[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] CNN faced a torrent of ridicule Monday after blurring out signs showing criminal migrants who have been arrested during a White House media event.
The move was slammed by critics as an outrageous attempt to shield the public from the grim reality of illegal immigration.
The signs, featuring the photos and offenses of 100 deported illegal immigrants, were planted along the White House driveway and placed deliberately in the line of TV news cameras to highlight President Donald Trump’s progress on border enforcement during his second term’s first 100 days.
Both CNN along with MSNBC blurred the images of placards.
'They really don't want you to miss it,' CNN anchor Jake Tapper said before launching into a commentary dripping with sarcasm over the signs.
'They subtly and tastefully decked the White House north lawn with dozens of yard signs featuring photos of people that the Trump administration claims are in the country illegally.
'Each poster staying "Arrested" and listing the alleged offense with which they have been charged.
The list of names included illegals arrested for heinous crimes such as rape, murder, the sexual assault of children, and dealing drugs.
However, because names were not listed, CNN claimed it could not verify the details - prompting their decision to blur the faces.
'CNN is working to confirms their identities and if there are actual allegations against these people, until then we are blurring their identities,' Tapper went on.
The network, along with MSNBC which also blurred the signs, was quick to be ridiculed for its actions.
For many viewers, it was a damning visual with the White House putting the accused front and center, while major media outlets literally blurred them out.
'This is a win-win. For the White House it shows they are protecting America against an invasion of foreign terrorists. And the media blurring out the images shows inconclusively that the left doesn't give a damn about Americans,' concluded one user on X.
Another slammed both CNN and MSNBC for what they called partisan bias:.
'CNN & MSNBC blurred the faces on the signs bc they had to show some sign of rebellion against Trump. They can’t possibly just report the news.'
'Mainstream lib media have been blurring the signs out. They do not want to acknowledge or show these signs...,' added a third.
One user saw it as the media attempting to conceal the truth, tweeting: 'You blurred the White House lawn signs in your report, attempting to protect criminal illegal aliens while silencing victims' pain. These are real faces of crime - sexual assault, violence, betrayal. The public deserves unfiltered truth, not your filtered shame so tagging you so your viewers see unfiltered truth. Stop lying!'
[ShabelleMedia] The United States has maintained its stance on funding for Uganda’s African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Support Operation Mission (AUSSOM), the U.S. envoy in Kampala said Monday, signaling no shift in Washington’s position amid ongoing scrutiny of regional peacekeeping efforts.
"The U.S. decision regarding AUSSOM funding remains unchanged from last year," U.S. Ambassador to Uganda William W. Popp told news hounds during a briefing in the capital.
The statement comes amid growing calls from Ugandan officials for increased international support to AUSSOM, which has been engaged in counterinsurgency operations and regional stabilization efforts in East Africa.
Ambassador Popp did not elaborate on the specifics of the funding levels or the reasons behind the decision, but emphasized that the U.S. continues to support Uganda’s broader contributions to regional security through other channels, including military training and humanitarian aid.
Uganda is a key troop-contributing country to AUSSOM, and Ugandan officials have warned that the mission’s effectiveness could be undermined without sustained international financial backing.
Last year, the U.S. reduced its direct support to AUSSOM, redirecting resources toward bilateral security initiatives, citing concerns over transparency and accountability within the mission.
Despite the freeze in funding, diplomatic sources say Washington remains in dialogue with regional partners to review the mission’s mandate and explore alternative funding mechanisms.
Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to formally respond to Ambassador Popp’s comments.
AUSSOM was established to bolster regional security and respond to violent mostly peaceful extremism, particularly in conflict-prone areas of the Horn of Africa.
[IsraelTimes] A 1970 recording of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser indicating a lack of interest in the Paleostinian cause is causing a stir in Egypt, Haaretz reports.
"We have no interest in the Paleostinian issue. We will only talk about Sinai. When [the Israelis] leave Sinai, there will be an agreement," he says to Libyan dictator Muammar Qadaffy ...a proud Arab institution for 42 years, now among the dear departed, though not the dearest...> in the audio clip.
Nasser threatened to destroy Israel in his speeches, created the Paleostine Liberation Organization, led the Arab side in the 1967 Six Day War against Israel, and imprisoned hundreds of Jews after Israel’s victory.
But in the 1970 recording — aired on Abdel Nasser’s son’s YouTube channel — he showed no interest in fighting Israel: "If someone wants to struggle — let them struggle, and if someone wants to fight — let them fight. But today the Iraqis are telling us — all of Paleostine from the river to the sea, or nothing."
He seemed to think that defeating Israel in battle was a pipe dream.
"If we want to achieve our goals, we must be realistic," he said to Qadaffy. "You are welcome to mobilize the forces, go to Baghdad and try to fight against Israel. We will stay away from this operation, leave us alone — we will choose a non-violent mostly peaceful and defeatist solution. I can live with that."
A recently released bombshell recording has sparked major controversy in Egypt and the Arab world.
In 1970, former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser told Gaddafi:
"I am ready to normalize with Israel, and I have nothing to do with the Palestinian cause." pic.twitter.com/BvtGYJUn52
[PUNCHNG] The Russian Federation has pledged stronger military cooperation with Nigeria in its ongoing fight against terrorism, offering weapons, operational support, and strategic expertise to bolster the country's counterinsurgency operations.
Speaking on behalf of President Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... and the Russian Minister of Defence, Lt Gen Averianov emphasized Russia's readiness to deepen defence cooperation with Nigeria, describing the West African country as a major regional power and critical partner.
He noted that Russia, engaged in special operations against 39 adversary nations, had developed new counterterrorism strategies it was eager to share with Nigeria.
A statement on Monday by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau said the commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the Representative of the President of Russia, Lieutenant General Andrei Averianov, to Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
The statement read, ''The Representative of the President of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Andrei Averianov today, 28 April 2025 paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR. The Head of the Russian delegation in his remarks noted that the visit marked a memorable day in the history of the Russian Federation, while on behalf of his team, thanked the CDS for hosting them and the warm hospitality accorded to them.
''According to him, it has been 80 years since Russia fought Nazism. However,
a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... the security landscape has evolved, with asymmetric threats such as al-Qaeda and Boko Haram ... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality... now emerging. He expressed Russian delight in being part of the fight to create a more secure environment for future generations in Nigeria.
''Lt Gen Averianov stated that Russia was engaged in special operations facing 39 adversary nations, during which they had developed new methods they were willing to share with Nigeria to support the fight against terrorism.
''On behalf of President Vladimir Putin and the Honourable Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, he pledged Russia's support to Nigeria in its fight against terrorism, while recognising Nigeria's significance as a major stakeholder and power in the region.''
He further noted that Russia has been observing and learning from Nigeria's counterterrorism efforts over the years.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/29/2025 00:00 ||
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[63 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
Things happen to stuff during combat, or even when practicing for combat.
[IsraelTimes] The United States has lost seven multi-million-dollar MQ-9 Reaper drones in the Yemen area since March 15, a US official says.
Washington launched the latest round of its air campaign against Yemen’s Houthis in mid-March, and MQ-9s can be used for both reconnaissance — a key aspect of US efforts to identify and target weaponry the rebels are using to attack shipping in the region — as well as strikes.
“There have been seven MQ-9s that have gone down since March 15,” the US official says on condition of anonymity, without specifying what has caused the loss of the drones, which cost around $30 million apiece.
The US Navy has meanwhile announced the loss of another piece of expensive military equipment: an F/A-18E warplane that fell off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in an accident that injured one sailor.
A tractor that was towing the F/A-18E — a type of aircraft that cost more than $67 million in 2021 — also slipped off the ship into the sea.
“The F/A-18E was actively under tow in the hangar bay when the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft and tow tractor were lost overboard,” the Navy says in a statement.
The carrier and its other planes remain in action and the incident is under investigation, the Navy adds. No details of recovery work are released.
It is the second F/A-18 operating off the Truman to be lost in less than six months, after another was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser late last year in an incident that both pilots survived.
The Truman is one of two US aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East, where US forces have been striking the Houthis on a near-daily basis since March 15.
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] A large number of Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... i tribes across various regions of the Republic of Yemen held expanded meetings to declare a general mobilization to confront the American and Israeli escalation. I'm so frightened!
In their meetings, the Yemeni rustics affirmed their unwavering support for the Paleostinian people in the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Strip.
They raised slogans supporting the Paleostinian cause and renewed allegiance to Yemen's revolutionary leadership, describing the conflict as resistance against US-Zionist hegemony.
The tribes denounced US aggression in Yemen, labeling indiscriminate Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s on civilians and infrastructure as ''war crimes'' demanding international accountability.
They declared total disavowal of traitors and agents serving foreign agendas, vowing no sanctuary for those who betray Yemen.
The tribes called for intensifying the boycott of American and Israeli goods, as well as companies that support them, as part of the resistance against aggression.
They pledged to continue resistance until victory, describing the struggle as a religious and moral duty.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/29/2025 00:00 ||
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[76 views]
Top|| File under: Houthis
I vote we stiop Britain of Wales. Sure, the crown prince will suffer a loss of income and housing he was accustomed to for over a millennium, but sacrifices must be made for peace in our time.
[IsraelTimes] British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy are slated to host Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in London today, and will sign a memorandum of understanding “enshrining their commitment to advancing Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution,” says the Foreign Office.
The MOU will also “stress that the Palestinian Authority is the only legitimate governing entity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and underlines the importance of reunifying Gaza and the West Bank under its authority.”
Israel rejects handing Gaza over to the PA. Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated in a speech that the PA isn’t any better than Hamas — both want to destroy Israel, but the PA is currently using lawfare rather than military means, he said.
In London today, the two sides will agree on a “coordinated approach” to Gaza’s future, says the statement, based on Arab initiatives. “The UK will make clear that Hamas must immediately release the hostages and relinquish control of Gaza.”
London will announce a £101 million (NIS 490 million) relief package for economic development and for support of PA governance and reform.
According to the Foreign Office, the visit “reflects the UK’s steadfast support for the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people at a critical juncture in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and desire to further strengthen bilateral relations.”
“The UK is clear that there can be no role for Hamas in the future of Gaza and we are committed to working with the Palestinian Authority as the only legitimate governing entity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” says Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“We will not give up on the two-state solution, with a Palestinian state and Israel living side-by-side in peace, dignity and security. I reaffirm the UK’s commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state as a contribution to that process, at a time that has the greatest impact.”
[KhaamaPress] Global military spending reached a historic $2.72 trillion in 2024, driven by rising geopolitical tensions and security concerns worldwide.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has reported that global military expenditures in 2024 have reached a staggering $2.72 trillion. This marks a 9.4% increase compared to 2023, representing the largest annual growth in military spending since the end of the Cold War.
According to SIPRI on Monday, rising geopolitical tensions have led to increased military spending worldwide, with the most significant increases seen in Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... and the Middle East. The report highlights that over 100 countries have raised their military budgets in 2024, reflecting a broader global trend of prioritizing military security.
The ongoing war in Ukraine and doubts surrounding the U.S.’s commitment to NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... have had a profound impact on military spending in Europe, including Russia. Military expenditures in the region saw a 17% increase in 2024, surpassing the levels seen at the end of the Cold War. This spike in military spending underscores the growing security concerns in the region.
Russia’s military spending in 2024 reached approximately $149 billion, a 38% increase from 2023 and double the level of 2015. This amount accounts for 7.1% of Russia’s GDP and 19% of its total government expenditures, highlighting the significant financial burden the ongoing conflict imposes on the Russian economy.
Ukraine’s military spending increased by 2.9% in 2024, reaching $64.7 billion, approximately 43% of Russia’s military budget. Ukraine has allocated 34% of its GDP to military affairs, the highest military burden in the world. SIPRI noted that Ukraine is now dedicating all of its tax revenues to military needs, making it increasingly difficult to sustain such high levels of military spending.
The SIPRI report emphasizes that as nations prioritize military security, often at the expense of other sectors, there may be significant economic and social consequences in the years ahead. The growing allocation of national resources to defense could lead to reductions in funding for other vital public services, affecting overall societal development.
The sharp increase in global military spending in 2024 reflects a world facing rising security concerns and unresolved geopolitical conflicts. While the focus on military preparedness may offer short-term security advantages, it could lead to long-term economic and social challenges, further complicating efforts for sustainable global peace and cooperation.
[IsraelTimes] Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar lays out accusations against the United Nations and the organization’s Relief and Work Agency, at a press conference taking place as the UN’s International Court of Justice opens a week of hearings on Israel’s humanitarian obligations toward Palestinians.
“At this very moment, the ICJ is beginning the deliberations in another shameful proceeding against Israel,” says the foreign minister, adding that Israel chose not to attend the oral proceedings so as “not to take part in this circus.”
“It is not Israel that should be on trial,” says Sa’ar, but rather the UN and UNRWA, the latter of which coordinates nearly all aid to Gaza.
Sa’ar calls UNRWA “an organization infiltrated beyond repair by terrorism.”
The foreign minister criticizes past rulings of the ICJ, noting that “this is the fourth proceeding relating to Israel in the court since the October 7 massacre.”
“Now, they are abusing the courts, once again, to try and force Israel to cooperate with an organization that is infested with Hamas terrorists, and it won’t happen,” says the foreign minister.
“UNRWA employed over 1,400 known terrorists, many of whom took an active part in the October 7 atrocities,” continues Sa’ar, citing UNRWA employee Mohammed Abu Itiwi, a Hamas Nukhba Force commander, as one example.
“[Abu Itiwi] was caught on video participating in the murder and kidnapping of Israelis near Kibbutz Re’im [on October 7, 2023], including Hersh Goldberg-Polin,” who was taken hostage and then murdered in captivity, says Sa’ar.
“I accuse,” says Sa’ar, “I accuse UNRWA. I accuse the UN. I accuse the Secretary General, I accuse all those that weaponize international law and its institutions in order to deprive the most attacked country in the world, Israel, of its most basic right to defend itself.”
Behind Sa’ar, a large screen displays the faces of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, alongside the bold headline “J’Accuse” (“I Accuse” in French), referencing an 1898 open letter written by French author Émile Zola during the Dreyfus Affair.
The UN has asked judges to clarify in this week’s proceedings Israel’s legal obligations toward the UN and its agencies, international organizations or third-party states to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population.”
Israel strictly controls all inflows of international aid for the 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
It halted aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2 after the collapse of a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The war in Gaza was sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and massacre in southern Israel.
[IsraelTimes] The UN’s top court opens a week of hearings on Israel’s humanitarian obligations toward Palestinians, more than 50 days into its blockade on aid entering war-ravaged Gaza.
The hearings can be watched here:
The UN’s General Assembly approved a resolution in December asking the ICJ for an advisory opinion on the matter “on a priority basis and with the utmost urgency.”
The resolution, spearheaded by Norway, was adopted by a large majority.
The UN has asked judges to clarify Israel’s legal obligations toward the UN and its agencies, international organizations or third-party states to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population.”
Israel strictly controls all inflows of international aid vital for the 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
It halted aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2 amid the collapse of a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The war in Gaza was sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and massacre in southern Israel, in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and seized 251 as hostages.
US President Donald Trump said Friday that he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “we’ve got to be good to Gaza” as he pushed the Israeli premier to get more food and medicine into the Strip.
The revelation of the discussion between Netanyahu and Trump came shortly after the World Food Programme said it had run out of food stocks in Gaza due to the sustained closure of crossings into the enclave.
The UN’s top court will open a week of hearings on Israel’s humanitarian obligations toward Gazans, more than 50 days into its blockade on aid entering war-ravaged Gaza.
United Nations representatives will start the five days of sittings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, followed by a Palestinian submission.
Another 38 countries will then address the 15-judge panel, including the United States, China, France, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
The League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union will also make submissions.
[IsraelTimes] Report reveals Haniyeh’s praise of ‘glorious victory,’ while Sinwar wrote he was close to destroying Israel; senior Hamas officials said tunnel network ‘not damaged at all’
Newly released Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... documents found in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... show that Israel seriously misunderstood the impact of its 2021 operation in Gaza, which the terror group viewed as a victory that encouraged it to launch the October 7 massacre over two years later, Hebrew media reported.
At the time, Operation Guardian of the Walls was painted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "extraordinary success," and he vowed to implement a much tougher stance against the terror group’s rocket fire.
But Channel 12 news on Saturday revealed letters exchanged by Hamas’s then-Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar and the terror group’s leader at the time, Ismail Haniyeh ...became Prime Minister of Gaza after the legislative elections of 2006 which Hamas won. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Haniyeh from office on 14 June 2007 at the height of the Fatah-Hamas festivities, but Haniyeh did not acknowledge the decree and continued as the PM of Gazoo while Abbas maintained a separate PM in the West Bank. Zapped during the 2023-24 war, to eveyone's satisfaction... , showing that the two men considered the 11-day conflict a defeat for Israel.
Sinwar advocated the strategy of proposing a long-term ceasefire, or hudna, with Israel, as a way of either isolating it from the international community or creating division within Israeli society.
Both leaders have since been killed — Haniyeh in a covert operation in Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... in July 2024, and Sinwar by IDF troops in Gaza later that year.
"It is likely that this move, which would be acceptable to most countries in the world, would not be acceptable to the occupation [Israel] and would therefore increase their isolation and disconnection from them. If the occupation decides to go in this direction [of a hudna], it would tear it apart from within and lead to internal division and civil war," the letter by Sinwar reportedly said.
Haniyeh, in response, congratulated Sinwar on his "clear victory" in the fighting.
"The flag of the Al Qassam movement is waved all over the world, and millions cheer to the dear chief of staff of the resistance, Muhammad Deif, who won a divine and glorious victory," Haniyeh wrote, referencing the Hamas military wing chief, who was also killed by Israel in July 2024.
Sinwar responded on May 30, 2021: "Praise be to God who granted us victory, humiliated the enemy’s leadership. We are close to destroying their country."
Throughout those 11 days in May 2021, Hamas and Paleostinian Islamic Jihad ...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah... fired over 4,000 rockets and mortar shells at Israel. A dozen non-combatants were killed in Israel during the fighting, along with one soldier. Over 250 Paleostinians were killed, roughly half of whom the IDF claimed were combatants.
It has previously been reported that from that point until October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out a years-long campaign of deception to convince Israel it was not really interested in war.
Additionally, while Netanyahu claimed in the wake of the 11-day operation that the Israel Defense Forces had destroyed "a considerable portion" of Hamas’s internal tunnel routes — its "metro" — senior Hamas officials said otherwise in a meeting with then-Hezbollah leader His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ...The late, lamented satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb...> and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani, Channel 12 reported.
"’The ’metro’ was not damaged at all, and only the offensive tunnel network was slightly damaged and will be repaired soon," the Hamas officials said during the meeting in Beirut on July 26, 2021, according to the report.
Months after the war began, senior defense officials told The New York Times
...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... that Hamas’s tunnel network was far more extensive than they had initially believed.
Israel believed Hamas had been deterred from starting a war until October 7, 2023, when Lions of Islam burst across the Gaza border, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages to the Strip.
Israel then launched a massive air and ground operation in Gaza, vowing to bring home all the hostages and dismantle Hamas’s rule over Gaza.
[IsraelTimes] ‘No chance’ Israel will agree to deal that allows Hamas to ‘rearm, recover,’ official says; Qatari PM says blockade on Gaza is ‘stain’ on the world, aid has become ‘weapon’ in war
An Israeli official said Monday that there is "no chance" Israel would accept the five-year truce proposal with the Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... terror group that is currently being discussed by Arab mediators.
Continued on Page 49
[IsraelTimes] France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will not hesitate to reimpose sanctions against Tehran if European security is threatened by Iran’s nuclear program, the French foreign minister says at the United Nations.
“Iran has crossed all the boundaries it had committed to respect,” and the country “is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons,” Jean-Noel Barrot tells reporters after a closed-door meeting of the Security Council on non-proliferation, which he had convened.
“There is no military solution to the Iranian nuclear problem. There is a diplomatic path to achieve it, but it is a narrow road,” he adds.
Barrot voices hope that the ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington on the issue would bear fruit, adding that France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are in “close contact” on the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The highest-level talks in years between long-time foes Washington and Tehran are targeting a new deal that would stop Iran developing nuclear weapons — an objective Tehran denies pursuing — in return for relief from sanctions.
US President Donald Trump pulled out of an earlier, multilateral agreement on Iran during his first term. The United States and Israel have repeatedly threatened Iran with military strikes to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“It goes without saying that upon the expiration of the Iranian nuclear deal… if European security interests are not guaranteed, we will not hesitate for a single second to reapply all the sanctions that were lifted 10 years ago,” Barrot warns.
Last week, Rubio urged the three European states to decide whether to trigger the “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 agreement, which would automatically reinstate UN sanctions on Iran over its non-compliance.
The option to use the mechanism expires in October.
A return of sanctions would have “devastating effects on the country’s economy. This is not what we want, and that is why I solemnly call on Iran to take the necessary decisions today to avoid the worst,” says Barrot.
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit imposed by the 2015 deal and a technical step away from the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] On April 26, a major emergency occurred in the key and largest Iranian port of Shahid Rajaei, located near the city of Bandar Abbas.
The explosion of several containers in the berthing area caused a large-scale fire and paralyzed the work of the country's main trade and transport artery for almost a day.
And although the Iranian authorities dismiss the "spy trail" version, attributing the incident to human error, many citizens of the country think otherwise. Largely because the forces hostile to Tehran ended up benefiting from the incident.
MANY VICTIMS
According to the official version, the cause of the disaster was the explosion of several containers in the berth area, which occurred due to “violations of storage conditions” for hazardous cargo.
The explosion was so powerful that the shock wave blew out windows within a radius of at least three kilometers, and echoes were heard within a radius of 26 to 50 kilometers.
One building was critically damaged and collapsed. At least 25 people are known to have died, and more than a thousand people were injured to varying degrees.
A fire broke out at the site of the explosion, and it has been underway for several days now. Rescue teams and special equipment from Russia have arrived to help Tehran.
STRANGE COINCIDENCES
Part of Iranian society did not believe in the man-made nature of the disaster due to the large number of strange coincidences.
Firstly, the emergency occurred on the very day of Iranian-American talks in Oman, where the issue of easing economic sanctions and “opening” southern Iranian ports, one of which is Shahid Rajaee, was discussed.
They were supposed to be used to expand public supplies of Iranian petroleum products to world markets.
A hypothetical attack on the port's oil infrastructure could easily negate the gains Iran made in the negotiations.
Secondly, there are Iranian military facilities located a short distance from the damaged port.
For example, a naval base on Qeshm Island, several closed terminals and guarded warehouses, as well as an “underground city” declassified in January 2025, where part of the republic’s fleet is based.
Shahid Rajaee could well have played the role of a transit point for the transportation of certain types of products for the military.
Western tabloids also made a major contribution to promoting the thesis about some military cargo damaged as a result of the explosion.
They vied with each other in writing that the cause of the explosion was improper storage of sodium perchlorate, one of the components for the production of rocket fuel.
In addition, Iranian hawks drew parallels with a similar disaster in 2020 in Lebanon, when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate confiscated by the authorities exploded in the port of Beirut.
At least 200 people died then, and the seaside districts of the capital were partially destroyed by the blast wave. Lebanon has still not been able to recover from the consequences of the emergency, both politically and economically.
As Iranian MP Mohammad Saraj noted, the involvement of Israeli agents in planting the explosives is "highly probable."
The detonation, according to his data, occurred simultaneously in four different points, which led to the maximum one-time damage from the explosion.
However, Saraj's opinion has not yet received much support among the Iranian establishment.
The version of criminal negligence is promoted and supported not only by the liberal wing, but also by the conservative heavyweights led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The Iranian leadership prefers to wait for the results of the investigation and is now focused on eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
ISRAEL SHOWS 'MODESTY'
The Israeli side, contrary to expectations, is in no hurry to take credit for the incident in the Iranian port, unlike other high-profile actions, when intelligence publicly reported on success in the first hours, even if its trace was not obvious.
The reason for such “modesty” is simple: news of an attack on a civilian port (even if dual-use goods were being shipped through it) will not bring big dividends to the Israeli government.
But it will give Tehran additional reasons to justify the retaliatory operation “True Promise 3”.
Among other things, the hypothetical inclusion of “civilian shahids” in the list for revenge will untie Iran’s hands and allow it to position a new strike on Israeli territory as a legitimate act of protecting its own population.
DAMAGE TO TRADE
Official Tehran is trying its best to emphasize that, given the horrific scale of the disaster at the port, the damage from it was “minimal of all possible.” However, the authorities are being somewhat disingenuous here.
Shahid Rajaee accounts for more than 80% of the country's container traffic, as well as more than half of its oil and gas shipments. Over the past five years, it has emerged as the country's key logistics and trade hub, with most of its import and export lines terminating at its gateway.
Even taking into account the fact that the petrochemical infrastructure located in the port was almost not damaged, and most of the services employed at the port resumed work the next day after the incident, the forced downtime caused damage to the Iranian economy in the amount of several tens of billions of dollars.
It also temporarily disrupted Iran's established trade chains, both public and secret.
As long as the port is the focus of increased attention from the world community, it will be problematic to conduct shadow deliveries through it.
In this regard, Tehran will most likely have to shift “non-public” flows for some time towards other suitable ports – Khorramshahr and Bandar-e-Mahshahr.
However, they have much more modest infrastructure and are not designed to handle the same traffic as the country's main port.
Shipments to Iran will remain below normal until the Shahid Rajaee berth is fully restored.
This means that the disaster at the port, even if it was not the work of Iran's opponents, ultimately played into their hands.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] In Syria, unknown persons have removed the remains of former President Hafez al-Assad from his grave in the city of Qardah in Latakia province.
Boys being boys or malice aforethought?
This was reported on April 28 by Syria TV, citing photographs and videos from social networks.
Hafez al-Assad is the father of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He was head of state from 1971 to 2000. After his death, he was buried in his hometown of Qardah. A mausoleum was built over his grave.
"The grave of former President Hafez al-Assad was dug up. The grave, which had turned into a black pit, was found to be empty. Unknown persons carried the remains from the grave to an unknown location," the article says.
The TV channel noted that the activists who posted the video online suspect that armed groups operating in the area are removing Assad's remains. In the videos, the grave is desecrated by people in military uniform.
So malice by the new Hayat Tarhrir al Sham government? How petty.
On December 11 last year, an armed mob destroyed the grave of Hafez al-Assad. A group of masked men burned down the mausoleum of the former Syrian president. Footage circulated on social media showing the former president's grave engulfed in flames, while others showed armed men standing around it inside the mausoleum.
As reported by Regnum news agency, on December 7, a crowd tore down a statue of Hafez al-Assad, which stood in the main square in the suburb of Jerman, almost 10 km from the center of Damascus.
On December 8, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Bashar al-Assad had decided to leave the post of President of Syria and left the republic, giving instructions to peacefully transfer power. After that, he and his family arrived in Moscow, Russia granted them asylum.
[IsraelTimes] Authorities commit to investigating after unknown perpetrators dig up burial site of Rabbi Chaim Vital amid push by country’s new leadership to shed Islamist image
When a delegation of US Jews visited Syria at the invitation of the interim government in February, one of their stops was to a small shrine in a corner of Damascus’s Jewish cemetery.
According to tradition, the shrine houses the grave of Rabbi Chaim Ben Yosef Vital, a 17th-century kabbalist who wrote down the words of his teacher Isaac Luria, preserving the work of one of the most prominent Jewish mystics of all time for posterity.
On Thursday, unknown perpetrators broke into the structure and dug up the tomb.
According to Bakhour Chamntoub, one of the handful of Jews who remain in Syria, the incident was reported to the authorities. Officials promised to investigate the apparent vandalism, an encouraging sign from a regime whose Islamist core has sparked worries over whether the new Syria will support tolerance of other religions.
"An unknown group broke into the Jewish cemetery in Damascus," Chamntoub wrote on his Facebook page Friday, posting a picture of the tomb with a large hole next to the monument. "[They] broke the cemetery’s main gate and entered a room containing the grave of Rabbi Chaim Vital."
"They dug the ground next to the grave in search of antiquities," he added. "We informed the authorities responsible for the area. They inspected the site of the vandalism and promised to investigate the perpetrators and to follow up on the matter."
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who deposed Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Lord of the Baath... in December, has worked to rehabilitate his image after years spent fighting in the ranks of an al-Qaeda-affiliated group.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/29/2025 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Syria/HTS
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...a proud Arab institution for 42 years, now among the dear departed, though not the dearest...>
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
...
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
..always the voice of sweet reason...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
