russia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

Bosnian War- A Brief Overview | Remembering Srebrenica

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

Map: Courtesy of BBC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

2024 Saravan killings – Wikipedia

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

Getty/Lorenz Huter/Allrecipes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

China’s Technological Advances Include Sound and Neurological Weapons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

Inside the Ring: China cognitive warfare advances – Washington Times

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

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

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

Canadian Child Dies from Rabies After Bat Found in Bedroom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

Ontario Bat Guide – Learn About Local Species – Ontario Nature

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo: Nikki at A Better Life-Pet Rescue

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

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

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

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

Source:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Zyglis / Cagle Cartoons

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Back in Ukraine, the patrols are feared by some.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

Powerful Indian Gang Reportedly Involved in Killing Canadian Sikh Dissident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

Mysterious Gooey Blobs Washed Up on Canada Beaches Baffle Experts

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

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

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

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

Map: Brittanica.com

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

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

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

Source: Fortune Bay Sea Monster (mun.ca)

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

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

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

Source:

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

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

(Map: federalcos.com)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

THE PHILADELPHIA KILLER | TIME

Police Break Up French-Italian Wine Fraud Ring

(Getty Images – Hongjie Han)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source:

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

Bear Visits University of Montana Campus, Follows Student

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

How LBJ wrecked his presidency in Vietnam | CNN

Attack on Richard Nixon’s motorcade – Wikipedia

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

Ukraine: North Korea Sending Soldiers, Weapons to Russia

Cartoon: Rebel Pepper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source:

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

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

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

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


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

India, in return, expelled Canadian diplomats.

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ryan Wilson (41). (Photo: FBI)

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

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

The FBI arrested Wilson on 7 Sep 2023. 

Henry Phillip “Hank” Muntze (Image: FBI)

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

Kenya: Mpox (FKA Monkeypox) Cases Reach Ten

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

CIA

Mpox (who.int)

The Cats of Delhi: A Quiet Revolution On the Streets

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

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

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

Feline jumping a fence. (Photo: Andrew Marttila)

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

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

Source:

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

Benjamin Netanyahu Continues “Special Military Operation”: IDF Pounds Beirut and Gaza; Scores Killed, +100 Wounded

“Pure self-defense, Goliath!” Illustration: Harm Bengen 15 May 2018

At least 22 people were killed and 117 others injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut. Two residential buildings were struck, one completely collapsed.

“There should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists on 9 Oct.

The US warned Israel on 9 Oct against launching a military action in Lebanon like the one it has conducted in Gaza and the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border. But those words didn’t deter the IDF.

An IDF strike hit UNIFIL HQ in southern Lebanon, prompting Italy to summon the Israeli ambassador. An Israeli tank fired on an observation tower and wounded two peacekeepers. The nationality of the injured peacekeepers was not released. UNIFIL said in a statement that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told a press conference that “hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base…could constitute war crimes.” Crosetto added that Italy has asked for an official explanation “because it was not a mistake.”

The French Foreign Ministry said that while no French solider was injured in the incident, it also demanded an explanation.

Palestinians react outside the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital after the IDF attacked a school housing displaced people in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on 10 Oct. (Photo: AFP)

An IDF strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people. Israel’s bombardment of central and northern Gaza in recent days has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes. The director of the only major hospital in the northern Gaza Strip now offering specialized care for children has described a “catastrophic situation” as Israeli forces launched new ground assaults and airstrikes in the north and center of the territory.

An injured woman is carried in Jabaliya after Israel issued an evacuation order. (Photo: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images)

History is going to judge Benjamin Netanyahu as the worst Prime Minister of Israel. Called the “Crime Minister” by his critics at home, Netanyahu has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. He acts and behaves as if an international arrest warrant will never be issued for him. The ICC indicted Russian President Vladimir and an active warrant was issued for him. What is delaying the issuance of Netanyahu’s arrest warrant? And how does Netanyahu keep flouting Israel’s number one financial and military supporter, the US, as well as the UN and the international community?

Sources:

Israeli Strikes On Beirut, Gaza School Kill Dozens As Israel Steps Up Campaign Against ‘Terrorists’ (rferl.org)

UNIFIL statement (10 October) | UNIFIL (unmissions.org)

‘Catastrophic situation’ at children’s hospital as Israel renews Gaza attacks | Gaza | The Guardian

Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna Dies in Russian Captivity

Victoria Roshchyna, a freelance journalist who had previously worked with RFE/RL and other prominent Ukrainian media outlets, had been missing since early Aug 2023. (Undated photo: RFE/RL)

Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who had gone missing in Russian-occupied territories, has been confirmed dead while in Russian captivity, Ukrainian authorities reported .

Roshchyna, a freelance journalist who had previously worked with RFE/RL and other prominent Ukrainian media outlets, had been missing since early Aug 2023.

She had traveled from Ukraine to Poland on 27 July 2023 before heading toward the Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, according to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn. Her last known communication was on 3 Aug 2023.

Ukrainian Military Intelligence (GUR) confirmed that Roshchyna had been slated for a prisoner exchange and are now trying to determine what transpired.

Roshchyna’s case highlights the dangers faced by journalists reporting in war zones. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), more than 100 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been directly impacted by the Feb 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Several Ukrainian journalists remain detained or missing in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories, with Roshchyna’s death underscoring the ongoing risks faced by members of the press in conflict zones.

Source:

Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna Dies In Russian Captivity (rferl.org)

Three MAGA Militants Convicted of Attacking US Capitol on 6 Jan 2021

US President Donald Trumps supporter’s gather outside the US Capitol building on 6 Jan 2021. (Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Michael St. Pierre (46) of Swansea, MA, was found guilty on 9 Oct 2024 of felony and misdemeanor offenses for his deplorable actions on 6 Jan 2021. During the attack on USCP officers, St. Pierre incited the mob through his megaphone: “Come on everybody, let’s go everybody, we got to get everybody tight. We got to get tight! Let’s go guys! We are going to storm this bitch!” 

St. Pierre (below) threw a metal flagpole top at a glass window while officers were directly behind it.

The FBI arrested this lunatic on 27 Jul 2023, in Fall River, MA.

The Honorable US District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb will sentence St. Pierre on 14 Mar 2025.

Jerry Daniel Braun (70) of South El Monte, CA pleaded guilty to six felonies for his incredibly violent conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol. This elderly maniac travelled from California to Wash DC heeding then-Pres. Donald’s Trump’s words that the 2020 election was stolen. At the melee, Braun picked up an eight-foot-long wooden 2×4 beam and assaulted several victims with it, yelling:

“F— you, traitor!” and “F— traitor. Traitor!” “We pay your f— pay!”

The FBI arrested this maniac on 12 Apr 2022 in California.

The Honorable US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly will sentence Braun on 27 Jan 2025.

Lewis Wayne Snoots (59) of Louisa, VA, pictured above, pleaded guilty to a single felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers for his egregious conduct on 6 Jan 2021.

Snoots, wearing a gas mask at times, participated in some of the most violent actions on 6 Jan. He also hindered a USCP officer from defending himself, causing that officer to sustain significant injuries, including pain from repeated taser shocks, leaving him with burn marks and a loss of consciousness. Following the attack, the officer experienced ongoing physical and cognitive challenges, including neck pain, memory difficulties, and PTSD. You can see the expression on the officer’s face in the above imagery.

The FBI arrested Snoots on 5 Sep 2023. 

The Honorable US District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich will sentence this imbecile on 17 Jan 2025.

These three men threw their lives away by listening to the idiotic message of Donald J. Trump. Braun is 70 years old and in his golden years– not a good time to get jammed up by the Feds.

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

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

Sources:

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

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

District of Columbia | Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

Two Dead, Dozens Sickened Following Chemical Leak at Texas Plant

The Texas city of Deer Park was under a shelter-in-place order following a chemical leak at a PEMEX plant. Image courtesy of Harris County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

Two people are dead and more than two dozen others received medical treatment following a chemical leak at a PEMEX facility in the Houston suburb of Deer Park. Shelter-in-place orders had forced thousands to stay indoors.

PEMEX, a Mexican state-owned petroleum company, said in a statement that the gas leak was reported at one of its Deer Park refinery processing units, located at 5900 Highway 225, at about 4:40 PM local time.

The City of Deer Park announced the updated death toll in a statement late Thursday, adding that 35 employees were triaged at the scene. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had earlier said one person was dead and five were injured, including one person who was airlifted from the scene by a Life Flight helicopter.

Authorities identified the agent as hydrogen sulfide, a flammable, highly toxic gas.

Texas State Highway 225 was closed in both directions near Beltway 8 because of the emergency.

PEMEX said emergency protocols were activated following the leak and notifications were sent out to local authorities.

Source:

Two dead, dozens attended to following chemical leak at Texas plant – UPI.com

Children Joining World of Espionage and Sabotage Against Russia

Civilians, most of the time adults, have historically participated in sabotage behind enemy lines. (Image courtesy: forces.net)

The Russian Duma recently introduced new, longer prison terms of up to six years for those using the internet to lure children into “criminal and antisocial activity.”

The reason for the new legislation is the war in Ukraine, as was made clear by the head of the Duma committee on security, Vasily Piskarev: “There have been cases of children, even elementary school students, being involved in sabotage. And very often communication with the child is carried out via the internet,” he said. 

Russian children have routinely been caught attempting acts of sabotage since the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In the first nine months of this year, the Russian financial intelligence agency Rosfinmonitoring added 93 minors to the list of terrorists and extremists — an all-time record. 

One of the youngest was 14-year-old Yegor Lauskis, who was convicted to two years in a penal colony for setting fire to a rail relay box last year. The damage amounted to less than $10.  

According to the Russian investigation, the teenager, who along with his friend was recruited by the Ukrainians via Telegram, threw a bottle of inflammable liquid at the rail box, videotaped the act, and sent the video to their Ukrainian handlers.

In Sep 2023, the FSB arrested two 16-year-olds for setting fire to a helicopter at a military airbase in Omsk, Western Siberia. They admitted they had been offered $20,000 by an unknown man who contacted them on Telegram and provided instructions. Two weeks previously, two other boys, 13 and 14, set fire to another helicopter at a helipad in Siberia. The fire not only destroyed the aircraft but also seriously burned their faces and hands. They were caught and taken to hospital.

The FSB responded with more repression, treating children much as they do hardened criminals: the names of the minors were put next to real terrorists on the Rosfinmonitoring, alongside extremists accused of a mass shooting at a concert venue in Moscow in March that left 145 people dead. 

Using children in warfare is not a new phenomenon. Warlords in Africa have employed child soldiers for decades. As posted here on Coriolanus, Belarus and Russia are indoctrinating young Ukrainian orphans to become loyal Russian soldiers. Using children for sabotage or vandalism is therefore a logical, if not moral, extension, especially if those Russian youngsters are disaffected by the invasion of Ukraine and wish to act out against the Kremlin.

(Image courtesy of sutori.com.)

Source:

 Gloves Come Off as Children Join Europe’s Spy Wars – CEPA

Air France Says Jet Flew Over Iraq During Iranian Counterattack on Israel

(Image courtesy travelercar.com)

Air France is investigating how a jet on a Paris-Dubai flight went over Iraq as Iranian missiles taking part in a counterattack on Israel went through the same airspace.

Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward Israeli territory on 1 Oct in response to Israel attacking Lebanon on 27 Sep. The missiles had to cross Iraq to reach Israel.

(Image courtesy of flightsfrom.com)

Air France flight AF662 crossed Iraqi territory at the start of the counterattack, just before Air France ordered its planes to stop flying over Iraq and local authorities closed Iraqi airspace.

The pilots saw the missiles in the night sky from their cockpit and Iraqi air traffic controllers wished them “good luck.”

“On 1 Oct, information identified an upcoming ballistic missile attack on Israel by Iran. Consequently, and without waiting for instructions from the Iraqi authorities, Air France decided to suspend flights over the country’s airspace by its aircraft as of 1700 GMT,” Air France said in a statement.

Flight AF662 “was flying over the south of Iraq when the Iranian counterattack began, at around 1645 GMT. It left the country’s airspace shortly before 1700 GMT. Iraqi airspace was not officially closed by the local authorities until 1756 GMT.”

The statement said Air France flights “already avoided Israeli, Lebanese, and Iranian airspace” due to the international tensions and that “overflight of Iraqi airspace was limited to a specific corridor used by all airlines”.

A company spokesperson said that “an internal investigation has been opened into this incident.”

The airline did not comment on whether the pilots had seen the missiles. Ballistic missiles fly at an altitude generally higher to that of commercial airliners.

This was a potential catastrophe that luckily didn’t occur. Several years ago, Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over the Ukrainian-Russian warzone on 17 July 2014. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed.

Graphic courtesy of the UK Daily Mail. A Dutch court found three men guilty of shooting down MH17; two Russians and one Ukrainian.

Sources:

Air France Says Jet Flew Over Iraq During Iran Attack On Israel | IBTimes

MH17: Three guilty as court finds Russia-controlled group downed airliner (bbc.com)

Leishmaniasis Cases Growing in Mexico (Sand Flies)

Sand flies carry the protozoan parasites that spread leishmaniasis. It was thought to be a disease of tropical climates, but leishmaniasis-causing parasites have now been found living and circulating in the US. Photo: Science Photo Library via Science Source

According to local media, most of the affected people were mainly workers and engineers who worked on the construction of the Mayan Train in Quintana Roo State, Mexico.

Cancun and Cozumel are in northern Quintana Roo State. Map courtesy: Britannica.com



According to the federal health ministry in 2023, 1136 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were registered, double the number five years ago of 592.

Jungle deforestation, tourist activities, and population movement, is exposing more humans to the fly. Official epidemiology data reveal that throughout 2023 in Quintana Roo, there were 799 cases of leishmaniasis, in 2022 500, and in 2021 there were only 15.

Leishmaniasis is a disease that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies within the group of “neglected tropical diseases,” that is, those abandoned by the health agenda and generally unfunded for research. The origins of “gum disease” date back to pre-Hispanic times and it is not exclusive to humans, since it also occurs in dogs, cats, armadillos, or rodents.

The fly that transmits leishmaniasis does not sting, unlike the mosquito, but rather bites, and when it does, it deposits the parasites, which are called leishmania, on the skin.

Health authorities have urged the population that carries out activities in jungle areas to apply insect repellent at least every two hours, protect themselves with clothing that covers extremities and the head, as well as to be aware of the signs of an insect bite.

Sources:

Leishmaniasis, la enfermedad que se fortaleció con el Tren Maya – Corriente Alterna (unam.mx)

About Leishmaniasis | Leishmaniasis | CDC

Washington State Woman Calls 911 After Being Hounded by Up to 100 Raccoons

Sheriff’s deputies in Washington’s Kitsap County frequently get calls about animals — loose livestock, problem dogs. But the 911 call they received recently from a woman being hounded by dozens of raccoons swarming her home near Poulsbo stood out.

The woman reported having had to flee her property after 50 to 100 raccoons descended upon it and were acting aggressively. She told deputies she started feeding a family of raccoons decades ago and it was fine until about six weeks earlier, when the number showing up went from a handful to around 100.

“She said those raccoons were becoming increasingly more aggressive, demanding food, that they would hound her day and night — scratching at the outside of her home, at the door. If she pulled up her car, they would surround the car, scratch at the car, surround her if she went from her front door to her car or went outside at all,” a deputy said. “They saw this as a food source now, so they kept coming back to it and they kept expecting food.”

It was not clear what caused their numbers to balloon suddenly. Both the sheriff’s office and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife determined no laws were broken.

“This is a nuisance problem kind of her own making that she has to deal with,” authorities said. Video from the sheriff’s office shows raccoons milling around trees, and deputies who responded to the call observed 50 to 100 of them.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said under state law it is illegal to feed large carnivores, such as bears or cougars. While municipalities or counties may have local statutes forbidding the feeding of other wildlife, it is currently not against state law to do so.

Regardless, the agency discourages people from feeding wildlife. Raccoons, for example, can carry diseases, and food can also attract predators such as coyotes and bears.

An agency wildlife conflict specialist has met with the woman, who has stopped feeding the critters.

“The raccoons appear to have started dispersing now that they are no longer being fed, and we are glad for a positive outcome to this case,” said a county official.

Poulsbo is about a 90-minute car and ferry ride northwest of Seattle.

Source:

Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons | AP News

ICC Can Try Cases Of Alleged Executions Of Ukrainian POWs

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks at the roundtable in The Hague on 8 Oct. This is the same lawyer who prosecuted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes. (Photo: RFE/RL)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is entitled to try cases of the alleged execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).

According to the latest data published by the Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General’s Office, investigators have so far obtained information on the execution of 93 Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine presented a report in March about the execution of at least 32 Ukrainian POWs in 12 separate cases between Dec 2023 and Feb 2024.

In Mar 2023, the ICC’s pretrial chamber issued warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, charging them with the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia — a war crime under international legislation.

Meanwhile, Former US Marine Trevor Reed has been sentenced in absentia by a Russian court to 14 1/2 years in prison, on charges he joined the Ukrainian Army as a mercenary.

Trevor Reed vaulted into the news in 2020 when he was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on an assault charge he denied. (AFP File photo)

The Russian Investigative Committee said on October 9 that Reed enlisted with Ukrainian forces in May 2023 and participated in combat operations in the Donetsk region.

Reed’s participation in the war became public in Jul 2023 when he was injured by a mine explosion while fighting for Ukraine. He had been transferred to Germany for medical care.

In April 2022, Reed, who by then had served nearly three years in a Russian prison, was exchanged for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who had been serving a 20-year sentence in the US for drug trafficking.

Reed’s conviction in absentia comes days after two other Americans were convicted and sentenced by Russian courts.

Stephen Hubbard (72) was sentenced by the Moscow City Court on 7 Oct to six years and 10 months in prison on charges of being a mercenary and fighting against Russia in Ukraine.

Robert Gilman (30), another former US Marine, was sentenced to seven years and one month in prison for assaulting a prison official and a state investigator.

Both cases follow a pattern of high-profile arrests and detentions of Americans in Russia, which are part of Moscow’s broader strategy to exert pressure on Washington and use these AMCITs for future prisoner swaps.

Sources:

https://www.rferl.org/a/icc-war-crimes-russia-ukraine-executions/33152240.html

https://www.rferl.org/a/trevor-reed-marine-ukraine-trial-ansentia-russia-sentence/33152282.html

US Issues Solar Storm Watch After Large Outburst From Sun

An image released by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a solar flare, the bright flash in the center of the image, on 3 Oct Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA, via AP

Periodically, the sun spews out gigantic eruptions of particles into the solar system. Sometimes, when the solar eruptions are aimed right at Earth, the particles may create brilliant auroras in night skies in many parts of the planet. Then there are other occasions when the battering can damage satellites, mangle GPS signals and knock out power grids.

On Wednesday, a federal center issued a space weather severe storm watch after sun-watching spacecraft observed a large solar flare emanating from a sunspot in the sun’s northern hemisphere, accompanied by an explosion of particles known as a coronal mass ejection.

The charged particles from the latest event — protons, electrons and helium nuclei — are speeding at more than 2.5 million miles per hour and are expected to start slamming into the Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday morning Eastern time.

But the geomagnetic storm could last about 36 hours. If the storm reaches the severe level, the auroras in the Northern Hemisphere could stretch down into the middle of the US, potentially as far south as Alabama.

On top of the terrestrial super-storms wracking the American south, now comes an extra-terrestrial storm that may hamper the communications network during recovery operations.

Sources:

The New York Times and NASA

Israeli Forces Demolish Homes in the Occupied West Bank

Israeli forces demolished two homes under construction in a town west of Salfit, in the central occupied West Bank.

Local sources told the Wafa news agency that military bulldozers demolished the two houses in az-Zawiya, which belonged to local Palestinians.

The agency also reported Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at Palestinian civilians at the Hamra military checkpoint, in the northern Jordan Valley, while a mosque in Khirbet Tana was attacked by settlers.

Settlers entered and vandalized the mosque and smashed solar panels that generated electricity for it.

The cartoonist, Amos Biderman, explained in an interview with The Times of Israel that he meant to suggest that Mr. Netanyahu’s “arrogance” and policies on settlement construction in the West Bank had provoked “a disaster in Israel-US relations on the scale of 9/11.”

Sources:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/10/10/live-israel-kills-medics-in-lebanon-as-siege-on-north-gaza-enters-6th-day

https://yalibnan.com 10/31/2014

Ohio MAGA Militant Pleads Guilty to Felony Charges for Attacking US Capitol on 6 Jan

Dustin Martin (30) of Grove City, OH, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder and a misdemeanor charge of disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds before US District Judge Loren L. AliKhan. Judge AliKhan will sentence Martin on 7 Feb 2025.


The FBI arrested Martin on 21 June 2023, in Ohio.

His accomplice, Cody Lee Tippet, was previously sentenced to 30 days in prison for his seditious role on 6 Jan 2021.

These two young men threw their lives away with these federal felony convictions over a misguided belief of white supremacy and the hateful lies of Donald J. Trump.

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

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

Source:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/ohio-man-pleads-guilty-felony-and-misdemeanor-charges-actions-during-jan-6-capitol

Ukrainian Missile Attack Kills Six North Korean Officers Near Donetsk

You wonder if any of the six North Korean officers were any of these lickspittles surrounding Kim Jong-Un. Photo: Reuters

Six North Korean military officers were among about 20 military personnel killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on Russian-occupied territory near the city of Donetsk. Three North Korean servicemen were also wounded.

The DPRK officers were reportedly visiting the front lines as part of an ‘exchange of experience’ program.

That’s some experience they received!

The attack came after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia.

Ukrainian intelligence officials said last year that North Korean military personnel, including engineers, were operating in Russian-occupied territory. Russia was planning to mobilize North Korean laborers for various construction projects in occupied Ukrainian territory.

And speaking of experience, for which battles, campaigns, or wars did these above North Korean generals earn all of these impressive-looking awards? North Korea hasn’t been at war since 1953.

America’s part-time Soldiers (Army National Guardsmen, Army and USMC Reservists) have more combat experience than these bloated uniformed popinjays.

Nota Bene: During the Vietnam War, South Korean soldiers fought Viet Cong guerrillas and the NVA; the ROK also deployed forces to Iraq in the early 2000s.

Source:

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/ukraine-russia-missile-attack-10062024234530.html

Japanese Encephalitis Cases Reported in Taiwan, Nepal

The mosquito species _Culex tritaeniorhynchus_ and other related _Culex_ species are efficient vectors of the JE virus and breed in wet areas such as rice paddies. Vector control is difficult because potential breeding sites are extensive.

In Nepal, 63 people have been infected with the mosquito-borne zoonotic viral disease since June 2024. As of 22 Sep 2024, 17 people, including children, have died from JE infections this year.

This JE outbreak has been detected in 29 Nepal districts, including those in the Kathmandu Valley, which is located at 5,000 feet, where virus-carrying mosquitoes are found.

Nepal’s health department estimates that about 12 million people, out of a total population of 31 million, are at risk of JE in 2024. Additionally, many of the one million visitors to Nepal this year may need protection from JE.

Taiwan health authorities announced the 3rd Japanese encephalitis case this year.

Health officials say the man started showing symptoms on 24 Sep 2024 and was hospitalized 1 Oct 2024.

Officials suspect a pigsty within two kms of his workplace as the origin of the mosquitos.

Authorities have taken measures to eradicate the contagious disease-carrying mosquitoes, which breed in places like rice paddies and ponds. Pigs play an essential role in the life cycle and serve as an amplifier host without suffering from the disease. They maintain prolonged high-level viremia, which allows mosquitoes to get infected easily.

The only measures to prevent JE infection are vaccination and avoidance of mosquito bites.

While there are very few local JEV cases in the US, the CDC cautions the millions of Californians who travel west to Asia and Pacific Ocean countries to protect themselves from infection.

In the US, Valneva SE’s IXIARO (JESPECT) vaccine has been approved by the US FDA and CDC for many years. This safe and effective vaccine is authorized for most children and adults traveling to Japanese encephalitis endemic areas.

As of 5 Oct 2024, IXIARO is available at travel vaccine clinics and pharmacies in the US.

Source:

https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/nepals-japanese-encephalitis-outbreak-claims-17-lives-2024-10-05

Trump and Putin Have Had ‘As Many as Seven’ Private Phone Calls Since Trump Left the White House

What are these two chatterboxes always talking about? Saving the planet? (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have apparently communicated several times since Trump left office in 2021, according to Bob Woodward.

CNN obtained an advance copy of Woodward’s revealing new book War, which went behind the scenes of President Joe Biden’s administration and touched on Trump’s time in office as both navigated recent foreign conflicts with world leaders. Among the revelations was Trump’s seemingly special treatment of Putin, including during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Woodward wrote that a former Trump aide recounted being told to leave a room so Trump “could have what he said was a private phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Woodward adds: “According to Trump’s aide, there have been multiple phone calls between Trump and Putin, maybe as many as seven in the period since Trump left the White House in 2021.”

In 2020, Woodward writes, Trump had “secretly sent Putin a bunch of Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines for his personal use.”

“Please don’t tell anybody you sent these to me,” Putin said to Trump, according to Woodward.

“I don’t care,” Trump replied. “Fine.”

“No, no,” Putin said. “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don’t care about me.”



Putin understands English (and speaks German), but rarely speaks it publicly. You can hear him in the YouTube link below. Trump and Putin do not need an interpreter. The two greatest threats to American national security are Donald J. Trump and his former national security advisor, disgraced US Army Gen. Michael Flynn.

Sources:

https://www.mediaite.com/

Kitten Comes Up to Man in His Front Yard, Brushing Against His Legs, Next He’s on His Shoulder, Ready to Stay

Roman and Janna had never had a cat, but a kitten inexplicably appeared in their yard, seemingly delivered by the mysterious workings of the “cat distribution system.”

Elvis the kitten. Janna at TikTok@jannaclavelli

The kitten approached Roman in his front yard, brushing against his legs. Next, he got on Roman’s shoulder and decided to stay. They named the kitten Elvis.

Janna at TikTok@jannaclavelli

With the help of the online community, Janna gave Elvis a warm bath, kitten food, and a flea comb to help clean him up. Elvis was so calm, soaking up every ounce of love and attention.

Janna at TikTok@jannaclavelli

Elvis likes to “help” when Janna does chores. Janna at TikTok@jannaclavelli

Janna at TikTok@jannaclavelli

Janna never imagined how this small, furry creature could become the missing piece she never knew she was searching for. “I had been struggling with anxiety… but since Elvis entered our lives, it has all gone away. I didn’t know I needed him till he came.”

More on Elvis on TikTok @jannaclavelli.

Source:

https://www.lovemeow.com/kitten-man-yard-shoulder-stay-2669360756.html

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

Image: FBI

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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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

Sources:


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

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

Photos: FBI


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

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


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


The FBI arrested Orta on 14 Nov 2023 in Minnesota.


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


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

The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

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

Cholera Cases, Deaths Surge in Nigeria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

CIA

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

Osama bin Laden’s Son Omar Ordered to Leave France

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

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

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

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

Map: Courtesy of Business Insider

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

Iran: An Earthquake or Secret Underground Nuclear Test?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sources:

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

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

Project Midan (fdd.org)

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – Wikipedia

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

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

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


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

Steele does not say what the secrets concerned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image: FOX Weather

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source:

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

Friendly Cat Joins Canine Airport Therapy Squad at Denver Intl Airport

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


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

Photo Courtesy The Petco Foundation

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

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

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

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

Photo: Courtesy K99

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

Sources:

Cat Infiltrates Canine Airport Therapy Squad – Modern Cat

‘Human Animals’: Dehumanizing Israeli Language Used to Justify Gaza Onslaught (AKA Nakba 2023-24)

A young Palestinian injured in an IDF air strike is transferred to a Kuwait Hospital on 9 Jan 2024 in Rafah, Gaza [Ahmad Hasaballah / Getty Images]

International lawyer Lara Elborno says statements publicly made by Israeli officials about Palestinians in Gaza are “essential in establishing the element of genocidal intent” in the case before the International Court of Justice.

“When we hear these Israeli leaders refer to Palestinians as human animals, that there are no uninvolved civilians, that the children of Gaza brought this upon themselves, we can understand that this is a technique being used to justify the industrial-scale slaughter of Palestinians,” Elborno told Al Jazeera.

International attorney Ms. Lara Elborno (R) talking with Mr. George Galloway (L). Undated photo.

The Palestinian-American lawyer said regardless of what Israeli officials say, “we already know that this is a genocide”.

“We have seen it play out every single day for the last year,” she said, adding that Palestinians “have been undergoing this process of dehumanization for the last 76 years.”

Meanwhile, the IDF continues pounding Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, killing 77 Palestinians. And Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid pushed for strikes on Iran’s energy facilities. He said the US does not want oil and natural gas prices to rise before the presidential election, so Washington is against an attack on Iran’s oil facilities. Completely insouciant and ignoring the fact that Pres. Biden and the US taxpayer sends billions of dollars to Israel every year, Lapid said:

“But that doesn’t change the fact that Israel has its own interests and perspectives. Immediate retaliation against Iran’s economic infrastructure is crucial after two separate Iranian [counter] attacks.”

Democrats are beginning to vocalize their suspicions that the right-wing Likud regime of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu prefers a right-wing Republican Donald Trump presidency this November.

A wounded Palestinian child receives treatment at Al-Avde Hospital in Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza [Moiz Salhi/Anadolu]

Sources:

Live: Israel pounds Gaza, Lebanon as Hamas vows ‘war of attrition’ | Israel attacks Lebanon News | Al Jazeera


Israeli defence minister orders ‘complete siege’ on Gaza | Hamas | Al Jazeera


A quick guide to South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera


Yair Lapid: ‘Israel should bomb Iran’s oil facilities’ (ynetnews.com)


Lara Elborno | Palestinian-American international lawyer (prc.org.uk)

Once Russia’s Best-Known Activist, Ildar Dadin Killed Fighting for Ukraine

The late Russian opposition activist Ildar Dadin. Ildar Dadin was a “peaceful opposition activist” and used the call sign “Gandhi.” Dadin attended rallies in support of the LGBT community (and he was not LGBT himself) Photo: RFE/RL


Once one of Russia’s most prominent rights activists and a vocal Kremlin critic, Ildar Dadin has been killed in action with Ukrainian forces during a battle in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

The news of Dadin’s death was confirmed by the Freedom of Russia Legion.

Initially, Dadin was reported to be fighting with the Siberian Battalion, which consists of anti-Putin Russians. Dadin transferred to the Free Russia Legion in Dec 2022.

Dadin rose to prominence in Russia as the first person convicted under a law that penalized repeated violations of rally regulations. In March 2016, he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on this charge, and the law became widely known as the “Dadin law.”

A year later, Dadin spoke out about the torture he endured while imprisoned in Russia’s northwestern Karelia region. His conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in Feb 2017, and he was subsequently granted 2.2 million rubles ($23,113) in compensation for illegal prosecution.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in late Feb 2022, Dadin fled Russia for Poland in March of that year, aiming to join Ukraine’s defense. He spent nearly a year in Poland preparing the necessary documents to enlist in a Ukrainian volunteer battalion made up of Russian opposition fighters.

In June 2023, Dadin joined the Siberian Battalion which he viewed as one of the few viable ways for him to fight against Putin on Ukraine’s side.

Source:

Once Russia’s Best-Known Activist, Ildar Dadin Killed Fighting For Ukraine (rferl.org)

American Warzone: MAGA Militant Pleads No Contest in Shooting of Native American Activist in New Mexico

Trump supporter Ryan David Martinez firing weapon after his red MAGA hat fell off. He drove 100 miles to this event on Thursday 28 Sep 2023. The man scrambling at lower left was luckily not hit with any rounds. (Photo: Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal via AP)

Ryan David Martinez pleaded no contest Monday to reduced charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of a Native American activist during demonstrations about abandoned plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador.

Ryan David Martinez scuttled his scheduled trial for attempted murder and concluded a plea arrangement. He accepted a combined 9 1/2-year sentence but ultimately would serve four years in prison with two years’ parole if he complies with terms including restitution. He was would have faced 15 years in prison if convicted.

Mariel Nanasi, a lawyer representing Johns, called the shooting “a racially motivated hate crime by a MAGA-proud gun-toting crazed man who came to a peaceful prayer ceremony with a fully loaded live gun.”

Martinez was at the protest wearing a red cap with the Donald Trump slogan “Make America Great Again.”

Native American climate activist and artist Jacob Johns (R) drums with members of the Santa Clara Pueblo tribe of New Mexico in Santa Fe, 11 Jul 2024. He survived the 26 Sep 2023 assassination attempt. “The lifelong scars and injuries, loss of an internal organ, mental anguish and trauma will be with me forever — and in a couple of years Martinez will live free,” Johns said.

In an average year, 507 people die and 821 are wounded by guns in New Mexico. New Mexico has the 9th-highest rate of gun violence in the US. The Cactus State has the 5th-highest societal cost of gun violence in the US at $3,133 per resident each year. Gun deaths and injuries cost New Mexico $6.6 billion each year, of which $141.8 million is paid by taxpayers.

Sources:

Defendant pleads no contest in shooting of Native activist at protest of Spanish conquistador statue | AP News

Gun-Violence-in-New-Mexico-2024-05.pdf (everystat.org)

Father and Son MAGA Militants Found Guilty of Charges for Actions on 6 Jan 2021

You can see the stolen riot shield on the right.

Toney Sheldon Bray (46) and his son Ethan Bray (25), both of Blue Springs, MS, were found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges for their riotous conduct during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Judge Contreras will sentence the two men on 7 Feb 2025.

The father and son team dressed in military-style gear, including tactical helmets, vests, and goggles, and were part of the initial breach of police barricades on 6 Jan 2021. Specifically, Ethan and Tony Bray pushed and climbed over the police barriers. The Brays were among the first to confront law enforcement and wore gas masks. The rioters engaged in a concerted push against police, and were rebuffed when police used OC spray to repel them. Toney Bray stole a captured US Capitol Police riot shield. The FBI arrested the two men on 8 June 2023.

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

This father and his son threw their lives away in the misguided belief of white supremacy, as well as their idiotic belief in Donald Trump. In the 45 months since 6 Jan 2021, more than 1,532 suspects have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to attacking the US Capitol, including more than 571 seditionists charged with feloniously assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

The Patriot Mail Project considers these 6 Jan insurrectionists as “political prisoners” and fundraises on their behalf. You wonder if Toney Bray will be smirking in prison. The FBI is aware of their activities.

Source:

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

INTERPOL Asks Public to Help Crack Missing Women Cases

INTERPOL has launched a campaign to identify a number of dead women. These victims are “sisters, mothers, aunties. Just because they don’t have names, don’t assume they’re not people,” said a relative.

INTERPOL is trying to solve 46 cold cases aimed at finding the names of unidentified murdered women. Most of the victims are thought to have been aged between 15 and 30.

“We want to identify the deceased women, bring answers to families, and deliver justice to the victims,” said Jürgen Stock, Secretary-General of INTERPOL.

“Whether it is a memory, a tip, or a shared story, the smallest detail could help uncover the truth.”

This phase of the Operation Identify Me campaign includes cases in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain.

Details of each one have been published on Interpol’s website, along with photographs of possible identifying items and facial reconstructions. Most of the victims are thought to have been aged between 15 and 30.

INTERPOL released sketches of women they are hoping to identify as part of the campaign.

Rita Roberts was successfully identified thanks to the campaign last year.

Sources:

INTERPOL | The International Criminal Police Organization

Interpol asks public to help crack new missing women cases (bbc.com)

Thailand: Streptococcus Suis Warning After 12 Raw Pork Deaths

Photo courtesy of © Bangkok Post PCL. All rights reserved.

Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has alerted the public to be wary of uncooked pork following 12 deaths linked to Streptococcus suis in four provinces in the lower northeastern region.


The DDC reported that 149 cases of hearing loss were caused by the bacterium in four surveillance areas (Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, and Chaiyaphum) this year.


89 people were afflicted in Nakhon Ratchaisima, including six deaths, followed by Chaiyaphum with 31 cases and four fatalities, Surin with 16 cases and one death, and Buri Ram with 13 cases and one death. The majority of the reported cases involved elderly individuals aged 65 and older.

Map courtesy of https://ontheworldmap.com

Streptococcus suis is a peanut-shaped bacterium that is normally found in the upper respiratory tract, particularly the tonsils and nasal cavity, and the alimentary and genital tracts of swine. Humans can contract the bacterium through the consumption or exposure to raw pork, pigs’ blood and internal organs. It can also enter through an open wound, scratch, or eye conjunctiva.


Normally, infection by the bacteria manifests as a fever with hearing loss following 14 days later. Patients suffer a high fever, severe headache, dizziness, vomiting and neck stiffness, and permanent hearing loss.


The DDC recommends people only buy pork from a reliable source and consume meat, internal organs and blood that has been cooked at 60–70 degrees Celsius for more than 10 minutes, using separate utensils for cooked and raw pork, and not to use bare hands when handling meats.
 
Source:


Bangkok Post – Warning after raw pork deaths in NE Thailand

New Planetary Defense Mission Heads to Double Asteroid System

The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft is seen here in this artist’s impression. The Hera spacecraft is roughly 1.6 meters across, with solar arrays that stretch 11.5 meters once they’re fully deployed. Hitching a ride are two CubeSats, small spacecraft used due to their size and low-cost. (ESA-Science Office)

The European Space Agency’s Hera mission is a two-year-long voyage beyond the orbit of Mars. This follows up on NASA’s successful Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which impacted the asteroid Dimorphos in Sep 2022.

The goal of that mission was to demonstrate the ability to change the orbit of an asteroid. Dimorphos is the smaller of a two-asteroid system, or binary, with Didymos being the largest. 

Before the DART mission, Dimorphos orbited Didymos once every 11 hours and 55 minutes. After the impact, that orbit was shortened by 33 minutes, and a plume of debris spread more than 10,000 km into space, lasting for months. 

The NASA spacecraft slammed into Dimorphos two years ago:

NASA’s DART spacecraft slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos — 11.3 million kms away from Earth — to alter its orbit and test whether objects that threaten Earth can be redirected.

Illustration courtesy of earth.com.

The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 60 million years ago left behind a crater so massive that it measures over 115 miles in width.

Sources:

New planetary defence mission blasts off to double asteroid system | CBC News

How the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs formed such a unique crater – Earth.com

Tiny Kittens Saved from Hurricane Helene Follow Everyone Around, Thinking They are Part Dog

A tuxedo and a tabby ended up at the Humane Society in Tampa, FL desperately needing a foster home. Weighing around 12 ounces, they were starved of both food and love.


Allison, a foster volunteer, offered to help and gave the pair a cozy place to settle in. They were believed to have been “found as orphans and brought in by Good Samaritans as a result of the storm (Helene).”


“The first day, they were really struggling from feeling so hungry. Since then, they have been very brave and friendly.” Our gratitude to Allison for her TLC and the photos.

Hadley (L) and Ernie (R). Note Ernie has six-toes, the type of cat favored by Ernest Hemingway.

The gentle dogs don’t mind the kittens nursing on them despite not having any milk to offer. They happily watch over them, letting them pounce on their tails and wrestle with their floppy ears.

With all of the terrible storms wracking the American south, including the imminent landfall of Milton, there will be more orphaned or separated cats and dogs needing TLC and forever homes.

Source:

Tiny Kittens Saved from the Storm Follow Everyone Around, Thinking They are Part Dog – Love Meow

Israel’s Devastating War in Gaza in Numbers

Displaced Palestinian child sitting in a tent at a camp in the city of Rafah, Gaza, Mar 2023. The NYT reported the IDF onslaught created 19,000 orphans. (Photo: AFP)

One year ago, Israel launched one of the deadliest and most destructive bombing campaigns in modern history in the Gaza Strip.

The reprisals came just hours after armed Palestinian groups carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel. The multipronged attack on Israel from Gaza killed 1,139 people, including 685 Israeli civilians and 71 foreigners. At the time of this surprise attack, the Israeli government was holding 7,000 Palestinian Gazans in “administrative detention” without trial or hearing. As a bargaining chip to free some of the detainees, Palestinian guerillas took 251 Israelis hostages with them. In Nov 2023, the first prisoner exchange took place.


Since then, 117 Israelis have been released, rescued, or freed. 101 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza and 35 are believed to be dead. Some were inadvertently killed in Israeli strikes.

Israel’s goal of destroying resistance in Gaza has taken a huge toll on civilians and infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave, one of most densely populated areas in the world. 24,955 Palestinian adults and 16,500 children were killed; 95,878 wounded, and 10,000 people are missing, presumably still buried under the rubble of residential buildings in Gaza. At least one-quarter of those wounded face life-changing injuries, with many requiring amputations and major rehabilitation, said WHO.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said in April that “every 10 minutes, a child is killed or wounded” in Gaza. Children, he said, are “disproportionately paying the ultimate price in this war.”


Israel reports 648 IDF and police personnel were killed and 1,902 injured in the offensive.
 
Israeli Likud Cabinet Minister Avi Dichter had called for “Nakba 2023” against the Palestinians and the IDF has certainly delivered. And to the east, over 700 Palestinians, including 150 children, have been killed in the occupied West Bank; 5,700 have been injured.  


Israeli forces have been accused of unlawfully using lethal force against Palestinians, including deliberately executing Palestinians who posed no apparent security threat. Foreign aid workers, UN employees, journalists, and international volunteers have also been killed. According to the UN, more than 250 aid workers lost their lives.

At least 116 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). At least five reporters were directly targeted by Israeli forces in what the NY-based media watchdog classified as “murders”.


Human Rights Watch reported in Dec 2023, Israel has used the starvation of Palestinian civilians as a weapon of warfare in the Gaza Strip, which is a war crime. The UN estimates over 85% of Gazans (+1.9 million people), were internally displaced in the enclave by the end of 2023.


Amnesty International has documented cases of IDF soldiers torturing Palestinian detainees, including “severe beatings” and “humiliation.” The human rights group said that such torture had been occurring “for decades” before the surprise attack on 7 Oct 2023.


The UN reports that Israel has destroyed over half of all the structures in Gaza Strip, another 360,000 residential units have been damaged. Satellite imagery shows that at least 53 schools have been destroyed since Oct 2023, the world body said.

Protesters march towards Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Jerusalem to mark one year since the 7 Oct 2023 surprise attack by Palestinian armed groups to seize captives for a prisoner swap. (Photo: 7 Oct 2024/ Reuters).

The International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague indicted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes, but the international arrest warrant has inexplicably not yet been issued.  You may read the specific charges at the link below. Now the IDF is conducting a “limited ground offensive” into Lebanon. Russian President Vladimir Putin, similarly indicted for war crimes by the ICC, described the invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation.” Putin’s international arrest warrant has been issued and it is incumbent for any signatory to the ICC treaty to arrest him. Mongolia already ignored their obligation when Putin came and left for a state visit last month.  

Sources:

Israel’s Devastating War In Gaza In Numbers (rferl.org)

Palestinian prisoners face rape, death in Israeli prisons, commission alleges – UPI.com

Israel/OPT: Horrifying cases of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees amid spike in arbitrary arrests   – Amnesty International

‘We’re Rolling Out Nakba 2023,’ Israeli Minister Says on Northern Gaza Strip Evacuation – Israel News – Haaretz.com

The War in Gaza Is Making Thousands of Orphans – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine | International Criminal Court (icc-cpi.int)

Chinese Hackers Breached US Court Wiretap Systems

Chinese hackers accessed the networks of US broadband providers and obtained information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized wiretapping.

Verizon Communications, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies are among the telecoms companies whose networks were breached by the recently discovered intrusion.

The hackers might have held access for months to network infrastructure used by the companies to cooperate with court-authorized US requests for communications data. The hackers had also accessed other tranches of internet traffic.

China’s foreign ministry responded that it was not aware of the attack but said the US had “concocted a false narrative” to “frame” China in the past.

Beijing has previously denied claims by the US government and others that it has used hackers to break into foreign computer systems. The attack was carried out by a Chinese hacking group with the aim of collecting intelligence. US investigators have dubbed it “Salt Typhoon.”

Earlier this year, US law enforcement disrupted a major Chinese hacking group nicknamed “Flax Typhoon,” months after confronting Beijing about sweeping cyber espionage under a campaign named “Volt Typhoon.”

China’s foreign ministry that Beijing’s cybersecurity agencies had found and published evidence to show Volt Typhoon was staged by “an international ransomware organization.”

Beijing and its internal proxies will continue their relentless campaign of cyber-espionage, hacking, and intelligence collection against Western targets. China has the budget, resources, will, and manpower for this mission as they wish to replace the US as the number one military and economic superpower in the world. Stealing technology is cheaper than years of research and development (R&D) is one method of catching up with the US and Europe. The “thousand grains of sand” approach allows Beijing’s analysts to construct an intelligence mosaic of the enemy. This particular breach may harm US counterintelligence efforts against China’s spies since Beijing will see who the USG is investigating through the names and telephone numbers associated with the FISA warrants (AKA “wiretaps”).

Source:

Chinese hackers breached US court wiretap systems, WSJ reports  (voanews.com)

Canadian World War II Pistols Slated for Destruction Will Be Donated to Ukraine

The Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistol has a 13-round magazine capacity and is one of the most widely used military pistols in history. The Hi-Power has armed the militaries or security services of over 50 countries.

Second World War-era handguns that had been earmarked for destruction by the Canadian Armed Forces will instead be sent to Ukraine starting in December. The original plan was to destroy 11,000 of the Browning Hi-Power pistols. But now 10,500 of the 9-mm pistols will be shipped to Ukraine.

Delivery of the handguns is expected to start in December.

The Canadian Forces pulled the Browning Hi-Powers from service after receiving new modern handguns. It was having trouble keeping the Second World War pistols in service because of a lack of parts and concerns they were no longer functioning properly.

Since Feb 2022, Canada has committed more than $19.5 billion in total assistance to Ukraine, including $4.5 billion in military equipment. This includes Leopard II main battle tanks, armored combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers, and associated ammunition as well as high-resolution drones.

In response to a specific request from Ukraine, Canada was donating decommissioned chassis from 29 M113s and 64 Coyote light armored vehicles. These surplus vehicles will be repurposed or used for spare parts by Ukraine.

Ottawa will also donate and transport 80,840 additional CRV-7 rocket motors and 1,300 warheads to Ukraine. This follows Canada’s initial delivery of 2,160 CRV-7 rocket motors.

Canada donated an unspecified number of Teledyne SkyRanger drones to Ukraine. Canadian military personnel are not involved in that training which is being conducted by Teledyne employees.

The SkyRanger is a next-generation, small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS)

The Browning Hi-Power pistol is a capable weapon that the Ukrainian security services will put to excellent use. The SkyRanger is reported to be a multi-functional, durable drone that Kiev will be able to employ for a myriad of missions from civil defense to sophisticated stealthy offensive operations. The Ukrainian government is no doubt grateful for all of these donations.

 
Source:
Military pistols slated for destruction will go to Ukraine | Ottawa Citizen

Two Indiana Men Plead Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During 6 Jan Attack on Capitol

Donald Lee Moss (62) of Elizabethtown, IN and James Link Behymer (61) of Hope, IN, each pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol.


During the “Stop the Steal” rally on 6 Jan 2021 outside the US Capitol, a group of Metropolitan Police (MPD) officers in riot gear became surrounded by angry and violent rioters who began shouting obscenities and curses at them. Behymer and Moss ignored commands to step back. Shouting “USA! USA! USA!”, “This is our f— house!”, the two defendants assaulted the police officers. When a rioter shouted: “Y’all surrounded,” Behymer grabbed an officer’s baton while the officer attempted to keep Behymer away. Behymer re-engaged with another officer, attempting to steal his baton.


After the assault, Behymer and Moss entered the US Capitol building and encouraged other members of the mob to enter. He is seen leading rioters in the top photo. The FBI arrested the two miscreants on 6 Mar 2024.

The Honorable Judge Tanya S. Chutkan will sentence these two morons on 13 Feb 2025.  Of the approximately 30 defendants who have come before her, she has sentenced every one of them to at least some prison time. Judge Chutkan is overseeing Donald Trump’s election conspiracy trial.

No doubt the Honorable Judge Chutkan will recommend FCI Terre Haute, IN for their incarceration.

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.

This is a fine time for two men in their early sixties to get “jammed up” by Federal agents for believing Donald Trump’s idiotic lies about a stolen election. Their white supremacist attitudes have undone them. At least they will most likely be incarcerated close to their families in Indiana.    

Sources:


District of Columbia | Indiana Men Plead Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach | United States Department of Justice

FDA Recalls Eggs That ‘Will Cause Serious Adverse Health Consequences or Death’

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled eggs that it said “will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” These products, sold in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois, have been linked to a salmonella outbreak.  


The FDA told people not to eat, sell or serve recalled chicken eggs from Milo’s Poultry Farms and Tony’s Fresh Market.

The FDA issued the first recall on 6 Sep but has upgraded the recall to Class I, a product that “will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”


The recall covers all expiration dates for the following eggs:

All carton sizes and all egg types labeled with “Milo’s Poultry Farms” and all carton sizes of “Tony’s Fresh Market” branded eggs.


Across nine states, 65 people were sickened from the same strain of Salmonella, 24 people were hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.


“This outbreak may be difficult to treat with some commonly recommended antibiotics and may require a different antibiotic choice for people who need them,” said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).


FDA said symptoms could occur 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with Salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days. Symptoms could include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.


Sources:


Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Eggs (Sept 2024) | FDA
CDC warns of recalled eggs sold in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, linked to Salmonella outbreak | CDC Newsroom
 
 
 

Over 180 People on Royal Caribbean Cruise Sick After Salmonella Outbreak

The Radiance of the Seas is manned by 894 crewmembers.

Over 180 passengers aboard a Royal Caribbean Cruise got sick after a salmonella outbreak. The cruise ship was traveling from Vancouver to Alaska between 20 Sep and 27 Sep.
 
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 180 of the 2,172 passengers and three of the 894 crew members on the cruise ship, Radiance of the Seas, were affected by the illness.


Passengers and crew members symptoms included diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, and muscle aches.
 
CDC reported the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship took these actions:


Made announcements to notify onboard passengers and crew of the outbreak, encouraged case reporting, and encouraged good hand hygiene.

Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing.

Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan.
 
Sources:


Over 180 people on a Royal Caribbean Cruise are sick after salmonella outbreak (local12.com)

Radiance of the Seas September 2024 | Vessel Sanitation Program | CDC

New Zealand Navy Ship Manawanui Sinks Off Coast of Samoa

HMNZS Manawanui, which sunk after becoming grounded on a reef in Samoa (Photo Christopher Weissenborn / AP)

A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel has run aground and sunk off Samoa – the first time the navy has lost a ship since the second world war.


Manawanui, the navy’s specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu as it was conducting a reef survey last Saturday. All 75 crew and passengers were safe.


An oil spill was “highly probable” as a result of the sinking. Several vessels responded and assisted in rescuing the crew and passengers who had left the ship in lifeboats. The cause of the grounding was unknown and under investigation. 

Video and photos published on local media showed the Manawanui, which cost the New Zealand government NZ$103m in 2018, listing heavily and with plumes of thick grey smoke rising after it ran aground. The vessel later capsized and was below the surface by 9am local time.

The Manawanui was used to conduct a range of specialist diving, salvage, and survey tasks around New Zealand and across the south-west Pacific.New Zealand’s navy is already working at reduced capacity with three of its nine ships idle due to personnel shortages.

This is a quadruple blow as cases like this are career-ending in most naval services. This incident also caused an oil spill, further threatening the coral reefs the ship was sent to survey. Besides costing the New Zealand taxpayer $NZ103 million dollars, this accident also further reduces their naval readiness.

Source:

New Zealand navy ship Manawanui sinks off Samoa | New Zealand | The Guardian

North Korean Defector Crashes Stolen Bus in Failed Bid to Return Home

Military sentry posts of North Korea, rear, and South Korea, front, are seen in Paju, near the border with North Korea. Photograph: Ahn Young-joon/AP

A North Korean defector living in South Korea has been detained after ramming a stolen bus into a barricade on a bridge near the heavily militarized border, in a failed attempt to return to his isolated homeland.


The man – who fled to the South in 2011 – ignored warnings from soldiers to stop while attempting on Tuesday to drive through the Tongil Bridge in Paju, just south of the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ).


“He lives under difficult economic conditions as a construction worker and misses his family still in the North,” an investigator told Agence France-Presse, explaining the man’s reasons for the attempted crossing. The police are considering charging the suspect, who is in his 30s, with theft and violating national security laws.


Crossings from the South to the North are rare, with defectors typically heading in the opposite direction, though many struggle to adapt to life in their democratic, capitalist neighbor.


More than 34,000 North Koreans have defected to the South since the 1950-53 Korean war, mostly after arduous, sometimes life-threatening journeys, usually via China, to escape poverty and oppression at home. But this defector didn’t realize that he would have been severely punished by the Kim Jong-Un regime for defecting in the first place. He would have made a public apology and announcement about how terrible life is in South Korea before being whisked away by security personnel.
 

Source:
North Korean defector crashes stolen bus in failed bid to return home | North Korea | The Guardian

Tiny Kitten Seen on the Road Begging to Be Rescued Ends Up Having All Her Wishes Come True

A few months ago, a Good Samaritan spotted a tiny kitten crawling on the side of the road and stopped. The kitten cried out and inched towards the person. “She was lucky someone saw her and jumped to save her,” said Ellen Carozza LVT, VTS (CP-Feline). “Right from the beginning, she was the sweetest kitten who wanted to be rescued.”


A local animal rescue, To The ResQ, took her in and gave her immediate medical care but realized the kitten would need additional help. They contacted Ellen, whose Chris Griffey Memorial Feline Foundation (CGMFF) is dedicated to saving the most critical kittens.

Poppy was found on the side of the road emaciated, covered in ticks, and suffering with broken legs. Photo: Ellen Carozza

Poppy was given a thorough bath and fresh splints for her front legs. Photo: Ellen Carozza

Healing well, Poppy (R) enjoyed playtime with another kitten. Photo: Ellen Carozza

Fast forward to today. Poppy was adopted by a loving family and has a new home: A dream come true.

Photo: Ellen Carozza

Global Outrage at Israel: Photo Essay

IDF Kills 24, Wounds 93 Palestinians in Gaza

Gaza’s Government Media Office accused Israeli forces of committing “two brutal massacres” overnight by bombing a mosque and a school-turned-shelter and killing at least 24 Palestinians. Some 93 others were wounded in the attacks in central Gaza.

The targeted buildings were identified as the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Ibn Rushd School. Both were housing hundreds of displaced people.

The bombings followed 27 Israeli attacks on 27 homes and displacement centres across the Gaza Strip in the past 48 hours.

Almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the war. Half of the dead are women and children. Almost 90% of Gaza’s residents are now displaced, amid widespread destruction.

This weekend tens of thousands of people all over the world protested against the Likud-run government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a man indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague for war crimes. Time and space permits only a sampling of the outrage. The Israeli government and its supporters will disparage these thousands and thousands of demonstrators as “Hamas lovers,” “antisemites,” “useful idiots of Iran,” “terrorism supporters,” et cetera et cetera, but rational people know the reality, despite the unfounded accusations, aspersions, rhetoric, and hate speech emanating from Jerusalem and the repetitive, nauseating, droning talking points we’re forced to hear or read in the West.

Police put out a fire after a self-proclaimed journalist self immolated during a pro-Palestinian rally outside the White House in Washington on 5 Oct [Seth Herald / Reuters]

Protesters march during a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday 6 Oct. (Photo: AAP)

Berlin, Germany [Christian Mang/ Reuters]

Madrid, Spain [Ana Beltran / Reuters]

Copenhagen, Denmark [Ritzau Scanpix / Thomas Traasdahl via Reuters]

Jakarta, Indonesia [Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/ Reuters]

Copyright Michel Euler/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.

A protester waves a flag reading ‘Death to NATO fascists!’ during a pro-Palestinian gathering in Belgrade, 5 Oct 2024 Darko Vojinovic/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.

President Biden has only a few months left in the White House while his legacy is being effectively corroded by war-monger Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, despite President Biden’s brilliant handling of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Biden Administration deployed a stellar cast in Secretary of State Antony Blinken and CIA Director William Burns to negotiate for a ceasefire and release the hostages, but they were thwarted by Netanyahu. Many Democrats openly suspect that Netanyahu is interfering with the US election by refusing to “seal a deal” or reach a ceasefire to make President Biden look ineffective and thereby help Donald Trump against Kamala Harris this November. Many Arab-Americans have already decided to support Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein, which could siphon off Democratic votes in Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Sources:


(1) Update Live: Israel bombs Beirut, kills 21 Palestinians in attack on Gaza mosque (aljazeera.com)


Thousands join pro-Palestine rallies across Europe as anniversary of Gaza war nears | Euronews

President Biden ‘doesn’t know’ if Netanyahu is trying to influence US election | Euronews

Israeli Settlers Seizing Occupied West Bank Land Under Cover of War; 623 Palestinians Killed Over Past Two Years

Palestinian Alice Kisiya (R), whose family land was taken over by armed Israeli settlers, confronts a settler in the area of al-Makhrour in the occupied West Bank, near Beit Jala, on 22 Aug 2024 (AFP/Hazem Bader)

Over the past year, while much of the world’s attention has been focused on the war on Gaza, several residents of Umm Safa – a picturesque village just 12km north of Ramallah – have been driven from their homes by armed settlers, often aided by the Israeli army.

Settler violence is not a new phenomenon in the occupied West Bank, where large swathes of territory are under Israeli civil and military control. But since the war on Gaza erupted, land seizures and violent attacks aimed at forcing Palestinians to abandon their homes have spiked. The attacks have coincided with sweeping movement restrictions that have seen Palestinians denied access to cities, towns, and villages.

Omar Hamed (17, L) and Jihad Abu Alia (25, R) were killed by Israeli settlers. (Source: BBC News)

In recent months, the settlers – emboldened by the election of far-right leaders of the settlement movement – began levelling the al-Shami and Ras mountains near Umm Safa, with the aim of turning the area into a settlement outpost.

Residents said that when they approached Israeli authorities for help, they were rebuffed and told to return with documents proving their legal ownership of the lands.

After an extensive search, they presented documents dating back hundreds of years to the Ottoman era, showing that they were, in fact, the legal owners.

Hussein Khasib lives in constant fear, knowing he and his family could be next.

“We went to the Israeli civil administration, hoping it would prevent the settlers from seizing our lands. In the end, they [the Israeli officials] told us that the lands were state property and we couldn’t use them,” Khasib reported.

‘The terrorism carried out by settler militias is why many Bedouin communities left,’ said Hassan Malihat, Director of the al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights 

You can easily see the difference from this dated map comparing the West Bank population in 1967 to 2017. The situation for Palestinians have since worsened.

In 1995, the Oslo Agreement divided the West Bank into three zones known as Areas A, B, and C. 

Area C, which comprises around 60 percent of the West Bank, was meant to be “gradually transferred to Palestinian jurisdiction”. But after a failed peace process in which Israel refused to end its occupation and withdraw militarily, the area remains under full Israeli military and civil control.

Khasib said that the lands currently being levelled were just 15m away from his home. Since the settlers started their construction works, he and his brothers received notices ordering them to demolish their homes.

“Every day, we live in hell,” a distraught Khasib said.

“We don’t sleep at night because they aren’t content with just bulldozing [the land] but also attacking our homes. They want us to leave so they can take over the entire mountain.”

According to the village council in Umm Safa, Israeli settlers have sought to connect the settlements of Halamish (Neve Tzuf) and Ateret, which were established after hundreds of Palestinians were evicted from their ancestral lands. Around 600 dunams (60 hectares) of village land were also confiscated in the 1990s to build the main road leading to the settlements.

There are only 720 Palestinians left in Umm Safa, many of whom lack the land to build new homes. Meanwhile, Israel has closed the village’s eastern and western entrances, severely restricting civilian and commercial movement. The situation in Umm Safa is not new and is part of a broader push by settlers and the Israeli government to take advantage of the war in Gaza to increase pressure on Palestinian communities to flee.

Earlier this year, Israeli authorities approved the seizure of 12.7 sq km of land in the Jordan Valley, indicating it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo Accords.

Israeli settlers gather in the West Bank village of Umm Safa on 26 Sep 2024, as construction begins to level Palestinian land (Fayha Shalash / MEE)

As reported here on Coriolanus, the Biden Administration sanctioned a handful of these extremist terrorist Settlers, but clearly this minor gesture has been ineffective.
 
Sources:


Israeli settlers are seizing occupied West Bank land under the cover of war | Middle East Eye
Deadly West Bank settler attacks on Palestinians follow Israeli boy’s killing (bbc.com)

Israel Expands Bombardment of Lebanon; Thousands Flee Widening War

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched what the IDF called a “limited ground operation” into southern Lebanon. Russian President Vladimir Putin called his invasion of Ukraine a “special military operation.”

88 Countries of La Francophonie called for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon.  

People inspect the rubble of buildings levelled by Israeli strikes, which killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the Haret Hreik neighborhood of Beirut’s southern suburbs, on 29 Sep 2024 (AFP). Who is going to pay to reconstruct Lebanon and its infrastructure after this carnage?

Powerful new explosions rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs late Saturday as Israel expanded its bombardment in Lebanon, striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both alleged Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.

Thousands of people in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to flee the widening conflict in the region, while rallies were held around the world marking the approaching anniversary of the start of the war in Gaza.

At least 1,400 Lebanese, including civilians, medics and Hezbollah fighters, have been killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes in less than two weeks. Israel says it aims to drive the militant group away from shared borders so displaced Israelis can return to their homes.

The fighting is the worst since Israel and Hezbollah fought a brief war in 2006. Nine Israeli soldiers have been killed in the ground clashes that Israel says have killed 440 Hezbollah fighters.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters in Damascus that “we are trying to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and in Lebanon.” The minister did not name the countries putting forward initiatives, saying they include regional states and some outside the Middle East.

At least six people in Lebanon were killed in more than a dozen Israeli airstrikes overnight and into Saturday. Nearly 375,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria in less than two weeks.

People carry luggage as they cross into Syria by foot through a crater caused by Israeli airstrikes aiming to block Beirut-Damascus highway at the Masnaa Border Crossing, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 5 Oct 2024. Hundreds continued to cross the border on foot.

“We were on the road for two days,” said Issa Hilal, one of many Syrian refugees in Lebanon who are now heading back. “The roads were very crowded … it was very difficult. We almost died getting here.”

Other displaced families now shelter alongside Beirut’s famous seaside Corniche, their wind-flapped tents just steps from luxury homes. “We don’t care if we die, but we don’t want to die at the hands of Netanyahu,” said Om Ali Mcheik.

Three hospitals in south Lebanon were forced to close after Israeli bombings struck two and the other ran out of supplies, displacing a number of doctors from the area and creating concerns around the state of the Lebanese health sector.

Marjayoun governmental hospital and the Salah Ghandour hospital in Bint Jbeil, large healthcare centres along the eastern and western sections of the Lebanese borders, announced their closure after their premises were struck, killing seven and wounding 14 healthcare workers.

“The main hospital of the entrance was targeted as paramedics were approaching. Seven were killed, five were wounded. We considered this a message, so we decided to close,” said Dr Mones Kalakish, the director of Marjayoun governmental hospital. He added that because of the frequent targeting of paramedics in south Lebanon, wounded people had not been able to reach the hospital for the past three days.

“There was no warning to the hospital before they struck. The warning didn’t come over the telephone, it came via bombing,” Kalakish said.

Mays al-Jabal governmental hospital, 700 meters from the Israel-Lebanon border, said hospital staff could no longer perform their role due to a cutoff of supplies.

“Medical supplies, diesel, electricity, none of it was available. Unifil was bringing us water, and now they are unable to move. How can a hospital operate without water?” said Dr Halim Saad, the director of Mays al-Jabal hospital’s medical services.

More than 50 healthcare workers have been killed since 23 Sep, when Israel started an intense aerial campaign in south Lebanon and the Bekaa valley. Paramedics all over the country have been killed and injured by Israeli airstrikes, including in a medical centre in central Beirut, where nine were killed in a strike on Thursday.

97 paramedics had been killed since fighting between Hezbollah and Israel started last year – a number which has grown over the past two days.

The displacement of medical workers due to Israeli bombing has created problems across the country at a time when the number of people wounded by Israeli strikes regularly exceeds 100 a day. The health system in Lebanon, and particularly in the south, is fragile after five years of economic crisis and almost a year of war.

At Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut, the largest public hospital in Lebanon, officials said Israeli bombing of nearby Dahiyeh, a southern suburb, had displaced some of its staff, leaving some unable to come to work. The hospital has opened a dorm on its campus to accommodate some of its more vital staff and tried to find housing in safe areas for others.

There is a concern among hospital staff that work conditions in the Beirut hospital could become dangerous, as news of hospitals and paramedics being bombed spreads.

“A person who does not have big responsibilities, they might think to leave. I can’t blame them, they have their own security, own family, own life,” Dr Jihad Saade, the chief executive of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, said. Until now, the hospital has been operating normally.

Displacement of medical staff has primarily affected south Lebanon, where Israeli bombing is more frequent. It is unclear how many people still remain in the south, after Israel ordered people in about 70 villages to evacuate.

More than 2,000 people have been killed and more than 9,535 wounded since fighting started in Lebanon, most of them since 23 Sep.

Sources:

Israel expands its bombardment in Lebanon; thousands flee widening war (voanews.com)

Beirut’s Dahiyeh left deserted and destroyed after brutal Israeli bombardment | Middle East Eye

Three hospitals in Lebanon forced to close amid Israeli bombing | Lebanon | The Guardian

Macron says 88 French-speaking countries have called for ceasefire in Lebanon | Euronews

Kiev: Russia Has Executed 93 Ukrainian POWs Since Start of Invasion

A Russia-backed rebel sniper wears a mask in Debaltseve, Ukraine. Photo: Vadim Ghirda / AP

Ukraine has documented evidence related to the execution of 93 Ukrainian prisoners of war related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

80 percent of the executions occurred this year.

On 1 Oct, the Prosecutor-General’s Office announced it had opened an investigation into what it described as the “largest mass execution” of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian troops since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in Feb 2022.

According to an official statement published on the office’s Telegram channel, Russian forces recently killed 16 Ukrainian “prisoners of war” near the villages of Mykolayivka and Sukhiy Yar in the Pokrovsk district of the Donetsk region.

Videos circulated on various Telegram channels appear to show Ukrainian soldiers, freshly captured by Russian troops, emerging from a forested area.

After the prisoners were lined up, Russian soldiers appear to open fire. The videos then appear to show Russian soldiers approaching those who were only wounded and shooting them again at close range with machine guns.

Under international humanitarian law, executing soldiers who have surrendered is considered a war crime.


Kiev alerted the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross over the deaths, citing violations of the Geneva Conventions, which govern the treatment of prisoners of war.


In March, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine published a report that recorded the execution of at least 32 Ukrainian prisoners of war in 12 separate cases from Dec 2023 to Feb 2024.
 
 
Sources:


Kyiv Says Russia Has Executed 93 Ukrainian POWs Since Start Of War (rferl.org)

Ukraine-OHCHR-40th-periodic-report.pdf
 

Vietnam-era Veterans Exposed to Nerve Agents and Hallucinogens in Secret Military Tests Seek Years of Back Benefits

Test subjects in an undated photo enter a chamber where they were exposed to chemical agents as part of military experiments at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. (US Army photo)

Vietnam-era veterans exposed to nerve agents and hallucinogenic drugs in a classified military research program more than 50 years ago are appealing for retroactive disability benefits after a federal court ruling found their constitutional rights were violated.

Now in their 70s and early 80s, the veterans were sworn to silence and restricted from reporting the debilitating health effects from the program, which included paralysis, cancer, depression, and psychosis. They were also restricted from obtaining disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I never knew what I was given in those tests,” said Frank Rochelle (76) of North Carolina, a former Army corporal whose service from 1968-1970 included a tour in Vietnam. “When I went to file a VA claim, I was told that the tests I took part in had never happened. The records were sealed. I had no way to prove my case.”

But a 2023 court ruling is enabling Rochelle and other service members for the first time to obtain VA disability compensation retroactive to their date of discharge. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 veterans who participated as human test subjects in classified studies that the US Army Chemical Corps conducted at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland are believed to be alive today.

The facility was established in 1948 primarily as a center for researching chemical warfare agents, but military equipment, protective clothing and pharmaceuticals also were tested at the facility. The Vietnam-era veterans were considered volunteers in classified studies that began in 1956. They signed consent agreements prior to participating in experiments but said later they were not informed of the risks.

About 7,000 military personnel participated in the tests until the Army disbanded the program in 1975, according to the DoD. Edgewood Arsenal now functions as the Army’s center for research, tests and development in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense.

The court found the secrecy agreements that the participants signed, which carried the threat of criminal penalty if violated, effectively denied them due process and disability compensation to which they were entitled.

“This decision importantly opens a pathway for all veterans who are under a secrecy agreement to pursue their claims, whether they are Edgewood Arsenal vets or not,” he said.

Rochelle’s case is pending a higher review in the U.S. Veterans Court of Appeals, which has already ordered retroactive compensation this year in three other cases involving Edgewood veterans.

Jones said though the VA states it now has a process in place for Edgewood Arsenal veterans to file to receive benefits, the agency continues to delay decisions and deny their claims.

The VA does not have figures on how many Vietnam-era veterans have submitted claims for retroactive payments related to illnesses and injuries from serving as test subjects at the Edgewood Arsenal.

In 2023, Army veteran Bob Taylor of Idaho was the first veteran to receive disability compensation retroactive to his military discharge for illnesses and injuries that he suffered after participating in the classified research project.

Taylor’s attorneys first argued in US Court of Appeals for Veterans that he was entitled to compensation back to his discharge date of 1971. Taylor, who served from 1969-1971, has been diagnosed with multiple cancers, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He and other Edgewood veterans said they thought they had volunteered to test military equipment in the 1960s and 1970s but were directed instead to military research labs for human trials using chemical substances they received in gas chambers, by injection and other means.

Taylor was exposed to at least three highly poisonous chemical agents during the Edgewood experiments. Some of the agents were known only by numbered references with the prefix “EA” for Edgewood Arsenal.

They were EA-3580, a form of sarin gas; EA-3547, a derivative of tear gas, and scopolamine, a highly toxic chemical test as a “truth serum” but that can cause psychosis.

The service-connected illnesses and injuries of Taylor and other veterans from the experiments were not recognized by the VA until the secrecy agreements were partially lifted by the DoD in 2006.

“We were lied to about our reasons for going to Edgewood. We thought that the Army was testing equipment to better the forces,” said Rochelle, whose medical problems from his experiences at Edgewood made him “unemployable,” according to VA records. “This has been ignored for 30 to 50 years.”

Source:

Vietnam-era veterans exposed to nerve agents and hallucinogens in secret military tests seek years of back benefits | Stars and Stripes

Gang Kills 70 People in Haiti’s Pont Sondé

Google Maps.

An attack by the notorious Gran Grif gang in the town of Pont Sondé, Haiti, left at least 70 people dead on Thursday, after gunmen armed with automatic rifles opened fire. Among the victims were ten women and three infants.

“As the attacks unfolded, gang members reportedly set fire to at least 45 houses and 34 vehicles, forcing a number of residents to flee,” said a UN official.

The attack comes in the wider context of indiscriminate gang violence across Haiti, leading to an alarming escalation of human rights violations and large-scale internal displacement.

Over 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, making Haiti the country with the largest number of displacements globally due to crime-related violence. Mass displacement has led to widespread insecurity in the nation, with almost half of Haiti’s 11.9 million civilians in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The gang violence against the Haitian population has spread from the capital, Port-au-Prince, to isolated rural areas. The pervasive assaults include sexual violence, kidnapping, looting, roadblocks to intimidate and rob civilians and forced recruitment by armed gangs.

Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier (C) is a powerful criminal leader who leads an alliance of gangs in Port-au-Prince. A former police officer, he is openly defiant and does not wear a mask like thousands of gang members in Haiti.

Despite the growing urgency of the crisis, funding for Haiti’s humanitarian response remains critically low and the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan asking for $674 million is currently only 39 per cent funded.

Kenyan police officer who is part of a UN-backed multinational force takes a selfie after landing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 16 July 2024. Another 200 police officers from Kenya arrived for a UN-backed mission led by the East African country to battle violent gangs that have taken over parts of the Caribbean country. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Sources:

Gang attack in Haiti’s Pont Sondé leaves 70 dead | UN News

Haiti: Horrifying gang attacks leave at least 70 dead | OHCHR

Donald Trump Says He’d Change Name of Fort Liberty, NC Back to Fort Bragg if Elected

Fort Liberty, NC sign greets visitors to the base. This is the home of the 82nd Airborne Division (Corey Dickstein/Stars and Stripes)

Former President Donald Trump said he would change the name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg if he’s elected. Trump made the remarks on Friday night during a town hall in Fayetteville, NC, which is near the military installation.

“I walked in — the first question that I asked — should we change the name from Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg? First question,” he said as the crowd cheered. “Right, so here’s what we do — we get elected, I’m doing it. I’m doing it.”

The renaming of Fort Bragg was part of a controversial three-year process to strip the names of Confederate leaders who took up arms against the US in the Civil War from Army installations. It was part of an effort initiated by top Pentagon officials in 2020.

Congress mandated the Naming Commission in a 2021 annual Pentagon policy bill, giving it the task of identifying items in the Defense Department inventory associated with the Confederacy. Among the items that the commission studied were the names of nine Army installations honoring Confederate generals, including Fort Bragg.

Then-President Trump vetoed the bill, disapproving of the effort to remove Confederate names from the military. Congress overrode the veto, making the changes law. Fort Bragg was renamed Fort Liberty in 2023. Changing the name of Fort Liberty would require congressional approval.

Instead of providing his supporters with a plan or policy on how to deal with global climate change and the hurricanes that have damaged the Carolinas, the ex-President is concerned about changing the name of a US Army base back to honor a traitorous Confederate Army General. You wonder if this brontosaurus knows the Civil War ended in 1865, the racist, slave-owning Confederacy lost, and that Americans have more pressing needs like universal health insurance, flood re-insurance programs, or logical gun control measures?

Cartoon courtesy of theweek.com.

Previous reporting:

Source:

Trump says he’d change name of Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg if elected | Stars and Stripes

This is not a mirage.

Sendai Daikannon (仙台大観音)  is the eighth-tallest statue in the world at 100m (330 ft). She is the tallest statue of a goddess in Japan.

This incredible statue in Sendai, Japan, represents a bodhisattva, a person who is on the path towards bodhi (‘awakening’) or Buddhahood. At the time of its completion in 1991, it was the tallest statue in the world.

With all of the war criminals running amok creating death, destruction, and misery, some world leaders could use a bit of enlightenment or a “bodhi”.

Sendai, Japan.

Sources:

Daikanmiji Temple, Sendai Daikannon | Daikanmitsuji-Sendai-Daikannon | Sendai-DaikannonSendai Daikannon – Wikipedia

Nuclear Security Chief in Ukraine’s Russian-Occupied Zaporizhzhya Killed in Car Bombing

Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) posted a video of the explosion.

Ukrainian Military Intelligence (GUR) assassinated the head of security at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine with a car bomb on 4 Oct. Andrei Korotky died after a homemade explosive device planted under his car detonated. Korotky was also the former head of the Moscow-installed local council of deputies in the city of Enerhodar, where the blast occurred. Ukrainian intelligence accused him of war crimes and organizing pro-Russian events during the occupation, basically a “quisling.” Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a probe into the deadly bombing.

As posted previously on Coriolanus, high-value Russian targets have been killed by IEDs hidden in their cars, most likely by Ukrainian espionage and sabotage agents.

Source:

Nuclear Security Chief in Ukraine’s Russian-Occupied Zaporizhzhya Killed In Car Bombing (rferl.org)

Two Seditionists Sentenced for 6 Jan 2021 Attack on US Capitol

Allan Jennings used medical scissors to shatter glass on a Capitol door. (Photo: FBI)

Allan Jennings (57) of Hillsboro, TN, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,825 in restitution and fines by the Honorable US District Judge Reggie B. Walton. Jennings previously pleaded guilty to a felony offense of civil disorder and a misdemeanor offense of destruction of government property during the 6 Jan 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

The “Stop the Steal” mob’s initial attack against law enforcement officers caused the police to withdraw. Jennings was among the first few rioters to pursue retreating police officers into the Tunnel. The police had closed the doors to keep the mob from further advance. Jennings then deployed a pair of medical scissors and shattered the door’s glass, costing $825 to repair. Jennings made his way toward the front of the advancing mob, where he put his hands on a police officer’s shield, before returning to the middle of the mob and escaping. The FBI arrested Jennings on 12 Sep 2023 in Tennessee.

Chemical irritant didn’t dissuade James Weeks from continuing his rampage outside the Tunnel. (Photo: FBI)

James Weeks (55) of Sodus, NY, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,774.00 in restitution and a $5,000 fine by the Honorable US District Judge Beryl A. Howell. Weeks previously pleaded guilty to a single felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.

On 6 Jan, Weeks and the “Stop the Steal” mob entered the Tunnel and violently fought the police. Weeks attempted to grab a police officer, yelling “Shove it up your a—! You fat f—! I’m gonna shove that up your a—!” and “We’re gonna f— you up!” The defendant then struck an MPD officer using his hands and body. Shortly after, another rioter sprayed chemical irritant in the Tunnel, causing Weeks to exit.

Outside Weeks cheered on rioters who were vandalizing the US Capitol building. He then approached a window, waved a black can of OC spray through one of the broken panes of glass, then broke the window with a wooden stick.

The FBI arrested James Weeks on 1 Feb 2024, in Albany, NY.

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

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

These two middle-aged lunatics represent America’s Fedayeen Saddam, dead-enders that think their white privilege is coming to an end and that minorities and Democrats unfairly stole the 2020 Presidential election. They heeded Donald Trump’s idiotic call to arms and are now paying the price.

Sources:

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

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

Bird Flu Outbreak Kills Dozens of Tigers in Vietnam Zoos

Forty-seven tigers, three lions and a panther have died in zoos in south Vietnam due to the H5N1 bird flu virus. Photograph: Pardofelis / Alamy

Forty-seven tigers, three lions and a panther have died in zoos in south Vietnam due to the H5N1 type A bird flu virus. The deaths occurred this summer at the private My Quynh safari park in Long An province and the Vuon Xoai zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City.

No zoo staff members in close contact with the animals had experienced respiratory symptoms.

A total of 385 tigers live in captivity in Vietnam. About 310 are kept at 16 privately owned farms and zoos, while the rest are in state-owned facilities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that since 2022, there have been increasing reports of deadly outbreaks among mammals caused by influenza viruses, including H5N1. These infections can range from mild to severe in humans, and in some cases can even be fatal. Vietnam notified the WHO about a human fatality from the virus in March.

In 2004, dozens of tigers died from bird flu or were culled at the world’s largest breeding farm in Thailand.

Tigers are on the brink of extinction. Global populations have plummeted alarmingly by 96%, for all six-remaining subspecies. Three are now extinct. A combination of poaching, illegal captivity, and habitat destruction have contributed to their dwindling numbers, and it shows no signs of slowing down. WHO, the government of Vietnam, NGOS, and all of us, must do more to save these magnificent felines.  

Sources:

Bird flu outbreak kills dozens of tigers in Vietnam zoos | Bird flu | The Guardian

WWF – Endangered Species Conservation | World Wildlife Fund

Adopt A Tiger from £3 a month | Hand-knitted Tiger toy included | David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Former UK PM Boris Johnson: “Netanyahu Bugged My Bathroom”

The pair met in 2017 when Boris Johnson was Britain’s foreign secretary. | Pool photo by Darren Staples/WPA/Getty Images

Boris Johnson claimed he found a listening device in his personal bathroom at the British Foreign Office after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu used it.

The former prime minister alleged that his security team found bugging devices in the toilets after Netanyahu had used the facilities. The pair met in 2017 when Johnson was Britain’s foreign secretary.

The claim comes in Johnson’s memoir “Unleashed” which is released on 10 Oct. Extracts were shared with the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

“Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox,” Johnson writes as he recalls a meeting.

The Telegraph pressed the ex-PM on whether he could disclose more details about what happened, although Johnson told them: “I think everything you need to know about that episode is in the book.”

POLITICO reported in 2019 that the US government believed Israel was responsible for planting cellphone surveillance devices near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington, D.C. The devices were designed to fool cellphones into giving them their locations and identity information.

Johnson’s memoir has raised eyebrows in London even before its release.

The ex-prime minister, who was ousted from office by his own party in 2022, has disclosed details about Queen Elizabeth II’s health in her final year and accused French President Emmanuel Macron of trying to give the UK a “punishment beating” for leaving the EU.

Years ago, Lebanese Army G-2 found and dismantled an Israeli spying device disguised as a rock in southern Lebanon which took and transmitted photographs.

CIA considers Israel its No. 1 counterintelligence threat in the agency’s Near East Division, the group that oversees spying across the Middle East, according to current and former officials. Counterintelligence is the art of protecting national secrets from spies. This means the CIA believes that US national secrets are safer from other Middle Eastern governments than from Israel.

Sources:

Netanyahu bugged my bathroom, Boris Johnson suggests – POLITICO

Lebanese Army dismantles more Israeli spying devices – Ya LibnanIs Israel the CIA’s top counterintelligence threat in the Near East? | The Times of Israel

Greenpeace Warns of Flooding Risks at France’s Biggest Nuclear Plant

Gravelines nuclear power station on the English Channel coast is already the most powerful in Western Europe. © Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0

With six 900MW reactors, the Gravelines nuclear power plant on the English Channel coast is already the most powerful in Western Europe. EDF’s proposal to build two additional new generation pressurised water reactors (EPR2) of 1600 MW each is part of President Emmanuel Macron’s nuclear revival programme.

The new reactors are currently the subject of public debate. If they pass safety criteria laid down by France’s nuclear safety authority (ASN), construction would begin in 2031 and they could be on stream by 2040. While they would be built on a 11-metre-high platform, Greenpeace claims there is a significant safety risk.

“The entire power plant site could find itself – during high tides and when there is a 100-year surge – below sea level” by 2100, it warned in a report published Thursday. EDF refutes their calculations.

“The height of the platform chosen for the EPR2 reactors at Gravelines provides protection against “extreme” flooding, taking into account the effects of IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] scenarios, which are among the most penalising with regard to sea-level rise”, EDF replied.

Greenpeace argues that EDF’s calculations are outdated and do not fully account for the realities of global warming. The NGO based its projection on the IPCC’s most pessimistic scenario, which assumes that no action will be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2100.

Nuclear power accounts for most of France’s electricity, and the Nuclear Energy Society (Sfen) defends it as a low-carbon energy source.

While Greenpeace’s report centers on Gravelines, climate change threatens other nuclear plants, with risks tied to rising temperatures and extreme weather events like storms. Also, potential conflicts could arise over access to river water needed to cool reactors. Russia is occupying the Ukrainian nuclear plant at Zaporizhzhya.

The French nuclear industry has an atrocious reputation. Leaked documents reveal that their companies maintain discreet links to Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear power corporation, despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. French commercial uranium mining despoiled water and vegetation in Pan-Sahel Africa, creating “grievance guerillas” amongst the Tuaregs and other angry disenfranchised locals, some who join “Al Qaida in the Maghreb” (AQIM). One company (Orano) left 20 million tons of radioactive waste in Niger. Strong desert winds carry its radon and radioactive dust which is inhaled by the surrounding population. The soil and underground water have also been contaminated. The 100,000 people living in the area have no alternative but to keep on drinking that water.

Sources:

Greenpeace warns of flooding risks at France’s biggest nuclear plant (rfi.fr)

French electricity company discovers deep crack in nuclear plant cooling system

Why the nuclear option is still an explosive subject at climate talks

French nuclear industry maintains links with Russian giant Rosatom (lemonde.fr)

French uranium mine leaves 20 million tons of radioactive waste in Niger (rfi.fr)

Ireland: Beef to China and South Korea Stopped After Atypical BSE Case

This poor cow is suffering from BSE. (Undated public domain image)

Ireland temporarily halted shipments of beef products to China and South Korea after an atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was discovered in a cow. After a fallen animal was tested in mid-September, authorities in China and South Korea were informed and exports of beef halted, in line with the agreements in place with both countries. The animal did not enter the food or feed chain and there were no public health risks associated with this occurrence.

Atypical BSE is a rare spontaneous event which may occur in any bovine population and not related to feed contamination. Coincidentally at the same time, a delegation of veterinary officials from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was travelling to China, and used that opportunity to reassure authorities there of Ireland’s control measures for BSE.

Atypical BSE occurs sporadically in all cattle populations at a very low rate and is not considered a public health risk, unlike classical BSE, or mad-cow disease, which arises from contaminated animal feed.

This is the third time that Irish beef exports to China have been stopped due to a case of atypical BSE.

Most recently, exports of beef products to China were halted between Nov 2023 and Jan 2024 for this reason. Prior to that, exports to China were also halted for a particularly extended period of time, from May 2020 to Jan 2023, almost three years.

In 2019 – the only full year in which Ireland had uninterrupted access to the Chines market for frozen boneless beef – Irish processors sent around €40 million worth of exports to the Asian country.

Market access for Irish beef to South Korea was secured in May 2024.

Source:

Beef to China and Korea stopped after atypical BSE case (agriland.ie)

Five Chinese Nationals Charged with Covering Up Midnight Visit to Michigan Military Site

The FBI has charged five Chinese nationals who studied at the University of Michigan with espionage related charges. The five individuals are accused of taking photos of military equipment at Camp Grayling, MI in Aug 2023. While the students were taking photos, the Michigan Army National Guard was hosting training for the Taiwanese military.

The FBI noted that there have been other instances of college students from China taking photos of vital defense sites in the US. The FBI said all five men graduated last spring from the University of Michigan. They were part of a joint program between the university and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. The five remain at large.  


In 2020, two Chinese nationals who were pursuing master’s degrees at the University of Michigan were sentenced to prison for illegally photographing sites at a naval air station in Key West, FL.


China and Russia remain serious foreign intelligence threats to the US, and as noted above, Israel poses the greatest counterintelligence threat to the USIC. The five students here are part of the “thousand grains of sand” strategy, where every little bit of data is obtained for thousands of analysts in China to create an intelligence mosaic. Chinese intelligence, the MSS, has the manpower and budget for this type of collection.  

Aerial view of Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Grayling, MI, 19 July 2014. (AP Photo/John L. Russell)


Sources:


FBI Charges Chinese Nationals with Spying at Camp Grayling | Congressman John Moolenaar (house.gov)

5 Chinese nationals charged with covering up midnight visit to Michigan military site | AP News

Kitten Turns Corner Just 24 Hours After Moving from Shelter into Comfy Home

Watch this orphan kitten evolve from frightened, scrawny rescue animal to “I’m-the-queen-of-the-castle,” thanks to Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles, CA. All photos of Apple taken by Frankie.

Nervous, Apple had flea dirt on her which was gently brushed off.

After being cleaned up, Apple wrapped up in a blanket and finally purred.

After eating and resting peacefully, Apple woke up refreshed with renewed energy.

Now when Apple gets tired from eating, playing, and romping, she purrs herself to sleep.

And all this took place in 24 hours.

Source:

Kitten Turns a Corner Just 24 Hours After Moving from Shelter into Comfy Home – Love Meow