[Rudaw] The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared its dissolution and an end to its armed struggle against The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire... on Monday, marking a huge step toward a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict with Ankara.
"The PKK’s 12th Congress decided to dissolve the PKK’s organizational structure and end the armed struggle method, with the practical process to be managed and carried out by Leader Apo [Abdullah Ocalan], and ended the work carried out under the PKK name," PKK-affiliated Firat news agency cited a statement from the group as saying.
The PKK on Friday said it had held a congress to consider a call from its tossed in the slammer Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! leader Ocalan to lay down arms, dissolve the party, and pursue a political struggle.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has played a role in bringing the PKK and Ankara together and has made multiple visits to Ocalan, welcomed the congress.
"A new page is opening on the path to honorable peace and democratic solution. As the DEM Party, after this historic turning point, we believe in the necessity for all democratic political institutions, especially the Ottoman Turkish Grand National Assembly [parliament], to take responsibility for the solution of the Kurdish issue and the true democratization of Turkey," the party said on Friday.
The PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire at the start of March while it considered Ocalan’s call for peace.
Ottoman Turkish officials have publicly continued their hardline stance on the PKK. On Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that disarmament alone is "not enough" and President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... said Turkey is determined to rid itself of the "scourge of terror."
The PKK was founded in 1978 in response to the oppression of the Kurdish population in Turkey. It initially struggled for an independent Kurdistan but now calls for greater political and cultural rights within Turkey. Ankara and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization.
A similar grinding of the peace processor begun between the PKK and the Ottoman Turkish state in 2013 collapsed two and a half years later.
#1
"Turkish officials have publicly continued their hardline stance on the PKK. On Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that disarmament alone is "not enough" and President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First"
Erdogan, the Muslim Brother, could not exist without scapegoats.
Posted by: Albert McCoy9505 ||
05/12/2025 13:51
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[Twitchy] Democrats love to pretend the morons who take to the streets and encourage others to punch people are somehow an organic movement, but of course, they're not. We're finding out that nine times out of 10, someone somewhere is paying them to do it.
And that someone is usually a Soros.
Twitchy favorite @DataRepublican put together a thread on the violent, so-called anti-Nazi protest in New York City yesterday, and gosh, golly, gee, once again this was not organic at all.
🧵THREAD: Who’s really behind the protests?
Today in Manhattan, an "emergency protest" popped up with a professionally printed banner reading: "𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅’𝒗𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒔? 𝑵𝒐𝒘’𝒔 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆!"
[IsrelTimes] The IDF’s Nahal Brigade has been withdrawn from the West Bank after three months of operations, ahead of an upcoming major offensive in the Gaza Strip, the military says.
“Now, the Nahal Brigade is preparing as part of the 162nd Division for additional missions in the Gaza Strip ahead of the expansion of the fighting in the Strip,” the army says.
According to Israeli officials, the planned offensive, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” will see the IDF “conquering” Gaza and retaining the territory; moving the Palestinian civilian population toward the south of the Strip; attacking Hamas; and preventing the terror group from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies.
[IsraelTimes] After five months of operations in southern Syria, the Paratroopers Brigade is being deployed to southern Israel ahead of an upcoming major offensive in the Gaza Strip, the military says.
The paratroopers have been operating in the Golan Heights and inside Syria since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December.
The military says the brigade has concluded its operations and is now preparing with the 98th Division for “additional missions in the Gaza Strip ahead of the expansion of the fighting in the Strip.”
A reservist brigade will be replacing the paratroopers in the Golan and southern Syria, the army adds.
[IsraelTimes] The Israeli Air Force struck over 50 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says, including cells of terror operatives and buildings used by terror groups to plan and carry out attacks.
Additionally, the IDF says ground forces targeted a Hamas command center, caches of weapons, and sniper positions.
Hamas authorities reported 19 killed and dozens wounded during the previous 24 hours.
[IsraelTimes] An IDF soldier was killed in a clash with Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks after his unit warned that its location had been compromised, Channel 12 reports.
According to the report, the unit had been conducting a planned ambush from inside a house in a Gaza neighborhood and had eliminated several terrorist operatives the day before the fatal encounter.
The soldiers later believed their position had been discovered and requested a relocation, telling higher command that “if we stay here — a disaster will happen,” but the request was reportedly denied.
The following day, a clash occurred inside the building, resulting in the unnamed soldier’s death.
Security officials tell Channel 12 that a situational assessment had concluded there was no intelligence confirming exposure of the force, leading to the decision to keep it in place.
In response, the IDF says: “The event is under operational investigation. The IDF shares in the grief of the bereaved families.”
It’s NBC, so possibly true, possibly not. Or possibly true but it doesn’t matter because that’s their process.
[IsraelTimes] US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are said to be increasingly at odds with one another over their contrasting visions for the Middle East, and in particular for the Gaza Strip.
Citing unnamed US officials, NBC reports that Trump is opposed to Netanyahu’s plans for a new, significantly expanded operation in the Gaza Strip, and has privately called it a wasted effort that will interfere with his vision to rebuild the enclave.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, is said to be growing increasingly frustrated with the US approach to Iran amid the nuclear talks and after Washington struck a deal with the Houthis, agreeing to end its intensive bombing campaign in return for an end to the Iran-backed group’s maritime attacks.
Speaking to NBC, one US official says Israel is “worried about any deal” that the US could sign with Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions.
To that end, two US officials say Netanyahu has privately dismissed the negotiations as a waste of time, arguing that even if a deal is forged, Tehran will inevitably break it.
Israel would rather take action and strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, the report says, and believes that the opportunity to do so is shrinking more the longer talks continue.
Israeli and US officials have vehemently denied the reported tensions between Trump and Netanyahu, with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee calling the reports “reckless and irresponsible.”
Netanyahu is also said to have denied the reports of a growing rift between him and Trump, in leaked remarks from a closed meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee earlier today.
“There are no gaps between us and the Americans,” Netanyahu is quoted as saying by Channel 12 news pundit Amit Segel.
He adds that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is in the US “every few days,” and that reports about disagreements between the prime minister and his American counterpart over Iran or the Houthis “is a campaign” being spread “for political reasons.”
The premier is quoted as saying that Israel “didn’t ask for permission to attack the Houthis, and we’re not asking for permission for our war plans in Gaza. The Americans volunteered to get involved with the Houthis and said they would leave when it ‘stops.’”
#2
Would be neither surprising nor unreasonable if Trump thought Netanyahu’s plan would not work. But don’t see him disagreeing enough to do anything about it. And would be surprised if the leak is real.
#4
There is an uptick in Israeli disinformation, Netanyahu vs Trump, this past week. Nick Fuentes and anti-Jew goon squad was activated.
Huckabee had to step up and issue a counter narrative that there is no rift, "Reckless, irresponsible... The relationship between the US and Israel remains STRONG!” wrote U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
#9
Starting a war with Iran does not benefit the American people in any way, shape or form.
America first!
Trump, tell off these foreign leaders and demand respect and gratittude from them. It was ecstatic watching Zelensky in his jogging suit bounce his attacks off Trump like bullets off Superman's chest. Can you believe that man tried to talk over the president of the United States of America! In his own office!
And Vance's speech to the Munich security conference telling them off to their faces.
He made them cry!
Why are we even talking to these people? Let's try this: we tell them what we're going to do, and they can like it or lump it.
You don't like it, do it yourself without our involvement. This goes for the whole wide world.
#10
A show of hands real fast: how many people know that Nick Fuentes and his groypers despise Donald Trump?
Even more than Canadians.
There are tons of them on X, just follow them and you'll see.
X is really where it's at these days, if you don't have an account you really need to join.
#11
Starting a war with Iran does not benefit the American people in any way, shape or form.
The war already started with the assault upon the American Embassy way back when. In any other time in history that is an act of war. We have had too many hand wringing bureaucrats who are literally 'soft on crime' in the international level as we have domestically. The consequences have been the same. There is no way to make war 'nice'. As Sherman said, war is hell. Make it so and people will be less willing to play stupid games. I don't care what the world 'feels'. They can do business with someone else.
#12
Angulet Glomoper3773 appears to be the new nym of our old Fat Bob Thrart2867/ Jairong+Scourge+of+the+Gepids2435/ and 18 other nyms
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/12/2025 20:01
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#13
Blue Monday at Rantburg. Much noshing
On red beans and rice, and such sloshing
Of whitewash and glue!
"Oooh, new posters?"
"A few. Dirty socks. Herbie doing his Vaushing."
#15
given the anti missile capability of Israel and the continuing improvements they are making, the threat of an Iran nuke isn't anywhere near what it was 10 years ago during the Obama admin
not saying there is no threat
but the odds are that a nuke fired from Iran would be intercepted and come down to earth in Iraq or Jordon or Syria
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/12/2025 20:55
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[IsraelTimes] The Al Jazeera news network reports that a joint US-Qatari search team, with the assistance of Syrian security forces, has uncovered the remains of missing US journalist Austin Tice in the Aleppo region of Syria.
The report, which cites an unnamed official Syrian source, says two other bodies were also found at the site.
Tice has been missing since 2012 after traveling to Syria to document the early days of the Syrian civil war. He disappeared near Damascus and has not been heard from since, other than in a video weeks later, in which he was blindfolded and held by armed men.
Al Jazeera reports that a former Islamic State operative revealed the location of the burial site to the search team.
Had he retired or switched allegiance to the Hayat Tahrir al Sham strong horse?
oEfforts to locate Tice have stepped up since the regime of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad fell to Islamist insurgents in December. Assad’s government had previously denied that it was holding him.
In response to the reports, Hostage Aid Worldwide, which has been leading the search for Tice on behalf of his family, urges the public and the media to “refrain from speculation” as to his whereabouts and condition.
“We would like to clarify that only the Tice family will issue official comments or statements regarding any ongoing developments,” it says. “These statements will be made either directly by the family or through Hostage Aid, and only once information has been verified and confirmed.”
[IsraelTimes] Two Palestinian sources familiar with issues concerning Palestinian security prisoners tell the Times of Israel that the Palestinian Authority has, as of this month, stopped paying the salaries of 1,612 prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
The move comes as the PA is implementing its new welfare system, which will offer stipends to Palestinians strictly based on financial need and will not account for the length of one’s prison sentence, as was the case in the previous scheme.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree in February cancelling legislation that codified the old so-called “pay-to-slay” system, but it has taken time to come into effect, and some prisoners have continued receiving stipends based on the old policy until now.
Last month, The Times of Israel revealed that the PA invited the US to certify that the new system is in place starting June 1.
#1
"Oh my gourd! This is such wondrrful new!! Indeed:
It's PEACE IN OUR TIME!!!!"
(Btw, Fyi: The Times of Israel is written and run by really stupid people. Sad.)
Posted by: Anthony Blankin ||
05/12/2025 6:21
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#2
This is a “sources say” article, with unnamed, anonymous sources, Mr Blankin. I posted so we would have a marker against which to measure future reports on the issue of Palestinian Authority pay to slay. They’ve previously claimed to discontinue the long-standing policy, while actually continuing it under another name.
[IsraelTimes] Israel wasn’t told in advance about release, which is being made unconditionally by Hamas in hope that US will coax Jerusalem to accept deal to end war in exchange for remaining hostages
Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... was set to release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander on Monday after over 580 days in captivity, with the Paleostinian terror group agreeing to the move as a gesture of goodwill to US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... ahead of his trip to the region, hoping that he will in turn coax Israel to sign a deal freeing the remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war, a US official, a Paleostinian official and a third source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Sunday.
US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff called Alexander’s parents Yael and Adi on Sunday afternoon to inform them of the news, a US official said. The Alexanders flew to Israel with US hostage envoy Adam Boehler on Sunday night in order to arrive in time for Alexander’s release. Witkoff was slated to fly to Israel separately from Oman, where he held the fourth round of nuclear talks with 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... on Sunday.
"The entire family is now on the way to Israel," Edan’s father, Adi, told the Ynet news site. "We were completely surprised to receive the call from Witkoff. We knew about the negotiations but not about such a dramatic development."
Boehler himself tweeted that the news of Alexander’s release was a positive step forward, adding: "We would also ask that Hamas release the bodies of four other Americans that were taken." The bodies of slain hostages Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Gadi Haggai and Judith Weinstein Haggai are among the 59 captives still held by Hamas. Up to 24 of those hostages are believed to still be alive.
Hamas has said it is willing to release all of the hostages at once in exchange for an end to the war, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused such an exchange, arguing that it would leave Hamas in power.
Hamas is hoping that releasing Alexander will be enough to convince Trump to push Netanyahu to accept the trade, the source familiar with the matter said.
The source added that Hamas was assured by a mediator that Alexander’s release "would go a long way" with Trump, who wants to see the remaining hostages released and for the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... to end.
Certain security measures need to be taken in order for the release to move forward, such as Israel halting military operations and drone surveillance of parts of the Strip, as it has had to do in previous releases, a source involved in the process told The Times of Israel.
Alexander, a dual citizen who grew up in New Jersey, was serving in the Israel Defense Forces at the time of his abduction. He was kidnapped from his base during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught that started the war in Gaza.
In a statement, Hamas said the decision to release Alexander came after recent talks with US officials and "intensified efforts to achieve a ceasefire, open border crossings, and allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip."
It did not say when Alexander would be released. The officials who spoke with The Times of Israel said that — contrary to Hamas’s claim — no direct talks were held between the terror group and the US.
Hamas in its statement also said that it was prepared to enter intensified negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement to end the war, establish a mutually "agreed prisoner exchange, and enable Gaza to be administered by an independent professional authority."
Hamas uses the term "prisoner exchange" to refer to the release of hostages in exchange for Paleostinian security prisoners, including Death Eaters convicted of murdering Israelis.
"This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones," Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday evening. "Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!"
Qatar and Egypt welcomed the news in a joint statement, calling it "a gesture of goodwill and an encouraging step toward a return to the negotiating table to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of prisoners and detainees, and ensure the safe and unhindered flow of aid to address the tragic conditions in the Strip."
The US did not brief Israel on the effort to release Alexander until after the deal with Hamas was reached, the source familiar with the details of Alexander’s release told The Times of Israel.
Israel was generally aware that efforts were ongoing, but only knew about them from its own intelligence operations. On Sunday evening, Witkoff updated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer about the development, the US official said.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the US had informed Israel that Hamas would release Alexander "without any compensation or conditions," and as a gesture of goodwill to the US.
"The US conveyed to Israel that this move is expected to lead to negotiations for the release of additional hostages, based on the original Witkoff proposal — which Israel has already accepted," said the PMO in a statement, referring to a framework that sources have told The Times of Israel was in fact proposed by Israel, under which around half the living hostages would go free in exchange for an extended truce, with the rest being later freed in exchange for an end to the war.
Israel was making preparations for the potential release, the PMO continued, adding that "according to Israeli policy, the negotiation will take place under fire, with a firm commitment to achieving all the objectives of the war."
Earlier Sunday, multiple reports quoted Netanyahu as telling the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Hamas could release Alexander during Trump’s visit, and welcomed the possibility, adding: "These are very critical days."
The backchannel was operated by a non-governmental individual who passed along messages between Hamas’s leadership in Qatar and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, the sources said, while declining to reveal the identity of the person on the record.
The backchannel was opened last month, with the person urging Hamas to release Alexander unconditionally, telling the terror group that the move would go a long way with the Trump administration and potentially open the door to Washington coaxing Israel to agree to a deal that would bring about an end to the war in Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages — a trade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until now rejected, arguing that it would leave Hamas in power.
Hamas for weeks pushed back against freeing Alexander unconditionally and presented the third-party backchannel with proposals that would have seen Israel take various steps in exchange for the 21-year-old’s release.
The go-between warned Hamas last week that such offers wouldn’t fly and that time was not on the group’s side, with Israel planning to launch a major operation to gradually re-occupy the entire Gaza Strip once US President Donald Trump wraps up his trip to the region on Friday. Trump will depart on Monday for Saudi Arabia before making stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He is not slated to visit Israel on this trip.
Over the weekend, Hamas informed the go-between that it had agreed to release Alexander unconditionally but wanted Witkoff to know that the step should not be viewed as a one-off, the sources said. Hamas stressed to the mediator that it was ready to work with the Trump administration to secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza with security arrangements in order to ensure a yearslong calm until a final settlement of the conflict is reached, the sources said.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office says Jerusalem has made no further promise for a ceasefire or for the release of Palestinian security prisoners.
“The expected release of IDF soldier Edan Alexander [by Hamas] without getting anything in return, will be possible thanks to the determined policy we led, with the backing of [US] President [Donald] Trump, and thanks to IDF troops’ military pressure in the Gaza Strip,” the PMO says.
“We are in critical days in which Hamas is facing a deal that would enable our hostages’ release,” it adds. “Negotiations will continue under fire and amidst preparations for the intensification of the fighting.”
[IsraelTimes] Remains found in ‘heart of Syria,’ in ‘covert, complex’ operation and brought to Israel for identification; officials vow to return 3rd missing soldier from 1982 battle of Sultan Yacoub
The Mosssd ...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end... spy agency and the Israel Defense Forces recovered the remains of Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman, who went missing in the First Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... War’s battle of Sultan Yacoub in 1982, officials announced on Sunday.
The battle, nearly 43 years ago, was a skirmish between the IDF and the Syrian army in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. It claimed the lives of 21 Israeli servicemen, and more than 30 were maimed during it.
Feldman, a tank soldier, went missing during the battle along with Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz and Sgt. First Class Zachary Baumel. Baumel’s remains were recovered and returned to Israel in 2019.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the Mossad and IDF said the body of Feldman was recovered from "the heart of Syria" in a special operation.
They said the "complex and covert operation" was made possible by "precise intelligence" and other capabilities, including "intelligence research and collection efforts and many activities and operations in enemy territory."
No further details were provided on the operation itself, but the military said the efforts to locate the body had been ongoing for decades.
The remains were brought to Israel for identification, and Feldman’s family was then notified.
"For decades, Zvika was missing, and the efforts to locate him, along with the other missing soldiers from that same battle, never ceased for a moment," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
The Mossad, IDF, Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Israel Katz all said Israel would not stop its efforts until the remains of Katz are also returned.
"Just as we returned Zachary Baumel, and today Zvi Feldman, we continue to act in every way to also return Sgt. First Class Yehuda Katz and fulfill our duty for him and his family," the defense minister said.
Baumel’s body was recovered with Russian assistance from the Yarmouk refugee camp, home to one of the largest Paleostinian communities in Syria. In 2016, an Israeli tank lost in the battle was returned to Israel by Russia.
The IDF has been deployed to nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... regime in December, mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries.
Troops have been operating in areas up to around 15 kilometers (9miles) deep into Syria, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of "hostile forces."
[IsraelTimes] The operation to recover the remains of Sgt. First Class Zvi Feldman from Syria was carried out by non-Israeli Mossad agents, according to defense officials.
All named Mahmoud, Mohammed, and Muhamad, except for one single Abdul…
The team members operated deep inside Syria, dozens of kilometers from the Israeli border, to retrieve the body, risking their lives.
Defense officials say that the agents, operating on behalf of the Mossad, had a cover story and had been inside Syria for several years.
In the past five months, following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, there were breakthroughs in Feldman’s case and an opportunity to recover his remains, the officials say.
The team of Mossad agents went to a graveyard several times, bringing back various findings that were brought to Israel for identification.
Eventually findings matched Feldman’s DNA. The team also found the remains of the tank soldier’s overalls.
Officials say the team operated “under fire” during the mission.
[IsraelTimes] No immediate reports of Israeli strikes; military calls for civilians to stay away from ports ‘until further notice’
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday evening issued an "urgent" evacuation warning to the three 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... -controlled ports in western 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... , ahead of potential Israeli strikes.
The warning came after the Houthis fired several ballistic missiles and drones at Israel in recent days, since the Israeli Air Force struck the Houthi-controlled airport in Sanaa and several other facilities last week in response to a Houthi ballistic missile that impacted inside the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport last Sunday.
In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic-language front man Col. Avichay Adraee warned those at the Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif ports on the western coast to evacuate.
"Due to the Houthi terror regime’s use of ports for its terror activities, we urge all those present at these ports to evacuate and stay away from them for your own safety until further notice," he said.
A report by Rooters, citing the Houthi interior ministry, claimed that Israel targeted Hodeidah port following the warning. Israeli military sources said no strikes had been carried out as of Sunday night. There were no reports in Houthi media of strikes either.
On Friday afternoon, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that triggered sirens across central Israel. The IDF reported that the missile was successfully intercepted by air defenses.
Defense Minister Israel Katz warned then that Israel would respond. "The Houthis continue to launch Iranian missiles at Israel. As we promised, we will respond, strongly in Yemen and anywhere else necessary," he said in a statement.
The Friday attack came three days after the US announced that it had reached a ceasefire with the Yemeni terror group.
#1
On paper, looks good. Hadhramout stays out of the fray. However, Iran will load dhows to discharge arms in the many inlets of western Yemen controlled by Houthis. Its time for Coast Guard to put into practice in the Red Sea its arms training.
Posted by: Albert McCoy9505 ||
05/12/2025 13:56
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[IsraelTimes] Kan files police complaint after man makes throat-slitting gesture and spits at Israeli delegation; Palestinians flags fly as participants walk ‘turquoise carpet’ to open contest
Israel’s Yuval Raphael walked the "turquoise carpet" event in front of a crowd of protesters on Sunday, as the opening ceremony parade officially kicked off the Eurovision Song Contest week in Basel, Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... A man was filmed threatening Raphael and the Israeli delegation, leading Israel’s Kan public broadcaster to file a complaint with Swiss police.
Paleostinian flags were seen flying in the crowd and along the parade route, the most visible flag waved by spectators.
As she came out of the city hall, Raphael waved and blew kisses to the crowd and posed for photographs, waving the Israeli flag. One person held up a sign reading: "No applause for genocide." Another read: "Singing while 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... burns."
A smattering of boos were also heard as Raphael stepped onto the carpet.
In a video filmed by a member of the Israeli delegation, a man waving a Paleostinian flag and wearing a keffiyeh was seen making a throat-slitting gesture and spitting toward the Israeli procession during the "turquoise carpet" event.
In a statement, Kan said it sent a message to the European Broadcasting Union asking for help in identifying the man. Asked to comment, the EBU said it was a matter for Swiss police.
Last year, Israel’s contestant Eden Golan skipped the turquoise carpet event due to security concerns, as well as its overlap with Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Raphael, a survivor of the October 7, 2023, Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... massacre at the Nova music festival, will perform in the second semifinal on Thursday evening, hoping for a spot in Saturday’s grand final.
The 24-year-old Israeli singer said she hopes her song "New Day Will Rise" will send a message of healing and solidarity.
She told The Times of Israel ahead of her departure for Basel that she is focused on the music and not the "background noise."
"There are things that I can control and things that I can’t control. Ultimately, there’s no point investing energy in something I can’t control," she said. "The most important thing to me is to bring honor to my country and do the best I can."
Ahead of the event, experts said they did not expect protests on the same level as last year, in part because the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the competition, has systematically and repeatedly rejected all appeals to have Israel barred.
Bless them for having strong morals.
Public anti-Israel sentiments in Switzerland are also not believed to be as high as those in Sweden.
Still, last week, Israel’s National Security Council released a travel advisory for Israelis traveling to Basel for the annual song contest, warning Israelis to avoid demonstrations and refrain from displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols.
’HEART OF EUROPE’
Eurovision celebrates kitsch, and plenty of dazzling outfits were on show as the 37 competing countries’ entrants took their place in the parade.
Switzerland hosted the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest in 1956, then staged it for a second time in 1989.
Basel is located right on the border with La Belle France and Germany.
"The moment we have eagerly awaited is finally here. The stage is ready. Excitement fills the air, and the entire city is buzzing with a unique and vibrant energy," said Conradin Cramer, president of the Basel City canton.
"The ESC is the most groundbreaking Swiss invention, after the pocket knife, the zipper, and bircher muesli."
"Basel, located in the heart of Europe, is the perfect place to unite people by music," he said, before declaring Eurovision 2025 officially open.
PARADE AND PROTESTS
Vintage trams and buses took the performers along the so-called "turquoise carpet" parade route — the longest in Eurovision history at 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles).
Eurovision fans lined the route, joining in the party atmosphere in the hot sunshine.
The parade was accompanied by drummers, carnival groups, marching bands, alphorn players and techno acts as they crossed the River Rhine over the Mittlere bridge, ending up at the "Eurovision Village" fan zone.
Switzerland is hosting after Swiss vocalist Nemo won Eurovision 2024 in Malmo with the highly personal song "The Code," about non-binary gender identity.
Nemo has joined calls for Israel to be thrown out of the show.
"I support the call for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest," the singer told the Huffington Post news website. "Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights ...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions... Dozens of former participants also joined calls for Israel to be banned from the event, penning a letter published last week demanding that the EBU suspend Israel’s participation, which the broadcasting union rejected.
"Last year, we were appalled that the EBU allowed Israel to participate while it continued its genocide in Gaza," the letter read, calling the 2024 contest "the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant in the competition’s history."
The signatories to the letter accused Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster and an EBU member, of being "complicit in Israel’s genocide against the Paleostinians in Gaza and the decades-long regime of apartheid and military occupation against the entire Paleostinian people."
In a statement to The Times of Israel, Martin Green, the director of the competition, said that while the EBU understands "the concerns and deeply held views," its goal is to maintain "a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music."
For decades, Eurovision has positioned itself as a non-political contest, but geopolitics has undeniably filtered into the proceedings most years. This year, public broadcasters from Slovenia, Spain, Iceland and Ireland have called on the EBU to reconsider Israel’s participation, to no avail.
Despite animosity on the ground, in last year’s competition Israel came second in the popular vote, with voters in 14 different countries giving it the most possible points — twelve. It was far less successful in the jury votes, and ended up fifth place overall.
[IsraelTimes] International Criminal Court chief prosecutor heard of allegations against him just weeks before seeking arrest of Netanyahu and then-defense minister Gallant
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan allegedly forced sexual intercourse upon a member of staff on multiple occasions, the Wall Street Journal said Saturday, in a report that questioned whether the allegations may have prompted his decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The report said that at the time — weeks after the Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... -led October 7, 2023, onslaught — Khan was coming under increasing pressure to take action over Israel’s military campaign 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... , and that he had been lashing out at his team.
A Malaysian lawyer in her 30s reportedly asked to meet with Kahn to ask him to change the manner in which he interacted with the staff. In response, he summoned her to his suite in the Millennium Hilton Hotel next to the UN headquarters in New York.
According to the report, the woman testified to UN officials that Khan started to touch her in a sexual manner, something that she said had been occurring for a number of months.
Vile and inexcusable.
"She said she attempted to leave the room several times, but he took her hand and eventually pulled her to the bed. Then he pulled off her pants and forced sexual intercourse, according to the testimony," the report said.
"He always holds on to me and leads me to the bed," she said in testimony reviewed by the Journal. "It’s the feeling of being trapped."
The report said the woman, a married mother, claimed it was one of multiple incidents of "coerced sexual intercourse" but that she stayed in the job because she felt it was an important role in human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights, mind you... , and she was additionally paying for medical care for her mother. The report said she also began to fear retaliation if she were to complain.
The woman alleged that Khan carried out "nonconsensual sex acts" in New York, Colombia, Congo, Chad, and Gay Paree, as well as at a residence owned by his wife in The Hague, the report said.
Khan, through his lawyers, told the newspaper that it is "categorically untrue that he has engaged in sexual misconduct of any kind."
The newspaper said that just two and a half weeks after Khan learned of the allegations, on May 20, 2024, he announced his intention to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over the war in Gaza, in addition to Hamas leaders. The day before, he had canceled a fact-finding mission to Israel and Gaza for which he had pressed then-US secretary of state Anthony Blinken to convince Israel to grant him access to Gaza, the report said, citing a May 3, 2024, phone call between the two. According to the newspaper, it was at that time that Khan found out about the allegations against him.
"The timing of the announcement has spurred questions about whether Khan was aiming to protect himself from the sexual-assault allegations. The day before announcing the warrant application, Khan abruptly canceled a trip to Israel and Gaza that he had previously said was important to make his decision," the report said.
According to the Journal, Alan Dershowitz had been organizing a meeting that was set to take place during the trip between Khan and Netanyahu.
Lawyers for Khan denied any connection between the allegations and the warrants.
Khan said the fact that the ICC judges approved the warrants shows that the evidence for them "met the rigorous legal threshold required." The report also noted that already in March 2024, Khan had notified US State Department officials that he intended to seek the arrest warrants, and that was before the allegations were made against him.
However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... court officials told the newspaper that the arrest warrants ensured support for Khan from anti-Israel countries if the allegations were to become public and additionally discouraged his accuser from coming forward.
The woman allegedly told Sherlocks that Khan had informed her that her accusations would harm the investigation into the Gaza war.
"Think about the Paleostinian arrest warrants," she said he told her, according to her testimony.
The woman, a Moslem, was said to support investigations of Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas. She reportedly later told colleagues she didn’t want to harm the arrest warrant process by filing a complaint. On April 29 of that year, she eventually told officials about the alleged assaults, and on May 5, the ICC’s internal investigation agency contacted her.
Goodness. So many reasons for this married muslimah to sacrifice her chastity. Could it be that her judgement is skewed?
On November 24, 2024, the ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. The Prime Minister’s Office panned the move in a statement as an "antisemitic decision" and asserted that it stemmed from Khan’s efforts to "save his skin from the serious charges against him for sexual harassment" as well as the beliefs of "biased judges motivated by antisemitic hatred of Israel."
ICC Warrants were also issued against three Hamas leaders, all of whom have since been killed by Israel.
I seem to recall that all three were already dead when their ICC warrants were issued, but possibly I misremember.
Last month, it was reported that United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... Sherlocks examining the allegations of sexual misconduct were also looking into allegations that Khan retaliated against staff who reported the allegations or were critical of his handling of the matter.
Khan has alleged that the accusations against him were part of an effort to undermine the ICC. The Journal report said that court officials were concerned that the Mosssd ...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end... was operating at The Hague. No further details were given.
Khan remains in his position. The ICC did not respond to a Journal request for comment.
#5
"There is an Islamophobe haughty
Who claims that I've been a bit naughty
On several occasions...
Because she hates Asians!
You've got to believe me! She's potty!"
"You think that I'm nuts? He's Ahmadi...
And he did me just now in the squatty!"
"Oh, what rot! I totally did not. But was it as good for thee as it was for me?"
"I'm not quite sure, dear Khan. You see, of witnesses there were but three: Mohammed, Allah, you, and me."
"Actually, that was my other brother Ahmad."
[GatewayPundit] The United Kingdom continues its decent into authoritarianism and censorship of social media content.
Now, a retired constable is getting ready to sue Kent Police after being arrested back in 2023 for posting a social media reply warning about rising anti-Semitism.
The Telegraph reported:
"Julian Foulkes, from Gillingham in Kent, was handcuffed at his home by six officers from the force he had served for a decade after replying to a pro-Palestinian activist on X.
The 71-year-old was detained for eight hours, interrogated and ultimately issued with a caution after officers visited his home on November 2 2023."
Last week, Kent Police sent out a statement saying that the caution was a mistake and has been deleted from Foulkes’s record.
The local law enforcement agency admitted that it was ’not appropriate in the circumstances and should not have been issued’.
"On Sunday, Mr. Foulkes accepted an offer from the Free Speech Union (FSU) to fund a legal challenge against the force for wrongful arrest and detention.
’The FSU and Lord [Toby] Young have generously agreed to fully fund a lawsuit against Kent Police’, he said. ’I’m extremely grateful for such excellent support and would urge anyone concerned about the sustained attack on free speech to please join the FSU. They’re fighting hard every day for all of us’."
[American Liberty News] The World Economic Forum was not always a punchline. Once draped in the velvet language of progress, innovation, and multilateral cooperation, Davos promised an annual symposium where the world’s elites would set aside self-interest to solve humanity’s biggest challenges. But the past tense is no accident. The forum today is not a temple of wisdom, it is a brothel of globalist self-delusion, run by elites who fly private jets to preach carbon neutrality and who lecture ordinary citizens about equality while groping their assistants behind closed doors.
To the casual observer, the WEF might still appear to be a high-minded gathering of the world’s best and brightest. But peer closer, and the facade cracks. What lies behind it is not merely hypocrisy or elitism. It is institutional rot: a culture marinated in sexual deviance, financial impropriety and moral impunity, presided over by a founder who used the organization’s resources as a personal pleasure dome.
Recent whistleblower accounts and journalistic investigations have shattered the illusion of principled global leadership. Klaus Schwab, the forum’s founder and until recently its high priest of stakeholder capitalism, has now resigned under the weight of allegations that would shame a banana republic dictator. The claims against Schwab are numerous and damning. He is accused of sexual misconduct, including lewd advances and inappropriate comments toward female employees. One example: Schwab allegedly placed his crotch near a woman’s face while propping his leg on her desk, musing aloud that he needed to find her a man, and would put himself at the top of the list were he not married.
This behavior was not anomalous. According to internal reports, the WEF harbored a broader culture of harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Female employees recount being propositioned, ridiculed, and ultimately fired for reporting abuse. A Black woman described how her manager joked about setting her wig on fire. Others described how senior executives impersonated medical professionals to coerce young women into removing their shirts under the guise of medical checks.
[USAWatchdog] Renowned attorney Larry Klayman predicted on USAWatchdog.com that there would be full-blown, legal civil war happening in the court system. He also predicted that violence from the "rabid left" would not only increase but explode. Klayman, founder of Judicial Watch and now Freedom Watch USA, says there are now more than 233 federal court cases trying to stop or delay President Trump and his Administration. Klayman is here to update us on what is going on with the struggle America is having with the Deep State trying desperately to hold on to power. Let’s start with Joe Biden’s appearance last week on ABC’s "The View," where he looked confused and incompetent. Can all of Biden’s last-minute pardons of criminals and J6 members who destroyed evidence be enforced or are they null and void as President Trump has declared? Klayman says, "They are null and void and so is every other thing that was allegedly signed by him (Biden). He couldn’t even remember what he signed. . . . This is more than a scandal. It’s the worst scandal ever. Let me tell you something, Biden has not been abused as an elderly person. He abused the American people, and it’s much more than abuse. Biden committed treason."
What about suspending "habeas corpus" as President Trump is thinking about doing to more quickly deport millions of illegal aliens? Klayman says, "He can do that in dire times, times of war. We are, in effect, in a war. We had drug traffickers, human traffickers, sex traffickers and terrorists running across our border in mass, over 10 million in the Biden Administration alone and many before that. So, yes, it’s a war-time situation, and he (President Trump) can suspend it. . . .Just get them the heck out of here. They are here illegally. They have no right to be here. The President should just ignore these edicts by these San Francisco judges and other judges . . . and do what he needs to do, and they can’t do anything. You know the judiciary has no ability to enforce any ruling. It’s only the Executive Branch, President Trump’s branch that he sit’s over, can enforce the rule of law. This President has been sued thus far . . . in places like San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Portland and other places where they know they are going to get a Leftist judge. Federal judges are supposed to be assigned randomly. It’s like Wheel of Fortune, but that really does not happen. . . . They actually steer these cases. . . . We need to prosecute these judges and set up the Department of Judicial and Legal Accountability and work with President Trump. I hope he will appoint me to head that with others that will come on board because we need some strong leadership right now because he’s sinking. He (Trump) has been enjoined 70% to 80% of the time in every Executive Order that he has issued. This last one said Trump has no control over his departments anymore. There was a temporary restraining order that says you can’t cut workforce; you can’t do anything."
Why all the attacks on President Trump? Klayman says, "They are attacking him because they hate him. . . . they are attacking him, and it’s all orchestrated. Washington is one giant, excuse the French, circle jerk. It’s a club."
#1
"They are attacking him because they hate him. . . . they are attacking him, and it’s all orchestrated. Washington is one giant, excuse the French, circle jerk. It’s a club."
He's not one of them and he threatens the (not so shadow) Deep State government.
[ZERO] The designation sent shockwaves through the political landscape.
AfD immediately challenged it in court, prompting the agency to suspend enforcement while litigation proceeds.
But the damage, Hanson said, has already been done.
This move, he argued, wasn’t about public safety—it was about political control.
"Recently, the German government announced that it is going to label or maybe relabel the Alternative for Deutschland," Hanson explained.
"The conservative party that has an antithetical agenda both to the German government of both liberal and conservative factions, but also to the EU in general."
He said the classification ensures AfD will remain on the outside of political power, regardless of how many people support them.
"It will cement this aura that no government under their parliamentary democracy system will ask them to join to form a majority government," Hanson said.
"So the process of ostracism and demonization of this party continues."
And for what? The real issue, he said, is that AfD simply offers a different vision.
"The party is advocating an alternative for the way that Germany is going."
#2
German tourists violently attack Israelis in Budapest
Tourists feeling free to do abroad what they only wished to at home, or just continuing their habitual domestic practices? It’s hard to find “visibly identifiable Jews” (those with long beards and kippas) back home in Germany, where they look like everyone else.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Mark Leshkevich
Because it was a nasty, ugly war and soldiers are not emotionless automatons?
[REGNUM] Five days before the capitulation of the Third Reich, on May 3, 1945, British Royal Air Force aircraft attacked and sank three German ships carrying prisoners from Nazi concentration camps in the Bay of Lübeck: the ocean liner Cap Arcona, the cargo ship Thielbek, and the ship Deutschland. The scale of the tragedy has only become clear now.
According to recently declassified FSB documents, the British airstrike killed between 7,000 and 12,000 people. Most of them were Soviet prisoners of war.
These ships were used to "evacuate" prisoners ordered by the SS from Germany to Nazi-controlled Norway in the final days of the war. Despite the Allied command being informed of the prisoners on board, the attack was carried out anyway.
"THEY ACTED LIKE FASCISTS"
The FSB archive contains a letter that Vasily Salomatkin, a former prisoner of the Neuengamme concentration camp who miraculously survived the raid on Cap Arcona, sent to the Office of the USSR Council of Ministers Commissioner for the Repatriation of Soviet Citizens. It states, among other things:
"The prisoners who were on the deck took off their undershirts (they were white) and began waving them, making a sign to the English pilots that the ship was surrendering, accepting capitulation, but the English pilots, like the fascist pilots... continued to bomb the ships. The bombing took place at a very low altitude. The English pilots saw all the horrors of their bombing and continued to do it even more, not paying attention to any pleas from the people."
After the second bomb hit the deck of the liner Cap Arcona, Salomatkin "threw himself into the water along with other Russian prisoners." Not far from the site of the Cap Arcona's sinking, English torpedo boats appeared, having left Lübeck, which was occupied by the British.
"When we saw them, we rushed to swim towards them, thinking that they would pick us up and save us. It turned out to be the opposite. The soldiers on the boats stood and shot the floating prisoners with machine guns."
Salomatkin was washed ashore by the tide and woke up in a hospital set up by the British. There he learned that "out of 12,000 prisoners, only three hundred were saved."
And after leaving the hospital, the recent prisoner of a Nazi concentration camp was convinced: German prisoners of war feel at ease under British occupation power. They walk the streets of Lübeck, attack "Untermenschen" and even threaten them with reprisals. According to a survivor of "Cap Arcona", the English commandant of the city ignored the complaints of the Russians.
Red Army Lieutenant Vasily Filippovich Salomatkin was lucky - already in 1945 he returned from the British occupation zone to his homeland, passed the SMERSH counterintelligence check without any problems, and was discharged into the reserve in October 1945. After the war and until his retirement, this holder of the Order of the Red Star and the Order of the Patriotic War worked as a teacher in his native Krasnoslobodsk (now the Republic of Mordovia).
The USSR MGB considered Salomatkin's testimony credible. The report that the special service sent to the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 1949 noted that the words of this former concentration camp prisoner were confirmed by several other eyewitnesses.
“Thus, the witness V.D. Kozulya, a former commander of the Soviet Army aviation detachment, who was interrogated on September 15 of this year, testified: “On May 3, 1945, at approximately one o’clock in the afternoon, I and other prisoners who were in the Cap Arcona cabin saw three Hawker Hurricane aircraft approaching our ship and then dropping bombs on it.”
Interrogated on September 14, 1949, “witness Strandberg E. N. testified: “English planes flew over the ship at low altitude several times and shot at people on the upper deck with machine guns. The Tilbek soon sank.”
Soviet authorities recorded the testimonies of 14 survivors who confirmed the mass extermination. The MGB stated that the attack was carried out on unarmed people, and that the survivors were subjected to violence after the tragedy.
A tragic mistake – this is how British historians interpret the sinking of three non-military ships in May 1945. They say that at the time of the storming of Lübeck, the Royal Air Force could not allow ships on which Nazis might have fled to pass through the Baltic. But, logically, the British should have known who exactly was being transported on the Cap Arcona, Thielbek and Deutschland.
CONCENTRATION CAMP ON A SHIP
With the beginning of spring 1945, when the prisoners of the remaining concentration camps were about to be liberated, the Nazis began to herd prisoners on death marches in a futile attempt to evade the advancing Red Army and Allied forces. This was also the case in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, home to the cities of Flensburg (the seat of the last Nazi government led by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz ) and the port city of Lübeck. Prisoners from the Hamburg concentration camp Neuengamme, where Vasily Salomatkin was a prisoner, were also herded here.
But since the Lübeck Gauleiter and the local SS leadership panicked, many of the SS "personnel" of the remaining camps and prisoners were "evacuated" closer to May 1945.
Neuengamme was the largest concentration camp in northwest Germany.
All these manipulations were known to the British advancing on Lübeck - both aerial reconnaissance and information from the ground helped.
Intelligence on May 2 saw that the ships were not heading for Norway, as was later claimed to justify the attack. The ships were stationary, not moving, and were not under steam.
Information about the prisoners was passed on May 2 to Major General George Roberts, commander of the 11th Armoured Division advancing in the Lübeck area, according to a report compiled in June 1945 by Major Noel Till. It also states that for unknown reasons the information was not passed on to other units of the British Army advancing there and aimed at capturing Lübeck and other centres as quickly as possible. Roberts also failed to inform the Air Force command.
The British had the opportunity to prevent the attack on the Cap Arcona by taking into account at least three reports provided by the Red Cross. But they did not do so.
Meanwhile, the ships had left the shore. The Cap Arcona, which had received the most prisoners, was overcrowded: initially planned to accommodate about 2,200 people, but in the end the number of prisoners exceeded 8,000. This led to unbearable overcrowding and lack of space. The conditions on board were unbearable.
Surviving prisoner Shmuel Pivnik (after the war, the renowned British Holocaust researcher Sam Pivnik) called the ship a "floating hell." Prisoners were locked in cramped quarters, and the bodies of the dead were thrown overboard, where they floated in the water like garbage. Food on the ship was given out extremely irregularly, sometimes without anything.
The prisoners were placed on the ship according to racial theory - people of Western European descent received better conditions, while Russians and Jews found themselves in the lower holds without light, air or water. In fact, the structure of the Neuengamme camp was transferred to the ship, including the organization of life, supervision and abuse. But the prisoners did not know that a real "hell on water" awaited them ahead.
On the morning of May 3, Dr. Hans Arnoldsson of the Swedish Red Cross informed the British command about the prisoners on the ships. Later, the officers promised to "take action" - but the bombardment had already begun.
POLITICAL REASONS
The main question remains: why did the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy attack ships – albeit German, but obviously not military? There was a version that the SS officers who led the “evacuation” planned to sink the “Cap Arcona”, “Tielbek” and “Deutschland” with all the prisoners. This was stated, in particular, during interrogation by Georg von Bassewitz-Behr, the last head of the SS and police in Hamburg. But then the British should have stopped this atrocity, and not committed it “for the Nazis”.
Part of the explanation can be found in the testimony of Vasily Salomatkin: he reported that by the time the German garrison of Lubeck capitulated, the ships were 6 km from the city of Neustadt. At that moment, the British demanded that the ships' crews surrender.
"The SS command of the ships rejected the capitulation. Then the English air force took off in large numbers and began bombing the ships we were on," explained Salomatkin.
But in any case, the question arises: why did the British sink ships on which the vast majority were not SS men, but concentration camp prisoners? Why were the unfortunates shot from boats?
The most logical version seems to be that in the chaos and haste during the capture of Lubeck, the Air Force and Navy, as well as some part of the ground force, were “forgotten to convey” intelligence and Red Cross information. And the haste, confusion and fuss were caused by purely political reasons and a phobia called “the Russians are coming!”
The agreements between Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, reached in Yalta, implied, among other things, the division of Germany into occupation zones. But the Allies, until the last moment, tried to draw the borders of their zones and the Soviet one in their own way, fearing our attack on the West.
At meetings with the member of the House of Commons, future Prime Minister Anthony Eden, regarding the creation of these zones, Churchill emphasized that “our arrival in Lübeck before our Russian friends from Stettin (arrive) will save us from many disputes later.”
The Western Allies emphasized the urgent need to reach Lübeck before Soviet soldiers could occupy Denmark (especially since our troops actually landed on the Danish island of Bornholm on May 9). The primary need to reach the Baltic coast and stop a hypothetical Soviet advance to the West led to panic in the top leadership of England. And this panic was transmitted "through the chain of command," right up to General Roberts.
Then the case began to be hushed up - the British military command's report from 1946 did not make any strict conclusions. The investigation was conducted in a hurry, without involving the testimony of surviving prisoners.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:57 Official summary of the Office for Documentation of War Crimes of Ukraine from 00:00 11.05.2025 to 00:00 12.05.2025.
24 facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
There were reports of one civilian being killed and another injured.
DAMAGED:
Five residential buildings,
Two civil infrastructure facilities,
One passenger car.
A total of 24 armed attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 91 units of various ammunition were fired.
21:45 A teenager was injured as a result of a drone strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the village of Borki in the Valuysky District.
This is reported by Governor of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov.
21:25 Enemy fired atthe city of Rylsk using American MLRS HIMARS
20:15 Soldiers of the 217th Airborne Regiment are destroying tanks and infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, attacking near the border of the Kursk region.
19:30 The Russian Armed Forces, using the 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS, inflicted fire damage to airborne forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement Bogatyr DPR
18:25 Investigators of the Russian Investigative Committee are investigating criminal actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces resulting in the injury of a civilian in the Belgorod region
In the Belgorod region, an unmanned aerial vehicle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked a passenger car in the village of Dvuluchny, Valuysky District, as a result of which the driver was injured.
17:10 After the end of the ceasefire, UAV operators of the 44th Guards Army Corps of "Sever" group started work on previously revealed enemy targets.
16:49 Today in the village of Khomutovka, Khomutovsky district, an enemy drone carried out attacks by dropping an explosive device on a civilian car. Unfortunately, a five-year-old child was injured as a result of the strike.
Relatives independently took the girl to the nearest medical facility - Sevskaya Central Regional Hospital of Bryansk Region.
15:10 To support the assault groups operating in the direction of our border village of Tetkino, the enemy transferred crew of the American M-109 Paladin self-propelled gun from the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
Drone operators of the Group Sever loitering munition made a targeted hit on the enemy self-propelled gun FPV drone footage recorded the destruction of a Ukrainian Armed Forces field artillery gun.
14:30 100th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Toretsk suffered heavy losses
“The other day, fighters from the 100th Separate Mechanized Brigade carried out a “counterattack” in the city of Toretsk, and it was extremely unsuccessful, which brought us many losses, and for the enemy a tactical and media advantage in Toretsk,”statedin the Ukrainian resource Deep State.
13:30 The Armed Forces of Ukraine made five attempts to break through the state border of the Russian Federation in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, as well as 37 attacks, one reconnaissance in force in the areas of the settlements of Pavlovka, Budki in the Sumy region, Tetkino in the Kursk region, Berezniki in the Khar'kov region, Novoegorovka in the Luhansk People's Republic, Lipovoe, Redkodub, Dzerzhinsk, Romanovka, Ulyanovka, Novoolenovka, Mirolyubovka, Elizavetovka, Troitskoye, Veseloye, Alekseyevka, Novoaleksandrovka, Kotlyarovka and Novosergeevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, which were repelled.
Along the entire line of combat contact, Ukrainian units carried out 4,011 attacks from barrel artillery, tanks and mortars on positions of our troops, including 62 using multiple launch rocket systems. In addition, the enemy carried out 9,918 strikes and drops of ammunition from unmanned aerial vehicles.
Since midnight on May 8, Russian air defense units have shot down 58 enemy aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles outside the area where the special military operation was being conducted.
In these conditions, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation responded in kind to the violations of the ceasefire regime by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and acted in accordance with the developing situation, responding to the criminal encroachments of the Kyiv regime.
With the end of the ceasefire, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to conduct a special military operation.
The enemy's losses amounted to 980 military personnel, 16 vehicles, five field artillery guns, seven armored combat vehicles, three artillery guns, an ammunition depot, an armored personnel carrier, two electronic warfare stations, and two radar warfare stations.
Units of the North group of forces inflicted losses on concentrations of manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade, four assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Ryzhevka, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Iskriskovshchina, Pavlovka, Bessalovka, Volfino and Belopolye in Sumy Oblast.
Units of the "West" group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, airmobile, mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk in the Khar'kov region and Redkodub in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the "Southern" group of forces defeated formations of four mechanized, assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Seversk, Privolye, Dyleevka, Ivanopolye, Kleban-Byk, Berestok, Pleshcheyevka and Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the Center group of forces improved their tactical position, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of seven mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two brigades of naval infantry and a national guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Krasnoarmeysk, Mirolyubovka, Kotlyarovka, Dimitrov, Novaya Poltavka, Yelizavetovka, Alekseyevka, Troitskoye and Novoolenovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the "East" group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of three mechanized and ranger brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Poddubnoe, Shevchenko, Bogatyr, Tolstoy, Karl Marx in the Donetsk People's Republic and Temirovka in the Zaporizhia region.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the mechanized brigade and the coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the populated areas of Kamenskoye in the Zaporizhia region, Antonovka in the Kherson region and the city of Kherson.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups hit an aircraft repair shop, a warehouse for unmanned boats, ammunition depots, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 80 districts.
12:50 Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Ukrainian armed forces continued conducting military operations against Russian troops.
A total of 14,043 ceasefire violations were recorded.
12:42 In Nova Kakhovkadieda man born in 1972 was hit as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces
11:15 In the village of Dvuluchnoye, Valuysky District, a drone of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit at a moving car. The driver was injured.
10:10 Frontline report for the morning of 11.05.2025
Zaporizhzhya Front. Here continues positional battles in several areas. Long-range weapons are actively working on both sides. No significant changes in LBS.
Donetsk Front. To the north of Bogatyr, Russian troops have advanced in the direction of Andreyevka and entered the eastern outskirts of the settlement. There is also progress in Bogatyr itself, where the Russian Armed Forces were able to advance deep into the settlement and gain a foothold.
Sumy direction. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to try to break through to the territory of the Kursk region in the Tyotkino area. The day before, Ukrainian troops attempted an offensive in a new area, attacking from Bessalovka in the direction of Volfinskoye. The attempt was unsuccessful.
In Tyotkino itself, the enemy continues to maintain its presence, mainly on the outskirts. The Chapayev Street area has turned into a gray zone, where neither side can enter due to the huge number of drones.
9:30 Information on strikes carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Belgorod region over the past 24 hours:
In the Belgorod district in the settlement of Razumnoye, the villages of Belovskoye, Bessonovka, Blizhneye, Varvarovka, Orlovka, Chaiki, Cheremoshnoye, Shchetinovka and Yasnye Zori during one shelling released four munitions and 12 drones were attacked, five of which were shot down by the air defense system.
In the village of Yasnye Zori, as a result of an explosive device being dropped from a drone on the territory of an agricultural enterprise, a woman was injured. Doctors provided the victim with the necessary assistance, treatment continues on an outpatient basis.
In the village of Yasnye Zori, a garage and a passenger car were damaged, in the village of Cheremoshnoye - a private house and a GAZelle, in the village of Bessonovka - a manufacturing enterprise, in the village of Varvarovka - a car, a garage and a gas supply line.
This morning, in the village of Chaiki, a bus was damaged as a result of a drone attack.
In the Valuysky municipal district, the city of Valuyki, the villages of Dvuluchnoye, Dolgoe, Kukuyevka, Novopetrovka and the farm Prigorodnye Topoli were subjected to shelling using four munitions and attacks by six drones, four of which were suppressed and shot down.
In the city of Valuyki, a man was injured when a drone struck a moving car. The victim received medical care at the Valuyskaya Central District Hospital, and will continue his treatment on an outpatient basis. Two cars and an administrative building were damaged.
In the Volokonovsky district, two explosive devices were dropped from a drone in the village of Tishanka. A commercial facility was damaged, and a private house and outbuildings were also destroyed by fire.
In the Grayvoronsky municipal district, 17 rounds of ammunition were fired during four attacks and 13 drones were attacked in the villages of Bezymeno, Dronovka, Mokraya Orlovka, Poroz and Spodaryushino.
In the village of Mokraya Orlovka, a private house, an outbuilding and two cars were damaged, one of which burned down.
In the Krasnoyarsk region, 73 munitions were fired during 12 attacks at the village of Prilesye, the villages of Vyazovoye, Grafovka, Kolotilovka, Popovka, Staroselye and Terebreno, and one drone was attacked. Information about the consequences is being clarified.
In the Shebekinsky municipal district, the city of Shebekino, the settlement of Shamino, the villages of Belyanka, Ziborovka, Meshkovoye, Murom and Rzhevka were subjected to shelling using four shells and attacks by 33 drones, 22 of which were suppressed and shot down.
On the Ziborovka-Shamino highway, a married couple was injured as a result of a drone attack on a moving car. The woman was hospitalized in moderate condition in City Hospital No. 2 of Belgorod, her husband was released for outpatient treatment. The vehicle was destroyed by fire.
In the settlement of Shamino, a private house was damaged, in the village of Murom - four private houses, two of which caught fire, in the village of Meshkovoye - three cars, a KamAZ and two private houses, in the village of Rzhevka - the fences of two private houses
. 07:45 "Geraniums" struck a Ukrainian Armed Forces facility in the village of Svyatogorovka.
07:33 Changes to map over the past 24 hours:
– Correction of the control zone in our favor in the Andreevka area;– Russian Armed Forces entered Novosergeevka ➡️;
– Correction of the control zone in our favor in Volchansk;
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] In Leninaul, despite agreements with the authorities, a Chechen mosque built in the 19th century has been demolished, village residents said.
As the "Caucasian Kno" wrote, the Aukhovsky district, where the Chechen-Akkintsy lived compactly, was liquidated in 1944 after Stalin's deportation of the Chechens and Ingush. In the northwestern part of the district's territory, the Novolaksky District was formed, this part was populated by Laks from the mountainous part of Dagestan,
…who are Sunnis…
and the southeastern part of the district was transferred to the neighboring Kazbekovsky District together with the villages of Yurt-Aukh and Aktash-Aukh and populated by Avars
…so are they...
from the neighboring village. Thirteen years later, in 1957, the Akkin Chechens, like the rest of the deported Vainakh peoples, were allowed to return to their historical homeland.
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 almost 30 years, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "The Main Thing About Aukh: What the Chechens Demand from the Dagestan Authorities."
A video recording of Chechens complaining about the demolition of a mosque in the village of Leninaul in the Kazbekovsky district of Dagestan was published on the Instagram Aktash-Aukh public page.
The video shows three men standing in front of a building and a tractor.
"We are standing on the spot where the old Chechen mosque stood, built by the Chechens of the village of Aktash-Aukh. This is confirmed by the census, which was conducted by the tsarist authorities in 1885, 1889 ( the first and only census of the Russian Empire took place on January 28 (February 9), 1897 - note from the "Caucasian Knot"). It is indicated there that there are four functioning mosques in the village of Aktash-Aukh. The one located here was one of these quarter mosques," said one of the men in the recording.
According to him, the Chechens "have repeatedly appealed to all authorities" to "preserve our historical memory." He reported that a meeting was held on May 7, at which an agreement was reached that the mosque would not be built for the time being, but it was already demolished on the morning of May 8.
At the end of the video there is a photograph of a small building with several cars parked near it.
The video was also posted on his Telegram channel by blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov. "The situation is tense. Neither Kadyrov nor any of his subordinates are interfering in any way or commenting on what is happening," he emphasized.
By 23:44 Moscow time, the Telegram channels of the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Chechnya Mansur Soltayev, and the head of the Chechen Ministry of Nationalities Akhmed Dudayev did not contain any comments in connection with the demolition of the mosque.
Let us recall that the restoration of the Aukhovsky district, which was planned to be completed by 2025, has actually been stopped for many years, the resettlement of the Laks and the construction of new houses have been disrupted, Dagestani activists state.
February 23, 2025 marked 81 years since the beginning of Stalin's deportation of the Vainakhs. At a rally dedicated to this date, Chechen Prime Minister Magomed Daudov voiced a demand to return housing in the former Aukhovsky District of Dagestan to the descendants of the repressed. A mourning rally with the participation of more than 500 people was also held on February 23 in the village of Novokuli in the Novolaksky District of Dagestan.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:45 Since the beginning of the day, 111 combat clashes have occurred on the front, including 47 attacks by the Russian army in the Pokrovsky direction, according to the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 22:00.
22.29 President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be in Turkey on May 15 to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian forces would respond in kind to Russia’s ceasefire or continuation of the fire from May 12.
20.34 US President Donald Trump said Ukraine should immediately agree to talks proposed by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15, although they do not include a 30-day ceasefire.
19.59 President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he expects Russia to cease fire on May 12 and will personally wait for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15.
16.46 US Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg stressed that negotiations with Russia on ending the war should be preceded by a 30-day ceasefire.
15:52 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists that Russia must agree to a pause in hostilities before any negotiations begin on possible formats for ending the war, dpa reports.
15.46 Pope Leo XIV called for a "sincere and lasting peace" in Ukraine and an immediate end to the fighting in Gaza, with the release of hostages, in his first Sunday address. The pontiff said he carried "the suffering of the beloved people of Ukraine" in his heart.
14.25 Turkey is ready to facilitate the peace process to end hostilities in Ukraine by any means, including negotiations, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said that a "historic milestone" had been reached on the path to ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, that this opportunity must be seized, and that Turkey was ready to make all possible contributions, including holding negotiations, to ensure a ceasefire and lasting peace.
12:48 During the so-called three-day "ceasefire" that was unilaterally declared by the Russian Federation, Russian troops did not cease, but on the contrary, intensified their assault operations. This was reported by the DeepState project.
The occupiers carried out 193, 196 and 161 assault actions over three days, respectively. In April, the average daily activity was 155 attacks per day.
"There were almost no ceasefire areas. There were isolated cases and that's all," DeepState analysts noted.
12:30 French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for the idea of deploying foreign troops in Ukraine and also estimated the number that could be discussed.
According to him, the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine is necessary to stabilize the situation after the cessation of hostilities with the Russian Federation.
Asked about the number of foreign troops that could be deployed in Ukraine in the future, the French president replied: "It could be several thousand, but not several hundred thousand."
"It's not about numbers. It's about us being there to provide a support presence, as a second line of defense, in the air or in strategic points away from the front line. Above all, we're there to show solidarity," Macron said.
11:52 The talks in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia should be held "taking into account the real situation and the developments of the 2022 talks." This was stated by the Russian dictator's assistant Yuri Ushakov.
"Taking this into account, of course. Taking into account, naturally, the real situation," he said in response to a question about whether negotiations would resume where they left off in 2022.
In turn, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian leader's proposal "confirms the real intention to find a peaceful solution."
"A lasting peace can only be achieved through serious negotiations, and the readiness for these negotiations has now been shown and demonstrated by the president," he said.
11:22 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has rejected a ceasefire in Ukraine. He is probably counting on a summer offensive. This was stated by the head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko.
"Putin chose war and refused to end it in favor of a summer offensive," he wrote on Telegram.
10:55 President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia was "thinking about a ceasefire" and called it a good sign.
Thus, the president responded to the proposal of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to resume direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine from May 15 in Istanbul.
According to Zelensky, Moscow must first agree to a ceasefire from May 12 – then Kyiv is ready to meet.
"There is no point in continuing the killings even for a day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire - complete, long-term and reliable - starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet," the head of state said.
10.20 On the night of May 11, Russian troops attacked with 108 Shahed-type attack UAVs and various types of drone imitators. Air defense forces shot down 60 drones. Another 41 enemy drone imitators were lost. The Russian attack affected Sumy Oblast.
09.55 French President Emmanuel Macron responded to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's initiative to resume negotiations in Istanbul.
According to the French leader, Putin's proposal is "a first step, but not sufficient."
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," Macron said, noting that Putin "is looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time."
09.40 Over the past 24 hours, 161 combat clashes were recorded at the front. In particular, in the Pokrovsky direction, the defenders stopped 60 assault and offensive actions of the Russian invaders.
09.18 Russian troops attacked the Kiev region with drones. In the Brovarsky district, a man born in 1954 was injured as a result of an enemy attack. A summer house was damaged. Five private houses in the Obukhovsky district were also damaged.
08.43 US President Donald Trump made another statement regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, calling the upcoming events "potentially a big day" for both countries.
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved when this endless 'bloodbath' is hopefully over. It will be a whole new and much better world," Trump said.
The US president spoke of a "potentially big day for Russia and Ukraine" after Kyiv's offer of a 30-day ceasefire and the Kremlin's proposals for direct talks.
Trump assured that he plans to continue to work with both sides to achieve a result. According to him, the United States seeks to focus on recovery and trade development. The US leader also said that "it's an important week ahead."
08.15 As of May 11, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 965,890 people (1,310 per day).
05.25 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country's experts were ready to help resume air traffic with Ukraine as soon as a ceasefire was achieved.
"I am pleased that British experts are working on the ground to reopen flights to Ukraine once a ceasefire is achieved. It will take some time, but it will be a huge boost to Ukraine's economy, boost investor confidence and help reunite families torn apart by the war," Starmer said.
04.44 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has officially acknowledged the participation of North Korean servicemen in Russia's war against Ukraine. The head of the Kremlin expressed gratitude to the leaders of 13 states that sent units of their national armed forces to participate in the parade on Red Square. In particular, the dictator noted that he was pleased to personally thank the military leaders of the Korean People's Army for their participation in the military operations on the front of the war against Ukraine.
03.17 US President Donald Trump promised to quickly end Russia's war against Ukraine and the war in Gaza. However, he now understands that this will be difficult. In particular, last week, during a speech to leading donors, Trump called the end of Russia's war against Ukraine "a growing frustration that keeps him up at night." He also noted that Russian dictator Putin had taken a "particularly tough" position in the negotiations and wanted "everything," meaning Ukraine.
02.02 President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a joint statement by the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, Great Britain and Ukraine following their meeting in Kyiv. The politicians agreed that there should be a complete and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days from Monday, May 12. It is noted that an unconditional ceasefire by definition cannot be "limited by any conditions". If Russia puts forward such conditions, this can only be seen as an attempt to "continue the war and blow up diplomacy". The leaders demand that the ceasefire be comprehensive: in the air, at sea and on land.
01.13 Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he was proposing that Ukraine resume direct talks, which were suspended in 2022. He proposed resuming direct talks with Ukraine "without preconditions" in Turkey on May 15. Putin noted that he should address Turkish President Recep Erdogan with this proposal on Sunday, May 12. He suggested that an agreement on a ceasefire could be reached during these talks.
[TimesOfIndia] Punjab ...1. Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2. A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3. A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots
.... police have busted espionage and arms smuggling operations linked to Pakistain, arresting two people and seizing a cache of explosives near the border, officials said on Sunday.
A 31-year-old woman, named Guzala, and her associate, Yameen Mohamad, both hailing from Malerkotla, were arrested for allegedly leaking classified military information to a Pakistain-based handler, said Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav.
Guzala admitted to sharing troop movement details with an official at Pakistain's high commission in New Delhi in exchange for Rs 30,000 sent via UPI, according to Malerkotla SSP Gagan Ajit Singh.
Based on her disclosures, Mohamad was also taken into custody. Two mobile phones were seized.
Police started the paperwork but haven't done much else under sections of BNS and Official Secrets Act. The diplomat has also been named in the FIR.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] In the months since the scandal with the Qatari lobby in Israel, the emphasis in the case has changed significantly.
The former lead defendant, Eli Feldstein, whose removal began the investigation into what would later become "Qatargate," was at some point relegated to the "background" of the scandal.
But the case now has not only a "civilian" aspect, but also a military one. It turned out that the "Qatari lobby" could have penetrated not only the prime minister's office, but also the army and intelligence services, ensuring Doha's secret surveillance of Israel's political course.
True, there were also those for whom this turn of history turned out to be more beneficial.
TWO ASSISTANTS - ONE JOB
The Prime Minister's Office (and Benjamin Netanyahu himself ) publicly distanced themselves from the disgraced aide in the first days after his arrest, stating that Feldstein acted on his own initiative and without the prime minister's knowledge.
But they spared no effort to save him from prison. The defendant's interests are represented in court by Amit Hadad, who defended the prime minister during the most high-profile investigations.
Of course, the allocation of “lawyer No. 1” can be seen as Netanyahu’s desire to protect his own reputation (and stay in power), but for Feldstein, who is under investigation, even this kind of help came in handy.
Another former assistant to the prime minister, Jonathan Urich, is experiencing much greater pressure from the investigation. He was arrested later than Feldstein, but rather quickly transformed from a simple lobbyist for Qatari interests into one of the key figures in the case.
It was Urich who was credited with the role of financial intermediary, ensuring the circulation of funds within the framework of "Qatargate". We are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars that were paid from the Qatari treasury and were used to whitewash Doha's reputation.
True, unlike Feldstein, Urich was not a civil servant and worked in the office as a volunteer. This meant that he had the opportunity to openly collaborate with foreign governments.
Moreover, Qatar (even in the absence of diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv) was not considered a hostile country, and Israeli business was actively building up behind-the-scenes ties in Doha.
In other words, Urich's receipt of the notorious "suitcases of money", if it did take place, was not reprehensible. Just like his participation in whitewashing Qatar's reputation. And this is a fundamental difference from those involved who were "in charge" during the scandal.
However, such arguments were not enough for the court, and Urich was left in custody with the label of an agent of influence of Qatari intelligence.
THE TRAIL LEADS TO THE MILITARY
Of course, Urich is far from the only one accused of receiving money from Qatari agents. Along with him, several employees of the Israeli special services and army intelligence, whose names are not disclosed, are involved in the case.
The Israeli FBI (Lahav-433 police department) suspects them of collaborating with Qatari intelligence services.
Prosecutors say the suspects established ties with Qatari security operatives ahead of the 2022 World Cup and received instructions from them "via secret code" over the years.
They could theoretically ensure the penetration of the country's security system by "moles" working in the interests of the Arabian monarchy.
True, the accusations against Israeli intelligence officers are mostly based on circumstantial evidence, and therefore it has not yet been possible to fully accuse them of working for Qatar. In all cases, the case was limited to interrogations and confrontations.
However, some prosecutors believe that the roots of "Qatargate" should be sought not in 2022, but much earlier, in the mid-2010s. And therefore, in the case of "Qatar ciphers" they rushed to comb through even high-ranking retired officials of past years.
Among others questioned was General Yoav Mordechai, who served as the government's coordinator for activities in the territories of Judea and Samaria until his retirement in 2018 and served as an informal channel of dialogue between the authorities and Palestinian factions.
In addition, Mordechai has repeatedly made comments in Arabic-language media, explaining Tel Aviv’s policies, and has especially often appeared on the air of the Qatari holding Al Jazeera.
The totality of the above was enough for Israeli law enforcement to suspect the general of sympathizing with the sheikhs. Especially since Mordechai, during his time as coordinator, did not allow himself a single critical attack on Doha and maintained close ties with its politicians.
These ties were not broken even during the period when Qatar was under diplomatic blockade by its Arab neighbors. However, as in the case of the intelligence officers, no specific charges were brought against the retired general.
NETANYAHU EMERGES FROM THE ATTACK
The fuss that has arisen around the “reprehensible connections” of the military and intelligence officers is partly to the advantage of Netanyahu and his entourage. The prime minister’s camp has received a unique opportunity to turn “Qatargate” with its tip towards those who tried to use it to undermine the position of the “unsinkable Bibi.”
First of all, the new interpretation of the scandal with the “Qatari lobby” hits the position of the head of the Israeli General Security Service (Shabaq) Ronen Bar.
He entered into a protracted conflict with Netanyahu amid failures and miscalculations in the Gaza Strip and used “Qatargate” to blame ill-wishers and hold on to his seat.
Now that representatives of the security sector are involved in the case, playing the prosecutor is no longer so safe.
Moreover, the “bridge” thrown by the investigators to the intelligence services and the army will allow Netanyahu to more easily remove inconvenient figures from the vertical of power, appealing to their involvement in “Qatargate”.
As for Urich, he plays the role of a bargaining chip in this case. The Prime Minister's office thus acknowledges the fact of leaks (which have already been proven from various sides) and simultaneously removes the Prime Minister from the line of fire.
Moreover, it does so with almost no image losses, since it turns out that the main work with Qatar was carried out by a “private individual”, who at some point crossed the line of what was permitted.
Feldstein, if some of the accusations against him are proven, will get off with a minimal punishment even in the worst case scenario and, with a high degree of probability, will soon return to serve the system.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Gevorg Mirzayan
[REGNUM] On the night of May 10-11, literally a few hours after the three-day ceasefire expired, Vladimir Putin made a new statement.
He proposed that the Kyiv regime hold talks on ending hostilities in Istanbul on May 15.
"Despite everything, we propose that the Kiev authorities resume the negotiations that they interrupted at the end of 2022, resume direct negotiations. Moreover, I emphasize, without any preconditions. We propose to begin without delay next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held earlier, and where they were interrupted," the Russian leader said.
According to him, Moscow is set on serious negotiations with Ukraine. "Their purpose is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict, to establish a long-term, lasting peace for the historical perspective. We do not rule out that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new truces, a new ceasefire," the president added.
For the West, this proposal came as a surprise – and an extremely unpleasant surprise. Over the past few days, the Kiev regime and European leaders have been promoting their idea of introducing a 30-day ceasefire. They demanded that Moscow agree to it (and thereby, they say, prove that Russia is striving for peace), but at the same time they made no secret of their intention to continue supplying the Kiev regime with weapons even during the ceasefire.
And at the same time, perhaps, they would have tried, under the cover of a ceasefire, to deploy NATO troops on Ukrainian, or even on Russian territory occupied by the Kyiv regime, under one sauce or another.
"Putin's initiative is, of course, a reaction to the ultimatum that Europe and Ukraine had put forward to Russia the day before. Accepting it was absolutely unacceptable for Russia, but simply rejecting it would have been unprofitable," Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, explains to Regnum.
Therefore, as the expert believes, it was important for Moscow not just to refuse, but to offer something of its own. And this “own” was precisely the idea of direct negotiations. “We are offered a ceasefire on Monday, May 12, and we are offering to begin direct negotiations on Thursday,” Suslov explains.
Putin's response contained four key points, which constituted the essence of the message. They concerned the format, topic, place and conditions of the negotiations.
Thus, the Russian president proposes direct negotiations. That is, one-on-one, without the participation of third parties. In this way, he does not allow the European Union, dreaming of sitting down at the table of Russian-Ukrainian and Russian-American negotiations, to sabotage the negotiation process from within.
It does not allow a situation to be created where several players will gather at the table against one Russia, who will morally and materially support each other.
Direct talks do not mean high-level talks. Several months ago, Vladimir Putin made it clear that if Zelensky wanted to talk, the Russian president would appoint someone to discuss with him.
Simply because Zelensky is not the legitimate president of Ukraine - or even a person worthy of hosting a summit at the highest level.
The topic for the talks was also well chosen. Putin has effectively hijacked the agenda - instead of a truce, which the West insisted on, he proposes to talk about peace right away. Long-term, serious, ending the bloodshed once and for all.
"There are military actions going on now, a war, and we are proposing to resume negotiations that were not interrupted by us. What's wrong with that?" Putin asks rhetorically.
And overseas journalists actually supported the Russian president here: the headlines of almost all American publications sounded like “Putin proposed direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.”
The venue for the negotiations, Istanbul, was not chosen by chance either. And it is not a matter of special relations with Erdogan, but of continuity. “We are not starting negotiations from scratch, but renewing them on the basis of the Istanbul agreements. Naturally, taking into account the new realities,” explains Dmitry Suslov.
In essence, despite all their minuses, the basis of the Istanbul agreements was still advantageous for Russia. There, the Kiev regime agreed to both demilitarization and neutral status. It is much more reasonable to resume negotiations from this basis, making adjustments for the situation "on the ground," rather than to form a new one.
And finally, the fourth aspect of Putin's proposal was the rejection of any preconditions. This does not weaken the Russian position in any way: Moscow, in general, has never put forward preconditions for the beginning of dialogue - except perhaps demanding that Kyiv lift the self-imposed ban on negotiations imposed by Zelensky himself.
At the same time, the Kiev regime has put forward and continues to put forward this condition, in particular, now Russia is required to first agree to a ceasefire. And now, against the backdrop of Putin's proposal to simply sit down and talk, Zelensky with his demand looks extremely weak.
Yes, in theory Vladimir Putin could have avoided this political judo. He could have given the order to use the same Oreshnik immediately after saying that the Kiev regime was not fulfilling the terms of the ceasefires (energy, Easter, May 9).
However, the Russian leader acted differently. "Putin is not going to tighten the methods of conducting the SVO primarily in order not to antagonize Trump. It is advantageous for us to maintain constructive interaction with the American president and not allow the consolidation of Europe with the United States," says Dmitry Suslov.
And his proposal for negotiations, already actively supported by Trump, will introduce an additional split into transatlantic relations. And therefore, it will become a serious support and acceleration for the victorious completion of the SVO. And regardless of how this completion is achieved - at the negotiating table or on the battlefield.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to accept a Boeing 747-8 aircraft worth about $400 million as a gift from the royal family of Qatar, ABC News reported on May 11, citing an informed source.
"This may be the most valuable gift ever given to the United States by a foreign government," the statement said.
According to these reports, the gift will be handed over next week, May 12-18, when Trump leaves for a Middle East tour. The US president is said to have seen the plane before.
The TV channel's sources noted that the plane is a real "flying palace" and will serve as Trump's new presidential aircraft, and after his term as head of state ends, ownership of the airliner will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
It was previously reported that Trump would visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on May 13–16. The US President noted that the trip would create “a large number of jobs.”
As reported by Regnum News Agency, in April, Trump unveiled a monument to himself at his own golf club, Trump International Golf Club. The statue was presented to him by Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino. The monument was called the "Monument of Defiance" and was installed between one of the golf club buildings and the first hole of the golf course. Trump is depicted with his hand raised and his fist clenched, as he was when he was assassinated in July 2024.
Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino will unveil a bronze statue of President Donald Trump ...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down... known as the "Defiance Monument" on Tuesday at the company’s headquarters in upstate New York. It will then be donated to the president’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The statue, which will be named "Defiance Monument," is inspired by the actions taken by Trump directly after the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he stood up with Secret Service agents around him and declared with a fist in the air, "Fight! Fight! Fight!."
Constantino, who is now running for Congress in New York’s 21st District to replace the seat left by UN Ambassador and former GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, said he wanted to make the statue to honor Trump’s bravery in that moment.
"Five thousand patriots stood up for me when Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... threatened to arrest me over my sign. I thought it made sense to honor the President who stood up for America after being shot, by commissioning a monument to commemorate his bravery," Constantino said.
The Sticker Mule CEO was challenged in Oct 2024 by the city of Amsterdam, New York when he erected a 100-foot "Vote for Trump" sign on top of a building owned by the sticker company.
A blurb from Sticker Mule detailed the statue to be unveiled on Tuesday this week, "The statue was handcrafted by sculptor George Lundeen of Loveland, Colorado. Lundeen is known for his realistic bronze sculptures, including the Benjamin Franklin Statue at UPenn and the Apollo 11 Monument at the Kennedy Space Center. This masterpiece will be donated to the Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach."
More about the airplane that L3Harris is renovating:
US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and US officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft.
The Qatari government said a final decision hadn’t been made. Still, Trump defended the idea — which would amount to a US president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government — as a fiscally smart move for the country.
"So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane," Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. "Anybody can do that!"
ABC News reported that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library.
The gift was expected to be announced when Trump visits Qatar, according to ABC’s report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... and the United Arab Emirates — but not Israel — the first extended foreign travel of his second term.
Before Trump’s post trumpeting the idea, Ali al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, said in a statement that the "possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense."
"But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made," the statement added.
Meanwhile,
...back at the cheese factory, all the pieces finally fell together in Fluffy's mind... US administration officials, anticipating ethics concerns, have prepared an analysis arguing that accepting the plane would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution’s Emoluments Clause bars anyone holding government office from accepting any present, emolument, office or title from any "King, Prince, or foreign State," without congressional consent.
#1
The plane would have to be taken apart and every nut, bolt, cable, chip (containing billions of transistors) etc would have to be subjected to a thorough security inspection.
Over the past few decades, Qatar has had the policy of 'let's be important'. They do this because they have excess sovereign wealth and they think this will make them less vulnerable to being taken over by a military exercise. Another thing they do is have tall buildings. Another is to subsidize Al Jazeera. Another is to fund both Hamas and the PA.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/12/2025 12:08
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The Qatar B-747 was built in the US by Boeing. They are offering a newer 747 to replace one of the two current AF-1s that have been flying for 40 years. Which are tired and need to be replaced. The wing based at Andrews has also purchased…
based at Andrews has also purchased aircraft from other countries in the past which are currently flying our VP and senior government officials. This is NOT new.
Qatar is offering the jet to the US military, not Donald Trump. The DOD contractor is based in the US, in fact my dad (a retired Air Force general) used to work for them. They are, not unironically, also working to upgrade the FAA technology as we speak. You know, Newark and elsewhere. They will get the aircraft and perform all of the security and the installation of the systems that AF-1 requires to safely move our president around the world. Not the Qatari’s. And you and I will pay for that but not the $400 million the 747 would normally cost. I could tell you exactly what is required to modify the AF-1 for safe flight but that is Top Secret and I’d have to kill you.
This AF-1 will serve the sitting president, whether they be Republican or Democrat until Boeing gets their shit together to complete the new, upcoming improved 747s that started under Obama, was renegotiated under Trump, and was completely ignored by the Biden administration. It’s looking like 2029 to 2030 for delivery at the soonest.
I love X but sometimes the “sky is falling” conspiracy crap grows tiresome. A little knowledge goes a long way. Having flown on the current AF-1s 100 hundred times, I have intimate knowledge.
Now, come at me about “chemtrails.” 🤣
4:38 PM · May 12, 2025
And in response to a challenge about the Trump library getting it, he said
Buzz Patterson
@BuzzPatterson
·
2h
No, it goes INTO the library. It won’t be flown. Just like the Reagan Library with the original AF-1. They’re static displays.
[GEO.TV] 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 the United States kicked off the fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday amid a standoff over uranium enrichment, with Tehran calling it "non-negotiable", while Washington has described it as a "red line".
The negotiations follow earlier rounds that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump ...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down... s first term.
"Enrichment capability is one of the honours and achievements of the Iranian nation," said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a video before departing to Muscat, adding that the issue was "non-negotiable".
"We had more consultations in Tehran this morning and in this round we hope to reach a decisive point," he added.
Iran's ISNA news agency later confirmed that "indirect" talks between the two sides had begun.
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Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] The "festive truce" officially ended in Ukraine last night.
The fighting officially resumed, although in fact it did not stop, since the enemy did not observe the "holiday truce", and the Russian Armed Forces had instructions to respond to violations of the "holiday truce", so the fighting went on as usual during the "truce".
As expected, the enemy did not comply with it, just as it did not comply with the "Easter truce", and before that did not comply with the "energy truce".
Actually, the current proposals for a new 30-day truce are, of course, aimed at giving the Ukrainian Armed Forces a break, stopping the offensive of the Russian Armed Forces, while continuing shelling and attacks, and in conclusion accusing Russia of breaking the truce and resuming active actions and strikes.
Actually, that is why there is exactly zero sense in a 30-day truce for Russia.
That is why massive strikes by "Geraniya" (multiple flights in 7 regions of Ukraine) + strikes by UMPK resumed at night. The enemy expects that in the coming days there may be a massive missile strike as a salute to the drones' May encroachments in the direction of Moscow. This is, frankly speaking, a given.
Regarding the situation on Earth, the Russian Armed Forces continue to advance in a number of directions, and the enemy's encroachments in the area of Dzerzhinsk and Tetkino have been largely suppressed.
More from regnum.ru Putin proposed Kyiv to hold talks in Istanbul - 1172nd day of the SVO
Russia is set for serious negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. Those who truly want peace cannot but support them. Russian leader Vladimir Putin made this statement to journalists in the Kremlin, concluding the festive events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The head of state emphasized that the meaning of the upcoming dialogue is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict, to establish a long-term, lasting peace for the historical perspective. This news marked the new, 1172nd day of the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin recalled that Russia had repeatedly proposed steps to cease fire and that it was in Istanbul in 2022 that the negotiations were interrupted by the Ukrainian side.
"Let me remind you that as a result of these negotiations, a joint draft document was prepared, and it was initialed by the head of the Kiev negotiating group, but at the insistence of the West, it was simply thrown into the trash," the president emphasized. His words are quoted by the Kremlin website.
Vladimir Putin does not rule out that during the proposed negotiations in Istanbul it will be possible to agree on some new truces, a new ceasefire.
"Moreover, a real ceasefire, which would be observed not only by Russia, but also by the Ukrainian side, would be the first step, I repeat, towards a long-term, sustainable peace, and not a prologue to the continuation of the armed conflict after the rearmament, the replenishment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the feverish digging of trenches and new strongholds. Who needs such a peace? " the Russian president noted.
Details about the negotiations in Istanbul were announced on May 11 by the Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. In particular, he noted that Russia did not put forward any conditions to Ukraine, so it would not be difficult to start negotiations if the Kiev regime really wants it.
Even more from regnum.ru An hour after Trump's call, Zelensky promised to personally come to Istanbul Thursday
Less than an hour after US President Donald Trump called for “immediate” agreement to the negotiations proposed by Russia, the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, promised to personally come to Istanbul and wait for Russian President Vladimir Putin there.
At the same time, he stated that he was counting on Russia’s agreement to a 30-day ceasefire.
“We expect a ceasefire from tomorrow – complete and long-term, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” the head of the Kiev regime wrote on his Telegram channel.
The head of the Kyiv regime did not specify whether Zelensky intends to come to Istanbul if Russia does not agree to this demand.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on May 11, Putin proposed resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions. He added that Russia is ready to begin dialogue as early as May 15 in Istanbul, where negotiations were held back in 2022 but were interrupted by Kiev.
Putin recalled that the Kiev regime had previously violated all ceasefires and agreements on non-attacks on individual objects (energy infrastructure). The President noted that the issues of a ceasefire (which Zelensky and a number of EU leaders had previously insisted on) could be discussed during negotiations on the root causes of the conflict.
Putin's proposals have received a largely positive response in the world media. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was ready to organize the negotiations. Trump, in turn, stressed that the Kiev regime should immediately agree to Putin's proposal.
[GEO.TV] Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... authorities have barred chess across Afghanistan until further notice over concerns it is a source of gambling,
…chess???
which is illegal under the government's morality law, a sports official said on Sunday.
Wasn’t chess invented in ancient Persia? I guess to the Taliban that taints it as a Shiite vice — and you know what they are like, dear Reader.
The Taliban government has steadily imposed laws and regulations that reflect its austere vision of Islamic law since seizing power in 2021.
An austere vision very little affected by any actual knowledge of Quran and Hadith whatsoever, it has been reported. Which would explain where they got this harebrained notion.
"Chess in sharia (Islamic law) is considered a means of gambling," which is prohibited according to the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice law announced last year, sports directorate spokesperson Atal Mashwani told AFP.
"There are religious considerations regarding the sport of chess," he said.
"Until these considerations are addressed, the sport of chess is suspended in Afghanistan," he added.
Mashwani said the national chess federation had not held any official events for around two years and "had some issues on the leadership level".
Azizullah Gulzada owns a cafe in Kabul that has hosted informal chess competitions in recent years, but denied any gambling took place and noted chess was played in other Moslem-majority countries.
"Many other Islamic countries have players on an international level," he told AFP.
He said he would respect the suspension but that it would hurt his business and those who enjoyed the game.
"Young people don't have a lot of activities these days, so many came here everyday," he told AFP.
"They would have a cup of tea and challenge their friends to a game of chess."
Afghanistan's authorities have restricted other sports in recent years and women have been essentially barred from participating in sport altogether in the country.
Last year, the authorities banned free fighting such as mixed martial arts (MMA) in professional competition, saying it was too "violent mostly peaceful" and "problematic with respect to sharia".
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[GEO.TV] At least two cops including a sub-inspector (SI) were martyred in a suicide kaboom in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire... 's Chamkani area, police officials said on Sunday.
The officials said that the earth-shattering kaboom was carried out near a police mobile van near Ring Road's Mandi, leaving two cops martyred and three others maimed.
The Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations confirmed that it was a suicide kaboom that targeted the police vehicle.
The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistain Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
The data revealed that at least 74 bad boy attacks were recorded nationwide, resulting in 91 fatalities, including 35 security personnel, 20 civilians, and 36 bad boys. Another 117 individuals sustained injuries, including 53 security forces personnel, 54 civilians, and 10 bad boys.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) remained the worst-affected province, followed by Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... . In KP's settled districts, bully boyz carried out 27 attacks, resulting in 19 fatalities, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and two bad boys.
The tribal districts of KP (erstwhile Fata) witnessed 19 attacks, leading to 46 deaths, including 13 security personnel, eight civilians, and 25 bad boys
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[GEO.TV] Pakistain has welcomed the US President Donald Trump ...Oh, noze! Not him!... 's offer to work with Pakistain and India to achieve a ''solution'' for the longstanding Kashmir ...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there.... dispute and appreciated his willingness to support peace efforts following days of military festivities.
''We acknowledge with appreciation the constructive role played by the United States, alongside other friendly states, in supporting the recent ceasefire understanding between Pakistain and India; a step towards de-escalation and regional stability,'' the Foreign Office said in a statement.
The two countries, born out of British colonial rule in 1947, have gone to war three times — twice over the region of Kashmir.
New Delhi blames Islamabad for an insurgency in IIOJK that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. It also claims Pakistain-based groups for attacks elsewhere in India — a claim consistently rejected by the government in Islamabad.
Pakistain says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
[OneIndia] India will engage with Pakistan solely through communication between their respective Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), and there will be no dialogue on contentious issues such as Kashmir or the Indus Waters Treaty, which currently remains suspended, according to a Hindustan Times report.
Following four days of intense hostilities-during which both nations targeted each other's military positions using drones, missiles, and long-range weaponry, heightening fears of a full-scale conflict-the DGMOs reached an agreement on Saturday afternoon to cease all military activity.
The two commanders are scheduled to resume communication via their dedicated hotline at midday on May 12.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the individuals dismissed suggestions from the United States-particularly from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio-regarding potential mediation on Kashmir and wider bilateral talks at a "neutral venue", as well as American claims of facilitating a "ceasefire".
Saturday's arrangement to halt all land, air, and maritime hostilities was made directly between India and Pakistan, they stressed.
"From the outset, we have been clear that the only communication between India and Pakistan will occur at the DGMO level, and it will be direct," one source stated. "There will be no political-level discussions."
Claims from Pakistan's leadership-including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar-regarding alleged contact between the countries' national security advisers and foreign ministers were described as "utterly false".
The sources also denied the existence of any indirect engagement via third parties.
"We are absolutely firm that any meaningful communication must happen directly between the DGMOs," another source added.
New Delhi maintains there is nothing to negotiate with Islamabad concerning Kashmir, other than the return of territories in Jammu and Kashmir that India considers to be "illegally occupied" by Pakistan.
"There is no further discussion to be had. They must return the territory, and they can do so directly. No intermediaries are necessary," said the second source.
India will continue to enforce the diplomatic, political, and economic punitive measures imposed on Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, particularly the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960-a pact that endured through three wars.
This was a key decision by the Cabinet Committee on Security in the wake of the Pahalgam attack and conveyed a clear message: Pakistan's support for terrorism will come at an increasingly steep cost.
The Indus Waters Treaty was founded on the principles of goodwill, friendship, and neighbourly cooperation-principles which, according to Indian officials, Pakistan has disregarded through its persistent support for cross-border terrorism.
"Pakistan cannot expect cooperation in areas beneficial to them while perpetuating cross-border terrorism," said one of the individuals.
India has, over the past few years, sought to modernise the treaty to make it more relevant and effective under present-day circumstances, invoking Article 12 of the treaty for government-level negotiations.
Officials noted the treaty is outdated, grounded in mid-20th century engineering and now misaligned with current realities such as climate change, glacial melt, shifts in water availability, and demographic pressures.
"There is a legitimate need to reassess the allocation of rights and responsibilities under the treaty. We have approached Pakistan for such discussions over the last two years, but they have persistently refused to engage-this in itself constitutes a treaty violation," said the first source.
The officials added that Pakistan's campaign of cross-border terrorism has altered the security dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir, directly affecting India's ability to fully utilise its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty.
Posted by: Fred ||
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[OneIndia] In a press briefing on India-Pakistain ceasefire, Lieutenant Gen Rajiv Ghai, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), disclosed that it killed around 35 to 40 Pak soldiers between May 7 and 10. He added that India lost five soldiers in Operation Sindoor.
Lieutenant Ghai highlighted that Operation Sindoor commenced on the nights of March 7 and 8. The operation caught Pakistain off guard and resulted in the elimination of over 100 terrorists. Among those neutralised were high-profile targets such as Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudassir Ahmed. These individuals were linked to significant terror incidents like the IC-814 hijacking and the Pulwama attack.
OPERATION SINDOOR'S IMPACT
The operation's success was underscored by its ability to thwart repeated aerial attacks on airfields and dumps. Lieutenant Ghai mentioned that these assaults were effectively countered. The Pak Army suffered casualties due to artillery and small arms fire along the Line of Control during this time frame.
Lieutenant Ghai emphasised that Operation Sindoor was a strategic move that significantly impacted terrorist activities. The operation not only targeted gunnies but also disrupted their operations, thereby enhancing security in the region.
CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES
The Indian Army's actions led to substantial losses for Pakistain, with an estimated 35 to 40 soldiers killed. However,
if you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning... India also faced losses, with five soldiers losing their lives during the operation. This highlights the intense nature of the conflict along the Line of Control.
The successful execution of Operation Sindoor demonstrates India's commitment to combating terrorism. By targeting key figures involved in past attacks, India aims to prevent future threats and ensure regional stability.
May 12, 2025, 8:42 AM IST
India Rules Out IWT, Kashmir Talks With Pakistan; Limits Engagement To DGMO Level Only
India will engage with Pakistan solely through communication between their respective Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), and there will be no dialogue on contentious issues such as Kashmir or the Indus Waters Treaty, which currently remains suspended, according to a Hindustan Times
May 11, 2025, 10:39 PM IST
Major points from the press conference held by DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Air Marshal AK Bharti and Vice Admiral AN Pramod, on Operation Sindoor:
1. Over 100 terrorists killed in the action. 11 air bases in Pakistan destroyed. Indian Army inflicted heavy damage in response to Pakistan’s intrusion.
2. High-value targets eliminated include: Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, Mudassir Ahmad.
3. 9 confirmed terror camps, based on multi-agency intelligence. Key Targets: Bhawalpur (terrorist training camp) and Muridke (another key terrorist training site)
4. Even after the ceasefire, wave of UAVs and small drones intruded into Indian civilian and military areas. • These drones were successfully intercepted.
5. A befitting response was given by Indian armed forces. Further, all field commanders have been authorised to take appropriate action in case of any ceasefire violation.
May 11, 2025, 10:18 PM IST Delhi
"Our forces remained forward deployed in the Arabian Sea in a decisive posture with full readiness and capacity to strike select targets in sea and on land, including Karachi at the time of our choosing," said Vice Admiral AN Pramod.
08:54 (IST) May 12
First 'peaceful night' along J&K, border areas in days, says Army
Following the chaos and all the skirmishes that had kept the areas along the northern and western International Borders (IB) up during the night for the past few days, the region has largely remained peaceful during the intervening night of May 11 and May 12, the Army stated.
According to the Army, the region of Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the IB were calm, and no incidents of the violation of the cessation of hostilities were reported.
The army noted that this marked the first calm night in recent days following the cross-border firing, heavy artillery shelling and drone attacks by Pakistan in response to India's Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation for the April 22 terror attacks, which dismantled major terror sites in Pakistan and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
"The night remained largely peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the international border. No incident has been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days," the Indian Army stated.
For the past few days, the border regions in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat were witnessing chaotic and sleepless nights due to Pakistan's heavy shelling and attempted drone attacks, which were aimed at disrupting peace along the region.
04:57 (IST) May 12 India agreed to pause as 'main objectives had already been achieved'
Deep precision airstrikes with BrahMos supersonic missiles and other standoff weapons on several crucial airbases in Pakistan early Saturday proved to be decisive in the escalating hostilities between the two nations, causing the US to step in and push for a truce.
India agreed as it had achieved its three main objectives — political, military and psychological — according to govt sources.
The ceasefire was the result of direct engagement between Indian and Pakistani officials, with Islamabad agreeing to the terms with "no preconditions, no postconditions, and no links to other issues."
This comes after the armed forces carried out precision strikes on terrorists hotspots in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under 'Operation Sindoor'.
Follow live blog: PM Modi chairs high-level meeting a day after India-Pakistan ceasefire announcement
Following India's action, Pakistan launched missiles and drones across LoC and International Borders which were intercepted by Army's air defence systems.
Here are the punitive actions that will remain in effect:
SUSPENSION OF INDUS WATERS TREATY
The Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance, government sources confirmed. “There are no preconditions to the ceasefire agreement reached on Saturday, and the IWT will remain suspended,” sources in the ministry of external affairs said.
Brokered by the World Bank in 1960, the treaty governs the distribution and use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan.
The treaty has historically benefited Pakistan, which receives about 80% of the total water flow from these rivers—vital for agriculture, particularly in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh.
INTEGRATED CHECK POST TO REMAIN SHUT
The Integrated check-post at Attari will also remain shut. The Attari-Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan was completely closed following a week of heavy cross-border movement.
The check post at Attari in Punjab was closed, and those who crossed over with valid documentation were instructed to return through that route before May 1.
TRADE BAN
The prohibition on all imports from Pakistan, whether direct or routed through intermediary nations, will also continue.
Additionally, Pakistan-registered vessels are barred from entering Indian ports, and Indian ships are prohibited from accessing Pakistani harbors—reflecting a tougher diplomatic stance.
A newly incorporated provision under “Prohibition on Import from Pakistan” in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) says, “Direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether or not freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect, until further orders.”
CLOSURE OF AIRSPACE
India will continue to enforce the closure of its airspace to flights originating from or traveling through Pakistan, a measure that came into effect on April 30.
This move will force foreign carriers that typically overfly Pakistani airspace after exiting Indian airspace to take longer, alternate routes.
BAN ON PAKISTANI ACTORS AND ARTISTS
In the interest of national security, India will maintain its ban on Pakistani actors and artists performing within the country.
In addition, all OTT platforms, media streaming services, and intermediaries operating in India are required to discontinue web series, films, songs, podcasts, and other digital content of Pakistani origin—whether available via subscription or otherwise.
VISA SERVICES FOR PAKISTANI CITIZENS
India will continue the suspension of all types of visas for Pakistani nationals.
l
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the government had suspended all categories of visas for Pakistani citizens and instructed those already in India to leave by April 27. However, medical visas were given an extension until April 29, after which they were also revoked.
“In continuation of the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has decided to suspend visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated.
The ministry also advised Indian nationals currently in Pakistan to return at the earliest.
Pakistan armed forces fulfilled promises made after Indian aggression, which claimed lives of innocent civilians.
26 military installations, facilities targeted in India in retaliatory strikes.
Dozens of Pakistani armed drones hovered over major Indian cities, including New Delhi.
All targets carefully selected to avoid civilian casualties, focusing only on those directly involved in executing attacks against Pakistani civilians.
DG ISPR thanks Pakistani youth who became front-line soldiers as "information and cyber warriors".
Pakistan's response was ''textbook demonstration'' of tri-services jointness and operational excellence.
Pakistan navy prevented Indian warship from breaching maritime border: vice admiral
No Indian pilot in Pakistan army's custody, calls its social media chatter.
Pakistan never requested for ceasefire, rejecting claims by Indian military.
Indian-sponsored terror activity spikes during cross-border conflict.
India directly involved in fomenting terrorism in Pakistan.
No ceasefire violation committed by Pakistan armed forces.
"These cyber strikes targeted systems directly supporting Indian military operations and were designed to disrupt their warfighting capabilities without affecting civilian platforms," he added.
"Pakistain's armed response under Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos included a broad array of high-value military targets in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir ...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there.... (IIOJK) and mainland India," he said.
Among the critical sites hit were Indian Air Force and aviation bases at Suratgarh, Sirsa, Poonch, Naliya, Adampur, Bhatinda, Barnala, Halwara, Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Udhampur, Mamoon, Ambala, and Pathankot, all of which sustained major damage.
Other key targets included BrahMos missile storage facilities in Fayaz and Nagrota, identified as the source of earlier missile attacks on Pak soil. S-400 missile systems at Adampur and Poonch were also neutralised by the Pakistain Air Force.
Military logistics sites such as the Field Supply Depot in Uri and a radar station in Poonch were also targeted.
Command and planning hubs — 10th Brigade and 80 Brigade at KG Top and Nowshera — which were directly involved in planning attacks that killed Pak children were also destroyed, he added.
Furthermore, he said, intelligence fusion units and operational field elements in Rajouri and Nowshera, which were responsible for training and supporting proxy elements linked to terrorism in Pakistain were also destroyed.
"Military positions across the Line of Control responsible for unprovoked shelling on Azad Jammu and Kashmir were also heavily targeted, resulting in significant damage. Several of these enemy units reportedly raised white flags and requested restraint following the precision strikes," he added.
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#1
With very good reason, no one trusts statements out of the Pakistan government.
Posted by: Albert McCoy9505 ||
05/12/2025 13:48
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[GEO.TV] As an uneasy calm settled over villages on the Azad Jammu and Kashmir ...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there.... (AJK) on Sunday, families returned to their own beds but were sure to leave their bunkers stocked.
More than 60 people were killed in four days of intense conflict between arch-rivals Pakistain and India before a US-brokered truce was announced on Saturday.
At heart of the hostilities is Kashmir, a mountainous Moslem-majority region divided between the two countries where the heaviest casualties are often reported.
On the Pakistain side of the heavily militarised de facto border, known as the Line of Control (LoC), families wearied by decades of sporadic firing began to return home — for now.
"I have absolutely no faith in India; I believe it will strike again. For people living in this area, it's crucial to build protective bunkers near their homes," said Kala Khan, a resident of Chakothi which overlooks the Neelum River that separates the two sides and from where they can see Indian military posts.
His eight-member family sheltered through the night and parts of the day under the 20-inch-thick concrete roofs of two bunkers.
"Whenever there was Indian shelling, I would take my family into it," he said of the past few days.
"We've stored mattresses, flour, rice, other food supplies, and even some valuable belongings in there."
According to an administrative officer in the region, more than a thousand bunkers have been built along the LoC, around a third by the government, to protect civilians from Indian shelling.
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[TimesOfIndia] In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested a key Khalistani operative in connection with the 2022 Khalistani terror conspiracy case.
The Khalistani operative, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi from Punjab ...1. Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2. A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3. A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots...ll 's Ludhiana, is associated with foreign-based Babbar Khalsa terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, news agency PTI quoted NIA officials as saying.
Galwaddi was arrested from Motihari, Bihar, in coordination with the local police. As per NIA, he is a "hardened criminal" and is among six people who had beat feet from a jail in Punjab's Nabha in 2016.
The anti-terror agency further said that since breaking out of the Nabha jail, Kashmir Singh had been "actively associated" with designated Khalistani terrorists, including Rinda. The former was a proclaimed offender in the NIA case for his role relating to involvement in conspiracy, providing shelter, logistics support and terror funds to aides of the Khalistani terrorists.
These aides had escaped to Nepal after carrying out various terror activities in India, including the rocket-propelled grenade attack at the Punjab Police Intelligence headquarters in Mohali in May 2022.
An NIA Special Court in Delhi had declared Kashmir Singh a proclaimed offender in the 2022 terror conspiracy case and issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him over the past two years.
A cash reward of Rs 10 lakh was also announced by the NIA for information leading to his arrest.
2022 KHALISTAN TERROR CONSPIRACY CASE
In August 2022, the NIA had registered the terror conspiracy case suo moto to probe the terrorist activities of the heads and members of proscribed terrorist organizations such as Babbar Khalsa, Khalistan Liberation Force and International Sikh Youth Federation, among others.
The investigations had exposed a terror-criminal nexus, suggesting that these groups, along with organised criminal gangs, were engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware such as arms, ammunition explosive, IEDs etc. from across the border for terror activities in various parts of the country.
In July 2023, the anti-terror agency chargesheeted nine accused, including Sandhu and another Khalistani terrorist, Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, in the terror case followed by two supplementary chargesheets against six others.
In August 2024, the NIA successfully secured the extradition of Landa's brother Tarsem Singh from the UAE and filed a third supplementary chargesheet in December.
[ShabelleMedia] The United States has reaffirmed its decision not to provide financial support for the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... ’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia under its current funding and operational structure, leaving a $96 million gap that threatens the future of the mission, according to diplomatic sources.
The decision came during a recent meeting in Washington between AU officials and U.S. representatives, who echoed the same position outlined during an earlier gathering in Kampala. There, two American diplomats made clear the U.S. would not contribute funds unless substantial reforms were made to how the mission is structured and managed.
In hopes of salvaging support, the African Union sent a delegation to Washington seeking at least partial financial backing. But the talks concluded without any commitment from the Biden administration.
The AU mission, now known as the African Union Stabilization Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), is grappling with a growing financial crisis. It reportedly owes $96 million in unpaid salaries and operational costs, with several months of troop wages outstanding. The situation has raised concerns about morale and the mission’s ability to operate effectively on the ground.
The funding shortfall has increased pressure on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni ...President-for-Life of Uganda. He assumed office in 1985. His primary virtue is being prefereable to both his predecessors, Idi Amin and Milton Obote... , a key backer of the mission and one of its largest troop contributors. Museveni is reportedly watching closely as the mission approaches a scheduled drawdown within the next 60 days.
The financial uncertainty adds to the already fragile security environment in Somalia, where AU troops have long played a central role in battling al-Shabaab ... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda... gunnies and supporting national stabilization efforts.
Since it says African Union in the very first line of the article, Skidmark, I think it safe to assume that’s what is meant. Though I suppose that could a bad translation of something else in the original Somali….
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Cold weather is expected in the European part of Russia in the near future. Air temperatures will drop below May norms, said Roman Vilfand, scientific director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center.
“A pronounced spread of cold weather, negative temperature anomalies, of course, different everywhere, will be observed throughout the European territory of Russia in the coming days,” he specified in a conversation with TASS.
The weather forecaster added that in the central regions the temperature is expected to be 4-7 degrees below normal, on the Volga the temperature will be 3-4 degrees below the climatic characteristics of May. It will also get colder in the Urals and in the south of European Russia, Vilfand noted.
As reported by Regnum News Agency, according to the forecast of meteorologist, candidate of technical sciences Evgeny Tishkovets, it will be cool in Moscow until May 12. In the Moscow region, there will be a possibility of light frosts. During the daytime, the air will warm up to no more than 13 degrees. According to him, the temperature in Moscow and the Moscow region will return to normal no earlier than the final ten days of spring.
[ShabelleMedia] 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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially lodged a complaint with the Federal Government of Somalia, accusing Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... ’s regional administration of using Bosaso Airport as a hub for transporting mercenaries and military supplies to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a formal letter, Khartoum claims that the airport has become a strategic point for the movement of fighters and arms, allegedly supporting the RSF, a paramilitary group that has been engaged in a violent mostly peaceful conflict with Sudan’s national army since the collapse of the country’s power-sharing agreement in 2023.
Sudan’s government argues that these operations are being carried out covertly and accuses Puntland authorities of either facilitating or overlooking the illicit activities. The RSF, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), is battling for control of Sudan, causing widespread instability and displacement.
Somali officials have yet to publicly comment on the complaint, though diplomatic sources in Mogadishu suggest the government is actively investigating the allegations through its security and intelligence agencies. No response has been received from Puntland officials regarding the claims.
The complaint comes amid rising regional tensions, with concerns that Sudan’s ongoing conflict may have broader implications for neighboring countries. The Somali government, which has long struggled with its own security challenges, faces mounting pressure to clarify its position on the war in Sudan and prevent its territory from being used to fuel the conflict.
The matter is expected to be addressed in upcoming cabinet discussions in Somalia, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi likely to engage in talks on how to resolve the issue diplomatically.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] At least 16 people have died as a result of a passenger bus falling off a cliff in the Republic of Sri Lanka. This was reported by the Daily Mirror, citing the police.
The tragedy occurred on the morning of May 11 on the Nuwara Eliya-Gampola road in Kotmale district. The bus, which was travelling from Kataragama to Kurunegala and belonged to the Sri Lanka Transport Authority (SLTB), skidded off the road and fell into a precipice.
It is reported that at least 35 people were injured. About 25 of the injured were taken to hospitals in Nuwara Eliya and Kotmale. The identities of the deceased are being established.
According to the Sri Lanka First News Agency, 21 people were killed and 59 were injured. Of the injured, 22 are in hospital in critical condition.
The SLTB has sent a special team to establish the causes of the incident, and the country's transport ministry is also investigating.
Earlier, Regnum News Agency reported on a traffic accident involving a bus in Sri Lanka carrying Russian tourists. The accident occurred in January on the Southern Highway. A passenger bus crashed into the rear of a cement truck at high speed, killing the bus driver. Twelve Russians were hospitalized with injuries, two were in serious condition.
[Rudaw] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... ’s military has intensified its operations against alleged Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in the Kurdistan Region, with over 200 bombardments and assaults recorded in April alone, despite the PKK signaling it is considering a shift away from armed struggle, according to a conflict monitor.
Ottoman Turkish forces are carrying out aerial and ground bombardment of the Media area of Duhok province, the PKK-affiliated ANF news outlet reported on Saturday.
The escalation comes as Ankara awaits a formal decision from the PKK on whether it will disarm and dissolve itself. On Friday, the PKK said it had held a congress to consider a call from its incarcerated Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! leader Abdullah Ocalan to lay down arms, dissolve the party, and pursue a political struggle. The group said it would announce its decision soon.
The PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire at the start of March while it considered Ocalan’s call for peace.
The US-based Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), which monitors Ottoman Turkish operations in the Kurdistan Region, said in a post on X on Saturday that Ottoman Turkish attacks rose by 78 percent in April compared to previous months, reaching levels "similar to those seen prior to the ceasefire."
According to CPT, at least 210 military actions have been recorded across the Kurdistan Region since April, including 42 Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s, 153 artillery shellings, 14 helizaps, and one incident of small arms fire that damaged a civilian home. In total, three civilian houses have been destroyed and two damaged. The vast majority of these incidents occurred in Duhok province.
Ottoman Turkish officials have publicly continued their hardline stance on the PKK. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that disarmament alone is "not enough" and President His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First ...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important... said Turkey is determined to rid itself of the "scourge of terror."
The PKK was founded in 1978 in response to oppression of the Kurdish population in Turkey. It initially struggled for an independent Kurdistan but now calls for greater political and cultural rights within Turkey. Ankara and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization.
A similar grinding of the peace processor begun between the PKK and the Ottoman Turkish state in 2013 collapsed two and a half years later.
In defense of 'the island chains’
[FoxNews] Tiltrotor planes are replacing Black Hawk helicopters and the Army wants them now
It’s a plane. It’s a helicopter. It’s both. Meet "FLRAA," the Army’s new tiltrotor for Future Long-Range Air Assault. This is how the Army will island hop in the Pacific to fend off China. And by the way, Chinese President Xi Jinping has nothing like it.
With a stunning announcement, the Army did more than ax 40 generals and open the door to AI. The Army bet its future on this radical aircraft, whose engines swivel to take off and land like a helicopter, or fly high and fast like an airplane.
This aircraft was on pace to enter the Army inventory in the early 2030s.
Then came the Army shake-up. On May 1, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the Army to focus more on the Indo-Pacific. In that region, sheer distance and Chinese missile threat rings are locking out current helicopters. For the mission of air assault – when troops move into hostile and contested areas by rotary-wing aircraft – the hard truth is that the Army has a looming capability gap.
"We can't actually do the large-scale, long-range air assault today" with the speed and distance required in modern warfare, Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, said last year.
That’s unacceptable, given Xi’s growing appetite for military confrontation.
So now the Army wants its revolutionary plane ASAP. On Wednesday, May 7, Army Chief of Staff General Randy George told Congress he wants to move it up several years, "into the 2028 timeframe." Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll said he met with prime contractor Bell Textron to talk about a rush order.
It’s easy to see why. The acronym-happy Army says "FLRAA" will fly 1,700 nautical miles without refueling and carry 12 passengers at a speed near 300 mph. Compare that to the 183 mph for the Black Hawk helicopter it is replacing. For pilots, the extra range, speed and survivability of a tiltrotor is a huge improvement on a helicopter. With a tiltrotor, they can zoom all over the battlespace with impunity and land any time, any place, in any conditions.
Army recruitment surges to 15-year high under Trump administration Video
You may be familiar with the V-22 Osprey, which first flew in 1989 and is now flown by the Marine Corps, Navy and U.S. Air Force special operations forces. As the first operational tiltrotor, the V-22 has had ups and downs, but beyond question, the V-22 proved itself in combat in Afghanistan. In another vivid example, in 2013, three battle-damaged Air Force MV-22s flew 500 miles from South Sudan to Entebbe, Uganda, spewing fuel, to save the lives of wounded Navy SEALs aboard.
No wonder the Army pounced on the tiltrotor concept.
However, the Army FLRAA is an all-new design based on the prototype V-280 Valor, which first flew in 2017. It is slightly smaller than the V-22, with a 47-foot fuselage consisting of an aluminum structure and carbon fiber composite skin.
The big advance for "FLRAA" is in the tilt mechanism. On the older V-22, the whole engine nacelle housing pivoted. For the Army’s aircraft, that headache is gone. The two engine nacelles stay put on the wing. Only the propellors rotate, to switch between helicopter and airplane mode. This is much safer, and the improved rotor design also increases agility and maneuverability in low-speed flight while in helicopter mode.
The other major difference is that the Army’s tiltrotor is designed as a multi-mission aircraft. Door guns on each side mark it as a dedicated air assault platform. Contrast that with the V-22 which only has a tail gun. The new Army tiltrotor also carries so-called "launched effects," which is military lingo for a variety of drones, such as self-protection decoys released to divert enemy fire, sensor drones to hunt targets, drones that do electronic warfare jamming and of course weapons drones for the kill.
With its range capability, the Army tiltrotor can drive these drones deep into the battlespace. With drone operations in mind, software matters, so the plane has an open systems digital backbone ready to plug in new systems anytime.
Even more intriguing, the FLRAA has the potential to fly by itself. At 240 knots it can deploy from Hawaii to the Philippines in 20 hours. In the future, "FLRAA" may also be able to self-deploy, moving to the theater by flying autonomously as an unmanned aircraft and rejoining with crews at a forward location.
It’s easy to see why. The acronym-happy Army says "FLRAA" will fly 1,700 nautical miles without refueling and carry 12 passengers at a speed near 300 mph. Compare that to the 183 mph for the Black Hawk helicopter it is replacing.
The Army sees the Pacific islands like a chessboard. If China threatens, the tiltrotor "FLRAA" can move soldiers rapidly to land in contested areas and block Chinese forces from taking over.
#2
How do they plan to repair battle damage (bullet holes) in a carbon fiber aircraft?
Posted by: Difar Dave ||
05/12/2025 12:06
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#3
Mini Drone Carriers:
The new Army tiltrotor also carries so-called "launched effects," which is military lingo for a variety of drones, such as self-protection decoys released to divert enemy fire, sensor drones to hunt targets, drones that do electronic warfare jamming and of course weapons drones for the kill.
#4
Sounds like the Osprey ... and how did that turn out?
It turned out that we learned a lot of interesting things about the quirky aerodynamics of tilt-rotor aircraft. Or did you mean in terms of a functional, reliable aircraft?
#5
In the pdf summary of the Arizona Crash of a USMC Osprey they listed one of those "interesting and quirky details": It seems that the Army, Navy and Marines view Vortex Ring Separation (VRS) as when losing lift and the Air Force views it as after having LOST lift and falling. The initial 'Flight Bible' for the Osprey was written with each of the service branch pilots having a section -- the USAF pilot had the section with VRS and the Air Forces different understanding of VRS was not clearly stated...
[GEO.TV] British security and defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke remarked on Saturday that Pakistain may have caught India off guard with the strength of its military hardware and technical capabilities, The News reported, citing Sky News.
In an interview with British news outlet, Clarke stated that India would likely view Pakistain's display of strength as a sign of risk-taking.
''The Indians might have been surprised by the hardware that the Paks brought to bear,'' he said, ''because as we're now discovering they've used quite a lot of their Chinese-based technology, and the attention at the moment is focused on the J-10 fighter.''
Clarke added that it appeared one of Pakistain's J-10 jets may have downed a Rafale, one of the French-made fighter aircraft in India's arsenal. ''And undoubtedly,'' he continued, ''the Paks have used their HQ-9, anti-aircraft missiles, which again may have been rather effective.''
''So I think the Indians might have been surprised by the technical abilities that Pakistain seems to have absorbed with their Chinese equipment, but they won't have been surprised by the bellicosity of [Gen Asim] Munir because they rather expected that,'' he further added.
He also said that partly, India's response has been to try to, as it were, teach (Gen) Munir a lesson that they really are prepared to do whatever it takes, and indeed they've deployed a carrier battle group of their Western fleet.
''It's sitting only 300 miles off Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
, which is a sort of threat to go in for a more general war, unless the Paks found a way of backing down from this position. Unfortunately, the international community has given them a line that they can both top out at.''
He said both sides have agreed to a ceasefire which has been pushed so hard and, to its credit, by the Trump administration and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... . However,
some men learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves... he said, they (the US administration) were rather late in getting on this, as this thing had been going on since Tuesday but now it seems their words have made a difference.
US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... said on Saturday that India and Pakistain had agreed to a "full and immediate ceasefire" after a fourth day of strikes and counter-strikes against each other's military installations.
Pakistain's foreign minister also said both countries had agreed to a ceasefire "with immediate effect" and India's foreign ministry said it would start at 5pm Indian time (1130 GMT).
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2025
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[GEO.TV] Pakistain on Sunday observed 'Youm-e-Tashakkur' (thanksgiving day) to celebrate armed forces' befitting response to Indian aggression under 'Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos'.
Rallies were held across the country including in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire... , Quetta and other cities to pay tribute to the exceptional valour of the armed forces and appreciate the unity of the entire nation.
According to a statement issued by the Media Wing of the Prime Minister's Office, the PM said the 'Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos' gave an effective and befitting response to the enemy's aggression, adding that the country proved its superiority at every front.
He said that despite India's aggression, Pakistain maintained its defence with resilience and demonstrated full readiness to deal with the situation.
The premier urged the nation and the Ulema (religious scholars) to offer collective prayers and Nawafils across the country as an expression of gratitude to Allah Almighty.
He called for holding special prayers for the blessings of deaders and Ghazis, saying that the sacrifices of the Pak armed forces could never be forgotten. The nation stands by their side, he added.
The development came following US President Donald Trump ...The cad! Twice caught beating wimmin!... 's declaration that Pakistain and India had agreed to a ceasefire after Pakistain's military response to Indian aggression.
Posted by: Fred ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A possible earthquake with a subsequent tsunami off the coast of the United States, which scientists are warning about, is unlikely to happen in the coming years. This was stated on Sunday, May 11, by Petr Shebalin, Director of the Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in a conversation with Regnum News Agency.
The British publication Daily Mail published the results of research by American scientists who, in the course of various calculations and computer modeling, came to the conclusion that in the case of a negative scenario regarding seismological activity in the western part of the United States, the territory of the North American state could receive a nine-point earthquake and waves 30 meters high, which are capable of causing significant damage to the Pacific coast of the United States. According to scientists, the fault lies in the geographical fault between Canada and California, the length of which is 970 kilometers. It is in this part that an earthquake of nine points could occur.
The seismologist explained that it is impossible to prevent natural disasters of this kind, but it is unlikely that one can talk about an impending threat in the coming years, the expert specified.
"Such an earthquake is, in principle, possible, since there really is quite a large fault there. But the question is that the time scale is apparently hundreds of years," Shebalin said.
According to the expert, there is a possibility that such an earthquake will happen in the coming decades, but the chances are extremely small.
#1
Still waiting of the California Big One.
The earthquake foretold ages ago, and repeatedly used by the Gov and media into the 21st century as needed
to generate $$ Billions in research and Millions in pocket spending $$$$ after every 7.# quake.
Now at over 60+ years later now, and after a number of 7.#'s, the Valley is still dry, and SF & LA have not floated away.
[FoxBusiness] Ground delay in place at EWR following brief ground stop
A third equipment outage reported Sunday morning impacted flights at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
A ground stop was in place Sunday morning for about 45 minutes, after radar screens briefly went dark, local TV station ABC 7 reported.
"There was a telecommunications issue at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace," the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement to FOX Business.
"The FAA briefly slowed aircraft in and out of the airport while we ensured redundancies were working as designed. Operations have returned to normal," the statement said. No additional details were given.
Flight tracking website FlightAware says there have been 70 flight cancellations at EWR in the last 24 hours.
On Saturday, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby did a pre-recorded interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation," where he maintained his stance that flying is safe and backup procedures are in place for equipment outages.
"It's the safest way to travel by far," Kirby said. "I understand how people feel and empathize with that, but I know it's safe because I've spent my whole career in it. I know all the people in aviation, whether they work at United Airlines, other airlines, the FAA. Safety is number one, and it is in the core DNA of everyone."
The FAA will hold a "scheduling reduction meeting" on Wednesday morning regarding flights at EWR, even though both Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Kirby said EWR flights have already been scaled back.
"I hate delays, I hate cancellations and I hate families who come with little kids that are sitting there for four hours," Duffy said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
"I've done that myself on occasion. It's hard. But I want you to get to where you're traveling, and if that means slowing down flights into Newark, we slow them down to make sure we can do it safely," he said.
Newark was not the only airport that saw delays amid problems.
On Sunday afternoon, the FAA said it "has temporarily slowed arrivals into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport due to a runway equipment issue" and that "technicians are working to address the problem."
The delay was requested by Delta Air Lines and only impacts their flights, an FAA spokesperson told FOX Business.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/12/2025 13:21
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#5
You want an immediate fix? Be careful for what you ask for.
Dear airlines, the time to accommodate your schedules are over. Safety first. You have overgrazed the commons. There is only room for so many aircraft to take off, land, and occupy airspace. There is a limit and that limit will be enforced. You will bid for space which by the open market will make peak travel very expensive and less profitable. Let the market decide and your keen ability to balance price vs cost to determine who gets what space. No loss leaders!
[IsraelNationalNews] Pope Leo XIV, in his first Sunday address since his election as head of the Catholic Church, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas, the BBC reports.
Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the newly installed pontiff declared, "I am deeply hurt by what is happening in the Gaza Strip. May a ceasefire immediately come into effect. May humanitarian aid be allowed into the civilian population and may all hostages be freed." Tells me all I need to know about "First American Pope
[GEO.TV] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that he expects Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday and that Kyiv was "ready" for direct talks with Russia.
Zelensky spoke hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... proposed direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul this month, but did not commit to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by European leaders and backed by the US.
"There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting and reliable -- starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet," Zelensky said on social media.
Zelensky also spoke hopefully about Russia considering to end the three-year-old war, which started with Moscow's 2022 invasion.
"It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war," Zelensky said.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/12/2025
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Russians Increase Number of Assaults During 'Truce.'
There was no ceasefire on almost all sections of the front. There were only isolated cases.
During the so-called three-day "ceasefire" that was unilaterally declared by the Russian Federation, Russian troops did not cease, but on the contrary, intensified their assault operations. This was reported by the DeepState project on Sunday, May 11.
The occupiers carried out 193, 196 and 161 assault operations, respectively, over three days.
In April, the average daily activity was 155 attacks per day.
"There was no ceasefire in almost all areas. There were isolated cases and that's it," DeepState analysts noted.
Recall that the Kremlin declared a so-called "ceasefire" for three days - from May 8 to 10. Despite this, active fighting continued at the front. The Russians also attacked border and frontline regions - Donetsk, Sumy, Zaporizhia and Kharkov regions - with guided air bombs
[Rudaw] Over a decade after the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) launched its brutal attack on the Yazidi heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) in northern Iraq, the fate of approximately 2,500 Yazidis remains unknown, a Kurdish official told Rudaw on Sunday, adding that most of the missing are believed to be in Syria.
Hussein Qaidi, head of the Office for Rescuing Abducted Yazidis — affiliated with the Kurdistan Region Presidency — stated that "around 2,500 Yazidis remain missing to this day, the majority of whom are believed to be in Syria, particularly in the northeast [Rojava]."
On Friday, families of the missing staged a rally in Shingal, urging the Iraqi government to press on the new authorities in Syria to help find their loved ones.
Qaidi noted that some of the missing Yazidis are believed to be held in the infamous al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, while others may have been transferred abroad.
The al-Hol Camp located in Syria’s Hasakah province, currently holds over 40,000 people - mainly women and kiddies with alleged or confirmed ties to ISIS. The majority of the camp’s residents are Iraqis and Syrians, and security is maintained by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Since ISIS's territorial defeat in Iraq (2017) and Syria (2019), al-Hol has drawn international concern as a potential breeding ground for extremism.
Qaidi on Sunday added that his office, which functions directly under the Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, has successfully rescued 3,587 Yazidis so far. These include women, men, and children who were kidnapped during ISIS’s 2014 assault on Shingal and surrounding areas.
In June 2014, ISIS seized large parts of northern and western Iraq. Two months later, in August, the group launched a devastating campaign against the Yazidi community in Shingal, abducting 6,417 Yazidi women and kiddies. Many were subjected to sexual slavery and forced labor.
Approximately 200,000 Yazidis were displaced from Shingal during the onslaught, and many remain in displacement camps across the Kurdistan Region, especially in Duhok province.
The United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... has officially recognized ISIS’s crimes against the Yazidis as genocide.
Qaidi confirmed that the rescued Yazidis, though now free, are in dire need of psychological support. He highlighted a 2015 agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the German government, under which around 1,090 survivors were sent to Germany for treatment.
Since then, additional survivors have been sent to Australia, Canada, and the United States for similar assistance. "Those who go abroad for psychological treatment are free to return or stay in those countries, based on their own choice," Qaidi said.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/12/2025
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#1
The battalion of Yazdis women formed to fight ISIS was a psychological therapy all it's own.
Posted by: Difar Dave ||
05/12/2025 12:41
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Viktors Demidovs
(Latvian Radio correspondent)
[LSM] Interview with Tālis Ešmits, head of the soldier search unit "Legend" I follow this group on Facebook
This week marks 80 years since the end of World War II in Europe. Although a long time has passed, the ashes of soldiers from that time can still be found in the territory of Latvia. The discovered bones of Latvia's defenders are reburied in cemeteries, but the bones of Nazi German and Red Army soldiers that are found are stored in a so-called bone depot.
According to an interstate agreement, the bones of people who fought on the Nazi side are registered and described by specialists from Germany, where the ashes are also transported.
Read more about the topic in a conversation with Tālis Ešmits, head of the fallen soldiers search unit "Leģenda".
Viktor Demidov: In November, you spoke about the activities of the so-called black archaeologists. In the South Kurzeme region, foreigners had excavated and looted the burial grounds of World War II soldiers. Your unit managed to find out the names of three specific people, who were allegedly from the Netherlands. At that time, you discovered many pieces of ash in a large pit, which for an unknown reason had been dragged more than five kilometers from the original location and hidden on someone else's property. How did this story end? Have the alleged violators been caught?
Tālis Ešmits: No, it has been refused to propose any actions, because in essence it was not a grave originally. Well, there is some international legislation that says that the place where a soldier died is his grave. But it is a convention document that is not currently reflected in the legislation of the Republic of Latvia. Lawyers have worked on it. This issue has been refused.
As a result, these soldiers will be buried in the cemetery. Basically, as I understood it, the damage is that he has already been eliminated, as a result of which everything will be sorted out, and that if such people ever come, we will pay attention to it and continue to monitor this activity. That was the police response.
How many illegal archaeologists are there in Latvia who excavate soldiers' graves? Is the problem still relevant?
She will always be relevant. Not only in Latvia. But we need to look at this problem from another angle – what is the countermeasure to this problem. But this again happens in two directions. This is the legislative base, how it is punished, and the other, one could say, is public education or explanatory work, which is also not unimportant.
In the Republic of Latvia, with some special cases, such as this case in the Netherlands, [it is noticeable] that this situation is still moving for the better for us. People are becoming more educated. People – not only those who are engaged in such activities, but also those who own the land, who see what someone is doing. We don't have a place in Latvia where we don't see something. We always see everything, believe me.
In this case, when there was this situation in the Netherlands, we went around in a circle, and [the residents] saw where, what they were doing, and therefore we can take them to the exact place where it happened, and go to the exact person who saw them and who specifically took [and recorded] what it was like.
It has been 80 years since the fall of Nazism, many places in Latvia have been examined, and the remains of soldiers have been found, but your association continues its work. How do you select the places where you will search for ashes? Are there any places that have not yet been studied?
The first direction, which is the most urgent, is that you suddenly find, when you dig a ditch, build a road, even here in Riga, the Brasa Bridge, when [the remains of soldiers] are there and some decision needs to be made, then you have to go there and do it.
Then the other direction is requests from relatives. The last one we had was on May 3, 2025. There was Kurt Egler, a German lieutenant who was in World War II, who died in 1944 on the Gulbene side. [His] relatives have done something. Then information comes with a red cross in the middle that he is somewhere here. You look at a modern map – 20 hectares of green land. It is clear – a field. A big, big field there.
And he is buried there alone.
Alone. It's easier to find a needle in a haystack if you know it's there - burn the haystack and you'll have it there. But here you can do whatever you want.
We drive there, we go there, then you exclude everything that doesn't need to be excluded. You realize that in the middle she's not there. You have to look somewhere on the edges.
Then you turn on the experience, the feeling, go to nirvana and then you start thinking the way they thought, and [you] think that there is a cave somewhere. But it can be completely wrong, it is 100 percent wrong, but you accept what you want as existing. Take it and hope for a miracle.
But sometimes you know it's there, and then you can't find it. There are things here, even in Pieriga, Kekava, probably Katlakalna. We've been searching there regularly every year since 2012. There's already a kilogram of all kinds of papers, and you can't find anything there, and that's it. Everything is built up there, everything is different. You find it last year. Then you have to calculate how many years [have passed] from 2012 to that [year]. There are 40 soldiers there in two rows, including Latvian legionnaires. These are requests from relatives.
Is there a map like what you're looking for?
Yes, there are archives, there are various materials, stories. It is a legion where Latvians have been, but have not been found. Then there are Red Army soldiers. Our guys check the previous burial sites, supposedly during the war. Go and look. It is as if they must have been reburied in the graves. Then they go, perform exhumations, rebury in those graves, in which place the names of those Latvian soldiers are inscribed. That is also another direction in which we are working.
Those are the three bases in which we find them. There are also those accidental ones, when, let's say, you come for information that you have to do this and that, then at the same time you, taking a metal detector or listening to the story of the neighbor's house, go to the neighbor's house and still find these soldiers. It's such a coincidence. That's at the very end - the fourth option that I could name.
What happens to found foreign soldiers?
First of all, these are international conventions, but a convention is quite broad: let's sit down, let's consult, let's do it. That's the level of a convention.
Then, based on these levels, we arrive at local legislative acts, which may not be precisely defined for us in Latvia.
After these acts, we come to interstate agreements, which are again a priority. There are these interstate agreements between Germany and between Russia and Latvia. These agreements are still working – both one and the other – and are in force.
[Regarding] the Red Army soldiers who are found, according to the agreement, they are, as they say here, the responsibility of the Russian side. Because Russia has taken responsibility, and she is acting in accordance with this agreement. At the moment, the agreement regarding the remains of soldiers works quite like this - on a case-by-case basis. There have been periods when he worked very well, and there have been periods when he worked very hard. At the moment, he is practically not working at all.
Russian specialists are not coming to Latvia?
No, Russian specialists will never go to Latvia.
So what are you doing? Sending to Russia?
No, we don't send them to Russia. We do everything ourselves. Period. Because it's not necessary on their side. Why? Because there are no medical records of the same level created before the war as there were on the German side.
Burials were not carried out in the primitive manner that the German side did during the war.
The Red Army burial system is a mass grave – a mass grave, as we know it. Yes, there are modern technologies – DNA analyses. We can do them, but how much, I’m sorry, it will cost millions. If someone can afford it, please, because here we cannot guarantee that these remains are not mixed up.
There is a situation with four Red Army soldiers, and they have been requested to be transferred to their homes, to family graves. At the very beginning of the war, the Latvian side agreed and gave permission for the transfer of the remains of these soldiers to the Russian Federation, for burial in family graves. The Russian side disappeared.
Now, as I understand it, the affiliates have all come together in one group, and these are the guys who are dealing with exactly this, they said that we told them: "Write to your president to do something!"
Vladimir Putin?
"Yes, he says, well, then write to your president. We've already written to everyone. You've also [written] to everyone." Their relatives were more involved in that. So what about us?
But until Russia takes this step, you're just burying the ashes, right?
No.
So they're stored in boxes somewhere?
Yes, yes, the bone depot. They're waiting there.
And how many are there – hundreds or thousands?
There are about a thousand now. More. Two thousand.
So much.
That's normal. We have a history of war like that.
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
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
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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.
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...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
