A 17‑year‑old Mexican national triggered a massive law‑enforcement scramble in Laredo, Texas, on Thursday, leaving two suspected illegal aliens dead and stealing two vehicles, including a marked Texas Highway Patrol unit. Police eventually captured the alleged human smuggler by pulling him from the Rio Grande during a final attempt to escape into Mexico.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
01/10/2026 12:40 ||
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[1792 views]
Top|| File under: Human Trafficking
#1
by pulling him from the Rio Grande during a final attempt to escape into Mexico
A "Reverse Wetback™"?
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/10/2026 17:35 Comments ||
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#Sudan#SITREP | The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reported that over the past week their air force conducted intensive airstrikes against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions in Darfur and Kordofan, as well as along supply routes leading toward southern Libya.
#Sudan #SITREP | The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reported that over the past week their air force conducted intensive airstrikes against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions in Darfur and Kordofan, as well as along supply routes leading toward southern Libya.
According to SAF, the strikes resulted in significant RSF losses, including the destruction of more than 240 combat vehicles and the deaths of hundreds of RSF fighters. SAF also claimed the destruction of advanced drones, multiple shelters, and operational facilities at Nyala Airport.
Read the rest at the link
Posted by: badanov ||
01/10/2026 00:00 ||
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[1773 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan
In videos, RSF troops operating in Jirijira claimed the Falangayat (فلنقيات) (a slur for mostly ethnic Zaghawa armed groups) withdrew into Chad. Both RSF and Joint Force now use Chadian territory & each has supporters within the Chadian government, heightening risk of spillover. https://t.co/GccVBCevia
JNIM claims the attack on Lankoué stating that 17 Burkinabe soldiers were killed and large amounts of weapons and ammunition were captured along with several motorcycles. https://t.co/n3wEDAkXJipic.twitter.com/mEEQYet3Ru
JNIM claims to have freed “two Muslim civilians” during the attack on Torodi, and to have destroyed eight vehicles and captured two others along with weapons and ammunition, adding that they killed an unspecified number of Nigerien soldiers during the attack. https://t.co/6aQRjDwpB2pic.twitter.com/VCZ7Ooctn7
Saudi military @modgovksa Task Force 802 has redeployed to Al-Buraiqah in Aden after having departed nearly a month ago. Al-Buraiqah previously served as the headquarters of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, underscoring the significance of this return.
Saudi military Task Force 802 has redeployed to Al-Buraiqah in Aden after having departed nearly a month ago. Al-Buraiqah previously served as the headquarters of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, underscoring the significance of this return.
This move signals a broader pattern. Following the redeployment of Saudi forces across Hadramawt, particularly in Sayoun and likely at Al-Rayyan, the return of Saudi forces to Aden suggests a renewed and sustained military presence. It also reinforces indications that Saudi forces continue to maintain positions in Socotra and along the west coast.
Taken together, these developments mark a significant reversal of the widely held assumption that Saudi Arabia was preparing to withdraw from Yemen. Instead, Riyadh appears to be reasserting its presence on the ground, returning not in retreat but with renewed confidence and control.
Posted by: badanov ||
01/10/2026 00:00 ||
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[1768 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Saudi Arabia
[KhaamaPress] Sohail Amiri, 30, admitted sexually assaulting two women and attempting a third in Southampton, and was also found guilty of illegal stay in UK.
British media reported on Monday that 30-year-old Afghan asylum seeker Sohail Amiri admitted to sexually assaulting two women and attempting to assault a third, Reuters sources said. He was also found guilty of illegally remaining in the UK, and will face sentencing following his admission.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Amiri, who lives in Southampton, assaulted the two women on October 1 and December 4. He denied the charge related to the third woman.
Southampton Crown Court judge Nicholas Rowland said sentencing will take place on February 6, warning Amiri to expect a custodial sentence given the severity of the offences.
Details of the assaults remain limited. Reports indicate that on December 4, Amiri tried to forcefully kiss a woman walking alone at night, but she escaped and reported the incident to police.
Cases of sexual assault in the UK have seen increased media coverage in recent years, particularly involving vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers, highlighting public concerns over safety and community trust.
Southampton, like other UK cities, has community policing and support services for victims, including counselling and victim advocacy, aiming to encourage reporting and protection for survivors.
Amiri is also accused of approaching other women and making inappropriate comments, reflecting patterns of harassment that authorities continue to monitor and address.
[KhaamaPress] Venezuela
...a country in Central America that sits on an enormous pool of oil. Formerly the most prospereous country in the region, it became infested with Commies sniffing almost unlimited wealth. It turned out the wealth wasn't unlimited, the economy collapsed under the clownish Hugo Chavez, the murder rate exceeded places like Honduras and El Salvador. A significant proportion of the populace refugeed to Colombia and points south... said about 100 people were killed during a U.S. military operation that led to President Nicolás Maduro ...Commie el presidente para toda la vida of Venezuela, successor to Hugo Chavez. Nick is his country's attempt at producing a Muammar Qadaffy, except that even though his country's sitting on an enormous puddle of oil, he can't manage to get it out of the ground. Unlike Qadaffy and Hugo Chavez, he's not dead yet... ’s arrest, sharply escalating tensions with Washington.
Venezuela’s interior minister said about 100 people were killed during a U.S. military operation that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, sharply escalating tensions between Caracas and Washington.
Rooters reported on Thursday, January 8, that Diosdado Cabello said a large number of Maduro’s security personnel were killed in the operation, while Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, suffered a head injury.
According to the report, Venezuela’s military released a list of 23 of its personnel killed, while Cuban officials said 32 Cuban military and intelligence members died during the operation.
The United States has long accused Maduro’s government of authoritarian rule, human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... abuses and corruption, imposing sweeping sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and financial sectors over the past decade.
Cuba has been a key political and security ally of Caracas, providing intelligence and military support, a partnership Washington has repeatedly criticized.
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, whom Cabello described on state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
as "brave," announced a week of national mourning for the fallen forces.
Venezuelan officials said much of Maduro’s security team was "brutally" killed, portraying the operation as a direct attack on national illusory sovereignty.
While I am sadden if there were any innocent person deaths.
The USA DOD & _ _ _ under Trump's direction took down a Social-Communist aligned Dictator.
A Social-Communist aligned Dictator funneling $$$$ to certain DC Swamper's via backdoor routes.
A China / Russia installed, controlled and supported patsy, directly responsible for the addiction and deaths of 10's of 1,000's here in the USA.
A Social-Communist Dictator that facilitated the human trafficking of adults, and yes even children for forced labor and sexual uses.
A Pasty Dictator that assisted Narc o-Gangs and terrorists to gain access to the USA and harm OUR people.
A pasty dictator that is associated with supporting the political illegal voting mission in the USA.
the USA in this limited scope mission, actually ACCOMPLISHED it's mission in HOURS and NOT at the usual "MAYBE" in Years.
YES!!!!!
Accomplished WITHOUT Years, 1'000's of lives and at the cost of $$$ Billions wasted just to pull out. Like Nam, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan, after losing and wasting US Lives.
Name me 1 US president of Nation's leader that has accomplished this feat in the last 100 years
So the 100 "claimed" lives vs. what it would have been.
TRUMP's laser focused action in taking down this installed P.O.S. actually saved likely 10's of 1,000's.
So shut the Hell up Liberals, Socialist and Democrats.
#2
Hegseth vs Austin. The latter reach the rank of major which means he had achieved a high level of BS detection. Austin was DEI general and thus a member of the BS cabal. As SecWar, each has surrounded themselves with more like minded people. Thus the difference between the Afghan withdraw and what we've seen so far, bombing of Afghanistan and Caracas, would imply that change.
#3
This is allegedly an account by a Venezuelan solider of how the raid went down: here.
Which I offer for comment by 'Burgers who know which end of the gun the thingy comes out of.
Posted by: Matt ||
01/10/2026 10:37 Comments ||
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#4
Free from political interference, as well as training for over month for this operation, I'm not surprised at how well it went.
As for the number killed, I take Venezuelan reports with enough salt negatively affect my health. How may actual deaths were from random and panicked "friendly fire" from Cuban and Venezuelan troops and police?
[KhaamaPress] A US court sentenced an Afghan national to 15 years in prison over a foiled Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... -linked plot targeting the 2024 election.
U.S. judicial authorities have sentenced an Afghan national to 15 years in prison for plotting an attack linked to the 2024 U.S. election, officials said on Sunday.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Abdullah Hajizadeh
…previously in the Rantburg archives as Abdullah Haji Zada, an 18-year-old Afghan with permanent U.S. residency. He was convicted of assisting his sister’s husband, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi (also spelt Nasir Ahmad Toohidi), a legal refugee from Afghanistan, in plotting an election day terror attack in Oklahoma City for the glory of ISIS. Oddly enough, Mr. Tawhedi’s younger brother, Md. Tawhedi was picked up a week later in France for exactly the same thing, no doubt as a result of the authorities examining Elder Brother’s devices. Upon completion of Mr. Hajizadeh’s sentence, he will be deported and will lose his permanent residency and asylum eligibility….
was convicted of planning to acquire firearms on behalf of the Islamic State group, following a counterterrorism investigation.
Prosecutors said the plot was disrupted before it could be carried out, stressing that coordinated intelligence and law enforcement actions prevented any immediate threat to public safety.
The court ruled that Hajizadeh’s actions constituted a serious national security risk, underscoring ongoing concerns about election-related violence in the United States.
U.S. authorities have repeatedly warned that krazed killer groups continue to view major political events, including elections, as potential targets to gain attention and sow instability.
Federal agencies have increased surveillance and preventive measures in recent years, particularly amid heightened political polarization and global security tensions.
The sentencing comes as President Donald Trump ...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down... announced tougher immigration policies following the death of U.S. National Guard officer Sara Beckstrom from gunshot injuries in a separate incident.
Trump said his administration would permanently halt immigration from certain countries, including Afghanistan, tighten federal benefits for non-citizens, and revoke citizenship from individuals deemed security threats.
[IsraelTimes] Officers arrested nine Palestinians who had been working illegally in Israel, police say this morning.
The nine, all residents of Nablus in the northern West Bank, were nabbed in a car along with their driver, an Israeli citizen from Tira, who had been transporting them.
They were brought to court on Friday morning, where their detention was extended until Monday.
“Abdul, you lost another one?? You have to be more careful with your toys, boy — we can’t just run down to the corner store for a replacement anymore.”
[IsraelTimes] The IDF says troops operating in northern Gaza located a rocket launcher yesterday loaded with two rockets that were “ready to be fired at the State of Israel.”
The military says the launcher was found during a weapons-search operation in the Jabalia area as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Hamas terror infrastructure along the so-called “Yellow Line” in the northern Gaza Strip.
A military source says the launcher appears to be old and was found in a shaft. It was likely left in place from before the October ceasefire.
According to the IDF, forces under the Southern Command are deployed in the area under the terms of the ceasefire and will continue to act to remove any immediate threats.
[IsraelTimes] An Egyptian vessel briefly entered Israeli waters without authorization earlier today, the IDF says.
According to the military, Israeli Navy forces called on the vessel to stop, and after it failed to respond, warning shots were fired. The vessel subsequently changed course and returned to Egyptian waters. No casualties were reported.
“IDF forces acted in accordance with procedures, called on the vessel to stop, and after it failed to comply, dispersal measures were carried out,” the military says in response to queries. “The IDF emphasizes that Egypt is a key partner to the [Gaza] peace agreement, and security coordination between the two countries continues as usual.”
According to a military source, Egyptian officials expressed regret over the incident and took responsibility for it.
[IsraelTimes] Prosecutors are expected to indict a 15-year-old from northern Israel on terror charges, after he allegedly swore allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) group and began planning a terror attack.
The minor was arrested several weeks ago by police, operating off intelligence provided by the Shin Bet that indicated he had been in contact with ISIS affiliates abroad. Detailed instructions for preparing an explosive belt were found in his possession, police say.
According to police, the teen swore fealty to ISIS, expressed sympathy for past terror attacks against Israel, and took “practical steps” to plan his own.
Investigators have completed their investigation into the minor, and state prosecutors will file charges against him later today, police add.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/10/2026 00:00 ||
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[1765 views]
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[AnNahar] Israeli Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s on Friday targeted several areas in south and east Leb ...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects.... , with the Israeli army claiming that they struck alleged Hezbollah sites, a day after the Lebanese Army said it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm the group in the south.
In the south, the strikes hit open areas near Kfarfila, Sujud, Houmine al-Fawqa and Deir al-Zahrani in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region and the al-Bissariyeh area near Sidon. The raids also targeted the outskirts of the town of al-Nabi Sheet in the Bekaa and the al-Jabbour hills in west Bekaa.
The Israeli army said the strikes targeted "weapons depots and a weapons production site used by Hezbollah to rebuild and rearm its capabilities" as well as "launching sites and rocket launchers along with additional military buildings used by Hezbollah to advance terrorist plots against the IDF (Israeli army) and the State of Israel."
According to al-Arabiya television, 30 airstrikes were carried out by Israel in total.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has put Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on a higher state of alert than it was during its war with Israel last year, officials from the Islamic Republic tell The Telegraph as the country enters its 14th day of widespread protests.
“The leader has ordered the Sepah [IRGC] to remain on the highest level of readiness – even higher than during the June war,” a senior Iranian official tells The Telegraph.
“He is in closer contact with the IRGC than with the army or the police, because he believes the risk of IRGC defections is almost non-existent, whereas others have defected before. He has placed his fate in the hands of the IRGC.”
Iranian officials say underground “missile cities” have also been activated to deal with foreign threats.
One official dismissed a report earlier in the week that Khamenei has plans to flee to Moscow if an uprising threatens the regime. “He will not leave Tehran even if B-52s are flying overhead.”
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] In Tehran, protesters damaged dozens of banks and government buildings, and set fire to mosques and vehicles, according to Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani.
"They attacked 26 banks and set fire to 25 mosques," the mayor said on the state broadcaster IRIB.
Twenty-five mosques, 42 buses, ambulances, and 48 fire trucks dispatched to extinguish the blazes were also set on fire. Additionally, 24 apartments were damaged, and law enforcement posts were attacked.
Protests in Iran began on December 28th, sparked by the sharp decline in the Iranian rial. On December 31st, the Fez city administration building was attacked. On January 1st, in the city of Hamadan, one group of protesters burned a Quran and several other religious books, while another group attempted to attack a mosque.
A series of clashes between rioters and police were also reported. On January 3, groups of unidentified armed men took to the streets of Serbale, firing bursts into the air while shouting anti-government slogans.
On January 8, a complete internet shutdown was observed across Iran amid ongoing protests. This followed a series of other measures aimed at curbing protest activity in the country.
Protesters on Friday erupted into the streets of Iranian cities for a 13th day in a row, defying threats by authorities of a crackdown and despite reports that security forces had opened fire and killed demonstrators over the past day.
More than 51 protesters have been killed in 13 days of demonstrations 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... sparked by anger against the regime and the rising cost of living, the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said Friday.
"At least 51 protesters, including nine children under the age of 18, have been killed and hundreds more injured in the first thirteen days of the new round of nationwide protests in Iran," said the rights group, raising a previous toll of 45 issued the day earlier.
Protests are now marked by calls for the end of the Islamist holy manal system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the pro-Western shah.
Internet monitor Netblocks said authorities had now imposed a "nationwide internet shutdown" for the last 24 hours that was violating the rights of Iranians and "masking regime violence."
Despite the crackdown in communications, thousands erupted into the streets in Mashhad — Iran’s second-largest city and the hometown of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> — on Friday night, an eyewitness told Iran International.
Unverified videos on social media also apparently showed large crowds protesting in the capital city of Tehran.
The protests represented the first test of whether the Iranian public could be swayed by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose fatally ill father fled Iran just before the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pahlavi, who called for the protests Thursday night, similarly called for demonstrations at 8 p.m. Friday.
Demonstrations have included cries in support of the shah, something that could bring a death sentence ...the barbaric practice of sentencing a murderer to be punished for as long as his/her/its victim is dead... in the past but now underlines the anger fueling the protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy.
An eyewitness who left Iran for Oman on Friday told anti-regime outlet Iran International that in his hometown of Rafsanjan, "the entire 30-Meter Street was gridlocked for five hours, packed with people chanting slogans and calling out for Prince Pahlavi," the night before.
"All the propaganda banners belonging to the Islamic Theocratic Republic along the street were set on fire. Anti-holy manal slogans covered the area around the governor’s office, and people set the governor’s office itself on fire."
The full scope of the protests is difficult to ascertain due to the communications blackout, while state media generally plays down anti-regime rallies.
However,
women are made to be loved, not understood... Thursday and Friday night’s rallies appeared to represent an escalation in the growing movement.
Earlier on Friday, hundreds of people erupted into the streets in the Sunni-majority city of Zahedan in southeastern Iran.
The protests were largely attended by members of the Baluch ethnic group and included a women’s rally where participants were heard chanting "From Zahedan to Iran, my life for Iran" and "This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return."
The Haalvsh Baluch rights site said Iranian security forces opened fire on some of the protesters, wounding several of them.
The shooting reportedly took place near the city’s Makki Mosque, where demonstrators prayed before taking to the streets.
13TH DAY OF ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT PROTESTS IN IRAN
Additionally, disturbing footage shared by Iran International showed the bodies of seven people lying on the ground after protests in the town of Fardis, west of Tehran.
The outlet said the video was verified by fact-checking platform Factnameh, and stated that there was no official confirmation of the individuals’ condition, but that demonstrators had come under live fire.
In another video, footage showed multiple bodies on the floor at a Tehran hospital after protests on Thursday, with people crying over them.
REASSESSMENT BY US, ISRAEL Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his shoulder. Ow! he exclaimed, with feeling...... US intelligence agencies are reassessing their view from earlier this week that the protests in Iran did not pose a threat to the regime, a US official told Axios.
"The protests are serious, and we will continue to monitor them," the senior US official said.
Israel, too, has changed its assessment and increasingly believes the uprising may become more serious and threaten the regime, Channel 12 news said in an unsourced report on Friday.
Israel has identified that protests have grown and spread to many regions, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has begun to crack down on demonstrations, indicating an intensifying situation, the report said.
TEHRAN CLAIMS ISRAEL, US INTERVENING Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his shoulder. Ow! he exclaimed, with feeling...... Iran’s foreign minister accused the US and Israel on Friday of fueling the growing protest movement in the country, while dismissing the possibility of direct foreign military intervention after US warnings over crackdowns on demonstrators.
"This is what the Americans and Israelis have stated, that they are directly intervening in the protests in Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during a visit to Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... "They are trying to transform the peaceful protests into divisive ...politicians call things divisive when when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never divisive, they're principled... and violent mostly peaceful ones," he said, adding that "regarding the possibility of seeing military intervention against Iran, we believe there is a low possibility of this because their previous attempts were total failures."
The exiled son of Iran’s late Shah appealed to US President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and whatever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th and 47th President of the United States... to intervene urgently on behalf of the protesters on Friday.
"Mr. President, this is an urgent and immediate call for your attention, support and action," Reza Pahlavi wrote on social media. "Please be prepared to intervene to help the people of Iran."
Pahlavi, who lives in the Washington area, did not specify the intervention he was seeking but pointed to both an internet blackout and the threat of the use of force against protesters.
"I have called the people to the streets to fight for their freedom and to overwhelm the security forces with sheer numbers. Last night they did that," he wrote.
"Your threat to this criminal regime has also kept the regime’s thugs at bay. But time is of the essence. The people will be on the streets again in an hour. I am asking you to help."
Pahlavi had said he would offer further plans depending on the response to his call. His support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past — particularly after the 12-day war Israel waged on Iran in June. Though demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some demonstrations, it isn’t clear whether that’s support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Trump, who ordered the bombing last year of Iranian nuclear sites in coordination with Israel, last week threatened military action if authorities kill protesters.
Tehran protesters were heard chanting "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran" during nighttime protests in Pasdaran Avenue, north of the capital, on Friday night. pic.twitter.com/tPpYTHfwXD
I guess he didn’t flee to Russia after all. Darn it.
[IsraelTimes] Islamic Republic’s supreme leader says Trump, who’s threatened to hit Iran if demonstrators are killed, has hands ‘stained with the blood of Iranians’ and will be ‘overthrown’
Iran’s supreme leader signaled Friday that security forces would crack down on protesters after they screamed from windows and marched through the streets overnight, directly challenging US President Donald Trump’s pledge to support those peacefully demonstrating.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed Trump as having hands “stained with the blood of Iranians” as supporters shouted “Death to America!” in footage aired by Iranian state television.
Protesters are “ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy,” Khamenei said, referring to Trump. There was no immediate response from Washington, though Trump reiterated his pledge to strike Iran if protesters are killed.
The cleric-ruler called the demonstrators “vandals” and “saboteurs” in a speech broadcast on state TV.
Khamenei predicted the “arrogant” US leader would be “overthrown” like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution.
“Everyone knows the Islamic Republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people. It will not back down in the face of saboteurs,” he added.
Despite Iran’s theocracy cutting off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls, short online videos shared by activists purported to show protesters chanting against Iran’s government around bonfires as debris littered the streets in the capital, Tehran, and other areas into Friday morning.
Iranian state media alleged “terrorist agents” of the US and Israel set fires and sparked violence. It also said there were “casualties,” without elaborating.
The full scope of the demonstrations couldn’t be immediately determined due to the communications blackout, though it represented yet another escalation in protests that began over Iran’s ailing economy and that has morphed into the most significant challenge to the government in several years. The protests have intensified steadily since beginning on December 28.
10 pm in Iran
🚨 For the 2nd night in a row, massive crowds are marching in Mashhad—the 2nd-largest city in Iran & Khamenei’s hometown.
Witnesses say neither the beginning nor the end of the crowd is visible to the naked eye. pic.twitter.com/mB2HGUFW2b
#Syria 🇸🇾: Druze Group “National Guard Forces” struck Syrian Army (former #HTS) position in the village of Al-Mazra'a in #Sweida (#Suwayda).#Druze militias notably used an uncommon #Russia-made 🇷🇺 “9K115-2” Missile (ATGM) system with 9M131M “Metis-M1” missile. pic.twitter.com/Xz3G0mcx8b
Ethnic cleansing: Over 138,000 displaced from Aleppo arrive in Afrin, aid underway
[Rudaw] The Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) says more than 138,000 people displaced from the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh in northern Aleppo have been displaced to Afrin, where the foundation has begun providing urgent humanitarian assistance.
Rawaj Haji, a member of the BCF administrative board, told Rudaw on Friday that the foundation has activated large-scale relief efforts in the area. "Our office in Afrin has launched two major projects within Afrin to assist those in the area who are in need of urgent aid," Haji said.
He added that, based on official figures, tens of thousands of families have returned to the region.
"According to the governor of Aleppo, 27,000 families from those two Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo have returned to Afrin and its surrounding areas," Haji stated.
Haji stressed that the vast majority of returnees are originally from Afrin.
"Ninty-five percent of those who returned are original inhabitants of Afrin - their homeland. Some have gone to stay with relatives, while those who do not have a place ready have been accommodated in two camps; one holds 70 families and the other 30 families. We are still receiving families now," he said.
According to the BCF official, dozens of staff members have been mobilized to manage the influx.
"Fifty of our staff members have begun working across three activity zones to welcome those returning," Haji noted, adding that "they are being provided with water and basic necessities. Today, hot meals consisting of rice, chicken, and soup are being prepared for 3,000 people."
He also highlighted medical needs among the displaced. "Among those who arrived in Afrin are maimed individuals. We have sent more than 10 health teams to assist the injured and those in need of medical treatment," Haji said.
Figures shared with Rudaw show that, as of Thursday evening, 27,750 families have returned to Afrin, totaling 138,750 individuals.
The displacement of Kurdish families from Aleppo follows a large-scale offensive launched by the Syrian Arab Army against the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, now in its fourth day. The Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish), affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have continued to repel the attacks. According to official figures, at least 20 people have been killed and 57 others injured so far.
Afrin fell under the control of Ottoman Turkish-backed Syrian factions in 2018, triggering the displacement of thousands of Kurdish residents to Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods and the nearby Shahba district. Since then, numerous international organizations have documented widespread human rights ...not to be confused with individual rights, mind you... violations against the remaining Kurdish population in the area.
Following the ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... in early December 2024, control of Afrin has largely shifted to General Security forces aligned with Syria’s new leadership.
The latest escalation comes despite a landmark agreement reached in March between the SDF and Damascus that established a nationwide ceasefire. Talks between the SDF and the interim government are ongoing, with the most recent round held on Sunday but failing to produce any tangible outcomes, according to Syrian state media.
President Barzani, Syria's Sharaa discuss developments in Syria
[Rudaw] President Masoud Barzani and Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stressed Kurdish rights, inclusion and the need to preserve social peace in Syria during a phone call on Friday, as fighting and mass displacement intensify in Aleppo's predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsood.
“In the phone call, the latest political developments in Syria and regional dynamics were discussed,” Barzani’s headquarters said in a statement, adding that “both sides stressed the need for mutual cooperation and stability.”
According to the statement, Barzani expressed appreciation for Sharaa’s vision and voiced support for “the wishes and aspirations of Syrians to build a state that includes and involves all sides and components.” He also emphasized the need for continued consultation and coordination “to consider the interests of all sides and preserve social peace.”
Syria’s presidency said Sharaa, for his part, stressed that Kurds are “an authentic and fundamental component of the fabric of the Syrian people,” affirming the state’s commitment to guaranteeing “all their national, political, and civil rights on equal footing with the rest of the Syrian people, without any discrimination.”
The call came days after Barzani, on Wednesday, warned of a “serious threat” to civilian lives in Aleppo and cautioned against “the danger of ethnic cleansing against Kurds in that area.” He urged Damascus “not to turn political disagreements into ethnic conflict” and warned against pressure, displacement, or “ethnic cleansing against Kurdish citizens.”
The two men, civilians who had chosen to remain at their workplace despite intensifying violence, were bumped off after the hospital was shelled by tanks. The attack was carried out by armed factions affiliated with the Damascus government, according to family members.
Ali Osman, 37, and his uncle Adnan Osman, 58, were originally from Afrin. They were killed inside Osman Hospital, a private medical facility built and managed by the Osman family. Adnan oversaw the hospital’s administration, while Ali worked there as a pharmacist.
"Their bodies are now at the morgue," said Mohammad Osman, Adnan’s brother, speaking to Rudaw from Denmark. "In a few hours, they will be taken back to our village in Afrin for burial."
Mohammad said the killing came shortly after the hospital was struck by tank fire. Despite the presence of other doctors and Arab medical staff inside the facility at the time, only the two Kurdish men were targeted.
"There were other physicians and health workers there. They were left unharmed," he said. "After killing my brother and nephew, the attackers stole money and personal belongings from the hospital."
His voice faltered as he reflected on the family’s years of service to the community.
"We served Arabs more than we served Kurds," he said bitterly. "And this is the reward we receive."
He said the murderous Moslems brutally struck his brother and nephew in the face with the butts of their firearms before killing them.
Adnan Osman leaves behind five children - two sons and three daughters - while Ali Osman is survived by two young sons.
Tensions have escalated in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyah, where festivities have erupted between the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its affiliated factions on one side, and Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish), linked to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on the other.
Waleed Khoja, Adnan’s cousin, told Rudaw from Erbil that the two men had made a conscious decision to stay behind at the hospital to ensure medical services would continue despite the fighting.
"They were killed because of their identity," Khoja said. "This was deliberate. It was a clear and blatant massacre."
Khoja recounted his last contact with Ali Osman. "At around 9 pm [on Thursday], Ali called me and said they [armed factions] had entered the hospital," he said. "Later, we were told they had been arrested. When we called again, the murderous Moslems said, ’God willing, nothing will happen. There is no problem. They will be released.’"
Hours later, the truth emerged. "Around 2 or 3 in the morning, a neighbor went inside the hospital to see who was alive and who was dead," Khoja said. "He found that Adnan had been shot in the chest. They were both killed together."
Khoja stressed that neither man had any political affiliation.
"They were civilians. They had nothing to do with parties or politics," he said. "When Ashrafiyah was bombed, they could have left. But they stayed to guard the hospital. They said, ’Let’s protect it.’"
Osman Hospital was built in 2010 by five brothers, all physicians who had earned advanced medical degrees abroad. It officially opened its doors in 2013 and grew into a seven-story medical facility employing more than 50 residents from the Ashrafiyah neighborhood. Licensed and fully operational, the hospital provided a wide range of services, including surgeries and childbirth, and continued to operate even during earlier phases of Syria’s conflict.
Now, it has been rendered inoperable.
"Because the hospital is tall and located at the entrance of the neighborhood, it has suffered massive structural damage," Khoja said. "This is not the first time it has been targeted."
Local officials say at least 20 people have been killed and 75 others maimed in Aleppo over the past four days.
CEASEFIRE AMID ONGOING FIGHTING
In response to the violence, Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire early Friday in northern Aleppo, calling on Kurdish forces—described by Damascus as "gangs"—to withdraw from the area by a set deadline.
The United States welcomed the temporary truce, according to US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack.
However,
alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk... the general council of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyah, which is affiliated with the Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria (Rojava), rejected the government’s demands. In an urgent statement issued Friday afternoon, the council emphasized that residents would not surrender their neighborhoods.
"The calls directed by the Damascus government forces to our people and our security forces are calls for surrender," the statement said. "Our people in these neighborhoods are determined to stay and defend them."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
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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
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Supressor of the Damascenes...
