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DNI Tulsi Gabbard: Barack Obama Could Face Criminal Charges Alleging ‘Treasonous Conspiracy’ Against Donald Trump

President Jimmy Carter’s funeral in January 2025 brought together all five of the living American presidents: Trumpf, Obama, President Biden, former President Clinton and former President George W. Bush. Only Obama took the time to chat with Trumpf and they actually exchanged witticisms and pleasantries.

The most under-qualified person to ever lead an intelligence organization anywhere on the planet, Hare Krishna offshoot sect member Tulsi Gabbard, released a declassified report spuriously alleging that former President Barack Obama was involved in a seditious conspiracy against Donald Trumpf.

Link: New Evidence of Obama Administration Conspiracy to Subvert President Trump’s 2016 Victory and Presidency

DNI Gabbard then went on the rightwing TV show Fox and Friends to hammer home her smear campaign against President Obama.

Interview here: Tulsi Gabbard: Obama Could Be Charged Over Anti-Trump ‘Coup’

For years Donald Trumpf suggested falsely for years that Obama was not born in the US  and shouldn’t have been eligible to be president, and has repeatedly accused Obama of spying on his 2016 campaign. Trumpf had previously revoked the security clearances for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and a string of top Democrats and political foes, including Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and NYAG Letitia James, who prosecuted Trumpf for fraud, as well as former president Biden’s entire family. Trump stripped Joe Biden of access to the Presidential Daily Brief (PDF), a custom granted to ex-POTUS for decades, but he had not stripped Obama of this privilege. This will most likely change.

Link: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/21/trump-revokes-security-clearance-for-biden-harris-clinton-and-other-enemies-00244081

After the DNI release and TV interview, Trumpf then posted this AI-created video of Barack Obama being arrested.

These maneuvers from the Trumpf junta are all meant to distract attention away from the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) which will kill thousands of Americans with their budget cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, Trumpf’s inability to reach peace deals between the Israelis and Palestinians, Ukraine and Russia, the horrific police state besieging Americans, the internal witchhunt for undesirables in the USIC, and most importantly, the badly botched Jeffrey Epstein files which would no doubt incriminate Donald Trumpf as a pedophile.

FBI agents were ordered to flag every mention of Trumpf’s name in the vast holdings which USAG Pam Bondi will not release.

Link: FBI agents told to flag Jeffrey Epstein records about Trump: Durbin

The Jeffrey Epstein FBI Records and the Trumpf Junta: “Tick-tick-tick…”

Tulsi Gabbard Dangerous Selection to be Director of National Intelligence

Sycophant Tulsi Gabbard avoids discussing her membership in the notoriously Islamophobic, homophobic Science of Identity Foundation. (Photo: Marco Garcia / NYT)

A former member of Tulsi Gabbard’s secretive Hawaiʻi religious sect warned members of Congress about the potential dangers of confirming Tulsi Gabbard as the next DNI.

Anita van Duyn says she spent 15 years inside the Science of Identity Foundation, a fringe offshoot of Hare Krishna that was formed in the 1970s and has been described by defectors as a cult.

Van Duyn has sent letters to Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, detailing Gabbard’s deep ties to the organization and its reclusive founder, Chris Butler, who still resides in a multimillion-dollar beachfront home in Kailua.

Link: Senators Urged To Examine Gabbard’s ‘Deep and Intense’ Ties To Hawaiʻi Sect – Honolulu Civil Beat

Watch the Brutal US Police State in Action

An Iranian woman experienced a severe panic attack while masked ICE agents arrested her husband near an area known as “Tehrangeles” because of its large Iranian population. The woman called her pastor, Ara Torosian, to help intervene, but he could do little as he watched her panic attack escalate into convulsions.

The woman lay on the ground spasming while ICE agents hovered over her, not knowing what to do, such as calling for an ambulance. Torosian can be heard pleading with them to administer medical aid. He can also be heard asking whether they know about the situation in Iran and why Christian Iranians fear returning to their native country. The woman and her husband are members of his church and entered the US last year under Joe Biden’s CBP One program which President Donald Trumpf ended this year.

Followers of the Watch, be warned. The following video is disturbing and your heart breaks watching the terrified woman enter into spasms during her conniption.

The ragbag decals and non-uniform equipment indicates that these goons are the deputized ICE officers under Dotard Trumpf’s Executive Orders to expand the number of DHS personnel.

Links:

https://www.dhs.gov/archive/executive-orders-protecting-homeland

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/iranian-woman-suffers-severe-panic-attack-ice-agents-arrest-husband-rcna215119

Breadwinner Father of Two Dies After Frenzied ICE Raid

Jaime Alanís, a father of two from the town of Huajúmbaro in Michoacán, Mexico. (Photo: GoFundMe)

Farm worker Jaime Alanís (57) died from injuries he sustained after falling from a greenhouse roof during an ICE raid of a California cannabis farm. He was a “hard-working, innocent farmer” and the sole provider for his wife and daughter, his family says.

Alanís died a day after a frenzied immigration raid of Glass House Farms in Ventura county where authorities arrested at least 200 workers. The 57-year-old, who was from the town of Huajúmbaro in Michoacán, Mexico, is the first known person to die during the Trumpf junta’s enhanced immigration enforcement operations in southern California. Migrants have died in detention in other parts of the US, including a poor Haitian woman in Florida.

Links:

Farm worker who died after California Ice raid was ‘hardworking and innocent’, family says | California | The Guardian

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/01/nx-s1-5383108/haitian-woman-death-ice-detention

Irishman Overstays Visa By Three Days Detained by ICE for Three Months

A 35-year-old Irishman dressed in an orange jumpsuit watched coverage of Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s visit to the White House while detained in an ICE gulag. His hands and feet were cuffed at the time of the televised St Patrick’s Day celebrations as he was being moved, he said, adding that it was a moment he will “never forget.”

The man, who wished to be identified as Thomas, returned home to Ireland in late March. He had been detained by ICE for about 100 days in total in three separate facilities because he overstayed three days on his visa.

Thomas, who works in the tech sector, travelled to the US to visit his girlfriend in West Virginia late last year under the ESTA visa waiver program which allows tourists to visit the US for a maximum of 90 days. However, after seriously injuring his calf, he was advised to avoid flying for at least eight weeks due to a risk of blood clots, which meant his stay would exceed the 90 days.

After overstaying his travel by three days, Thomas, who had booked a flight home for the following week was arrested by ICE agents after suffering a mental health episode while in a hotel. Thomas had received extensive inpatient treatment for mental health difficulties in Ireland shortly before travelling, and did not have access to his medication while in the US for several weeks,

Now banned from travelling to the US for ten years, Thomas said those visiting should take immigration rules “very seriously”.

Link: Irish tech worker detained by immigration agents in US for 100 days: ‘I didn’t know when I was getting home’ – The Irish Times

An Irish woman visiting her sick father in Ireland was detained at the Tacoma ICE facility. Cliona Ward is a green card holder and has been living in Santa Cruz, California for 30 years, but was locked up for a 2007 drug conviction that was vacated. ICE agents detained her when she returned to the US after landing in San Francisco.

Link: https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/irish-woman-detained-ice-tacoma

AUSA Subpoenas New Jersey Governor Over Protecting Migrants

NJ Governor Phil Murphy was also US Ambassador to Germany. A third generation Irishman, his parents were enthusiastic supporters of JFK.

Alina Habba, who has used her job as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor to aggressively target Democrats, is pursuing an investigation into remarks made by Gov. Philip D. Murphy about housing a migrant.

Mr. Murphy said in February that he was prepared to house a woman whose immigration status was unclear at his family’s home in Middletown. FBI agents have since sought to interview at least four witnesses in connection with the comments, two of the people said, with one adding that the governor had been subpoenaed but not questioned.

Lawyer Alina Habba speaks during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former US President Dotard Trumpf at Madison Square Garden, in NYC 27 Oct 2024. (Photo: Andrew Kelly / Reuters)

Ms. Habba, the interim US Attorney in New Jersey, is a former personal lawyer for President Trumpf. She previously announced that she was directing prosecutors in her office to investigate the governor and New Jersey’s attorney general, Matthew J. Platkin, in connection with the state’s immigration policies.

Alina Babba’s parents, Chaldean Catholics, emigrated from Iraq to the US to escape religious persecution. Note the Iranian family in the preceding story emigrated to the US from Iran to escape religious persecution. So, to the under-whelming Ms. Alina Babba, Coriolanus proudly awards her the below certificate to go along with her ‘law degree’ from the world renowned Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Pennsylvania.  Who? Where? What school?

Links:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/press-release/file/1247586/dl?inline=

U.S. Subpoenas Governor Who Said He Would House Migrant at His Home – The New York Times

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

UN: “The World’s Oceans are Dying”

“The ocean is facing an unprecedented crisis due to climate change, plastic pollution, ecosystem loss, and the overuse of marine resources,” Li Junhua, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, who is also serving as Secretary-General of the event.

The crisis isn’t a distant threat: it’s happening now. In April, global sea surface temperatures hit their second-highest levels ever for that month, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Meanwhile, the most extensive coral bleaching event in recorded history is underway — sweeping across the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and parts of the Pacific. More than a single event, it’s a planetary unraveling.

Coral reefs, which sustain a quarter of all marine species and underpin billions in tourism and fisheries, are vanishing before our eyes. Their collapse could unleash cascading effects on biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience.

And the damage runs deeper still. The ocean continues to absorb more than 90% of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions — a worldwide service that may be nearing its limits. “Challenges like plastic pollution, overfishing, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and warming are all linked to climate change,” Mr. Li warned.

Heat Threatening Sea Life in Mediterranean Sea

 A recent ocean heatwave in the Mediterranean Sea has been so intense scientists fear potentially devastating consequences for marine life.

The temperature of the sea surface regularly passed 30C off the coast of Majorca and elsewhere in late June and early July, in places six or seven degrees above usual.

Balmy temperatures can pose hidden threats. Harmful bacteria and algae often spread more easily in warmer seawater. Most life has a temperature threshold beyond which it can’t survive, though it varies a lot between species and individuals.

But sea creatures can also suffer from prolonged heat exposure, which essentially drains their energy through the summer to a point where they can no longer cope.

Seaweeds and seagrasses act a bit like the forests of the Mediterranean Sea, home to hundreds of species, as well as locking up planet-warming carbon dioxide. Some of them are well adapted to typical Mediterranean warm temperatures, but actually they often cannot withstand marine heatwave conditions, which are becoming more extreme and widespread. The heat can also cause what ecologists call “sub-lethal effects”, where species essentially go into survival mode and don’t reproduce.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) in Mediterranean

The fast-warming Mediterranean Sea is “a canary in the coal mine for climate change and marine ecosystems,” a marine biologist grimly warned.

Links:

The world’s oceans are dying. Can a UN summit in Nice turn the tide? | UN News

Intense Mediterranean Sea heatwave raises fears for marine life

For the Shakespeareans and Thespians Amongst the Followers of the Watch

Before the late Scotsman Sir Sean Connery immortalized 007 in 1962…

…Sean Connery immortalized his ‘ancestor’ MacBeth in this classic 1961 Canadian production. Coriolanus is confident you will enjoy this:

Tiny Kitten Uses Golden Retriever as Favorite Bed

“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)

Pagers Rigged with Explosives Kill Nine, Wounds 2,800 in Lebanon; Israel Blamed

A victim is carried on a stretcher outside American University of Beirut Medical Center as people, including Hezbollah fighters and medics, were wounded and killed when pagers exploded across Lebanon on 17 Sep 2024.

At least nine people were killed and more than 2,800 others wounded, overwhelming Lebanon’s hospitals, when pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded Tuesday. No one has claimed responsibility for this terrorist attack, but the people of Lebanon are blaming Israel. Many of the injuries were described as gruesome and some victims lost their eyes.

Lebanese press reports said the pagers were relatively new and were part of an order of 5,000 given to Hezbollah operatives in the past few months. They had been using pagers to communicate as Israeli intelligence is able to track and record cellphones.

Hsu Ching-Kuang, founder of Taiwan-based manufacturer Gold Apollo, told reporters Wednesday his company did not manufacture the pagers, but rather authorized its brand to be used on devices produced and sold by a company called BAC in Budapest. Two or three ounces of explosives were secreted into each device which exploded simultaneously across Lebanon at approximately 3:30PM.

Iran state media reported the country’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was among those wounded by an exploding pager. Lebanon’s Hezbollah issued a statement Tuesday blaming the blasts on Israel, which has not officially commented. At least two Hezbollah members were reported dead as well as a child.

The Lebanese government condemned the attack as “criminal Israeli aggression.” Beirut is a recipient of US military assistance and its security services may request forensic assistance from Washington to determine the culprits of this attack. Lebanon also enjoys close economic and political ties with France whom they can also ask for investigative help.

If Israeli intelligence was responsible, this was a monumental counterintelligence and political blow against Lebanese Hezbollah, which also served to demonstrate Israel’s espionage capabilities. And this was also an innovative method of conducting Extra-Judicial Killings (XJK) across international borders which Israeli can deny perpetrating. If ISIS, al-Qaida, the FARC, or the IRA conducted this attack, the world would condemn it as terrorism.

Lebanese Hezbollah said it would continue its fight against Israel in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and that Israel should await “harsh punishment.”

US forces in Iraq should be prepared for reprisal attacks from Iran’s Shia proxies. Western commercial ships in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden may see attacks from the Shia Houthis, who have become allies with Tehran and Lebanese Hezbollah. After the Sunni Saudi blockade created a catastrophic famine for Shia Yemenis, the Houthis accepted Iran’s aid and have since become proxies for Tehran.

Sources:

Pagers rigged with explosives kill 9, wound 2,800 in Lebanon (voanews.com)

BBC NEWS | Middle East | French nearly fired at Israelis

Russia Claims to Kill ‘Ukrainian Agent’ Plotting Assassination of Defense Executive

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said that its agents killed a suspected Ukrainian military intelligence officer allegedly plotting to assassinate a Russian defense industry executive.

The FSB identified the man as a Russian citizen born in 1984, accusing him of illegal trafficking explosives and claiming he was working on behalf of Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency.

According to Russian law enforcement authorities, the man was instructed by “his handlers” to create an improvised explosive device (IED), which was to be used as a car bomb targeting a defense executive in the Sverdlovsk region, a major hub for Russian defense manufacturing.

FSB agents reportedly killed the man during a gunfight as he attempted to place the IED in a cache. “While being apprehended, he offered armed resistance and was neutralized by return fire,” the FSB said in a statement.

Footage released by state news agencies showed the body of a man in a wooded area holding a handgun, along with images of what the FSB claimed were the explosive device components found in a garage.

The FSB did not identify the alleged target of the assassination plot, describing him only as a “senior employee of a defense company.”

There was no immediate response from Kiev about Russia’s allegations.

IEDs have killed high-value target (HVT) Russians during the war. The daughter of ultra-nationalist Putin-ally Alexander Dugin was killed in a bomb attack in August 2022 and in May 2023, pro-war blogger Zakhar Prilepin was seriously injured in an attack.

Sources:

Russia Claims to Kill ‘Ukrainian Agent’ Plotting Assassination of Defense Executive

Russian military intelligence officer injured in Moscow car bomb attack, Kommersant says | Reuters‘

Car bomb attack’ investigated in Moscow – amid conflicting reports military officer was target | World News | Sky News

Impeachment Proceedings Against France’s Macron Pass First Hurdle

The pomp and spectacle of the Paris Olympiad are over as reality returns for President Macron in this undated image. (AP – Thomas Padilla)

The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) has accused President Macron of denying democracy in refusing to name a prime minister from one of their ranks. The procedure to impeach him got over the first hurdle on Tuesday but it’s highly unlikely the president will fall. LFI has accused Macron of carrying out an “anti-democratic coup” after he ruled out choosing its pick for prime minister, naming veteran conservative politician Michel Barnier instead.

A petition, signed by more than 300,000 people, refers to Macron’s “unprecedented authoritarian drift … in the system of representative democracy.”

Impeachment proceedings have never gone this far before. Ten years ago, a proposal tabled by the right against then Socialist president François Hollande didn’t get beyond the committee stage.However, there is little chance of Macron being forced to step down. Under Article 68 of the Constitution, the motion now has to be examined by the assembly’s Law Committee, before being put to a wider vote by MPs. The text must be approved by two-thirds of MPs – 385 out of 577.

Mathematically that’s highly unlikely as Macron can count on his centrist Ensemble (Together) coalition and the mainstream right Republicans to vote against.

Outgoing prime minister Gabriel Attal has described the motion as “a declaration of war on our institutions.” The far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies – with 143 MPs – will not vote in favour either. RN leader Marine Le Pen has termed the motion a “sinister comedy” and accused the left of spreading “disorder and chaos.” The Socialists have also announced they will not vote to impeach Macron.

Should it pass the MP hurdle, it will then go to the Senate, where Ensemble and the Republicans hold a majority.

Tuesday’s vote is, however, a strong symbolic victory for the leftist alliance.

“It’s an opportunity to put Emmanuel Macron’s early departure on the public agenda,” said LFI MP Clemence Guetté, while fellow MP Antoine Léaument hailed a “parliamentary riposte”.

The New Popular Front (NFP) has called for nationwide demonstrations on Saturday “to depose Macron”.

Source:

Impeachment proceedings against France’s Macron pass first hurdle (rfi.fr)

Canada: Justin Trudeau Under Pressure as Liberal Party Loses Montreal By-Election

Louis-Philippe Sauvé celebrated with his Bloc Québécois supporters after his win in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun. Photograph: Canadian Press/REX/Shutterstock

Canada’s ruling Liberal party has lost a once-safe seat in Montreal, a result that is likely to put more pressure on the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, to quit.

Elections Canada said that with 100% of the votes counted in the parliamentary constituency of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, the separatist Bloc Québécois candidate, Louis-Philippe Sauvé, had beaten the Liberal candidate, Laura Palestini, by a whisker: 28% to 27.2%. The New Democratic party (NDP) candidate received 26.1%.

The election, which was held to replace a Liberal legislator who resigned, will put more focus on the political future of Trudeau, who has become increasingly unpopular after almost nine years in office.

Trudeau insists he will lead the party into an election that must be held by the end of October 2025, but some Liberal legislators have broken ranks to call for change at the top.

Alexandra Mendès, a Liberal MP who represents a Québec constituency, said last week that many of her constituents wanted Trudeau to go.

In the 2021 general election, the Liberal party won the Montreal seat with 43% of the vote, ahead of the Bloc Québécois on 22% and the NDP on 19%.

Polls now suggest that the Liberals will lose badly in the next federal election to the right-of-centre Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre. A Leger poll last week put public support for the Conservatives at 45%, a level rarely seen nationally in Canada, with the Liberals in second place at 25%.

Trudeau’s popularity has sagged as voters struggle with a surge in the cost of living and a housing crisis.

Poilievre has promised to do away with a federal carbon tax that he claims is making life unaffordable and last week vowed to cap immigration limits until more homes could be built.

Liberals concede the polls look grim but say they will redouble efforts to portray Poilievre as a supporter of the “Make America Great Again” movement led by the former US president Donald Trump.

Poilievre, an acerbic career politician who often insults his opponents, also says he would defund the CBC, Canada’s national public broadcaster. In April he was ejected from the House of Commons after he called Trudeau “a wacko”.

Source:

Justin Trudeau under pressure as his party loses Montreal election | Canada | The Guardian

Portugal Wildfire Deaths Rise to Seven After Firefighters Trapped in Blaze

A woman next to her home in Covelo, Gondomar, northern Portugal. Photograph: José Coelho/EPA

Seven people have been killed and more than 50 injured in wildfires ravaging central and northern Portugal after three firefighters died when their vehicle was trapped in flames.

Portugal’s civil protection service said 54 wildfires were burning nationwide, mainly in the north, with 5,300 firefighters mobilised. France, Greece, Italy, and Spain sent eight water-bombing planes through the EU’s mutual assistance mechanism.

More than 1,000 firefighters battled to control four separate blazes near the towns of Nelas and Aveiro, south of Porto, with TV footage showing residents frantically pouring buckets of water on rapidly advancing flames. In Aveiro alone, the blazes have consumed more than 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of forest and scrubland in the last two days, roughly the same area that has been burnt by fires so far this year across the country.

The national civil protection commander said the three firefighters – two women and a man – had been killed near Nelas. Four people, including a man retrieving tools from his shed, were reported dead.

Three firefighters died in Nelas, southeast of Porto, on Tuesday. Photograph: Pedro Nunes/Reuters

The fires forced the closure of two railway lines and several motorways, including part of the main road between Lisbon and Porto and could consume a further 20,000 hectares.

The weather conditions on Monday brought the highest risk of fire in northern Portugal since 2001, experts said. After a wet start to the year Portugal and Spain have recorded fewer wildfires than last year, but temperatures were above 30C across Portugal over the weekend amid exceptionally low humidity and strong winds, which have fanned the flames.

The government increased fire-prevention funding ten-fold and doubled its firefighting budget after deadly blazes in 2017 claimed 64 lives.

Scientists have said human-caused climate breakdown is supercharging extreme weather across the world, driving more frequent and more deadly disasters, from floods – as seen this week in central Europe – to heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.

Human-caused climate breakdown is making heatwaves more likely and more intense, such as the extreme heatwave in western Canada and the US in 2021.

Source:

Portugal wildfire deaths rise to seven after firefighters trapped in blaze | Portugal | The Guardian

UK MoD: Russia Suffered Over 610,000 Casualties in Ukraine

(Undated photo: Vladimir Smirnov / TASS)

Russia has likely suffered over 610,000 causalities, killed or wounded, since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, according to the UK Defence Ministry’s latest intelligence update.

Russian officials said that in 2023, the defence ministry was recruiting at a rate of 1,600 daily. However, publicly cited figures this year put the rate at around 1,000 daily.

The Washington Post, meanwhile, claims that the total number of Ukrainian and Russian servicemen killed or wounded since the start of Russian aggression has reached one million.

The WSJ, citing confidential data dating back to earlier this year from sources familiar with the matter, wrote that “the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed stands at 80,000 and the number of wounded at 400,000.”

“Western intelligence estimates of Russian casualties vary, with some putting the number of dead as high as nearly 200,000 and wounded at around 400,000,” the newspaper reported.

The Financial Times, citing a senior Ukrainian military intelligence official, reports that Russian forces have committed 38,000 personnel to fight in Kursk region, including assault brigades redeployed from southern Ukraine.

Russian forces recently recaptured territory in the Ukrainian salient, advancing northern Obukhovka, southeast of Korenevo.

Ukrainian and Russian forces continued to advance in Glushkovsky district amid continued fighting in the area.

Russian troops march during the Victory Day military parade in Red Square in Moscow, 9 May 2024.  Photo: Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters. President Putin recently ordered to boost the size of the army by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million

Source:

Russia has likely suffered over 610,000 causalities in Ukraine, says UK MoD | Euronews

Washington State Man Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During 6 Jan Capitol Attack

Benjamin John Silva (37) of Yacolt, WA, was sentenced to four months in prison, 24 months of supervised release to include four months of home incarceration, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

Silva pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder on 5 Apr 2024.

Silva was identified on 6 Jan 2021, at approximately 2:49 p.m., near an entrance to the Capitol building on the Lower West Terrace, often referred to as the Tunnel. Some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th occurred at the Tunnel. Inside the Tunnel, Silva made his way to the front of a crowd of rioters confronting an established police line.

During the melee, Silva distracted a police officer while a seditionist behind him sprayed the line of officers with a chemical irritant. When police lines held, some attackers began leaving the Tunnel. But Silva fought to stay in and to pressed forward in a concerted effort with other rioters doing the same. Defeated, Silva made his way out of the Tunnel at about 3:07 PM but remained in the area outside the Tunnel for several minutes afterward.

The FBI arrested Silva on 25 July 2023, in Oregon.

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.

US Military Aid Packages to Ukraine Shrink Amid Concerns Over Pentagon Stockpiles

Photo: USAF

US military aid packages for Ukraine have been smaller in recent months, as the stockpiles of weapons and equipment that the Pentagon is willing to send Kiev from its own inventory have dwindled. The shift comes amid concerns about US military readiness being impacted as US arms manufacturers play catchup to the huge demand created by the war against Russia.

The shortage means the Biden administration still has $6 billion in funds available to arm and equip Ukraine, but the Pentagon lacks the inventory it is willing to deliver.

The US is ramping up production of key items, such as 155 mm ammunition and Patriot missile systems, both to supply Ukraine and to refill US inventories. But it is a yearslong process that won’t quickly meet the surging demand.

Before the war in Ukraine, the US produced approximately 15,000 155 mm artillery shells each month. With new factories and production lines opening, the US is now producing 40,000 shells a month. But it will still take more than a year for the Pentagon to hit its goal of 100,000 shells each month.

Ukraine is feeling the impact of the inventory shortages, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. During a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany this month, Zelensky told the US and other allies that deliveries of promised air defense systems were moving too slowly and warned of a “significant” shortfall in vital aid.

The US is still trying to announce a new aid package roughly every two weeks which Ukraine is “supportive of because they believe getting new packages every two weeks is a morale boost.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has vowed to continue providing military support to Ukraine and announced a new $250 million aid package at the meeting in Germany this month. Austin acknowledged that the US is working to ramp up production and “speed up deliveries” to Ukraine.

“Time is of the essence, especially with winter on its way,” Austin said. “And we must all step up our support — and quickly.”

The US is simultaneously sending military aid to Israel. And as noted in a previous post, North Korea and Iran are assisting Russia with their supply shortfalls during this 2 ½ year war.

Source:

US military aid packages to Ukraine shrink amid concerns over Pentagon stockpiles | CNN Politics

The Lancet: Superbug Crisis Could Get Worse, Killing Nearly 40 Million People by 2050

This illustration of a bacteriophage shows its tripod-like form that mimics a tiny robot. These microscopic creatures have saved the lives of patients dying from superbug infections and are being used in clinical trials as a potential solution to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. In the US alone, more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year. SCIEPRO/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

Cumulatively, from 2025 to 2050, the world could see more than 39 million deaths that are directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance or AMR, according to the Lancet.

Antimicrobial resistance happens when pathogens like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to evade the medications used to kill them.

The World Health Organization has called AMR “one of the top global public health and development threats,” driven by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medications in humans, animals and plants, which can help pathogens develop a resistance to them.

The new study reveals that when it comes to the prevalence of AMR and its effects, “we expect it to get worse,” said lead author Dr. Chris Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

“We need appropriate attention on new antibiotics and antibiotic stewardship so that we can address what is really quite a large problem,” he said.

Sources:

Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance 1990–2021: a systematic analysis with forecasts to 2050 – The Lancet

Nearly 40 million people could die from antibiotic-resistant superbug infections by 2050, new study estimates | CNN

Birth of Spectacled Bear Brings Joy to Farming Community in Peru

A spectacled bear was born in a rescue center built by a Peruvian farming community that has protected these animals for more than two decades.

The bear cub, which does not yet have a name, was discovered after park rangers in the community of Santa Catalina de Chongoyape, in northern Peru, noticed that a female bear named Lola did not leave.

Born in mid July, the little bear is the second birth after a female was born six years ago in a fenced area of several hectares where food and care are provided to ailing bears.

The farming community manages an ecological reserve where spectacled bears (Tremarctos ornatus) and other animals such as the white-winged guan (Penelope albipennis) are not hunted and can find a safe habitat for their lives in its carob trees and other types of flora.

The spectacled bear is a vulnerable species, according to the Red List of Threatened Species released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They are the only bear species in South America with potentially as few as 2,500 mature individuals remaining.

Source:

The birth of a spectacled bear brings joy to a farming community in Peru | AP News

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)

IDF Kills US-Turkish Humanitarian in West Bank

Undated image of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

A 26-year-old Turkish-American activist, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was shot in the head and killed during an anti-settlement protest near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The IDF admitted to firing at the demonstrators and has not said if any other gunmen were present.

She was shot during a weekly demonstration against an Israeli settlement near the Palestinian village of Beita. Eyewitnesses and Palestinian officials said the Israeli military was responsible.

The IDF stated its forces “responded with fire toward a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks at the forces and posed a threat to them.” It said that it was “looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area.”

Protests at Beita are common. The Palestinian town is next to a ramshackle Israeli settler outpost known as Evyatar. The settlement was unauthorized by the Israeli state until it was legalized earlier this year. All Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law.

Eygi was volunteering in the West Bank with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), the same group as Rachel Corrie (23), a US citizen who was killed in 2003 while trying to block an Israeli bulldozer from razing Palestinian homes. (Getty Images)

In 2012, IDF Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner smashed the face of an unarmed activist named Andaers in the West Bank with his US-made M16 rifle. His expression looks like contempt. This protestor can consider himself lucky just to be alive.

Nearly 700 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah and the UN, who have called for a full investigation of Aysenur’s killing.

Sources:

Aysenur Eygi: US activist killed after Israeli military fires at protest in West Bank | CNN

Aysenur Ezgi Eygi: UN urges inquiry into killing of US-Turkish protester in West Bank (bbc.com)

Related article‘All the streets were destroyed:’ Palestinians count the cost as Israel pulls back from Jenin

Massachusetts Physician Sentenced Nine Months for Punching Police Officer During 6 Jan Attack

A medical doctor who punched a police officer during a mob’s attack on the US Capitol was sentenced to nine months of imprisonment followed by nine months of home confinement. Jacquelyn Starer (70) was inside the Capitol on 6 Jan 2021 when she struck the officer with a closed fist and shouted a profane insult.

Jacquelyn Starer told US District Judge Timothy Kelly that she isn’t proud of her actions that day, including her “regrettable encounter” with the officer. “I accept full responsibility for my actions that day, and I truly wish reason had prevailed over my emotions,” she said.

Starer also turned to apologize to the officer whom she assaulted. The officer, identified only by her initials in court filings, told the judge she feared for her life as she and other officers fought for hours to defend the Capitol from the mob of Donald Trump supporters. “Do you really take responsibility for your actions or are you just going to say: ‘It wasn’t my fault. Fight or flight’?” the officer asked Starer before she addressed the court.

Starer of Ashland, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in April to eight counts, including a felony assault charge. Starer’s attorneys asked the judge to sentence her to home confinement instead of incarceration.

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 the attack on the US Capitol, including nearly 550 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

Sources:

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

https://www.yahoo.com/news/physician-sentenced-9-months-prison-214655876.html

US Sees Increasing Risk of Sabotage of Key Undersea Cables by Secretive Russian Military Unit

The USIC has detected increased Russian military activity around key undersea cables and assesses Russia may now be more likely to carry out potential sabotage operations aimed at disabling a critical piece of the world’s communications infrastructure. Russia has been building up a dedicated military unit called the “General Staff Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research,” or GUGI.

“We are concerned about heightened Russian naval activity worldwide and that Russia’s decision calculus for damaging US and allied undersea critical infrastructure may be changing,” a US official told CNN. “Russia is continuing to develop naval capabilities for undersea sabotage mainly thru GUGI, a closely guarded unit that operates surface vessels, submarines, and naval drones.”

The US and NATO regularly tracks Russian ships that patrol close to critical maritime infrastructure and undersea cables often far from Russian shores.

Undersea cables form a critical backbone of internet and telecommunications traffic around the world. Most communications and internet traffic travels across a vast network of high-speed fiber-optic cables installed along the ocean floor. A coordinated attack could significantly disrupt private, government and military communications along such cables as well as industries that rely on such communications, including financial markets and energy suppliers. Undersea cables also carry vast amounts of electricity among several European countries.

Commanders aboard a NATO patrol vessel in April 2023 told CNN they had witnessed an increase of military surveillance over undersea cables in the Baltic Sea and the waters around Northern Europe.

Last year, a joint investigation by the public broadcasters of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland found that Russia has a fleet of suspected spy ships operating in northern European waters for potential sabotage of both undersea cables and wind farms. Using data analysis, intercepted radio communications, and intelligence sources, the broadcasters tracked over several years some fifty ships operating in the area, using underwater surveillance to map sites for potential attacks.

Taiwanese and US intelligence have observed similar activity by the Chinese Navy in waters around Taiwan. “The activity looks like targeted harassment by Beijing – or an exercise in preparation for cutting off the whole of Taiwan,” Elisabeth Braw wrote in Foreign Policy magazine in February 2023.

Russia’s covert naval program has not been disrupted by its ongoing war against Ukraine, continuing to fund GUGI even while waging war in Ukraine. Sabotage of US or allied undersea infrastructure would be a significant escalation in Russian aggression outside of Ukraine.

Sources:

Exclusive: US sees increasing risk of Russian ‘sabotage’ of key undersea cables by secretive military unit (yahoo.com)

To Secure Undersea Cables, Take Lessons from the British Empire’s All-Red Line | Proceedings – July 2024 Vol. 150/7/1,457 (usni.org)

Pakistani Accused of Plotting to Kill Jews in NYC on Behalf of Islamic State

The lone unarmed suspect was arrested by an army of police officers Wednesday in the town of Ormstown, Quebec, 60 km south of Montreal. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan is described as a Pakistani citizen residing in Toronto.

A Pakistani citizen living in Canada has been charged with planning an attack in NYC in support of the Islamic State group. Muhammad Shahzeb Khan AKA Shahzeb Jadoon (20) is accused of plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish center around 7 Oct 2024, the first anniversary of the Gaza War. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Khan aimed to kill “as many Jewish people as possible” in the name of Islamic State. Khan attempted to travel from Canada to the US but was arrested on 4 Sep before reaching the border. He had told two undercover law enforcement officers of his plans to create “a real offline cell” of Islamic State supporters to carry out an attack.

The suspect, who was unarmed when arrested in Canada, requested the undercover officers to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for the NYC attack, including hunting knives in order to slit throats.

There is no information regarding Muhammad Shahzeb Khan’s mental faculties or whether he has any military or firearms training in order to carry out this extraordinary mega-attack with accomplices whom he has never personally met.

A 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 | Pakistani National Charged for Plotting Terrorist Attack in New York City in Support of ISIS | United States Department of Justice

Pakistani Accused Of Plotting To Kill Jews In New York On Behalf Of Islamic State (rferl.org)

Locals Accuse Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump of ‘Taking What is Ours’ for Billion Dollar Resort Project in Albania

Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump, daughters of former US President Donald Trump, look on during the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on 18 July 2024 in Milwaukee, WI. The land they plan on developing in Albania is subject to several disputes. (Getty Images)

Local residents in Albania are accusing Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump of attempting to take land away from them for two luxury resort projects.

The daughter and son-in-law of former President Donald Trump are looking to invest almost $1bn in the area. Kushner previously announced his plans to build a hotel and a number of beach villas on a part of land that has been farmed by an Albanian family for generations but which was seized from them after the end of the Communist regime in 1991, according to The New York Times.

“They are trying to take from us what is ours,” Bledar Alexandros Konomi told the paper. Konomi used to help take care of cattle on the part of the mainland where Kushner now wants to build a hotel. His claim to the land is supported by court records. Kushner is also seeking exclusive development rights on the small island of Sazan, where the Soviet Union stored military supplies during the Cold War.

2024 CIA World Factbook

A second bid to develop the island was submitted by Albanian-American developer Evi Kokalari-Angelakis. When her proposal to the Albanian government was disregarded, she insinuated the regime wants to ingratiate themselves with the former president in the event he returns to the White House in January.

Opposition party member in the Albanian parliament Agron Shehaj said the process of choosing a developer had lacked transparency, which “makes it look like this is a private deal that is in the political interest of the prime minister of Albania.”

Prime Minister Edi Rama and Kushner both rejected the notion that the former president had anything to do with the development process.

“The fact that such a renowned American entrepreneur shows his interest on investing in Albania makes us very proud and happy,” said a spokesperson for the prime minister. “It shows on another level to the US and the world that there is a new rising star in the beautiful Mediterranean world of tourism named Albania.”

“We have this 1,400-acre island in the Mediterranean and we’re bringing in the best architects and the best brands,” Ivanka Trump said on the Lex Fridman Podcast earlier this summer.

The projects on the Albanian coastline are not connected to the Trump Organization, which is partly owned by Trump, and it will not be linked to the Trump name.

Jared Kushner established an investment company called Affinity Partners, which is supported mostly by funds coming from the Saudi Arabian government. Over the years, Saudi NGOs built 200 mosques in Albania and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia donated one million copies of an Albanian-language version of the Quran.

A University of Cincinnati professor of statistics said it’s “very obvious that a big corruption scheme is going on.”

On the mainland, villagers in Zvernec, near the site where one of the projects is planned, have notified Kushner that they claim to own the land, which is subject to several disputes.

Source:

Locals accuse Jared and Ivanka Trump of ‘taking what is ours’ for billion-dollar resort project in Albania | The Independent (the-independent.com)

US-Iraq Deal Would See Hundreds of Soldiers Withdraw by Sep 2025

The US and Iraq have reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq. Hundreds of troops would leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026. The US and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some US forces remain in Iraq after the drawdown. The US has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria as part of the coalition formed in 2014 to combat Islamic State as it rampaged through the two countries. The group once held roughly a third of Iraq and Syria but was territorially defeated in Iraq at the end of 2017 and in Syria in 2019. Iraq had demonstrated its ability to handle any remaining threat.

The agreement follows more than six months of talks between Baghdad and Washington, initiated by Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in January amid attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups on US forces stationed at Iraqi bases. The rocket and drone attacks have killed three American troops and wounded dozens more, resulting in several rounds of deadly US retaliation that threatened government efforts to stabilize Iraq after decades of conflict.

Under the plan, all coalition forces would leave the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025. US and other coalition troops are expected to remain in Irbil, in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdistan region, for approximately one additional year, until around the end of 2026, to facilitate ongoing operations against Islamic State in Syria.

In other news, Switzerland reopened its embassy in Baghdad, 33 years after closing its previous representation due to the 1991 Gulf War. By reopening the embassy, the Swiss Federal Council aims to strengthen bilateral relations with the populous country and deepen cooperation in economic, security, and migration matters

Sources:

US-Iraq deal would see hundreds of troops withdraw in first year, sources say (voanews.com)

Swiss embassy in Baghdad reopens (admin.ch)

12 Students Hospitalized, One Dead from Unidentified Cause in Northern Vietnam

Two hospitals have been tasked with uncovering the cause of the death of a student from Thai Nguyen Industrial College in northern Vietnam and the hospitalization of 12 others.

All 13 victims had developed fevers, headaches, stomach aches, and nausea, with the cause still unknown. The deceased student was diagnosed with multi-organ failure, acute heart failure, myocarditis, and hepatitis B. One student is in a critical condition and on a ventilator. The ten remaining students are in stable condition.

The two hospitals were ordered to identify appropriate treatments for the patients and control the infection, if any, to minimize the number of people likely to catch the disease.

Source:

12 students hospitalized, 1 dead from unidentified cause in northern Vietnam | Tuoi Tre News

Lioness Rescued in Ukraine from a Tiny Cage Tentatively Walks on Grass for First Time

A UK animal rescue charity evacuated two lionesses from Ukraine and one has just been filmed taking her first steps on grass. Yuna the lioness had never felt grass beneath her paws, having been raised in captivity in a small concrete enclosure. She had been traumatized long before the Russian invasion.

In concert with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England, organized the retrieval and air transport of the lionesses out of Ukraine in a 30-hour operation.

Yuna safely arrived at a 32-acre facility in Kent, and another lioness was delivered to a similar sanctuary in Belgium. Fundraising and preparations are underway to rescue another three lionesses from Kyiv.

Source:

The Good News Network and YouTube

US Researchers Locate Probable Launch Site of Russia’s New Nuclear-Powered Missile

A satellite image shows what is believed to be a deployment site for a Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile, including 5 nuclear warhead storage bunkers (right) and bermed launch positions (lower left), in Vologda, Russia, in this handout image obtained by Reuters on 27 Aug 2024. Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS.

Two US researchers say they have identified the probable deployment site in Russia of a new nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile touted by President Vladimir Putin as “invincible.” Using commercial satellite imagery, the analysts identified a construction project abutting a nuclear warhead storage facility known by two names – Vologda-20 and Chebsara – as the new missile’s potential deployment site. The facility is 295 miles (475 km) north of Moscow.

Dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO, Russian President Vladimir Putin brags the 9M370 Burevestnik has an almost unlimited range and can evade US missile defenses. But some Western experts dispute his claims and the Burevestnik’s strategic value, saying it will not add capabilities that Moscow does not already have and risks a radiation-spewing mishap.

Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom said five staff members died during the testing of a rocket on 8 Aug. Putin presented their widows with top state awards, saying the weapon they were developing was without equal in the world, without naming the Burevestnik.

The nuclear-powered engine threatens to disgorge radiation along its flight path and its deployment risks an accident that could contaminate the surrounding region, a former US nuclear weapons scientist reported.

“The Skyfall is a uniquely stupid weapon system, a flying Chernobyl that poses more threat to Russia than it does to other countries,” reported Thomas Countryman, a former top State Department official with the Arms Control Association, referring to the 1986 nuclear plant disaster.

Burevestnik being launched (undated image).

Meanwhile, Kiev fended off a massive Russian drone attack while President Putin made an official visit to Mongolia without being detained for his ICC arrest warrant.

Source:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-researchers-find-probable-launch-site-russias-new-nuclear-powered-missile-2024-09-02/


Spy’s Confession Sheds Light on Russian Espionage in Georgia

Vsevolod Osipov (recent image)

Last month, Vsevolod Osipov was unmasked as an informant for Russia’s security services. He had been sent to Tbilisi to monitor the many Russian dissidents who have flooded the Georgian capital recently. But, he says his new notoriety hasn’t much affected his life here, and done little to scare away patrons – primarily Russians themselves – at the busy wine bar in central Tbilisi where he works as a sommelier.

“An occasional customer who recognizes me from the news stories may come up and ask questions, but beyond that I don’t get much attention,” Osipov reflected.

The young spy’s confession, which was then re-reported in several other media, would seem to be big news in Georgia, where concern about the large influx of Russians is keen. But it’s barely made a ripple.

“I thought that the Georgian police would show up to question me, but nobody seemed to care, except maybe an occasional reporter,” Osipov said with a smile and a faint note of disappointment.

Osipov said he knows at least two more individuals who came clean via social media about traveling to Georgia to spy, and thinks he has spotted a few others. “You are not given identities of other agents, but if you look close enough you can guess who they are.”

“Before coming here in October, I had a pre-departure briefing in Moscow, where they told me to go cafés and restaurants in Tbilisi frequented by the Russians,” Osipov recalled. “I wasn’t supposed to ask any questions or go out of my way to meet people, just observe and keep my thoughts to myself. Then, once a week, I was supposed to report to my coordinator what the general scene was like and if I had picked up on anything important.”

Being a bit of an amateur himself – he was only recruited last year – Osipov was also identifiable to a keen eye. Well before he went public, one heavily inebriated young Russian came up to him in a bar and said in a drunken slur that he knows who he really is.   

Osipov was a law student and an activist with the small Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR) when he got arrested last year for participating in a demonstration in Moscow in support of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Threatened with imprisonment, he was intimidated into serving as a mole in the LPR and another opposition group, adding that that is how many young people get caught in the FSB net.

After Osipov performed his first, trial assignment to his handlers’ satisfaction, he was awarded with a bigger assignment: go to Georgia. “They gave me 214,000 rubles [about $3,550] to spend for a month and a half. I was supposed to go back to Moscow in December as, I guess, they were still testing me.”

Osipov was tasked with spying on two people in particular: self-exiled chairman of the LPR, Yaroslav Konvey, and Anton Mikhalchuk, a manager with the opposition group Free Russia Foundation. Upon his arrival, Osipov says he went directly to the two and told them outright that he was recruited by the FSB. He says he was trying to warn the LPR leadership all along, but failed to arrange a tête-à-tête with them until he arrived in Georgia. 

Osipov offered to send false info back to his superiors to throw the FSB off the track, but the two exiles appeared to be mistrustful and spread the word among their colleagues about an informant in their midst. Word soon reached Osipov’s girlfriend, who runs a tiny bar in Tbilisi. She asked Vsevolod directly if he was working for the FSB. “I said yes, as I realized that she must’ve heard about it from the people I trusted,” he admitted.         

Osipov continued reporting back to Moscow and convinced his handlers to extend his stay in Georgia. “I loved the city and had a good life here, so I did my best to stay as long as I could and have the FSB pay for it.” Even his handlers appeared curious about vacation options in Georgia: on top of his main job, the intelligence officers asked him to collect information on nice bars and landmarks worth checking out.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the handlers did not need much convincing to extend Osipov’s stay further.

“With so many people coming, they needed more eyes on the ground,” Osipov said. 

Infuriated by the war, Vsevolod stopped responding to his handlers in March. In June, he spoke to media outlet Meduza, which fact-checked his claims, found his handlers and published their identities, and also spoke to the activists that Osipov was supposed to follow. Meduza also published screenshots of Osipov’s chats with his FSB bosses. 

The story raised questions among some Russians in Georgia. Some were surprised by Osipov’s choice to try to pull one over on Russia’s formidable security service, though others put it down to his young age. Osipov admitted that he is indeed worried about the potential of FSB revenge, especially given that his mother remains back in Moscow; but he’s not so concerned about himself.

“I don’t think I’m that important for them to come chasing me here,” he said. “And I can always move to the next place.”

Source:

Spy’s Confession Sheds Light on Russian Espionage in Georgia – The Moscow Times

Britain Suspends Some Arms Exports to Israel

Palestinians look at an unexploded Israeli shell that landed on the main road outside the town of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Photo credit: Reuters.

Britain announced it was suspending the export of some military equipment to Israel as London increases its public criticism of an ally and its methods of war that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Israel’s behavior has attracted increasing criticism, including from allies, such as the US, as the death toll has continuously climbed and much of Gaza has been razed.

Britain announced it was suspending, with immediate effect, some 30 of roughly 350 licenses for the export of military goods to Israel following an assessment the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer showed that there is “clear risk” that Israel could use them in violation of international law. Items affected include military aircraft, helicopter and drone components, as well as items for ground targeting. Trainer aircraft and naval equipment remain permissible for export.

A British policy paper noted that Israel has not fulfilled its duty as the occupying force of Gaza to ensure the enclave’s some two million people receive essential humanitarian supplies. The study indicates that while Israel does not accept it is the occupying power, it does accept the obligation to allow free passage of humanitarian relief by third parties, including the UN. Amnesty International — which is among critics who accuse Israel of potentially committing genocide in Gaza — turned its criticism towards Britain for not going further with its sanctions.

British government statistics show its military exports to Israel have been declining. London had some $55 million worth of licensed arms deals with Israel in 2022, compared to 23.8 million last year.

The US has also withheld some shipments of bombs to Israel, but still allows most of them to be exported.

The International Court of Justice has ordered the Middle Eastern country to take immediate steps to end atrocities in Gaza and the International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu of war crimes. Inexplicably, an arrest warrant has yet to be issued for him, unlike Russian President Vladimir Putin who can be arrested by any country that is a signatory to the ICC.

More than 40,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have been killed during the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and Lancet.

Source:

Britain suspends some arms exports to Israel – UPI.com

American Warzone: Five People Shot at New York’s West Indian American Day Parade

Police move revelers from the street after a shooting on Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, during the West Indian Day Parade, 2 Sep 2024.

Five people were shot Monday at New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade. This was the latest incident of violence to mar one of the world’s largest annual celebrations of Caribbean culture.

A gunman targeting a specific group of people opened fire along the parade route in Brooklyn around 2:35PM. The parade had kicked off hours earlier, with thousands of revelers dancing and marching down Eastern Parkway, a main Brooklyn thoroughfare. The parade was expected to continue into the night.

Two people were critically wounded and three were expected to survive their wounds. The gunman fled. US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was marching in the parade at the time and completed the route. Police cordoned off an area adjacent to the parade route, where they placed crime scene markers. The parade continued flowing past as officers were seen bagging items.

In 2016, two people were killed and several others were wounded near the parade route. The year before, Carey Gabay, an aide to then-Governor Andrew Cuomo, was shot in the head during pre-parade festivities. He died nine days later.

In an average year, 44,341 people die and 96,935 are wounded by guns in the US, costing the country $557.2 billion each year.

Sources:

5 people shot at New York’s West Indian American Day Parade (voanews.com)

Gun-Violence-in-the-United-States-2024-05.pdf (everystat.org)

Nationalist Mob Chanting ‘Yankee Go Home’ Assaults Two US Marines in Izmir, Turkiye

Two off-duty US Marines are safe after they were assaulted in Turkiye on Monday. @genclikbirligi via X

Two US Marines were assaulted by a group of young nationalists in Turkiye with one attacker placing a bag over the head of one servicemember.

The dramatic incident in the western port city of Izmir was captured on video, showing the moment two Marines were surrounded by a group of 15 people in a commercial area who were chanting “Yankee go home.” The gang then restrained one Marine before one of them places a bag over his head. Moments later, another man can be seen charging the group. None of the service members are in uniform.

Other Marines intervened and no one was reported injured. The service members later returned to their ship, the USS Wasp. Local authorities later identified the group as members of the Turkish Youth Union, or TGB, which is affiliated with the Patriotic Party — a small, nationalist political party without parliament seats. 15 alleged attackers were detained by local security forces.

An account on X purporting to represent the TGB said on Monday: “WE PUT SACKS ON THE US SOLDIERS SERVING ON THE LARGEST ATTACK SHIP OF THE USA, USS WASP! US soldiers, who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands, cannot dirty our country. Every time you step into these lands, we will welcome you as you deserve!”

The reason why these Turkish nationalists placed a sack over one of the Marines stems from the 2003 “hood event.” On 4 July 2003, a detachment of Turkish soldiers operating in Iraqi Kurdistan were captured by US forces, hooded, then led away for interrogation. Afterwards, US forces raided a Turkish Special Forces safehouse in Sulaymaniyah and seized 15 kgs (33 lb) of explosives in addition to sniper rifles, grenades, and maps of Kirkuk with circles drawn around positions near the local governor’s building. Ankara lodged a diplomatic protest with Washington and the Turkish soldiers were eventually released after spending 60 hours in US custody.

The sight of seeing Turkish military personnel arrested, humiliated, and hooded by their American ally infuriated the Turkish public and wounded their national pride. The Turkish people have never forgotten that insult from 21 years ago.

Sources:

Two U.S. Marines assaulted by nationalist mob in Turkey (nbcnews.com)

Hood event – Wikipedia

US detains Turkish troops in Iraq | News | Al Jazeera

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3067319.stm

Donald Trump’s Cognitive Decline Becoming More Apparent

Ex-President Donald J. Trump delivers a speech during the “Make America Great Again” rally held at the Mohegan Sun Arena. (Brandon Stivers / Shutterstock.com)

Political analysts and mental health experts are becoming more and more alarmed by the 45th President’s latest bizarre and incoherent speeches.

Written verbatim below is what Donald Trump said at a rally in Potterville, MI. This is painful to read and must have been torturous to hear:

“She destroyed the city of San Francisco, it’s — and I own a big building there — it’s no — I shouldn’t talk about this but that’s OK I don’t give a damn because this is what I’m doing. I should say it’s the finest city in the world — sell and get the hell out of there, right? But I can’t do that. I don’t care, you know? I lost billions of dollars, billions of dollars. You know, somebody said, ‘What do you think you lost?’ I said, ‘Probably two, three billion. That’s OK, I don’t care.’ They say, ‘You think you’d do it again?’ And that’s the least of it. Nobody. They always say, I don’t know if you know. Lincoln was horribly treated. Uh, Jefferson was pretty horribly. Andrew Jackson they say was the worst of all, that he was treated worse than any other president. I said, ‘Do that study again, because I think there’s nobody close to Trump.’ I even got shot! And who the hell knows where that came from, right?”

As Donald Trump’s mental faculties continue to decline, so are GOP campaign coffers. Republicans are “starting to panic” because of a large fundraising gap they see emerging with their Democratic rivals and time is running short to close any distance with the election a little more than two months away.

Adding to Donald Trump’s miseries, a former advisor recently issued a humiliating message on ‘X’:

“Former Trump staffer and friend Anthony Scaramucci says Melania “hates” Trump and wants Kamala Harris to win.”

https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1830209424566395336/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1830209424566395336%7Ctwgr%5Ee50bd64db012f21b0a16035e4fc38c70b5f06f89%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.democraticunderground.com%2F100219408110

Moreover, an “October Surprise” awaits the the oldest candidate to ever run for the White House. An unflattering film about a young Donald Trump called ‘The Apprentice’ opens on 11 Oct in US and Canadian theaters (one month before the election). “The Apprentice” chronicles Trump’s rise to power in NY real estate under the tutelage of notorious defense attorney Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong). Late in the movie, Trump is depicted raping his wife, Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova ). In Ivana Trump’s 1990 divorce deposition, she stated that Trump raped her. Trump denied the allegation and Ivana Trump later said she didn’t mean it literally, but rather that she had felt violated.

Sources:

GOP ‘starting to panic’ as Democrats build massive fundraising lead: report – Raw Story

‘Genuinely chilling’: Analyst sounds alarm over Trump’s latest bizarre speeches – Raw Story

Trump film ‘The Apprentice’ finds distributor and will open before the election | AP News

New Zealand Spy Report Calls Out China for Interference

New Zealand’s spy service branded China a “complex intelligence concern,” warning the Pacific nation was vulnerable to foreign interference. In an annual threat report, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) reported that several countries were undertaking “malicious activity” on its shores, but called out China’s attempts as “complex and deceptive.”

In particular, Beijing was accused of using front organizations to connect with local groups to replace authentic and diverse community views with those approved by the ruling party. In one example, a Chinese-language community news outlet parroted Beijing’s talking points.

In March, Wellington publicly said a Chinese state-sponsored group was behind a 2021 malicious cyber attack that infiltrated sensitive government computer systems. China dismissed allegations of hacking and accused New Zealand critics of being puppets of Washington.

Sources:

New-Zealands-Security-Threat-Environment-2024.pdf (nzsis.govt.nz)

New Zealand Spy Report Calls Out China For Interference | IBTimes

True Story of Penguin’s Annual Return to See Man Who Saved it From Oil Spill

Years ago, João Pereira de Souza discovered a Megallanic penguin covered in oil from a recent spill on Proveta Beach in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

Taking the penguin home, João found the bird exhausted and depleted after swimming through the oil spill. He nursed the penguin back to health, with plenty of soapy scrubbing and fish treats, naming it ‘Dindim’ after the toddler-speak of his son trying to say the Portuguese word for penguin (pinguim).

After Dindim recovered, João released him on an island near Proveta Beach and went home. But Dindim had followed him back and remained on his lawn waiting to be let inside. Dindim finally left of his own accord in Feb 2012. But for eight consecutive years, the penguin would leave every February and faithfully return to João Pereira de Souza in June.

My Penguin Friend recounts this story and premiered this month to mostly positive reviews, including an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Source:

The Good News Network

Ex-US Green Beret Linked to Attempted 2020 Venezuelan Coup

Venezuelan forces captured several mercenaries after the failed 2020 coup [Getty Images]

Jordan Goudreau, a decorated former US Green Beret, is being prosecuted for allegedly smuggling automatic weapons from Florida to South America as part of a failed 2020 coup attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. His DNA was found on some of 60 recovered weapons, linking him to illegal arms trafficking that facilitated an amphibious raid against the Maduro government in Venezuela.  

Several fighters were killed and two of Goudreau’s former US Special Forces colleagues were imprisoned in Venezuela. Goudreau allegedly spent $90,000 on a yacht he used to transport ammunition, body armor plates and magazines for AR-15 rifles. Some of the weapons never made it because the yacht sank in the middle of the Caribbean. Goudreau and an unnamed associate had to be rescued by a passing natural gas tanker.

The 2020 anti-Maduro incursion was carried out by a ragtag group of Venezuelan army deserters whom Goudreau allegedly helped arm and train in neighboring Colombia. Goudreau later claimed responsibility for the putsch, but said he was acting in concert with the Venezuelan opposition to protect democracy. The defendant stated he was in touch with then-President Donald Trump’s administration, which made no secret of its desire to see Maduro gone, even though there’s no evidence US officials approved the invasion.

The 48-year-old has no criminal record and was a three-time Bronze Star recipient in Iraq and Afghanistan, but prosecutors argued he was both a danger to the public and a flight risk because of his firearms expertise, access to a sailboat at a USAF base in Tampa and an astonishing $10,000-a-month in military retirement disability income. If convicted, Goudreau faces between 10 and 20 years in prison.

Sources:

Middle District of Florida | Former Green Beret and Venezuelan National Charged with Violating Export and Firearms Laws | United States Department of Justice

US arrests a former Green Beret over the failed 2020 raid into Venezuela to remove Maduro | AP News

DNA on weapons implicates ex-U.S. Green Beret in attempted Venezuelan coup, federal officials say | AP News

FBI Arrests DoD Contractor with Scores of Classified Documents

Gokhan Gun, an electrical engineer and DoD contractor, was arrested by the FBI following a court-ordered search warrant of his home in Falls Church, VA. Investigators became aware that while working for the USAF in Washington, Mr. Gun had printed thousands of documents since starting his job in mid-2023. Many documents were unclassified, but some were marked Top Secret. Mr. Gun printed 256 documents, totaling approximately 3,400 pages. He then printed more than 406 pages of documents, which included 82 with Top Secret headings. Mr. Gun is charged with illegally obtaining and retaining national defense secrets.

Investigators are still trying to determine why Mr. Gun, who became an American citizen in 2021, hoarded so many documents. He nonchalantly carried them out of his office in rolled-up wads in plastic shopping bags. Mr. Gun frequently travels overseas and owns homes in Virginia, Texas and Florida. The FBI arrested the suspect early in the morning at his house while Mr. Gun was preparing to leave for what he described as a “fishing trip” with friends in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The counterintelligence investigation is continuing.

Source:

Defense Dept. Contractor Arrested With Dozens of Classified Documents – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Fire at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant in Occupied Ukraine, but Officials Say Safety Not Compromised

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said radiation indicators appeared normal for the plant.

The brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine established a new precedent. For the first time in history, a nuclear power plant has been occupied by a hostile foreign power. Russian forces took over the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant early during Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” against Ukraine. Worldwide concerns skyrocketed about potential radiation leaks or fallout from any mishap at the atomic plant.

A fire broke out on 11 August at a cooling tower at this nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine following what Russian officials allege was Ukrainian shelling, which Kiev denied. Plant management reported the fire was still blazing but that it was not endangering the safe operation of the facility. Ukrainian officials disclosed there was unofficial information or rumors that Russian forces had set fire to a large number of automobile tires in the cooling towers.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has access to the site and reported no impact on nuclear safety. Along with the EU Joint Research Center, they are monitoring radiation levels in a potentially catastrophic situation for Europe, Ukraine, and Russia.

Sources:

Zelenskiy / Official – Telegram

Update 241 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine | IAEA

Radiological Maps – European Commission (europa.eu)Fire Hits Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant, But Officials Say Safety Not Compromised (rferl.org)

Ex-POTUS Donald J. Trump Losing Support from Within: ‘You’re gonna lose this!’

Mr. David McAfee at Raw Story reports that Donald Trump is getting pushback on his latest conspiracy theory from his own MAGA supporters. The former president claimed that VPOTUS Kamala Harris was faking her huge crowd sizes by using AI. The claim was ranked as “just false” by CNN, and one lawmaker said this comment made Trump unfit to be president. When Trump posted this absurd claim on Truth Social, some of his own supporters encouraged the GOP presidential nominee to back off.

Raw Story catalogued the following MAGA criticisms:

@Trumpbobo: “You realized that there is a video right that so otherwise shows.”

@Gobbyrocks: “It’s not fake, Trump. Please fire your disastrous advisors immediately before we lose this election!”

@Magahlahgo: “Are you ever going to talk about what you plan on doing if you win? Nobody cares about her crowds.”

@Cordlopez: “Please shut the f— up and get focused.”

@Witness023: “No. Consult with a good expert on this. They are going to make us look dumb.”

@Deplorable59: “STFU about the crowd size. She’s getting bigger crowds now face that fact. You’re gonna lose this! Stop with this bulls— – get out on the road. Talk to the people-don’t talk about her personally. Talk about the issues and what you will do to change things. You’re our only hope – you gotta stop screwing it up!”

Karlyn Borysenko: “I want you to win but you have got to start hinging back into reality and stop listening to anyone who lies to you about Kamala’s campaign. This is a video that aired live of the event. It is real. The photos are being generated from a parody account.”

Conservative influencer Ian Miles Cheong: “Kamala’s crowd at the airport was in fact real,” he wrote. “You can claim they’re paid actors or that they were just there for a concert but they are definitely not AI.”

Our deepest appreciation to Mr. David McAfee at Raw Story for monitoring Truth Social and presenting his findings.

Source:

‘You’re gonna lose this!’ Trump fans rebel against him over ‘A.I.’ Harris rally claim – Raw Story

Five Suspects Arrested for Rocket Attack on al-Asad Air Base in Iraq

Iraqi security personnel detained five individuals in connection with a rocket attack on al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq that wounded four US servicemembers and a defense contractor. Three rockets were launched by an Iranian-backed militia, two of which impacted the base, while the third rocket was intercepted. US CENTCOM is investigating how the rockets penetrated defense measures. See map at bottom.

The attack is the latest targeting al-Asad Air Base in recent weeks. On 25 July, two rockets were launched but did not strike the base. On 16 July, the base came under attack by two drones, one of which struck the base but caused minimal damage. The second drone launched in the same attack was shot down. No casualties were reported following either attack.

US bases in the region are prone to retaliatory strikes by pro-Iranian Shia militias whenever Israel attacks Iranian sovereign territory with rockets or drones or conducts extra-judicial killings (XJK) in Iran, Syria, or Lebanon. Shia Houthis on the Arabian Peninsula in support of their co-religionists in Iran similarly retaliate against maritime Western targets that may be allied or associated with Israel.

This last rocket attack followed an order by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to move additional warships and a fighter squadron to the Middle East to bolster Israel’s defense. The decision to move US forces came ahead of an anticipated Iranian counterattack in response to the Israeli assassination of Palestinian resistance leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Source:

5 arrested for rocket attack on base in Iraq that injured 4 service members, 1 contractor | Stars and Stripes

“Absolute loyalty’: Xi Jinping Focuses Anti-Corruption Campaign on China’s Military

Xi Jinping has unleashed a new campaign to enforce party discipline and root out corruption in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), in a sign that the Chinese leader’s decade-long push to exert tight personal control over the armed forces has fallen short.

The Central Military Commission, China’s top military leadership organ which Xi chairs, called for the establishment of an “early warning mechanism for integrity risks in the military” and announced a probe into corruption in equipment procurement going back almost six years.

The renewed campaign to root out corruption comes as several top officers of the PLA’s Rocket Force, which oversees the country’s nuclear and conventional missile arsenals, have disappeared from public view — often a signal of an investigation. China’s former foreign minister Qin Gang was absent from public commitments for a month before he was replaced by his predecessor.

According to Cercius, a Canada-based consultancy tracking elite Chinese politics, the status of about 10 current and former Rocket Force officials is unclear. Rod Lee, a leading expert on the PLA Rocket Force at the USAF Academy suggested the possibility that some, if not all, of these individuals were “rolled up for discipline or corruption.”

In an unprecedented move in 2022, China extradited Yanjun Xu, a senior operative in the Ministry of State Security (MSS) to the US. He is the first Chinese intelligence officer ever to be extradited to America to stand trial. Xu targeted US aviation companies, recruited employees to travel to China, and solicited their proprietary information, stealing advanced technology on behalf of Beijing.

The 42-year-old veteran spy was eventually convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Yanjun Xu (USM #77877-061) is incarcerated at Otisville FCI New York, and scheduled to be released 16 April 2035.

Sources:

‘Absolute loyalty’: Xi Jinping turns anti-corruption focus to China’s military (ft.com)

Office of Public Affairs | Chinese Government Intelligence Officer Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Espionage Crimes, Attempting to Steal Trade Secrets From Cincinnati Company | United States Department of Justice

Approximately 320 US military personnel are assigned to al-Asad Airbase alongside 9,000 or so Iraqi airmen and soldiers. Denmark and Norway maintain a combined contingency of 190 personnel.