“Pure self-defense, Goliath!” Illustration: Harm Bengen 15 May 2018
At least 22 people were killed and 117 others injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut. Two residential buildings were struck, one completely collapsed.
“There should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists on 9 Oct.
The US warned Israel on 9 Oct against launching a military action in Lebanon like the one it has conducted in Gaza and the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border. But those words didn’t deter the IDF.
An IDF strike hit UNIFIL HQ in southern Lebanon, prompting Italy to summon the Israeli ambassador. An Israeli tank fired on an observation tower and wounded two peacekeepers. The nationality of the injured peacekeepers was not released. UNIFIL said in a statement that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told a press conference that “hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base…could constitute war crimes.” Crosetto added that Italy has asked for an official explanation “because it was not a mistake.”
The French Foreign Ministry said that while no French solider was injured in the incident, it also demanded an explanation.
Palestinians react outside the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after the IDF attacked a school housing displaced people in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on 10 Oct. (Photo: AFP)
An IDF strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people. Israel’s bombardment of central and northern Gaza in recent days has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes. The director of the only major hospital in the northern Gaza Strip now offering specialized care for children has described a “catastrophic situation” as Israeli forces launched new ground assaults and airstrikes in the north and center of the territory.
An injured woman is carried in Jabaliya after Israel issued an evacuation order. (Photo: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images)
History is going to judge Benjamin Netanyahu as the worst Prime Minister of Israel. Called the “Crime Minister” by his critics at home, Netanyahu has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. He acts and behaves as if an international arrest warrant will never be issued for him. The ICC indicted Russian President Vladimir and an active warrant was issued for him. What is delaying the issuance of Netanyahu’s arrest warrant? And how does Netanyahu keep flouting Israel’s number one financial and military supporter, the US, as well as the UN and the international community?
Sources:
UNIFIL statement (10 October) | UNIFIL (unmissions.org)
‘Catastrophic situation’ at children’s hospital as Israel renews Gaza attacks | Gaza | The Guardian
Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna Dies in Russian Captivity
Victoria Roshchyna, a freelance journalist who had previously worked with RFE/RL and other prominent Ukrainian media outlets, had been missing since early Aug 2023. (Undated photo: RFE/RL)
Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who had gone missing in Russian-occupied territories, has been confirmed dead while in Russian captivity, Ukrainian authorities reported .
Roshchyna, a freelance journalist who had previously worked with RFE/RL and other prominent Ukrainian media outlets, had been missing since early Aug 2023.
She had traveled from Ukraine to Poland on 27 July 2023 before heading toward the Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, according to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn. Her last known communication was on 3 Aug 2023.
Ukrainian Military Intelligence (GUR) confirmed that Roshchyna had been slated for a prisoner exchange and are now trying to determine what transpired.
Roshchyna’s case highlights the dangers faced by journalists reporting in war zones. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), more than 100 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been directly impacted by the Feb 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Several Ukrainian journalists remain detained or missing in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories, with Roshchyna’s death underscoring the ongoing risks faced by members of the press in conflict zones.
Source:
Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna Dies In Russian Captivity (rferl.org)
Three MAGA Militants Convicted of Attacking US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021
US President Donald Trumps supporter’s gather outside the US Capitol building on 6 Jan 2021. (Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Michael St. Pierre (46) of Swansea, MA, was found guilty on 9 Oct 2024 of felony and misdemeanor offenses for his deplorable actions on 6 Jan 2021. During the attack on USCP officers, St. Pierre incited the mob through his megaphone: “Come on everybody, let’s go everybody, we got to get everybody tight. We got to get tight! Let’s go guys! We are going to storm this bitch!”
St. Pierre (below) threw a metal flagpole top at a glass window while officers were directly behind it.
The FBI arrested this lunatic on 27 Jul 2023, in Fall River, MA.
The Honorable US District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb will sentence St. Pierre on 14 Mar 2025.
Jerry Daniel Braun (70) of South El Monte, CA pleaded guilty to six felonies for his incredibly violent conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol. This elderly maniac travelled from California to Wash DC heeding then-Pres. Donald’s Trump’s words that the 2020 election was stolen. At the melee, Braun picked up an eight-foot-long wooden 2×4 beam and assaulted several victims with it, yelling:
“F— you, traitor!” and “F— traitor. Traitor!” “We pay your f— pay!”
The FBI arrested this maniac on 12 Apr 2022 in California.
The Honorable US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly will sentence Braun on 27 Jan 2025.
Lewis Wayne Snoots (59) of Louisa, VA, pictured above, pleaded guilty to a single felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers for his egregious conduct on 6 Jan 2021.
Snoots, wearing a gas mask at times, participated in some of the most violent actions on 6 Jan. He also hindered a USCP officer from defending himself, causing that officer to sustain significant injuries, including pain from repeated taser shocks, leaving him with burn marks and a loss of consciousness. Following the attack, the officer experienced ongoing physical and cognitive challenges, including neck pain, memory difficulties, and PTSD. You can see the expression on the officer’s face in the above imagery.
The FBI arrested Snoots on 5 Sep 2023.
The Honorable US District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich will sentence this imbecile on 17 Jan 2025.
These three men threw their lives away by listening to the idiotic message of Donald J. Trump. Braun is 70 years old and in his golden years– not a good time to get jammed up by the Feds.
In the 45 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,532 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including more than 571 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Sources:
Two Dead, Dozens Sickened Following Chemical Leak at Texas Plant
The Texas city of Deer Park was under a shelter-in-place order following a chemical leak at a PEMEX plant. Image courtesy of Harris County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
Two people are dead and more than two dozen others received medical treatment following a chemical leak at a PEMEX facility in the Houston suburb of Deer Park. Shelter-in-place orders had forced thousands to stay indoors.
PEMEX, a Mexican state-owned petroleum company, said in a statement that the gas leak was reported at one of its Deer Park refinery processing units, located at 5900 Highway 225, at about 4:40 PM local time.
The City of Deer Park announced the updated death toll in a statement late Thursday, adding that 35 employees were triaged at the scene. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had earlier said one person was dead and five were injured, including one person who was airlifted from the scene by a Life Flight helicopter.
Authorities identified the agent as hydrogen sulfide, a flammable, highly toxic gas.
Texas State Highway 225 was closed in both directions near Beltway 8 because of the emergency.
PEMEX said emergency protocols were activated following the leak and notifications were sent out to local authorities.
Source:
Two dead, dozens attended to following chemical leak at Texas plant – UPI.com
Children Joining World of Espionage and Sabotage Against Russia
Civilians, most of the time adults, have historically participated in sabotage behind enemy lines. (Image courtesy: forces.net)
The Russian Duma recently introduced new, longer prison terms of up to six years for those using the internet to lure children into “criminal and antisocial activity.”
The reason for the new legislation is the war in Ukraine, as was made clear by the head of the Duma committee on security, Vasily Piskarev: “There have been cases of children, even elementary school students, being involved in sabotage. And very often communication with the child is carried out via the internet,” he said.
Russian children have routinely been caught attempting acts of sabotage since the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In the first nine months of this year, the Russian financial intelligence agency Rosfinmonitoring added 93 minors to the list of terrorists and extremists — an all-time record.
One of the youngest was 14-year-old Yegor Lauskis, who was convicted to two years in a penal colony for setting fire to a rail relay box last year. The damage amounted to less than $10.
According to the Russian investigation, the teenager, who along with his friend was recruited by the Ukrainians via Telegram, threw a bottle of inflammable liquid at the rail box, videotaped the act, and sent the video to their Ukrainian handlers.
In Sep 2023, the FSB arrested two 16-year-olds for setting fire to a helicopter at a military airbase in Omsk, Western Siberia. They admitted they had been offered $20,000 by an unknown man who contacted them on Telegram and provided instructions. Two weeks previously, two other boys, 13 and 14, set fire to another helicopter at a helipad in Siberia. The fire not only destroyed the aircraft but also seriously burned their faces and hands. They were caught and taken to hospital.
The FSB responded with more repression, treating children much as they do hardened criminals: the names of the minors were put next to real terrorists on the Rosfinmonitoring, alongside extremists accused of a mass shooting at a concert venue in Moscow in March that left 145 people dead.
Using children in warfare is not a new phenomenon. Warlords in Africa have employed child soldiers for decades. As posted here on Coriolanus, Belarus and Russia are indoctrinating young Ukrainian orphans to become loyal Russian soldiers. Using children for sabotage or vandalism is therefore a logical, if not moral, extension, especially if those Russian youngsters are disaffected by the invasion of Ukraine and wish to act out against the Kremlin.
(Image courtesy of sutori.com.)
Source:
Gloves Come Off as Children Join Europe’s Spy Wars – CEPA
Air France Says Jet Flew Over Iraq During Iranian Counterattack on Israel
(Image courtesy travelercar.com)
Air France is investigating how a jet on a Paris-Dubai flight went over Iraq as Iranian missiles taking part in a counterattack on Israel went through the same airspace.
Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward Israeli territory on 1 Oct in response to Israel attacking Lebanon on 27 Sep. The missiles had to cross Iraq to reach Israel.
(Image courtesy of flightsfrom.com)
Air France flight AF662 crossed Iraqi territory at the start of the counterattack, just before Air France ordered its planes to stop flying over Iraq and local authorities closed Iraqi airspace.
The pilots saw the missiles in the night sky from their cockpit and Iraqi air traffic controllers wished them “good luck.”
“On 1 Oct, information identified an upcoming ballistic missile attack on Israel by Iran. Consequently, and without waiting for instructions from the Iraqi authorities, Air France decided to suspend flights over the country’s airspace by its aircraft as of 1700 GMT,” Air France said in a statement.
Flight AF662 “was flying over the south of Iraq when the Iranian counterattack began, at around 1645 GMT. It left the country’s airspace shortly before 1700 GMT. Iraqi airspace was not officially closed by the local authorities until 1756 GMT.”
The statement said Air France flights “already avoided Israeli, Lebanese, and Iranian airspace” due to the international tensions and that “overflight of Iraqi airspace was limited to a specific corridor used by all airlines”.
A company spokesperson said that “an internal investigation has been opened into this incident.”
The airline did not comment on whether the pilots had seen the missiles. Ballistic missiles fly at an altitude generally higher to that of commercial airliners.
This was a potential catastrophe that luckily didn’t occur. Several years ago, Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over the Ukrainian-Russian warzone on 17 July 2014. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed.
Graphic courtesy of the UK Daily Mail. A Dutch court found three men guilty of shooting down MH17; two Russians and one Ukrainian.
Sources:
Air France Says Jet Flew Over Iraq During Iran Attack On Israel | IBTimes
MH17: Three guilty as court finds Russia-controlled group downed airliner (bbc.com)
Leishmaniasis Cases Growing in Mexico (Sand Flies)
Sand flies carry the protozoan parasites that spread leishmaniasis. It was thought to be a disease of tropical climates, but leishmaniasis-causing parasites have now been found living and circulating in the US. Photo: Science Photo Library via Science Source
According to local media, most of the affected people were mainly workers and engineers who worked on the construction of the Mayan Train in Quintana Roo State, Mexico.
Cancun and Cozumel are in northern Quintana Roo State. Map courtesy: Britannica.com
According to the federal health ministry in 2023, 1136 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were registered, double the number five years ago of 592.
Jungle deforestation, tourist activities, and population movement, is exposing more humans to the fly. Official epidemiology data reveal that throughout 2023 in Quintana Roo, there were 799 cases of leishmaniasis, in 2022 500, and in 2021 there were only 15.
Leishmaniasis is a disease that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies within the group of “neglected tropical diseases,” that is, those abandoned by the health agenda and generally unfunded for research. The origins of “gum disease” date back to pre-Hispanic times and it is not exclusive to humans, since it also occurs in dogs, cats, armadillos, or rodents.
The fly that transmits leishmaniasis does not sting, unlike the mosquito, but rather bites, and when it does, it deposits the parasites, which are called leishmania, on the skin.
Health authorities have urged the population that carries out activities in jungle areas to apply insect repellent at least every two hours, protect themselves with clothing that covers extremities and the head, as well as to be aware of the signs of an insect bite.
Sources:
Leishmaniasis, la enfermedad que se fortaleció con el Tren Maya – Corriente Alterna (unam.mx)
About Leishmaniasis | Leishmaniasis | CDC
Washington State Woman Calls 911 After Being Hounded by Up to 100 Raccoons
Sheriff’s deputies in Washington’s Kitsap County frequently get calls about animals — loose livestock, problem dogs. But the 911 call they received recently from a woman being hounded by dozens of raccoons swarming her home near Poulsbo stood out.
The woman reported having had to flee her property after 50 to 100 raccoons descended upon it and were acting aggressively. She told deputies she started feeding a family of raccoons decades ago and it was fine until about six weeks earlier, when the number showing up went from a handful to around 100.
“She said those raccoons were becoming increasingly more aggressive, demanding food, that they would hound her day and night — scratching at the outside of her home, at the door. If she pulled up her car, they would surround the car, scratch at the car, surround her if she went from her front door to her car or went outside at all,” a deputy said. “They saw this as a food source now, so they kept coming back to it and they kept expecting food.”
It was not clear what caused their numbers to balloon suddenly. Both the sheriff’s office and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife determined no laws were broken.
“This is a nuisance problem kind of her own making that she has to deal with,” authorities said. Video from the sheriff’s office shows raccoons milling around trees, and deputies who responded to the call observed 50 to 100 of them.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said under state law it is illegal to feed large carnivores, such as bears or cougars. While municipalities or counties may have local statutes forbidding the feeding of other wildlife, it is currently not against state law to do so.
Regardless, the agency discourages people from feeding wildlife. Raccoons, for example, can carry diseases, and food can also attract predators such as coyotes and bears.
An agency wildlife conflict specialist has met with the woman, who has stopped feeding the critters.
“The raccoons appear to have started dispersing now that they are no longer being fed, and we are glad for a positive outcome to this case,” said a county official.
Poulsbo is about a 90-minute car and ferry ride northwest of Seattle.
Source:
Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons | AP News
Coriolanus 