ps: the censorship industrial complex is getting a giant stake through the heart from President Trump - excellent
BUT they have metastasized. They came to Australia and they are going to force global Big Tech Platforms to "industry standards" censor here, then they will beam this censorship back into the US across their global operations.
Using "misinformation" as the excuse
passing similar laws in ireland, uk, eu, canada - so that's how they are going to do it
they will use AI and censor across the platform including in the USA bypassing the 1st amendment
This is the censorship bill "misinformation and disinformation" talked about here https://lettersfromaustralia.substack.com/p/free-speech-shock-you-have-one-week
1 week to defeat it in the Senate, the vote is coming before christmas
This is NOT the same as "banning under 16s" which people like (except that it ushers in digital ID to implement)
this is how the globalist scum and criminals are going to control us - digital ID + internet censorship beamed back into the US
#3
The other countries are going to double down as they saw what happens in the US with 'free speech'. The problem they'll have is that people are creative in getting around such technology - where there is a will there is a way. With Trump at the top, they'd better be more concerned about making stupid threats against Americans exercising their (literally) God given rights (check our Declaration of Independence for that).
#7
Hillary’s worst nightmare: the loss of total control. I don’t think the bureaucracy can’t prevent this action. It shreds them in a way that cannot be countered. It wets the paper bag that they have trapped us in.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/09/2024 11:32
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#8
Posting from Twitter/X:
(Assume starting from Home)
Choose Embed Post
Click on Copy Code
Paste your text, add headline, and you're done.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/09/2024 15:10
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#9
Oliver as Vina transformed into an Orion slave girl in the Star Trek episodes "The Cage" and "The Menagerie"
[TheFreePress] Israeli soccer fans were ambushed, beaten, and pleaded with their assailants: “not Jewish, not Jewish.” I grew up in the Netherlands. I wasn’t surprised.
As the Amsterdam Jewish community joined with local officials to commemorate the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht at the city’s Portuguese-Jewish synagogue—established by Jews who escaped the Inquisition—a pogrom was taking place outside. Following a soccer match between the Dutch club Ajax and the visiting Maccabi Tel Aviv, Jewish and Israeli fans of the visiting club were ambushed and beaten in the city’s streets and alleys.
Footage shows an Israeli soccer fan being struck by a car, cartwheeling across the windshield. More footage shows the scene in downtown Amsterdam, where Israelis are pleading with their assailants, "not Jewish, not Jewish." And they are beaten mercilessly.
In video of other attacks last night, a victim is struck and lays injured on the ground, seemingly unconscious. A father can be seen fleeing with his son. A man jumps into one of Amsterdam’s canals to escape his assailants. In the recording, where he is forced to say "Free Paleostine," his assailants laugh and jeer that he is a "cancer Jew"—a classic slur in Dutch, where both diseases and the Jewish ethnicity are deployed as put-downs.
Much about the origins of the attack are still unclear, but early reports suggest that it was carried out by youth gangs from the Dutch Moroccan and Dutch Turkish community, and was orchestrated in advance. Visiting Israelis report being ambushed by groups of 10 to 15 masked assailants in various alleys.
Much about the origins of the attack are still unclear, but early reports suggest that it was carried out by youth gangs from the Dutch Moroccan and Dutch Ottoman Turkish community, and was orchestrated in advance. Visiting Israelis report being ambushed by groups of 10 to 15 masked assailants in various alleys. Fleeing Israelis told Channel 12’s Elad Simchayoff that "Amsterdam police instructed [Israelis] not to go by taxis. Police officers told fans that taxi drivers in the city are helping organize the riots and assisting the gangs."
Before the local authorities meaningfully intervened by dispersing the rioters and arresting assailants, Israel announced it would send two planes and a rescue team to Amsterdam to extract trapped Israelis. (Israel ultimately recalled the mission.) "We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again," the Dutch king Willem-Alexander reportedly said to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog in a phone call on Friday morning.
The shame these events bring to Amsterdam—where 75 percent of Amsterdam’s Jews perished in the Holocaust, and which takes pride in being the city of Anne Frank who, despite her betrayal and murder, has been embraced by the city as an emblem of its liberal, postwar attitude of tolerance—should be lost on no one.
Many are shocked, wondering how this could happen in the Netherlands.
To me, their bafflement is what’s shocking.
I grew up in The Hague, where real and abundant antisemitism, from epithets in the street to physical threats to the community’s safety, was part of our daily life. As a young boy, I vividly recall how The Hague's football hooligans—viciously opposed to Ajax, Amsterdam’s "Jewish" team—walked the streets under a banner reading "We’re hunting for Jews." (Indeed, for my entire life, football stadiums in my home country have been filled with lurid chants like "Hamas ..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,... , Hamas, all the Jews on gas!" and "My dad was in the commandos, my mom was in the SS, we like to burn Jews, because Jews burn the best.")
In high school, second- or third-generation Moroccan kids would point and hiss "Psst, psst, that’s a Jew, that’s a Jew!" as they passed by on their bikes.
But most impactful were the myriad security measures our community had to undertake. Seen from the front, The Hague synagogue is not recognizable, two thick green doors presenting a closed facade to the street. Behind these doors are glass doors that open only once additional permission is given. All the windows are made of bulletproof glass. A permanent police post guards the synagogue. In Amsterdam, the Jewish primary school has even more dystopian levels of protection, hidden behind several layers of metal spikes and fencing. From the outside, the view of the school is entirely closed off. (Even as I write this, I feel uncomfortably conscious of not revealing any sensitive security details.)
Self-protection was a constant—and to me, natural—part of Jewish life. Leading youngsters to a summer camp in northern Friesland meant bringing a dedicated security team and, when possible, keeping quiet the fact that it was Jewish children gathering here.
Violent, antisemitic assaults have become increasingly regular occurrences. In May, a student at the University of Amsterdam, a young man, was assaulted by a protester in a keffiyeh, struck in the head with a wooden plank. In August, a statue of Anne Frank was defaced—for the second time—with anti-Israel graffiti. Today, walking around with a kippah in the Netherlands is an act that requires bravery.
The most alarming thing of all is the transformation of the people who are meant to protect us: the police. Just last month, Dutch police officers indicated they would not be comfortable guarding Jewish institutions over their “moral objections” to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
As the situation worsened over the years—motivating some, including me, to move, others to adjust, and so many to worry—one of the most painful aspects was the way the Jewish community was gaslit. Dutch society repeatedly told its post-Holocaust Jewish remnant—and itself—that "never again" was not merely a concrete promise, but a core concept of modern Dutch morality. However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... the dominant culture of the country’s immigrant communities has proven manifestly hostile to that worldview—and to Jews.
For the North Africans living in Holland, the dominant Jewish story of the twentieth century is not Auschwitz, it is Israel, which in their distorted conception is an illegitimate, one-directional criminal enterprise directed at an innocent population. Nor—and this is crucial—is this merely an attitude about a conflict. They believe it is the crime of the twentieth century, conferring ultimate guilt on the Jewish people. "Paleostine" is a phrase felt to carry the gravity of "Holocaust," grotesquely inverting the perception of the Jewish experience.
For Holland’s Jewry, this reality has been palpable for decades. Yet nothing—no politician, no policy—has altered this reality. In the aftermath of every single violent mostly peaceful attack—as will most likely be the case now—the political answer has been a room-temperature broth of subsidies, youth centers, dialogue forums, visits to Islamic pensioners clubs, and interfaith dialogue.
So it did not surprise me when international media outlets, like The News Agency that Dare Not be Named and The New York Times
...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... , covered this widespread attack as if it was the unfortunate, but perhaps expected, result of the Israeli fans’ conduct before and during the match, such as reportedly taunting Ajax fans with inappropriate slogans. Further, the AP wrote, the attack followed a Paleostinian flag being "torn down from a building in Amsterdam on Wednesday," and the rioters were angry because "authorities banned a pro-Paleostinian demonstration near the stadium." The Times originally pinned the attack on differences over sport and on taunts, as "violence tied to a match between Dutch and Israeli teams," and reported that "the tensions in the hours leading up to the violence" was in part caused by "one man [being heard] saying in Hebrew, ’The people of Israel live,’ while others shout[ed] anti-Paleostinian chants using expletives." (The Times has apparently stealth-edited its reporting numerous times since publication.)
In other words, if all you read were the initial reports, you might think that the Israelis started it, or at least had it coming.
What the news hounds and media fail to understand is that this was an attack on Israeli football fans, but not one carried out by football hooligans. The Ajax team is itself Jewish friendly—fans of Amsterdam’s Ajax are affectionately (and sometimes not-so affectionately) referred to as "super Jews," and Ajax is understood as the "Jewish team," so it would make little sense that Ajax supporters would attack Jews or Israelis for their ethnicity—even if they are fans of an opposing team.
No, this was straightforward: According to the accounts of witnesses and victims, it was an attack by immigrant, Moslem communities against Israelis and Jews.
Between 1977 and 2002, more than 700,000 immigrants colonists and refugees from Islamic countries settled in the Netherlands, now making up about 5 percent of the Dutch population. For decades, issues surrounding the integration of these minorities have riled passions and dominated Dutch politics—first in the form of the assassinated populist leader Pim Fortuyn; then filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who was murdered in broad daylight 20 years ago this month; and most recently Geert Wilders, who lives under permanent police protection.
In other words, modern antisemitism in the Netherlands has, for the past several decades, been an affliction of the immigrant and secular communities, which few care to do anything about. In secular Dutch society, teachers find it increasingly difficult to teach the country’s recent history—its complicity in the Holocaust—in schools with large immigrant communities. (As the Algemeen Dagblad related as early as 2015, if a teacher says "Holocaust," students reply, "That’s all bullshit" and "You are on the side of the Jews.")
The most alarming thing of all is the transformation of the people who are meant to protect us: the police. Just last month, Dutch coppers indicated they would not be comfortable guarding Jewish institutions over their "moral objections" to Israel’s war against Hamas 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... Surely the dark irony of the Dutch refusing to protect their country’s Jews—citizens or visitors—would not be lost on anyone. But lost, it seems to be. Will a pogrom in 2024 be sufficiently horrific to wake Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... up?
[Rudaw] A 26-year-old Yazidi woman taken into captivity by 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) ten years ago reunited with her family, the Yazidi Rescue Office announced on Tuesday.
Asia Kamal was only 16 years old when the Lions of Islam took her to an unknown location in Iraq before she was transferred to Syria, only to be enslaved for six years and then taken to a neighboring country where she was found and rescued.
Asia’s father Kamal Chato burst into tears as he embraced his rescued daughter in their Yazidi hometown of Shingal (Sinjar) in Nineveh province.
"I was never expecting to see my father again," Asia told Rudaw, beaming joyfully.
Asia was found in an undisclosed third country with the help of the Office for Rescuing Abducted Yazidis, which is affiliated with the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
"As we promised, we will continue to investigate the whereabouts of the abductees. Mr. [Kurdistan Region President] Nechirvan Barzani's instruction is to investigate the matter as long as there is any abductee left," Hussein Qaidi, head of the office, said on Tuesday in a presser.
The office did not disclose Asia’s last location where she was found for security concerns as efforts to rescue more kidnapped Yazidis are ongoing.
ISIS kidnaped her along with thousands of other women and girls during the murderous Moslems' ruthless assault on Shingal in 2014 when they seized control of large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria in a brazen offensive.
"I'm very grateful to God that I saw my daughter again. I pray all the remaining girls to be rescued," said Asia’s father Kamal.
At least 30 people from Kamal’s family fell into the clutches of ISIS, Qaidi said, adding that 28 of them have been rescued.
ISIS overran Shingal town and surrounding areas in 2014, abducting 6,417 women and kiddies, forcing a large number of them into sexual slavery and labor.
While the group was declared territorially defeated in 2017 and 2019, respectively, it still continues to pose serious security risks through hit-and-run attacks, bombings, and abductions, especially across the vast expanses of the Syrian desert as well as several Iraqi provinces.
3,581 Yazidis have been rescued, while 2,590 people are still missing, according to Qaidi.
[Rudaw] A French court on Tuesday sentenced 18 people, mostly Iraqi Kurds, to prison terms of up to 15 years for operating a smuggling network that transported migrants colonists across the English Channel to the United Kingdom.
The trial, held in the northern city of Lille near La Belle France’s border with Belgium, nearly 100 kilometers from the English Channel, concluded with a 15-year prison term for Mirkhan Rasoul, a 26-year-old Iraqi national accused of leading the network, French newspaper Le Monde reported.
Prison sentences for the other 17 defendants, which included one woman, ranged from 1-12 years, according to the report, adding that authorities described the defendants as "a vast network of people smuggling in the Channel, mainly Iraqi-Kurdish."
The investigation "had established that this network had largely controlled migrant crossings to England from the north of La Belle France between 2020 and 2022," according to Le Monde, with the court following the prosecutor’s recommendation in issuing the heaviest sentence to Rasoul.
Public Prosecutor Carole Etienne announced, "Major operation against migrant smuggling in the English Channel: 39 arrests," in a post on X. She added that in addition to the prison terms, fines totaled 1,445,000 Euros.
Tens of thousands of people from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region take on perilous routes towards Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... on a yearly basis in hopes of escaping endless crises, including the lack of employment, political instability, and corruption.
Diyari Kamaran, 25, from Darbandikhan in Sulaimani province was one of eight people who died after a migrant boat carrying nearly 60 people capsized on September 15 while trying to cross the English Channel. His father, Kamarn Mohammed, told Rudaw that 90 migrants colonists were crowded on a boat that was smaller than they had been told and it began taking on water after 20 minutes into the journey.
In June, twin shipwrecks off the coasts of Italia’s Roccella Ionica and Lampedusa left more than 70 migrants colonists dead and missing. Most of the passengers were Kurds from the Kurdistan Region and Iran’s western Kurdish areas, as well as people from Bangladesh, Pakistain, Egypt, and Syria.
Around 20,000 people from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region migrated out of the country in 2023, with at least nine of them losing their lives on the dangerous and illegal smuggling routes, according to the Summit (Lutka) Foundation for Refugees and Displaced Affairs.
In 2021, the Kurdistan Region witnessed an exodus of its youth, with tens of thousands leaving, bound for Europe in the quest for a better life. A number of these migrants colonists met their unfortunate end on the freezing Belarus-Poland border and others drowned at sea.
[Rudaw] Security forces in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Wednesday launched a new security operation targeting suspected 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) members in and around al-Hol camp amid an uptick in the bad boys’ activity.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), internal security forces (Asayish), and Women's Protection Units (YPJ) said in a joint statement from al-Hol that they launched "Operation Enduring Security" in response to "intensified" ISIS attacks in and near the camp.
Al-Hol camp holds around 40,000 people, including internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and foreigners, including many families of alleged ISIS members who have been detained by Rojava authorities.
The operation was prompted by a noted increase in ISIS activity in the region.
"These cells have carried out numerous terrorist attacks against the camp IDPs and security forces and planned other attacks that were thwarted and their operatives were captured," read the statement.
In the operation, 16 suspected ISIS members have been detained, reported Hawar News Agency, a local outlet close to Rojava officials.
"The operation aims to pursue ISIS remnants and collaborators within the camp and secure the rural areas near the camp," the joint statement added.
Siyamend Ali, head of the press office of the People’s Protection Units’s (YPG), announced in a post on X that the operation aims to prevent ISIS from using al-Hol as a base.
"This campaign aims to curb ISIS’s influence, prevent recruitment efforts, and secure the area for residents, reducing the risk of further violence and instability stemming from ISIS operatives who use the camp as a covert operational base," he said.
The operation is being carried out with the support of the US-led global coalition against ISIS, the joint statement said. The SDF, composed predominantly of the YPG, YPJ, and other local forces, is the partnered ground force of the coalition.
On Tuesday, the US military announced that in the last two months - in cooperation with local partners in Iraq and Syria - operations have resulted in "163 gunnies killed and 33 captured, including over 30 senior and mid-level ISIS leaders."
On Friday, the SDF announced that their forces conducted a security operation in al-Hol camp, "targeting an ISIS terrorist cell."
[GEO.TV] At least 21 people were killed and 30 others were maimed in a bomb explosion near Quetta's railway station marking the latest incident of unrest in 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... Preliminary reports indicate that the earth-shattering kaboom took place at the railway station's booking office, which usually witnesses a significant number of people, resulting in the high corpse count so far.
While police and rescue personnel reached the site of the blast, emergency was imposed in Quetta's Civil Hospital, with additional doctors and support staff called in.
The Jaffer Express was scheduled to depart for 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... at 9am, according to railway officials.
Officials informed Geo News that with several of the injured at death's door, the corpse count from the blast may rise.
Talking to the media, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Quetta Muhammad Baloch said that the earth-shattering kaboom seemed to be a suicide kaboom. However,
there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... he noted that further investigation was underway.
Providing details on the corpse count SSP Operations Baloch said that the corpse count stood at 21 with 30 others maimed in the blast.
"The blast took place inside the railway station when the Peshawar-bound express was about to leave for its destination," said the police officer.
A separatist militant group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, said it carried out what police are deeming a suicide attack.
There has been a recent surge in deadly attacks in the province, driven by demands for independence and control over local resources.
The city’s commissioner said that the suicide bomber was among the dead, while about 50 others were injured in the blast.
Senior police official Muhammad Baloch said the explosion was thought to have been caused by a suicide bomber carrying 6-8kg of explosives. The dead and injured included both civilians and military personnel, he told the BBC.
The Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said in a statement released on social media that it had targeted a Pakistan military unit that was returning from Quetta after completing a training course.
Police later confirmed 14 soldiers were among the dead.
The region shares a volatile border with Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and also boasts a vast coastline along the Arabian Sea.
In August, at least 73 people were killed in a series of attacks - which the Baloch Liberation Army also claimed responsibility for - targeting police stations, railway lines and highways, according to Reuters.
The militant separatist group has been waging a decades-long insurgency to gain independence for the region from Pakistan.
[KhaamaPress] Despite a formal ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, the United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported a 19% increase in cultivation in 2024 compared to the previous year. The Taliban ...Arabic for students... has reportedly struggled to enforce the ban effectively.
The report reveals that in 2023, poppy cultivation covered approximately 10,800 hectares. This figure rose to 12,800 hectares in 2024, reflecting an expansion despite ongoing restrictions.
Released on Wednesday, the UNODC report noted a particular rise in poppy cultivation in northeastern Afghanistan. Additionally, the price of dry opium has reached around $730 per kilogram, indicating a profitable illegal market.
The UN findings highlighted a geographic shift in cultivation patterns. While southwestern provinces were the traditional hub until 2023, northeastern regions now account for 59% of poppy cultivation in 2024.
This shift represents a 381% increase in poppy farming in these northeastern provinces since 2023. Efforts to eradicate poppy crops have been met with resistance; the Taliban faced protests, particularly in Badakhshan, where violent mostly peaceful crackdowns led to casualties.
[IsraelTimes] The United States is continuing to send forces to the Middle East ahead of an expected Iranian attack on Israel, with flight tracking sites showing American F-15E aircraft en route to Jordan.
According to Haaretz, at least 12 of the jets are on their way to the region, joining the fighter planes already deployed.
There is no formal announcement from the US military.
Iranian leaders have warned they will mete out a "punishing" reprisal attack against Israel for a series of retaliatory sorties on October 26 — themselves a reaction to a massive Iranian ballistic missile attack on October 1 — that Jerusalem says knocked out the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s air defenses and missile production capabilities.
Reports have indicated the Iranian attack may come as soon as this week and that projectiles could be launched from Iraq.
Earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered several B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft, tanker aircraft and Navy destroyers to deploy to the Middle East,
Last month, the US rushed its advanced THAAD, or the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, system to to Israel. The anti-missile system is a critical part of the US military’s layered air defense systems and adds to Israel’s already formidable anti-missile defenses.
US-financed agreement will see Boeing supply 4-6 jets a year starting in 2031, with option for 25 more of aircraft that have enhanced range and payload capacity
Israel signed a $5.2 billion deal Wednesday to procure a squadron of 25 advanced fighter jets, to be financed by Washington’s military aid, the Defense Ministry announced.
The deal includes 25 of Boeing’s F-15IA fighter jets — the Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX — with options for 25 more. Under the deal, the jets will be supplied in batches of four to six a year, starting in 2031.
The Defense Ministry said the new fighter jets will be "equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems, including the integration of state-of-the-art Israeli technologies."
"The upgraded aircraft will feature enhanced range capabilities, increased payload capacity, and improved performance across various operational scenarios. These advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle East," the ministry said.
Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry director general, said Israel has secured nearly $40 billion worth of procurement agreements since 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... was sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... -led hard boyz stormed the south to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.
"While focusing on immediate needs for advanced weaponry and ammunition at unprecedented levels, we’re simultaneously investing in long-term strategic capabilities," Zamir said in a statement. "This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35 squadron procured earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement of our air power and strategic reach — capabilities that proved crucial during the current war."
The president of Boeing Israel, former Israel Air Force chief Ido Nehushtan, said in a statement, "Boeing takes pride in its longstanding partnership with Israel, a relationship that dates back to our nation’s establishment."
"The company will continue working with the US and Israeli governments to deliver the advanced F-15IA aircraft through standard military procurement channels," he added.
News of the deal came as some in the international community, including among Israel’s allies, have urged restricting weapons deals with Jerusalem as a way to end the wars in Gaza and Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... On Wednesday, Egypt joined The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... ’s call — signed by 52 other nations, including Russia and China — for the United Nations ...an organization which on balance has done more bad than good, with the good not done well and the bad done thoroughly... to declare an arms embargo on Israel.
In October, French President Emmanuel Macron said an arms embargo is the only way to end the war in Gaza. A month earlier, citing concern over Israel’s conduct of the war, Britannia and Canada suspended some licenses for arms trade with Israel but stopped short of calling for an arms embargo.
Israel’s two largest arms sources, the United States and Germany, have resisted calls for an embargo on Israel, though each has been accused of withholding certain arms during the war.
[NYPost] A Russian rocket launched a pair of Iranian satellites on Tuesday, reflecting growing cooperation between Moscow and Tehran ahead of a looming partnership summit.
The Soyuz rocket took off from the Vostochny launchpad in far eastern Russia, deploying Russian satellites into orbit and several dozen smaller satellites, including two from Iran.
The Kowsar and Hodhod satellites, launched on behalf of a private sector client, are the latest Iranian assets deployed to space by Russia on Tehran’s orders, with the two nations planning to bolster their "strategic partnership."
[CBSnews] Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida disclosed Friday that he was notified by authorities on Monday about a "potential plot on my life" by a convicted felon in possession of firearms.
Moskowitz, who represents the 23rd Congressional District that includes portions of Palm Beach and Broward Counties, posted the allegation on X, which was later collaborated by police in Margate, a city located in the Miami metropolitan area.
The freshman congressman was elected to a second term on Tuesday.
John Lapinski, 41, of Margate, was arrested Oct. 31 at his home after police responded at about 6:30 a.m. to reports of shots fired. He was subsequently detained under the Baker Act, also known as the Florida Mental Health Act and taken to Broward Health Imperial Point in Fort Lauderdale.
A Jew-hating nut? Not exactly original.
He was then moved to the Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
When arrested, Lapinski was also found to be in possession of several guns and ammunition, as well as body armor, police said.
He faces three firearms charges relating to a convicted felon and a domestic injunction.
"During the investigation, our detectives located several firearms and evidence that indicated he may have been planning some type of criminal act," police said in a news release.
The Margate Police Department contacted the Broward Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI to assist with the investigation. The ATF is currently the lead agency for this investigation, Margate Police said.
Moskowitz claimed that Lapinski was arrested near the House member's home in Parkland.
"Found with him was a manifesto, among other things, included antisemitic rhetoric and only my name on the 'target' list," Moskowitz, who is Jewish, wrote in his social media post. "There are many other details that I will not disclose as I do not want to interfere with an ongoing investigation."
Lapinski has two prior felony convictions of resisting an officer with violence and grand theft in Lake County.
Moskowitz, 43, serves on the bipartisan House task force investigating the attempted liquidation of President-elect Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"I understand the failures and importance of fixing the protection of our current Commander-in-Chief and Vice President," Moskowitz wrote. "At the same time I am deeply worried about congressional member security and the significant lack thereof when we are in the district. Regardless of our political affiliations or differences, we all have families we want to keep safe."
On Tuesday, Moskowitz was elected to a second term, securing more than 52% of the vote against Republican challenger Joseph "Joe" Kaufman, which was a margin of about 17,500 votes.
Moskowitz has touted his ability to work with Republicans. He was elected to the House in 2022 after serving in the Broward County Commission in an appointment by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Previously, he was Florida's emergency operations manager under DeSantis, including during the pandemic in 2020. Before that, he was a Florida state representative from 2012 to 2019. His first election was in 2006 as a member of Parkland City Commission, which he served in until 2012.
Republican U.S. Rep Carlos Gimenez, also of Florida, said in a statement: "Political violence has no place in our country. This violent mostly peaceful anti-Semitic hate is despicable and must be confronted to the fullest extent of the law. I commend local and federal law enforcement in acting swiftly to ensure the safety of my dear colleague."
[ToloNews] The commission for contact with former political figures and leaders has told TOLOnews that since its establishment, over a thousand people have returned to the country.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, the spokesperson for this commission, informed TOLOnews that these individuals include former government officials, such as ministers, governors, and commanders.
Wasiq said about the returnees: "So far, through the Commission for Contact with Figures, 1,008 individuals have returned to the country, including those who held high-ranking positions such as ministers, generals, army officers, and commanders."
Meanwhile,
...back at the buffalo wallow, Standing Buffalo watched the circling Commanches and asked himself What would Geronimo do?... several political and military analysts said the Islamic Emirate should provide returning officials with living facilities, work opportunities, and physical security.
Idris Zazi, a political analyst, shared his views: "For those returning to the country, there is a need to provide work opportunities, as merely being present in Afghanistan is not enough. Work, trade, and investment opportunities should be planned and prepared."
Zalmai Afghanyar, another political analyst, said: "When the commission operates and invites politicians back to Afghanistan, their security must be a point of discussion, and dialogue should be the solution for all disputes."
According to Ahmadullah Wasiq, those returning to the country face no threats and are also issued security cards.
No doubt true as far as that goes. But then afterward, they are arrested, disappear, and get to enjoy the tender mercies of the Talib inquisition. It’s an oft-repeated tale.
[ToloNews] The leader of the Islamic Emirate, through an eight-point decree, has removed the authority over the distribution of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment from the Ministries of Interior, Defense, and the Directorate of Intelligence.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, confirmed this decree to TOLOnews and added that, from now on, for the proper use and safety of weapons, any use or distribution of arms and ammunition will only occur with the leader’s direct order.
Mujahid said, "This measure is intended to ensure better protection of weaponry so that arms and other military assets are not used in situations where they aren’t needed and to enhance the overall security of these weapons."
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior also elaborated on the directive, stating that henceforth, all arms and equipment stored in depots will only be distributed by the order of the leader of the Islamic Emirate.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, said: "From now on, any surplus weapons or those recovered from unauthorized individuals and stored in depots as public property will only be distributed under the directive of the Islamic Emirate's leadership. This policy aims to prevent the misuse of public resources and to ensure proper preservation and protection. Any necessary requests from security departments or Islamic Emirate authorities will be submitted to the high leadership for approval."
Zalmai Afghan Yar, a military affairs expert, described the directive as a positive step, saying: "There have always been individuals in power who misuse weapons for personal gain."
According to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, another directive from the leader of the Islamic Emirate requires that firearms licenses for civilian organizations, merchants, money exchangers, and citizens will now be issued exclusively by the Ministry of Interior.
[KhaamaPress] An Indian court has lifted the decades-old ban on the import of Salman Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses, as authorities were unable to locate the original order imposing the restriction.
Not a matter of priniciple? Bummer. Lost paperwork sets no precedents. But still, lifting the ban is good thing unless you’re one of the various flavours of totalitarian.
Rushdie’s novel, published in 1988, was banned in India due to the controversies it sparked.
India became the first country to ban the book because of its portrayal of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, which many Moslems found blasphemous, leading to protests and threats against the British-Indian author.
The ban became the subject of a petition filed in 2019 by an individual named Sandipan Khan, who challenged the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs at the Delhi High Court.
Khan questioned the legality of the 1988 order, which prohibited the book’s import under India’s 1962 Customs Act, claiming it contained alleged blasphemous content.
In his petition, Khan argued that the ban violated the fundamental right to freedom of expression, and he requested the court to allow the book’s import.
According to legal documents, Khan asked the judiciary for a copy of the order that banned the book’s import. However,
it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... he was informed that the document could not be found.
Records show that the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs requested multiple extensions from May 2019 to May 2024 from the Delhi High Court to locate the document. Eventually, they informed the court that "the text of the order is untraceable and thus cannot be provided."
In the final hearing on the matter this week, the Delhi High Court ruled that "there is no alternative but to assume the non-existence of such a notice."
In the ruling issued on November 5, the court stated that "the petitioner shall be entitled to proceed with actions related to this book as per the law."
This ruling underscores a turning point in freedom of expression in India, as a long-standing ban on a controversial work is lifted, allowing new discourse on sensitive literary content in the country.
[SDUT] They totally lied to get the original bond votes: costs, ridership, extent. It's a boondoggle going nowhere and people are awake now
The changing of the guard in Washington, D.C. on January 20 will likely complicate the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s plans to fund construction of its Early Operating Segment in the Central Valley.
Good.
A new administration, hostile to California generally and rail funding in particular, will be less willing than its predecessor to offer additional grant funding. Rather than wait out the new administration and hope for better results in 2028, now would be a good time for the Authority, the legislature, and the governor to scale back the project.
The most recent high-speed rail business plan, released in May, projects an additional $4.7 billion in federal funding to cover the projected $35.3 billion cost of the initial project scope, which includes connecting Merced to Bakersfield, funding "bookend" projects such as Caltrain electrification between San Jose and San Francisco, and covering administrative expenses. Of the $4.7 billion federal funding the Authority hopes for, only $221 million is included in submitted grant applications that the Biden Administration might approve in its waning days.
The remaining $4.5 billion would have to be approved by a Trump-controlled Department of Transportation.
Or possibly by President Trump himself. He has been known to organize little bits of construction in his spare time, slashing costs as he goes…
During the first Trump administration, no high speed rail (HSR) grants were approved and the Federal Railway Administration even attempted to cancel a grant previously approved under President Obama. Since the Authority has not spent all the grant money approved under President Biden, it may be vulnerable to another such retraction which would expand the fiscal hole beyond $4.5 billion.
Recently, congressional Republicans have shown their continuing opposition to the project. The House of Representatives’ FY 2025 transportation budget bill specifically forbids further funding of California high-speed rail. The Senate’s version contains no such restriction, and neither bill is likely to be enacted during the lame duck session. Although the House’s ban on high-speed rail funding probably won’t become law now, it is indicative of the GOP’s current stance on the issue. With Congressional Republicans looking for discretionary spending cuts to offset the fiscal impact of their planned tax reductions, high-speed rail will continue to be on the chopping block.
One key influencer on the second Trump administration, Elon Musk, also has a record of hostility to the California HSR. In a 2013 paper, Musk proposed hyperloop as a faster, lower-cost alternative to HSR, asking:
How could it be that the home of Silicon Valley and JPL — doing incredible things like indexing all the world’s knowledge and putting rovers on Mars — would build a bullet train that is both one of the most expensive per mile and one of the slowest in the world?
Although hyperloop has yet to be successfully commercialized (and may never be), Musk remains skeptical of California HSR. As recently as this September, he was still taking swipes at the project on X. If Musk takes the helm of a "Department of Government Efficiency" in the next Trump administration, high-speed rail funding in California and elsewhere would likely be high among the targets for cost savings.
The expected California response to a federal funding freeze will be to keep HSR going with state funds until a more friendly administration takes over. The first opportunity for a more receptive executive branch will come in 2029, shortly before the currently projected service inception date in the early 2030s, and the results of the 2028 election are by no means assured. Even if Democrats regain the White House, they may be operating in a fiscally constrained environment not conducive to major investments like renewed high-speed rail support.
A better alternative for California is to scale back this project, so that something useful can be completed with existing resources. One alternative would be to finish the 119 miles of track now under construction and connect it to existing track now used by the Amtrak San Joaquins service. This should provide travel time savings between Merced and Bakersfield even though the new track would not reach either terminus.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/09/2024
08:48 ||
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#1
Silly me. I voted for high-speed rail when it was first proposed back when Jerry Brown was governor. I trusted those bastards, those crooks, those grifters. Now the money's all gone and we still don't have a train.
I figured if the Japanese could do it, we could too. Civilized nations have trains that work. Cars are good to have. They give you freedom to go where you want, when you want. But driving a car every day to work, paying for gas and maintenance of the car while watching it depreciate and fall apart is for the birds. Slogging through the southern California freeway traffic is an exercise in frustration. Trains would be the obvious answer except for the criminals who run California.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/09/2024 12:07
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#2
I wouldn't mind giving them more money if they hadn't already proven themselves to be crooked morons.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/09/2024 12:19
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#3
Ridership was supposed to pay for Ops and bond repayment with no subsidies. Instead, costs are 8x original bonds and it goes nowhere in the Central Valley. It was all lies from the start.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/09/2024 12:51
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[FoxNews] State Attorney General Ken Paxton has submitted a FOIA request
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Biden administration's Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday, demanding that it provide records relating to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s corruption investigation into President-elect Trump.
In a release, the Republican AG alleged that former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who led a team investigating Trump regarding a false Trump-Russia election collaboration, "destroyed records."
"Past Special Counsels, including — notoriously — Robert Mueller, destroyed records at the end of their investigations to avoid accountability," Paxton said in a release.
"It is not clear why nobody was prosecuted for doing so," he added. "This request is part of my Office’s efforts to ensure that Americans are not cheated out of accountability or information again. This pattern of weaponizing the justice system for partisan retribution must end."
In Paxton's request, he argued that past special counselors "appear to have intentionally destroyed documents" during their tenure.
"Our office would consider any destruction of the documents requested herein to be a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1361, and would refer the matter for prosecution in the event destruction occurs," the letter said.
According to the DOJ, 18 U.S.C. § 1361 "protects "any property" of the United States or an agency or department thereof."
The FOIA request from Paxton follows the House Judiciary Committee sharing its concern that Smith and prosecutors involved in the Trump investigations will "purge" records to skirt oversight.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., penned a letter to Smith on Friday, demanding that he produce to Congress all documents related to the probes before the end of the month.
"The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing its oversight of the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Counsel. According to recent public reports, prosecutors in your office have been ‘gaming out legal options’ in the event that President Donald Trump won the election," they wrote. "With President Trump’s decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to purge relevant records, communications, and documents responsive to our numerous requests for information."
Following Trump's decisive victory, the DOJ is looking to wind down two federal criminal cases against Trump as he prepares to be sworn in for a second term in the White House.
Its decision to do so upholds a long-standing policy that prevents DOJ attorneys from prosecuting a sitting president.
[DailyWire] FEMA Official Ordered Relief Workers To Skip Houses With Trump Signs.
Whistleblower: ‘It’s almost unbelievable to think that somebody in the federal government would think that’s okay’
A federal disaster relief official ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Daily Wire and confirmed by multiple federal employees.
A FEMA supervisor told workers in a message to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida to identify residents who could qualify for federal aid, internal messages viewed by The Daily Wire reveal. The supervisor, Marn’i Washington, relayed this message both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, multiple government employees told The Daily Wire.
The government employees told The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance, meaning they were not given the opportunity to qualify for FEMA assistance. Images shared with The Daily Wire show that houses were skipped over by the workers, who wrote in the government system messages such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”
It is unclear whether the same guidance was issued elsewhere in the country. The employees were part of a Department of Homeland Security surge capacity force team, meaning they volunteered from other DHS agencies to help an understaffed FEMA as it dealt with a second major hurricane in a span of just a few weeks.
The guidance came as the Biden administration was criticized over its sluggish response to Hurricane Helene in rural areas across the country. In Roan Mountain, Tennessee, for example, locals told The Daily Wire it took nearly two weeks for FEMA to show up. The town is located in Carter County, which voted 81% for Trump on Tuesday.
The FEMA agents ordered not to help houses with Trump signs were operating in Highlands County, a deep-red area located in south central Florida that backed Trump by 70% on Tuesday. It was hit with tornadoes, torrential wind and rain, and flooding when Milton hit in October.
In the chat, Washington said that it would be “best practice” to “avoid homes advertising Trump,” according to photos of the messages viewed by The Daily Wire. No explanation was given for this guidance, which included other recommendations like telling the workers to “practice de-escalation and preventative measures,” and to “avoid high salt diets and coffee.”
Photos from the system used by federal relief workers to track what homes they visit showed that relief workers followed Washington’s guidance. Several addresses were marked “not able to access property” with listed explanations such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership,” “Per leadership no stop Trump flag,” “Trump sign,” and “Trump sign, no contact per leadership.”
“If they had damage or lost power for over thirty-six hours, it was my duty to inform them of benefits to which they are entitled through FEMA,” one team member wrote in a complaint filed to DHS about the guidance.
Washington is the Disaster Survivor Assistance crew leader for Highland County, a leadership chart reviewed by The Daily Wire shows. She did not respond to multiple phone calls or an email seeking comment on the guidance.
Chad Hershey, Washington’s FEMA supervisor, told The Daily Wire that the agency is looking into the situation.
“We are aware of it and we are taking proper action in this situation currently,” Hershey said.
Pressed to confirm the messages, Hershey said: “We are aware of it and we are taking action at this moment regarding the situation that you’re talking about.”
After publication of this story, a FEMA spokesperson told The Daily Wire it was “deeply disturbed” and “horrified” by the employee’s actions, and that it has “taken extreme actions to correct this situation.”
“While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident.”
“This is a matter that we take extremely seriously and we are doing everything we can to make sure all survivors receive support from FEMA. To date, we have helped over 365,000 households impacted by both Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the state of Florida and have provided over $898 million in direct assistance to survivors.”
“We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels. Helping people is what we do best and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes.”
In addition to the statement, a FEMA spokesman clarified that Washington is not actively working for the agency, pending an investigation.
The guidance was first issued by Washington verbally on October 22, and again in the group chat on October 27, according to one of the federal employees. The Trump-related instructions were deleted from the chat a few days later, photos of the chat reviewed by The Daily Wire show.
By October 30, Washington had started walking back the instructions about skipping Trump supporters’ homes, one of the federal employees told The Daily Wire. The relief workers said Washington denied that homes were being skipped after a meeting with other FEMA administrators.
The employees say that Washington has not been punished for the guidance, but has been shifted to another county in Florida.
The whistleblower complaint says that the Trump guidance further undermines trust in FEMA and its response to the hurricanes.
“This behavior raises significant concerns of discrimination against United States citizens because of their political views,” a copy of the complaint obtained by The Daily Wire said. “These actions not only undermine the integrity of our agency and create a hostile work environment for those who may hold differing political beliefs but they also threaten the very democracy of our country.”
#2
Too much other anecdotal evidence of the unwritten policy. In pre-GPS days of navigation, you could fix your position on a collection of radar distances and sight lines. All current evidence indicates that FEMA is no longer serving the purpose of supporting the American people with competent disaster response. People now have more trust for the Cajun Navy and Samaritan’s Purse., and it’s not because FEMA has bad PR. The federal priority is to facilitate the foriegn invasion of the US. FEMA is doing hurricane relief as side work and they have politicized those meager efforts.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/09/2024 12:07
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#3
Dear FEMA employees - start updating your resumes.
This year’s election exposed the relative insignificance of two of the main pillars of the Democratic Party: money and control over the press. Thirty or forty years ago, it might have been impossible to overcome a much better-funded opponent who was supported by virtually 100% of what then constituted the press. In 2024, Donald Trump was able to blow past those once-formidable obstacles.
First, money. Financial resources are obviously significant. A candidate in any race needs enough money to get his messages out. But there is considerable evidence that in today’s world, a point of diminishing returns is often reached.
It is hard to reconstruct all of the dollars that are spent on a presidential race, because there are so many different sources of funds. But I don’t think there is any doubt that Kamala Harris vastly outspent Donald Trump: Read the rest at the link
#1
...And I suspect Elon Musk is now Democrat Public Enemy #2. Had he not been in charge at TwiX, I think Kamala Harris would now be measuring the drapes in the Oval Office.
[eugyppius: a plague chronicle] Now I provide just a little dessert for my longsuffering subscribers. This is glorious, I promise.
You must understand that Trump’s victory has plunged all of Germany into a national trauma. It is the worst thing the Americans have ever done to us. Particularly a certain kind of ageing pinched female — the sort who is always sending her entrées back to the kitchen — is extremely upset. This is just the end, she is screaming, to her befuddled cats.
Not to worry! One of Germany’s dominant newsweeklies, Der Spiegel, is on the case. Yesterday, they brought in some totally insane psychotherapist named Maren Vogel from (of course) Berlin to help our battered estrogenic nation deal with the psychological consequences of Trump’s victory. Please, subscribe to my Substack if you haven’t already, so we can enjoy this gem together.
Donald Trump’s election victory has dismayed many people, also in Germany. Maren Vogel, a behavioural therapist, reports on her bewildered clients — and offers advice on what to do.
I just want to emphasise that this is all totally real, I am not making it up, nor is my translation in any way embellished (aside from bold for emphasis).
SPIEGEL: Ms Vogel, is Donald Trump’s victory an issue in your current work?
Vogel: Yes, absolutely. I was both surprised and unsurprised. It’s been on the minds of many of my clients, we’ve been talking about it a lot.
SPIEGEL: What’s bothering people in particular?
Vogel: I can’t get into too many details because I don’t want to violate the privacy of my clients. But in general, I can say that there is a lot of fear: Fear of the future, fear of war, fear of what is happening in world politics right now — will the world ever be the same? There is also a sense of bewilderment: How can the Americans do this — just elect this terrible person again? This leads to anxiety, frustration and also to anger.
Hahahahahahahahahahhahahaha. But we’re only just warming up.
SPIEGEL: How do you explain this reaction?
Vogel: For the most part, that’s just how it is. And I think it’s very understandable to be concerned.
SPIEGEL: But actually the US is very far away. Why does Trump worry people more than Orbán, Kickl or Putin?
Vogel: These things aren’t mutually exclusive, that it makes it even worse. Trump is not an isolated case. It looks as if more and more like authoritarian or fascist politicians are coming to power or striving after it everywhere. Putin is bad enough, but now we’re getting Trump too.
[GEO.TV] Professional wrestling magnate and former Small Business Administration director Linda McMahon is seen as the frontrunner to lead Donald Trump ...Oh, noze! Not him!... 's Department of Commerce, three sources briefed on the plans said on Friday.
McMahon is a major donor and was an early supporter of the Republican president elect when he first ran for the White House almost a decade ago. This cycle, Trump tapped her to co-lead a transition team formed to help vet personnel and draft policy ahead of Tuesday's election.
Given the early stage in the process, it was unclear whether she will ultimately get the job.
McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE. She later served as director of the SBA, resigning in 2019, and went on to lead a pro-Trump spending group.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on McMahon. The Trump-friendly think tank America First Policy Institute, which McMahon chairs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has begun the process of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration officials following his victory against Democrat Kamala Harris who got her start in politix between former Oakland mayor Willie Brown's' knees On Thursday, Trump announced that Susie Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff.
[GEO.TV] US President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has prepared executive orders and proclamations on withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement and shrinking the size of some national monuments to allow more drilling and mining, the New York Times reported on Friday.
Trump is also expected to end the pause on permitting new liquefied natural gas exports to big markets in Asia and Europe and revoke a waiver that allows California and other states to have tighter pollution standards, according to the report.
Trump promised during his campaign to take many of the actions listed in the report. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump transition team, said in a response to a Reuters request that the results of Tuesday's election gave him a "mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver."
The administration of President Joe Biden paused approvals of new LNG exports in January in order to complete a study on the environmental and economic impact of the exports. The US Energy Department will have a draft updated analysis out for a 60-day public comment period before the end of the year, a department official said.
Some people on the transition team are discussing moving the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency out of Washington, the report said, citing unnamed people involved in the discussions.
[GEO.TV] A storm has toppled one of Central Asia's oldest Lenin statues and smashed it beyond repair, a local official in Kazakhstan said Friday.
"On the night of 7 to 8 November, the Lenin monument was destroyed by gusts of wind that toppled a nearby fir tree," a cultural official in the ex-Soviet country's Pavlodar region told AFP.
"As it fell from its pedestal, the statue was smashed into a thousand pieces and cannot be restored," said the official, Medet Alpysbaiuly.
The monument was unveiled on July 1, 1928. It was the only one in Kazakhstan to have Lenin's name written in the Kazakh language using Arabic characters, before the country switched to a Latin-based alphabet and then Cyrillic letters.
The statue was smashed on the symbolic date of November 7, the 107th anniversary of the 1917 revolution that brought the Bolsheviks to power under Lenin's leadership.
Unlike some other ex-Soviet countries such as Ukraine and the Baltic states, the Central Asian states have not carried out a policy of large-scale de-Sovietisation and removal of statues from the era and retain close ties with Moscow.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/09/2024
01:32 ||
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Top|| File under: Commies
#1
...You could also place this one under Signs, Portents, And The Weather.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... i Armed Forces have carried out a special military operation targeting the ''Nevatim'' airbase in the Negev region of southern occupied Paleostine. They also downed a US MQ-9 drone in the skies over al-Jawf province early this morning. "And we took out a Joooo aircraft carrier, and a ..."
''The operation was carried out using a hypersonic ballistic missile, 'Paleostine 2,' which successfully reached its target, thanks to God,'' said Brigadier General Yahya Sare'e, Yemen's military front man, in a statement delivered during a mass rally in the capital, Sanaa.
In the same context, Yemen's air defenses succeeded in shooting down an American MQ-9 drone while it was carrying out hostile missions over al-Jawf Governorate at dawn today, he added.
''With this downing, the number of American drones that have been shot down by the Yemeni air defenses since the beginning of the 'battle of the promised conquest' and Holy Jihad reached 12,'' Sarie explained.
These operations, he noted, are in support of the Paleostinian people and their mujahideen, and are a direct response to the ongoing American, British, and Israeli aggression against Yemen.
The Armed Forces reiterated their unwavering support for the Paleostinian and Lebanese peoples, maintaining the naval blockade on the Israeli enemy, as well as conducting military operations and countering all hostile threats.
They emphasized that these operations will continue until the aggression stops, the blockade on the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Strip is lifted, and the aggression against Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... comes to an end.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/09/2024
00:50 ||
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[11173 views]
Top|| File under: Houthis
#1
They’re getting their licks in while they can. I see MOAB in Yemen’s future!
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] In a statement, the resistance emphasized that these attacks were a continuation of their efforts to resist the Israeli occupation, and were done in support of the people of Paleostine and Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... , as well as in response to the massacres committed by the ''usurping entity'' against innocent civilians, including women and kiddies.
The resistance stressed that ''its operations will continue to pound the enemies' strongholds at an increasing pace.''
Yesterday, the resistance announced that its fighters had attacked an Israeli military target in occupied Paleostine using drones, documenting this in scenes as well.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/09/2024
00:48 ||
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[11152 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The Islamic Resistance® in Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers... — Hezbollah continued to carry out strategic operations against Israeli military positions in northern occupied Paleostine and within the Israeli depth, achieving precise hits.
The Islamic Resistance® commenced its Friday operations early at 12:00 am, targeting a grouping of Israeli soldiers in Jal al-Hammar, south of the southern Lebanese town of Odeisseh, with artillery shells, resulting in confirmed hits, according to a statement.
Later at 1:20 am, Hezbollah said its Resistance® fighters launched a guided missile at an Israeli military bulldozer accompanied by infantry attempting to advance toward the Sari Heights in the northwest of the southern town of Kfar Kila.
The Lebanese group confirmed that the strike destroyed the bulldozer, resulting in casualties and injuries among its crew, and caused confirmed casualties within the accompanying forces.
As part of its ongoing Khaybar operations, under the call of ''Labbayka ya Nasrallah'' [Here we respond to your call, O' Nasrallah], the Islamic Resistance® targeted at 8:00 am the Stella Maris naval base located in northwest Haifa with a high-end barrage of rockets.
According to a statement by Hezbollah, Stella Maris acts as a strategic base for maritime monitoring and surveillance along the northern coast.
Also within the scope of Khaybar operations, Hezbollah simultaneously targeted the Ramat David base and airport, southeast of Haifa, with a high-end rocket barrage.
At 9:00 am, and as part of the warning issued by the Islamic Resistance® to several settlements in the north, Hezbollah said its fighters targeted the settlement of Kiryat Shmona with a rocket barrage.
At 12:50 pm, the Islamic Resistance® said its fighters targeted a grouping of Israeli occupation forces in the Misgav Am settlement with a rocket barrage.
At 1:25 pm, Hezbollah fighters targeted another grouping in the Margaliot settlement with a rocket barrage.
The Islamic Resistance® reiterated that its operations come ''in support of our steadfast Paleostinian people 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 in solidarity with their honorable and courageous resistance, and in defense of Lebanon and its people.''
Posted by: Fred ||
11/09/2024
00:47 ||
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#1
"Strategic" in this case means "maybe you don't see any results, but we promise you we done good."
#1
Trump's new book - I was at the Barnes & Noble earlier today & I asked the clerk if they had Donald Trump's new book on how to deport illegal immigrants.
She immediately said to me, "Get the fuck out of here and don't come back."
I said, "Yes, that's the one. Do you have it in paperback?"
#3
IIRC that was his order the last time for which uniform personnel disobeyed a lawful order by the Commander in Chief.
Maximum Possible Punishment for Violations of Article 92
The maximum possible punishment associated with violations of Article 92 depends upon the specifics of the violation itself.
A violation of or failure to obey a lawful general order or regulation may result in a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and two years’ confinement. It or perform it.
A conviction of violating or failing to obey other lawful orders carries the punishment of a bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and six-month confinement.
The penalty for dereliction of duty due to neglect or culpable inefficiency includes the forfeiture of two-thirds of pay per month for three months and confinement for three months.
The punishment for dereliction in performing duties through neglect or culpable inefficiency resulting in death or grievous bodily harm includes a bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 18 months.
A conviction of willful dereliction in performing duties may result in a bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for six months.
The willful dereliction of duty resulting in death or grievous bodily harm yields a punishment of a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for two years.
…more fully Muhammad Atif Syed, a Sunni Moslem immigrant from Afghanistan. He was originally said to have killed them because he was angry his daughter married a Shiite. His son, Shaheen Syed A.K.A. Maiwand, who had a habit of beating up his sister, had drivers licenses from Florida and Albuquerque, though he never lived at the Florida address, used a fake address to buy guns, and is thought to have worked with his father in hunting down targets…
was sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murders of three Muslim men.
In September Syed pleaded no contest to killing Muhammad Afzaal Hussain, 27, and Naeem Hussain, 25. Earlier in the year he was convicted of killing Aftab Hussain, 41. The high-profile crimes left the Muslim Community in New Mexico shaken. Each of the shooting deaths occurred within days of each other. Syed was sentenced to life in prison; he will be eligible for parole after 30 years, at that time he will be 83-years-old.
[CBP.gov] CBP seizes more than 11,000 rounds of ammunition at El Paso port of entry
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the El Paso port of entry seized 11,100 rounds of 7.62 ammunition November 5, 2024. The ammunition was concealed in the quarter panels of a vehicle crossing the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) international crossing.
“The volume of this seizure is substantial,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. “To put it in perspective CBP officers working at El Paso area ports seized 15,678 rounds of ammunition in all of fiscal year 2021, 7,224 rounds in fiscal year 2022 and 11,205 rounds in fiscal year 2023.
The seizure occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. when a 2011 Honda Ridgeline being driven by a 32-year-old Mexican man arrived from Mexico. The CBP officer at the primary inspection booth selected the vehicle for a secondary exam after a Low Energy Portal scan revealed possible anomalies in the appearance of the vehicle.
A CBP currency and firearms detection canine searched the vehicle and alerted to the car. A secondary Z-portal x-ray scanned also confirmed anomalies in the quarter panels. CBP officers searched the vehicle and located multiple bags of loose 7.62 ammunition hidden within.
The driver was arrested for violation of 18 USC 545, smuggling goods into the U.S. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and federal prosecution was secured.
It was the second large ammunition seizure at BOTA in recent months. CBP officers seized more than 93,000 rounds of ammunition in the southbound lanes of BOTA on August 17, 2024.
Looks like the Cartel is resupplying it members to combat TRUMPS DEA, DOJ, ATF, and ICE. The Cartel will need 100x's that and then some. Because the Cartel/Gangs no longer have DC-Swamp or Border State Liberal Democrat protections.
BTW: Don't forget a few months back Shoulder fired (RPG type) weapons were found coming across the OPEN BORDER.
#4
The caliber is interesting... no poodle-shooter food (AKA 5.56), so probably not being sent to cut-rate commandos. Seems like the resale theory is more likely.
#5
There is so much ammo available in the US I doubt the cartels are doing anything other than stealing and reselling. 11,000 rounds is nothing. FWIW 7.62 is a little harder to get with the Russian embargo.
[PJMedia] In messages reviewed by The Daily Wire, FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington instructed workers to "avoid homes advertising Trump" as they surveyed Lake Placid, Fla., to identify residents who might qualify for federal assistance. The message was reportedly communicated both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, according to multiple government employees... May this LSD FEMA POS be fired and brought up on Civil Rights & Discrimination charges
Antithesis:
FULL STATEMENT: "FEMA helps all survivors regardless of their political preference or affiliation and we are deeply disturbed by this employee’s actions. While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are…
The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days.
At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management is launching an investigation into the federal… https://t.co/3uFpE62vxb
#10
That person’s boss is hating life at this moment and hopefully for a long time to come. What a dumb hire. Time for an emergency bail to some unsuspecting civilian consulting firm.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/09/2024 11:37
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#11
Just gotta say, if anyone in the 'passbys' died, there's a slam dunk manslaughter conviction waiting.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
11/09/2024 14:40
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#12
Coconut Water.
Somebody a Jean-Claude Van Johnson fan?
#13
PAMPERED SEEDS LLC is a California Limited-Liability Company - Ca filed on July 4, 2023. The company's filing status is listed as Active and its File Number is 202358016707.
The Registered Agent on file for this company is Marn'i d washington and is located at 2164 Matson Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822. The company's principal address is 2164 Matson Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822 and its mailing address is 2164 Matson Drive, Sacramento, CA 95822.
The company has 2 contacts on record. The contacts are Marn'i d washington from Sacramento CA and Pampered Seeds, LLC from Sacramento CA.
#15
It must be remembered that in the federal government, there are really strict rules how they need to handle firing someone for cause. Some here can probably recite chapter and verse for this kind of situation.
The view from Russia: Another perspective on this story from yesterday. See also here for reflections on the bigger picture from a Dutch Jew, a native of The Hague, who emigrated to America.
by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] The night of November 8 was unsettled in Amsterdam: fans of the Israeli football club Maccabi, as well as some random passers-by, were subjected to an organized attack. At first glance, the attack seemed well planned.
The rioters acted in a coordinated manner and waited for victims in different parts of the city; they were aware of the addresses of the hotels where the Israelis were staying.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the clashes were a continuation of an earlier conflict between two ultra groups, and the Palestinian issue played a more background role. Nevertheless, the incident in Amsterdam creates a dangerous precedent that blurs the boundaries of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict – and the likelihood of it recurring is quite high.
FROM FAN CLASHES TO POGROM
The clashes in Amsterdam initially did not go beyond the usual "fan riots".
After the ill-fated Ajax-Maccabi match, which ended in a crushing victory for the Dutch team, several hundred Israeli fans gathered at Dam Square in Amsterdam. At the same time, pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Ajax fans gathered at the Amsterdam Arena stadium – according to various sources, between 70 and 150 people.
To this day, there is no consensus on who exactly provoked the conflict: both sides chanted provocative slogans directed at their opponents.
At the same time, as a number of European publications note, it was precisely the “overly offensive attacks” by Israelis against the Arab and Palestinian population of Amsterdam that provoked the first clashes.
In addition, shortly before the match, the Israelis distinguished themselves with another stunt, tearing down Palestinian flags hung from nearby houses, which also did not add to the patience of the local residents.
The police tried to push back the protesters, but they responded by throwing firecrackers and smoke bombs at the guards. About 30 fans were detained.
The incident could have been considered over at this point, but a few hours later the riots flared up again with renewed vigor (engulfing the whole of Amsterdam), and the number of participants in the brawls increased tenfold. Not only fists and firecrackers were used, but also cold arms.
At least ten people were wounded in the clashes, and two are still missing, bringing the total number of casualties to 60, according to the Israeli government.
ISRAEL'S REACTION
Benjamin Netanyahu's government took the incident in Amsterdam very seriously.
Already in the first hours after the attack, the Prime Minister ordered the urgent dispatch of two transport planes to the rescue for the rapid evacuation of Israelis.
The Israeli army tried to have its say by hastily dispatching a military mission to help the victims, but the operation was cancelled at the last minute by the Prime Minister's decision. The government considered the transfer of such significant forces to Europe unnecessary. In addition, a temporary ban was imposed on the departure of active IDF servicemen to European countries (primarily to the Netherlands) - to avoid new provocations from Palestinian activists.
However, the army leadership continues to insist that it is ready to quickly deploy the mission again if the situation worsens.
What happened in Amsterdam became the first serious test for the newly appointed head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Gideon Saar .
In a conversation with his Dutch colleagues, he called the incident "horrific and provocative" and immediately flew to the Netherlands to work "in the field." Israel's permanent representative to the UN, Danny Danon, went even further and called what happened in Amsterdam a "Jewish pogrom," while calling on the Dutch authorities to "act as harshly as possible."
It should be noted that Israeli politicians have so far limited themselves to the most vague formulations and have not placed responsibility for the attacks on specific organizations or individuals, which is partly due to a lack of operational data.
Not a word was said about the “Iranian connection,” which has been a part of every scandal involving Israelis in the past.
"GAZA OF EUROPE"
The Dutch authorities, for their part, also tried to hush up the incident as much as possible, reporting the arrest of several dozen "ringleaders" of the conflict. However, Amsterdam law enforcement officers were stingy with comments and did not specify whether there were Palestinians among those detained.
However, despite this, the incident caused mixed feelings among other Dutch politicians and public figures.
For example, the leader of the right-wing "Party for Freedom of the Netherlands" Geert Wilders demanded the arrest and deportation of the people who attacked the Israeli fans. Wilders did not forget to take a swipe at the Dutch authorities, stating that the country "has turned into the Gaza of Europe." A number of opinion leaders even considered the incident to be a "planned operation by Hamas supporters."
Others, however, took the side of the Palestinians, calling the actions of the Israeli fans a “low and unworthy act.”
It should be further noted that the version about the pogrom being orchestrated by Hamas does not stand up to criticism: the movement did not comment on the incident in Amsterdam, and cases of using Palestinian symbols to “intimidate” Israeli fans, judging by law enforcement data, were episodic.
Moreover, in a number of cases, pro-Palestinian demonstrators found themselves drawn into the brawl “out of inertia.”
However, this does not mean that such conflicts should not be expected in the future.
Quite the opposite: if both sides of the conflict do not react harshly enough, new clashes will only be a matter of time. And each side – whether pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian figures – will try to squeeze the maximum media effect out of the situation in order to discredit their opponents.
Eyewitnesses and victims say organized gangs targeted all Israelis, had clubs, knives; describe local police not responding and taxi drivers taking part in widespread assault.
Two Israelis who left Amsterdam on Friday morning and flew to London said to a Channel 12 reporter on arrival in the UK that they were attacked on Wednesday evening — a full day before the soccer game — by Arab gangs in the city.
The two, who gave their names as Oren And Or, said they were targeted as Israelis and beaten. They also said that they reported the attack to local police, who took no action.
Israeli authorities recognized ahead of the widespread attacks overnight Thrsday-Friday by local Arab and Muslim gangs on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in Amsterdam that organized violence was likely, with the Diaspora Affairs Ministry drawing up a warning document on Wednesday that highlighted the “very high risk” of such attacks, Channel 12 news reported Friday.
It said the warning was based on “indications” in social media monitored by the ministry, including overt online coordination of plans for violent demonstrations.
The ministry document shown by Channel 12 included a screenshot from an online post by a Dutch Palestinian group headed “No Zionists in UEFA/FIFA.”
The ministry’s warning noted that protesters were being told not to carry Palestinian flags or other signs of Palestinian affiliation, and said the organizers were presenting the planned violent protests as constituting “a direct clash” with Israeli security forces and the Mossad.
The report said the ministry drew up its warning document in the light of what it saw as “the open encouragement of violence by the organizers of the demonstrations,” and the fact that there would be many children and identifiable Israelis in Amsterdam for the Maccabi Tel Aviv-Ajax soccer match.
The TV report said the Diaspora Affairs Ministry’s warning was shared with the Foreign Ministry and “a discussion was held.” But neither of the ministries, nor the National Security Council, issued warnings or guidelines to Maccabi or to the fans, some 3,000 of whom were said to have traveled to the Dutch capital for the game.
Furthermore, said Channel 12, Mossad told its Dutch counterparts and Dutch police of concerns about violence and urged them to reinforce security at the stadium, hotels and the train station, but this “did not really happen.”
[NY Post] Power to the little guy
Finger-pointing has erupted over the Kamala Harris campaign blowing up to $20 million on swing-state concerts Monday night, hours before the VP’s spectacular election loss to Donald Trump — prompting concern that everyday staff and vendors won’t get paid amid reports the campaign is in debt by the same amount.
To be fair, not paying campaign debts is a bit of a Democratic tradition…
Members of the defeated Harris team tell The Post that the concerts had a ruinous effect on the Democratic campaign’s coffers and that fact was no secret — with one planned performance by ’90s alt-rock goddess Alanis Morissette getting scrapped to save money.
The seven swing-state concerts on election eve featured performances by Jon Bon Jovi in Detroit, Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas, Katy Perry in Pittsburgh and Lady Gaga in Philadelphia — with 2 Chainz joining Harris on Nov. 2, three days before the election, for an eighth concert in Atlanta.
Two sources said that Obama campaign alum Stephanie Cutter pushed the concert concept as a way to woo lower-propensity voters to the polls.
While the performers donated their time and talent, the sets still required an immense commitment of manpower and financial resources.
And now the performers can write off what they didn’t get paid as an in-kind donation. Probably it’ll reduce their taxes or something, which is awfully nice of the Kamala campaign. Really, the performers should be grateful.
Cutter’s plan was supported by fellow Obama alum David Plouffe, one source said.
Harris added Cutter and Plouffe to her campaign shortly after replacing President Biden atop the party’s ticket in July, generating internal tensions with the existing Biden campaign team as the newcomers sought to replay the 44th president’s successful 2008 campaign.
Harris-Walz campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon ultimately approved the get-out-the-vote concert plans, but has since told colleagues — in response to significant internal criticism — that she didn’t want to do them and sat on the idea for weeks, one source told The Post.
If that was the case, another source pointed out, then O’Malley Dillon’s waffling led to increased production costs because “putting [concerts] together last minute makes [them] cost twice as much.”
The second source questioned whether campaign operations chief Dana Rosenzweig should have raised internal concerns earlier in the planning, though a third defended her and argued the campaign budget team would have had that responsibility.
“They said they were ‘spending to zero.’ I guess they overshot zero,” quipped the second source.
As it happened, the events hardly made a splash in the news cycle — with the exception of the Philadelphia rally, where Oprah Winfrey stole the show by claiming that Trump winning might mean “we will not have the opportunity to cast a ballot again.”
Voters in each of the seven swing states turned out the next day to elect Trump, the former president and Republican nominee.
“They had huge advance teams for these concerts, like 40-60 people in some cities,” said an insider who told The Post that they are concerned about the financial impact on people who worked to elect Harris.
“I’m sure vendors will start to get upset soon,” the source added, noting that staff payments do not seem to be impacted so far, though expense reimbursements are still pending.
In the week before Election Day, as campaign bosses became aware that nearly all of their more than $1 billion war chest was gone, there were efforts to scale back concert costs — which were expected to run between $15 million and $20 million, but in some cases experienced overruns.
“They definitely knew the budget crunch at the end because they cut talent from some cities because of cost,” the source said, adding that Morissette’s show got the ax just two days before the scheduled performance.
A different Harris campaign source said that finance staff currently are in the process of reconciling the balance sheets and that nobody has been stiffed.
Of course not. No checks have not yet been not cut, have not been not mailed, have not yet been not deposited. Once checks actually have not been cut, not been mailed, and therefore cannot be deposited, only then all those suckers will be stiffed.
Another source called the events “a real misuse of funds that could have been better spent on ads laying out economic policies” to voters angered about inflation and high interest rates.
“It didn’t matter to have a bunch of celebrities talking to no one because one, 75 million people already voted and two, people were concerned about their own financial issues, not Oprah telling them America won’t exist,” this source said.
Despite the enormous fundraising haul in the 107-day campaign spring, the Harris campaign ended the race at least $20 million in debt, Politico reported Thursday. Donation webpages remain active in the apparent hope of an after-the-fact trickle of funds to close the gap.
Spokespeople for the Harris campaign and Morissette did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/09/2024
00:00 ||
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[11165 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
What did they expect? They got done to them what the Left has been doing to all of us for four years, stuck holding the bill.
#5
Lizzo and Beyonce each got 3 million for showing up .
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
11/09/2024 11:09
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#6
And all of them consideration in the Diddy investigation.
Story is, Beyonce and Jay Z are married in name only, but are 'big partiers'. Lizzo's surprise success far outweighs her talent. Aguilera, Perry, and Gaga obviously all went through the program. Morisette is a Nickelodeon product as much as Miley Cyrus is a Disney product.
#7
Ultimately, there are a large group of people that are very upset that Donald Trump will be president. Among that group are a collection of incompetent grifters who made bank off a colossal and terrible campaign for a dumb person who appears to have been high for much of her three months as the front runner for the most powerful position in the world. Those people are probably less upset. In fact, they are probably now angling for positions in the Shapiro or Whitmer teams.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/09/2024 11:46
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#8
I wonder how much all those Marvel cosplayers were paid? You know, the ones trying to re-launch their brand by shitting on over half the potential audience.
#9
Some were likely compensated. Some are true believers. Maybe we will get to see who was coerced.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/09/2024 12:10
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#10
Clooney, Hanks, and Hamill are definitely paid agents.
These all were definitely compensated, plus Ford and Keaton.
The ones doing it for free are auditioning for one of the two above positions.
Remember all those tiktokrs and celebrities who Team Brandon purchased in order to sell the burgeoning Ukraine conflict? Same same, except with kompromat a Big Name can be made an offer they can't refuse.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/09/2024 12:59
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#13
Yes we point and laugh, and rightfully so, at the nepotism, but now that we know what her 'father' is, she obviously grew up in a poisoned environment. Might even say the supermodel gig is a payoff for that, not knowing she was actually getting enrolled in The Program.
Bit off topic, it seems someone divined what the democrat fallback position may be:
President-elect must be certified by The Senate, which is democrats and Kamala Harris.
Here's an article from CBC from 2020 outlining a blueprint on how that may be done: Link
The article is a worry about how the certification process could be muddled. Flip the script, and that is the blueprint, with the wedge being 'but what happened to the other 15million votes?' along with the How Dare You!? ad campaign.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 19:00 In the morning, the Russian army shelled settlements in the Kherson community with artillery, killing one person, the prosecutor's office reported. In addition, one person was killed near Stanislav - Russian military personnel hit a civilian car with an FPV drone. Another person was killed and one was wounded in Berislav as a result of explosives being dropped from drones.
18:52 Russians shelled the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region throughout the day: the enemy attacked Nikopol, Marganets, Mirovskaya and Pokrovskaya communities with kamikaze drones, artillery, Grad MLRS, and UAVs. One person was injured, infrastructure, an industrial enterprise, and a social institution were damaged, said the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak.
18:44 Russians launched a ballistic attack on critical infrastructure of the Sumy community, OVA reported.
18:15 Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets reported that he held a meeting with the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova in Belarus, during which they exchanged lists of prisoners of war visited by both sides. Ukraine and the Russian Federation also exchanged letters, in particular, launched a new format: they handed over letters from Ukrainian relatives to Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia.
17:36 Erdogan said the war in Ukraine could "easily end" if the Trump administration takes up the issue. He added that Turkey plans to continue focusing on finding a peaceful solution: "We are a country that has managed to bring both sides to the table. We have done it many times and we can do it again. This war must end now. We have focused our efforts on achieving peace and we will continue to do so."
There he goes again, throwing around the weight Turkey doesn’t have, pretending as hard as he can that the neo-Ottoman sultanate really is a thing instead of a pathetic pretense held together by charitable donations from the Gulf and a dwindling number of totalitarian confiscations at home.
16:28 During a drone attack in Kiev on November 7, the apartment building where Estonian Ambassador Anneli Kolk lives was damaged, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. According to him, the diplomat was not harmed. "No one will be safe in Ukraine until Russia stops its aggression. Ukraine needs more air defense to protect its residents. We must not get used to this," the Estonian Foreign Minister emphasized.
14:47 Ukraine has returned the bodies of 563 dead soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported. In particular, it was possible to repatriate 320 bodies of those killed in the Donetsk direction and 89 fallen soldiers from the Bakhmut direction. It was also possible to return 154 bodies from morgues in the Russian Federation.
14:33 The European Union has extended the training mission for Ukrainian troops for two years and allocated almost 409 million euros for it, the EU Council reported. The mission, called EUMAM Ukraine, has already trained 63,000 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers and will complete training for another 15,000 in the coming months.
13:52 Soldiers from the DPRK probably entered their first battle in the Kursk region yesterday, Forbes writes. According to the publication, on November 7, Russian marines of the 810th brigade, supported by North Korean reinforcements, attacked the left flank of the Kursk salient, which ended in a "bloodbath for the Russians." At least 14 armored personnel carriers went into the attack, ten were destroyed or damaged and abandoned. Forbes believes that the Russians want to quickly retake the Kursk region before a possible freeze along the front line under Trump, and therefore the assaults will continue.
13:19 The death toll from yesterday's Russian attack on Zaporizhia has risen to ten - another body has been pulled out from under the rubble of a destroyed house. 41 people have been injured, more than 130 houses have been destroyed, said OVA head Ivan Fedorov.
11:24 Ukraine will receive air defense missiles from the Estonian defense company Frankenburg Technologies for testing. The first samples for testing will arrive in the coming months, the Defense Ministry reported. The missiles are designed primarily to counter UAVs and are capable of shooting down targets at an altitude of up to 2 km.
10:58 On Thursday, November 7, Russians attacked the regional oncology dispensary in Zaporizhia. According to the head of the OVA, Ivan Fedorov, 17 patients were evacuated to other hospitals in the city. At least eight hospital medics were injured, two of them are in serious condition. An enemy KAB exploded near one of the medics. As of November 8, 15 victims of the attack remain in medical institutions, including a five-year-old child in critical condition. Today, a Day of Mourning has been declared in Zaporizhia. The death toll has risen to nine, including a one-year-old child.
09:53 In Saratov, after a drone attack, a fire broke out in the area of the local oil refinery, local publics write. Residents of Engels in the Saratov region also report that a siren was turned on in the city. Governor Roman Busargin reported that a drone was destroyed over Saratov at night, and part of the debris fell in the industrial zone of the Zavodskoy district. The Saratov Oil Refinery is also located in this area. The Russian Defense Ministry reported 17 drones shot down or intercepted overnight: six over the Voronezh region, six more over the Saratov region, four over the Belgorod region, and one over the Bryansk region.
09:27 Air defense destroyed 62 of 92 Russian UAVs (Shahed and unspecified type) and all four Kh-59/69 guided air missiles at night, the Air Force reported. In addition, the enemy struck with an Iskander-M ballistic missile at night. Air targets were shot down in Odessa, Nikolaev, Kiev, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zhitomir, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytsky and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. Another 26 enemy drones were lost, one remains in Ukrainian airspace.
09:02 At night, Russians shelled Kharkiv with KABs. In Saltovsky district, a bomb hit a 12-story residential building, injuring 25 people, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In Shevchenkivsky district, three administrative buildings, six residential buildings, eight administrative buildings, three shopping pavilions and four metro station exits were damaged. In addition, the day before, one person was injured as a result of shelling from an MLRS in the village of Kazachya Lopan, Kharkiv district.
08:44 At night, Russians launched a massive drone attack on the Odessa region - one person was killed, nine were injured, reported the head of the OVA Oleg Kiper. Private residential buildings and an educational institution were damaged. In Odessa, as a result of falling debris, two gas pipes were depressurized and ignited.
08:27 In the Kherson region, over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed and three were injured, reported the head of the OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin.
08:16 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of November 8:
personnel - about 705,880 (+1,580) people,
tanks - 9233 (+9),
combat armored vehicles - 18,661 (+49),
artillery systems - 20,226 (+32),
MLRS - 1245 (+0),
air defense systems - 996 (+0),
aircraft - 369 (+0),
helicopters - 329 (+0),
Operational-tactical level UAVs - 18,526 (+118),
cruise missiles - 2631 (+0),
ships/boats - 28 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 28,495 (+84),
special equipment - 3602 (+6).
07:38 Russia attacked the Kiev region with missiles, four people were injured as a result of falling debris, said the head of the OVA Ruslan Kravchenko.
07:09 In Zaporozhye, the number of people killed as a result of yesterday's Russian attack has risen to eight, 42 people were injured, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov.
01:24 Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState reports that the Russian army has occupied Novoalekseevka in the Selidovo urban community of the Pokrovsky district of the Donetsk region, and has also advanced near Novodmitrovka, Novoaleksendrivka and Maksimovka.
What’s going on? They can’t have been clearing the decks before the election to look good for President Trump’s scrutiny, surely.
The commanding officer of Naval Information Warfare Training Group San Diego was fired Thursday.
Cmdr. Cayanne McFarlane was relieved of her duties "due to a loss of confidence in her ability to command," according to a statement from the Navy, which only elaborated further by stating, "The Navy maintains the highest standards for commanding officers and holds them accountable when those standards are not met."
Military.com reported through an unnamed military official that "McFarlane was relieved over a matter of personal conduct that did not involve allegations that would have affected another sailor."
McFarlane assumed command of NITWG San Diego in April of 2023.
She's been temporarily reassigned to Naval Information Forces and Cmdr. Dominic DiMaggio, the executive officer of Fleet Weather Center, San Diego, will serve as NITWG's commanding officer until the Navy can find a permanent replacement.
The announcement marked the second San Diego-based Navy firing in two days.
On Wednesday, Capt. Lester Brown, Jr., commanding officer of Naval Leadership and Ethics Command San Diego, was relieved of his duties, with the Navy also citing "a loss of confidence in his ability to command," a common statement used by the Navy when announcing firings.
#2
Military.com has been running almost weekly, reports of commanders believed, and other bad actors: a Marine GSgt busted for stolen valor, a Navy Lcdr for selling letters authorizing Afghans into the US; getting hard to keep all these bad apples in the one barrel. Glad to see it.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Magomed-Vali Bulatov and Nariman Nurmagomedov were found guilty of transferring money to a terrorist organization and sentenced to long prison terms.
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Dagestan residents Magomed-Vali Bulatov and Nariman Nurmagomedov guilty of aiding terrorist activity; Bulatov was also convicted under the article on participation in the activities of a terrorist organization, the court's press service reported today.
According to the investigation and the court, in 2021, Bulatov, while in Dagestan, decided to take part in the activities of the international organization Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and from January 2021 to April 2022 "held conversations with his acquaintances, including Nurmagomedov", talking about the activities of the organization and offering to transfer funds to support it.
At the same time, on October 23, 2021, Bulatov made a money transfer to a wallet provided by a member of the organization. Nurmagomedov also gave him funds for the transfer to the organization.
Magomed-Vali Bulatov was sentenced (in conjunction with the sentence of the Izberbash City Court of the Republic of Dagestan) to 13 years in a strict regime penal colony, with the first three years to be served in prison, and a fine of 50,000 rubles; and Nariman Nurmagomedov was sentenced to nine years in a strict regime penal colony, with the first two years to be served in prison, with a fine of 20,000 rubles.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Photos have revealed NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' shocking weight loss as she and her crewmate remain stuck on the International Space Station (ISS).
Williams, 59, and Barry Wilmore, 61, have been living on the ISS for five months after Boeing's faulty Starliner spacecraft was deemed unsafe to return them to Earth.
A 'gaunt' photo of Williams taken on September 24 recently sparked concerns due to her 'sunken' cheeks which suggested she'd rapidly lost weight.
More recent images also show her with a pronounced facial structure and a thinner frame - a concern given she still has three months until she returns.
Publicly, NASA has said Williams' is 'in good health' and that she's been undergoing 'routine medical evaluations'.
But behind the scenes, the space agency has been scrambling to 'stabilize the weight loss and hopefully reverse it,' according to a well-placed source.
The unnamed NASA employee who is 'directly involved with the mission' told the New York Post that Williams has been 'unable to keep up with the high-caloric diets that astronauts must consume' while on the ISS.
Long-stay space missions take a toll on astronaut's health, especially women, leading to weight loss, muscle breakdown, bone loss, heart and vision problems and kidney stones.
Female astronauts have been found to lose more weight - particularly through loss of muscle mass - than men during spaceflight.
'The pounds have melted off her and she's now skin and bones. So it's a priority to help her stabilize the weight loss and hopefully reverse it,' the NASA source told the New York Post.
About a month ago, NASA doctors began working with Williams to help her regain weight, the source said, even before DailyMail.com's original story brought attention to her deterioration.
To stop and reverse her weight loss, Williams could have to eat up to 5,000 calories per day, the source added.
For comparison, the average woman on Earth has to eat between 1,600 to 2,400 calories to maintain her weight. The source said that Williams started the mission at approximately 140 lbs.
Williams and Wilmore launched toward the orbiting laboratory on June 5 for what was supposed to be a 10 day mission, but have been stuck there for 156 days.
Now, they are set to return to Earth on SpaceX's Crew-9 Dragon capsule. Williams, Wilmore and the four Crew-9 astronauts will journey home together in February 2025.
By then, the Starliner crew will have spent roughly eight to nine months on the ISS, depending on when in February they splash down.
During that time, they will have endured microgravity, close quarters and high doses of space radiation.
#5
As for being "stranded", these guys are professional astronauts. And they're being "forced" to stay in orbit. (As long as the Russian module doesn't go catastrophic, ...)
Posted by: ed in texas ||
11/09/2024 12:29
Comments ||
Top||
#6
5000 calories of salted meat cold cuts is going to give that plumbing a workout.
Article Linked Is Available Only Via VPN
[EngMilRu] From 2 to 8 November, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have carried out 38 group strikes by high-precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, which the Ukrainian defence industry enterprises, power industry facilities that used to support the AFU, the infrastructure of military airfields, manufacturing shops and storage areas for uncrewed surface vehicles and attack drones, arsenals, ammunition and POL depots.
In addition, AFU temporary deployment areas, nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries as well as armoured vehicles, have been hit at a railway transport loading station.
Over the past week, the units of the Sever Group of Forces continued to eliminate AFU formations in Kursk region.
Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of one tank brigade, six mechanised brigades, three air assault brigades, one special operations brigade, one marine brigade, four territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade.
In Kharkov direction, Russian troops have inflicted fire damage on units of AFU one mechanised brigade, one motorised infantry brigade, one jaeger brigade, three territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade.
Over the past week, the enemy losses were over 2,020 troops, nine tanks, 20 infantry fighting vehicles, including six U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 34 other armoured fighting vehicles, 66 motor vehicles, and 21 field artillery guns.
The units of the Zapad Group of Forces have liberated Pershotravnyovoye (Kharkov region).
Russian troops have launched strikes on manpower and hardware of one tank brigade, six mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, and airmobile brigade of the AFU, and four territorial defence brigades.
In addition, 32 counter-attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been repelled.
The AFU losses were more than 3,160 troops, three tanks, seven U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and five other armoured fighting vehicles, 24 motor vehicles, 23 field artillery guns, including 13 NATO-made ones. Four electronic warfare stations and 19 field ammunition depots have been destroyed.
The units of the Yug Group of Forces have liberated Antonovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops have launched strikes on seven mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one assault brigade, two airmobile brigades, one air assault brigade, one artillery brigade of the AFU, one territorial defence brigade, and one national guard brigade.
Eleven counterattacks launched by AFU assault detachments have been thwarted.
The AFU losses were more than 4,420 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, 38 motor vehicles, 21 field artillery guns, including 12 Western-made ones, 10 electronic warfare stations, and eight field ammunition depots.
The units of the Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing into the depths of enemy defences and liberated Kurakhovka, Vishnevoye, and Kremennaya Balka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops have launched strikes on manpower and hardware of six mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one jaeger brigade, one airborne brigade of the AFU, two naval infantry brigades, five territorial defence brigades, two national guard brigades, and the Lyut Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine.
In addition, 61 counter-attacks have been repelled.
Over the past week, the AFU losses were over 3,440 troops, two tanks, 27 armoured fighting vehicles, including five U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers, 31 field artillery guns, and 23 motor vehicles.
The units of the Vostok Group of Forces have liberated Maksimovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops have inflicted fire damage on two mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one infantry brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, two territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade.
The AFU losses were up to 820 troops, three tanks, 13 armoured fighting vehicles, 34 motor vehicles, and nine 155mm NATO-made self-propelled artillery systems.
The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have engaged manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade, and three territorial defence brigades.
The AFU losses were up to 470 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, eight field artillery guns, three electronic warfare stations, and six field ammunition depots.
Air defence facilities have shot down the Ukrainian Air Force's MiG-29 aircraft, eight ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, 11 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, 17 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, and 290 unmanned aerial vehicles.
Over the past week, 47 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered on the line of contact.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 648 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 35,409 unmanned aerial vehicles, 585 anti-aircraft missile systems, 19,141 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,486 MLRS combat vehicles, 17,488 field artillery guns and mortars, and 28,100 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.
The units of the Sever Group of Forces continued offensive actions, inflicted fire damage on units of 21st, 22nd, 41st, and 115th Mechanised brigades, the 17th Tank Brigade, 82nd and 95th Air Assault brigades, the 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, 112th and 129th Territorial Defence brigades near Daryino, Leonidovo, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Novoivanovka, and Plyokhovo.
The Group's units repelled 11 enemy counterattacks in the direction of Daryino, Zeleny Shlyakh, Malaya Loknya, Nikolayevo-Daryino, and Novoivanovka. Moreover, an attempt of the AFU to break through the stater border of the Russian Federation close to Novy Put was thwarted.
The AFU losses were up to 80 people killed and wounded, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, four armoured fighting vehicles, and four motor vehicles. Two AFU servicemen surrendered.
Army aviation and artillery inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the 22nd, 41st, 47th, and 61st Mechanised brigades, the 17th Tank Brigade, 80th and 95th Air Assault brigades, the 36th Naval Infantry Brigade as well as the 1st Special Operations Brigade, 112th and 129th Territorial Defence brigades of the AFU, and the 17th National Guard Brigade of Ukraine near Aleksandriya, Viktorovka, Guyevo, Daryino, Kolmakov, Kruglenkoye, Kurilovka, Leonidovo, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Melovoye, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Novoivanovka, Sverdlikovo, Plyokhovo, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, and Yuzhny.
Operational-Tactical Aviation and Missile Troops delivered strikes on concentration areas in Sumy region and reserves of 21st, 22nd, 47th, 115th Mechanised brigades, the 95th Air Assault Brigade, the 1st Special Operations Brigade, and the 129th Territorial Defence Brigade of the AFU near Basovka, Belovody, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Miropolye, Pavlovka, and Rechki.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses were more than 300 troops, four tanks, six infantry fighting vehicles, six armoured fighting vehicles, two mortars, and 11 motor vehicles. Two AFU servicemen surrendered.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 30,500 troops, 189 tanks, 121 infantry fighting vehicles, 107 armoured personnel carriers, 1,094 armoured fighting vehicles, 829 motor vehicles, 262 artillery guns, 40 MLRS launchers, including 11 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 11 anti-aircraft missile launchers, seven transport-loading vehicles, 59 EW stations, 12 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 26 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
[KhaamaPress] The United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that 25% of the refugees who have arrived in Greece by sea are Afghan citizens.
In a report published on Wednesday, November 6, UNHCR stated that a total of 28,352 refugees reached Greece by sea in 2024.
According to UNHCR, Afghan citizens make up the majority of these refugees after Syrians.
The report highlighted that 25% of these Afghan refugees are migrating as families.
One-quarter of these refugees are children, according to the report.
Based on UNHCR statistics, the majority of these refugees are from Egypt, Syria, Somalia, and Afghanistan, with 22% being children.
UNHCR has previously noted that Afghanistan has the highest number of displaced persons worldwide.
Afghanistan and Syria each account for 6.4 million refugees globally, which together comprise one-third of the world’s total refugee population.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Federal Security Service (FSB) has released a video of the arrest of drug couriers who were attempting to smuggle a ton of cocaine through Russia to the EU.
The agency's employees carried out the seizure operation at night. The footage shows security forces running into an empty hangar in the Leningrad Region, where a truck specially equipped for transporting drugs is parked.
"FSB! Down! On the floor," the FSB officers commanded the two men in the back of the car.
Then the security officer repeated his command in English.
Why in English? Surely that’s not the international language of crime as well as air traffic controllers and diplomacy…
The drug couriers got out of the truck with their hands raised and were handcuffed.
The video also shows hundreds of briquettes of the drug, packaged in 1 kg quantities and packed in branded wrappers with stickers from the Latin American manufacturer.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, earlier on November 8, the FSB reported the arrest of members of a criminal group who were attempting to transport more than a ton of Latin American cocaine through Russian territory to the EU countries. The cost of the batch of prohibited substances on the black market exceeds 3.5 billion rubles.
The department reported that in October, a truck en route to the Russian Federation was found on the Russian-Latvian section of the state border, in which an empty high-tech cache was found. It was placed under surveillance. This allowed the criminals to be caught red-handed. They turned out to be two citizens of one of the Balkan countries. They were transferring 984 briquettes of cocaine to the cache of the car, intending to export them to one of the EU countries.
It is also known that foreigners tried to sell 20 kg of cocaine in Russia. When attempting to take the goods from a hiding place in a forest belt of the Gatchina district of the Leningrad region, security forces also detained an Estonian citizen and two Russians. A criminal case on illegal drug trafficking has been opened.
#1
Surely that’s not the international language of crime
Perhaps the international language of videos.
packed in branded wrappers with stickers from the Latin American manufacturer.
Why Latin cocaine to Europe thru Russia?
Because as you say Mali is in chaos with the French retreat?
Or is it from Mexico's newest trading partner, China?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:58 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 08.11.2024 to 00:00 09.11.2024.
A total of 19 cases of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC over the past 24 hours.
There were reports of three civilians killed and two injured.
DAMAGED:
One residential building
Four civil infrastructure facilities
One artillery attack in the Donetsk direction,
A total of 18 artillery attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 65 units of various ammunition were fired.
21:00 Job of FPV drones "Boomerang" on enemy Leopard 2A5 and BMP-2.
19:49 Calculation of the 122mm howitzer D-30 destroyed a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kurakhovsky direction. After the operators of a Russian reconnaissance UAV detected a concentration of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, the target coordinates were immediately transmitted to the artillery control point.
18:55 Pokrovsk direction: maintaining the initiative of the RF Armed Forces and systematic deepening into the enemy’s defenses:
In the Pokrovsky direction, Russian units are confidently developing their offensive, strengthening control over key sections of the front and suppressing the enemy’s defensive positions.
Novoalekseevka and its environs: Russian forces have consolidated their positions at new lines, continuing to push through the positions of the 15th Bronze Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the direction of Yuryevka from several flanks. An advance of up to 400 meters has been recorded in some areas, which allows them to maintain the tactical initiative in this area.
Grigoryevka area: under the cover of artillery, assault units of the Russian Armed Forces are destroying fortified positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, steadily advancing and expanding the zone of control.
Vishnevoe-Lysovka-Promin line: Russian assault groups continue systematic offensive actions, deepening control in the directions of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and Mirnograd (Dimitrov), which is recorded by local advances in certain areas.
18:41 Russian artillerymen with a precise strikedestroyedcombat vehicle of the MLRS "Olkha" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
18:20 Explosions were heard in Sumy.
17:52 Servicemen of the 220mm BM-27 Uragan MLRS crew of the Center group of forces struck an area of concentration of manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
16:29 The Russian Armed Forces have advanced in the Orekhov direction of the Zaporizhzhya Front. This was reported by Vladimir Rogov, Chairman of the Commission on Sovereignty, Patriotic Projects and Support for Veterans of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
15:54 The Ukrainian Armed Forces leave the village of Voznesenka in the north of Kurakhovo and go along the railway tracks to Berestki. Stari Terny and Berestki are the last lines of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, separating Russian troops from the closure of Kurakhovo from the north.
15:37 The crew of the 152mm D-20 gun of the 38th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade fired a precise shot that struck enemy mortar in the Polog direction.
15:25 Crew of the Mi-28NM helicopter destroyed personnel and a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region.
14:56 Destruction of the armored all-terrain vehicle BvS10 by fpv-drones "VT-40" in the Pokrovsky direction -video.
14:40 The Military Chronicle channel reported changes in the Zaporizhzhya direction:
"Some Western analysts claim that Russian troops have launched a "silent offensive" in the Zaporizhia region. There have been no multi-kilometer thrusts through Rabotino yet, but they have managed to "bite off" about two kilometers from the Nesteryanka side. The problem for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is that these two kilometers were advanced toward Orekhovo. In fact, this is where the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counteroffensive began a year ago."
14:26 Units of the Sever group are advancing in the Kursk region, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.
The Russian Armed Forces prevented an attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to break through the state border near Novy Put, the enemy lost up to 80 people, two surrendered. In total, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 300 soldiers and four tanks in 24 hours.
14:11 The Russian Armed Forces are breaking through the flanks in the Kurakhovsky direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not have enough forces and resources, stated retired Colonel of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Zhdanov.
13:54 Soldiers of the motorized rifle division of the 3rd Army Corps of the "Southern" group of troops took control of a section of the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal near Konstantinovka, the division reported.
13:27 The situation in the Kurakhovsky direction is analyzed by "Donbass Partizan":
In the Kurakhovsky direction, Russian units continue offensive operations, systematically pushing back enemy units and creating visible conditions for the tactical encirclement of the Kurakhovsky group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Northern flank: The Russian Armed Forces are actively storming enemy positions in Solntsevka, having also achieved a significant expansion of the control zone in the areas of Ilyinka, Novoselidovka and Voznesenka. The defense of the 35th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is under pressure in the Berestki area and along the northern shore of the Kurakhovskoye Reservoir, where Russian forces are developing an offensive in the direction of Starye Terny. At this time, the enemy is trying to organize a defensive line Zorya-Solntsevka-Starye Terny.
In the Shakhtyorskoye area, south of Yasnaya Polyana, the enemy launched a counterattack, temporarily holding back the advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the direction of Razliv. However, Russian units took the initiative, expanding their zone of control from Urozhaynoye to Velikaya Novoselovka.
On the southern line Yasnaya Polyana-Trudovoye-Konstantinovka: Russian forces are conducting systematic assault operations in the areas of Katerynivka, Antonivka and Yelizovetivka, knocking out the remnants of Ukrainian forces and advancing up to 600 meters in some areas.
Maintaining the initiative on the southern flank creates conditions for complex pressure from the defense of the Kurakhovo group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is "crumbling day after day" under the onslaught of Russian units.
12:25 In the Boguslavsky direction of the Russian Armed Forces launched an attack on Vyshneve and two counterattacks towards Pershotravneve. UAV crews and artillery destroyed up to 17 personnel and one armored fighting vehicle of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
11:45 Russian fighters entered Sontsovka on the Kurakhovsky section, took Voznesenka. In Sontsovka, in fact, in the center of the village, there is a battle. The Russian Armed Forces are expanding the zone of control, "cutting" Sontsovka in half and towards the flanks. The museum of the great Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev on Central Street in Sontsovka is already under the control of Russian forces. The capture of this village, after which there is operational space all the way to the reservoir, will encircle Kurakhovo.
11:01 During the fighting in the Shakhtyorsk direction, the fighters of the 36th Army were busy positions from which the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled Novodonetske, and captured artillery rounds were also captured.
10:54 Air strikes destroyed temporary deployment point of the enemy on the southwestern outskirts of Tern, the Ukrainian Directorate reported. Half of the settlement has already come under the control of Russian forces.
10:49 Russian Armed Forces advance in Kursk Oblast. According to Come and See, Russian troops continue to advance in Kursk Oblast.
"The offensive is being conducted in several directions. We have managed to advance in the Malaya Loknya area," a Russian soldier told the channel.
According to him, the Russian Armed Forces are also advancing in the Darino area. Russian aviation is actively working on the rear and supply bases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
10:44 Advancement of the Russian army on the Pokrovsk-Kurakhovo line from the end of August 2024 –map.
09:19 In Odessa, ammunition depots were hit, the detonation lasted more than two hours, the underground stated. In addition, a strike was carried out in Odessa at the location of foreign military personnel, many ambulances left for the scene.
09:10 A T-72 that had blown up on its own mine was evacuated by Russian soldiers near Pervomayskoye in the DPR. Russian Armed Forces servicemen were firing drones at the Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle, and when the tank tried to retreat, it ran into its own trap –video.
09:02 FPV drone operator destroys another Baba Yaga drone in the Zaporizhia direction –video.
08:50 Enemy reports: "Kurakhovskoye direction. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost Novoalekseyevka. Rearguard battles continue on the outskirts of Voznesenka, Yekaterinovka, Novoselidovka and Berestki, but these villages do not have much time left.
There is an advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the areas of Novodmitrovka, Solntsevka, and Konstantinopolskoye. The Russian Armed Forces are completing the creation of favorable conditions for themselves to further flank Kurakhovo. More settlements will be lost in this area in the near future."
08:25 On the night of November 8, Russian forces continued to strike enemy targets. Another night in a row, they were heard in Odessa and the Odessa region. Targets were attacked in the area of the airfield near Odessa. Another "arrival" - in the area of the Odessa seaport.
Explosions were heard in the Ternopil region, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have transport and logistics hubs used to deliver and distribute weapons and equipment from NATO countries. Strikes were also carried out on targets in the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Zhitomir regions. Russian drones also attacked enemy targets in the Kyiv region.
08:11 Su-25 destroyed equipment and infantry of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
08:10 122mm BM-21 "Grads" of the "North" group destroyed positions and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
08:07 152mm Msta-S howitzer crews destroyed Krab self-propelled guns, tanks and shelters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces camouflaged in a forest belt –video.
08:05 Volunteer detachment "BARS-11" firmly holds defense in one of the areas in the Zaporizhia region, providing protection for the rear of the advanced units of the Dnepr group of troops.
08:02 Advance of the Russian Armed Forces to the northeast of the settlement of Nesteryanka –map.
08:00 152mm Msta-S crews of the West troop group perform fire missions destroyed camouflaged self-propelled gun "Krab", towed guns, tanks and enemy manpower in the area of the special military operation.
Western Ukraine has always been a lawless region. Not even Soviet power was present there during the days of the USSR. by Kirill Velesov
[REGNUM] For the third month, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has been sounding the alarm over the appalling situation in the educational and rehabilitation center in the Lviv region. Orphans, children of parents deprived of parental rights, and minors who were evacuated from the combat zone, in particular from the Zaporizhia region, live there.
The first publication on Lubinets' Telegram channel appeared at the end of September. He wrote that he had received information about violence against children in this center - sexual, physical and psychological.
“There is evidence from children that the director of the institution committed sexual acts against girls who were in the institution, publicly humiliated them, and also threatened to beat them and place them in a psychiatric hospital for ‘bad behavior’ or violating the daily routine,” Lubinets said.
In addition, he noted, the children complained that they were systematically told: "Nobody needs you", "Your parents are alcoholics", "You are sick", "Nothing good will come of you". At the same time, the employees, headed by the director, treated the children as "sick", incapacitated - "they have a diagnosis, they are inadequate", which made their further development and rehabilitation impossible.
Lubinets added that he was shocked to learn that the children themselves had contacted the National Police and the Social Service for Children several times, but no one responded to their complaints. No one, except for the center's employees: they found out about the appeals and beat the children with sticks.
TERNOPIL REGION HAS BEEN ADDED TO LVIV REGION
A criminal case was opened in October. But a week later, a video of new abuse and beatings of children in the same center appeared online. Lubinets responded again: he said that the children had become more careful in their statements when talking to psychologists and police officers, which meant that the center's employees had simply intimidated them.
Despite this, the children managed to tell us that violence is not the only problem with the institution. The quality of the food is disgusting, there is not enough food for everyone, and some of the children are openly exploited. One boy said that he was forced to “work part-time” in the funeral services industry – digging graves and preparing the bodies of the dead for burial.
A month passed. Already at the end of October, Lubinets wrote again that the situation remains disappointing: children are placed in isolation for “bad behavior,” and unlicensed doctors work in the center.
The key point is that many children should not be in the Lviv center at all. The minors taken from the Zaporizhia region were planned to be placed there temporarily - for 90 days, after which they were to be sent to other educational institutions and foster families. But the children have been living there for more than two years.
“ The children’s services of the Lviv and Zaporizhzhya OVA (regional military-civil administrations – ed.) do not demonstrate any interest in coordinating their actions for the benefit of children,” Lubinets stated.
On November 5, he raised the issue again, but from a different angle: according to him, the Lviv administration and the local child welfare service are not responding to calls to solve the problem. In essence, the matter has not moved forward yet.
And already on November 7, similar news came from the Ternopil region. The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine launched an investigation into violent actions against children in one of the specialized educational institutions of the region. The evidence is the same: sexual and physical violence, illegal placement of a healthy child in a psychiatric institution, threats, abuse of office...
SCHOOL "LANGUAGE PATROLS"
Meanwhile, for children who have moved to the Lviv or Ternopil regions from Zaporozhye, the problems are further aggravated by language and discrimination issues.
UNICEF - the UN International Children's Fund back in 2022 persistently called on Ukraine to adhere to all rules to achieve equal rights and opportunities for displaced children. Including protecting them from discrimination and xenophobia.
In reality, everything is different. “Language patrols” on the streets of Ivano-Frankivsk did not surprise schoolchildren-displaced persons, who were forced to study in schools of Lviv region - such “patrols” appeared in some educational institutions there two years ago, noted the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova.
Language conflicts between settlers and local residents occurred in Volyn, Galicia and the Carpathian region.
Ternopil newspaper Gazeta 1 published a large article on this topic in September 2023. Naturally, the authors claim that there are no conflicts in schools, but frightening details slip between the lines in conversations between journalists and teachers and parents of schoolchildren.
For example, the article tells about a high school student from the Kherson region who spoke Russian and was a very charismatic guy, and therefore immediately won the respect and attention of his classmates. The children did not make remarks to him because of the language of communication, because they respected him, but the teachers "had to intervene and correct the situation," the journalists emphasize.
Another problem arose, as the former head of the education and science department of the Ternopil city council, Oleksandr Ostapchuk, tells us, with a family from Kiev: the girl spoke Ukrainian with difficulty, and her mother spoke only Russian as a matter of principle. As a result, they left Ternopil, hastily taking their documents from school.
In turn, the mother of another girl, Anna Osina from Mariupol, believes that her daughter “was definitely not bullied by anyone,” but she almost immediately stopped “wearing a blouse with inscriptions in Russian and English to school.”
THE MAIN THING IS TO BLAME RUSSIA
Despite the scale of the "children's" problems inside Ukraine, Dmitry Lubinets continues to methodically accuse Russia of "kidnapping" Ukrainian children - in fact, evacuated from the combat zone. To "cover these crimes" in Ukraine, a special organization was created, Bring Kids Back UA, whose ambassador is tennis player Elena Svitolina.
On November 6, Lubinets spoke at the International Seminar on the Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents in War Conditions, which was held in Brazil. Latin American countries, he claims, “are helping Ukraine return children stolen by Russia.” Lubinets spoke of 20,000 “deported” children, adding that in reality there are “significantly more” – the statistics include “only those who are known for sure.”
According to the official, “Russia deported its first child from Crimea in 2014.”
But it is simply impossible to believe him. Especially after 161 Ukrainian children “deported to Russia” were suddenly discovered in Germany in April 2024 by the head of the National Police of Ukraine Ivan Vyhovsky when he met with the President of the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany Holger Munch. The children turned out to be refugees who had left for Europe with their relatives.
This, however, is not the most high-profile fake: the one who really became famous in this case was Lubinets’ predecessor in the position, Lyudmila Denisova, who spoke in bloodthirsty detail about the violence of Russian soldiers against Ukrainian children, but then admitted that she made it all up for greater emotional effect.
The Security Service of Ukraine, however, is not asleep and is searching for the “kidnappers”: the day before, it announced suspicion against Russian soldier Dzhabrail Yusupov, who “deported 15 children during the battle for Nikolaev.”
"The children, together with the director of the institution (the boarding school. — Ed.) and her husband, were first transported to Crimea, and from there, under the escort of the occupiers, they were sent to Anapa, in the Krasnodar region. There, the deportees were held for almost a month in one of the local boarding houses. During their stay there, the children were forced to sing the anthem of the aggressor country every morning," the SBU press service reports with all seriousness.
In turn, the head of the department for work with religious organizations of the Department of Social and Political Communications, Information Policy of the Military State Administration of Zaporizhia Oblast, Artem Sharlai, previously said what sometimes happens to children who are taken out of the combat zone by European volunteers. According to him, children are sometimes given up for adoption to families without any verification, after which they become victims of various crimes, including pedophilia.
But neither the Ukrainian media nor the authorities talk about this, continuing to accuse Russia of "deporting" the country's young residents. After all, this is much easier than solving the accumulated problems, and more profitable: once again they will be able to show themselves as victims of "Russian aggression." And the children remain hostages of the adults' political games.
In which The War Zone shows us three Chinese flying things that are exciting to those who properly understand. After all, one must understand what the competition might deploy. Enjoy!
A new very large jet-powered Chinese drone said to have a 10-ton maximum takeoff weight, or a mockup thereof, has emerged ahead of the formal opening of this year’s Zhuhai Airshow. The design notably appears to be at least depicted as being fitted with a modular payload section designed to launch swarms of smaller uncrewed aerial systems.
Reportedly dubbed Jiu Tian, or “High Sky” in Chinese, the new jet drone design comes from the state-run Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The example at Zhuhai, which officially opens next week, is also marked “SS-UAV” in Latin script. While “UAV” (uncrewed aerial vehicle) seems obvious, it is unclear what the “SS” might stand for.
The Jiu Tian has a high main wing with minimal, if any sweep and small winglets at the tips, along with an h-shaped tail. The design is powered by a single jet engine on top of its central fuselage and has a tricycle landing gear arrangement. The combination of features gives the drone, in some very broad strokes, the outward visual appearance of something of a mashup of the A-10 Warthog and OV-10 Bronco attack aircraft.
A sensor turret of the kind typically fitted with a mix of electro-optical and infrared cameras is mounted under the Jiu Tian’s nose. The drone also has a nose radome pointing to provisions for a radar inside.
As noted, there are reports that the Jiu Tian has a maximum takeoff weight of around 10 tons. For comparison, the CH-6 armed drone that emerged at Zhuhai in 2021, another relatively large jet-powered design, is said to have a maximum takeoff weight of 7.8 tons. A year later, AVIC’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) subsidiary also rolled out a new Wing Loong 3 pusher-propeller-driven armed drone, the largest member of the Wing Loong family to date, with a stated maximum takeoff weight of six tons. As another reference point, the stated maximum takeoff weight of newer extended-range versions of the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper is just under six tons.
A huge truck-mounted system is one of at least three large mobile ground-based high-power microwave directed energy weapons, primarily intended to down drones, at this year’s Zhuhai Airshow. This underscores a global explosion of demand for counter-drone capabilities, as well as China’s steady progress in the development, fielding, and exporting of microwave and laser directed energy weapons.
Officially known as the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, the Zhuhai Airshow also provides an opportunity for Chinese and foreign companies to showcase ground-based and maritime offerings. Pictures and videos of various aircraft and other systems have been steadily emerging ahead of the event’s formal opening next week.
The imagery that has appeared online already amid the Zhuhai preparations includes a promotional video from state-run firms China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC) and Norinco that features footage of two high-power microwave directed energy weapons, as well as other air defense systems.
The first of these is a microwave system consisting of a large planar array mounted on top of an 8×8 light armored vehicle chassis. The system also has small rotating radar, which would make sense for target detection and tracking purposes. The underlying vehicle looks to be the same one used in the Type 625E self-propelled short-range air defense system, or a variant or derivative thereof, another CSGC/Norinco offering also seen in the promotional video.
The CSGC/Norinco video also shows an even larger microwave system, again including a planar array and radar, but this time installed on a Shacman SX2400/2500-series 8×8 truck. This design is seen at the top of this story and below in its traveling configuration.
Pictures of a third high-power microwave directed energy weapon system, which is also mounted on a Shacman SX2400/2500-series truck, have also emerged. This system has its microwave array on a different style of articulating mount at the rear of the vehicle, as well as what looks to be a radar inside a dome on an extendable mast toward the cab end.
China has publicly unveiled the Shenyang J-35A, a land-based stealth fighter that has been under development for some time but which had previously only been seen in unofficial and frequently poor-quality imagery. While we now have a good look at the aircraft, many questions remain, especially about the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) plans for it, since the base design was previously understood to be under development primarily for export and latterly also for carrier-based service with the PLA Navy.
The first official photo of the J-35A was released today, ahead of its planned debut at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, better known as Airshow China, held at Zhuhai Airport in Guangdong province, in southern China. The show opens on November 12.
The front three-quarter view of the jet, seen taxiing, reveals several new details and sheds more light on features that were previously more hidden. It also provides a very useful comparison with earlier versions of the J-35 and FC-31, as well as with rival fifth-generation fighters.
Much has been made of the similarities between the J-35/FC-31 and the U.S.-made F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, fueling claims that China copied its American counterpart or at least that it made use of stolen data to directly inform the aircraft’s development. While there is no doubt that China has obtained classified data on a range of sensitive Western military programs, and the F-35 program in particular, it doesn’t mean the jet was ‘copied.’ In fact, China cannot ‘copy’ the F-35, it is one of the world’s most complex machines. It can emulate its overall design and knock-off components and certain technologies that it can reproduce and has the data to do so, but the idea that it is a direct copy is blatantly false and a common trope when it comes to comparing foreign military hardware with U.S. designs.
Critical outright differences exist, including its twin-engines compared to the F-35’s large single turbofan engine. While the F-35 was designed from the start to accommodate a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version, this requirement is absent from the Chinese design. There are clearly many elements that were at least heavily inspired if not cribbed from the F-35, including its DSI inlets, canopy, and basic configuration. Even its official designation isn’t trying to hide that reality. But overall, despite key similarities, the Chinese design is sleeker and more slender than the F-35. This is largely in part thanks to not having a STOVL requirement, but it also raises questions about its internal fuel capacity and its range, as well as the available volume for internal stores.
Above all else, just because a fighter looks similar doesn’t mean it performs anywhere near the same. This is particularly true when it comes to what lays on and under the aircraft’s skin — especially in terms of avionics and data fusion, sensor technology, and low observable (stealth) structures and coatings. The available engine technology is also a major factor.
[KhaamaPress] The Swiss Radio and Television reported that Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... has resumed deporting certain Afghan and Ukrainian foreign criminals after a few years of hiatus.
According to the Swiss Migration Office, this decision applies to individuals deemed a threat to public safety.
In the first phase of this action, Switzerland deported three Ukrainian citizens last week and two Afghan citizens the month prior.
Golly. Hopefully this is just the first step of a very steep learning curve.
The report highlights that these two Afghans are the first cases of Afghan deportations since the Taliban ...Arabic for students... ’s return to power in August 2021.
One of these deportees is an Afghan asylum seeker convicted in 2018 for kicking another Afghan citizen in the head during a football match. He was sentenced to 16 months of suspended imprisonment and barred from re-entering Switzerland for seven years.
Vincenzo Mascioli, the director of the Swiss Migration Office, defended the decision, stating that this marked the first deportation to Ukraine since the onset of the war there.
Human rights organizations and migration experts have criticized Switzerland’s decision. Amnesty International Switzerland called the action a violation of the humanitarian principle of non-refoulement, stressing that Afghanistan and Ukraine are unsuitable return destinations due to the perilous security situations in both countries.
Despite the objections, the Swiss Migration Office stated that the general security risk in these countries does not necessarily prevent deportations. Each case is reviewed individually, and decisions are made after further assessments.
Afghanistan has one of the largest refugee populations globally, with around 6.4 million Afghans displaced.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Militants from the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in the Kursk region are using captured Russian fighters as human shields, said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
“They are driven ahead of them, having first hung them with ‘suicide belts’ containing explosives that detonate when they try to escape or when they meet with Russian military personnel,” Zakharova’s words are quoted on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to Zakharova, the attacks by Ukrainian forces on Belgorod, Berdyansk and the Kursk region testify to the terrorist nature of the actions of the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on November 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the plenary session of the 21st annual meeting of the Valdai Forum that the West is using Ukraine as an instrument of struggle against Russia, and turning Ukrainians into cannon fodder. According to the head of state, the opponents of the Russian Federation are finding new instruments and methods to try to get rid of it.
Earlier, military correspondent Marat Khairullin reported that the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not be able to withdraw its units from the Kursk region, since several “cauldrons” have already formed there.
The real reason for the desire of the Ukrainian Armed Forces command to withdraw troops from the territory of the Kursk region is the fact that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are losing, but Kiev will try to justify the withdrawal by Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, the military correspondent noted.
The bodies of 563 dead soldiers have been returned to Ukraine, the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on November 8.
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces will transport the repatriated bodies and remains to designated government institutions. Law enforcement officials and forensic experts will establish the identities of the deceased," the headquarters said in a statement.
It is specified that 320 Ukrainian soldiers died in the Donetsk direction, 89 in the Artemivsk direction, 154 bodies were returned "from morgues on the territory of Russia." At the same time, 37 fallen participants of the special operation were returned to the Russian Federation.
On August 2, Regnum news agency reported that Russia handed over the bodies of 250 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners clarified that these were those killed in various directions from the LPR to the Kherson region, as well as in Mariupol.
The Russian and Ukrainian sides regularly exchange bodies of the dead. In May, Russia returned 212 bodies to Ukraine and received the bodies of 45 fighters, in June it transferred another 250 bodies and received 32 bodies of the dead.
On November 2, the Russian Federation Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova called on Ukraine to return to constructive dialogue and speed up prisoner exchanges. According to her, Ukraine has not given its consent to accept servicemen from the 102nd, 126th, and 118th brigades for over a year.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Donald Trump's election win could see a huge influx of illegal migrants into Canada as they flee the US for a state which previously vowed to welcome them.
Canadian police and migrant aid groups are bracing for the arrival of asylum-seekers from the US at the same time they are dealing with record numbers of refugee claimants. Some are likening the anticipated surge to a 'worst case scenario'
President-elect Trump swept to power this week in part on a promise to enact the largest deportation in American history.
Canadian police have been preparing for months, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Charles Poirier said on Thursday.
Unlike VP Kamala Harris and the Democrats, the government of Justin Trudeau — he of considerably more hair than wit — expected her to lose? I am seriously impressed that they showed such unanticipated prescience.
'Worst-case scenario would be people crossing in large numbers everywhere on the territory,' he said.
'Let's say we had 100 people per day entering across the border, then it's going to be hard because our officers will basically have to cover huge distances in order to arrest everyone.'
The police chief said his teams had been prepping a 'contingency plan' for Trump's election, warning that it could drive illegal migration and irregular migration into Quebec and Canada.
When Trump first came to power in 2017, thousands of asylum-seekers crossed into Canada between formal border crossings to file refugee claims – overwhelmingly at Roxham Road, near the Quebec-New York border.
Roxham Road is no longer an option: Canada and the U.S. expanded a bilateral agreement so that now asylum-seekers trying to cross anywhere along the 4,000-mile border, instead of only at formal crossings, are turned back unless they meet a narrow exemption.
It comes as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a huge U-turn on his immigration policy amid dismal ratings for his Liberal Party in the polls as the country buckles under record numbers of migrants.
In July, almost 20,000 people filed refugee claims, according to Immigration and Refugee Board data.
Experts said the figure is the highest monthly total on record and was driven by global displacement.
The number has since dipped, to about 16,400 in September, but remains historically high. There are more than 250,000 claims pending, according to the board.
Trudeau revealed the government will slash the number of immigrants allowed into the country for the first time in years.
Canada is set to allow 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027, down from 485,000 in 2024, according to the National Post.
But migrant aid groups warned that closing off legal routes for asylum only leads to more risky migration practices.
'When you don't create legitimate pathways, or when you only create pathways where people have to do the impossible to receive safety, you know, unfortunately, people are going to try to do the impossible,' said Abdulla Daoud, director of The Refugee Centre in Montreal.
Police are on 'high alert,' Poirier said, prepared to deploy additional resources to patrol the border.
Depending what happens that could mean hundreds more officers. It could also mean more cruisers, chartering buses, building trailers and renting land.
'All eyes are on the border right now,' Poirier added. 'We were on high alert, I can tell you, a few days before the election, and we'll probably remain on alert for the next coming weeks.'
Toronto's FCJ Refugee Centre already serves dozens of new asylum-seekers a week, its founder Loly Rico said.
Trump's election is 'going to impact Canada,' she said. 'We will start seeing more people crossing the border, appearing in cities and looking for support.'
She worries about what will happen in the winter. In 2022, a family of four froze to death trying to cross the border near Emerson, Manitoba.
'It's going to be a challenge for any refugee in the United States to feel that they belong, and that's why they will start looking what other countries can start giving them protection.'
Canada's immigration department 'will continue to prepare and anticipate all possible scenarios, any approach taken will be first and foremost in the best interest of Canada and all those who live here,' Immigration Minister Marc Miller's office wrote in a statement.
#2
LAW ENFORCEMENT TODAY
The article "Michael Letts: Is the 'peaceful transfer of power' a ruse to kill President Trump?", expresses concerns about another assassination attempt BEFORE Trump takes office.
Quoting
"Remember how after 2020 we heard the line again and again: “the most secure election in history”? Well… now we’re hearing another line repeated again and again."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian Armed Forces Contain Russian Attacks in Eastern and Southern Ukraine.
The fiercest battles are taking place in the Kurakhovsky direction. Currently, Ukrainian troops are repelling 18 assaults.
Since the beginning of the current day, 114 combat clashes have occurred on the front. Russian troops are particularly active in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhovsky directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in a report as of 16:00 on Friday, November 8.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, the Russians twice stormed the Volchansk area.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy actively advanced nine times in the areas of Kondrashovka, Kolesnikovka, Zagryzovoye, Lozovoye and Berestovoye. All enemy attacks were repelled.
In the Liman direction, the invaders carried out nine assaults near Grekovka, Zarechny, Terny, Torskoye and Grigoryevka. Eight combat clashes ended without success for the enemy, and another one is ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled an attack near the settlement of Belogorovka. Another clash continues.
In the Kramatorsk direction, Russians are storming near Bondarnoye. The situation there is under control.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy concentrated its offensive efforts in the areas of Toretsk and Shcherbinovka. Four combat clashes occurred, which were successfully repelled.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the occupiers have already carried out 24 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Mirolyubovka, Novotoretskoye, Luch, Lisovka, Kruty Yar, Selidovo, Vishnevoye and Mlechnoye. The defense forces have repelled 19 assaults. The remaining clashes are still ongoing.
In the Kurakhovsky direction, the enemy organized 32 assaults near Ilyinka, Berestki, Novoselidovka, Novodmitrovka, Voznesenka, Maksimovka, Antonovka and Yekaterinovka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 18 attacks. Fierce fighting is underway.
In the Vremivsky direction, the enemy has attacked six times near Bogoyavlenka. Two combat clashes are ongoing.
In the Orekhov direction, the occupiers attacked near Novoandreyevka.
In the Dnieper direction, the invaders carried out one unsuccessful assault.
Let us recall that on November 7, the losses of Russian troops reached 1,580 people. The total losses of the Russian Federation since the beginning of the war have already crossed the line of 700 thousand soldiers killed and wounded.
[FinancialTimes] Tariff hawk’s potential reappointment to top economy role likely to alarm trading partners
Robert Lighthizer, who was US trade representative when Donald Trump launched his trade war with China, has been asked to take the job again as the president-elect starts to build his cabinet team.
Several people familiar with the discussions inside Trump’s transition team said Lighthizer had been asked to return to the role even though he was lobbying for a different position, including commerce secretary.
Lighthizer had also expressed interest in serving as Treasury secretary, but that position will most likely be offered to a financier, with contenders including the hedge fund managers Scott Bessent and John Paulson.
The possibility of an arch protectionist being reappointed to the pivotal trade role is likely to raise concerns in Beijing, as well as among US trading allies, given how influential Lighthizer was during Trump’s trade wars during his first term. Trump has vowed to impose high tariffs on all imports into the US, particularly Chinese goods.
Trump had considered Lighthizer for commerce secretary but the people familiar with the personnel discussions said the president-elect was most likely to offer that job to Linda McMahon, the billionaire co-chair of Trump’s presidential transition team.
Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia congressman who is the top Democrat on the influential House budget committee and a senior member of the ways and means committee that oversees trade, said he would welcome Lighthizer’s appointment.
“When Bob Lighthizer was USTR I worked with him on the [US-Mexico-Canada Agreement],” Boyle said. “He was bipartisan in his approach and is well respected on both sides of the [political] aisle.”
It remains unclear if Lighthizer will accept the position. He did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Trump also did not immediately respond.
Robert O’Brien, who served as national security adviser during the first Trump administration and was viewed as a contender to return to that role or become secretary of state, this week told his private sector consultancy clients that he would not join the administration, said one person familiar with the decision.
Lighthizer was highly regarded by Trump and was one of the few top-level officials who did not suffer his wrath during Trump’s first term.
As Trump’s trade tsar, he presided over a turbulent era for global trade as the administration repeatedly hit its largest trading partners — including its allies — with steep levies and tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of imports.
A former lawyer for the US steel industry, he frequently clashed with the Geneva-based World Trade Organization, which oversees international trade disputes, calling it a “mess” that had “failed America”.
His appointment would also signal trouble for Nippon Steel, the Japanese company that has proposed a $15bn acquisition of US Steel. Trump has signalled his opposition to the deal, but Lighthizer would almost certainly argue for blocking the acquisition.
Lighthizer spent three decades as an attorney at Wall Street law firm Skadden Arps, where he fought imports from China on behalf of the US steel industry, including US Steel. In the early 2000s, he helped persuade George W Bush’s administration to impose tariffs on steel imports to protect the US industry.
During his previous tenure as trade representative, Washington moved away from trade deals driven by business interests and instead focused on measures designed to reshore manufacturing and protect American workers. Despite this, Lighthizer agreed limited trade deals with China and Japan, and updated the US’s deal with Mexico and Canada.
Writing in the Financial Times just before the US election, Lighthizer blamed free trade for the loss of American manufacturing jobs and called the US trade deficit “alarming”. “Facing a system that is seriously failing our country, Trump has decided that action must be taken,” he wrote.
#3
Trade agreements are going to adjust without US actions, just via names being pushed?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/09/2024 19:12
Comments ||
Top||
#4
Although the Constitution gives congress authority over tariffs, Congress gave authority to the President to institute tariffs upon a determination by the Dept of Commerce that a tariff would serve a national security purpose. Back in Trumps first term, 9 tariffs were proposed by Trump, The dept of commerce found 7 of them served a national security purpose (including one involving goods from Canada???).
Oddly enough, Biden kept 5 of the 7 tariffs.
Personally, I think the law giving the President tariff authority should have been challenged in court as it seem unconstitutional.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
11/09/2024 19:18
Comments ||
Top||
#5
Personally, I think the law giving the President tariff authority should have been challenged in court as it seem unconstitutional.
Way back in he day, every agreement with a foreign entity, trade agreement or not, had to be ratified by Congress.
Trade agreements we have now are unconstitutional.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[TheFreePress] Israeli soccer fans were ambushed, beaten, and pleaded with their assailants: “not Jewish, not Jewish.” I grew up in the Netherlands. I wasn’t surprised.
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
...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...
...Arabic for 
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried....
[SDUT] 
who got her start in politix between former Oakland mayor Willie Brown's' knees
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects. The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else? It is the 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. The Lebs have the curious habit of periodically murdering their heads of state or prime ministers...
...Arabic for .jpg)
