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Recent Appearances... Rantburg
ABD AL JABAR HAMDAN Abd al-Jabbar Hamdan Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development Home Front: WoT 20050209 Link
  Abd al-Jabbar Hamdan Hamas Home Front: WoT Palestinian In Jug 20050209 Link
    worked for the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development
ABDEL JABAR HAMDAN Abdel-Jabbar Hamdan Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development Home Front: WoT 20040801 Link
ABRAHAM JUMDAINI Abraham Jumdaini Abu Sayyaf Southeast Asia 20040928  
AIMAN NAJI HAMDALLAH Ayman Naji Hamdallah Hamas Israel-Palestine-Jordan 20080612 Link
GUMBAHALI JUMDAIL Gumbahali Jumdail Abu Sayyaf Southeast Asia Filipino At Large 20050613 Link
HAJI NAMDAR Haji Namdar Lashkar-e-Islam India-Pakistan 20080622 Link
  Haji Namdar Amr Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munkar India-Pakistan 20080630 Link
  Haji Namdar Amer Bilmaroof Wa Nahi Anilmunkar India-Pakistan 20071011 Link
  Haji Namdar Amar Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munker India-Pakistan 20080429 Link
  Haji Namdar Amal Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Anil Munker   20080506  
  Haji Namdar Amr Bil Maroof Wa Nahi Unnil Munkar   20080721  
HAMDAN SALAMEH SALEM AL AHMAR Hamdan Salameh Salem al-Ahmar Abdullah Azzam Brigades Africa: North 20041026  
IMDAD HUSEIN Imdad Hussain Taliban India-Pakistan Pakistani In Jug 20070823 Link
    Arrested in connection with suicide bomings in connection with Pak govt crackdown on Lal Masjid
MOHAMED HAMDAN Mohammed Hamdan Janjaweed   20080327  
MUHAMED HAMDAN MAQDAD Muhammed Hamdan Maqdad Hamas   20080613  
NAJI HAMDAN Naji Hamdan al-Qaeda in Iraq   20091013  
OSAMA HAMDAN Osama Hamdan Hamas   20091230  
SALIM HAMDAN Salim Hamdan al-Qaeda   20080717  
SIDI MOHAND URAMDANE, AKA EL KHECHKHACHE Sidi Mohand Ouramdane, aka El Khechkhache al-Qaeda in North Africa   20100731  
UMBRA JUMDAIL Umbra Jumdail Abu Sayyaf Southeast Asia 20050225 Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Salam says ''no turning back'' in plans to monopolize arms, Hezbollah will ‘’go far’’ on issue - no donor reconstruction until complete
2025-05-17
[NAHARNET] Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that Lebanon ''has managed to pave the way for a promising new start, despite all the difficulties that the project of rebuilding confidence and the course of reform are facing.''

''There will be no turning back in the project of consolidating the monopoly of arms in the hands of the Lebanese state alone, which should be in charge of the war and peace decisions and of defending its land and sons -- all its sons -- with the means allowed by international laws and norms,'' Salam added, in an interview with the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

''The entire Lebanese state is seeking full Israeli withdrawal from its land and to prevent all forms of violations. The government is also working on rallying efforts to launch the reconstruction process,'' Salam went on to say.

Hezbollah will ''go far'' in the issue of arms handover
[NAHARNET] Hezbollah will ''go far'' in the issue of the handover of its weapons to the Lebanese state and it will ''embarrass'' everyone, a source close to Hezbollah said.

''Consensus between Hezbollah and the Lebanese president has become bigger than the issue of arms handover and dialogue between Presidenty Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah is ongoing, without specifying any deadlines or dates,'' the source added, in remarks to Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel.

''The handover of weapons is possible, in return for gains for Hezbollah such as Israel's withdrawal and reconstruction,'' the source said, adding that ''Hezbollah's acceptance to hand over its weapons does not mean giving them up for nothing in return.''

''Hezbollah is convinced that the slogans it voiced in the past and which needed weapons are no longer existent and it is fully cooperating with Aoun and offering him solutions related to its heavy and strategic weapons,'' the source revealed.

''President Aoun knows Hezbollah's concerns as to the withdrawal of its arms and is working on resolving the difficulties, while Hezbollah knows well the magnitude of international pressure on the president for its disarmament,'' the source went on to say.

Report: No reconstruction funds before reforms and Hezbollah disarmament
[NAHARNET] Lebanese officials have sensed reluctance from major powers, particularly Arab countries, to provide reconstruction funds, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday.

''Arab and donor countries have informed 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....
that they will not to engage in the reconstruction project until the vision for Lebanon and the region becomes clear. According to their definition, reconstruction is linked to the state's ability to undertake necessary reforms, fully disarm Hezbollah and prevent it from rebuilding its military and financial capabilities,'' the daily said.

''These countries do not want to engage in such a project while the situation has not yet reached a peaceful path,'' the newspaper added.

All the Arab and European promises are ''awaiting serious action by the Lebanese state and signals from Washington,'' the daily said.
Related:
Nawaf Salam 05/13/2025 Salam vows to confront electoral bribery and security violators
Nawaf Salam 05/11/2025 Beirut Airport security overhaul thwarting Hezbollah smuggling, satisfying Israeli, US officials — report
Nawaf Salam 05/07/2025 Palestinian president confirms Beirut visit after disarmament call — Naharnet

Link


Science & Technology
New AK-12 for the Russian Armed Forces
2025-05-17
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:

[ColonelCassad] The Kalashnikov Concern presented to journalists for the first time the AK-12K and AK-12SK, developed taking into account the experience of the SVO

Kalashnikov Concern presented the AK-12 shortened (AK-12K) and AK-12 compact (AK-12SK) assault rifles to federal media journalists for the first time. Sergey Urzhumtsev, Chief Designer of Kalashnikov Concern JSC, presented the products as part of the training workshop "School of a Gunsmith Journalist" at the Kalashnikov Shooting Center in the Central Military-Patriotic Park of Culture and Recreation of the Russian Armed Forces "Patriot"

The latest 5.45mm AK-12K and AK-12SK assault rifles were developed for the 5.45x39mm cartridge and are intended to destroy enemy manpower. They have improved technical, ergonomic and operational characteristics that meet the requirements of modern combat.

When firing from them, in particular, 5.45mm cartridges with a regular 7N6 bullet, 5.45mm cartridges with a 7N10 high-penetration bullet, as well as 5.45mm cartridges with 7T3 and 7T3M tracer bullets are used.

The capacity of the AK-12K and AK-12SK magazines is 30 rounds.

The machine guns are equipped with a low-noise shooting device (PMS) weighing no more than 0.8 kg.

In addition to the new machine guns, they showed all sorts of different shooting - machine guns, sniper rifles, machine guns + body kit + personal protective equipment + equipment.
Related:
Kalashnikov 05/15/2025 Deliveries of the RPL-20 machine gun to the troops may begin in 2025
Kalashnikov 04/26/2025 Drug mafia in France declared open war on authorities and police
Kalashnikov 04/24/2025 Kurdish forces arrest 20 ISIS affiliates, foil mass escape attempt from al-Hol camp: Asayish

Link


Science & Technology
Turkish NMS 4x4 showcases next-gen firepower at Lithuania's Live Firing Show 2025
2025-05-17
[TURKIYETODAY] A successful example of integration, combining the competencies of Türkiye's defense industry, was showcased at a live fire demonstration in Europe.

Platforms participating in the Live Firing Show 2025 held in Lithuania, where modern defense technologies are demonstrated in real-time, drew significant attention with their capabilities. Organized by the National Defense Foundation, the event is considered one of the most prominent defense and security gatherings in the Baltic region, bringing together defense planners, military leaders, active-duty soldiers, and strategic partners from numerous countries.

This year, the Live Firing Show once again went beyond static displays, offering participants the opportunity to test and observe advanced defense systems in real-world operational scenarios.

Nurol Makina, which had previously demonstrated the successful integration of the 120mm Ragnarok system developed by Rheinmetall Norway onto its Ejder Yalçın 4x4 platform, participated this year with its NMS 4x4 vehicle. The NMS 4x4 was presented in the version produced and delivered according to Estonia’s requirements.

At the event, the NMS 4x4 was equipped with the 30x113 mm VENOM LR low-recoil medium-caliber cannon and the TRAKON 30 remote-controlled weapon station developed by Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS) Group, along with the Ilgar I loitering munition.
It sounds like they are boasting about their mad skillz with nuts and bolts, attaching together the inventions of others…
During its demonstration, the NMS 4x4 displayed superior mobility and high performance, executing successful firings with both the 30x113 mm cannon and the loitering munition.
As near as I can tell, every round missed the target.
Empire Stormtroopers making advance orders
Link


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
See it: Huge wall of dust looms over Nebraska field
2025-05-17

[FoxWeather] A mesmerizing scene unfolded Wednesday in Nebraska as a large wall of dust quickly formed over a field.

The sight seemed to stretch endlessly in Grant, Nebraska. Video footage from James Vak showed the size of the dust storm.

The National Weather Service initially warned of wind gusts reaching up to 70 mph, which helped form this enormous cloud of dust along the dry landscape.

According to the NWS, a dust storm can spread for miles, but usually only lasts for a few minutes. It is not advised to drive into a dust storm if you can avoid it because visibility is drastically reduced.

Dust storms have been known to cause massive pileups from traffic collisions.
The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s.
Related:
Nebraska: 2025-04-15 Trump White House to PBS & NPR: ''You're Cut Off!''—Slashes $1.1B, Cites Big Time Bias — Twitchy
Nebraska: 2025-04-13 These Are The Most Taxed States In America
Nebraska: 2025-03-11 Why spotting a Boeing E-4 plane in the sky could mean you only have five minutes left to live
Related:
Dust storm 04/16/2025 Dust storm hospitalizes over 3,700 in Iraq
Dust storm 03/31/2025 'Alarming' report on impact of marijuana in Oklahoma
Dust storm 03/17/2025 35 dead from monster storm system charging across US spawning violent tornadoes, dust storm, blizzard

Link


-Short Attention Span Theater-
The 5th classical music festival 'Cantata' will be held throughout Russia for the first time
2025-05-17
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The 5th Anniversary International Festival of Classical Music "Cantata" will go beyond the Kaliningrad Region for the first time. This was announced on May 15 by the press service of the organizers.

"The opening of the festival will be preceded by the grand All-Russian classical music marathon "Cantata. Russia", which will be dedicated to the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland and will become one of the key events of Russia Day," the statement said.

It is noted that the festival marathon will be held from June 12 to 15, 2025 in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Sevastopol, Nizhny Novgorod, Yakutsk, Kaliningrad, Yuryevets, Crimea, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Vladivostok.

The concert program will include music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, represented by a suite from the ballet Swan Lake and the aria of Joan of Arc from the opera The Maid of Orleans, as well as Alexei Chernakov with a piece specially composed for Russia Day and Sergei Prokofiev with his cantata Alexander Nevsky.

As reported by Regnum News Agency, in 2024 the Cantata festival was held from June 3 to 9 in Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad region with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Moscow government and the Kaliningrad region government. It included a series of live concerts and performances in picturesque and historically significant places in the region. Works by Russian and foreign composers were performed by internationally renowned artists.

Over 200 people took part in organizing the festival, including over 100 volunteers. Various works were performed by 330 artists.
It sounds wonderful! Here’s hoping attendance is even higher than hoped for, guys. More in English here, and here is the website for last year’s event.
Link


Britain
Chris Brown Arrested Over 2023 Nightclub Assault
2025-05-16
[X] Chris Brown, the American musician, was arrested on Thursday at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester for an alleged assault on a music producer using a tequila bottle at a London nightclub in February 2023.
Only two years later? Talk about the mills of justice grinding slowly…
He is currently held on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. This arrest occurred shortly after Brown publicly supported another artist, Tory Lanez, with the message 'Free Tory'.
I have no idea who Chris Brown is, but I suppose this might be significant to someone.
Purveyor of jungle music...
"King of Hip Hop", beater of Rihanna
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israel declares state of emergency with 'largest ever' wildfires raging out of control towards Jerusalem
2025-05-02
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Israel declared a national emergency as the largest wildfires in the country's history continued to rage out of control.

The Fire and Rescue Service's Jerusalem District commander said firefighters had a long way to go before they could contain the blazes, which started near Mesilat Zion, west of Jerusalem, yesterday morning.

Shmulik Friedman said conditions could get even worse due to strong winds which could reach speeds of up to 100 kilometres an hour.

'We are amidst a very large wildfire, maybe the largest there has ever been in this country,' he said last night.

'Regarding our activity, it will continue for a very long time. We are far from having control.'

Footage shows thick smoke billowing above highways as motorists abandoned their vehicles while the military has also deployed troops to help.

Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the wildfires, and that it had already treated 23 people.

Friedman said that the cause was still unknown, and that emergency services were 'not yet dealing with this'.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a similar tone, saying that the 'priority right now is defending Jerusalem.'

He added: 'We need to bring as many fire engines as possible and create firebreaks well beyond the current fire lines.

'We are now in a national emergency, not just a local one.

'This wave of fires is a threat to human life, to communities – and to Jerusalem. This is not just a fire in the field, it is a national danger.'

Israel Katz, the defence minister, said in a statement: 'We are facing a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilised to save lives and bring the fires under control.'

And fire chief Eyal Caspi warned at a press conference that 'our aircraft can't do anything right now due to the weather conditions... Our goal is to save lives'.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said he had held phone calls with counterparts from Argentina, France, Italy, the UK, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus, Azerbaijan and North Macedonia, to request aerial assistance in dealing with the wildfires.

But experts have said that Israeli leaders have failed to prepare for wildfires after major blazes in both 2016 and 2021.

Dov Ganem, chairman of the Israel Fire and Air Rescue Association, told the Walla news site that he had been warning for 18 years about the state's lack of preparedness for massive fires.

He said he had long pushed for advanced aerial firefighting but had not been acknowledged.
You know how it is: when you have one existential war after another, and between times you spend vast sums to finally harden your borders, it’s really hard to worry about the occasional natural disaster.
Tomer Lotan, who served as the Director General of the Ministry of Internal Security from 2021 to 2022, said he had drawn up plans to purchase Blackhawk helicopters aimed at bolstering the firefighters' aerial forces but was blocked.

'I tried my best to explain that these were firefighting helicopters that were supposed to upgrade Israel's air capabilities,' he wrote yesterday.

'Of course, it was like talking to a wall. The false arguments have stalled the Blackhawks project – and prevented us from being here today, two and a half years later, with a vital boost to the fight against the giant fires.'

Generally, experts say wildfires are encouraged by an abundance of dry vegetation and strong winds, and are usually sparked by negligence or arson.

Israeli police have reportedly arrested three suspects in connection to the wildfires, though authorities have said it is too early to determine the cause of the initial blaze.

There has also been concern within Israel over what appear to be celebratory posts across social media around the incident.

Messages circulating on Facebook, Telegram and TikTok show some users hailing the wildfires as a divine act.

One wrote: 'We ask God to protect our people and our land. May these fires confuse the occupiers and their embattled settlers.'

Another account said: 'May God burn them as they burned the people of Gaza and their tents.'

Zvi Sukkot, a far-right lawmaker, wrote to Netanyahu to ask him to order a curfew and impose a lockdown on Palestinian villages in the West Bank.

'There is a real concern, based on past experience, that Palestinians will try to ignite more fires in Judea and Samaria and throughout Israel,' he said.

'To prevent such occurrences, a curfew must be imposed immediately on Judea and Samaria, and a blockade must be imposed on the Palestinian villages.'
Link


Home Front: Politix
'Things Are Moving Quickly' in Maine State Rep's Censure Appeal
2025-04-26
[TOWNHALL] Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby (R) said Thursday that ''things are moving quickly'' in her lawsuit against the state's Democratic House speaker after being censured in February for a Facebook post about a high schooler who allegedly competed as a male one year and as a female the next.

''We have filed an emergency appeal in the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and so, that is moving forward,'' Libby told Newsmax.

''We'll be looking for a quick response, because my 9,000 constituents are disenfranchised every day that I cannot speak or vote on their behalf. I'm headed to session from here, and I won't be able to represent them fully.''

Libby stated at the time that she has no plans to back down, saying that ''[B]ullies are pretty predictable. And so, as anticipated, Speaker Ryan Fecteau and the Democrat majority did censure me. And they have declared that I cannot vote or speak on the floor until I apologize."

''But if there's one thing that I know about bullies, is you don't back down," she added. "And so, I have no intention of backing down from this fight and will continue to speak up for Maine girls.''

In a subsequent interview, Libby made the point that ''[W]hat's shocking about it is the biological male participating in girls' sports in Maine. Shortly after President Trump issued his executive order, Maine went against it, and a biological male won the girls' pole vault championship — state championship here in Maine.''

President Trump signed an executive order earlier this year banning men from women's sports, giving federal agencies the power to ensure that Title IX is followed in order for federal funding to be given. The Trump administration states that Title IX's interpretation of ''sex'' means biological sex.
Related:
Maine: 2025-04-24 Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Hides Ties to Somali Muslim Charity Fraud
Maine: 2025-04-25 Drug-fueled crime hits rural state hard as leaders struggle to find solution
Maine: 2025-04-15 Here''s Why Maine's Governor Threw a Hissy Fit Over Donald Trump
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
IDF kills last surviving terrorist behind deadly West Bank shooting
2025-04-17
[IsraelTimes] Mohammed Zakarneh, one of 3 gunmen in January’s al-Funduq attack, killed near Jenin; two American tourists injured in a stone-throwing attack near Ramallah

A 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...
terrorist, one of the perpetrators of a deadly terror shooting in the West Bank in January, was killed by Israeli forces near Jenin on Wednesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Mohammed Zakarneh, from the West Bank city of Qabatiya, was one of three button men who opened fire on civilians in the village of al-Funduq, which straddles Route 55, a major east-west highway used by thousands of Israelis and Paleostinian drivers daily.

The military said that members of the police’s Yamam counterterrorism unit, along with IDF troops, attempted to arrest Zakarneh, who was found to be hiding in a cave near the village of Misilyah, south of Jenin, after the Shin Bet security agency provided intelligence on his whereabouts.

During the operation, the troops exchanged fire with Zakarneh and two other button men hiding in the cave, the military said. The forces fired shoulder-launched missiles during the exchange.

Zakarneh and a second Islamic Jihad gunman from Qabatiya, Marouh Khazima, were killed. The IDF said that Khazima had been released from Israeli jail as part of the November 2023 ceasefire deal with Hamas
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
, which saw the release of 105 living hostages, and had been wanted for terror activity.

According to the IDF, troops found several weapons and other military equipment on the bodies of the slain terrorists. Several more terror operatives who were aiding the two were detained, and were found to be carrying handguns, the military said.

Yamam officers exchange fire with Paleostinian Islamic Jihad button men holed up in a cave near the village of Misilyah in the northern West Bank, April 16, 2025. (Israel Police)

The other two faceless myrmidons who carried out the al-Funduq shooting, Qutaiba al-Shalabi and Mohammed Nazal, were killed by Israeli forces in Qabatiya on January 23 amid a major counterterrorism raid in the Jenin refugee camp.

While Hamas claimed the two button men as its members, the IDF and Shin Bet said they were members of the allied Paleostinian Islamic Jihad terror group.

The attack on January 6 killed off-duty police officer Master Sgt. Elad Yaakov Winkelstein and civilians Rachel Cohen and Aliza Raiz.

According to an initial IDF probe on the January attack, the terrorists, armed with assault rifles, first shot up a civilian car from close range, killing Cohen and Raiz. Their deaths were declared at the scene by Magen David Adom medics.

Then, the button men fired at a bus further away, injuring eight people, including the driver, 63, who MDA said was rushed to a hospital at death's door. Two women on the bus were in moderate condition, and at least five others were lightly hurt.

While the faceless myrmidons were fleeing, they opened fire on another car around 150 meters (490 feet) away, killing Winkelstein, according to the IDF’s investigation.

Shortly after Wednesday’s operation that ended with Zakarneh’s killing, Paleostinian suspects attacked a tourist bus near the West Bank village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, according to an IDF statement.

During the assault, the suspects hurled stones and a paint bottle at the bus, lightly injuring two American tourists. The injured women received prompt medical treatment at the scene, while IDF and police forces quickly arrived and launched a manhunt for the attackers, the military said.

Wednesday’s events took place amid Operation Iron Wall, an ongoing large-scale counterterrorism operation in the West Bank that began in January.
More from the Times of Israel:
It was reported in February that tens of thousands of Palestinians had fled Israeli military operations across the northern West Bank — allegedly the largest displacement in the territory since the Six-Day War in 1967.

Since October 7, 2023, troops have arrested some 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,350 affiliated with Hamas.

According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, more than 900 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops, or terrorists carrying out attacks.

During the same period, 51 people, including Israeli security personnel, were killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.

IDF razes West Bank home of Hamas member involved in soldier’s killing
HIsraelTimes] During operations in the West Bank town of Burqin today, the IDF says it demolished the home of a Hamas operative involved in the killing of a soldier in the summer.

Hammam Hashash was part of a joint Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell that set off two explosive devices against army vehicles in Jenin on June 27, killing Capt. Alon Sacgiu and wounding 16 other soldiers.

Hashash was killed by IDF troops in July.

As a matter of policy, Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly attacks
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
The prosecution asked to sentence General Popov to six years in prison
2025-04-10
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The state prosecution has asked to sentence the former commander of the 58th Army, Major General Ivan Popov, who is accused of fraud, to six years in prison and to strip him of his rank, Popov's lawyer Sergei Buinovsky reported on April 9.
A Russian major general is the US equivalent of a brigadier general.
“During the debate of the parties, the state prosecution asked that Ivan Ivanovich be deprived of his freedom for a period of six years, with the sentence to be served in a general regime penal colony,” Buinovsky told TASS.

More from regnum.ru

Stripped of rank, General Popov will be sent to the modern Russian equivalent of a penal battalion.

General Popov, accused of fraud, will be sent to the SVO zone
The former commander of the 58th Army, Major General Ivan Popov, will be sent to the special operation zone. This was reported on April 9 by his lawyer Sergei Buinovsky.

He clarified that the Ministry of Defense decided to sign a contract with Popov for participation in the SVO.

"We have filed a motion to suspend the proceedings and cancel the preventive measure. The same motion has been filed on behalf of the Ministry of Defense," Izvestia quoted the human rights activist as saying.

Buinovsky added that the general thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support and trust.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, Major General Popov was detained in May 2024. According to investigators, the officer participated in the theft of more than 1,700 tons of metal structures intended for the construction of fortifications in the Zaporizhia region. The damage was estimated at 114.5 million rubles. The key evidence of the general's guilt was the transfer of more than 1 million rubles to his bank card from Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov.

Link


-Lurid Crime Tales-
Terrifying image shows hooded gunmen roaming Virginia neighborhood before killing three, 4 teens tied up after illegal gun sale gone wrong
2025-04-10
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Authorities in Virginia are on the hunt for multiple suspects who are believed to have opened fire on a townhouse - killing three people, and wounding three others.

The Spotsylvania Sheriff's office announced Tuesday night that it had received a call at around 5:30pm about a shooting at a complex outside of Fredericksburg.

When deputies then arrived on the scene, they found three people dead from gunshot wounds outside and three others who were rushed to a local hospital for their injuries.

Their conditions remained unclear early Wednesday morning, as did a motive for the shooting.

But Maj. Elizabeth Scott, spokesperson for the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office, said at a news conference that deputies are looking into the possibility that the shooting was committed by more than one person.

Photos obtained by Fox 5 also showed two people holding what appeared to be long-guns walking down the street in the moments before the shooting.

'There's dozens upon dozens of officers out actively looking for suspects and preserving the scene of the crime,' Scott said.

'We will be here all night until we find the suspects,' she said during an evening news conference.

4 teenagers arrested after Spotsylvania mass shooting

[MSN] Four teenagers were arrested after Tuesday night's deadly shooting in a residential area of the county, which police have now characterized as an illegal gun sale that turned violent mostly peaceful.

Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office said it found and took all suspects into custody around 7 a.m. Wednesday. Now, they've confirmed that two 16-year-olds, one 17-year-old and one 18-year-old were arrested. Only the 18-year-old, Jeremiah Upson, has been named at this time. Two of the teenagers are from Spotsylvania County and two are from Caroline County.

Police responded to the shooting around 6 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Olde Greenwich Circle in Spotsylvania. Three people were killed and three people were critically injured, the sheriff's office and State Sen. Bryce Reaves confirmed.

"Initial investigation reveals that this was an illegal gun sale/robbery," Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office wrote in a blurb Wednesday morning. They did not provide any more details on the relationship between the people involved. They also did not say what prompted the shooting.

The two of the three people killed in the incident have now been named. They are 18-year-old Chase Feaster and 18-year-old Alonzo Goffney, both of Spotsylvania County. The name of the third victim, a 20-year-old, is being withheld pending confirmation from the medical examiner's office.

The three injured people have not been named, but police have confirmed that one of the 16-year-old suspects is injured in the hospital. They will be moved to jail when they are released, where the other three are also being held with no bond.
Link


Economy
Trump says furniture makers coming back to North Carolina as Canadian company moves to state
2025-04-08
[THEPOSTMILLENNIAL] Trump has applauded furniture makers moving production to the US amid tariffs, with one company closing its Canadian production facility and shifting all production to the United States, while a North Carolina furniture maker is closing its doors due to ongoing production issues with its main supplier in Mexico, among other issues.

"Those tariffs, next year will make us $1 trillion. In addition to the $1 trillion, thousands of companies are gonna relocate back into the United States. In North Carolina, already furniture people are starting to move back in," Trump said.

Progressive Furniture, a subsidiary of Sauder Woodworking and importer of "budget friendly" furniture from Asia and Mexico, will be closing at the end of the year and laying off around 30 employees, per Furniture Today.

President of the company, Dan Kendrick, told the outlet, "This decision was not made lightly, and we understand the impact it will have on our employees, customers and partners. We are committed to supporting our employees through this transition and will aid where possible to help them find new opportunities."

The closure of the company was blamed on multiple issues, but mainly on the closure of the company's primary supplier in Mexico. Kendrick said, "Obviously, business conditions have been challenging for the past few years, but the closure of our primary supplier in Mexico has made a major impact. This factory supplied 60% of our products."

According to Home News Now, the company's main supplier, Baja Wood, was based in Rosarito, Mexico. In January, around 60 of Baja Wood's 320 employees protested outside of the factory over reduced hours. The factory was shut down as government officials investigated the claims, which required a lengthy interview process. At the end of the investigation, the plant owner decided not to reopen. Baja Wood and Progressive furniture were closely intertwined, with the US company receiving over 50 percent of its wood furniture from the Mexico plant, and Progressive being the plant's primary customer in the US.
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