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Recent Appearances...

Government Corruption

The DOJ's Assault on White Christians Is Worse Than You Think - Harmeet Dhillon Is Exposing the Rot.

2025-05-23

[YouTube] For decades, big city mayors have hired public employees based on race. That’s illegal but nobody’s stopped them. Then Harmeet Dhillon took over the civil rights division at DoJ.

Carlson video and interview.

Harmeet Dhillon - Wikipedia
Harmeet Kaur Dhillon (born 1969) is an American lawyer and Republican Party official serving as the United States assistant attorney general for the civil rights division since 2025.

Link

Olde Tyme Religion

Antisemitic fliers thrown from car in Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh

2025-05-21

[IsraelTimes] Papers found in neighborhood that endured 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting include quotes cherry-picked from the Talmud that aim to show Jewish discrimination against non-Jews

Fliers denigrating Jews were strewn around Squirrel Hill, and residents were reportedly targeted with antisemitic epithets, the latest antisemitic incident in the neighborhood that suffered the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting.

The fliers were reportedly thrown from a moving vehicle, according to Pittsburgh Police. Police said the fliers were in clear bags weighed with corn kernels so that they could be thrown effectively.

One of the fliers read, "Every single aspect of the Jewish Talmud is satanic," according to a photo shared by Corey O’Connor, the county comptroller and a candidate for Pittsburgh mayor.

The flier included quotes cherry-picked from the Talmud — a vast compendium of ancient rabbinic debates over Jewish law and tradition — that aim to show Jewish discrimination against non-Jews. Pulling quotes from the Talmud to depict Jews in a negative light is an age-old antisemitic mainstay.

"Despicable antisemitic acts like those taking place in Squirrel Hill today have no place in our city," O’Connor tweeted.

The suspects were not immediately identified by police, but the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh attributed the actions to the Goyim Defense League, a white supremacist group. The federation also said the driver hurled antisemitic slurs at local Jews.

"This kind of hate has no place in our neighborhoods," said Laura Cherner, director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council, in a statement. "Our community is strong, united and we will stand together to oppose these vile actions."

A recent report from the Anti-Defamation League found that the Goyim Defense League was one of three white supremacist groups that were collectively responsible for 94% of all antisemitic propaganda in 2024.

An overachieving few? That’s comforting.

"Antisemitic materials that were distributed in parts of Squirrel Hill today are reprehensible and have no place in Pittsburgh," said Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey in a statement. "We will not stand for such hateful acts meant to intimidate our neighbors."

Distributing fliers has been a common tactic of antisemitic groups in recent years. Shortly after the synagogue shooting in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, Squirrel Hill was hit with antisemitic fliers.

More recently, last July, an inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas
Hamas

..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
that has been adopted by pro-Paleostinian protesters, was painted on the neighborhood Chabad center, close to the site of the shooting.

Last week, several Jewish organizations in Las Vegas also received threatening, antisemitic letters, sparking safety concerns. The local Jewish federation responded to the letters in a post on instagram, calling for community members to "stay vigilant with incoming mail."

One organization that received a letter, Friendship Circle Las Vegas, is a Jewish program that connects volunteers with children and young adults with special needs.

Its executive director, Rabbi Levi Harlig, posted a photo of the letter on Instagram. It read: "To all Zionist Jews stay out of our valley. We will destroy your synagogues Hamas lives on you all burn in hell."

"The irony of this hateful letter? It was sent to our nonprofit—an organization built on inclusion, love, and friendship," wrote Harlig in the caption next to the photo. "But we’re not afraid. We won’t be silenced, and we won’t back down. We will double our efforts to spread light, kindness, and unity. Goodness will always be louder than hate. Am Yisrael Chai."

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Nalchik residents honored the memory of the victims of the Caucasian War by lighting candles

2025-05-21

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Residents of Nalchik came to the Tree of Life memorial to take part in a memorial evening dedicated to the 161st anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War. At the end of the evening, they lit 101 candles in memory of those killed.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot", on May 20, 2024, residents of Kabardino-Balkaria honored the memory of the victims of the Caucasian War on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of its end. They gathered in Nalchik at the "Tree of Life" monument. The participants of the action said that they try to come to the memorial every year to pay tribute to the memory of those who died for the independence of the Circassian people.

The Caucasian War, which lasted from 1763 to 1864, brought the Adyghe people to the brink of extinction. After the war and the mass deportation of the Adyghe to the Ottoman Empire, only a little more than 50,000 people remained in their homeland. The Russian authorities have still not made a decision to recognize the genocide of the Circassians during the war, according to a report from the "Caucasian Knot".

At least two hundred people gathered for the event at the memorial. Some of the men who participated in the event were dressed in national costumes (Circassian coats), a correspondent for the “Caucasian Knot” reported.

A literary and musical composition was performed for those gathered: actors of the Kabardian theater read poetry, and musicians, folk singers Artur Dyshekov, Azamat Pekov, Asiyat Cherkesova, Oksana Khakulova, the ensemble "Chegem Waterfalls" and others performed gybze (lament songs) dedicated to the events of the Caucasian War. Folk melodies on the shikapshin were performed by musician Zuber Euaz. At the end of the evening, the participants of the event traditionally lit 101 candles on the pedestal of the monument.

Nalchik resident Beslan Khagazheyev, who was present at the event, explained his participation in the action by the fact that the memory of his ancestors is sacred to him. “They gave their lives in an unequal struggle for their identity, customs, laws - everything that they valued and that was sacred to them. Every Adyghe is obliged to honor their ancestors. This gives us the right to exist,” he told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Khagazheev noted that he knows about the events of the Caucasian War only from books, and his family has not preserved any family memories of that period. According to him, too much time has passed today for people to remember the personal stories of older relatives through generations, especially since the participants in those events either died or were deported. "There are many historical sources from which one can learn about these distant events. This must be done, the people must know their history," the Nalchik resident added.

Baksan resident Islam Batyrov said that he comes to the monument every year on the anniversary of the end of the Caucasian War, "just to stand and be silent." "It is impossible to listen to these songs indifferently, they penetrate into the very heart," he said.

Batyrov shares the opinion that history must be known, noting that "it should not be a burden and drag us back into the past." "Knowing our history, we must move forward: develop our culture, study our native language, so that one day we do not find ourselves in front of the fact that new generations cannot read and write in the Kabardian language," said a participant in the evening.

In his opinion, in order to preserve their identity, the Adyghe need to pay more attention to studying their native language, customs and traditions. "Unfortunately, everything that our ancestors held dear, everything that they fought for, died for, is now being lost by us simply like that, voluntarily. We are ready to succumb to any influence - be it Arabic or European, but we do not even try to preserve our own," he stated.

Khusein Tukov from Nalchik also attends the memorial events every year. "We come to remember our ancestors who disappeared in this war. This memory is important to us, it unites all the Adyghe people of the world," he said.

A rally near the Tree of Life memorial is planned for May 21.

Link

Fifth Column

Freed from ICE custody, Palestinian activist graduates from Columbia to cheers

2025-05-20

[IsraelTimes] Mahdawi Mahdawi joins post-commencement ceremony vigil outside university’s gates, raising photograph of his classmate Mahmoud Khalil, who remains in federal custody

Less than three weeks after his release from an immigration jail, the Paleostinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi strode across the graduation stage at Columbia University on Monday morning, savoring a moment the Trump administration had fought to make impossible.

Draped in a keffiyeh, Mahdawi, 34, paused to listen to the swell of cheers from his fellow graduates. Then he joined a vigil just outside Columbia’s gates, raising a photograph of his classmate Mahmoud Khalil, who remains in federal custody.

"It’s very mixed emotions," Mahdawi told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named. "The Trump administration wanted to rob me of this opportunity. They wanted me to be in a prison, in prison clothes, to not have education and to not have joy or celebration."

You already got the education, idiot, though clearly it didn’t take if you are that confused about the situation. “They” just didn’t see reason to keep you in the country long enough to be formally handed that sheepskin while wearing a pseudo-Medieval costume.

Mahdawi, a 34-year-old legal resident of the US, was detained during an April 14 citizenship interview in Vermont, part of the widening federal crackdown on pro-Paleostinian activists.

He was released two weeks later by a judge, who likened the government’s actions to McCarthyist repression. Federal officials have not accused Mahdawi of committing a crime, but argued that he and other anti-Israel student activists should be deported for beliefs that may undermine US foreign policy.

For Mahdawi, who earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Columbia’s School of General Studies,

…perfectly suited for standing behind a counter in colourful polyester for minimum wage, politely asking, “Would you like fries with that?”

the graduation marked a bittersweet return to a university that he says has betrayed him and other students.

"The senior administration is selling the soul of this university to the Trump administration, participating in the destruction and the degradation of our democracy," Mahdawi said.

He pointed to Columbia’s decision to acquiesce to the Trump administration’s demands — including placing its Middle Eastern studies department under new leadership — as well as its failure to speak out against his and Khalil’s arrest.

He said Columbia’s leadership had denied his pleas for protection prior to his arrest, then ignored his attorney’s request for a letter supporting his release from jail.

A spokesperson for Columbia University did not return an emailed inquiry.

Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. At Columbia, he organized campus protests, led a Buddhist association

…clearly a matter of protective colouration and taqqiya, because while he reportedly meditates beautifully, there is no peace to be found in his heart…

and co-founded the Paleostinian Student Union with Khalil.

The Jordanian-Palestinian graduate philosophy student at Columbia boasted to a Vermont Gun shop owner that he had plenty of experience with guns, having built 9mm submachine guns and used them to kill Jews back home in Palestine — he started his career throwing rocks at IDF soldiers as a child, then led anti-Israel Palestinian student groups since arriving in America a decade ago, true to the traditions in his family where a cousin is an Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade field commander. He is president of the anti-Israel Palestinian Students Union at Columbia, since 10/7 organizing violent anti-Israel protests and taking the opportunity to beat up Jews, for which he was arrested thrice; he was also caught at the Canadian border with drugs, but one imagines the judge did not think that a notable event; Mr. Mahdawi did not think any of this an issue before he was arrested for a revoked green card on his way to his scheduled citizenship exam.

Khalil would have received his diploma from a Columbia master’s program in international studies later this week. He remains incarcerated
Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out!
in Louisiana as he awaits a decision from a federal judge about his possible release.

Mr. Khalil, 30, was a frontman for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the student coalition that spearheaded violent and vicious anti-Israel protests at the school, hosted at least one specially designated foreign terrorist, and broke into, occupied, and vandalized a university building. All of which led the Trump administration to treat Columbia like a post-Civil War southern state in need of Reconstruction.

As he prepares for a lengthy legal battle, Mahdawi faces his own uncertain future. He was previously admitted to a master’s degree program at Columbia, where he planned to study "peacekeeping and conflict resolution"

…no doubt he planned to apply his steller Jew-beating skills to the problem, or perhaps he still prefers his youthful favourites: rocks and homemade submachine guns..

in the fall. But he is reconsidering his options after learning this month that he would not receive financial aid.

Somebody finally noticed the not-so-minor problems with that...

For now, he said, he would continue to advocate for the Paleostinian cause, buoyed by the support he says he has received from the larger Columbia community.

"When I went on the stage, the message was very clear and loud: They are cheering up for the idea of justice, for the idea of peace, for the idea of equality, for the idea of humanity, and nothing will stop us from continuing to do that. Not the Trump administration nor Columbia University," he said.

How much time and federal money do you suppose that particular bit of stupidity cost the university, dear Reader?

The School of General Studies graduation comes two days before Columbia’s university-wide commencement, as colleges across the country are bracing for possible disruptions.

Last week, New York University announced it would withhold the diploma of a student speaker who criticized Israel’s prosecution of the war 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...
in his graduation speech.

Link

International-UN-NGOs

Trump’s sanctions on ICC prosecutor said to have halted tribunal’s work

2025-05-16

[IsraelTimes] Key organizations paused cooperation with International Criminal Court, chief prosecutor Karim Khan lost email access; US measures response to arrest warrants issued for Israeli leaders

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has lost access to his email, and his bank accounts have been frozen.

The Hague-based court’s American staffers have been told that if they travel to the US they risk arrest.

Some non-governmental organizations have stopped working with the ICC and the leaders of one won’t even reply to emails from court officials.

Those are just some of the hurdles facing court staff since US President Donald Trump
...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party...
in February slapped sanctions on its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, according to interviews with current and former ICC officials, international lawyers and human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
advocates.

The sanctions will "prevent victims from getting access to justice," warned Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

Trump sanctioned the court after a panel of ICC judges in November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-defense minister, Yoav Gallant. The US and Israel are not members of the court.

Judges found there was reason to believe that the pair may have committed war crimes by restricting humanitarian aid

and intentionally targeting civilians in Israel’s campaign against the Hamas
Hamas

..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
terror group 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...
— charges Israeli officials deny.

Israel says it goes to great lengths to avoid harming civilians as it targets Hamas and other terror groups who have built a warren of fortified tunnels under Gaza and routinely use civilian infrastructure like schools and hospitals as command centers and to carry out attacks.

Staffers and allies of the ICC said the sanctions have made it increasingly difficult for the tribunal to conduct basic tasks, let alone seek justice for victims of war crimes or genocide.

A spokesperson for the ICC and for Khan declined to comment. In February, ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane said that the sanctions "constitute serious attacks against the Court’s States Parties, the rule of law based international order and millions of victims."

ORDER TARGETS CHIEF PROSECUTOR
The February order bans Khan and other non-Americans among the ICC’s 900 staff members from entering the United States. It also threatens any person, institution or company with fines and prison time if they provide Khan with "financial, material, or technological support."

The sanctions are hampering work on a broad array of investigations, not just the one into Israel’s leaders.

The ICC, for example, had been investigating atrocities in Sudan
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
and had issued arrest warrants for former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir
...Former President-for-Life of Sudan. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself head cheese. He fell out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to Arabize Darfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. He was overthrown by popular consent in 2019. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it...
on charges that include genocide. That probe has ground to a halt even as reports mount of new atrocities in Sudan, according to an attorney representing an ICC prosecutor who is fighting the sanctions in US courts. The prosecutor, Eric Iverson, filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking protection from the sanctions.

Her client "cannot do, what I would describe as, basic lawyer functions," said Allison Miller, who is representing Iverson in the suit.

American staffers at the organization, like Iverson, have been warned by its attorneys that they risk arrest if they return home to visit family, according to ICC officials. Six bigwigs have left the court over concerns about sanctions.

One reason the court has been hamstrung is that it relies heavily on contractors and non-governmental organizations. Those businesses and groups have curtailed work on behalf of the court because they were concerned about being targeted by US authorities, according to current and former ICC staffers.

Microsoft, for example, cancelled Khan’s email address, forcing the prosecutor to move to Proton Mail, a Swiss email provider, ICC staffers said. His bank accounts in his home country of the United Kingdom have been blocked.

Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment.

Staffers at a non-governmental organization that plays an integral role in the court’s efforts to gather evidence and find witnesses said the group has transferred money out of US bank accounts because they fear it might be seized by the Trump administration.

Senior leadership at two other US-based human rights organizations told the AP that their groups have stopped working with the ICC. A senior staffer at one told the AP that employees have even stopped replying to emails from court officials out of fear of triggering a response from the Trump administration.

The cumulative effect of such actions has led ICC staffers to openly wonder whether the organization can survive the Trump administration, according to ICC officials who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.

Said one such official: "It’s hard to see how the court makes it through the next four years."

TRUMP ALLEGED ICC&RSQUO;S ACTIONS WERE BASELESS
Trump, a staunch supporter of Netanyahu, issued his sanctions order shortly after retaking office, accusing the ICC of "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel." Washington says the court has no jurisdiction over Israel.

Trump’s order said the ICC’s "actions against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel, including active service members of the Armed Forces." He said the court’s "malign conduct" threatens "the illusory sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States Government."

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Netanyahu has dismissed the ICC’s allegations as "absurd," and Israel’s Knesset is considering legislation that would make providing evidence to the court a crime.

Israel launched its offensive after Hamas-led turbans stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 as hostages to Gaza. Of those, 57, over half of whom are believed dead, are still in captivity, plus the body of a soldier held for the past decade.

COPING WITH DARK HUMOR
Inside the court, staffers have been coping with dark humor, joking about how they cannot even loan Khan a pen or risk appearing on the US radar.

This is not the first time the ICC has drawn Trump’s ire. In 2020, the former Trump administration sanctioned Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, and one of her deputies over the court’s investigation into alleged crimes committed in Afghanistan while the United States military was operating in the country.

US president Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. Joe's wife and daughter weren't killed by a drunk driver. He didn't graduate with three or even two degrees, wasn't in the top half of his law class, and his daddy didn't come home from a hard day's work in the mines and play football with the guys. The NAACP hasn't endorsed him every time he's run....
rescinded the sanctions when he took office several months later.

Three lawsuits are now pending from US court staff and consultants against the Trump administration, arguing that the sanctions infringe on their freedom of expression. Earlier this week Iverson, the lawyer investigating genocide in Sudan, won temporary protection from prosecution but if other US citizens at the court want a similar assurance, they would have to bring their own complaint.

Meanwhile,
...back at the abandoned silver mine, a triangular dorsal fin appeared in the water. Then another...
the court is facing an increasing lack of cooperation from countries normally considered to be its staunchest supporters.

The ICC has no enforcement apparatus of its own and relies on member states. In the last year, three countries — including two in the European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
— have refused to execute warrants issued by the court.

The renewed assault from the Trump administration comes as the court was already facing internal challenges. Last year, just weeks before Khan announced he was requesting arrest warrants for the Israeli officials, two court staff reported the British barrister had harassed a female aide, according to reporting by the News Agency that Dare Not be Named.

Khan has categorically denied the accusations that he groped and tried to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship. A United Nations
...aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society...
investigation is underway, and Khan has since been accused of retaliating against staff who supported the woman, including demoting several people he felt were critical of him.

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Europe

Romania has 24 hours to save the country from a Russian-backed kleptocrat

2025-05-16

[X]

Romania has 24 hours to save the country from a Russian-backed kleptocrat seeking to reverse all the progress that brought them out of decades of brutal repression.

"Life in freedom or death! everyone shouts. Let's vote! Go Nicușor! Long live Romania!"
pic.twitter.com/LpT4zh6cq2
— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) May 15, 2025

Link

-Lurid Crime Tales-

US military would be unleashed on enemy drones on the homeland if bipartisan bill passes

2025-05-16

[FoxNews] Dozens of drones that traipsed over Langley Air Force base in late 2023 revealed an astonishing oversight: Military officials did not believe they had the authority to shoot down the unmanned vehicles over the U.S. homeland.

A new bipartisan bill, known as the COUNTER Act, seeks to rectify that, offering more bases the opportunity to become a "covered facility," or one that has the authority to shoot down drones that encroach on their airspace.

The new bill has broad bipartisan and bicameral support, giving it a greater chance of becoming law. It’s led by Armed Services Committee members Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Kirsten Gillibrand

...Machine non-entity selected to become the successor to Hillary Clinton as Senatrix-for-Life from Noo Yawk. She ran for the Dem presidential nomination in 2020. She has no observable principles, will apparently say anything to anyone, and seemingly lacks any personality of her own....
, D-N.Y., in the Senate, and companion legislation is being introduced by August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., in the House.

Currently, only half of the 360 domestic U.S. bases are considered "covered facilities" that are allowed to engage with unidentified drones. The legislation expands the narrow definition of a covered facility under current statute to allow all military facilities that have a well-defined perimeter to apply for approval that allows them to engage with drones.

Shooting down Chinese drones? Sounds like fun.

Link

-Lurid Crime Tales-

Tim Tebow Exposes the Dark World of Child Predators

2025-05-13

[YouTube]

Full interview can be found here

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 12, 2025

2025-05-13

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:35 Austria is ready to become a platform for negotiations on the settlement of Russia's war against Ukraine. This was stated by Chancellor Christian Stocker.

The politician noted that he is focusing on trying to move peace talks on Ukraine to Vienna.

"Vienna remains a good place for negotiations on international issues in the future. This would also be possible for a war in Ukraine," Stocker said.

21:45 The President held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

"The key issue is Ukraine's missile program and our drones, all types of drones that we need. There were reports on the use of drones, on accuracy, on the results of defeats at the front," he said.

The head of state thanked domestic producers. "We are also working to protect our infrastructure so that we can defend ourselves in the long term, and these are systemic solutions, and responsibility for implementation is personal," Zelensky added.

21.38 President Volodymyr Zelensky heard reports from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky on the situation at the front.

"Donetsk region and Kursk direction - the most brutal battles continue there. Our guys - 33rd, 225th, 425th assault regiments - thank you. Kramatorsk direction - soldiers of the 24th separate mechanized brigade - well done! Pokrovsk direction - 14 117th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - thank you!" - said the head of state.

21:30 The world has still not received a response from the Kremlin about a ceasefire. Russia will need to end the war it has unleashed against Ukraine in any case. It is better to do it sooner. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky in an evening video address.

"Moscow has been silent all day about the proposal for a direct meeting. A very strange silence. Russia will have to end the war anyway, and it would be better to do it sooner. There is no point in continuing the killing. President Erdogan has expressed his full readiness to accept the meeting. It is important that President Trump fully supports the meeting, and we would like him to find a way to be in Turkey."

21.17 The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has held Russia responsible for the downing of passenger plane flight MH17 in July 2014 in Donbass.

The ISAO Council has made a decision on the dispute initiated by the Netherlands and Australia in March 2022 against Russia over the downing of flight MH17 on 17 July 2014.

The ruling also said Russia violated the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation because it unlawfully used its weapons against a passenger plane.

The next step should be to determine the form of compensation from Russia. First, the ISAO should oblige the Russian Federation to start negotiations with the Netherlands and Australia and facilitate this process.

20:45 State institutions of the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan have publicly acknowledged the death of 5,000 servicemen in the war against Ukraine. This is reported by Russian media.

Several schools and libraries in the republic held memorial events dedicated to the 5,000 residents of the region killed at the front. During the events, schoolchildren created portraits of the dead, and libraries presented citizens with detailed statistics broken down by age, military rank, and areas of residence of the military. The materials were accompanied by the hashtag #5000Bashkir.

According to the Telegram channel Alien War Bashkiria , the number of dead residents of the republic currently stands at over 5,500. According to the Mediazona project and the BBC Russian Service, the names of 4,888 deceased natives of Bashkortostan have been established to date. Aspects Bashkortostan reports 5,188 officially confirmed deaths as of May 8, 2025.

20:20 President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan key details of the meeting in Turkey, in particular the need for a ceasefire and its monitoring.

"I spoke with President Erdogan. We discussed key details of the meeting in Turkey, which could help end the war. I am grateful for the support and readiness at the highest level to facilitate diplomacy. We still see the need for a ceasefire," the head of state said.

According to the president, it is also necessary for partners to ensure monitoring of the ceasefire.

19.02 The presence of US President Donald Trump at possible direct negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia in Turkey is very important and can change a lot. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote about this in Telegram.

18:20 US President Donald Trump does not rule out a visit to Turkey on May 15, where the leaders of Ukraine and Russia may meet. He said this at a briefing in the White House. The American leader may attend the meeting of the delegations of Ukraine and Russia if he decides that it will be useful.

17:50 A possible meeting between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Turkey this week could lead to positive results, US President Donald Trump said during a briefing at the White House.

17:30 According to the Security Service, a traitor who adjusted Russia's strikes on the Odessa region while working in an ambulance received 15 years in prison. The convicted person is a 40-year-old former paramedic at a local emergency medical station, who was remotely recruited by the occupiers in April 2024.

The agent was collecting coordinates for air strikes on one of the region's port cities. Among the enemy's main targets were the bases of the personnel and ships of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service's maritime security.

17.24 Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, more than 110,000 Ukrainians from various components of the defense and security forces have received state awards. This was reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

16.27 Russian troops attacked a school in the Koryukov district of Chernihiv region with drones at night. Windows, doors, roof and facade were damaged. This was reported on May 12 by the chairman of the Chernihiv OVD Vyacheslav Chaus.

16.09 Russia considers "unacceptable" the ultimatum statements from European countries to introduce additional sanctions if Moscow does not agree to the ceasefire. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. At the same time, he assured that Moscow seems to be "set on a serious search for ways of long-term global regulation."

15.37 The increase in Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian territory indicates that Russia's defense industry is overextending itself, The Economist reports.

15.14 The aggressor country Russia completely ignores the demand for a complete ceasefire and continues attacks. This was written on the social network X by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga following a meeting with the ministers of European countries who gathered in London.

14.44 The German government, in coordination with its partners in Europe, will prepare new sanctions if a ceasefire in Ukraine is not reached today. This was stated by the German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius at a briefing in Berlin, Bild reports .

14:22 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has come under fire in Italy after skipping a personal visit to the European leaders' summit in Kiev and joining the meeting remotely, the European publication Euraktiv reports.

13.52 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky presented the Cross of Merit to the head of the Armed Forces of Norway Eirik Christophersen. The commander-in-chief wrote about this on his Telegram channel following the meeting.

13.51 The Chinese government supports all ideas aimed at stopping the war in Ukraine. This was stated by the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Jian at a briefing, Global Times reports . Journalists asked him how China feels about the fact that some European countries have asked Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire, as well as the US President's call for major countries to more actively participate in resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

13.30 The Ministry of Defense has codified and approved the Spider ground robotic complex for use in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was reported on May 12 by the Main Directorate for Support of the Life Cycle of Weapons and Military Equipment.

11.30 A volunteer from a humanitarian organization from Australia died near Izyum. This was reported by Sky News, citing a statement from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

11.22 Russian aggressors attacked a service vehicle of power engineers with a drone on the territory of the Sumy community. One person was killed and three more were injured.

11.05 In the temporarily occupied Crimea, hackers from Cyber ATESH attacked the Kremlin news platforms crimea.mk.ru and krym.top24.news. This was reported by the ATESH partisan movement.

10.36 Russian agents who committed a terrorist attack against law enforcement officers in the Rivne region have been detained. This was reported on May 12 by the SBU.

10.13 A 10-year-old girl was injured in the village of Belozerka due to Russian shelling. This was reported by the head of the Kherson OVA, Alexander Prokudin. According to him, as a result of an enemy shell hitting the house, the child ended up under the rubble of the destroyed house. Rescuers freed the victim and handed her over to doctors. The girl received an explosive and craniocerebral injury, concussion, and shrapnel wounds to the legs.

9.42 On the morning of May 12, Russian troops attacked the city of Belgorod-Dnistrovsky in the Odessa region. This was reported by the Belgorod-Dnistrovsky City Council. As a result of the Russian strike, a number of civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged, including private residential buildings.

9.20 The Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down 55 Russian drones, and another 30 enemy UAVs were lost. This was reported on May 12 by the Ukrainian Air Force.

8.45 Over the past 24 hours, the Russians have attacked nine directions of the front and the Kursk bridgehead. The hottest situation is now in the Pokrovsk direction, where Ukrainian soldiers have repelled 70 enemy attacks. In total, 155 combat clashes occurred. This is evidenced by the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, published on the Facebook page.

8.28 The driver of a civilian freight train was injured as a result of a Russian drone strike on a locomotive in the Donetsk region. This was reported by Ukrzaliznytsia on Telegram.

7.46 Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have eliminated 1,170 Russian invaders. This is evidenced by the data of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, published on its Facebook page.

7.23 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seized the initiative, offering Russian dictator Vladimir Putin a personal meeting for peace talks in Istanbul, and is now putting pressure on the latter. This is reported by The Guardian.

04.44 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Turkey, where an informal NATO meeting will take place. First, from May 11 to 14, Rubio will accompany US President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Washington will seek to strengthen ties with the Gulf countries. And on May 14-16, the official will travel to Antalya, Turkey, for an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers, where they will discuss the Alliance's security priorities, including increasing investment in defense and ending the Russian-Ukrainian war.

03.23 Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga doubts that the Russian side has even a fraction of the courage of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who offered Russian leader Vladimir Putin a personal meeting in Turkey.

"This is what a real leader does. He does not hide behind anyone or anything. It is unlikely that the Russian side has even a crumb of such courage," he said.

02.12 On Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Lemmy will host his European counterparts to discuss support for Ukraine and increased defence cooperation. Lemmy will hold talks with representatives of France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and the EU.

"The challenge we face today is not just about the future of Ukraine - it is existential for Europe as a whole."

01.00 On the night of 12 April, when the great ceasefire was supposed to begin, Russian occupation forces launched Shahed-type kamikaze drones into Ukraine. Several groups of UAVs were spotted in the Kharkiv region, northern Donbas, Mykolaiv region, north-eastern Vinnytsia region, southern Kyiv region, southern and central Zhytomyr region, northern Kherson region and in the Black Sea.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Zelensky expects Russia to commit to ceasefire, says ''ready'' for talks

2025-05-12

[GEO.TV] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that he expects Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday and that Kyiv was "ready" for direct talks with Russia.

Zelensky spoke hours after Russian 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...
proposed direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul this month, but did not commit to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by European leaders and backed by the US.

"There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting and reliable -- starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet," Zelensky said on social media.

Zelensky also spoke hopefully about Russia considering to end the three-year-old war, which started with Moscow's 2022 invasion.

"It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war," Zelensky said.

Link

Africa Horn

U.S. Reaffirms Refusal to Fund Current AU Mission in Somalia

2025-05-12

[ShabelleMedia] The United States has reaffirmed its decision not to provide financial support for the 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...
’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia under its current funding and operational structure, leaving a $96 million gap that threatens the future of the mission, according to diplomatic sources.

The decision came during a recent meeting in Washington between AU officials and U.S. representatives, who echoed the same position outlined during an earlier gathering in Kampala. There, two American diplomats made clear the U.S. would not contribute funds unless substantial reforms were made to how the mission is structured and managed.

In hopes of salvaging support, the African Union sent a delegation to Washington seeking at least partial financial backing. But the talks concluded without any commitment from the Biden administration.

The AU mission, now known as the African Union Stabilization Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), is grappling with a growing financial crisis. It reportedly owes $96 million in unpaid salaries and operational costs, with several months of troop wages outstanding. The situation has raised concerns about morale and the mission’s ability to operate effectively on the ground.

The funding shortfall has increased pressure on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni
...

President-for-Life of Uganda. He assumed office in 1985. His primary virtue is being prefereable to both his predecessors, Idi Amin and Milton Obote...
, a key backer of the mission and one of its largest troop contributors. Museveni is reportedly watching closely as the mission approaches a scheduled drawdown within the next 60 days.

The financial uncertainty adds to the already fragile security environment in Somalia, where AU troops have long played a central role in battling al-Shabaab

... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
gunnies and supporting national stabilization efforts.

Link

Home Front: Politix

Georgia Gov Kemp signs bill banning inmate transgender treatment at taxpayer expense

2025-05-10

[JustTheNews] The state is facing two lawsuits from inmates over transgender treatments. "Taxpayer dollars should not be used for procedures like this," Kemp said before signing the bill.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Thursday that prohibits state funds from being used for inmate transgender care.

"Taxpayer dollars should not be used for procedures like this," Kemp said before signing the bill at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth.

The state is facing two lawsuits from inmates over transgender treatments. Ronnie Fuller, housed in Pulaski State Prison, is asking the state to pay for a mastectomy. Fuller is a female who identified as a male, according to a document filed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the case of Jane Doe vs. the Georgia Department of Corrections but withdrew its statement last month. The department filed a statement in the Fuller case, according to a release.

“The prior administration’s arguments in transgender inmate cases were based on junk science,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement. "There has never been an Eighth Amendment right for inmates to demand elective and experimental surgeries. States’ limited resources need not be wasted to provide these dubious surgeries to inmates."

Link

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