[IsraelTimes] Ottoman Turkish authorities have ramped up investigations and detentions of opposition figures, with three such actions today alone, raising concerns about a widening crackdown on dissent against the government. Apparently the J6 committee started a trend.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) youth branch head was briefly detained for a social media post about the Istanbul prosecutor, the party says, and a judicial probe was launched against CHP Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — a probable future presidential challenger — for criticizing the detention.
Also today, the leader of the far right opposition Victory Party, Umit Ozdag, was detained for allegedly insulting Ottoman Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The CHP has long criticized the Istanbul prosecutor and the judiciary as a tool that Erdogan’s ruling AK Party (AKP) uses to silence opposition. It has called for early national elections to "settle scores," though analysts say a vote is unlikely to be held so far ahead of schedule.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc dismissed the accusation that the judiciary is politicized. He says the judiciary is independent and the Istanbul prosecutor is acting in line with the constitution.
[IsraelTimes] The European Union announces a 60 million euro ($62 million) support package for Lebanon’s armed forces, as the crisis-hit country seeks to implement a fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says the aid came “at a critical juncture for the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.”
The Lebanese armed forces “are essential to regional and domestic stability, and deserve all our support in performing their critical mission,” she says.
Under the ceasefire deal Israel must withdraw from the south of the country by January 26, with the Lebanese military then set to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers.
At the same time, Hezbollah is required to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south and pull its forces back north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.
The EU aid is the latest from the West aimed at bolstering Lebanon’s military, with the US last week saying it would donate more than $117 million in security assistance.
[IsraelTimes] The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says 897 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the third day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
OCHA cites information received from Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement – the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
The hostage deal terms stipulate that at least 600 aid trucks will enter Gaza each day.
[IsraelTimes] Operations at a Red Sea port in Yemen used for aid imports have fallen to about a quarter of its capacity, a UN official said on Tuesday, adding it was not certain that a Gaza ceasefire would end attacks between the Iran-backed Houthis and Israel.
Houthis have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This has prompted Israel to strike port and energy facilities, including the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.
“[The] impact of airstrikes on Hodeidah Harbour, particularly in the last weeks, is very important,” Julien Harneis, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Yemen tells a UN meeting in Geneva via videolink.
Four of the port’s five tugboats needed to escort the large ships bringing imports had sunk, while the fifth was damaged, he says, without attributing blame.
“The civilian crews who man them are obviously very hesitant. The capacity of the harbor is down to about a quarter,” he adds, saying the port was used to transit a significant portion of imported aid.
Since a Gaza ceasefire agreement last week, Yemen’s Houthis have said they will limit their attacks on commercial vessels to Israel-linked ships, provided the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented.
“We are hopeful that sanity will prevail and people will be focused on solutions and peace, but we are nonetheless prepared as a humanitarian community for various degradations,” says Harneis, adding that the agency had contingency plans.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have controlled most of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since seizing power during 2014 and early 2015.
[IsraelTimes] Lebanese media identifies official as terror group’s local commander in Western Bekaa District; motive for attack not immediately certain
A senior Hezbollah official in eastern Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... ’s Bekaa Valley region was rubbed out Tuesday in what Lebanese media reported was an apparent liquidation.
The official, named by Lebanon’s National News Agency as local Hezbollah commander Sheikh Muhammad Hamadi, was shot six times in a drive-by shooting outside of his home in Machghara in the Western Bekaa District.
The button men, who were driving two separate cars, then expeditiously departed at a goodly pace of the attack, Lebanese news outlets reported, citing the Hezbollah-affiliated al-Manar television.
Hamadi was transported to a hospital in the area, where he died shortly later.
Inshallah.
Lebanese authorities have opened an investigation into the shooting, and al-Manar reported said the motive was not immediately clear. According to An-Nahar news outlet, however, the liquidation stemmed from a years-long interfamilial feud and was not politically motivated. "Yes, he was Hezbollah. But he was also generally an asshole"
The deadly shooting occurred days before the end of the initial 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.
Under the terms of the agreement signed in late November, Israel has until January 26 to withdraw from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah must retreat north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border with Israel.
After the 60 days are up, the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL will be the only armed forces permitted to maintain a presence between Israel and the Litani. Reports in Israel have suggested that the deadline could be extended, ostensibly due to the Lebanese military’s failure to deploy throughout the region quickly enough.
The US- and La Belle France-brokered ceasefire in late November came two months after Israel massively escalated operations in Lebanon in a bid to stem Hezbollah’s persistent rocket fire, which forced the displacement of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel.
Israel’s offensive in Lebanon all but decimated Hezbollah’s top brass, drastically weakening the terror group.
Unprovoked, Hezbollah began its near-daily attacks on October 8, 2023 — a day after fellow Iran-backed group Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking 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... .
[IsraelTimes] Two moderately wounded, two others lightly hurt; Shin Bet confirms it’s probing why the assailant was let into Israel after being interrogated at airport
Four people were maimed Tuesday evening by a terrorist who went on a stabbing spree in a trendy Tel Aviv neighborhood, emergency services and Israel Police said, before he was rubbed out.
The assailant who carried out the stabbing was Moroccan national Abdelaziz Kaddi, a US green card holder, according to an ID found on his body. He was rubbed out at the scene.
Just as well. Otherwise the new protocols would have required him to lose his green card, and then where would he be?
Kaddi was flagged by security when he arrived in the country a few days ago but was nonetheless granted entry, a decision the Shin Bet said late Tuesday it was investigating.
It was the second terror stabbing in three days in the Israeli metropolis.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said four people were maimed in the attack in Nahalat Binyamin. The victims include two men aged 24 and 28 in moderate condition, and two others aged 24 and 59 in good condition, MDA said.
Kaddi entered Israel on January 18 with a tourist visa.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said that immigration officials had identified Kaddi as a threat when he arrived in the country at Ben Gurion Airport and sought to bar him from entry. He was handed over to security officials for questioning.
"To my regret, they decided to allow his entry into Israel," Arbel said in a statement. He called on the Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to investigate the incident, which the security agency shortly later confirmed it was doing.
"Upon the subject’s entry into Israel, he underwent a security assessment that included his interrogation as well as additional checks, at the end of which it was decided that there was no information that established grounds to prevent his entry into Israel for security reasons," the Shin Bet said in response to a query.
The attacker apparently stabbed three people before running to an adjacent street, where he maimed a fourth person.
Victims were taken to the city’s Ichilov Hospital.
Amid varying reports on who shot the assailant, the Ynet outlet cited members of an unspecified special forces unit, apparently off-duty, who said they noticed the attack in progress.
"We came down from an apartment and saw a stabber dropping someone to the ground. We shouted to him to stop and fired when he didn’t comply," one of them told the outlet, without being identified.
Eyewitnesses told Hebrew media the terrorist arrived on a cycle of violence ridden by another person who then left the scene.
Police combed the surrounding area looking for possible accomplices.
[IsraelTimes] Jewish community leader say officials finally taking issue seriously after months of mounting attacks, but many skeptical, with special operation netting only single arrest so far
Police in Australia believe a string of antisemitic attacks, including the torching of a daycare center in Sydney early Tuesday morning, may be coordinated by foreign actors, as authorities struggle to contain the scourge.
Sounds like Iranian sock-puppets.
Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said Tuesday that a special anti-terror operation set up to combat serious antisemitic crimes was actively investigating 15 serious allegations, though only a single person has been arrested thus far. There have also been dozens of arrests by local police in Victoria and New South Wales, the Australian government said.
On Thursday, police announced that they had charged a suspect under Avalite for the first time, accusing a 44-year-old man from the Sydney suburb of Blacktown of making death threats against a Jewish organization online.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a snap meeting of the national cabinet Tuesday to discuss the issue following the daycare center attack, a move opposition parties and Jewish community leaders have been demanding for weeks. Officials there agreed to establish a national database to track antisemitic incidents and behaviors in order to better coordinate responses across different departments and states.
Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, said Australia’s politicianship was finally starting to understand the severity of the problem after failing to properly address mounting anti-Jewish incidents for over a year, much of it thought tied to Israel’s war against the Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... terror group in the 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... Strip.
Attacks have included anti-Jewish and anti-Israel graffiti smeared on properties or vehicles in areas with large Jewish populations, and arson attacks on synagogues in Sydney and Melbourne.
The latest attack occurred just before 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning when a childcare center adjacent to a synagogue in the Sydney neighborhood of Maroubra was Molotov cocktailed and graffitied with the message "Fuck the Jews." The building was unoccupied at the time and there were no reports of injuries.
Two other synagogues in and around Sydney were vandalized with hate messages earlier this month and police say the assailants attempted to Molotov cocktail one of the buildings.
And last week, a Sydney home previously owned by senior Jewish community leader Alex Ryvchin was vandalized, with two cars set on fire.
Ryvchin said authorities believed he had been deliberately targeted. "Thank God they didn’t have my current address," he said. "This is what’s happening in Australia now."
The attacks have persisted despite officials, including Albanese, promising tough action following an arson attack that gutted the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December.
"This is now a pattern, and police are pretty confident now that this is coordinated, Leibler said. "The country’s politicianship is beginning to realize that this is serious."
In a statement Tuesday, Kershaw said Australian Federal Police were investigating the possibility that overseas actors were paying small-time Mister Bigs to carry out attacks against the Jewish community and whether young people who had been radicalized online were behind the incidents.
Kershaw noted that payments may have been made in cryptocurrency, making it harder to track.
The pattern of foreign actors paying locals — usually via cryptocurrency — to carry out acts of petty vandalism and setting cars on fire could dovetail with a similar phenomenon in Israel. According to the Shin Bet security agency, dozens of Israelis have been arrested in recent months for accepting money from figures in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... to graffiti cars and walls with anti-Israel or pro-Iran messages, and to torch cars.
A similar phenomenon has also been reported in Europe, with Russia accused of recruiting locals to commit arson attacks and other acts of sabotage in a bid to undermine support for Ukraine.
Australian officials did not elaborate on the avenue of investigation, but Kershaw said the antisemitic attacks had been brought up with the Five Eyes, a high profile intelligence sharing network between Australia, the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand.
"Regardless, it all points to the same motivation: demonising and intimidating the Jewish community," he said in the statement, promising that more suspects would be charged as more evidence is gathered.
Many in Australia’s Jewish community of some 120,000 are angry at the government over its inability to stem the attacks until now and skeptical that much will change.
"The government seems to be well-intentioned and genuinely wants to address antisemitism, but they are playing catch-up from its failure to speak out strongly and take these actions more than a year ago," Leibler said, adding that upcoming federal elections in May had helped put pressure on the government to take stronger steps.
Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, lamented that the attacks had "become the new normal for Australia."
"It has become part of who we are as a country, and I can’t comprehend how we have gotten to this point," he said.
Though the attacks have generally not caused serious bodily harm, he noted that the vandals were literally playing with fire, as with the torching of cars outside his old home in Sydney, which had threatened the non-Jewish family that now lives in there.
"Two cars were set alight, and the flames were sky-high and could have easily spread to the house itself," he said. "This was at 4 a.m., when families were sleeping, and our old next-door neighbor, a man in his 80s, went out and starting battling the flames with his garden hose. He could have been killed."
He noted that a car belonging to a Jewish couple next door had been daubed with paint reading "Fuck the Jews" on one side and "Fuck Israel" on the other.
"I think that’s quite poetic, like two sides of the same coin," Ryvchin quipped.
To tackle the incidents, Australia’s Federal Police in December launched Special Operation Avalite, tasking 21 counter-terrorism police and experts to investigate threats against the Australian Jewish community.
Kershaw said the operation had received 166 reports, but many were duplicates, were under investigation by local authorities, or were not criminal, leaving 15 allegations for the taskforce to probe.
Ryvchin said the operation had yet to prove itself effective.
"You can only judge a program like that by its outcomes, such as preventing or disrupting attacks or arresting those who commit them," he said. "None of these are being achieved. We aren’t seeing any thwarted attacks, and there are still no arrests on any of the major attacks."
On Thursday, police announced that they had charged a suspect under Avalite for the first time, accusing a 44-year-old man from the Sydney suburb of Blacktown of making death threats against a Jewish organization online.
Golly. That’s it, then — they’ve fixed the problem.
[IsraelTimes] Documentary ‘A Letter to David’ by director Tom Shoval recalls his friendship with Hamas captive David Cunio; organizers say Arab filmmakers have sought free speech assurances
The Berlin Film Festival is set to screen a documentary about an Israeli actor taken hostage by Hamas, organizers said Tuesday, as it looks to move on from a row about alleged antisemitism at last year’s edition.
The documentary called “A Letter to David” by Israeli director Tom Shoval recalls his friendship and work with David Cunio who was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, during the devastating attack on Israel led by the Palestinian terror group Hamas. The assault killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and 251 people were abducted to the Gaza Strip as hostages.
The film is a “tender and deeply personal lament” from Shoval, programming co-director Michael Stutz told reporters at a press conference ahead of the February 13-23 festival.
Cunio’s fate remains unknown, with hopes raised by a recent ceasefire agreement that will see Hamas return captives and Israel release Palestinian prisoners from jails.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 46,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far,
…100% of whom are either jihadis or human shields, some of whom were willing…
though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
The Berlin awards ceremony last year saw several filmmakers criticize Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. US filmmaker Ben Russell, wearing a Palestinian scarf, accused Israel of committing “genocide” with its bombardment of the densely populated territory. Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra said the local population was being “massacred” by Israel, to applause from the audience.
A spokeswoman for the German government, a staunch ally of Israel, said it was “unacceptable” that the Hamas attack on Israel which triggered the war had not been mentioned at the ceremony. She said that officials would investigate the incident and that Chancellor Olaf Scholz “agrees that such a one-sided stance cannot be allowed to stand.”
Amid the widespread anger at the comments at the award ceremony, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, said on social media: “Once again, the German cultural scene showcases its bias by rolling out the red carpet exclusively for artists who promote the delegitimization of Israel.”
Felix Klein, the government’s commissioner for the fight against antisemitism, told the Funke media group at the time that the “one-sided, anti-Israel statements” show “how widespread antisemitism is not only in the arts and culture scenes, but also in the film industry.”
Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner called the remarks “unacceptable” and said that there was “no place for anti-Semitism in Berlin.”
Wegner also said that he expected new festival director Tricia Tuttle to “ensure such incidents do not happen again.”
‘OPEN DIALOGUE’
Tuttle said last month that the furor had put some film directors off the festival because of free speech concerns.
“Lots of filmmakers from Arab countries have approached us as well over the last weeks, just to make sure the festival is a space for open dialogue and discourse,” she added on Tuesday.
“Where we can, we like to have individual conversations, and we’d encourage filmmakers to come to us to talk to us about this.”
[FOX] The U.S. State Department has adopted a new policy under the Trump administration that effectively blocks U.S. embassies and outposts from flying Pride and Black Lives Matter flags, a report said Tuesday.
The Washington Free Beacon first reported that it obtained a copy of the "One Flag Policy" order, which permits only the American flag to be flown at U.S. facilities at home and abroad, with two notable exceptions: the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) emblem and the Wrongful Detainees Flag.
"Starting immediately, only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad, and featured in U.S. government content," the memo states, according to the outlet. "The flag of the United States of America united all Americans under the universal principles of justice, liberty, and democracy. These values, which are the bedrock of our great country, are shared by all American citizens, past and present."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for confirmation about the "One Flag Policy," but did not immediately hear back.
[NBCChicago] Firefighters are responding Wednesday to a brush fire in Rancho Bernardo.
Mission Valley fire
A brush fire started around 12:30 p.m. local time Tuesday near the Fashion Valley Mall in Mission Valley. It was put out at 15 to 20 acres. At least one apartment was damaged in the fire.
Lilac Fire
The fire started Tuesday near Old Hwy 395 and Lilac Road in Bonsall around 1:20 a.m. The fire scorched 85 acres and was 90% contained Tuesday night.
Pala Fire
The fire started Tuesday near Old Hwy 395 and Canonita Drive in Fallbrook. It grew to 17 acres before crews got a handle on the blaze.
Poway Fire
A brush fire started around 1:20 p.m. Monday along Pomerado Road. It quickly grew to 3 acres and threatened homes before it was halted by crews.
-------------------------------
Still looking good for some rain on Sunday and Monday in Southern CA
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
01/22/2025
12:51 ||
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#1
new wildfire broke out at border between LA and Ventura county today
it is already at 8k acres
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
01/22/2025 19:04
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#1
They will literally blame anything except for the actual problem, which was a piss poor candidate with no solutions.
He contributed, but he wasn't the problem.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
01/22/2025 14:26
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#2
How could it have, Daily Mail, when nobody covered it?
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Multiple lawmakers visited the Washington, D.C., jail to demand the release of pardoned January 6 rioters.
Conservative House Freedom Caucus (HFC) members Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Chip Roy of Texas and Eli Crane of Arizona were among some of the MAGA-friendly members that visited the jail Tuesday.
'We hope they are going to be released shortly,' Roy said speaking outside of the jail on the conservative show Real America's Voice. 'A pardon is a pardon.'
MAGA diehard Lauren Boebert even offered the soon-to-be released defendants a private tour of the Capitol.
'These men have already paid too much time, more time than they ever should. They should never have been locked up,' Boebert told a crowd of Trump supporters waiting eagerly outside the prison.
'I want to see their release, and you know, I'll be the first member of Congress to offer them a guided tour of the Capitol,' she continued to massive applause.
Their visit to the jail comes just one day after President Donald Trump took office and immediately pardoned January 6 defendants. Speaking reporters Monday night in the Oval Office, Trump explained that he was pardoning roughly 1,500 defendants and issuing six commutations.
He also directed the attorney general to seek dismissal of about 450 pending criminal cases against January 6 offenders, fulfilling a long kept promise to release the MAGA faithful that participated in the riot.
However, as Tuesday rolled around and some J6 prisoners remained behind bars, concern began percolating among hard-right lawmakers about whether the D.C. detention center got Trump's memo.
Crane explained to Real America's Voice that some defendants were still in prison pending paperwork, but assured viewers that the cases are being worked on.
'The D.C. jail [doesn't] have any federal authorities [to] release some of these guys that were being held on federal crimes,' the Arizona lawmaker stated.
'So the paperwork had to start with the U.S. Marshals, and they said that they were complying with the executive order, they said it did take time.'
Crane also revealed that since some of the J6 defendants had prior convictions on their records that those 'had to be dealt with as well.'
The HFC member continued: 'We're just standing out here in solidarity.'
Boebert also mentioned that the U.S. Marshals Service is working on paperwork for the defendants' release before asking for Trump and his nominee for attorney general Pam Bondi for help.
'According to the United States Marshals [Service], he's dealing with them one by one, getting all the paperwork,' Boebert told the crowd of MAGA supporters and media.
'I would love for President Trump, for attorney general Pam Bondi, step in and help us out here with the U.S. Marshals and to make sure that this is, it doesn't become a paperwork issue.'
[Breitbart] At least two people have been killed, including a child, in a mass stabbing at a historic but now crime-plagued park in a Bavarian town.
UPDATE 1600 — Suspect known to police, ’mentally ill’
The 28-year-old Afghan suspect was already known to police and "mentally disturbed", local German language newspaper Main-Echo carries in its latest updates on the Aschaffenburg attack. They state security service sources who say the man was a registered refugee and that a local refugee accommodation had been searched by police after the attack, but emphasise no officially confirmation of these assertions has yet been forthcoming.
Apparently, police are still not discussing any motives.
Understandably, the stress of responding to a crime scene with dead and gravely injured children has been so traumatic first responders are receiving psychological counselling.
The newspaper states they spoke to a local politician in Aschaffenburg who told them the killings reminds him of the Wurzburg attack. To remind readers, in Wurzburg in 2021 a Somali asylum seeker living in the city went on a knife rampage, stabbing ten people — all women — three of whom died. One of the deceased was an 82-year-old woman who threw herself between the knifeman and a child he was attacking, while another was a 49-year-old woman while defending another child the Somali was trying to stab.
The killings sparked some heated debate which were angrily dismissed by the then-mayor of Wurzburg Christian Schuchardt, a party colleague of Angela Merkel, who criticised the public for stereotyping migrants by linking the knifeman’s refugee status to the stabbings. As reported then, he claimed: "the crimes of individuals can never be traced back to population groups, religions or nationalities. We Germans were not condemned in general after the Second World War either. Nor does this now apply to Somalis or refugees in general. This pigeonholing must come to an end".
"How would you feel as a foreigner in our city today?", the mayor asked rhetorically in 2021.
UPDATE 1400 — Slain child two years old, suspect an Afghan national
The latest on the Aschaffenburg park attack is that the two people who were killed were a two-year-old boy suffering "multiple stab wounds" and a 41-year-old man. The arrested suspect is a 28-year-old Afghan male, so says local police in a statement.
The number of "seriously injured" people has been revised up from two to four, including another child and three adults, Germany’s Die Welt relates.
Distressingly, the newspaper states the attack may have been on a group of day-care children who had been taken out to the park for a walk by their teachers. It reports the attacker followed the group, and when they tried to leave the area he attacked, allegedly "specifically targeting the children".
The deceased adult male is reported to have put himself between the knifeman and the children.
It is further asserted that "The police are said to have ruled out a terrorist background."
A 41-year-old man and a two-year-old boy died in the attack. Two others were seriously injured.
A 28-year-old suspect, who police say is from Afghanistan, has been taken into custody after the killing. Another person who witnessed the attack is also being held for questioning, but was not suspected of wrongdoing.
GERMAN CHANCELLOR MEETS SECURITY CHIEFS
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the attack was "an unbelievable act of terror" and offered his sympathies to the victims' families and two more people injured.
"I am sick of seeing such acts of violence occurring in our country every few weeks, by perpetrators who have actually come here to find protection here," he said.
A complete reverse from what I recall of his previous attitude — he is to be congratulated.
Scholz met with the heads of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and the Federal Police at the Chancellery late in the evening. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also participated in the meeting.
"The authorities must work as hard as possible to find out why the attacker was still in Germany," Scholz said ahead of the meeting.
"Things cannot go on like this," the Christian Democratic Union's Friedrich Merz wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the attack. "We must and will restore law and order!"
The Alternative for Germany party's Alice Weidel also posted a message on X urging "remigration now!" -- using a term that the far right has adopted to call for the mass deportation of migrants.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE ATTACK?
The stabbing occurred shortly before noon at the Schöntal park near the city center. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said the suspect deliberately attacked a kindergarten group in the park with a kitchen knife.
A 41-year old German man, a passerby, and a two-year old boy of Moroccan descent were both killed, Herrmann added.
Bavarian Health Minister Judith Gerlach confirmed that three other people were wounded, including a 61-year-old man, a child and a teacher.
The perpetrator had attempted to run away from the crime scene across nearby railroad tracks, with German rail company Deutsche Bahn temporarily halting trains in the area.
Herrmann said the suspect had entered Germany in 2022. His asylum claim was unsuccessful and he was supposed to have left the country late last year.
"The authorities must explain as quickly as possible why the attacker was even still in Germany," Scholz said.
The suspect had a history of violent behavior and was undergoing psychiatric treatment by the time his asylum case was denied.
The suspect's accommodation at an asylum center was searched. Investigators found psychiatric medication but no "evidence of a radical Islamist attitude."
According to Spiegel, the Afghan's name is Enamullah O., and said he was born in 1997 and lives in an asylum accommodation in the region.
Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said: 'On December 4, the suspect himself announced his voluntary departure.
'As a result, on December 11, the BAMF finally closed the asylum procedure and asked the person concerned to leave the country.'
The suspect had allegedly been following a day care group of five young children before launching the attack, according to Main-Echo.
An eyewitness told the Main-Echo newspaper that the arrested man was taken away 'in a headlock.'
Cops confirmed that two people had died while two others were seriously injured in the attack, and are now being treated in hospital.
According to Bild, one of the seriously injured is also a child.
'Two people were fatally injured,' police said, while 'two seriously injured people are receiving treatment in hospital.
In November, police classified parts of the city centre park as a 'dangerous place' due to an increase in 'drug-related crimes', which reportedly included robbery and assault.
There were reported to be regular patrols of the area, which is potentially why the suspect was apprehended so quickly.
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/22/2025
11:26 ||
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#1
"the crimes of individuals can never be traced back to population groups, religions or nationalities."
'Crime' and 'normal, law abiding person' carry different definitions in different "population groups, religions or nationalities."
The vast majority of Afghans are normal law abiding persons, but from the perspective of Western civilization Afghan law and Afghan ethical consensus are monstrously intolerant abominations for e.g. mandating the death penalty for ideological deviation.
#5
Note updates added to the article: his name is Enamullah O.
In early December he announced that he was leaving, so the authorities closed his file. Hence their shock that today he is not only still there, but running amok with a knife in a disorderly manner.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Just hours after President Donald Trump was sworn back into office, Texas ramped up its border security efforts, deploying additional floating barriers along the Rio Grande.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared footage of the massive buoys being installed at the Texas-Mexico border, in a move aimed at deterring illegal crossings.
'I look forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump to secure the border,' Abbott declared on X/Twitter, adding, 'AMERICA IS BACK!'
The floating barriers, part of Texas's controversial border enforcement program, have been at the center of legal and political battles. In 2023, the Biden Administration sued Texas, arguing that the barriers violated federal law.
While a district court initially ruled in favor of the federal government, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision, allowing Texas to expand the use of the buoys.
In November, Abbott announced plans to extend the barriers near Eagle Pass, a hotspot for migrant crossings, and now with Trump back in the White House, the governor is doubling down on his border security measures.
It comes after White House border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's mass deportation has begun as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers can now arrest illegal immigrants in churches and schools.
#1
Bitch knew about the STARGATE plan, rode the bump then got off the train. Now I suppose Google and Amazon are going to come up with a quantum STARBURST.
[YahooFinance] Abu Dhabi-listed cryptomining and blockchain conglomerate Phoenix Group has struck an 80-megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia, it said on Wednesday, as it pursues a global diversification strategy by entering the Africa market.
Under the deal, Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) will provide the energy needed to support Phoenix's bitcoin mining expansion, with supplies due to start in the second quarter.
The firm did not provide details on the location of the facility or the size of the deal, which was signed in partnership with Abu Dhabi cybersecurity firm Data7, it said in a statement.
"We are aggressively building out our mining capabilities," Phoenix CEO Munaf Ali said, adding the additional capacity would fuel further growth as the company prepares for a dual-listing on Nasdaq.
The company "is actively engaged in discussions with financial institutions and NASDAQ to evaluate the most effective way forward", it said in a separate statement to Reuters, without providing a timeline for the listing.
Phoenix, which counts Abu Dhabi's largest listed firm IHC among its shareholders, operates multiple mining facilities in countries including the UAE, the U.S. and Canada.
IHC, which is chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's national security adviser and a brother of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, has a sprawling portfolio of investments that ranges from agriculture to energy and includes a cryptomining firm.
In Africa, Phoenix is exploring more opportunities in Ethiopia, and assessing other regions "with strong energy prospects," it said in the statement to Reuters.
It is also exploring opportunities to enter the South American market and looking at Brazil, it added.
Adams said that his administration is coordinating with the feds with regard to deporting criminal illegal migrants
New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday said his administration has been coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with regard to deporting illegal criminal migrants.
Adams, a Democrat, said that migrants who commit violent crimes in the Big Apple would be dealt with by federal agencies despite the city’s sanctuary city laws.
"There is a lot of room, we already have task forces with federal partners," Adams said when asked if his administration can work ICE and at the same time comply with its sanctuary city law, which limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
"The law is clear, the law is clear of criminality. I've made that clear," Adams said. "Even before the elections, I made that clear with the focus that people who commit these violent crimes must be addressed."
New York City experienced an unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration, with more than 225,000 migrants arriving since 2022. The surge also coincides with a sharp rise in migrant-related crime, while the bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has also gained a foothold in the city.
Adams attended Monday’s inauguration where President Trump vowed to end illegal immigration and promised to deport "millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."
The mayor said that the NYPD would also not be prevented from working with ICE in its deportation efforts.
"There's no restriction with the NYPD to coordinate with the various task forces around criminality," Adams said.
"There's no restrictions. Nothing has changed there. We're going to continue to collaborate with all of our federal partners when it comes down to illegal behaviors," he continued. "I was very clear for almost a year and a half now, those who commit violent crimes in our city have violated their right to be in our city and in our country and we're going to continue to collaborate with those around criminality."
The task force will operate globally and in South Africa and is overseen by global authorities on terrorism
To counter the perceived threat of terror from Iran and jihadi groups, South Africa’s chief rabbi is setting up a specialist task force.
That was unexpected.
Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein was spurred into creating the group after a bomb attack at a Jewish center in Cape Town last month. An improvised explosive device was thrown at the Samson Community Center but failed to detonate. The center is home to several South African Jewish organizations.
The "Counter-Terror Task Force" will make recommendations to protect places of worship, schools and community centers.
"South Africa's Jewish community, like other Jewish communities globally, faces heightened risk of terror attacks," Goldstein told Fox News Digital. "The Iranian regime is the world’s chief exponent of state-sponsored terror, and have made it their strategy to target Jewish communities worldwide. With this in mind, the findings of the task force will be applied not just in South Africa, but globally."
He added, "In addition, Africa has over the past decade become a hub for global jihadi terror, with the threat indices dramatically increasing as groups such as al-Shabab, Boko Haram and ISIS operate throughout the continent."
The task force comprises global authorities on terror: Admiral Mike Hewitt, former deputy director for Global Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the U.S. Defense Department, Dean Haydon, former senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism in the United Kingdom, Major General David Tsur, former commander of the counter-terrorism unit in the Israeli Police, and Andre Pienaar, co-founder of South Africa’s Directorate of Special Operations, also known as the Scorpions.
The chief rabbi added, "They will be marshalling additional resources and personnel as and when needed."
Goldstein said the force’s immediate objective "is to secure the South African Jewish community against attacks. The broader objective is to better ensure the safety of all South Africans, and citizens of countries around the world."
He continued, "Across Africa, especially, it is Christians far more than Jews who suffer the consequences of Jihadist terror. Each year, Jihadists murder thousands of Christians for their faith."
President Trump signed pardons for nearly all Jan 6 defendants after his inauguration
Constitutional law attorney and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley reacted on "America's Newsroom" Tuesday to the pardons given by President Donald Trump to nearly all the Jan. 6 rioters charged with crimes. Turley said the "shock and awe" campaign used by the Biden Justice Department ended up undermining the prosecutions.
JONATHAN TURLEY: Well, the Department of Justice really made the case for these pardons, and it was hard to do because most of us supported the people responsible for the riot being held accountable. It was a terrible day. But the Justice Department unleashed what one of its top lawyers called a ‘shock and awe’ campaign, and they just scooped up hundreds of people. They often demanded really excessive sentences, in my view. Most of these people were charged with just trespass or unlawful entry. Most of them were not violent. The government tended to oppose bail, they kept a number of them for a very long time in segregation. In some cases, they demanded limitations on what people could say or read or associate with after they were released. All of this tended to undermine their case. So when the president campaigned on this issue, I think a lot of people wanted to see this chapter closed, and he certainly did that. I mean, this was broader than most people expected or even asked for.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
01/22/2025
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#1
Read an interesting piece; in short whatever one thinks leading up to it, as soon as the J6 Prosecutors received a pardon, everyone down river of the prosecution required a pardon as the due process was tainted.
[FoxNews] The immigrant from Jordan was stopped by police for not having a license plate and then allegedly made a bomb threat
As deportation efforts ramp up under President Donald Trump, local Republican Party members say it’s a much-needed mission after an immigrant truck driver caused traffic mayhem in South Carolina earlier this month, shutting down a highway after claiming to have a bomb in his 18-wheeler.
The GOP leaders say it’s another case of former President Joe Biden’s lax immigration system affecting hardworking citizens, adding new Trump administration deportations can't get started fast enough.
Ahmad Jamal Khamees Alhendi, 28, was stopped by state transport police Jan. 2 around 2:45 p.m. for having a missing license plate on his tractor-trailer, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS).
He then told a law enforcement officer there was an explosive device inside the commercial vehicle, police said. The threat prompted police to shut down all six lanes of I-85 so the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the FBI could investigate the threat.
The 18-wheeler was eventually cleared, and all lanes of I-85 were reopened nearly five hours later.
Alhendi was arrested and jailed, and he was issued an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. ICE detainers are hold notices of non-citizens who could be removed from the country after being arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody.
ICE told Fox News Digital Alhendi is a Jordanian national who legally entered the United States in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 20, 2018. His address is listed as Oak Lawn, Illinois.
Alhendi has since failed to comply with the terms of his legal admittance, meaning he is now in the country illegally.
Yup. Easy to do, too. An awful lot of them left America after 9/11, when tPresident Bush required all adult Moslem male non-citizens to register with the government. It turns out a great many tourists and students from the Moslem world had stayed on, enjoying the opportunity to work hard and earn more than back home. Some went to Canada, some went back home — all had deeply unhappy kids unaccustomed to unAmerican ways. No doubt the same will happen again over the next few months..
The highway shutdown, which took place near mile marker 44, led to long delays and bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The incident also put many residents on edge because it happened the day after terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed his truck into a crowd full of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring dozens of others.
It also followed a case in May in which two Jordanian nationals were charged with unlawfully entering Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. A spokesperson for the base said at the time that two people in a box truck were stopped at a gate, with the driver allegedly telling military police officers they were making a delivery to the post office and worked for a company subcontracted by Amazon.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources told Fox News in May that one of the Jordanian men crossed into the U.S. illegally in April before being released. ICE told Fox News the other man was a foreign student whose status was terminated in January. That case was later dismissed.
On Jan. 2, the day of the bomb hoax, Alhendi was a contractor for Globe Transportation, an Illinois-based truck company.
A spokesperson for Globe Transportation told Fox News Alhendi had legal work authorization when it hired him and a clean, valid commercial license. He also owned the 18-wheeler he was driving.
The spokesperson said the company never had any issues with him during his time contracted with the company. She said it was her understanding his license plate had fallen off, and that’s why he was stopped by SCDPS.
However, it’s still unclear why he allegedly claimed to have a bomb in his truck.
Alhendi appeared in court the day after the interstate mayhem and was charged with conveying false information about a bomb threat, breach of peace of a high and aggravated nature and having no vehicle license.
He was issued a total surety bond of $20,238 for all three charges and sent to the Greenville County Detention Center, Fox Carolina reported. He was then denied bond days later after the South Carolina Solicitor’s Office filed a motion to reconsider the bond once it learned of his immigration status and pending ICE detainer.
Alhendi is still listed as being in custody. He has a hearing scheduled for Aug. 6. 2026, before an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, according to ICE.
[LawEnforcementToday] In another last-minute middle finger to those in law enforcement, the former occupant of the White House, Joe Biden, commuted the life sentence of a man convicted in the double-slaying of two FBI special agents in 1975.
Just before being evicted from the Oval Office by President Donald Trump, Biden commuted the sentence of far-left activist Leonard Peltier, who killed special agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler in a shootout in South Dakota, Fox News Digital reports.
It should be noted that Democrat presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both denied previous clemency requests for Peltier. However, he had the support of far-left loons Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), along with former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
When word of Biden’s actions became public, the FBI Agents Association slammed him. The decision also came after outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray urged Biden not to free Peltier only days before.
“The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) is outraged by [former] President Biden’s decision to commute the sentence of Leonard Peltier, a convicted cop killer responsible for the brutal murders of FBI Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams,” FBIAA President Natalie Bara told Fox News Digital. “This last-second, disgraceful act by then-President Biden, which does not change Peltier’s guilt but does release him from prison, is cowardly and lacks accountability. It is a cruel betrayal to the families and colleagues of these fallen Agents and is a slap in the face of law enforcement.”
Last week, Biden issued clemency to two men jailed for life in connection with the shooting death of a Virginia police officer, as recently reported by Law Enforcement Today.
Peltier is now 80 years old and is allegedly in poor health. He is serving two life sentences for the murders plus another seven years for an armed escape attempt. He has repeatedly tried and failed to appeal his case. Supporters feared he would die in prison and looked to the feeble, cognitively impaired Biden to set him free. Mission accomplished.
“For nearly 50 years, no fewer than 22 federal judges, multiple parole boards, and six presidential administrations have evaluated the evidence and considered Peltier’s arguments,” Wray wrote. “Each has reached the same conclusion: Peltier’s claims are meritless, and his convictions and sentence must stand.”
In a record number of last-minute pardons and commutations, Biden has let 37 of 40 federal death row inmates off the hook, changing their sentences to life without parole. Meanwhile, his equally feckless now-former Attorney General Merrick Garland took the death penalty off the table for a brutal MS-13 leader responsible for seven murders. Among his victims were two teenage girls who were massacred with machetes and baseball bats.
Haaland, who apparently did something during the Biden administration, praised his decision.
“I am beyond words about the commutation of Leonard Peltier,” she wrote on X. “His release from prison signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades.”
Justice. Like what Williams and Coler got after they were brutally murdered on June 26, 1975. The two agents were looking for a group of armed robbery suspects in the Oglala Sioux Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. While he wasn’t one of the suspects, Peltier was inside a vehicle that caught the attention of the agents.
Unfortunately, they were not cognizant of the fact that Peltier was the subject of an arrest warrant for the attempted murder of an off-duty Wisconsin police officer.
Court documents showed that Williams warned Coler over the radio that someone in the vehicle was about to open fire on them. A gunfight ensued, and both agents were wounded. The FBI said that Peltier then executed Willams and Coler at point-blank range with his AR-15, pumping bullets into their heads.
Remember: At any time, Congress could have rid us of this mentally ill President. But chose to endanger our nation by refusing to use the 25th amendment.
I can only guess, they knew the puppet masters were more comfortable in their rubber stamp management of Biden, than Harris.
Posted by: NN2N1 ||
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#3
Whether Slow Joe was "duly" elected in 2020 needs get a hard look. How we got this ding dong is very suspect. There's been a lot of good analysis on the results of that election. For some reason, many wanted to see this analysis buried. A good airing-out needs to be done. Put some sunlight on this if the evidence has not been destroyed.
#5
That work needs to be done so processes can be put in place to prevent winning via fraud in future. The anger the fraud caused was as damaging to the nation as what the Progressives actually did.
#7
I have no problem with the pardon of Leonard Peltier. As a kid I distinctly remember there was offsetting bolt or firing pin evidence that a corrupt judge sat on. The who crap show had to do with basically gold theft that the tribal leaders were involved with?
We had one of of our Federal Staff appraisers who's wife was part of the tribe. Dan did a pretty clear explanation of the whole scam.
Ether way, good. Let him out.
[Conspiracy Sarah] I have always been interested in the psychology of media. Those of you that have followed me for a while will already know that my mom seeded this interest in me. She always insisted on muting commercials, and got rid of TV entirely by the time I was 7. She used trips to the grocery store to teach us how companies advertise specifically to children, and why children are almost always a target audience.
I have come to believe that media, and entertainment in general and without exclusion, are used as advertisement. Commercials that play separately are the most blatant and obvious way in which advertisement is delivered via media.
While still relatively overt, placing a branded product in a show or film advertises less conspicuously, particularly to children. An example of this is the use of Reeses Pieces in the film E.T.
Brands and products are not the only things that can be advertised within media. More covert promotions are being delivered via screens, embedding messages that the conscious mind often does not perceive. This is arguably the primary reason for the introduction and existence of television as well as the subsequent emergence of other forms of media and entertainment.
Although much less obvious, narratives and agendas enter the brain and are very effectively reinforced subconsciously as media is consumed. For example, the show Dexter delivers a very clear message around DNA evidence as iron clad and forensic science as settled science.
#1
I realize this post is a lot. The psychology of diabolical assholes and their use of Disney to program innocent minds. Malaria. DDT. Polio. It’s a lot.
"It's a lot." ......Well, possibly not.
Actually seeing the skunk is not generally necessary. Some things are simply intuitive.
Upsetting. What would have been a better strategy, given deliberately harmful micromanaging by the Biden administration? What would be a better strategy given a supportive president who wants wars to be won?
[JNS] Ran Baratz, who teaches military doctrine at the IDF’s National Defense College and founded Mida, an online Hebrew-language Commentary-like magazine, raises no objections to the ceasefire deal with Hamas—but not for the reasons one would expect. It’s because the IDF can’t win. At least, not with a General Staff marinated in postmodern military doctrine.
Baratz notes that the army’s rank-and-file is second to none, but the General Staff’s lack of strategy results in endless targeted raids, where the IDF goes in, kills some terrorists, retreats, then reenters the same area to cope with more terrorists—and lose more of its valiant young soldiers.
"When generals don’t have a strategy, they come up with an overarching strategy of attrition, which doctrinally, is achieved by raids," Baratz told JNS on Jan. 15.
"They have different names for raids. In Vietnam, it was called ’search and destroy.’ But it was the same idea. You raid a place, you kill the enemy combatants, with some collateral damage, and you pull back. You could see that in the Second Lebanon War [in 2006], and you can see that today. If they had a good operational plan, they wouldn’t be speaking about raids," he says.
The General Staff didn’t even have a plan in place to invade the Gaza Strip, Baratz says. They thought it wasn’t needed as Hamas was "deterred." That’s why it took so long for the IDF to go into Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, invasion.
More at the link.
Posted by: The Walking Unvaxed ||
01/22/2025
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#1
There are no winning strategy as long as Globalist-Islamist alliance dictates the rules of war. That Israel does is surviving until conditions change.
[Red State] President Donald Trump, as expected, has signed an executive order revoking the security clearances of 51 intelligence officers who signed a letter portraying Hunter Biden’s laptop as ’Russian disinformation’ before the 2020 presidential election.
The order also authorizes further investigation into those involved in the publication of the infamous letter.
It requires the "Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency" to "revoke any current or active clearances" of the listed 51 individuals.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Directors Mike Hayden, John Brennan, and Leon Panetta, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton are on the list.
[FoxNews] The announcement came a day after President Trump dismissed Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Lee Fagan
The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday announced the deployment of personnel and equipment to various maritime borders in the United States, a day after President Donald Trump dismissed the military branch's leader.
In a statement, Coast Guard Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said coast guardsmen would work to detect and deter illegal migration in support of Trump's executive orders issued this week.
"The U.S. Coast Guard is the world’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency, vital to protecting America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty," Lunday said. "Per the President’s Executive Orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately surge assets—cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces—to increase Coast Guard presence and focus…"
#5
The nurse insignia without back disc indicates officer rank and the glint at the end of the shoulder boards would indicate a lieutenant, but the insignia on the hat would be a eagle for the American uniform.
#6
@#3: Cutout "US" (no circle around it) was and is worn by the Officer Corps.
Single "bar" on shoulder loops = Lieutenant.
Gold = Second "Louie"
Silver = First.
"N" on the Caduceus = Nurse
First I've seen wearing the Caduceus on headgear where the Eagle typically is, but as Procopius2k cites, the Eagle insignia is worn by American personnel. A circle around a smaller Eagle = enlisted, a larger Eagle without the enclosing circle = officer.
Gold Eagle = Army
Silver = USAF
Gold and Silver = Navy Officer
Gold Anchor = USN Petty Officer
Black = USMC.
[ToloNews] The Islamic Emirate has confirmed the exchange of an Afghan prisoner for two American detainees.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Afghan prisoner released by the US, identified as Khan Mohammad, had been held in jug in Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,.
While the Islamic Emirate has not disclosed the identities of the released American citizens, US media reports suggest they are Ryan Corbett and William McKinty. The exchange took place in the final hours of Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. Old, boring, a plagiarist, fond of hair sniffing and grabbing the protruding parts of women, and not whatcha call brilliant.... 's presidency.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the exchange was facilitated by 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 the Islamic Emirate views any US initiatives aimed at normalizing relations positively.
Zia Ahmad Takal, head of public relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "The Islamic Emirate welcomes steps by the United States that help normalize and expand relations between the two countries."
US media reported that Ryan Corbett's family has expressed gratitude to Qatar for its efforts in securing his release.
CNN ...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for... said: "The Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... agreed to swap two Americans being held in Afghanistan for one Taliban member serving a life sentence in a US prison. But there was an unexpected delay (at least in part due to bad weather in Washington and Kabul) and Donald Trump ...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!... was officially back in the White House when Americans Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were handed over and on their way home early Tuesday, exchanged for Afghan Taliban member Khan Mohammed who was convicted in 2008 on narco-terrorism charges."
Zalmai Afghan Yar, a military analyst, said: "The prisoner exchange, based on diplomatic dialogues, is considered a positive step. Solutions can be found for all conflicts through negotiations. We hope that continued talks will help Afghanistan emerge from isolation."
Previously, the US State Department identified three American citizens—Ryan Corbett, George Gelsman, and Mahmood Habibi—in the custody of the Islamic Emirate, citing the issue as a major obstacle to US engagement with Afghanistan's interim government.
Sayed Qaribullah Sadat, a political analyst, expressed hope that, "Through mutual understanding, the issue of prisoners and other existing challenges between Afghanistan and the U.S. can be resolved. This process could help eliminate misunderstandings."
According to the US Department of Justice, Khan Mohammad was arrested in Nangarhar The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country.. province on October 29, 2006, on drug-related charges and was transferred to the US in November 2007. In 2008, he was sentenced to two life terms.
[ToloNews] Khan Mohammad, an Afghan prisoner released by the United States in exchange for two American detainees, has spoken about his years of imprisonment.
He was arrested by US forces in Jalalabad in 2006 on charges of drug trafficking and plotting attacks against foreign troops. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment in a prison in California.
The 55-year-old, a resident of Chaparhar district in Nangarhar province, was freed following efforts by Afghanistan’s interim government and has now reunited with his family in Nangarhar.
Recalling his ordeal, Khan Mohammad, a former Guantanamo detainee, said: “I was accused of selling drugs and financing the Islamic Emirate. They also claimed I was involved in a major plot to attack Nangarhar airport to kill US forces. Based on these allegations, I was sentenced to two life terms.”
His son, Rafiullah, expressed relief upon hearing his father’s voice after years of separation. However, he insists that his father was innocent and demands compensation from the US government.
“No crime was ever proven against him. He spent twenty years in prison unjustly. Our demand is that the US government compensate us for the long years my father was wrongfully imprisoned,” said Rafiullah.
Meanwhile, local authorities have said that the interim government continues to work towards securing the release of other Afghan prisoners held abroad.
Azizullah Mustafa, the deputy governor of Nangarhar, said: “The Islamic Emirate is making efforts to secure the release of another detainee, Haji Mohammad Rahim, and reunite him with his family.”
Khan Mohammad’s release from a California prison comes as another Afghan, Rahimullah, remains detained at Guantanamo Bay. The interim government is actively pursuing his release as well.
[KhaamaPress] U.S. President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... has issued an executive order suspending the country’s refugee admission program for at least three months. The White House stated that resumption depends on aligning refugee admissions with U.S. interests.
This decision is expected to impact thousands of Afghan migrants colonists. According to the White House on Monday, January 20, the suspension is necessary to ensure that the program does not strain resources or compromise national security.
The order, effective January 27, 2025, highlights concerns about public and national security and states that the U.S. cannot currently accommodate and integrate large numbers of refugees effectively.
Exceptions to the suspension are allowed, with the Secretary of State and Homeland Security authorized to admit individuals on a case-by-case basis if deemed beneficial to U.S. national interests.
The program’s resumption depends on a joint review by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, with a report due within 90 days to determine if refugee admissions align with U.S. priorities.
Since its inception in 1980, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has resettled millions, including nearly 180,000 Afghan citizens since August 15, 2021. Many Afghans remain in limbo, waiting for relocation in countries like Pakistain, Germany, and The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund... Trump’s suspension could worsen the plight of Afghan refugees, especially those in Pakistain, who are already under pressure from the Pak government. This adds to the uncertainty for thousands awaiting resettlement.
Trump also terminated programs initiated by the Biden administration, including plans to strengthen refugee resettlement and address climate-induced migration, potentially affecting future policy responses to global crises.
Afghanistan’s dire situation has left many refugees facing increasing challenges. The suspension of the refugee program intensifies their struggle, particularly amid harsh conditions and limited resources in transit countries.
International efforts and policy reviews are urgently needed to address the growing humanitarian crisis. Without intervention, thousands of vulnerable refugees will remain trapped in limbo, with limited access to safety or stability.
[ToloNews] Nearly 1,660 Afghans cleared by the US government to resettle in the US, including family members of active-duty US military personnel, are having their flights canceled under President Donald Trump's order suspending US refugee programs, a US official and a leading refugee resettlement advocate said on Monday.
According to Reuters, this group includes unaccompanied minors awaiting reunification with their families in the US, said Shawn VanDiver, head of the AfghanEvac coalition of US veterans and advocacy groups and the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Afghans and advocates are panicking," said VanDiver. "I've had to recharge my phone four times already today because so many are calling me."
The US decision also leaves in limbo thousands of other Afghans who have been approved for resettlement as refugees in the US but have not yet been assigned flights from Afghanistan or from neighboring Pakistan.
"We warned them that this was going to happen, but they did it anyway. We hope they will reconsider," he said of contacts with Trump's transition team.
The White House and the State Department, which oversees US refugee programs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nearly 200,000 Afghans have been brought to the US by former President Joe Biden's administration since the chaotic US troop withdrawal from Kabul.
One of the dozens of executive orders Trump was expected to sign after being sworn in suspended US refugee programs for at least four months.
[IsraelTimes] IDF says displaced Palestinians can return to north Gaza next week if Hamas upholds truce; Mossad, Shin Bet chiefs in Cairo for talks with Egyptian intel chief
A Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... official confirmed Tuesday that four Israeli female hostages would be freed on Saturday as part of the ceasefire deal that will also see Paleostinian security prisoners released.
Taher al-Nunu said Hamas would release "four Israeli female detainees in exchange" for a second group of Paleostinian inmates.
He did not name the four women who will be released after over 470 days in captivity. The hostage and ceasefire deal states that Hamas is required to provide the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release, though the terror group failed to meet that condition for the first three women who were freed on Sunday.
Nunu’s statement came after a spokesperson for the terror group’s prisoners’ office claimed on Monday that the next hostage release would happen on Sunday, a day later than agreed, which was followed by a Hamas statement that the release would take place on Saturday after all.
There are seven female hostages remaining from the original list of 33 to be released in the first phase of the hostage ceasefire deal. Two of them are civilians: Arbel Yehud, 29, and Shiri Silberman Bibas, 33.
There are also five female soldiers in captivity: Liri Albag, 19, Karina Ariev, 20, Agam Berger, 21, Danielle Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20.
Bibas’s two young sons Ariel and Kfir, now aged 5 and 2, are also held and are on the list, as is her husband, Yarden Bibas.
For each of the female soldiers, Israel will release 50 Paleostinian prisoners, 30 of them convicted bully boyz who are serving life sentences. Early Monday, Israel released 30 prisoners for each of the three civilian female hostages — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher — Hamas set free the previous afternoon.
Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, a little lightbulb figuratively appeared over Bossy's head... Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov said Tuesday that Russian-Israeli hostage Sasha Trufanov will be released from 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... in the next few weeks and that he is "not entirely healthy," but stable.
"Simple mathematics suggests, unfortunately, that we are not talking about the next waves of hostage releases, but within 3-4 weeks, judging by the schedule, he will be released," Viktorov said on the Russia 24 TV station, according to the state-run TASS wire agency.
Trufanov, 28, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, alongside his mother, grandmother and girlfriend, while his father was murdered. The rest of his family was released in November 2023, and Trufanov has since been seen in two propaganda videos released by the Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... terror group.
Viktorov said that "unfortunately, there is information that [Trufanov] was injured and his state of health is not entirely satisfactory. We hope that for the remaining few days, his health will not deteriorate."
The ambassador suggested that Trufanov was maimed during his abduction, but said that Hamas has made a "firm promise" to Moscow that he will be returned "alive and healthy" to Israel.
The dual Russian-Israeli citizen is on the list of the 33 hostages slated to be freed during the six-week first stage of the ceasefire, which includes those considered in the "humanitarian" category — women, children, men over the age of 50 and the sick and maimed. The expectation is that the women and elderly will be freed in the earlier stages, and the final 14 hostages will be freed only on the 42nd day.
After the four hostages set to be released this coming Saturday, three hostages will be released each Saturday over the following four weeks, until the final group of 14 on day 42 of the first phase of the ceasefire.
Israel has not been told how many of the 33 are alive, but under the agreement is expected to receive a full status report on all those on the list on Saturday.
In the second phase of the deal — if Israel and Hamas reach agreements preventing the resumption of the war — the terror group would release the remaining living captives, men under the age of 50. In the third phase, the bodies of all remaining hostages would be returned.
As the ceasefire held for a third day, the military said Tuesday that displaced Paleostinians would soon be able to return to northern Gaza from the Strip’s south after being displaced at the beginning of the war, if Hamas upholds the ceasefire deal.
"If Hamas adheres to all details of the agreement, starting next week, residents of the Gaza Strip will be able to return to the northern Gaza Strip and instructions will be issued in this regard," Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language front man, said on X.
Under the agreement, on the seventh day of the ceasefire, unarmed Gazooks will be allowed to return on foot to north Gaza without any inspection, via the coastal road. Vehicles returning to north Gaza will be required to undergo an inspection by a private company to be determined by the mediators and Israel.
On day 22, displaced unarmed Paleostinians will be allowed to return to north Gaza on foot via Salah a-Din road, also without inspection, meaning that the IDF will be gradually withdrawing from the Netzarim Corridor in the Strip’s center.
Adraee also warned Gazooks against approaching areas where troops are still deployed in Gaza, including the buffer zone along the entire border, the Netzarim Corridor, the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border, and the shore.
Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, a little lightbulb figuratively appeared over Bossy's head... Mosssd ...... chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar were in Cairo for meetings with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, the Prime Minister’s Office said, confirming reports in several Hebrew media outlets.
According to Ynet, the talks are focused on security arrangements for the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border and the continued implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
#2
Hamas is trying to appear as the one in control, in order to deflect from the fact that it had its A$$ overwhelmingly handed to it by the IDF.
They will draw out and milk the hostage releases for all they can get with the sympathetic Main Stream Liberal Media helping.
As the number of remaining hostages gets around < 10, and/or the media see less viewers and gets bored. Hamas will pull a media stunt. Or halt the releases, claiming Israel violated this or that. Then demand MORE concessions.
[Rudaw] The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out nearly 100 operations against the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) in 2024, capturing more than 270 suspects and eliminating several of its high-ranking leaders, said the Kurdish-led force on Tuesday.
"These operations resulted in the capture of hundreds of terrorists, including high-ranking officials such as ’emirs’ and leaders," read a statement from the SDF, adding that these individuals were responsible for intelligence gathering, weapons distribution, and financial support to ISIS cells.
After the fall of the regime of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Horror of Homs... last month, the US-led global coalition against ISIS and its main ally in Syria, the SDF, which controls northeast Syria (Rojava), have worked to prevent the murderous Moslems from reestablishing their presence in the evolving security landscape.
The SDF also said it dismantled numerous improvised bombs (IEDs), conducted sweeps targeting ISIS hideouts, and increased security measures in sensitive areas, including along the Syrian-Iraqi border and near the al-Hol camp, which houses tens of thousands of ISIS-linked individuals.
"The vigilance of our forces also led to the detection and neutralization of numerous improvised bombs (IEDs), effectively preventing explosions and acts of sabotage," the statement added.
The SDF reported a total of 98 operations in 2024, in which 17 ISIS bully boys, including six leaders, were killed. A further 278 were captured. The group also thwarted 43 planned ISIS attacks, though it acknowledged that 113 terrorist operations took place.
Despite these efforts, the SDF warned that ongoing threats from The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... were undermining its ability to combat ISIS.
The SDF reaffirmed an "unwavering commitment to combating this terrorist organization and remain steadfast in their resolve to cooperate with the International Coalition forces in the fight against ISIS," accusing Turkey of actions that facilitate the resurgence of ISIS cells and other holy warrior groups.
Turkey and the Syrian murderous Moslems it supports have recently intensified attacks on the SDF near Manbij city, Kurdish officials have warned that the nearby Tishreen Dam could collapse if the attacks continue.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/22/2025
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Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:28 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and signed an agreement on long-term cooperation and support between the countries. Albania provides military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and will continue to support it for the entire ten-year period of the document.
21:56 Russians attacked Kiev with drones on Tuesday evening, January 21. The wreckage of a drone shot down as a result of successful air defense operations fell into a reservoir in the Dniprovsky district of the capital. This was reported by the Kiev City Military Administration.
20.59 Data of users of Russia's largest provider, Rostelecom , fell into the hands of hackers and was published online. This was reported by the data leak detection and darknet monitoring service DLBI.
19:59 The United States of America must play its role in negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. But this "vigorous" diplomacy must be behind the scenes, said the new US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
19:47 Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, during a meeting with Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk on Tuesday, January 21, proposed handing over to the Ukrainian side Russian weapons seized by IDF soldiers. This was reported by the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel.
18.48 Suspected of negligence, due to which the enemy was able to capture part of the territory of the Kharkiv region in May 2024, the former commander of the 415th separate rifle battalion, Colonel Ilya Lapin, was taken into custody.
18.41 German armored vehicle manufacturer KNDS Deutschland has officially opened a joint venture with one of Ukraine's defense companies. This was announced by Minister of Strategic Industries German Smetanin. The newly created company will specialize in servicing and repairing military equipment supplied to meet the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
17:39 One of the demands of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin at possible negotiations will be a reduction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by five times. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
17:13 In Kursk region, the military of the 73rd Marine Center of Special Operations Forces are destroying the enemy, receiving important data on the involvement of DPRK soldiers. This was reported by the press service of the Special Operations Forces on Tuesday, January 21.
15.39 The Cabinet of Ministers has decided to distribute funds monthly between brigades for the purchase of drones. Now, UAH 2.5 billion will be distributed monthly between the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades for the purchase of UAVs. This was announced by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Tuesday, January 21.
13:36 Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that fortifications created in frontline areas will be transferred to the control of the Ministry of Defense within a month. The head of government reported this on Tuesday, January 21.
11:58 The Russian army carried out a drone strike on Kharkov. This was reported by the head of the regional military administration Oleg Sinegubov.
According to him, at 11:18 a strike was recorded in the Shevchenkivskyi district. As a result of the shelling by the Shahed UAV, garages were damaged, one was destroyed, one passenger car and the windows of a dormitory were damaged.
11:19 Ukrainian military personnel hit a number of important objects on the territory of the aggressor country Russia and the occupied part of the Donetsk region. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, this is the Liskinskaya oil depot, the aircraft plant in Smolensk and the command post of the Russian army in Volnovakha.
10:38 Russian troops attacked Kherson twice from UAVs on the morning of January 21. As a result of drone strikes, five people were injured - a 44-year-old woman and men aged 52, 53, 56 and 78.
9:57 In the Kyiv region, as a result of falling debris from downed enemy drones, a private house and a car were damaged in one of the settlements.
9:39 Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 72 Russian drones , another 59 drone imitators were lost. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force.
8:58 Over the past 24 hours, aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces hit 22 areas of concentration of personnel and equipment, 11 command posts, ten artillery systems, four air defense systems, four warehouses of military-technical property (ammunition, fuel and lubricants), as well as nine other important objects of the Russian invaders. This was reported on January 21 by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8:46 As a result of the strike on the Dnieper and the region, a warehouse, an enterprise and houses were damaged. A man injured in the shelling is in hospital in moderate condition. This was reported by the head of the Dnepropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak.
8:34 Russian troops struck railway infrastructure in the Dnepropetrovsk region, wounding two railway workers . This was reported by Ukrzaliznytsia. One of the victims was hospitalized, the other received medical assistance on the spot. Buildings and rolling stock were also damaged as a result of the shelling.
7:45 The Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 1,600 occupiers, about 300 pieces of equipment and 130 drones in 24 hours. The General Staff reported this on January 21. 7:21 Explosions were heard in Dnipro during an air raid alarm . This was reported by Suspilne.Dnipro. First, the Ukrainian Air Force warned of the threat of ballistic weapons from the east and called on Dnipro residents to take shelter.
05:29 Russian invaders have had some success in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions. They will advance in Dvurchnaya, Velyka Novosilka, Nadezhda, Uspenovka and Slavyanka, DeepState reports.
01:50 Drones attacked Russian Smolensk at night. Social media reports that they hit an aircraft factory. Footage of a fire at the plant has also been published.
[ShabelleMedia] Æthiopian forces have withdrawn from several military bases in the Dinsoor district of the Bay region, raising concerns among local residents about the potential return of al-Shabaab ... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... holy warriors, officials confirmed Tuesday.
The reasons for the withdrawal from this isolated town in South West State, located 266 kilometers from Mogadishu, remain unclear. Dinsoor has been inaccessible by land for over a decade.
No immediate comment was available from South West State administration officials regarding the troop movement. Æthiopian forces have managed security in Dinsoor since 2015. This withdrawal coincides with the start of the new African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) this month, which has replaced the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Notably, Æthiopia is not participating in the new mission.
The Darawish forces of South West State, with known limited capabilities, might struggle to fill the security vacuum left by the departing Æthiopian troops in the Bay and Bakool regions, areas often described as some of the most perilous in Somalia due to al-Shabaab’s activities.
The Federal Government of Somalia, which is transitioning to assume security duties from foreign troops under the AUSSOM framework, has yet to comment on the Æthiopian troops’ withdrawal. This development adds complexity to Somalia’s ongoing security challenges.
13/01/2025
[ShabelleMedia] A Chinese-owned fishing vessel hijacked off the Somali coast in November has been set free with its 18-member crew, the Chinese Embassy in Somalia said Monday.
The embassy said in a statement posted on X that the crew was rescued Monday following "the unremitting efforts of the Chinese government."
"The Chinese side strongly condemns this vicious action which threatened the safety of the crew and international navigation security, and will continue to firmly safeguard the lawful rights of Chinese citizens and enterprises overseas," the statement said.
The ship and its crew were hijacked in late November and taken to Xaafuun district in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... , a territory in Somalia’s northeast. The pirates who took the ship later demanded a ransom of $10 million.
It was not immediately clear if the money was paid.
The embassy statement said "the Chinese side maintained close consultation and coordination" with federal authorities in Somalia as well as the regional government of Puntland in efforts to rescue the ship and its crew.
The hijacking underscored the persistent challenges of maritime security in Somalia’s waters. Somalia has for years been blighted by piracy, which peaked in 2011 when the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... says more than 160 attacks were recorded off the Somali coast.
Incidents have declined drastically since then, however, largely due to the presence of American and allied navies in international waters.
[Garowe] Æthiopia has started the process of reducing the presence of the Æthiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) in various parts of the country, a strategy meant to increase its presence in its borders amid rising security challenges within the Horn of Africa.
For decades, the country has invested in the deployment of the military to handle local security challenges, including the recent interference in the Tigray region which sparked sharp differences with regional authorities, leading to deadly festivities.
Typically, there are ENDF soldiers in all states, almost assuming the role of the police, who are mandated to take care of law and order. There are also thousands of local militias, thus affecting the chain of command in terms of execution.
Lieutenant General Alemshet Degife, Military Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Æthiopian National Defense Force and Chief of the Fire Command, announced plans to reduce the military’s involvement in policing and transfer these responsibilities to regional police forces and local militias.
Speaking in a two-part interview with ENDF Media, he emphasized, "It is not sustainable for the national defense force to be deployed in every village, woreda, kebele, and city."
General Alemshet reflected on the challenges posed by prolonged military deployments over the past five to six years, particularly in the Tigray, Oromia, and Amhara regions. He outlined a strategy to withdraw troops to their camps and prioritize training, a move geared towards resolving internal conflicts.
"We are planning to return the military to its camp and focus on training. In this regard, we believe we will succeed, and our forces will get the necessary rest."
Æthiopia is facing security challenges, with the fallout with Egypt also being on the radar. The two countries have failed to agree on filling the Grand Renaissance Dam along the Blue Nile, with Egypt saying Æthiopia's actions risk the reduction of water supplies downstream.
Also, Æthiopia had sharp differences with Somalia after signing an illegal agreement over access to the Red Sea with Somaliland ...Republic of Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as a de jure part of Somalia. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. The capital and largest city is Hargeisa. The government regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which united from 1960 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliadestroyed ninety percent of Hargeisa Per international law, once you're in, you gotta stay in, no matter how bad it smells.... . However,
there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire... has since mediated the conflict between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu leading to the resumption of talks.
[RedState] A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the controversial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, was illegal but stopped short of allowing a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge in Texas to go into effect. The three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit ruling on the case restricted the scope of the injunction to Texas to allow further appeals.
DACA is, in my opinion, the toughest part of the illegal immigration catastrophe facing the United States to solve. DACA enrollees arrived in the United States as very young children when their parents or guardians illegally immigrated. They are culturally American and frequently can't speak the language of their home country and have no family or social ties to it. There are an estimated 580,000 DACA enrollees.
DACA beneficiaries, often referred to as Dreamers, have been able to obtain driver’s licenses in states that do not issue them to unauthorized immigrants colonists. They have also qualified for in-state tuition rates and state-funded educational grants and loans in some states, as well as health care.
The average age of the recipients was 21 when the program was established. Now, most are in their 30s. Many have completed college, built careers and started families If DACA were to end, they would no longer be authorized to work in the United States.
DACA, as the Texas judge ruled (Surprise Court Ruling Lands a Major Blow Against Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. Former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body.... and Illegal Immigration Advocates — RedState), has no basis in law. It does not even rise to the level of a regulation. DACA started out as a 2012 memorandum signed by Obama DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. It was never an executive order. It never went through the rule-making process required by the Administrative Procedure Act. It has never been enacted into law by Congress. Ordinarily, any memo by a cabinet secretary ceases to have validity when they leave office, not so with DACA. When President Trump’s DHS secretary rescinded the DACA memo based on the advice of the Attorney General of the United States, the Supreme Court held, in a 5-4 vote (guess how the Chief Justice voted), that the Trump administration was required to follow the Administrative Procedure Act to withdraw a memo that was never subjected to that act, see The Supreme Court Rules Trump Can’t End the Illegal DACA Program Because Nothing Matters Anymore. This is the second time this particular case has been heard by the Fifth Circuit and the second time the Fifth Circuit has ruled DACA unconstitutional; see Fifth Circuit Rules DACA Is Illegal but Somehow It Keeps on Moving — RedState,
The case is headed back to the Supreme Court, minus the rather stupid issue of whether a single memo by a cabinet secretary can masquerade as the law of the land.
[IsraelTimes] Operation Iron Wall begins with drone strikes on terror infrastructure; large numbers of troops enter city; 10 Palestinians said killed, 40 wounded
The Israel Defense Forces launched a major counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday afternoon, which military sources said was expected to last several days.
The operation began with a series of dronezaps on infrastructure used by terror groups in Jenin, a military source said.
Paleostinian media outlets reported several Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s and local health officials said at least 10 people were killed and 40 were maimed.
Footage published by Paleostinian media showed Israeli Air Force helicopters flying over Jenin.
In a brief joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet security agency confirmed the operation, dubbed "Iron Wall," and said further details would be provided later.
IDF sources said large numbers of troops, including special forces, Shin Bet agents and Border Police officers, were operating in the city.
The goals of the operation were to "preserve the IDF’s freedom of action" in the West Bank, neutralize terror infrastructure and eliminate imminent threats, according to military sources.
The sources said the operation would last at least several days.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation was "another step in achieving the goal we set, strengthening security in Judea and Samaria."
Judea and Samaria is the biblical name for the West Bank.
"We are operating in a systematic and decisive way against the Iranian axis wherever it sends its arms, 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... , Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... , Syria, 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... and Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
On Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the military was preparing for "significant operations" in the West Bank, amid a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
"Along with the intense defense preparations in the Gaza Strip, we must be prepared for significant operations in Judea and Samaria in the coming days in order to preempt and catch the snuffies before they reach our citizens," he said during an assessment, in remarks released by the IDF.
On Sunday, military officials said the Central Command was readying to carry out offensive actions in the West Bank, to prevent Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... from establishing a foothold in the West Bank in light of the release of members of the terror group in the ceasefire deal.
The offensive plans were being coordinated with the Paleostinian Authority, which also fears its rival Hamas gaining power in the West Bank, the officials said.
Hundreds of Paleostinian security prisoners are due to be released to the West Bank in the hostage deal and ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, including many convicted of deadly terror attacks.
The Tuesday raid came a day after an Israeli reservist soldier was killed and four others were maimed, including a senior officer at death's door, when they were hit by a roadside kaboom in the northern West Bank.
It also followed a shaky truce agreement between the Paleostinian Authority and terror groups operating in Jenin that ended a six-week standoff in the northern West Bank city and adjacent refugee camp.
The PA had been targeting the so-called Jenin Battalion, made up of operatives affiliated with terror groups such as Hamas and Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... , in a bid to show incoming US President Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... that Ramallah can maintain order in the West Bank, amid its push to take the reins of Gaza from Hamas after the war there.
The IDF, which also staged counterterrorism operations in the northern West Bank in recent months, has said that it supported bolstering the PA forces to help them in the fight against the Jenin Battalion. The military paused its airstrikes on Jenin as PA forces operated there, but ended that policy last week with a pair of airstrikes on terror operatives that killed a dozen people, including civilians.
Paleostinian media reported Tuesday that as Israeli troops entered Jenin, PA forces withdrew from the area.
The West Bank has seen a sharp rise in violence since the Gaza war was sparked on October 7, 2023.
Since then, IDF troops have arrested some 6,000 wanted Paleostinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas.
According to the Paleostinian Authority health ministry, more than 858 West Bank Paleostinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were button men killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or snuffies carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 46 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another seven members of the security forces were killed in festivities with terror operatives in the West Bank.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine.
Significant enemy activity is observed only in the Pokrovsky direction, where fighting continues in the areas of 16 populated areas.
Since the beginning of the current day, 55 combat clashes have occurred on the front, more than half of which were in the Pokrovsk direction. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report as of 16:00 on Tuesday, January 21.
Thus, in the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops stormed four times near Dvurechnaya, Petropavlovka, Lozovaya and Novaya Kruglyakovka.
In the Liman direction, the enemy is trying to advance in the areas of the settlements of Kopanki, Terny and Kolodtsy. There have already been four combat clashes, one of which is still ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, the occupiers tried to advance in the direction of Ivano-Daryevka and were rebuffed.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are repelling three assaults near the settlements of Chasov Yar and Fedorovka. The fighting is still ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy attacked five times in the Toretsk region. Three combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy attacked 33 times near the settlements of Vodyanoye Vtoroye, Zelenoe Pole, Mirolyubovka, Promen, Mirnograd, Novy Trud, Pokrovsk, Zverevoye, Uspenovka, Slavyanka, Serebryanoye, Shevchenko, Andreyevka, Ulakly, Yantarnoye, Dachnoye. Nine combat clashes are still ongoing.
One enemy attack was recorded in the Novopavlovsk, Orekhov and Pridneprovsk directions. All of them were repelled.
In the Kursk direction, the Russians attacked our defenders twice.
It should be noted that on January 20 at 16:00 there were 64 combat clashes on the front, while in the previous days the number of battles reached 80-90. This means that the enemy troops have noticeably reduced their activity.
Let us recall that over the past 24 hours, Russian losses have reached 1,600 killed and wounded . The total losses of the aggressor country Russia since the beginning of the war are approaching 830,000 people.
Linked article is available only through a VPN.
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces hit formations of a motorised infantry brigade of the AFU close to Volchansk (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 60 troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns.
The Zapad Group's units captured more advantageous lines and positions, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades and one infantry brigade of the AFU close to Novoyegorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Drobyshevo, Kolodezi, Seversk, Yampol (Donetsk People's Republic), Dvurechnaya, Glushkovka, Zeleny Gai, and Lozovaya (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 510 troops, seven armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier. Seventeen motor vehicles, ten field artillery guns, including five Western-made guns, and two field ammunition depots of the enemy were eliminated.
The Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and engaged the units of two mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, and one assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka, Izhevka, Predtechino, Belogorovka, Verkhnekamenskoye, Ivano-Daryevka, Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Yantarnoye, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy sustained losses of up to 290 troops, two motor vehicles, seven field artillery guns, with four of them made by NATO countries. One ammunition depot and one electronic warfare station were destroyed.
The Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing to the depths of the enemy's defence and liberated Volkovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one National Guard brigade, two territorial defence brigades close to Shcherbinovka, Petrovka, Dzerzhinsk, Lysovka, Baranovka, Slavyanka, Novoyelizavetovka, Solenoye, Novoaleksandrovka, and Novovasilevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 580 troops, seven armoured fighting vehicles, including one French-made VAB armoured personnel carrier, six motor vehicles, and nine artillery guns.
The Vostok Group of Forces advanced into the depths of the enemy's defence, defeated units of two mechanised brigades of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and one National Guard brigade close to Otradnoye, Novopol, Zeleny Kut, Velikaya Novoselka, Konstantinopol, Novy Komar, and Bogatyr (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 120 troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, one motor vehicle, and three artillery guns, including a UK-made FH-70 howitzer.
The Dnepr Group of Forces has engaged manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and one territorial defence brigade near Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region), Daryevka, Mylovoye, Pridneprovskoye, and Antonovka (Kherson region).
The enemy losses amounted to up to 100 troops, 11 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns. One electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot have been neutralised.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces struck a power facility ensuring operation of a Ukrainian defence industry enterprise, infrastructure of military airfields, fixed-wing UAV workshops, as well as engaged manpower and armoured hardware clusters of the enemy in 148 areas.
Air defence systems shot down four Hammer guided aerial bombs, six U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 156 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, with 55 of them out of the special military operation area.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 652 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 41,034 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,702 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,510 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,845 field artillery guns and mortars, and 30,540 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.
During the offensive actions, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage 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 close to Gogolevka, Guyevo, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Makhnovka, Nikolayevka, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Staraya Sorochina, and Sverdlikovo. One AFU counter-attack was repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Viktorovka, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Kositsa, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Mirny, Mikhaylovka, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Yuzhny, as well as Basovka, Belovody, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Miropolye, and Yunakovka in Sumy region.
During the day, the enemy has suffered losses of more than 270 troops, an Abrams tank, a U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, three artillery guns, one mortar, and two electronic warfare stations.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 53,600 troops, 309 tanks, 237 infantry fighting vehicles, 178 armoured personnel carriers, 1,590 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,574 motor vehicles, 381 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, 96 EW stations, 14 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 31 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, nine armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress
A Russian missile submarine disappears without a trace during a secret mission in the Greenland Sea. Viktor Voronin, the youngest commander of the Northern Fleet, whose older brother was in command of the missing cruiser, goes in search of him.
At the same time, due to the destruction of the polar station, a Kraken monster appears in the northern waters.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 18:25 RF Armed Forces in full released n.p. Nikolaevo-Daryino in the Kursk region.
The footage shows Ussuri paratroopers with the Airborne Forces flag on the street in Nikolayevo-Daryino. At the end of last year, they managed to break through to the other bank of the Snagost River, cutting off the supply line of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The village itself is a long line of houses along the road leading to the border with Ukraine. The stormtroopers of the 83rd Airborne Forces Brigade cleared all the buildings of the enemy the day before and are now advancing along the state border towards Sudzha.
The liberation of Nikolayevo-Daryino allows for reconnaissance and attacks in the rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Sumy region.
18:08 Fighters of the special forces group "AKHMAT" knocked out Ukrainian militants from positions in the area of the bunker in the forest south of Chasov Yar. Akhmat is a Chechen unit. 18:07 Russian military assault troops took a powerful fortification of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the children's camp building in the southeast of Chasov Yar.
18:02 Servicemen of the separate engineering and sapper battalion of the "South" group of forces demining area near liberated settlements of the DPR.
Sappers are making passages in minefields left by the enemy in the liberated territories and clearing areas of explosive objects. The work is currently being carried out on the outskirts of the settlement of Ukrainsk.
17:51 In the Khar'kov region liquidated two high-ranking representatives of Ukrainian military intelligence.
17:28 Air defense systems over Belgorod region knocked down several enemy drones.
According to preliminary information, there were no casualties, the governor said.
16:17 Military engineers of the "North" group meet this professional holiday at a combat post in the Kursk border region.
Engineering and sapper units conducted reconnaissance of field roads. Visual control was carried out by a UAV operator, who discovered an anti-tank mine of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The mine was destroyed by a charge placed remotely using a drone. Then the road was surveyed by an engineering and reconnaissance patrol.
Also, during humanitarian demining, engineers removed and destroyed a 120mm mortar shell that had hit a civilian home at the training ground.
15:55 In the period from 13:05 to 14:15 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
15:38 Servicemen of the assault units of the combined arms army of the "West" group conduct engineering training sessions at a training ground in the rear area of the special operation zone.
Trainees, under the guidance of engineering training instructors, find and destroy enemy "surprises" and overcome various types of obstacles. The main objective is to gain skills and overcome fear of explosives.
15:31 Fighters transmit greetings from the liberated settlement of Volkovo, Donetsk People's Republic.
Servicemen of the "Center" group of forces continue to destroy units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, liberating the lands of the Donetsk People's Republic.
15:18 Destruction of multifunctional radar "RADA ieMHR" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine using the UAV "Lancet" in the area of the settlement of Vyvodovo in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
14:45 Servicemen of the engineering units of the "West" group of forces conducted training on the deployment of a heavy mechanized bridge TMM 3M2 in one of the rear areas of the special operation.
14:45 In the Kursk region, fighters from the 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade began advancing towards Guevo from the north, reports Anatoly Radov.
14:24 Calculation of FPV drones of the Rubicon center destroyed temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk direction.
14:31 Velikaya (Bolshaya) Novosyolka is being stormed from three sides
They report about the breakthrough of the enemy's defense on the eastern outskirts of the settlement. Now the Russian Armed Forces are pressing the enemy from three sides.
13:41 Between 11:00 and 11:50 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles: eight UAVs over the Black Sea and over the territory of the Republic of Crimea and three UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region.
12:45 In the area of the settlement Dneproenergiya Russian operators of FPV drones burned a T-72 tank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
12:32 Advance near the village of Dvurechnoye from 20.01 to 21.01. Kupyansk direction.
With a swift dash they took the houses where the enemy's first line of defense was located and after that, on his shoulders, they advanced deeper, taking the entire western sector.
11:35 Russian Ministry of Defense:
In the period from 10.45 to 11.00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Black Sea off the coast of the Republic of Crimea.
10:37 Paratroopers of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed an enemy weapon on the right bank of the Dnieper
During aerial reconnaissance, the UAV operator identified a Ukrainian Armed Forces weapon, which the enemy was using to fire at Russian military positions. After confirming the target, the coordinates were immediately transmitted to the crew of the 152mm 2A36 Giatsint-B gun.
“During the counterbattery battle, the gun’s personnel destroyed the gun and the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ manpower on the right bank of the Dnieper with a precise hit,” reported in the Russian Ministry of Defense.
10:10 Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine killed a woman in the Kursk direction because she spoke Russian
The captured militants of the 22nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confessed to carrying out a criminal order. They killed an elderly woman.
"We had an order to "zero" all Russian speakers. There was an order to kill that woman, we didn't do it ourselves. Commander "Luke" ordered it," the prisoners said.
9:15 The Russian Armed Forces destroyed the Ukrainian Armed Forces bunker, –video.
8:20 Zaporizhzhya Front. They continue positional battles. Long-range weapons are actively used on both sides. No significant changes in LBS.
Donetsk Front. Here, the offensive of Russian troops continues to develop in several directions. The Russian Armed Forces are storming Velyka Novosilka, the holding of which, apparently, has ceased to be an important task for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian garrison is trying to leave the settlement, leaving through the "fields", since all the main escape routes are under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. To the west of Kurakhovo, Russian troops continue to put pressure on the enemy's defense, gradually cutting off the formed "pocket".
Chasovoyarsk direction. Russian troops continue to advance with battles in the urban development. There are tactical successes of the RF Armed Forces.
Kursk region. Here, Russian troops continue to put pressure on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense in several areas, but there is no serious progress. The Ukrainians are putting up fierce resistance, conducting counterattacks. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to try to bring up more reserves to the Sudzha area.
Direct translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] While the world is watching the first steps of the new US administration led by Donald Trump, who had previously promised to stop the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours, fighting in the SVO zone continues. The sides are exchanging missile strikes, using drones and artillery to attack in the rear.
The fighting along the front line from Kupyansk to the Zaporizhia region continues unabated. At the same time, the most tense section of the front remains Donbass, where Russian troops have launched a new offensive operation.
On Friday, January 17, fighting resumed in the Velikaya Novosyolka area. The Russian Armed Forces crushed the enemy's defenses and took up positions on the outskirts of the settlement. During further fighting, the city was encircled.
Later, the successes in the Velikaya Novosyolka area were confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to the latest information, the Ukrainian Armed Forces units blocked in the city still have the opportunity to retreat north. It is also reported that the enemy is trying to force the Mokrye Yaly River in small groups and withdraw forces to the Zaporizhzhya and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Units of the 110th Mechanized and Separate Presidential Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine remain in the city.
At the same time, units of the Russian army are not allowing the enemy to retreat in an organized manner, a front-line source for the Regnum news agency reports.
"Until the very end, we were putting a lid on this cauldron, pushing the enemy. But Kiev did not give the order to retreat. Now, when it was too late to jerk around, we began to retreat under continuous fire, suffering heavy losses. Like in Ugledar before - and many other places. This is a chronic learning disability," the source noted.
The situation is complicated for the enemy by the fact that the borders of the DPR, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions converge in the area of Velyka Novosyolka. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces command apparently did not prepare plans in case of a retreat from the village, so reserve defensive lines began to be built only in the last few weeks.
The trenches are being dug literally in an open field, since there are no large settlements and/or industrial zones in this area where Ukrainian troops could gain a foothold.
The situation developing at the front creates opportunities for the Russian army to further advance into the territory of the Dnepropetrovsk region. Moreover, north of Velyka Novosyolka, the offensive continues in the Pokrovsk area.
THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES ARE PREPARING TO RETREAT
Developing the offensive in the Pokrovsk direction, assault units of the Russian army were able to cut off the road from Pokrovsk to the territory of the neighboring region in the area of the village of Kotlino. It is also reported that the advancing troops are advancing in the area of Uspenovka and Novoyelyzavetovka. Thus, there are about five kilometers left to the administrative borders of the Dnepropetrovsk region.
For now, the highway between Pokrovsk and Pavlograd remains under the control of Ukrainian troops, but Kyiv is already preparing for a sharp deterioration in the situation on this section of the front.
According to information from the field, Ukrainian troops have begun preparing the defense of Pavlograd in case of a retreat from Pokrovsk. It is reported that the enemy is mining bridges on the approaches to the city and evacuating key city enterprises, and is building fortifications in the area of the Pavlograd Chemical Plant. Ammunition depots and long-term firing points are being created in the factory workshops.
In turn, the Russian Aerospace Forces are striking enemy targets in the city and its environs, since Pavlograd is home to the operational rear of the enemy group in Donbass.
It is important to note that Pavlograd is located only 62 kilometers from Dnepropetrovsk, the fourth largest city in Ukraine. The city is home to the largest Ukrainian defense enterprises and other strategic facilities. In this regard, some Western media predict that the Russian offensive will continue in the direction of Pokrovsk - Pavlograd - Dnepropetrovsk.
But frontline sources of the Regnum news agency are calling for not rushing things, since the enemy still holds control over part of Donbass.
"Nobody will go anywhere until Pokrovsk is completely blocked and liberated. There is a large enemy group in the city, it cannot be left in the rear. Now all our efforts are focused on disrupting the enemy's supply, encircling his forces and pushing them out of our land," the agency's source says.
According to reports from the ground, Russian troops are preparing to cut the E50 highway, which connects Pokrovsk with Dnepropetrovsk via Pervomaysk and Pavlograd.
And for the complete liberation of Donbass, another task must be solved: to drive the enemy out of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, which the enemy, naturally, does not plan to surrender without a fight.
ROAD TO SLAVYANSK AND KRAMATORSK
Fighting continues in the eastern part of Donbass. Here, Russian troops are finishing the liberation of Chasov Yar, an offensive that has been going on for several months.
As a result of the successful actions of the assault groups, the territory of the Chasov Yar Refractory Plant, which is called the "Citadel" in frontline reports, was liberated. Sources of the Regnum news agency specify that this concerns the third and fifth workshops of the plant. Units of the "Yug" group also cleared the territory of the Chasov Yar railway station.
The enemy still controls the Yuzhny, Shevchenko and Levanevsky microdistricts in the southern part of the city, as well as the first and second workshops of the Chasov Yar plant - a total of about 40% of the city's territory. It is expected that the operation to liberate Chasov Yar will be completed in the near future, because the enemy has been driven out of the dense urban development.
The liberation of Chasov Yar opens the way to Konstantinovka and Druzhkovka, and then to Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. As they advance in the Pokrovsk area, Russian troops will be able to launch an offensive on Slavyansk from the west, blocking the enemy.
But to solve this problem, it is first necessary to liberate Pokrovsk and eliminate a large group of enemy forces.
At the same time, Kyiv has no time or resources left to try to seize the initiative: “elite” units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are dying in the Kursk region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Olga Borisova
[REGNUM] Russian fighter, assault trooper Farhad, call sign Okhotnik, received a serious abdominal wound right before the New Year. A native of Chebarkul (Chelyabinsk region) was taken to a hospital in Makeyevka.
The injury was very serious: Farhad was covered in tubes, barely alive, and hallucinations had already begun, recalls the head of the Donetsk headquarters of the Committee of Families of Warriors of the Fatherland (KSVO) Anzhelika Bairachnaya. At the time, she herself was on vacation in Krasnoyarsk Krai.
"Nobody took him out - they planned to route him to another hospital on January 1. They called us at half past two in the morning, there was no time to waste - every hour counted. I called the girls at headquarters from Krasnoyarsk, they rushed to the hospital. But it was a holiday: no head doctor, no one. And the soldier's condition was terrible.
The girls bought a phone so that he could call his wife - she was in Omsk, and I contacted our Ministry of Health. And with the assistance of the Ministry of Health, we urgently took him first to Rovenki, and then to Rostov," Bairachnaya said in a conversation with IA Regnum.
After that, Farkhad underwent three surgeries, now his condition is satisfactory, but doctors continue to keep the man in artificial sleep. At the same time, doctors confirmed: the count really was every minute, the fighter had to be taken out immediately - otherwise he would not have survived.
"DONETSK VOLUNTEERS SAVED"
This situation with an emergency, but at first glance impossible, transportation of a wounded soldier is far from the first on the account of the head of the Donetsk headquarters of the KSVO. A little less than a year ago, she managed to take another serviceman out of the Donetsk hospital.
It was spring. Vladimir from Kurgan had frostbite on his extremities, he was in the Kalinin Hospital, but they wouldn't let him evacuate - there were no cars.
"They could have amputated his legs, but we don't have that kind of equipment here. That is, to save him, we had to evacuate him urgently. Well, we jumped into the car ourselves, even though it was late at night. We arrived at the hospital, talked to the doctors, and they quickly discharged him.
We loaded him into our car - we have a Gazelle, brought him to the evacuation point, from there we sent him to Rostov on the same day. His feet were amputated anyway, but there was no infection or other terrible consequences. The man's family and the head of the region thanked us," says Bairachnaya.
Deputy Head of the KSVO headquarters in Kurgan is Olga Pashkova. She wrote about Vladimir and his wife Elizaveta on social networks, as well as about his rescue - thanks to Donetsk volunteers.
Anzhelika Bairachnaya also remembers Vladimir very well. She found out that the man signed a contract, served for literally a week and got frostbite. But after treatment in the hospital, after two months he began to use a wheelchair and began to recover.
A LARGE FAMILY AND FOUR CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN
Servicemen and their relatives contact the KSVO headquarters with a variety of problems, says an interlocutor of the IA Regnum. Some were helped with medical care, others with payments. The headquarters also collects and delivers food and essential items to families whose breadwinners are missing.
Often, explains Bairachnaya, the task of the committee staff is precisely to build a “bridge,” to establish interaction between the fighter and government agencies—the Ministry of Health and other departments.
However, the headquarters staff also have other things to do: deliver humanitarian aid and conduct master classes on folk crafts for the children and wives of military personnel.
"We have a warehouse - help comes: clothes, shoes, books. People come every Sunday and choose what they need. Once a month we give out a food package, give gifts for the holidays... Recently we went to the monument to the children who died in Donbass and made doves with the children..." - recalls the head of the Donetsk headquarters of the KSVO.
Another category of people that the headquarters helps are displaced persons from recently liberated settlements: Selidovo, Maryinka, Ukrainka and many others.
Anzhelika Bairachnaya is not only a native and patriot of Donetsk, but also the wife of a serviceman, so it is not difficult for her to find a common language with families who find themselves in the same situation. Although by her first education and many years of pre-war work, the woman is a financier. Already in the DPR, she began to engage in public activities, for eight years she held the position of the chairperson of the Council of Large Families.
In 2022, her husband, Ivan, volunteered for the front, and the headquarters of the Committee of Families of Soldiers of the Fatherland opened in Donetsk. A competition was held for the position of head of the regional division. Among the candidates submitted by the local administration was Bairachnaya.
“I had a smooth transition from the chairman of large families to the KSVO. There is a family that we are still leading, ” she recalls. “The father was in the militia, he died in 2019, three children from two different mothers were left. Both of them abandoned the children and they were taken by their grandmother, the mother of the deceased. And then, last year, the grandmother died, the children were left complete orphans. We helped them, of course: with things, food. We helped the eldest girl transfer to a budget, now she studies for free. We have a lot of families with five or six children, and the fathers are fighting…”
"THEY LEAVE US WITH SMILES"
There were never even thoughts of leaving Donetsk: neither in 2014 nor in 2022, admits Bairachnaya. In the family, with her husband and children, they simply did not talk about it. Although the danger was tangible, all the time nearby. The headquarters where she works is located in the city center, HIMARS missiles flew nearby.
"We're used to it. We sat out the shelling, came out of the basement - and continued working. In 2014, when all this began, Donetsk was practically empty. It was a city of a million people, but there were 140 thousand left in the entire Donetsk People's Republic. People left, but then came back.
And I didn't even think about leaving: I love my land, I love my city. In 2014-15 it was still scary. Everything was closed, nothing worked, and then the fear began to subside. This year, for the first time in all this time, the circus opened, the theater started working," - the interlocutor of IA Regnum shared her emotions.
Working with the wounded or relatives who have experienced loss is always hard work, Bairachnaya does not hide. At the same time, the woman's colleagues have had their own troubles similar to what people who come to KSVO for help have to endure.
"One of my colleagues lost her husband, another came at the call of her heart, others are the wives of active servicemen. We are all together, in the same boat. Therefore, knowing this pain, these problems, it is easier for us to help each other. And support helps to cope with all requests," says the head of the Donetsk headquarters.
And to help people even more effectively, Anzhelika recently received a second education - in psychology, working with military personnel. It also came in handy in her work with civilians.
"You know, when a mother or a wife comes, when they cry, telling their story, the most important thing is to hug and say "thank you" for your son or husband. That's enough. You listen to them, let them cry, they tell their story - about how they served, what they were like, how their childhood was... And everything goes away: they leave us with smiles," says Bairachnaya.
[ShabelleMedia] The family of Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim, a Kenyan soldier believed to have been held by Al-Shabaab for nine years, has appealed to the Kenyan government for assistance in securing his release.
Ibrahim was captured during the Al-Shabaab attack on the Kenyan military base in El Adde on January 15, 2016, where he was presumed dead.
Hope was reignited for his family when a video showed Ibrahim alive, pleading for the Kenyan government’s intervention to free and reunite him with his family.
The viral video contradicted the official death certificate issued in December 2020.
Living in Maline Estate, Eldoret, the family’s hope was sparked when Kathra, Ibrahim’s daughter, received a call from someone claiming to be her father in Somalia.
She demanded visual proof, which eventually confirmed her father’s survival.
However, the family is now anxious about his physical and mental health, having been held captive for nearly a decade.
Alongside Ibrahim’s video, another Kenyan soldier from Trans-Nzoia also appeared in an Al-Shabaab video, pleading for government assistance in securing his freedom.
[IsraelTimes] Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board says Ankara may end ban it started last year when demanding greater humanitarian aid supplies during war against Hamas.
I wouldn’t bother — they’ve done this several times before, then shut Israel down again when President Erdogan has his next Muslim Brotherhooder temper tantrum about uppity Jews who refuse to understand their place in Allah’s plan. An economic hudna, if you will.
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01/22/2025
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#1
Certainly nothing to get your hopes up over long-term, but short term, trade means stuff and people are moving around. Hey, who wants to buy some cheap pagers?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Victor Lavrinenko
[REGNUM] Spy mania is not abating in the Baltics. In recent weeks, new information has been received related to the cases of "Russian spies" caught in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The bona fides of these cases raise serious doubts, but they fulfill their main function.
This kind of news helps to keep local Russian communities in fear. In a situation where no one is sure that he or she will not be declared the next "spy", few dare to loudly protest against the policy of oppression. "Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!" EXPLOSIVES IN THE GARAGE
The Riga Regional Court recently sentenced a 72-year-old Russian citizen who permanently resides in Latvia to eight years in prison. The man's name has not been released, but it is known that he once served in the Soviet Army. After Latvia left the USSR, the retired officer, like over 700,000 other Russian speakers living there, did not receive local citizenship - and then he applied for Russian citizenship.
He was detained on December 20, 2023 - the Latvian State Security Service opened a criminal case on "espionage in favor of the Russian Federation", the LETA agency reported, citing the prosecutor's office.
According to the prosecutor's office, the man " received publicly available information about political processes in Latvia, critical infrastructure and military facilities in the area of the Riga airport, and also inspected the area around the 17th battalion of the Zemessardze (local territorial militia. - Ed. Regnum )." It is alleged that the man passed this information on to a representative of Russian intelligence, who personally came to meet him in Kaliningrad.
The Latvian prosecutor's office admits that it was "difficult for them to determine the specific volume of information transmitted," since " the espionage was carried out over a long period of time, and the defendant transmitted the information he received by personally visiting the Russian Federation."
It is also claimed that explosives were found in the pensioner’s garage: a hexogen briquette weighing 975 grams and four TNT briquettes with a total weight of 759.4 grams, as well as 136 rounds of ammunition.
The details voiced raise questions.
Why would a Russian intelligence officer need to meet with a pensioner for the sake of “publicly available information about political processes in Latvia”? After all, this same information can be obtained from the Internet. And the stories about explosives found on the pensioner are vividly reminiscent of other similar cases that have taken place in recent years.
Thus, in 2002, the Latvian secret police accused opposition activist Vladimir Linderman (an associate of Eduard Limonov ) of preparing an assassination attempt on then-President Vaira Vike-Freiberga. They presented 200 grams of TNT and two detonator caps, allegedly hidden by Linderman in his armchair at home. The activist took refuge in Russia, but in 2008 Linderman was extradited to Latvia – in the spirit of the Russian Federation’s understanding of the “good-neighborliness policy” at that time.
However, the evidence presented against the opposition activist turned out to be so thin that the Latvian court acquitted Linderman in 2009. True, back then the times were much freer than now.
In 2017, a case was opened in Latvia against opposition journalist Yuri Alekseyev, editor of the Imhoclub portal, who had long been an eyesore for officials.
He was accused, among other things, of illegal possession of ammunition. Alekseyev himself claimed that the cartridges were planted on him - and indeed, his fingerprints and genetic material were not found on them. The Latvian court initially decided to remove these cartridges from the indictment, but pressure from above came, and they appeared there again.
Alekseyev, who was also accused of writing anti-Latvian comments on the Internet and “possessing child pornography” (photos of the journalist’s children bathing were considered child pornography), recently fled to Belarus. According to Alekseyev himself, they wanted to jail him for up to ten years.
The stories of Linderman and Alekseev give reason to doubt the integrity of the case opened against the still unknown pensioner - if in order to finally "drown" him, it was necessary to resort again to such a trick as the alleged explosives found on him.
It is also worth noting that on January 28, a Latvian court will begin hearing the cases of two more people accused of espionage. The first of them is Riga taxi driver Sergei Sidorov, who was caught in correspondence with several political emigrants from Latvia who created the Telegram channel “Anti-Fascists of the Baltics” in Russia. Sidorov sent them photos of objects like the Riga airport or the seaport, taken from angles accessible to everyone.
The second is Latvian Svetlana Nikolaeva, who brought Sidorov money for a lawyer from his sister, who lives in Russia. The seriously ill Nikolaeva is effectively deprived of access to medical care and is slowly dying in a Latvian prison. According to investigators, Sidorov and Nikolaeva illegally collected and transmitted to Russia undisclosed information about other suspected spies who are in custody in Latvia.
THE MYSTERIOUS STORY OF EDUARD MANOVAS
In December last year, Lithuanian special services reported the capture of a "Russian spy". The corresponding suspicion was brought against 82-year-old Eduards Manovas. Manovas, who holds dual Russian-Lithuanian citizenship, was an activist of the conservative party "Fatherland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats" (SO-KhDL), which lost power in the country as a result of the autumn elections.
In addition, Manovas is a member of the influential Union of Political Prisoners and Exiles in the country. This is due to the fact that he was born into a family of Lithuanian residents who were deported by the Soviet government at the time - and in recent years he actively indulged in memories of his childhood in exile: he communicated with the press and wrote memoirs. Manovas was interested in artistic photography, and his native Šiauliai regularly hosted exhibitions of his works. Information about them was removed from Lithuanian websites.
Apparently, Manovas was ruined by the fact that he himself lived in Russia for many years, owned an apartment in Moscow, received a Russian pension, and his adult children live here to this day. The pensioner often visited them, traveled around Russia, including to Crimea.
As it turned out, Eduards Manovas was arrested back in early 2024, but the arrest was kept secret for a long time. The Šiauliai branch of the SO-KhDL, having learned about the arrest of a colleague, expelled him from the organization.
The Lithuanian State Security Department (DSD) claims that some “complex equipment for receiving and transmitting information” was found in Manovas’s home in Šiauliai.
But at the same time, according to the deputy director of the State Security Department, Remigijus Bridikis, the suspect was not collecting any top-secret data. According to the department, he sent to Moscow the information that could be gleaned from the Lithuanian media - about foreign and domestic policy, exercises, the activities of local political parties, and the same Union of Political Prisoners and Exiles.
Bridikis claimed: "He worked for Russian military intelligence as part of the Illegals program. It is quite exceptional because it is quite expensive, complex, requires a lot of resources, work and preparation. Usually in such cases, sensitive information is collected, especially relevant for Russia."
At the same time, it is completely unclear what kind of “sensitive and completely relevant” information Manovas collected, which, if desired, cannot be found in Lithuanian open sources.
At the same time, the Lithuanian press was fed with a version that Manovas was not real, but an illegal immigrant abandoned in Russia who stole someone else’s identity.
As evidence, they cite a questionnaire filled out by Manovas in 2011, when he ran for the Šiauliai City Council. It states that he studied to be a journalist at the Lviv Humanitarian University. However, since an educational institution with that name never existed, the whistleblowers suspected that Manovas actually graduated from the Lviv Higher Military-Political School, where Soviet military journalists were trained. And it is assumed that before returning to Lithuania in 1997, he worked in Russia in this very specialty.
Additional suspicions arose because no information was found in the archives about the exile Eduard Manovas, born in 1942. However, Eduard Manovas, born in 1941, was found, who was exiled with his parents in 1945 to Tajikistan and died there.
There was a suggestion that Russian intelligence could have used the deceased child’s data to construct the “legend” of their intelligence officer.
The Union of Political Prisoners rebelled against these speculations. The head of this organization, Gvidas Rutkauskas, believes that Manovas, when filling out the election questionnaire, could have simply made a mistake in the name of the educational institution. In the worst case, he could have deliberately distorted the name of the Lviv Higher Military-Political School in order to get rid of the "stain" on his biography. But this is not such a big crime.
Former exiles have no doubt that Manovas is the same Manovas. His family was well known in Šiauliai. In particular, Eduard had a brother who died four years ago - he never doubted his authenticity. At the same time, in the documents of exiles, errors were often found, made by the bureaucrats who compiled them: they could distort the first and last name, date of birth and other data.
It was later revealed that the record of Eduard Manovas' death was made in error, but the data on his expulsion from the village of Diktarishkiai in the Šiauliai district together with his father Aleksandrs, mother Kateryna and brother Alberts was confirmed.
At the same time, the State Security Department itself “gets confused in its testimony.”
If earlier they promoted the version about an “illegal immigrant introduced in the 90s”, now they claim that Manovas began working for Russian intelligence in 2018, when he was 76 years old. This seems rather ridiculous: why would the intelligence services need an old man who does not have access to state secrets, whose interests are limited to artistic photography and participation in the organization of exiles?
The Manovas case continues to unfold and may bring new interesting twists.
"ATTACKS ON ESTONIAN TERRITORY"
In Estonia, two of the most notable “espionage” cases to date involve local journalists Allan Huntsom and Svetlana Burtseva, who collaborated with Russian media. Huntsom has already received his sentence of six and a half years in prison; Burtseva’s trial is ongoing. Huntsom’s sentence in May 2024 was handed down behind closed doors, with only vague references to “intelligence activities.” Details were only made public in December.
It turned out that Hantsom was credited with “planning and preparing attacks on Estonian territory” — on behalf of a certain Ilya Bocharov and Alik Khuchbarov, allegedly connected to Russian intelligence. The essence of these “attacks” was that in December 2023, someone smashed the windows of cars belonging to the head of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs Lauri Läänemetsu and pro-government journalist Andrei Shumakov with stones at night. Monuments erected in honor of Estonians who fought the Red Army in 1919 and in honor of members of the Estonian Waffen SS legion created by the Nazis were also doused with paint.
According to investigators, Hantsom approached former police officer Andrei Kolomainen (he has also already been convicted) with this “order,” who, in turn, recruited several other people who directly carried out the “attacks” on cars and monuments.
" There were five attacks in total, but more were planned. The other attacks were not carried out because Hantsom was arrested, " said Margo Palloson, head of the Estonian Security Police (KAPO). A total of nine people are linked to this episode. Seven were found guilty by the court, and two are outside Estonia and are wanted. Moreover, according to the Estonian prosecutor's office, the perpetrators did not receive the money they were supposedly promised, meaning that "Russian intelligence" deceived them.
The story told raises serious suspicions - the detained "saboteurs" did not need to receive assignments from Moscow to carry out their "sabotage".
In recent years, state propaganda in Estonia has been doing everything it can to fan hatred towards Russians, but this is always a double-edged sword – hatred grows on the other side as well. Over the past two years, monuments to Soviet soldiers have been torn down in Estonia, but this was not enough for the authorities – at the same time, the process of destroying the Soviet soldiers’ cemeteries is underway; disturbed bones are dragged off and buried in little-visited places under faceless signs reading “Victims of World War II”.
Russian Estonians, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those very soldiers whose bones are being desecrated, watch this with impotent fury. Naturally, some may want to take it out on the monuments of those “heroes” who are now raised on shields in Estonia – people who fought in the ranks of the Estonian Waffen SS division.
As for the damage caused to the cars of Läänemets and Shumakov, there is no mystery here either. Läänemets is probably the most hated Estonian civil servant by Russians. In the recent past, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs coordinated the vandalism campaign to demolish monuments to Soviet soldiers, and is currently blackmailing the leadership of the Estonian Orthodox Church - they are demanding that it sever all canonical ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, threatening to outlaw the church in case of refusal.
As for Shumakov, he is a classic example of the so-called Vyrusi. This propagandist runs the Russian-language version of the Delfi portal, which serves the interests of the Russophobic state, called upon to convey the "party policy" to the local Russian population. And, as is well known, former "friends" who have defected to the "foreigners" always evoke particular hatred.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The contract for the expansion and modernization of the port of Tartus, concluded by the Syrian authorities with a Russian company in 2019, was cancelled by the new Syrian authorities. This was reported on January 21 by the Director of Tartus Customs, Riyad Judi, to the Syrian publication Al-Watan.
"The agreement on investments in the port of Tartus signed with the Russian company has been cancelled. All revenues from the port's activities will be used for the benefit of the Syrian state. The port workers will return to restoring the worn-out equipment that the company used without upgrading it as stipulated in the agreement," Judy said.
As the official explained, the new Syrian government is working on restructuring the port in order to restore its operations. Today, the port is practically paralyzed due to high fees and the cost of logistics services. The new Syrian authorities have decided to reduce customs duties on a number of categories of goods by 60%.
The Syrian authorities signed an investment contract with Russia in 2019 for 49 years. It was assumed that the Russian side would allocate $500 million over four years to expand the port of Tartus, while receiving management of the seaport.
Earlier, Regnum News Agency reported that the new Syrian authorities banned the import of goods from Russia, Iran and Israel. Goods imported into the republic in defiance of the ban will be confiscated.
On December 8, Bashar al-Assad resigned as president and left Syria, ordering a peaceful transfer of power. He and his family arrived in Russia, where they were granted asylum.
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Bogdanov said on December 12 that Russia expects to maintain military bases in Syria because they play an important role in the fight against international terrorism. The diplomat said that Moscow has established contacts in Syria with the political committee of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (a terrorist organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation).
On December 29, the leader of the new Syrian government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said that Syria has strategic interests related to Russia. He emphasized that Damascus does not want Moscow to leave Syria to the detriment of relations between the two countries.
In January, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya stated that after the change of power in Syria, Moscow intends to continue to provide Damascus with various types of assistance, including the supply of humanitarian aid.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov, visited a tank division and a motorized rifle brigade of the Center group of forces in the special operation zone. This was reported on January 21 by the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry.
"Valery Gerasimov visited the tank division and motorized rifle brigade of the Center group of forces, which are carrying out combat missions in the Red Army direction in the area of the special military operation," the message on the Telegram channel says.
It is noted that during the work, Gerasimov heard reports from the commander of the Center group of forces, Col. Gen. Andrei Mordvichev, commanders of units, and other officials on the progress of tasks in the area of responsibility.
In addition, the Chief of the General Staff presented state awards to the military personnel who distinguished themselves most in the liberation of settlements in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), and also thanked them for their courage and valor in carrying out combat missions.
At the end of the work, Gerasimov summed up the interim results with the command of the Center group of forces and set tasks for further actions, the Ministry of Defense reported.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on December 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin heard reports from Gerasimov and the commanders of the Russian Armed Forces groups on the progress of the special operation. He thanked everyone for their service and congratulated the military and participants of the SVO on the upcoming New Year.
On December 18, Gerasimov stated that the initiative in the SVO zone belongs entirely to the Russian side, and the offensive is underway along the entire front. He noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attempts to advance were suppressed, and Russian troops continue to systematically push the enemy out of captured settlements.
Poor timing on their part. President Trump has changed the rules for illegals who commit crimes on American soil.
[NY Post] Four Chilean nationals have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the burglary of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s Ohio home last month, according to WLWT in Cincinnati.
An investigator wrote in the court document that an "old LSU shirt" and Bengals hat were found in the suspects’ SUV, although Burrow — an LSU alum — is not specifically named, per the report.
One of the suspects also carried a cell phone that matched data from a Hamilton County cell phone tower from the Dec. 9 robbery in Anderson Township.
Sergio Cabello, Jordan Sanchez, Bastian Morales and Alexander Chavez are facing charges of participating in a criminal gang, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, obstructing official business and possession of criminal tools, according to WLWT.
The court document said the four arrests are part of the "ongoing investigation involving burglaries of multi-million dollar homes in multiple states."
A special agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation saw "four male Chileans" exiting a La Quinta Hotel with luggage in Fairborn, Ohio on Jan. 10.
They offered false information and names after being pulled over, per the report, and three told detectives at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office that they visited Ohio to see snow while on vacation.
One of them men, who had been carrying a Louis Vuitton bag, had previously been identified by the special agent as a possible suspect in the robbery.
Investigators also discovered tools wrapped in towels that are used by South American theft groups to break glass and enter houses, per the report.
"After the four male Chileans’ true identifications were learned all four males were identified as being illegally in the country or overstayed their permissions," the document states, per WLWT.
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/22/2025
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Top|| File under: Migrants/Illegal Immigrants
#1
Burglary tourism has gotten to be a thing for certain South and Central American gangs. They fly in, burglarize somebody's house and then fly out.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/22/2025 12:52
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#2
Surprised they didn't blame it on the KC Chiefs.
My name is Joshua Hood, and I am a combat veteran, author, and current game writer for Bohemia Interactive. I am also one of the thousands of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to be diagnosed with PTSD.
Growing up, some of my best memories were playing video games with my younger brother. Back then my only job was to keep him out of trouble and make sure we were both home before the streetlights came home. We were close and I like to think that he relied on me, but all that changed in 2003 when he enlisted in the Army.
I was in my last semester of college when he dropped the news, and with the war in Iraq just kicking off I knew there was a good chance he would be going overseas. But it wasn’t the fear of combat that bothered me as much as the realization that if my brother did go to war our relationship would never be the same. So, I did what any older brother would do in that situation, I enlisted and followed him into the army.
Life as a civilian is defined by many factors: your job, your house, your feelings, but the army doesn’t care about any of that. Their job is to teach you to suffer in silence, to become a weapon of war. Free from opinions, feelings and weakness of any kind. So, it’s of little wonder that they had little time to worry about anything as bothersome as PTSD.
Reading this now it might be hard to believe, but when my brother and I left the army in 2008, PTSD wasn’t a thing. If fact it wasn’t even a blip on their radar, but you didn’t have to be a doctor to realize something was wrong with the veterans coming home. For me it felt as if I’d spent the past five years in the cab of a speeding freight train, then all of a sudden someone had slammed on the brakes, leaving me to deal will all the pent up trauma and emotion I’d stored in those cars.
The symptoms were mild at first, the hyper-vigilance that came with being in a crowd and the sudden burst of anger all easily explained. Then the panic attacks started. For those who have never had to suffer through a panic attack, it’s like being a passenger in a crazy person’s body. Seriously, one minute everything is right with the world, then in the next instant you feel like you are having a heart attack. For someone used to being in control going from zero to meltdown for no apparent reason was unnerving to say the least, but instead of getting help, I did what I’d been trained to do. I suffered in silence.
We'd been taught to suffer in silence. So that’s what we did.
There was a part of me that knew my brother was going through the same thing, but I was either too proud or too ashamed to ask him. Instead of being able to talk like we used to, we went radio silent, both of us living in denial despite the turmoil within. Just as a shark will die if it stops swimming, all we could do was keep moving forward. So, we threw ourselves into work and family—anything to avoid the face staring back at us in the mirror.
It worked for a while, then my brother took a job in Chicago and our mental separation turned physical. Having your support system living in a different time zone is the ultimate isolation and the move left me wondering if we’d ever be close again. Then in 2018 my brother began having vision and memory issues and a trip to the VA showed lesions on his brain from the IED’s he’d eaten in Iraq. The first few tests came back benign, but a later trip to a specialist confirmed our worst fears—brain cancer.
Now, I’ve been through some sticky situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, firefights where I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it out alive, but NOTHING had prepared me for the dread and utter helplessness that came with sitting in that hospital waiting room while my brother go his brain biopsied in the OR.
Talk about an instant reality check.
Fast forward to 2024 and my brother and his family have moved back home. His cancer is in remission, and we are both in therapy, but the scars of that fateful day in the hospital have yet to fade. We talk, but never about the war or the burdens we carry, and I was beginning to wonder if we ever would when fate stepped in.
I had just started working at Bohemia Interactive as a game writer on Arma Reforger and wanted to get a feel for the game before I started writing. The only problem was that when I tried to download the game, I found that it wasn’t supported on my Mac. Dammit. But as luck would have it, my brother had a brand new Xbox, so I gave him a call and he invited me over to play.
Problem solved.
Now, it is important that you understand my mindset heading over to his house. This was work and I spent the drive over compiling a mental checklist of things I needed to learn from this playtest. Sure, playing a video game with my brother had all the trappings of “fun” but I was not expecting any kind of breakthrough.
That all changed the moment we downloaded the game.
To be perfectly honest, I still struggle to explain what happened next. All I can say tell you is that the moment we started playing something changed. Perhaps it was the immersion of the presented world: the attention to detail the artists and designers breathed into everything from the Woodland patterned BDU’s to M-16 that “virtual me” was carrying that pulled me in. I don’t know, but I was hooked.
Now common sense will tell you that because this was a shooting/military simulation, the gunfire and explosions that followed SHOULD have triggered some kind of post traumatic symptom. Anxiety. Fear. Panic, you name it, but the results were the exact opposite and whatever magic was at work on that screen, it sucked us in. Instantly transporting us from my brother’s living room to the “safety” of this pixelated battlefield and instead of panic there was peace. For those of you who have never served, this won’t make ANY sense, but in a very strange way, it was like going home and in the hours that followed, that psychological wall—the invisible bastion our psyches had built to “protect” us disappeared and we actually began TALKING about the war. Healing through the community and shared experience of a video game.
By the time I left my brother’s house it was dark, and I felt a hundred pounds lighter. It was as if during that playtest, I’d finally taken off this rucksack full of the mental and psychological stones I’d collected during and after the army and left it behind. I spent the drive home trying to figure out what had just happened. The playtest had felt like therapy, but that wasn’t possible. I mean video games (especially shooting games) are bad for you, right?
The moment I got home, I fired up my computer and asked Google a simple question: do video games offer any therapeutic value to people who suffer from trauma? The first result was a VA article on a study conducted by Dr. Michelle Colder Carras, a public health researcher at Johns Hopkins. A hyperlink in the text took me to Dr. Colder Carras' ground-breaking research paper: Connection, meaning, and distraction: A qualitative study of video game play and mental health recovery in veterans treated for mental and/or behavioral health problems.
The next day, I reached out to the team at Bohemia Interactive to share my findings and together we reached out to Dr. Carras, Dr. Rachel Kowert, an award winning author and globally recognized researcher on the uses and effects of digital games as well as Stephen Machuga, a veteran and CEO of the nonprofit StackUp who was already getting video games out to veterans in need. In the following articles we will explore what we learned through these interviews and dive into how video games can help alleviate mental health issues, build stronger social communities and better serve those veterans in need.
[Garowe] A senior member of the ISIS holy warriors surrendered to the Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... Defence Forces on Tuesday, bigwigs said, while lauding the ongoing operations against the group which had started expanding territory in the northern state of Somalia.
For the last three weeks, Puntland security forces have been pursuing the holy warriors in Bari region in the first major operation by the state targeting the group whose presence in the country hinders growth and development.
According to local officials, the senior murderous Moslem whose name was not immediately disclosed, surrendered to forces in Puntland in the Bari mountains, where local authorities had previously announced amnesty for those who surrendered voluntarily.
Under the offer, any murderous Moslem who surrenders without being captured in combat will be spared. The operation is still ongoing as the Federal state focuses on the total elimination of the murderous Moslems, who the United States said posed a serious threat to security in the Horn of Africa.
Last week, several ISIS holy warriors were killed among them imported muscle, who are said to have crossed over secretly to the country. At least 10 holy warriors were killed with the forces managing to intercept 12 drones used by the group.
There are some reports that a landmine explosion Monday killed at least 13 Puntland soldiers and injured more than seven others in the Habley area, Bari region. The current operation saw the capture of key bases belonging to ISIS and the troops continued their offensive in al-Miskaad.
Military sources say the soldiers who were engaged in counter-terrorism operations against ISIS holy warriors in the region were killed after their military vehicle ran over an bomb. The ISIS is said to have carried out the attack but it is yet to take responsibility.
Puntland is considered the most secure state in Somalia but it has been handling violent mostly peaceful holy warrior groups, key among them ISIS. There are traces of al-Shabaab ... the personification of Somali state failure... in the south towards Galkayo, but the local troops have managed to contain the situation.
Somalia: Puntland forces capture 9 drones, kill 26 ISIS militants
14-01-2025,
[Garowe] Operation Lightning continued for the second week in succession, with Puntland Defence Forces making tremendous progress towards the eastern parts of the state, with the ultimate goal being dethroning the IS-Somalia militants.
According to military sources, the Puntland forces managed to capture nine drones — including both surveillance and explosive-laden types intended for attacks on military bases. Officials termed to operation "a huge success".
The seizure came after a clash with Islamic State militants in which the forces also recaptured key strategic areas in the Al-Miskaad mountains previously used as launch sites for attacks.
During the clashes, at least 26 militants were killed, including five foreigners while capturing two major ISIS bases and downing nine drones in an operation in the Cal Miskaad mountain range in the Bari region, an operations spokesperson said on Monday.
The offensive marks a significant blow to ISIS operations in the area, with the seizure of the bases and the downing of surveillance or attack drones indicating a tactical success for Puntland's security forces.
ISIS militants have suffered immense losses in recent weeks after President Said Abdullahi Deni unveiled operations against the militants. The IS Somalia militants have been expanding their bases beyond the Bari region, miles from Bosaso town.
A report published by the State Department of the United States termed the group "dangerous" and warned about the possible expansion of their territories. The group is also said to be recruiting foreign fighters who benefit from weapons tendered from abroad.
However, the operation by the Puntland forces has managed to neutralize quite a number of the fighters besides liberating several strategic towns. Puntland is considered the safest state within Somalia, with the rest battling with the high presence of the Al-Shabaab militants
Among the items seized was a Saudi passport belonging to a fighter who reportedly entered Somalia through the Ethiopian border, passed through Somaliland, and eventually reached Bari’s mountainous regions. Other captured items included bank cards used by the militants for ATM cash withdrawals.
The operation also led to the capture of ISIS fighters, including foreign nationals, though their countries of origin remain officially undisclosed. Reports suggest they hail from Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Morocco, and Tanzania.
The Puntland military confirmed the destruction of ISIS supply depots and command centers while recovering stockpiles of weapons and food supplies. This marks a significant blow to ISIS, which established a foothold in the Cal-Miskaad mountains in 2015 under the leadership of Abdulqadir Mumin.
Puntland has intensified its military campaign to eradicate ISIS from the Cal-Madow and Cal-Miskaad ranges. The offensive also aims to halt the group’s taxation of businesses in Bosaso, a major economic hub critical to the funding of militant operations in the region.
The current military operation follows recent clashes in Dharjaalle, where eight foreign ISIS fighters were reportedly killed, further weakening the group’s presence in Puntland.
[PJMedia] At some point recently, "plant-based meat alternatives" (PBMAs) — AKA "lab slop pseudo-meat" — became the marketing term du jour. It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but making techno-slop sound appealing is a tall task even for the slickest silver-tongued PR prodigy.
It turns out PBMAs might not be the miracle breakthrough that’s going to wean the useless eaters off of their meat habit and improve their health simultaneously that Bill Gates promised it would be.
Quite the opposite, in fact, it seems.
Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMAs), a common choice among vegetarians, are classified as ultra-processed foods and may carry similar risks.
A groundbreaking study published in Food Frontiers by researchers from the University of Surrey found that vegetarians who consumed PBMAs faced a 42% higher risk of depression compared to vegetarians who avoided these products.
The study, which was led by Hana Navratilova, analyzed data from the UK Biobank and found no notable differences in intake of sodium, free sugar, total sugar, or saturated fatty acids between those vegetarians who ate PBMAs and those who did not. The researchers did find, however, that those who eat PBMAs had higher blood pressure and C-reactive protein* (CRP) levels, a marker of inflammation, and lower levels of apolipoprotein A, a protein associated with HDL, a "good" cholesterol; PBMA consumption was, however, also linked to a reduced risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by 40%.
CRP levels were higher in PBMA consumers. PBMAs often contain different nutrient profiles compared to traditional meat, including higher levels of certain additives, preservatives, or processed ingredients that might contribute to inflammation. This finding is consistent with a previous study using the same cohort, where higher UPF [ultra-processed food] intake was associated with higher odds of elevated inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP...
It is hypothesized that UPFs can increase inflammatory factors (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β), which eventually affect CRP levels.
*C-reactive protein levels are the single most telling biomarker of systemic inflammation, and as such are the single most important biomarker for chronic disease risk associated with inflammation — which is virtually all chronic diseases. So it’s not "a marker of inflammation," as ScitTechDaily describes it, it’s the marker of inflammation. Here is my shocked face :|
#2
10,000+ years of environmental evolution of the eater and the eaten, I'll take the 'organic' stuff. Looking at those ancient drawings on the cave walls, our ancestors didn't hunt salad.
Fox News liveblogged President Trump’s second day in office.
FAST FACTS
Day 2 of President Donald Trump's second presidential term is shaping up to be a very busy day for Trump, with confirmation hearings for two of his Cabinet nominees.
At 10 a.m. ET, Veterans Affairs Secretary pick Doug Collins will testify before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, while Trump's choice for Ambassador to the U.N., Elise Stefanik, will testify before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent.
On Monday, Donald Trump took the Oath of Office and was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. He is only the second man in the nation’s history to return to the Oval Office after a hiatus. He has promised to "act with historic speed" – and on his first day in office, he signed more than 200 executive orders. This sweeping, initial wave of policy initiatives concentrated on border security, energy, reducing the cost of living for American families, ending DEI programs across the federal government, and more.
A few items from the day:
Trump explains why he pulled John Bolton's secret service detail
Bolton, who served as Trump's chief national security advisor during his first term before getting fired by the president, had his U.S. Secret Service protection detail discontinued by Trump before his first 24-hours in office even expired.
During Trump's Tuesday press conference, he responded to a reporter's question asking him to explain the move.
"I think that was enough time," Trump responded. "You take a job, you want to do a job we're not going to have security on people for the rest of their lives. Why should we?"
Trump announces plans to visit Helene-ravaged NC, wildfire areas in CA
Vance swears in new GOP senators
Vice President JD Vance swore in new GOP Senators Ashley Moody of Florida, and Jon Husted of Ohio on Tuesday, solidifying a 53-seat Republican majority in the upper chamber.
Senators receive affidavit with allegations about Pete Hegseth's previous marriage
Democratic Senators on the Armed Services Committee, the main committee that handled Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearings, are reviewing allegations sent to them in an affidavit from Hegseth's former sister-in-law about alleged domestic abuse and other issues in his previous marriage.
The accusations have been slammed by Republicans, including Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who serves on the Armed Services Committee, and President Donald Trump's son, Don Jr.
"This is a desperate, last-minute attempt by Dems and the media to smear Pete Hegseth and tank his nomination," Sheehy said Tuesday on social media. "Pete’s ex-wife is on record saying the claims are false, but the media doesn’t care because it hurts a Republican. Nobody should fall for this."
MSNBC is flaming pile of garbage.
Samantha Hegseth, the ex-wife has come out and said this FORMER sister-in-law of her had no permission or authorization to speak on her behalf.
Arizona's legislature moves to back Trump's ICE on deportations
Scott Bessent confirmed by Senate committee to head up Treasury
Former presidents mum following Donald Trump's inauguration
All four living former presidents – Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden – attended the inauguration ceremony, and sat behind Trump as he gave a politically charged speech about his vision for the future of the country. None had any public well-wishes for the incoming president after the swearing-in ceremony. Asked whether they planned to put out a statement on it, none of their offices responded Monday afternoon.
#4
What worries me is in the last 50 years, the number of times have we seen Real Life mimic SCIFI stories is too many times.
Note: As of January 2025, there are 6,912 Starlink satellites in orbit, of which 6,874 are working. The Starlink goal is to have as many as 42,000 satellites up and running. Couple that with A.I., and the already in use weaponized AI robots and it could get interesting for humans.
#7
I can’t imagine what it feels like to the other side.
One string is a freak out the youth campaign. They are doing the, get this, freak out about Trump with what 'Biden' is doing. And it works to some degree, because mostly it is their first rodeo.
It puts mine in the third major psyops in life where eldest has been right in the middle of the strike zone - the others being Covid and Gender Fluid. There are questions and have been discussions, I hope I have given the tools to avoid the desired Hysteria Chic these ops push for.
[Breitbart] British millionaires are fleeing the country in record numbers since Sir Keir Starmer’s left-wing Labour Party claimed last year’s election win and set out in socialist fashion to try and tax the country into prosperity.
Turmoil in bond markets and warnings from businesses has raised further concerns about Labour’s punitive tax plans while moves to remove the non-domiciled tax regime that allows people to keep non-UK income in a foreign country, in exchange for a fee, is also being blamed.
LBC reports some 10,800 people with liquid assets of over $1 million left the country in 2024, an increase of over 150 percent on 2023, in a move predicted not long after Starmer moved into Number 10 Downing Street.
A total of 78 centi-millionaires (people with $100 million or more) and 12 billionaires departed the UK last year, according to New World Wealth, a research firm.
The news, coming on the back of recent turmoil in bond markets and warnings from businesses, has raised further concerns about Labour’s push to punish the rich will also hitting farmers, old age pensioners, and everyday taxpayers with a host of penalties.
Millionaires are mostly moving to other European countries such as Switzerland and Italy, as well as to places such as the United Arab Emirates.
Labour are getting rid of the non-dom regime from April, which Chancellor Rachel Reeves said would raise nearly £13 billion over five years.
Over 70,000 people with non-dom status lived in the UK in 2023.
An intense lobbying campaign from wealth advisors and representatives for non-dom’s ensued in the run-up to the Autumn Budget, where the policy was announced.
Experts warned it would lead to a “tidal wave” of departures.
David Hawkins, of Foreign Investors for Britain, a group representing non-doms explained the Government’s policy is “a monumental act of national self-harm”.
He said: “It appears that decisions have been made not based on the evidence but based on ideology. It’s a real worry because more and more people are leaving. And it’s businesses, jobs, investment, spending into the economy and tax take and philanthropy that are hit.”
#1
With the film subsidies, alphabet brute squads, peder rings, and now open housing, they can recruit the hollywood celebs whom just lost their homes.
[FoxNews] Former President Joe Biden doled out a flurry of pardons during his final days in office, but he did not issue a pardon for Jack Smith or other figures connected to cases involving President Donald Trump, who has frequently castigated those he feels have unjustly targeted him.
In a post on Truth Social this month, Trump asserted that "Corrupt Democrat judges and prosecutors" had targeted him "at levels of injustice never seen before."
Biden also did not pardon figures Trump has publicly assailed, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York Judge Juan Merchan and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
#2
Just tossing it out there.
What if Jill was so pissed about the DNC last minute switcheroo, that she didn't sign some key pardons. Which would expose the DNC Smear chain of control back to certain DC Swamp?
#4
I saw a rumor that Joe was mad at the people that had failed him. It’s almost like the Bidens aren’t very nice people underneath.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/22/2025 8:13
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#5
Some of these people who did not recieve a preemtive pardon might roll-over on their masters. The preemptive pardon, it turns out, might be illegal.
[NYPOST] Shocking police body camera footage captured the moment cops busted into a Utah man's house and shot him dead as he was stabbing his parents to death in a bloody New Year's Day attack.
The cops went to the West Valley City home at about 5:15 p.m. after someone called 911 — and although the operator couldn't hear anyone talking, they heard screaming in the background, according to People.
The unwitting officers stumbled into a scene of unimaginable horror when they found 35-year-old Erik Bertelsen gouging parents Terrie, 63, and Kerry, 67, with a knife, a video published by the Daily Mail showed.
''Show me your f—king hands!'' one cop yelled, his pistol pointing at the crazed killer as the officer rushed through the basement door. ''Show me your hands! Get your hands up!''
But Bertelsen ignored them and continued to hack away at one of the victims, his blood-soaked arms pistoning up and down as he did his grisly work.
''Drop it! Drop it!'' the cops yelled — then one of the officers squeezed off two rounds, sending Bertelson slumping forward.
The officers continued to yell for the still-moving stabber to drop the blade.
''If you do not drop that knife, you will get shot again!'' the panting officer said between heavy breaths, before warning another cop not to get too close because the blade was ''hidden in that other hand.''
''Take a deep breath, dude, take a deep breath,'' the second officer said after calling in the shooting. ''Breathe, breathe.''
Eventually, the cop who pulled the trigger lowered his handgun and stepped outside after the other officers asked him to ''take a breather.''
West Valley City Police Chief Colleen Jacobs told ABC 4 that she saw a ''tragedy'' when she watched the footage.
''A very tragic incident that happened with the parties involved, and for the officers involved as well,'' the chief said, adding that cops had gone to the home in the past.
The Bertelsens' step-daughter, Chasity Ulibarri, told KMYU that she ''kinda felt like something was going to happen'' before the savage killings.
''I sent the cops over here for a welfare check four days ago because I knew he would keep taking their phones, and it wasn't them that was answering me,'' she told the station.
The officer who shot Bertelsen has since been put on leave, as per the department protocol.
Retired deputy police chief Chris Bertram told the station that he thought the officers showed solid discipline in a tough situation.
''I evaluate officer's actions quite often,'' he said. ''I read reports, I see these body cams, and I will tell you this was a difficult day for them. They did an excellent job.''
Bertelsen had a lengthy rap sheet, and had most recently been arrested three days before Christmas for ''running outside of his house and on the road in front of his house wearing only his boxers,'' according to a police booking affidavit reviewed by KSL-TV.
When officers asked him why he was outside, he told them he'd used ''a lot of meth.''
Posted by: Fred ||
01/22/2025
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Another one who confesses all to his BFF, the undercover FBI agent. Photo of the idiot at the link.
[FoxNews] A North Carolina man is charged with providing material support to ISIS after he allegedly made plans to travel to Morocco in December 2024 to join the foreign terrorist organization (FTO), according to federal court documents.
Alexander Justin White, 29, of Durham, allegedly used social media — primarily Facebook and encrypted messaging apps (EMAs) — to "make posts about supporting ISIS and jihad" and communicate with other ISIS supporters about wanting to join the FTO.
In those communications, White, using the pseudonym "Sulaiman al-Amriki," unknowingly had online conversations with an undercover FBI agent, authorities said.
"WHITE openly discussed his desire and intention to travel overseas to join ISIS with various individuals on Facebook and over EMAs," a federal complaint states.
The suspect's "many online conversations with various persons, as well as his communications with the [FBI confidential human source] and the [FBI Online Covert Employee] display a longstanding intent and desire to join ISIS which he prepared for and attempted on December 4, 2024," the complaint says. "He expressly acknowledged awareness of ISIS as a designated FTO and repeatedly expressed concern over being caught by law enforcement and the efforts he was taking to avoid capture."
In September 2024, the undercover agent asked White if he was "ok with killing members of the U.S. Military or other U.S. citizens," to which White allegedly replied, "...If it was a family member I would still fight back with them ... There is no us troops [sic] love for homeland or any of this thing [sic]," according to the complaint.
The suspect allegedly said he had multiple firearms and knew how to use them. A photo included in the report shows White firing a gun at a range in July 2024.
The suspect communicated with the undercover agent online for months about making plans to travel to Morocco to provide support to ISIS. He followed through on those plans late last year, when he booked a flight from Raleigh to Rabat, Morocco, on Dec. 4, authorities said.
Federal agents arrested him that day after he checked into his flight, proceeded through a security checkpoint at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and attempted "to make his way to board the plane," court documents state.
Authorities said they seized nearly $7,000 from White on the day of his arrest and confiscated multiple firearms from his apartment in Durham.
White's arrest comes after exiting FBI Director Christopher Wray told "60 Minutes" in a Sunday interview that ISIS supporters inspired "from afar" are "the most challenging type of terrorist threat we face" when asked about the Jan. 1 terrorist attack in New Orleans that left 15 people dead, including the Texas-born terrorist attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
"You're talking about guys like this, who radicalize not in years but in weeks, and whose method of attack is still very deadly but fairly crude," Wray said. "And if you think about that old saying about connecting the dots, there are not a lot of dots out there to connect. And there's very little time in which to connect them."
White, who went by Sulaiman Al-Amriki — which means Sulaiman the American — on social media for part of last year, posted pro-IS content several times on Facebook between June and October 2024, prosecutors said. Some of the content included IS and other Islamic extremist propaganda videos.
During this period, federal prosecutors said White spoke to several social media users who claimed to be from the Middle East and North Africa about his support for IS. He told several users that he wished to travel to Africa to join IS as well, according to court documents. White also lamented missed opportunities to join the militant group in previous trips — such as in a 2018 visit to Egypt — in conversations online, authorities said.
White also conversed frequently with a covert FBI agent over several months, which included several mentions of wanting to join IS and a staged video call that White believed was with an IS commander's spokesperson, prosecutors said.
In addition, the complaint alleges that White was engaged in financial transactions to refugee camps which are well known for acting as a front to funnel money to ISIS members and their supporters. White allegedly made online comments noting that he regretted not having traveled to join ISIS earlier, when it may have been easier through certain overseas routes which were now viewed suspiciously. Believing that his opportunity had come to fruition, White allegedly took steps to make his intended travel appear as nothing more than a vacation when he in fact claimed that he would rather die than return to the United States. After allegedly making various preparations, to include purchasing a personal combat medical kit, on December 4, White made efforts to board a flight bound for Morocco which he intended to use as a jumping point from which to join ISIS members in Africa.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/22/2025
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[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) warned on Monday of the growing possibility of the crucial Tishreen Dam collapsing, bringing about an "environmental disaster" that would affect hundreds of thousands and cut electricity access amid murderous Moslem attacks.
"Our appeal is directed to environmental movements, organizations, and human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. institutions. The danger threatening the dam is increasing day by day, and this danger could lead to various disasters. These attacks not only harm the nature of the region, but also expose its inhabitants to the risk of genocide," the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) said in a statement.
The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... and the Syrian militia groups it supports, who call themselves the Syrian National Army (SNA), have recently intensified their attacks on SDF-held areas near Manbij, including Tishreen Dam and Qere Qozaq bridge.
"We, as the Environment Authority in North and East Syria, condemn the attacks of the occupying Ottoman Turkish state, which is attacking Tishreen Dam with drones and warplanes," the DAANES statement added.
It said that they have sent convoys of civilians to the dam to protest Ottoman Turkish and Ottoman Turkish-backed militia attacks in an effort to protect the dam as a "human shield," but their attempts have been futile.
"The Ottoman Turkish occupation has not stopped, and has attacked civilians and led to the martyrdom of dozens of them," the statement lamented.
"Hundreds of villages and hundreds of thousands of people live around the dam, and the collapse of the dam will lead to the drowning of large numbers of people and the destruction of many villages," it warned.
The Rojava administration also stressed that attacks against the dam are causing an ecological disaster, with various species of animals, including birds and squirrels, leaving their nests in the area.
It appealed to the international community to deploy an international force to the dam and stop Ottoman Turkish attacks.
On Thursday, an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... targeted a convoy at the Tishreen Dam protesting in support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against attacks in the area and caused many injuries.
It was the second strike on civilian convoys near the Tishreen Dam in two days.
Turkey claims that there are Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members within the ranks of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF. Ankara has designated both as terrorist groups.
Last week Ottoman Turkish President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... warned that the YPG would experience a "bitter fate" if they choose to remain operational and not disband.
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.
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
[LawEnforcementToday] In another last-minute middle finger to those in law enforcement, the former occupant of the White House, Joe Biden, commuted the life sentence of a man convicted in the double-slaying of two FBI special agents in 1975. 
[Conspiracy Sarah] I have always been interested in the psychology of media. Those of you that have followed me for a while will already know that my mom seeded this interest in me. She always insisted on muting commercials, and got rid of TV entirely by the time I was 7. She used trips to the grocery store to teach us how companies advertise specifically to children, and why children are almost always a target audience.
...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund...
......
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
...Republic of Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as a de jure part of Somalia. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. The capital and largest city is Hargeisa. The government regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which united from 1960 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic. Under the Siad Barre regime, Somaliadestroyed ninety percent of Hargeisa Per international law, once you're in, you gotta stay in, no matter how bad it smells....
...46th president of the U.S. Former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body....
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
... the personification of Somali state failure...
[PJMedia] At some point recently, "plant-based meat alternatives" (PBMAs) — AKA "lab slop pseudo-meat" — became the marketing term du jour. It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but making techno-slop sound appealing is a tall task even for the slickest silver-tongued PR prodigy.
[NYPOST] Shocking police body camera footage captured the moment cops busted into a Utah man's house and shot him dead as he was stabbing his parents to death in a bloody New Year's Day attack.
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
