germany

Germany: Thousands Protest Rightwing AfD Congress

Police officers clash with protesters during a demonstration near the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party congress in Riesa, Germany, on 11 Jan 2025. Note that polizei officers can be identified with their numbers if they are abusive. Anyone arrested in Germany must be seen by a judge within 24 hours or they must be released. (Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen / Reuters)

Thousands of protesters shouting “No to Nazis” gathered in the German town of Riesa, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party held a key convention approving co-leader Alice Weidel as candidate for chancellor in next month’s snap election.

The meeting, which brought 600-odd delegates together on Saturday, eventually got under way two hours behind schedule after police cleared thousands of protesters mounting blockades in the AfD stronghold town, located in the eastern state of Saxony.

Saxon left-wing politician Nam Duy Nguyen was beaten by a police officer during the protests and was temporarily unconscious. A companion of the state parliament member was also hit in the face and injured. The police seemed to efficiently clear the path of protestors for the AfD.

Neo-Nazi Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD party, gestures after she was elected as top candidate for chancellor in the upcoming general elections at the party congress in Riesa, Germany, on 11 Jan 2025. Ms.Weidel apparently has an unpleasant voice, reminding listeners of nails scratching against a blackboard. (Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen / Reuters)

Alice Weidel’s grandfather, Hans Weidel, was a prominent Nazi judge. Appointed directly by Adolf Hitler, he was responsible for sentencing opponents of the Third Reich.

So much for the American taxpayer-funded De-Nazification and Marshall Programs following the Second World War.

Sources:

https://www.politico.eu/article/hidden-nazi-heritage-germany-far-right-leader-afd-alice-weidel-hans-weidel-warsaw/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/11/german-protesters-attempt-to-block-far-right-afd-congress

France Hands Over Last Army Base in Chad Ahead of 31 Jan Deadline

French soldiers in the Sahel. The last of them left the Abéché military base in Chad on 11 Jan 2025 as part of a withdrawal agreement.

In late Nov 2024, Chad abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial ruler, and French troops began leaving the country in late Dec 2024. Chad was the last Sahel country hosting French soldiers with approximately 1,000 personnel. French soldiers and fighter aircraft have been stationed in Chad almost continuously since the country’s independence in 1960, helping to train the Chadian military.

Per CIA, the Chad population is approximately 19,000,000 and GDP per capita is $1,800.

Anti-French sentiments have swept Chad, with thousands of people protesting for French military departure after Boko Haram insurgents killed 40 Chadian soldiers in the Lake Chad region in Oct 2024. The Chadian government accused France of failing to provide support or intelligence, leading to demands for French troops to withdraw and the termination of the defense pact.

Chadians waving Russian flags. (Photo: Denis Sassou Gueipeur / AFP)

Chad is rich in natural resources: petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, and salt. The Russian Wagner Group has been increasing its presence in other Sahel countries protecting mining operations that funnel resources back to Moscow to finance Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the Central African Republic (CAR), where Wagner is ubiquitous, mercenaries have killed or driven out artisanal miners and taken over processing operations across the northern and eastern regions. In Sudan, Wagner has smuggled millions of dollars in gold from the country.

Undated photo of Wagner mercenaries, a new “Afrika Korps” for the Kremlin. Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses Wagnerites of committing war crimes in Africa and the US designated them a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).


The French geo-political and military footprint in Africa continues to shrink while the Kremlin (and Beijing) increase their influence operations on the Dark Continent.

Sources:

https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250111-france-hands-over-second-army-base-in-chad-ahead-of-31-january-deadline

https://www.dw.com/en/why-chad-ended-its-military-deal-with-france/a-71173204

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx6462wl07o

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/12/12/mali-atrocities-army-and-wagner-group

https://adf-magazine.com/2023/03/wagner-group-targets-chad-for-sahel-expansion/

https://ascir.org/2021/11/18/why-china-is-building-africas-railways/

North Korea Intensifies Surveillance of Chinese Phone Users Along Border

North Korea has intensified its crackdown on Chinese mobile phones along its 840-mile border with China as part of efforts to tighten internal controls by limiting communication with the outside world. The border has been previously described as “porous” and there are 25 official border crossings between North Korea and China.

Authorities recently caught a Musan resident attempting to make a call to China. “The state security department’s radar bureau detected and arrested them within one minute of placing the call. They remain in state security detention,” a source reported.

Along the border, Ministry of State Security radar units use specialized equipment to track specific frequencies and signals, enabling real-time detection of calls to China. When agents detect Chinese telecommunications frequencies in residential areas, they immediately raid the suspected location.

The bridge over Tumen River in Yanbian, Jilin Province, connects China to North Korea. (Photo: IC)

In Yanbian, China, an ethnically Korean region on the border with North Korea, many people have relatives on the other side of the river. But these relationships are frequently kept secret. Ethnic North Koreans on the Chinese side of the border have difficulties finding spouses.

A view from the Chinese side of the bridge. A portrait of Kim Il-sung hangs on the North Korean side. (Photo taken in 2014: IC)

The Friendship Bridge over the Tumen River is for railway use only and connects North Korea to Russia. They share a ten-mile terrestrial border and a 12-mile maritime border.

Kim Jong-un wants to limit outside information from entering North Korea, a practice that has gone on for decades. There is nothing to suggest that this is affecting smuggling across the border. Moreover, there is no information that North Koreans calling migrants and relatives in the Russia Far East Oblast have been geo-located and arrested like the poor victims cited in the article. So this crackdown may also be tied with Pyongyang’s recent tilt towards Moscow, away from Beijing.

The North Korean supremo enjoying a cigarette with light refreshment while his people starve and his soldiers get slaughtered in Russia. (Photo: Reuters)

Sources:

https://www.dailynk.com/english/n-korea-intensifies-surveillance-of-chinese-phone-users-along-border/

https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/887269.shtml

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korean-migrants-vladivostok-12172018161113.html

Flight Crew ‘Astonished’ to See Glowing Objects ‘Zig-Zagging’ at 45,000 Feet Over the Bahamas

(Photo: NBC News Miami)

A Florida-bound flight crew witnessed strange orbs glowing and darting around in the night sky while flying over the Bahamas at high altitude.

“All of a sudden I heard traffic control say, we have a foreign object, can you please identify,” Flight Attendant Cassandra Martin recounted.

The flight attendant with Surjet, a private carrier, claimed that she and two pilots saw objects that left them awestruck and searching for answers as they returned to Fort Lauderdale in an empty plane. Good thing her Smartphone was handy.

(Photo: NBC News Miami)

“It started as white and then it just got green and almost like an electric some type of energy around it.”

Cassandra Martin described the objects as changing in color and exhibiting “daunting” flying capabilities while returning on a flight from the Bahamas. (Photo: NBC News Miami)

One explanation rendered for the Bahamian incident is a phenomenon called “ball lightning.” Below are some photographs for comparison.

Former NASA astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao nearly collided with a pair of metallic orbs while flying his Grumman AA5BTiger in Texas last summer. He said the orbs showed “no visible means of propulsion” when they whizzed by within 20 feet of his plane.

Astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao gives a thumb up shortly after landing aboard the Soyuz-TMA-5 spacecraft in Kazakhstan in April 2005. (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)

“They came right at me,” said Dr. Leroy Chiao, who was the commander of Expedition 10. He said the spheres were “perfectly smooth” and emphasized he witnessed the orbs on a sunny, cloudless day with good visibility.

The DOD investigates sightings and imagery of unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) and you can read about their findings here: https://www.aaro.mil/

Sources:

https://nypost.com/2025/01/04/us-news/ex-nasa-astronaut-dr-leroy-chiao-says-metallic-orbs-he-saw-had-no-visible-means-of-propulsion/

https://nypost.com/2025/01/11/us-news/florida-flight-crew-astonished-to-see-glowing-objects-zig-zagging-at-45k-feet-over-the-bahamas/

China Suddenly Building Fleet of Special Barges Suitable for Taiwan Landings

Artist’s impression of the special barge being used as a pier to land tanks and troops across an otherwise unsuitable beach. The tanks are transported by civilian roll-on roll-off (RORO) ferries. (Image: navalnews.com)

From navalnews.com:

“China is building at least five new special purpose barges which appear tailor made for amphibious assault. The barges may provide the PRC (People’s Republic of China) with a unique way to offload large numbers of tanks directly onto Taiwanese roads.

A number of special and unusual barges, at least three but likely five or more, have been observed in Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China. These have unusually long road bridges extending from their bows. This configuration makes them particularly relevant to any future landing of PRC forces on Taiwanese islands.

Each barge has a very long road span which is extended out from the front. At over 120 meters (393 ft) this can be used to reach a coastal road or hard surface beyond a beach. The barges are reminiscent of the Mulberry Harbors built for the allied invasion of Normandy during World War Two.”

The Global Firepower Index (GFI) ranks China’s military third out of 145 countries; Taiwan is ranked 22nd. Besides an outright D-Day style invasion of Taiwan, Beijing can blockade the island republic with its much larger navy, cut its underseas cables with anchors as the Russians have been doing in the Baltic Sea, and quarantine Taipei into eventual submission.

As previously reported here on Coriolanus, half of the US Navy’s amphibious ships are in dire condition. The USN 7th Fleet is headquartered at Yokosuka, Japan.

“Zero Day” is an upcoming Taiwanese TV series about a fictional invasion of their island which may be a way to psychologically ready their population for the realities of a potential war with Beijing. In 2022, there were at least ten Taiwanese soldiers serving in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion. Said one of the soldiers: ‘There’s a big chance that this will happen to Taiwan.’

Sources:

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/01/china-suddenly-building-fleet-of-special-barges-suitable-for-taiwan-landings/

https://www.globalfirepower.com/

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/4563961

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Day_(Taiwanese_TV_series)

Farmer Uncovers Large Rare Ancient Hunt Mosaic in Turkiye

This mosaic spans 84 square meters (Image Copyright Elazığ Museum)

A farmer planting an orchard in eastern Türkiye has uncovered a rare, largely intact mosaic dating back to the late Roman period, offering a glimpse into ancient hunting practices.

The mosaic includes dramatic depictions of animals such as a rare Anatolian leopard, may be the largest of its kind ever discovered in the country.

A team of conservators has been working to protect the mosaic. (Photo: Elazığ Museum)

The mosaic “is the first of its kind to have survived to the present day as a whole and in its portrayal of animals, all of which were once found here. There may be larger mosaics elsewhere in Türkiye, but those consist of geometric patterns or mythological subjects.”

One researcher speculated that the mosaic may have been part of a Roman official’s residence: “an expression of power.”

The mosaic survived empire changes and wars over the mileenia.

Turkiye is choc-a-bloc with antiquities and historical relics. Below is the fabled city of Cappadocia:

Underground city in Cappadocia, Turkiye.

Hotel carved from stone in Cappadocia, Turkiye.

Source:

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/01/07/turkish-farmer-uncovers-rare-ancient-hunt-mosaic-likely-the-largest-of-its-kind-in-turkiye

Food Poisoning Cluster on Cathay Pacific Flights Inbound From Nepal to Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Center of Health Protection (CHP) announced a food poisoning cluster of passenger groups on Cathay Pacific flight CX640 from Nepal to Hong Kong. This is the second cluster discovered in two days with the same airline flying from the same region. The cause of the food poisoning cluster is still under investigation.

The first cluster involves 16 individuals from an inbound flight from Kathmandu to Hong Kong. The second cluster on flight CX640 involves 20 individuals from distinct family groups.

All involved passengers reported symptoms like vomiting, nausea, and fever shortly after their arrival in Hong Kong.

Per CIA, Nepal has a population of 31,122,387 and per capita GDP is $4,000.

After monsoon season in 2023, Nepal recorded several cases of water- and food-borne illnesses, including a massive cholera outbreak.

Sources:

http://www.travelradar.aero

https://kathmandupost.com/health/2023/07/26/food-poisoning-water-and-vector-borne-diseases-on-the-rise

Gorilla Infant Rescued From Airplane Cargo Hold Recovers at Istanbul Zoo

Zeytin, a 5-month-old male gorilla infant who was rescued at Istanbul Airport, drinks milk in a specially created section of a zoo, in Istanbul, Turkiye, 12 Jan 2025. (Photo: Khalil Hamra / AP)

The 5-month-old endangered gorilla was discovered in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand and named Zeytin, which means olive.

Shy, Zeytin plays in a specially created section of a zoo, in Istanbul, Turkey, 12 Jan 2025. (Photo: Khalil Hamra / AP)

As a major international hub, Turkish customs officers have intercepted other illegally traded wildlife, including Nile crocodiles and monitor lizards. Wildlife officials are considering returning the endangered primate back to his original habitat.

Poor Zeytin was separated from his mother and should be fostered within a troop of gorillas so he could be properly socialized. (Photo: Khalil Hamra / AP)

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gorilla-airplane-cargo-istanbul-zoo-turkish-airlines/

https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=gorilla&searchType=species

Vietnam 63 Years Ago Today: First US Soldier Killed in Ground Combat

James T. “Tom” Davis was sent to the Republic of Vietnam in May 1961 with the US Army Security Agency (ASA) to pinpoint enemy radio transmitters. (Images: Davis family via Mark Raab)

In a tortured experience known as the Vietnam War which would eventually cost American families 58,220 of their brave sons and daughters, the very first US Army Soldier to die in ground combat was Specialist James T. “Tom” Davis 63 years ago today, on 22 Dec 1961.

James T. “Tom” Davis was a Tennessee native like Medal of Honor awardee Alvin Cullum York (immortalized by Gary cooper in the 1941 film Sergeant York),

James Davis enlisted in the US Army after high school, becoming a signals intercept specialist with the Army Security Agency (ASA).

The ASA was formed in 1945 to intercept and monitor enemy and friendly radio communications (AKA SIGINT). The ASA operated covertly in Vietnam as “radio research units.” Coriolanus is proud to write that one of his military instructors in university served with the ASA during the Vietnam War.

Excerpts from Mark Raab’s excellent article:

“The 3rd Radio Research Unit arrived at Tan Son Nhut on 13 May 1961 and was the first entire US Army unit to deploy to Vietnam. The men who got off the plane wore civilian clothes, a reflection of their secretive assignment. Previously, members of the military arrived as individuals and were placed in units after they were in-country. US personnel in Vietnam in May 1961 were assigned to Military Assistance Advisory Group-Vietnam, formed in November 1955. The US had approximately 3,000 military personnel in Vietnam at the time.”

“Tracking a Viet Cong radio signal west of Saigon on 22 Dec 1961, Specialist Davis and a contingent of ten South Vietnamese soldiers headed to meet the enemy. But their vehicle struck a powerful mine, killing nine ARVN soldiers. Specialist Davis pulled his surviving ARVN driver out of the disabled truck and fired upon the attacking Viet Cong guerillas with his carbine. Some 50 feet away from the vehicle, Davis was hit by enemy fire and fell.”

“The Viet Cong, no longer receiving any return fire, rushed to the wounded Davis. They shot the Soldier in the head and rifled through his pockets searching for anything valuable. The guerillas didn’t recover his watch which Davis kept in his breast pocket away from his electronic devices.” But Specialist Davis’ efforts weren’t in vain.

“Using fresh intelligence from the 3rd Radio Research Unit, US and ARVN personnel headed west to attack the Viet Cong at the Thieng Quang pineapple plantation in Operation Chopper on 24 Dec 1961, the first helicopter assault of the Vietnam War and the birth of the Air Cavalry.”

Specialist James “Tom” Davis was buried in his hometown at Livingston’s Good Hope Cemetery on 3 Jan 1962. On 10 Jan, less than three weeks after his death, the ASA officially named the 3rd Radio Research Unit’s Tan Son Nhut compound “Davis Station.”

Historical Footnotes:

Major Dale Buis (L) and Sergeant Chester Ovnand (R) courtesy of The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

In 1959, the first American soldiers to die in Vietnam were Major Dale Buis and Sergeant Chester Ovnand when their compound was attacked by Viet Cong guerillas.

The first American personnel to die in Vietnam were two CIA pilots supporting the French military during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954: James McGovern and Wallace Buford.

 

(Undated photo of CIA pilot James Bernard McGovern Jr)

Endnotes:

During the Cold War, Airman John Cash was a SIGINT specialist. As a crack Morse code interceptor, he deciphered Soviet signals for USAF intelligence.

While monitoring the Soviet Morse Code chatter on 5 Mar 1953, Airman Cash became the very first American to hear of the death of the Soviet supreme leader, Joseph Stalin. The “Man in Black” then relayed the important information to his superiors, a secret Johnny Cash wouldn’t reveal for many years and the rest is history.

Sources:

https://www.historynet.com/first-us-soldier-killed-vietnam/

Johnny Cash, the Man in Black, Was a Morse code Intercept Operator during the Cold War

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alvin-Cullum-York

Kiev In Flames After Massive Russian Attack:

“A Tale of Two Cities”

Ukrainian rescuers extinguishing a fire at the site of a 20 Dec Russian missile attack in Kiev. (Photo: Roman Pilipey /AFP via Getty Images)

This undated but highly appropriate photo below was taken in the closed Russian city of Yekaterinburg:

ICC-indicted war criminal Vladimir Putin continued his Nakba against Ukrainians with a massive drone attack against Kiev as winter begins to set in. This is the man that President-elect Donald Trump admires. Casualty counts are still being tabulated.

Ukrainians take shelter in a metro station during the 20 Dec attack on Kiev.

This poor child was heard calling “Mama!” as a woman led her briskly to safety, away from the burning car behind them, following Russian air strikes on Kiev on 20 Dec.

St. Nicholas Church was among the buildings damaged in Kiev.

More than 600 residential buildings in the capital were left without heating as a result of the attacks.

A Ukrainian woman appears shocked, cradling her terrified dog, in the wake of the attack.

A Tale of Two Cities

Just as ICC indicted war criminal Russian President Vladimir Putin is cruelly immiserating the people of Ukraine this winter, so too is similarly indicted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu cruelly immiserating the people of Gaza. Ukrainian lives matter, and so do Palestinian lives.

Do either of these ten-year-old girls below look like terrorists?

The visibly emotional Nadine (10) questioned why she and the people around her were being pitilessly attacked by the IDF. (Photo: Social media)

After losing her eye in an IDF attack, Areej Asaliya (10) said “My life will never be the same again.” But what future would poor Areej have had anyway in the impoverished devastated ghetto of Gaza? (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

One of the major differences between Putin’s Nakba against the Ukrainians and Netanyahu’s pogrom against the Palestinians: Funding.

The hard-working American taxpayer is rightfully funding the defense of one people from suffering while wrongfully funding the suffering of another. Since Feb 2022, the US has allocated $113.4 billion in emergency funding to support Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US committed over $3.3 billion in foreign assistance to Israel in 2022, the most recent year for which data exists. About $8.8 million of that went toward the country’s economy, while 99.7% of the aid went to the IDF. From 1951 to 2022, US aid to Israel totaled $317.9 billion.

Sources:

https://www.rferl.org/a/air-raid-warning-attacks-kyiv-ukraine/33248178.html

https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-strikes-kyiv-ukraine-/33246699.html

https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/gaza-israel-hamas-militant-group-10-year-old-breaks-down-viral-video-7318773/

https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-money-has-the-us-given-ukraine-since-russias-invasion/

https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-military-aid-does-the-us-give-to-israel/

https://archive.is/Vr1wz

https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/12/20/russia-ukraine-ballistic-missiles-drones-cyberattack-putin/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-winter-cold-power-1.6661362

Will US Make an Example of Luigi Mangione?

Luigi Mangione escorted by an army of police officers as if he was a nefarious and dangerous super combination of Hannibal Lecter and Osama Bin Laden.

After the murder of Mammonish UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, a wealthy man who proudly put profits over people, NYPD detectives began the nationwide manhunt for his alleged killer.  After being identified by a fast-food worker in Altoona, PA, Luigi Mangione was arrested and readied for extradition to NYC where he would be prosecuted by Manhattan County District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

On 17 Dec, a Manhattan County Grand Jury indicted Luigi Mangione (full indictment linked below):

Mangione Charged with one count of Murder in the First Degree and two counts of Murder in the Second Degree

But two days later on 19 Dec, the federal government (through the SDNY AUSA) charged Luigi Mangione with a litany of charges that includes death (by lethal injection).

From the official AUSA statement:

“As alleged, Luigi Mangione traveled to New York to stalk and shoot Thompson in broad daylight in front of a Manhattan hotel, all in a grossly misguided attempt to broadcast Mangione’s views across the country.“

Why would the federal government pursue charges when a Manhattan County Grand Jury already indicted Luigi Mangione?

Luigi Mangione’s defense counsel questioned conflicting federal charges she described as “highly unusual.”

“Is there one case? Two cases? Two investigations? Is it a joint investigation?” Karen Friedman Agnifilo asked US Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. 

“There are a lot of factors here that I think are very confusing, highly unusual,” she added.

Perhaps because the Empire State does not have capital punishment and the federal government may want to make an example of Luigi Mangione.

When you re-read the AUSA statement, the US Attorney admits the USG wants to quash the “grossly misguided” message, as well as the messenger.

Put another way, the American elites simply won’t tolerate attacks on capitalism or the murder of one of their own. Some people have to be made examples of. Uncle Sam has a history of making examples. First, in 1953 two alleged “atom spies” were executed:

In June 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were the only American civilians executed for espionage during the Cold War, a case prosecuted by the notorious Roy Cohn.

The funeral services were held in Brooklyn on 21 Jun 1953. The Rosenbergs were buried at Wellwood Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery in Pinelawn, NY. The Times reported that 500 people attended and some 10,000 stood outside.

Based on subsequent Russian decryptions, Ethel Rosenberg knew about Julius’ espionage work “but that due to ill health she did not engage in the work herself” and an innocent woman was executed.  

Another example was the infamous federal execution of Timothy McVeigh on 11 Jun 2011. Instead of being imprisoned in a Supermax BOP facility for life with other convicted terrorists and murderers, American society demanded vengeance for the 168 people killed (including 19 children) and 684 injured in the 19 Apr 1995 terrorist attack in Oklahoma City, OK.

Execution chamber, USIP Terre Haute, IN.

Since 1976, sixteen people have been executed under federal jurisdiction by the US government. All were executed by lethal injection at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, IN. According to the US BOP, there are 4,982 prisoners incarcerated for Homicide, Aggravated Assault, and Kidnapping Offenses. Not all federally convicted murderers in prison are executed.

And what is this misguided message the US government wants to extinguish? The dangerous and inconvenient truth that unregulated capitalism, particularly in the health insurance industry, doesn’t work for the poor and suffering masses and that seeking private retribution for these injustices simply won’t be tolerated.

Today, the elites seem to be demanding vengeance– not justice– for killing one of their own or else the Manhattan DA would be trying this open and shut murder case. But since Mangione won’t face the death penalty in a NYS court, the US government intervened, giving itself the option of extracting its pound of flesh from Luigi Mangione. Having said that, Coriolanus strongly suspects that should Luigi Mangione be federally convicted, he will face life behind bars in a remote prison in Colorado.

But America’s wealthy elites and CEOs ought to pay attention to the suffering of the masses which will only increase under the imminent Trump-Musk-Putin regime and Project 2025. Nationwide, health industry executives and politicians have been scrambling to secure their homes with infrared robotic cameras, bulletproof glass, and secret doors to safe rooms. A robust phalanx of sinister-looking bodyguards and a medic have been observed accompanying super-oligarch Elon Musk.

A common and daily scene during the French Revolution.

Sources:

https://manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-murder-indictment-of-luigi-mangione/

https://manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mangione-Indictment-FINAL-as-filed.pdf

Luigi Mangione’s attorney takes issue with federal, state charges

https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/luigi-mangione-charged-stalking-and-murder-unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-and-use

https://www.justice.gov/d9/2024-12/signed_complaint_mangione.pdf

https://manhattanda.org/

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – Wikipedia

 Terrified CEOs resort to extreme secret security tactics after Brian Thompson assassination amid copycat fears | Daily Mail Online

US: Avian Flu Advisory

California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as “Bird Flu.” Tests have confirmed H5 avian flu in two cats that died after drinking recalled raw milk and LA county health authorities are investigating three other possible cases in cats that weren’t exposed to raw milk.

The virus has spread in 16 states among dairy cattle, following its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024.

In Louisiana, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial backyard flock (non-poultry) in Bossier Parish.  This is the first case of HPAI in domestic birds in Louisiana during this outbreak, which began in February 2022.

The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has detected highly pathogenic avian influenza in an Ottawa County flock, following an investigation from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD)

According to an announcement from the department Monday, this is the first detection of the disease in a Michigan poultry flock since the state worked to manage the largest outbreak of the disease in May 2024 and the second in an Ottawa County commercial facility since the disease was first detected in the state in 2022. 

According to the CDC, the public health risk associated with these avian influenza detections in birds remains low.  As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.

The avian flu will probably be the Trump administration’s first health challenge. The incoming president gained experience during the COVID pandemic and Americans will see how Trump and his cabinet handle this growing emergency which potentially threatens the economy, people, and cats.   

Sources:

USDA Confirms Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Backyard Non-Poultry Flock in Louisiana | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

CORRECT-ATTESTED.pdf

Governor Newsom takes proactive action to strengthen robust state response to Bird Flu | Governor of California

Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in Ottawa County, MDARD warns.  • Michigan AdvanceLos Angeles County confirms avian flu in cat deaths as more cases suspected | CIDRAP

Germany: Demented Saudi Refugee Rams Car into Crowd Killing Several and Injuring Hundreds

A nine-year-old child and four adults have been killed after a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg.

More than 200 people were injured – at least 41 critically – in the attack on Friday evening.

A black BMW SUV ploughed 400 meters through the crowded market in an attack that lasted about three minutes. The suspect has been named in local media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi citizen who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had worked as a doctor.

Taleb al-Abdulmohsen (Social media)

Prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said that the investigation was ongoing but suggested the background to the crime “could have been disgruntlement with the way Saudi Arabian refugees are treated in Germany”.

The suspected attacker has no known links to Islamist extremism and he appears to be a “lone actor.” His social media and posts appear to suggest he had been critical of Islam.

A source close to the Saudi government told the BBC it sent four official notifications known as “Notes Verbal” to German authorities, warning them about what they said were “the very extreme views” held by al-Abdulmohsen.

The source, who asked not to be named, said these notifications were ignored.

However, another experienced counter-terrorism expert said the Saudis may be mounting a disinformation campaign to discredit someone who tried to help young Saudi women seek asylum in Germany.

Al-Abdulmohsen is thought to have driven into the market through an entry point which was reserved for emergency vehicles.

The suspect is a psychiatrist who lived in Bernburg, around 40km (25 miles) south of Magdeburg. Originally from Saudi Arabia, al-Abdulmohsen arrived in Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognised as a refugee. He ran a website that aimed to help other former Muslims flee persecution in their Gulf homelands.

Friday’s incident is not the first time people at a Christmas market have been attacked in Germany.

In 2016, Anis Amri, a Tunisian man who failed to gain asylum in Germany and had links to the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, drove a truck into crowds gathered at a church market in Berlin, killing 12 and injuring 49 others.

Two years later, a gunman opened fire on a Christmas market in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, killing five and injuring another 11 people. The gunman was shot dead by police two days later.

Only last month, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser talked about the need for “greater vigilance” at the highly popular markets but said there were no “concrete” indications of danger.

She also reportedly pointed to tougher laws on weapons in public spaces following a knife attack in Solingen, west Germany, in August in which three people died.

The RW AfD will gain in the snap elections and auslanders (even innocent ones) will be deported from Germany in 2025.

Elon Musk recently tweeted:

“Only the AfD can save Germany.”

AfD Neo-Nazis spent Election Day at Mar a Lago. The tall man on the left is a reputed porn star. (Image: Social media)

All of this terrorism, discord, and xenophobia in the West makes Vladimir Putin’s day. Elon Musk must be ecstatic that his tweet reached an international audience before news of this callous and brutal attack at Christmas revelers in Germany reached most Americans in the US.

Sources:

German Christmas market attack: Nine-year-old among five killed

December 21, 2024 – Coverage of the Germany Christmas market attack | CNN

China: Seven Alleged Spies Arrested in Guam During US Missile Testing

Seven Chinese citizens have been arrested for allegedly attempting to illegally enter Guam, a US territory, while the military was conducting a key missile defense test.

The incident, which occurred on 10-11 Dec 2024, has raised concerns about potential espionage as four of those detained were found “in the vicinity of a military installation,” Guam’s Customs and Quarantine Agency said. The arrests came as the US Missile Defense Agency conducted an interception test involving advanced radar systems at Andersen Air Force Base on 10 Dec 2024.

“Conducting espionage against US military facilities, especially those with missile launch capabilities, could provide the PRC with potentially valuable intelligence,” US think tank Institute for the Study of War said.

The USN destroyer John Paul Jones launches an SM-6 during a live-fire test of the ship’s Aegis weapons system. The Missile Defense Agency’s first flight tests involving its defense of Guam architecture will include the Aegis series. (Photo: US Navy)

The arrested individuals reportedly arrived on the island by boat from Saipan. Guamanian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, but there has been no immediate response from China’s foreign ministry to the arrests or the allegations.

Chinese intelligence uses the million grains of sand approach to collect information and China’s satellites and radar can efficiently gather telemetric data, so these seven alleged spies were sent to Guam to pick up any scrap of ancillary information about the missile launch, the vessel, photos of crew members, telephone numbers, or any grain of sand that will help create a mosaic of intelligence in Beijing.

Sources:

Seven Chinese nationals tried to illegally enter Guam as US tested missile, authorities say | The Independent

First flight test for Guam missile defense planned for end of 2024

Future White House Press Conferences Under Donald J. Trump

Below are the questions the White House Press Corps should be asking President Trump next year:

“Thank you, Sir, for answering my question about deportations. One follow-up, please. Does President Musk agree with you?”


“Sir! Sir!” How long did it take President Putin to select your Cabinet appointments?”


“Sir! Will President Musk be given Air Force Two?”


“Thank you, Sir! Does President Putin email or call you with his instructions?”


“Mr. President, did you run this idea past Elon Musk? And he OK-ed it?”


“Sir, how long does it President Putin to make decisions impacting US national security? And has his English improved when he gives you directions?”

Golden Retriever Gets Puppy Sibling to Grow Up With

Human Rights Watch (HRW): Israel Using Water as Weapon of War Against Palestinians in Gaza Strip

Palestinians struggling to collect drinkable water in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. (Photo: Hatem Khaled / Reuters)

Calling it an “act of genocide,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that since October 2023 Israeli authorities have deliberately obstructed Palestinians’ access to the adequate amount of clean water required for survival in the Gaza Strip. Full report with graphs and photos linked at bottom.

“If we can’t find drinkable water, we drink the sea water,” a displaced Palestinian father testified to HRW. “It happened to me many times when I had to drink the sea water. You don’t understand how much we are suffering.”

Moreover, for years ecologists have accused Israel of using sewage as a weapon against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to spread disease and misery. See report linked at bottom.

A Gaza residential street is inundated by sewage. (Photo: Rosa Schiano / International Solidarity Movement)

Meanwhile, over the past 24 hours the IDF killed 32 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including children, and at least four in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians mourn over the body of loved ones killed after an IDF strike at Al-Ahli Arab hospital (AKA the Baptist Hospital) in Gaza City. (Photo: Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP)

During this 14-month pogrom, the Gaza Health Ministry reports that a minimum of 45,129 Palestinians have been killed and 107,338 wounded or maimed, including non-combatant women and children. The number of deaths is likely to be far higher as many bodies are believed to remain buried underneath the rubble across the devastated Strip. The IDF claims that 17,000 of the deceased were militants. The retribution ratio for the 7 Oct 2023 raid that killed 1,200 Israelis is 40:1. The 250 innocent Israelis were seized to conduct a prisoner swap for any number of the thousands of Palestinians being held incommunicado without trial or hearing in security detention by the IDF. See full report linked at bottom.

This week Amnesty International projected “End Gaza Genocide” on the EU HQ building in 24 languages similar to this:

In a report released earlier this month, Amnesty International concluded that Israel’s devastating war on Gaza meets the legal threshold for genocide. Apologists for the brutal Likud regime have feebly attempted to parse the language of this damning report, but as the Immortal Bard wrote: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Amnesty has called on EU leaders meeting to halt all arms transfers to Israel, ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and ensure justice and accountability for Israeli crimes.

(The above photo courtesy of the Washington Post was verified as genuine by snopes.com)

The avuncular-looking Avi Dichter must have heard your plea, young lady.

Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter (Likud) said: “We’re rolling out Nakba 2023.” (Photo: Abir Sultan / Flash90)

The IDF certainly has, Sir.

Is Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague, Holocaust survivor Rene Lichtman, the government of Ireland, or US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) incapable of describing ethnic cleansing or genocide– or are they antisemitic for calling out the patently and blazingly obvious? Are people all over the world blind?

Fortunately, not everyone in the world is blind to suffering.

For years, the US Democratic Party position for peace in the Middle East was based on crafting a Two-State Solution. The Likud Party’s interests are antithetical to that of the US Democratic Party. Not paying attention to the American peace movement cost Kamala Harris the White House in 2024.

That any world leader takes Benjamin Netanyahu’s telephone call or wants to be photographed next to him absolutely staggers the imagination.

Sources:

https://www.hrw.org/report/2024/12/19/extermination-and-acts-genocide/israel-deliberately-depriving-palestinians-gaza

https://theecologist.org/2013/nov/02/gaza-sewage-weapon-war

https://archive.is/xnHsM

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/anatomy-of-a-genocide-report-of-the-special-rapporteur-on-the-situation-of-human-rights-in-the-palestinian-territory-occupied-since-1967-to-human-rights-council-advance-unedited-version-a-hrc-55/

https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a79363-report-special-committee-investigate-israeli-practices-affecting

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-12/ty-article/israeli-security-cabinet-member-calls-north-gaza-evacuation-nakba-2023/0000018b-c2be-dea2-a9bf-d2be7b670000

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/12/19/live-israel-kills-14-in-northern-gaza-as-it-continues-to-deny-un-access

https://amnesty.ca/human-rights-news/israel-opt-horrifying-cases-of-torture-and-degrading-treatment-of-palestinian-detainees-amid-spike-in-arbitrary-arrests/

https://www.snopes.com/

Ukraine/Russia Update

Janis Timma in an undated photo (Credit: Getty)

The body of Latvian basketball star Janis Timma was found after he reportedly fell from a Moscow apartment complex.

The 32-year-old, who played for teams like Zenit Saint Petersburg and Orlando Magic, was discovered in the stairway of a high-rise building on his ex-wife Anna Sedokova’s birthday.

The NBA ace had recently faced backlash when he announced his intention to play professionally in Putin’s Russia despite his brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Janis Timma told Latvian outlet LSM in Oct 2024:

 “It’s something interesting to me. I thought why not give it a try?”

Popular Ukrainian singer and actress Anna Sedokova was pictured crying after learning of her ex-husband’s completely unexpected demise in Putin’s Russia. (Credit: Instagram)

The preliminary cause of the young athlete’s death with his whole life and career ahead of him was ruled as a suicide.

Most likely thanks to the UK, Ukraine will have a new weapon to fight Russia.

A Ukrainian commander revealed the existence of the weapon, called “Tryzub,” during a defence conference on Monday.

Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, who commands Kiev’s unmanned forces, said Ukraine was only the fifth country to have an operational laser.

Ukrainian troops will use the laser to shoot drones and planes out of the sky (Photo: Reuters)

“As of now, we can use this laser to shoot down aircraft at altitudes of over two kms.”

Tryzub is the name of the golden trident on Ukraine’s coat of arms and is the symbol of the country. Ukraine developed the weapon most likely with help from the UK which designed the DragonFire DEW system.

Former UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps suggested in Apr 2024 the UK’s laser weapon DragonFire could be sent to Ukraine.

Finally and as expected, North Korean soldiers have become expendable “cannon fodder” for Vladimir Putin and the Russians are trying to cover it up.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says this blurred image from a video shows Russians burning the face of a dead North Korean soldier. (Volodymyr Zelensky’s official Telegram channel)

At least 100 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia have been killed, with nearly 1,000 wounded in the Kursk region, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). The high casualties were attributed to the troops’ inexperience with drones and unfamiliar terrain.

A language barrier is hurting enemy efforts as well. North Korean soldiers opened fire on the vehicles of the so-called Akhmat battalion resulting in eight dead Kadyrovites (Chechens loyal to Ramzan Kadyrov). In military terms this is called “fratricide.”

North Korea has reportedly sent over 10,000 soldiers and significant artillery supplies to aid Russia’s war effort against Ukraine which neither Russia nor North Korea have officially confirmed.

Despite the reported losses, intelligence suggests North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is training additional troops for deployment. Experts say Kim is keen to acquire advanced technology from Russia and gain battle experience for his troops. Kim Jong-un will also neatly pocket the monthly $2,200 salary of each North Korean soldier sent to die for Russia.

A screenshot of an image released by the Ukrainian drone warfare unit Magyar’s Birds. The unit said it shows the bodies of North Korean soldiers killed in the Kursk region. Part of the image has been blurred by RFA. (Magyar’s Birds)

Sources:

https://www.the-sun.com/sport/13108326/basketball-star-janis-timma-dead/

https://www.the-sun.com/news/13119788/ukraine-laser-gun-drones-trident/

https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates-zelenskyy-wants-strong-trump-on-our-side/live-71103227

https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2024/12/16/north-korea-ukraine-russia-casulaties/

https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2024/12/17/north-korean-soldier-video-russia-12172024/

German Chancellor Scholz Loses No Confidence Vote Ahead of February Elections

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks on the day of a confidence vote called by him to pave way for snap election, at lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, 16 Dec 2024. Herr Scholz is no Frau Merkel. (Photo: © Liesa Johannssen / Reuters)

394 Bundestag deputies voted against Scholz while only 207 expressed confidence in the chancellor, with 116 abstentions.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier can now move to dissolve the legislature and formally declare the agreed 23 Feb 2025 election date.

Friedrich Merz – the top candidate of the conservative CDU-CSU opposition alliance of ex-chancellor Angela Merkel – is well ahead in opinion polls.

The political contest comes at a time when Europe’s top economy is struggling to revive its stuttering export-led industrial sector amid high energy prices and tough competition from China. Berlin also faces major geopolitical challenges as it confronts Russia over the Ukraine war and as Donald Trump’s looming return to the White House heightens uncertainty over NATO and trade ties.

Germany’s political turmoil comes as France has also been roiled by crisis and gridlock which saw President Emmanuel Macron asking centrist politician François Bayrou to try to form a new government.

German politics in the post-war era was long staid, stable and dominated by the two parties, the CDU-CSU and the SPD, with the small FDP often playing kingmaker.

The Greens emerged in the 1980s, but the political landscape has been further fragmented over the past decade by the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), a shock for a country whose dark World War II history had long made far-right parties taboo.

Formed as a Eurosceptic fringe party, the AfD grew into a major political force when it protested against Merkel’s open-door policy to migrants, and now has around 18 percent voter support.

(Map: Courtesy of BBC)

While other parties have committed to a “firewall” of non-cooperation with the AfD, some of them have borrowed from its anti-immigration and anti-Islam rhetoric. Following the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, some CDU lawmakers were quick to demand that the around one million Syrian refugees in Germany return to their home country.

The winter election is all the more heated as it comes at a time “the German model is in crisis,” said Berlin-based political scientist Claire Demesmay of Sciences Po Paris.

According to Demesmay, Germany’s prosperity “was built on cheap energy imported from Russia, on a security policy outsourced to the USA, and on exports and subcontracting to China.”

NATO members Germany, France, and Canada are experiencing political unrest and doubts for the future which is music to the Kremlin’s ears as Vladimir Putin wants to undermine America, NATO, and the EU.  In no surprising move, Elon Musk posted the following message:

“Only the AfD can save Germany.” 

 AfD Neo-Nazis Spent Election Day at Mar a Lago. The tall man on the left is a reputed porn star. (Image: Social media)

Source:

German Chancellor Scholz loses no confidence vote ahead of February elections

Twelve People Found Dead Inside Restaurant at Popular Ski Resort

Twelve people were found dead inside an Indian restaurant at a popular ski resort in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, apparently all employees.

The Mtskheta-Mtianeti Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Georgia said that the bodies were discovered in Gudauri — a popular and well-known ski resort near the Russian border located approximately 75 miles north of the country’s capital city of Tbilisi.

Gudauri ski resort in Georgia on 17 May 2019. (Photo: Reinhard Kaufhold / Picture-Alliance /DPA /AP)

“In the resting area on the second floor of the Indian restaurant located in Gudauri, the bodies of 12 people employed in the same facility were found,” Georgian officials said in a statement. “At the initial inspection, no signs of body injuries or signs of violence were detected.”

However, according to a preliminary investigation, authorities discovered that a power generator had been placed in a closed space within an indoor area of the resort near some bedrooms. An investigation under Article 116 of the Criminal Code of Georgia has been launched, suggesting that the deaths were due to negligent manslaughter.

The investigation into the deaths is ongoing. But prima facie, this mass manslaughter seems to be unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning.

Source:

12 people found dead inside restaurant at popular ski resort – ABC News

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mystery Illness Could Be Severe Malaria

The DRC has a population of 115,403,027; 75% of them live under the poverty line. (Map: CIA)

Health officials are narrowing in on the cause of dozens of unexplained deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that a severe form of malaria is likely responsible.

The illness was considered a mystery for weeks. It has killed at least 37 people and sickened 592. Local authorities previously told Reuters that the death toll exceeded 140.

Health officials in Africa have been referring to the illness as “Disease X” while awaiting test results.

Concurrent health issues among the population, such malnutrition and known viral infections, could exacerbate the illnesses.

Millions of displaced people live in places like Bulengo IDP Camp. (Photo: Concern Worldwide)

An Anopheles stephensi mosquito feeding on a human host. (Photo: alchetron)

Mosquitos are man’s greatest acme predator. Mosquito-borne diseases kill more than one million people and infect up to 700 million each year – almost one in ten people. As the planet warms and climate change lengthens the mosquito season, the world’s deadliest creature will expand its geographical range to new regions and re-emerge in areas where mosquito numbers had subsided for decades.

Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/congo-disease-outbreak-severe-malaria-rcna183299

https://www.cdc.gov/global-health/impact/fighting-the-worlds-deadliest-animal.html

NYC Resident Pleads Guilty to Operating Secret Police Station of Chinese Government in Lower Manhattan

Chen Jinping is smiling now but five years in an FCI may slap that grin off his face. (Photo: FBI)

Chen Jinping (60) of New York, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in connection with opening and operating an undeclared overseas police station, located in downtown Manhattan, for the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Chen Jinping and co-defendant “Harry” Lu Jianwang conspired to act as illegal agents of the PRC government and also obstructed justice by destroying evidence of their communications with an MPS official. While acting under the direction and control of the MPS official, the defendants worked together to establish the first known overseas police station in the US on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the MPS. The police station — which closed in the fall of 2022 — occupied an entire floor in an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown.

The clandestine police station was situated on the third floor of the Changle Association of America on East Broadway in Chinatown.

Lu and Chen helped open and operate the clandestine police station. None of the participants in the scheme informed the US government that they were helping the PRC government surreptitiously open and operate an undeclared MPS police station on US soil.

China may have more illegal police stations operating in the US. (Map courtesy of the UK Daily Mail.)

The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the US. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit:

https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.

Chen faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Per Chen’s plea agreement, the government has agreed to dismiss the obstruction of justice charge against him. Lu has pleaded not guilty to both of the charges against him and is awaiting trial.

One Police Plaza and 26 Federal Plaza are sneezing distance away from this ex-Chinese spy post. This was both remarkable and brazen of China. Apparently Canada is also coming to grips with the same problem of clandestine illegal Chinese government police stations.

No doubt the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will uncover these illegal and nefarious Chinese mouchards,

Sources:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-resident-pleads-guilty-operating-secret-police-station-chinese-government-lower

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11988889/China-six-illegal-police-stations-US.html

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca

https://www.cbc.ca/

China: Food Poisoning Afflicts 15 Tourists from Hong Kong

15 individuals from Hong Kong were affected by food poisoning after returning from a group tour in Guangdong, China. The incident has raised alarms about food safety and hygiene, prompting health officials to remind the public of the importance of maintaining personal and environmental hygiene, especially when travelling abroad.

The affected group, comprising five males and ten females aged between 57 and 94, began experiencing symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and fever after dining at two restaurants in Zhanjiang. Fourteen of the individuals sought medical treatment either while on the Mainland or after returning to Hong Kong. Among them, one person required hospitalization but has since been discharged following treatment.

The group consumed a variety of seafood dishes, including oysters, abalone, shrimp, sea cucumber, and fish. Preliminary assessments suggest that the food poisoning may have been caused by norovirus or Vibrio parahaemolyticus, both of which are known to be associated with seafood consumption and can lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

In response to the outbreak, the CHP has reached out to Mainland health authorities, sharing the details of the cases to facilitate further investigations. They are also appealing to other participants from the three-day tour organized by E King Travel (International) Limited to come forward for follow-up and medical surveillance.

Health officials are urging anyone who experiences symptoms related to foodborne illness—such as fever, gastrointestinal distress, or general malaise—to seek immediate medical attention.

Source:

Fifteen tourists affected in Hong Kong food poisoning cluster linked to Guangdong trip

Tiger Has Been Chained Up Her Whole Life

Meet Susu from Thailand:

If Susu could purr, she would. Thank you kind tiger rescue folks in SE Asia.

Likud Continues Murder-Death-Kill Pogrom Against Arabs

Lebanese soldiers stand guard as rescuers search for survivors in the rubble at the site of an IDF attack on the al-Shiyah neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday(Photo: [Anwar Amro / AFP)

In AKZ-L, the Israeli Death Forces (IDF) killed three Lebanese soldiers in an air strike on an army base in southern Lebanon’s town of Sarafand. The latest killings bring the overall death toll in the Lebanese army to 41.

The IDF has not yet commented on its latest killing of Lebanese soldiers who have for months provided security for Lebanese civilians and engaged in search and rescue efforts amid the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon’s government plans to file a formal complaint with the UNSC over “repeated attacks” by Israel on its army, and accused Israeli forces of repeated violations of international law. The IDF has also been targeting Lebanese medical personnel and infrastructure.

In AKZ-G, IDF airstrikes killed 12 Palestinians and ten are missing under rubble in Jabalia. The IDF killed one and wounded several Palestinians in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. The victims (below) were photographed at al-Ahli Arab Hospital.

A Palestinian woman mourns after an Israeli attack on the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City at al-Ahli Arab Hospital (Photo: Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu)

Several young children were injured in this IDF attack (Photo: Dawoud Abo Alkas / Anadolu)

The IDF targeted members of the Gaza Civil Defense after they responded to the initial bombing (Photo: Dawoud Abo Alkas / Anadolu)

In AKZ-W, the IDF conducted ethnic cleansing raids at the following locations:

  • The city of Hebron
  • The city of Halhul, north of Hebron
  • The Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron
  • The cities of Ramallah and el-Bireh
  • The towns of al-Mughayyir and Silwan, north of Ramallah
  • The Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah
  • The village of Osrin, south of Nablus.

The casualty list has not been tabulated at time of publication.

Coriolanus and media outlets have difficulty keeping up with Israeli atrocities. Remarkable how easily and callously IDF pilots and drone operators can launch their weapons without regard to collateral damage or nearby innocent parties.

When destroying medical personnel/infrastructure and housing, the IDF creates the “NHI” condition (“No Human Involved”). “NHI” allows wounds, disease, starvation, and exposure to freezing temperatures to attrit Arabs without killing them directly. This is why the IDF targets the medical personnel of Lebanon so they cannot treat wounded Shia Muslims resisting the Israeli offensive.   

By year’s end the IDF will probably have killed a total 50,000 Muslims in the three Arab Killing Zones (AKZ), while maiming close to 150,000. Coriolanus monitors the Murder-Death-Kill rate as best as possible from open source media. In just over one year, the IDF already surpassed 38,239, the number of Muslims liquidated by Bosnian Serb war criminals from 1992-1995. See previous post for sources.

According to worlddata.info, Israel ingloriously shares the stage with Afghanistan, Belarus, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, and Syria as a Pariah State. Congratulations to the State of Israel for the wonderful accomplishment.

With the exception of the US, which country would welcome the utterly loathsome Likudnik Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu other than the Hague for war crimes prosecution?

Source:

(1) Update LIVE: Israel shells Gaza’s Kamal Adwan, kills three soldiers in Lebanon

List of the 13 current Pariah States

Ukrainian Killing Zone (UKZ): Russia Murders 21, Wounds +100 in Odessa and Sumy with Missile Strikes

Russian missile strikes on 18 Nov left at least 21 people dead and more than 100 injured in Ukraine, as strikes targeted the cities of Odesa and Sumy.

In Odesa, a midday strike left ten people dead and 39 injured, including a child, with four in critical condition. The strike damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, with the city’s center among the hardest-hit areas.

Hours earlier, a late-night missile strike devastated a residential building in Sumy, a city 40 kms from the Russian border, leaving 11 dead, including two children, and 89 wounded.

The Russian attack damaged 90 apartments, 28 cars, two educational institutions, and 13 buildings.

Rescuers evacuated over 400 residents and continue to search for survivors. The attack also left Sumy’s administrative center without power.

The late-night attack on Sumy followed what Kyiv said was a “massive” attack on Ukraine’s power grid with 120 missiles and 90 drones that killed at least seven people. Moscow routinely denies targeting civilian infrastructure. Such strikes are widely considered a war crime.

Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s power infrastructure since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts.

The massive Russian attack also came as US President Joe Biden had reportedly authorized the use of US-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike inside Russia, after lobbying by Ukrainian officials.

The weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to send thousands of troops to support Russia in the Kursk region where Ukraine mounted a military incursion over the summer.

In the overnight attack on Sumy, the Ukrainian Air Force said the Russian military used two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and a Kh-59 guided missile.

The US Embassy in Kiev closed on Wednesday after receiving “specific information of a potential significant air attack,” as the Kremlin warned it would retaliate after the Biden administration reportedly permitted Ukraine to strike deeper within Russia.

Ukraine and Russia will continue pounding each other with drones and missiles over the next two months until Donald Trump assumes the Presidency. Kiev must maximize what it can during this pre-Trump period because they should expect nothing from Washington DC afterwards.  

Sources:

At Least 21 Dead in Russian Missile Strikes In Ukraine’s Odesa, Sumy

US closes Kyiv embassy after reciving information on ‘potential significant air attack’ – UPI.com

The Striking US Parallels Between 1968 and 2024

2024 Democratic Party Candidate VPOTUS Kamala Harris (L); 1968 Democratic Party Candidate VPOTUS Hubert Humphrey (R)

Many parallels exist between the 1968 and 2024 US presidential elections. In both instances, the Democrats were the incumbent party that had won the preceding election with landslide numbers. Both re-elections were theirs to lose.

1964

In the 1964 Presidential election, the Democratic Party ticket of Lyndon B. Johnson/Hubert Humphrey won 43,129,040 votes (61.1% of the popular vote) compared to the GOP ticket of Barry Goldwater/William Miller which took 27,175,754 votes (38.5% of the popular vote).

The LBJ administration would pass the Civil Rights Act (1964), the Voting Righting Act (1965), and other progressive legislation under the Great Society program to eradicate poverty and racial injustice in the US. But LBJ increased America’s involvement in Vietnam, propping up a brutal and unpopular regime in Saigon by deploying more American Soldiers to the jungles of SE Asia.

The Vietnam War would wreck LBJ’s legacy, including the Great Society program.

Anti-war protestors in 1968 (Image: thenation.com)

1968

Fierce opposition to the Vietnam War on the nation’s college campuses and within the Democratic Party led LBJ to not seek re-election in 1968. LBJ’s approval rating in April 1968 was under 40%.

At the 1968 DNC Convention in Chicago, anti-war protestors were excluded from having a voice and the “enemy” were “g—ks” and “Communist guerillas.” VPOTUS Hubert Humphrey became the POTUS candidate to carry on LBJ’s policies. Before that fateful 1968 convention, a candidate named Robert F. Kennedy ran for President but was tragically assassinated months prior. A woman’s right to an abortion was illegal, Moscow had invaded Czechoslovakia, and white supremacists strutted openly in the Deep South.


In 1968 members of the KKK, a domestic terrorist organization, proudly walked the streets in “Old Dixie”. You wonder what that little girl (C) is thinking and what has happened to her since. The two young men on the left may have served their country in Vietnam.

In the Nov 1968 election, the Humphrey/Muskie ticket won 31,271,839 votes (42.7%) to Nixon/Agnew’s 31,783,783 votes (43.4%). Segregationist George Wallace siphoned away 9,901,118 votes from both the Democrats and the GOP (13.5% of the popular vote and carrying five southern states). Richard M. Nixon narrowly won the White House.

Critically, the Humphrey/Muskie ticket received 11,857,201 less votes than from four short years ago. Millions of Democrats did not support the pro-war 1968 Humphrey/Muskie ticket or the Great Society program.

2020

In the 2020 election, the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket won 81,283,501 votes (51.3% of the popular vote) compared to 74,223,975 votes (48.6%) for the GOP Donald Trump/Mike Pence ticket. This was a sizeable victory for the Democrats. The post-COVID US economy grew and consumer prices began to drop. Russia would invade Ukraine in Feb 2022 and the Biden administration immediately began sending military and financial aid to Kiev. But Palestinian frustration at being unable to release thousands of prisoners being held in security detention by the Israelis led to a surprise attack to seize hostages in Oct 2023. Backed by US military and economic support, Israel conducted massive reprisals against the Palestinians at a 20:1 scale.

2024



Nationwide campus protests in 2024 against US support for Israel during its Nakba against Gaza looked eerily similar to college protests against US involvement in Vietnam in 1968. Americans disliked the unpopular leaders and policies of both 1968 Saigon and 2024 Jerusalem.

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT):

“Continuing to provide Israel with the offensive weapons it uses on civilians is morally wrong.”

Anti-war protestors gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, MA, on 14 Oct 2023. (Photo: AFP)

Pres. Joe Biden’s approval rating in June 2024 dropped to 43%. After a poor performance at one debate, Biden was persuaded to step aside for his much younger VPOTUS, Kamala Harris. The incumbent VPOTUS received 99% delegate votes at the DNC convention.

Like in 1968, in 2024 anti-war protestors were excluded from having a voice at the Chicago DNC Convention. The “enemy” in 2024 were not “g—ks” like in 1968 but “Islamic terrorists” in the Gaza Strip.  Moreover, a man named Robert F. Kennedy (Jr) ran for POTUS as an independent (yes, the son of slain Bobby Kennedy), Moscow had invaded Ukraine in Feb 2022, a woman’s right to an abortion was illegal, and white supremacists parade down Main Street, USA.  

In Nov 2024 Columbus, Ohio, neo-Nazis recently paraded down a street without fear. (Source: Social media)

In the recent 5 Nov 2024 election, Harris/Walz won 73,912,254 votes (48.3% of the popular vote) to Donald Trump/JD Vance’s 76,535,898 votes (50% of the popular vote).

The GOP won 2,311,923 more votes than in 2020. Green Party candidate Jill Stein insignificantly pickpocketed .5% of the popular vote, siphoning off nothing consequential like segregationist George Wallace in 1968.

Importantly, the Harris/Walz ticket received a whopping 7,371,247 less votes than in 2020, including Blue State strongholds. In 2024, Democrats simply stayed home (just like in 1968) or voted for Donald Trump.

Biden and LBJ, both former VPs, became one-term presidents (LBJ was a five-year POTUS because of the 1963 JFK assassination). Both passed the torch to their VPs. In 1968 and 2024 the incumbent Democratic candidates lost significant numbers of voters within a short span of four years, undoing their previous domestic achievements.

In 2024 the Biden administration through USSECSTATE Antony Blinken and D/CIA William J. Burns earnestly tried to achieve a ceasefire with the warring parties in the Middle East to release innocent Israeli and AMCIT hostages. The US ultimately failed because of Likudnik Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu who has turned Israel into a Pariah State. The USIC term for Netanyahu is PIFWC: Person Indicted For War Crimes.

Sources:

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/op-eds/bernie-sanders-no-more-arms-sales-to-netanyahu/

https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/12/opinion/zelizer-lbj-vietnam-disaster/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Democratic_National_Convention_protests

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dnc-roll-call-of-states-2024/

LBJ’s Presidential Approval Ratings, 1963-1969

Biden approval polling tracker

NATO and EU Suspect Russia Sabotaged Two Baltic Undersea Cables

European governments and the US have accused Russia of intensifying “hybrid attacks” following reports that Baltic Sea fiber-optic communications cables were damaged by suspected sabotage, although they have not yet directly tied the incident to Moscow.

Moscow has long denied it is involved in sabotaging Western infrastructure to punish European countries for their assistance to Ukraine’s defense, but suspicions grew in Western capitals on 19 Nov that damage to two key Baltic Sea cables were likely the result of deliberate actions.

Ukraine’s allies pointed to past incidents of alleged sabotage by Moscow, especially following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has hit the 1,000-day mark amid devastating losses on both sides.

(Map courtesy: ontheworldmap.com)

Regional states are investigating the cutting of a cable connecting Finland to Germany and one linking Sweden and Lithuania following similar suspicious occurrences in the sea in recent years.

Swedish prosecutors and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation separately said national authorities had launched investigations into the cut cables.

Moscow has said such allegations are being fabricated by the West to discredit Russia.

As reported here on Coriolanus, Moscow was likely to carry out sabotage operations and has been bolstering its secretive marine (GUGI) unit that deploys ships, submarines, and drones to survey the Baltic seabed.

NATO stepped up monitoring critical infrastructure in the Baltic following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline seven months later.

A ship lays the now-damaged telecommunications cable off the shore of Helsinki in Oct 2015. (Photo: AFP)

The West should expect increased sabotage and espionage from the Kremlin to maximize damage to NATO and the EU until Donald Trump assumes the presidency in January 2025. And even after then as Commander-in-Chief, Trump can order the USIC and DOD to ignore Russian espionage, leaving the onus of counterintelligence in the hands of NATO and EU partners.

Source:

Europeans Probe Baltic Cable Damage as Suspicions Turn Toward Russia

Canada Reportedly Foiled Iranian Plot to Assassinate Former Justice Minister

Liberal MP Irwin Cotler speaks in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, 15 Dec 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

Canadian authorities recently foiled an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Irwin Cotler, a former justice minister who has been a strong critic of Tehran.

The 84-year-old was justice minister and attorney general from 2003 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2015 but has remained active with many associations that campaign for human rights around the world.

Cotler was informed on 26 Oct that he faced an imminent threat — within 48 hours — of assassination from Iranian agents.

Cotler had already been receiving police protection for more than a year after the 7 Oct 2023 attack in Israel by armed Palestinian groups seizing hostages in order to trade them for any number of the 2,000 Palestinians being held in indefinite security detention.

Cotler, who is Jewish and a strong backer of Israel, has advocated globally to have Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps listed as a terrorist entity.

His name reportedly also came up in an FBI probe of a 2022 Iranian murder-for-hire operation in New York that targeted American human-rights activist Masih Alinejad.

Ottawa, which severed diplomatic ties with Iran more than a decade ago, listed the Revolutionary Guard as a banned terrorist group in June.

It said at the time that Iranian authorities displayed a consistent “disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilize the international rules-based order.”

As a lawyer, Cotler also represented Iranian political prisoners and dissidents.

Cotler’s daughter pictured above, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, is an Israeli politician and diplomat who previously served as a member of Israel’s parliament. (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem / The Jerusalem Post)

As reportedly here on Coriolanus, the nexus of organized crime and the intelligence world is deeply enmeshed. The IRGC-QF most likely contracted out the killing to local criminals but were foiled by Canadian security services. Analyzing available public documents, the author is surprised that the IRGC considers Irwin Cotler an HVT (high value target) who is worth the risk and money to assassinate.

RCMP Close Protection Team in the Diamond Formation escorting Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Note the tell-tale lapels pins on the dark-suited centurions. (Undated photo by Chris Wattie / Reuters)

Sources:

Former Canadian minister Irwin Cotler says he was target of alleged Iran-backed assassination plot – ABC News

New York City Issues First Drought Warning in Two Decades

The sky is lit red, orange and blue behind One World Trade Center and the Manhattan Skyline just before sunrise in NYC. Mayor Eric Adams elevated the city’s drought watch to a warning. (Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has issued the city’s first drought warning in 22 years, as its reservoirs continue to drop below normal amid a near-record dry spell.

The warning was issued Monday as wildfires have threatened to spark across much of the Eastern US this fall, including in NYC, where a Brush Fire Task Force was launched as 271 brush fires ignited citywide in the last two weeks — a record over a 14-day period.

The fires are being exacerbated by dry weather. October and November saw the second-longest rainless streak in 155 years.

Officials said the city’s water reservoirs were at about 60% capacity, significantly lower than the 79% for this time of year.

“Over the last 10 weeks, we have had 8.23 inches less rain than in the average year,” Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala of the Department of Environmental Protection said. “So, this drought has come on fast, it has come on furious, and that’s why the last six weeks have been the driest on record.”

The warning follows a drought watch issued earlier this month. With the upgrade to the second of three levels of water conservation, city agencies were directed to immediately implement water-saving measures.

NYS Gov. Kathy Hochul also declared a drought watch because of “a historic shortage of rainfall” for the state, while elevating 15 counties in mid-Hudson and New York City to a drought warning. The governor has also declared a statewide burn ban.

The last time NYC was under a drought warning was in 2002.

As previously reported here, environmental degradation is affecting another megalopolis. The air pollution in Delhi, India, is now at ‘extreme’ and ‘toxic’ levels.

Air quality in India’s Delhi region reached “severe plus” with pollution at 1,500 on the Air Quality Index. (Photo by Rajat Gupta/EPA-EFE)

Source:

New York City issues first drought warning in two decades – UPI.com

Missouri: 90 E. coli Cases Tied to Rockwood Summit HS Events

More than 90 cases of E. coli have been linked to Rockwood Summit High School events in St Louis County, Missouri.

The St. Louis County Health Department said 94 cases have been identified. Some of those cases have been confirmed; others show compatible symptoms and links to confirmed cases.
Health authorities said the cases are allegedly connected to Andre’s Banquet and Catering which catered some events for Rockwood Summit High School.

The St. Louis County Health Department suggests that salad is the source of illness, but a specific ingredient has not been identified.

One lawsuit has been filed against the catering company on behalf of a cheerleader at Rockwood Summit High School.

The owner of Andre’s Banquets and Catering said the lawsuit has no merit. He said vendors spot-check produce loads daily, are USDA-inspected and follow strict food safety guidelines. He also claimed that the fact that three students who aren’t Rockwood Summit High School students were infected is proof his business is not the source of the outbreak.

State and local health department workers were at the catering business to take samples of food for testing. Health department officials will also use genetic testing on stool samples to get more certainty on the outbreak.

An E. coli outbreak in 18 states that involves organic carrots is not linked to this incident.

E. coli are germs called bacteria and are found in many places, including in the environment, foods, water, and the intestines of people and animals. Most E. coli are harmless and are part of a healthy intestinal tract. E. coli helps humans digest food, produce vitamins, and protect people from harmful germs.

But some E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and other illnesses.

Sources:

https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/11/18/more-e-coli-cases-tied-rockwood-school-events/

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/about/index.html

TSA Intercepts Loaded Firearm from Flight Crew Member at Reagan National Airport Security Checkpoint

A member of an airline flight crew was cited by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport intercepted a firearm among a flight crew member’s carry-on items at one of the checkpoints on Friday, 15 Nov. The 9mm handgun was loaded with nine bullets, including one in the chamber. See photo above.

When TSA officers intercepted the firearm, they notified the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Police who responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and issued a citation to the woman. TSA also notified the airline of the serious violation.

Additionally, the woman faces a Federal civil penalty for bringing a loaded firearm to a TSA checkpoint. The Federal penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000.

To transport a firearm for a flight, it must be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided case and declared at the airline counter so it can be placed in the belly of the aircraft with the checked baggage.

In 2024, TSA confiscated 36 firearms at Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA).

The scale of firearms ownership and custodianship in the US is simply breath-taking. As if Americans don’t have enough to worry about getting shot on the streets, now they have to worry about “flying the unfriendly skies.” Recently, an unknown assailant fired shots at an airplane at Dallas Airport; no injuries were reported and the aircraft sustained slight damage. According to CDC data, 48,830 people were killed with a firearm in the US in 2021. No doubt next year a freshman GOP lawmaker will be caught with a firearm at a TSA or US Capitol Hill security checkpoint and be outraged at the indignation.

Source:


https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2024/11/18/tsa-intercepts-firearm-flight-crew-member-reagan-national-airport

Egypt: Stray Dogs in Giza Become Tourist Draw After ‘Pyramid Puppy’ Sensation

A pack of about eight dogs has made its home among the ancient ruins of the Giza Pyramids. Look at the thick paws of this confident canine. (Photo AFP)

Beneath the blazing Egyptian sun, crowds at the Giza Pyramids gazed up at the ancient wonders, but some had their eyes peeled for a new attraction.

“There he is,” one Polish tourist told his wife as they spotted a scrappy dog perched on one of the stones.

They were talking about Apollo, a stray who became an overnight sensation last month after being filmed scaling the Great Pyramid of Khafre, one of the seven wonders of the world.

The viral footage, captured by American paragliding enthusiast Alex Lang and shared online by his friend Marshall Mosher, showed Apollo fearlessly climbing the 136-meter monument, barking at birds from the summit.

“He was acting like a king,” Lang said.

As news of Apollo’s daring climb spread worldwide, interest grew in the dogs who have long made their homes among the ancient stones.

A visitor from Argentina felt a special bond with the dogs saying it felt like connecting with the pharaohs while petting a member of Apollo’s pack.

Apollo’s newfound fame has even inspired local guides to include him and his pack in their stories for tourists.

“This is Anubis,” one tour guide told two American tourists, comparing Apollo, now known as the “pyramid puppy”, with the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, often depicted as a man with a jackal’s head.

“He and his pack are now part of our tour conversations,” said Sobhi Fakhry, another tour guide.

Businesses around the Giza plateau are also seeing a boost as tourists are eager to meet the so-called pyramid dogs.

One pyramid guard, who preferred to remain anonymous, also said that some celebrities had paid for permits to have their own dogs photographed with Apollo.

Apollo, a three-year-old Baladi dog, is part of a pack of about eight that has made their home among the ancient ruins. The dogs, a local breed, are known for their resilience, intelligence and ability to survive in Egypt’s harsh climate.

The American Cairo Animal Rescue Foundation monitors the pyramid dogs and described Apollo as the pack’s “alpha male”.

Apollo was born in a rocky crevice within the Khafre pyramid where his mother, Laika, found shelter. Sadly, some of Apollo’s siblings did not survive the site’s perilous heights. A sympathetic guard eventually relocated Laika to a safer spot where Apollo now stands out with his distinctive curled tail and confident nature.

The initial focus of Lang and Marshall was the daring canine climber, but their visit led to a deeper connection with Cairo’s stray dogs.

Intrigued by the challenges they face, Mosher decided to adopt a puppy from the pack: Anubi, who is Apollo’s daughter. Anubi will join Marshall in the US after she receives the dedicated care she needs in Egypt to grow up healthy.

At the pyramids, local animal care groups are now working with the government in order to set up food and water stations for the strays, as well as for other animals including camels and horses. A permanent veterinary center will be established at the pyramids with staff set to receive animal care training.

Source:

Stray Dogs In Giza Become Tourist Draw After ‘Pyramid Puppy’ Sensation | IBTimes

Know Any Global Climate Change Deniers? Show them this. Swarms of Yellowjackets Plague North Carolina Residents After Hurricane Helene

Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, NC, on 28 Sep. Photo: Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images

  • Flooding in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene has led to swarms of yellow jackets.
  • Heavy rain and standing water likely destroyed the insects’ nests underground and in trees.
  • State health officials said they have bought Benadryl and EpiPens to help people who get stung, especially those with allergies.
  • One million people without power in the Carolinas; over 200 killed in US by Hurricane Helene; hundreds still missing or unaccounted for.
  • 1,000 active-duty troops ordered to assist with recovery efforts.
  • Flooding increased the risk of water-borne and mosquito-borne diseases dramatically.

Most people aren’t allergic to wasp or bee stings but may still develop pain, itching or swelling at the site. Benadryl, either in topical or oral form, can help reduce those symptoms. Epinephrine injections, or EpiPens, are reserved for people with severe allergic reactions — such as trouble breathing or swallowing — which can sometimes be life-threatening. 

Hayes said people who are allergic to bees are usually allergic to yellow jackets, as well, though the scale of the reaction might differ.

Sources:

Yellow jackets swarm after North Carolina floods, prompting need for Benadryl and EpiPens (nbcnews.com)

October 2, 2024: In wake of Hurricane Helene, desperation grows to find missing people | CNN

Mexican Military Kills Six Migrants Near Guatemalan Border

Soldiers stand guard outside a hospital where injured migrants were taken after Mexican soldiers shot a group of 33 migrants in Tapachula, Mexico. 2 Oct 2024. Photo: Jose Torres/Reuters

One day after Mexico’s first female president was inaugurated, soldiers opened fire at a pickup truck carrying migrants, killing six people from Egypt, El Salvador, and Peru, in an incident that President Claudia Sheinbaum described as “regrettable.”


The tragic event occurred on Tuesday evening when soldiers spotted a vehicle carrying 33 migrants “going at high speed,” according to the Mexican Defense Ministry (AKA SEDENA). The vehicle reportedly tried to evade a military patrol in Chiapas, a Mexican state bordering Guatemala.

“Behind the pick-up truck there were two vehicles like those used by criminal groups in the region,” the ministry said, adding that two soldiers reported hearing explosions leading them to open fire.

Four of the migrants died on the scene and two more in a nearby hospital. The attack also left 12 wounded.

Sheinbaum called for the incident “to be investigated and punished” and the soldiers involved in the attack were turned over to the Attorney General’s Office.

Violence has been on the rise in Chiapas as cartels fight for control of lucrative routes for smuggling migrants and drugs. The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have been engaged in a turf war in the area, with hundreds forced to flee their homes last January.

President Claudia Sheinbaum announces salary increases for military personnel, focusing on lower enlisted soldiers and junior officers.

These poor migrants were escaping terrible, violent conditions in search of a better life, only to be needlessly killed. There is no information indicating where the sounds of the explosions originated and if the human traffickers opened fire on the Mexican soldiers. Authorities haven’t disclosed whether the refugees or the smugglers were armed. Through no fault of her own, President Sheinbaum is off to an inauspicious start to her five-year term. Nevertheless, she is going to change politics in Mexico for a long time to come.

Source:

Six migrants killed in Mexico after military fires at vehicle | CNN

FBI: Seven 6 Jan 2021 Seditionists Processed: Four Arrested; Two Sentenced; One Convicted

The FBI and the Justice Department has been extremely busy over the past 24 hours dealing with 6 Jan 2021 white-supremacist insurrectionists.

First, the FBI made four arrests.

Photo: FBI

Andre Maurice Bonneau (64) of Lewiston, Maine, pictured above, was arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges. Bonneau allegedly disregarded police orders to “get back” and grabbed a bicycle rack in an apparent attempt to breach the police line. Bonneau struggled with officers over the bike rack as he attempted to lift and remove the barricade from the police line. In response to his actions, officers defended themselves by using their riot batons against him and deploying a chemical irritant in Bonneau’s direction. The officers successfully repelled Bonneau’s advance and he retreated.

Christopher Jordan (circled in green) lunging toward a police officer; Earl Jordan (circled in yellow) being moved by other officers. Photo: FBI

Brothers Christopher Jordan (48) of St. George, UT and Earl Jordan (50) of Dickens, IA, were arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges.

Earl and Christopher were seen allegedly engaging with and confronting law enforcement officers during the melee. Earl Jordan allegedly threw his elbow at a police officer, knocking him off balance. Christopher Jordan allegedly lunged toward another officer. Despite verbal commands from police to “get back,” the brothers continued their aggressive behavior. Earl Jordan was allegedly swiped at an officer’s face before grabbing the officer by the throat in another encounter. Simultaneously, Christopher Jordan engaged another police officer, pushing and attempting to wrest control of the officer’s baton.

Despite repeated efforts by the officers to break free from the crowd and establish a police line the Jordan brothers persisted, blocking law enforcement. The brothers then disappeared into the crowd, allowing the officers to regroup behind their line.

Later that day, both brothers confronted police again. Earl Jordan picked up a piece of metal fencing and hurled it as officers struggled to prevent rioters from breaching the building. The Jordan brothers remained on Capitol grounds until the evening hours of January 6th, when law enforcement successfully cleared the area.

James Roe Cleary identified himself to the FBI as being seen in images taken from the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol. (Photo: US DoJ)

James Roe Cleary (56) of Waterford, CT, was arrested for felony civil disorder, assault, and trespassing during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

Cleary was involved in the most intense fighting between rioters and police in the Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on 6 Jan.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants above are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Two miscreants below were sentenced for their participation in the 6 Jan 2021 attack on American democracy.

Michael Oliveras outside the US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021. (Photo: US DoJ)

First, Michael Oliveras (51) of Lindenwold, NJ was sentenced to five years in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by the Honorable US District Judge Beryl A. Howell.


A federal jury convicted Oliveras of three felonies in Nov 2023. Oliveras traveled to Washington, DC prepared for “war on January 6” because he wanted to stop the certification of the Presidential election. At the Capitol, he swarmed and helped attack a unit of police officers on the West front, engaged in a brawl with officers on the West Terrace, and entered the US Capitol twice—and attempted to enter a third time—during the riot, all while repeatedly calling for the execution of “traitors,” i.e., lawmakers, and encouraging rioters to drag members of Congress out “by their hair.” Oliveras documented many of his actions on videos he took himself.


Oliveras violently engaged and re-engaged with police officers during the fracas and was undeterred even after being sprayed with chemical irritant. After law-enforcement finally secured the US Capitol, Oliveras returned to NJ and posted on social media about his attack on the Capitol:


“Did we want to get our bare hands on the flesh of those who have committed treason? Yes. Would I, as one of those red-blooded Americans, if the opportunity presented itself, grasped and removed one of those traitors? Yes.”


On 8 Jan 2021, Oliveras posted again: “Patriots. Are any of you discouraged? What you saw in the Senate was precisely what we want. Insurrection acts in motion.”
 
           
The FBI arrested Oliveras on 9 Dec 2021, in NJ. After his arrest, Oliveras repeatedly joined YouTube airings and exclaimed that he was not sorry for his actions and he would “do it again.”

Jeremy Daniel Groseclose on 6 Jan 2021. (Image: FBI)      

Second, Jeremy Groseclose (41) of Elliston, Virginia, was sentenced to 40 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 by the Honorable US District Judge Christopher R. Cooper.

Groseclose was found guilty on 21 Nov 2023 of felony civil disorder and felony obstruction of an official proceeding, in addition to the misdemeanor offenses following a bench trial.

Groseclose was among a mob of rioters illegally on the Capitol grounds. During his time inside the Capitol building, Groseclose wore a gas mask and interfered with US Capitol Police (USCP) officers as they attempted to prevent the mob from progressing farther into the Capitol. As USCP tried to close a security door located on the east side of the Crypt, Groseclose and others prevented the door from closing by placing chairs, trash cans, and other objects under the door. Groseclose and others also used their hands to lift the door as it was closing. Ultimately, Groseclose and the mob prevented the door from closing and moved toward the retreating USCP officers.

Security footage captured Groseclose taking pictures and recording videos of the chaos inside the Capitol building. In particular, at about 2:39 PM, Groseclose documented a physical struggle between law enforcement officers and a member of the mob. Later, Groseclose captured an image of a dark red substance – believed to be blood — on the floor of the Capitol Building just outside of the Rotunda. The images and videos that Groseclose appeared to capture were not found on his phone, and in the days following the attack, Groseclose sent messages to others discussing the deletion of evidence.

The FBI arrested Groseclose on 25 Feb 2021 in Elliston.

Lastly, one lunatic was just convicted.

Jay Matthew Kenyon (47) of Harrisonburg, VA, was found guilty of felony civil disorder and four misdemeanor offenses. The Honorable US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson will sentence him on 10 Jan 2025. After breaching the US Capitol, USCP was able to escort Kenyon from the building. But the defendant returned and resisted law-enforcement efforts to eject him. USCP then finally removed him one hour after he trespassed.

A US Capitol Police Officer identified Kenyon with brandishing a knife during the ordeal.  The complaint read: “Officer _ recalled the individual swinging the knife and perceived that the individual was trying to attack officers. Officer _ disarmed the individual.”

According to online court records, Kenyon has faced additional charges for assault and battery of a family member, contempt of court and additional traffic violations dating back to 2011.

The FBI arrested Kenyon on 28 Feb 2023, in Harrisonburg, VA.

In the 44 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,504 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including more than 560 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.

These dangerous fanatics represent America’s Fedayeen Saddam (FS), white supremacist dead-enders who are trying to cling on to the last vestiges of white privilege in the US. In addition to Fox News and social platforms that disseminate hate speech, hundreds of American AM radio stations broadcast radically right Republican talking points which these miscreants listen to and believe. According to the 2021 Congressional articles of impeachment, then-President Donald Trump incited his supporters to attack the US Capitol, made easier for him by this ugly cesspool of hate speech dominating the internet and airwaves.

Sources:

District of Columbia | Maine Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

dl (justice.gov)

District of Columbia | Brothers from Iowa and Utah Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

dl (justice.gov)

District of Columbia | Connecticut Man Arrested for Felony Civil Disorder and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

dl (justice.gov)

District of Columbia | New Jersey Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

District of Columbia | Virginia Man Sentenced to Prison on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

District of Columbia | Virginia Man Convicted of Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

Harrisonburg ‘Patriot’ who brandished knife on Jan. 6 convicted (augustafreepress.com)

Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System (state.va.us)

Why do right-wing voices dominate the AM dial? Decades of change cemented shift. • Kansas Reflector

Trump impeached for ‘inciting’ US Capitol riot in historic second charge (bbc.com)

Israel Continues Bombing Beirut; Biden Says Hitting Iran’s Oil Sector Under Discussion

Smoke rises following an explosion over Beirut’s southern suburbs after an air strike late on 3 Oct. (Reuters)

Multiple explosions from Israeli air strikes rocked the suburbs of Beirut late on October 3 as the United States said it is discussing strikes on Iran’s oil facilities as retaliation for Tehran’s missile attack on Israel earlier this week.

Giant balls of flames could be seen shooting into the night sky around the Lebanese capital hours after the Israeli Army had sent evacuation orders to residents in several areas of the city.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported “more than 10 consecutive strikes,” which it called “one of the strongest raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut since the start of the Israeli war on Lebanon.”

Earlier on 3 Oct, an IDF strike on an apartment building in downtown Beirut near the Lebanese parliament killed nine people. More than 1,100 people have been killed since Israel launched its aerial bombardment on 23 Sep. About 1.2 million people have been displaced, a fifth of the population, in the biggest displacement in the country’s history. In Beirut, schools, universities, mosques, and even soccer stadiums have been converted to shelters for refugees. Even then, thousands have nowhere to go and are sleeping on beaches, in parks and squares, or in their cars.

Displaced children sleep on the sidewalk in downtown Beirut. Photo: Patrick Baz / AFP

The Lebanese military is unable to defend its sovereign airspace, territory, or population. Lebanese Hezbollah will fire rockets into northern Israel and avoid head-to-head confrontations with the modern, US-funded IDF, employing guerilla tactics in this modern-day David versus Goliath clash.

US President Joe Biden, when asked by reporters in Washington on 3 Oct whether the White House supports strikes on Iran’s oil facilities, said: “We’re discussing that. There is nothing going to happen today.” Biden also said he would not support an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran’s military has warned it would launch broader strikes if Israel responds to its 1 Oct missile counterattack on Israel.

Nothing would please Israeli Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more than US military intervention against Iran. American military casualties would be the “icing on the cake,” feeding his Islamophobic rhetoric and further cementing the ionic bonds between the US and Israeli right-wing, even though war against Iran is not in the best interest of the hard-working American taxpayer or military servicemember.

For years Israeli PM Netanyahu has been vilifying Iran and assassinating their nuclear scientists while maintaining his own atomic arsenal. Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) Treaty; Israel is not. Then-POTUS Barack Obama wasn’t so easily fooled. Illustration source: Cleveland.com

And besides immense loss of civilian life, a protracted conflict keeps Netanyahu’s bribery and corruption trial in abeyance, threatens oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, and endangers US military personnel in CENTCOM AOR. After Pres. Biden extricated the US from the “forever wars,” he is letting the US get sucked into Netanyahu’s “forever wars.” Benjamin Netanyahu is no closer to getting the remaining hostages freed and will go down in history as Israel’s worst prime minister. Moreover, he is tarnishing Joe Biden’s legacy as his presidency winds down. Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential candidate may siphon off disenfranchised Muslim and Arab Democratic voters in Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin this November. While Dr. Stein has no chance of ever winning the White House, she could play the part of spoiler for Kamala Harris.

Sources:

Massive Explosions Rock Beirut; Biden Says Hitting Iran’s Oil Sector Under Discussion (rferl.org)

Sleeping On Beaches, In Cars: Lebanon’s Displaced Have Nowhere To Go Amid Israeli Bombing (rferl.org)

Jill Stein surges ahead of Kamala Harris among Muslim-American voters in key swing states – Middle East Monitor

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein attracting Muslim voters (usatoday.com)

Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists – Wikipedia

Pakistan: Chikungunya Cases on Rise in Karachi

Pakistan is seeing an increase in the chikungunya virus as patients seek relief for bone and joint pain at physiotherapy clinics. The virus is spread by two types of mosquitos: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti, which mainly bite during the day. The virus may circulate within a number of animals, including birds and rodents. The risk of death is around 1 in 1,000. The very young, old, and those with other health problems are at risk of more severe disease.

Local hospitals, including the Police Hospital, report dozens of new cases every month, as patients seek treatment for symptoms such as muscle pain, fatigue, and inflammation.

Last month, Karachi saw a surge in chikungunya cases over the past five months, with 140 individuals confirmed to have contracted the disease from May to September.

During this period, 211 suspected cases of chikungunya was reported, with 189 individuals screened for the disease. Out of those screened, 140 tested positive.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) issued an advisory on controlling and preventing the spread of chikungunya, a disease similar to dengue fever. The Ministry of Health directed relevant authorities to take immediate measures to combat the outbreak.

As noted previously on Coriolanus, the mosquito is man’s acme predator and global climate change is helping spread them with longer summers and warmer temperatures.

Sources:

Chikungunya cases on rise in Karachi (arynews.tv)

Chikungunya – Wikipedia

Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Hacking Group

The Justice Department disrupted a hacking group tied to Russian intelligence. The group tried to break into the computer systems of former US military and intelligence staff as well as NGOs, US companies, and others.

A US court unsealed documents authorizing Microsoft and the Department of Justice to seize more than 100 website domain names associated with the hacking group, known as the Callisto Group of Star Blizzard.

The group targeted individuals with e-mails that appeared to come from a trusted source, a tactic known as spear phishing. Once links inside these e-mails were opened, the hackers would attempt to access the victims’ internal systems as a way of stealing information and disrupting their activities.

Star Blizzard’s actions were persistent and sophisticated, according to Microsoft, and the group often did detailed research on its targets before launching an attack. Star Blizzard also went after civil society groups, US companies, American military contractors, and the Department of Energy, which oversees many nuclear programs, the company said.

Authorities haven’t provided details about Star Blizzard’s effectiveness but said they expect Russia to keep deploying hacking and cyberattacks against Washington and its allies, and the US pledged to continue its vigilance.

US authorities charged two Russian men last year in connection with Star Blizzard’s past actions and remain at large.

Along with American targets, Star Blizzard went after people and groups throughout Europe and in other NATO countries, particularly supporters of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

Source:

Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Spear-Phishing Efforts | United States Department of Justice

Pyongyang Dismantles Key Railway Bridge Severing Inter-Korea Relations

Tourists visit the Dorasan station in the Civilian Control area near the demilitarized zone in Paju, South Korea, on 13 Sep 2017. North Korea has been taking actions to sever connections with South Korea, including dismantling a key railway bridge along the line. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo

Recent satellite imagery revealed that North Korea has been dismantling a key railway bridge and planting landmines along the Gyeongui Line, as Pyongyang continues to sever relations with Seoul.

The images show most of the iron bridge, heading toward Panmun Station near the Kaesong Industrial Complex, has been reduced to only pillars. In February, the bridge appeared in satellite imagery fully intact. Moreover, landmines have been buried along Gyeongui Line.

Once considered a symbol of inter-Korea cooperation, the Kaesong Industrial Complex has been shuttered since 2016 as relations between Seoul and Pyongyang frayed.

Relations between the two countries have only worsened since the 2019 Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then US President Donald Trump failed to produce tangible outcomes.

Early this year, Kim announced that unification was no longer a goal and that South Korea was now the “principal enemy.”

North Korean supremo Kim Jong Un said this week that cutting ties with Seoul allows North Korea to “strike and destroy the South,” threatening the use of nuclear weapons against South Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae visit the Ministry of National Defense on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army in Pyongyang, DPRK 9 Feb 2024, Korean Central News Agency via Reuters.

The people of South Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan are watching in horror as they see the next generation of lunatics becoming groomed to ascend the nuclear throne of the Hermit Kingdom.  

Sources:

Pyongyang dismantles key railway bridge as it severs inter-Korea relations – UPI.com

N Korean leader shuns talks with South, threatens ‘annihilation’ — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org)

Kim Jong Un threatens nuke strikes on South Korea if sovereignty ‘infringed’ | NK News

Republican Yells at Native American Candidate: ‘Go Back to Where You Came From!’

Dan Foreman, a retired USAF Colonel and former police officer, has previously landed in the news for unruly behavior. In a viral video in 2017 taken from police body camera footage at the Latah County Fair, he shouted at a constituent, calling him a “son of a b—-” and telling him to “go to hell.” (image via Idaho Republican Party).

Far-right Idaho state Sen. Dan Foreman got into a heated argument with a Native American candidate during a forum this week that culminated with him shouting at her to “go back to where you came from!”


Trish Carter-Goodheart, a member of the Nez Perce tribe and candidate for House Seat A, said in a statement that the incident occurred at a “meet the candidates” gathering Tuesday in the northern Idaho town of Kendrick, where voters posed questions to Senate and House candidates in the area. The dispute began when Foreman categorically proclaimed discrimination did not exist in Idaho, reported Boise State Public Radio on Thursday.


Carter-Goodheart took issue with this, pointing out that there is an extensive and painful history of white supremacist organizations in northern Idaho. The state GOP has on multiple occasions had to fight off takeovers by those white supremacist groups.


“[J]ust because someone hasn’t personally experienced discrimination, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Racism and discrimination are real issues here in Idaho, as anyone familiar with our state’s history knows,” she explained in a statement issued after the forum. “I highlighted our weak hate crime laws and mentioned the presence of the Aryan Nations in northern Idaho as undeniable evidence of this reality.”


According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are 25 active hate, neo-Nazi, and white supremacist groups in Idaho.


In response to Carter-Goodheart’s words at the forum, Foreman “stood up and angrily interjected, using an expletive to criticize what he cast as the liberal bent of the response.”

He then told her she should “go back to where you came from,” Carter-Goodheart said, before storming away. Carter-Goodheart’s Republican candidate, incumbent Rep. Lori McCann, was among the attendees who corroborated the incident.

Trish Carter-Goodheart (above) and the Nez Pierce indigenous peoples, including Chief Joseph and his ancestors, were in North America long before the Foreman family. Maybe the Foreman family should go back to where they came from.

Dan Foreman retired from the USAF after 30 years as a Colonel. US military personnel had to salute this so-called “officer.” He then served as a police officer in the Moscow (Idaho) PD, making you wonder what kind of policeman this Republican was. Worse, this man has seven children and 20 grandchildren. What kind of values has he inculcated his family with? Oof!

Sources:

Republican yells at Native American candidate to ‘go back to where you came from’: report – Raw Story

Idaho | Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org)

Feline Hiding on the Stairs of Subway Station Turns Into Total Lap Cat Within Days

Photo: PuppyKittyNYCity

A feline found hiding on the stairs of a NYC subway station turned into a total lap cat in just a few days. Meagan, president of PuppyKittyNYCity (an animal rescue), was on her way to work when she received an urgent message about a cat found in a subway station.


The cat crouched down on the stairs, frozen in fear. Though terrified, there wasn’t a mean bone in his body, and he even allowed his finder to pet him. As soon as Meagan received the location, she sprang into action.


Her shelter was already full, but “there are some situations you can’t say no to. There is no way we could let this baby stay in the subway station all day long,” Meagan shared.

Photo: PuppyKittyNYCity

The cat had likely been abandoned as no one came to claim him. Somehow, he ended up in the subway station. Overwhelmed by the noise of the city, he pressed himself against the stairs, trying to hide.


Despite needing to report to work that morning, Meagan rerouted and headed to the scene while one of their volunteers stayed with the cat to keep him safe.

Photo: PuppyKittyNYCity

Estimated to be one year old, Subway is still a kitten at heart. As much as he loves to play, he craves human affection even more. “He’s literally perfect and so friendly. He’d be a great first cat or an amazing addition to any home.”

Subway has regained his confidence and no longer cowers. He saunters up to his people for pets and attention, his purr engine rumbling loudly.

Photo: PuppyKittyNYCity

He’s incredibly gentle and sweet with every loving stroke he receives from his people. The cherry on top is that Subway also adores the company of other cats and has a heart of gold.

Source:

Cat Hiding on the Stairs of Subway Station Turns into a Total Lap Cat within Days – Love Meow

Mexico’s First Female President Takes Oath of Office, Promises to Help Poor

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum addresses supporters during a rally in the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square, on her inauguration day, 1 Oct 2024. Photo: AP

Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in Tuesday as Mexico’s new president, becoming the country’s first female president and the first president of Jewish descent in the largely Roman Catholic country. Her win comes 70 years after women in Mexico won the right to vote. President Sheinbaum is also the first woman to lead a government in North America. Should Kamala Harris win the US election next month, the continent will have two women in charge of their nations, another first.

The daughter of activist academics, Sheinbaum (62) was also the first female mayor of Mexico City, Mexico’s capital. She stepped down from that position last year for her presidential campaign, which had the support of her predecessor and political mentor, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

She has promised to continue the social welfare programs for the country’s poor that Lopez Obrador initiated, despite Mexico’s current massive budget deficit and sluggish economy.

Sheinbaum is also facing a country beset with violence, such as battles between drug cartels that often erupt onto the streets of the northwest city of Culiacan, where many cartels are located. Local security forces have had little luck in quelling the violence.

As mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum was applauded for reducing the city’s homicide rate by increasing the salaries of an expanded police force, a strategy she has promised to duplicate across the country.

Sheinbaum is also assuming Mexico’s helm just as the country is implementing a judicial overhaul, a move spearheaded by Lopez Obrador. The controversial reform will eventually replace all of Mexico’s judges with new ones elected by popular vote.

Former President Ernesto Zedillo, who has been critical of the overhaul, said in a recent guest essay in Britain’s Economist magazine that “our hard-won democracy will be transformed, for all practical purposes, into a one-party autocracy.”

Sheinbaum, however, said, “The reforms to the judicial system will not affect our commercial relations, nor private Mexican investments, nor foreign ones. Rather, the opposite. There will be a greater and better rule of law and democracy for everyone.”

The first trip for the new president, a former climate scientist who has a doctorate in energy engineering, will be to Acapulco, the resort on Mexico’s Pacific coast, which was brutalized last week by the rains of Category III Hurricane John, after being devastated last year by Hurricane Otis.

Population of Mexico: 130,739,927; GDP per capita: $22,400 (2023 est.) Data and map: CIA

Sources:

Mexico’s first female president takes oath of office, promises to help poor (voanews.com)

Mexico Factsheet – The World Factbook (cia.gov)

Russian Forces Execute 16 Ukrainian POWs Near Pokrovsk

In 2022, Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old tank commander, was sentenced to life in prison for killing an unarmed civilian in Ukraine’s first war crime trial following Russia’s invasion. He had pleaded guilty to killing a 62-year-old citizen in north-eastern Ukraine. There will be more war crimes trials in the future. Photo Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Russian forces appear to have shot 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Donetsk Oblast, the largest recorded case of mass execution of surrendered soldiers on the battlefield, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said on 1 Oct.

Evidence of the execution appeared on social media earlier on 1 Oct. The POWs were reportedly killed after surrendering on the front line near Pokrovsk. The Prosecutor General’s Office said it was verifying the material published online and investigating the circumstances around the case.

The execution of POWs is a “cynical and gross violation of the Geneva Conventions,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said.  

“This is the most massive known case of execution of Ukrainian POWs on the front line,” Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said.

“The murders and torture of prisoners are not an accident, but a purposeful policy of the Russian military and political leadership,” he added.

In early September, Russian forces executed three Ukrainian POWs near Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast. The Prosecutor General’s Office said earlier this year that it was investigating more than 50 cases of execution of Ukrainian POWs.

The US Department of Justice has been investigating Russian war crimes as well. Last year the DOJ charged four Russian soldiers with torture, inhumane treatment, and unlawful confinement of a US national in Ukraine.

Sources:

Russian forces execute 16 Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk, prosecutors say (kyivindependent.com)

Office of Public Affairs | Four Russia-Affiliated Military Personnel Charged with War Crimes in Connection with Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine | United States Department of Justice

Russian soldier jailed for life in Ukraine’s first war crime trial (brusselstimes.com)

Iran Counterattacks Israel on Behalf of Lebanese Hezbollah with Ballistic Missiles

Photo: AP

Iran launched a massive ballistic missile attack at Israel on 1 Oct in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Lebanon’s Hezbollah in a new escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed resistance group.

Israeli air defenses intercepted many of the estimated 180 missiles that were fired, though some landed in central and southern Israel. There were no reports of any injuries and after about an hour after the attack was launched it was safe for them to leave their bomb shelters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack “a big mistake” and said Tehran “will pay for it.” He added: “Whoever attacks us, we attack them.”

US President Joe Biden said he would discuss a response with Netanyahu. Asked what the response would be, Biden replied: “That’s in active discussion right now. That remains to be seen.”

He added that the attack appears to have been “defeated and ineffective, and this is a testament to Israeli military capability and the US military” and said the US is “fully supportive of Israel.”

Israeli police reported that at least six people were killed and nine wounded in a shooting and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv. Police said it was a “terrorist” attack carried out at a light rail station and the two attackers were later killed by civilians and inspectors using their own firearms. There has been no claim of responsibility.

While the missile attack sent Israelis scurrying to take cover in bomb shelters, it prompted people in Iran to celebrate. State television broadcast images from the city of Mashhad showing people in the streets waving the yellow flag of Hezbollah and portraits of the group’s slain chief, Hassan Nasrallah. Similar celebrations also took place in the capital Tehran and in several provincial cities.

World leaders urged Iran and Israel to step back from the brink and negotiate a cease-fire.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “broadening conflict in the Middle East” following fighting in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

To a hammer, everything is a nail as Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is demonstrating. He has ignored the entreaties of the UN and world leaders for a cease-fire, as well as the pleas of his citizens to make a deal to release the remaining hostages. The widening conflict will keep Netanyahu’s bribery and corruption trial in abeyance while casualties begin to mount.  In this “David versus Goliath” conflict, Israel and her supporters should expect asymmetric attacks or lone-actor reprisals against soft civilian targets, ranging from runamok knife attacks (like in Germany earlier this year), vandalism against synagogues, or bomb threats against Jewish hospitals (like earlier this year in Canada).  

Lebanese man stands in remains of a building destroyed by the IDF in Beirut on 1 Oct 2024. The Lebanese economy was already in shambles before the Israeli onslaught. Photo: Fadel Itani / UPI.

A French naval ship is deploying to Lebanon to assist with any evacuations of French citizens. Approximately 23,000 French and Franco-Lebanese residents live in Lebanon. The French embassy in Beirut has established a hotline and started coordinating evacuation options for civilians who wish to leave. Two French nationals have already been killed by the IDF.

Sources:

Iran Launches Massive Ballistic Missile Attack On Israel (rferl.org)French navy deploys near Lebanon as Israel launches ground raids on Hezbollah (rfi.fr)

Florida Man Found Guilty of Felony Destruction of Property and Other Charges During 6 Jan Capitol Breach

Supporters of then-US President Donald Trump enter the US Capitol’s Rotunda on 6 Jan 2021, in Washington, DC. Photo: NBC News.

A federal jury in the District of Columbia found Marcus Smith (47) of Fleming Island, FL, guilty of a felony offense of destruction of government property and several misdemeanor charges during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

Joining the mob that stormed the US Capitol, Smith noticed some rioters trying to breach a locked door inside the building. The defendant joined them in breaking down the door. The Architect of the Capitol later determined that the value of the damage to the door, which was part of the original construction of the Senate Wing of the Capitol and dated back to the 1850s, necessitated the door being replaced at a cost of approximately $21,000.

After further trespassing within the US Capitol, this runamok finally departed at approximately 2:50 PM. The FBI arrested Smith on 26 Jan 2024, in Fleming Island. 

This brontosaurus represents America’s Fedayeen Saddam (FS), dead-ender white supremacists clinging on to the last vestiges of white privilege in the US. Marcus Smith is lucky that he wasn’t charged with any crimes of violence against USCP officers. The Honorable US District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich will sentence Smith on 10 Jan 2025.

In the 44 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,504 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including more than 560 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.

Source:

District of Columbia | Florida Man Found Guilty of Felony Destruction of Property and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

US Targets Israeli-Occupied West Bank Settler Violence with Sanctions

Hilltop Youth settlers in West Bank (Photo credit: REUTERS/Gil Cohen Magen)

The US sanctioned one informal organization and two people as the Biden administration continues to tighten its financial grip on those it accuses of perpetrating violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The US Treasury designated Hilltop Youth, an extremist group of West Bank settlers accused of attacking Palestinians and destroying their homes and property. The US government listed Hilltop Youth as a “criminal organization.”

The Treasury said the group of settlers has “conducted a campaign of violence against Palestinians,” which includes killings, arson, assaults and intimidation, with the goal of driving Palestinians out of the West Bank. It conducts what are called “price tag” assaults, which are revenge attacks conducted in reprisal for actions carried out against settlers.

The late author and Israel Prize laureate Amos Oz who was known as: “The humane heart of Israel.”

In 2014, the late Amos Oz condemned the perpetrators of “price tag” attacks, saying “‘Price tag’ and ‘Hilltop Youth’ are cute nicknames for a monster that needs to be called what it is: Hebrew neo-Nazi groups.” Oz went on to say that the only difference between neo-Nazis around the world and those who commit hate crimes in Israel is that “our neo-Nazi groups enjoy the support of numerous nationalist or even racist legislators, as well as rabbis who give them what is in my view pseudo- religious justification.”

The State Department sanctioned Eitan Yardeni and Avichai Suissa, who leads Hashomer Yosh, an Israeli non-government organization the US sanctioned in late August.

Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory and the establishment of settlements are widely viewed as illegal under international law and have attracted the repeated criticism and condemnation of the UN and the wider international community.

The US has been a critic of Israel’s occupation and has said it represents an obstacle to a two-state solution. The Biden administration has sanctioned 27 individuals and entities accused of perpetuating violence there under an executive order that President Joe Biden signed in February.

The Biden administration has used the sanctions to criticize Israel for not doing more to curb violence in the West Bank, while critics have called on the administration to use its sanctioning power against those in the Israeli government who enable the violence against Palestinians.

“The Biden administration imposes more sanctions on settlers for violence against West Bank Palestinians but still hasn’t imposed sanctions on any of the Israeli officials who are encouraging the settler violence,” Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch and current visiting professor at Princeton, said on X.

According to an update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there have been some 1,390 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians between the start of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 Oct and 23 Sep.

Of those attacks, 135 involved the killing and wounding of Palestinians, 1,110 saw Palestinian property damaged and about 150 caused both casualties and property damage. The report added that some 1,628 Palestinians, including 794 children, have been displaced by the settler violence. The AP reported that 623 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank.

Sources:

Sanctions List Search (treas.gov)

U.S. targets Israeli-occupied West Bank settler violence with sanctions – UPI.com

Amos Oz: Hilltop youth are Hebrew neo-Nazis – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

French Far-Right Leader Marine Le Pen on Trial for Misusing EU funds

Marine Le Pen sits in the European Parliament, Strasbourg, in Jan 2017.  She looks quite pleased with herself. Photo: AP / Jean-Francois Badias

Marine Le Pen, her father, and 25 colleagues – including current and former French lawmakers and MEPs – are accused of embezzling public funds and collusion. Prosecutors claim that the defendants set up a fake jobs scheme using European parliamentary funds to pay for assistants who in fact worked for her National Rally party, formerly called the National Front, rather than on European affairs.

The scheme, which ran from 2004 to 2016, was in breach of EU rules.

The EU Parliament estimated in 2018 that 6.8 million euros had been embezzled. Marine Le Pen has always denied any wrongdoing.

The trial runs through to 27 Nov. If found guilty, Le Pen could face a maximum ten years behind bars and a €1 million fine. That’s unlikely, but she also faces a possible five-year ban on standing for public office. This would rule her out of the 2027 presidential election she is preparing for, and which a recent poll suggests she has a stronger than ever chance of winning.

A total of 11 members of the European Parliament, 12 of their parliamentary assistants and four party collaborators are to be tried as well, while the RN party itself faces charges of concealing the wrongdoing. Among the high-profile figures are Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front, her former partner Louis Aliot – the mayor of the southern city of Perpignan – and RN spokesperson Julien Odoul.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is 96 years old, will not be present in court after a medical report in July diagnosed him as “unfit” to stand trial.

The National Rally is not the only party to be accused of misappropriating MEP funds.

In February this year the centrist MoDem party, currently part of President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble coalition, was fined €350,000 for similar charges.

MoDem’s leader, Francois Bayrou, was acquitted due to reasonable doubt, but the eight people found guilty were ordered to pay fines, sentenced to prison terms of 10 to 18 months and were banned from serving in public office.

Sources:

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on trial for misuse of EU funds (rfi.fr)

Far right election gains ensure a financial jackpot for Le Pen’s National Rally

Germany Arrests Chinese Woman Accused of Spying

German police arrested a Chinese woman accused of spying on the country’s defence industry while working in a logistics company.

Named only as Yaqi X., she allegedly reported to another suspected Beijing agent now under arrest, Jian G., who was working in the office of a German far-right member of the European Parliament, Maximilian Krah. The woman arrested on Monday is “strongly suspected of acting as an intelligence agent for a Chinese secret service.”

Yaqi X. worked for a company that provides logistics services at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany.

She allegedly used her position to gather information on “the transport of military equipment and persons with connections to a German arms company.”

Between mid-2023 and February, she “repeatedly sent information on flights, cargo and passengers at the airport to an employee of a Chinese secret service — namely Jian G., who is being prosecuted separately,” prosecutors said.

Jian G., a German national, was arrested in April on suspicion of spying while working in the Brussels office of German MEP Krah of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Her Leipzig home and workplace were also searched.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann told Bild daily that “the arrest of a suspected Chinese spy in Leipzig shows us once again that foreign intelligence services have long had Germany in their sights.

Citing unnamed security sources, news site Der Spiegel reported that Yaqi X., a 38-year-old, in particular had targeted the arms giant Rheinmetall, which is involved in making Leopard tanks and which uses Leipzig airport for cargo flights.

Her alleged handler Jian G. was arrested on suspicion of sharing European Parliament information with a Chinese intelligence service and of spying on Chinese opposition figures in Germany.

The European Union assembly, which had listed Jian Guo as an accredited assistant to Krah, moved to suspend him earlier this year. Krah posted on X at the time that prosecutors had confirmed to his lawyer that he was “not a suspect in the investigation”. The allegations involving China were among a series of controversies to hit Germany’s AfD, including claims that some of its members have links to Russia.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the allegations against Guo “very serious” and said that, if confirmed, it was “an attack on European democracy from within”.

According to German broadcasters ARD, RBB, and SWR, Guo was no stranger to German intelligence. He had reportedly offered his services as an informer at least a decade ago but was turned away on suspicion he might be a Chinese double agent.

Source:

Germany Arrests Chinese Woman Accused Of Spying | Barron’s (barrons.com)

California Wildfires One Million Hectares This Year

Map: FIRMS US / NASA

The total hectares burned in California this year surpassed one million as spiking temperatures Tuesday added to the challenges facing firefighters struggling to contain a stubborn blaze in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles that flared up over the weekend.

Evacuation orders were expanded again Monday for remote communities northeast of Los Angeles as the Line Fire that has been burning for nearly a month spread over nearly 176 square kilometers (68 square miles) of the San Bernardino Mountains, and containment dropped from 83% to 76%.

“The dry vegetation, steep slopes and wind aligned … to create conditions for the rapid fire spread,” according to a statement late Monday from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

The risk of wildfires increased across California as an autumn heat wave scorched much of the state. Some inland areas could see temperatures up to 20 degrees above average for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service.

San Francisco, where residents typically break out the sweaters in October, could hit 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), while triple digits 38 C were predicted for Sacramento. The weather service office in the state’s capital urged residents to stay indoors during the heat of the day on Tuesday.

Dry, hot winds in the northern part of the state prompted Pacific Gas & Electric to pre-emptively cut power to small clusters of customers in high-risk areas. The utility routinely stops electricity service in counties where weather conditions increase the probability of fires.

In Southern California, the Line Fire’s surge pushed the total hectares burned across the state in 2024 to 405,492 (1,001,993 acres) as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The milestone surpasses the total scorched during the same time last year — 118,719 hectares (293,362 acres) — but is roughly on par with the five-year average for the period, the Los Angeles Times reported.

At its height, the blaze threatened more than 65,000 homes in and around the Big Bear Lake area.

A 34-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to starting the Line Fire on 5 Sep. Justin Wayne Halstenberg of Norco, CA, was charged with 11 arson-related crimes.

Firefighters monitor the advancing Line Fire in Angelus Oaks, CA, 9 Sep 2024.

Sources:

Wildfires in California have burned 1 million hectares so far this year (voanews.com)

NASA | LANCE | FIRMS US/Canada

Vietnam: 25 Students Suspected of Poisoning After Drinking Free Soft Drinks; Other Cases of Possible Food Poisoning Reported This Summer

Pediatric patient treated at the hospital. Photo: BVCC

After drinking free soft drinks at the gate of Binh Minh Secondary School, Thanh Oai, 25 students showed signs of poisoning; 12 were hospitalized with headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Physicians suspect food poisoning. Three more serious patients were transferred to Intensive Care, the rest were treated at the Infectious Diseases Department. The children drank free bottled soft drinks outside the school gate. There is no information yet regarding the brand or the ingredients, but the product was distributed for free for advertising purposes.

Authorities recommend that schools in the area, as well as parents, educate their children not to eat snacks outside the school gate and absolutely not to accept food from strangers.

On 21 Sep, 70 people at Primary and Secondary School in Nong Thuong commune, Bac Kan city vomited, had abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, and were hospitalized. The day before, 88 students and five teachers ate rice, fried chicken, vegetable soup with melons, stir-fried potatoes, and watermelon.

The next morning, 20 students appeared with hot fever, abdominal pain, headache, diarrhea, and were admitted to the emergency city health center. The number of sick patients increased to 70 with similar symptoms. The cause is unknown.

On 16 Sep, 34 students of Ton Duc Thang Secondary School in Pleiku drank milk tea at the Mid-Autumn Festival. Within a few hours, 21 students had abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. They received emergency medical treatment and doctors suspected food poisoning.

The City Health Center took food samples for testing to find the cause.

Without further information, these incidents appear to be isolated examples of poor quality control over food and beverage production in Vietnam, and not a sinister plot to murder innocent children.

Sources:

25 students suspected of poisoning after drinking soft drinks are given out for free – VnExpress Health Newspaper

70 people in Bac Kan were hospitalized with the same symptoms of vomiting and headache – VnExpress Health Newspaper

21 students suspected of poisoning after the Mid-Autumn Festival party – VnExpress Health Newspaper

Used Baby Incubators Help Save Orphaned Kangaroos by Imitating Their Mother’s Pouch

Story: Andy Corbley; Photo: Mandy Watson

When an Australian nurse working at a hospital with outdated incubators happened upon a kangaroo rescue center, she realized she could help save lives.

Once used to help save premature human babies, the incubators are now mimicking the conditions of a mother kangaroo’s pouch, where her joey will live for the first eight months of its life.

Every year dozens of orphaned joeys and pinkies, or marsupial pups who haven’t opened their eyes yet, are brought into Kununurra Kangaroo Rescue Haven in East Kimberly, Australia.

Since they are the largest terrestrial animal in Australia, an adult kangaroo rarely has to worry about predators and their populations can balloon quite dramatically. This, unfortunately, renders them much like whitetail deer in the US—at extreme risk of becoming roadkill.

Mandy Watson, director of the Kununurra Haven, has saved hundreds of orphaned joeys from their moms who have been hunted or struck by vehicles. Young, pinky joeys can struggle to survive without the warmth and humidity of their mother’s pouch. She has seen hundreds of orphans return to the wild, but thousands not make it to adulthood.

“In 20 years, we’ve released 823 back into the wild. It’s really hard, especially in the dry season, for us to keep up that constant temperature,” Watson told ABC News Down Under. “The humidicrib (incubator) is going to be a constant temperature that’s going to dramatically help [to] save a few more lives.”

The humidicribs were donated by nurse Jane Darlington, a clinical pediatric nurse at the Kununurra District Hospital. The hospital needed to get rid of them as the rapid march of medical technology had seen them become obsolete.

Darlington got the idea while shopping in town. She saw a volunteer from the rescue center helping to raise awareness of their work by walking around in a wallaby costume, holding one of their orphaned joeys.

Mandy Watson (left) and a volunteer play with some joeys next to their truck-mounted incubator. Photo: Jane Darlington

Source:

Old Incubators Help Save Orphaned Kangaroos by Imitating Their Mother’s Pouch (goodnewsnetwork.org)

“What? The right-wing in Europe is linked to Russian and Chinese intelligence? And involved in financial chicanery? Who knew?!”

Unpopularity of Putin’s War on Ukraine Growing in Russia

A child protester outside the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow on 22 Sep with a sign reading: “Return my dad. I’ve been waiting two years.” (Image: RFE/RL Current Time)

A group of wives, mothers, and children of mobilized Russian soldiers deployed in their country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine protested outside the Defense Ministry in Moscow, with an unspecified number of detentions reported. The protest in the Russian capital on 21 Sep coincided with the date two years ago when Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on a partial mobilization. The group reportedly was demanding a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, as well as a demobilization. At one point, the protesters, numbering about two dozen, were confronted by a group hurling abuse and trying to disperse them. There is no information available yet as to what punishments these loved ones of mobilized Russian soldiers will receive.

More evidence of the growing unpopularity of the Russian invasion comes from lowered interest in a pro-war singer’s concerts. At least two cities in Russia canceled Shaman’s performances of his “Victory” tour due to low ticket sales.

Pro-Kremlin Singer Yaroslav Dronov (AKA Shaman). Photo: Pelagia Tikhonova / Moskva News Agency

Last month Shaman kicked off his 100-city tour in Red Square with plans to perform in Ukrainian cities occupied since Russia’s invasion. The singer said he aims to “program” his audience to think about Russia’s victory over Ukraine, more than two and a half years into the war.

However, his scheduled performances in Nizhny Tagil on 24 Sep and Magnitogorsk on 3 Oct were cancelled. The independent investigative outlet Agentstvo reported that only half of the tickets had been sold for the Nizhny Tagil show, and there was “not much hype” surrounding the Magnitogorsk event.

Earlier this month, authorities in the Stavropol region canceled another of Shaman’s shows and required him to refund 15 million rubles to the regional government.

Agentstvo also noted that Shaman’s concerts in the cities of Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and Tver are at risk of being canceled due to poor ticket sales. TV ratings for Shaman’s performances have reportedly been lower than other popular programs.

As casualties mount on the frontline and successful Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s infrastructure increase like the spectacular strike shown below, more people will grow disillusioned and discontent with Vladimir Putin. Unfortunately, the Russian masses will be basically powerless to overthrow the regime because of the dense internal security apparatus the Kremlin controls.

2,000 tons of ammo, including North Korean-made rounds, were destroyed in this recent attack that registered as small earthquakes and also drew the attention of NASA’s fire-spotting satellites. There was no information as to Russian casualties caused by Ukraine’s new jet-powered Palianytsia cruise missile.

Sources:

Mothers, Wives, Children Of Russian Soldiers Protest, Demand Demobilization (rferl.org)

Russian Cities Cancel Pro-War Singer Shaman’s Shows Amid Low Ticket Sales – Agentstvo – The Moscow Times

Ukrainian Drones Just Blew Up 2,000 Tons Of Ammo in Southern Russia (forbes.com)

France Deploys Notorious Anti-Riot Police Unit to Martinique

Martinique has a land area of 436 sq mi and a population of nearly 350,000. Map: Brittanica.com

France deployed a contingent of special anti-riot police that’s been banned for 65 years to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where protesters have gathered despite the government barring demonstrations in parts of the island. The local government issued a curfew after violent protests broke out last week over the high cost of living. Six police officers and one civilian were wounded. Police launched tear gas and several stores were looted.

But the curfew was met by defiance by many on the island, with massive peaceful protests breaking out Saturday night. Videos from local media show crowds of thousands peacefully walking along highways overnight banging on drums and waving flags.

As protests continued without violence, a contingency of French anti-riot police arrived on the island and checked into a hotel in Fort-de-France. The size of the force was not disclosed.

French riot police in action in 2018. Photo: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

The elite riot police, known as the Companies for Republican Security, were banned in the French territory following bloody riots in Dec 1959 for allegedly using disproportionate force against protesters, ending in the deaths of a number of young demonstrators. The force is rarely deployed in French territories in the Caribbean but was called on during riots and strikes in Guadeloupe in 2009.

Martinique’s leaders requested the forces amid the recent protests. Beatrice Bellay, a representative of the socialist party blasted the move, saying: “Martinique is not in a civil war, it is a social war. This measure … only serves to aggravate tensions and distract attention from the legitimate demands of the people of Martinique.”

A man holds a flare during an anti-government protest in Fort-De-France, Martinique in 2021. 5,000 to 15,000 residents of Martinique demonstrated in protest on 27 March 2021, denouncing the possible statute of limitations on a complaint filed by civil parties for the use of chlordecone in causing life endangering illnesses. Photo: Reuters

Martinique is burdened with a chronic high rate of unemployment, as well as rising costs of imported food and other basic necessities. Banana is the foremost plantation crop grown in Martinique and the widespread use of carcinogenic chlordecone for five decades to control banana pests gave rise to an ecological disaster and an angry population. Although this practice had stopped in 2003, the recalcitrant dangerous pesticide remained largely in the soil.

Until all soil has all been successfully de-contaminated, use of the land for any new agricultural activities is unsafe; people have been warned to refrain from eating self-produced vegetables. The challenge to create meaningful employment in Martinique under these social-economic and environmental constraints is thus formidable.

Sources:

Long-forbidden French anti-riot force sent to Martinique as thousands defy bans on protests (voanews.com)

Intractable Social-Economic Problems of Martinique (openedition.org)

Former CIA Officer Sentenced to 30 Years for Sexually Assaulting Scores of Women

Undated photo of Brian Jeffrey Raymond courtesy of the FBI.

Brian Jeffrey Raymond (48) of La Mesa, CA, a former CIA officer who drugged and sexually assaulted dozens of women, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Raymond was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay $260,000 in restitution to the victims. After his release from prison at the age of 78, Raymond will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

This miscreant drugged more than two dozen women and performed nonconsensual sexual acts or made sexual contact with at least ten women. Raymond also photographed and recorded videos of victims without their consent while they were drugged or otherwise incapacitated. He had previously worked for the CIA for over 20 years.

Raymond would lure women he met on dating apps back to his government-leased apartment, later drugging and assaulting them.

The assaults date back to 2006 and took place in multiple countries, including Mexico and Peru. An investigation of Raymond began in May 2020 when police in Mexico City responded to a naked woman screaming for help on the balcony of Raymond’s residence. She said that Raymond had raped her and accused him of drugging her when the two had drinks at his apartment. Police then searched Raymond’s devices as apart of the investigation. They discovered several explicit videos and images showing Raymond sexually assaulting numerous women.

Several of the women spoke in court about the trauma caused by Raymond’s actions. Many did not realize they had been assaulted until they were approached by police and shown images or videos taken by Raymond.

“My body looks like a corpse on his bed,” said one woman of the photos. “Now I have these nightmares of seeing myself dead.”

Another woman testified in court: “Was I raped? Was I sexually assaulted. I will never know, and that haunts me too.”

Raymond’s sentencing comes as the CIA faces intense scrutiny over its handling of sexual misconduct cases. A 648-page internal watchdog report revealed that the agency routinely failed to address such incidents. More than two dozen women reported that they had experienced sexually assault or unwanted contact, later facing retaliation after they reported it to the CIA.

CIA personnel undergo extensive background investigations and must undergo routine polygraph examinations during their careers. How this sexual predator operated in the USIC for 14 years without getting caught is remarkable. Moreover, Raymond presents a dilemma for CIA. Foreign intelligence agencies may start putting clues together and uncover CIA sources in countries Raymond operated in.

From a counterintelligence perspective, Raymond holds a treasure trove of US secrets in his head. His incarceration in the BOP must take that into account. Lastly, Brian Jeffrey Raymond cost the American taxpayer a small fortune with all the expensive training he received and living overseas in government-paid housing and expense accounts.

Sources:

Former CIA officer sentenced to 30 years for sexually assaulting scores of women | CIA | The Guardian

As the CIA promises to stop sexual misconduct in its ranks, new cases of workplace assault emerge | PBS News

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Spreading in US and Canada

Undated image courtesy of USATODAY.

The CDC reports that whooping cough (pertussis) is spreading in the US. In 2020, the US had about 6,000 cases of pertussis, roughly 2,000 cases in 2021, 3,000 cases in 2022 and about 5,000 last year. Now the US has seen 14,569 cases this year, compared with 2,844 at the same time last year, according to the CDC’s Nationally Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

In Canada, more than 12,000 cases of whooping cough, or the 100-day cough, have been reported to date in 2024, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). That’s far higher than the roughly 500 to 4,500 nationwide infections typically reported each year. 

Whooping cough starts with symptoms that look a lot like a regular cold: a runny nose, sneezing, a low-grade fever and a tickly cough. A week or two later, the infection moves into a new stage, leading to a violent full-body cough.

These coughing fits can be so severe that they cause patients to vomit or break ribs, and they’re often accompanied by a whooping sound as the person tries to catch their breath. Antibiotics can treat the infection, but only if it’s caught within the first few weeks, before the arrival of the exhausting, painful cough. Then, the only treatment is comfort care with plenty of rest and fluids while the infection runs its course.

Unvaccinated babies and adults are those at highest risk of severe infection and, rarely, death. But doctors have increasingly been seeing vaccinated people with infections, too.

Pertussis vaccination rates are high in the US – around 90% – and did not dip during the pandemic as they did in some other countries. Despite that, the upward trend in infections has continued.

The increase in cases is not fully understood. There’s evidence that it may be due to changes in the bacteria that causes the infection or changes in the vaccines.

Gavin and Tara Hills with their seven children were anti-vaxxers. (Social media).

The above family of anti-vaxxers from Ontario, Canada, changed their minds about vaccinations too late. Gavin Hills, his wife Tara, and their seven children are now in quarantine at their Kanata, Ont. home while the children are being treated for whooping cough.

The children, who are aged 10 months to 10 years, are “doing okay.” The irony of the timing is not lost on them, says Gavin Hills. While it’s frustrating to be quarantined, what’s more frustrating is knowing that the whole thing could have been avoided, Hills says. For six years, he and his wife were on the fence about vaccine safety, so they chose to hold off on vaccinating until they understood the issue better. But by then, it was too late and they caught pertussis.

Ottawa Public Health is treating them with antibiotics for the potentially serious illness and they should recover soon.

Sources:

About Whooping Cough Outbreaks | Whooping Cough | CDC

Whooping cough cases are soaring. Can infecting people help test a better vaccine? | CNN

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/whooping-cough-spike-1.7308407

Germany: Social Democrats Narrowly Defeat Far-Right in Brandenburg Elections

Map: Courtesy of freeworldmaps.net

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) party narrowly won an election in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. Three weeks after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made gains in two other east German states, the SPD came out on top. 

According to final results, the SPD won 30.9% of the votes while the AfD came a close second with 29.2%. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a new leftist movement, came in third with 13.5% while the centre-right Christian Democrats took 12.1%. 

The SPD’s victory brought a reprieve to Scholz, whose three-party governing coalition has fared poorly in elections so far this year. Social Democrats have governed Brandenburg since 1990, and a loss there would have been a major setback for Scholz, who has his constituency in the state capital of Potsdam. 

Any political defeat of the right-wing in any country is a victory, no matter how big or small. Germany holds federal elections October 2025.

This is the enemy.

Source:

Social Democrats narrowly beat out far-right in Brandenburg elections | Euronews

Chinese Aircraft Carrier Comes Closer Than Ever to Japan

In 2012, Liaoning (16; Chinese: 辽宁舰; pinyin: Liáoníng Jiàn) was the first aircraft carrier commissioned in China’s navy after extensive refurbishing. Total airpower: 40 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. (Image source: http://www.armyrecognition.com).

On 18 Sep, a Chinese aircraft carrier sailed closer to Japan than ever before, prompting Tokyo to express serious concerns to Beijing about China’s increasing military activity in the region.

The Chinese carrier Liaoning, accompanied by two destroyers, entered Japan’s “contiguous zone” – a section of sea beyond territorial waters where Japan still exercises some control. According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the fleet passed between Japan’s Yonaguni and Iriomote Islands, east of Taiwan.

Chinese warships also sailed near the disputed Senkaku Islands, which are controlled by Japan but claimed by China, where they are known as the Diaoyu Islands.

Hiroshi Moriya, Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, condemned the incident, calling it “absolutely unacceptable” for national and regional security. He emphasized that China has been ramping up military activity around Japan in recent years. The Japanese government conveyed its concerns to China through diplomatic channels.

Tensions between the two nations have escalated following other recent incidents. Last month, Japan reported that a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft entered its airspace, followed by a Chinese survey ship breaching Japanese territorial waters near Kagoshima Prefecture.

In response, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian, defended the activity of Chinese warships, stating it was following both Chinese domestic laws and international regulations.

Japan has strengthened its defenses in the southwestern region, including remote islands, viewing them as critical to its overall defense strategy. China now has two more aircraft carriers, including one entirely designed and built domestically.

China is increasingly flexing its growing military power. This summer, two Chinese aircraft accompanied Russian bombers near Alaska for the first time and a military hospital ship has been treating patients for free along Africa’s coast (see previous posting on Coriolanus). This naval incident occurred during the annual UN General Assembly in NYC, so Beijing may also be testing its diplomatic prowess. According to the Global Firepower Index (GFI), China is ranked third out of 145 militaries surveyed; Japan is ranked seventh; Taiwan is ranked 24th.

Sources:

Chinese aircraft carrier comes closer than ever to Japan (bignewsnetwork.com)

Global Firepower – 2024 World Military Strength Rankings

US, Canada Consumer Safety Alert: LUCID Platform Beds Sold by Walmart, Target, Amazon Recalled

Photo of the recalled Lucid Upholstered Square Tufted Platform Bed (Charcoal)

Nearly 137,000 beds sold by major retailers Walmart, Target, and Amazon have been recalled because the frames could collapse or break, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). 890 were sold in Canada. So far, there have been 245 reports of the beds breaking or collapsing, which caused at least 18 injuries including contusions.

The beds were manufactured in Malaysia and sold online through Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Brookside, eBay, Home Depot, JCPenney, Lowes, Macy’s, Menards, Overstock, QVC, Sears, Target, Malouf VIP, Wayfair, and Walmart.

Customers should immediately stop using the recalled beds and contact Lucid for a free replacement bed frame.

Consumer Contact: Lucid toll-free at 888-910-0235 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday, or on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, by email at recall@lucidmattress.com.

Sources:

CVB Recalls LUCID Platform Beds with Upholstered Square Tufted Headboards Due to Fall and Injury Hazards | CPSC.gov

Upholstered Platform Bed (lucidmattress.com)

Nearly 137,000 beds sold by Target, Walmart recalled for collapsing (scrippsnews.com)

SAS Flight Diverted After Mouse Scurries Out of Passenger’s In-Flight Meal

Economy class cabin of an SAS A350 (Photo: SAS)

A Scandinavian Airlines flight traveling from Norway to Spain was forced to make an emergency landing in Copenhagen, Denmark after a mouse scurried out of a passenger’s in-flight meal. A passenger said the situation was surprisingly calm. Passengers were later flown to the Spanish city of Malaga on a different plane without further incidents.

The emergency landing was part of SAS company procedures as the mouse posed a safety risk on board. Rodents can chew through electrical wiring, making them strictly forbidden on most airlines.

Source:

Flight diverted after mouse scurries out of passenger’s in-flight meal (scrippsnews.com)

US Army Soldier from Hawaii Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement with Weapon and Other Charges During 6 Jan Attack on US Capitol

Alexander Cain Poplin (31), an active duty servicemember of the US Army, was arrested in Hawaii for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

In addition to the felonies of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a dangerous weapon and civil disorder, Poplin is charged with three misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds.

On the morning of 6 Jan 2021, Poplin attended a rally held by the former President at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Poplin was observed wearing a black Columbia jacket, a black beanie, and an Army ACU camouflage backpack. Throughout the day, he was seen holding various flags.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., Poplin was at the Lower West Plaza of the US Capitol Building and within the restricted perimeter. He was holding an “Area Closed” sign in his left hand and a flagpole with a blue flag in his right. Poplin allegedly repeatedly struck a Metropolitan Police Department officer with the blue flagpole. Video footage from open-source media and body-worn cameras captured the assault. Poplin’s alleged actions at the Lower West Plaza contributed to the chaos as rioters confronted law enforcement officers who were defending the Capitol. After the attack, Poplin reportedly posted on Facebook “we beat their fucking ass and stood for something” and “we took our house back.”

In the 44 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,504 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including more than 560 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips may call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Civilian Cargo Ship Carrying Ukrainian Grain Attacked by Russian Jets in Black Sea

Ukraine accused Russia of using strategic bombers to fire missiles at a civilian ship carrying Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea.

The ship was in the maritime economic zone of Romania, a NATO member, when it was hit. The vessel was transporting the grain from Chernomorsk, Ukraine, to Istanbul when it was attacked. The ship’s cargo was bound for Egypt. Russia deployed Tupolev Tu-22 bombers to fire the missiles at around 11 PM local time on 11 Sep.

Tupolev Tu-22M-3 (Image courtesy of airliners.net).

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the strike was “a brazen attack on freedom of navigation and global food security.”

The attack was confirmed by the Romanian Coast Guard, which said the vessel had a crew of 22 people on board. No one was injured and the ship headed to Constanta for damage assessment.

The ship was 55 kilometers from the town of Sfantu Gheorghe in the exclusive economic zone of Romania when the attack took place. The exclusive economic zone is the maritime area adjacent to a country’s territorial waters and can extend up to a maximum of 200 nautical miles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier that a cargo ship carrying wheat was hit by a Russian missile strike in the Black Sea as it was headed for Egypt.

“Today’s strike in the Black Sea was against an ordinary civilian vessel immediately after leaving Ukrainian territorial waters. According to preliminary data, fortunately, there were no casualties,” he said. “Ukraine is one of the key global donors of food security. The internal stability and life of dozens of countries in different parts of the world depends on the normal and smooth operation of our export food corridor.”

Ukraine, one of the world’s leading grain producers and exporters, has been shipping about four million tons of grain each month through the Black Sea corridor, which was set up through a deal mediated by Turkey and the UN.

The US recently signalled that it may allow Ukraine to fire missiles more deeply into Russia. Aircraft like the TU-22M-3 could have easily sunk this unarmed cargo ship. This move by the Kremlin is probably a warning that if Ukraine is permitted to strike deep targets in Russia with Western hi-tech weapons, the Kremlin will retaliate with economic attacks like this.

Sources:

Civilian Cargo Ship Carrying Ukrainian Grain Hit By Russian Strike In Black Sea (rferl.org)

US reconsidering Ukraine missile restrictions on firing into Russia (voanews.com)

NYPD Commissioner to Resign After FBI Seized His Phone

Edward Caban (L) being sworn in as NYPD Police Commissioner on 17 July 2023. Mayor Eric Adams is on the right.

NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said he would resign Thursday, one week after it emerged that his phone was seized as part of a federal investigation that touched several members of Mayor Eric Adams’ inner circle.

Edward Caban (57) had been in charge of the nation’s largest police department for about 15 months. Of Puerto Rican heritage, he was the first Latino to lead the 179-year-old NYPD and oversee its annual budget of over $5 billion. There are approximately 36,000 sworn officers in New York’s Finest.

Caban was one of several high-ranking city officials whose electronic devices were seized recently by federal investigators. The subject of the investigation, which is being led by the SDNY US Attorney, remains unclear. Federal authorities are also investigating Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, who runs a nightclub security business.

Other NYC officials whose devices were recently seized include First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright; Philip Banks, the deputy mayor for public safety; his brother David Banks, the Board of Education chancellor; and Timothy Pearson, a mayoral adviser and former high-ranking NYPD official.

Mayor Adams, a first-term Democrat, was subpoenaed in July, eight months after federal agents seized his cell phones and an iPad while he was leaving an event in Manhattan. Federal authorities haven’t publicly accused him or any officials of any crimes and Adams has denied any wrongdoing. The SDNY investigation may have to do with campaign fundraising.

Under Commissioner Caban, from 1 Jan 2024 to 1 Sep 2024, the NYPD tallied 243 murders, compared with 279 in the same period last year. Burglary, grand larceny, and auto thefts were also down. At the same time, there was a 17.8% spike in reported hate crimes, 11.1% jump in rapes and smaller increases in some other categories.

Caban was criticized for his handling of officer discipline. The NYPD has stifled more than 400 cases of alleged misconduct this year which an oversight board had investigated and substantiated. Two examples follow.

In April, Caban declined to take disciplinary action against two officers involved in the fatal 2019 shooting of Kawaski Trawick inside his Bronx apartment. Caban said the officers “acted within the law” and that the city’s police watchdog agency waited too long to bring administrative charges.

In August, Caban upheld a department administrative trial judge’s recommendation to drop a disciplinary case against Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, who was accused of ordering officers to void the November 2021 arrest of a retired officer who previously worked for him. The trial judge, Rosemarie Maldonado, said the watchdog agency didn’t have jurisdiction to investigate the case.

Mayor Adams named retired FBI Special Agent Thomas Donlon interim police commissioner. The timing of Caban’s resignation is astonishing with the UN General Assembly (UNGA) convening in NYC. Several weeks ago, the director of the US Secret Service resigned in the middle of the 2024 presidential campaign.

Sources:

New York City police commissioner to resign after his phone was seized in federal investigation (voanews.com)

FBI seized phones, iPad of NYC mayor amid campaign fundraising probe | CBC News

https://www.propublica.org/article/nypd-tossed-out-police-misconduct-discipline-cases-edward-caban

Bomb Threats Reported in Springfield, Ohio, Amid False Malignant Claims Targeting Haitian Migrants

Donald Trump pandering to the Haitian vote during a 2016 visit to Little Haiti, Miami. Now Haitians have becoming a convenient scapegoat for him. Photo courtesy of Michael Bennett via miamitimesonline.com.

Local and federal law enforcement agencies responded Thursday to a bomb threat made against multiple facilities in the Ohio city of Springfield. City Hall, a driver’s exam station, an Ohio BMV facility, the Springfield Academy of Excellence, and Fulton Elementary School were all evacuated and cleared by explosive-detecting K9s.

The threat comes days after Donald Trump repeated baseless and dehumanizing claims made online that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were eating residents’ pets. He made the comments during his Tuesday debate against Vice President Kamala Harris which were echoed by his running mate, JD Vance.

The city of some 58,000 people has pushed back against the claims, with City Manager Bryan Heck explaining in a recorded statement “it is disappointing that some of the narratives surrounding our city has been skewed by misinformation circulating on social media and further amplified by political rhetoric in the current highly charged presidential election cycle.”

The city manager added Springfield is experiencing challenges due to the rapid growth of its immigrant population, those challenges “are primarily due to the pace of the growth rather than the rumors.”

Sources:

Bomb threats reported in Springfield amid false claims targeting migrants – UPI.com

Trump, missing-in-action with Haitians, still draws handful of supporters – The Haitian Times

North Korea Releases Rare Images of Uranium Enrichment Site

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a uranium enrichment facility, which produces weapon-grade nuclear materials. The photos were published by North Korean state media on Friday, 13 Sep 2024. No located or date were released for the photos and certain faces in the pictures had been blurred before their release. (Courtesy: KCNA / Rodong Sinmun)

New pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un touring what state media described is a uranium enrichment facility have given an extremely rare glimpse inside the isolated nation’s closely guarded nuclear weapons program.

According to a report from Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim visited the facility – a bright, sterile warehouse filled with long rows of cylindrical machinery – which is used to produce weapons-grade nuclear material for the North’s growing arsenal. The report comes as North Korea continues to ramp up its illegal nuclear weapons program and strengthens relations with Russia, deepening widespread concern in the West over the isolated nation’s direction under Kim.

The location and exact date of Kim’s visit to the site were not disclosed in the report, but the purpose of his inspection was clear, according to KCNA: to lay out a “long-term plan for increasing the production of weapon-grade nuclear materials.”

Experts say the images – which show Kim flanked by men in military uniforms and crisp white lab shirts – underscore North Korea’s growing confidence in its position as a nuclear power.

In a speech celebrating the 76th anniversary of North Korea’s founding on Monday, Kim pledged to “exponentially” expand the regime’s nuclear arsenal, reiterating bellicose rhetoric he has used in the past.

As reported here on Coriolanus, the North Korean supremo ordered the launch of a ballistic missile into the sea when the dust settled after the US presidential debate. For years the West kept “kicking the can down the road” regarding North Korea and the dynastic family which has been producing WMDs while starving their own people. Neighboring South Korea, Japan, and China, must be wondering how this dangerous dynasty will one day end and what type of fallout will ensue.

Sources:

North Korea releases images of Kim Jong Un visiting a uranium enrichment site | CNN

Four Black Rights Activists Convicted Over Nefarious Russian Links

Protesters gathered outside the US Embassy in London to support Omali Yeshitela (Imagery: BBC, circa Sep 2024)

Four activists for black rights have been convicted of federal charges of conspiring to act as unregistered Russian agents.

Omali Yeshitela (82), Penny Hess (78), Jesse Nevel (34), and Augustus Romain (38), face maximum sentences of five years in prison. A jury in Tampa, FL, found them not guilty of the more serious charge of acting as agents of a foreign government. A date has not yet been set for sentencing.

Yeshitela is the founder of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) and Uhuru Movement. Hess and Nevel are white allies of the groups. Romain is the leader of a Georgia-based spinoff known as Black Hammer. The four carried out a number of actions in the US between 2015 and 2022 on behalf of the Russian government and received money and support from Aleksandr Ionov, the president of the Moscow-based group Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia.

Mr. Ionov used the APSP, Uhuru Movement, and Black Hammer to promote Russian views on politics, the Ukraine war, and other issues. The US State Dept is offering a reward up to $10 million for information that would lead to his arrest.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | U.S. Citizens Convicted of Conspiring to Act as Illegal Agents of the Russian Government | United States Department of Justice

Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov – Rewards For Justice

US black-rights activists convicted over Russian links (bbc.com)

Usutu Virus Threatens Blackbirds in Germany

The blackbird is one of the most common birds in Germany, but the spread of Usutu virus is threatening their population. Numerous cases have been identified in the Rendsburg and Eckernförde areas of Germany (see map). Infested birds become disoriented, begin to stagger, and often die within a few days.

The Usutu virus, which originated in South Africa, was first detected in Germany in 2011. Since the disease mostly affects blackbirds, the Usutu epidemic is also known as “blackbird death”. The virus is generally transmitted by mosquitoes. Humans can become infected with the virus – but serious illness is rare. Most recently, the pathogen caused a severe bird mortality in Germany in 2018.

Source:

Dead blackbirds: Usutu virus reaches the Rendsburg area | SHZ

Trump Tower Declared ‘Public Nuisance’ After Killing Thousands of Fish in Chicago

Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago. Locals have long derided the building as an aesthetical and architectural eyesore which doesn’t blend in with the Windy City’s marvelous architecture. (Courtesy Ghornephoto / Getty Images).

An Illinois Cook County judge has ruled that Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago has been conducting operations that violate state and federal environmental law, operates without a legitimate state environmental permit, and has killed thousands of fish over the years.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thaddeus L. Wilson on Monday found that Trump International Hotel & Tower “committed a continuing public nuisance through a series of failures to comply with state and federal law dating back to 2008.”

This ruling has taken years of litigation to achieve, with Friends of the Chicago River, the Sierra Club, and the Illinois Attorney General having filed the lawsuit in 2018.

Sources:

Trump Tower Declared ‘Public Nuisance’ After Killing Thousands of Fish | IBTimes

News Detail Page (illinoisattorneygeneral.gov)

Dog Rushes into Burning Ukraine Home to Save Helpless Kitten

A few years ago, an explosion occurred in a defense industry building near Donetsk City, Ukraine. Fire and smoke spread to nearby areas. As people rushed out of burning buildings and homes, they made sure that family members were with them, but some pets got left behind in the chaos. One dog re-entered a burning house to the surprise of the owner and neighbors. After a while, the dog emerged from the house fire with a tiny fluff ball in his jaws. The dog had gently picked up a kitten from the burning home and carried him to safety.

The lucky kitten has eight lives left.

Source:

Dog Rushes Into Burning Ukraine Home To Save Helpless Kitten (iheartdogs.com)

US Charges Former Trump 2016 Campaign Adviser Dimitri Simes for Working with Sanctioned Russian Media

Undated image of Dmitri Simes.

The US government has charged a Russian-born US citizen and former adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign with working for a sanctioned Russian state television network and laundering the proceeds. Dimitri Simes (76) and his wife allegedly received over $1 million dollars and a personal car and driver in exchange for work they did for Russia’s Channel One. The state television network was sanctioned by the US in 2022 over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Simes and his wife, Anastasia (55), have a home in Virginia and are believed to be in Russia. Simes ran a think tank based in Washington that advised Trump’s campaign.

A second indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes (55) received funds from sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexander Udodov. If convicted of the charges, the two face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Sources:


TV Presenter Who Worked for Channel One Russia Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions Imposed on Russia

https://apnews.com/article/trump-simes-russia-election-fbi-f0b0fe681c821f735c4e951736f041c8

US Indicts Six Russian Hackers for Attacking Ukrainian and US Computer Systems

This image released by the US State Department shows Russian military officers charged for allegedly conducting cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine ahead of the Russian invasion.

A grand jury in Maryland has charged six Russians, including five who are officers in Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU), with conspiracy to hack into computer systems and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The indictment, unsealed on 5 Sep, alleges that the Russians conspired to hack into computer systems associated with the Ukrainian government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Their original targets included Ukrainian government systems and data with no military or defense-related roles and later included computer systems in countries around the world that were providing support to Ukraine, including in the US. The whereabouts of the men are unknown, and the State Department has issued a reward for information leading to their arrest.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Five Russian GRU Officers and One Civilian Charged for Conspiring to Hack Ukrainian Government | United States Department of Justice

US widens indictment of Russians in ‘WhisperGate’ conspiracy to destroy Ukrainian and NATO systems | AP News

China’s Consul General in NY Departs After Aide Charged with Acting as Agent for Chinese Government

The State Dept reported that Huang Ping was not expelled, but had rather reached the end of a regularly scheduled rotation and departed his post at the end of August.

China’s consul general in New York departed after a former aide for New York governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo was charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government.

“I have conveyed my desire to have the counsel general from the People’s Republic of China and the New York mission expelled, and I’ve been informed that the counsel general is no longer in the New York mission,” Hochul said during an off-topic portion of an unrelated press conference. The governor was on the phone with a high-ranking State Department official at the request of Antony Blinken. He was later identified as Kurt Campbell, the deputy secretary of State.

Hochul’s announcement comes after Linda Sun, a former deputy chief of staff to Hochul and Cuomo aide, was charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registrations Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy.

If Huang Ping was not expelled, Beijing won’t reciprocate by expelling a US diplomat from China.

Beijing has presented the USIC and federal law-enforcement with a complex and challenging counterintelligence threat that will not go away any time soon. The USIC has also been dealing with nefarious Russian espionage and election interference attempts and the FBI must spend precious resources investigating dead-ender 6 Jan insurrectionists that were allegedly inspired by then-President Donald Trump.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/04/us/china-consul-general-ny-expelled/index.html

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/chinese-consulate-says-envoy-not-162531466.html

German Police Kill Gunman in Shootout Near Israeli Consulate in Munich

(Image Credit: X/Hans92183466101)

German police shot dead an Austrian gunman in Munich close to the Israeli consulate. The 18-year-old man fired shots from an old carbine rifle with a bayonet in Munich’s Maxvorstadt district, near both the consulate and a Nazi history museum, before being killed in a shootout with five officers.

The incident occurred on the 52nd anniversary of the 1972 attack at the Munich Olympics in which Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes. “There may be a connection between the two,” Bavarian state Premier Markus Soeder told reporters, adding that this was being investigated.

The teenage gunman was already known to Austrian authorities for alleged membership in an extremist group.

The use of lethal force in Germany is rare. Since 1952, German law-enforcement personnel have killed a total of 529 people; between 1961 and 1989, perhaps 140 people were killed by East German security services at the infamous Berlin Wall.

German police will be unable to interrogate the corpse of this 18-year-old suspect and will have to speculate as to his motivation for the attack. As long as injustices and brutality continue against Palestinians or Arabs, Western intelligence services should expect more lone actor attacks or IS-inspired plots against soft civilian targets like the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna or the recent stabbing spree in Solingen, Germany. That attack left three people dead and eight injured. The suspect, a young Syrian asylum seeker, was taken alive and will be thoroughly interrogated and prosecuted.

Sources:

German police kill suspected Islamist gunman in shootout near Israeli consulate | Reuters

List of killings by law enforcement officers in Germany – Wikipedia

The East German secret police and the Berlin Wall – DW – 08/12/2021

Suspect in custody after stabbing spree in Germany killed three people – ABC News

Greta Thunberg Detained by Danish Police at pro-Palestinian Demonstration: “Protests Should Be Everywhere.”

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (C) participates in a march from the University of Copenhagen to Vor Frue Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 4 Sep 2024. (EMIL HELMS via Getty Images)


Danish police detained activist Greta Thunberg (21) at a Copenhagen University protest against the war in Gaza and Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. The activist was part of a group occupying a University of Copenhagen building to call for an academic boycott of Israeli universities. Thunberg was later released from detention and the daily Ekstra Bladet showed video footage of her walking out of a police station.

Students Against the Occupation posted on Instagram that “while the situation in Palestine only gets worse, the University of Copenhagen continues cooperation with academic institutions in Israel.”

Widely known for her campaign to end man-made climate change, Swedish-born Greta Thunberg has increasingly taken up the Palestinian cause and in May said such protests “should be everywhere”.

Since last spring, pro-Palestinian protesters have set up encampments at universities around the US and Europe to demonstrate against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the occupation of Palestinian territories. The IDF have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and injured at least 94,398 others, according to Al Jazeera’s tracker of the conflict.

A UN special rapporteur on human rights said earlier this year that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israel’s military offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. The International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes, but his arrest warrant has inexplicably not been issued yet.

Insensitive bloggers, on supposedly liberal websites in the US, have already began robotically demonizing defenseless Greta Thunberg for daring to protest Western complicity in what US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) described in April 2024 as “ethnic cleansing.”

“It is not antisemitic to oppose Israel’s US-backed massacre of over 33,000 Palestinians.  I don’t think there’s any doubt that what Netanyahu is doing now, displacing 80 percent of the population in Gaza, is ethnic cleansing.”

Greta Thunberg and those Danish students agree with you, Senator.

Sources:

Greta Thunberg arrested at pro-Palestinian protest in Denmark (lemonde.fr)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/greta-thunberg-detained-by-danish-police-at-pro-palestinian-protest/ar-AA1pZ4CB?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=EDGEXST&cvid=051174ff722246fb9930b3a85efd7a76&ei=27

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/09/04/greta-thunberg-arrested-at-pro-palestinian-protest-in-denmark_6724752_4.html

Sanders: It Is Not Antisemitic to Oppose Israel’s Assault of Gaza | Truthout

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx88l499vero

New Hampshire Man Tests Positive for EEE and Two Other Mosquito Viruses Fighting for His Life

Joe Casey. (Family photo)

A New Hampshire man is fighting for his life because of a mosquito bite. Fifty-four-year-old Joe Casey of Kensington has tested positive for three mosquito-borne viruses, including eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), West Nile Virus, and St. Louis Encephalitis

Casey started to feel sick back in early August. He now has swelling in the brain and is barely able to communicate at Exeter Hospital.

Last week, 41-year-old Steven Perry of Hampstead, N.H., died after contracting EEE.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said Kensington has had at least one mosquito pool test positive for EEE. The town has sent out postcards notifying residents and the threat level has been raised to high.

This is another danger that global climate change is causing. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports current and future climate will affect mosquito and parasite biology, but that “temperature is not the only driver of change.” Other environmental factors include rainfall, humidity, land use, and human population density. 

To avoid mosquito bites, people must cover up their skin, use mosquito repellant, and avoid being out from dusk to dawn. Leave dragonflies and spiders alone, as they help catch virus-spreading mosquitoes.

Sources:

New Hampshire man tests positive for EEE and 2 other mosquito viruses, now fighting for life – CBS Boston (cbsnews.com)

Researchers Discuss Impact of Climate Change on Mosquito-Borne Diseases | NIH Record

North Korea Launches More Trash-filled Balloons Across Border

North Korea resumed launching hundreds of trash-filled balloons into the South. 20 balloons carrying paper and plastic bottles fell in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, with no hazardous substances detected. (File Photo by Yonhap)

The South Korean High Command confirmed that North Korea had launched more than 420 garbage balloons across the border with South Korea, continuing its latest nuisance campaign for the second day in a row. While Beijing launches sophisticated spy balloons against the West, Pyongyang launches petty balloons filled with garbage and manure against her southern neighbor.

This marked the first time in 25 days that North Korea has launched the balloons, ramping up the back-and-forth Cold War-style psychological warfare that has emerged along border areas in recent months. North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of launches since early June, sending thousands of balloons carrying scrap paper, shredded clothing, and manure into the South — including one that spilled trash on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s compound.

In response, South Korea started propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts near the DMZ in mid-July, blasting K-pop songs and South Korean news and information. The broadcasts reportedly call for soldiers working in border areas to escape and include news of the defection of a North Korean diplomat from Cuba last year. South Korea’s military claims the speakers can be heard as far as 15 miles away.

A pair of North Koreans, including one soldier, defected across the inter-Korean border on two separate occasions last month, prompting speculation that the broadcasts may be having an impact. The balloon launches come as US and South Korean officials held high-level talks in Washington. The US and South Korea are also currently staging a 13-day military amphibious landing exercise and the allies concluded their annual summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise last week.

Pyongyang frequently condemns the joint drills as preparation for an invasion and maintains that its own nuclear and weapons programs are a necessary form of deterrence.

Source:

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/09/05/north-korea-trash-balloons-dmz-launch-border/4631725522632/

Dangerous Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During 6 Jan 2021 Capitol Attack

Joshua Lee Atwood (31) of Burgettstown, PA, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

Atwood traveled from his home in Burgettstown to Washington, D.C., to attend the 6 Jan 2021 “Stop the Steal” rally on the National Mall. After the rally, Atwood made his way toward the US Capitol building and arrived at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. Atwood observed law enforcement officers actively attempting to prevent members of the crowd from entering the building.

Atwood climbed into the Capitol building through a broken window next to the Tunnel and entered into a Senate room near the Lower West Terrace exterior doors. Atwood exited the building and joined the mob gathered around the Tunnel entrance, which law enforcement officers were actively defending. Atwood started throwing several objects at officers in the Tunnel, including a plastic bottle and a metal pole, both of which struck police officers.

The defendant then picked up a wooden pole and used it to forcibly strike at the riot shields of officers, struck an officer’s helmet, then threw the pole at the USCP. Next, Atwood drew a canister of pepper spray and continuously sprayed the police until the canister was depleted, which he then threw at police. This maniac then hurled additional items at the police, including a baseball bat and a plastic bottle.

Atwood then used a police riot shield to strike at officers guarding the Tunnel. When striking police with the riot shield, Atwood yelled, “F— off, you guys are all pieces of s—”, and “Everyone of you should be ashamed of yourself. Everyone of you m—f—are pieces of s—. Betraying your country like this, why would you betray your country. Do you love your country, or do you want civil…communist f—.”

Shortly after, the defendant picked up a metal scaffolding pipe and threw it at police which bounced off a riot shield and struck another officer in the head and neck. Moments later, Atwood picked up a heavy black speaker and threw it toward the USCP. The FBI arrested Atwood on 17 April 2024, in Pennsylvania.

This dangerous member of America’s “Fedayeen Saddam” (FS), dead-ender white supremacists, has been in custody since his arrest and will be sentenced on 20 Dec 2024. Remarkably, this miscreant is reportedly the owner of an HVAC company and the father of two children, with a third on the way.

In the 43 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,488 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including nearly 550 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

Sources:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/pennsylvania-man-pleads-guilty-assaulting-law-enforcement-dangerous-weapon-during-jan-6

https://triblive.com/local/regional/federal-judge-keeps-accused-jan-6-rioter-from-burgettstown-behind-bars-pending-trial/

Ukraine Names Career Diplomat Andrii Sybiha as New Foreign Minister in Government Shake-Up

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on 5 Sep 2024. Photo: Ukrainian Parliament Press Office.

Ukrainian lawmakers appointed Andrii Sybiha (49) as the country’s new foreign minister in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reshuffling of his top advisers. He replaces Dmytro Kuleba, who had been instrumental in lobbying Ukraine’s Western allies for military assistance for Ukraine’s 30-month fight against Russia’s invasion.

Sybiha, who speaks English and Polish, has been the deputy foreign minister and had also served as ambassador to Turkey. He is considered to be closer to Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, than Kuleba, who is the most prominent departure from Zelenskyy’s list of top officials.

While Kuleba’s diplomatic skills were acknowledged, his removal was part of a bid by Zelenskyy to exert a tighter grip on foreign policy, Ukrainian sources suggested. A source in Zelenskyy’s party said the presidency had been growing frustrated with Kuleba:

“He was giving interviews, speaking beautifully, going on trips, this handkerchief in his jacket. … He was engaged in self-promotion, instead of improving the work of embassies, working systematically on countries and getting their support.”

Zelenskyy, when asked about the rationale for his government shake-up, told reporters, “We need new energy. And these steps are related to strengthening our state in various areas.”

Ukraine’s parliament also approved new nominations for several other posts, naming two new vice prime ministers and six other new ministers.

On the battle front, Ukraine’s military shot down 60 of 78 Russian drones that targeted regions across the country. In Kherson, officials reported Russian strikes that hit two medical facilities and injured two people. Russian forces struck an educational institution in Poltava, but there was no information about casualties. Russia’s defense ministry said it destroyed a rocket and two Ukrainian aerial drones over the Belgorod region, injuring one person and damaging a home. Russian air defenses also shot down three drones over the Kursk region and two drones over Bryansk.

Source:

Ukraine names career diplomat Andrii Sybiha as new foreign minister (voanews.com)

Sumatran Tiger Cub Born at San Diego Zoo

 The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced the birth of a baby Sumatran tiger cub at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The alliance said first-time mother Jillian gave birth to a cub 23 Aug in the park’s Tull Family Tiger Trail habitat. Care specialists said Jillian quickly bonded with the newborn and has been displaying the expected maternal behaviors.

“We are thrilled at the birth of this very special tiger cub at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park,” said Lisa Peterson, senior vice president and executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “This birth adds Jillian’s incredibly important genes into the pool of the population, furthering the genetic diversity and health of the Sumatran tiger species.”

Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered, with only 400-600 of the big cats believed to live in the wild. Officials said the mother and cub will remain in their den for the next few weeks while specialists continue to monitor the duo and their milestones.

Animal lovers can “adopt” a tiger at the International Tiger Project, linked below.

Sources:

Watch: Sumatran tiger cub born at San Diego Zoo – UPI.com

https://www.internationaltigerproject.org/adopt/

Russia Bombs Civilian Target in Kharkiv, Killing Six, As Zelenskiy Begs West to Lift Weapons Restrictions

Paramedics carry a victim rescued from an apartment building after a Russian air strike in Kharkiv on 30 Aug.

Ukraine needs “strong decisions” from its partners to stop the terror that Russia is perpetrating in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on 30 August after a Russian air strike on Kharkiv hit a high-rise residential building and playground, killing six people. One of the victims killed was a 14-year-old girl and the overall number of injured was 47.

“This strike was a Russian guided aerial bomb. A blow that would not have happened if our defense forces had the ability to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based. We need strong solutions from our partners to stop this terror,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram. He also again emphasized that agreements Ukraine has made with its partners on providing air-defense systems must be fulfilled.

Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has an active international arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court in the Hague, will be blithely visiting Mongolia on 3 Sep. The trip will be Putin’s first to a country that is a member of the ICC since the arrest warrant was issued in March 2023. Putin will travel to Mongolia at the invitation of President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh to participate in ceremonies marking the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armies over Japan on the Khalkhin Gol River, a Kremlin statement said.

Sources:

Russia Bombs High-Rise In Kharkiv, Killing 6, As Zelenskiy Begs West To Lift Weapons Restrictions (rferl.org)

‘No Worries’ About Putin’s Visit To Mongolia, Kremlin Says, Despite ICC Warrant For His Arrest (rferl.org)

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Orders Suspension of X After Elon Musk Misses Legal Deadline

With supreme oligarchic arrogance, Elon Musk threatened to reactivate X accounts and shared a manipulated image showing Brazilian Supreme Justice Alexandre de Moraes behind the bars of a prison cell, threatening that one day “this picture of you in prison will be real.”

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the suspension of the social media platform X across the country after it missed a deadline to name a local legal representative. The decision was handed down two days after Moraes ordered X and its owner Elon Musk to appoint a Brazilian representative within 24 hours or face suspension until one is named.

According to Brazilian law, social media platforms must have someone available in their country to receive takedown notice information in alleged cases of misinformation. X has not had someone in this position since it closed its offices in Brazil, alleging that Moraes had asked it to censor political opponents in violation of “Brazilian, Argentinian, American and international law.”

Justice de Moraes also ordered Apple and Google to take steps preventing the downloading of the X application from their app stores in Brazil and instituted a a fine of nearly $9,000 for any person or company in Brazil that uses X.

In his ruling, Moraes blasted what he called X’s lack of moderation policies, citing an “imminent danger” of extremist groups using the platform to disseminate “Nazi, racist, fascist, hateful and anti-democratic” messages leading up to this year’s municipal elections.”

Moraes had previously ordered all X accounts blamed for spreading disinformation, many of them supporters of former conservative president Jair Bolsonaro, must be blocked while they investigate the charges. The Brazilian Supreme Court also froze the bank accounts of Musk’s space satellite service Starlink in the country.

Authorities in the UK and Australia have previously expressed their distaste for Elon Musk for harboring extremist right-wing communicators and spreaders of malicious disinformation on X. Whether the UK or Australia take action against Elon Musk, like a French investigating magistrate took action against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov or Justice de Moraes did here, remains to be seen.

Too bad the US does not have a Supreme Court like Brazil.

Sources:

Brazilian supreme court justice orders suspension of X across country – UPI.com

Elon Musk confirms Brazil X office closure

American Police Brutality Continues: Former MPD Sergeant Sentenced Five Years for Fatally Shooting D.C. Motorist 

27-year-old An’Twan Gilmore in 2021. LaShunna Gilmore, the cousin of Mr. Gilmore, had a message for Enis Jevric: “I hope that you learn to be a better person.” (Public domain image)

Enis Jevric (42), a former Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison and five years supervise release for the August 2021 shooting death of 27-year-old An’Twan Gilmore. Jevric pleaded guilty on 23 Feb 2024 to violating Mr. Gilmore’s constitutional rights by using deadly excessive force. Jevric also pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter under D.C. law.

Shortly before 3AM on 25 Aug 2021, Jevric and 17 other MPD officers responded to a report of a man asleep in the driver’s seat of a vehicle stopped at an intersection. Officers approached the car and noticed that the sleeping driver had a handgun in his waistband. After officers had been on scene for about ten minutes and had cleared the avenues of civilian pedestrian and vehicle traffic, Jevric approached the car and directed another officer to knock on its windows to rouse Mr. Gilmore. When Mr. Gilmore awoke, the car moved forward several feet, stopped briefly, and then moved forward again. As it did so, Jevric fired his MPD-issued firearm at the car four times. The car then rolled farther and Jevric fired at it six more times. Three of Jevric’s shots struck Mr. Gilmore, who died a short time later from his wounds. No other officer fired at Mr. Gilmore. When officers pulled the bleeding, unresponsive, and unconscious Gilmore out of the car after it came to a rest, Gilmore’s firearm was in the same spot it had been observed, tucked into his waistband, underneath his buckled seatbelt.

As part of his guilty plea, Jevric admitted that his conduct constituted unconstitutional, unreasonable force, and that he acted willfully, in reckless disregard of Mr. Gilmore’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from excessive force by police. He also admitted that his conduct created an extreme risk of death to Mr. Gilmore and was a gross deviation from a reasonable standard of care.

Remarkable that 17 police officers initially responded to a stopped vehicle incident, followed up by a senior officer who would recklessly fire a total of ten rounds at the victim and the car.

Sources:

District of Columbia | Former MPD Sergeant Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Fatally Shooting a D.C. Motorist  | United States Department of Justice

Family of man killed by DC Police speaks out | wltx.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_District_of_Columbia

Trump Re-Election Campaign: “A Real $hitshow”

The wheels of Donald Trump’s campaign clown car are falling off.

As former Bush advisor David Frum wrote about Donald Trump after the July RNC Convention: “This crew is totally beatable.” With approximately two months to go until the Presidential election, the Trump Campaign is thrashing about like an angry, wounded acid-blooded xenomorph from the iconic movie Alien. A blogger recently noted the GOP has become a “real $hitshow.”

The latest misstep following the cheap publicity stunt at America’s most revered cemetery came from Trump who recently said he believes the six-week abortion ban in his home state of Florida was “too short.” Republicans in the swing state just north of there were quick to angrily respond.

“This is completely and utterly grotesque and indefensible,” said Cole Muzio, head of the Georgia anti-abortion group Frontline Policy Council. Georgia conservative pundit Erick Erickson piled on: “If Donald Trump loses, today is the day he lost. The committed pro-life community could turn a blind eye, in part, to national abortion issues. But for Trump to weigh in on Florida as he did will be a bridge too far for too many.”

This week Megachurch leader and MAGA acolyte Robert Morris, who has served as religious adviser to Trump, confessed to “inappropriate sexual behavior” after a woman accused him of molesting her starting when she was 12. The disgraced, hypocritical sky-pilot resigned this week from the Gateway Church in the Dallas TX area and whether the victim is seeking criminal or civil remedies is not yet known.

Meanwhile, Walmart’s is marketing a Trump campaign hat with a glaring typo: “Take American Back.”

But there are more calamities. Recently a so-called “Never Walz” group bought a booth at the Minnesota State Fair in order to hand out their propaganda. But these MAGA supporters neglected to buy the “Never Walz” domain name. Pray take a peek inside: https://www.neverwalz.com/ 

Super-icons ABBA demanded that the Trump campaign stop using their music at rallies. Abba’s request came the same day that White Stripes guitarist and singer jack White blasted Trump’s people for using his songs, too, calling the campaign “fascists.”  Foo Fighters, Céline Dion, Beyoncé, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, the estate of the late singer Sinéad O’Connor and the family of the late soul singer Isaac Hayes have all previously asked Trump to stop playing their songs. Hayes’ family even filed a lawsuit against Trump.

Meanwhile, justice is slowly but surely closing in on Donald Trump. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s carefully crafted re-indictment should concern Trump’s legal team. And the 45th President lost a massive civil liability case in NYS at the hands of AG Letitia James. Thanks to Johnny Palmadessa, here is the Live Trump Debt Counter:

Donald Trump’s Debt: Live Counter (trumpdebtcounter.com)

Despite these Trumpian disasters, Team Kamala must continue what they are doing and not take the foot off the pedal.  In football parlance, the Democrats must “run up the score” with overkill touchdowns to counter potential Republican voter suppression efforts in states like Texas, Arizona, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, and others.

Sources:

‘Today’s the day he lost’: Georgia Republicans furious at Trump’s latest comments – Raw Story

ABBA, other music icons, demand Trump stop campaigning with their music – UPI.com

MAGA pastor Robert Morris’ sexual abuse scandal underscores the right’s LGBTQ hypocrisy (msnbc.com)

This Crew Is Totally Beatable – The Atlantic

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/04/politics/voting-laws-restrictive-map-october/index.html

On 30 August 1983: Guion Bluford Becomes First Black American in Space

File Photo Courtesy of NASA.

In 1983, Guion Bluford became the first Black American astronaut in space aboard the Challenger as part of the STS-8 mission. Bluford participated in four Space Shuttle missions, his final in 1992.

Astronaut candidates Ron McNair, Bluford, and Fred Gregory wearing Apollo spacesuits, May 1978.

Bluford was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1997, the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010,[14] and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2020, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine awarded Colonel Bluford the Ohio Distinguished Service Medal: Ohio’s highest non-combat decoration for service.

Sources:

Guion Bluford – Wikipedia

On This Day, Aug. 30: Guion Bluford becomes 1st Black American in space – UPI.com

Germany: Far-Right AfD Party Eyeing Potential First Win in Eastern German State Elections

German authorities identified over 32,200 right-wing extremists in 2019. Much of the rise has to do with authorities counting groups affiliated with the far-right AfD for the first time. (Source: DW.com)

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is predicted to come first in at least one of two state elections in Thuringia and Saxony on Sunday, putting pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s federal coalition over the economy, immigration, and support for Ukraine. Germany holds federal elections October 2025.

The 11-year-old AfD, which has greater support in the formerly communist-run east, will be unlikely to be able to form a state government even if it does win, as it is polling short of a majority and other parties refuse to collaborate with it. But it will be the first time a far-right party has the most seats in a German state parliament since World War Two and its strength will complicate coalition building and could allow it to block constitutional changes and appointments of some judges.

The AfD is led in Thuringia by Bjoern Hoecke, a man that some in the party considered so extremist they tried to expel him. The former history teacher has called Berlin’s memorial to Nazi Germany’s Holocaust of Europe’s Jews a “monument of shame” and was convicted earlier this year for using a Nazi slogan at a party rally.

Business leaders have warned of the threat of far-right extremism to Europe’s largest economy, saying it could make it harder to attract skilled labor and investment. German politicians say populist rhetoric has fueled physical attacks against moderate or progressive politicians.

Any right-wing electoral win in the West is a win for the Kremlin. As in France and elsewhere, the rise of anti-establishment parties in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the ensuing cost-of-living crisis are complicating coalition-building and governability. Any win for the AfD, big or small, will stoke xenophobic hatred for immigrants and minorities as seen in the UK this summer.

Map: 2024 CIA World Factbook.

Source:

Far-right AfD on track for its first win in eastern German state vote | Reuters