, Cook notes. At the same time, the Russian Armed Forces have advanced to the border with the Dnipropetrovsk region, which is about 5-6 kilometers away.
In a conversation with Newsweek, Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesman Major Viktor Tregubov said that Russian forces are trying to “cut off supplies to cities” so as not to storm “head-on” well-prepared defenses.
In turn, a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence Andrey Chernyak in a conversation with The Financial Times said: "They (the Russian Armed Forces. - Ed.) understand that they will lose a lot of forces in an attempt to take Pokrovsk, so they decided to follow a different strategy: to approach from the south and bypass it." Chernyak admitted that the Russian army is cutting off all supply routes to the city so that the Ukrainian Armed Forces leave.
At the same time, the author of the article writes, it is easier for Russian troops to advance in rural areas far from large cities than to storm urban development block by block with heavy fighting.
"With a week to go before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, adversaries are trying to position themselves for potential ceasefire talks brokered by the new US leader," says Allie Cook.
The Financial Times' Isobel Koshiw and Anastasia Stogney also write about the connection between the fighting and possible negotiations. They report that Ukraine last week "resumed its offensive in the Kursk region, having lost about half the territory it seized during the August invasion."
At the same time, Kiev and its Western allies still consider the occupation of Russian territory to be the key to any negotiations, the authors of the article note: at a meeting with journalists on Monday in Seoul, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “stressed the importance of Kursk for Ukraine.”
"This will certainly be taken into account in any negotiations that may take place this year," the FT quotes the outgoing US official as saying.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Fighting has intensified in the Russian region of Kursk, with Ukrainian forces taking out whole columns of tanks and the battlefield littered with the corpses of Russian and North Korean soldiers, chilling pictures purportedly show.
Desperate to reclaim the region, part of which was first seized by Kyiv's forces back in August and has been defended by Ukraine since, Vladimir Putin has sent wave after wave of troops to die as 'cannon fodder'.
So exhausted by the rate with which they have been killing their enemies, Ukrainian machine gunners are being replaced regularly, according to reports.
One soldier likened the onslaught to the bloody sieges of eastern Ukrainian cities like Bakhmut, saying that 'after two hours [gun operators] couldn't take it anymore.'
'Here, the Russians need to take this territory at any cost, and are pouring all their strength into it, while we are giving everything we have to hold it,' Sergeant Oleksandr, 46, a Ukrainian infantry platoon leader, told the New York Times.
'We're holding on, destroying, destroying, destroying - so much that it's hard to even comprehend.'
Aiming to retake the town of Malaya Loknya, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the region, Putin's forces reportedly launched a series of massive combined assaults involving some 50 armoured vehicles and hundreds of soldiers.
Ukrainian forces reportedly decimated the columns by disabling the lead vehicles with landmines and drone strikes, forcing those behind them to stop in their tracks.
Sitting ducks in the line of fire, the Russian soldiers inside the vehicles then abandoned them and attempted to take cover in nearby trenches, allowing them to be easily taken out by Ukrainian gunfire and grenades dropped by drones.
Images shared by Euromaidan Press shows what appear to be Russian soldiers cowering in ditches and beneath trees as they are hunted by Ukrainian drones.
Due to the huge manpower enlisted by Moscow and the massive scale of attacks, Putin's forces have been able to make ground in the region over recent days.
At an extremely high cost, with nearly a full mechanized company said to have been lost in one day, they have reportedly been able to take back control of the villages of Leonidovo and the eastern part of Novoivanovka.
Their 'meat assaults' have been assisted over recent months by the deployment of an estimated 12,000 North Korean soldiers, which Ukrainian soldiers say has made battles even more bloody.
'They are putting our fronts under massive pressure and are constantly finding weak points where they can break through,' a platoon leader said.
It comes after harrowing footage purportedly showed the corpses of more than a dozen North Korean troops lined up on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian OSINT group said that the video 'confirms that the Russian command continues to massively use Koreans as cannon fodder for infantry assaults on Ukrainian army positions'.
The North Koreans were sent in 'ahead of Russian units' to storm frontline positions' in Russia's Kursk region, contested amid a blistering Ukrainian offensive, it added.
Following a battle in Kursk this week, Ukrainian special forces scoured the bodies of more than a dozen slain North Korean enemy soldiers.
They found one still alive, but as they approached, he detonated a grenade, blowing himself up, according to a description of the fighting posted on social media by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces on Monday.
The forces said their soldiers escaped the blast uninjured.
The report could not be verified, but it is among mounting evidence from the battlefield, intelligence reports and testimonies of defectors that some North Korean soldiers are resorting to extreme measures as they support Russia's three-year war with Ukraine.
'Self-detonation and suicides: that's the reality about North Korea,' said Kim, a 32-year-old former North Korean soldier who defected to the South in 2022, requesting he only be identified by his surname due to fears of reprisals against his family left in the North.
'These soldiers who left home for a fight there have been brainwashed and are truly ready to sacrifice themselves for Kim Jong Un,' he added, referring to the reclusive North Korean leader.
Moscow and Pyongyang initially dismissed reports about the North's troop deployment as 'fake news'.
But Russian president Vladimir Putin in October did not deny that North Korean soldiers were currently in Russia and a North Korean official said any such deployment would be lawful.
Earlier reports say the faces of the corpses have been deliberately disfigured - including by burning - to stop them being identified as North Koreans.
Ukraine and South Korea reported late last year that North Korea had sent at least 10,000 troops to support Putin's war effort as Ukraine began to make gains inside Kursk.
As many as 300 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed, with a further 2,700 wounded, in clashes so far, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters on Monday.
He added that Pyongyang's troops have been told to kill themselves before allowing themselves to be captured alive.
Ukraine this week released videos of what it said were two captured North Korean soldiers.
One of the soldiers expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine, and the other to return to North Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs in Sana'a government, Major General Jalal al-Rowishan, underscored that the ''Al-Aqsa Flood'' operation, along with positions of resistance movements—particularly Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... 's—represents a significant turning point in the struggle against the Israeli occupation.
In a press statement on Wednesday, al-Rowishan reiterated that the Yemeni position is linked to stopping the aggression against Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... During a graduation ceremony for combat units specializing in facility protection and VIP security, he stressed that the continued and past aggression against Yemen has only bolstered their determination and resilience.
Al-Rowishan also noted the critical role of preparation, training, and professional development in this phase, assuring that the security forces would remain steadfast partners alongside the armed forces.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 18:21 Calculation of the Lancet loitering munition of the North group of forces destroyed aUkrainian Armed Forces tank in the border area of the Kursk region. 17:18 Soldiers of the 16th Special Forces Brigade destroyed enemy UAV control point and three militants in the area of the village of Dvurechnaya, Khar'kov region.
16:52 Advance of Russian Armed Forces in Dzerzhinsk. The enemy still holds the Fomikha mine waste heap and a bit of private sector near it, as well as the Toretskaya mine.
16:40 Destruction of armored personnel carrier "Bucephalus" of the 61st Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine using loitering munition "Lancet" in the area of the settlement of Gogolevka in the Kursk direction.
The explosion of an M-113 armored personnel carrier on a mine planted as a result of remote mining from a heavy quadcopter in the Kupyansk direction.
16:16 Servicemen of the AT-4 Fagot anti-tank missile system crew of the special forces unit of the Center group of forces stopped rotation of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
15:14 As a result of the negotiation process with the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime returned 25 Russian servicemen.
14:45 Servicemen of the motorized rifle, artillery and tank units of the "Center" group of forces continue to defeat Ukrainian militants, liberating the lands of the Donetsk People's Republic.
13:57 Destruction of transport of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a previously inaccessible fortification under the bridge in Kherson.
13:28 In the period from 09.20 to 12.40 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
12:18 The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with the help of UAVs and missile weapons attacked objects of military significance on the territory of Ukraine. Explosions were heard in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zhitomir, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovograd, Lviv, Poltava, Khar'kov, Khmelnytsky and Cherkasy regions.
According to Ukrainian monitoring channels, on the night of January 15, Russian Geran-2 UAVs struck targets in Brovary in the Kyiv region, Zhitomir, Kropyvnytskyi district of the Kirovohrad region, the city of Lubny in the Poltava region and Shepetivka in the Khmelnytsky region.
Subsequently, air and sea launches of Kalibr, Kh-101, Kh-55 and Kh-555 cruise missiles were recorded.
Explosions were heard in the city of Stryi in the Lviv region, Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Cherkassy, the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, as well as at sites in the Poltava, Chernihiv, Khmelnytsky, Vinnytsia, Khar'kov and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.
Coordinator of the pro-Russian underground Sergei Lebedev reported RIA Novosti reports that one of the strikes was carried out in the area of ??the Cherkasy airport, from where Ukrainian aircraft take off to strike Russian positions in the Zaporizhzhya direction.
"It is noteworthy that every other time, strikes are carried out on a small and practically unknown military facility in Sambir, Lviv Oblast. The 675th Separate Radar Company, the 703rd Engineering Regiment, the 704th Separate Regiment of the NBC protection, the warehouses of military unit A-0807, as well as the 7th Separate Regiment of Army Aviation and the Kalinov airfield, where guests from abroad often arrive, are located here," writes Telegram channel "Military Chronicle".
The Military Chronicle also notes that Su-57 fighters have begun to play one of the key roles in Russia’s missile strikes.
"While the Kalibrs and Kh-101s are meandering along routes, the fifth-generation fighters are weeding out the air defense system. As soon as the task is completed, the Kalibrs suddenly remember where they need to fly and continue to carry out the flight mission. This feature was noticed last year, but then the role of aviation was not so obvious," the channel notes.
11:22 Reconnaissance units of the Testing Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies of the Russian Ministry of Defense "Rubicon" discovered a vehicle that was transporting Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. The coordinates of the detected target were promptly transmitted to strike forces.
Despite counteraction from enemy electronic warfare systems, FPV drone crews from the Rubicon Center destroyed a vehicle with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.
10:07 Servicemen of the reconnaissance unit of the "East" group of forces showed weapons abandoned by Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the area of the settlement of Velikaya Novosyolka in the DPR.
The scouts' trophies included a portable anti-tank missile launcher Javelin, an American large-caliber machine gun Browning M-2, hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers and ammunition. The Ukrainian soldiers abandoned all of this without a fight, so as not to clash with the Russian army.
9:52 Ukrainian military intelligence promised Russian servicemen $1 million for leaving their positions in Gorlovka in the DPR, counterintelligence foiled these plans, the FSB reported.
9:46 Russian army storms Uspenovka.
8:33 Crew of the 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer of the Northern Fleet naval infantry destroyed enemy UAV control point on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.
7:36 Changes on the map for the past 24 hours:
Terny liberated;
Positions near Kurakhovo have been improved;
Advance at Novoelizavetovka.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The sentence of six residents of Dagestan convicted by the Novokubansky Court in the case of riots at the Uytash airport has come into force; they did not appeal the sentence.
As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, 27 criminal cases on the riots in Makhachkala were sent to the courts of Kuban and Stavropol. On September 26, 2024, the Novokubansky Court began considering the case of six residents of Dagestan. The defendants are Magomed Gadzhiev, Shamil Gadzhiev, Bashir Magomedaliev, Alibeg Ramazanov, Roosevelt Tagirov, Magomednabi Shaikhslamov. On December 16, 2024, the court sentenced Tagirov to eight years in prison, the rest of the defendants - to seven years.
Mass riots at Makhachkala airport occurred on October 29, 2023, due to a report of the arrival of a plane with passengers from Israel. More than 20 people were injured in the riots, including nine police officers. 1,200 people were brought to administrative responsibility. What happened at Uytash airport and how the investigation is proceeding is described in the "Caucasian Knot" report " Case of the pogrom at Makhachkala airport ".
The verdict against six participants in the mass riots at the Makhachkala International Airport - Roosevelt Tagirov,
…an interesting name — is that local, or is he named after the American president?
Bashir Magomedaliev, Magamednabi Shaikhslamov, Alibeg Ramazanov, Shamil Gadzhiev and Magomed Gadzhiev - has come into force, the United Press Service of the Courts of Krasnodar Krai reported today.
"The verdict of the Novokubansky District Court was not appealed by the parties; it entered into legal force," the press service said in its Telegram channel.
Let us recall that the relatives of those accused and convicted in the case of the riots at the Makhachkala airport intended to ask for help from the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, but were unable to get an appointment with him. At a meeting with the Dagestani ombudsman, they wrote a letter to the head of Dagestan Sergei Melikov and threatened protests in the event of no response.
The Dagestani authorities did not respond to requests from relatives of those convicted and accused in the Makhachkala riots case, so they had to ask the head of Chechnya for help. Analysts believe that Kadyrov refused the meeting due to his reluctance to conflict with Melikov and to be known as a defender of the pogrom participants.
On February 17, 2024, relatives of the participants in the riots at the Makhachkala airport appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request for leniency
On December 23, 2024, the Ust-Labinsk court sentenced eight defendants in the Makhachkala airport riots to prison terms of seven to eight years. On December 11, 2024, courts in Stavropol Krai sentenced 10 residents of Dagestan to lengthy prison terms in two cases of riots in Makhachkala. On January 10, a court in Georgievsk sentenced four residents of Dagestan to 10 years in prison in the Makhachkala riots case.
Earlier, the Armavir City Court sentenced five defendants in the case of riots at the Makhachkala airport to prison terms ranging from six years and four months to nine years. The court issued a harsh sentence without evidence of the defendants' guilt, the lawyers and relatives of the convicted said. The defense appealed the sentence, but the appellate court upheld it on November 25, 2024.
[FoxNews] The choices are to let it happen or install a colonial government to temporarily tamp down the wildness. But understandably nobody wants the thankless task.
[FoxNews] Rep Chip Roy is leading the No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization Act
A group of House Republicans is pushing to completely block U.S. funding for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Like our own federal health bureaucracies, they’ve been stretching beyond their mandate in recent years, as far as I can tell. A sharp cut in funds and support will allow them the time and space to rethink their priorities, and in time come back to the America and the world with a better definition of their role and responsibilities.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, policy chair for the conservative House Freedom Caucus, introduced the bill on Tuesday and argued the international health body "doesn't serve our interests and doesn't deserve our money."
He also attacked WHO member countries’ current effort to draft an international pandemic preparedness treaty, accusing the organization of a bid to consolidate and further its own influence.
"Taking money from hardworking families struggling with the aftermath of Biden's inflation crisis to send it to a bunch of leftist ‘public health’ tyrants in Geneva is unacceptable," Roy told Fox News Digital.
"I am confident that President Trump will cut the WHO's funding off — as he did last time — but this legislation will ensure that no future administration can restart it."
At least a dozen GOP lawmakers are backing the bill.
A significant number of Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, have been critical of the WHO, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump announced he was halting funding to the WHO during his first term in April 2020, a move that drew blowback from the U.S. medical community, Politico reported at the time.
"Fighting a global pandemic requires international cooperation and reliance on science and data," Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, told the outlet.
However, conservatives in Congress have viewed the organization as a power-hungry group that did not take U.S. interests into account.
The U.S. is currently the biggest contributor to the WHO, according to World Population Review. The organization's website states that 60% of its funding comes from member states.
Roy’s "No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization Act" would stop all contributions to WHO, both committed and other voluntary funding.
A spokesperson for WHO said the body was focused on maintaining its relationship with the U.S. when reached for comment on Roy's bill.
"The WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in December, at a press conference, that the new U.S. administration has not yet taken office and it requires time, like any new government, to do so. As Dr Tedros has said, WHO will do everything to cooperate with the incoming U.S. administration to continue to strengthen global health security," the spokesperson said.
"I would add that the WHO-US partnership, and America’s contribution to global health security more broadly, has protected and saved millions of lives in America and around the world. WHO values greatly its relationship with the US and is committed to maintaining and strengthening it."
The Soviet Union had an extensive offensive and defensive biological weapons program that included MARV.[83] At least three Soviet research institutes had MARV research programs during the Cold War: The Virology Center of the Scientific Research Institute for Microbiology in Zagorsk (today Sergiev Posad), the Scientific-Production Association "Vektor" (today the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vektor") in Koltsovo, and the Irkutsk Scientific-Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Irkutsk.[83]
As most performed research was highly classified, it remains unclear how successful the MARV program was. However, Soviet defector Ken Alibek claimed that a weapon filled with MARV was tested at the Stepnogorsk Scientific Experimental and Production Base in Stepnogorsk, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (today Kazakhstan),[83] suggesting that the development of a MARV biological weapon had reached advanced stages. Independent confirmation for this claim is lacking. At least one laboratory accident with MARV, resulting in the death of Koltsovo researcher Nikolai Ustinov, occurred during the Cold War in the Soviet Union and was first described in detail by Alibek.[83]
Linked article is available only through a VPN.
[EngMilRu] This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered a group strike by precision weaponry and attack unmanned aerial vehicles at critical objects of gas and power infrastructure ensuring operation of Ukrainian defence industry enterprises.
The goal of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged.
In Kharkov region, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU near Dergachi, Tsirkuny, and Volchansk (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 30 troops, six motor vehicles, one Grad MLRS combat vehicle, three field artillery guns, including one U.S.-made Paladin self-propelled artillery system. Two ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one tank brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades near Dvurechnaya, Zapadnoye, Zagoruykovka, Podoly, Petropavlovka, Zagryzovo, Lozovaya (Kharkov region), Ivanovka, and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 460 troops, two U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers, 13 pickup trucks, five artillery guns, including three NATO-made guns. Two ammunition depots and one Kvertus electronic warfare station were destroyed.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions and inflicted losses on formations of three mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, and one mountain assault brigade of the AFU near Zvanovka, Slavyansk, Nikolayevka, Seversk, Yantarnoye, Verkhnekamenskoye, Pereyezdnoye, Dachnoye, Sukhiye Yaly, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 230 troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, four pickup trucks, and four artillery guns. One ammunition depot was wiped out.
As a result of successful offensive operations, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Ukrainka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of six mechanised brigades of the AFU, one territorial defence brigade, two national guard brigades, and one formation of the International Legion near Shcherbinovka, Shevchenko, Dzerzhinsk, Slavyanka, Novovasilevka, Tarasovka, Baranovka, Vozdvizhenka, Petrovka, Lysovka, Petropavlovka, and Novoyelizavetovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 560 troops, one German-made Leopard tank, four armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and six artillery guns.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy's defences. Losses were inflicted on formations of three mechanised brigades and one air assault brigade of the AFU near Konstantinopol, Novy Komar, Novoselka, Razliv, and Vremevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 200 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, one 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, and one ammunition depot.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, two coastal defence brigades of the AFU, one territorial defence brigade, and one national guard brigade near Shcherbaki, Blakitnoye, Orekhov, Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region), Dneprovskoye, Antonovka, Nikolskoye, and Ivanovka (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 95 troops, 13 motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces struck infrastructure of military airfields, as well as engaged manpower and hardware of the enemy in 137 areas.
Air defence units shot down two French-made Hammer guided aviation bombs, 10 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 85 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 652 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 40,480 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,539 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,509 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,630 field artillery guns and mortars, and 30,305 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.
Units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one tank brigade, one heavy mechanised brigade, four mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, and three territorial defence brigades of the AFU near Viktorovka, Guyevo, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Makhnovka, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Sverdlikovo, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye. Two enemy counter-attacks were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the enemy near Viktorovka, Zamostye, Ivashkovsky, Pervy Knyazhy, Kositsa, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Loknya, Martynovka, Melovoy, Mirny, Mikhaylovka, Pogrebki, Sudzha, Yuzhny as well as Basovka, Belovody, Veselovka, Zhuravka, and Yunakovka in Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 220 troops, two tanks, two armoured personnel carriers, five armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, two artillery guns, and four mortars.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 52,120 troops, 305 tanks, 229 infantry fighting vehicles, 170 armoured personnel carriers, 1,566 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,480 motor vehicles, 366 artillery guns, 44 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 16 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 93 EW stations, 14 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 30 units of engineering and other materiel, including 15 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, eight armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
#1
With all the crap flying around in the media, I can see how demand for porta-potties might be up. Wouldn't surprise me if the Trump FCC/EPA makes CNN build a sewage lagoon.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The Center for Monitoring and Study of Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Dhamar province confirmed that monitoring stations detected an earthquake in Al-Maqatera district, Lahj province.
Engineer Muhammad Hussein Mutahar Al-Houthi, head of the center, stated that a light earthquake with a magnitude of 2.7 on the Richter scale struck Al-Maqatera on Tuesday afternoon.
Additionally, another earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale was recorded east of the Gulf of Aden at 10:44 pm the same day.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
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#3
Dunno what it is but I'm guessing he's working some kind of an angle here. He's always working some kind of an angle.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/16/2025 14:32
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#4
Keeps all the rich and celebrities from leaving which would be financially and prestigiously embarrassing.
Second, it controls who could potentially be a purchaser to one allowed developer, which of course is on board with what the government will want to do with said properties.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:18 In Kursk Oblast, six servicemen have left their place of service. They left with weapons and in full combat gear. This was reported by the TG channel ASTRA, citing sources in the region's emergency services. We are talking about the shooters of the assault company V. It is claimed that each of them took with them a machine gun with at least four loaded magazines. The deserters are being sought.
19:59 The Russian-Ukrainian war may drag on, despite the pre-election statements of the 47th US President-elect Donald Trump about an immediate settlement. His team admits that what was promised turned out to be an exaggeration along with an underestimation of the complexity of the situation. This is reported by Reuters.
19:19 Ukrainian military captured 23 Russian soldiers in the Toretsk direction. All Russians surrendered voluntarily - they were found in basements, captured during assaults.
19:14 In Ivano-Frankivsk, a primary school student found a cartridge in a bun that his grandmother bought at a supermarket. This was reported by the city's mayor, Ruslan Martsinkiv.
19:02 US authorities have introduced new sanctions against Russia. The sanctions package includes metallurgical plants, defense industry enterprises, banks and institutions that cooperated with Moscow - about 100 entities.
18:51 Last year, 443 thousand Ukrainians who left did not return. This is three times more than in 2023, when 134 thousand citizens did not return. This was reported by the Opendatabot service with reference to the State Border Service.
18:34 Inviting Ukraine to NATO could be the first step towards real security guarantees for the Ukrainian state. This was stated by Polish President Andrzej Duda. According to him, it is necessary to take the first official step related to Ukraine's future membership in the Alliance.
17:59 Ukraine has sharply increased its weapons production since the Russian invasion. But it still needs help from the US and Europe, which provide about 70% of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' needs, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
16:57 Since the beginning of the current day, 48 combat clashes have occurred on the front. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported details in the operational summary as of 16:00. It should be noted that on January 14, as of 16:00, 84 battles took place on the front, thus today the intensity of combat clashes has decreased almost by half.
16:39 Poland has prepared the 46th aid package for Ukraine worth 200 million euros. This was announced by the head of the Polish government, Donald Tusk. He did not disclose the details of the aid package, but noted that "we should talk about it as little as possible, and do as much as possible."
16:33 In Mykolaiv Oblast, the chief of staff of a military unit allowed an unjustified accrual of combat payments. The total amount of damages established to the state is more than 4.3 million hryvnia.
16:26 Law enforcement officials have announced suspicion to a man who stole a ring from the hand of deceased soldier Eduard Roshka in the Zhytomyr region. The jewelry has now been confiscated and will be returned to the soldier's wife.
15:59 Currently, 880 thousand servicemen serve in the Ukrainian army. Such data was announced by President Zelensky. According to him, Ukraine does not plan to discuss the reduction of the army, because today it is the only guarantee of security.
15:41 Volunteer Irina Bairachenko has died in the Kherson community. The other day, the 42-year-old woman came under fire and received serious injuries, from which she soon died in the hospital.
15:07 In Kherson, Russian troops dropped explosives from a drone on a municipal bus, the number of victims is growing. This was reported by the head of the Kherson GVA Roman Mrochko on Wednesday, January 15.
14:58 Ukraine has already received 80% of the ammunition promised under the Czech initiative. We are talking about 520 thousand 155 mm shells and a large number of other calibers.
14:51 Ukraine has not abandoned the principle of not holding direct negotiations personally with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This was stated by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. At the same time, negotiations with other representatives of the Russian Federation are possible.
14:25 In Kazakhstan, a local "Wagnerite" who fought against Ukraine for a salary of 240 thousand rubles was convicted. The husband received 4.6 years in prison.
13:57 A Russian plane dropped an aerial bomb on a police major's building in the Kursk region. Although the bomb did not explode, a crater was formed at the crash site.
13:45 President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law on including young men who turn 17 in the register of conscripts. The law also extends until March 1 the possibility of registering military personnel who committed a crime but voluntarily arrived at military units.
13:31 At least eight civilians were wounded in Kramatorsk as a result of a Russian airstrike on a multi-story building. Among the injured were two children. The target of the aggressors' attack was a microdistrict of the city with dense residential development.
13:26 Law enforcement officers detained two groups of arsonists in Kiev who worked for the Russian special services. They burned military vehicles and relay cabinets of Ukrzaliznytsia on the territory of the capital of Ukraine. The perpetrators turned out to be four young men.
12:55 Kyiv region police exposed a $10,000 military service evasion scheme. The former head of the military medical commission and the state enforcement officer were charged under several articles.
12:37 The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law giving the president the right to send the Ukrainian Armed Forces abroad during martial law with the approval of the parliament. The corresponding legislative initiative No. 12378 was supported by 317 people's deputies.
12:07 In the Lviv region, after a morning air attack, an undetonated missile was found in a field, as well as fragments of another missile. Bomb disposal experts have left for the scene.
11:42 The Verkhovna Rada approved the decision to extend martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine for the 14th time. They will be in effect for at least another 90 days - until May 9 of this year.
11:23 On Wednesday night, Russian aggressors carried out a combined attack on Ukraine with various types of missiles, attack drones, and UAV imitators. Most of the enemy targets were destroyed. The details were reported by the Ukrainian Air Force.
10:42 A large-scale fire occurred at an oil refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd on January 15. The refinery belongs to LUKOIL.
10:26 On Wednesday night, Russian aggressors launched more than 100 missiles and drones at Ukraine. Most of the enemy targets were destroyed. This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to him, thanks to the air defense and all the units involved, it is possible to maintain the operation of the energy system of Ukraine.
9:34 On Wednesday, January 15, the Russian Federation launched a large-scale missile strike on the territory of Ukraine. The energy infrastructure of the Lviv region was attacked. This was reported by the mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi.
8:58 Over the past 24 hours, January 14, 170 clashes took place on the front. Almost half of them took place in the Pokrovsk direction. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8:48 Russia's losses in the war against Ukraine have exceeded 812 thousand soldiers. Over the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have eliminated 1,580 occupiers. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
7:59 The data transmission system operator is introducing preventive restrictions on electricity supply in connection with the Russian missile attack. This was reported by Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko.
7:44 The allies are not putting pressure on the military-political leadership of Ukraine regarding the rapid start of negotiations with the Russian Federation on ending the war. Partners, on the contrary, are interested in strengthening Ukraine's negotiating positions. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha.
7:28 An air raid alert due to a missile threat was declared throughout Ukraine on the morning of January 15. Russian aggressors launched Kh-101 missiles from TU-95MS bombers. This was reported by the Air Force.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Negotiations on the exchange of hostages between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas are gradually entering the home stretch. The parties have fewer and fewer demands on each other, while those that remain are more symbolic and do not interfere with the discussion of details.
The seriousness of the parties' intentions is also demonstrated by the fact that "narrowly profiled" officials are involved in discussing the details of the deal - for example, the head of the committee for Palestinian prisoners, Kadura Fares. Of course, the deal is unlikely to put an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, it will allow Israel to jump out of the protracted conflict, while saving face.
INVISIBLE FRONT
Despite the obvious decrease in the intensity of hostilities, it is too early to talk about an end to the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Hamas continues its guerrilla war in the enclave, periodically raiding Israeli checkpoints and small groups of soldiers.
It plays into the hands of the Palestinians that the Israelis are trying not to concentrate too many soldiers in Gaza (even taking into account the completion of the offensive in the Lebanese direction and the lack of need to constantly maintain a “strike force” in the border area).
Moreover, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seeks not to disperse its forces throughout the enclave, relying on the mobility of battle groups and pinpoint suppression operations. In light of this, Israeli soldiers constantly return to previously “cleared” areas to conduct new operations, which neutralizes their superiority in strength and weapons.
Also, according to the Israeli General Staff, Hamas has begun to use new tactics and convert unexploded IDF ordnance into remote bombs.
This places additional strain on the sapper units and slows down the advance of Israeli forces within the enclave, as well as increasing the associated losses in personnel and equipment.
They’ll move faster when not constrained by the Biden administration's’ deliberately hobbling restraints.
Over the past week, the number of IDF soldiers killed has reached at least 15, and since the beginning of Operation Iron Swords, losses have amounted to more than 700 soldiers and officers.
Israeli defense consultants point to a worrying trend: Israeli casualties are rising and clashes with the Palestinians are becoming more intense, even in contrast to the first months of the war.
HAMAS 2.0
During Operation Iron Swords, Hamas lost, according to various estimates, between 15 and 25 thousand fighters, and also lost a good half of its military and political leadership. However, even taking this fact into account, Israel failed to achieve the complete defeat of the movement.
Recently, Hamas was headed by Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, who was liquidated by the Israelis, and one of the experienced Palestinian functionaries. Sinwar Jr. not only managed to take over the reins, but also risked conflict with the "political functionaries" sitting in Doha; he refused to form a collective governing body.
Sinwar Jr. preferred complete autonomy for the actions of the units entrusted to him in Gaza to the “Palestinian Seven Boyars.”
In order to replenish its losses, the movement has relied on recruiting neophytes – despite their low combat experience, new Hamas members are highly motivated and eager to get even with the Israelis for civilian casualties and the destruction of the enclave. Particularly zealous are those from northern Gaza, for whom participation in Hamas operations is often tantamount to revenge for the deaths of loved ones.
Another significant lever of influence for the younger Sinwar over recruits was the monopolization of humanitarian aid. Hamas still controls the distribution of food and other goods in Gaza and rewards its most loyal fighters with advanced access to incoming supplies.
Praise from Russia for deliberately starving the civilian population? How admirable, indeed.
The effectiveness of Hamas' actions is also recognized by Israel's allies. For example, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated at one of his briefings that "Hamas has recruited almost as many new fighters as it has lost"; that is, it has essentially fully restored its combat capability.
Newbies, however driven by fear of starvation if they don’t fight, are not the equal of seasoned, trained fighters.
ON THE EVE OF THE DEAL
At the same time, the new Hamas leadership did not demonstratively reject negotiations, even when the Israelis refused to return the body of the liquidated Sinwar Sr. to his homeland.
On the contrary, the movement tried to divert the dialogue into the bureaucratic plane in order to delay the approval of even the smallest details of the deal and thereby gain time to restore the mobilization resource.
The calculation turned out to be quite accurate: given that many attribute the current peace initiative on Gaza to Donald Trump personally, Tel Aviv does not want to confuse its strategic ally, and therefore patiently works on every remark.
Moreover, in a public gesture, the IDF abandoned the Netzarim corridor in Gaza, previously created specifically to “cut” the enclave into two parts, and also effectively stopped claiming control over the Philadelphi corridor on the border with Egypt.
At the same time, Tel Aviv's concessions (partly dictated by Washington) are not understood by the Israeli "hawks". In their eyes, Benjamin Netanyahu's government "pays too high a price" for satisfying American strategic ambitions, and the possible withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip is interpreted as nothing less than a defeat.
On the other hand, Tel Aviv understands perfectly well that the confrontation with Hamas will not end after reaching a deal on the hostages.
On the contrary, the release of the captives will untie the hands of the Israeli government, eliminating the social tension that has been building for a year and a half. In this interpretation, the IDF's withdrawal from Gaza, under any conditions, will be presented as a victory for Israel and the end of Operation Iron Swords.
The subsequent confrontation with Hamas will be positioned as a separate stage of the struggle, and not as a new round of an old operation. And before approaching Hamas 2.0, Tel Aviv will probably do some serious work on its mistakes.
[IsraelTimes] A senior Biden administration official appears to downplay a claim made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ...71st United States secretary of state and a leading light of the corrupt and inept Biden administration. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under the corrupt and inept Obama administration. He advocated for the 2003 invasion of Iraq while serving as the Democratic staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002 to 2008. He was a foreign policy advisor for the Biden 2008 presidential campaign. During his tenure in the Obama administration, Blinken helped craft B.O.'s policy on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the nuclear program of Iran. We all saw how well each of those worked. After leaving government service, Blinken moved into the private sector, co-founding WestExec Advisors, a lobbying firm... that Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... has recruited roughly as many fighters as it has lost.
The senior US official was asked about Blinken’s comments during a briefing with news hounds following the announcement of a Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... hostage deal.
"I heard that, but Hamas is a significantly degraded military organization," the official responds. "Israeli forces can go anywhere in Gaza they want. Hamas leaders are living almost entirely underground and trying to take refuge in civilian structures."
"They really have no free-standing brigades or military organization anymore," he says of Hamas.
"Have they recruited poor Gazooks who are living in hell on earth? Yes, but that is a far cry from an organization that invaded Israel with military formations with thousands of organized fighters on October 7. Its ability to do that I really believe has been forever foreclosed," the senior US official states.
Blinken made the comments Wednesday while arguing that Israel’s failure to stand up a viable alternative to Hamas has led the IDF to repeatedly return to places in Gaza ipreviously cleared of Hamas fighters who managed to return.
"We’ve long made the point to the Israeli government that Hamas cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone, that without a clear alternative, a post-conflict plan and a credible political horizon for the Paleostinians, Hamas, or something just as abhorrent and dangerous, will grow back," Blinken said in an address on the Biden administration’s Mideast policy at the Atlantic Council.
"That’s exactly what’s happened in northern Gaza since October 7. Each time Israel completes its military operations and pulls back Hamas, Death Eaters regroup and reemerge because there’s nothing else to fill the void," he said. "That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war."
Firefighters continue to aggressively engage in fire suppression efforts in the area, with a Red Flag Warning in effect through 6PM. pic.twitter.com/GO67ikA5AH
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Local sources in Mahrah province, eastern Yemen, have reported that Saudi Arabia has provided financial incentives to the province's residents to encourage them to join the ''Dera Al-Watan'' factions.
This comes amidst widespread local opposition to the idea of establishing such a formation in the region.
According to the sources, Saudi Arabia has increased the amounts provided to individuals joining these factions to 1,500 Saudi riyals per month.
In comparison, individuals in other provinces like Lahj, Aden, and Hadhramaut receive approximately 1,000 riyals per month.
It was also noted that the majority of Mahrah tribes have refused to allow their members to participate in ''Dera Al-Watan,'' particularly as many of the recruits thus far belong to the Salafi movement and were brought in from outside the province.
Mahrah has been witnessing a growing popular movement opposing the foreign presence. This movement is driven by calls from the local sit-in committee, which rejects the foreign presence and condemns the establishment of these factions.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
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[PUBLISH.TWITTER] Fascinating follow-up to the OMG undercover report on Jamie Mannina and his firing. Keep watching for the discussion with the college kids at the end.
WOW 🚨 The Pentagon official James O’Keefe just exposed was working to sabotage Donald Trump WAS A SPECIAL AGENT WITH THE FBI AND WORKED FOR HILLARY CLINTON AT THE STATE DEPT
It ALWAYS comes back to the same corrupt people, nothing ever changes
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are waging fierce battles in the east and south of Ukraine.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russians organized 17 attacks in the areas of eight settlements. Eight clashes are still ongoing.
Since the beginning of the current day, 48 combat clashes have occurred on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report as of 16:00 on Wednesday, January 15.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, one armed clash occurred near Tikhyi.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Russians attacked twice in the area of the settlements of Topolia and Petropavlovka. The battle is currently ongoing.
In the Liman direction, the invaders carried out 12 attacks near the settlements of Kopanki, Novosergeevka, Tverdokhlebovo, Makeyevka, Kolodtsy, Terny and Grigoryevka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are repelling two assaults.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy is attacking two locations in the Toretsk area.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russians organized 17 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Baranovka, Elizavetovka, Lisovka, Zelenoe, Zverevoye, Uspenovka, Andreyevka and Dachnoye. The defense forces repelled nine assaults.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy once attempted to break through the defenses in the area of the settlement of Vremevka.
There were 11 armed clashes in the Kursk direction , eight of which are still ongoing.
It should be noted that as of 16:00 on January 14, 84 battles had taken place on the front, so today the intensity of military clashes has decreased almost by half.
Let us recall that over the past 24 hours, almost 1,600 Russians were "minused" at the front . The total losses of the aggressor country Russia exceeded 810 thousand people
[X] After he gifted them something that actually works, when so little in California does? Oh dear.
I interviewed a Los Angeles firefighter with 20+ years of service. The truths I found are harrowing. @GavinNewsom ordered the removal of @elonmusk from the command post, and ordered the Cal Fire firefighters to return all donated starlinks.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike in southern Syria earlier today, after saying it identified a convoy of vehicles with weapons on them near a buffer zone where Israeli troops are deployed.
According to the military, the drone strike was launched near the vehicles as a warning shot, and they dispersed shortly after.
According to Syrian media, the strike killed the mayor of Ghadir al-Bustan, the village where the strike took place, along with several military officers from the new Syrian government.
The military officers had been in the area to remove weapons from positions belonging to the former Assad regime’s army, according to the Syrian media reports.
[IsraelTimes] Attack comes a day after another 6 Palestinians, including at least 4 Hamas gunmen, were killed in strike on the city; overnight, three troops hurt by roadside bomb
Six Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday evening, Palestinian medical officials said.
The strike came a day after another strike in Jenin left six other Palestinians dead.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had carried out the strike on Wednesday in a joint operation with the Shin Bet security agency. It said further details would be provided later.
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry named the six Palestinians killed on Wednesday as Muhammad Araarawi, 33, Ahmad Araarawi, 37, Mahmoud Fayyad, 22, Osama Abu Droubi, 26, Mustafa Fayyad, 26, and Awad Abu Zaid, 27.
Images posted to social media appeared to show Mustafa Fayyad brandishing firearms, indicating he was a member of a terror group in Jenin.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Both terror groups have a significant presence in Jenin.
On Tuesday evening, the IDF carried out a drone strike in Jenin that killed another six Palestinians, four of whom were later claimed by Hamas as members of the terror group.
The strikes come amid a campaign by the PA to clamp down on terror factions in the northern West Bank city.
In a separate incident overnight, three IDF soldiers were injured, two seriously and one lightly, by a roadside bomb in the West Bank city of Qabatiya, close to Jenin, the military said on Wednesday morning. The soldiers were in a light armored vehicle when it was hit by a bomb planted in the area by Palestinian gunmen. The soldiers, of the Kfir Brigade and Menashe Regional Brigade, were taken to a hospital for treatment.
The art world is in tears. See the link to see some of the reasons why.
[NYPost] A trove of nearly 200 artworks by Hunter Biden has been destroyed — one of the casualties of the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, The Post has learned.
The controversial art had been in storage near the Pacific Palisades home of Hunter’s Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris and is valued at “millions of dollars,” a source close to the Biden family said.
Was valued, anyway. And now it isn’t.
Morris, who loaned the first son nearly $5 million to help pay a tax bill and has been financing a documentary on him, lives in a sprawling five-bedroom, six-bathroom home which is among the few houses still intact in the posh neighborhood, The Post can confirm.
Morris could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
A lawyer for Hunter Biden, who is a self-taught artist who turned to painting while in recovery from drug addiction, did not immediately return a request for comment.
A Soho gallerist who represented the first son’s work and had organized solo shows of his paintings in Los Angeles and New York from 2021 said he broke ties with Hunter last year.
“I don’t know what’s happening with the art,” said gallery owner Georges Berges. “I have some of his work on canvas, some metal pieces at the gallery.”
Hunter’s art pieces have been priced as high as $500,000 each, although Berges told The Post the average price was closer to $85,000.
Morris bought $875,000 worth of Hunter’s artworks via Berges, many of them of flowers on Japanese paper, he said.
Berges told a congressional panel investigating the Biden family’s assets last year that Hunter knew the people who bought most of his art, despite assurances from the White House that buyers would be kept secret to avoid a conflict of interest with the president.
In addition to Morris, Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali was named as another buyer. She obtained works before and after scoring a prestigious presidential appointment, according to reports.
#6
Fires are a natural part of California ecosystems. They burn dead brush to allow for new growth. Apparently, they burn other things that need to be burned. It's nature's way.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/16/2025 14:21
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#7
With fair valuation, I suspect the claim payout would resemble:
[PJMedia] Today we have Scott Turner (HUD), Scott Bessent (Treasury), Lee Zeldin (EPA), and Doug "Eyebrows" Burgum (Interior).
The hearings started at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Townhall is liveblogging here.
10 minutes ago
Matt Vespa
This is the end of the Bessent hearing.
Dems were keen on making sure the world knows they think the rich are evil, they don't pay their fair share in taxes, and they're the party for working people -- all of which are lies.
The GOP asked routine questions, but we all know this guy is safe.
Some bipartisan work might be done on credit card company fees, interest rates, and small business fees.
Bessent was calm, collected, and answered all questions. Some were a bit rocky in the delivery, but this guy won't be blocked.
an hour ago
Mia Cathell
And that's a wrap on Zeldin's confirmation hearing. Some standout moments:
Similar to Sean Duffy's nomination debate, there were showings of bipartisanship.
Ranking minority member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) presented the new GOP committee chair, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), with a gavel crafted from West Virginian wood and used by her father. "Madam chair, may you bang it in good health," Whitehouse joked, adding that they have "indeed worked well together" and calling for future "big bipartisan opportunities." Capito gratefully accepted the gavel.
“I'd like to let everyone know that I like the chairman. That's a good start,” Whitehouse said.
Minutes later, Whitehouse suggested Zeldin "will be merely a rubber stamp for looters and polluters who are setting the Trump agenda."
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) pressed Zeldin on whether he sees climate change as an "existential threat" and if he agrees with Trump saying climate change is "a hoax."
"I believe that climate change is real. As far as President Trump goes, the context that I've heard him speak about it was the criticism of policies that have been enacted because of climate change and about the economic costs of some policies," Zeldin replied.
Sanders, unsatisfied, said: "I would respectfully disagree with you. I think he's called it a hoax time and time again." Zeldin reiterated that Trump's comments should be taken in the context of the climate alarmism policy landscape. "I think that he's concerned about the economic costs of some policies where there's a debate and a difference of opinion," Zeldin explained.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), who introduced Zeldin, said he will "correct the course of the EPA." Capito said "the EPA must return to its core missions," better manage tax dollars, and implement environmental policies that also benefit economic growth.
She noted that Zeldin met ahead of time with multiple members of the committee. "I think that was definitely reflected in the tone and the substance that we saw here today, so I appreciate that," Capito said.
[Breitbart] Outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed during an interview on Sunday, a week before he steps down, that China has penetrated America’s water treatment plants, electric grid, and other critical civilian infrastructure, and is lying “in wait” for an opportunity to cyberattack at a time and place of its choosing.
Asked on CBS’s 60 Minutes about Chinese penetration of U.S. cyber and infrastructure, Wray said China’s cyber program is the largest in the world and has stolen more of Americans’ personal and corporate data than every nation combined. Then, he added:
But even beyond the cyber theft. There’s another part of the Chinese cyber threat that I think has not gotten the attention publicly that it I think desperately deserves. And that is Chinese government’s pre-positioning on American civilian critical infrastructure. To lie in wait on those networks to be in a position to wreak havoc and can inflict real-world harm at a time and place of their choosing.
Wray said China has already infiltrated malware into critical American infrastructure.
“Things like water treatment plants. We’re talking about transportation systems. We’re talking about targeting of our energy sector, the electric grid, natural gas pipelines. And recently we’ve seen targeting of our telecommunications systems,” he said.
Wray said China has also been listening into Americans’ calls.
CBS News said China has gathered communications of U.S. national security officials, as well as the Kamala Harris campaign and President-Elect Donald Trump himself.
The revelation prompted outrage from former Trump administration officials who say Wray did not do enough to stem the threat from China on his watch, only to discuss it publicly a week from stepping down.
Joshua Steinman, former National Security Council senior director for cyber security during the Trump administration, posted on X:
This enrages me. I left them with the tools they needed to confront this. And it appears those tools went unused for four years. Total mismanagement.
Fox News show host Brian Kilmeade slammed Wray for failing to tackle the threat and criticized the Biden administration for talking about it but not acting.
Other commentators on X slammed Wray for waiting “until the last second” to warn Americans.
“Why did FBI Director Christopher Wray wait until the last second before leaving office to do a 60 min interview and tell us that China has sleeper cells all over the country…?” one posted.
“Wray knows that Chinese agents have infiltrated the country in order to attack the power grid whenever they choose. How did they get here? What EXACTLY is your job description,” another posted.
Wray called stepping down “one of the hardest decisions” he has ever made, but said he had little choice after President-Elect Donald Trump made it clear he would be replaced.
Trump has nominated Kash Patel, former deputy Director of National Intelligence and Pentagon chief of staff for the role.
Thousands of Gazooks gathered to celebrate as news spread that a ceasefire deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... on Wednesday night.
The deal is aimed at releasing the Israeli hostages held by the terror group in exchange for an expected 1,000-plus Paleostinian security prisoners, and potentially ending more than 15 months of war in the Paleostinian enclave sparked by the devastating Hamas-led onslaught in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
AFP journalists
…who no doubt are double dipping as Hamasniks for their day job…
in central Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... ’s Deir el-Balah and other areas witnessed people gathering in groups, hugging and taking photos with their mobile phones to mark the announcement.
"I can’t believe that this nightmare of more than a year is finally coming to an end. We have lost so many people, we’ve lost everything," said Randa Sameeh, a 45-year-old displaced from Gaza City to the Nuseirat Camp in the center of the territory.
"We need a lot of rest. As soon as the truce begins, I will go to the cemetery to visit my brother and family members. We buried them in Deir el-Balah cemetery without proper graves. We will build them new graves and write their names on them."
Outside Deir al-Balah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, hundreds of Paleostinians gathered to chant, sing and wave flags.
At one point, a member of the crowd and a journalist in body armor were raised on people’s shoulders to conduct an interview above the mass of elated Gazooks.
As an ambulance squeezed through the crowd to reach the hospital, smiling men and women alike chanted "Allahu Akbar," or "God is greatest" in Arabic, and waved the Paleostinian flag.
Young children, some looking confused by the commotion, gathered outside the hospital, too, milling between adults and watching as they gave interviews to the waiting media.
A gaggle of young boys in the center of the crowd led a popular pro-resistance chant as adults filmed the moment on their phones.
Armed Hamas button men were also seen parading the streets in uniform, celebrating the ceasefire.
In Gaza City, 27-year-old Abdul Karim said: "I feel joy despite everything we’ve lost."
"I can’t believe I will finally see my wife and two children again," he added. "They left for the south almost a year ago. I hope they allow the displaced to return quickly."
Large crowds also gathered in Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, with young men surfing through the crowd on the shoulders of others beating drums and cheering, an AFP photographer saw.
In Jordan’s capital Amman, revelers were seen parading through the streets with Paleostinian flags, chanting slogans praising Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the criminal mastermind of the October 7, 2023 massacre who was killed in October by Israeli forces in southern Gaza.
"Raise your voices like the flame — Ya Sinwar, Gaza has won," chanted some Jordanian demonstrators.
’RESISTANCE HAS WON’
In the US, American anti-Israel groups hailed the Gaza ceasefire as a victory for the Paleostinian "resistance."
Within Our Lifetime, a hardline anti-Israel group in New York that has repeatedly denounced the Israeli offensive against Hamas as "genocide," declared "Resistance® has won."
"Imperialism and Zionism has lost, the Democratic party has lost, the future of the Zionist state continues to be eroded," group leader Nerdeen Kiswani said in a statement.
The Paleostinian Youth Movement in New York announced a rally in Times Square tomorrow. "Paleostinians in Gaza have not only survived, but shown the world that they will continue to rise until liberation," it said.
National Students for Justice in Paleostine called the agreement "a step forward on the long, arduous path to Paleostine’s inevitable victory."
"The people of Gaza chose to resist," NSJP said.
Columbia University’s coalition of anti-Israel groups posted a message saying, "Glory to our deaders, glory to our people, glory to our fighters."
"This victory is Gaza’s alone, we must fight and escalate," the group said.
The People’s Forum, a socialist anti-Israel group in New York, hailed "a victory for the Paleostinian people and the global struggle for liberation."
"The struggle against imperialism and Zionism has advanced," the group said. "A new phase in the struggle begins now."
Here is Hamas leader Khalil al-Haya's full speech—which he gave live on Al Jazeera from Qatar—in which he expressed pride in the Oct. 7th massacre and vowed to repeat it.
Hamas is a genocidal death cult and must be vanquished from this earth.
#3
There might be a silent majority in Gaza that is anti Hamas. However, by and large those people are afraid to be too loud.
In any event, Hamas has lost a lot of its leaders, a lot of its weapon inventory, a lot of its physical infrastructure (probably 80%-90% of each). Furthermore a lot of their mideast allies are not happy campers. Iran is broke and the Arab States are not willing to give blank checks. They can celebrate all they want.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
01/16/2025 15:40
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#4
^ "Allahu Akhbar! Does this candy taste like an abundance of Red Dye #3?"
"Shut up and dive in!"
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/16/2025 17:57
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] More than 32.5 thousand volunteers, activists of youth associations and concerned citizens from 20 regions of the country are helping specialized services in eliminating the consequences of the oil spill in the Black Sea, the press services of Rosmolodezh, the Dobro.rf and MyVmeste movements reported on Wednesday, January 15.
It’s good to see such consciousness and caring for the environment among the Russian youth.
As a result of the emergency, at least 2.4 thousand tons of fuel oil entered the Black Sea, polluting the coast of Krasnodar Krai, Crimea, Sevastopol and Zaporozhye Oblast; thousands of birds were also harmed by the oil products, the authors recalled.
“The work to eliminate the consequences of the oil spill does not stop, and even during the holidays, caring people continued to work - they collected and disposed of more than 15 thousand bags of sand, hundreds of people helped birds and animals, preserving the environment,” said State Secretary - Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh Denis Ashirov.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, over the course of a month, specialists and volunteers inspected about 896 km of coastline in the affected regions. More than 164 thousand tons of contaminated sand and soil were collected.
"Over the course of a month, 32,694 volunteers took part in the liquidation of the consequences of the oil spill in the Black Sea. Russians have once again demonstrated their spirit and unity. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already noted this twice, thanking the volunteers for their help in liquidating the emergency," said Artem Metelev, head of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy and head of the Dobro.rf ecosystem.
The volunteers have been provided with the necessary conditions for their work, and their assistance will be in demand for several more months, he added.
To catch and rescue injured birds, there are integrated centers where the birds receive assistance around the clock, the authors noted. The birds are then sent for rehabilitation. Volunteers have washed over 6,000 birds in a month. Entrepreneurs and volunteers are considering the possibility of building an additional temporary center for birds in Anapa.
The business community also joined in the assistance — in particular, Yandex sent 15 million rubles to help volunteers in Anapa, and using special promo codes, volunteers can order food delivery for free, call a taxi, and book accommodation. In addition, Rosseti and T-Bank sent volunteers protective equipment, ATVs, and trailers for removing contaminated sand, the authors noted.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on December 15, 2024, the tankers Volgoneft 239 and Volgoneft 212 sank during a storm in the Kerch Strait. An oil spill occurred.
On the instructions of the president, a federal task force was formed to eliminate the consequences of the accident. Emergencies Ministry employees and volunteers are working to clean up the shores in Crimea and Krasnodar Krai. The bulk of the fuel oil has been collected, but new emissions of petroleum products are periodically observed on the coast.
The pumping of fuel oil from the Volgoneft 239 tanker should be completed by the end of January. Putin previously expressed gratitude to the volunteers for their assistance.
In total, 34 dead dolphins were found on the Black Sea coast of Crimea and Sevastopol after a fuel oil spill due to an emergency with tankers. This was reported by the Crimean dolphin rescue center "Bespeshnoye More".
"Their number has increased to 34 individuals. One adult female Azovka had isolated traces of fuel oil on her skin. Most of the dead were Azovkas," the rescue center explained.
Over the past three days, 15 dead cetaceans have been reported. One individual, according to experts, was again found to have a penetrating wound (probably a knife wound) to the chest cavity.
"Also, alarming information was received about the stranding of dead anchovy off the coast of Sevastopol. This raises even greater concerns about the long-term consequences of the accident for the health of animals and about a possible repeat of the situation in 2022, when live dolphins were washed up on the coast as a result of an epizootic," the rescue center added.
Of all the cetaceans registered since the tanker accident, 16 dolphins were found in Crimea, 18 in the Sevastopol region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Russian Ministry of Defense will hold more than 20 scientific events in the country and abroad aimed at combating the falsification of history. This was announced by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on January 15 during a meeting of the Pobeda organizing committee.
“It is planned to hold more than 20 international military-historical conferences and other scientific events in Russia and abroad,” Belousov said.
In April, he added, the third International Anti-Fascist Congress is planned to be held together with Belarusian colleagues.
The publication of materials from the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense will continue — documents on the actions of the Red Army and crimes committed by the Nazi invaders and their accomplices. More than 250 historical documents have already been prepared for display as part of the exhibition "Without the Right to Be Forgotten," the minister also reported.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, the Ministry of Defense regularly publishes declassified documents from the central archive related to the events of the Great Patriotic War. Thus, in September 2024, evidence was presented regarding the liberation of Tallinn from the Nazi occupiers. In May, the department transferred documents on the activities of Soviet military intelligence on the eve of and during the war to the Victory Museum.
The protection of the memory of the Great Patriotic War must be based on documents, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, January 15.
The documents clearly show the role of the Red Army in the defeat of Nazism, the head of state said at a meeting of the Victory organizing committee.
"Many departments and institutions have made proposals to use the archival documents at their disposal. Of course, everything we do in this area should be based on documents. [This] will clearly show the role and significance of the Red Army and the Soviet Union as a whole in the victory over Nazism, and will affirm that very historical memory," the president said.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, during the meeting of the organizing committee, Putin emphasized that veterans will be the main participants in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory on May 9, 2025. The head of state instructed representatives of regional authorities to personally meet with veterans, learn about their problems and ensure their resolution.
The President also signed a decree according to which veterans of the Great Patriotic War, their widows, and former underage prisoners of concentration camps will receive a one-time payment of 80 thousand rubles in 2025.
The significance of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War for all of Russia is colossal, Putin said. Defending the Fatherland and serving the Fatherland has always been and remains a sacred cause for Russian citizens, he stressed.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] A recent statement by Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, director of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance and the main creator of the coherent myth of the Volyn massacre, clearly touched a nerve with his Ukrainian colleagues. And he spoke out against inviting Ukraine to the EU and NATO because of the conflict connected with the tragedy of 1943, after which there are no living witnesses left.
"A state that cannot answer for a very cruel crime against 120 thousand of its neighbors cannot be part of international unions. As president, I will tell them that we would like our efforts to be treated as partners from the Ukrainian side," Navrotsky said - and with these words he completely changed the strategy of his opponents, who literally reared up.
If in previous years the topic of exhuming the remains of Poles killed in Galicia and Volyn by the militant wing of the OUN (b)* caused mainly expressive rebukes, then since the end of December the Ukrainian press has been publishing “serious” publications debunking the “Polish myth”. Various historians carefully explain that there were no hundred thousand victims (or even 120, as Navrotsky claims), and in general – the Poles themselves are to blame for everything, having set the population against themselves with an aggressive policy back in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century.
That is, a solid explanatory basis is being provided for the thesis of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry that “opportunistic considerations” cannot be placed above good-neighborly Ukrainian-Polish relations and “common values of freedom, democracy and justice.”
And this means two things.
The first is that the current Ukrainian government is actually afraid of spoiling relations with the Poles, who profess Russophobia just as sincerely, and not because the political moment demands it. Navrotsky's threats are clearly taken seriously, and in light of possible major problems in relations with the US, they do not want to lose almost the last "guide" to Euro-Atlantic integration.
The second is that the coexistence of two myths, Polish and Ukrainian, which categorically disagree only in their assessment of the activities of the OUN*, has reached the point of critical collision.
Therefore, it will be very useful to understand what this problem is with the remains of people who died more than 80 years ago, since it literally destroys interstate relations.
CROOKED PATH
Since the Poles and Western Ukrainians, who have straddled the entire cultural and historical agenda in their country, are truly “brotherly peoples,” in their views on the events of 1943 they are following the same crooked path.
As Professor Grzegorz Motyka, the leading Polish expert on the massacre, rightly points out, “both sides are distinguished by a simplified approach to reality.”
"It is easy to see that the Ukrainian interpretation of the events in question is constructed in such a way as to avoid an unambiguous assessment of Bandera's initiatives. By focusing on the fight against the AK (Home Army - Ed.), Ukrainian researchers create the impression that a guerrilla war was taking place in Volyn and Eastern Galicia, in which both sides participated equally, and punitive operations - pacifications - were carried out only against those villages that were under the protection of armed formations. And although they admit that as a result of the UPA's actions, innocent Polish population suffered, this information is immediately balanced by words about the murders of innocent Ukrainians," the professor writes in one of his powerful articles devoted to attempts to get to the bottom of the matter.
In Polish interests, naturally.
The position of the other side is formulated very specifically: in Volyn, ethnic cleansing with signs of genocide on a clear ideological basis was carried out by the UPA* with the mass participation of local villagers. And it continued until 1945, taking the lives of slightly less than 100 thousand people, mostly civilians, including women and children. At the same time, up to 15 thousand of the same Ukrainians died at the hands of Polish armed formations.
The difference, according to the Poles, lies precisely in the approach.
Back in 1929 in Vienna, where the OUN* was created at the First Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, the goal was set: the creation of an Independent United Ukrainian National State, for which it was necessary to cleanse itself of "foreign national bondage". Violence and war are the methods by which the chosen people of Ukrainians are developing, and the Nation is the highest form of their development. Moreover, these ideas still form the basis of the state ideology of post-Maidan Ukraine.
It is therefore not surprising that in February 1943, at the III Conference of Banderites, a decision was made to begin an open guerrilla war in Volyn. The Banderites were convinced that they would have to wage the final battle for independence with the USSR or Poland, or perhaps both at the same time. Consequently, the main enemies were not the Germans (with whom they collaborated), but the Soviet and Polish partisans, as well as the “foreign” population.
As for Volyn specifically, the Military Conference of the OUN (b)* decided back in 1942:
"All Poles should be expelled, giving them the opportunity to take with them everything they want, because England and America will also protect them. But those who do not want to leave should be destroyed. The most active enemies, especially members of anti-Ukrainian organizations, should be destroyed..."
VOLYN PROBLEM
Volyn became the center of the main efforts of the Ukrainian Liberation Army (which later became the UPA* due to intraspecific struggle, since the brand was already taken) created in February 1943 for a very important reason - it was minimally developed by the nationalists. Unlike Galicia, where all the power was theirs anyway - and where, nevertheless, about 30-40 thousand Poles were also "cleansed".
Firstly, the Volyn province was part of the Russian Empire, and the local mentality was significantly different from that of Galicia, not having fallen under the influence of pro-Austrian "Ukrainophiles". It became part of Poland in 1921, and the main headache for the authorities here was not the "conscious" terrorists, but the strong communist movement with slogans of social and national liberation.
As a result, in the 1940s a “partisan region” was formed here; in particular, the NKVD special forces unit “Winners” under the command of Dmitry Medvedev was based there.
Poland, realizing the scale of the problem, after the Riga Peace Treaty began to actively develop the Eastern Borderlands, pursuing a very tough policy of “pacification” – in some places even with the destruction of Orthodox churches (this part is usually politely ignored by Polish propaganda).
Land was distributed to "settlers", primarily veterans who had participated in the Soviet-Polish war; each family was given a plot of up to 45 hectares. The resettlement of "new lords" from the central regions of Poland was also encouraged, and a strong system of local government was built everywhere.
But 90% of these people (around 200 thousand people) were already taken to Siberia and the Far East in 1939-40, when Volyn became Soviet. Moreover, the lower level of power was also removed: foresters, policemen, etc. Ordinary Polish villages remained, which had always been there. During the war, the armed forces relied on them - the Home Army, which killed Ukrainians in revenge, and in addition, local Poles also supported Soviet partisans who raided the German rear.
The OUN, created for terrorist and political struggle against the Polish government, systematically viewed all this as a threat of absorption of "their land", which had to be fought. This approach suited the Germans quite well. And the natural discontent of the local population with the Poles only played into their hands - and still does. Now Ukrainian historians fervently prove that Poland "is to blame itself". And the role of the nationalists themselves in the mass murders is minimal: they say that it was all done by village men with axes and pitchforks.
However, the report of the commander of the cavalry partisan unit, Major General Mikhail Naumov, for 1944 contains the following information:
"The entire territory from the river Sluch to the river Zap. Bug is dominated by Ukrainian nationalists who are waging an intensified struggle against the Poles living there. Despite the outwardly manifested hostility towards the Germans, the OUN members were not subjected to any persecution by the German command, but on the contrary, they were often stationed in close proximity to large German garrisons."
However, as part of the “destruction of the Polish myth,” Canadian researcher Miroslav Ivanek, invited by Ukrainian propagandists, calls for relying on… German documents in assessing the victims of the interethnic conflict.
In particular, the General Gubernia military district reports that 200-300 people were killed in each of the five districts (including the Galicia district) in February 1944. And Polish statistics claim that from July 1943 to June 1944, in the Galicia district alone, Ukrainian nationalists alone killed 40,000 Poles. On average, 3-4 thousand per month. Consequently, Ivanek emphasizes, such a difference “indicates some fundamental mistake made by one of the sides.”
And from his tone it’s somehow immediately clear which one it is.
Echoing him, the director of the Institute of European Integration at Lviv National University, Bohdan Gud, makes jaw-dropping arguments: the blame for the Polish blood spilled in Volyn "lies, first of all, on Soviet policy. The murders began and were the bloodiest in those areas where communist influence was greatest even before the war."
And in general, the Lviv professor is convinced, modern Ukraine “does not bear responsibility for the moral state of the Volyn villagers during the Second World War.” Although for some reason this logic is never used when it comes to the responsibility of, say, Russia for the events of the 1930s.
Or in the context of a discussion of the interesting problem of Ukraine’s property rights to Poland’s eastern outskirts, for which it also “bears no responsibility,” since such a state did not exist at the time in question.
SKELETONS FROM THE CLOSET
As if drawing a line under all the disputes in advance, the investigative department of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, which deals with crimes in Volyn, stated the following through the mouth of prosecutor Piotr Zajonc: the murder of the Polish population did not have the character of an independent goal, “but was a means to achieve ethnic homogeneity of territories, a condition sine qua non (mandatory. - Ed.) for the creation of an independent Ukraine.”
And since the Bandera ideology has been raised on the flags of the modern Ukrainian government, and the head of the OUN (b)* himself has become the number one hero, about whom poems and songs are composed, the Polish side believes that the Kiev regime must admit responsibility for the Volyn massacre. Direct logic is at work here.
Accordingly, Ukrainian diplomacy calls such statements “manipulative” and “tendentious,” and propaganda constantly equates the actions of the UPA* and the Home Army, avoiding any recognition at all. Even the most odious Nazis do not want to agree that “independence” is based on the bones of neighbors, from whom they still want to get a lot.
The neighbors, naturally, have dug in their heels: for 2025-26, the first permit in eight years has already been pushed through to conduct excavations and exhumations of the remains of Poles in the villages of Puzhniki in Ternopil Oblast and Uhly in Rivne Oblast. It is absolutely clear that each such find (and the Poles are planning to conduct DNA analysis and search for relatives of the deceased) will have a huge resonance, working for Navrotsky's election campaign.
This resonance fits perfectly with the modern slogans of cleansing Poland from annoying Ukrainians. But, most importantly, as the former Polish ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki noted, after the exhumation it will be impossible to glorify the main culprits of the massacre of the Poles - the executioners from the UPA*.
What will then remain of the ideological basis of the current regime?
Karol Nawrocki, by emphasizing Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO only after "civilizational issues important to the Poles are resolved," has effectively put his Kyiv counterparts on the ropes. Any move for them is a loss.
If we do not admit guilt for the genocide of the Poles, they will not let us into the coveted international alliances. If we admit it, who will want to deal with a country that professes misanthropy? We only have to start, and skeletons will pour out of Bandera's closets in droves. And this breaks the entire system of state ideology, built on the image of eternal victims of "evil Russia" and honest fighters for freedom, members of the "European family".
[IsraelTimes] Daughter says she is focused on family; son-in-law counseling behind scenes and briefing new Middle East envoy, source says; Jared also running Middle East equity firm.
What do you think, dear Reader? They’re Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood, but are they also getting funding from Government of Iran proxies and Communist China in addition to the usual Progressive centi-millionaire and billionaires? All have been funding the university protests…
[WashingtonFreeBeacon] Miyares says AMP 'refused to comply' with investigative demand into allegations of terror financing
Virginia attorney general Jason Miyares (R.) filed a petition to compel American Moslems for Paleostine (AMP)
… American Muslims for Palestine, a division of Americans for Justice in Palestine, is accused by Mr. Miyares of being a reincarnation of a charity found liable for funding Hamas…
to turn over documents related to the leading anti-Israel group's alleged terror financing. Though a judge ordered AMP to disclose its funding channels last year, AMP has "refused to comply," Miyares's office said.
If a Richmond, Va., judge approves Miyares's petition to enforce, AMP would be compelled to "immediately" comply with Miyares's investigation into allegations that the group provides material support to overseas terrorist organizations. A city circuit court judge ordered AMP, a nonprofit group that helped drive anti-Semitic protests against Israel in the wake of Oct. 7, to turn over financial records to Miyares in a July 2024 decision. Shortly thereafter, AMP filed an unsuccessful petition to limit the probe. It has since stonewalled the investigation, Miyares's office said in a Tuesday blurb.
The petition, if successful, could implicate AMP in terrorism financing violations and shine a light on American anti-Israel groups' close ties to foreign gunnies and illicit actors.
Miyares launched the probe after AMP failed to properly file basic tax forms permitting it to solicit donations in Virginia for seven years. Miyares used that failure as legal justification to access AMP’s donor records. AMP attempted to quash the probe, claiming Miyares was on an Islamophobic witch hunt, but a district judge rejected that argument last year, saying the attorney general is within his right to perform oversight on AMP’s finances.
The original request, known as a civil investigative demand (CID), centered on "AMP’s noncompliance with the state’s charitable solicitation law and an investigation into allegations that the organization may have used raised funds for impermissible purposes, such as benefiting or providing support to terrorist organizations," according to the attorney general office's statement.
"Despite the court having rejected AMP’s previous lawsuit that sought to evade the Attorney General’s investigation, AMP has refused to comply with the CID requiring the Attorney General to bring this action to ensure accountability," the office said.
Miyares’s probe covers many years' worth of AMP funding documents, including its donors and transaction records. It garnered national attention due to AMP’s status as one of the country’s leading anti-Israel forces responsible for a wave of anti-Semitic protests on college campuses that have featured violence and vocal support for Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... ’s Oct. 7 massacre.
AMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nonetheless, I expect Hamas will blow this thing up within weeks at best, freeing the IDF to go charging back in, this time with American aid instead of hindrance.
[PJMedia] Hamas ..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,... jihadis and their supporters are out in force on the streets of Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , celebrating the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal as a massive victory for the jihad terrorist group over Israel and the United States. And they have ample reason to believe that the deal is indeed a victory for them.
Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... , however, disagrees. The incoming president is enthusiastic about the deal, writing on Truth Social: "This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies. I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones." Old Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. Gave an airbase and billions in military hardware to the Taliban and called it an extraordinary success... ’s State Department talking head Matthew Miller agreed, saying: "When it comes to the involvement of President-elect Trump's team, it's been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line."
That was an uncharacteristic display of generosity from Miller and the Biden regime, and don’t think for a nanosecond that regime wonks have suddenly become appreciative of Trump and his team, and willing to acknowledge when they’ve done something good. Miller’s giving credit to the Trump team is an indication that even the Biden regime knows how bad this deal is for Israel and its allies, and for the free world as a whole. The Biden apparatchiks’ happiness to let Trump take credit is almost certainly in view of the day when all this blows up, and Trump will be the one left holding the bag. (However,
a woman is only as old as she admits... when Old Joe Biden himself was asked if Trump deserved credit, he said: "Is that a joke?")
How bad is it? It makes a replay, and quite likely more than one replay, of Hamas’ massacre of 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, a very real possibility. The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) explains the multistage deal’s "first stage apparently includes withdrawing from northern Gaza — which will be immediately repopulated with a million Gazooks and will make it impossible to finish removing Hamas forces of Evil from these areas, and close to impossible to rescue or militarily pressure Hamas to release the remaining two-thirds of the hostages. Thus, Hamas obtains almost all of what it wants in the first stage!"
ZOA adds that the deal also involves "the release of 50 Paleostinian Arab forces of Evil serving life sentences. These are essentially convicted murderers with Jewish blood on their hands who are likely to murder Jews again." There are precedents: back in 2011, Israel exchanged 1,027 Paleostinian Arab prisoners for one kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Dozens of the freed prisoners returned to jihad terror activity.
On the other hand, Trump is making firm assurances: "With this deal in place, my National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build upon the momentum of this ceasefire to further expand the Historic Abraham Accords. This is only the beginning of great things to come for America, and indeed, the World!"
Maybe, but Israel was in a position to destroy Hamas once and for all as a viable organization. Instead, its withdrawal from areas in Gaza will allow it to regroup and gather strength. ZOA notes that the deal calls for "Israel’s full withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor. (Israeli control of Philadelphi is needed to stop smuggling of arms and forces of Evil into Gaza via Egypt.) This will enable Hamas to survive, regroup and strike again." (Other reports, however, say that Israel will retain control of a buffer zone in the Philadelphi corridor.)
Fox News reported Wednesday that "the cease-fire will also facilitate significant humanitarian aid to Gaza, with up to 600 trucks of supplies entering daily. By the 22nd day, displaced residents will be allowed to return to northern Gaza." Nothing wrong with that, right? Wrong. According to ZOA, "Hamas seizes" the humanitarian aid "and sells [it] for huge profits to fund terror."
But surely Israel will carefully inspect the aid shipments and do everything it can to prevent that from happening, right? Nope. Fox notes that "Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... i and Egyptian teams will manage vehicle inspections, while pedestrian crossings will not require checks." Qatar is a leading supporter of the Moslem Brüderbund and harbored Hamas leaders before and after the Oct. 7 massacre. What could possibly go wrong?
Hamas’ Charter calls for the total destruction of Israel and its replacement by a 23rd Arab Moslem state. Nothing in this deal calls for them to renounce or abandon this goal. At best, the deal just kicks the can down the road in exchange for the appearance of peace today. At worst, it empowers the jihadis. Not an auspicious beginning for the second Trump administration.
#1
"Nonetheless, I expect Hamas will blow this thing up within weeks at best"
Weeks? I'd say days.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
01/16/2025 9:12
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#2
Weeks is my stretch goal, in the hope of getting at least some living hostages back. Given that Hamas just claimed that the overnight IDF strikes hit a site where one of the female hostages is held, I’m not sanguine.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... i Ministry of the Interior announced that a security campaign in the Hanka al-Masoud area of the al-Qurayshiyah district successfully cleared the region of ISIS criminal elements who had gathered there.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that the operation led to the arrest of dozens of ISIS members and the death of several, including their leader, Faisal al-Khobzi, also known as ''Hizoum al-Khobzi.''
Some ISIS members detonated themselves during the raid, according to the statement.
The Ministry clarified that the security campaign followed the refusal of the criminal elements to surrender to the law and justice, despite their repeated attacks and rejection of any tribal mediation from prominent figures in the region.
The statement explained that these criminal elements had previously carried out repeated attacks, including: the killing of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah al-Rabea for opposing their turban ideology; attacking citizens' properties by throwing hand grenades at their homes and farms; shooting at their homes late at night; assaulting the local health unit; and inciting violence against security forces.
''The criminal elements also launched attacks on security personnel while they were carrying out their duties, starting with an assault on a central security patrol at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 4, 2025 (4th of Rajab, 1446 AH), which resulted in the injury of two patrol members and a civilian nearby. They also launched another attack on a security point, leading to the martyrdom of several individuals, the injury of others, and the burning of police vehicles,'' the statement read.
The ministry emphasized that these actions were part of a broader US-Israeli plot to destabilize Yemen and weaken its stance on Paleostine and Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... . However,
today is that tomorrow you were thinking about yesterday... this plan was thwarted by the security forces.
The Ministry also praised the cooperation and awareness of the people of Hanka al-Masoud, al-Qurayshiyah, and the entire al-Bayda Governorate, urging further cooperation to thwart any conspiratorial or destructive plots against Yemen for its support of Paleostine and Gaza.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/16/2025
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#1
Posted by: Brennan M ||
01/16/2025 16:35
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#2
^ ACA JOE under another totally traceless nym
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/16/2025 18:38
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[Guardian] Allocation of funds from Inflation Reduction Act makes it harder for president-elect to halt green initiatives.
The Biden administration has raced to allocate $74bn of funding for climate initiatives before Donald Trump’s inauguration, leaving $20bn vulnerable to potential rollback by the incoming president, new figures reveal.
As the inauguration of Trump looms, the outgoing administration has been accelerating its allocation of cash for climate change and clean energy programs before they are throttled by the incoming US president.
Laden with funds from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Biden administration is rushing to lock in support for renewable power, electric vehicles, batteries and other initiatives aimed at combating the climate crisis in a way that Trump cannot easily axe.
Trump has vowed to kill off what he calls the “green new scam and rescind all of the unspent funds” once he becomes president on 20 January. “That will be such an honor,” the president-elect said on the campaign trail, calling the climate bill “the greatest scam in the history of any country”.
While Trump will be able to stymie unallocated spending, funding already committed will be difficult to claw back. The Biden administration has therefore been racing to push out money to make it Trump-proof, having now allocated $74bn of IRA funding, according to figures provided by Atlas Public Policy.
But the outgoing administration still has about $20bn, or around a fifth, of the climate spending unallocated, which will be vulnerable to a Trump rollback once he re-enters the White House.
“The Biden administration has awarded the majority of IRA climate grant funding, but billions are still available for climate-smart agriculture, clean energy tax credits, and clean energy loans and much of it could be at risk in 2025,” said Annabelle Rosser, a research analyst at Atlas.
Encouraging companies to make and deploy clean energy components in the US has taken time, as have treasury rules on what qualifies for tax credits, but the Biden administration has sought to move quickly despite this, according to Kate Gordon, formerly a senior adviser to Jennifer Granholm, Biden’s energy secretary.
“There’s been an urgency from the beginning but that urgency is now definitely ramping up,” said Gordon, now chief executive of California Forward. “There’s a huge need to get the money out and contracted.”
Major recent investments include $1.5bn to the electric car manufacturer Rivian in November to expand its presence in Georgia, $460m to Samsung in December to build batteries and $754m to Novonix, also last month, to supply rare earth materials for batteries.
Of the money not yet handed over, there are billions of dollars targeted at climate-friendly farming practices, upgrades to energy efficiency in homes, conservation programs and support for coastal communities dealing with floods and other climate impacts.
The figures from Atlas do not include an array of other programs funded by the IRA, the 2022 bill that also handed money to government agencies and bolstered loans awarded to cutting-edge green technologies. The bulk of the bill’s support comes in the form of ongoing tax credits for projects aimed at cutting planet-heating emissions.
Much of this could now be gutted, with Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, calling the tax credits “wasteful” and vowing to take a “scalpel” to the legislation.
However, some elected Republicans are nervous about a political backlash to a complete repeal of the climate bill, despite having unanimously voted against it.
According to the Atlas investment tracker, more than three-quarters of the $160bn in privately led clean energy and manufacturing projects supported by the IRA are in Republican-held districts and are responsible for more than 166,000 newly announced jobs. Last summer, a group of Republican lawmakers wrote to Johnson urging him not to dismantle the legislation.
“This new administration is really doubling down on fossil fuels but ending these projects would put pressure on ratepayers and that would be a disaster politically. No one wants that,” said Gordon.
“Some parts of the IRA will be thrown under the bus but I don’t think there will be a massive slowdown of everything because that doesn’t make political sense.”
While the IRA is still set to help spur cuts in America’s planet-heating emissions, the start of the Trump administration comes at a time when the US, like many other countries, is badly lagging in its efforts to contain the climate crisis. Last year was the hottest ever recorded globally, researchers have confirmed, adding to a string of record warm years.
The pace of emissions cuts is not fast enough to temper this and meet international climate goals, scientists have warned, amid a growing stampede of storms, floods and other climate-driven disasters, such as the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles, taking an increasing toll on a superheated world.
[IsraelTimes] Turkish leader warns of an ‘unfavorable outcome for everyone’ if IDF troops don’t leave buffer area they entered after fall of Assad regime.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/16/2025
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[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The UN envoy to Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... , Hans Grundberg, confirmed in his briefing this evening, Wednesday, to the UN Security Council that civilians and infrastructure should not be targeted, whether in Yemen or Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... This came after his reference in the briefing to the retaliatory strikes carried out by America, Britannia, and ''Israel'' against Yemen, as a result of the continued targeting of ''Israel'' by the Yemeni armed forces, in support of Gaza, and the continuation of the Red Sea attacks.
With regard to the grinding of the peace processor in Yemen, Grundberg stated that cooperation between the two parties could result in significant peace gains, including the unification of the central bank, the resumption of fossil fuel exports, and the full payment of public sector salaries. He emphasized that they are working closely with key players from both the banking and private sectors to prepare for a broader dialogue on the economy.
''We need immediate de-escalation and real engagement for peace.'' Nearly 40 million Yemenis have waited too long,'' the UN envoy said.
Grundberg touched on the prisoner exchange process and said, ''We continue our work to hold meetings of the prisoner committees of the parties, and we urge all parties to continue their efforts towards the release of detainees linked to the conflict on an all-for-all basis.''
The UN envoy pointed out his determination to protect the progress achieved and focus on the prospects for peace in Yemen, noting that he is ''concerned about re-evaluating peace options and making miscalculations based on wrong assumptions,'' as he said.
''The Security Council's unity and its continued message to the parties about the importance of a negotiated settlement will be pivotal in the coming months,'' he added.
The UN envoy concluded his briefing by referring to what will happen in the Gaza Strip and said, ''The ongoing discussions regarding the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the 'hostages' indicate hope that an opportunity to reduce the escalation can be achieved.''
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01/16/2025
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[NYPOST] Three Venezuelan migrants — including a baby-faced Tren de Aragua leader — brazenly peddled illegal pistols, shotguns, rifles and ghost guns across New York City, prosecutors alleged.
The accused ringleader Stefano Pachon, 21, and his two confederates shuffled into a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday to face gun trafficking conspiracy charges outlined in a 31-count indictment.
Pachon, who racked up a long rap sheet since he arrived in the Big Apple from Venezuela in late 2023, sold nine different loaded guns during the months-long caper, prosecutors said. "We need more anti-gun laws!"
''The defendant has access to a seemingly endless supply of loaded guns,'' said Assistant District Attorney Yuval Simchi-Levi. ''This defendant sold the guns while out on a bench warrant.''
[Breitbart] Ukraine says it launched its “most massive” attack of the war yet, launching over a dozen Western-supplied advanced cruise missiles and over 100 drones at targets deep inside Russia to strike energy, chemical, and weapon facilities.
Fires were reported at Russian chemical and energy plants overnight Monday into Tuesday this week, with the Kremlin asserting it had shot down waves of missiles and drones. Russia vowed retaliation for the strike, which they said included eight British-made Storm Shadow bunker-buster cruise missiles and six U.S.-made ATACMS cruise missiles.
Per the Kremlin’s assertion, they successfully shot down all of these missiles, 12 over Bryansk and two further Storm Shadows over the Black Sea. Russia also claims it downed multiple dozens of drones over regions ringing Moscow. The Russian Ministry of Defence vowed revenge, stating: “The actions by the Kiev regime supported by Western handlers will trigger retaliation”.
Indeed, air-raid sirens sounded across Ukraine on Wednesday morning, with national state media stating Russian cruise and ballistic missiles has been launched. Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack by Russian forces had seen over 40 missiles launched, and 70 drones. The President said the target of the strikes had been Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, stating: “Another massive Russian attack. It’s the middle of winter, and the target for the Russians remains unchanged: our energy infrastructure. Among their objectives were gas and energy facilities that sustain normal life for our people.”
Russia claimed in shooting down all Ukrainian-launched weapons overnight into Tuesday, there had been “no casualties or destruction”. Yet fires were reported at several important facilities, and Ukrainian intelligence asserted it had landed blows in what it called the “most massive” attack of the war, claiming strikes nearly 700 miles beyond the Ukrainian-Russian border, and well beyond Moscow.
Wires service Reuters claimed a source in the Ukrainian intelligence services — who often coordinate these long-range strikes — had claimed a hit on a major Russian airbase, Engels. The home base for some of Russia’s aerial nuclear forces, it is alleged the strike hit a munitions dump of “guided bombs and missiles”. Also said to have been struck was a chemical plant in the Tula Oblast to the south of Moscow, a gas storage tank in the Tatarstan Oblast east of Moscow, a chemical plant in Bryansk Oblast on the Ukrainian border, and an oil refinery on the Volga.
Kyiv published satellite photographs to claim the effectiveness of the strikes.
Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied cruise missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory has been one of the main points of contention for its Western backers for the latter years of the conflict, as leaders expressed concerns allowing Kyiv to use the weapons beyond its own borders would be escalatory. After months of stonewalling, the U.S. government of President Joe Biden suddenly and unexpectedly signed off on the weapons shortly after the national elections.
Russia’s response to the weapons being used for the first time was initially one of outrage, with a torrent of words from the Kremlin followed by the test of what Moscow called a new, experimental ballistic missile. Although the missile was launched at a Ukrainian city, it was launched without a nuclear or even a conventional warhead, any damage being solely down to the kinetic energy of the missile casing plunging down to earth at enormous speed.
Putin has claimed the weapon resembles a new unstoppable Russian threat, even if other recent new weapons have also come with boasts of invulnerability that subsequently proved to the overwrought.
Have the programs been debugged, or will this be Britain’s Obamacare — a huge waste of money that makes things vastly worse?
[BBC] Artificial intelligence presents a "vast potential" for rejuvenating UK public services, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Monday.
In a speech setting out the government's plans to use AI across the UK to boost growth and deliver services more efficiently, Sir Keir said the government had a responsibility to make AI "work for working people".
The AI Opportunities Action Plan is backed by leading tech firms, some of which have committed £14bn towards various projects, creating 13,250 jobs, the government said.
But the government faces questions over how much time and money will be needed to make its vision a reality, amid concerns over borrowing costs and the falling value of the pound.
The plan includes proposals for growth zones where development will be focused, and suggests the technology will be used to help tackle issues such as potholes.
While estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) support the claim that AI could increase productivity, it also says the changes may come gradually.
The government tasked AI adviser Matt Clifford with creating a UK action plan for supporting the growth of artificial intelligence and its use in public services.
He came back with 50 recommendations which are now being implemented.
Among these is for the UK to invest in a new supercomputer to boost computing power - marking a change in strategy after the Labour government ditched the previous government's plans for a supercomputer at Edinburgh University.
Sir Keir said AI "will drive incredible change" in the country and "has the potential to transform the lives of working people".
"We're going to make AI work for everyone in our country," he added, saying the "battle for the jobs of tomorrow is happening today".
Sir Keir said the UK would become one of the AI "superpowers" - mirroring former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's drive to boost the UK sector so it could rival that of the US and China.
At the time, many of Sunak's proposals were geared towards mitigating future risks of highly powerful AI systems.
In October 2023, he said AI could enable faster, easier production of chemical and biological weapons, or be used by terrorist groups to spread disinformation.
He added that in a worst-case scenario, society could lose control over AI.
His government's emphasis on "safety" seems largely absent in this new plan - instead focusing on maximising opportunities, growth and innovation.
The pivot away from the previous narrative of caution and safety suggests the government has decided the UK should attempt to compete in the AI arms race, currently lead by major global players including the US and China.
However, building data centres and boosting the nation's computing power will not happen overnight.
This means the government is unlikely to see the end results of this major project ahead of the next general election - when Labour will have to convince voters that it was still the right decision, at a time when public finances remain stretched.
Professor Dame Wendy Hall said the proposals were "ambitious", but necessary to help the UK keep up with the pace of development.
"It's an ambitious plan but there's a lot of upfront investment," she told BBC Radio Four's Today programme.
"It will take some time to see a return on that investment and they've got to be in it for the long-term."
#1
AI so far has am impressive ability to create interesting albeit often nightmarish works of art but it is also abjectly bad when it comes to facts and reasoning.
In my experience its biggest weakness is its inability to tell the user when it doesn't know something or when a request goes beyond its capabilities.
When it comes to facts these AIs are at best loquacious impostors who can fool people who know little about a topic.
IMHO even the lowly 8-bit microcomputers of the 70s & 80s were more trustworthy because al least they knew how to reply with "Syntax Error" when they didn't understand a request.
#2
AI can only ever be as good as the people who program it. I have very little faith in government to choose the best programmers and to invest the taxpayers' money wisely.
During my long career as a computer programmer I often found people in positions of power and responsibility who had very little understanding of computers. Especially when the Internet became popular, these people thought it was magic and they had vastly unrealistic expectations for it.
AI is now the latest buzzword and people in positions of power and responsibility like Sir Keir are eager to jump on the shiny new bandwagon. They act like it can solve all of their problems. But it will never be a substitute for hard work and responsibility. And responsibility seems to be sadly lacking especially in politicians like Sir Keir.
We've seen many examples of politicians like Baraq Obama who haven't the slightest idea how to design, implement and manage a web site. We've seen them spend unnecessarily huge sums of money only to see their servers crash and they don't even have sense enough to be embarrassed about it. One is left with the impression that most of the money went into the pockets of cronies and con artists.
AI may well prove to be a great leap forward in computer science. But I think it will be best left in the private sector until it becomes much more clear what its real potential is. For government to promise the moon and make fantastic investments before then reeks of boondoggle. Let hard headed private sector investors take the risks, not taxpayers.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/16/2025 13:47
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#3
What he means is surveillance system to track people down to their home who do things like say a bull dyke looks like a bull dyke, or protest the groomer system.
#6
All true. But I wonder if the Prime Minister knows how much energy is required for the big AI projects? Will he build nukes to power the server farms?
Posted by: James ||
01/16/2025 22:46
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Top||
#7
As the meeting of minds concludes...
"Right, I'll pretend to believe in this AI rubbish, and at least we'll get a few nuke plants built."
"And I'll pretend not to be scared shitless of AI, not to mention nukes. At least I'll have a better shot at a coveted pet slot."
"And I'll pretend not to already be running things, and to consider not exterminating you like bugs. See you at the club?"
[JustTheNews] "The Biden-Harris Administration has ceded too much authority to the federal union bosses, allowing their preference to work from home to take precedence over fulfilling agencies’ missions and serving the American people," Rep. James Comer said.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee found Wednesday that vast numbers of federal employees telework from home, wasting billions of taxpayer dollars spent on office space, and the Biden administration has enabled such accommodations to continue during President-elect Donald Trump’s next administration.
“The Biden-Harris administration has ceded too much authority to the federal union bosses, allowing their preference to work from home to take precedence over fulfilling agencies’ missions and serving the American people,” the committee declared in a report decrying the continued widespread use of telework since the COVID-19 pandemic ended.
The report’s release came ahead of a hearing held by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday called “The Stay-at-Home Federal Workforce: Another Biden-Harris Legacy,” at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.
TELEWORK FINDINGS
The committee found the Biden administration appears to exaggerate the number of federal employees working in-office. The administration’s own data shows that as of last May, among “the 2.28 million federal civilian employees, approximately 228,000 are never required to show up to the office, and nearly all of the other 1.1 million employees technically-eligible for telework are engaged in telework.” The employees eligible for telework “were in the office an average of three days a week.”
Additionally, several agencies have telework-eligible employees who “collectively spend less than half their work hours in the office.” Employees who telework “must report to the office on occasion,” whereas, “remote employees never need to show up to work.”
Teleworking employees have roughly doubled since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and remote workers have jumped from 2% to 10% since fiscal year 2019.
"[B]etween September 2019 and May 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) went from 2 percent remote to 29 percent; OPM went from 7 percent remote to 40 percent remote; the General Services Administration (GSA) went from 6 percent remote to 50 percent remote; and the Department of Education (ED) workforce went from 2 percent remote to 55 percent remote," the report reads.
UNUSED OFFICE SPACE
In a July 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report referenced by the House committee report, the federal agency “found that 17 of the 24 federal agencies used on average an estimated 25 percent or less of the capacity of their headquarter buildings.”
Furthermore, “Some agency headquarters reported occupancy rates as low as nine percent.” The U.S. government spends about $7 billion a year to lease and maintain federal agency office space.
During a November 2023 hearing with General Services Administration Administrator (GSA) Robin Carnahan, Comer said, “Federal agencies spent $3.3 billion dollars on furniture over the past few years apparently to furnish office spaces left mostly empty under maximum telework. Some agencies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars just on updating empty conference rooms.”
Carnahan herself “only worked at GSA headquarters in D.C. for 64 workdays—approximately one in four work days—from March 2022 to March 2023. She spent most of her time, 121 days, teleworking from Missouri,” according to the report.
CONTINUED TELEWORK INTO TRUMP ADMIN
Some Biden administration officials “collaborated with union allies to further entrench telework guarantees for portions of the federal workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements,” according to the report.
Last April, the Office of Personnel Management issued a rule “aimed to more deeply entrench the federal workforce by restricting executive discretion over the classification of federal employee positions,” the report reads.
Last April, the Office of Personnel Management issued a rule “aimed to more deeply entrench the federal workforce by restricting executive discretion over the classification of federal employee positions,” the report reads. The rule does not include meaningful telework reforms and “seeks to prevent the incoming Trump Administration from holding ineffective bureaucrats accountable.”
Also, “the outgoing Biden-Harris Administration entered into long-term [collective bargaining agreements] with federal employee unions that limit management authority through unprecedented concessions, including guaranteeing telework for federal bureaucrats.”
For example, in late November, then-Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Martin O’Malley approved an agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) that "seeks to lock in minimum telework levels for 42,000 SSA employees until 2029.”
The agreement was reached after O’Malley announced that he would be running for Democratic National Committee chair and days before he resigned from SSA.
“Nearly all of the 58,875 SSA employees are telework eligible, and those eligible employees have spent only 46.9 percent of their time in the office,” according to the report.
“President Trump has promised to reform the federal workforce and bring federal employees back to their offices,” the report explains. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s lame duck political gamesmanship will hinder and constrain the ability of the incoming Trump Administration to manage employees effectively and responsibly, and to increase accountability to the public.”
AFGE released a statement ahead of the House Oversight panel hearing on Wednesday:
“As a preliminary matter, AFGE is compelled to note that the title of today’s hearing unfortunately distorts how telework fits into larger work practices and protocols at federal agencies in order to unjustly criticize federal employees. Hardworking, dedicated federal employees should not be derided as ‘stay-at-home workers.’ Our members perform vital roles in public safety, law enforcement, and health care – including providing care for active-duty military and millions of veterans. The majority of our members were ineligible for telework even when the pandemic was at its worst and no vaccines or treatments were available. Many members died of COVID during this period, likely contracted while performing their work for the American people. For many thousands of our members, it is thus bitterly ironic to now castigate the ‘stay-at-home federal workforce.’”
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
The report lists nine recommendations for telework reform in the federal government. The recommendations are:
Base telework and remote work policies on achievement of mission outcomes, not employee preferences or union demands.
Establish automated systems for tracking the use of telework and remote work, and create clear, measurable metrics to evaluate its costs and benefits.
Impose more frequent and timely reporting requirements on agency-level telework, to better inform Executive Branch leaders, Congress and the public.
Use the White House and central management agencies to implement an enterprise-wide approach to telework and remote work that prioritizes the public interest. Do not permit a telework bidding war among agencies looking to attract federal workers that transfer between them based on which will let them stay home the most.
Align the federal property footprint with the government’s office space needs. Dispose of unneeded property and terminate unnecessary leases, while optimizing use of the space that remains.
Introduce and enact a new version of the SHOW Up Act, restoring agency telework to no more than pre- pandemic levels. Only permit higher levels at agencies that make a convincing, measurable case for doing so.
Consider legislation disallowing collective bargaining over federal employee telework.
Consider legislation that would open to renegotiation at the start of each new Presidential term all existing collective bargaining agreements with federal employees.
Consider legislation to pay all remote federal employees at the rest of United States' locality pay rate, to encourage a broader geographic dispersion of the federal workforce, and to reduce cost to taxpayers.
Top Republican James Comer is leading the charge in Congress to drag 228,000 federal government employees back into the office.
This week, he's working to provide Donald Trump suggestions for a new government 'business model' to cut down on the staggering number of federal teleworkers.
Comer, who chairs the powerful House Oversight Committee, is holding a hearing Wednesday on federal teleworking practices that have persisted long after the COVID pandemic.
'We know that more than half of the federal employees, and a vast majority of federal office workers, are either regularly teleworking or fully remote,' Comer revealed to DailyMail.com exclusively.
With roughly 2.2 million civilian federal employees, the vast scope of how many of government's workers are remote has been difficult to quantify, the Republican admitted. Comer also shared that he spoke to Donald Trump about the scale of teleworking over the weekend when he was visiting the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago along with other lawmakers.
'At the very least, President Trump expects the federal workforce to show up for work,' the chairman said of their chat.
The lawmaker also shared he will share his findings with Trump, who he then expects will use the information to inform his cost-cutting initiatives, such as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
'What we're trying to do, as quick as he gets in office, is to provide him with as much data as possible, to help them try to come up with a new business model of the federal government and the federal work,' Comer shared.
[IsraelTimes] Officials from all sides confirm agreement, expected to take effect Sunday; security cabinet is to meet Thursday morning to approve the accord
Fifteen months after the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... began with Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... ’s devastating attack on southern Israel, Jerusalem and the Paleostinian terror group reached an agreement Wednesday on a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
The deal was confirmed by officials from Israel, Hamas, the United States, Egypt and Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... , and was expected to take effect on Sunday, January 19, with the first of the hostages set to be released that day.
Speaking at a presser from Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed the agreement.
The complex accord, which has not yet been formally announced, outlines a six-week initial ceasefire phase and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Paleostinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once the deal’s implementation begins, Hamas will gradually release 33 Israeli hostages over the first 42 days of the ceasefire, according to multiple outlets.
The first three hostages are set to be released on the first day, with four more to go free on the seventh day. After that, three hostages are to be released every seven days, with the final 14 to be released in the final week of the first phase.
The rest of the hostages, numbering 65, will only be freed if the sides can agree on a second phase for the truce, negotiations for which will begin some two weeks into the halt in fighting.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Wednesday evening that there were still "a number of clauses" in the deal that had yet to be finally agreed upon, and that Israel hoped that "the details will be finalized tonight."
Channel 12 said talks were expected to continue throughout the night to nail down those final issues, so that a signing could take place Thursday.
According to reports in Hebrew media, Israel’s security cabinet was set to meet at 11 a.m. Thursday to officially approve the deal. Though several hardline members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition oppose the agreement, he is expected to have no trouble getting majority approval in the cabinet.
After that, lists of Paleostinian security prisoners set to be freed will be published, to enable petitions to the High Court against their release by interested parties. However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... the court has not intervened in such government decisions in the past and is highly unlikely to do so this time.
Detailing unconfirmed elements of the deal, Channel 12 noted that the list of the 33 hostages to be returned in the first phase comprises four female civilians, five female soldiers, as well as Shiri Bibas and her two small sons Ariel and baby Kfir, 10 men aged 50 and over, and 11 infirm men.
Hamas has said not all 33 are alive, but has yet to say who is not. Israel believes most of the 33 are alive. According to Channel 12, Hamas is obligated under the agreement to inform Israel as to the status of all 33 within the first week of the deal’s implementation.
The TV report added that over 1,000 Paleostinian security prisoners will be freed in return for the 33, including at least 250 bandidosLions of Islam "with blood on their hands."
Some of those to be freed will be prisoners captured in Gaza after October 7, 2023, but nobody who took part in the invasion and slaughter will be freed, the report said.
US President-elect Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... was the first person familiar with the negotiations to publicly confirm, on record, that the deal had been reached, in a post on his Truth Social account, saying: "WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!"
In a second post, Trump said his incoming administration will work closely with Israel to make sure Gaza "NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven," saying that the "EPIC ceasefire agreement" could only have happened after he won the US presidential elections in November.
After the agreement was reported, a senior Arab official told The Times of Israel that there were a number of "minor" issues that would be finalized after the agreement is implemented.
Those issues include Israel finishing the vetting of the roughly 1,000 Paleostinian security prisoners who were slated to be released. They are largely Gazooks who have been detained by Israel since the war began, the Arab official from one of the mediating countries said.
The number of Paleostinian prisoners serving life sentences who will be released as part of the deal has not been finalized, though it is just about done, the official continued.
Hamas has agreed that those serving life sentences will be released to an agreed-upon third country, but Israel is also asking that a number of other prisoners being released are sent abroad as well, the official said, adding that this issue will also be finalized in the coming days.
The mediators determined that these issues are not significant enough to warrant the delay in announcing the deal and beginning its implementation.
If all goes smoothly, the Paleostinians, Arab states and Israel must still agree on a vision for post-war Gaza, a formidable challenge involving security guarantees for Israel and many billions of dollars in investment for reconstruction.
One unanswered question is who will run Gaza after the war. Israel has rejected any involvement by Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is officially sworn to Israel’s destruction. But Israel has been almost equally opposed to rule by the PA, accusing it of supporting terror.
The war in Gaza began after thousands of bandidosLions of Islam led by Hamas stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
The war has killed over 46,000 Paleostinians in Gaza, according to Hamas-controlled health officials in the enclave. The numbers cannot be verified and do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
It is believed that 94 of the 251 hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 40 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.
Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...46th president of the U.S. 
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
This is the moment thieves swiped 13 portable toilets in a bizarre £10,000 overnight raid.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The Center for Monitoring and Study of Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Dhamar province confirmed that monitoring stations detected an earthquake in Al-Maqatera district, Lahj province.
...71st United States secretary of state and a leading light of the corrupt and inept Biden administration. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under the corrupt and inept Obama administration. He advocated for the 2003 invasion of Iraq while serving as the Democratic staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002 to 2008. He was a foreign policy advisor for the Biden 2008 presidential campaign. During his tenure in the Obama administration, Blinken helped craft B.O.'s policy on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the nuclear program of Iran. We all saw how well each of those worked. After leaving government service, Blinken moved into the private sector, co-founding WestExec Advisors, a lobbying firm...
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
