[IsraelTimes] Several dozen anti-Israel protesters hold a funeral for Hezbollah terror leader Hassan Nasrallah in New York City.
The protest takes place in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park on the same day as Nasrallah’s funeral in Lebanon.
The protesters chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free,” “Settlers settlers go back home, Palestine is ours alone,” and “From New York to Gaza, globalize the intifada.”
Several people in the crowd hold photos of Nasrallah and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. A Hezbollah flag hangs at the head of the group.
Several dozen pro-Israel counterprotesters blow air horns, wave Israeli and American flags and chant, “USA.” Police separate the two groups.
“Fuck Palestine,” a passerby shouts.
Unlike most anti-Israel rallies in the city, there appear to be more pro-Israel counterprotesters.
A vigil for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, Hezbollah’s former executive council head, was scheduled to be held in New York City on Sunday, mirroring the terrorist group’s funeral ceremony in Beirut earlier in the day.
The Bronx Anti-War Coalition
…the usual communist Black Bloc protest group doing the bidding of Iran because they hate Jews as a matter of principle …
called on supporters' to bring flags, flowers, and candles to Washington Square Park to pay tribute to Nasrallah and Safieddine, “who both ascended to martyrdom” when killed in separate Israeli airstrikes last year.
“Let us demonstrate to the world in the heart of the empire that the path of Resistance is immortal,” the group said Saturday on Instagram.
The revolutionary group shared calls from Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to participate in the funeral service in Beirut.
Betar US, a Revisionist Zionist movement, on Saturday said it would film the event and provide footage to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A brilliant idea! No point in giving it to the NYPD, who wouldn’t be permitted to act on it anyway.
It urged US citizens to protest at the event and bring Israeli and American flags.
“Nasrallah killed hundreds of Americans and Jews,” Betar US said on X/Twitter. “This is a terrorist event.”
ALLEGATIONS OF 'ZIONIST' PLOT TO ATTACK Within Our Lifetime
…Palestinian anti-Israel group, also working for the Mad Mullahs of Iran, among others…
leader Nerdeen Kiswnani said Zionist groups were planning to attack the event.
“Regardless of where you ideologically lie, they shouldn’t be emboldened enough to crash every pro-resistance pro-Palestine event and action in NYC,” he wrote on X.
#2
I like the idea of holding a funeral event for Nasrallah. We can have balloons and champagne and strippers and tequila and little snack cakes that look like pagers. Aloha Snackbar!
As for the American Communist Party dudes, it is hard to see how anyone with a brain could be a communist in this day and age. Did you sleep thru the last hundred years of history?
To our German correspondents: Is this a reasonable read of your new chancellor’s intentions, or is the reporter cherry-picking quotes for malign effect?
[IsraelTimes] Friedrich Merz, set to become Germany’s next chancellor after his opposition conservatives won the national election, vows to help give Europe “real independence” from the US as he prepares to cobble together a government.
Merz, 69, faces complex and lengthy coalition negotiations after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to a historic second place in a fractured vote after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unloved three-way alliance.
Mainstream parties rule out working with the AfD which enjoyed the endorsement of prominent right-wing US figures including Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and ally of President Donald Trump.
Merz, who has no previous experience in office, is set to become chancellor with Europe’s largest economy ailing, its society split over migration and its security caught between a confrontational US and an assertive Russia and China.
He takes aim at the US in blunt remarks after his victory, criticizing the “ultimately outrageous” comments flowing from Washington during the campaign, comparing them to hostile interventions from Russia.
“So we are under such massive pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now is to achieve unity in Europe. It is possible to create unity in Europe,” Merz tells a roundtable with other leaders.
Merz’s broadside against the US comes despite Trump welcoming the election outcome with a post on his Truth Social platform.
“Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Hitherto seen as an Atlanticist, Merz says Trump had shown his administration to be “largely indifferent to the fate of Europe”.
That’s certainly one way to look at it. My understanding is that President Trump is not interested in carrying those who are not doing the work to protect themselves. Is Germany going to fund her military properly — last I heard y’all lacked bullets, vehicle spare parts, and the capability to transport fighting units to the battlefield. Has that changed?
Merz’s “absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can achieve real independence from the USA step by step,” he adds.
Europe has been threatening that for years. Is it finally time to deliver?
#3
We'll see. Merz is actually as US friendly as it gets, and he sure does know a thing or two about the economy. Trump's first reaction has been quite positive.
As it stands now Merz will only need the SPD as a coalition partner, not the Greens, this should make things easier for him (although the Greens are - these days - more hawkish than the SPD). But the SPD will almost certainly be led by (soon) former defense minister Oskar Pistorius, who will not cause any trouble when it comes to raising military spending.
Companies like Thyssen Krupp and Rheinmetall are booming (shares are up 30%). Military spending will boost the economy, and that includes my company.
And a little extra: Merz seems to have invited Netanjahu to Germany, ignoring the ICJ warrant.
Of course there's nothing wrong with European unity. European countries don't want to be eaten alive by the "Big Three".
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/24/2025 5:48
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#4
BTW, in Germany voter ID is mandatory, also they use paper ballots
the preliminary results are available within a few hours of the polls closing but an audit takes place and the final results are available in about 3 weeks
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/24/2025 9:22
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#5
The Euros are itching for a third world war. Fought and paid for with American blood and treasure.
Sorry, Europe; we're just not that into you any more.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
02/24/2025 10:54
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#6
Eventually the AfD will have a real majority and return the favor.
#7
"The Euros are itching for a third world war."
Nonsense. This war would be fought on European soil. Nobody wants that. In fact, we want to prevent it.
If the United States is no longer prepared to stand with Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan will take note. And then, good luck with your fight against China. It won't be America First, it will be America Alone.
Europe has the means to reinvent itself. Wo Gefahr ist, wächst das Rettende auch.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/24/2025 11:32
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#8
Metz is known as a pro capitalist. A number of tiems he has said that Europe should be able to defend itself (presumably from Russia). This isn't a problem except it means more funds need to be allocated to defense and much of Europe is in bad shape financially. What he isn't so clear about is how Germany and Europe can defend itself from Islamist migrants and how Europe can recoup the electrical generation capacity that they lost during the Energiewende.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/24/2025 12:19
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Please help the new government do the things they promised, which will satisfy those AfD voters who aren’t rabid racists, but are turning to the party in desperation, just as so many did to Donald Trump here.
I would like Europe to be more independent of the US. But that is also whey they are getting spooked by Russia as it starts trying to regrow the Russian empire.
#12
EC, Germany has taken 20 years to dig the hole it now finds itself. Energy runs the economy and you guys absolutely screwed yourselves. It will take years to rebuild away from the failed green energy sources, all while trying to build up your withered military (both men and material). I appreciate your optimism but it will be a long hard slog.
#13
Talk is cheap but self reliance and self defense is not. So, good luck with all that. Euros have always been saying that they are independent from US but they are like a little dog that barks and lunges at everything while on the leash. If the leash is released, they cower behind their master.
#17
"The U.S. voted against a resolution condemning Russia as the aggressor in the war in Ukraine that passed the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, marking three years since Russia’s launched its full-scale invasion of the country.
Among the 17 countries that joined the U.S. in opposition to the non-binding measure were Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Israel and Hungary, whose Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a close ally to President Trump. China abstained along with 64 other countries."
Quo vadis?
Posted by: European Conservative ||
02/24/2025 15:01
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#21
Europe has the means to reinvent itself.
-----------
I doubt it has the *will*. Until Europe is more concerned with Islamic lunatics polluting their lands than they are with people posting on social media about it, I can't assume they really care about re-inventing themselves.
#22
My take on Merz is that here he's lashing out in frustration because of his atrocious election result.
He had been nominally the leader of the opposition against a government that had enacted a policy of economic self-destruction, and the election result of his party was the second worst in its history.
Quo vadis?
Russia made its demands clear in 2021. They go far beyond Ukraine and far beyond Europe. I think Trump should be asked just how much he is going to give away to appease (and to surrender to?) Russia.
In fact if the pro censorship Europeans in Munich had been smart they could have retorted that the abolition of free speech in the West had been NATO consensus since the start of the Afghanistan mission. A consensus then shared even by Donald Trump.
#24
""The Euros are itching for a third world war."
Nonsense. This war would be fought on European soil. Nobody wants that. In fact, we want to prevent it.
If the United States is no longer prepared to stand with Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan will take note. And then, good luck with your fight against China. It won't be America First, it will be America Alone.
Europe has the means to reinvent itself. Wo Gefahr ist, wächst das Rettende auch."
I think you think you're being tough, but all you're accomplishing is showing us that Trump should really not only be doing what you've been falsely accusing him of, but going WAY beyond that, such as pulling back the "rental" nuclear deterrent we've loaned you for my entire adult life.
[IsraelTimes] Up to 10,000 Nazi war criminals fled Europe using these escape routes. Javier Milei pledges to declassify files related to how his country settled 5,000 of them
Argentinian President Javier Milei promised officials of the Simon Wiesenthal Center his full cooperation in granting access to documents related to the financing of so-called "ratlines" that helped Nazis escape Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... after the Holocaust. The promise was made in Buenos Aires at the presidential palace, Casa Rosada, during a meeting with Milei and activists on Tuesday.
That man is repeatedly a delightful surprise — he keeps doing things that we wanted but that somehow until him could not be done. And President Trump is another — and they seem to be inspiring each other to greater heights. Truly we live in a time of miracles!
For decades, organizations including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, named after the famed Nazi hunter, have sought records related to unofficial escape routes taken by thousands of Nazis during the years after World War II. Up to 10,000 Nazis and other fascist ...anybody you disagree with, damn them... war criminals escaped justice by fleeing to Argentina ...a country located on the other side of the Deep South. It is covered with Pampers and inhabited by Grouchos, who dance the Tangle. They used to have some islands called the Malvinas located where the Falklands are now. They're not supposed to cry for Evita... and other countries.
"While some previous leaders promised full cooperation to get to the hard truths that involved Argentina’s past, Milei is the first to act with lightning speed to enable the SWC to uncover important pieces of the historic puzzle, especially as it related to involvement with Nazis before, during and after the Holocaust," Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told The Times of Israel.
Milei also made headlines last week for declaring two days of national mourning for the slain Bibas hostages — Shira Bibas and her children, Ariel and Kfir. An image of the trio was projected onto a central obelisk in Buenos Aires on Thursday night.
During the SWC meeting on Tuesday, Jonathan Missner, managing partner at Stein, Mitchell, Beato & Missner, brought a letter from US Senator Charles Grassley, chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee. The letter — which was handed to Milei — requested the Argentinian leader’s assistance in uncovering how the ratlines were organized and funded. A copy of the letter was sent to US President Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... For many years, Missner and his firm have sought justice for victims of 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... and its terror proxies, including Hezbollah. The firm represents SWC in the Argentinian ratline matter and other concerns.
NAZIS’ ESCAPE ROUTES
Several countries in the Americas received Nazis, including Canada, the US, and Mexico. Nazis also fled to Australia, Spain, and Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... . In some cases, US intelligence officials used ratlines to pluck top Nazi scientists away from Soviet orbits.
One of two primary escape routes went through Germany and Spain, then across the Atlantic to Argentina. The second route went from Germany to Rome, then Genoa, and then across the Atlantic. The elaborate routes developed with unofficial support from several Vatican officials in 1942, initially as an escape path for Catholics fleeing Europe.
"People should understand that for many decades after the Holocaust, governments and multinational corporations helped Nazis hide their stolen money, avoid prosecution, and live the free lives that their victims deserved," Missner told The Times of Israel.
Up to 5,000 Nazis are said to have settled in Argentina, including Holocaust "architect" Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele, one of the most recognizable — and wanted — Nazis. Traveling along a ratline in 1948, the notorious Auschwitz physician used the new identity of Helmut Gregor when fleeing Europe.
"These files will be instrumental in obtaining justice, which is instrumental to honoring the memory of those who suffered and died in the Holocaust," said Cooper. "Especially in a post-October 7 world, those who financed, facilitated, or otherwise assisted these ratlines must be held accountable," he said.
’WILL ONLY HELP HISTORIANS, IF AT ALL’
Not all advocates for Holocaust justice agree that Argentina’s decision was particularly monumental.
"My impression is that the decision to open all the archives regarding the entry to Argentina of Nazi criminals will only help historians, if at all. To the best of my knowledge, all the perpetrators are already dead, as well as the individuals who assisted their escape," Efraim Zuroff told The Times of Israel.
As a protégé of late Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, Zuroff directed the SWC office in Jerusalem until last year. From Israel, he specialized in bringing eastern European Holocaust perpetrators to justice.
According to Zuroff, author Uki Goni’s "The Real Odessa" book previously "revealed the identity of the criminals, and those who assisted their escape and entry into Argentina," he said.
But from Missner’s point of view, factors other than securing convictions and revealing names are involved in the matter.
"Words are one thing — actions are another. President Milei’s historic decision signals his unequivocal allyship with the Jewish community while reinforcing his commitment to accountability and transparency at home," Missner told The Times of Israel.
Support for harboring Nazi war criminals went right to the top in Argentina, according to historians. President Juan Peron was angered by the Nuremberg Trials and authorized key facets of the escape routes, making them a state affair. In addition to German Nazis, the Peron regime and other South American governments aided war criminals from Hungary, Croatia and elsewhere.
"President Milei is a staunch ally of the global Jewish community and was eager to open these archives. He knows that confronting Argentina’s history of Nazi collaboration requires nothing less than full transparency, and the same principle undergirds his pursuit of justice for the AMIA bombing," said Missner.
[IsraelTimes] Ramped-up preparedness on Gazan front comes amid talk of possible return to fighting, but not in response to concrete threat near border; no changes to instructions for civilians
The Israel Defense Forces raised its alert and readiness level along 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... border on Sunday, the military said in a statement, while at the same time it ended all remaining restrictions on civilian activity along the northern border with Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... The increased alertness near Gaza came amid uncertainty over the future of the ongoing ceasefire in the Strip, and the possibility of a return to fighting between Israel and the Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... terror group there.
There are no changes to guidelines for civilians, the military said, though civil defense squads in the area were put on alert. The IDF noted that it had not identified any effort to approach the border from Gaza.
The change came amid a fresh assessment of the situation in the enclave, as Israeli leadership decides whether to proceed with negotations on the deal’s planned second stage — which would see the return of remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war — or to resume combat, in the war that began with the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
In speeches to graduates of an IDF officers’ course on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz both stressed that Israel is preparing battle plans, should a decision be made to return to combat, and reiterated their commitment both to returning all hostages and to removing Hamas as the governing power in Gaza.
Amid the deliberations, the IDF has altered its deployment of forces in Gaza’s buffer zone and the western Negev, though it has not said that it will send any additional troops for the time being.
HOME FRONT COMMAND ENDS RESTRICTIONS IN NORTH Meanwhile,
...back at the bunker, his Excellency called the chief of staff and complained that the artillery was keeping him awake... the IDF Home Front Command said Sunday night it had lifted all remaining restrictions on Israel’s northern frontier communities, which had been imposed during the fighting with the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon since October 2023.
The move was approved by Katz following an assessment held by the Home Front Command with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
The Home Front Command has adjusted the public activity scale in northern frontier communities from "partial activity" to "full activity."
A US-brokered ceasefire agreement in November ended most of the fighting, and last week Israel completed the withdrawal of its ground troops from most of southern Lebanon, with the exception of five strategic points, as the Lebanese military deployed in its place.
The agreement came after more than a year of fighting that began on October 8, 2023, when Iran-backed Hezbollah started attacking Israeli military posts and border communities with rockets and drones in support of Hamas.
Displaced Israeli residents of northern Israel are set to return to their homes beginning March 2.
“If we are forced to return to fighting, the enemy will face the IDF with power it has never known before. We are preparing for this, and we are ready for this,” he says.
“The fighting will end with two clear achievements: The defeat of Hamas and the release of all our hostages,” Katz says, adding that Israel will work to return all the remaining living and dead hostages in Hamas captivity “swiftly.”
Also in his speech, Katz says that Israel’s eyes are looking at the entire Middle East, “especially toward Syria.”
“We have committed that we will not be able to return to the reality of October 7. There is a new policy in southern Syria. The IDF will not allow hostile forces to base themselves in the security zone in southern Syria, from here to the Suwayda-Damascus route, and we will act against any threat,” he says.
Throughout his address, he promises total victory.
“All of our hostages, without exception, will return home,” he says. “Hamas won’t rule Gaza. Gaza will be demilitarized, and its fighting force will be dismantled.”
Netanyahu comes to the stage amid cheers and boos, and when he holds up a photo of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, some in the crowd yell out in protest. Netanyahu says the image “says it all… So that we will always remember, what we are fighting for, and who we are fighting against.”
He stresses that the Bibas family was murdered in cold blood in the early days of the war. “They strangled the tender boys with their bare hands,” he says. “We must defeat those monsters, and we will defeat them.”
“Victory, victory and only victory,” says Netanyahu. The victory “can be achieved in negotiations,” he says. “It can be achieved in another way.”
He says that the combination of diplomatic and military pressure on Hamas is what is enabling the return of hostages. Referring to recent reinforcements sent to Gaza, Netanyahu says that the redeployment “alongside President Trump’s firm statement brought about the release of the hostages in recent weeks.”
Netanyahu thanks Trump for his commitment to send crucial weapons to Israel. “The new defensive and offensive weapons will help us greatly in achieving total victory.”
Trump sees “eye-to-eye” with Israel on Gaza, he adds.
“We support President Trump’s groundbreaking plan to enable the freedom to leave for Gazans and the creation of a different Gaza,” says Netanyahu of the president’s proposal to relocate the entire Gaza population and have the US take over and rebuild the war-torn Strip.
In the West Bank, Netanyahu says, IDF troops will stay in cities as long as it takes. The tank platoon that Israel introduced into the West Bank means that Israel is fighting terrorism “with all means and in all places,” he says.
In Lebanon, the premier continues, the IDF is holding key positions “until the Lebanese army and Lebanese government fulfill all of their commitments according to the agreement.”
Troops will stay on the Syrian Hermon and the buffer zone in the Golan Heights for “an unlimited period of time… We will not allow [Hayat Tahrir al-Shams] forces or the new Syrian army to move into territory south of Damascus,” he insists.
“We demand full demilitarization of southern Syria from troops of the new Syrian regime in the Quneitra, Daraa and Suweyda provinces,” Netanyahu says, adding that Israel will not accept any threats to Druze in southern Syria.
On Iran, he says that Israel will not accept a nuclear weapon in the hands of the regime.
He also thanks the outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi for leading the IDF in the ongoing war, as the crowd cheers.
[IsraelTimes] UK Lawyers for Israel says use of inaccurate data, inconsistent methodology, potential bias led to false assertions that were utilized by ICC when charging Netanyahu with war crimes
A review conducted by the UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) organization into allegations by international famine review bodies that famine and severe malnutrition were widespread and prevalent 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... during the war between Israel and Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... has found that famine did not break out in the territory according to the figures of the very organizations making the claims.
The report noted severe problems with the reports these organizations issued, due to what it said was their use of "incomplete or inaccurate data," the inconsistent application of methodological standards, failure to take into account new data, and "potential bias" in how it interpreted and presented the information it had.
These groups data were used as evidence by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court prosecutor in legal proceedings they initiated against Israel, and have created severe legal problems for the State of Israel.
From almost the very beginning of the war, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), connected to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) established by USAID, began issuing periodic reports on the food security situation in Gaza, asserting in early and late 2024 that famine was either imminent or had already taken hold in parts of the territory.
Israeli academics and public health officials began questioning the accuracy and reliability of these reports from May 2024, highlighting how the estimates made by these organizations appeared to ignore key information about aid supply and use data from questionable sources.
UKLFI’s review of the issue, published last week and which highlighted these criticisms, found that there was no famine in Gaza during the war, as defined by IPC standards, and that even levels of acute malnutrition were only marginally higher than pre-war figures.
These errors resulted from overlooking significant sources of food supply, IPC misclassifying its own data, and using an incorrect baseline figure for pre-war acute malnutrition which made it appear that there had been a sharp increase in the phenomenon during the war, UKLFI’s study stated.
Other problems leading to false IPC and FEWS NET determinations about famine and malnutrition in Gaza included comparing different metrics for those phenomena and overestimating the population of northern Gaza, where predictions of famine were especially grave due to an erroneous understanding of the amount of food aid available per person there.
The allegations of famine formed a central part of the legal processes against Israel’s conduct of the war against Hamas in both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The ICC has charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant with war crimes and crimes against humanity for allegedly using starvation as a method of war against the Paleostinians, and issued warrants for their arrest.
UKLFI said in its report that future assessments of food security "should strive for greater accuracy and objectivity to ensure that international responses are proportionate and based on factual realities."
In the wake of Hamas’s October 7 invasion and massacres, Israel embarked on a massive military campaign against Gaza and initially limited the amount of aid that went into the territory. But two weeks after the beginning of the war, aid began entering the strip.
A SERIES OF PROBLEMATIC REPORTS
Two of the most problematic reports regarding alleged famine were issued in March 2024 and November 2024 by the IPC’s Famine Review Committee (FRC).
The FRC’s March report asserted that famine was "was projected and imminent," in particular in northern Gaza, and that 677,000 people in the Gaza Strip were already in the Phase 5 Catastrophe level of its food insecurity scale.
If this were correct, it would have meant that at least 135 people were dying of starvation every day in March 2024.
An IPC Special Brief projected that 1.1 million people would be in the Phase 5 Catastrophe level in the period from March 16 to July 15, 2024, which would have meant at least 221 people dying of starvation every day in that period.
The FRC’s November report stated that there was "an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine occurring," while in December 2024, FEWS NET published an "Alert" asserting that "A Famine (IPC Phase 5) scenario continues to unfold in North Gaza Governorate."
UKLFI identified numerous, substantive problems with these reports, however.
In June 2024, the FRC itself published an updated report stating that "the available evidence does not indicate that Famine is currently occurring," despite its dire predictions from March.
The March report also did not provide any statistics on the mortality rate from the malnutrition and starvation it asserted was happening and predicted would strengthen from March to July.
That report noted that the corpse count related to malnutrition was 25 in total, whereas the claimed Phase 5 catastrophe level in northern Gaza should have meant that some 60 people were dying from malnutrition every day, according to the population in the region at the time, UKLFI said.
The June report did provide a mortality rate from all causes, meaning as a result of military action and malnutrition together. The stated level would, however, only have qualified as Phase 3 level of food insecurity at the most, if it was based on non-trauma deaths, which it was not.
UKLFI noted in its study that FRC, and the World Food Program organization, were in possession of the non-trauma mortality figures but chose not to share them.
Another key problem with the March report — as pointed out in an Israeli study by public health officials published by Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry in May and noted in the UKLFI’s study — was that it failed to take into account food supplied to northern Gaza by the private sector, alongside the humanitarian aid brought into the territory.
The March report was cited directly by the International Court of Justice in the genocide suit brought by South Africa against Israel, and also referenced by the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor Karim Khan when he announced he was seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, warrants which were ultimately issued by the court.
Indeed Khan specifically cited the FRC claim that 1.1 million were facing "catastrophic hunger," which he said was the highest number "ever recorded, anywhere, anytime," when filing his application for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
In November, the FRC issued an "Alert" saying there was a "substantial likelihood of famine, particularly in northern Gaza, and stating, "It can therefore be assumed that starvation, malnutrition, and excess mortality due to malnutrition and disease, are rapidly increasing in these areas." Famine thresholds "may have already been crossed," it added.
But this report, too, did not include mortality data to back up its assertions. It stated that a malnutrition parameter known as MUAC indicated Phase 3 malnutrition throughout Gaza, but did not provide precise details.
In a "Special Brief" also issued in November, FRC said that acute malnutrition was "ten times higher" than before the war.
But the FRC reports, and a FEWS NET report, mistakenly asserted that the MUAC rate in Gaza before October 7, 2023 was 1%, when in reality it was 4%, UKLFI pointed out.
Data sources cited by the FRC November report showed that MUAC in northern Gaza in August and September was 2%, indicative of IPC Phase 1 and for all of Gaza was 5%, indicative of IPC Phase 2, meaning only slightly above the pre-war rate, UKLFI noted.
"There has been no Famine, as defined by the IPC, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. Acute malnutrition levels are only marginally higher than pre-war figures," the UKLFI study asserted in its conclusions.
The UKLFI report said that the IPC and FEWS NET reports had demonstrated "a pattern of overestimation and misrepresentation" due to "Reliance on incomplete or inaccurate data," "inconsistent application of methodological standards," "Failure to adequately revise projections in light of new data," and "Potential bias in interpretation and presentation of findings."
Added the authors: "These errors have led to an exaggerated portrayal of the food security situation in Gaza, which has been used to influence international opinion and policy."
IPC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
[IsraelTimes] With all living hostages in the first phase of the deal now home, and widespread national revulsion at Hamas, conditions are ripe from Netanyahu’s perspective for resuming intensive conflict in Gaza
The decision made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early Sunday morning to delay the release of over 600 Paleostinian prisoners, who were supposed to be freed Saturday as part of the agreement with Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... , appears ominous.
Israel is delaying the release of the prisoners "until it is ensured that the next hostages will be freed without humiliating ceremonies," according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Netanyahu made this decision — against the advice of military and security chiefs — after Saturday’s hostage releases, during which four hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023 (Tal Shoham, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert) were freed, along with two Israeli civilians who had been held by Hamas for over a decade (Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed).
The final releases in the current first phase of the hostages-ceasefire agreement are scheduled to take place on Thursday, when Hamas is supposed to return four slain hostages to Israel.
Many believe that Netanyahu waited to initiate action that will lead to the collapse of the agreement, and a return to the military campaign against Hamas, until phase one’s living hostages were all safely in Israeli hands.
A very sensible decision. No point in telegraphing his punches.
It appears that the conditions are ripe from his and his coalition’s perspective for another round of war, but this time with the active encouragement of a sitting US president.
Indeed. In fact, President Trump would have gone total war when Hamas was playing games a week ago. He bluntly said as much.
Hamas condemned the decision to halt the prisoners’ release. The terror group, which kidnapped civilians from their homes and from a dance party and held them for 15 months in underground tunnels, stated: "The occupation’s claim that the handover ceremony was humiliating is a false allegation, and a flimsy excuse aimed at evading the commitments of the agreement. These ceremonies do not include any insult to the prisoners but rather reflect the humane and generous treatment they receive. The real insult is what our prisoners endure.
Posturing for effect.
"Netanyahu’s decision is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the agreement and constitutes a clear violation. We call on the mediators and the international community to take responsibility and pressure for the implementation of the agreement and the immediate release of the prisoners," Hamas added.
Netanyahu’s decision — backed by the war cabinet, which includes ministers Ron Dermer, Israel Katz, Gideon Sa’ar and Bezalel Smotrich — was made against the backdrop of widespread anger that has been felt across Israel over the past three days.
From soccer stadiums (where Beitar Jerusalem fans held up a sign reading, "The Dire Revenge for a child’s blood has yet to be created by Satan") to various television pundits, calls for Dire Revenge, expulsion and annexation have been repeatedly heard.
"The last few days may be remembered as key moments in the history of the war, and perhaps in the history of the entire Israeli-Paleostinian conflict," assessed Amos Harel, the defense analyst for Haaretz, who is generally not prone to dramatic or bombastic assessments.
This sentiment is driven by several factors:
• The pathological findings indicating the horrific circumstances of the murders of the Bibas boys — Ariel, 4, and Kfir, nine months — which were published on Friday and caused deep shock in Israel.
• The fact that Hamas initially returned the body of a different woman instead of the body of Shiri Bibas (a "mix up" that was "corrected" 24 hours later), and the Israeli assessment that she too was brutally murdered.
• The grave condition of many of the released hostages and their testimonies regarding Hamas’s vicious and cynical physical and psychological treatment of them.
• The bombs planted on Thursday in four buses in central Israel, which, thanks to the alertness of a civilian, were discovered in time, preventing a major disaster.
All these factors have created a sense in Israel that there is no one to talk to and nothing to talk about.
All these factors have created a sense in Israel that there is no one to talk to and nothing to talk about — laying the groundwork for the next military steps.
"The IDF is preparing for the possibility of a renewed invasion of Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... ," writes Harel. "Incoming Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir (who will assume office in ten days) is formulating an operational plan described as particularly aggressive. Netanyahu is now seeking to escalate the crisis with the decision he made overnight."
THE ABUSE OF GUY AND EVYATAR
One of Hamas’s most recent cynical moves, which also sparked widespread outrage, has contributed to the heightened tension in Israel.
Saturday, Hamas brought Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David — two close friends who were kidnapped together from the Nova party — to the release site at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, so they would witness the release of three of the Israeli hostages and deliver a desperate plea to their families, the Israeli public, and prime minister Netanyahu.
"Our friends are getting out, and we just want this to be over," the two said to Hamas’s cameras. "Save us! Netanyahu, get us home. It’s hard here, we dream of leaving."
The two, who are set to be freed in phase two of the deal, also called on their families to continue protesting in Israel to pressure the government to move forward with the agreement. The text and the entire scene appeared to be directed and dictated by their captors.
Despite extremely cold and rainy weather, thousands participated in demonstrations across Israel on Saturday night
…or hundreds, anyway…
in support of moving to the second phase of the deal, in which Hamas is supposed to release the 63 remaining hostages in its hands — at least 24 of whom are thought to be alive.
[The Independent] Twenty-thousand troops? We only have 25 main battle tanks working at best. Left to rot in sheds, our equipment is either ancient, non-existent or yet to arrive, while ammunition stocks would not last a week if push came to shove, says defence expert Francis Tusa
When news that the UK would be at the front of the queue to provide troops for a Ukraine peacekeeping force, possibly as many as 20,000, a contact from army headquarters at Andover messaged me: “Where’s this 20,000-figure come from? Who’s briefing this? We couldn’t do this in a month of Sundays!”
The next few days saw this “offer” drop to 10,000 to 12,000 troops for the as-yet-unspecified ground force – but the panic among army planners was much the same: there has been no requirement for such a deployment, the army is not set up for such numbers and has not been funded to do so.
And, worse, the army is at a nadir as regards its capability to provide robust, capable, war-fighting forces of the type that would be needed for Ukraine – equipment is either ancient, non-existent, yet-to-arrive; ammunition stocks would not last a week if push came to shove; and communications systems are old and flaky.
It might not go too far to suggest that the British army is at its lowest nadir since June 1940, after Operation Dynamo saw the British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk.
Now, the main battle tank (MBT) force is at a disastrous low. The Challenger 2 fleet (just over 400 were bought in the 1990s) has a notional strength of 213 tanks, after 14 were donated to Ukraine. However, these have been at the receiving end of “malign neglect” – maintenance regimes slashed in the 2000s and 2010s, spares not purchased, and supply chains disappearing as companies went bust. In 2023, it was reported that only around 160 of the fleet was in any fit state to be used on operations (after extensive, expensive work) – and the situation got worse.
The end result? The Royal Armoured Corps has not been able to deploy a realistic Challenger 2 regiment of 59 tanks for many years. Lack of available Challenger 2s has meant that the army’s ambition for MBTs has been at the 20 to 25 level, at the very best.
When Denmark and Sweden have more credible tank forces than the United Kingdom, you know there’s an issue. And, as the Ukraine war has shown, tanks do have a major role, especially if a peacekeeping force were to be a credible deterrent.
The Royal Artillery used to have a force of over 100 self-propelled AS90 artillery pieces. But much like the Challenger 2 fleet, this had been left to rot, with only a handful available even for training. Just before Covid, I sat next to a lieutenant colonel who was taking over an AS90 regiment: “I have 24 guns in the shed, no tracks, no engines. I will have to do a lot of work to stop morale falling.” That was over five years ago, and, again, the issues of no spares and defunct supply chains have not made this situation any better.
At least 32 AS90 have been gifted to Ukraine – an entirely sensible move. But this has left the army with little to no artillery. An interim batch of 14 Swedish Archer 155mm guns has been bought – but this is an incredibly limited number. And if the Ukraine War has shown us anything, artillery is still the queen of the battlefield. A British force deployed to Ukraine would need substantially more artillery, or would lack credibility.
And even assuming that the army could deploy 12 Archers as part of a Ukraine ground force (24 to 36 is what would be needed, at least), to make them credible they’d need the ammunition stocks.
In combat, Ukraine has shown that you have to budget for 200 shells per day, per gun – and that’s a floor, not a ceiling. And you’d need at least 30 days’ supply, maybe 60 days. In total, that’s a minimum of 75,000 shells, with a cost of £350m, and as high as 150,000 shells at £700m. At present, the UK simply does not hold anything like the sort of artillery ammunition stocks that would be needed in conflict. Indeed, it will take several years for these to be reached.
These are two vignettes – but they are representative of the parlous equipment state of the British army. Other armoured vehicle fleets are equally in dire straits. Think about it: 35 years ago, Warrior infantry combat vehicles charged into Kuwait; 30 years ago, a Warrior battlegroup was deployed to Bosnia amid much acclaim. The vehicles that are still in service are substantially the same as they were – opportunities to modernise and upgrade have been forever pushed aside.
Some might point to areas where the picture isn’t all that bad. The Boxer armoured personnel carrier is in full production, vehicles are being delivered to the user; the Challenger 3 upgrade, to create a new, modern version of the current Challenger 2 is underway. The Ajax family of armoured vehicles is also in production; and last year, an agreement was signed with Germany to cooperate and co-produce an artillery version of Boxer. So, the darkest time is just before dawn and we can now see the first glimmers of sunlight on the horizon.
However, and here’s the beef, Challenger 3 tanks won’t be delivered for at least 2 years, and these will be for trials, not for operations. There have been offers by industry to accelerate Boxer deliveries that have not been accepted by the army/MoD, so we are some years off from the army to be able to deploy into combat areas.
Similarly, new artillery systems won’t arrive until the end of the decade, a five to six-year wait (in contrast, the time between order and delivery of Ukraine’s Boxer artillery systems was 27 months. There have also been offers of accelerated deliveries for the UK, but no decisions have yet been made). Ajax? Who knows? It is already a decade late.
So, what can the army offer for a Ukraine peacekeeping force? “Can you round up 12,000 troops with their weapons, on a parade square, and then put them on buses to Ukraine? Probably,” says my Andover source. “But what can they do once they are there? There are unmarked minefields everywhere, so you’d need a whole load of protected vehicles – which we either don’t have, or we let them moulder in sheds. So, what? Let them patrol in unarmoured Land Rovers again? That went well in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
And even if you could round up a 12,000 force, after six to eight months you’d need to rotate them with another 12,000 troops, the same again six to eight months after that, and so on. Under the current funding arrangements, the army (and the same is true for the Royal Navy and RAF) is currently not organised to do this.
Regarding the costs of any Ukraine peacekeeping operation, taking ones from the 1990s and 2000s, 12,000 to 15,000 troops would be £3bn to £5bn at the very least. Again, the army is not funded for this, so it would have to come out of central reserves.
A wider set of questions, therefore, needs to be asked. Has the army spoken truth to power about what it can realistically do? Or has the famed “can do” attitude been to the fore: “Don’t worry: it’ll be alright on the night?” Has institutional embarrassment meant that deficiencies have not been highlighted, so the prime minister doesn’t have a true picture of how bad things really are?
#2
Sad story that seems based on actual knowledge. Given the way the Brits talk about defense and national security, I'm reminded of an old Navy expression my Grandfather used: "Battleship mouth with a tugboat ass"!
[Jpost] In an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra outlined Kyiv’s strategy for securing compensation and ensuring justice for the victims of war.
As Ukraine marks three years since Russia’s full-scale ground invasion and its forces continue to battle Russian forces, Kyiv is intensifying its push for financial reparations, arguing that Moscow must be held accountable for the devastation it has wrought.
In an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post, Iryna Mudra, Ukraine’s deputy head of the Presidential Office, outlined the country’s strategy for securing compensation and ensuring justice for the victims of the war.
“You can see the war continuing despite any negotiations or any pretension of negotiations,” she told the Post a day before Russia’s biggest drone attack of the war on Ukraine’s capital.
“We do want negotiations, but we don’t see this willingness from the Russian side,” Mudra said. “Last Wednesday, the Russians damaged the heating system in Odesa, leaving people in their houses at -9°. They continue bombing buildings and hospitals. They are not willing to negotiate. At least they don’t show this by their behavior every day.”
Mudra, in her position since early last year, has been instrumental in advancing Ukraine’s efforts to secure compensation and war reparations as a consequence of the war, and this stems from her legal background. The former deputy justice minister has played a pivotal role in establishing mechanisms to address the extensive damages inflicted upon Ukraine.
Ukraine has documented a staggering number of alleged Russian war crimes, with over 173,833 crimes relating to the “aggression of the Russian Federation,” as they are legally called, according to Mudra.
“The crimes against peace, human security, and international legal order alone exceed 153,000 cases. Just the registered figure of civilians killed is about 14,000, with nearly 30,000 injured. Among them, 600 children have been killed, and over 1,700 have been injured.”
Beyond the immediate loss of life, Mudra highlighted Russia’s systematic efforts to erase Ukrainian identity.“What Russians do is they continue to hold our children hostage. They take children from the occupied territories, from their families, and move them to the Russian Federation or occupied regions. The number is in the thousands. It makes it impossible to negotiate fairly with them.”
Kyiv has worked hard to document all Russian attacks on both civilian and state facilities – over 160,000 residential buildings attacked; over 3,000 educational institutions; almost 1,000 medical institutions; and the list continues, with cultural facilities, religious buildings, network and communications infrastructure, and much more.
SPEARHEADING EFFORTS TO SECURE FINANCIAL REPARATIONS
Mudra has spearheaded efforts to create a framework for securing financial reparations. Ukraine has already taken steps to establish an International Register of Damage, officially launched in The Hague in April 2024. This database collects claims from individuals, businesses, and the state itself, providing a legal foundation for future compensation claims.
“This register is operational and has started accepting applications from victims,” Mudra said. “Anyone who suffered damages in Ukraine after February 24, 2022, due to Russia’s aggression, is eligible to apply.”
The next step, Mudra told the Post, is the formation of an international claims commission that will define compensation amounts.
“We are working with 53 states, the European Union, and the Council of Europe to finalize negotiations by the end of the year. The goal is to have the commission up and running early next year.”
Ukraine is also advocating for access to Russian state assets frozen abroad, particularly the nearly $300 billion held in G7 countries.
“We are calling on European and American partners to provide Ukraine access to these funds,” Mudra said. “This money should be used for Ukraine’s reconstruction, for rebuilding critical infrastructure, and for purchasing military equipment.”
She emphasized that Ukraine is not merely seeking financial assistance but a means to hold Russia accountable.“Russia will never willingly repay under its current government. However, under international law, Article 4 of the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts obliges Russia to make reparations.”
Mudra is also leading efforts to establish a Special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
“This is a crime committed by the highest political and military leadership of the Russian Federation,” she said.
“Unfortunately, they are protected by immunity under international law, but that does not mean they should escape justice.”
Under international law, the “crime of aggression” is the planning, initiation, or execution of a large-scale and serious act of aggression using state military force; it is for this specific crime that Ukraine wants to hold Russia responsible.
Mudra pointed to historical precedent, noting there have only been two tribunals for crimes of aggression in modern history – the Nuremberg Trials and the Tokyo Trials after World War II.“This will be the third,” she said.
As Ukraine continues its legal and diplomatic battle, it has also faced external challenges, including shifting rhetoric from key allies. US President Donald Trump recently called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and demanded Ukraine repay the “$350 billion” it received in aid from the previous Biden administration with its rare earth minerals.
Talks also took place last week in Riyadh between American and Russian officials, although, notably, Ukraine was not invited. Significant obstacles remain in Kyiv’s push for accountability and compensation, particularly in navigating international legal frameworks.
Mudra acknowledged the complexity of the process but remained resolute.
“The financial aid we receive is decreasing, not increasing,” she said. “That is why we are calling for access to Russia’s frozen assets. This is part of justice. This is part of accountability. Without it, there will be no real peace.”
Beyond the immediate war effort, Mudra also emphasized Ukraine’s deep historical ties to Israel, highlighting that the country has long been commemorating Jewish history, including sites such as the Kharkiv Holocaust Museum and ongoing efforts to develop the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in Kyiv.
“Many people don’t realize how deeply intertwined Ukrainian and Jewish histories are,” she told the Post. “It is obvious that our main task today is to survive, and therefore we are trying to convince the Israeli authorities that together, we could be stronger,” she noted.
“Sharing technology and opening access to your armed forces’ market could also protect thousands of our people. Your air defense systems are some of the best in the world – if not the best.
“Everyone knows David’s Sling missiles and the famous Iron Dome system, and selling them to us would help us save entire cities from the threat of missiles. So this is somewhere our authorities could cooperate.”
Pointing to more future collaborations, she stated that Israel also has much to learn from Ukraine in its battles with Iran and its proxy groups – Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
“Ukraine also can give Israel a lot,” she related. “There are drone technologies, the latest proven battle tactics. There are developments in the field of cyber warfare. We can share these skills and this knowledge with Israel.”
The Post was in Kyiv on Saturday night as it came under the heaviest drone attack since the start of the war. Officials stated that 267 drones were launched, while the Ukrainian Air Force reported that 138 were shot down and 119, which were decoy drones, were lost without causing any damage.
Every day that passes, despite negotiations, causes more and more damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure, as well as the risks to the population. With each passing day, Mudra’s work gets harder and harder.
[BusinessToday] Microsoft has reportedly cancelled several U.S. data center leases amounting to hundreds of megawatts (MW) and has pulled back on converting Statements of Qualification (SOQ) into signed leases, according to an industry update by TD Cowen. The move suggests a possible oversupply issue in the data center market and a shift in Microsoft’s expansion strategy, including a reallocation of international spending toward U.S. operations.
According to TD Cowen’s channel checks, Microsoft terminated multiple lease agreements across the U.S. with at least two private data center operators, affecting leases totalling “a couple of hundred MW.” Some of these terminations were reportedly justified by facility power delays.
In addition to outright cancellations, Microsoft has also scaled back on converting SOQs into final lease agreements. SOQs serve as pre-approvals for data center leases, and converting them into signed agreements is a key indicator of imminent construction activity. The report suggests that Microsoft may either be delaying the conversion process or choosing not to move forward with certain lease agreements at all.
Furthermore, the tech giant is shifting a significant portion of its international investments back to the U.S., signalling a potential slowdown in overseas data centre expansion.
While Microsoft has not officially commented on the reasons for these cancellations and delays, TD Cowen analysts speculate that the move could be linked to an oversupply of data center capacity.
A previous report from TD Cowen had indicated that Microsoft walked away from multiple +100MW deals in early- and mid-stage negotiations across key Tier 1 markets in 2023. Additionally, the company abandoned plans for at least five major land acquisitions meant for data center development.
On the last call, the company had already spoken about shifting CapEx from long-lived assets like data centers to short-lived assets like servers.
Microsoft’s revised demand forecast for AI infrastructure may also be a contributing factor. The company had previously planned aggressive expansion to support OpenAI, but recent reports suggest a potential excess of AI data center capacity relative to its revised focus.
[JustTheNews] During her tenure at the DOE, former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was accused of a number of widely reported potential ethics violations, including conflicts of interest and using her official position to promote companies in which she purportedly had a financial stake or relationship.
Former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced on Thursday that she will be joining the boards of directors for Southern California Edison Company and its parent corporation Edison International, one of the largest utility companies in the U.S. This comes just six months after Granholm's Department of Energy awarded $600 million to a consortium of California utilities, including Southern California Edison.
During her tenure at the DOE, Granholm was accused of a number of ethics violations, including conflicts of interest and using her official position to promote companies that she had a financial stake or relationship with. Nonetheless, despite the widespread reporting of her controversial tenure, she was never charged or disciplined for any wrongdoing.
EARLY PRAISE, LATER INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Following her nomination and through her confirmation hearings, the legacy media showered Granholm with favorable press, calling her a “champion” of “clean” energy policies and the climate agenda. Despite the early praise by climate-focused news publications, her tenure was marred by controversy and ethics questions.
In May 2021, four months after Granholm’s confirmation hearing, it was reported that she had held shares in Proterra, an electric bus company that the Biden-Harris administration had heavily promoted. According to the Associated Press, she told congress in 2023 that "she mistakenly provided false information about her family’s stock holdings" in testimony that year. Graholm had by then divested of those shares, earning a profit of $1.6 million, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
In April 2021, Granholm had told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that she owned no individual stocks and only invested in mutual funds. In February 2023, U.S. ethics officials, The Wall Street Journal reported, warned top officials at the Energy Department, including Granholm, that they or their family members owned stocks that could violate conflict-of-interest rules.
In June of 2023, Granholm confirmed to the Committee on Energy & Natural Resources that she had owned stocks in six companies, which U.S. ethics officials had judged to be “non-conflicting.” Her husband had a previously undisclosed investment in Ford Motor Company. She said in a letter to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee that she had “mistakenly” testified she didn’t own any individual stocks. The committee took no further action.
Proterra went bankrupt in August 2023, and left transit districts across the country with broken buses that couldn’t be repaired.
In 2023 Granholm suffered embarrassment after a widely touted "EV Road Trip" turned into a PR disaster. Planning to fast-charge her caravan of EVs — including a luxury Cadillac Lyriq, a hefty Ford F-150 and an affordable Bolt electric utility vehicle — her advance team realized there weren’t going to be enough plugs to go around.
The embarrassment started when, according to reports, "one of the station’s four chargers was broken, and others were occupied. So an Energy Department staffer tried parking a nonelectric vehicle by one of those working chargers to reserve a spot for the approaching secretary of energy. A family with a baby, in need of the blocked spot, objected to the Energy Department’s misuse of energy infrastructure and public vehicles. The parents called 911. "
INVESTIGATIONS AND CALLS TO RESIGN
Shortly after the revelations, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who was ranking member of the committee at the time, called for the inspector general to investigate Granholm’s alleged conflicts of interest. In April, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for her resignation over the matter. House Republicans on the Oversight Committee also investigated Graholm’s investments in Proterra.
More than a dozen public interest groups also called for Granholm’s resignation. In an August 2023 letter to Joe Biden, the groups cited her failure to report financial holdings, involvement in actions that benefited companies she was connected to, as well as other ethically questionable actions the groups argued would justify her removal from office.
Among the signatories was government watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT). The group used a Freedom of Information Act Request to obtain Graholm’s calendar. Among the previously unknown meetings discovered in the document were Graholm’s meetings between billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The DOE authorized up to $2 billion in a 50-50 cost-share program for Gates’ Terra Power Natrium reactor in Wyoming.
[JustTheNews] While geo-engineering like cloud seeding isn’t a secret, there’s not yet a consensus as to whether it will do more harm than good.
As wildfires raged in California last month, The Drudge Report mocked Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's suggestion to "make it rain" with cloud seeding.
Days later, the news aggregation website contradicted itself with the headline, "AI Drones to 'Make It Rain' in Weather-Control Breakthrough.”
The dichotomy highlighted a little-known war over climate technology, in which billions are being invested not only in cloud seeding (Utah, for example, spends about $700,000 annually spraying silver iodide to make it snow and enhance its water supply), but also more controversial practices.
At the top of the list are “geo-engineering” techniques like Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) – each designed to reduce global temperatures by reflecting a portion of the sun’s energy back into space.
While geo-engineering isn’t a secret, there’s not yet a consensus as to whether it will do more harm than good. And the processes are expected to undergo more scrutiny as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is reportedly delving into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has funded research into geoengineering, even though it says it is not yet conducting experiments in the atmosphere.
In fact, climate scientists can’t even agree about whether geo-engineering is already in use or not by any entity, let alone the NOAA. And if it is going on, is it visible? Chemtrail activists, often dismissed as conspiracy theorists, certainly believe so.
THE POLITICAL DIVIDE
According to recent polls, approximately 85% of Democrats see climate change as a major problem, thus they are generally supportive of aggressive action. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a porgressive Democrat, said at the recent World Economic Forum, "We must explore all avenues to combat climate change, even those that seem science fiction."
Conversely, only about 30% of Republicans view climate change with the same urgency.
At a recent conservative think-tank event, Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan said, "Playing God with our weather systems could lead to unintended consequences, affecting not just our environment but our sovereignty.”
Tennessee recently banned geoengineering, cloud seeding and other technologies aimed at controlling the climate, and at least 10 other states are considering similar action.
Seemingly siding with conservatives are many environmentalists and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) crowd who fear the potential for misuse.
In addition to that are the so-called "chemtrail" activists who have warned for years that something nefarious is afoot, pointing to suspicious patterns in the sky that most scientists say are long-lasting condensation trails created by aircraft.
Environmentalist and health activist Nicole Shanahan posted to X on Jan. 24 that “Chemtrails are tagged as a conspiracy theory, but geoengineering, weather modification, atmospheric manipulation, etc. are the terms used in practice. Using the colloquial word ‘chemtrails' triggers gaslighting.”
Shanahan, who was Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s. running mate before he ended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump for president (he was sworn in as secretary of Health and Human Services this month), linked to her post a 2018 study dubbed, “California Wildfires: Role of Undisclosed Atmospheric Manipulation and Geoengineering.”
The study hails from a couple of scientists not easily dismissed as promoters of mere conspiracies: Dr. Mark Whiteside, the recently retired medical director for the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, and J. Marvin Herndon, a doctor of nuclear chemistry, once dubbed a “maverick geophysicist” by The Washington Post.
Their study suggests that aerosolized coal fly ash, used in geoengineering, could increase combustibility by drying out vegetation and altering weather patterns, leading to more intense fires and droughts.
Unlike many in the scientific community, the study does not present geo-engineering as theoretical, but as ongoing. Activities include jets spraying particulates into the atmosphere to suppress solar radiation.
Whiteside has delved into what he describes as a covert operation affecting global climate: tropospheric aerosol geoengineering (TAG). He and Herndon have spent years documenting the environmental and health implications of these activities.
Geo-engineering, Whiteside told this reporter, involves large-scale environmental manipulation intended to mitigate global warming. Contrary to mainstream narratives presenting geoengineering as a future strategy, Whiteside asserts that such practices have been in operation for 75 years, evidenced by historical efforts like Project Cirrus and military operations during the Vietnam War.
He argues there's a deliberate cover-up, pointing to patents, military documents and the 1978 UN ENMOD treaty, which he describes as a "Trojan Horse” that enables environmental modifications.
The funding for these operations, he speculates, might come from misallocated public funds, including billions unaccounted for in the Pentagon's budget, which is being audited by DOGE.
Whiteside says that geo-engineering is sold as “sunscreen for the Earth,” and that the public is “bombarded with lies, misinformation, and distraction to the point they believe they are not seeing what they are seeing, and conditioned to cry ‘conspiracy theory’ when shown an obvious particulate trail.”
In a lengthy study at the European Journal of Applied Sciences published last year, he and Herndon noted that President Lyndon Johnson spoke about controlling the weather in 1962.
They say in the study that the ozone layer has been damaged and ultraviolet radiation now penetrates the Earth’s surface, adding: “This situation has been made unimaginably worse by the deliberate, covert planetary modification, euphemistically called geongineering.”
The mainstream media and the masses “look the other way and ignore the obvious atrocities,” Whiteside says.
CONTRAILS VS. CHEMTRAILS
The science behind “contrails” isn’t in dispute, described as line-shaped clouds of condensed water vapor made from aircraft engines. Chemtrails, though, are typically dismissed as the stuff of conspiracy theorists who say that aircraft are purposely dispersing chemicals.
While Whiteside and Herndon say the concept of chemtrails are real, and central to the discussion of geo-engineering, they appear at odds with most of their colleagues, and with official pronouncements from NASA and the NOAA, both of which say chemtrails are scientifically illegitimate.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Ireland has exploded into a wave of violence with anti-migrant anger at an all time high - after the number of people applying to come into the country rocketed by nearly 300 per cent in five years.
Shocking new videos show Dublin descending into chaos - with fighting thugs throwing themselves into busses, knife fights on their streets and mass brawls sparking in residential roads.
In others, men patrol the capital to keep the city 'safe' while police can be seen using riot shields and pepper spray as they crack down on protests.
As many as 150,000 people moved to Ireland in 2023-24, Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures revealed, the highest number in 17 years - with many of them accommodated in poor areas of central Dublin or small provincial towns. Only 30,000 of these were returning Irish citizens.
There are now nearly 33,000 international protection applicants being housed across the nation, up from 7,244 in 2017. Alongside arrivals from Africa and the Middle East, 100,000 refugees flocked to the country following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Each costs the nation nearly £70 a day, a figure that has increased by a third in two years. At the end of last year the Irish Refugee Council revealed there were a record 3,001 asylum seekers homeless in Ireland.
The budget for housing Ukranian refugees has been slashed from £910million in 2023 to less than £340million this year, with officials saying the reduction is expected to continue.
Once sleepy towns are now homes to hundreds of asylum seekers while tent cities have been set up along Dublin's Grand Canal.
And with far-right sentiment at fever pitch the country is on a knife edge - with even Ireland's left-wing politicians admitting that the influx of migrants was driving a spike in homelessness.
Aoife Gallagher, from the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, who monitors far right activity, has previously said that there has been an escalation in migrants being targeted in Ireland.
'We see consistently, a couple of times every week, horrific attacks on migrants,' she told the BBC.
'We see people standing outside IPAS centres waiting for asylum seekers in order to confront them and intimidate them.
'There's a level of political violence that we haven't seen before.'
*shrug* The Irish political class decided they needn’t pay any attention to the needs of the common voter, catering instead to the replacement class they’ve been importing for years from the Middle East and now Ukraine. The native Irish working class, whose protests have been not only ignored but mocked, has predictably gone kinetic.
Last year this was dramatically brought into focus as anti-immigration protesters sparked chaos across Dublin, throwing petrol bombs, torching cars and setting fire to a paint factory that was due to host 550 asylum seekers.
Gardai clashed with hundreds of people gathered at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock as fighting exploded throughout the day. A number of fires were started at the site after anti-immigration protesters set up a makeshift camp, with dramatic photos showing a digger in flames.
The police force charged 15 people in relation to the public order incidents at the north Dublin site.
The November before right wing figures including MMA star Conor McGregor had ramped up fury on social media before people took to the streets over online misinformation and unsubstantiated rumours that a Algerian migrant had stabbed three children outside a kindergarten. The fighter posted: 'Ireland is at war'.
#2
A nation that produced the Ribbonmen, the Molly McGuires and the IRA should have no trouble adjusting the behavior of newly arrived immigrants. But being the Irish,
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] More details have emerged in the case of a JetBlue pilot who was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport moments before he was about to fly to Paris.
Jeremy Gudorf, 33, of Ohio was detained on board the plane at around 8:40pm on Thursday after federal authorities discovered he had a pending warrant for second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, NBC Boston reported.
Massachusetts State Police was the arresting agency and were tipped off by US Customs and Border Protection.
'In conducting their standard review of the manifest of a Boston-to-Paris flight, [Customs and Border Protection] identified an active North Carolina warrant lodged against a member of the flight crew who was detained,' the State Police said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
Gudorf was arraigned Friday in East Boston District Court, where prosecutors revealed the sexual exploitation charge originated in North Carolina. Since he was arrested for the crime elsewhere, he was also charged as fugitive from justice in Massachusetts.
Prosecutors asked the judge to hold Gudorf without bail and to order him to surrender his passport, WCVB reported.
'He is a commercial pilot, the warrant is out of North Carolina, and he resides in Ohio. So for those reasons, we ask he be held without bail and surrender his passport,' prosecutor Kyle Neyman said.
Tanvi Verma, his defense attorney, said Gudorf has 'the financial capacity to rent a car and drive to North Carolina' and 'has assured me he will do that.'
'Frankly, there is no running away from this case, judge. He's perfectly aware of that,' Verma said. 'These are serious charges. The news is here. He's not going to be able to just run away from this.'
Verma added that her client has no prior criminal history.
The judge set his bail at $10,000 with the condition that he appears in North Carolina to clear the warrant by Tuesday, though no further details were provided in court.
His next court date in Massachusetts is scheduled for March 19 but the judge agreed to waive it if he shows up in North Carolina as ordered.
The sexual exploitation charge came out of Huntersville, a suburb just north of the city of Charlotte. The Huntersville Police Department said they received a tip about Gurdorf in October from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
'Following an extensive investigation, a search warrant was obtained for Google, Inc., leading to the identification of the source of the reported images,' the department said in a statement.
'Late last year, Google complied with the warrant and provided the necessary records to law enforcement,' the statement continued. 'At the time the crime was committed, records indicate he resided in Huntersville, NC. However, during the investigation, and before he was identified as a suspect, he relocated out of state.'
In a statement to DailyMail.com, JetBlue revealed they were aware of Gurdorf's arrest and that he 'has been placed on indefinite leave as law enforcement proceeds with the matter.'
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] World leaders are meeting in the Ukrainian capital today to mark three years since Russia's illegal invasion of the country, in a show of support by some of Kyiv's most important backers as the United States threatens to pull its support.
The three-year mark of the war came at a sensitive moment for Kyiv as Volodymyr Zelensky navigates a rapidly changing international environment upended by Donald Trump's major shift of US policy and warming relations with Moscow.
Washington has been accused of freezing Kyiv out of negotiations with Moscow, with Trump last week justifying doing so by wrongly calling Zelensky 'a dictator without elections' - despite votes only being halted in the war-torn country due to martial law.
The Ukrainian President yesterday conceded that he was willing to step down of it meant securing peace for his country, suggesting that he could do so in exchange for Ukraine's entry into NATO or other security guarantees.
But Ukraine's allies have sought to rally around the President, with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau among those flocking to Kyiv today to show their support and hold emergency talks.
The high-profile visitors, who also included European Council president Antonio Costa as well as the prime ministers of Northern European countries and Spain, were greeted at the train station by Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and the Zelensky's chief of staff Andrii Yermak.
Europe was in Kyiv 'because Ukraine is in Europe,' von der Leyen wrote on X, adding: 'In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It's Europe's destiny.'
Sir Keir Starmer is not among those visiting the country but is set to join world leaders in a call hosted by Zelensky later today, and has this morning reiterated the UK government's support for Kyiv.
'Three years on from Putin's barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we face a once in a generation moment for our collective security and values,' he wrote on X. 'We continue to stand with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace.'
[FoxNews] Under former President Joe Biden, the NCI spent 3% annually to increase representation of 'underrepresented' groups in the cancer workforce
A watchdog group focused on getting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) out of medicine found that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is actively spending millions of grant dollars to boost the number of racial minorities in the cancer workforce.
This funding, uncovered by the nonprofit watchdog Do No Harm, shows that $218 million in NCI grants for "underrepresented" groups – mainly racial minorities – is actively dispersed by the NCI. Prior to President Donald Trump taking office, during the Biden administration, around 3% of the NCI's total grant funding every year went to institutions so that they can hire more faculty members and scientists who are minorities, according to Do No Harm.
The revelation comes as Elon Musk's DOGE puts a slew of funds related to DEI on the chopping block amid efforts to slim down government spending. Trump and fellow Republicans have pushed hard against DEI policies throughout the government in recent weeks, making the case that public programs should instead focus on meritocracy.
Local politician puffs out chest, screeches, “PAY ATTENTION TO MEEEEE!!!”
[FoxNews] A member of the Boston City Council called out Border Czar Tom Homan in a post on social media, calling his promises to enforce President Donald Trump's border policy "laughable."
Councilwoman Sharon Durkan posted her response on X after Homan said he would "bring hell" to Beantown after Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox recently doubled down on the city’s sanctuary policies.
"You said you doubled down on not helping the law enforcement officers of ICE. I'm coming to Boston, and I'm bringing hell with me," Homan said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday. "I looked at the numbers this morning... I stopped counting at nine. Nine child rapists that were in jail in Massachusetts, but rather than honoring an ICE detainer, you released them back into the street."
"You're not a police commissioner," Homan continued. "Take that badge off your chest. Put it in the desk drawer. Because you became a politician. You forgot what it’s like to be a cop."
#1
Sharon Durkan was elected to the Boston City Council for District 8 in the special municipal election on July 25, 2023. Sharon was sworn in on August 7, 2023. Councilor Durkan is bringing her passion for civic participation, equity and advocacy for her community to City Hall. A community organizer to her core, she has been an agent for change in her professional, academic and civic life. Her District 8 constituency includes the neighborhoods of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Mission Hill, the Fenway, Kenmore and the West End.
[Breitbart] The Denver Police Department (DPD) now believe members of a “South American theft gang” are responsible for a jewelry store heist that netted more than $12 million in stolen gems and other items
The DPD issued a warrant for an illegal migrant from Chile whom they say is part of a theft ring that has been hitting jewelry stores across the country, CBS News reported Wednesday.
Police say the theft, which occurred at a store in Hyde Park on July 22, was perpetrated by 33-year-old Gustavo Salas Ortega. They also say that Ortega has a criminal record for theft in his home country of Chile.
Ortega allegedly made off with $12,289,731.76 in watches, jewelry, and other items during the robbery.
Police also say the gang that hit the store at about 8 p.m. on July 21 came equipped with blowtorches, drills, saws, and other tools. Prosecutors also say the robbery crew spent as much as eight hours inside the store and left at about 3:30 a.m. the next morning.
The gang had reportedly broken into the jewelry store by knocking a hole through the wall of an adjoining store.
The DPD revealed that store security footage shows the suspect looking around the store on the day before the robbery. They also say his phone had Google searches for jewelry stores in Denver, and his iCloud account featured photos of some of the items stolen from the store.
This is far from the first time police have pinned high-dollar crimes on migrants from Chile. Chilean nationals have also been implicated in a string of home invasions of the homes of pro athletes and last week seven were charged in connection with those crimes.
The crimes have also sparked alarm in Congress. Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy has warned of the growth of “burglary tourism” as law enforcement tracks gangs of South Americans who fly into the country to commit home invasions, and he wants to remove the country of Chile from the State Department’s approved Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
“American communities have experienced an outbreak of ‘burglary tourism,’ in which Chilean organized crime rings have been able to exploit the VWP loopholes by entering the U.S. without a visa or any proper criminal background check.,” Roy noted late last month.
#4
Police say the theft, which occurred at a store in Hyde Park on July 22, was perpetrated by 33-year-old Gustavo Salas Ortega. They also say that Ortega has a criminal record for theft in his home country of Chile.
A 10 month investigation would be a good indication.
This is a strong 'defund the police' region. The few remaining have shifted their focus from property to personal injury crimes.
#6
Should have confined their activities to the wealthy deep blue neighborhoods so the 'progressive' judge could dismiss charges under approved redistribution of wealth meme.
[Breitbart] Mexican President Sheinbaum revealed that her government is studying a letter sent by jailed drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada asking for help as he faces a possible life sentence and even the death penalty for his crimes as one of the supreme leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The letter comes just days after Sheinbaum filed a series of proposed changes to the country’s constitution that would impair foreign investigations and actions against drug cartels even though the U.S. government formally designated the Sinaloa Cartel and five other Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
On Friday, President Sheinbaum said that her staff was analyzing a letter Zambada and his attorneys sent to the Mexican Consulate in New York City, where he requested that Mexico’s government help get him repatriated. The drug lord claims he was not arrested but kidnapped and is facing capital punishment. In his letter, the famed kingpin contended that the methods used in his arrest were dangerous to international relations since the same could be done to anyone, including politicians.
During her news conference, Sheinbaum said that her government was concerned about not who made the request but how his detention took place.
The letter further muddies Mexico’s image since, as Breitbart Texas reported this week, Sheinbaum filed a series of proposed changes to the country’s constitution that would impair foreign investigations and actions inside the country unless the government authorized them. The proposed changes would add criminal penalties to foreigners and Mexican nationals participating in those actions and investigations. The filed changes come soon after the U.S. government formally designated the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel Jalisco New Generation, Los Zetas (CDN), the Gulf Cartel, La Familia Michoacana, and Guerreros Unidos as FTOs.
As Breitbart Texas reported, the arrest of Zambada took place when he was lured to a meeting by his godson Joaquin Guzman Lopez, only to be kidnapped and placed on a U.S.-bound plane into the waiting hands of federal agents. In the aftermath of the arrest, Mexico started a treason investigation over the drug lord’s kidnapping and arrest. The arrest set off a fierce turf war as Zambada’s son and his allies have been fighting against the Guzman Lopez brothers and their allies, who are known as Los Chapitos. The group got its name from being led by the four sons of jailed kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, who is currently in a U.S. prison serving a life term.
#3
Sheinbaum filed a series of proposed changes to the country’s constitution that would impair foreign investigations and actions against drug cartels
Making the cartels officially part of the government, eh?
Sheinbaum said that her government was concerned about not who made the request but how his detention took place.
Oh, dear! I hope no harsh words were exchanged.
Still, a kidnapping is less disruptive than going in with guns blazing.
[Breitbart] House Oversight Committee Democrats are panicking over comments President Donald Trump made Friday about reforming the U.S. Postal Service.
While Trump has not established a specific plan, he criticized the Postal Service and talked about how it might be improved upon during the swearing in of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money, and we’re thinking about doing that,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “And it will be a form of a merger, but it’ll remain the Postal Service, and I think it’ll operate a lot better than it has been over the years.
“It’s been just a tremendous loser for this country, tremendous amounts of money they’ve lost,” he added. “And we think we can do something that will be very good and keep it a very similar way, but whether it’s a merger or just using some of the very talented people that we have elsewhere so it doesn’t lose so much.”
Following his remarks, Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Trump urging him to abandon any plans to reform USPS, the Hill reported.
“Your reported efforts to dismantle the Postal Service as an independent agency would directly undermine the affordability and reliability of the U.S. postal system,” ranking member Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and the panel’s other members wrote in the letter. “We urge you to abandon immediately any plans that would either privatize the Postal Service or undermine the independence of the Postal Service.”
The letter also followed reporting from the Washington Post that the 45th and 47th president is weighing firing USPS’s board and absorbing USPS into the Department of Commerce.
Connolly countered in the letter that such a change would require congressional cooperation, “which Congress would not provide.”
While USPS is not funded by Congress and earns revenue from its services, it is mandated to reach every single mailbox in the United States, “something private companies have no obligation to do,” according to the report.
“Congress prescribed a clear and critical mandate for the Postal Service: to deliver efficient, reliable, and universal service to all Americans,” Connolly continued. “Your reported plans for the Postal Service would put at risk the timely, affordable delivery of life-saving medications, mail-in ballots, important financial documents, and letters from loved ones, especially in rural or less profitable areas that the private sector refuses to service.”
Connolly further argued that reforming USPS would not put the independent agency “on a path of fiscal sustainability,” but could instead “subject the Postal Service and the entire mail network to political interference, shifting priorities of Administrations, and skyrocketing prices.”
Trump’s comment and the Democrats’ letter also come after Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was appointed during Trump’s first administration, announced earlier this week that he is stepping down.
#3
The USPS missed an opportunity to securely manage email through verification and lineage delivery of email to customers. I believe businesses, email providers and customers would have appreciated the end result. I have 5000+ unread emails and about 20 of them that require my attention.
#4
On a related typical USPS POS for service note:
We just found out a USPS Certified Letter, we send to Atlanta (about 140 miles from here) on Feb.13th.
Still has not arrived.
Where is it?
USPS.com Tracking site data shows it never left the Post Office we registered it and sent it from, 11 days ago.
#7
“We want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money, and we’re thinking about doing that,”
Sorry to break everyone's bubble. Art.I, Section 8 of the Constitution, powers of Congress -
To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
It said nothing about profitable. It was and is intended to tie the country together. Whether you send a letter across town or to Barrow AK, its the same price. When they moved the appointment of post masters and higher personnel from your congresscritters you lost your most effective office of appeal in dealing with it. Of course, they were happy to pass it off.
#8
When I request USPS priority overnight for an address 14 miles away, the parcel goes 14 miles to the delivery city hub then 64 miles to Dallas for distribution back to the 14 mile hub and delivery address. Takes two days.
FedEx runs out of the local Dollar General storefront where overnight is tomorrow morning.
#11
To try and drive Direct TV customers to online payments, AT&T sends out my monthly bill by mail, and when it arrives, the due date is approximately two weeks later. I always put my payment in the mail, at the post office, the next morning. Unfailingly, AT&T sends out a late payment reminder the day before the payment is due, and the bank notes my check is cleared by AT&T 15-20 days after the date I mailed it. Much of that is the USPS sloth!
[Breitbart] A church in Highland Park, New Jersey, is in a tough spot after receiving millions of dollars in USAID relief funds to assist illegals.
Leaders with the Reformed Church of Highland Park told Shore News Network they laid off 195 workers after President Donald Trump’s administration stopped federal money from going to migrant resettlement programs, the website reported Sunday.
The outlet said it “confirmed layoffs through a WARN notice filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor.”
It continued:
The church, which had received $18 million in aid from USAID to place migrants in jobs across New Jersey, is now struggling to keep its programs running. Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale said his organization is owed more than $1.3 million for services rendered in January alone and warned that without immediate support, key programs could collapse.
“For the past 3.5 years, we have experienced that refugees and immigrants are a blessing,” Kaper-Dale said. “Since January 20th, everything has collapsed.”
They’re still a blessing in the exact same way, Reverend. It’s time to make sacrifices to prove the depths of your convictions now that it’s just the teensiest bit difficult. Though you may find that you needn’t dig as deep as you thought, given that there somehow aren't as many in need as there were before January 20th. We’ve passed peak illegals.
According to the church’s website, it has had an “active immigration committee since 2002, when our members first started sharing their experiences of trouble with the U.S. Immigration System.”
The church also noted, “We are considered a leading congregation in the fight for immigration justice.”
The Shore News Network report said that, in the past, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) backed the church’s stand against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Now, Kaper-Dale wants him to do the same against Trump.
Meanwhile, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is preparing for big cuts after Trump cut funding for mass migration into the nation’s communities, Breitbart News reported February 7.
“CRS is one of the biggest recipients of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding, but with Trump’s spending freeze, the charity is quickly moving to scale back its organization, lay off employees, and retool, according to the National Catholic Reporter,” the outlet said.
The potential closure of USAID drew anger from Democrat lawmakers and the media, Breitbart News reported February 3. from Democrat lawmakers and the media, BIRM?
“MAGA Republicans believe USAID is one of the most egregious cudgels of the administrative state, accusing it of corrupting humanitarian aid, facilitating contractor fraud, wasting taxpayer funds, and bending to the wishes of the CIA,” the article said.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] California Governor Gavin Newsom has asked Congress for nearly $40 billion to help Los Angeles and its surrounding areas recover from the deadly wildfires that raged out of control last month.
Newsom, who has previously warned that the fires could become the costliest natural disaster in history, wrote a letter Friday to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to ask for their assistance.
'Los Angeles is one of the most economically productive places on the globe, but it can only rebound and flourish with support from the federal government as it recovers from this unprecedented disaster,' Newsom wrote in the letter also addressed to Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the House Appropriations Committee chair; and Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the lead Democrat on that committee.
The fires, which burned for weeks as firefighters worked to get them under control, killed at least 29 people, destroyed more than 16,000 structures and torched over 57,000 acres of land in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Pasadena and Altadena.
The total economic loss from the fires is estimated to be $250 billion, which includes factors such as anticipated cleanup costs, housing displacement and businesses shutting down.
Real estate losses from the Palisades and the Eaton fires are predicted to surpass $30 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Newsom's letter to lawmakers reveals how the $39.7 billion in aid he is requesting will be spent on rebuilding homes, infrastructure, businesses, schools, churches and healthcare facilities.
The biggest chunk of the money - an additional $16.8 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - will be used to rebuild property and infrastructure. Of that, $5 billion will be earmarked for debris cleanup.
Newsom also requested $9.9 billion from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide grants for fire victims, homeowners, renters and businesses.
He wants the Small Business Administration to send the state $5.29 billion for loans to homeowners and businesses, while also increasing the loan maximum for home reconstruction from $500,000 to $2 million.
Additionally, he is asking for $4.32 billion in recovery grants for local governments from the Economic Development Administration and $2 billion in low-income housing tax credits from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
President Donald Trump and Speaker Johnson have both suggested that there could be conditions that California will need to meet in order to continue to get federal aid for the wildfires. During the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, Trump's special envoy Ric Grenell confirmed this, telling Politico 'there will be conditions.'
One of Trump's demands could be to take away federal dollars from the California Coastal Commission, a state agency that protects public access to beaches but has also been criticized for putting burdensome red tape on development.
Last month, Trump confronted Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass about potential overregulation getting in the way of rebuilding.
'I think squeezing their federal funds, making sure they don't get funds, putting strings on them to get rid of the California Coastal Commission is going to make California better,' Grenell said.
Newsom's letter to Congress does not mention his fraught relationship with Trump, rather he thanked the current administration for what it has done so far in supporting fire debris removal.
'We are eternally grateful,' Newsom wrote. 'And we are confident that if we work together, Los Angeles will continue to serve as a beacon to the world and securely place the city on solid ground in the coming years as it hosts the FIFA World Cup and Olympics - and thrive for the century to come.'
Newsom's plea comes as Trump and Elon Musk are in the midst of a project to slash federal spending they deem to be wasteful and fraudulent through the Department of Government Efficiency.
Congressional Republicans are also in the throes of readying their $340 billion budget bill, with the Senate ramming their version through early Friday along party lines. A final package is likely to include roughly an extension of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, as well as cuts to Medicaid and other social safety net programs.
#2
If the money is approved while Newsome is in power, it will all be stolen.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/24/2025 4:44
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#3
Can the DOGE geniuses follow the money trail as it happens? Because then it would be very useful to give some to California, just like giving to Gaza.
#6
If the money is approved while Newsome is in power, it will all be stolen.
You got that right. If he hadn't stolen so much money already, he would have had more than enough to make sure those fires never got so badly out of control in the first place.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/24/2025 12:23
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#7
I saw an estimate some time ago that it would cost about $10b initially and then $2B/yr to reduce the chances of catastrophic fires by 90%.
Aside from the money there would be a lot of other problems doing this because critter habitat would be removed, nice looking trees cut down, unsightly barriers and reservoirs built and so forth.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
02/24/2025 14:51
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#8
You chose to spend money on other things. So Fuck Off. No more Uncle Sugar for you
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The Federal Reserve has moved into a near standstill as President Donald Trump continues to rail through and cut government contracts, workforce, programs and even entire agencies.
While much remains up-in-the-air within the federal government, the U.S. central banking system is struck trying to adjust to the fallout in real time as Trump and his 'first buddy' Elon Musk make dramatic changes.
Federal Reserve officials speaking on the matter claim policy is 'well-positioned' to adjust to the risks emerging from swift and sweeping change taking shape at the federal government.
Increasingly, however, post-meeting sentiment appears to be more cautious about the volatility.
President Trump has taken a very aggressive trade stance, announcing over his first month in office intention to apply sanctions and tariffs on multiple partners throughout the world.
He has also been ambitious in his overall economic agenda, forcing agencies, departments and the central bank to remain fluid to what appears to be daily changes that influence policy.
In a blog post made on Thursday, Atalanta's Federal Reserve Bank President Raphael Bostic noted: 'In recent weeks, we've heard not only enthusiasm — particularly from banks, about possible shifts in tax and regulatory policies — but also widespread apprehension about future trade and immigration policy.'
'These crosscurrents inject still more complexity into policymaking,' he added.
Additionally, with the help of Musk, entire agencies are being overhauled and some slashed – including USAID.
Thousands of federal workers have agreed to take the buyout to voluntarily leave their jobs for full pay through September 2025 and billions in government contracts have been canceled at agencies like the Department of Education and National Institutes of Health.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has been meeting with central bank governors and regional presidents in recent weeks amid all the chaotic change.
Chatter is that while the message is about how 'well-positioned' they are to handle the ups and downs, there is increasing anxiety about the rate and level of change happening with spending and policy.
Bostic said that 'uncertainty' is an increasingly common theme among Fed leaders.
The Federal Open Market Committee released minutes from the meeting on January 28 and 29, which included dozens of references to this uncertain climate.
It specifically cited 'elevated uncertainty regarding the scope, timing, and potential economic effects of possible changes to trade, immigration, fiscal, and regulatory policies.'
'Right now, I see the risks of inflation staying above target as skewed to the upside,' St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem told reporters on Thursday.
'My baseline scenario is one where inflation continues to converge towards 2 percent, providing monetary policy remains modestly restrictive, and that will take time,' he continued. 'I think there is a potential for inflation to remain high and activity to slow.'
'That's an alternative scenario, not a baseline scenario, but I'm attentive to it.'
The U.S. central bank for the last four years has targeted inflation at 2 percent.
Though Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee is thought to be among the least hawkish on inflation, he remained more measured when it comes to tariff assessments.
'If you're just thinking about tariffs, it depends how many countries are they going to apply to, and how big are they going to be, and the more it looks like a Covid-sized shock, the more nervous you should be,' Goolsbee said during an appearance on CNBC.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Immigration enforcement officers have been directed to track down and deport migrant children who arrived in the United States without their parents.
This will answer the question of proportions: how many are adults who lied about their age, how many are mid-to-late teens who came here to work like adults, and how many were trafficked, either as indentured workers or as prostitutes? Also, who hired them, and especially who was involved in trafficking of either kind? Alongside the promised revelation of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list, this exercise will prove very clarifying.
It comes amid heightened pressures to reach President Trump's lofty deportation targets as part of his election commitment to solve America's immigration crisis.
According to an internal memo seen by Reuters, agents at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will now direct their focus to unaccompanied minors.
The memo cited a 'planning phase' to begin on January 27, followed by three more phases of implementation, to begin at an unspecified date.
Trump signed an executive order upon returning to the White House rolling back certain protections for migrants which forbade ICE officers from arresting them at certain locations - including schools.
More than 600,000 immigrant children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian since 2019, according to government data.
The memo is headlined the 'Unaccompanied Alien Children Joint Initiative Field Implementation.'
Authorities, as part of the instructions, are to ensure children are not victims of human trafficking or being exploited before deporting them.
#3
EXC - The wife of the Judge who just blocked President Trump's ICE raids appears to be the former Vice President of National Immigration Forum, a pro-open borders advocacy group.
She was also a Biden administration appointee.
Meet the far-left Jacinta Ma.
🧵🧵🧵
The National Immigration Forum advocates for MASS AMNESTY and staunchly opposes border enforcement policies.
George Soros's Open Society Foundation is also reportedly the group's largest donor.
Image
#4
Speaking of enforcement actions, it appears that the microscope has focused on Colony Ridge near Houston:
https://abc13.com/post/dps-ice-operations-underway-colony-ridge-liberty-county-sheriffs-office-says/15951539/
Posted by: ed in texas ||
02/24/2025 17:04
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[FoxNews] DOD is the latest federal agency to tell employees to ignore Musk's request to report productivity
The Department of Defense (DOD) told its civilian workforce to ignore billionaire and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk’s request to report their productivity.
In a letter to DOD personnel, Darin S. Selnick, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, provided guidance on how to handle Musk’s demand through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
"DoD personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information. The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures," Selnick wrote. "When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled, ‘What did you do last week.’"
Musk, a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, said earlier on Saturday that employees would receive an email giving them a chance to explain how productive they were the previous week. If an employee fails to respond to the email, Musk said the government will interpret that as a resignation.
"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk wrote on X. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
Later that day, Musk said the report should take under five minutes for employees to write. The deadline for responding to the email is 11:59 p.m. on Monday.
"To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write," Musk wrote on X.
A spokesperson from OPM confirmed Musk's plans.
"As part of the Trump Administration's commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, CC'ing their manager," the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Agencies will determine any next steps."
Also telling employees to stand down was Kash Patel, who was confirmed by the Senate last week as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
"FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information," Patel told employees, according to The Associated Press. "The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes, and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures. When and if further information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses."
The State Department also reportedly issued a similar message to employees on Saturday, informing them that department officials "will respond on behalf of the Department," according to a message sent by Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, who serves as acting under secretary of state for management.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] President Donald Trump invoked Spongebob Squarepants to mock federal employees who are outraged by a Department of Government Efficiency email asking what they 'accomplished' over the course of the week.
The commander-in-chief took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday to share an edited screenshot from the Nickelodeon cartoon, showing the titular yellow sponge pondering over a notepad with a pencil in his hand.
The second image showed a list entitled 'Got done last week' and included items like 'cried about Trump,' 'cried about Elon' and 'made it to the office for once.'
Trump's post came as DOGE chief Elon Musk defended his late Saturday night email to all federal employees, asking them to list five things they did this week.
It was sent by the Office of Personnel Management's human resources department, and gave federal workers a deadline of Monday at 11:59 p.m. EST to send back their explanation of work.
Musk said in a post to X that if workers fail or refuse to respond it would be 'taken as a resignation.'
Some federal employees have since claimed the emails are 'harassment' and say the requirement to justify their weekly tasks amounts to a 'hostile work environment.'
'This is the ultimate d**k boss move from Musk - except he isn't even the boss, he's just a d**k,' Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) posted in response to the directive from Trump's 'first buddy.'
'It feels like harassment, especially sending it out on a Saturday and boasting about it in advance on X so that everyone could be checking their email [that] afternoon in anticipation of its arrival,' another federal employee told Business Insider.
A third, who works for the Centers for Disease Control, said they 'can only imagine how many people they'll fire based on the responses/non-responses to this.'
Several unions representing federal workers have even objected to the email, with the National Treasury Employees Union calling it 'yet another attempt by the administration to scare hardworking civil servants who deliver for the American people every day.'
In a letter on Sunday, the American Federation of Government Employees also argued that the email 'fails to identify any legal authority permitting OPM to demand the requested information.
'Federal employees report to their respective agencies through their established chains of command; they do not report to OPM,' the letter says.
'The email was nothing more than an irresponsible and sophomoric attempt to create confusion and bully the hard-working federal employees that serve our country.
'By issuing this directive, OPM is actively pulling federal employees away from their critical duties without regard for the consequences,' it added.
'As just two examples: a VA surgeon's attention belongs in the operating room and an air traffic controller's attention on keeping the skies safe, not on dealing with this unclear and unlawful distraction.
'The request and the resulting confusion is not just inappropriate - it is disruptive to essential government functions,' the union argued.
Newly-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel has even urged agents to 'pause any responses' until the bureau can come up with a coordinated response.
'All FBI personnel may have received an email from OPM requesting information,' he wrote in an email obtained by NBC News.
'The FBI, through the Office of the Director, is in charge of all of our review processes and will conduct reviews in accordance with FBI procedures,' he said.
'When and if information is required, we will coordinate the responses. For now, please pause any responses.'
Supervisors at the Department of Justice similarly told employees to leave Musk's email unanswered while they await further clarity on the situation, Newsweek reports.
At the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - which houses the National Weather Service, some managers initially cautioned against replying to the email, apparently thinking it was a phishing attempt.
One NOAA employee even told WIRED they were cautioned not to log onto their work email after receiving it.
But Musk has called his request 'a trivial task,' and noted that his DOGE workers have already received a 'large number of good responses.'
'These are the people who should be considered for promotion,' he insisted.
Nonprofit President of Brownstone Institute Jeffrey Tucker also said the email from DOGE 'is completely conventional in the service industry when there's new management.'
'It is only causing screams and panics because it is government,' he added.
Another post Musk highlighted on his X account detailed how the task to detail their accomplishments from the week is common in the 'private sector.'
'It's standard practice to report what you've accomplished to your manager,' Ana Mostarac posted. 'And if you've been a manager, you know how crucial it is to clarify expectations and priorities on a regular cadence.'
'Now, government sector employees are being asked to do the same,' she continued. 'The request is being labeled 'harassment' and described as creating a 'hostile work environment,' with some even suggesting a class action lawsuit for 'undue stress and financial harm.'
'Why should government sector employees be held to a different standard? If anything, shouldn't they be held to a higher standard, given the importance of their work?' she questioned.
#1
So they don't want to play his game?
Then each of their own games should produce their KPIs and Balanced Scorecards. With each of their bonuses and job retention at risk.
#6
The super efficient, effective and busy fed employees can hardly spare the five minutes to type up five whole bullet points of accomplishments. Ridiculous. It's why they can't make it in the private sector and have to depend on political connections, unions, and civil servant protections to prevent them from dying in a ditch in a pool of their own urine.
Posted by: Regular joe ||
02/24/2025 11:21
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#7
Sorry, but OPM is the only gov’t personnel office, not some autistic conceited rich guy that nobody elected. And Trump is too stupid in this regard to see he is being played.
Too bad Manchin chose not to run.
1) Federal employees are crying about someone asking what they did last week. That is not going to sell well with the Normies. Every indoor job I ever had, there was either a weekly status report or a timesheet with hours for whatever projects you worked on.
2) Clarification of the chain of command
Elon: So what is it, exactly, that you do here?
FedEmp: Waaah! You're not the boss of me!
NewBoss: Ignore Elon. You work for me.
FedEmp: Yeah! Neener, neener, neener!
NewBoss: Now get to work.
FedEmp: You're not the... oh, wait.
[IsraelTimes] Captive’s mother to Netanyahu: ‘Free all hostages, in one batch, now’; father of hostage who returned earlier in day says no one should be allowed to prevent freedom for others
The photos at the link show only a few hundred people gathered there, to none of whom it occurred that Hamas is the party they should address to get the hostages released.
Families of hostages held by terror groups in the Gaza Strip on Saturday urged the government to secure the freedom of all remaining captives as the last living hostages scheduled for release in the first stage of a troubled ceasefire deal with Hamas were set free.
At the weekly hostage support rally in Tel Aviv, the focal event for demonstrations on behalf of the captives, hostage mother Einav Zangauker called on leaders to negotiate the release of all the captives in one tranche, while the father of a captive who returned to Israel earlier the same day added his voice to the urgency of freeing those still languishing in Gaza.
Relatives of hostages panned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of being less concerned about the fate of the hostages than the Trump administration, and of putting the captives below his own political needs.
Though highlighting the joy in Israel at the day’s releases she told the Tel Aviv protest: “It must not be that the deal is stopped and that we return to fighting.”
Zangauker, whose son Matan is a hostage, noted that 63 hostages are still “in hell in Gaza.”
A block away, on Begin Road, hundreds of anti-government, pro-hostage deal protesters rallied in front of IDF headquarters.
The single photo of this crowd looks more like a few dozen, to me.
Yehuda Cohen, whose soldier son Nimrod is slated for release only in the deal’s second phase, accused Netanyahu of consistently working to thwart any hostage deal since October 7, 2023, out of political expediency.
Of course he said that. He is uninterested in how this public divisiveness heartens Hamas and strengthens their refusal to quit.
Cohen thanked Trump and his envoy Witkoff for locking in the Gaza hostage deal. Witkoff was actively involved in negotiations even before Trump was sworn into office on January 20.
The fate of the ceasefire process was cast into further doubt later Saturday when Israel said it won’t release hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners who were supposed to be exchanged for the six hostages, citing the “humiliating ceremonies” staged by Hamas when hostages are handed over. Netanyahu said Israel would demand an end to the gauche fanfare that Hamas has put on as it hands hostages to the Red Cross, before resuming freeing prisoners.
Hamas has said it won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Which makes it no less a hudna than a temporary ceasefire, or than what they had on 10/6/2023. Except that the world would fuss if Israel broke the terms while ignoring Hamas perfidy.
Netanyahu, with the backing of Trump’s administration, says he’s committed to destroying the terror group’s military and governing capacities and returning all hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive.
Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are holding 63 hostages, including 62 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. They include the bodies of at least 36 confirmed dead by the IDF.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Dramatic video showed the moment two fighter jets escorted and American Airlines flight that took off from JFK Airport in New York City to New Delhi, India after a bomb threat was received.
American Airlines Flight 292 was flying near Turkmenistan when it made a U-turn and was grounded in Rome due to a 'possible security issue,' the airline said.
The airline - which is still reeling from its catastrophic collision with a Black Hawk helicopter that killed everyone onboard a commercial flight in Washington DC last month - confirmed the ordeal on Sunday.
The jet departed around 8.30pm Saturday and was over the Caspian Sea when the airline warned the crew of a bomb threat, sources said. It was eventually grounded in Rome, Italy, at 11.15am EST.
The plane was grounded because of a bomb threat that was received by email, ABC News reported. The concern was later determined to be 'non-credible,' the airline said.
In the past, down here in the south.
This type of POS would have been driven to a local gator filled swamp and dumped. OR found with 14 "self-inflicted"☺ ventilation holes.
Did they include a cute little map with all the Egyptian troop positions marked, including manpower counts and armaments?
[IsraelTimes] Israel has lodged an official complaint with Egypt over alleged violations of agreements on troop deployments in the Sinai peninsula, Israel Hayom reports.
Last month, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter accused Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of violating the US-brokered 1978 peace deal between Jerusalem and Cairo.
“Egypt is in very serious violation of our peace agreement in the Sinai. This is an issue that is going to come to the fore because it’s not tolerable,” Leiter told American Jewish leaders.
“We have bases being built that can only be used for offensive operations, for offensive weapons — that’s a clear violation,” Leiter said. “For a long time, it’s been shunted aside, and this continues. This is going to be an issue that we’re going to put on the table very soon and very emphatically.”
In addition, multiple Israeli outlets have run articles in recent weeks highlighting concern over Egyptian deployment in the Sinai.
[SUDANTRIBUNE] Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed Cairo's support for Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... 's legitimate government and rejected the formation of any parallel authority in the country, Sudan's foreign ministry said on Sunday.
Abdelatty's statement came during a meeting in Cairo with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Youssif, as the two countries held a bilateral political consultation mechanism.
The meeting follows the signing of a founding charter on Saturday by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and 23 allied factions, including the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), in Nairobi, Kenya. The charter aims to establish a parallel government in RSF-controlled areas in the coming weeks.
''Egypt rejects any framework or government parallel to the legitimate government in Sudan and any external interference,'' the Sudanese foreign ministry said in a statement, quoting Abdelatty.
The Egyptian foreign ministry didn't explicitly report the rival government's rejection in a statement released after the meeting.
''The two delegations also discussed the situation in brotherly Sudan. They emphasized the importance of preserving its unity, territorial integrity, independence and respecting its illusory sovereignty and all its national institutions, including the armed forces. They also stressed the importance of non-interference in Sudan's internal affairs under any pretext, affirming their rejection of any steps that would undermine Sudan's illusory sovereignty,'' stated the foreign ministry in Cairo.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2025
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Exclusive Footage: @DalsanTv has obtained footage of the aftermath of Thursday’s clashes in Eel Ali Ahmed, Middle Shabelle. The battle between Al-Shabaab & the Somali army, alongside clan militias, left houses destroyed, including a mosque. The militants were ultimately defeated. pic.twitter.com/r72SlMhes7
#BREAKING: Puntland forces have reached Curaar, marking the first time they have seized one of the most significant strongholds previously held by ISIS terrorists.
It was their largest ISIS defense position, aside from the previously liberated Dhasan to Mirale in Calmiskaad… pic.twitter.com/IoO9CsS3Hb
…to Mirale in Calmiskaad mountains. Puntland forces discovered vehicles used by the militants that were destroyed in airstrikes, and motorcycles they used, and the bodies of the terrorist group are scattered across the site, officials say. #Somalia
[IsraelTimes] Speaking at an IDF cadets graduation ceremony, Defense Minister Israel Katz reveals the military has constructed at least nine posts inside Syria.
“[The IDF] built two proper posts atop the summit of Mount Hermon and seven posts in the buffer zone to ensure defense and offense against any challenge,” he says.
He adds the IDF will remain in the posts “indefinitely.”
[TWZ] For the first time, the U.S. Space Force has released a photo of Earth taken by one of its secretive X-37B mini-shuttles. The image appears to be the first in-orbit shot from the craft of any kind to be officially released by the Pentagon. However, a brief video clip published in 2023 did show the service-module-equipped X-37B separating from its launch rocket after being lofted into space in 2020.
#2
Yes, my faith was shaken by eight years of Barack Obama and four years of Joe Biden. There can be no denying this is a society in decline. The inflation and all the woke bullcrap was getting me down. But, if we're going back into space, that's encouraging.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/24/2025 11:43
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Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2025
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[IsraelTimes] In address to packed Beirut stadium from hidden location, terror leader’s successor vows to uphold his legacy, threatens Israel and US, as IDF hits Hezbollah targets across Lebanon
Tens of thousands of black-clad mourners vowed support for the Hezbollah terror group Sunday at the Beirut funeral of slain leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...> , after the group was dealt major blows in its last round of hostilities with Israel.
Women wailed as a truck carrying the coffins of Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine — Nasrallah’s chosen successor, killed in another Israeli Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... before his new position was ever publicly announced — slowly moved through the crowd, topped with two black turbans and draped in Hezbollah’s yellow flag.
After his death, Nasrallah was buried temporarily next to his son, Hadi, who died fighting for Hezbollah in 1997. His official funeral was delayed to allow time for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... under the terms of the US-backed ceasefire.
The September 27 killing of Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for more than three decades, in a massive Israeli strike, dealt a heavy blow to the Iran-backed group.
As the funeral began at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Lebanon’s biggest sports arena, Israeli warplanes flew at a low altitude over Beirut.
The crowd then chanted: "Death to Israel, death to America, we respond to your call, Nasrallah."
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the overflight was a "clear message" to anyone who threatens Israel.
"Israeli Air Force aircraft currently flying over Beirut, over the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, convey a clear message: Whoever threatens to destroy Israel and attack Israel — it will be their end," he said in a statement.
"You will specialize in funerals, and we will specialize in victories," Katz added.
Israel also carried out several airstrikes in Lebanon on Sunday, saying they targeted Hezbollah sites containing rocket launchers and other weapons threatening Israeli civilians.
The terror group began assaulting northern Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after fellow terror group Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... ’s devastating attack on southern Israel. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was implemented in late November after over a year of skirmishes that ended with two months of all-out war. Hezbollah’s leadership and much of its offensive capabilities were devastated in the latter period.
While the ceasefire has largely seen hostilities halted and the IDF recently withdrew from most of the territory it was holding in south Lebanon, Israeli forces remain in five strategic locations within Lebanese territory.
NAIM QASSEM VOWS TO UPHOLD NASRALLAH’S LEGACY
Nasrallah was being buried Sunday in a shrine constructed near the stadium. Safieddine is set to be buried on Monday in southern Lebanon.
In a televised address to the funeral ceremony, broadcast from an undisclosed location, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem ... the Grand Vizier of the Hezbullies... said the terror group would keep following his "path" and rejected any control of "tyrant America" over Lebanon.
"The resistance is not over, the resistance is still present and ready" to face Israel, he said.
"We will uphold trust and walk on this path, we will uphold your will," Qassem said, referring to Nasrallah, adding: "You are still with us, your... path and struggle live within us" and "I am loyal to the legacy."
Telling his followers that Hezbollah remains "strong," Qassem said: "We will not submit and we will not accept the continuation of our killing and occupation while we watch."
He said Hezbollah considered Israel’s five positions an occupation and was relying on the Lebanese government to secure a full withdrawal through diplomacy.
"We choose to fire when we see fit and are patient when we see fit," he said.
"Know this Americans, if... you try to pressure officials and Lebanon, you will not be able to achieve your goals," he added, asserting that "officials in Lebanon know the balance of powers."
"Do not interpret our patience and wisdom in assessing priorities as weakness," he warned.
According to reports, a number of Hezbollah operatives injured in Israel’s exploding pager operation that caused severe damage to the terror group were in attendance at the funeral.
Sam Heller of the Century Foundation think tank said it was "important for the group to demonstrate that it remains a major social and political force, despite some of the setbacks it’s been dealt."
As mourners raised their fists in the air and chanted "We are at your service, Nasrallah" and "We are loyal to the promise, Nasrallah," the slain leader’s previous speeches were blasted on loudspeakers.
Men, women and kiddies walked in the biting cold to reach the site of the ceremony, which was delayed for months over security concerns.
CROWD SIZE ESTIMATES VARY
Since Saturday, roads into Beirut have been clogged with carloads of supporters traveling in from Hezbollah’s strongholds in south Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.
AFP correspondents reported Sunday that the stadium, which organizers said could accommodate roughly 78,000 people, was fully packed. A previous AFP report put the stadium’s capacity at around 50,000, but noted that organizers had installed extra seating and overflow room.
Meanwhile,
...back at the laboratory the smoke and fumes had dispersed, to reveal an ominous sight... a Lebanese official who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity estimated the crowd size at 450,000.
Hezbollah’s al-Manar television said the group deployed 25,000 stewards for crowd control and 4,000 more to supervise the event.
A Lebanese security source said 4,000 troops and security personnel were also deployed to the area.
LEBANESE PRESIDENT A NO-SHOW
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked parliament speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians... , a Hezbollah ally, to represent him at the ceremony, while Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was represented by a minister.
Hezbollah’s weakening in the war is widely seen as having contributed to the election of Aoun, who named Salam as his premier last month after two years of leadership vacuum.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in attendance, with representatives of Iraq’s main pro-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... factions and a delegation of Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ’s Iran-backed Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... group also expected.
A single flight from Tehran was given permission to land before dawn on Sunday, though service from Iran has been suspended over the threat of Israeli strikes against attempts to smuggle weapons or other goods to Hezbollah.
"It is only one flight, carrying official delegations from Tehran to participate in the funeral," airport chief Fadi al-Hassan told AFP.
Araghchi, in a speech from Beirut, described the slain leaders as "two heroes of the resistance" and vowed that "the path of resistance will continue."
Before the funeral, Aragchi and other Iranian officials met Aoun. According to a statement from Aoun’s office, he told the Iranian delegation that Lebanon was "tired of the war of others" and that it had "paid a heavy price for the Paleostinian cause."
At the meeting, Ghalibaf told Aoun that Iran is willing to help Lebanon with its reconstruction efforts following the conflict, according to a post from the Lebanese president’s official X account.
Aoun told the Iranian official that Lebanon’s leadership supports 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... reconstruction plan discussed during Friday’s Arab summit in Riyadh, which laid out a path towards a two-state solution, in opposition to Trump’s plan for the mass relocation of Gazooks outside the enclave.
ISRAEL RELEASES NEW FOOTAGE OF KILLING
Amid the funeral fanfare, Israel released new footage of the massive September 27 airstrike that killed Nasrallah and, according to Israel, more than 20 Hezbollah commanders, including Ali Karaki, the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets dropped 82 heavy bombs on the terror group’s main underground headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh, bringing down several buildings.
[IsraelTimes] Police and Shin Bet agents arrested 10 people suspected of smuggling arms from Jordan into Israel, spokespeople for the agencies say in a joint statement.
The suspects — nine Israeli citizens and one West Bank Palestinian — were arrested over the course of the past two months. Security forces confiscated 34 pistols and four long-barreled guns during the investigation.
The State Attorney’s Office indicted the suspects on a plethora of charges including arms smuggling, carrying and transporting weapons, arms possession, damage to IDF property, aiding illegal exit from the country and drug offenses.
According to the statement, the suspects organized two sophisticated arms smuggling operations across the border between Israel and Jordan during the latter half of 2024.
At the helm of the operation was 28-year-old Fawaz al-Toukhi, a resident of the Negev Bedouin town Bir Hadaj, who allegedly recruited others to the ring and paid them tens of thousands of shekels for their involvement.
Officials stress the security risk posed by arms smuggling, noting that two pistols smuggled into Israel were used in terror attacks in which two police officers were killed last October.
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says it carried out strikes against additional Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon a short while ago.
The targets included several buildings used by Hezbollah to store weapons, where activity by operatives was identified, the military says.
The military says Hezbollah’s activity at the sites is a “violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
The IDF has carried out several strikes in Lebanon today, in addition to sending fighter jets to fly over the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
[SportsIllustrated] MLB commissioner Rob Manfred sent a letter to all 30 owners earlier this week explaining why the league decided to "mutually" part ways with ESPN and opt out of their national television contract.
In the letter, Manfred cited ESPN's lack of baseball coverage in its programming outside of the games as one of the reasons why he agreed to terminate the deal that was set to run through the 2028 season. However, CNN Sports' Kyle Feldscher reported that the breakup perhaps wasn't completely mutual. Read the rest at the link
[FoxNews] President Donald Trump’s White House is looking to sell two prominent federal buildings in San Francisco, including the recently dubbed Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, according to local reports.
The Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, a two-decade-old, 18-story tower known as the San Francisco Federal Building until its formal dedication to the former House speaker in December, sits on Mission and 7th streets in an area that has been for years plagued by open-air drug dealing, illegal markets reselling stolen goods and other crime.
In addition to Pelosi’s namesake building, the Trump administration is reportedly also considering selling the 1930s-era federal building at 50 United Nations Plaza, which currently serves as the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) regional headquarters. The potential sales were reported by KGO-TV, as well as the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited a GSA document earmarking both federal properties in San Francisco as "non-core" assets to possibly be sold off.
In 2023, hundreds of federal employees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) assigned to the building were instructed to work from home amid worsening safety concerns, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. At the time, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, demanded its closure due to the drug dealing at the building’s doorstep.
In a 2020 executive order, Trump described the 7th Street federal building – an energy-efficient "green" structure opened in 2007 at a cost of $144 million – as being considered by San Franciscans as "one of the ugliest structures in their city."
Andy Ball, a developer who worked as a concrete subcontractor on the building two decades ago, told the Chronicle the project was a "waste of taxpayer money from day one."
"No investor would have built this building," Ball said, estimating the costs were about "50% greater" than if the project had been funded by the private sector. "In this market, it will represent the greatest difference between cost to build and its sale value."
Last year, the overall vacancy for downtown San Francisco reached 37%, with the vacancy rate specifically in the Mid-Market area sitting at 55%, according to the Chronicle.
As of December, the Federal Protective Service ramped up security at the corner since the 7th Street federal building was formally named after Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco for more than 37 years in Congress. Residents who spoke to KGO-TV lamented that the problems just seemed to have been moved a block over, as federal employees would now enjoy the benefit of armed security, while everyday citizens do not. The building, which can accommodate roughly 2,000 workers, currently houses offices for Pelosi, HHS, as well as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Unexpectedly. But how nice that President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio have a clear signal how to proceed with regard to aid to the Palestinian Authority.
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
PA’s Abbas: Payments to terrorists will continue, “even if it’s our last penny.”
Despite claims of reversing the policy, the Palestinian Authority will continue issuing monthly salaries to terrorists and their families. pic.twitter.com/O0WB3QG73d
[Clarice Feldman on FB] In a shocking revelation that has sent ripples through Washington, sources within the White House have confirmed that the Oval Office—including the historic Resolute Desk—was subjected to a high-level security sweep following suspicions of covert surveillance.
The sweep reportedly uncovered sophisticated listening devices, leading to the immediate removal of the President’s desk for a comprehensive off-site scan.
A senior official, speaking anonymously, revealed that the discovery followed routine electronic countermeasures that detected unusual signals. "The anomalies were subtle but consistent—enough to trigger a full investigation," the source said. "We couldn’t risk compromising the integrity of the President’s workspace."
Specialized teams using cutting-edge radiofrequency detection technology were dispatched, and initial findings allegedly pointed to concealed audio surveillance devices hidden within the office.
The Resolute Desk, gifted by Queen Victoria in 1880, was transported to a secure, undisclosed location for thorough inspection by counterintelligence and forensic tech experts. Early reports suggest at least one miniature transmitter—small enough to evade standard detection—may have been embedded within the desk’s structure. Official confirmation of this discovery is still pending.
White House spokesperson Emily Harrow declined to provide specifics but confirmed that "enhanced security measures" had been put into effect. "The administration takes all potential threats to national security seriously," Harrow stated. Once burned, twice shy
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/24/2025
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#1
Time to get some cheap plastic folding tables in there.
Text taken from a Telegram post by front4494
[ColonelCassad] Interesting details on the topic of the overthrow of Assad in Syria.
Jackson Hinkle interviews Eli Hatem, a longtime lawyer for the Assad family, discussing key events during the coup against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
I was there a few days before the “revolution.” Everyone calls it a “revolution,” but it was actually a coup.
The coup was orchestrated by the US administration, Turkey, Israel and their intelligence services.
Turkey was threatened by the US into submission.
On November 19, 2024, a senior Israeli intelligence officer, the Shabak, met with Erdogan and together they worked to carry out this coup.
Oy. Israel and Turkey?? It seems highly unlikely.
No one, including Bashar al-Assad, knew about it. On December 8, I spoke to one of Assad’s cousins and told him that maybe they should leave Damascus. But he said everything was under control. That was a big surprise to us.
The next day, we had to evacuate them from Syria through Latakia.
During such coups, the crowds behave chaotically, and we feared for their lives on the way from Latakia to the Russian air base in Khmeimim.
No one expected any movements from inside Syria.
There were the usual random Israeli bombings and some army movements. A few months before, some Iranian troops were returning to Iran.
No one wanted a coup. There were no signs of it.
Hayat Tahrir al Sham wanted a coup, and had been rehearsing for over a year, as I recall. Y’all should be embarrassed that you missed it.
Of course, part of the population was against the government, but they were smaller compared to those who supported the Assad regime. However, the protesters did not reach a significant mass. I would rather expect a coup in France against Macron than in Syria.
It was a political project, carefully designed and prepared by the intelligence services - Israeli, American, which set Turkey against Syria, intimidating it with the Kurds.
Four days before the coup, Netanyahu made a threatening statement, warning Bashar al-Assad: “You are playing with fire. You will find out what will happen to you.”
The goal of this political project was to divide Syria and add fuel to the fire to provoke conflicts within all communities in the country. These conflicts were to spread throughout the region, aiming to cause a clash between Shiites and Sunnis.
This is what happened in Syria.
We are currently witnessing the massacre of Alawites and the persecution of Christians.
Al-Jolani, who was previously the second in command of ISIS, left the organization and joined Al-Qaeda. He then founded the Nusra Front in Syria as an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. He was considered a terrorist until the coup.
He’s still a terrorist. He’s just a terrorist who conquered a country, like ISIS, but has much smoother manners, so the world is willing — nay, eager — to open relations.
He said that he would not take any action against Israel. Israel has captured part of Syrian territory and its forces are only 24-25 km from Damascus. Al-Jolani thanked Israel for helping them in their “operation” against the Assad government.
This is proof that both ISIS and Al-Qaeda are creations of Western intelligence agencies.
A leap in logic that I can’t follow. The things jihadis say may or may not be true, and may be true only for now, but are always said for effect. Israel does not trust the HTS government, despite their pretty promises, and so Israel now has nine bases on Syrian territory in Quneitra province, as a buffer against any parties with non-benign objectives.
They are tools of Israel and the United States. The two organizations are connected through lobby groups such as AIPAC and also through Zionist organizations.
A blatant lie. Cut it out.
The Palestinians in Gaza are being exterminated in a genocidal campaign.
Another lie.
80% of the population of Gaza are Sunni Muslims. If ISIS really stands for true Sunni values, then why did they not take any action at all to protect the Palestinians?
Too smart to go up aginst the IDF, perhaps. But actually, each region has its own ISIS franchise, and while they happily train one another and gain/lose jihad tourists as the local action heats up or is suppressed by the local authorities, mostly they are independent operators only interested in their local concerns.
We should not forget the terrorist attacks carried out by ISIS in Iran and what happened in Moscow shortly after the visit of the Hamas delegation to that city. The terrorist attack on Crocus was a kind of warning signal addressed to Russia.
What happened in Syria was part of a plan to destroy all the states in the Middle East. The goal was to divide Syria into small areas of endless conflicts so that Israel could continue to implement the so-called "Greater Israel" project. They captured much more than the Golan Heights.
Now you are becoming boring.
Now they are trying to capture part of Egypt and intend to do the same in Jordan. There are Islamist groups in Jordan that want to overthrow the king. Then their plan is to go to Saudi Arabia, take some territory from them and create a "Greater Israel".
These are not just my words; Netanyahu showed a "new" map of the Middle East at a UN meeting.
Yeah, yeah. Protocols of The Elders of Zion redux, and just as stupid.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Hezbollah group will continue to follow the path of the movement's slain Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. This was stated by the current head of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem.
"We will maintain trust and continue on this path, we will maintain your will. You are still with us: your path and struggle live within us. I am loyal to the legacy of Nasrallah. We will not accept being killed and occupied while we watch," he said in a televised speech broadcast at the mass funeral, as reported by The Guardian. broadcast from Qom?
Under the bed in his daughter’s room, behind the doll collection.
He added that the large number of people who came to see Nasrallah off was “unparalleled in scale in the history of Lebanon.” According to Qassem, the tens of thousands of people who came to the funeral of the former leader of the movement show that Hezbollah is still a popular political force in Lebanon, despite pressure from the United States, Israel and domestic rivals.
Earlier, at the moment when Nasrallah's funeral began, four IDF fighter jets flew over Beirut at low altitude. It is noted that the situation resembled a simulated air raid on Beirut. This happened at the moment when the coffins with the bodies of Nasrallah and the former chairman of the movement's executive council, Hashem Safi al-Din, were delivered to the stadium where the ceremony began. At that moment, tens of thousands of people were heading to the site of the ceremony.
Also on February 23, the Lebanese NNA news agency reported that Israeli aircraft struck targets in eastern and southern Lebanon at the time of Nasrallah's funeral. The raids targeted several areas on the outskirts of Budaia in the Bekaa in eastern Lebanon and Al-Baysariyeh in southern Lebanon.
As reported by Regnum, Nasrallah was killed in an IDF strike on Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut on September 27. Safi al-Din was appointed head of Hezbollah. The IDF announced his elimination on October 22. Sheikh Qassem was elected as the movement's new leader.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] French security forces have unsuccessfully approached the Algerian authorities ten times with a request to expel from France a native of this country who attacked people with a knife in the city of Mulhouse. This was stated on February 22 by the head of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs Bruno Retaillo on the air of the TF1 TV channel.
"My services have contacted the Algerian consulate ten times, but they have never taken back a person born in Algeria. I think we need to change our position in relations with Algeria. From now on, the balance of power must change," Retailo said.
Very glad to hear it.
According to the head of the Interior Ministry, France was "too kind" to Algeria, but this country did not appreciate the "helping hand extended to it", and therefore tough measures must be taken to force it to accept Algerians deported by the French authorities.
The AFP (Agence France-Presse) agency clarified that in 2023, the attacker was being treated for schizophrenia in a psychiatric hospital, and also abused alcohol and drugs.
Earlier, Regnum reported that at least one person was killed and five were wounded in an attack by a man armed with a knife in Mulhouse, a French city in the east of the country. The attack took place near a street market in the afternoon. According to preliminary information, the victims were municipal workers. The suspect was detained and was registered with law enforcement agencies as part of efforts to "prevent terrorism."
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences to the victims of the attack, calling it an act of terrorism.
Portuguese man killed in Saturday attack in city of Mulhouse; French authorities arrest four after terror stabbing in country’s east
Four people were in jug Sunday after a deadly stabbing in eastern La Belle France that authorities linked to Islamic extremism, according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office.
A Portuguese man was killed in the Saturday attack in the city of Mulhouse, near the border with Germany. Seven coppers were maimed, including a parking control agent hospitalized with grave injuries, the prosecutor’s office said.
Those detained include the suspected assailant, a 37-year-old Algerian man identified by prosecutors as Brahim A. The interior minister described him as an Islamic turban with a schizophrenic profile. Two of the suspect’s family members and a person who lodged him were also detained, the prosecutor’s office said.
The suspect repeatedly said "holy shit! Allahu akbar" — "God is great" in Arabic — during the attack, the prosecutor said. He was armed with a knife and a screwdriver.
The suspect arrived in La Belle France without papers in 2014 and was arrested and convicted of glorifying terrorism in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... attack on Israel, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told news hounds Saturday night. Police experts had ″detected a schizophrenic profile″ in the suspect, he added.
After several months in prison for that conviction, the suspect was confined to house arrest as authorities sought to expel him to Algeria. Retailleau criticized Algeria for resisting the return of criminals La Belle France is seeking to deport.
The suspect was also on a terror watchlist, called FSPRT, which compiles data from various authorities on individuals to prevent "terrorist" radicalization. It was launched in 2015 following deadly attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo ...Pix/Charliehebdo.jpgA lefty French satirical magazine, home of what may well be the majority if the active testicles left in Europe... ’s offices and a Jewish supermarket.
The French government will convene a special meeting Wednesday about immigration in the wake of the attack, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Sunday. They will notably study 19 countries "where we have the most difficulty in returning people without papers,″ Barrot said on Europe-1 radio.
#3
How hard can it be to deport someone from France? You stuff them in the trunk of a Citroen, drive them to the airport, and leave the car in long-term parking. Easy peasy.
As for which wine goes with brains, Malbecs are good. Don't ask how I know this.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 20:15 "Pacer" powerfully worked on logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In the area of the settlement Makhnovka, a bridge over the Smerditsa River was damaged, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces used to deliver cargo and personnel to Sudzha.
19:25 State and departmental awards handed over servicemen of the 177th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Regiment of the Caspian flotilla from the North group of forces.
19:05 Russian naval infantry complete clearing of Kurilovka in Kursk region –MAP
18:51 Liberation of Sudzhansky border area: Maryevka is under our control, in Kurilovka the cleanup of the settlement is being completed
On Defender of the Fatherland Day, our fearless motorized riflemen, having overcome the enemy's stubborn resistance, liberated the village of Maryevka, and the Severyan naval infantry are completing the cleanup of Kurilovka - no more than two combat groups of occupiers remain on the southern outskirts of the settlement.
18:49 Calculations of the anti-aircraft missile and gun systems "Pantsir-S" around the clock control airspace over the positions of Russian troops.
17:21 Russian army liberated Belogorovka –MAP
17:30 For their dedication and heroism, servicemen of the tank regiment of the Center group of forces were awarded handed over Order of Courage, insignia of the Order of St. George – St. George Crosses of the 4th degree, medals “For Courage”, “For Bravery” and “For the Rescue of the Perishing”.
16:41 Drone operators of the "Southern" group of troops with just one FPV drone turned a poorly camouflaged Ukrainian Armed Forces tank into a pile of metal.
15:45 RF Armed Forces are moving forward in the Northern direction
Our soldiers completely liberated Belogorovka, suppressing the remnants of the enemy's defense.
13:55 RF Armed Forces are moving forward in Kursk region
At the moment, the paratroopers of the 106th Airborne Division are advancing towards the center of the village of Lebedevka. Half of the settlement has come under control.
13:17 Russian Armed Forces advance near Makeyevka and Nevsky –MAP
12:40 Around 12:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Republic of Crimea.
12:18 In the area of the settlement Kositsa, Kursk region, the FPV operator of the 1427th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "North" inflicted a targeted strike by a kamikaze drone on an armored vehicle containing Ukrainian military personnel.
12:09 Units of the "Center" group of forces finished liberation of the settlement of Novoandreevka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
12:05 As a result of decisive offensive actions by the unit of the "Southern" group of troops released settlement of Ulakly, Donetsk People's Republic.
11:02 Russian Aerospace Forces applied attacks with guided aerial bombs on targets in the Sumy region.
10:47 FPV drone calculations at Rubicon Center destroyed cars, armored vehicles and personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, disrupting the supply and transportation of enemy soldiers along the roads in the Sumy region.
To work at night, the “birds” are equipped with special optical devices.
09:49 RF Armed Forcesburst inin Topoli and occupied most of the village in the Khar'kov region
In the border area in the Kupyansk-Khar'kov direction, Russian troops expanded the bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskol River, drove out the Ukrainian Armed Forces and occupied the buildings in the central part of the settlement of Topoli.
09:39 Offensive on the Zaporizhzhya Front: Reconnaissance destroys equipment with a BC, supporting the assault on Pyatikhatki
Russian troops, going on the offensive on the Zaporozhye front, broke into Pyatikhatki and occupied a significant part of the village .
Assault units advance with the support of attack drones, which destroy enemy combat equipment and positions.
08:51 From 6:00 to 8:15 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles:
six UAVs over the territory of the Oryol region,
three UAVs over the territory of the Tula region, and
one UAV over the territory of the Kursk region.
08:25 Advance of the Russian Armed Forces near Alekseyevka –MAP.
07:07 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 20 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles:
five UAVs over the territory of the Oryol region,
four UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region,
four UAVs over the territory of the Kursk region,
three UAVs over the territory of the Lipetsk region, and
two UAVs each over the territories of the Tula and Voronezh regions.
06:37 Servicemen of the 39th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the "East" group of forces evacuated about a dozen civilians from the village of Ulakly in the DPR were rescued from shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The operation to rescue civilians lasted more than a day. The servicemen delivered people to a temporary accommodation point, where they were provided with clean clothes, sleeping places and hot meals.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, units of the Sever Group of Forces defeated formations of one motorised infantry brigade and one territorial defence brigade close to Volchansk and Zolochev (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses were up to 30 troops, six armoured fighting vehicles, two artillery guns, including one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of five mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one territorial defence brigade, and one National Guard brigade near Kupyansk, Dvurechnaya, Peschanoye, Shiykovka, Zagoruykovka, Novaya Kruglyakovka Staroverovka, Zeleny Gai (Kharkov region), Yampolovka and Yampol (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses were up to 190 troops, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, one French-made VAB armoured personnel carrier, five motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns, including two NATO-made ones. In addition, one Nota electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot were neutralised.
As a result of decisive offensive actions, units of the Yug Group of Forces liberated Ulakly (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops hit formations of six mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade of the AFU near Seversk, Dronovka, Verkhnekamenskoye, Novomarkovo, Belogorovka, Chasov Yar, Stupochki, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses were up to 165 troops, one tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns.
One radar reconnaissance station and two ammunition depots were neutralised.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units completed the liberation of Novoandreyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops launched and attack on formations of seven mechanised brigades, one jaeger brigade, one assault brigade, one assault regiment, and two National Guard brigade close to Kotlino, Zverevo, Sergeyevka, Lenina, Berezovka, Shevchenko, Udachnoye, Uspenovka, and Andreyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses were up to 360 troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, two Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and three artillery guns.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on formations of one tank brigade, two mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade, one naval infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades near Konstantinopol, Razliv, Bogatyr, Komar, Burlatskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Gulyaipole (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses were more than 150 troops, one Novator armoured fighting vehicle, five motor vehicles, four field artillery guns, and two ammunition depots.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on units of two mechanised brigades of the AFU and three territorial defence brigades close to Novopetrovskoye (Dnepropetrovsk region), Zelyonoye Pole, Rovnopol, Dneproenergiya, and Razliv (Donetsk People's Republic)
The AFU losses were more than 130 troops, one German-made Leopard tank, one armoured fighting vehicle, and one motor vehicle. The Russian Armed Forces eliminated four field artillery pieces, including one 155mm French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces engaged manpower and hardware of two coastal defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Primorskoye, Novoandreyevka, Pyatikhatki (Zaporozhye region) and Antonovka (Kherson region).
The AFU losses were up to 40 troops, four motor vehicles, and one electronic warfare station.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged the infrastructure of military airfields, storage and training sites for the launch of unmanned aerial vehicles as well as clusters of manpower and hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 156 areas.
Air defence systems shot down 10 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles and 108 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 652 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 42,095 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,984 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,511 MLRS combat vehicles, 21,100 field artillery guns and mortars, and 31,097 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 offensive actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on formations of one heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one assault brigade, two air assault brigades, two territorial defence brigades, and two assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Gogolevka, Goncharovka, Guyevo, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Pervy Knyazhy, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Maryevka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Rubanshchina, Sudzha, and Yuzhny. Four enemy counter-attacks were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery strikes engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Zamostye, Kositsa, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Staraya Sorochina, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye as well as Basovka, Belovody, Vladimirovka, Zhuravka, Iskriskovsshchina, Maryevka, Nizhnyaya Syrovatka, Novaya Sech, Novenkoye, Novonikolayevka, Turya, and Yablonovka in Sumy region.
During the day, the AFU losses were over 200 troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured personnel carriers, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, one M-270 MLRS launcher, one transport-loading vehicle, two artillery guns, four mortars, one electronic warfare station, and two ammunition depots.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 62,850 troops, 376 tanks, 288 infantry fighting vehicles, 239 armoured personnel carriers, 1,991 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,143 motor vehicles, 467 artillery guns, 52 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 22 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, 10 transport-loading vehicles, 114 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, seven air defence radars, 49 units of engineering and other materiel, including 19 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 14 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translation. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] At a rally dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the deportation of the Vainakhs, Chechen Prime Minister Magomed Daudov demanded that the descendants of the repressed be given back their homes in the former Aukhovsky District of Dagestan.
As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, today marks 81 years since the beginning of Stalin's deportation of the Vainakhs. A memorial rally in memory of the victims of the deportation was held in Nazran.
On February 23, 1944, Operation Lentil began, during which almost 500,000 Chechens and Ingush were deported en masse from the territory of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. More details about these events and their consequences can be found in the "Caucasian Knot" reference "Deportation of Chechens and Ingush".
An event dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the "deportation of the Chechen people" was held in Chechnya, at which the Chairman of the Government Magomed Daudov raised the issue of restoring the Aukhovsky District, Chechnya Today reports.
"Every year people come out with demands for the restoration of the Aukhovsky District. They say that if there is a law on rehabilitation, and housing was built for those who seized their lands, then the Aukh residents should have the opportunity to return to their homes... Maybe the Dagestani authorities think that we do not notice these appeals or consider the Aukh residents to be distant from us. This is not so. We live in a state governed by the rule of law, and there is a law on the rehabilitation of repressed peoples. Sooner or later, the Chechen people will restore justice in this matter," the agency quotes Daudov as saying.
The deportation of the Vainakhs is directly linked to the unresolved issue of the rights of the Chechens of Dagestan, who have been waiting for the restoration of the Aukhovsky District for about 30 years, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report " The Main Thing About Aukh: What the Chechens Demand from the Dagestan Authorities."
At the same time, it follows from the publication of the state news agency Grozny-Inform that Magomed Daudov made even harsher statements at the rally, speaking about those who live in the territory of the former Aukhovsky district.
"They call themselves Muslims, but they commit a sin that cannot be forgiven. Even a shahid's debt is not forgiven. Someone else's will never be halal for them... By the will of the Almighty, we will achieve justice in this matter: if possible, according to the law of the country or according to Sharia law," Daudov's words are quoted in the publication.
On February 23, 2023, Magomed Daudov also stated that houses in the former Aukhovsky district should be returned to the descendants of the repressed. Daudov's speech was an attempt to speed up the restoration of the Aukhovsky district, but his demand is unfeasible, and the situation can only be resolved by a political decision, experts said. The restoration of the Aukhovsky district, which was planned to be completed by 2025, has actually been stopped for many years, the resettlement of Laks and the construction of new houses have been disrupted, Dagestani activists said in 2024.
Ramzan Kadyrov's Telegram channel published a message today dedicated to the anniversary of the deportation. "Today is a sad date in the history of the Chechen people: on February 23, 1944, by the inhuman order of the damned Joseph Stalin, the Chechens and Ingush were forcibly deported to Siberia and Central Asia. Operation Lentil was led by Lavrenty Beria. This criminal order led to huge casualties: thousands of people died on the road, in the harsh conditions of special settlements, from hunger, cold and disease. Our people were doomed to suffer only by the will of a cruel regime," the publication says.
Recall that the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow was celebrated in Chechnya on February 23 until 2011, until the authorities decided to celebrate all Russian state holidays equally with other regions. In April 2011, a special commission announced that the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow of the Peoples of the Republic would be celebrated annually on May 10 - the day of Akhmat Kadyrov's funeral.
However, in 2020, on Defender of the Fatherland Day, a rally in memory of the victims of repression was held in Grozny, in which Ramzan Kadyrov and other officials took part. Representatives of the Chechen leadership held a small rally in memory of the victims of the deportation on February 23, 2021. Ramzan Kadyrov, who left for a visit to Dubai, did not participate in it. In 2022, on the 78th anniversary of the deportation, no memorial events were held in the republic; officials dedicated only posts on social networks to this date.
Political scientist Ruslan Kutayev, who publicly spoke out in 2014 against the ban on February mourning events, was convicted and sent to prison for almost four years, as noted in the "Caucasian Knot" report " How Kadyrov turned a memorial service into a holiday on February 23."
The Chechen authorities also demanded that residents stop using the term "deportation," replacing it with the words "eviction" or "repression." At the same time, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" noted that the Chechen authorities will not be able to erase the date of the beginning of the deportation from the people's memory.
Events dedicated to the anniversary of the deportation of the Vainakhs were held today in Chechnya, Ingushetia and other regions of the North Caucasus Federal District. In addition to official rallies, local residents honored the memory of the victims of the deportation with religious, educational and home meetings.
As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, today marks 81 years since the beginning of Stalin's deportation of the Vainakhs. A memorial rally in memory of the victims of the deportation was held in Ingushetia, and at a rally in Chechnya, the republic's Prime Minister Magomed Daudov voiced a demand to return housing in the former Aukhovsky District of Dagestan to the descendants of the repressed. A memorial rally on the 81st anniversary of Stalin's deportation of the Vainakhs was also held in the Novolaksky District of Dagestan.
On February 23, 1944, Operation Lentil began, during which almost 500,000 Chechens and Ingush were deported en masse from the territory of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. More details about these events and their consequences can be found in the "Caucasian Knot" reference "Deportation of Chechens and Ingush".
Today is the hardest day for Chechens and Ingush, a representative of the Memorial Human Rights Defense Center, familiar with the situation in Chechnya, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
"There has been no information about unofficial actions this year. There has also been no information about pressure," he noted.
According to the speaker, "any action on this day, of course, if it is not an entertainment event, is a manifestation of grief." "Such actions today are more likely to have the character of disagreement with the authorities, since the authorities have long forgotten this day as a day of grief," he emphasized.
Chechen resident Yuni, in turn, noted that he does not show any particular interest in official events.
“And people, as usual, remember their relatives who suffered from deportation by holding events at home and distributing sadaqah in villages,” he said.
Another resident of Chechnya, a lawyer, noted that various organizations, including the Chechen Bar Association, had distributed the message. "In it, along with grief over the tragic day for the Vainakhs, there are also congratulations on the day of the Russian army. It's two in one," he said.
According to the speaker, many people mark the day of mourning with religious events. "In our villages, last night, on the eve of Ramadan, people gathered for dhikr, made dua in honor of those who passed away during the deportation," he said.
The head of the human rights organization "Mashr" Magomed Mutsolgov published a post in his blog on the "Caucasian Knot" dedicated to the anniversary of the deportation of the Vainakhs.
"On February 23, 1944, the Ingush and Chechens, without exception, from the youngest to the oldest, were exiled by the Stalinist regime to the cold steppes of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The Vainakhs, basely deprived of their homeland, shared the fate of other peoples, unjustly doomed to death," he wrote in the post " 81st anniversary of the deportation of the Vainakhs!". "We remember those innocently killed in the cold steppes of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, because this is the tragedy of every family of our peoples. Our ancestors survived a tragedy that should never happen again, never and to no one."
More than 200 residents of the Nazran district gathered today in the mosque of the Ingush village of Ali-Yurt to remember and pray for the victims of the 1944 deportation. At the event, representatives of the older generation shared stories that they heard from eyewitnesses of those tragic events. After the conversation, those gathered read the movlid and prayed for the victims of the deportation.
In Nazran, on the day of the deportation of the Ingush people, a charity event was also held, within the framework of which more than 300 families received meat from sacrificial animals, the city mayor's office reported. In particular, assistance was provided to large and low-income families, as well as to relatives of killed soldiers and participants in the special military operation.
Commemorative events were also held in Stavropol Krai. Thus, in Pyatigorsk, the deportation of the Vainakhs was remembered with the participation of students from the North Caucasus Institute of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Pyatigorsk State University and the Medical and Pharmaceutical Institute. The events were organized by representatives of the national-cultural autonomy "Magas" and the Ingush representative office in Stavropol Krai. At the meeting, representatives of various regions heard testimonies of eyewitnesses who survived the forced displacement, the Ingushetia newspaper's Telegram channel reports.
Let us recall that the reasons for the deportation were mass desertion and preparation of an armed uprising in the Soviet rear, although the territory of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR was practically not under occupation, and by February 1944 the Wehrmacht had already been thrown back hundreds of kilometers from the Caucasus. According to historians, mass arrests, deportations and executions based on nationality were widely practiced under Stalin, which is confirmed by numerous documentary evidence, as stated in the "Caucasian Knot" reference " 10 myths about Stalin's role in the Great Patriotic War".
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Over the past 24 hours, 112 clashes have occurred on the front.
by Ivanna Kapustianska
The 1096th day of large-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine has begun. In total, 112 combat clashes were recorded over the past day.
The General Staff informs about this.
Yesterday, the enemy launched two missile strikes using three missiles and 81 airstrikes, dropping 135 missiles, on the positions of Ukrainian units and settlements. In addition, it carried out more than 5,300 attacks, 47 of them from multiple launch rocket systems, and used 2,785 kamikaze drones to strike.
Enemy airstrikes targeted Monachynivka, Zapadne, Zolochiv, and Dubivka in Kharkiv Oblast; Kostyantynivka, Ivanopillya, Sloviansk, Myrolyubivka, Zvirovo, and Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast; Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; Hulyaipole, Lobkove, Zelene, Varvarivka, and Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhia Oblast; Kherson, Vysoke, Tyahynka, Kozatske, and Shlyakhove in Kherson Oblast.
Over the past day, the Defense Forces' aviation, missile troops, and artillery have struck two command posts, 15 areas of concentration of personnel and equipment, and two artillery pieces of the invaders.
In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy attacked five times, towards Vovchansk, Figolivka, Dvorichnaya, and Zapadne.
In the Kupyansk direction, three attacks by the invaders took place in a day. The defense forces repelled the enemy's assault actions in the Zagryzove area.
In the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 13 times. He tried to penetrate our defenses near the settlements of Ivanivka, Kolodyazhi, Yampolivka, and in the Serebryansk Forest.
In the Siversky direction, Ukrainian units repelled the offensive actions of the invaders three times in the area of Bilogorivka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the invaders carried out six attacks in the areas of Vasyukivka, Stupochok, and Bila Hora.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 13 attacks near Toretsk and in the direction of Diliivka.
In the Pokrovsky direction, our defenders stopped 34 assault and offensive actions of the aggressor near the settlements of Vodyane Druge, Novotoretske, Yelizavetivka, Promyn, Dachenske, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novooleksandrivka, Andriivka and Ulakly. At the same time, the enemy actively used bombing and assault aircraft on settlements and positions of our troops.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the aggressor attacked eight times in the past day near the settlements of Konstantinopol and Burlatske.
In the Orikhiv direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled four attacks in the area of Pyatikhatki and Shcherbaky.
In the Dnieper direction, the Russian invaders once tried to dislodge our units from their occupied positions, but they were unsuccessful and suffered losses.
The operation in the Kursk direction is ongoing. Over the past day, Ukrainian defenders have repelled 13 enemy attacks in the direction. The enemy launched 20 air strikes, dropping 28 anti-aircraft missiles, and carried out 383 attacks, including 14 from multiple launch rocket systems.
The occupiers did not conduct offensive operations in the Hulyaipil direction.
No signs of the formation of enemy offensive groups were detected in the Volyn and Polissya directions.
On the border with Chernihiv and Sumy regions, the enemy from the territory of the Russian Federation is actively using artillery and strike UAVs in the areas of Ukrainian settlements. Our soldiers are inflicting significant losses on the occupation forces in manpower and equipment, and are actively undermining the enemy's offensive potential in the rear.
In total, the losses of the Russian invaders last day amounted to 1,180 people. Ukrainian soldiers also neutralized seven tanks, 12 armored combat vehicles, 54 artillery systems, one MLRS, an air defense system, 117 operational-tactical-level UAVs, 91 vehicles, and three units of special equipment of the invaders.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Four Israeli fighter jets flew at a very low altitude over Beirut, Lebanon, during the funeral ceremony of former Shiite Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on February 23. This was confirmed by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
It is noted that when the coffins containing the bodies of Nasrallah and former Chairman of the Hezbollah Executive Council Hashem Safi al-Din were delivered to the ceremony site, the planes flew over the southern districts of Beirut, simulating a raid on the city.
"The Israeli Air Force planes flying over Beirut right now, over the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, are sending a clear message to those who threaten to destroy Israel and attack Israel: this will be their end," Katz said, according to The Times of Israel.
As reported by Regnum news agency, Nasrallah was killed in an IDF attack on Hezbollah headquarters in Beirut on September 27. Safi al-Din was appointed the new leader of the group, who was then, according to Israel, liquidated on October 22. Sheikh Naim Qassem was elected the next leader.
On October 1, the IDF launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon, declaring its goal to be the destruction of Shiite Hezbollah targets. On November 27, a ceasefire agreement was signed between Israel and Lebanon. Tel Aviv also announced the withdrawal of troops from the neighboring country.
It is one of the traditional ways of showing bravery in the face of an enemy and involves intimidating him, and, it is hoped, persuading him to admit defeat, without having to kill him.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Russians shot two Ukrainian prisoners of war in Kursk region.
A video of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Kursk direction is being circulated on social networks.
Russian troops have once again executed captured Ukrainian soldiers. This happened in Kursk region, ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets reported on Telegram on Sunday, February 23.
According to him, a video of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war has been circulated online again. The footage shows two Ukrainian soldiers lying on snowy ground with their hands behind their heads, and Russians standing over them.
The Ukrainians said they were serving in the 82nd Brigade. The soldiers explained that they were evacuating, but blew themselves up. After that, the Russian started shouting that the Ukrainians were lying and fired several shots at the prisoners.
"The shooting of Ukrainian prisoners of war is further evidence of the inhuman cruelty of the Russian army. The video that is spreading on social networks is evidence of the deliberate killing of defenseless Ukrainian prisoners of war. This is a gross violation of the Geneva Convention and all norms of international humanitarian law," Lubinets emphasized.
The Human Rights Commissioner assured that he had contacted the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Let us recall that in November 2024, it was reported that law enforcement officers were investigating 49 criminal cases on the facts of the murder of 124 prisoners of war on the battlefield. But after that, new facts of the executions of Ukrainian soldiers came to light.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 22.15 Russian military once again executed captured Ukrainian soldiers. This happened in Kursk region, reported ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets.
According to him, a video of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war has been circulated online again. The footage shows two Ukrainian soldiers lying on snowy ground with their hands behind their heads, and Russians standing over them.
The Ukrainians said they were serving in the 82nd Brigade. The soldiers explained that they were evacuating, but blew themselves up. After that, the Russian started shouting that the Ukrainians were lying and fired several shots at the prisoners.
21:30 Ukraine is developing its own analogues of the American Patriot air defense system. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"We are working on these issues, we are working on air defense systems and we are working on Ukrainian analogues. I will not say anything more," the head of state commented on the possible refusal of the United States to send new Patriot systems to Ukraine.
17:00 President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to leave his post if it means peace for Ukraine, or in exchange for the country's membership in NATO.
A statesmanlike move.
"If peace is for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, then I am ready. The second story, I can change it to NATO, if there are such conditions. Right away (I say - ed.), so as not to talk about it for a long time," the head of state said.
16:50 The Cabinet of Ministers plans to extend the deadline for rebooking military-liable employees for business until March 31. This was announced by Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal.
"Due to the fact that state registries were under cyber attack and there was no access (to them - ed.) for more than 20 days, we said that we would extend this opportunity for one month until March 31," he said.
16.00 There is an alternative to the Starlink system, and the relevant departments will soon talk about it. This was reported by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov.
"About Starlink... We are already working on this, there are alternatives. We are not disclosing, soon together with the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Strategic Industry and our other colleagues from the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces we will announce how we will have these solutions. But there are already solutions, there is an alternative," he said.
13.41 Ukrainian military are using drones to destroy Russian fortifications and positions in southern Ukraine. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, which published a video. The scouts showed how they blow up Russian occupiers in one of the southern directions of the front. The footage shows the work of fighters from the UAV group of the Chimera unit as part of the Timur Special Forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.
13.18 Russian troops launched ballistic missiles into Sumy Oblast after a night attack on Ukraine. This was reported by the acting mayor Artem Kobzar. According to the official, the "arrival" was recorded outside of populated areas.
11.54 Over the past 24 hours, 112 combat clashes have been recorded at the front. Aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces have hit two command posts, 15 areas of concentration of personnel and equipment and two artillery weapons of the invader. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on February 23.
10.14 In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, as a result of an attack by Russian drones, a high-voltage power line and road surface, windows in a building and a shop window were damaged. This was reported by the head of the Khmelnytskyi OVA Serhiy Tyurin.
9.54 Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down 138 Russian Shahed-type attack UAVs and other types of drones. 119 enemy drone imitators were lost (without negative consequences), three of them flew towards Belarus, one - to Russia. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force.
8.37 Ukrainian defenders destroyed 1,180 occupiers in 24 hours. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the losses of the Russian army have reached 867,180 soldiers. This was reported on February 23 by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8.13 Ukrainian military destroyed a 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar in the southern direction. This was reported by the Ukrainian Navy, which published a video.
7.46 The State Emergency Service showed the consequences of the drone attack in Kiev. The wreckage of enemy UAVs was recorded in three districts of the city - Goloseevsky, Darnitsky, Pechersky. Fires broke out, there is damage.
7.23 A Russian soldier, originally from West Africa, was captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He allegedly came to study in the Russian Saratov, but was mobilized. This was reported by the Joint Rifle Brigade of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, publishing a video.
02.30 As a result of the shelling of Krivoy Rog on Saturday evening, one person was killed, of the four wounded, one person is in serious condition. Preliminary damage was caused to 12 apartment buildings, a civilian infrastructure facility, social and industrial buildings, and cars.
01.00 Fires broke out in the Holosiivskyi and Darnitskyi districts of Kyiv as a result of a UAV attack. A private house and cars were damaged.
Waiting for the downside.
[Regnum] Scientists from the University of Bristol have used a supercomputer to model the Earth in 250 years. According to the forecast, the planet will face a global catastrophe.
The study was published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience. In the model of the Earth of the future, all the continents have merged into one supercontinent, called Pangea Ultima. At the same time, the air temperature on it fluctuates between 40 and 60 °C, and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 1.5 times higher than in modern times.
The cause of extreme temperatures in the future was said to be increased activity of the Sun, which is heating up more and more each year. This will also be facilitated by excessive activity of volcanoes, awakened by the merger of continents, and the greenhouse effect provoked by this.
According to scientists, 8-16% of land will remain habitable for humans. At the same time, the expected changes will lead to the extinction of many mammal species. It is noted that they survived by adapting to the cold, and it will be difficult for them to survive extreme heat. The researchers also concluded that over time, the Earth will still become unsuitable for life.
Earlier, Vladimir Semenov, head of the climatology laboratory at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told IA Regnum that predictions about a death sentence for humanity due to the rise in average global temperatures should be understood as an exaggeration and a figure of speech. So far, there is no threshold in sight in the near future beyond which there will be irreversible catastrophic consequences, he noted.
Impressive. Not only common sense about climate modelling, but common sense in the journalist who looked for that quote to give balance to the hysteria.
Biophysicist and senior researcher at the Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexey Karnaukhov also called the gloomy forecasts an exaggeration. At the same time, he believes that warnings should not be brushed aside. According to the scientist, with sharp warming, the World Ocean will begin to release carbon dioxide and methane at an accelerated rate, which could lead to consequences worse than other cataclysms.
#5
Warthog, these computer models have dozens of parameters for which even the range of the parameter values are unknown. The work of computer simulants consists of trying different values of parameters until the desired result is obtained.
Lt. Gen. Jennifer M. Short served as the senior military assistant to the secretary of defense since October 2024. She most recently served as the legislative liaison of the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. She previously served as the deputy director for strategic planning and policy of the United States Indo-Pacific Command.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/24/2025
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#1
Not immediately apparent she got to where she is today based on looks.
#3
She is the daughter of the worst officer I have ever met. He was self absorbed and caused the suffering and elongation of the war in Yugoslavia. I would not take the time to piss on his grave. I know its bad to talk about the dead, but this guy was a mess.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
02/24/2025 21:40
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Oh my. That’s definitely a useful insight, 49 Pan.
#5
What did her dad do to lengthen the Kosovo war? I was just a CAOC pogue and it was an unnecessary fight, but recall him several times providing direction to protect air crews. I don’t remember anything to prolong the war. If he did, I wish I’d known it.
[John Kass] Kashyap Pramod Vinod "Kash" Patel placed his hand on the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita and swore his oath to the Constitution of the United States. It was the worst day imaginable for the Deep State in America. And it will get worse for them.
I could almost see the Deep State liar Sen. Adam Schiff’s head trembling with panic, about to explode. And James Clapper’s, and John Brennan’s and all the other Deep State heads. Don’t worry. They’ll explode like eggs left abandoned in a hot pot on the stove. They all will. And like eggs, they’ll smell of sulfur.
They’ve lost control over the federal hammer they’ve used to destroy those who oppose them. They used our sacred Constitution as a weapon. All that’s over now. He’s already defeated the Deep State. They have no shame.
Patel was sworn in at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building last week by his good friend new U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. He’d been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the ninth FBI director, succeeding the known liar Christopher Wray. Patel, who is Indian American, is the first person of color to become FBI director which no doubt has the old boys like J. Edgar Hoover rolling in his grave.
"I am living the American dream," Patel said after taking the oath. "And anyone that thinks the American dream is dead, just look right here. You’re talking to a first-generation Indian kid who’s about to lead the law enforcement community of the greatest nation on God’s green earth. That can’t happen anywhere else."
It takes a first generation immigrant to understand what he’s been through. Especially if we’ve come from authoritarian lands. I can understand. My brothers understand. Our father worshiped American liberty and American freedom. And Patel’s father did as well. In no other country could this have happened. Immigrants love America like few others can love her. You need a family steeped in patriotism to teach you. It is a living thing in some of us. We would never hurt America, just as we would never dishonor our family name or our fathers.
When I think of Patel, I think of his parents, running in panic to stay alive in Uganda as savage tribalism eclipsed the rule of law. He tells that story beautifully in a Wall Street Journal op ed. I leave the link in the paragraph below.
"My father fled Idi Amin’s genocidal dictatorship in Uganda," Patel writes. "My mother was born in Tanzania. They married in India and emigrated to New York, where I was born and raised in a bustling household that included my father’s seven siblings, their spouses and six children. My family instilled in me a deep respect for the rule of law and the transformative power of education. These values have shaped the driving force behind my career: protecting the rights enshrined in our Constitution."
The FBI was the world’s best law enforcement agency. I said "was" for a reason. No one believes it is a great institution now. The public trust has been broken. The FBI lost its credibility when it became another tool in Barack Obama’s Deep State tool box. The FBI was corrupted. There were dishonorable and unlawful conspiracies run out of FBI headquarters aimed at the destruction of one man: President Donald J. Trump.
Corrupted FBI officials spied on Americans hoping to put Trump in prison. They lied about it. They lied about targeting Roman Catholics and parents of public school children concerned about what the schools were teaching their kids. They even lied about the series of lies they told the American people to threaten Trump. They lied about the origins of the Deep State lie to protect Hillary Clinton and destroy the Trump administration with the completely fabricated "Russia Collusion" investigation. And so on.
They lied about the Hunter Biden laptop to protect the corrupt Joe Biden administration, the corrupt president and Hunter himself. And so much more.
"Look, I know the media’s in here, and if you have a target, the target’s right here," Patel said Friday as he pointed to himself. "It is not the men and women at the FBI. You have written everything you possibly can about me that’s fake, malicious, slanderous and defamatory. Keep it coming. Bring it on, but leave the men and women of the FBI out of it. They deserve better," Patel told reporters, throwing the gantlet in the media’s face.
Will Patel rebuild the public trust in the now ruined and sodden FBI?
I hope so. America needs a working FBI, not some hollow shell only fit for ridicule. I had good friends who were FBI agents. They loved our country. They were concerned about short-cuts that would undercut American Constitutional liberty. And none wanted to work at headquarters with the silky political cats. They were field agents. It is the field where Patel hopes to ship FBI agents to save them from the rot of FBI headquarters.
How will he rebuild the public trust? He outlined his goals in op eds and commentary that has driven the Deep State insane. He’s written an excellent book "Government Gangsters" chronicling the Deep State. We are both the sons of immigrants. We had to watch our fathers deal with authoritarian rule. And we won’t forget our fathers facing it.
President Trump’s appointments of Kash Patel at FBI and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence were a master strokes. And former DNI John Ratcliffe now runs the CIA. They are Trump’s Deep State Rat Catchers. Make no mistake. The rats were terrified when Trump was elected, and they are even more terrified now.
Thinking of Patel and the immigrant’s dream I also think of my brother Nicholas, who like Patel is an immigrant’s son, he has traced the Deep State from its origins in the dark shadows and damp alleyways of Turkish politics. He’s been around. He is a retired senior CIA officer, National Security Council member, White House official and U.S. diplomat. And he’s been writing about the Deep State for years.
Nick writes: "This brings us to what is shaping up to be the overriding issue for 2024: aware of the Deep State, will voters finally condemn it as fundamentally un-American? Or will they disregard, or worse, embrace it—and thereby affirmatively consent to their own subjugation? The country is at a crossroads.
But Trump was victorious. And with Patel running the FBI, the Deep State won’t easily escape. Some of the large fat rats were outside the FBI headquarters theatrically stamping their feet like Deep State Rumpelstiltskins. Thanks to an X by the great and incredibly brave columnist Miranda Devine of the New York Post, I noticed the photo of Sen. Dick Durbin, Melon Head Schiff and others having a protest. Only a handful of bitter Deep Statists bothered to show up. As I stared at the photo, I wondered if their heads would explode soon.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/24/2025
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[IsraelTimes] Defense minister says he instructed army to stay ‘for coming year’ in West Bank refugee camps and not allow 40,000 displaced Palestinians home
Israeli tanks deployed to the West Bank on Sunday morning for the first time in over 20 years, as the Israel Defense Forces said it was expanding an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the north of the territory.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, meanwhile, said he had instructed the IDF to stay for at least the next year in West Bank refugee camps that have been cleared of terror operatives and civilians, and not allow some 40,000 displaced Paleostinians to return.
Paleostinian media outlets published images showing three Merkava tanks near the West Bank city of Jenin.
The IDF confirmed the reports a short while later, saying that a platoon from the 188th Armored Brigade was preparing to operate in Jenin "as part of the offensive effort." An Armored Corps platoon normally consists of two or three tanks.
It marked the first time since the 2002 Operation Defensive Shield that IDF tanks were operating in the West Bank.
The military said the tank deployment came as it expanded its ongoing major offensive in the northern West Bank, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, which was launched on January 21.
As part of the expanded activity, troops of the Nahal Infantry Brigade and the Duvdevan Commando Unit began operations in several villages near Jenin, the military said.
The deployment of tanks and expanded operations come after three empty buses went kaboom! in quick succession in parking lots in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Bat Yam and Holon on Thursday night and the discovery of two more unwent kaboom! devices on additional buses in Holon. No casualties were reported as a result of the earth-shattering kabooms. According to officials, the botched attack originated from the West Bank.
In a written statement Sunday, Katz said: "40,000 Paleostinians have so far evacuated from the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, and are now empty of residents. UNRWA activity in the camps has also been stopped."
He said the IDF was clearing "nests of terror" and destroying infrastructure and weapons "on an extensive scale."
"I instructed the IDF to prepare for a long stay in the camps that were cleared, for the coming year, and not allow residents to return and the terror to return and grow," Katz said.
"We will not return to the reality that was in the past. We will continue to clear refugee camps and other terror centers to dismantle the battalions and terror infrastructure of the extreme Islam that was built, armed, funded, and supported by the Iranian evil axis, in an attempt to establish an eastern terror front," he added.
The IDF’s crackdown on terror groups began days after a ceasefire agreement was reached 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, and following recent activity against the groups by the Ramallah-based Paleostinian Authority.
The operation began in the terror hotbed of Jenin, which has seen dozens of raids since the Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel from Gaza, which sparked the ongoing war in that territory, as well as a renewed effort to combat terror groups in the West Bank. Israeli forces have since pushed into several other nearby towns, including Tulkarem.
More than 40,100 Paleostinians have left their homes since the launch of Operation Iron Wall, according to UNRWA.
Humanitarian officials say they haven’t seen such displacement in the West Bank since the Six Day War, when Israel — under threat from Jordan, Egypt, Syria and other Arab countries — captured the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, displacing 300,000 Paleostinians.
Troops have killed more than 70 Paleostinian terror operatives and detained some 300 amid the major ongoing counter-terrorism operation, according to the IDF.
The IDF has acknowledged mistakenly killing several civilians during the operation, including a toddler and a pregnant woman.
[SUDANTRIBUNE] The Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... ese army said on Sunday it had broken a nearly two-year siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan state, linking its forces advancing from White Nile state with those already stationed inside the city.
In recent weeks, the army's ''Al-Sayyad'' mobile force, largely composed of soldiers from the 16th Infantry Division based in Nyala, South Darfur, seized Um Rawaba and al-Rahd, then advanced through the al-Ghar and Kordofan Mountains to El Obeid, the 5th Infantry Division's headquarters.
''Thanks to God, our forces on the al-Sayyad axis succeeded in opening the road to El Obeid and joining forces with the 'Lions of the Camel Corps,''' Brigadier Nabil Abdallah, the Sudanese army spokesperson, said in a statement, officially declaring the end of the 22-month siege.
Army soldiers released video footage of the moment troops from White Nile state met with those inside El Obeid. The 5th Division commander welcomed the arriving soldiers at the city's entrance.
El Obeid, Um Rawaba, and al-Rahd residents celebrated the siege's end.
The RSF siege caused a humanitarian crisis in El Obeid, with severe shortages of essential goods due to restrictions on aid and commercial convoys.
[IsraelTimes] Hamas will hold off on negotiations with Israel through mediators unless Israel frees the 602 Palestinian prisoners slated for release in exchange for the six Israeli hostages handed over yesterday, says Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi.
In a statement on Telegram, the official calls on mediators to pressure Israel into implementing the ceasefire agreement’s provisions.
Early this morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not release the prisoners until Hamas provided guarantees that it would end the “demeaning” ceremonies it has held to mark the transfer of Israeli hostages.
According to the Defense Ministry and Israel Police, a truck carrying aid that was passing through the Erez Crossing into northern Gaza was found to also be ferrying 650 smartphones, dozens of sim cards, three projectors, and car replacement parts.
[SUDANTRIBUNE] The Sudan ...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans... ese army retook control of the city of al-Qutayna in White Nile state on Sunday after heavy fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a military official said.
The RSF seized the city, located north of White Nile state and south of Khartoum, in November 2023. A major road runs through al-Qutayna, leading to the RSF-controlled Jebel al-Awliya area and dam. The dam's bridge has become the only supply route connecting Omdurman to Khartoum.
''The city of al-Qutayna is completely free after the defeat of the enemy,'' Major Mohammed Qalaa, a field commander in the Western Al Jazirah Mobile Unit, said in a video circulated on pro-army platforms. Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the video.
Pro-army platforms broadcast footage showing the deployment of armed forces and General Intelligence Service personnel in the city, with many neighbourhoods appearing deserted.
In recent weeks, the RSF had intensified attacks on civilians in al-Qutayna and surrounding villages, carrying out widespread abuses, including killings, looting, and forced displacement, according to local reports.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said that RSF attacks on villages in northern White Nile state had left more than 400 people dead, including women and kiddies, with dozens more missing. Rooters could not independently confirm the corpse count.
Two Catholic Church priests were on Saturday kidnapped in Adamawa State, SaharaReporters has learnt.
The two holy mans identified as Rev. Fathers Matthew David Dusami and Abraham Samman were reportedly kidnapped at a convent in Gweda Mallam in the Numan Local Government Area of the state.
The clergymen are said to be serving in Adamawa and Taraba diocese of the Catholic Church.
The Spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed the incident in a statement the command issued on Saturday.
He said, "The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, Dankombo Morris, has condemned vehemently an unprovoked kidnapping of Reverend father Mathew David Dusami of Yola Catholic Diocese and Reverend father Abraham Samman of Jalingo Diocese, at the early hours of today, February 22nd, 2025.
"The unfortunate incident occurred at the priests' residence situated at Gweda Malam, in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State".
He explained that the suspects armed with offensive weapons stormed their victims' house around 4am and whisked them away.
"The Commissioner of Police, CP Dankombo Morris, in concerted effort to rescue the victims, deployed the command's operational and manpower assets to give a hot chase to the kidnappers, rescue the victims unhurt, apprehend the perpetrators and their collaborators in any.
"The progressive efforts of the command will definitely bring the perpetrators and other persons involved to face the full wrath of the law, emphasizing the command's commitment to safeguarding lives and resisting all forms of violence crimes in the state .
"This unprovoked kidnapping of religious leaders is totally unacceptable as they are not only stakeholders but also people who are actively working to promote peace in the society". SP Nguroje said.
#Kenya is once again at the centre of Sudan's deepening power struggle, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), announced a parallel government from Nairobi. pic.twitter.com/nld2pLjwqy
MSNBC is pulling the plug on Joy Reid’s show, "The ReidOut," as part of a major shakeup, Fox News Digital has learned—and I can’t stop laughing. Honestly, there’s no one more deserving of cancellation. Well, maybe Rachel Maddow... and pretty much everyone else at MSNBC.
According to the report, "The ReidOut" has been struggling to hold viewers, averaging just 973,000 in February 2025—a sharp 28% drop from the 1.3 million it pulled in during the same month last year. Reid has become notorious for her relentless anti-Trump rhetoric and a string of controversial moments.
After the November election, Reid claimed that black women had lost interest in "saving America," blaming their supposed disillusionment on white female voters, who turned out in stronger-than-expected numbers for President Trump.
Just last month, she went even further, outrageously comparing Trump’s immigration policies—and his presidency as a whole—to Hitler ...late Fuehrer of Germany, founder of the Third Reich, currently communing with his pals Himmler and Heydrich. He is reincarnated every few days, sometimes every few hour if it's an election year, as a politician somebody doesn't like... ’s Germany and the Holocaust.
One of the most shocking events in recent media history came in 2018 when Reid famously claimed that homophobic comments on her old blog, "The Reid Report," were not written by her in a story that stunned the TV news industry. She blamed hackers and claimed to enlist the FBI to investigate her implausible claim, but she became emotional on air when her story fell apart.
The MSNBC host then admitted it was unlikely she was hacked, but claimed that she didn’t recall making the offensive remarks, for which she apologized anyway. The bizarre ordeal made her a punchline to many, but she continued to rise up MSNBC’s ranks and emerged as one of the network’s most prominent liberal pundits.
But, don't think that just because they’re letting Reid go means they’re replacing her with a more sensible choice. In fact, Reid’s 7 p.m. slot will be taken over by a trio that sounds like the setup to a bad joke: Symone Sanders-Townsend, a former spokesperson for Kamala Harris once a marijuana-busting Caliphornia DA ; Alicia Menendez, daughter of the scandal-ridden ex-Senator Bob Menendez; and Michael Steele, the former RNC chair who’s now an MSNBC regular, and sounds more like a Democrat than Republican these days.
According to a source familiar with the plans, Reid will sign off from "The ReidOut" for the last time this week.
[X] Personnel is policy. Mr. Bongino brings four years as a police officer in New York City, followed by a dozen years in the US Secret Service, including protecting president George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and of course his media and news agglomeration sites.
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.
...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 
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
..always the voice of sweet reason...
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] President Donald Trump invoked Spongebob Squarepants to mock federal employees who are outraged by a Department of Government Efficiency email asking what they 'accomplished' over the course of the week.
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
[FoxNews] President Donald Trump’s White House is looking to sell two prominent federal buildings in San Francisco, including the recently dubbed Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, according to local reports.
[Clarice Feldman on FB] In a shocking revelation that has sent ripples through Washington, sources within the White House have confirmed that the Oval Office—including the historic Resolute Desk—was subjected to a high-level security sweep following suspicions of covert surveillance.
[IsraelTimes] Defense minister says he instructed army to stay ‘for coming year’ in West Bank refugee camps and not allow 40,000 displaced Palestinians home
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
...late Fuehrer of Germany, founder of the Third Reich, currently communing with his pals Himmler and Heydrich. He is reincarnated every few days, sometimes every few hour if it's an election year, as a politician somebody doesn't like...
