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After Killing Palestinian Resistance Leader, IDF Continues Special Military Operation in Gaza

Palestinian children line up for food in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, 17 Oct 2024. A UN-backed assessment has found some 345,000 Gazans face “catastrophic” levels of hunger this winter.

Israel conducted raids on Gaza on Friday, pressing its yearlong war to crush the Palestinians after killing resistance leader Yahya Sinwar. Like Osama bin-Laden who should have faced justice in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) for the 9/11 attacks on the US, Sinwar too was killed without judicial process.  

According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, rescuers recovered the bodies of three Palestinian children from the rubble of their home in the north of the territory after it was hit at dawn. The IDF is pressing its operation in Jabalia, where air and drone strikes killed at least 14 people on Thursday.

With the civilian toll in Gaza mounting, Israel has faced criticism over its conduct of the war, including from the US. Israel’s Nakba campaign and free the hostages seized by Palestinian fighters has killed 42,438 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, women, and children. Several more nations have cut diplomatic ties with Jerusalem and an American journalist suggested Israel be expelled from the UN because of its brutal pogrom against the Palestinians and for declaring UNGA Secretary-General António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres persona non grata.

These Israelis joyously celebrate the news of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar at a southern kibbutz, 17 Oct 2024. Note the elation on the faces of the celebrants, unaware of twice-GOP Presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey’s famous words, “You can’t shoot an idea with a gun,” as if the IDF killing of one man erases Palestinian nationalism. Urbane Israelis in Ramat Aviv or Haifa wonder how much taxes these kibbutzers pay or whether they ever served in the IDF like them (Photo: AP)

Sources:

Israel conducts raids on Gaza after killing Hamas chief Sinwar (voanews.com)

Moldovan Police Arrest ‘Provocateurs’ Trained in Russia, Balkans

Moldova has a population of 3,599,528 people comprised of these ethnic groups: Moldovan 75.1%, Romanian 7%, Ukrainian 6.6%, Gagauz 4.6%, Russian 4.1%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 0.8% (2014 est.), GDP per capita: $15,700 (2023 est.) Map and information: CIA.

Moldovan authorities exposed a network of more than 100 people trained in Russia and the Balkans to provoke post-election unrest. Four suspects were arrested and placed in pretrial custody for 30 days following extensive searches by police and Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS).

Pro-Western President Maia Sandu is running for a second term on 20 Oct in an election that takes place simultaneously with a referendum to decide whether Moldovans want their impoverished country of 2.5 million people to pursue integration into the EU.

The pro-Kremlin network was financed by Russia-friendly fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, who is wanted in Moldova for his involvement in the theft of some $1 billion from the impoverished ex-Soviet republic’s banking system about a decade ago.

Authorities released hidden-camera videos purporting to depict training sessions in Russia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. In one video, young people standing on a stage in what appears to be a training hall mock a protest and chant slogans such as “Our language is Russian,” “No dual citizenship,” and “We don’t want to be in Europe.” Another video purportedly shows a training camp said to be in the Balkans where young men are appear to be learning how to make explosives and pilot drones.

The investigators said the approximately 100 young people who took part in the alleged training were around 20 years old. They started traveling to Russia in June and some of them underwent additional training at camps in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina belonging to Russian mercenary groups Ferma and Wagner. Among the coordinators of the action is Konstantin Potyomkin, who has ties with the notorious Wagner group. SIS chief Alexandru Musteata said Moldovan authorities “have the situation under control,” and the degree of risk regarding possible destabilization is now “low.”

Under Sandu’s government, Moldova secured EU candidate status in 2022 and opened accession talks with the bloc earlier this year after siding with Ukraine following Russia’s unprovoked invasion, in a radical U-turn toward the West and away from Moscow’s decades-long influence.

The two polls are seen as crucial for the future of the former Soviet republic and come amid a hybrid campaign of disinformation employed by Russia to scare Moldovans away from the EU and keep them in Moscow’s orbit.

Moldovan and several Western governments have warned that Russia and Shor plan to organize mass unrest if the elections and the referendum will have results contrary to the Kremlin’s liking. Russia’s eventual goal is to bring in a pro-Moscow government in Chisinau, which seems to be thwarted for now.

Sources:

Moldovan Police Arrest ‘Provocateurs’ Trained In Russia, Balkans (rferl.org)

Russia Pressures Central Asian Prisoners to Fight in Ukraine as ‘Expendable Force’

The Sakharovo migration center in Moscow (Photo: AP)

A 24-year-old migrant worker from Kyrgyzstan, Eleman enlisted in the military at a Russian prison in 2023 with the promise of parole, big money, and Russian citizenship in return for six months of combat in Ukraine. In jail for drug trafficking, he was sent to the front line after just a few days of training.

Eleman was forced to remain on the battlefield even after his contract had ended despite being wounded. His father said:


“If you’re alive and can shoot, it’s enough for them to send you to the combat zone.”


Eleman was finally discharged from the military earlier this year after he sustained even more severe injuries that left him disabled.  Eleman is one of thousands of inmates in Russia who were recruited to fight in Ukraine as Moscow struggles to replenish its depleting forces while trying to avoid another unpopular mobilization.

Russia’s Defense Ministry began enlisting inmates in early 2023, taking over from the notorious Wagner mercenary group that started the prisoner-recruitment scheme in July 2022 — five months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Wagner had enlisted nearly 50,000 prisoners — 20 percent of whom were killed in Ukraine — as of May 2023, according to the group’s founder, Evgeniy Prigozhin. Prigozhin fell out of favor with the Kremlin before dying in a suspicious plane crash in Aug 2023.

The Defense Ministry has expanded the practice of recruiting inmates to the extent that dozens of penal colonies in Russia were emptied and closed. Pretrial-detention facilities and immigration-detention centers — which hold hundreds of migrant workers mainly from Central Asian countries have become recruitment hubs. Russian officials have made prison conditions unbearably harsh and inhumane in an effort to pressure inmates into joining the military.

“They keep you in a cold cell, you sleep on the floor with just a pillow underneath you holding plastic bottles filled with hot water to keep warm,” is how one Kyrgyz inmate described his bleak life in a prison in central Russia.

The father of another Kyrgyz inmate incarcerated in the Sverdlovsk region said his son told him that prisoners “had to drink their own urine after being kept in isolation for days without food or water.”

Once recruited into the military, the convicts are treated as an expendable force, with little consideration for their lives and are often thrown onto the front line with just a few days of military training.

Kyrgyzstan says some 1,500 Kyrgyz nationals are serving time in Russian prisons, most of them accused of drug trafficking. The number of Tajik inmates and detainees in Russia was estimated at about 10,000 before the Ukraine invasion. The exact number of Central Asian prisoners in Russia is unknown. Nor is it clear how many Central Asian inmates were recruited to war from Russian prisons.


Kyrgyzstan has repatriated about 100 of its nationals from Russian prisons to serve the remainder of their sentences in Kyrgyzstan. About 500 other such requests by Bishkek have been rejected by Russian authorities.

This cynical Kremlin strategy provides the Russian military with cannon-fodder for the front line against Ukraine while simultaneously depopulating itself of minorities (non-Slavic Muslims). Over a century ago, rumors spread that an abnormally high amount of the Czar’s casualties in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) also came from minority groups, particularly at Port Arthur. But this is strictly anecdotal. And note North Korea sent troops to fight against Russia. ROK CIA (NIS) reported that 1,500 SOF personnel are being readied for combat in an unspecified location in Russia.     

Source:

Russia Pressures Central Asian Prisoners To Fight In Ukraine As ‘Expendable Force’ (rferl.org)

US Treasury Sanctions Chinese Drone Makers

The Garpiya has been deployed by Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine, destroying critical infrastructure and causing mass casualties.

The US imposed sanctions on two Chinese companies and an affiliated Russian company involved in making and shipping drones that Russia has used in its full-scale war in Ukraine.

The two Chinese companies designated by the US Treasury Department are Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Company, and the Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen.

Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine Company makes an engine that powers Russia’s Garpiya series long-range unmanned aerial vehicles. Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen is involved in shipping the attack drones.

A Russian national and company affiliated with the two Chinese companies were also designated in the sanctions: Artem Yamshchikov and TSK Vektor.

These are the first US sanctions imposed on Chinese entities that produce complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian firms. Previously imposed sanctions on Chinese entities have targeted those that provided components critical to Russia’s military-industrial base.

The drone was designed and developed by China-based experts and is produced at factories within China in collaboration with Russian defense firms before they are transferred to Russia for use against Ukraine, according to the department.

The sanctions freeze any assets held by the individuals and companies in US jurisdiction and bar US persons from conducting business with them.

Sources:

Treasury Targets Actors Involved in Drone Production for Russia’s War Against Ukraine | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Chinese Drone Companies Targeted By Latest U.S. Sanctions (rferl.org)

Justice Department Announces Charges Against Indian Government Employee in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate US Citizen in NYC

Vikash Yadav from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) allegedly orchestrated a failed bid to kill him. RAW is the Indian government’s equivalent of CIA. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The Justice Department filed charges against Vikash Yadav (39) in connection to a foiled assassination plot of a US citizen in NYC. Yadav’s alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta (53) was previously charged and extradited to the US; Yadav remains at large.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (above) is a Sikh dissident in NYC. He is reportedly a citizen of Canada as well.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a US-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the victim and his separatist organization from India.

Vikash Yadav is a citizen and resident of India, and he directed the plot to assassinate the victim from India. His accomplice Gupta recruited a hit-man, who was in reality a confidential source (CS) of the DEA. Gupta specifically instructed his assassin not to commit the murder around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the US on or about 20 Jun 2023. On or about 18 June 2023, approximately two days before the Indian PM Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim, and, like the victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government.

Yadav and Gupta of India have been charged with several felonies and face possibly up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Canadian government recently expelled several Indian diplomats in connection with the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Sikhs are an integral part of Canadian society and they were outraged by this brazen assassination. For several years, the right-wing government of Narendra Modi has been making life difficult for non-Hindus in India, as well as abroad. The US must tread carefully as India is seen as an ally against a growing Chinese military. Washington also doesn’t want Delhi to increase its support or trade with Russia.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Announces Charges Against Indian Government Employee in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York City | United States Department of Justice

dl (justice.gov)

RAW officer Vikram Yadav ‘hired hit team’ to kill Pannun: Washington Post – Hindustan Times

Statement by the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs on the RCMP’s findings regarding criminal activity in Canada with connections to agents of the Government of India – Canada.ca

Texas Fanatic Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During 6 Jan Attack on US Capitol

This lunatic shouted “Fuck you” at police officers all day and impeded the progress of a medical team that was trying to aid a rioter that was shot. (Photo: FBI)

Dana Jean Bell (66) of Princeton, TX was sentenced to 17 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly for her atrocious and felonious conduct on 6 Jan 2021. Her actions led to the eventual suicide of a police officer.

When the Trump-supporting mob began assaulting officers with pepper spray and ripping at least one police riot shield out of an officer’s hands, Bell made her way to the front of the rabble.  As the rioters inside the building forced the East Rotunda doors open, Bell reached out and grabbed the doors from the outside, disregarding that a USCP officer was pinned behind the doors.

After a rioter was shot in the Capitol, Bell refused orders to clear the way for a medical team, shouting “Don’t fuckin’ touch me!”  She told multiple officers to “get a real job” and that “no one support y’all, nobody!” This included Officer Jeffrey Smith, who tragically took his own life following severe personal injuries sustained in the line of duty on 6 Jan. As she was forced down the hallway, Bell also shoved her elbow multiple times into one officer’s chest.

When Bell finally exited the Capitol, she also assaulted two journalists. The FBI arrested the maniac on 7 Dec 2023 in Texas.

(Photos: FBI)

Erin Smith, whose husband Jeff Smith suffered a traumatic brain injury and a fracture while repelling the rioters, spoke at the sentencing hearing.

“Because of Dana Bell, (my husband) didn’t get the chance to keep serving as a police officer,” Smith said. “At 35, instead of becoming a mother, I became a widow.”

The presiding judge, a Republican and Donald Trump appointee, sentenced this maniac too lightly despite all the evidence he was presented. Although this was Dana Bell’s first offense, the US Sentencing Guidelines probably allows for upward departure in cases like this where significant harm arose subsequent to the instant offense. Here, a man received TBI and then committed suicide.

In the 45 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,532 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including more than 571 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

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

Sources:

District of Columbia | Texas Woman Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/erin-smith-january-6-widow-jeff-smith-testifies-sentencing-dana-bell/

Flesh-Eating Bacteria Infections Increase in Florida After Hurricanes Helene, Milton

Flesh-eating bacteria cases (necrotizing fasciitis) have surged in the last few weeks since Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton swept through, according to data from the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). Vibrio vulnificus, a naturally occurring but potentially fatal bacterial infection, thrives in warm floodwaters when hurricanes and tropical storms push brackish water along the coast and into rivers and canals, filling them and low-lying areas with rainwater, pollutants, sewage, and debris.

In southwest Florida, four new cases in Lee County and one in Collier County have been reported — an “unusual increase” due to the recent hurricanes. In 2022, Lee and Collier counties also experienced a spike in cases due to the impacts of Hurricane Ian. There have been 37 cases and four deaths reported statewide since mid-Sep 2024, with 13 cases and one death in Pinellas County. The 2024 total of Vibrio vulnificus in Florida is 70 confirmed cases and 11 deaths. In 2023, there were 46 cases all year, and 11 deaths.

If Vibrio vulnificus bacteria infects a person, such as by floodwaters coming in contact with a cut or other open wound, it can cause the skin and soft tissue around the wound to quickly break down. Treatment may require limb amputation to stop the rapid flesh deterioration, and the infection can be fatal.

Nationwide, vibriosis from Vibrio vulnificus and other Vibrio bacteria causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). About 52,000 of these illnesses are believed to come from eating contaminated food, but the bacteria are also often found in flood waters, something Florida has seen a lot of lately.

Sources:

Vibrio vulnificus | Florida Department of Health (floridahealth.gov)

About Necrotizing Fasciitis | Group A Strep | CDC

Christopher Columbus Wasn’t a Christian from Italy, But Instead A Sephardic Jew From Spain, New Study Alleges

Posthumous painting completed circa 1519

In 1492, Christopher Columbus embarked on a voyage that would change the course of history. While his disputed discovery of the New World is well-known, the mysteries surrounding both his final resting place and his origins have puzzled historians for centuries.

After his death in 1506, Columbus’ remains were reburied several times across different countries over the course of hundreds of years, sparking debates over whether his declared final resting place at Seville Cathedral in Spain was actually legitimate.

Now, thanks to groundbreaking DNA research, the question of his burial site has reportedly been solved. Furthermore, surprising details about his origins have come to light, with scientists claiming that he was born in Spain, not Italy, and that he was of Sephardic Jewish descent.

An illustration of Christopher Columbus’ death on 20 May 1506.

At 54 years old, famous explorer Christopher Columbus passed away in Valladolid, Spain in 1506. In the 14 years leading up to his death, Columbus had suffered from bouts of gout and arthritis. His health continued to deteriorate, and he was often bedridden for months at a time.

Upon his death, Columbus was buried at the Chapel of Wonders at the Convent of St. Francis in Valladolid. Then, he was moved at the request of his son to the monastery of La Cartuja in Seville. Then, in 1536, both Columbus’ remains and those of his son were moved to a church in Colonial Santo Domingo, now the Dominican Republic. In his will, Columbus requested to be buried there.

However, when France took control of the island in 1793, Columbus’ remains were interred in Havana, Cuba. They remained there until Spain’s defeat in the Spanish-American War and the relinquishing of Cuba in 1898. From there, Columbus’ remains were moved to the Seville Cathedral.

Christopher Columbus’ tomb at the Seville Cathedral. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Evidently, the frequent shuffling of Christopher Columbus’ remains raised concerns among historians. An initial observation of the remains at Seville Cathedral revealed discrepancies with known information about Columbus’ age at death and general stature. Additionally, Dominican Republic authorities claimed that Columbus’ remains never left the island.

For years, people questioned whether Seville Cathedral really held the remains of Christopher Columbus, prompting Spanish scientists to tackle the mystery for themselves.

Beginning with the collection of DNA from the remains in the Seville Cathedral in 2003, scientists have just now received the answers they were looking for.

RTVE: Samples of Christopher Columbus’ bones that were tested by scientists.

In 2003, historians Marcial Castro and José Antonio Lorente opened the tomb of Columbus at Seville Cathedral and collected DNA evidence from bone fragments.

The DNA sample was then compared to the DNA of Columbus’ son Hernando, who is also buried at the cathedral. At the time, the results came back as a match, but there was still a large margin of error. Technology at the time simply could not confirm conclusively that the remains belonged to Christopher Columbus.

Then, in 2020, Spanish broadcaster RTVE began production of a documentary to not only discover the true location of Columbus’ burial site but also shed light on his mysterious origins. Led by Lorente, an expert forensic scientist, the documentary crew explored these historical mysteries.

The investigation involved comparing the 2003 DNA sample to remains from many of Columbus’ reported relatives. To increase the validity of the DNA testing, the research team had separate laboratories from Spain, the US, Mexico, and Italy test the items and come to their own conclusions.

“The process was carried out independently, with no communication between the clinics, ensuring the objectivity of the data,” Lorente told El País.

Ultimately, the labs confirmed that the remains at Seville Cathedral were indeed those of Christopher Columbus.

“Today it has been possible to verify it with new technologies, so that the previous partial theory that the remains of Seville belong to Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed,” Lorente told Reuters.

“The process was carried out independently, with no communication between the clinics, ensuring the objectivity of the data,” Lorente told El País.

Ultimately, the labs confirmed that the remains at Seville Cathedral were indeed those of Christopher Columbus.

“Today it has been possible to verify it with new technologies, so that the previous partial theory that the remains of Seville belong to Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed,” Lorente told Reuters.

Christopher Columbus Painting

The 1856 painting Inspiration of Christopher Columbus. (Wikimedia Commons)

As for Christopher Columbus’ true origins, the investigation revealed that Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, likely Spain.

“We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son,” Lorente said in the documentary. “And both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin.”

However, some scientists have begun to cast doubt on these claims, with further debate likely to come when the new results are soon published in a peer-reviewed journal.

If the DNA testing confirms that Christopher Columbus was indeed a Sephardic Jew and not an Italian Catholic, what new name will the US-based Catholic Knights of Columbus choose?

Source:

Where Was Christopher Columbus Born? New Study Says Spain (allthatsinteresting.com)

Ohio Man Who Concealed Croatian War Crime Conviction Sentenced to Prison for Immigration Fraud

Jugoslav Vidic, pictured in this undated official photo, is what the USIC describes as a PIFWC (Person Indicted for War Crimes). (Image: 24 SATA News)

Jugoslav Vidic (56) of Parma Heights, OH, was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing a green card he illegally obtained by concealing that he had been charged with a war crime in Croatia in 1994 prior to immigrating to the US. A Croatian court convicted Vidic in absentia in 1998.

The depravity of the Republika Srpska Army (VRS) is captured perfectly here. For the amusement of his comrades, a Serb fighter points a firearm at the head of a laughing boy on the outskirts of Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, circa 1992-95. (Public domain imagery)

Authorities revealed that during an attack by ethnic Serb forces in Petrinja, Croatia, on 16 Sep 1991, Vidic, a soldier in the Serb Army of Krajina, cut off the arm of civilian Stjepan Komes, who died afterward. Vidic admitted that he knew about the Croatian charges when he immigrated to the US as a refugee in 1999 and when he applied to become a lawful permanent resident in 2000. He lied during his interview with US immigration officials and he received his green card in 2005.

As part of the plea agreement, Vidic agreed to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the US.

In this undated photo, a Yugoslavian man is pleading for his life from paramilitary fighters circa 1991-1995. The man’s whereabouts or fate are unknown.

Members of the American public who have information about human rights violators or immigration fraud are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or through the FBI online tip form, or HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or through the ICE online tip form. All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously. In Canada, you can provide anonymous and secure tips by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), texting TIP202 + your message to “CRIMES” (274637) or by Secure Web Tips.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Ohio Man Who Concealed Croatian War Crime Charge Sentenced to Prison for Immigration Fraud | United States Department of Justice

Bosnian War- A Brief Overview | Remembering Srebrenica

Iran’s Border Security Forces Allegedly Massacre ‘Dozens’ of Afghan Migrants

Map: Courtesy of BBC

Taliban authorities are looking into allegations that dozens of Afghan civilians were killed and injured by Iranian border forces while illegally trying to enter that country from Pakistan.

The Taliban probe was announced after an Iranian rights group, known as Halvash, initially reported the alleged Afghan casualties, saying they occurred Sunday in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan border province.

The organization quoted survivors as saying that about 300 Afghan migrants were attempting to enter Iran unlawfully when they were assaulted by Iranian border guards, resulting in deaths and injuries.

An Iranian envoy stated that responding “legally” to the “illegal entry of unauthorized nationals” was “the legitimate right of countries, and the border guards of any country are obliged to prevent the entry of illegal nationals.” He reiterated that Tehran is determined to return undocumented asylum-seekers and deal sternly with illegal border crossers.

Residents in the Pakistani border district of Washuk also reported the alleged Iranian assault on Afghan migrants, but they could not provide specific casualty details, citing the remoteness of the border area.

Iran and Pakistan together host millions of documented and undocumented Afghan refugees. Both countries have deported hundreds of thousands of undocumented individuals back to Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power three years ago.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the deportations continue daily, and almost 100,000 Afghans returned home from Pakistan and Iran in Sep 2024 alone.

Saravan is a volatile area and the site of a slaughter of nine Pakistani migrants on 27 Jan 2024. Pakistan’s Sunni Balochs promote an anti-Punjabi agenda against Islamabad; Iran’s Sunni Balochs are clamoring for more rights (if not outright separation) from Shia-dominated Tehran.  Afghan migrants, of various ethnicities, become caught up in reprisals and hostility at the borders. Afghan Hazaras are Shias and should be welcome in Iran, but the ethnicities of the Afghan victims are not known.  

Sources:

Iran’s border security forces allegedly massacre ‘dozens’ of Afghan migrants (voanews.com)

2024 Saravan killings – Wikipedia

Police Brutality: Former Louisiana Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation for Using Excessive Force Against Detainee

Javarrea Pouncy (31), a former sergeant with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO), was sentenced to 37 months in prison for assaulting Jarius Brown while he was being booked. Pouncy admitted that in Sep 2019, he and another DPSO deputy conducted a strip search of Jarius Brown and the deputies repeatedly punched the victim in his head, face, and body, even though the detainee did not pose a threat to either officer. As a result of the assault, the detainee was hospitalized and sustained a broken eye socket and broken nose, among other injuries. The other deputy involved in the assault, DeMarkes Grant, previously pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing justice sentenced to ten months in prison.

Undated photo of Jarius Brown courtesy of AP. In 2019, Pouncy and Grant beat Brown so brutally in that they broke his nose and left eye socket.

Desoto Parish and Louisiana law-enforcement agencies have a terrible reputation for incidents of excessive force against civilians. The ACLU has opened up its 22nd lawsuit in what they call the “Justice Lab” to fight police brutality through the legal system.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Former Louisiana Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation for Using Excessive Force Against Detainee | United States Department of Justice

Lawsuit: Deputies broke man’s nose, eye socket while booking him into jail | wwltv.com

Videos raise questions whether DeSoto Parish deputies used excessive force (ksla.com)

‘Justice Lab’ aims to expose, litigate claims of police bias | AP NewsJarius Brown’s | Legal Battle | for Police Brutality Justice (whitcomblawpc.com)

Food Safety: Listeria Recall Grows to 5.4 Million Kgs of Meat and Poultry

Getty/Lorenz Huter/Allrecipes

A nationwide recall of meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria has expanded to nearly 15.4 million kilograms (12 million pounds) and now includes ready-to-eat meals sent to US schools, restaurants, and major retailers.

The updated recall includes prepared salads, burritos and other foods sold at stores including Costco, Trader Joe’s, Target, Walmart, and Kroger. The meat used in those products was processed at a Durant, Oklahoma, manufacturing plant operated by BrucePac. The Woodburn, Oregon-based company sells precooked meat and poultry to industrial, foodservice, and retail companies across the US.

Routine testing found potentially dangerous listeria bacteria in samples of BrucePac chicken, said the USDA. No illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the recall and the CDC has not launched an outbreak investigation.

The recall, issued on 9 Oct, includes foods produced between 31 May and 8 Oct. The USDA has posted a 342-page list of hundreds of potentially affected foods, including chicken wraps sold at Trader Joe’s, chicken burritos sold at Costco and many types of salads sold at stores such as Target and Walmart. The foods were also sent to school districts and restaurants across the US.

The recalled foods can be identified by establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection. Consumers can search on the USDA recall site to find potentially affected products. Such foods should be thrown away or returned to stores for refunds.

Eating foods contaminated with listeria can cause potentially serious illness. About 1,600 people are infected with listeria bacteria each year in the US, killing 260 victims.

Listeria infections typically cause fever, muscle aches and tiredness and may cause stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Symptoms can occur quickly or to up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food. The infections are especially dangerous for older people, those with weakened immune systems or who are pregnant.

The same type of bacteria is responsible for an outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meat that has killed at least ten people since May. That plant was reportedly shuttered.

Sources:

BrucePac Recalls Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination | Food Safety and Inspection Service (usda.gov)

Listeria recall grows to 5.4 million kilograms of meat and poultry (voanews.com)

China’s Technological Advances Include Sound and Neurological Weapons

India denied that its soldiers were “microwaved” by Chinese forces atop the Himalayans on Nov 2020, but a professor in Beijing said that’s exactly how Chinese troops won the skirmish. The Indian soldiers were reported to be dizzy, nauseous, and vomiting, unable to withstand the invisible pulse attack after 15 minutes.

China’s military is developing high-technology arms, including sound weapons that can incapacitate enemy forces by disrupting the neurological functions of human targets without causing visible injury. 

Modern warfare is rapidly evolving beyond physical combat through these weapons capable of disrupting brain and body functions with sound. A review of Chinese military writings revealed the military has developed two types of sophisticated sound technologies: “neurotype” sound weapons that affect brain activity and “organotype” models that can damage internal organs through various frequencies.

“These weapons, which operate at frequencies undetectable by the human ear, have the capability to cause both neurological and physiological disruption, making them an essential tool in [China’s] arsenal for incapacitating adversaries without inflicting overt physical harm,” the report said.

The weapons offer strategic advantages in waging asymmetric warfare with minimal physical evidence.

Neurostrike employs advanced non-lethal directed energy and infrasound weapons to incapacitate individuals physically and cognitively. The sound weapons can disrupt internal brain frequencies and internal organs, resulting in cognitive dysfunction, disorientation, and physical harm.

The weapons can induce confusion, emotional distress and a loss of consciousness, according to two Chinese military researchers who wrote a 2024 report, and can directly impair cognitive abilities vital in warfare.

Sound weapons designed to affect organs affect human tissue using frequencies ranging from 3 hertz to 17 hertz, causing a range of physical effects from nausea and dizziness to, in extreme cases, organ damage. The Chinese navy apparently has a high-powered infrasound generator for use against military divers.

The report urges the US government to take steps to deal with the growing threat posed by infrasound and neurostrike weapons, arguing that the military should invest in counter-sound weapon technology that can detect, block, and neutralize infrasound waves. Sound and neurostrike weapons should also be included in international arms control negotiations.

Several years ago, USIC personnel were victimized by the mysterious “Havana Syndrome” which caused similar types of non-kinetic symptoms addressed here. Culpability seemed to have lied with the Russian GRU in those “health attacks.” Both Russia and China seem to have these technologies. The US military has non-lethal directed energy weapons in its arsenal as well. The Active Denial System (ADS) is a painful heat-generating weapon; the Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) is a powerful sonic cannon. Some police departments, like the NYPD, employ a smaller version of the LRAD for riot control.  

The ADS is a painful heat-generating weapon. (Photo: USMC / Lance Cpl. Andrew M. Huff)

Sailor aims an LRAD at an incoming small craft during a naval exercise in Apr 2015. USN Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Huey D. Younger Jr./Released

Sources:

Inside the Ring: China cognitive warfare advances – Washington Times

NeuroStrike Capabilities and the Strategic Role of Infrasound Weapons — The CCP BioThreats Initiative

India denies report that China ‘microwaved’ its soldiers with pulse weapon in Himalayas | National Post

China uses ‘microwave’ weapons to topple Indian troops in border dispute: Professor | Toronto Sun

Canadian Child Dies from Rabies After Bat Found in Bedroom

Eight species of these nocturnal creatures live in Ontario: the hoary bat, the eastern red bat, the silver-haired bat, the big brown bat, the tricolored bat, the little brown myotis bat, the northern long-eared myotis, the eastern small-footed myotis (pictured above).

A child in the Canadian province of Ontario has died from rabies after being exposed to an unspecified bat in their bedroom. The victim was exposed to the virus in an area north of Sudbury. The parents did not see signs of a bite or scratches and did not get the child a rabies vaccine as a result.

This marks the first domestically-acquired case of human rabies in Ontario since 1967.

The child, whose age was not shared by officials, was taken to hospital after the incident in early September and later died.

Rabies is a rare but deadly viral disease that can be spread to humans from an infected animal – such as bats, coyotes, foxes, or raccoons – most commonly through its saliva.

The disease, which can cause severe damage to the brain and the spinal cord, nearly always causes death once symptoms have appeared, according to the World Health Organization. The percentage of bats with rabies in the southern Ontario region has increased from less than 10% to 16% in recent years.

According to Health Canada, cases of rabies among humans in the country are rare.

Since reporting began in 1924, there have been 28 cases of rabies across six provinces, all of which were fatal. Nearly all human cases of rabies in Canada are a result of exposure to bats, or due to exposure to rabies while in another country.

In the US, fewer than ten people die from rabies each year, according to the CDC, a dramatic decline from the 1960s driven largely by prevention efforts.

There were 25 cases of human rabies documented in the US from 2009 to 2018, seven of which were contracted outside of the country. Like Canada, humans in the US are more commonly exposed to rabies through rabid bats, which are found in all US states except Hawaii.

Sources:

Canadian child dies from rabies after bat found in bedroom (bbc.com)

Ontario Bat Guide – Learn About Local Species – Ontario Nature

Cat Leads People to Her Kittens the Night Before Hurricane Milton and ‘Thanks’ Them in Most Heartwarming Way

The night before Hurricane Milton made landfall, Nikki, the VP of A Better Life-Pet Rescue, received a call about a mother cat and her kittens desperately needing help.

The cat reportedly had been left behind for weeks after her family moved away, and she had recently given birth on the porch. With the hurricane barreling towards the area, Nikki and her team knew they had to act fast to save the feline family.

“When I arrived at the location, I got out of the truck and started walking towards the house. She came running from down the street to me, meowing,” Nikki said.

She led the rescuers to her kittens. Photo: Nikki at A Better Life-Pet Rescue

The family of eight taken to safety. Hurry! Hurricane Milton is fast approaching. Photo: Nikki at A Better Life-Pet Rescue

Photo: Nikki at A Better Life-Pet Rescue

The feline family of eight was rescued just in time. Through the long night of howling winds, torrential rain, and power outages, they lay safe and dry indoors with warm beds and full bellies.

“Those kittens would not have survived the hurricane. We sheltered over 30 animals in our home during the storm.”

The mother is so happy to be indoors and trusts everyone to help her kittens. Photo: Nikki at A Better Life-Pet Rescue

Thanks to Nikki at A Better Life-Pet Rescue, all’s well that ends well.

Source:

Cat Leads People to Her Kittens the Night Before Hurricane Milton and ‘Thanks’ Them in Most Heartwarming Way – Love Meow

Unending Nakba: 61 Palestinians in Gaza Killed, Ten from Same Family; Ten Lebanese Killed; IDF Attacks UNIFIL Peacekeepers

Hunting for Hamas, no matter the collateral damage (Tjeerd Royaards, 9 Nov 2023)

Israeli attacks killed at least 61 people across Gaza on Tuesday, including 10 members of the Abu Taamiya family in the south of the territory. At least ten people have been killed in Israeli bombings of homes and a healthcare center in Qana, a Lebanese village that suffered Israeli massacres in 1996 and 2006.

Residents trapped in the Jabalia refugee camp face continued “carnage” with Israeli forces carrying out “systematic destruction” as the siege of northern Gaza enters a twelfth day.

The IDF attacked the al-Aqsa Hospital compound in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, in the early hours of Monday, igniting a fire that burned makeshift shelters for displaced people. At least four people were killed and dozens injured, mostly women and children.

One mother called it “one of the worst scenes we’ve witnessed”, while an injured girl said she heard screaming as people tore down their tent to get them out. A man said he had “broken down” as he was “unable to do anything” to help those who burned to death.

Warning: People may find this video, corroborated by the BBC, disturbing:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1845689850369835255

In Lebanon, at least ten people have been killed in Israeli bombings of homes and a healthcare center in Qana, a village that suffered Israeli massacres in 1996 and 2006. Multiple Israeli strikes targeted Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, taking a hospital in the city of Baalbek out of service. The strikes came as Netanyahu vowed ruthless reprisals after Hezbollah counter-attacked with a drone that killed four IDF troops on 13 Oct. Israel’s sophisticated air defenses have usually shot down Hezbollah’s rockets without problems.

Netanyahu said that Israel would continue to strike the group “without mercy, everywhere in Lebanon — including Beirut.”

Following the Hezbollah counterattack, IDF reprisals killed 41 people and injured 124 in Lebanon on 14 Oct. More than half of the victims were killed in the northern village of Aito, which lies outside Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds. The UN’s human rights office in Geneva called for an independent investigation after receiving credible reports that a dozen women and children were among the dead.

The Israeli war machine also attacked UNIFIL when two Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate and forced entry into a UN peacekeeping position.

“The IDF requested multiple times that the base turn out its lights,” UNIFIL said in a statement.

The tanks left about 45 minutes later after the Mission protested through its liaison mechanism, saying that IDF presence was putting peacekeepers in danger.

UN personnel suffered effects from smoke after several rounds were fired in its vicinity.

“Despite putting on protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp,” UNIFIL reported. 50 nations contribute Soldiers to UNIFIL, including Ireland, France, Turkiye, China, Italy, Armenia, and Finland.

Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on 15 Oct that he will take into account the position of the US — Israel’s main ally — but will have his country’s own “national interests” as a top priority as it ponders a response to a massive Iranian counterattack earlier this month.

“We listen to the opinions of the United States, but we will make our final decisions based on our national interest,” his office said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Israel that it must increase the amount of humanitarian aid it is allowing into Gaza within the next 30 days or it could risk losing access to US weapons funding. The warning came in a letter to their Israeli counterparts dated 13 Oct that restates US policy toward humanitarian aid and arms transfers. The US election takes place in less than 30 days.

Adam Zyglis / Cagle Cartoons

Fears of an all-out regional war grew as signs indicated Israel could be preparing to launch a direct strike on Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s counterattack on 1 Oct. POTUS Joe Biden has warned Netanyahu against striking Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities to avoid a further escalation of the conflict.

On 13 Oct, Biden announced that he had ordered the Pentagon to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and troops to Israel as part of US efforts to defend its ally, putting American service-members into harm’s way on behalf of Israel.

Just as the 9/11 attacks on the US gave Republicans a pretext to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, the 7 Oct 2023 attacks gave Israeli “Crime Minister” Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likudniks a casus belli to depopulate the Gaza Strip, appropriate Palestinian homes in the West Bank, attack Lebanese Hezbollah (an organization which first formed as resistance to the 1982 Israeli invasion), attack Iran, Yemen, and Syria, regardless of collateral damage to Arab civilians. The American taxpayer has made Israel a rich, militarily powerful country, having provided them $317.9 billion since 1951, making it the largest recipient of US foreign aid since World War II.

The American taxpayer is watching the “Beast of Bethlehem,” rabid and unleashed, wreak havoc in the Middle East with the US election weeks away and the Biden Administration appearing enfeebled. Worse, Netanyahu’s special military operation is tarnishing forever Pres. Biden’s legacy before his very eyes, (Illustration: Osama Hajjaj, 2 Nov 2022)

Sources:

Israel Launches Fresh Strikes On Lebanon After Netanyahu Warning (rferl.org)

(4) Updates Live: Israel kills 10 in Lebanon’s Qana; endless ‘carnage’ in northern Gaza (aljazeera.com)

Lebanon: IDF tanks force entry into UN peacekeeping position, UNIFIL reports | UN News

How much aid does the US give to Israel? (usafacts.org)

UNIFIL Troop-Contributing Countries | UNIFIL (unmissions.org)

To Boost Ukraine’s Army, Feared Patrols Hunt for Potential Conscripts

Officials looking for men stalk nightclubs, concerts, and subway stations but some accuse the patrols of dubious measures.

A patrol inside a subway station in Kiev checks the conscription status of men of fighting age [Image: Al Jazeera]

A stone’s throw from advancing Russian troops, Volodymyr refuses to leave his eastern Ukrainian town.

The daily Russian pummelling has killed some of his neighbors and destroyed buildings around his house, but the 34-year-old does not want to move to a safer area because he would be forcibly conscripted.

“I’ll be herded back home but with a gun in my hands,” he told Al Jazeera as fighting raged just six miles away.

He has no qualms about what Ukrainian generals might call unpatriotic behaviour. “Way too many guys” he knows have been killed, wounded, or incapacitated since 2014 when Russia-backed separatists sparked a conflict in eastern Ukraine that killed more than 13,000 people, about a quarter of them civilians, and displaced millions.

A local resident rides a bike near a recruitment advert for the Ukrainian army, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the village of Hrushivka, in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region [File: Alina Smutko/Reuters]

Casualties soared after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Russian army chiefs have no misgivings about the loss of tens of thousands of their servicemen for each Ukrainian town they take, mostly in the Donetsk region, where Volodymyr lives.

But he accused Ukraine’s top brass and front-line officers of adopting a somewhat similar approach.

“The commanders care about their bosses’ opinion, not about the men serving under them,” he said, citing conversations with his enlisted friends.

He and other men interviewed for this story asked for their last names and personal details to be withheld because they fear reprisals.

About 1.3 million Ukrainians serve in the military and at least 80,000 soldiers of eligible age (25 to 60) have died since 2022, according to Western estimates.

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government does not divulge the official death toll. He has said the army needs to enlist 500,000 out of about 3.7 million men of fighting age who are eligible for service.

These days, many potential recruits all over Ukraine think twice before leaving their homes. If they do, they look over their shoulder for “man-hunting” patrols.

Each patrol consists of police and conscription officers, groups of four to six officials that comb public areas such as subway stations, bus stops, shopping malls, city and town centers. They have also operated at rock concerts, nightclubs, and pricey restaurants.

Al Jazeera has witnessed the work of several such patrols. Each time, the officers refused to comment and be photographed. They approach any man in sight to check his ID and conscription document, a printout or a scan in a mobile phone that has a QR code.

The code gives access to the man’s “conscription status” in a central database.

That status had to be updated by mid-July when a conscription law took effect after months of deliberations and thousands of amendments. Every potential conscript had to provide details on his address, contacts, health, prior military service, and ability to handle weaponry, military equipment, and vehicles.

At the time, hours-long lines formed in front of conscription offices where staff were often interrupted by air raid sirens and blackouts caused by Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

In May, the government launched Reserv+, an app allowing Ukrainians to update their conscription status from their mobile phones. Those who did not now face punishment – their driving licences could be revoked or bank accounts frozen. If potential conscripts live abroad, consular services could be denied.

Vitaly (23) studies engineering at a German university and was denied services at a Ukrainian consulate. He was told to ignore the app and return to Kiev to “personally” update his status.

“Of course, he didn’t because they wouldn’t let him go back” to Germany, his mother said.

“That’s how Ukraine lost one more national” because her son now plans to apply for German citizenship after graduation, she said.

Back in Ukraine, the patrols are feared by some.

“They round people up randomly, pack them into minibuses,” Boris (31) from the northeastern city of Kharkiv said. He said the patrols are able to detain men without checking their papers.

“Five or six [officers] twist one’s arms and, oops, tomorrow you’re at the Desna boot [camp]” in the northern region of Chernihiv.

Boris could be immune to conscription if he becomes a legal caregiver for his disabled father, who had a heart attack this year. But he is afraid to even set foot in a conscription office with the paperwork.

“People walk in there and end up in Desna a day later,” he said, referring to the camp Russian forces struck in May 2022 with two missiles, killing at least 87 conscripts.

In late August, an official on patrol detained Andriy (27) as he was entering a subway station in Kiev.

A doctoral student who cannot be drafted, Andriy showed his QR-coded card. But he was forcibly taken to the nearest conscription office, where officers told him he would be on his way to a boot camp “within an hour.”

“They pressured me skillfully,” he said. “It’s an assembly line of coercion.”

But then a medical doctor refused to sign Andriy off because of myopia and astigmatism, and he was let go to get “additional paperwork. It was a miracle,” he said.

There have also been multiple reports of violence towards potential conscripts.

In late May, Serhiy Kovalchuk (32) was beaten in a conscription office in the central city of Zhitomir and died in hospital six days later. Officials said Kovalchuk suffered a head trauma during an epileptic fit after several days of heavy drinking.

Frequent violent detentions and the denial of access to the lawyers of potential conscripts constitute human rights abuses, according to Roman Likhachyov, a lawyer and member of the Center for Support for Veterans and Their Families, a group in Kyiv.

However, the use of violence is two-pronged as both conscription officers and potential conscripts resort to it, he said.

“Each case has to be considered differently,” he told Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, the conscription crisis is mirrored by the skyrocketing number of desertions. More than 100,000 servicemen deserted since 2022, Likhachyov said, often in groups of 20 to 30 people.

Draft dodging breeds graft in Ukraine, a country that has been notorious for corruption.

Bribes vary, several men told Al Jazeera. In some cases, $400 can be paid to a patrol team on the spot to let a man go. In others, thousands of dollars can buy permission to flee the country or purchase a “white ticket,” a document that makes one immune to the draft.

In Aug 2023, Zelensky fired every regional head of conscription offices throughout Ukraine. Dozens of lower-ranking officers were sacked and arrested for bribery.

Zelensky’s government has also tried to persuade Western nations that accepted hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees to deport each man of fighting age, but their governments refused.

Efforts to attract ethnic Ukrainians from the multimillion members of the diaspora scattered from Poland to Canada also failed.

The government’s enlistment campaign was “wrongly” outsourced to the army, according to Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, a former deputy head of the General Staff of the armed forces.

He believes the government should have started an awareness campaign to “explain, convince, engage the recruits”, but said that ultimately, “there are big problems to be solved”.

Potential conscripts should “realize that if there’s no one to defend [Ukraine], it will end badly for us all”, he told Al Jazeera.

Draft evasion and avoidance are not a new phenomenon. Long wars of attrition require manpower. Thousands of Americans fled to Mexico to avoid conscription during the First World War. Boxing champion Jack Dempsey fenagled his way out of the draft during the First World War and bank robber-to-be John Dillinger reportedly hacked off his own toe, making him 4-F and ineligible to fight the Kaiser. During the Vietnam War, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), the son of Gov. George Romney (R-MI), used a religious angle to avoid being drafted, and former President and avid golfer Donald Trump was able to secure a medical waiver from a local physician claiming he had “bone spurs.” Thousands of other young educated Americans fled to Canada, increasing the populations of Ontario and other provinces, probably for the better.

On 28 Apr 1967, the greatest boxer of all time refused induction into the US Army on principle and was stripped of his heavyweight championship title. The Immortal Muhammad Ali quipped: “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong.”

During the First World War, Australian mothers and wives didn’t want to see their sons and husbands fighting and dying in a faraway European war.

Sources:

To boost Ukraine’s army, feared patrols hunt for potential conscripts | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

Muhammad Ali refuses Army induction | April 28, 1967 | HISTORY

Powerful Indian Gang Reportedly Involved in Killing Canadian Sikh Dissident

Lawrence Bishnoi has been in prison since 2015, now held far from his native Punjab state in Gujarat. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Canadian RCMP recently alleged at a press conference that agents of the Indian government were using “organised crime groups like the Bishnoi group” to target leaders of the pro-Khalistan movement, which calls for a separate Sikh homeland in India.

This was hours after both countries expelled top diplomats as tensions escalated over last year’s assassination of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. Delhi dismissed the allegations as “preposterous”, accusing PM Justin Trudeau of catering to Canada’s sizeable Sikh community for political gain.

The Canadian police were referring to Lawrence Bishnoi (31), an infamous gangster from India.

Indian police say his gang is allegedly linked to the killing of a prominent politician in Mumbai. Three suspects are in custody. An alleged aide of Bishnoi has posted on social media that the gang is behind the murder. Once among India’s most wanted, Bishnoi has been in prison since 2015, held far from his native Punjab state in Gujarat.

Bishnoi is the prime suspect in the sensational murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, the popular Punjabi singer gunned down near his village in Oct 2022.

In 2018, Bishnoi gained notoriety for threatening Bollywood star Salman Khan, accusing him of allegedly poaching two blackbuck antelopes – a revered species for Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community to which Lawrence belongs.

When Bishnoi appeared in court, he openly told the waiting media: “Salman Khan will be killed here, in Jodhpur… Then he will come to know about our real identity.” Incidentally, the murdered politician was a close friend of the Bollywood star.

Federal investigators estimate Bishnoi continues to control a gang with 700 members across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, involved in extorting celebrities, smuggling drugs and weapons and carrying out targeted assassinations. His partner Goldy Brar leads the gang remotely from Canada. Bishnoi faces a medley of charges in more than 30 cases, with 19 currently being tried in court.

“He runs his gang seamlessly from prison without needing to co-ordinate everything,” says a senior officer in Punjab’s anti-gangster task force. “Unlike other gangsters confined to a region, he thinks big.”

Punjab, Bishnoi’s home state, is overrun with gangs that fuel drugs and weapon smuggling, extortion and the local film and music industry. A cash-driven economy, bolstered by drugs, real estate, and illegal liquor sales, has fueled this rise, creating an ecosystem that blends crime with Punjabi pop culture, many say.

Punjab’s gangsters don’t enter the underworld for wealth alone – they crave notoriety, a deep-seated desire to “be somebody,” according to a senior police officer.

This twisted pursuit of fame finds roots in feudal, patriarchal culture. Social media amplifies it, with many gangsters showcasing their lives online. They flaunt their lifestyles on social media, where crime is often seen as a path to quick money and glamour. This has lured retired sportsmen and young recruits across Punjab to the dark side.

Police reported dismantling more than 500 gangs and arresting more than 1,400 gangsters since mid-2021. In clashes with the police, 16 gangsters had been killed and over 80 wounded, while three officers lost their lives and 26 more were injured. According to police, Bishnoi has been convicted in four cases, though none yet for serious crimes like murder.

With his neatly trimmed beard, the hoodie pulled over watchful eyes, Bishnoi often wears the casual look of a young man. When the stakes are high, he demonstrates a shrewdness in managing his image. During one court appearance, he wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of Bhagat Singh, the revered Indian revolutionary.

In a widely circulated video, reportedly recorded in prison, the bearded gangster declares, “There is a desire for revolution in our hearts. Let’s see how much strength the enemy has.” The exact meaning of his words remains ambiguous.

Bishnoi’s rise is unlike any other. “Despite being in prison, he appears to be running his gang. Who provides him logistics or media access? Such control would be impossible without powerful allies,” says a senior police official.

In two cases no doubt connected to this diplomatic feud, an Air India flight bound for Chicago made an emergency landing in Canada after a bomb threat. This abrupt landing comes a day after flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi after a false bomb threat. Threats to Air India flights from Canada are likely to revive memories of the 1985 Air India bombing, which was orchestrated by Sikh extremists. Three hundred and twenty-nine people died when Air India flight 182 from Montreal exploded off the coast of Ireland. 

Bishnoi is the prime suspect in the Oct 2022 murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, a popular Punjabi singer. (Photo: Getty Images)

As previously written here on Coriolanus, the nexus between organized crime and espionage is not new. In the 1960s, rumors flew that CIA attempted to use American mobsters to overthrow the Fidel Castro regime in Cuba. The scourge of the Viet Cong was Saigon’s criminal underworld. Iran has been hiring contract killers from the Hell’s Angels to liquidate dissidents. Dawood Ibrahim and his notorious D-Company crime syndicate have been linked to the Pakistani ISI. Russia itself is considered a modern crime syndicate rather than a nation. The Canadian government should expect other reprisals, such as cyber-attacks from nefarious actors emanating from India or the Indian diaspora.

Sources:

Air India plane makes emergency landing in Canada after bomb threat | Canada | The Guardian

Lawrence Bishnoi: The Indian gangster pulling strings from jail (bbc.com)

Russia Releases Man Jailed After His Daughter Drew Anti-War Picture

Aleksei Moskalyov described his punitive cell as a “torture chamber” and said the 2-meter by 1-meter cell was rat-infested and so cold “it was impossible to sit on a metal bench inside.” (AP file photo)

A Russian man sentenced to prison on a charge of discrediting Russia’s armed forces after an anti-war drawing by his teenage daughter drew attention to him was released on 15 Oct, saying conditions inside the institution were horrible and that he fears he may not be free for long.

Aleksei Moskalyov was embraced by his daughter, Masha, as he left the IK-6 prison in the Tula region after serving 19 months in detention in a case that attracted global attention. Masha was placed in the custody of her estranged mother during her father’s imprisonment.

Moskalyov told reporters upon his release that security officers questioned people from his unit in the penal colony, raising fears the authorities were preparing new charges against him.

Moskalyov was sentenced to two years in prison, following his outspoken online posts against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which came to light after his daughter’s drawing was reported to authorities.

Her drawing, made in April 2022, depicted a Ukrainian woman shielding a child from Russian missiles, with inscriptions such as “Glory to Ukraine!” and “No to war!”

The artwork prompted school authorities to file a police report, leading to the investigation of Moskalyov’s social media activity.

Initially fined 32,000 rubles ($335) under an administrative charge of “discrediting” the Russian Army, Moskalyov later faced criminal charges for additional posts on social media.

He was convicted in Mar 2023 and sentenced to two years in prison, though his term was eventually reduced to one year and ten months. During his trial, Moskalyov fled house arrest but was later apprehended in Belarus and returned to Russia.

Moskalyov said he had been placed in punitive solitary confinement several times for what his lawyers described as minor “violations” such as “failure to get up quickly” or “not having his hands behind his back.”

He described the punitive cell as a “torture chamber” and said the 2-meter by 1-meter cell was rat-infested and so cold “it was impossible to sit on a metal bench inside.”

Sources:

Russia Releases Man Jailed After His Daughter Drew Anti-War Picture (rferl.org)

Mysterious Gooey Blobs Washed Up on Canada Beaches Baffle Experts

Hundreds of mysterious white blobs have been washing up on beaches across Newfoundland for over a month, sparking an investigation by Canadian authorities. (Photograph: Facebook/Philip Grace)

They are slimy on the outside, firm and spongy on the inside and surprisingly combustible. And in recent months, they have been washing up on the shores of Newfoundland.

A man named Philip Grace uploaded an image of a pale, gooey mass, which he compared to the dough used to make toutons, a Newfoundland fried delicacy.

Grace’s post about the blobs, which he said ranged in size from “dinner plate right down to a toonie [the Canadian two-dollar coin]”, prompted a frenzy of possible explanations – paraffin wax, sea sponges, mold, and ambergris – none of which withstood closer scrutiny.

Map: Brittanica.com

“They looked just like a pancake before you flip it over, when it has those dimpled little bubbles. I poked a couple with a stick and they were spongy and firm inside,” a beachcomber said. “I’ve lived here for 67 years and I’ve never seen anything like this, never.”

“They sent the Coast Guard over and I asked them how bad it was. They told me they had 46km [28 miles] of coastline littered with this stuff and had no idea what it was. Is it toxic? It is safe for people to touch?” asked the beachcomber. The gooey shapes aren’t the first blobs to excite locals.

In 2001, residents discovered the Fortune Bay “Blobster” sea monster that had washed ashore – a ragged and oozing white mass. Months later, however, researchers at Memorial University of Newfoundland concluded it was part of a decomposing sperm whale corpse (see below).

Source: Fortune Bay Sea Monster (mun.ca)

These new blobs don’t appear to be linked to whales, despite commenters in the Beachcombers group suggesting they could be “whale boogers”, “whale sperm” or “whale vomit” – all of which have been ruled out.

Someone speculated that the substance could be discharge from ships travelling to and from the Come By Chance refinery, 80km north of Patrick’s Cove.

Federal scientists have also been on the case but have produced few leads. They ruled out a petroleum hydrocarbon, a petroleum lubricant, or a biofuel, and a full battery of tests could take months.

Source:

Mysterious gooey blobs washed up on Canada beaches baffle experts | Environment | The Guardian

Evanston Chicago YWCA Closes After Legionnaires’ Disease Detected in Water System

(Map: federalcos.com)

Doors to the YWCA, 1215 Church Ave., were locked Friday afternoon and a sign informed people that all aquatics programming was canceled. An employee confirmed the building was closed to the public but didn’t give more details.

“HHS has been working with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the YWCA administrators regarding this matter by providing education, protocols, and measures to rectify this situation,” the Evanston Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

Legionnaire’s disease isn’t contagious from person to person and can be treated with antibiotics.

Legionnaire’s disease is a serious type of pneumonia. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaire’s disease, in some of the YWCA’s water systems.

Symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease include headaches, cough, fever, muscle aches, and shortness of breath, according to the CDC. The disease spreads through water systems like shower heads, sink faucets, and hot tubs.

Anyone who has been to the Evanston YWCA and suspects they were exposed should consult a physician.

The first reported case of Legionnaire’s Disease was in 1976, when 49 American Legion members at a convention became sick and 33 other persons associated with the hotel also became sick. Of these 182 cases, 29 persons died.

Sources:

Evanston YWCA closes after Legionnaires’ disease cases connected to water system – NBC Chicago

https://dph.illinois.gov/recent-news.html

THE PHILADELPHIA KILLER | TIME

Police Break Up French-Italian Wine Fraud Ring

(Getty Images – Hongjie Han)

Buyers of the ersatz wines thought they were purchasing rare bottles valued at up to 15,000 Euros each. 

The labels, which the criminals had especially printed, falsely claimed that the bottles contained fine wines from France. A French national has been charged with organized fraud and money laundering.

The suspected head of the gang, a Russian, was to be brought before a judge with a view to charging him as well.

The Russian (40) had previously been convicted on similar charges but under a different name.

He was apprehended at Milan’s Malpensa airport during a transaction involving a printer who was in charge of producing fake labels.

French prosecutors said the arrests were the result of close cooperation with Italian authorities, notably the Turin and Milan anti-counterfeit police units.

Several police raids were carried out in the regions of Turin, Milan, and Paris, and six European arrest warrants were issued. Fake merchandise with a sale value of two million euros were seized, as well as computers, bottle components, and telephones.

Source:

Police break up French-Italian wine fraud ring (rfi.fr)

Bear Visits University of Montana Campus, Follows Student

A bear wandered onto the University of Montana campus and followed a student for a short time Tuesday morning. Missoula is west of the state capital, Helena. (Photo by Pixabay.com)

Police at the University of Montana in Missoula issued an alert Tuesday morning to warn students and faculty of a bear wandering the campus.

The University of Montana Police Department’s alert, sent at 5:09 AM, revealed the bear was first spotted near a bike rack outside Craig Hall.

Police said the bear had followed a student for a short time, but did not act aggressively during the encounter.

Officers located the bear near the Elrod, Craig, Duniway Courtyard and asked all students, faculty and members of the public to steer clear of the area until the bear can be removed from campus.

Anyone who sees a bear on campus is asked to contact UMPD at (406)243-4000 or call 9-1-1.

Source:

Bear visits University of Montana campus, follows student – UPI.com

Israeli Special Military Operation Continues: 18 Slaughtered in IDF Airstrike on Apartment Building in Christian-Majority Region of Lebanon

A Lebanese army soldier inspects a site damaged by an Israeli airstrike in the Christian-majority region of Aito in north Lebanon, 27 km from Tripoli. 14 Oct 2024, (Photo: Reuters).

At least 18 people were killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in northern Lebanon far from Hezbollah fighter strongholds in the south and east of the country.

Hours earlier, an Israeli airstrike on a hospital courtyard in the Gaza Strip killed at least four people and triggered a fire that swept through a tent camp for people displaced by the war, leaving more than two dozen with severe burns.

Palestinians survey the damage at the site of an Israeli strike on tents sheltering displaced people at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, 14 Oct 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

A total of 61 people were wounded in Sunday’s IDF attack. Later, an IDF attack in southern Gaza killed 15 people overnight, including six children and two women. Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, with more than half of them women and children.

Israel, without providing evidence, said Monday’s strike at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah in Gaza targeted militants hiding out among civilians. In recent months, Israel has repeatedly struck crowded shelters and tent camps, alleging that Hamas fighters were using them as staging grounds for attacks.

The hospital was already struggling to treat a large number of wounded from an earlier Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter that killed at least 20 people when the early morning airstrike hit, and fire engulfed many of the tents.

Several secondary explosions could be heard after the initial strike, but it was not immediately clear if they were caused by weapons or fuel tanks. Israel has ordered the entire remaining population of the northern third of the territory along the Mediterranean Sea, estimated at around 400,000 people, to evacuate to the south. Israel has not allowed any food to enter the north since the start of October.

Hundreds of thousands of people from the north heeded Israeli evacuation orders at the start of the war and have not been allowed to return.

The latest strikes came a day after a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base in northern Israel killed four soldiers — all of them 19 years old — and severely wounded seven others in a counterattack after Israel launched its special military operation against Lebanon nearly two weeks ago.

In a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a man indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences for Sunday’s attack that killed four IDF soldiers. There is no information whether the SECDEF called his counterpart in Lebanon to express his condolences that two Lebanese Army soldiers were killed by the IDF last week.

Austin also “raised concern for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken soon to address it,” Pentagon press secretary MG Pat Ryder said in the statement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reached two hospitals in northern Gaza to deliver aid needed to keep the hospitals functioning.

The WHO reported that deliveries were made “amid ongoing hostilities” and that WHO and Palestine Red Crescent Society drivers “were subjected to humiliating security screening and temporary detention at a checkpoint — which is unacceptable.”

The US, Israel’s chief arms supplier, announced it is sending an advanced missile defense system to Israel and about 100 American troops to operate it.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, is a ground-based interceptor designed to defend against ballistic missiles. Its deployment comes after Iran launched a counterattack of 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on 1 Oct after an Israeli attack on Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Likud PM Benjamin Netanyahu is planning reprisals on Iran.

The THAAD system is used to shoot down ballistic missiles and is not used to conduct offensive operations. When asked about the missile deployment decision Sunday, US President Joe Biden said only that he had ordered the Pentagon to deploy the system “to defend Israel.” He declined to answer follow-up questions.

For eight years, analysts, investigators, politicians, pundits, and the American electorate have been wondering what hold Russian President Vladimir Putin has on Republican ex-President Donald Trump. Please see article below. In Oct 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously pointed her finger and chided then-POTUS Donald Trump:

“With you, Mr. President, all roads lead to Putin.”

Now people in the US and worldwide are wondering what kind of hold must Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu have on Democratic US President Joe Biden to give Netanyahu, an indicted war criminal, such carte blanche in the Middle East? Netanyahu is doing everything he can to widen and protract the war in the Middle East, which is contrary to the interests of US national security, the American taxpayer, and the Democratic Party.

Moreover, this brutal campaign only hurts Biden’s reputation and legacy as he winds down his Presidency and hands the torch over to VPOTUS Kamala Harris. The enormous military, financial, and intelligence assistance the Biden Administration has given to Ukraine will NOT offset the black mark of allowing Benjamin Netanyahu to conduct this horrific Nakba 2024 against the Palestinians, the Lebanese, the Syrians, Yemenis, and Iranians. For POTUS Joe Biden, the pejorative “Genocide Joe” is going to stick to him forever, much like the late POTUS Lyndon B. Johnson was forever linked to “baby-killing” in Vietnam. In 2015, Professor Julian Zelizer wrote that LBJ “wrecked his presidency” in Vietnam, much like Joe Biden is doing now in the Middle East.

Above is an unidentified woman in My Lai, Vietnam, the scene of a war crime perpetrated by the US Army on 16 Mar 1968. At least 347 and up to 504 civilians, almost all women, children, and elderly men, were murdered. On 31 Mar 1968, two weeks after the My Lai Massacre, LBJ announced on national TV that he would not seek his party’s nomination for re-election. In 2024, POTUS Biden announced he would not seek his party’s nomination. Both Democratic POTUS became one-term presidents.

A Palestinian mother wails after her four sons were killed by Israeli naval shelling near Gaza City as they played football on a beach. This attack happened TEN YEARS AGO in July 2014.  

Pres. Biden is scheduled to visit Germany on 18 Oct after a previously planned trip was canceled due to Hurricane Milton. While the people of Israel or Ukraine may throw laurels and flowers at Pres. Biden’s feet, the people in the Middle East might throw their shoes at him or even worse.

On 13 May 1958 during a goodwill tour of South America, Republican VPOTUS Richard Nixon’s motorcade was attacked by angry people in Caracas, Venezuela, after the US granted asylum to deposed former dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez. This is described as “most violent attack ever perpetrated on a high American official while on foreign soil.” While some aides were hurt, Nixon finally made it unharmed to the US Embassy in Caracas. Twenty-one years later, angry students would storm the US Embassy in Tehran, Iran, after the US granted asylum to the deposed dictatorial Shah of Iran.

Even though the VPOTUS vehicle was equipped with shatter-proof glass, it was barely able to withstand the pummeling it received from the furious mob.

Sources:

18 killed in Israeli airstrike on northern Lebanon apartment building (voanews.com)

How LBJ wrecked his presidency in Vietnam | CNN

Attack on Richard Nixon’s motorcade – Wikipedia

Middle East latest: Israeli strikes on southern Gaza kill at least 15 people overnight – ABC News (go.com)

Ukraine: North Korea Sending Soldiers, Weapons to Russia

Cartoon: Rebel Pepper

During his nightly address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that North Korea is effectively involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He provided no further details other than: “This is no longer just about transferring weapons. It is actually about transferring people from North Korea to the occupying military forces.”

He provided no further details in his nightly address on October 14. Zelensky claimed on October 13 that North Korea has sent soldiers and weapons to Russia to support the war in a sign of the increasing alliance between the Kremlin and Pyongyang.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) recently reported that several thousand North Korean troops had arrived in Russia and were being prepared for deployment in Ukraine. North Korea has already been providing Moscow with weapons, ammunition, artillery shells, and short-range missiles.

In frontline news, Ukraine recently procured and supplied one million drones to the front where five people were killed and eight wounded by Russian shelling.

Russia forces captured the town of Mykhaylivka, at the gates of the town of Selydove, and south of Pokrovsk, where its troops have been advancing for weeks. Moscow has been trying to capture Pokrovsk, a mining city that was home to around 60,000 people.

Russia evacuated some 30,415 people, including nearly 8,000 children, from areas bordering Ukraine due to shelling and attacks. They were placed in nearly 1,000 temporary accommodations across Russia.

Last week, the GUR (Ukrainian Military Intelligence) reported that six North Korean officers were KIA by a strike in Donetsk. The Ukrainian military should begin a PSYOP program with leaflets and loudspeakers, advising North Korean soldiers how to defect or surrender, just as South Korea does at the DMZ. There should be fluent Korean linguists in Ukraine and if not, the ROK embassy in Kiev would surely assist.  Kim Jong-Un and Vladimir Putin are in desperate situations: one regime needs cannon fodder and ammunition for its war of attrition, the other regime needs food, uranium, and economic support. And for Kim Jong-Un, this military adventure allows him to analyze how effective his inexperienced ground forces would perform in combat since the DPRK hasn’t been at war since 1953.

Source:

Zelenskiy Claims North Korea Sending Soldiers, Weapons To Russia (rferl.org)

Canada Expels Indian Diplomats, Accusing Them of Intimidation and Extortion Campaign

Sikh protesting the killing of Shaheed Hardeep Ninjar in British Columbia, in Sep 2023. (Photo: Carlos Osorio / Reuters)

The Canadian police accused the Indian government of orchestrating homicides and extortion in Canada to intimidate and silence Sikh separatists and dissidents. Canada expelled India’s top diplomat and five others, saying they were part of a vast criminal network.


The bitter dispute began last year with an assassination of a Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time that his killing had been orchestrated by the Indian government.

India, in return, expelled Canadian diplomats.

The Sikh community is an integral part of Canada. The current head of the NDP is Jagmeet Singh, a Sikh, as was the former Minister of National Defense, Harjit Sajjan. Unfortunately, Ottawa must act unilaterally against New Delhi, as Washington is working hard to strengthen its relationship with India to counter Beijing.

Canada’s first turbaned RCMP officer, Sergeant Baltej Singh Dhillon, British Columbia Provincial Intelligence Center, at the 2010 Sikh Remembrance Day Ceremony.

Millions of Canadians tune in regularly to watch Harnarayan Singh, co-host of Hockey Night in Canada.

Sources:

Canada Expels Indian Diplomats, Claiming They Were Part of a Criminal Network – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Statement by the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs on the RCMP’s findings regarding criminal activity in Canada with connections to agents of the Government of India – Canada.ca

Three Insurrectionists Face Justice for Attacking US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021

“I’m dressing in all black,” Norwood wrote under the name “Robbie” on 5 Jan,  in text messages. “I’ll look just like ANTIFA. I’ll get away with anything.” (Photo: FBI)

William Robert Norwood III (41) of Greer, SC, pleaded guilty to a felony offense for his conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol. The Honorable US District Judge Carl J. Nichols will sentence Norwood on 21 Feb 2025.

Norwood drove from South Carolina to Washington D.C. to attend then-President Trump’s speech on 6 Jan 2021. After the rally, Norwood entered the US Capitol building and eventually made his way to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. While befouling her office, Norwood recorded a video of himself:

 “Well we in this b— now. What now? This is our house,” “Where you at Nancy?”

Norwood also assisted other rioters to invade the Capitol building by opening doors. After order was restored, the defendant stole a USCP helmet and plate carrier (for an armored vest).

The FBI arrested Norwood on 25 Feb 2021 in South Carolina.

Ryan Wilson (41). (Photo: FBI)

Ryan Wilson (41) of Athena, OR, was found guilty of a medley of felonies and misdemeanors for his conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 attempt at interfering with the peaceful transition of power on Capitol Hill. Wilson was convicted following a bench trial before the Honorable US District Judge Trevor N. McFadden who will sentence Wilson on 16 Jan 2025.

Wilson and his father traveled from Oregon to Washington, DC and attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on 6 Jan 2021. He joined the mob and assaulted USCP officers at the Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. Before the melee, Wilson put on a black balaclava which covered his face. Wilson grabbed a pipe from a fellow rioter and rammed it towards the police repeatedly and forcefully. This miscreant used the pipe to attack the heads and faces of police officers who deployed OC spray, which hit Wilson. He then threw the pipe toward the police line, turned around, and exited the Tunnel.

The FBI arrested Wilson on 7 Sep 2023. 

Henry Phillip “Hank” Muntze (Image: FBI)

Henry Phillip “Hank” Muntzer (55) of Dillon, MT, above, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by the Honorable US District Judge Jia M. Cobb for his role in the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

Muntzer traveled from Montana to Washington, DC, to attend the Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse on 6 Jan 2021. Muntzer joined the mob which breached the restricted Capitol grounds. Muntzer recorded multiple videos commenting he had passed “through all the tear gas” to “tak[e] the Capitol by storm.” Inside, Muntzer joined other rioters in a collective effort to push back a line of USCP officers, causing at least one police officer to fall down the stairs. Muntzer continued to resist police efforts to clear the Rotunda and was one of the very last rioters in the area. The FBI arrested Muntzer on 18 Jan 2021.

In this undated photo from the Montana Standard, Muntzer is seen loudly joking with a local police officer about his felonious conduct on 6 Jan 2021.

GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump is counting on members from a large “bag of deplorables” like these three lunatics to help him win November’s election, just weeks away. These three white supremacists represent America’s Fedayeen Saddam (FS), die-hard racists clinging on to the last vestiges of white supremacy in the US. Heeding the idiotic call of Trump, these three imbeciles threw their lives away with these felony convictions.    

Sources:

District of Columbia | South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Civil Disorder During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2021/images/03/02/1-1.pdf

District of Columbia | Oregon Man Found Guilty of Assaulting Law Enforcement with a Weapon and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

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

Ex-CIA Director: Vladimir Putin Cultivated Donald Trump as ‘Source’

Then-President Donald Trump attends a meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on 28 Jun 2019. Former D/CIA Leon Panetta said Putin views Trump as a “source.” Regular readers of Coriolanus are aware that Vladimir Putin speaks English, as well as German. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Former CIA director Leon Panetta said that Russian President Vladimir Putin views former President Donald Trump as a “source” that he can use to his benefit.

Appearing on the One Decision podcast, Panetta discussed allegations in journalist Bob Woodward’s new book War that Trump and Putin had as many as seven private phone calls since early 2021, after Trump left office.

Panetta said that it would be “very unusual” for the Russian president to be engaged in communication with a former POTUS.

He added that Putin “knows how to work a source, and he’s got a source that is very near the top in this country, he, himself is going to engage that source.”

“That really is what the bottom line is — is that Trump has turned into a source for Putin, and somebody who can help him manipulate what he wants to get done,” Panetta said.

Panetta, who was D/CIA between 2009 and 2011, said that it would be concerning if the pair remained in private communication.

“The mere fact that a former president of the US is having regular conversation with our primary adversary raises real questions about where is his basic loyalty. Is it really to the United States of America? Or is it to Donald Trump?” he said.

Speaking on the podcast, Panetta described watching Trump publicly side with Russia over the FBI regarding election interference claims during a meeting with Putin in 2018.

Panetta said that in that moment Trump “basically said he trusted Russian intelligence more than he trusted United States intelligence.” He said this led him to believe that Trump was a “very dangerous person.”

Trump has continued to compliment the Russian president, publicly praising him as “smart,” even after the Russian leader’s invasion of Ukraine.

Donald Trump and disgraced retired US Army General Michael Flynn are the two greatest threats to US national security.

Sources:

Vladimir Putin Cultivated Donald Trump as ‘Source’: Ex-CIA Director – Newsweek

Kenya: Mpox (FKA Monkeypox) Cases Reach Ten

The ten cases are distributed across nine counties with Nakuru recording two cases, Taita Taveta one case, Busia (one), Nairobi (one), Mombasa (one), Makueni (one), Kajiado (one), Bungoma (one) and Kericho (one). No deaths have been registered among the confirmed cases. Authorities continue to screen travelers at all Points of Entry (POEs). In the last 24 hours, 117,377 travelers were screened, bringing the total number of travelers screened at 26 POEs to 1,146,353.

Kenya has a population of 58,246,378; GDP per person is $5,700 (2023 est.). Kenya recently deployed ~400 police officers to Haiti to help restore law and order and combat the armed gangs which have caused violent anarchy in the country.  

Authorities called on Kenyans to mitigate the spread of Mpox by avoiding close physical contact with individuals infected with or showing symptoms of Mpox, limiting the number of sexual partners to reduce the risk of exposure, and washing hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral illness. There are vaccines for mpox, which should be considered along with other public health interventions. Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last two- to four weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. 

In May 2022, an outbreak of mpox appeared suddenly and rapidly spread across Europe, the Americas and then all six WHO regions. The global outbreak has affected primarily (but not only) gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and has spread person-to-person through sexual networks. More information on the global outbreak is available here, including information on community responses to control the outbreak.

Sources:

MoH confirms one more Mpox case in Kericho (the-star.co.ke)

CIA

Mpox (who.int)

The Cats of Delhi: A Quiet Revolution On the Streets

Cat sitting in front of an artist, New Delhi (Photo: Andrew Marttila)

According to experts, cats have long been relegated to a mythos of bad luck in India. “The superstition against a cat crossing your path is real here,” explained a social researcher with a focus on animal ethics. “Young people are challenging these notions. What you must understand is the emphasis on staying with family—family is the social structure that binds Indian society. But as people are moving out to urban spaces for better opportunities, they are wanting a companion, and bringing in cats. This is a first-generation concept in India.”

While cats may not be commonly seen as pets, many people do show consideration for their feline neighbors, especially in Delhi’s marketplaces. The threat of street dogs kept cats moving from rooftop to rooftop, but canine sterilization efforts have started to stabilize the dog population, and cats are emerging more and more at street level.

Feline jumping a fence. (Photo: Andrew Marttila)

Orange cat in New Delhi. This one looks like a mini-tiger roaring. (Photo: Andrew Marttila)

Cats of the World (Andrew Marttila/Penguin Random House)

Source:

The cats of Delhi: A quiet revolution above the streets | Salon.com

Afghan National Arrested for Plotting Election Day Terrorist Attack in Name of ISIS

Image: FBI

The FBI arrested Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi (27) of Oklahoma City, OK who allegedly planned to conduct a violent attack on US soil in the name of ISIS on Election Day. He and a co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs, according to charging documents.


Tawhedi, who arrived in the US in Sep 2021, had taken steps in recent weeks to advance his attack plans, including by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family’s assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.


On 7 Oct Tawhedi and his juvenile accomplice met with FBI assets and purchased, received, and took possession of two AK-47 assault rifles, ten magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. Upon receipt of the rifles and ammunition, Tawhedi and his accomplice were arrested.


Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and receiving a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, if convicted.


Tawhedi entered the US on a special immigrant visa in 2021 and has been on parole status pending the conclusion of his immigration proceedings. The program permits eligible Afghans who helped Americans, despite great personal risk to themselves and their loved ones, to apply for entry into America with their families. Eligible Afghans include interpreters for the US military as well as individuals integral to the US Embassy in Kabul. The program has existed since 2009 and the number of applicants skyrocketed after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in Aug 2021.


Shawn Van Diver, the president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of organizations dedicated to helping Afghans trying to leave Afghanistan, said that though the charges are serious, “it’s critical that we do not assign blame to an entire community for the actions of one individual. Thousands of Afghans who resettled in the US are working to build new lives and contribute to our shared future. These are the same individuals who stood shoulder to shoulder with us in Afghanistan for over two decades, defending the values we hold dear.


This defendant was committed to his attack plan as evidenced by all of the preparations for sending his wife and child back to Afghanistan and liquidating his assets. Thanks to Muslim-American or Afghan-American FBI assets who duped Tawhedi, the plot was interrupted. Note this is an ISIS-inspired plot, not a Taliban plot.
 

A criminal complaint 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 | Afghan National Arrested for Plotting an Election Day Terrorist Attack in the Name of ISIS | United States Department of Justice
dl (justice.gov)
FBI arrests Afghan man who officials say planned Election Day attack in US | AP News
 
 

Minnesota Man Sentenced to Prison on Felony Charge for Actions During 6 Jan Attack on the US Capitol

Photos: FBI


Paul Orta Jr (34) of Blue Earth, MN was sentenced to six months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and fines by the Honorable US District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. Orta pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder on 14 May 2024

Orta traveled from Minnesota to Washington, DC to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on 6 Jan at the National Mall. A crowd of rioters, with Orta at the front, began to overwhelm officers at the Peace Memorial entrance and began to move onto Capitol grounds. United States Capitol Police (USCP) officers retreated from this area and attempted to set up a new police line, but some in the crowd, including Orta, pressed forward. As Orta advanced toward the retreating officers, he yelled, “We’re taking that s— today!” Minutes later, Orta forcefully moved at least two temporary bike racks that were being used by law enforcement to control the crowd and threw them over a concrete wall.


During the scrum, Orta lobbed a dark-colored object over the heads of rioters and towards a crowd of law enforcement officers. He then pushed a bike rack barricade against the police line and made physical contact with law enforcement officers. After the mob broke through the police line and advanced to the Lower and Upper West Terraces, Orta climbed on top of a concrete wall and raised a fist in the air.


The FBI arrested Orta on 14 Nov 2023 in Minnesota.


Note that Orta appears dressed for combat, not a rally, and was given a fairly light sentence. He represents America’s Fedayeen Saddam (FS), dead-enders clutching on to the last vestiges of white supremacy in the US. This young man threw whatever semblance of a life away by heeding the idiotic call of Donald J. Trump. The internet is forever and technically so is Orta’s federal conviction. Orta will face difficulties obtaining gainful employment after he is released from prison.


In the 45 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,532 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including more than 571 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
 
Sources:
District of Columbia | Minnesota Man Sentenced to Prison on Felony Charge for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

Cholera Cases, Deaths Surge in Nigeria

Houses and other buildings are submerged following a dam collapse in Maiduguri, Borno state, Nigeria, on 10 Sep 2024. Image: VOA

Cholera is surging in Nigeria with the number of cases and deaths increasing by more than 200% this year. The Nigerian Center for Disease Control recorded nearly 11,000 cases of cholera this year — a 220% increase compared with the same point in 2023. Fatalities over the same periods have increased from 106 to 359 — a rise of 239%.

Nigeria has a population of 236,747,130 people. GDP per capita: $5,700 (2023 est.) Data: CIA. Map: ontheworldmap.com

The state of Lagos accounted for 43% of the nation’s cases, while Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, and Borno also recorded significant numbers.

Last month, the worst flooding in 30 years ravaged conflict-ridden Borno state, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation there. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and moved to overcrowded camps. The flooding caused a massive prison break earlier this summer.

“We’re now facing a significant public health challenge that demands urgent attention and action,” Borno Health Commissioner Baba Mallam Gana said. “The floods have created ideal conditions for the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera by contaminating water sources and disrupting sanitation systems.”

Cholera is a bacterial disease, usually spread by contaminated food or water. It causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Nigeria’s Health Ministry is sending hundreds of thousands of doses of cholera vaccine to the affected areas. Borno alone received 300,000 doses, and state authorities say the vaccine has been distributed to camps for those displaced by the floods.

Nigeria has Africa’s highest malaria death rate which the floods will exacerbate.

Lagos residents use art to draw attention to the gaps in the prevention and treatment of malaria. According to UNICEF, over 1,000 children under the age of five catch malaria every day. Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images.

Sources:

Cholera cases, deaths surge more than 200% in Nigeria (voanews.com)

CIA

Nigeria has Africa’s highest malaria death rate – progress is being made, but it’s not enough (theconversation.com)

Osama bin Laden’s Son Omar Ordered to Leave France

Saudi painter Omar bin Laden in Le Teilleul, western France, on 1 July 2022. © AFP – Jean-François Monier

Born in Saudi Arabia, where he spent his early years, Omar bin Laden (43) has also lived in Sudan and Afghanistan. He left his father at the age of 19 and eventually settled in Normandy in northern France in 2016, taking up painting.

France’s new interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said on X that Omar bin Laden “posted comments on his social networks in 2023 that advocated terrorism. As a result, the prefect of Orne issued an order to leave French territory. The courts have confirmed the legality of this decision taken in the interests of national security,” he added.

The interior minister also said he had signed off on a ban preventing Omar bin Laden “to return to France for any reason whatsoever.”

He did not provide further details and it was not clear if Omar bin Laden had already left France.

Omar bin Laden’s marriage to British woman Jane Felix-Browne, a grandmother who had been divorced five times previously and over two decades his senior, had caused considerable media interest when it was confirmed in 2007. Omar bin Laden sought to live in the UK, but his bid was rejected by the British authorities.

The announcement of Omar bin Laden’s expulsion comes as the French interior minister held a meeting on Tuesday with the police chiefs of the 21 departments most affected by illegal immigration.

This comes at a time when the French government just survived a no-confidence vote. The motion was brought forward by the left-wing New Popular Front, who won the most seats in the snap legislative elections called by President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier passed the first test of his new government on Tuesday, as a leftist no-confidence motion failed to garner enough votes to bring down his center-right administration.

President Emmanuel Macron tapped Barnier for the job of prime minister last month after a snap election led to a fractious hung parliament. Barnier’s government is weak, propped up by the far right and despised by leftist lawmakers who filed the no-confidence motion last Friday.

The no-confidence motion was always a longshot, as it needed the backing of the far-right National Rally (RN) party to get over the line – a move RN lawmakers had signaled they were unwilling to take.

 RN’s Marine Le Pen said she wanted “to give a chance” to the prime minister. But she set out red lines, including that any tax increases be offset by increased spending power for the lower and middle classes.

Anti-immigration is becoming an issue in European politics and this announcement by the French Interior Minister may have been to appease the far-right which is part of the governing coalition. There is no information where Omar bin Laden will re-locate to or whether another EU country will accept him. There is no open source reporting that he has not been charged with any crimes.

Sources:

Osama bin Laden’s son Omar ordered to leave France (rfi.fr)

French government survives no-confidence vote as far right stays neutral (rfi.fr)

French Island Uncovers Waste Ring Exporting Toxic Vehicle (HAZMAT) Scrap to India

Most illegal vehicle waste ends up in countries in Africa and Asia, where the environmental impact is devastating.  Photo: AP / Mark Lennihan

The illegal operation, which ran for several years, shipped approximately 200 containers of dangerous car waste annually from the French overseas department and generated profits of €3.5 million. Under environmental laws, vehicles must be depolluted before being exported. 

Map: Courtesy of Business Insider

Those arrested include a prominent local entrepreneur in the vehicle destruction sector, his wife and seven others. The investigation revealed that the suspects had been hiding dangerous materials with other waste products whose international trade is permitted. 

Illegal exports of waste, including electronics and vehicle parts, are not uncommon. Much of this waste ends up in countries in Africa and Asia, where the environmental impact is devastating.  

Developing countries often receive vast shipments of waste – both legally and illegally – from wealthier nations. India is a frequent destination for such waste. French authorities are continuing their investigation into the Reunion-India trafficking network, with further arrests possible in the coming weeks. 

The move comes as part of a wider crackdown on international waste trafficking.  

In 2023, INTERPOL reported a 50% percent increase in such operations over the previous two years. 

In 2017, 835 large ocean-going ships were sold to scrap yards, 543 of which were broken down on beaches of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. The toxic materials stripped from these hulks have caused illnesses and deaths among the poor people doing this dangerous work, but authorities do not seem to be investigating the causes. And India already has a pollution problem, causing 2.3 million premature deaths in 2019, according to a Lancet study. Nearly 1.6 million deaths were due to air pollution alone, and more than 500,000 were caused by water pollution.

Sources:

French island uncovers waste ring exporting toxic vehicle scrap to India (rfi.fr)

Lancet study: Pollution killed 2.3 million Indians in 2019 (bbc.com)
 

Iran: An Earthquake or Secret Underground Nuclear Test?

The University of Tehran’s seismography center announced that a 4.4-magnitude earthquake had shaken the city of Aradan in Iran’s Semnan province, with tremors also felt in parts of eastern Tehran this past Saturday. The epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred 12km below ground, were recorded as 35.42° north and 52.78° east.

Hours after the news broke, social media users began speculating that the Tehran regime had attempted to conduct its first underground nuclear test, presumably as a deterrent measure against Israeli attacks on its territory. Tehran had stopped disclosing its nuclear activities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after then-President Donald Trump recklessly withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018.

These speculations came as Islamic Republic officials and Revolutionary Guard commanders repeatedly threatened that if economic, political, and military pressures on the country intensify, Tehran will alter its military defense doctrine — a change that would require amending the Iranian leader’s fatwa on the illegality of nuclear weapons. Iran is also a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The NorNews news website, which operates informally as the Islamic Republic’s National Security Council main information outlet, dismissed the nuclear speculation as “rumors” and once again stressed that nuclear testing contradicts Iran’s nuclear and defense doctrine.

In 2019, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies claimed that Iran had begun a program to build underground nuclear testing sites, known as the “Field Project”.

The foundation has been sanctioned by Iran’s Foreign Ministry for five years for “producing and disseminating lies, encouraging, consulting, lobbying, and negative propaganda campaign against the Islamic Republic with the aim of playing an effective role in imposing and intensifying economic sanctions”.

According to its 2019 report, its researchers “identified the likely location (in an area southeast of Semnan) where underground non-nuclear explosives tests were conducted in 2003 as part of developing seismic methods of measuring the yield of an underground nuclear explosive.”

This raises the speculation that the earthquake reported in Semnan could be connected to Tehran’s first nuclear test. While Iran has previously acknowledged the existence of the “Imam Khomeini” space center and missile headquarters southeast of Semnan, the site is more than 100 kms from the earthquake’s epicenter. Conspiracy theorists claim Iran prefers use this as a testing site instead of conducting them at a well-known facility such as Natanz.

Iran is an earthquake-prone country, so tremors like these are not uncommon or strange. During the savage Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iranian generals wanted to desperately counter-attack Iraqi chemical weapons attacks with their own stockpiles, but the religious leaders of Iran issued a fatwa against the use of WMDs, arguing thy would despoil nature. The Iranian High Command bitterly acquiesced in the face of appalling battlefield casualties. The recent social media speculation seems to be emanating from war-hawks itching to incriminate Iran and inflame tensions in an already precarious time with Israel continuing its murderous rampage in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and against Shia Yemenis on the Arabian peninsula.  

Sources:

M 4.4 – 50 km NW of Bardaskan, Iran (usgs.gov)

Iran: An earthquake — or a secret underground nuclear test? | Euronews

Project Midan (fdd.org)

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – Wikipedia

Ex-British MI6 Operative: Donald Trump Took British Naval Secrets to Mar-A-Lago

Boxes and boxes with classified information stored inside a bathroom at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in April 2021. Photo: Department of Justice

Donald Trump took “British naval secrets” to Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House, the former UK MI6 operative Christopher Steele writes in a new book.
“I was reliably informed by impeccable sources that among the classified documents which Trump, apparently unauthorizedly, took with him to Mar-a-Lago at the end of his presidency were British naval secrets, some of the most sensitive ones in our governmental system,” Steele writes.


“It remains unclear to me, at least, why Trump would have wanted to retain such documents and what eventually happened to them.”

Steele does not say what the secrets concerned.

Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving power in 2021 was the subject of an FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago and 40 criminal charges brought by the special counsel Jack Smith. That case was thrown out in June by Aileen Cannon, a Florida judge appointed under Trump. Smith has appealed.

Trump was convicted on 34 criminal charges in New York, over hush-money payments to an adult film star. His attempts to overturn the 2020 election are the subject of four federal criminal charges and eight in Georgia.

Trump was previously reported to have discussed US nuclear submarines at Mar-a-Lago with an Australian billionaire who then shared the information. Reporting of that incident did not mention “British naval secrets”.

A Russian foreign ministry photo showing Donald Trump with Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak sharing a laugh during their meeting in the White House on 10 May 2017 (EPA)

Steele discusses the reported occasion in May 2017 when Trump shared “top secret intelligence”, allegedly about an Israeli asset working inside the terrorist group Isis, with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. Sources, Steele says, believe Russia told Iran, which tipped off ISIS, leading to the death of the asset.

Steele then cites his “impeccable source” saying Trump took documents concerning British naval secrets to Mar-a-Lago. He also says the British government knew of links between Trump and Moscow before his intervention, as the Australian government reported activities involving a Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, in 2016.

The two most dangerous internal national security threats to the United States of America are Donald J. Trump and disgraced retired US Army LG Michael Flynn.

The head table of a gala celebrating the tenth anniversary of Russia Today in Dec 2015 in Moscow. Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP and NBC News.

Sources:
Trump took ‘British naval secrets’ to Mar-a-Lago, says Christopher Steele | Donald Trump | The Guardian
Trump indictment unsealed: Read the copy (axios.com)

How Waffle House Helps Southerners and FEMA Judge Storm’s Severity

Image: FOX Weather

Golden hashbrowns, gravy-smothered biscuits and crispy waffles with a hearty helping of maple syrup are among the classic Southern comfort foods. But when hurricanes tear through Southeastern towns, the hot meals and bold yellow signs of the local Waffle House provide another kind of comfort.

If a Waffle House stays open in town, even in a limited capacity, neighbors are reassured that the coming storm is unlikely to cause devastation. A closed location of the dependable diner chain has come to indicate impending disaster. The metric is known as the Waffle House Index.

What might sound like silly logic has become one of the most reliable ways for Southerners — and even federal officials — to gauge a storm’s severity and identify communities most in need of immediate aid.

About two dozen Waffle House locations remained closed in the Carolinas and the chain’s home state of Georgia on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the states were among those battered by Hurricane Helene. Several other locations were open but serving a limited menu.

As Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida communities still recovering from Helene, many Waffle House locations along the Gulf Coast, including those in Tampa, Cape Coral, and St. Petersburg, have closed in preparation.

The South’s favorite disaster authority provides an informal measure of how significantly a storm will affect or has affected a community.

A map of the chain’s over 1,900 locations, concentrated in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, helps residents of storm-prone states assess whether they’re likely to lose power, experience severe flooding or endure other extreme conditions that might cause a resilient restaurant to close its doors. For some, it’s a telltale sign of whether they need to evacuate.

Waffle House is known not just for serving breakfast 24/7, 365 days a year, but also for its disaster preparedness. For decades, people across the South have noticed that the local Waffle House seemed to be the only business still open during a storm or the first to reopen after it passed.

The restaurant chain’s reputation for remaining open when people desperately needed a place to warm up, charge devices and grab a hot meal became a fairly reliable — albeit amusing — source to help track recovery efforts.

Waffle House’s social media shares color-coded maps of its restaurant locations in certain regions that will soon be hit or are recovering from storm damage. FEMA also offers some live tracking.

Waffle House has closed many Florida locations before Hurricane Milton has made landfall, indicating the damage will likely be severe.

The appropriately named Milton (Paradise Lost) was upgraded back to a Category 5 storm Tuesday as it churned toward Florida’s west coast. The “meteorological monster” could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation into projectiles.

Source:

Waffle House Index helps Southerners and FEMA judge a hurricane’s severity | AP News

Friendly Cat Joins Canine Airport Therapy Squad at Denver Intl Airport

Therapy cat Xeli always seems to know when she’s needed. So, when she starts tugging on her leash, her handlers follow the cat to an older couple hunched miserably over their chairs at one of Denver International Airport’s concourses. Their return flight was cancelled, and they’ve logged countless hours trying to get back home.  


Volunteers Nathan and Laine ask the duo if they’d like to hold the cat. The travellers’ faces light up instantly and Xeli bounds onto their laps and curls into a ball. The couple start reminiscing about their own pet who resembled the tabby. By the time the trio leaves, the travelers are smiling.  “Visiting with Xeli was the highlight of our day,” they say.

Photo Courtesy The Petco Foundation

These kinds of transformations are par for the course for members of the Canine Airport Therapy Squad (CATS). Despite the acronym, the team consists of 94 dogs and one cat—Xeli. The program, founded in 2015, offers stress relief to travelers overwhelmed by the airport’s hustle and bustle, missed or late flights, or the scrutiny at security. By the time voyagers reach the boarding areas, they’re ready for the soothing snuggles and distraction of the therapy teams.

Xeli has always done that. Her “sweet nature” was evident to Nathan and Laine from the moment they glimpsed the purring kitten at a Petsmart adoption event. After bringing her home, the couple quickly realized that Xeli could charm even their most feline-resistant friends. A friend told Laine, “I’m not really a cat person, but Xeli’s pretty cool.” That’s when the couple began to see Xeli’s potential as a therapy animal.  

Not every cat is cut out for the role. A potential therapy cat must have a mellow disposition and enjoy interacting with people. Prospective animals have to be certified by a recognized national agency who puts them through a gauntlet of simulated real-life situations, including loud noises and nearby dogs. Cats who prove their mettle undergo a more specific evaluation at the airport, where they’re shepherded through security, taken up escalators, and ride the trains.

Some travelers don’t know what to make of the tabby and her handlers, dressed in matching blue plaid vests. “Some people give us weird looks,” says Laine. Others offer money. A few have even tried to adopt the cat.   

Photo: Courtesy K99

“We own her,” the volunteers clarify. “We’re here so that people who might be a little anxious can have some kitty cuddles.” 

Sources:

Cat Infiltrates Canine Airport Therapy Squad – Modern Cat

“Age of Impunity”: Israel Bombards Lebanon for Second Day; 558 Killed Including 50 Children, 94 Women; 1,835 Injured

Israel bombarded 1,500 Hezbollah militant targets in Lebanon again on Tuesday, with the death toll from airstrikes since Monday mounting to 558, along with another 1,835 injured.50 children had been killed in the barrage, along with at least 94 women.

Israel said one of its strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed Ibrahim Muhammad Qubaisi, identified as a senior Hezbollah military commander who oversaw Hezbollah’s missile systems.

The UN refugee agency said it was “outraged and deeply saddened” by other Israeli attacks that killed two of its staff members. Thousands of Lebanese have fled southern Lebanon in search of safety from the Israeli attacks, clogging roads north to Beirut. But Israel has also targeted sites in the capital, with one attack hitting a six-story building, killing six and injuring 15.

Vehicles wait in traffic in the town of Damour, south of the capital Beirut, as people flee southern Lebanon, 24 Sep 2024.

The Israeli military warned residents of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon’s east to stay away from Hezbollah’s armament supply depots. The IDF has dropped leaflets in eastern Lebanon. Hezbollah urged Lebanese to discard those leaflets, warning against scanning barcodes that could compromise their personal data.

“The enemy is dropping leaflets with barcodes in the Bekaa region and may drop them elsewhere. Please do not open or circulate the barcode. You must destroy it immediately,” the statement said, warning the code could “take all your information.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning at the General Assembly on Tuesday that the world has entered an “age of impunity” as Israel’s onslaught in Gaza — and now, escalation against Lebanon — continues without consequence, despite the clear ability of world powers to stop the atrocities.

In his address at the opening of this year’s session of the United Nations General Assembly, Guterres said the widespread abuses of international humanitarian law that the world has witnessed over the past year are now threatening the basis of the UN charter and international order.

Immunity for such abuses is now the norm, he said, as world powers have refused to stop the “non-stop nightmare” in Gaza and Israel’s aggression that has put Lebanon “at the brink” of becoming “another Gaza.” He also raised atrocities being committed against Ukraine and the people of Sudan, where a famine and civil war rage on.

The US and some Arab countries support a ceasefire in the Mideast, but Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud government are opposed. Cease-fire talks have been stalemated for months. With fighting on two fronts, Netanyahu warned Israelis that they are headed into “complicated days.”

Meanwhile, the US Navy reported that a replenishment ship operating in the Middle East sustained damage in an incident which is under investigation. The damage to the USNS Big Horn comes after the oiler had supplied the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group. All crew members were reported safe and the vessel was being supported by private tugboats.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier shown here in the Arabian Sea (DOD: 1 Jun 2019). US military personnel in CENTCOM AOR are vulnerable to reprisal attacks by Lebanese Hezbollah allies, such as the Shia Houthis along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden or pro-Iranian Shia militias in Iraq.  

Israel’s recent massive pager and walkie-talkie attack, described as ‘a war crime’ by the UN head of human rights, followed by this onslaught in Lebanon, coincided with the opening of the UN General Assembly in NYC and Pres. Biden’s final address to the international body. This brazen offensive demonstrates Benjamin Netanyahu’s contempt for the UN and the sitting US president.  The Biden Administration has been working feverishly to reach a ceasefire to release the 100 Israeli hostages and Netanyahu seems to be the impediment. A ceasefire and hostage release would give Pres. Biden a small diplomatic victory before he retires, something which Netanyahu seems determined to deny him.

The Israeli attack also risks widening the conflict in the Middle East which benefits Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang. Any discord and instability in the Middle East distracts and diverts Washington’s resources and attention. The US supplies both Ukraine and Israel with arms and foreign aid, but is also the main military ally of Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. A Chinese aircraft carrier recently approached Japanese maritime waters and a Russian military aircraft violated Japanese airspace. Last week North Korea test-fired ballistic missiles and publicly displayed one of its uranium-enrichment facilities.

A wider war in the Middle East could also lead to a rise in oil prices and re-kindling inflation in the US. While sanctions have constrained Iranian oil output in recent years, Tehran remains an oil producer and asserts control over the passage of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a trading route that facilitates the transport of about 15% of global oil supply.

“If Iran got involved in this war, then it would disrupt oil supply worldwide,” said a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

As long as Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Party remain in power, the chances for a lasting peace in the Middle East or a Two-State Solution are zero. And these ongoing hostilities delay Netanyahu’s bribery and corruption trial in Jerusalem. Already indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Netanyahu also faces a potential probe regarding the 7 Oct 2023 surprise attack by Palestinian armed groups and whether he deliberately ignored any intelligence warnings.

Sources:

Israel bombards Lebanon for second day as death toll reaches 558 (voanews.com)

Hezbollah warns Lebanese over dropped Israeli leaflets — Naharnet

US Navy ship operating in Mideast damaged in incident, officials say (voanews.com)

Japan says Russian patrol aircraft violated its airspace | Fox News

Wider Middle East war could spike oil prices and rekindle US inflation, experts say – ABC News (go.com)

UN Chief: World Has Entered “Age of Impunity” as Israel’s Aggression Spreads | Truthout

Exploding pagers and radios: A terrifying violation of international law, say UN experts | OHCHR

Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Destruction of Property During 6 Jan Attack on Capitol

Justin LaGesse (red circle) and Theodore Middendorf (yellow circle) march through the US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021. Image: FBI

Justin LaGesse (37) of McLeansboro, IL, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of destruction of government property during the 6 Jan 2021 breach of the US Capitol.

Additionally charged in this matter as a co-defendant is Theodore Middendorf (36) also of McLeansboro. This matter is ongoing.

On 6 Jan 2021, the two miscreants arrived in Washington, D.C., carrying with them an American and Gadsden flag. At approximately 2:51 PM, LaGesse entered into the US Capitol by climbing through a broken window next to the Senate Wing Door. He then turned around and helped Middendorf through the window. After spending some time in the lobby, LaGesse and Middendorf continued to traverse through the Capitol before exiting the building. LaGesse partially pulled down his neck gaiter and began to harass several police officers who were protecting the Capitol. Among other things, LaGesse called the officers “f— traitors” and “f— communist scum.”

By approximately 4:09 PM, the two seditionists had moved to the north side of the Capitol where a large group of rioters were attempting to breach the building via the North Door. Police officers defended the door and blocked the rioters’ entry. As the officers held back the attackers, LaGesse and Middendorf approached the nearby exterior window of a room inside the Capitol and struck the glass window several times with the bases of their flagpoles. The Architect of the Capitol determined that the total cost of the damage to the window was $41,315.25.

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.

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

Justin LaGesse’s name is associated with the above right-wing website. He and Theodore Middendorf represent America’s Fedayeen Saddam (FS), white supremacist dead-enders desperately trying to clutch onto the last vestiges of white privilege in the US. Whatever sort of life Justin LaGesse had before 6 Jan 2021, he threw it away with his hatred and this federal felony conviction.

Sources:

District of Columbia | Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Destruction of Property During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

Russia Increases Intelligence Footprint in Mexico

CIA Director William Burns said the US government is “sharply focused” on Russia’s expanding footprint in Mexico, which he said was partly the result of Russian spies being expelled from foreign capitals after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (Image: UK Daily Mail)

Russian intelligence services are building up their presence in Mexico for spy operations targeting the US. The Kremlin has added dozens of personnel to its embassy staff in Mexico City in the past few years, even though Moscow has only limited trade ties with the country. US officials say the trend is concerning and believe the extensive buildup is aimed at bolstering the Kremlin’s intelligence operations targeting the US, as well as its propaganda efforts aimed at undermining Washington and Ukraine.

In Marc 2022, USAF Gen. Glen Van Herck, head of US NORTHCOM, testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia’s GRU military intelligence service had a massive presence in Mexico.

“I would point out that the largest portion of GRU members in the world is in Mexico right now. Those are Russian intelligence personnel, and they keep an eye very closely on their opportunities to have influence on the US or gain access,” Van Herck said.

Even though Mexico has extensive trade ties with the US, it has traditionally tried to steer away from fully aligning itself with Washington’s foreign policy and has maintained friendly relations with Russia and Cuba.

John Sipher, who worked in the CIA’s clandestine service for 28 years, said Russia has always told Americans offering to spy for Moscow to head to Mexico.

Last month, an electrical engineer with dual US and Turkish citizenship was arrested and charged with mishandling classified documents while working for the US DoD.

FBI agents arrested Gokhan Gun and accused him of printing more than 250 documents while working at the Defense Department. Many of the documents are labeled “classified.” The defendant was about to go on a fishing trip to  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. In the 1970s, Christopher Boyce and his high school friend Andrew Daulton Lee were found guilty of providing US satellite secrets to the Soviets. Over two years, Lee traveled to Mexico City to deliver classified information to agents at the Soviet Embassy and collect money for him and Boyce. Their case became the subject of a book and a major Hollywood film, “The Falcon and the Snowman.”

US Marshals escort captured fugitive Christopher Boyce in manacles from Seattle in 1981. Note the cigarette in the deputy’s right hand. Bettmann Archive via Getty Images.

Harold “Jim” Nicholson, a high-ranking CIA officer convicted in 1997 of passing secrets to Moscow, was serving his sentence for espionage when he tried to use his son to collect his “pension” payments from Russian agents in Mexico. His son was eventually arrested and convicted in 2010, and his father was convicted for a second time.

Two years ago, a prominent Mexican scientist, Hector Cabrera Fuentes, pleaded guilty to being co-opted by Russian agents into surveilling a US government informant living in Miami. Fuentes was leading a double life with two families on two continents, and Russian spies used that to coerce Fuentes into cooperating.

Unlike the US, where Russian intelligence is under intense scrutiny from the FBI and consulates have been shuttered, Mexico offers a convenient, lower-risk setting for Moscow to oversee agents in the US and stage other operations.

The Russians would likely want to use Mexico’s proximity but relative safety beyond US law enforcement’s reach to support both American agents and Russian officers operating under “deep cover” in the US. An American source working for Russian intelligence could travel back and forth across the US-Mexico border and meet up with Russian handlers to get paid, debriefed, resupplied and receive training on communication methods or other tradecraft.

Russian intelligence could conceivably also take advantage of Mexico’s proximity to target Putin’s political enemies inside the US.

The Russians likely would have little interest in having operatives try to cross the southern border illegally with migrants. But Russian intelligence agencies would have the option to work with cross-border criminal networks if it suited a particular mission, and if they were ready to tolerate a much higher risk. Part of the mandate of the GRU is to prepare possible sabotage operations in the event of a war with the US, and Mexico would be a practical base for such contingency plans.

Russia can manipulate the information landscape in Mexico to undercut international support for Ukraine but also to sow social divisions. Russia has expanded its state-funded media outlet RT in Mexico and runs a large advertising campaign for the channel. In April, the Russian ambassador to Mexico posted a false report by Russian state media claiming that the US was recruiting members of drug cartels from Mexico and Colombia to send them to fight in Ukraine. The baseless account was picked up by some Mexican news organizations.

On 1 Oct, Mexico inaugurates its first ever female president in Mexico City and Vladimir Putin was invited. Ukraine requested Mexico, an International Criminal Court (ICC) signatory, to arrest him on an active international warrant when he arrives. The Mexican government responded that it had no intention of arresting him. The Kremlin later announced that a representative for Putin would attend President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration. In other news south of the US border, this week the US instituted sanctions against Mexican businesses for drug trafficking (please see next article).

Sources:

Back to the Cold War: Russia uses Mexico as a hub for spying on the U.S. (nbcnews.com)

Dual citizen of U.S., Turkey accused of printing classified documents – UPI.com

Mexico rejects Ukraine’s request to arrest Russia’s Putin during visit | Reuters

US Sanctions Mexican Businesses, Colombian Nationals for ‘Significant’ Drug Trafficking Network

Map courtesy of Stratfor and the BBC.

The US Treasury announced a series of new political sanctions on businesses in Mexico and citizens of Colombia allegedly tied to a “significant” flow of illicit drugs into the US and human trafficking: the leadership of Colombia’s Clan Del Golfo and businesses owned in Mexico by alleged fentanyl traffickers known as the Sinaloa Cartel.

Clan del Golfo, also known as Los Urabeños, is one of America’s largest drug trafficking organizations and “a key contributor” to human smuggling.

The Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl traffickers are described as “one of the most notorious and pervasive” drug-trafficking organizations in the world allegedly responsible for “a significant portion” of illicit fentanyl and other deadly drugs trafficked into the US.

The US Treasury Dept coordinated with the DEA, the Colombian National Police, and Mexico’s Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera. Treasury has sanctioned more than 350 targets over the last two years for alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities at all supply chain stages — from major cartel leaders to “under-the-radar labs, transportation network, and chemical suppliers.”

Sources:

Counter Narcotics Designations; Issuance of New Russia-related Frequently Asked Questions | Office of Foreign Assets Control (treasury.gov)

Colombian nationals, Mexican businesses target of Treasury sanctions for ‘significant’ fentanyl trafficking – UPI.com

West India Faces Health Crisis: Over 6,000 Cases of Dengue and Chikungunya Reported

A new variant of Chikungunya, identified by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, is spreading rapidly with increased severity. Hospitals in Nagpur are filling up with patients suffering from both dengue and chikungunya, two mosquito-borne illnesses transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. Patients in this vicinity were already suffering from Zika virus, as reported here on Coriolanus (15 Sep).

Since Jan 2024, Nagpur has recorded 2,873 cases of dengue and 3,556 cases of chikungunya. While dengue cases have been rising steadily throughout the year, chikungunya cases began to spike in June, with 82 initial cases. Experts believe many more cases remain unreported, indicating the actual numbers could be higher.

Pune is located southeast of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. The city covers an area of about 7,290 sq km with a population of 3,124,458 people.

The disease is causing severe joint pain similar to arthritis, with some patients also experiencing heart issues. In certain cases, platelet counts have dropped dangerously low. Chikungunya has also led to encephalitis, a condition where the brain swells due to inflammation, making the illness even more dangerous.

This year’s chikungunya outbreak is far worse than previous years. Patients are suffering from prolonged joint pain that can last over a month, and the daytime-biting mosquitoes are causing widespread distress. Authorities are urging residents to take extra precautions against mosquito bites as efforts to control the outbreak continue.

This outbreak is a consequence of global climate change. 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.

Droughts, heatwaves, floods, and rainfall are increasing in severity and regularity across the globe. These provide favourable conditions for mosquitoes to breed and could help spread their viruses to higher latitudes and altitudes. Climate change also increases mosquito-borne disease risk in less obvious ways, says Dr Katie Anders from the World Mosquito Program (WMP).

“When households store water in response to drought, this can increase local mosquito breeding sites and disease risk. Land use changes can also drive migration to cities, increasing the population at risk of explosive outbreaks of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.”

Each year mosquito-borne diseases kill more than one million people and infect up to 700 million.

Sources:

Nagpur Faces Health Crisis: Over 6,000 Cases of Dengue and Chikungunya Recorded (nagpurtrends.com)

Explainer: How climate change is amplifying mosquito-borne diseases | World Mosquito Program

Russia Surveys 42-Year-Sunken Nuclear Submarine K-27 in Kara Sea

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced that its diving specialists are inspecting the K-27 nuclear submarine, which sank in the Kara Sea over four decades ago. The submarine, found in Stepovoy Bay, is classified as a radiation-hazardous facility. The K-27, a notorious relic from the era of the Soviet Union, has long been a concern due to the radiation threat it poses to the surrounding environment. The divers will evaluate the condition of the K-27 as part of Russia’s broader initiative to monitor and mitigate potential threats from its aging fleet of nuclear-powered vessels.

Undated image from Reddit.

Known as the “Zolotaya Rybka” [Little Golden Fish] for its high costs and crew luxuries, the K-27 represented the pinnacle of Soviet naval technology. Its elite crew enjoyed rare perks for the time, such as citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, which were uncommon for most Soviet citizens.

On 24 May 1968, a nuclear reactor malfunctioned. By the time the crew managed to surface the submarine and return to their base at Gremikha on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, all 144 crew members had been exposed to radiation. Sadly, nine of them succumbed to radiation poisoning in the months that followed. The K-27 was permanently taken out of active service in June 1968 and eventually decommissioned in 1979. 

In 1982, the K-27 was towed to the Arctic Novaya Zemlya nuclear testing range and deliberately sunk in the Kara Sea at a depth of 108 feet. Soviet authorities filled the submarine with asphalt to seal its fuel-filled reactors and drilled a hole in its aft ballast tank to ensure it would remain submerged.

Vyacheslav Mazurenko, a 22-year-old warrant officer at the time, later recalled the chilling instant they realized the gravity of their predicament: “We had a radiation detector, but it was turned off. When our radiation supervisor switched it on, it went off the scale.” 

Source:

Russia explores the 42-year-sunken nuclear sub K-27 in the Kara Sea (bulgarianmilitary.com)

Donald Trump and JD Vance Face Criminal Charges over Springfield Pet-Eating Hoax

Photo: AFP

An Ohio law allowing citizens to file criminal charges is being used to target former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) over their vile comments about Haitians in Springfield.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance filed criminal charges against the two Republican candidates at Clark County Municipal Court on Tuesday. A copy of the six-page complaint is linked below.

“The criminal charges stem from the devastating harm of Trump’s and Vance’s baseless fearmongering that legal Haitian immigrants to the Ohio town are eating their neighbor’s pets,” Chandra Law Firm said.

Alliance’s cofounder Guerline Jozef sought the “immediate arrest” of Trump and Vance for disrupting public service, making false alarms, committing telecommunications harassment, committing aggravated menacing, and violating the prohibition against complicity.

“The Haitian community is suffering in fear because of Trump and Vance’s relentless, irresponsible, false alarms, and public services have been disrupted,” lead counsel Subodh Chandra said in a statement. “Trump and Vance must be held accountable to the rule of law. Anyone else who wreaked havoc the way they did would have been arrested by now.”

“There’s nothing special about Trump and Vance that entitles them to get away with what they’ve done and are doing,” the attorney added. “They think they’re above the law. They’re not.”

Sheriff Deborah K. Burchett is tasked with the responsibility of preserving the peace of the public, overseeing the enforcement of court orders, providing courthouse security, and jail operations within Clark County, Ohio, where the criminal complaint was filed. If an Ohio judge issues an arrest warrant based on the complaint, Sheriff Burchett or the Ohio State Highway Patrol would have the responsibility of arresting Donald J. Trump and JD Vance.

Source:

2024-09-22 Guerline Jozef affidavit re Trump, Vance, and Springfield FINAL (chandralaw.com)

Criminal charges filed against Trump and Vance for Springfield, Ohio conduct; arrests sought | Chandra Law Firm | 216-578-1700 | Cleveland, Ohio

Trump and Vance face criminal charges over Springfield hoax – Raw Story

Sheriff | Clark County, OH – Official Website (clarkcountyohio.gov)

Curious Old Grizzly Bear Makes Himself Home in Crawlspace Under California House

A California couple’s home has become a makeshift duplex after a new neighbor moved into their crawlspace: a grizzly bear.

Bob Nesler and Susan Nesler said the bear, which they named Junior, leaves late at night to forage for food and returns to their crawlspace in the early morning.

“That’s his den right now. We gotta get him out of there because, you know, I think we’d be held responsible if anybody got hurt, but he hasn’t bothered us in any way.”

he Neslers said they do not want to see Junior harmed.

“They’re not dangerous creatures at all, unless you’re a trash can,” Bob Nesler said.

They said Junior has thus far been an ideal neighbor — aside from one issue.

“He does leave piles of scat,” Bob Nesler told KNBC-TV. “That’s about my biggest complaint.”

Kevin Howells from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said officials are attempting to encourage Junior to leave by setting up a sprinkler.

“Easiest option here is to let it leave on its own, stress free and get that space boarded up,” Howells said.

Source:

Watch: Bear moves into California couple’s crawlspace (yahoo.com)

Russian Citizen Arrested for Illegally Exporting US-Sourced Microelectronics with Military Applications to Russia

Photo: Russian Shahed drone arrived in Belarus on 14 Sep (Getty Images)

Denis Postovoy (44) was arrested on charges of conspiring to violate US export control laws. Residing in Sarasota, FL, the defendant is accused of smuggling, money laundering, and defrauding the US by exporting microelectronic components with military applications to Russia.

Postovoy allegedly began his illicit activities in February 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, by acquiring US-made microelectronics used in drones and exporting them to Russia without proper licenses. 

Postovoy allegedly operated through a network of companies in Russia, Hong Kong, and other locations, purchasing the components from US distributors and using intermediary destinations to conceal the final destination of the shipments. The scheme aimed to strengthen Russia’s military capabilities.

Postovoy’s companies, including Hong Kong-based WowCube HK Limited and Russia’s Vector Group, are said to have played a key role in the scheme by submitting false documentation and transshipping goods through countries like Switzerland and Hong Kong. Payments were allegedly funneled through foreign bank accounts, including those in Russia and Hong Kong, to US suppliers of the microelectronics. 

Postovoy’s arrest is part of a broader effort coordinated by the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, a joint initiative of the Departments of Justice and Commerce to prevent hostile regimes from acquiring sensitive technologies. 

Denis Postovoy faced previous litigation from the State of Florida.

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

Sources:

District of Columbia | Russian Citizen Arrested for Illegally Exporting U.S.-Sourced Microelectronics with Military Applications to Russia | United States Department of Justice

STATE OF FLORIDA VS POSTOVOY, DENIS (unicourt.com)

Louisiana Man Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During 6 Jan Attack Against Capitol Hill

Willard Purkel (51) of Covington, LA, was sentenced on 12 Sept 2024 to 60 days in prison, nine months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution after he previously pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Purkel pleaded guilty on 3 Jun 2024, to a five-count indictment charging him with civil disorder, a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

The FBI arrested Purkel on 30 Nov 2023, in Louisiana. His son, Colby (USMS #89223-510), was sentenced last month to three weeks in prison for his role in the riots.

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 | Louisiana Man Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

Doctors Without Borders Ceases Operations in Russia

MSF volunteers serve in these locations

The Swiss-based Doctors Without Borders (MSF) aid group on September 16 said it has been forced to close its operations in Russia. “It is with a heavy heart that we have to close our activities in Russia,” said the head of the group’s Russia program. “Our organization’s work is guided by the principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality, and medical ethics. We provide assistance based on the needs.” MSF has been in Russia since 1992 but said it received notice in August from the Justice Ministry that its office was removed from the register of nongovernmental organizations.

This draconian move only punishes Russians in remote areas who have little to no access to healthcare. The elites and the oligarchs can access medical care and medicines under the sanctions, unlike the average Russian.

Source:

Doctors Without Borders Ceases Operations In Russia (rferl.org)

NORAD Tracks More Russian Military Planes Near Alaskan Air Space

Russian IL-38 (undated imagery)

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected and tracked two Russian IL-38 military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on 15 Sep 2024.

The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.


An ADIZ begins where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security.


NORAD employs a layered defense network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft and inform appropriate actions. NORAD remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America.

The string of recent interceptions began Sept. 11 when NORAD spotted a pair of Russian military aircraft operating in international air near ADIZ but also did not enter Canadian or United States sovereign airspace, according to a release on Wednesday.

However, Russian flights occur “regularly” into the airspace known ADIZ with other recent interceptions in recent as July and May.

July’s incident arrived days after the Kremlin’s Defense Ministry claimed it had intercepted two US B-52N bombers near the Russia’s borders just days prior.

Then on Friday, a pair of TU-142s were detected by NORAD. Those aircraft are Russian reconnaissance and anti-submarine planes. A day later came reports of two Russian IL-38 planes detected, followed by Sunday’s announcement.

Earlier in the summer, NORAD intercepted two Chinese and two Russian military jets flying near Alaska in what officials say was the first known time the two large nations had been recorded operating together.

At the time of their joint encounter, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Russia and China are “always testing us.”

The US Army recently deployed a large contingency of paratroopers, radar units and at least one M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System to Shemya Island, off the coast of Alaska.

A US Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launches ordnance during RED FLAG-Alaska 21-1 at Fort Greely, AK, 22 Oct2020. This exercise focused on rapid infiltration and exfiltration to minimize the chance of a counterattack. (USAF photo by Senior Airman Beaux Hebert)

This deployment occurred concurrently with Russia’s own extensive naval exercises taking place across the Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Arctic Ocean to assess Russian combat readiness, the EurAsian Times reported.

Sources:

NORAD detects and tracks Russian aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone > North American Aerospace Defense Command > Press Releases

NORAD says it continues to track more Russian military planes near Alaska’s air space – UPI.com

Iran Allegedly Hiring Hells Angels to Target Enemies in West

Recent open source reporting reveals that Iran has been hiring criminal organizations, including the Hells Angels, to assassinate or abduct Iranian dissidents or political critics living in the West. A British journalist was recently attacked in London and US authorities uncovered several plots. In total, 88 violent plots linked to Iran have been identified over the last five years by journalists and law-enforcement agencies.

Hells Angels’ boss Ramin Yektaparast is wanted in Germany on terror charges; he has been living in Iran since 2021 Credit: Instagram

Iranian drug trafficker Naji Sharifi Zindashti illustrates how Iran’s intelligence operations are integrated with organized crime.

Heroin kingpin Naji Sharifi Zindashti allegedly contacted Hells Angels bikers to kill an Iranian defector Photo: FBI

But the nexus between state players and organized crime is not a new phenomenon and should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Saigon’s notorious underworld was the scourge of the Viet Cong in the 1950s and 1970s. Chiang Kai-Shek relied on the Green Gang, a powerful criminal organization in Shang Hai to suppress dissidents (until finally losing the Civil War to Mao Tze-Dong). Israel employs a terrorist organization, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists. We see in open press reporting Russian oligarchs with links to the Kremlin and organized crime; Chechnya is a basically a criminal fiefdom of Russia run by warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.

Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) cooperates with both the powerful Haqqani Network (HQN) in Afghanistan and with Ibrahim Dawood and his notorious D Company. This criminal terrorist organization has business tentacles in India, the UAE, Morocco, the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Italy, France, and allegedly Mexican criminal organizations.

Sources:

Iranian man and two Hells Angels accused in murder-for-hire plot in U.S. (nbcnews.com)

Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists – Wikipedia

How Iran is using dark underworld of Hells Angels ‘hitmen’ to wipe out critics & crack down on dissent in Europe & US – The Sun | The Sun

Iran Allegedly Hiring Hells Angels and Criminal Gangs for Global Assassination Campaign (semperincolumem.com)

The evolving terror funding matrix: Pakistan, ISI and D Company and its global criminal web | South Asia Monitor

Wanted Persons / Internet / Home – INTERPOL (archive.ph)

D-Company – Wikipedia

Green Gang – Wikipedia

WHO: Over 22,500 Palestinians Suffered ‘Life-Changing Injuries’ in Gaza

Palestinian children at a temporary field hospital in southern Gaza Strip. Photo: WHO/Christopher Black

More than 22,500 people – a quarter of those wounded in Gaza since Israel’s offensive began – have life-changing injuries, requiring rehabilitation services “now and for years to come”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported. These include severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injuries, and major burns.

Israeli forces invaded Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel.

Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, highlighted that the surge in rehabilitation needs is occurring alongside the wholesale collapse of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.

“Patients can’t get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted and specialized care for complex injuries is not available, placing patients’ lives at risk. Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to address the enormous rehabilitation needs.”

Services such as wound care, physical therapy, and psychological support are either inaccessible or entirely unavailable, leaving thousands at risk of further complications, disabilities or even death.

According to the UN health agency, only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially functional, primary healthcare and community-level services are frequently suspended, due to insecurity, attacks and repeated evacuation orders.

Gaza’s only limb reconstruction and rehabilitation centre, located in the Nasser Medical Complex and supported by WHO, has been non-functional since Dec 2023 due to lack of supplies and staff, and was further damaged in a Feb 2024 raid.

Additionally, the loss of trained physiotherapists due to the fighting between Israel and Hamas has further hampered rehabilitation efforts.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud Cabinet have well-incubated the next generation of Israel haters and antisemites.

Source:

Over 22,500 have suffered ‘life-changing injuries’ in Gaza: WHO | UN News

CBP: Record Number of Canadian Illegal Border Crossers Between 2021-2024

This image might represent a small portion of the US-Quebec border. (Undated photo: The Sun)

From 2021 through July 2024, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported 150,701 Canadians illegally entered or attempted illegal entry into the US. The majority were apprehended at the US-Canada border, followed by other locations nationwide, with a small number at the US-Mexico border.

The greatest number of Canadians encountered or apprehended by CBP or Border Patrol agents was in fiscal 2022: 47,126 (northern border 40,600; nationwide 6,413; 113 at the Mexican border). , according to the data.

The overwhelming majority are single military age adults.

Not all Canadian border crossers are native-born but include foreign nationals who received Canadian travel documents. Canadian citizens for years have legally traveled to the US for work and as tourists.

Over 1,100 individuals on the US terrorist watch list, referred to as known or suspected terrorists (KSTs), attempted to illegally enter the US-Canada border since fiscal 2021. They include an Iranian with alleged terrorist ties living in Canada and a Canadian woman previously arrested by Texas officials for claiming to threaten to kill former President Donald Trump. The terrorist watch list is not legal proof that someone is a terrorist but that the name is associated with a KST; border authorities are mandated to double-check the person’s bona fides.

As reported recently on Coriolanus, a Pakistani national living in Canada was arrested after announcing his idiotic plan to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish Center in Brooklyn, NY to avenge Palestinian deaths at the hands of the IDF. This lunatic plot by a young man with no reported military or firearms experience or training was quickly and easily neutralized before the suspect reached the US border.

The number of Canadian illegal border crossers is not comparable to the nearly three million Mexican illegal border crossers since fiscal 2021. Among them, more than 22,000 Mexicans were apprehended by US federal agents after illegally entering or attempting entry from Canada. CBP data indicates that illegal border crossers holding travel documents from Canada and Mexico, America’s NAFTA partners, appear to be circumventing US immigration law.

The CBC reports that legal emigration from Canada to the US hit a ten-year-high. The Census recorded 126,340 people left Canada for the US in 2022, a 70 per cent increase over a decade ago. Of the 126,340, 53,311 were born in Canada, 42,595 were Americans repatriated, and 30,434 were foreign-born immigrants to Canada who decided to move to the US instead.

Canadians cite increased taxes, declining healthcare services, career opportunities, and high cost-of-living as their major reasons for emigrating to the US. Many find Florida’s weather attractive.

Marco Terminesi grew up in Woodbridge, Ont. but now lives in South Florida and sells real estate — mostly to Canadians — in Palm Beach County. He says a lot of prospective buyers are motivated to leave Canada because of politics. (Photo: Marco Terminesi)  

Sources:

Border security, migrants, Canadian order | Homeland Security Newswire

Emigration from Canada to the U.S. hits a 10-year high as tens of thousands head south | CBC News

Brazilian Dog is Footvolley Star Teaching Beachgoers How to Play

Rio de Janeiro’s main beaches bustle with commotion on sunny weekends. But activity ground to a near standstill on one stretch of sand. People held up their phones to record athletic feats they’d never before witnessed, or even imagined.

The game? Footvolley, a combination of soccer and beach volleyball. The athlete? A three-year-old border collie named Floki.

Floki sparks wonder among bystanders, because he hangs tough in a game that even humans struggle to get a handle on. Footvolley rules are essentially the same as beach volleyball, but with a slightly lower net and, like soccer, players are forbidden from using hands and arms. Floki springs up from the sand to drive the ball with his mouth. He has become something of an internet sensation in Brazil, with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok.

Floki’s owner, Gustavo Rodrigues, is a footvolley coach, but swears he didn’t plan this. He had wanted an American Bully, a decidedly less sprightly breed. Floki came into Rodrigues’ life instead and quickly revealed his potential when, at just two months old, he started jumping after birthday balloons.

Source:

This Brazilian dog teaches beachgoers to play footvolley | AP News

IDF Airstrikes Kill 14 in Gaza Strip as American Activist is Buried in Turkiye

Palestinians gather amid the rubble near a fuel tank damaged in IDF bombing in Gaza City on 14 Sep 2024.

Israeli airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people as friends and family members of a Turkish-American activist killed by an Israeli soldier honored her in a funeral in Turkiye.

The airstrikes in Gaza City hit one home housing 11 people, including three women and four children, and another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis with displaced Palestinians. The attacks followed airstrikes earlier this week that hit a tent camp on Tuesday and a UN school sheltering displaced people on Wednesday.

A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio slowed down. The WHO reported that about 559,000 people under the age of 10 — seven out of every eight children the campaign aimed to vaccinate — have recovered from their first dose. The second doses are expected to begin later this month.

Relatives, officials, and others look at the coffin of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi (26) during her funeral ceremony at a mosque in Aydin Province, Turkiye, on 14 Sep 2024. She was shot and killed by the IDF in the occupied West Bank.

The war has caused vast destruction and displaced roughly 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times, and plunged the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, adding women and children make up just over half of the dead.

Source:

Israel strikes Gaza as American activist killed by Israeli fire is buried (voanews.com)

Russia’s Medvedev Threatens Nuclear Strike Would Turn Kiev into ‘Gray Spot’ on the Map

Former Russian President and current Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has hiked Moscow’s threat of the nuclear option. Vladimir Putin controls about 5,977 nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, recently warned that Kiev could be turned into a “gray melted spot” if restrictions against Ukraine’s use of Western weapons were loosened.

Russian officials have threatened that a possible decision by the West to allow Kiev to use donated weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory would result in a major escalation of its war against Ukraine that could include the use of nuclear weapons.

Kiev has repeatedly said it needs to be able to conduct longer-range strikes into Russian territory to defend itself against invading Russian forces.

In an apparent reference to a recent US-UK summit, Medvedev wrote that “the Anglo-Saxon imbeciles” do not want to admit that there is an end to Russia’s “patience” and that experts who have suggested Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons against Ukraine would be proven correct if that patience is exhausted.

“What do Western leaders and their political establishments, playing at war, think our country’s reaction to probable missile strikes ‘deep into the territory [of Russia]’ would be?” wrote Medvedev, who has frequently used his position to voice threats against Kiev and the West since Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Medvedev said a nuclear conflict is a “very bad story with a very difficult outcome,” claiming that is why Russia has not decided to use “nonstrategic or strategic” nuclear weapons so far. However, he said, if it came to that there would be a “giant gray melted spot” on the site of Kiev, which he called the “mother city of Russia.”

Recent media reports claim Russia received Fath-360 missile systems from Iran. These missiles have an effective range of 19-75 miles and can carry a 330-lb warhead filled with high explosives.

Source:

Russia’s Medvedev Threatens Nuke Strike Would Turn Kyiv Into ‘Gray Spot’ On The Map (rferl.org)

Venezuela Arrests US and Spanish Citizens Over Alleged ‘Plot’

Three US citizens, two Spaniards and one Czech citizen were arrested in Venezuela for allegedly plotting to destabilize the country. Reportedly, hundreds of weapons had been seized and the detainees were plotting to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other top officials. The Spaniards were detained in Puerto Ayacucho, south of the capital Caracas.

The arrests come two days after Washington sanctioned 16 Venezuelan officials who are closely aligned with President Maduro, following his disputed election victory in July.

The Venezuelan government alleged the detained Spaniards are linked to Madrid’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI). However, Spanish government sources denied the two belong to the intelligence organization.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello alleged “the CIA is leading this operation, and that does not surprise us but they, the National Intelligence Centre of Spain, have always maintained a low profile knowing that the CIA operates in this area. These two detainees even tell us about a group of mercenaries they are looking for to bring to Venezuela with very clear objectives to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, myself, and another group of comrades who are leading our party and our revolution.”

The US has rejected the accusations.

Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of July’s presidential election by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), which is closely aligned with the government. But the CNE has not published any detailed voting tallies supporting a Maduro victory. Data published by the opposition suggests its candidate, Edmundo González, won instead.

Sources:

Venezuela arrests US and Spanish citizens over ‘plot’ (bbc.com)

Former CIA Employee Sentenced Ten Years in Prison for Spying for China

A screenshot from a video by an FBI undercover agent taken of Alexander Yuk Ching Ma in Jan 2019 during a meeting. (Photo: AP)

Alexander Yuk Ching Ma (71) of Honolulu, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, was sentenced to ten years confinement and five years of supervised release for conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Ma was arrested in August 2020, after admitting to an undercover FBI agent that he had facilitated the provision of classified information to intelligence officers employed by the PRC’s Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB).

Ma worked for the CIA from 1982 until 1989. His brother, who is now deceased, also worked for the CIA from 1967 until 1983. As CIA employees, both men held Top Secret security clearances that granted them access to sensitive and classified information, and both signed nondisclosure agreements.

After Ma and his brother were recruited by the SSSB, they provided Chinese intelligence officers with a “large volume of classified and sensitive information.” They were paid $50,000 in cash; an hourlong video showed Ma counting the money. Two years later, Ma applied for a job as a contract linguist in the FBI’s Honolulu field office. By then, US intelligence knew he was collaborating with Chinese intelligence officers, and they hired him in 2004 so they could keep an eye on his espionage activities.

Over the next six years, Ma regularly copied, photographed, and stole classified documents. He often took them on trips to China, returning with thousands of dollars in cash and expensive gifts, including a new set of golf clubs.

At one point in 2006, his handlers at the Shanghai state security bureau asked Ma to get his brother to help identify four people in photographs, and the brother did identify two of them. The fate of those he identified are not known.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Ma confessed that he knowingly and willfully conspired with SSSB intelligence officers to communicate and transmit information that he knew would be used to injure the US or to advantage the PRC. Further, Ma must cooperate with the US and undergo polygraph tests for the rest of his life, as well as submit to debriefings by the USIC. Prosecutors told the court that Ma has been cooperative and has taken part in multiple interview sessions with government investigators.

Alexander Yuk Ching Ma (USMS# 12272-122) is incarcerated at FDC Honolulu, an administrative security federal detention center in Hawaii.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Former CIA Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Espionage | United States Department of Justice

Former CIA officer sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying for China | Espionage | The Guardian

‘Catastrophe’ as Central Europe Deals with Deadly Floods

Flooding overwhelmed Slobozia Conachi, Romania (Photo: BBC)

In Glucholazy, southern Poland, firefighters built sandbag barriers to protect residents near the river. (Photo: BBC)

The flooded village of Krosnowice, southern Poland. (Photo: BBC)

Emergency services are shoring up flood defenses in central and eastern Europe after torrential rainfall caused by Storm Boris swelled rivers and damaged thousands of homes. Four people were killed in eastern Romania. In the Czech Republic, 51,000 households in the country’s northern areas were evacuated. Flood barriers have gone up in the capital Prague. Poland evacuated people from Glucholazy, a town near the Czech border, after a river burst its banks.

Extreme precipitation is becoming more likely in Europe, as across much of the world, due to climate change. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, which can lead to heavier rainfall.

“We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences,” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said.

These flood victims face another peril. Floods greatly increase the risk of diarrheal disease along with other waterborne, water-related, and communicable diseases. Diarrheal pathogens—cholera, E. coli, Shigella, rotavirus, norovirus, Cryptosporidium, and others—can spread through direct contact with floodwater itself or through compromised water sources.

Standing water left by flooding can become a breeding ground for mosquitos that carry pathogens. Communicable diseases can spread like wildfire through refugee and evacuation shelters.

Sources:

Central Europe floods: Rush to shore up flood defences amid deaths and evacuations (bbc.com)

After the floods: Diarrheal disease threats lurk behind natural disasters (defeatdd.org)

Zika Cases in Pune, India, Reach 100, Five Deaths Reported

Pune continues to grapple with an increasing number of Zika virus cases, as the total number of patients in the city has now reached 100. The most affected area in Pune is Dahanukar Colony, which has recorded 20 cases, followed by Erandwane with 16. The five Zika-related deaths involved elderly individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

The virus is transmitted by daytime flying Aedes, or “tiger mosquitos.” An invasive species, Aedes is now found on all continents except Antarctica.

Alarmingly, 45 of these patients are pregnant women. Zika can cause birth defects in newborn babies.

Dr. Rajesh Dighe, Assistant Health Officer at Pune Municipal Corporation, provided updates on the situation, noting that efforts to control the spread of the Zika virus are ongoing. This recent spike in Zika cases follows a series of warnings from health authorities, who had anticipated a possible outbreak. The city is now facing increased pressure to manage the outbreak, particularly as the number of pregnant women affected by the virus grows.

On top of this, medical staff in Pune hospitals are dealing with an acute blood shortage.

Sources:

Zika Cases in Pune Reach 100, Five Deaths Reported | The Bridge Chronicle

Blood Shortage Hits Pune Amid Rising Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya Cases | The Bridge Chronicle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes

Donald Trump Confuses Nicky Jam for a Woman Ahead of Latin Star’s Endorsement Speech in Las Vegas

Former president Donald Trump held a campaign rally at the World Market Center in downtown Las Vegas, where Nicky Jam, a 43-year-old male reggaetón veteran took the stage to show his support for the GOP candidate. But in an inter-galactically embarrassing faux pas, the ex-POTUS mistakenly referred to Nicky as a ‘she‘ when introducing him to the crowd.

“Do you know Nicky? She’s hot. Where’s Nicky. As the male singer approaches the stage, Trump then says, “Oh, look, I’m glad he came up.”

Nicky Jam, wearing a black sweatshirt and a red ‘Make America Great Again’ baseball cap, then took the stage to deliver a brief statement.

Artist Art Candee wrote, “Guess Donald Trump doesn’t know what a woman is…” and Team Kamala mocked the former president by posting a video of the flub on social media:

“Trump: Latin music superstar Nicky Jam. Do you know Nicky? She’s hot (Nicky Jam is a man),” the campaign wrote.

This is just one of a series of imbecilic comments and gaffes that Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have made during the 2024 campaign. Political analysts, as well as his niece Mary Trump (a professional psychologist), have been raising alarms about the mental fitness of this elderly man who could be Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful, and nuclear-armed, military.    

Source:

Donald Trump Confuses Nicky Jam for Woman at Las Vegas Rally (billboard.com)

Endangered Cotton-Top Tamarin Triplets Born at Disney World

Three infant cotton-top tamarins are perched atop the back of one of their parents Saturday shortly after their birth at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. They are the second set of the critically endangered tamarins to be born at the resort this year. (Photo courtesy Walt Disney World)

The second set of critically endangered cotton-top tamarin triplets to be born this year at Walt Disney World have arrived.

The three tiny primates were born at Animal Kingdom’s Discovery Island on Saturday and are bonding with their parents and siblings. An earlier batch of the small-but-powerful monkeys were born there in January.

Weighing only one pound in adulthood, the cotton-top tamarin is found in the rain forests of northwestern Colombia. They are known for their sophisticated social behaviors and have demonstrated evidence of simple grammatical capabilities.

Despite their small stature, their athletic capabilities are impressive — they can leap 15 feet from a stationary branch — while their appearance is highlighted by a wild mane of bright-white hair atop their heads.

The male and female parents of newborn tamarins share infant care equally, carrying their young on their backs until approximately 14 weeks of age.

An estimated 6,000 cotton-top tamarins remain in the wild, making them one of the rarest primates in the world. Disney World says it is working with organizations such as Proyecto Titi in Colombia to help protect the species through its Disney Conservation Fund.

Source:

New set of endangered cotton-top tamarin triplets born at Disney World – UPI.com

Ukraine Strikes Moscow in Biggest Drone Attack to Date

A 46-year-old woman was killed and three people were injured. Ukraine asserted its right to strike Russian territory in response to Moscow’s ongoing attacks. (REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov)

Ukraine launched its biggest drone attack so far on the Russian capital, killing at least one woman and destroying dozens of homes. The Kremlin reported they destroyed at least 20 Ukrainian attack drones as they swarmed over the Moscow region and 124 more over eight other regions. Three of Moscow’s four airports were closed for more than six hours and almost 50 flights were diverted. Russia counter-attacked with 46 drones.

Meanwhile, in a rare joint trip, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was taking the train to Kiev with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, whose two-month-old Labor government has vowed to keep up Britain’s role as a key defender of Ukraine.

The pair, who boarded the train early Wednesday at the Polish border town of Przemysl, are expected to meet in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has kept pressing the West for weapons with more firepower and fewer restrictions.

US President Joe Biden, asked in Washington whether he would let Ukraine use longer-range weapons, said: “We’re working that out right now.”

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/03/politics/cnn-poll-trump-indictment/index.html

US, UK top diplomats head to Ukraine with eye on weapons (rfi.fr)Ukraine targets Moscow in biggest drone attack yet | Reuters

Israeli Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Export Restrictions Imposed on Russia



Gal Haimovich was arrested in southern Florida on 4 June 2023.

Gal Haimovich (49) of Israel, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export control and smuggling violations in a scheme to illegally ship aircraft parts and avionics from US manufacturers and suppliers to Russia, including for the benefit of sanctioned Russian airline companies. Haimovich admitted to deceiving US companies about the true destination of the goods. The defendant and others attempted to conceal the scheme by submitting false information in export documents filed with the US government.

Haimovich owned an international freight forwarding company that facilitated the export of aircraft parts and avionics, including those with missile technology applications from the US to various third-party transhippers on behalf of Russian customers.

Russian Su-35 multi-purpose fighter jet (Wikimedia Commons)

As part of Haimovich’s plea agreement, he forfeits the sum of $2,024,435, as well as various aircraft parts and components. A sentencing hearing has been set for 22 Nov.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Israeli Freight Forwarder Pleads Guilty to Violating Export Restrictions Imposed on Russia | United States Department of Justice

EU Weighs ‘Strong’ Response to Iranian Deliveries of Ballistic Missiles to Russia

The EU has joined the US, UK, France, and Germany in accusing Iran of supplying short-range ballistic missiles for Russia to wage its war in Ukraine.

The 27-country bloc has received “credible” evidence of the deliveries, which adds that the weapons are likely assisting Moscow in its “escalatory bombing campaign against Ukrainian civilians, cities and civilian infrastructure, further increasing civilian casualties and destruction.”

The EU’s reaction came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London, promised fresh sanctions on Tehran for its procurement of the deadly weapons.

The foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany also issued a joint statement describing the move as an “escalation” by both Iran and Russia and a “direct threat to European security.”

Source:

EU weighs ‘strong’ response to Iranian deliveries of ballistic missiles to Russia | Euronews

13 Die of Mysterious Illness Following High Fever in Gujarat, India

350-bed government hospital in Gujarat. (Undated public domain imagery)

Thirteen people have died in Gujarat’s Kachchh district due to a mysterious disease days after the region suffered from heavy rainfall. The doctors have yet to diagnose the disease accurately.

The patients who died from the mysterious disease had symptoms including fever, cold, cough, and pneumonia. Young patients had reduced immunity following high fever and died of lung and liver damage. Elderly patients died just two days after getting a fever. The health department could not verify the type of fever and are investigating the situation.

“Primarily, the deaths appear to have been caused by pneumonia. It does not appear to be from contamination nor does it seem like a communicable disease,” Amit Arora, an official from Kachchh said.

“Samples are being collected for testing against dengue, malaria, H1N1 swine flu, and pneumonia. The family members of the affected are being provided updates, and 22 teams from the Health Department are keeping a close watch on this.”

Source:

Gujarat News 13 Die Of Mysterious Illness Following High Fever In Gujarat, Probe Underway (ndtv.com)

Explosion Reported at US Military Facility Near Baghdad Airport Ahead of Iranian President’s Visit

Satellite imagery of Baghdad International Airport (circa 2023)

Iraqi security officials said an explosion targeted a site used by the US military next to Baghdad airport late Tuesday, one day before an expected visit by Iran’s president. The expected visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad Wednesday would be his first official trip abroad since taking office.

The explosion was heard at 11 PM in an area used by advisers to the US-led international coalition.Iraqi security forces were unable to determine the “type or causes of the explosion, and no party has claimed responsibility for it.” It added that the incident was under investigation and civilian air traffic continued as normal. There was no immediate information on damages or casualties.

Officials who were at the airport preparing for Pezeshkian’s visit heard “the sound of two strong strikes,” which apparently targeted a logistics support site for the coalition. Over the past 11 months, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have periodically targeted bases housing US forces in Iraq in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the war in Gaza.

One of those militias, Kataib Hezbollah, appeared to be trying to distance itself from Tuesday night’s strike. Jaafar al-Husseini, the group’s spokesperson, said the targeting of the airport was “carried out by suspicious hands and its aim is to disrupt the Iranian president’s visit to Baghdad.”

Sources:

Explosion reported at U.S. military facility near Baghdad airport ahead of Iranian president’s visit – Washington Times

Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center Or United States’ Air Base In Baghdad?! – Islamic World News (iswnews.com)

Rebel Army Captures Major Myanmar Navy Training Base

Map courtesy of http://www.globalsecurity.org

Insurgents in western Myanmar have captured an important military training base after a month of fighting, dealing what is likely to be a severe blow to the embattled military. The Arakan Army seized the Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot in Rakhine state. The Rakhines are an ethnic minority insurgent force battling for self-determination. 

This facility was the last naval base held by junta forces in Thandwe township, and it was defended on a “huge-scale” by the junta’s air force and navy as well as more than 1,200 soldiers, including new graduates trained at the base.

“More than 400 junta soldiers were killed during our attack, and junta weapons, ammunition, and equipment were seized,” the AA reported.

“Losing such a base will affect training as well as fighting. The AA destroyed the navy and weakened the army, like cutting a man off at the waist,” an AA spokesman said. “The military is like a bird with one wing now.”

Arakan Army forces after capturing the junta’s Central Naval Diving and Salvage Depot in Rakhine state on 5 Sep 2024.

The loss of the base will not only damage the junta’s morale and reputation but also bring in more resources for the AA through the control of goods coming through a nearby port. The AA said it expected junta retaliation against civilians in the area. Human rights investigators say junta forces have been increasingly attacking civilian targets as they lose ground to insurgent forces in different parts of the country. The Myanmar military denies attacking civilians.

The Arakan Army, which launched a new offensive against the military in Nov 2023, controls nine townships in Rakhine state and one in neighboring Chin state, and is battling to take full control of three other townships. 

In February, the military rulers enacted a draft law to bolster troop shortages and has since trained around 9,000 recruits for front-line fighting. Myanmar’s junta has also begun forcibly recruiting male civilians up to age 65 – including even those who are disabled – to protect villages, towns, and cities against encroaching rebel militias. Since the 2021 coup, junta forces have lost 76 towns across the country to ethnic rebels and other armed opposition groups.

The move comes amid mounting battlefield losses since the junta’s 2021 coup d’etat as rebel groups and ethnic armies have gained the upper hand in Myanmar’s three-year civil war.

According to Human Rights Watch:

“Since the February 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the junta has driven the country further into a human rights and humanitarian catastrophe. At least 55 townships are under martial law. Faced with opposition from the general population and pro-democracy armed groups, the military has struggled to maintain control over the country. The junta’s widespread and systematic abuses against the population—including arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings, and indiscriminate attacks on civilians—amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

“More than 600,000 Rohingya in Myanmar continue to live under apartheid conditions, facing persecution and effective imprisonment from the junta authorities. Of this population, roughly 140,000 Rohingya have been confined to camps in central Rakhine State since 2012, denied the right to return to their homes.”

Sources:

Rebel army captures major Myanmar navy training base — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org)

Myanmar junta begins conscripting men up to age 65 to protect towns against rebels — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org)

World Report 2024: Myanmar | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)

Homepage » Myanmar Peace Monitor (mmpeacemonitor.org)

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/myanmar/navy-bases.htm

Lebanon Judge Orders Arrest of Ex-Central Bank Governor

Riad Salameh is accused of amassing a fortune during three decades in the job and faces numerous charges, including embezzlement, money laundering, and tax evasion in separate probes. He is probably the worst central bank governor in history. (Undated photo courtesy of AFP)

Last week Lebanese authorities arrested Riad Salameh (74), the former governor of Lebanon’s central bank, after he was questioned over the alleged embezzlement of more than $42 million. Lebanon’s financial prosecutor initiated legal proceedings against Salameh over allegations of “embezzling” public funds, as well as “illicit enrichment and money laundering”, and the case was referred to an investigating judge.

That investigating judge questioned Riad Salameh for two and a half hours and then issued an arrest warrant against him. The warrant ended Salameh’s provisional detention and placed him under formal arrest, indicating that the investigating judge’s suspicions against Salameh strengthened.

The judge’s move follows an 18-month investigation into allegations that Riad and his brother Raja embezzled $300m from the Banque du Liban between 2002 and 2015.

Salameh, who has French nationality, is widely viewed as a key culprit in Lebanon’s devastating economic crash which began in late 2019. The World Bank called the crash one of the worst in recent history, leaving more than 80% of the population living in poverty and struggling to afford food and medicine.

A handful of protesters gathered outside Beirut’s justice palace on Monday, some trying to attack a convoy of vehicles transporting Salameh as he arrived for an interrogation, hitting the windows and yelling “Riad Salameh is a thief!”

“No to your corruption, conspiracy, indifference, yes to justice,” one of the protest signs read.

After questioning, Salameh was returned to the jail where he had been detained. Last year, Germany and France issued arrest warrants for Salameh over accusations including money laundering and fraud, though German prosecutors later cancelled their warrant. He is currently under sanctions by Canada, the UK, and the US.

Salameh has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and defended his three-decade legacy, saying he is a “scapegoat” for Lebanon’s catastrophic economic collapse.

The central bank governor’s departure and arrest raises questions over how Lebanon’s political and economic elite enriched themselves at the expense of the public—even as their actions helped bring about an enormous economic crisis. (The National Interest).

Sources:

Lebanon Judge Orders Arrest Of Ex-central Bank Chief: Official (hngn.com)

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1687

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64746658

How “Financial Engineering” Helped Push Lebanon’s Economy into Crisis | The National Interest

Bear Trying to Nap Loses Fight Against Pesky Hammock in Colorado

Source:

Watch: Large bear wrestles with hammock outside Colorado home (usatoday.com)