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Fake Assassination Attempt
Quote:Reports of explosives ahead of former President Donald Trump’s rally on Long Island are unfounded, according to local authorities.
The Nassau County Police Department told Nexstar’s WPIX on Wednesday that a person was near the rally with a self-trained bomb-detecting dog. That person has been accused of falsely reporting a threat and detained for questioning.
No additional details about the person or their dog were immediately available.
Thousands of people were expected to attend Trump’s rally at Nassau Coliseum, one of his first public appearances since another apparent assassination attempt over the weekend.
Trump was not harmed after the Secret Service noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. An agent fired at the alleged gunman, who dropped the rifle and fled the scene. The suspect was later arrested in a neighboring county.
While Trump’s Long Island rally is not scheduled to begin until 7 p.m. ET, supporters have already gathered for the event.
Law enforcement is prepared for counter-demonstrations near the Nassau Coliseum, WPIX reports. Members of Nassau County’s Haitian community were already rallying outside a Haitian restaurant near the Coliseum on Tuesday.
“You are not only retraumatizing this community that’s going through a lot in Haiti right now, but then you come to a place where you know there’s a lot of us and you just think we are going to be quiet, and that’s why it’s so important for us to speak up now,” Nassau County resident Mimi Pierre Johnson told WPIX.
Trump has falsely accused members of the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, of abducting and eating cats and dogs. As of Tuesday, more than 30 bomb threats had been made against schools, government buildings, and the homes of local officials in the small city. Celebrations have been canceled and state police have been deployed to city schools in response to those threats.
US Troops in Alaska Island
Quote:The U.S. military has moved about 130 soldiers to Shemya Island in Alaska's Aleutian chain.
The deployment comes in response to a recent surge in Russian military activity near U.S. territory. Russian planes and vessels have been approaching Alaska, though none breached U.S. airspace.
In the past week, eight Russian military aircraft and four naval vessels, including two submarines, were detected near Alaska. The increased activity is linked to joint military exercises between Russia and China, known as Ocean-24, which began on September 10.
Despite the uptick, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said there is no immediate cause for concern.
"It's not the first time that we've seen the Russians and the Chinese flying, you know, in the vicinity," Ryder said. "That's something that we obviously closely monitor, and it's also something that we're prepared to respond to."
On September 12, the U.S. Army sent soldiers to Shemya Island as part of a "force projection operation." The troops brought two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to the island, which is 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage. Shemya Island is home to a U.S. Air Force station, established during World War II, and is considered a key strategic point.
Senator Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, said the military also deployed a guided missile destroyer and a Coast Guard vessel to western Alaska. The move coincides with the Russian-Chinese military drills in the Pacific and Arctic regions.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that Russian military planes were detected in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on September 11, 13, 14 and 15. The ADIZ is outside U.S. airspace but requires aircraft to identify themselves.
These types of incursions have been monitored for years. NORAD said that, on average, there are six to seven intercepts per year. In 2022, 26 Russian planes were detected in the Alaska zone. So far this year, the number has already reached 25.
The U.S. Coast Guard also tracked four Russian naval vessels near Alaska. The ships crossed into U.S. waters to avoid sea ice, which is allowed under international rules. Encounters like this have become more frequent in recent years.
Two years ago, a U.S. Coast Guard ship came across three Chinese and four Russian naval vessels near Alaska's Kiska Island. Such incidents reflect growing Russian and Chinese military activity in the region.
Sullivan has called for a stronger U.S. military presence in the Aleutian Islands. He said the recent increase in activity highlights the Arctic's role in the power competition between the U.S., Russia and China. He also urged the reopening of the Naval Air Facility Adak, which was closed in 1997.
While the rise in Russian and Chinese activity is being watched closely, Ryder said it does not currently pose a direct threat to the U.S.
DOJ on Torture Probe
Quote:The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a probe into a Mississippi sheriff's office's "despicable" torture of two Black men.
On Thursday, the DOJ announced that it was investigating the Rankin County Sheriff's Department after their officers were accused of torturing two Black men in an attack that included beatings, assault with a sex toy and the use of stun guns.
The Justice Department will investigate the Rankin County Sheriff's Department for potential patterns of excessive force, unlawful stops, searches, arrests, and racially biased policing, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said.
In 2023, five Rankin County sheriff's deputies admitted to breaking into a home without a warrant and assaulting Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker for hours. A sixth officer from the Richland Police Department was also convicted for his role in the attack.
Several of the officers belonged to a group notorious for excessive force, which they called the "Goon Squad." In March, all six were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 40 years.
U.S. District Judge Tom Lee said the officers' actions were "egregious and despicable." He imposed prison sentences close to the top of the guidelines for almost all of the former officers.
"The concerns about the Rankin County Sheriff's Department did not end with the demise of the Goon Squad," Clarke said Thursday.
Clarke said the Justice Department has also received reports of deputies repeatedly misusing stun guns, unlawfully entering homes, using "shocking racial slurs," and deploying "dangerous, cruel tactics" to assault individuals in custody.
Federal prosecutors say the attacks on Jenkins and Parker were set in motion on January 24, 2023, after a racist call for vigilante violence. Deputy Brett McAlpin, who is white, called to complain that two Black men were staying with a white woman at a home in Braxton.
After breaking into the home, officers handcuffed Jenkins and Parker, dousing their faces with milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup while hurling racial slurs. They forced the men to strip naked and shower together to hide the evidence of the attack, continuing to mock them with racist taunts and assaulting them with sex objects.
Along with McAlpin, those convicted include ex-deputies Christian Dedmon, Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield.
"The depravity of the crimes committed by these defendants cannot be overstated," Attorney General Merrick Garland said after the sentencing.
Stop Using Baby Powder!?
Quote:A nationwide recall has been issued for hundreds of bottles of Dynacare baby powder due to potential asbestos contamination.
The recall, which was announced Thursday, includes 62 cases of the baby powder produced by Dynarex Corporation. The affected items were produced under batch number B051 and were sent to distributors on or after March 11 in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. The baby powder was also sold online at Amazon.com.
Asbestos, according to a news release about the recall that was published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a naturally occurring mineral often found near talc, which is used in several cosmetic products. When mining talc, if the sites are "not selected carefully or steps [are] taken to purify the talc ore sufficiently," Dynarex said, the talc could become contaminated with asbestos.
"The recall was the result of a routine sampling program by the FDA which revealed that the finished products contained asbestos," read the news release. "The company has ceased the distribution of the product as an investigation is proceeding to determine what caused the contamination of the talc."
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According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), long-term exposure to asbestos minerals can lead to diseases, including asbestosis, pleural disease, lung cancer and mesothelioma—a type of lung cancer that can emerge decades after asbestos exposure.
In addition to occasionally being found in minerals like talc, asbestos is still present in some old homes and buildings, according to the ATSDR. People are exposed to asbestos by breathing in tiny asbestos fibers in the air, which are too small to see with the naked eye.
The recalled baby powder was sold in 14-ounce plastic bottles and have an expiration date of December 28, 2026, which will be listed on the bottom of the bottle. There have been no illnesses or adverse events related to the recalled items.
Any consumers who have purchased the recalled items should discontinue use immediately and return them for a full refund, per the company's release. Questions about the recall can be directed to Dynarex Corporation at 888-396-2739 or 845-365-8200 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Questions can also be sent to recall@dynarex.com.
The company added in its release that "health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report any adverse events to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program." Forms can be submitted to the program online through this link.
Tupperware Gone Bankrupt
Quote:Tupperware Brands, a household name synonymous with food storage innovation, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Facing mounting competition and years of financial strain, the brand filed just before midnight on Tuesday.
The Orlando, Florida-based operation, known for its airtight containers, plans continue activity while seeking court approval for a sale.
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A domesticity boom during COVID-19 lockdowns promised a period of brief respite—for around 18 months business looked brighter for the 86-year-old institution.
Since 2018, however, Tupperware has faced a steady drop in revenue, struggling to maintain its foothold in a market increasingly dominated by other players and lifestyle changes like dining out.
"Over the last several years, the Company's financial position has been severely impacted by the challenging macroeconomic environment," said Laurie Ann Goldman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tupperware.
"As a result, we explored numerous strategic options and determined this is the best path forward."
Tupperware's troubles have not gone unnoticed by industry observers.
Last year, the company sought additional financing to keep afloat, warning investors that it risked being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.
The warning proved prophetic—Tupperware's stock has plummeted 75% this year, closing at around 50 cents per share on Tuesday, a sharp contrast to its former standing as an international powerhouse.
Despite the challenges, Tupperware remains committed to keeping the business alive. The company stated its intention to restructure and find a potential buyer to help it navigate through the bankruptcy process.
"We plan to continue serving our valued customers with the high-quality products they love and trust throughout this process," said Goldman.
CANADA
Trudeau Loses a Seat
Quote:In late August, a tense exchange was caught on camera between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a local steel worker in northern Ontario.
As Trudeau reached out for a handshake, the worker refused it, confronting the prime minister instead about his struggle to make ends meet despite having a steady job.
Trudeau responded by listing things his Liberal government has done to help working families, including a national dental care programme and a tariff on Chinese steel that is designed to protect Canadian workers.
“I don’t believe you for a second,” the steel worker replied, after telling the prime minister: “I think you are only here for another year.”
The clip, viewed millions of times on the internet, and has been described by the Toronto Globe and Mail as “a perfect miniature of the moment” in Canadian politics, encapsulating the fatigue and frustration that Trudeau is facing from the public.
In his ninth year as prime minister, Trudeau’s approval rate has plummeted from 63% when he was first elected to 28% in June of this year, according to one poll tracker.
This sinking popularity has already brought consequences to Trudeau’s governing Liberal Party. In a recent by-election, the party lost a Toronto federal seat that it had held for 30 years to the opposition Conservative Party - a major sign of trouble.
On Monday, Trudeau and the Liberals face another set of tests - a crucial by-election in a Liberal stronghold in Montreal, Quebec, and the resumption of parliament, where Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to table a motion of no-confidence as early as possible in an attempt to bring down the minority government.
If Poilievre is successful, Canadians could head to the ballot box.
And if current polls are any indication on how they might vote, the next federal election may mark the end of the Trudeau era.
EUROPE
Russia Brags About Its Atomic Submarines & Missiles
Quote:The head of Russia's navy confirmed that its most powerful weapons—nuclear-tipped cruise missiles—are online and on high alert.
Acting Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev presided over a ceremony Wednesday at the headquarters of the Russian Pacific Fleet's nuclear submarines in Vilyuchinsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
During the event, Moiseyev awarded the 25th Submarine Division the Order of Nakhimov, as directed by President Vladimir Putin in May, in recognition of their importance to the country's defense, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Thursday.
In his remarks, the admiral said that for a half-century, the division has utilized "the most complex systems created by mankind," including the "most powerful and devastating weapons" safeguarding Russia's security. He further boasted of the readiness to deploy the weapons, emphasizing the "extremely high level" of preparedness, according to RIA Novosti.
The Order of Nakhimov, established by the Soviet Union during World War II, honors exceptional naval leadership and courage.
The ceremony took place at Kamchatka's submarine base, where two nuclear-powered attack subs were transferred this week. They completed the 4,000-mile journey under Arctic ice from Russia's Northern Fleet base in Murmansk.
One of the boats, the Imperator Aleksandr III, is a 24,000-ton Borei-class submarine armed with up to 16 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, each of which can be mounted with as many as six nuclear warheads.
The commemoration followed Russia's announcement of the submarines' Arctic journey, amid rising U.S.-Russia tensions. Both nations have deployed nuclear-capable bombers to Northern Europe and Northeast Asia, with the military rivalry also intensifying in the thawing Arctic.
Quote:Russia has issued a new warning against Ukraine's allies, following recent calls to loosen restrictions on Kyiv's Western-supplied weaponry.
Now over 900-days into the Russia-Ukraine war, the ominous threat comes amid increasing geopolitical frictions between Moscow and Ukraine's global allies, and growing concerns over the conflict's potential for escalation.
"The flight time of the Sarmat missile to Strasbourg is 3 minutes 20 seconds," Russian politician Vyacheslav Volodin posted to Telegram on Thursday.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Russian Sarmat has a range of between 6,214 and 11,184 miles, putting the French city well within its reach.
Volodin, who has served as the Chair of Russia's State Duma since 2016, was writing in response to the recent calls from the European Parliament to lift limitations on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weaponry within Russian territory and to speed up the delivery of arms to Kyiv.
On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging European Union (E.U.) member nations to allow Ukraine to employ "Western weapons systems against legitimate military targets in Russia."
The resolution, which was adopted with 425 votes in favor, 131 against and 63 abstentions, stated that, "without lifting current restrictions, Ukraine cannot fully exercise its right to self-defense and remains exposed to attacks on its population and infrastructure."
It also called for E.U. countries to fulfil previous promises of further deliveries of weapons, air defense systems and ammunition, "including TAURUS missiles," German- and Swedish-made cruise missiles which carry a range of over 300 miles.
"If something like this happens, Russia will give a tough response using more powerful weapons," Volodin's post continued. "What the European Parliament is calling for leads to a world war using nuclear weapons."
While Ukraine has been sent long-range missiles from the U.S., U.K. and France— including Storm Shadow cruise missiles and Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS —it has so-far been barred from using these for strikes deep inside Russia over fears that this could escalate the conflict.
The E.U. resolution follows numerous appeals from Kyiv to use Western weaponry for long-range strikes, which Zelensky called the "one decision" that could prevent the advances of the Russian Army, allowing it to target air bases used by Putin to launch bombardments against Ukrainian cities.
"If our partners lifted all restrictions on long-range capabilities, Ukraine would not need to physically enter the Kursk region to protect Ukrainian citizens in the border area and destroy Russia's potential for aggression," the president said on August 19.
Ukraine Hits Russia's Biggest Ammo Storage!?
Quote:Ukrainian drones hit a military depot in Russia on September 18 and destroyed North Korean missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and air defenses, according to reports.
More than 100 Ukrainian UAVs were used to strike the missile depot in Toropets, a town in Russia about 300 miles from the border with Ukraine, and reportedly destroyed "significant stocks of North Korean KN23 ballistic missiles" as well as S-300 air defense systems, and Iskanders, according to the Telegram channel Astra.
The attack, carried out by Ukraine's Security Service and Ukraine's Intelligence and Special Operations Forces, also caused fires to break out, residents were forced to evacuate, and at least 13 people were injured, according to The Associated Press.
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A Ukrainian official told the AP that the fire burned four miles wide, and the military depot housed Iskander, Tochka-U missiles, glide bombs, and artillery shells.
Russia and North Korea signed a new agreement in June in which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged his "full support" for Russia's war in Ukraine, and the two countries pledged to provide each other with military assistance in the event of an attack on either country.
Pyongyang and Moscow have previously denied that North Korea has provided Russia with weapons for the war in Ukraine, though Western intelligence has confirmed this.
Ukraine has recently had success in strikes inside Russia utilizing drones as drone technology improves.
The attack on the military depot in Toropets may be the single largest event of the war, with a Ukrainian official reporting that the explosion was the equivalent of between 1.3 and 1.8 kilotons of TNT.
As of September 18, the fire is still ongoing, but Tver regional Governor Igor Rudenya has told evacuees that everyone could return home.
A Ukrainian source from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent that there are other similar attacks planned on other Russian military facilities as the country "continues to methodically reduce the missile potential of the enemy."
Experts believe that a senior Russian official visited Iran on September 17 in order to secure more weapons to fund the war in Ukraine, according to Business Insider.
The senior official, Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of the Security Council, also met with Kim and Syrian leader Bashar Assad earlier this week, the outlet said.
Quote:Satellite imagery has revealed the extent of the destruction caused by a drone attack on a Russian missile and ammunition facility which is believed to store rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Drone operators from Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), Ukraine's Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR), and Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO) attacked the facility in Toropets, Tver oblast around 3.30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Ukrainian outlet Suspilne, citing a Kyiv intelligence source.
Wednesday's attack could have been the biggest of the war so far, and the blast registered as a small earthquake on monitoring systems, according to Reuters. Also, drone attacks on military facilities in Russia are degrading Putin's long-range missile options, according to Kyiv.
Video widely shared on social media showed a huge ball of flame and numerous detonations following the strike on the 107th Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) arsenal, located 240 miles west of Moscow.
Without directly claiming responsibility, Ukraine has stepped up its drone strikes on military sites across Russia which are aimed at choking Moscow's war machine powering its full-scale invasion.
Satellite images taken before and after the attacks show the destruction. Radio Liberty's "Schemes" project published satellite images from Planet Labs taken at 11.30 a.m. Wednesday which showed smoke billowing into the sky.
NASA satellite images recorded thermal signatures over almost the entire territory of the site which Suspilne said contained Iskander missiles, Tochka-U ballistic missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, and artillery ammunition. Social media users shared other before and after satellite images which showed the destruction of the facility.
The head of Ukraine's Center for Combatting Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, said the site may have also stored Grad multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), S-300 and S-400 air defense missiles, and North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, Euromaidan press reported.
Russia has repeatedly used Iskanders to strike at Ukrainian infrastructure, while the Tochka-U was reportedly used in an attack on Kramatorsk railway station in April 2022. The North Korean KN-23 is tactical ballistic missile which resembles the Russian Iskander-M. All three are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Suspilne's sources said the Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military facilities are undermining Moscow's ability to conduct long-range missile strikes against Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Wednesday that continued Ukrainian strikes on logistics sites within Russia "will generate wider operational pressures on the Russian military beyond the individual destruction of ammunition stockpiles and logistics facilities."
The think tank said Ukrainian HMARS strikes against depots in 2022 had forced Russian forces to disperse ammunition storage facilities which had degraded its operations. Further attacks as big as the one at Toropets could lead to a similar move, the think tank added.
Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers have blamed Russian authorities for poorly constructing the Tver facility and accused Russian forces of possibly mishandling missiles and artillery ammunition stockpiles there.
The milbloggers took aim at officials such as former Deputy Minister of Defense, Army General Dmitry Bulgakov who oversaw the facility's construction and was arrested in July on fraud charges.
Von der Leyen Gives Away Millions to Ukraine
Quote:European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Ukraine on Friday focused on helping the country to repair and reconnect its war-damaged electricity grid and boost its heating capacity as winter approaches.
Around half of Ukraine´s energy infrastructure has been destroyed during its war with Russia, and rolling electricity blackouts leave parts of the east in darkness for four hours at a time. Von der Leyden said it was as though all of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia had lost electricity.
Meanwhile, winter is approaching.
“Heating season starts in two weeks and Russia´s relentless attacks on Ukraine´s civilian energy infrastructure aims to inflict maximum damage,” von der Leyen said as she arrived in Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We will help Ukraine in its brave efforts to overcome this.”
The main aim is to help Ukraine decentralize its power grid, and to become less reliant on the big power stations that make easier targets for Russian forces. Around 260 missiles rained down in a major attack on energy infrastructure late last month.
The Europeans have already sent more 10,000 generators and transformers, and they’re supplying small and more mobile gas turbines too. These types of electricity-providing equipment is harder to hit and easier to repair.
Ukraine´s winter runs from late October through March, with January and February the toughest months. The Europeans hope to help supply around 25% of the 17 gigawatts of power that the country is likely to need this winter.
One aim of the EU assistance is to provide an incentive for people to stay in Ukraine. Some 4 million people have fled since the war began in February 2022, often to Poland and other neighboring countries.
The EU is providing assistance, such as short-term help to find a place to stay, jobs or education. But recently the number of people leaving has climbed. The commission, the EU´s powerful executive branch, estimates that 10,000 more people are applying for help each week.
On Thursday, the commission announced that it would provide an extra 160 million euros ($180 million) to help fortify Ukraine´s energy network. Of that, 100 million euros ($112 million) come from the windfall profits the EU has earned from interest on frozen Russian assets.
Von der Leyen said the plan is to make “Russia pay for it through the revenue generated by their frozen assets.” Denmark is also leading the charge on using the money to place orders for weapons and military equipment directly with Ukraine´s defense industry.
She and Zelenskyy will also discuss the use of loans organized by the Group of Seven major industrial powers to help bolster Ukraine´s conflict-ravaged economy, and weigh progress in Kyiv´s efforts to join the EU.
EU Defence Commissioner on the War
EU Defence Commissioner: ‘Quick Decisions’ Needed to be Ready to Face Off Against Putin in Six Years
Quote:The European Union is getting a defence commissioner for the first time and he joins several European military leaders in warning war with Russia is just years away, calling for “quick decisions” to “properly prepare”.
Andrius Kubilius, a Member of the European Parliament and two-time former Prime Minister of Lithuania was nominated as the European Union’s Commissioner-designate for Defence and Space by Ursula von der Leyen this week. The veteran politician from one of Europe’s Russia-bordering, former Soviet states is charged with boosting the continent’s arms industry, if the nominations are confirmed in a forthcoming vote.
Extremely alarming warnings on the likelihood of European states, from Poland in the east to the United Kingdom in the west, having to go to actual war with Russia in the coming years have become common in recent years. Several top figures including military leaders, senior NATO figures, and strategy experts say Europe must prepare for conflict soon, or at least considerably re-arm immediately to deter future conflict.
Apparently joining that chorus, Kubilius told wires service Reuters shortly after his nomination that: “Defence ministers and NATO generals agree that Vladimir Putin could be ready for confrontation with NATO and the EU in 6-8 years… If we take these assessments seriously, then that is the time for us to properly prepare, and it is a short one. This means we have to take quick decisions, and ambitious decisions.”
The eight-year mark is at the conservative end of the scale, amid the war-is-coming community in Europe. Poland military thinkers, given their nation’s very strong support for Ukraine and their land border with both Russia and Belarus, seem to be the most alarmed, and as reported in 2023 their National Security Bureau said Europe had three years to prepare.
Estonia was on the same wavelength earlier this year, with their then-Prime Minister Kaja Kallas saying NATO has “three to five years” to prepare for Russian forces to have reconstituted themselves post-Ukraine. Coincidentally, that same Kaja Kallas is also now nominated to be a European Commissioner, taking the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President job.
NATO’s Admiral Rob Bauer — undoubtably one of the military leaders EU man Kubilius referred to — said earlier this year “not everything is plannable, not everything is going to be hunky-dory for the next 20 years” and declared any coming struggle would be a matter for the whole of society, not just the military. He said in January:
…we need to understand as a society that war and fighting is not only something of the military. The nation needs to understand that when it comes to a war such as we see in Ukraine, it is a whole of society event. For many many decades we had this idea that we had the professional military and they would solve the security issues that we have, in Afghanistan, in Iraq. But if you talk collective defence, it is a whole of society event.
It will not be enough to have the present military, you will need more people from society to sustain the military in terms of people. You need the industry to have enough ammunition, to produce new tanks, new ships, new aircraft, new artillery pieces… the big difference with a year ago is a lot of things have happened in the armed forces and defence organisations. What hasn’t happened is in our societies, the understanding that it is more than the military that has to be able to operate in a conflict or in a war. It is the whole of a society that will get involved whether we like it or not.
The European Union has never had a defence commissioner before. Despite the decades-long dreams of several Eurocrats it has no army of its own and military matters remain the sole preserve of national governments. But von der Leyen’s re-election pitch as leader of the bloc promised a defence portfolio for the first time, blaming rising threats — Russia — for the bloc needing to “take the next step on defence”.
Rather than coordinating militaries themselves, then, Kubilius’s job will be more akin to an armaments minister, at least for now. Von der Leyen said in her mission statement for the Defence and Space commissioner role that “there is a lot that Europe can do to support… industry, procurement, research, innovation and much more. At the heart of this work must be one simple principle: Europe must spend more, spend better, spend European.”
They are words that will certainly cause concern in Washington and London, the traditional NATO allies of European states, who will eye any European insularism in defence procurement with concern, given the importance of the American and British defence industry’s export contracts.
Nevertheless, the weakness of the European — and broadly Western — defence industry in the wake of the Ukraine War has been brutally illustrated, with Great War-style shell starvation emerging as no supplier can make new artillery ammunition fast enough. As reported in 2023:
India Not Taking Russia's Demands Seriously?
Quote:India refused to stop supplying munitions to Ukraine despite the Kremlin raising the issue on two occasions, according to Reuters.
Russia's top trade ally has been sending ammunition, notably artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers, for Ukraine's war against Russia for more than a year, though India's foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal denied this during a news conference in January.
The two countries have had a strong trade relationship since India declared independence in 1947, trading arms, oil, electronic machinery and equipment, pharmaceutical products, nuclear reactors, and more, according to the Indian Embassy in Moscow, and this continued support of Ukraine could jeopardize that relationship.
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In providing Ukraine with artillery shells, India has been fulfilling its dire shell shortage, according to the Reuters report.
Customs records obtained by the outlet indicated that in 2020 and 2021, three Indian ammunition makers—Yantra, Munitions India, and Kalyani Strategic Systems—were primarily responsible for exporting $2.8 million in munitions components to several European countries, all of which have defense contractors investing in Ukraine.
During a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in July, three Indian officials told Reuters that Lavrov reportedly confronted him about India's supplying Ukraine with munitions in this way.
Russia has previously supplied India with military arms, including four warships armed with supersonic missiles for the Indian Navy this month.
Moreover, from 2019 to 2023, India received 36 percent of Russia's arms exports, though new reports indicate that India is moving away from using Russian weapons.
Russia is India's second-largest import source, and from 2023 to 2024 purchased goods amounted to $55.6 billion.
An expert previously told Newsweek that Russia is a key source of oil for India, and that is not likely to change in the near future, even though local reports indicated that India stopped paying for Russian premium crude oil in January.
Ukraine & the Kursk Region
Quote:Russian forces have repelled Ukrainian troops in Kursk, it has been reported, as a map shows the latest state of play in the Russian region six weeks on from the start of Kyiv's surprise incursion.
Moscow has responded slowly to the push by Ukraine into Russian territory which started on August 6 in which Kyiv said it had captured 500 square miles and dozens of settlements.
Over the last week, Russian troops have counterattacked with some initial success, but there have not been other significant gains in recent days.
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Pro-Russian military bloggers said Tuesday that Ukrainian troops were trying to encircle Veseloye by attacking along its western and eastern flanks. However, Russia's Ministry of Defense (MOD) said that its forces had managed to push back Kyiv's attacks southwest and southeast of the village.
Ukraine's troops have "continued ground attacks" in the Glushkovsky district in the west of the Kursk region "but did not make any confirmed advances," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Tuesday.
The latest map by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank marked the extent of Kyiv's claims of advances which included the town of Sudzha and neighboring settlements just inside the border with Ukraine's Sumy region.
It also showed Russian advances in Kursk which included the recapture of the village of Snagost.
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The U.S. has said that Russia would require at least 50,000 troops to retake the territory lost to Kyiv. Ukraine has warned of a growing Russian military presence, with one Ukrainian intelligence official telling the Financial Times Moscow had committed 38,000 men to the Kursk region, including assault brigades redeployed from southern Ukraine.
John Hardie, deputy director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies' (FDD) Russia Program said reports of Russian personnel numbers showed Moscow had a "significant force" compared to Ukraine's estimated 10 to 15,000 troops in the Kursk region. "The Russians would have a manpower advantage assuming all those forces for Russia are concentrated around the Ukrainian pocket," he told Newsweek.
"At this point, the Russians are currently taking a more patient approach. So far they have cordoned off the area and are hitting Ukrainian positions with artillery and glide bomb strikes and they are taking some territory," said Hardie.
"We will see whether this this initial small scale offensive will lead to a larger scale one. It's possible that the Russian forces cannot command and control enough forces at scale to launch a major operation across the entire salient," he added.
US Spy Drone & Russia's Jamming Systems
Quote:A U.S. Air Force drone faced issues due to Russian signal interference during a flight on August 29-30, according to the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
During a reconnaissance flight in Estonian airspace, the RQ-4B Global Hawk, a U.S. strategic surveillance drone, flew erratically and suffered from signal failure after Russian forces were able to attack electronically.
The Estonian Ministry of Defense said that Russian signal interference has larger ramifications in terms of military and civilian aviation in the Baltic region.
Before flying to the Black Sea, the RQ-4B Global Hawk took off from its base in Fairford, England.
After its chaotic flightpath activity, the drone managed to land at the Sigonella base in Italy, according to specialist outlet Defense Mirror.
During the reconnaissance mission, the RQ-4B Global Hawk transmitted squawking codes including 7400, which indicated that control between the aircraft and the pilot was lost.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry and the Estonian Defense Ministry for comment via email outside of business hours.
The aim of the electronic interference was to drive out reconnaissance missions from the northwestern border of Russia, according to Defense Mirror.
"The spy drone tirelessly looped along the Russian Federation's border from the Leningrad region to Pskov. Then, it suddenly signaled that it had lost contact with the operator and maneuvered chaotically for a while," according to the Baltic Sentinel.
The RQ-4B Global Hawk's mission is to "provide a broad spectrum of ISR collection capability to support joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and wartime operations."
The spy drone has been "deployed operationally to support overseas contingency operations since November 2001," according to the U.S. Air Force.
The remotely piloted drones have been used to monitor Russia's borders through flights over the Black Sea since February 2022, and have also been used in the U.S., Australia, Germany, and South Korea.
Slavery in Sweden!?
Quote:A Swedish woman was recently charged with war crimes after she was accused of treating Yazidi women and children as "slaves."
On Thursday, authorities in Sweden announced charges against 52-year-old Lina Laina Ishaq, a Swedish citizen associated with the Islamic State, for crimes that occurred between August 2014 and December 2016.
Ishaq has been charged with serious war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes against Yazidi women and children. The incidents allegedly occurred in Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the self-proclaimed Islamic State caliphate in Syria, which was home to around 300,000 people.
In a statement, Swedish senior prosecutor Reena Devgun said that the crimes "took place under IS rule in Raqqa, and this is the first time that IS attacks against the Yazidi minority have been tried in Sweden."
"Women, children and men were regarded as property and subjected to being traded as slaves, sexual slavery, forced labor, deprivation of liberty and extrajudicial executions," Devgun said in the statement.
During a press conference, Devgun announced the charges, stating that the woman was identified with the help of information provided by UNITAD, the U.N. team investigating atrocities in Iraq.
"IS tried to annihilate the Yazidi ethnic group on an industrial scale," Devgun said during the press conference.
Netherlands & Hungary on Immigration
Quote:The Dutch government has formally requested an “opt-out” clause from European Union pro-mass migration policies, marking a dramatic turnaround for one of the founding members of the bloc.
Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber wrote to the European Commission on Wednesday to demand that the Netherlands be granted the ability to set its own migration and asylum policies and therefore an “opt-out” from diktats from Brussels.
“This government aims to drastically reduce the volume of migration to the Netherlands, in order to continue to fulfil our constitutional duties – providing for public housing, healthcare and education,” Faber wrote in her letter according to Euronews.
“With this letter I wish to inform you that in order to ensure that the Netherlands can achieve this aim, the Dutch government will call for an opt-out from the European asylum and migration acquis in case of Treaty amendment.”
The request fulfils a campaign pledge from populist Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders, who won a decisive victory at the last election and now serves as the main power broker behind the Dutch government.
Wilders has vowed to introduce the “strictest” asylum policy in the history of the country to confront the issues of mass migration, which the government has blamed for exacerbating the problems facing the Dutch public in areas of health care, housing, and education, among others.
Commenting on the move on Wednesday, Wilders declared on social media “Faber makes history” by expressing the Dutch desire to limit immigration.
In addition to the demand of an opt-out clause from Brussels migration diktats, the Netherlands is planning on unilaterally increasing funding for border security, from €45 million in 2025 to €151 million by 2029.
The populist led government is also set to introduce “strict conditions” on family reunification schemes for migrants, otherwise known as chain migration. Going forward, migrants will only be permitted to bring in members of their direct nuclear family and will only apply for those who have been residents for at least two years and has a permanent private residence and meets an income threshold.
While the letter from Faber to the EU does represent a historic moment and reflects the broader wish among European peoples to take back control of their national borders, it is unclear how feasible acquiring an “opt-out” clause will be for The Hague.
Indeed, in order for The Netherlands to reclaim authority over its immigration policies, with even Faber admitting that it would likely need to come as a part of a new European Union-level treaty, a difficult and lengthy process, the last of which was passed in 2009.
An EU Commission spokesman said that “there’s no Treaty change upcoming,” adding: “We do not expect any immediate changes on the EU rules on asylum and migration, which continue to be binding in the Netherlands.”
Quote:The Netherlands notified the European Union it intends to get an “opt out” from the bloc’s migration and asylum rules this week, prompting central Europe’s Hungary to say it wanted the same thing.
Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka spoke in Strasbourg this week in the wake of the Dutch declaration that it wishes to “opt-out” from European Union diktats on border control. The minister said while the country remains “a committed member of the Schengen Area, and it will continue to be so in the future”, nevertheless it wanted to take back control on migration and asylum.
New European Union rules on migration and asylum are to come into force in 2026 after being agreed in 2024. Hungary voted against the proposals but was ultimately unable to block them. Bóka said of getting an opt-out, Hungary would “take the necessary legal and administrative steps”.
The politician followed up his spoken remarks with a statement published online, where he expressed the Hungarian position that “Drastic action is needed to stem illegal migration” and to achieve this Hungary would be standing with the Netherlands to get an exception through a treaty amendment.
Hungarian state media states that while the country will abide by European law, nevertheless its government would “pursue migration policies that safeguard national interests”. Hungary believes EU border rules undermine the nation state and “stronger national control over migration is essential to maintain public services and protect sovereignty”, it was stated.
While the declaration by the Netherlands, an influential founder-member of the European Union, that it wishes to opt-out from some European rules is consequential and potentially — as populist leader and power-behind-the-throne in the Hague Geert Wilders points out — a historic development, nevertheless it will be a massive effort to achieve any such change. As Politico notes in its review of the situation, “changes to EU treaties are a long and complicated process requiring unanimity of all member countries. The Commission said in its Wednesday press briefing that it does not expect to embark on such a change any time soon”.
Le Pen on French Budget Crisis
Quote:Populist leader Marine Le Pen has demanded a national audit of France’s finances to determine how Paris plunged the nation into a budgetary crisis which threatens to take down the new government before it even gets off the ground.
In the wake of massive spending hikes amid the coronavirus lockdowns and the European energy crisis, France’s debt has climbed to over 110 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or over €3 trillion. The debt to GDP ratio now stands as the third worst in Europe, only trailing the terminally in-debt nations Greece and Italy.
Meanwhile, the budget deficit has risen to €154 billion, or around 5.5 per cent of national economic output. This has put Paris at odds with Brussels for contravening the bloc’s 3 per cent limit, potentially putting France on course to face EU financial penalties, which could include cuts to further coronavirus recovery funds or quality of life subsidies distributed among member states.
Commenting on the sorry state of the treasury, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen said this week: “When we demanded an audit of state finances during the legislative elections, aware that France’s budgetary situation was worrying, we were told that everything was under control.
“Today, everyone is pretending to discover a catastrophic situation. A major commission to audit the nation’s accounts must now be set up.”
The budget crisis represents a major challenge for the incoming government of former Brexit villain Michel Barnier, a centre-right former Eurocrat who was installed as prime minister by President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. Barnier will have to submit a budget to the National Assembly next month, the passage of which is by no means assured given the deeply divided French parliament.
After meeting with the head of state at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday, Barnier said that the fiscal state of the nation was “very serious” and he is reported to be considering tax hikes to address the mounting debt and deficit, Le Monde reports.
However, the new PM’s desire to increase taxes threatens to disrupt his ability to form a government, which is being finalised now and he hopes to have in place within days. To do so, Barnier will need the full backing of Macron’s neo-liberal centrist bloc, which is united around a pro-corporate low-tax philosophy.
The head of Macron’s faction in the National Assembly, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, openly came out against the idea, saying that raising taxes “would be terrible for the French” and that the country could risk losing its “economic attractiveness” gained by Macron’s tax cuts.
Going even further, top Macron ally and current Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that it was “out of the question” for him to join the incoming government, or even support it in general, if it were to raise taxes.
Extra Security Measures for Oktoberfest
Quote:Security has tightened at Oktoberfest in the wake of last month´s deadly knife attack in Solingen in western Germany, and officials warned revelers to expect longer lines at entry points as metal detectors will be deployed for the first time in the Bavarian beer festival’s 189-year history.
Authorities say there are no specific threats to the world’s largest folk festival, which begins Saturday with the traditional keg-tapping in Munich and runs through Oct. 6. Some 6 million participants, many wearing traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses, are expected over the course of the event.
The stepped-up security comes after an Aug. 23 attack in Solingen that left three dead and eight wounded. A 26-year-old Syrian suspect was arrested. He was an asylum-seeker who was supposed to be deported to Bulgaria last year but reportedly disappeared for a time and avoided deportation. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the violence, without providing evidence.
The violence left Germany shaken and pushed immigration back to the top of the country´s political agenda. In response, the Interior Ministry extended temporary border controls to all nine of its frontiers this week. The closures are set to last six months and are threatening to test European unity.
The effects of the Solingen attack – and other recent violence across Germany – will also be felt at Oktoberfest. Hand-held metal detectors will be used for the first time, with police and security staff using them on a random basis or following suspicious activity.
“We have had to react to the fact that attacks with knives have increased in recent weeks and months,” Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter told The Associated Press during a media tour of the festival grounds to highlight the new security measures. “We will do everything we can to ensure that nobody comes to Oktoberfest with a knife or other dangerous weapons.”
In addition to some 600 police officers and 2,000 security staff, more than 50 cameras will be spread across the grounds of the festival – which will be fenced off as well. Festival-goers also are prohibited from bringing knives, glass bottles and backpacks.
Oktoberfest is no stranger to increased security throughout its history. In 2016, authorities implemented tighter measures in response to a series of attacks, including when a German teenager fatally shot nine people at a Munich mall before killing himself.
The festival’s organizer, Clemens Baumgärtner, promised a safe public space, possibly “the safest place in Germany” during the 16 days of Oktoberfest.
INTERNATIONAL
UN Wants to Kick All Jews Out of the Old City
Quote:Jerusalem’s Old City, in addition to Judea and Samaria, must be Judenrein within a year, according to a Palestinian-drafted resolution, which the U.N. General Assembly passed on Wednesday.
The resolution, which passed by a 124-14 margin with 43 abstentions, is meant to give force to a July advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which declared Israeli presence to be illegal in any area over the 1949 armistice line.
More than 40 countries sponsored the resolution, which was the first that Palestinians filed after being granted unprecedented privileges, for a non-U.N. member, earlier this year.
The resolution calls on the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw completely from Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip within 12 months, which means evacuating all Jewish communities beyond the armistice line, including Jerusalem’s Old City.
It also bans arms sales to the IDF of any equipment that would be expected reasonably to be used in the territory over the 1949 lines and calls for a boycott of all products produced by Jews in those areas.
The resolution text lacks any mention of Israeli security concerns, historic ties to the lands or Hamas’s terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.
The vote came after a day of debate on Tuesday.
Argentina, Czechia, Fiji, Hungary, Malawi, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, Tuvalu and the United States joined Israel in opposing the resolution.
Notably, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Ukraine and Australia were among those who abstained.
General Assembly resolutions have no legal force, but the resolution’s passage on Wednesday is expected to be used in international courts and other fora to seek additional action against the Jewish state.
It is widely expected that the Palestinians will request that the U.N. Security Council take up the issue. Security Council resolutions are binding, but the United States would be expected to thwart such an effort, including with its veto power.
ASIA
North Korea
Quote:North and South Korea have adopted different approaches to confronting their falling birth rates and looming population decline.
North Korea's fertility rate, or the number of babies expected per woman's lifetime, stands at 1.78 births per woman, according to projections by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). South Korea's stands at 0.72, the lowest in the world.
During a speech at the communist country's annual National Congress of Mothers in December, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appealed to women to stop the trend and raise children to "carry forward our revolution."
North Korea does not regularly publish such figures, so analysts rely on estimates based on past official birth records, censuses and indirect surveys. These include data from household births, age-specific fertility rates, and birth histories from the 1993-2014 period.
"In the absence of additional, more recent empirical data, figures afterward included in World Population Prospects 2024 are projections based on levels and trends for previous years," Patrick Gerland, chief of the Population Estimates and Projection Section of the UN Population Division, told Newsweek.
A survey of more than 13,000 households conducted by North Korea's statistics bureau in 2014 revealed a fertility rate of 1.78, continuing the downward trend that has been ongoing since about 2008, when the country's fertility rate was estimated to be 2.1—the minimum needed to sustain a population.
Earlier this month, Radio Free Asia (RFA) cited anonymous North Korean sources who shared examples of authorities punishing doctors for performing secret abortions in Ryanggang, a northern province bordering China.
Merchants selling contraceptives have also reportedly been swept up in a crackdown, with those discovered dealing birth control drugs facing heavy fines and lifetime bans from the marketplace.
North Korea, with a population of 26 million, is not alone as it faces shifting demographics, and its fertility rate is higher than Russia (1.4), Japan (1.2), China (1.0), and South Korea, and much of the developed world for that matter.
Yet international sanctions have deprived North Korea of much advanced machinery, so the country depends more on physical labor and is less prepared to offset a dwindling workforce through automation, East Asia analyst Khang Vu wrote in a May article for the Lowy Institute.
Instead of implementing the sweeping economic reforms necessary to improve living conditions and encourage larger families, Kim's regime has "increasingly cracked down on the black market and tightened state control to root out 'anti-socialist' behavior."
Quote:North Korean state media has released images of the latest of Pyongyang's steady stream of missile tests Wednesday, which drew condemnation from the South.
In the images, released Thursday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un can be seen observing the launches from a launch site and the rockets' impact on what appears to be a target island off the country's east coast. He was said to have expressed "great satisfaction" with the results.
One of the test firings involved ballistic missile, the Hwasongpo-11Da-4.5, with the aim of gauging its accuracy from a range of 200 miles as well as the "explosive power" of its "supersized" 4.5-ton warhead, KCNA wrote.
The other weapon being tested was an upgraded strategic cruise missile "with advanced performance for combat use."
Kim was quoted as citing serious threats posed by external forces as a driver of the his continued missile tests. He added that only by possessing "strong power" can the regime "deter and crush the enemy's strategic miscalculation and willingness to use force."
During his visit, the 40-year-old leader also tested and inspected an assault rifle and sniper rifle developed by the country's Academy of Defense Science, the report said.
Newsweek reached out to the North Korean embassy in China outside office hours via emailed request for comment.
Seoul on Wednesday again condemned the North's launches, the second round in less than a week, as "clear acts of provocation seriously threatening peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command also issued a rebuke over the tests and called on Pyongyang to "refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts" while affirming Washington's "ironclad" support for its South Korean and Japanese allies.
Under Kim's 13-year rule, North Korea has conducted over 236 missile tests, all of which involving weapons with a range of at least 300 kilometers (186 miles) and the capability to carry payloads of at least 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds), according to the Center for Nonproliferation Studies North Korea Missile Test Database.
This marks a 13-fold increase from the number of launches overseen by his father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled from 1994 until his death in 2011.
Japan & South Korea Under Surveillance Last Week
Quote:wo Russian military aircraft on Thursday circumnavigated around Japan and entered South Korea's air defense zone, resulting in the two allies of the United States scrambling fighter jets.
The Joint Staff Office under Japan's defense ministry reported the movement of a pair of Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, also known as "Bear F" under NATO reporting names, inside the Japanese air defense identification zone, or ADIZ.
The "Bear F" entered South Korea's ADIZ during the encirclement flight around Japan, local media cited the country's military as saying. In response, Japanese and South Korean fighter jets were deployed. Both Tokyo and Seoul are Washington's security treaty allies in Asia.
An ADIZ is an area of international airspace where the tracking and identification of aircraft is required for national security purposes. On Wednesday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command detected and tracked two Russian military aircraft in the Alaska ADIZ.
The long-range flight comes as Russia is conducting two air and naval exercises in its Far East region with China. One of the exercises, China-led Northern/Interaction-2024, is underway in the Sea of Japan, which is situated west of Japan, and the Sea of Okhotsk.
The other military maneuver is the Ocean-2024, where exercise areas include the Pacific Ocean. This strategic exercise has been taking place since Tuesday and is scheduled for a week. The Chinese military has announced that its forces participated in this Russian military drill.
The "Bear F" is derived from the Tu-95 "Bear" turboprop strategic bomber, specializing in hunting submarines and patrolling vast ocean areas. It has a reported range of 7,456 miles and is equipped with specialized equipment for anti-submarine warfare and surveillance.
The Japanese military said the "Bear F" flew from the Sea of Japan to the East China Sea via the Tsushima Strait, a waterway that separates Japan to the east and South Korea to the west. The aircraft then continued southward and flew west of Japan's Ryukyu Islands.
MIDDLE EAST
Israel & Hezbollah
Quote:Israeli warplanes shattered the calm over Beirut on Thursday as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a fiery televised speech from an undisclosed location.
Nasrallah accused Israel of crossing a "red line" following the remote detonation of rigged communication devices that killed 37 and injured over 3,000.
"The enemy will face a severe and fair punishment from where they expect and don't expect," he said.
As Nasrallah spoke, Israeli jets flew low over Lebanon's capital, breaking the sound barrier and sending birds scattering. People in homes and offices rushed to open windows to prevent them from shattering.
Simultaneously, Hezbollah and the Israeli military exchanged fresh strikes.
Hezbollah drones targeted Israeli military positions along the border, while Israeli forces responded with airstrikes on militant sites in southern Lebanon.
The explosions, reportedly part of an Israeli effort to cripple Hezbollah's communication network, occurred across multiple locations in Beirut, southern Lebanon, and parts of Damascus.
Nasrallah described the attack as a "severe blow" but vowed to retaliate into Northern Israel.
"The enemy crossed all boundaries and red lines," he said.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad confirmed that many of the injured were civilians hit by device explosions in homes, businesses, and public spaces.
Tuesday's blasts killed 12 people, including two children, while Wednesday's explosions claimed 25 more lives.
The walkie-talkie devices that detonated on Wednesday caused more severe injuries than the pagers used in the first day's attack, due to their increased size.
Many suffered gaping wounds on their legs, abdomens and faces or were maimed in the hand.
Hezbollah has framed its near-daily strikes on northern Israel as a show of support for Hamas.
In response, Israel has intensified its military actions in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions and senior members in the capital, Beirut.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signaled a shift in Israel's military strategy on Wednesday, describing the ongoing conflict as entering a "new phase" and hinting at a potential escalation against Hezbollah.
He praised Israel's military and security agencies, describing their work as "impressive," but did not directly reference the attacks on Hezbollah's communications devices.
Iran on the Exploding Pagers
Quote:The electronic device explosions in Lebanon will be met with "just retribution," Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said.
Pager blasts killed 12 and injured more than 2,000 on Tuesday, before walkie-talkies detonated on Wednesday, killing 20 and injuring at least 450. The attacks targeted members of Hezbollah, the Islamist group linked to Tehran, and they have been blamed on Israel.
Israel hasn't yet commented on the blasts, which have been linked to its Mossad spy agency, but the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, declared on Wednesday "a new phase in the war" in the Middle East.
Without mentioning Israel by name, Pezeshkian posted on X that he condemned "the treacherous mass assassination carried out by the terrorist entity through the bombing of communication devices."
"God is almighty and avenging, and the criminal will surely receive just retribution," the post added, according to a translation.
He added that Tehran "condemns this heinous crime that targeted the Lebanese and affirms its support for Lebanon, its government and people, and we call on international organizations to assume their responsibilities."
Former Israeli Intelligence official and regional analyst Avi Melamed told Newsweek that Hezbollah had been using pagers because they thought they would be safer than phones, which could be GPS targeted.
"While Hezbollah still has the fallback wired system it created in 2008, the loss of wireless communications capabilities severely compromises its flexibility, connectivity, and maneuverability," he said.
Melamed added that the strike on Tuesday may have been tied to the announcement about Israel's security services foiling a Hezbollah attempted assassination in Tel Aviv of former Israeli defense minister and IDF chief of staff, Moshe Ya'alon.
The attack, along with Israel's military posture and Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Egypt to discuss a peace deal for the war in Gaza, shows that the U.S. and Israel "are signaling Iran directly" to pressure Hamas into a compromise, Melamed said.
Israeli threats to strike Hezbollah at a time when the group is vulnerable could undermine Iran's control over Lebanon and mean "weakening its most significant proxy," Melamed added.
Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed faction that controls swaths of Lebanon, have been trading attacks across a shared border.
Amid concern that the attacks could lead to an all-out conflict, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for restraint from both sides and said it could be a "pre-emptive strike before a major military operation," and that the UN security council is due to meet on Friday to discuss the issue.
Traitor Wanted to Kill Netanyahu, Bennett & Gallant
Quote:An Israeli man has been charged over an alleged Iran-backed assassination plot against several senior government officials including the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A statement by Israeli police say the nation’s domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet and the country’s FBI equivalent Lahav 433 had worked together to expose an plot revolving around an Israeli Jewish businessman recruited by Iranian intelligence. It is alleged the plots looked to assassinate targets including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former PM Naftali Bennett, Israel’s defence minister, and the head of the Shin Bet agency.
The man, who was arrested in August, was formally charged this morning and police went public, revealing the details they said they had discovered of the plot, shortly afterwards. He was not formally named by the police statement but The Times of Israel names him as 73-year-old Moti Maman, of Ashkelon, Southern District Israel.
A police spokesman said on Thursday morning: “an Israeli citizen smuggled himself into Iran on two different occasions to meet with Iranian intelligence agents. He expressed a willingness to commit serious acts of terrorism on Israeli soil, including plotting the assassination of high-level officials… The suspect, who has since been apprehended sought large sums of money in exchange for providing intelligence and additional support to Iranian intelligence officials.”
ToI claims Maman demanded a million dollars from Iranian intelligence for work on the assassination plot and received cash for meetings. Beyond the killing plot, it is alleged he was also instructed to deliver money and weapons to other agents in Iran, perform reconnaissance, and to intimidate other Israelis who had been recruited by Iranian intelligence if they failed to carry out their assigned missions. The suspect is said to be a businessman whose work took him to Turkey, where he us alleged to have met with Turkish and Iranian figures who arranged for him to be smuggled to Iran for meetings.
It is asserted the plot to kill Netanyahu was “seen by the Iranian officials as revenge for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran”.
The allegations against Maman, who is reported to be cooperating with authorities, come at a time where Israel steps up operations against Iranian proxy Hezbollah, and as executive assassinations repeatedly make headlines. U.S. former President and again candidate Donald Trump has been the subject of two apparent assassination attempts just this year, and NATO member state Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot at close range in May.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
