[IsraelTimes] Joseph Aoun is first president since 1990s not to be pre-approved by Tehran and Damascus, signaling an end to Iran-backed terror group’s control of Lebanese politics, says analyst
The weakening of Hezbollah in last year’s war with Israel allowed Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... ’s long-deadlocked parliament to reach a consensus around a president who has the confidence of the international community.
Lebanese Armed Forces chief Joseph Aoun, who was elected on Thursday — ending a more than two-year vacancy — signaled a readjustment of Lebanon’s foreign policy as the country works with international creditors to forge a way out of six years of deepening financial crisis.
Deadlock in parliament between pro- and anti-Hezbollah blocs had stalemated a dozen previous attempts to elect a president, leaving the country largely rudderless in its efforts to secure an emergency bailout.
But two months of full-fledged war with Israel last autumn dealt heavy blows to the Iran-backed terror group, whose longtime leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...> was killed in an Israeli Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... on Beirut in September.
Hezbollah also lost a strategic ally last month when Islamist-led rebels ousted longtime Syrian ruler Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Light of the Alawites... , another fixture of Iran’s "Axis of Resistance®" network of regional proxies bent on Israel’s destruction.
Hezbollah’s "political defeat follows its devastating military defeat," said Hilal Khashan, professor of political science at the American University of Beirut.
Lina Khatib, of Britannia’s Chatham House think tank, said it was "the first time since the end of the Lebanese civil war [in 1990] that a Lebanese president is elected without prior approval by Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... and by the ousted Syrian regime."
"Hezbollah’s acceptance of Aoun’s election underlines that it no longer dictates the political agenda," she told AFP.
"The significant shift in the political status quo... is the direct result of the larger geopolitical changes in the Middle East in which Iran’s influence in the region is ending."
Khashan, the American University professor, said it was now down to Aoun, with his military background, to persuade Hezbollah to lay down its remaining weapons.
"Only a president hailing from the army can disarm Hezbollah, especially after Israel destroyed more than 80 percent of its military hardware," he said.
At this stage, "Hezbollah has no option but to transform itself into a political party without a military component."
[IsraelTimes] Order affects third of Islamic Republic’s provinces, including Tehran; oil-rich country’s energy woes thought to stem in part from reported Israeli attack on gas pipe in February.
[Responsible Statecraft] In October 1939, just one month after he took over as Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall famously winnowed the ranks of hidebound senior officers to prepare for war. "Most of them have their minds set in outmoded patterns," Marshall told his leadership team, "and can’t change to meet the new conditions they may face if we become involved in the war that started in Europe."
Every democracy since a defeated Athens has pruned its senior leaders proven inadequate to the demands of their respective era — often more painful than mere public shame. Ours may be the only era when an entire general and admiralty class — more than 80% of which gain employment in the defense sector after retirement — has been consistently rewarded with lucre and prestige for losing.
With two failed wars and scores of weapons acquisition fiascoes now secured in history’s dustbin, many may fear that virtue itself has been swept from the floor. Mainstream deference to "self-serving delusion" has sustained an unearned and stunting faith in a senior leadership selection system made hollow by long-past assumptions.
Therefore, Secretary of Defense-designate Pete Hegseth’s impassioned plea to focus upon the people who serve and his condemnation of a self-perpetuating, class-creating leadership system may, if we can look past the vitriol of our day, herald our very own Marshall moment to deter war rather than to fight one.
First, most Americans do not realize that the competitive promotion board system for our military, as defined by law, ends after two-star selection. All three and four-star officers are thus political appointees — in every sense. No selection board convenes to nominate them to the Secretary, President, or Congress. So who culls the anointed from the herd? It falls to each uniformed service chief to manage an ever-shrinking, hermetically-sealed talent pool, presenting a goldilocks-like offering of options to the civilian Secretary who will then forward recommendations to the Secretary of Defense. The products of those selections, when confirmed by the Senate, will often outlast their civilian masters in duration of service. The long-term stakes of national security couldn't be higher.
#1
First, most Americans do not realize that the competitive promotion board system for our military, as defined by law, ends after two-star selection.
Even that is designed for peacetime operations. They did not change to a wartime process. It's 'unfair'. Yep, just like war itself.
[News With Views] To support the growth of health and prosperity worldwide for the 8 billion on this planet in the coming decades, and the increasing demand for electricity, and for the 6,000+ products in our materialistic society, and for the various transportation fuels ⏤ will challenge humanity’s creativity to support the supply chains to meet those growing demands.
Government-mandated winners and losers are only applicable to those few in the wealthier countries that can afford huge subsidies, but the reality is that there are no silver bullet answers.
For those outside the few wealthy countries, we see that at least 80 percent of humanity, or more than six billion in this world, are living on less than $10 a day, and billions are living with little to no access to electricity.
Politicians in wealthier countries are pursuing the most expensive ways to generate intermittent electricity. Energy poverty is among the most crippling but least talked-about crises of the 21st century. We should not take electricity, products, and fuel for granted. Wealthy countries may be able to bear expensive electricity and fuels, but not by those that can least afford living in "energy poverty."
It should be one of everyone’s New Year’s resolutions to acquire a passion to stimulate discussions to enhance everyone’s Energy Literacy. To support and facilitate those CONVERSATIONS, at least three are required:
♦ A Moderator: Teacher, student, or Podcast host.
♦ A representative of the products and fuels of our materialistic society and
♦ A representative of the pro-renewables for zero-emissions electricity.
Here are just a few open-ended starter questions for Teachers, Students, and Podcaster Moderators to stimulate 3-way Energy Literacy conversations:
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Not a shot fired, not a snowball thrown... if President Donald Trump is genuine in his blustering threats to seize Greenland for the United States, military experts believe it could be easily and bloodlessly done.
But the geopolitical earthquake will be vast – more seismic even than that set off by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ‘In military terms, it would probably not be a difficult operation,’ warned General Sir Richard Shirreff, Nato’s former deputy supreme allied commander Europe yesterday.
‘But its political implications would be massive. And the one person who’s going to be more delighted about it than anybody else is Vladimir Putin – because it could tear Nato apart.’
Until Trump’s incendiary comments this week, followed by the unexpected visit of his son Donald Jr on the family’s private jet (nicknamed Trump Force One) to the capital Nuuk, few people knew more about Greenland than can be gleaned from an Arctic wildlife documentary.
It has walruses and a dwindling number of polar bears, and is dark for nearly half the year. It is a Danish territory. In 1916 the 28th US president Woodrow Wilson – also tempted by Greenland’s resources – ceded all interest in the island as a sweetener in a deal to buy the Virgin Islands from Denmark.
Greenland is mostly icebound which – as we know – is melting fast. Glaciers are disintegrating, with experts warning the Arctic Ocean could soon see its first ice-free summer for the first time in recorded history.
The melting ice is crucial to Trump’s urgent interest in claiming the territory – for four powerful reasons.
Firstly, as the seaways become navigable, a route between the Atlantic and the Pacific opens up – the fabled Northwest Passage between Greenland and northern Canada. That route could partly replace the Panama Canal as the link between America’s east and west coasts. If it does, Trump will want to control it.
#2
Greenland would be a lot more attractive if there really was global warming. Not holding my breath.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 12:59
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#3
Now that the hype and blather has percolated a bit-and the Danes and Grennlandians have sent Trump private messages-the real discussion about military basing is likely to begin.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] A top US public university in a deep-red state blows through $13 million a year on its huge diversity team, a shocking study shows.
Auditors say Ohio State University's
To the Mail copy editorial staff: the correct name is The Ohio State University — they’re very proud of their definite article…
diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) team is so bloated, its salaries alone would cover tuition costs for 1,000 in-state students at the main campus in Columbus.
OpenTheBooks.com, which tracks public funds, lifted the lid on how such college DEI chiefs as James L. Moore and Keesha Mitchell earn an eye-popping $300,000 each year — about five times a typical Ohio salary.
OSU has queried how the $13 million figure was calculated, but did not dispute the sum and, when asked, did not offer an alternate estimate of its annual DEI spend.
DEI has become a battleground issue between progressives, who say it helps women and minorities get ahead in education, and conservatives, who say it amounts to reverse discrimination against white men.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to make America's colleges 'sane and affordable' in a major overhaul of the Department of Education that would involve sacking 'all Marxist diversity, equity, and inclusion bureaucrats.'
John Hart, CEO of OpenTheBooks.com, said he was stunned by OSU's oversize DEI budget in a state where Trump, a Republican, won by a thumping 11 percentage points in November.
'This isn't Harvard. This is Buckeye Nation,' Hart told the DailyMail.com.
'Ohio has become a deep-red state, and yet we find this agenda has been financed to the tune of $13M — just for salaries alone.
'The identity politics agenda is totally out of step with states like Ohio, yet it has enjoyed lavish financing at a flagship university.'
Researchers counted 201 employees with DEI-related roles in 2023 — 132 of them in the main offices of 'Diversity and Inclusion' and 'Institutional Equity,' and the rest spread out throughout the institution.
They included the 26 scholars working in the area of women's gender and sexuality studies, including the professors Shannon Winnubst and Treva Lindsey, who both earn more than $150,000 a year.
Courses in that department now include 'Sexualities and Citizenship, which covers the 'contemporary lesbian experience' and the bizarrely named 'Queer Ecologies: Gender, Sexuality, & the Environment.'
That course seeks to 'disrupt the gendered and heterosexual assumptions embedded in how we understand the environment' and lays out 'queer' ways to address climate change, says a course description.
It's not the first time that OSU has been targeted for DEI bloat — vice president-elect JD Vance, an OSU graduate, in 2023 wrote to officials and took to social media to decry the 'troubling rise of racial prejudice on campus.'
'If universities keep pushing racial hatred, euphemistically called DEI, we need to look at their funding,' he posted.
He called DEI a 'modern gloss on racism, anti-Semitism, and other ancient prejudices' and called it a 'rot' that 'is pervasive at Ohio State.'
That same year, an investigation by Do No Harm, a conservative medical group, found that OSU's health sciences courses pushed students to tackle any 'privileges' they might have for being white, straight, or able-bodied.
This included course reading materials from the feminist activist and scholar Peggy McIntosh, about how white people are 'subtly trained' to mete out 'hostility, distress, and violence … upon people of color.'
OSU spokesman Benjamin Johnson defended the school, saying it was difficult to calculate exactly how much is spent on DEI efforts, and that OpenTheBooks.com had released their report 'without the university's input or guidance'.
'Ohio State values diversity of thought, protects freedom of expression and works to foster a welcoming environment for Ohioans from every community in this state,' said Johnson.
Much of the university's DEI funding was spent on helping immigrants, people with disabilities or young children, and cash-strapped people from 'rural Ohio and Appalachia' get an education, he added.
Founded in 1870, OSU, with 65,000 students and 7,300 academic staff, is among America's largest universities and in the 'Big Ten' athletic conference, which now has 18 members.
OSU and other public schools raise money from many sources, including tuition fees, endowments, and their sports teams, but also receive taxpayer money from federal, state and local sources.
OSU spends more on DEI than other public schools, but less than the University Of North Carolina, at about $90 million a year, and the roughly $20 million a year at the University of Virginia, according to Openthebooks.com.
DEI staff now make up more than 3.4 positions for every 100 tenured professors, according to nationwide research by The Heritage Foundation, stoking fears of a ballooning sector that some say is no more than a woke box-ticking exercise.
Across the country, conservative lawmakers have begun to target diversity programs in state agencies, schools and private companies.
At least 10 Republican-leaning states have cracked down on DEI in recent years: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
Some of these policies ban state funds from being used for diversity-based programs, activities, and offices on college campuses, as seen in Alabama. Some states, like Texas, ban diversity offices at universities altogether.
Ohio's state anti-DEI bill failed to clear the House in 2024, but its sponsor, state Rep. Jerry Cirino, says he'll try again in 2025 and aim to end 'inherently discriminatory' policies in Ohio colleges.
Hart, from the OpenTheBooks.com, says he expects state lawmakers to take more action this year.
'Even though it feels like the tide is turning against DEI, dismantling the DEI infrastructure will not be easy,' he said.
'The Trump administration will roll back these programs within the federal government, so in some ways we're going to see the battleground move to the states. Dozens of governors and legislatures can use our findings to take action.'
#3
That's over a 1000 full time scholarships a year. You want diversity, fire your College of Education because they produce the teachers and administrators that run the primary and secondary feeder system to the university till they provide a 'product' that can perform solely on merit.
[FoxNews] President Joe Biden’s inauguration in Jan. 2021 may have been scaled back due to COVID-19, but Washington, D.C., is now preparing to welcome a tremendous influx of visitors for the monumental event this year for President-elect Donald Trump.
Elliott Ferguson, II, Destination DC president and CEO, told Fox News Digital, "The public hasn’t been able to participate in the inauguration since 2017, so we expect significant interest."
Typically, first-term presidents have larger inaugurations, according to Destination DC’s data partners.
Travelers should check the weather prior to their trip, ensuring proper clothes are packed.
"We have had a snowy start to 2025 and the temperatures have been below normal …Travelers should anticipate freezing temperatures and the potential for snow," she said.
The inauguration takes place on Jan. 20 on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
The parade will begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Inauguration Day, lasting 60 to 90 minutes, according to Destination DC’s website.
The public viewing areas for the parade start at 3rd Street, extending to Pennsylvania Avenue near the Canadian Embassy.
The suspects made an unsuccessful attempt to cut a lock to uniform storage.
Planning for crowd control.
In total, the suspects stole one armored Humvee, two cloth-door Humvees, eight machine gun vehicle mounts, seven freestanding machine gun tripods, 40 pairs of binoculars, 18 bayonets and medical equipment.
#2
Hard pass. I will probably buy a newspaper that day though for the first time in 15 years.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 12:49
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#3
Like the NFL, the best seats for this celebration of our national return to sanity will be in my family room, where with the click of a button I can pause the entire event and get snacks or deal with any other pressing issues!
#4
Staying home is somewhat safer than confronting Code Pink/Antifa/DEI types (probably with confrontational signage, large puppets, rocks and balloons.
For them, anyway.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/11/2025 17:26
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More Trump winning — nine days before he takes the reins.
[FoxBusiness] Meta's massive overhaul of its internal and external policies this week reportedly included the removal of tampons from men's rooms, according to one report.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday that the company would be ending its controversial fact-checking practices and lifting restrictions on speech to "restore free expression" across Facebook, Instagram and Meta platforms, admitting its content moderation practices had "gone too far."
By Friday, Meta had ended its major diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
The New York Times reported on these changes Friday in a piece headlined, "Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Sprint to Remake Meta for the Trump Era," warning, "The repercussions are just beginning."
Along with removing transgender and nonbinary customization themes on its Messenger app and changing its "Hateful Conduct" policy to allow criticism of gender identity, the company took an active role in changing the corporate culture at the office, according to The Times.
At "Meta’s offices in Silicon Valley, Texas and New York, facilities managers were instructed to remove tampons from men’s bathrooms, which the company had provided for nonbinary and transgender employees who use the men’s room and who may have required sanitary pads, two employees said," The Times reported.
LGBTQ employees reportedly groused on internal resource channels, with at least one announcing a resignation, while others said they would look for new jobs.
Fox News Digital reached out to Meta for comment.
Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan told Fox News Digital Friday that the move to end its diversity, equity and inclusion programs will ensure that the company is "building teams with the most talented people."
He added that "This means evaluating people as individuals, and sourcing people from a range of candidate pools, but never making hiring decisions based on protected characteristics like race or gender."
As for the timing of the changes to Meta's fact-checking programs, Kaplan told Fox News Digital the company has "a real opportunity now."
"We have a new administration coming in that is far from pressuring companies to censor and [is more] a huge supporter of free expression," Kaplan said. "It gets us back to the values that Mark founded the company on."
These changes appear to follow trends among other major companies as they shift away from DEI and related ideologies during the new Trump era.
If everybody, or even just many, does/do everything a little better, the virtuous cycle is going to be awesome. And Mr. Zuckerburg has seriously earnt my revaluation of his character and ability — this is not the behaviour of someone reluctantly accepting a power shift.
[FoxNews] FEMA is also closing disaster recovery centers in North Carolina until Monday — 'due to winter weather'
Residents of Western North Carolina are confused about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's role in helping locals with disaster recovery after Hurricane Helene.
Locals are especially confused as FEMA plans to end temporary housing assistance for about 2,000 North Carolina residents on Saturday — during a snowstorm, when temperatures across the Appalachian Mountain region are expected to be below 20 degrees.
The housing program was initially supposed to end on Friday, but FEMA pushed the deadline back to Saturday.
"I'm actually talking to several people that are losing the FEMA vouchers," Ryan McClymonds, founder of volunteer group Operation Boots on the Ground in WNC and Eastern Tennessee, told Fox News Digital on Friday. "They're terrified that they're going to have nowhere to stay for their families after today. But we did find out last night pretty late … that FEMA is extending it a whole whopping 24 hours."
FEMA told Fox News Digital that its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program is providing hotel rooms to thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors in WNC.
About 3,600 households will remain eligible to continue staying in hotel or motel rooms sponsored by FEMA past Saturday — up from the 2,100 eligible households reported by local news outlet WLOS on Thursday.
FEMA said it has provided shelter to 13,000 families displaced by Helene since late September 2024, when the storm made landfall. There are currently 5,600 households currently checked into hotels, the agency told Fox News Digital.
Nine more days until President Trump can get the government out of the way of allthe people trying to help.
#3
...one of the following reasons: an inspection indicated their home is now habitable, they declined an inspection or FEMA has been unable to contact them to update their housing needs.
After you put up signs saying 'Road Close'. Right.
[NY Post] You all knew he was a piece of shit before working for or with him. Don't act surprised now
Democrats are buzzing about powerful party-linked attorney Marc Elias springing a mandatory arbitration clause on employees of his law firm — with insiders speculating about whether the firm has something to hide and accusing Elias of hypocritically limiting worker rights.
New York native Elias, 55, made headlines with his work on Hillary Clinton’s procurement of a dossier full of salacious gossip about then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016 — and his eponymous law firm, which he founded in 2021 and has dozens of employees, works primarily on behalf of Democrats and progressive causes.
The Elias Law Group’s new policy, which drew an internal protest letter from 42 subordinates, prevents employees from suing and includes a class-action waiver and non-disclosure agreement, according to the legal news website Above the Law, which first reported on the move.
"All, as a condition of employment...[Elias Law Group] is implementing an arbitration agreement that applies to all employees. The agreement implements an alternative to litigation for resolving employment-related disputes," chief operating officer Jacqui Newman wrote on Dec. 19.
"Arbitration offers a confidential and cost-effective way to address issues, ensuring that both employees and the Firm resolve matters fairly and efficiently. You will receive the agreement from HR with your 2025 compensation memo by the end of this week. All employees are required to review and sign the agreement by December 30, 2024," Newman wrote.
The ensuing protest letter, also published by Above the Law, decried the "sudden, unexplained reversal of policy" and objected to the changes being issued "with no notice and little explanation"
"Firm personnel have been given just over a week, during the winter holidays, to agree to this dramatic change in the terms of our employment," Elias’ employees fumed. "And we have been offered no opportunity to provide any input or voice any concerns. No explanation for the urgency has been offered, and we can think of none."
Days after the announcement, Elias mysteriously purged his once-vociferous X account — stoking further intrigue.
"I have stopped posting here. For pro-democracy news follow @DemocracyDocket and subscribe for free," Elias informed his more than 816,000 followers.
Sources told The Post that Democratic insiders are perplexed about the implementation of the arbitration clause, which left-wingers loathe for its perceived benefit to bad bosses.
"Everyone is wondering why there is such an urgency to it," said a Democrat who has worked with Elias in the past.
"It is especially bizarre to have sprung this on the staff in the week between Christmas and New Year’s."
A second person, a senior Democrat with knowledge of the situation, told The Post that "it just doesn’t make sense to be so hypocritical as a top Dem lawyer unless there’s some big reason he wants to avoid litigation by his staff."
The drama prompted the airing of pent-up criticism of Elias, whose firm describes itself on its website as "the nation’s largest law firm focused on representing the Democratic Party, Democratic campaigns, nonprofit organizations, and individuals committed to securing a progressive future."
"Elias Law Group is all about Marc’s ego and not about the people who work there," the Democrat who has worked with Elias said. "His lack of awareness and his lack of concern for entry and mid-level employees at his own firm is a scandal in itself.
"Everything Marc Elias does is about attracting notice to himself."
"He’s a very smart guy," the second source said, "but he has to be the smartest person in the room and is frankly an a—hole.
"If Marc won’t do the right thing here, it’s not only deeply hypocritical, he’s making a real headache for his clients, many of whom are leaders in the Democratic and progressive movements," this person said. "Marc owes everyone an explanation for this suspect decision and timing."
The Elias Law Group did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/11/2025
09:04 ||
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[11194 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
Red on Red. There can’t be any good people working for Elias.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 9:29
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#2
I hope this a-hole is on the list of people to investigate by the new FBI, DOJ and other agencies. Steele Dossier and election jiggering for a couple of things.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 12:26
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#5
New York native Elias, 55, made headlines with his work on Hillary Clinton’s procurement of a dossier full of salacious gossip about then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016
Salacious gossip, my ass. It was a pack of lies.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 14:59
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#6
"I have altered the agreement. Pray that I do not alter it further."- A famous management specialist
Posted by: ed in texas ||
01/11/2025 15:58
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[GP] The Biden White House raised eyebrows across the Internet today with a somewhat startling press release just days before President Trump is scheduled to take office.
NSC Spokesperson Sean Savett wrote a statement on behalf of the Regime titled regarding so-called "anomalous health incidents" affecting hundreds of U.S. personnel and family members while suggesting possible causes for the mysterious happenings including electromagnetic or acoustic energy. These mysterious symptoms, which include unexplained head pressure, ear pain, and dizziness, reportedly began in 2016 and have spread to roughly a dozen overseas locations.
The press release starts by bragging about the Regime’s actions and supposed progress in countering these scary incidents.
"Upon taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration spearheaded a dedicated effort to address anomalous health incidents reported by our colleagues," the statement by Savett reads.
"We convened departments and agencies across the U.S. Government to develop new policies to expand access to and improve medical care for affected personnel, ensure incidents could be reported freely and without stigma, and provide benefits to eligible employees under statutes passed by Congress, including the HAVANA Act which President Biden signed into law," the press release continues.
"We also tasked the Intelligence Community to examine the causes or causes of these incidents and directed intensive research by our leading laboratories, informed by experts in and outside of government."
The release notes that the Regime released an intelligence assessment today regarding this phenomenon, which many have called "Havana Syndrome" because of where the mysterious symptoms first began. This report states that the majority of spy agencies now doubt these ailments are via the actions of a foreign enemy.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 9:36
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#3
Seems to me, the only reason for such a "briefing" is to distract from the discovery of some government malfeasance, likely by one of the Three Letter Agencies. What reason could there be for testing such a device on our own people? Simple, you need to follow up on your experimental subjects to study the effects. Doing a detailed medical exam on your own embassy staff is easier than using random foreigners, especially hostile ones.
#4
It is still my opinion that they weren't trying to damage their own people.
More like a new electronic anti-eavesdropping, anti-drone, anti-whatever blocking technology that didn't get field trials that included looking for any negative impacts on human subjects.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/11/2025 11:00
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#5
Official USG recognition of 'Agent Orange' took 40 years. We've still got another 30 years before Havana Syndrome will be recognized.
[MAIL] The $750,000-a-year LA water czar is responsible for a raft of failures that contributed to the devastating Palisades Fire, fire department insiders told DailyMail.com.
On Mayor Karen Bass's orders, the city maxed out its budget to 'attract private-sector talent', hiring Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones on a $750,000 salary in May — almost double that of her predecessor.
Now, Quiñones is being blamed by LA Fire Department (LAFD) insiders for leaving a nearby reservoir disconnected and fire hydrants broken for months, DailyMail.com can reveal, leading to firefighters running out of water as they battled the devastating Palisades Fire this week.
And, Daily Mail.com has learned, Quiñones past employer is also linked to fire scandals. She was previously a top executive at electricity company PG&E, which went bankrupt over liability for several massive wildfires in California.
She served as senior vice president at Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) from 2021 to 2023.
The utility company's power lines sparked the second-largest wildfire in California history, Dixie, in 2021. Its involvement in the 2018 Camp Fire cost PG&E a $13.5billion legal settlement.
The firm's liability for allegedly causing fires was estimated at $30billion when it filed for bankruptcy in 2018. It exited bankruptcy in 2020.
Quiñones joined PG&E in April 2021 as Senior Vice President of Gas Engineering, switched to Senior Vice President of Electric Operations in July 2022, and left the firm in December 2023.
I think one of the outcomes of the war in Ukraine is the increasing sophistication of drones, including defense against drones.
But then, I would not be opposed to the US military going into Mexico and doing whatever needs to be done. It is a war, no matter what kind of spin anybody wants to put on it. And in war, you use the military.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 13:07
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#6
They sell hunting licenses right? Whole sections of the border with hunting licenses to shot anything flying over under 2000 feet. Lease your section today! Please police all brass.
[Breitbart] Six migrants were arrested and charged with trafficking two teen girls for prostitution in Nebraska, authorities report.
Police in Omaha reported the arrest of five men and a woman after discovering two girls, a 15 and 16 year old, in a room of the AmericInn, according to KETV-TV.
Investigators say that Eduardo Perdomo, 26, and Alfredo Zambrano-Hurtado, 24, brought the two girls to Omaha from Denver. Once in Omaha, the pair reportedly placed an ad selling the girls for sex on a website that advertises prostitution.
The accused traffickers were reportedly found after investigators called the numbers on the ad. Police say the others arrested were also discovered through the phone numbers. Police later arrested Vishal Goswami, 31, Kavankumar Patel, 26, and Sumit Chaudhari, 23, in connection with the prostitution of the two girls.
“I think sometimes people don’t believe that hey, sex trafficking can’t happen in Omaha, Nebraska. We’re not in a gigantic city. We’re not in a places that you would expect it, but it certainly can. And this is an example of how it can happen,” said Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine.
Perdomo and Zambrano-Hurtado reportedly made “incriminating remarks” indicating that they transported the minor girls to Omaha for purposes of sex.
Investigators also found photos of minor girls in sexually explicit poses on Perdomo’s phone. Some of the same photos on his phone were also posted to the prostitution sites.
Officials said that Martinez-Gonzalez is in the U.S. illegally from Columbia. Perdomo is an illegal alien from Venezuela. And Zambrano-Hurtado is also an illegal alien.
The immigration status of Chaudhari, Goswami, and Patel was not reported.
Perdomo was booked on two counts of labor or sex trafficking of a minor, criminal conspiracy, visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, and possession of child pornography, and was held on a ten million bond.
Zambrano-Hurtado and Martinez-Gonzalez were charged with two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and criminal conspiracy. Bond was set at $5 million for each of them.
Chaudhari, who tried to pay $60 for sex with one of the girls, was arrested for first-degree sexual assault and sex trafficking of a minor, and was held on no bond.
Goswami and Kavankumar, who were also accused of paying $60 for sex, were arrested for sexual assault of a child and sex trafficking of a minor and were also held on no bond.
The suspects had their first court appearances on Thursday.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
01/11/2025
04:00 ||
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[11145 views]
Top|| File under: Human Trafficking
#1
Glad to see that the trafficking team included various ethnic backgrounds and genders. DEI works.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 9:41
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#4
TW, I would like to see a Trafficking Czar. I would like it to be someone as mean and relentless as Homan.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 13:40
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#5
Super Hose, Mr. Homan has spoken about concentrating on getting rid of the worst first, which means both the traffickers and the trafficked. I would hope the FBI already has a section devoted to such things, if only as part of their work on narco-gang concerns. No need for staffing up an actual czar when what the big boss really wants is regular personal briefings on progress on that front from the section leader, and that kind of thing makes it very clear to the entire organization how priorities have changed and what will be rewarded going forward.
I don’t have any idea how Mr. Homan likes to manage, of course, but it seems to me that skipping down the ladder to deal directly with the guys who are up to their elbows in the actual work would achieve all sorts of positive results. Especially if many of the middle and upper types storm off because they won’t be allowed to continue abusing the populace as they’ve become accustomed to do.
[Breitbart] The regimes of Iran and Venezuela signed a deal for the establishment of an Iranian drone development facility in Venezuela, the Argentine outlet Infobae reported on Friday.
Hoping thus to keep the thing away from Israeli cross-hairs?
Iran has maintained close ties with the Venezuelan socialist regime since the arrival to power of late dictator Hugo Chávez in 1999, who easily bonded with the rogue Islamic regime over their shared anti-U.S. stance. The relationship continued after Chávez’s death in 2013, leading to dictator Nicolás Maduro bolstering his regime’s cooperation with Iran over the past decade. In 2022, Maduro visited Tehran, signing a broad 20-year cooperation agreement with Iran.
Late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reciprocated Maduro’s visit during a broader Latin American tour in 2023. Raisi claimed at the time that Iran and Venezuela have a “strategic relation” with “common interests, views,” and “enemies.” It is largely believed that their alliance allowed Iran’s proxy, the Shiite jihadist group Hezbollah, to expand operations throughout the region.
Infobae stated in its report this week that, according to unnamed sources, the strengthened cooperation “now includes significant military and economic cooperation that could have implications for the stability of the region.”
The outlet stated that Iran has established a drone development base at the El Libertador air base, located in the central-Venezuelan city of Maracay, where training for Venezuelan military personnel is also being carried out.
The project allegedly calls for the production and training of a “wide range” of Iranian-made drones, such as the such as the ANSU-100 (Mohajer-2), the ANSU-600 (Mohajer-6) and the ZAMORA V-1 (Shahed-131).
“These drones, designed for reconnaissance and attack missions, represent a significant technological advance in Venezuela’s military capacity, with the direct support of Tehran,” the report read.
In 2023, Iran closed a deal to sell drones to Bolivia, a country led by pro-Iran socialist President Luis Arce and described by experts as the Islamic regime’s “most successful project” in the region. The Iran-Bolivia drone agreement immediately drew fierce criticism from neighboring Argentina, a country that was the victim of two terrorist attacks committed by Iran through Hezbollah against Israeli targets in the 1990s.
Infobae stressed that the collaboration between Iran and Venezuela is not limited to the military, pointing out that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force — a U.S.-designated terrorist organization — established “an active presence” in Venezuela since at least 2020.
Other “ventures” launched by Iranian individuals linked to the IRGC since 2020 include an Iranian-owned supermarket chain in Venezuela that occupies facilities that once belonged to a privately owned Colombian supermarket chain seized by the Venezuelan socialists in the early 2010s.
“Iranian delegations, led by figures such as Mahan Air [Iranian airline linked to the IRGC] executives and other Quds Force collaborators, have held meetings with senior officials of the Venezuelan regime,” the report read. “These meetings have been aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two countries, although they have also served to generate income to finance the activities of the organization, considered terrorist by several countries.”
The Argentine outlet explained that among the joint economic activities stands the use of Mahan Air for direct flights between Caracas and Tehran. The flights, according to Infobae, have been used to transfer Venezuelan gold in exchange for Iranian oil in a scheme that violates international sanctions on both regimes.
“Subsequently, the gold would have been sold in markets in Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries, generating funds that, according to the media, were used to finance Quds Force activities,” Infobae stated.
In 2022, Argentine officials seized a cargo plane that belonged to Venezuela’s state airline Conviasa and detained its Iranian crew following a request from the U.S. Department of Justice, which determined that the plane originally belonged to Mahan Air. Although the plane was seized in 2022 during the administration of socialist former President Alberto Fernández, Nicolás Maduro blamed current President Javier Milei for “stealing” the plane and issued an arrest warrant against him and other members of his administration. Milei took office in December 2023.
Infobae stated that the return of Alex Saab — Maduro’s top money launderer and new Industries Minister — has been another factor that boosted cooperation between the two countries. Saab was released by the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden in December 2023 at a time when he was undergoing trial proceedings on charges of using the U.S. financial system to launder $350 million from Venezuela’s state coffers.
“Saab has played a key role in the consolidation of economic and strategic ties between Caracas and Tehran, facilitating agreements that have strengthened this alliance,” Infobae stated.
The Argentine outlet asserted that Iran’s ambassador to Caracas, Hojat Soltani, is in charge of coordinating “every Iranian movement in Venezuelan territory” in the fields of technology, oil, communications, and defense. Soltani reportedly centralizes and manages all related inquiries in his office, where a “great number” of Venezuelan officials stay in “permanent contact” with him.
Infobae reported elsewhere this week that Iran helped the Maduro regime cover up an oil spill caused by an “operational negligence” committed by Iranian engineers in November at one of Venezuela’s main refineries.
Not much newer activity other than what we've been seeing over the last 30-50 years, and no serious ground deformations for a while. Although it is due for at least a magnitude 6.0, based on historical data.
Still would be a Really Big Nasty if it decides to cook off again.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/11/2025 11:09
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[FoxNews - liveblog] Some people who have applied for assistance are being immediately denied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said Friday.
The federal agency set up an online form, which people are filling out, but people were being denied, she said. Officials were looking into the matter, Barger at a news conference.
“I’m following up on that to find out what is going on because it is completely mind-boggling to me that people who lost everything are filling out a form, as told, and then are getting an immediate denial,” she said.
#4
There was no audit to see why there was no FEMA funds available for NC. We shovel more cash in to set up to help them. Biden redirects all the new funding to CA, but it does not look as if it is going to help people. Newsom has a huge budget shortfall and needs cash.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 9:26
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#5
#1 FEMA head expects California wildfire recovery will be ‘really complicated
Really complicated as in the money is all gone and don't ask where it went.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 14:55
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#6
FEMA needs to be shut down and its supplies donated. It was a lovely idea, but the execution demonstrates that this is not a function the federal government does well. Contrariwise, it is proved to be a function in which the feds end up actively harming those they were intended to help. Since the internet became widely available, the common folk have demonstrated the skills and drive to handle rescue and repair better, cheaper, and more quickly than government can at any level. There are things that governments do better — let them concentrate on those.
[IsraelTimes] Najib Mikati signals intent to enforce Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire amid warnings IDF could stay in Lebanon past deadline should Beirut fail to rein in Iran-backed terror group
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... , and particularly the area south of the Litani River, to establish its presence there, in line with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
Israeli officials have reportedly accused the Lebanese Armed Forces of failing to deploy quickly enough across southern Lebanon, and warned that this could lead the IDF to remain there past the end of January — the ceasefire agreement’s deadline for an Israeli withdrawal.
In his statement Friday, Mikati said: "We are in a new phase — in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory."
Mikati’s statement echoed comments made by Lebanese Armed Forces chief Joseph Aoun after he was elected president on Thursday, at the end of a two-year stalemate.
The US- and Saudi-backed general, whom Hezbollah opposed, vowed after his election that the Lebanese government would hold "a monopoly" on the right to carry arms — a thinly veiled threat against the Iran-backed terror group’s extensive arsenal.
Israel and Hezbollah have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement, which ended 14 months of war.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would be "forced to act" if Hezbollah does not recede north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border with Israel — as stipulated by the agreement.
And last week, the IDF said it struck Hezbollah rocket launchers south of the Litani "after the request [to remove the threat] was not handled by the Lebanese army."
Meanwhile,
...back at the Alamo, Davy was counting their remaining cannon balls and not liking the results... the IDF has advised some 60,000 northerners displaced by Hezbollah’s rocket fire not to return home until March — a month after the initial, 60-day phase of the November 27 ceasefire agreement.
Over the years, the Lebanese Armed Forces have failed to enforce two UN Security Council resolutions demanding the disarmament of all of Lebanon’s various militias, and the withdrawal of Hezbollah north of the Litani.
The current ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah is the latest attempt by the United States to get the Lebanese army to enforce the 19-year-old measure amid hopes it would now be possible with Hezbollah severely weakened.
The agreement came two months after Israel escalated operations in Lebanon — all but decimating Hezbollah’s leadership — in a bid to end Hezbollah’s persistent attacks.
Unprovoked, Hezbollah started attacking Israel on a near-daily basis on October 8, 2023 — a day after fellow Iran-backed terror group stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
[GEO.TV] Security forces have killed five terrorists, including the ring leader, in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan ... the Pearl of Pashtunistan ... district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.
According to a statement issued by the military's media wing, security forces conducted the operation on the reported presence of turbans in the general area Maddi of Dera Ismail Khan.
"During the conduct of the operation, our troops effectively engaged khwarij's [terrorists] location, resultantly, five khwarij including ring leader Shafiullah aka Shafi, were sent to hell," the ISPR said.
Furthermore, it said, the security forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the killed terrorists, who "remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces as well as murder of innocent civilians".
"Sanitisation operation is being carried out to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area, as security forces of Pakistain are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country,'' it concluded.
A day earlier, the security forces rescued eight of 17 civilian workers who were kidnapped at gunpoint by banned Tehrik-e-Taliban ...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan... Pakistain (TTP) in Lakki Marwat district.
Sources told Geo News that the snuffies ambushed a vehicle transporting unarmed civilians, took them hostage, set it on fire, and fled with the captives.
The nation has been reeling under rising violent mostly peaceful attacks since the Taliban rulers returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 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... .
Posted by: Fred ||
01/11/2025
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[11167 views]
Top|| File under: Pak Taliban (TTP)
[GEO.TV] Five people were killed and four maimed in an Israeli strike on the town of Tayr Debba in southern Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... on Friday, the Lebanese health ministry said.
Near the coastal city of Tyre, about 12 minoes (20km) from the Israeli border.
The Israeli military said it had conducted an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... on vehicles loaded with weapons used by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon.
The army said it "continues to be committed to the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon, is deployed in the southern Lebanon area, and will work to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens".
A Lebanese security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that a rocket launcher was hit and several munitions had exploded.
There was no comment from Hezbollah on the incident and the Lebanese health ministry did not specify whether those killed were civilians or Hezbollah operatives
Confirming the strike, the Israel Defense Forces said it launched the attack after identifying Hezbollah operatives loading a vehicle up with weapons.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/11/2025
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[11152 views]
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An Unbiased Look at the German Medium Tank Pz.Kpfw.Panther
Each tank-building power had its ups and downs, as well as its approach to what the optimal tank should look like. This view could change as the action progressed, with particularly strong metamorphoses occurring as a result of military operations. The greatest leap in this regard occurred during World War II, which forced an urgent revision of the view on what a tank on a modern battlefield should look like. At the same time, the battlefield itself gradually changed, since not only tanks but also means of combating them were rapidly developing. The result was that some countries found themselves in a dead end in the development of their tanks.
Among the leading tank-building powers that found themselves in a dead-end situation by the end of World War II was Germany. This is not so obvious, especially against the backdrop of the praises that are usually sung to the German "menagerie". But if you look at the situation carefully, you can notice a general tendency that the Germans overloaded their tanks and deprived them of the opportunity to develop them further. One of the canonical examples is the Pz.Kpfw.Panther. It seems that the machine is one of the best in its class, but it is not for nothing that a number of people consider it a representative of the heavy class, not the middle one. Not to mention the fact that one of the most mass-produced German tanks, for some reason, did not have a good post-war fate. We will talk about this today.
It must be said that the situation around medium tanks for the Germans was initially complicated. Suffice it to say that the program to create a replacement for the ZW (Pz.Kpfw.III) was launched in 1938, but by the summer of 1941 there were only two experimental models of the VK 20.01 (D) , which were an example of outright separatism. Suffice it to say that Daimler-Benz, having lost patience during the work on the ZW38 , went on principle and achieved permission from above to design the tank as the concern saw fit. As a result, the tank received a complex suspension with leaf springs, as well as a diesel engine. At the same time, the VK 20.01 (M), which was designed under the patronage of the 6th Department of the Armament Department (and personally under the hood of Heinrich Kniepkamp), was never completed even as an experimental chassis.
The truth of life is that even if the conventional VK 20.01(D) had been accepted into service, nothing good would have awaited it. The fact is that the Germans managed to miss the amplitude of armored vehicle development, which, for example, the Pz.Kpfw.III managed to do. With it, as well as with the Pz.Kpfw.IV, the Germans got there in the mid-30s, which, for example, Soviet tank builders could not do. But we were able to get into the amplitude of development of the late 30s, having received the T-34 and KV. The Germans, however, were unable to create anything worthwhile during this period of time. As a result, promising new-generation tanks had minimal advantages over the same Pz.Kpfw.III and Pz.Kpfw.IV produced in 1941. Moreover, their development prospects were no different from these tanks. Against this background, it is not surprising that in November 1941 the German command decided to completely restart work on new tanks.
It must be said that it was the clean slate and complete revision of the medium tank concept that largely contributed to the success of the future Panther. The German military boldly overstepped the 30-ton limit, giving the tank the most powerful gun in its class, the most powerful engine in its class, and providing it with adequate armor protection from the frontal projection. If you look at the medium tanks that were designed in other countries in 1942 (and even in 1943), you can see that they were initially inferior to the VK 30.02 (M) . In fact, only in 1944 did new medium tanks appear that could fight the Pz.Kpfw.Panhter on equal terms. And at the front, they appeared, at best, in 1945. This must be acknowledged and no attempt to prove the opposite. The Germans were able to hit the target very well.
It should also be acknowledged that under the leadership of Paul Wiebicke, a very technologically advanced tank was created, which turned out to be optimal for the German industry. This concerned, among other things, the hull production. The cost of the Pz.Kpfw.Panther without armament, optics and radio station was 117 thousand Reichsmarks, which was not much higher than the most advanced Pz.Kpfw.III and Pz.Kpfw.IV in the same configuration (about 103 thousand Reichsmarks). And this is despite the fact that the "Panther" is noticeably larger and heavier. The Germans also managed to increase the production volume of these tanks to high figures. The peak of production was 380 tanks, then it began to decline, including under the influence of bombing of industrial enterprises.
It is definitely not true to say that the Panther was a bad tank. It was not without reason that the Pz.Kpfw.Panther was used as a reference when creating the future Centurion, and our T-44 was also compared to the German vehicle. The Panther was caught up with in 1945, and the German medium tank was quite competitive with the heavy IS tanks. It was the encounter of the IS-85 with the Panthers during the attack on Lisyanka on February 19, 1944 that launched the IS modernization mechanism. In a word, this vehicle was dangerous, and most importantly, it was mass-produced. Towards the end of 1944, it was the most mass-produced German tank, and it retained its leadership until the end of the war.
However, it was the "Panther", unlike the Pz.Kpfw.IV, that did not have a successful post-war life. And this despite the fact that in February 1945 there were more than 2,100 of these tanks, which is a quarter more than the Pz.Kpfw.IV. But the "four", which they tried to remove from production so many times, remained in service with a number of countries for several decades. But the "Panthers" only served with the French, and even then, out of desperation, since their own medium tank could not be produced. And this despite the fact that the French had connections with German industry, and spare parts. Agree, something is wrong here.
To begin with, it is worth looking at the chassis of the VK 20.01 (M), and then at what replaced it. You will see a number of interesting points, including those related to the dimensions. It seems that German engineers, including engine builders, relaxed. As a result, the average German tank turned out to be larger in size than any of its classmates. It so happened that the German tank had a very large internal volume, but part of this volume was air. It is even somehow surprising how this happened, especially after the relatively low Pz.Kpfw.III and Pz.Kpfw.IV. The main increase in height was provided by the Maybach HL 210/230 engine, which was too high due to the presence of air filters on top. The Germans did not even make a "step" that would have allowed them to slightly reduce the height of the fighting compartment, as well as the control compartment. And this would have saved weight.
Then there are interesting questions about how German engineers were able to calculate the weight. According to the original assignment, the combat weight of the tank was to be 35 tons. This is the weight indicated in the performance characteristics of the VK 30.02 (M) in the spring of 1942, although there are doubts that this is so. Because later, as the tank was being refined, the armor protection of the front of the hull and turret was strengthened. As a result of all these changes, the combat weight of the Pz.Kpfw.Panther Ausf.D was 45 tons. Tell me, do you believe in miracles? I somehow doubt that +20 mm of the front of the hull and +20 mm of the front of the turret gave 10 tons. Someone clearly calculated something wrong. Meanwhile, a difference of 10 tons is very bad from the point of view of the chassis. The Germans essentially repeated the path of the KV, which, with a design weight of 40 tons, initially had a weight of 42.5 tons, then it reached 46, and at the peak of the load it reached 50 tons. This certainly did not make the KV any better.
Here the Pz.Kpfw.Panther Ausf.D has also gone bad. On February 21, 1943, the first serial tanks were demonstrated to the Reich Minister of Armaments and Ammunition Albert Speer. A total of 13 Pz.Kpfw.Panther Ausf.D took part in it, 6 of which broke down. Another indicative moment was that tanks of this type were officially accepted in May 1943, although the factories began to hand them over in January. Then there was the Kursk Bulge, where the "Panthers" proved themselves to be a formidable weapon, but in those cases when they did not expose their sides and did not break down. According to Guderian's reports, the Pz.Kpfw.Panther acquired more or less decent reliability by the end of 1943. And then, with some nuances.
One of the tank's key shortcomings was its engine. The Maybach HL 230 was not only too tall, but also not reliable enough. Putting 4 Solex carburetors in was a bad idea. The required level of reliability was never achieved. That's why the Maybach HL 234 engine was developed, which is closely associated with the E-50/E-75. In fact, this engine was more needed by the Panther, because it was not only more powerful, but also had direct fuel injection. Later, such a system was implemented on the Maybach HL 295 , which was developed for the French. There were also less significant problems. One way or another, the German tank had several insurmountable shortcomings.
But that's not all. The serial Pz.Kpfw.Panther was, in a sense, an accident. The fact is that in early 1943, the Pz.Kpfw.Panther II appeared, which was supposed to have even thicker armor. But then it turned out that the Germans did not know how to calculate weight, and instead of 47 tons, it turned out to be more than 50. As a result, a very different tank appeared, partially unified with the Pz.Kpfw.Tiger III (VK 45.03). Then it became clear that the idea was so-so, so things did not go beyond the prototype. But history is indicative. It suddenly turned out that the reserves for developing the Pz.Kpfw.Panther design were exhausted at the start of serial production.
In fact, this is a typical case for the new generation of German tanks. Not only were they overloaded, but they also had no reserves for development. Well, yes, there was the E-series (Pz.Kpfw.Panther II at this point said something like "well, well, well, I'll go to hell"), there were paper projects for installing a more powerful gun. But did they lead to something other than paper? That's just it. Not to mention that the Panther's turret was unbalanced, and something prevented the Germans from making a niche behind the turret (Ordnung, probably). And the German tank also turned out to be very blind. Only the commander could look around.
In the end, what had to happen happened. Of course, one can dream about the Panzerwaffe-46, but the truth is that even in the most optimistic scenario, the Germans are getting a tank with more powerful weapons. At the same time, their opponents are not standing still and are already preparing to release new-generation medium tanks. They have already caught up with, and in some ways surpassed, the German tank. Rest assured, if the war had continued, the T-54 could have gone into production much faster. And a meeting with this tank did not bode well for the German machine. But if we return to the harsh reality, we will find a very "raw" tank in it, with a long-used development resource. Having tried German tanks (MNH specifically handed them over after the war), the British military spat for a long time. And there was reason for it.
As a result, instead of a tank that, in theory, should have become the same terror of the battlefield as the Pz.Kpfw.Tiger Ausf.E , we got a very controversial combat vehicle. Of course, it was very dangerous and had drunk a lot of blood, but at the same time it was overloaded and had far from outstanding reliability. This tank cannot be called very spacious either, and this is with an impressive volume of the fighting compartment. There were blunders in terms of providing visibility, therefore the "Panthers" were often cut off in the side. At the same time, the Germans were unable to make a fundamentally new tank to replace it. And after the war, the concept of a German medium tank had nothing to do with the "Panther". It was already a machine of a classic layout, and it turned out to be noticeably lower than the "Panther". Despite the fact that the early Soviet, American and British post-war tanks were a direct development of machines created as a response to the "Panther".
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] An unknown type of aircraft, which may be a sixth-generation fighter jet created in China, was spotted on a satellite image from Shenyang, China. This was reported by The War Zone (TWZ) portal
"An intriguing object spotted in Shenyang on January 1 may be another concept for a next-generation manned tactical combat aircraft," the publication said.
It is specified that this is a medium-class combat vehicle compared to heavy models or combat drones.
Satellite images published by the newspaper on January 1 showed the new aircraft on the territory of the main plant of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. The length of the aircraft, created according to the tailless design, is about 15 m. It has a diamond-shaped wing and two engines.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on December 26, 2024, a video of the first flight of a new Chinese fighter, possibly sixth generation, appeared on the Internet. In the footage, an unknown aircraft was moving accompanied by a Chinese fifth-generation fighter Chengdu J-20.
Later that day, Russian military pilot and member of the expert council of the Officers of Russia organization, Major General Vladimir Popov, told the Regnum news agency that footage posted on social media of an alleged flight of a Chinese sixth-generation fighter should be treated with caution. The expert clarified that the Chinese do not yet have fighters that can be fully classified as fifth generation, since they fly on Russian 4++ generation engines.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 12:27
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#4
There are also some very broad similarities in certain respects between what has emerged at Shenyang and concept art of Lockheed Martin’s X-44 MANTA (Multi-Axis No-Tail Aircraft) from the late 1990s and early 2000s. The MANTA design was derived from the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter and, at least to our knowledge, never came to be.
The Caliphornia politician connection?
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/11/2025 12:44
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine.
The enemy attacked in the areas of 17 settlements in the Pokrovsky direction. 19 combat clashes are still ongoing.
Since the beginning of the day, 166 combat clashes have occurred on the front. Almost a third of them are in the Pokrovsk direction, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational report as of 16:00 on Friday, January 19.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction near Vovchansk and Staritsa, the Russians tried to break through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces five times.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy carried out eight assaults near Petropavlovka, Peschanoye, Zagryzovoye and Lozovaya. One combat clash ended, seven more are still ongoing.
In the Liman direction, the invaders attacked 32 times near the settlements of Tverdokhlebovo, Grekovka, Zelenaya Roshcha, Pervomayskoye, Makeyevka, Terny and Zarechnoye. Fighting continues at nine locations.
In the Seversky direction, in the area of the settlement of Belogorovka, the enemy attacked twice.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 22 Russian attacks near Belaya Gora, Predtechino, Chasovy Yar and Stupochki. Nine enemy attacks remained unfinished.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy attacked four times near Toretsk. Two more clashes are still ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have organized 49 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Novopoltavka, Mirolyubovka, Elizavetovka, Promin, Lisovka, Mirnograd, Novy Trud, Zverevo, Udachnoye, Kotlino, Novoaleksandrovka, Novovasilovka, Novoandreyevka, Yantarnoye. The defense forces repelled 30 attacks, 19 clashes are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the occupiers attacked 11 times near Constantinople, Zelenovka, Razliv, Razdolnoye, Velikaya Novosyolka and Neskuchnoye. Three clashes are still ongoing.
In the operational zone in Kursk region, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled 10 attacks, and eight more battles are ongoing.
Let us recall that 161 combat clashes were recorded on the front in 24 hours on January 9. Most of the fighting took place near Pokrovsk and in the Kurakhovsky direction.
According to the General Staff, Russia lost 1,830 soldiers in the past 24 hours. Ukrainian defenders destroyed dozens of enemy armored vehicles and guns.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported progress in the exhumation of victims of the Volyn massacre, and the Ukrainian side gave the first permits.
In 2017, Ukraine's Institute of National Remembrance suspended the exhumation of victims of the "Volyn massacre", causing tensions between Warsaw and Kiev.
On November 26, 2024, the new head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Andriy Sybiga, promised Poland to put the exhumation issue at the forefront, which was confirmed in a joint statement.
"Finally a breakthrough. The decision has been made on the first exhumations of Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)*. I thank the Ministers of Culture of Poland and Ukraine for their good cooperation. We are looking forward to further decisions," the Polish Prime Minister wrote on his social networks.
Let us recall that earlier the representative of the Polish party "Law and Justice", candidate for the presidency of the republic Karol Nawrocki stated on air on the Polsat TV channel, he stated that he does not see Ukraine as a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO until Kyiv agrees to a full-fledged solution to the issue of exhuming the victims of the “Volyn massacre”.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Armed groups belonging to factions affiliated with the Islah Party loyal to the Saudi-led coalition blocked roads in the city of Taiz on Thursday.
Local sources reported that elements of the so-called ''22nd Mika Brigade'' rebelled and began blocking the road in front of the brigade's headquarters, demanding the payment of their salaries that have been suspended since last October.
The sources added that the button men prevented the passage of vehicles by placing stones and damaged tires in the streets, which caused a state of chaos and panic among passersby and residents of the surrounding areas.
It is noteworthy that the pro-coalition government has failed since the middle of last year to pay the salaries of teachers and some loyal factions on its lists. It also faced difficulties in importing fuel shipments for the disabled power plants in the provinces of Aden, restive Lahj ... a Yemeni governate located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the stomping grounds on the southern secessionist al-Harak movement , Abyan ...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues... , and Shabwah, which led to angry protests denouncing the deterioration of living and humanitarian conditions.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/11/2025
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BREAKING: LA Mayor Karen Bass FIRES Fire Chief Kristin Crowley after she said city leadership "failed" the fire department
‘Kristin was summoned by Bass this afternoon, about 4pm. She came back from that meeting, hugged her staff goodbye and left. She said she was fired,’ the… pic.twitter.com/ZQpkuFueJi
REPORT: LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley was called into a meeting with LA Mayor Karen Bass expecting to be fired but ended up not being fired, according to new reports.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 12:13
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#15
Janet Reno never got fired.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 12:22
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#16
Mayor Bass doesn't want complaints or questions to distract from the important work of putting out a fire that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
#17
I think one of the biggest differences between liberals and conservatives is that liberals are either unable or unwilling to perceive danger.
Yesterday on KFI, John Kobylt revealed that Los Angeles last year spent $1.3 billion for the homeless but only $800 million for the fire department. That's what I mean. Their priorities are all wrong.
They don't see the danger in all that dry brush in the canyons and on the hill sides where wildfires start. They either don't see it or they don't think anything can be done about it. But there are plenty of things that could be done if their priority was public safety instead of all the woke items on their agendas.
Public safety should always be their number one priority. But how can they ensure public safety when they don't even recognize the threats that are staring them in the face?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 13:31
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#18
Glenn Beck transcript...the Mayor was in the Venceremos brigade for many years going to Cuber every 6 months.
#23
Bass has ambitions on the Governorship after Newsome, and the deal seemed struck, nut now the damage to her political standing by the catastrophic fires has been enormous. Salvaging any hopes now was only worsened by the optics of firing the DEI LGBTQ-XYZ Fire Chief who has plenty of ammunition left to reveal about criminal incompetence. Bingo, post meeting political assessment and poof-unfiring and huge efforts to seem in charge and leader-like.
But...15,000 homes gone and hundreds of billions in damage-even the best California political make-over visuals are selling!
This led to moments of panic among Rebecca and her fellow workmates, all of whom scrambled to research whether they were in imminent danger.
But a corrected alert then came through, telling them to disregard the terrifying warning.
Relief that the residents felt soon transcended into anger at the massive blunder, with Rebecca complaining that they were all trying to stay informed through their phones, TV and radio as "there wasn't a good system in place".
Posted by: Elmaper+McGurquCITY IN PANIC All 10m LA residents’ phones warn them ‘get ready to FLEE wildfires’ in terrifying blunder as anger at Dem leaders growse1612 ||
01/11/2025 15:07
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#26
Shhhhh… calm yourself, dear Elmaper+McGurque. The false alarm was yesterday. Those responsible should be drummed out of their jobs for it, no doubt, but that’s a problem for Future LA — current LA has more urgent concerns.
#27
Re the Mayor and the Fire Chief, the chief's big job is to provide cover for the mayor. Bass knows that -nobody- is going to sign up for the job right now. And the assistant chiefs currently know better.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
01/11/2025 16:05
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#28
some decent progress made in containment
Palisades fire about 12% contained
Eaton fire about 15% contained
Lydia, Hurst, Kenneth and Archer fires are at least 75% contained.
Unfortunately Santa Ana winds may be ramping up by late Sunday 12 Jan
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
01/11/2025 18:35
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#29
*knocks on wood*
San Diego hasn't been hit but the week's prediction is for more Santa Ana's. We usually get hit hard in Oct/Nov. No rain in forecast
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/11/2025 18:42
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#30
Los Angeles? Mannish hermanas,
Like, Communist, tony Montanas
Who, run in reverse,
Are a burden, a curse,
And a Red ruination! [hosannas]
[GEO.TV] Israeli warplanes bombed a power station and two ports in Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... -controlled 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... on Friday in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile strikes against Israel, and pro-Houthi media said at least one person had been killed and nine maimed.
The strikes hit the Red Sea port of Ras Issa and the major port of Hodeidah and the Hezyaz central power station in Yemen's capital Sanaa, and Harf Sufyan District in Amran province also came under air attack, said Al Masirah TV, the main news outlet run by the Houthis.
An employee at the Ras Issa port was killed and six others were maimed, while three people, including a worker, were maimed in the strikes on Hezyaz, the outlet said.
The Israeli military said more than 20 aircraft took part in the attack, dropping around 50 bombs and missiles in an operation which required airborne refuelling during the 2,000-km (1,240-mile) flight.
The Israeli Air Force struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, as Israeli officials threatened to hunt down the leaders of the Iran-backed group unless they stopped their drone and missile attacks.
Israel’s airstrikes came shortly after a US-led coalition reportedly hit Houthi sites in the Harf Sufyan District, north of Sanaa. Israeli officials said the strikes were coordinated with the US, but were not a joint operation.
According to the military, the power plant served “as a central source of energy for the Houthi terrorist regime in its military activities.”
After the strikes, Israeli leaders warned that the group would face further attacks and see its leaders targeted if the missile and drone strikes continued. Three drones from Yemen were intercepted on Thursday night.
The strikes today were launched as a weekly protest was held in Yemen’s capital Sanaa in support of the Gaza Strip and against Israel.
“Thousands of Houthi [supporters] who participated in a hate march against Israel heard up close the power of the Air Force planes,” Katz said.
“The port of Hodeidah is paralyzed and the port of Ras Isa is on fire and the message is clear: Whoever harms Israel will be struck much much more,” he added.
The Israeli Air Force struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, as Israeli officials threatened to hunt down the leaders of the Iran-backed group unless they stopped their drone and missile attacks.
Israel’s airstrikes came shortly after a US-led coalition reportedly hit Houthi sites in the Harf Sufyan District, north of Sanaa. Israeli officials said the strikes were coordinated with the US, but were not a joint operation.
The Israel Defense Forces said over 20 IAF aircraft — including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes — participated in the Israeli strikes, dropping some 50 munitions on three main targets: the Hodeidah and Ras Isa ports on Yemen’s western coast, and the Hezyaz power plant near the capital Sanaa.
According to the military, the power plant served “as a central source of energy for the Houthi terrorist regime in its military activities.”
After the strikes, Israeli leaders warned that the group would face further attacks and see its leaders targeted if the missile and drone strikes continued. Three drones from Yemen were intercepted on Thursday night.
The Houthis in Yemen will continue to pay a price for attacking Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after Israeli warplanes struck ports and other targets controlled by the rebel group.
“As we promised, the Houthis are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy price for their aggression against us,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
“The Houthis are an extension of Iran and they serve the terrorist goals of the Iranian axis in the Middle East,” he continued. “They pose a danger to Israel and the entire region, including harming global freedom of navigation.”
“We will act with determination and force against any entity that threatens Israel – wherever and whenever necessary,” Netanyahu concluded.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said “there will be no immunity” for leaders of the Iran-backed group.
“Today’s strike by the IDF in Yemen is a clear message to the leader of the Houthi terrorist group, Abd al-Malik al-Houthi, and the leaders of the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen: There will be no immunity for anyone,” Katz said in a video statement.
“We will pursue and hunt you down and destroy the terror infrastructures you have established,” he vowed.
The strikes today were launched as a weekly protest was held in Yemen’s capital Sanaa in support of the Gaza Strip and against Israel.
“Thousands of Houthi [supporters] who participated in a hate march against Israel heard up close the power of the Air Force planes,” Katz said.
“The port of Hodeidah is paralyzed and the port of Ras Isa is on fire and the message is clear: Whoever harms Israel will be struck much much more,” he added.
The military released footage showing IAF fighter jets flying “over the Middle East.” Another clip published by the IDF showed aerial refueling amid the strikes, which were carried out nearly 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from Israel.
The military also released footage of IAF F-16I fighter jets taking off from southern Israel’s Ramon Airbase en route to Yemen.
The Houthi-owned Al-Masirah television station had reported 12 strikes by US and British forces in the Harf Sufyan District, north of Sanaa, as well as six airstrikes on the Hodeidah port and several on the capital itself. According to Al-Masirah, the strikes on Sanaa hit an area close to Al Sabeen Square during a weekly protest there in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the Houthis also took responsibility for an attempted drone attack on Israel late Thursday. The Yemeni rebels said it fired three drones at the Tel Aviv area, “and they were able to reach their targets successfully.”
Posted by: Fred ||
01/11/2025
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#3
There must be a better way of getting people to behave than blowing them up, although I do not know what that might be. In the meantime, this will have to do.
#6
You are too funny, Aca Joe — pretending to be someone else again, as if anyone is fooled.
And notice that while there are indeed people who loudly share your Jew-hated, they’re not the ones who won the last election. Or the ones whose missiles actually hit the target.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The structure of the US "industrial-censorship complex" - a censorship system that seemingly does not exist.
In January 2017, Obama’s outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Jehovah Johnson made protecting election infrastructure part of his agency’s mandate.
And right after that:
DHS created a Countering Foreign Influence Task Force to focus on “disinformation about election infrastructure.”
The State Department’s Global Engagement Center expanded its interagency mandate to counter foreign influence operations.
The FBI created a Foreign Influence Task Force to “identify and counter malign foreign influence operations targeting the United States,” with a particular focus on voting and elections — key components of what has come to be known as the censorship industrial complex.
In 2018, the Senate Intelligence Committee requested a “Study on Russian Interference in Social Media” — studies that served as the rationale for pressuring social media companies to end their faltering on content moderation.
The committee also tasked Graphika, a social media analytics firm, with co-authoring a report on Russian interference in social media. Interestingly, Graphika lists DARPA and the Pentagon’s Minerva initiative, which funds “basic social science research,” as key partners. And Graphika’s report “on Russian interference in social media” became the rationale for the creation of the Election Integrity Partnership, led by the Stanford Internet Observatory — a key element of the government’s censorship policing during and after the 2020 election.
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab is an organization that joined the Stanford-led quartet. Funded in part by the State Department — including through the Center for Global Engagement — and the Department of Energy, the think tank counts among its directors the heads of the CIA and the secretaries of defense. The lab’s senior director is Graham Bookey, President Obama’s former top aide for cybersecurity, counterterrorism, intelligence, and homeland security.
The third of the four organizations to join the Election Integrity Partnership was the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, launched in 2019. Stanford alumna and visiting professor Kate Starbird co-founded the center. The National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research have provided funding for Dr. Starbird’s work on social media. The observatory is a program of Stanford’s Center for Cyber Policy, whose members include former Obama National Security Council official and Russian Ambassador Michael McFaul, as well as other prominent figures with security backgrounds or ties to the field.
Ahead of the 2020 election, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which has taken on the task of protecting election infrastructure, expanded its scope to include combating disinformation perceived as a threat to election security. Eventually, this came to encompass any American political speech, including speculation and even satire to the extent that it questions or undermines state-sanctioned narratives about unprecedented mass mail-in elections.
On the question of whether censorship on social networks will disappear after the recent "relaxations".It is worth noting that the current censorship system was developed and implemented under Trump.
[SteynOnlime] I think of the fire hydrant as a quintessential bit of American iconography. Yes, they predate the United States, going back to the sixteenth century and the spread of piped municipal water systems in Europe and Asia. But, if you asked the average person to picture a fire hydrant, his imagination would conjure one in the American design - in part because elsewhere (Britain, Germany, Spain) the hydrants are below ground and no one knows their shape. It's the Yanks who brought them up to the surface as if to say: see? here our writ runs; you can count on that. Decades ago, somewhere in Queens, I rounded a corner and found the fire department flushing a hydrant, and the excited kids jumping around and occasionally darting into the spray. Golly, I thought, I've walked into a Norman Rockwell cover. Which I had (see Saturday Evening Post top right).
Silly me. Like Angela Merkel diversity bollards or utility poles in western North Carolina, fire hydrants are now purely decorative:
As I usually say at this point, nothing works anymore. But, when even the fire hydrants don't work, it may be time to retire that line. This is your future - the future they're building for you every day. When you work as assiduously as the west does to become the Third World, don't be surprised that it happens a lot quicker than you thought.
Seventeen years ago, I received a note from a reader advising me to lighten up - on the grounds that we're rich enough that we can afford to be stupid. Almost two decades later, some of us are rich enough to be able to afford a home in Pacific Palisades and are willing to indulge a monumentally stupid mayor who, as the first ciswoman of colour to go on a fact-finding mission to study West African emergency-services management, shattered the glass ceiling before it had a chance to burn down:
Needless to say, it was a whippersnapper of a foreigner badgering and hectoring the poor wee defenceless chief executive of one of the most famous jurisdictions on the planet. Any American "journalist" minded to do the same would never work again. But it will make a great vignette for her pre-2028 political memoir It Takes a Child to Raze a Village.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The US Treasury Department has banned American companies from providing oilfield services in Russia since February 27. This is stated in General License No. 117, published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
According to the document, from February 27, American companies are prohibited from exporting, re-exporting, selling or supplying, directly or indirectly, oilfield services to any person located in Russia.
In addition, the Ministry of Finance also banned financial transactions with Russian companies Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz from February 27.
“All transactions related to these companies that are necessary to wind down operations must be completed by 12:01 p.m. ET on February 27, 2025,” the license says.
Assuming the Trump administration does not reverse the order, of course. Nine more days.
In addition, the ban applies to companies in which more than 50% of shares are owned by Gazprom Neft or Surgutneftegaz.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on January 10, the United States imposed sanctions against a number of Russian oil companies and individuals. Several operators of Gazprom Neft's aviation fuel business were also added to the list. The White House stated that the United States was introducing the largest sanctions against Russia's energy sector. The restrictions affected 183 tankers transporting Russian oil, dozens of traders, as well as oil service companies and industry officials. It is noted that Novatek's partners and Rosatom representatives were included in the sanctions lists.
On January 10, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow understands that the administration of current US President Joe Biden will try to leave a difficult legacy in Russian-American relations for the elected head of the White House, Donald Trump.
On December 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that all the tasks facing the country in the near and long term will be solved. The head of state also pointed out that Russia is developing and its economy is growing against the backdrop of unprecedented sanctions, and blackmail and attempts to hinder its development will not be successful.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Artemy Sharapov
[REGNUM] US President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated plans to buy Greenland from Denmark, calling the island a critical asset for America's national security.
Trump said control of Greenland was strategic to monitor Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic and protect against potential threats from either country.
“I’m talking about protecting the free world,” the head of the White House said, answering questions from journalists.
The new administration is apparently planning to reconsider the country's military presence in the Arctic. At the same time, the US plans for Greenland raise a lot of questions, especially considering that the US has been using the island's territory for military purposes for 70 years.
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF STANLEY KUBRICK
The agreement on the military presence of the US Army in Greenland was concluded during the Second World War. The Danish embassy in Washington refused to recognize the occupation of Denmark by the Third Reich and sanctioned the American military presence on the island.
In 1950, construction began on a large US Air Force base on the island, named Thule after the nearby Eskimo village.
By the 1960s, the base had been expanded, and B-52 nuclear-capable strategic bombers were stationed in Greenland, carrying out combat sorties around the clock to the borders of the USSR with nuclear bombs on board as part of Operation Chrome Dome.
It was assumed that the round-the-clock presence of nuclear weapons carriers in the airspace would give the US Air Force an advantage in the event of an unexpected outbreak of conflict. Before departure, the crews were assigned targets for strikes on Soviet territory.
Operation Chrome Dome formed the basis for Stanley Kubrick's feature film Dr. Strangelove. The plot centers on the crew of a B-52 bomber that makes a regular flight to the Soviet Union's Arctic borders and ultimately launches a nuclear strike.
The story told by Kubrick seems even more realistic when you consider that US Air Force bomber crews repeatedly practiced nuclear strike tactics.
This practice eventually backfired on the US: on January 21, 1968, a fire broke out on board a bomber assigned to the Thule base. The crew managed to abandon the plane, which crashed in the immediate vicinity of the base. As a result of the incident, four B28 thermonuclear bombs were “lost” in the ice of Greenland.
Information about the incident was classified. Only in the 1990s did it become known that the American military had found fragments of three bombs, and one was still "out there somewhere," poisoning the local ecology. Operation Chrome Dome was curtailed, but the US did not abandon the idea of deploying aircraft on the island.
In modern American military doctrine, Greenland is given a special role, military expert Alexander Mikhailovsky noted in an interview with IA Regnum.
"We are not only talking about control over the Arctic, but also about a strategic advantage in the event of a global war. It is no secret that both the US and the USSR planned to exchange nuclear strikes through, say, the North Pole in the event of a major war - this is the shortest route," the expert says.
According to him, this is why the US National Missile Defense System (BMEWS) early warning radar stations were deployed in Greenland. The complex is designed to detect nuclear missiles and their carriers.
In 2021, during his first term, Trump unveiled an updated missile defense concept. The updates were needed because Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea had acquired new weapons that “challenged existing defenses.”
…repeating a point raised elsewhere…
The current desire to take control of Greenland may be due to Washington's fears, says Jens Wenzel, an analyst at Nordic Defence Analysis.
"The Americans are seriously concerned that Russia could launch a large-scale attack on the United States. Today, there is no air monitoring over the entire territory of Greenland, it is essentially a 'free zone,'" Wenzel told Reuters.
In addition to “cutting off the Russian threat,” control of Greenland also reduces the risk of an attack from China. According to American analysts, if China were to launch missiles at the US East Coast, their trajectory would pass through the North Pole.
That's why Trump isn't lying when he talks about Greenland's strategic importance to the United States.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE ARCTIC
With the end of the Cold War, the US presence in Greenland was partially curtailed. The Thule base was renamed Pituffik, some facilities were closed or mothballed, and personnel were reduced from 10,000 to 2,000.
However, with the aggravation of the military-political situation in the world, Washington together with its NATO allies again took up the old - in the literal sense. Special platforms for the rapid deployment of MAAS aircraft were installed at the airfield in Pituffik, allowing the airbase to be used all year round (in winter, the temperature in northern Greenland drops to minus 45 degrees). The complex allows the use of short and/or icy runways for launching fighters and significantly expands the US capabilities for operating the base.
Notably, the upgrades were carried out during Trump's first term. The Pentagon also said that the base's capabilities would be expanded.
"We don't want to find ourselves in a situation where our only option is military defeat," said General Glenn van Herk, head of the U.S. Northern Command.
After the installation of MAAS systems at the Thule/Pituffik base in Greenland, regular exercises of the US and Canadian Air Forces began, called Amalgam Dart. At the same time, Denmark, as a NATO ally of the US, has never opposed holding exercises on its territory. Therefore, Trump can expect that he will not be prevented from using Greenland in the interests of the US army in the future, says Anders Pak Nielsen, an analyst at the Danish Defense College.
"The United States already has access to this territory. They already have early warning radars at the Pituffik space base. This is the base they called Thule Air Base. And if the Americans wanted to expand their military presence in Greenland, they could simply ask the Danish and Greenlandic governments," Nilsen notes.
However, the US may simply not want to ask permission from its junior partners. According to the Russian ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin, the US is already preparing the Thule/Pituffik base in Greenland to house nuclear weapons carriers.
"Its comprehensive modernization is underway, including the radar, costing billions of US dollars. An airfield infrastructure is also being created there for F-35 fighters, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Such fighters have already used the base's airfield during US Air Force exercises," the ambassador told reporters.
In turn, the US Embassy in Denmark stated that Washington "has no plans to increase its military presence in Greenland." Allegedly, it is only about upgrading the existing base. At the same time, it is obvious that the US is considering the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons on Greenland territory — despite the "sins of the past."
In 1995, the US declassified some of the documents on the “Thule incident,” where they admitted to violating Denmark’s non-nuclear status. The publication of the documents caused an international scandal, so the US no longer dared to deploy strategic aviation in Greenland, primarily because of the position of the Danish authorities. A conditional “Anschluss,” or, in Trump’s terminology, a “deal” on Greenland, could have resolved this problem and allowed Washington to return to the realities of the Cold War.
ARE THERE ANY THREATS TO RUSSIA?
The American administration has other trump cards – they can achieve what they want in other ways. For example, Trump can demand that European countries increase their spending on NATO and get carte blanche from Denmark to deploy any forces in Greenland.
In this case, the US will be able to seriously modify its missile defense systems in the Arctic and even deploy nuclear weapons carriers in Greenland.
"The re-equipment of the Pituffik/Thule base for fighters suggests that strategic aviation is unlikely to be sent there. It's not the 1960s now, bombs no longer need to be transported, there is no point in pulling "strategists" to our borders. In other words, new threats to our security are not emerging yet," military expert Mikhailovsky believes.
In essence, the Regnum source continues, the US is not expanding its military presence in the Arctic, but is patching up holes in its own missile defense system. But this does not mean that Russia can calm down and not react to what is happening, especially given the unpredictability of the new US administration.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] Just over a month ago, on December 8, 2024, the Assad family's 54-year rule in Syria suddenly ended. After a rapid 11-day military campaign, the armed opposition led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahmed al-Sharaa ( Abu Muhammad al-Jolani ) came to power. From that moment on, the very future of Syria as a state was called into question.
Over the past month, Syria's new transitional government has made some efforts to reassure the public by emphasizing its commitment to preserving state institutions and avoiding the chaos that was seen during the transitions in Iraq and Libya. And it must be acknowledged that it has succeeded to some extent, although the time that has passed since it took power is still very short: it is too early to make more optimistic forecasts for the future.
Perhaps the main success of the new government is its international recognition.
Despite the presence of both HTS and al-Sharaa himself on terrorist lists, most leading world and regional capitals have rushed to establish ties with him. For example, many countries whose official representatives al-Jolani has already met have not considered it necessary to normalize relations with Taliban Afghanistan, although more than three years have passed since the Taliban came to power.
It is clear that international contacts were facilitated by HTS's refusal to necessarily proceed with the assertion of the primacy of Sharia, as well as the new authorities' declared readiness to maintain the existing secular system of government throughout the transition period. Within the country, major roads were opened, many previous restrictions were lifted, and basic public services were restored to return to normal life.
However, the main problem facing the current Syrian government is ensuring the security and unity of the country. And here there are many cracks that threaten to become splits in the future. Although the government is making efforts to prevent negative scenarios.
Unlike the situation in Afghanistan in 2021, when the Taliban came to power and faced a significant surge in ISIS terrorist activity, the new Syrian government was able to prevent terrorists from emerging from the desert to carry out attacks in Syrian cities. Therefore, New Year's celebrations throughout Syria and Christmas in Christian areas took place without casualties. Although it is Christians and representatives of non-Sunni Islamic faiths who are the first to fall victim to ISIS terrorist attacks.
The fact that large-scale public celebrations are held on these non-Islamic holidays also shows that the authorities in Damascus, despite the continuing concerns of Syrian religious minorities, have not introduced Sharia law in the country and banned holidays and events that are not related to Islam. Even alcohol continues to be freely available. The same applies to the dress code: women can still go around without covering their heads.
By the way, representatives of the fair sex have taken several positions in the leadership of the new Syria. In particular, Meysa Sabreen became the chairperson of the Central Bank of the country and the first woman in this position in the history of Syria, and Mohsen al-Maytawi was appointed governor of Suwayda province, also becoming the first woman in such a position.
CHRISTIANS: BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR
Syrian Christians, despite many pessimistic expectations, were reportedly able to celebrate Christmas without hindrance. But it was not without incident.
In the run-up to the holiday, several individuals affiliated with HTS burned a Christmas tree in the city of Suqaylabiya in Hama province. This led to mass demonstrations by Christians on Christmas Eve (which is celebrated in Syria according to the Gregorian calendar). However, according to the new Syrian government's security service, the perpetrators were detained and given disciplinary punishment.
To reassure Syrian Christians, Ahmad al-Sharaa met with representatives of all Christian denominations in Syria on December 31. A ban was also imposed on sectarian slogans, including those directed against Syrian Christians.
However, the fear for their future among Christians in Syria has not disappeared. The situation is aggravated by conflicts between individual representatives of Christians and Muslims, which lead to an increase in interreligious tension. And, according to Christians, the new authorities are trying to side with the Muslims when resolving them.
This happened in the city of Maaloula, where a conflict between local Christians and Muslims occurred. Then one of the local Sunnis, accused of attempting to rob a Christian home, was killed. Armed Muslim militias from the surrounding villages began to converge on the city. This led to the flight of a number of Christian families, who began to accuse the new Syrian authorities of supporting local Muslims and doing nothing.
Nevertheless, many Christian communities in Syria, despite their fears and mistrust of the new authorities, are actively involved in building the new country. And the Antiochian Patriarchate has welcomed the return to the country of leading Syrian Ash'ari Muslim theologians, such as Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, a world-renowned Islamic scholar who can counter sectarian manifestations among Muslims.
The Patriarchate also organized a political conference to encourage Antiochian Christians to actively participate in the political life of Syria. “We see this as a significant development after many years of passivity in politics, which has negatively affected the Christian community in Syria. We also call on the government and people of Greece to support and assist such initiatives,” the statement said.
DRUZE AND KURDS: CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
The appointment of Druze activist Mohsen al-Maitawi as governor of Suwayda province, populated by members of this religious minority, was able to open up opportunities for more productive cooperation with the new authorities in Damascus. Thus, the largest armed Druze groups, People of Dignity and Liwa al-Jabal, announced on January 6 their readiness to integrate into the new Syrian army.
This was the result of meetings between political, religious and public figures from Suwayda and officials from the transitional government, which agreed that all key positions for ensuring security in the region would be given to Druze.
A process of negotiations has also begun between the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the new Syrian authorities.
An SDF delegation met with Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on December 30. The parties discussed the future of northern Syria, security cooperation between the SDF and the transitional government, and the fate of Kurdish-controlled areas of Aleppo.
Media outlets affiliated with the SDF called the meeting positive, noting that such discussions are expected to intensify in the coming weeks. SDF chief Mazloum Abdi noted that during the talks, the parties agreed on the need to preserve a united Syria. Therefore, it can be said that the SDF has already made certain concessions, abandoning the federalization of the country.
The transitional government hopes to peacefully integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into the structures of the Ministry of Defense and does not intend to start an armed conflict for now. This, however, may be met with opposition from Turkey and the Syrian National Army (SNA) formations associated with it, which hope to solve the "problem" of the Syrian Kurds by force and are already preparing a new military operation.
PRO-TURKISH FORCES: INTEGRATION PROBLEMS
The SNA and Turkey have their own priorities, which do not fully correspond to the plans of the new authorities in Damascus. At the same time, the integration of the SNA into the new Syrian army has not yet begun, despite statements by its factions about self-dissolution and entry into new structures.
Moreover, the future of the so-called interim government in Gaziantep, Turkey, under whose auspices the SNA operates, is also unclear: it has not yet been dissolved either.
Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the SNA, with the support of Turkey, will begin its own military campaign against the SDF, which could disrupt Damascus’ plans for the peaceful integration of Kurdish formations.
For now, Damascus and HTS have only received the opportunity to take control of border crossings that were previously controlled by the SNA.
The issue of including the "Southern Operational Headquarters" in the new army is no less complicated. It was the forces of this command that were the first to enter Damascus on December 8.
Armed groups in southern Syria have declared their refusal to disband themselves in accordance with the wishes of the new administration leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. This will complicate his task of establishing Damascus' authority throughout Syria and could lead to serious consequences and even a clash between the parties.
A spokesman for the Southern Operations Command, which currently controls Daraa province, Colonel Nassim Abu Arra, told Al-Akhbar that the southern factions do not agree with the "idea of dissolving the factions."
He noted that they have weapons, heavy equipment and full gear, and they should become part of the Ministry of Defense forces as a single military body.
However, the real leader of the southern Syrian forces, who prefers to remain in the shadows and refuses to take up positions in the new government, is Ahmad al-Awda, the former commander of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Corps, formed by the Russian military from among the reconciled rebels. He apparently also intends to play his own game, relying on the support of the UAE and Jordan, which are very wary of al-Sharaa.
The latter also has many problems with more radical groups such as Ansar al-Tawhid. Since HTS took control of Hama province on December 5, 2024, several extrajudicial executions, destruction of houses, attacks on public and private property have been recorded there. They were carried out by representatives of this group from among foreign citizens, primarily ethnic Uzbeks and people from the Russian Caucasus.
It is known that al-Sharaa met with representatives of this group in Damascus, but the results of the meeting and whether it will be liquidated are unknown. However, the number of sectarian crimes in the Hama region has decreased. Also, representatives of this radical group were unable to prevent the celebration of Christmas in the province.
ALAWITES: THREAT OF REPRISALS
Security issues in Alawite-populated areas remain the most difficult. The delicate balance between restoring order and protecting individual rights is highlighted by sporadic reports of people being detained for minor violations. There are also crackdowns on alleged accomplices to Bashar al-Assad 's regime crimes. However, the criteria for "involvement" are not clearly defined. Therefore, any Alawite who served in the security forces could be at risk.
And while there are not many serious abuses in other parts of the country, in regions where Alawites live, the number of violent acts increases sharply.
There are two factors at play here.
Firstly, the hostility of Assad's opponents towards the Alawites as the regime's mainstay that developed during the civil war. And, secondly, the persistence of cells of armed supporters of Assad in Alawite areas who carry out attacks on representatives of the new Syrian authorities.
On December 28, the transitional government's security forces launched a large-scale operation to clear northwestern Syria, the purpose of which was to find "war criminals" from among the employees of the former Syrian structures. However, independent observers noted that peaceful Alawites who were not members of the armed formations of the former government also became victims of such operations. Some of them were subjected to violence, beatings and arrests simply because they belonged to the Alawite religious community.
There have been cases of Alawites being killed by radical jihadists who serve the current transitional government. These killings have usually been presented as “eliminations” of criminals in hiding. The situation is aggravated by the presence of a large number of provocateurs and openly criminal elements in the region.
However, despite the existing cases of violence against members of minorities, there are no mass killings, much less genocide, of Alawites, contrary to the statements of a number of information resources associated with the previous regime, as well as some Kurdish and Alawite organizations.
Numerous journalists and representatives of human rights organizations work openly in the country, recording almost all cases of violence, and any acts of mass reprisals would have become known immediately. Just as the names and places of detention of all those arrested after the establishment of the new government became known.
But this does not change the existing problems that Alawite sheikhs pointed out at a meeting with representatives of the transitional government in Tartus in early January.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, through his envoys, tried to reassure the Alawites, stressing that HTS and the transitional government were seeking to protect minorities. In response, the sheikhs declared their support for the transitional phase and their desire to build a just state. They noted that the Assad regime did not represent any sect or faith, and the Alawites should not be held accountable for its crimes: it was a repressive system from which everyone suffered.
The Alawites also demanded that criminals from all sides, not just former supporters of the regime, be held accountable fairly and without discrimination. Incidentally, this demand is absolutely fair.
Of course, everyone is familiar with the mass killings of civilians by Assad's supporters from the so-called shabiha. For example, one can recall the massacre in Houla in May 2012, where more than 100 bodies of civilians were found, including 32 children under 10 years old. The UN Security Council blamed the Syrian government for these events in a corresponding resolution, which was then supported by Russia.
However, the opposition also committed mass killings of civilians, including women and children, during the conflict, and most often the victims were Alawites. Examples include the bloody events in the cities of Arima (Latakia) in August 2013 and Al-Zara (Homs) in May 2016. In both cases, the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra, the predecessor of HTS, was involved in the mass killings of Alawite civilians.
Therefore, if we are talking about searching for people who committed particularly serious crimes during the civil war, then this should not concern only the accomplices of the regime; all those responsible should be held accountable.
The Alawites also insist on the eradication of all abuses and violations that occur locally in relation to representatives of individual faiths. They supported the confiscation of weapons from all those who are not in the service of the state, but again drew attention to the fact that the confiscation operations should concern not only representatives of individual sects and faiths (primarily the Alawites), but also all other citizens of Syria, including former members of opposition groups.
Alawite leaders also called on the authorities to prevent decisions that harm social equality, such as arbitrary dismissals or delays in salaries for members of certain faiths.
Thus, over the past month, Syria has not descended into bloody chaos, but the threat of disintegration, followed by a new round of civil war, remains on the agenda. And in this matter, much depends not only on the ability of the various factions of Syrian society to negotiate and the ability of the authorities to keep the radicals in check, but also on the position of international players.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 17:25 Drone operators of the "North" group of troops continue to destroy the Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment in the Khar'kov region.
This time, our UAV operators targeted an enemy supply vehicle. The detected target was quickly destroyed.
17:21 The stormtroopers have established themselves on the northern outskirts of the Kositsa farmstead –MAP.
17:14 From 12:00 to 16:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territories of Belgorod and Bryansk regions.
15:13 Kursk direction: another tank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed the calculations of FPV drones of the Rubicon center
Reconnaissance units of the Test Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies of the Russian Defense Ministry "Rubicon" discovered a Ukrainian Armed Forces tank in a forest belt in the Kursk direction. Combat drone operators destroyed the target with precise strikes.
13:53 Advance of the Russian Armed Forces in Dzerzhinsk –MAP.
13:24 Kursk region.
The Russian Armed Forces' attack aircraft were able to take a major enemy stronghold in the Leonidovo area.
13:10 The Russian Armed Forces have restored positions near the south-eastern mine in the Stupochki area –MAP.
13:08 Assault units of the Russian Armed Forces took under control of half of the settlement of Novospasskoye in the Toretsk (Dzerzhinsk) area
12:38 Artillerymen of the motorized rifle unit of the 58thCombined Arms Army of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed identified positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Orekhov direction in the Zaporizhia region.
12:26 Local TG channels report strong explosions in occupied Slavyansk.
11:27 Two people were killed and two more were injured as a result of a missile strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Donetsk,reportedin the SC.
10:22 The moment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ attack on the “Moloko” supermarket in Donetsk –VIDEO.
10:02 An artillery crew of a 152mm towed howitzer 2A65 "Msta-B" of the "Center" group of forces destroyed a command post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction -Ministry of Defense.
Having received the target coordinates from the scouts, the gun crew carried out the targeting and destroyed the targets at a distance of more than 15 kilometers. The Orlan-30 UAV crew performed the fire adjustment and control of the target destruction. The artillerymen used high-precision munitions to destroy the targets.
9:50 The Russian Armed Forces struck an attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to secretly carry out a rotation near Belogorovka in the LPR.
The Ukrainian Nazis who survived the attack abandoned their ammunition and grenade launchers and fled, military expert Marochko reported.
9:47 In Donetsk, the Moloko supermarket came under attack from Ukrainian militants.
At least three civilians were injured, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports.
7:32 Changes tomapover the past 24 hours:
- advance in the Baranovka area
— positions west of Makeyevka have been improved
— the control zone in the area of Solenoe and Peschanoe has been expanded
- advance in the direction of Nikolskoye
— positions in Shcherbinovka have been improved
7:30 Changes tomapfor 09.01.2025
Overall results:
+ 23.54 km²
– 0 km²
Total: 23.54 km²
7:18 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 40 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles –Ministry of Defense.
A total of 16 UAVs were destroyed over the territory of the Rostov region, four UAVs over the territories of the Kursk and Voronezh regions, three UAVs over the territory of the Bryansk region, two over the territory of the Krasnodar region, one over the territory of the Belgorod region and ten over the waters of the Sea of Azov.
6:03 UAVs struck targets in Kyiv and Khmelnytskyi region.
5:47 Explosions thundered in Vinnytsia region.
4:49 Destruction of targets in Cherkassy continues.
4:19 Explosions thundered in Cherkassy.
3:35 Targets hit in Mirgorod, Poltava region.
3:09 The Russian Armed Forces are carrying out strikes using UAVs on targets in Kyiv.
1:58 Explosions occurred in the Chernigov region and in the city of Kamenskoye in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] From 4 to 10 January 2025, the Russian Armed Forces delivered 28 group strikes by precision weaponry and attack UAVs at infrastructure of military airfields, weaponry depots, attack UAV workshops and depots as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries.
Over the past week, units of the Sever Group of Forces continued to eliminate AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one heavy mechanised brigade, one tank brigade, six mechanised brigades, four air assault brigades of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and five territorial defence brigades. Two counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled.
In Kharkov direction, Russian troops inflicted losses on units of one mechanised brigade, one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades.
Over the past week in the area of responsibility of the Sever Group of Forces, the AFU losses amounted to more than 2,835 troops, 30 tanks, and 122 armoured fighting vehicles. Moreover, 117 motor vehicles, and 30 field artillery guns were destroyed.
As a result of active operations, units of the Zapad Group of Forces liberated Nadiya.
Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades of the AFU, three territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade. Nineteen AFU attempts to regain lost positions were thwarted.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 3,530 troops, one tank, 28 armoured fighting vehicles, including one Polish-made Rosamak armoured personnel carrier, one U.S.-made Bradley armoured fighting vehicle, seven U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and five U.S.-made HMMWV armoured vehicles. Russian units eliminated 52 motor vehicles, 46 field artillery guns, 11 of them manufactured by NATO countries, 10 electronic warfare stations, and 15 ammunition depots.
As a result of decisive actions, units of the Yug Group of Forces liberated Kurakhovo.
Losses were inflicted on formations of eight mechanised brigades, two motorised infantry brigades, one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade, two airmobile brigades of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades. Sixteen enemy attempts to regain a tactical position were thwarted.
Over the past week, the AFU losses in this direction amounted to up to 1,715 troops, three tanks, including one German-made Leopard tank, 12 armoured fighting vehicles, including two U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers, 17 motor vehicles, 20 field artillery guns, including four Western-made guns. Six ammunition depots were wiped out.
Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy's defences and liberated Dachenskoye.
Losses were inflicted on formations of seven mechanised brigades, two motorised infantry brigades, one jaeger brigade, two airmobile brigades of the AFU, one naval brigade, two territorial defence brigades, one national guard brigade, and one brigade of the National Police of Ukraine. 94 AFU attempts to regain lost positions were thwarted.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 3,485 troops, 11 tanks, including four German-made Leopard tanks, 40 armoured fighting vehicles, including three French-made VAB armoured personnel carriers as well as six U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers, one U.S.-made M-1117 armoured personnel carriers, U.S.-made MaxxPro and HMMWV armoured vehicles. Moreover, 41 motor vehicles, and 34 field artillery guns were destroyed.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and defeated units of three mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and three territorial defence brigades. Eight AFU attempts to regain lost positions were foiled.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 1,120 troops, one tank, six armoured fighting vehicles, including three U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured vehicles, 30 motor vehicles, and 26 field artillery guns, including eight guns manufactured by NATO countries. Six ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, two infantry brigades, one coastal defence brigade of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 685 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, 44 motor vehicles, 11 field artillery guns, five electronic warfare stations, and six ammunition depots.
Over the past week, 91 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered on the line of contact.
Fighter aviation of thre Russian Aerospace Forces shot down one MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Russian air defence systems have shot down eight U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, five French-made Hammer aerial bombs, 41 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles as well as 689 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 652 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 39,896 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,467 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,507 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,385 field artillery guns and mortars, and 30,135 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.
Units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one tank brigade, two mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, and two territorial defence brigades of the AFU close to Viktorovka, Zamostye, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Nikolayevka, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Novaya Sorochina, Pogrebki, and Russkoye Porechnoye. Four counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery strikes engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Agronom, Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Viktorovka, Goncharovka, Guyevo, Zazulevka, Kositsa, Kruglenkoye, Kubatkin, Kurilovka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Nikolayevo-Daryno, Nikolsky, Novenkoye, Sverdlikovo, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Yuzhny as well as Basovka, Belovody, Veselovka, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, and Obody in Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU amounted to more than 280 troops, two tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, three armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, five artillery guns, and two mortars. Three AFU servicemen surrendered.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to up to 50,600 troops, 296 tanks, 222 infantry fighting vehicles, 161 armoured personnel carriers, 1,520 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,441 motor vehicles, 353 artillery guns, 44 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 16 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 90 EW stations, 13 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 29 units of engineering and other materiel, including 15 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, seven armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 63% of missing Russians are young men aged 17–39.
Most of the applications concern those who went missing in 2024 – 29,472 occupiers. Most of the invaders disappeared in the fields and plantings of the Donetsk region – 19,025 occupiers, including in the Pokrovsky (8,597) and Bakhmutsky (5,164) districts.
In 2024, Russian families sent 52,000 requests about missing servicemen of the aggressor country's army to a separate project "I Want to Find" of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. This was reported by the KShPPV on Friday, January 10.
It is noted that the figure does not include the dead and is 2-3 times less than the total number of missing Russians, since not all relatives turn to the Ukrainian project.
In 2024, information was provided about the presence of 1,570 Russian soldiers in Ukrainian captivity, of which 397 were exchanged for Defenders of Ukraine.
The statistics of requests to the project demonstrate the growth of losses of the aggressor army in Ukraine. Most of the requests concern those who went missing in 2024 – 29,472 occupiers. Most of the invaders disappeared in the fields and plantings of the Donetsk region – 19,025 occupiers, including in the Pokrovsky (8,597) and Bakhmut (5,164) districts. Another 3,069 occupiers disappeared on the territory of Russia, mainly in the Kursk region.
The report noted that 63% of missing Russians are young men aged 17–39.
Among the 20 units of the Russian army that top the lists by the number of missing persons, eight are staffed by illegally mobilized troops in ORDLO. The Russian military leadership uses these units as "cannon fodder" and does not take into account the losses of personnel.
"73% of Russians who turned to the project noted that they do not support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It seems that only after losing their loved ones do Russians begin to realize the real cost of the bloody war unleashed by their country," the Coordination Headquarters added.
Let us recall that in October 2024 it was reported that in the two years since its launch, the state project I Want to Live has received 40,157 requests from Russians, and this number continues to grow.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22.44 Ukrainian defenders continue to resolutely repel the enemy, inflicting effective fire damage on them, exhausting them along the entire front line. In total, 198 combat clashes have occurred since the beginning of this day. This was reported in the General Staff report on Friday, January 10.
The Russian invaders carried out 10 air strikes, using 18 KABs. In addition, the Russians used 576 kamikaze drones to destroy the positions of our troops and populated areas, and carried out about three thousand attacks.
19:49 Russian journalists have identified the names of 88,055 Russian military personnel who have died since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Among the dead are 6,083 career military personnel from the most combat-ready units of the airborne troops, marines, special forces units of the Ministry of Defense and the Russian National Guard, as well as military pilots.
19.14 Ukraine received 52 thousand requests from Russians about missing persons. Most of the invaders disappeared in the fields and plantings of Donetsk region – 19,025 occupiers.
18.39 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Ukraine "in the coming weeks" to discuss the possibility of deploying international peacekeeping forces on its territory after the end of the war with Russia, Bloomberg reported.
18.31 As of today, 69 NEC Ukrenergo substations have been provided with the second level of protection, and work is ongoing on another 13. The construction of third-level shelters has also begun, which should completely protect 22 substations from Russian missile strikes.
18.10 In December, the government additionally financed 100 brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Each of the units received an additional 25-27 million UAH to maintain combat readiness.
17:59 The United States has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian oil. The new restrictions target more than 400 individuals and organizations in the energy sector that directly or indirectly finance the Kremlin's war machine. President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a blow to Vladimir Putin's wallet.
17:51 Women have joined the Ukrainian Legion for the first time. The second group of volunteers has signed contracts and started training in Poland.
17.23 Since the beginning of the day, 166 combat clashes have occurred on the front. Almost a third of them are in the Pokrovsk direction, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in the operational report as of 16.00.
16.51 The Ministry of Defense has strengthened control over "combat" payments. Along with the established violations and shortcomings, during the audit it was possible to prevent the illegal use of UAH 334.75 million of budget funds.
16:45 The Defense Forces attacked the command post of the 3rd Army Corps of the Russian Armed Forces in the temporarily occupied city of Svetlodarsk in Donetsk Oblast. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
16:19 Germany is preparing new large military aid packages for Ukraine, which will be provided in the first half of 2025. The details were reported by the Ntv channel, citing sources in government circles.
15:56 The US budget still has several billion dollars of aid for Ukraine, approved by Congress, left unspent and not included in the latest package. The Pentagon explained why all the approved aid was not provided to Ukraine.
15:46 Law enforcement officers have announced suspicion to 45 participants and organizers of schemes for transporting conscripts abroad. A large-scale special operation is being conducted in Ukraine.
15:31 French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed support for Ukraine during a meeting, confirming the continuation of arms supplies and financial assistance, the Elysee Palace reported.
15:05 Defense forces carried out a special operation to destroy a warehouse where ammunition and reconnaissance drones were stored in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. This was reported by the media, citing sources.
14:32 Preparations are underway for high-level Ukrainian-American contacts after Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. The main thing for Ukraine is to work together with America for a just peace, the Foreign Ministry noted.
13:55 The Ministry of Defense conducted an inspection of the brigade's supplies on the eastern front of Ukraine. Following its results, Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Klimenkov stated that the problems identified were "closed."
13:33 A resident of Sevastopol received 11 years of strict regime for "preparing a terrorist act." Konstantin Gorpinchenko was also found guilty of "cooperating with the Security Service of Ukraine."
13:08 Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump. This apparently requires "political will." This statement was made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
12:55 The bill on demobilization has been developed, but three more months are needed to work out the implementation mechanisms. This was reported by the First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Ivan Gavrilyuk.
12:41 In Ukraine, 900-950 thousand people have been exempted from mobilization. The Cabinet of Ministers also decided to grant a mobilization exemption to gas industry workers. This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during the government question hour in the Verkhovna Rada.
11:35 On Friday night, Russian attack drones attacked Kiev. In the Solomensky district of the capital, a drone hit the technical floor of a 16-story residential building. There were no casualties.
10:59 The Security Service of Ukraine detained another Russian spotter in Kherson, who was directing enemy artillery strikes on the city. During reconnaissance sorties around the city, the traitor simultaneously tracked the Defense Forces' bases.
10:52 The Ukrainian side presented a military strategy for 2025 during the 25th meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Thursday. The document provides for the stabilization of the front line and the strengthening of Ukraine's defense capability.
10:32 Ukrainian military destroyed two Russian Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile systems. The enemy also lost one launcher and loader for this system.
9:58 The National Police began a large-scale special operation to expose illegal channels for transporting military-liable men abroad. More than 600 searches have been conducted throughout Ukraine to date.
9:34 Russian troops attacked Ukraine on the night of January 10 with the 72nd Shahed strike UAVs and various types of drone imitators. Air defense shot down 33 drones, 34 enemy drone imitators were lost, one of which flew in the direction of the Russian Federation.
9:25 Soldiers of the 28th separate separate brigade and the 57th separate battalion of the Troops of Defense took the occupiers prisoner thanks to drones. This was reported by the press service of the 28th separate separate brigade.
8:28 Russia lost 1,830 of its soldiers on the front over the past 24 hours from January 9 to 10. This was reported by the General Staff.
7:28 High-ranking Russian security officials and the military are pushing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin not to negotiate an end to the war, but to continue the escalation of hostilities. This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War.
04:00 US President-elect Donald Trump said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wants to meet with him. According to him, the meeting is already being prepared. A number of media outlets understood Trump's words as "and we are agreeing on this."
02:50 During a night air attack on the capital, debris from a Russian drone hit a multi-story building in the Solomensky district. There were no casualties.
01:25 The next meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine at the Ramstein Air Base will be held in February. This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. There is no question of continuing the Ramstein format, since there is already an agreement on the meeting.
[Jpost] Hizb ut Tahrir will be holding its annual Khilafah 2025 in Hamilton, Ontario, according to Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who had objected to the group holding the event in her city.
A group seeking to destroy the State of Israel and replace southern European, Middle Eastern, and African countries with an Islamic caliphate is set to hold a conference in Canada next Saturday.
Hizbut Tahrir ...an al-Qaeda recruiting organization banned in most countries. It calls for the reestablishment of the Caliphate... will be holding its annual Khilafah event in Hamilton, Ontario, according to Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who had objected to the group holding the event in her city.
After the Islamic group — which has been banned in many countries, including the United Kingdom and Germany — indicated in advertisements that it was moving its January 18 event to Hamilton, Parrish said on X/Twitter that she was "pleased that the peaceful and respectful residents of Mississauga will not have to endure the fall out" of the "extremists" conference.
Parrish had warned on social media Friday that the city’s conditions of use for renting facilities allowed it to remove permits for organizations that exhibit "contempt or hatred." Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath issued a similar statement about the rental of city facilities on Monday, in which she also noted that she was in close contact with the Hamilton Police Service about monitoring the situation.
"There is absolutely no place in our city for individuals or groups spreading messages of division or tolerance," said Horwath.
HIZB UT TAHRIR CANADA DENIES IT'S A VIOLENT ORGANIZATION
Hizbut Tahrir Canada denied that it was a violent mostly peaceful organization in a Monday statement, assuring that it categorically rejected the use of violence in its objective to establish a caliphate in the Moslem world.
"The accusations linking the party to terrorism, extremism, and violent mostly peaceful activities are fabrications aimed at tarnishing its reputation and distracting from its call to establish Islam as a comprehensive system of governance and mercy for humanity," said HT Canada.
"The party operates in adherence to the Islamic prohibition of violence in political work, relying instead on intellectual engagement and political struggle to build public opinion and bring about societal change. Such baseless allegations are part of a wider effort to distort the image of Hizbut Tahrir and suppress its legitimate political call."
Advertisements for the Khilafah conference highlight the territory that HT wishes to establish the Khalifah (Caliphate), including Spain, Greece, India, much of the Balkans, and the upper half of Africa.
Noted.
The conference, subtitled "The Khilafah: Eliminating the Obstacles that are Delaying its Return," includes lectures on how nation-states are the enemies of Islam, how the US and colonial powers fear a restored Caliphate and how it could defeat America, and how only a caliphate would be able to "liberate Paleostine."
True.
On the HT Canada website, the group claimed that Moslem states didn’t come to the aid of Paleostinians because they were ruled by Western puppets and that the only way peace would reign was when Moslems and non-Moslems in the Levant would reside under the caliphate.
"SEEING THE carnage that the State of Israel has wreaked, not only 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... , the West Bank, and Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... but also on the leadership of resistance groups, it is easy to lose hope," HT Canada said in an October article.
Y’all losing hope is a wonderful thing. Carry on.
"Instead of distracting ourselves by focusing on local MPs who are not allowed to challenge Zionism or watching resistance videos hoping for some victory to fall from the heavens without sufficient effort on our part, we should commit ourselves to the only thing that can liberate our brothers and sisters and honor the blood of our deaders: toppling the puppet regimes in the Moslem world and replacing them with a righteous Islamic leadership.
You just got Syria, but Iran will soon be lost to the cause, and the Gulf states are moderating . Interesting times, indeed.
"It is such a leadership that will cut off the State of Israel from the supplies it desperately needs to sustain its occupation and expansion, currently supplied to it by The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... , Jordan, and the UAE."
In a draft constitution on its website, in which HT Canada explained how a jizya tax would be leveled on non-Moslem Caliphate residents, it explained that it would be illegal for the state to have treaties with a polity such as Israel established on "Islamic land" because it was against Islam to surrender Islamic territory.
Dream on, guys. You lost the possibility of Canada when Justin Trudeau announced his resignation. Austria just elected a rightwing, populist government because of the nonsense of your brothers, so your possibilities are shrinking, and in Britain Sir Keir Starmer is on his way out, to be replaced by Nigel Farage. It’s true that Belgium is toast, and France isn’t far behind, but up in Scandanavia things are changing, too, unthinkable as that was a few months ago.
"The situation of actual war has to remain with it, irrespective if there was a truce which was contracted with it by illegitimate rulers in the Moslem lands," reads the proposed caliphate constitution. "Islam requires that all of the Moslems fight against it, and so their armies must be sent to fight, and all those capable of fighting be gathered in the army, and for this to continue until the Jewish state is finished."
Hizbut Tahrir, founded in Jerusalem in 1953, is against liberal democracy, according to the Canadian chapter website.
Toronto-St. Paul’s Parliament Member Don Stewart said on social media on Sunday that not only should the conference be prevented from being held in Canada, but the organization should not be allowed to operate in the country. Stewart warned that Canada would be made part of a global caliphate.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs on Tuesday also called on authorities to stop the conference and to designate the "antisemitic" Hizbut Tahrir as a terrorist organization. On Sunday, CIJA noted on social media that the organization was proscribed as a terrorist organization in the UK. Then-home secretary James Cleverly said the UK had made the decision because it promoted and encouraged terrorism and praised attacks against Jewish people and the October 7 massacre.
Germany banned the party in 2003 because the group rejected peaceful coexistence with Israel and advocated armed violence against Israel and Jews. According to Rooters, Egypt, Bangladesh, and Pakistain have also banned Hizbut Tahrir.
[GEO.TV] Palestine's news agency Wafa reports a spate of Israeli military incursions took place in the following areas overnight:
Multiple raids have been reported across Nablus with several young Palestinians arrested.
Footage posted to Telegram and verified by Al Jazeera's Sanad agency shows the moment when Israeli forces lined up and detained dozens of young men during an attack on the town of Deir Istiya, northwest of Salfit.
Israeli forces raided al-Khader town south of Bethlehem, firing sound bombs and tear gas towards Palestinian homes and shops.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/11/2025
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NEW: I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.
We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to… pic.twitter.com/R0vq0wwZph
Covernot Hair Gel Runs for Cover
[Epoch Times] Reports of water systems that could not provide water to emergency crews during the initial response to the Palisades Fire in Southern California have prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to demand an official inquiry into why some fire hydrants failed to operate.
"I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir," the governor posted on Jan. 10 on social media platform X.
"We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires."
In a letter addressed to Janisse Quiñones, CEO and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Mark Pestrella, director of LA County Public Works, the governor said mistakes were made that "likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors."
"The ongoing reports of the loss of water pressure to some local fire hydrants during the fires and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir are deeply troubling to me and to the community," Newsom wrote. "We need answers to how that happened."
He is directing a group of state firefighting and water officials to research what happened and produce an independent report that determines the causes of the failure and suggests improvements for future responses.
[X] One cause:
For those wondering how long the Santa Ynez Reservoir has been empty the answer is June 2009. Go to Google Earth and locate Santa Ynez. There's a slider top left allowing you to scroll through historic satellite imagery which I marked with a yellow rectangle. pic.twitter.com/TjD29jqpNf
#7
Investigation of the local fire hydrants? There's time for that later. Newsome had best figure out how to put the fires out in LA ASAP! If he can't do this, he is just another worthless politician who should never been in office in the first place!
#8
Wildfire season will be followed by recall season.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 12:24
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Top||
#9
I can't make Wretchardthecat's Google Map 'slider' work, but on the current map, the map icon for 'Palisade Fire' is about 3,000' due west of the Santa Ynez reservoir.
Ironic, eh? Or maybe a "message"?
Posted by: Bobby ||
01/11/2025 12:28
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Top||
#10
I like how Boobie is like, yeah trying to call the president right now just no cell coverage oh well.
Obviously he is lying, put he puts himself into a corner, like why is there no cell phone coverage, no temp towers? That would be another failure.
These people have no thoughts, no opinions, just prepared remarks made by somebody, and they get off script they are just horrible befuddled untalented improvs.
#11
Yesterday Skidmark posted a comment with a link to the Daily Mail with a video in which Joe Biden claimed that Los Angeles fire hydrants hadn't run dry because of a water shortage, but due to power being cut to water pumps because of the killer wildfires.
Maybe I was too quick to assume that Biden knew what he was talking about, which no one should ever do. If that really was the reason, the blame is on Newsom who appoints members of the state's Public Utilities Commission and they have consistently failed to ensure that all of the state's power companies bury their damn power lines.
Later that day I wondered why those pumps were not powered by diesel engines. I dunno, maybe the greenies don't want all that nasty, smelly diesel smoke polluting their air. Now their air is polluted by the out-of-control fires.
Whatever the reason for the failure, and in spite of the tragedy, it might be fun to watch the Democrats turn on each other. Popcorn all around!
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/11/2025 12:45
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#12
Note the tears in #6 when Biden wouldn't take his calls. His career dissipation light isn't blinking. It's gone out.
[IsraelTimes] Issachar Manne and Levi Yitzchak Pilant say US violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection, dispute allegations they attacked Palestinian civilians
Two American Israeli citizens who were sanctioned in 2024 by the Biden administration over alleged violence against Paleostinian civilians in the West Bank sued various US agencies and officials on Wednesday, arguing that the action violated their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection.
Issachar Manne, who was sanctioned in July, and Levi Yitzchak Pilant, who was sanctioned in August, sued the US Treasury and State Department, as well as the Office of Foreign Asset Controls, and the three bodies’ respective heads, in a Washington federal court, according to records available online.
The US asserted last year that Manne, who operates a farm in the Hebron Hills, was connected to acts of violence against Paleostinian civilians and efforts to dispossess Paleostinians of their property.
The US alleged that Pilant, the security coordinator for the Yitzhar settlement, "engaged in malign activities outside the scope of his authority," including leading a group of armed settlers in February 2024 to set up roadblocks and patrols to attack Paleostinians and "forcefully expel them from their lands."
The announcement of the sanctions against Manne — imposed under a February 2024 executive order meant to combat "extremist violence against civilians" — explicitly identified Manne as a "foreign person" and did not mention that he is a US citizen.
Pilant, sanctioned through the same executive order, was not explicitly named a "foreign person," though this was the category of people designated by the executive order as potential targets.
Jewish Insider reported that according to the lawsuit, the sanctions resulted in the men’s credit cards being canceled and their bank accounts frozen, preventing them from making essential payments such as their children’s school fees and receiving essential income, such as Pilant’s compensation for reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces amid the ongoing war.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys — working with the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), as well as the Jerusalem-based Zell, Aron & Co., and Pennsylvania-based Marcus & Marcus law firms — argue that their clients are ineligible for sanctions by virtue of their US citizenship.
The settlers’ legal team also argued that by imposing the sanctions without a trial, the administration violated the dual citizens’ right to due process, as guaranteed in the US Constitution’s Fifth Amendment. They further suggest that the executive order itself could violate that provision, citing a 1972 ruling by the US Supreme Court that "vague laws may trap the innocent by not providing fair warning."
In addition, the lawyers dispute that the accusations against their clients are true, and suggest that by mistakenly labeling Manne a "foreign person" — a term they argue is inconsistent with US citizenship — the administration demonstrated it can’t be trusted to ascertain the facts of the matter in this case.
"If they can’t verify whether someone is a US citizen, can we really believe that they verified the accusations they made against these people? No," said Eugene Kontorovich, an NJAC legal consultant, speaking to Jewish Insider.
The lawyers claim that Manne’s West Bank property was not acquired illegally and that no Paleostinians were dispossessed of legitimate property as a result of his actions, contrary to the State Department’s allegations. They also claim that Pilant’s activities setting up roadblocks and searching Paleostinians were not meant to attack or dispossess them, but rather were necessary and legitimate security measures taken as part of their client’s military duties.
Additionally, the plaintiff’s lawyers argue that the White House never used the February executive order to levy sanctions against Paleostinian groups that targeted Jewish civilians, but only against Jews who allegedly targeted Paleostinians, asserting that this constitutes discrimination and violates their clients’ right to equal protection under the law.
The order’s preamble notes "high levels of Death Eater settler violence" when describing the situation in the West Bank. The US has separately imposed heavy sanctions on figures and organizations associated with Paleostinian terrorism.
The order, being an executive measure, can be overturned by a succeeding administration. Incoming president Donald Trump ...The man who was so stupid he beat fourteen professional politicians, a former tech CEO, and a brain surgeon for the Republican nomination in 2016, then beat The Smartest Woman in the World in the general election. Then he beat Kamala while dodging bullets... , who is set to take office on January 20, has signaled a more positive approach to West Bank settlement, along the lines of his administration’s policy during his first term in office. He has not, however, officially indicated that he plans to lift the Biden administration’s sanctions against settlers.
The February 2024 executive order came amid a surge in settler violence against Paleostinian civilians in the West Bank following the Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... terror group’s October 7, 2023 attack against Israel, which started the ongoing war.
Israel has long struggled to deal with settler violence, but the problem seems to have intensified since far-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir became minister in charge of the police two years ago.
In July, outgoing IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox lambasted settler leaders for failing to curb the violence, saying that some Israelis have adopted "the ways of the enemy."
On Monday, High Court justices impatiently demanded answers for the failure of police to curb settler violence in the southern West Bank, as the court reviewed a petition by residents of the Paleostinian village of Khirbet Zanuta, who have accused the IDF, the Israel Police and the Defense Ministry of contempt of court for failing to fulfill court orders to protect them from violence.
That same day, settlers rampaged through several Paleostinian villages, hours after a deadly shooting attack killed three Israelis in the same area, according to multiple reports.
Settler violence has also gone on for three nights in a row this week, most recently overnight Thursday-Friday, when settlers raided a village in the West Bank and set fire to Paleostinian property northeast of Ramallah.
[IsraelTimes] Farm building set on fire near Ramallah, ‘revenge’ scrawled in Hebrew on wall; no arrests made in nighttime revenge raids amid videos of burning cars, property
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A discharge of oil products from the stern of the tanker Volganeft-239 in the Temryuk district was detected. This was announced in the Telegram channel of the operational headquarters of Kuban on Friday, January 10.
It is noted that the emission occurred from the part of the vessel that was washed aground off the coast of the village of Taman.
"Monitoring groups have discovered that oil products have started leaking from the vessel. The extent of the damage is currently unknown. Marine Rescue Service specialists are on board the vessel to determine this," the publication says.
In addition, it is claimed that marine rescue service employees have begun localizing the spill, and the Krasnodar Territory operational headquarters has sent the necessary forces and resources there.
The Russian Ministry of Transport also stated that they had sent five vessels and a coastal rescue service with equipment and special machinery to eliminate the oil spill covering an area of approximately 2.8 thousand square meters.
“It will be quickly localized using boom barriers and then removed from the sea surface using biosorbent... Divers will additionally inspect the stern of the tanker underwater,” the department reported.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on December 15, during a storm in the Kerch Strait area, the tankers Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239 sank, resulting in an oil spill. On December 26, a federal emergency situation was declared in Krasnodar Krai.
On January 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin called efforts to eliminate the spill in Kuban insufficient. He also ordered a plan to raise sunken tankers with fuel oil.
A unified headquarters of volunteers helping to clean up the Black Sea coast from the fuel oil spill has also opened in Anapa. More than 10,000 volunteers are working to eliminate the pollution, saving sea animals, birds and cleaning up the coast.
On Thursday, Putin also thanked the volunteers involved in the cleanup of the fuel oil spill following the tanker crash in the Black Sea. He noted that he hoped officials would show no less responsibility in the cleanup.
A tanker that has lost control and is carrying almost 100,000 tons of oil is drifting in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of the German island of Rügen. This was reported on January 10 by the press service of the German Maritime Emergency Command.
"The tanker Eventin, under the flag of Panama, was drifting at low speed on Friday afternoon in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, north of Rügen, unable to maneuver. According to available information, the tanker was loaded with approximately 99,000 tons of oil," the statement said.
It is noted that the evacuation of the crew is not required. The command has assumed control of the operation. A multi-purpose vessel, an emergency tug and a towing team have been sent to the tanker, and an aircraft has been sent to obtain additional information.
The press service added that there is no threat of oil leakage from the tanker. A decision on its transportation to one of the German ports will be made in the near future.
According to Bild, the ship loaded oil in the Russian port of Ust-Luga and was heading to the Egyptian Port Said.
Is Egypt buying Russian oil or is that just the transshipment point?
[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 announced that they have once again targeted the US aircraft carrier USS Truman and several other warships in the northern Red Sea with multiple missiles and drones, as well as hitting the Israeli occupation army's sites in the occupied city of Yaffa (Tel Aviv).
The Yemeni armed forces issued the following statement:
''In support of the oppressed Paleostinian people, their Mujahideen and in response to the massacres against our 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 within the fifth stage of the supportive stages in the battle of the Promised Conquest and the Holy Jihad;
The Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of Allah Almighty, carried out several military operations during the past 48 hours, the most prominent of which was targeting the American aircraft carrier ''USS Harry S. Truman'' and a number of its warships in the northern Red Sea region with a number of cruise missiles and drones.
The operation was carried out by the missile force and the air force, and the operation succeeded in thwarting a new air attack against our country from that carrier, which was forced with its warships to leave the northern Red Sea region.
Yesterday, the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against a number of targets belonging to the Israeli enemy in the occupied area of Yaffa with three drones, and they were able to reach their targets successfully, thanks to Allah.
The Armed Forces salute all of our great Yemeni people, in this arena and in all arenas and fields. They salute your steadfastness, your jihad, your faith, and your response to the leader, Sayyed ...Arabic term meaning your/his lordship. Groveling in His Exalted Presence is encouraged... Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... , may Allah protect him. And emphasise your great role in this honorable battle.
The Yemeni Armed Forces reiterate that they will continue to perform their duties towards the oppressed Paleostinian people and that their operations will not stop until the aggression stops and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted.''
Posted by: Fred ||
01/11/2025
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#1
9 days until the beat down.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
01/11/2025 13:27
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New Mandatory Evaluations. The Palisades Fire has started spreading again tonight. Mandatory Evacuations are being made in Tarzana, Encino from Skirball Center to to The Getty Museum on the 405 fwy. #PalisadesFire#THEGETTYpic.twitter.com/YyZBYvbGPn
[IsraelTimes] With Iran’s proxies weakened, vehicles with missiles, artillery parade streets, black-clad women carry rifles; Pezeshkian lauds Aoun’s election, says Lebanon unity will ‘defeat’ Israel
Thousands of fighters affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday showing their readiness to face "threats."
The parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers came after the weakening of the Iranian proxy groups Hezbollah in Leb ...home of the original Hezbollah, which periodically starts a war with the Zionist Entity, gets Beirut pounded to rubble, and then declares victory and has a parade.... and Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... 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... after war erupted with the Paleostinian terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, as well as the fall of the Iran-backed regime of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Despoiler of Deraa... in Syria.
Vehicles mounted with rocket launchers, artillery and naval commandos moved through the streets, while fighters in combat gear marched on foot with rocket launchers, and black-clad women carried rifles.
Some dragged mock coffins adorned with Israeli flags, as Hezbollah flags flew along with Iranian and Paleostinian banners.
IRGC commander General Mohammadreza Naghdi singled out Iran’s enemies, the United States and Israel, telling the gathering that America was "behind all the misfortune in the Moslem world."
As for Israel, "If we can destroy the Zionist regime and withdraw the American bases in the region, one of our big problems will be resolved," he said.
Another IRGC commander, General Hassan Hassanzadeh, told state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
that one aim of the rally was to "support the population of Gaza and Paleostine."
"We also want to show that the Basij are ready to confront all threats from enemies of the Islamic revolution," Hassanzadeh added.
Also Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the election of his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun after the country went more than two years without a head of state, saying unity would "defeat" Israel.
"There is no doubt that reinforcement of stability and unity will defeat the greed of the Zionist enemy against Lebanese territory," Pezeshkian said in a message to Aoun published by the official IRNA news agency after his election on Thursday.
He added that Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... was ready to further develop cooperation with Lebanon "in all areas."
Israel was also swift to congratulate Beirut on picking Aoun, and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed hope for "good neighborliness" as the new Lebanese leader indicated that he would keep Hezbollah on a tight leash and uphold the fragile truce that ended its fight with Israel in late November.
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.
...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?...
[GP] The Biden White House raised eyebrows across the Internet today with a somewhat startling press release just days before President Trump is scheduled to take office.
Yet another very highly paid gov't czar. Is it just me, or is there actually a pattern developing here ? 
Could be sealed .....
...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 once and current oppressors of Afghanistan...
...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?...
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
...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?...
"I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir," the governor posted on Jan. 10 on social media platform X.
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
...Arabic term meaning 
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
