News of the World
10-03-2024, 08:36 PM
USA
LATIN AMERICA
EUROPE
US Senator: Iran Has Assassination Teams in US Soil, Trump is their Target
Quote:On Thursday’s broadcast of FBN’s “Mornings with Maria,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) warned of the consequences of the Biden administration’s policy decisions and the impact on Iran’s behavior.
According to the junior Missouri U.S. Senator, Iran was actively supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and had “assassination teams” in the United States trying to kill her opponent, former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.
“John Ratcliffe, on ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ this Sunday, said to me the issue is is that the U.S. government, Kamala Harris shares a goal with Iran, the same, and that is stop Trump,” host Maria Bartiromo said. “That is why Iran hacked into Trump’s campaign. And that is why Iran threatened to assassinate President Trump. Are those things, in your view, an act of war? Should that have been responded to by this administration — the fact that Iran, the state terrorism supporter, is trying to hack into a presidential campaign and assassinate a former president of the U.S.? Because there has been no response to that.”
“Right,” Schmitt replied. “Also, there hasn’t been a response to the Houthis, which are also funded by Iran, are attacking U.S. warships. They are attacking the U.S. Navy. We have not responded to that. That is insane. That doesn’t inspire any detterence. Yes, Iran is public now. We have been aware of confidential or classified briefings. Iran is supporting Kamala Harris. They want her to win. That is out there. That is out there that is not classified information. They have assassination teams in the United States trying to kill President Trump.”
Schmitt added, “Meanwhile, the Biden administration, Maria, people tell you getting the same level of Secret Service protection. They are lying to you. He has more manpower but still being denied defensive assets — things that can be used that President Biden and Vice President Harris get President Trump still doesn’t get. And we know they are trying. The Iranians want to kill President Trump. So, it is very obvious Iran doesn’t want Trump. They want Harris to win. They want to kill Trump. They are leaking information. So, it is very obvious that Iran doesn’t feel like going to suffer consequences from that. And that is a direct result of Joe Biden’s weakness. You can tie all the way back to withdrawal of- from Afghanistan. The world saw it. Iran saw it. Russia saw it. China saw it.”
Kamala Doesn't Really Care About Helene's Victims
Quote: Wrote:Vice President Kamala Harris announced $750 in aid for Hurricane Helene victims, just days after her and President Joe Biden’s administration announced $8 billion in a new installment of aid for Ukraine.
Harris spent the weekend campaigning on the West Coast as the hurricane unleashed deadly destruction across the nation’s southwest, killing hundreds of Americans, with hundreds more still missing.
On Wednesday, Harris visited Georgia — two days after former President Donald Trump visited — and announced what many are criticizing as a measly amount of aid for hurricane victims: $750.
Harris touted during remarks in Augusta, Georgia, “The federal relief and assistance that we have been providing has included FEMA providing $750 for folks who need immediate needs being met, such as food, baby formula, and the like. And you can apply now.”
The $750 is $50 more than the amount the administration gave the 2023 Maui wildfire victims, which included many who had lost their homes and loved ones.
Just a week ago, the Biden-Harris administration announced $8 billion for Ukraine. The administration has sent Ukraine at least $175 billion over the last two years since the war began.
The discrepancy in the amount for Hurricane Helene victims and the Ukraine War has prompted harsh criticism of the administration’s poor response.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) posted on X:
$750 for Hurricane Helene victims.
$700 for Maui fire victims.
$175 BILLION to Ukraine.
FREE flights, health care, housing, and food for illegal aliens.
Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, American citizens come last.
Politico's Ryan Lizza on Leave
Quote:Politico’s chief Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza is on a leave of absence after his former fiancée Olivia Nuzzi filed a court complaint accusing him of blackmail and harassment.
Just when you thought this story could not get any more awesome…
This all started earlier in the month when Nuzzi was herself placed on leave by New York Magazine, where she was considered their star reporter. Everything fell apart when it was discovered she had been reporting on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while pursuing a personal relationship with him.
According to various sources, after interviewing Kennedy, who is married to actress Cheryl Hines, Nuzzi got flirtatious during a phone call. Kennedy responded by blocking her number. Through various machinations, she was able to convince him to unblock her once in a while. Then per the source, she would send him sexy pictures of herself. Someone leaked this information to New York Magazine. Nuzzi was put on leave. Lizza announced Nuzzi was now his EX-fiancée. Kennedy is currently looking into suing her.
...
In her court complaint, Nuzzi says that Lizza “explicitly threatened to make public personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation—a threat he has since carried out.”
Nuzzi also claims “Lizza had stolen a personal electronic device from her, was hacking her devices, then anonymously shopping information about her to the media.” She adds that some of this information might have been “doctored” by Lizza to look worse than it was. She also believes Lizza impersonated “an anonymous campaign operative” to damage her reputation with a political campaign.
Per the court document, Nuzzi believes it was Lizza who told her employer about her relationship with Kennedy. She further alleges he “threatened her with violence to assume his share of financial responsibility for a joint book contract they had.”
According to her, it was all about blackmailing her into not breaking up with him.
As of now, a judge has granted Nuzzi’s request to bar Lizza from having any contact with her. A court date is set for October.
Biden Can't Keep His Mouth Shut
Quote:U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday glibly ruled out any imminent Israeli strikes against Iran as the strife-torn region prepares for a response to the recent missile attack on the Jewish state.
“First of all, we don’t ‘allow’ Israel, we advise Israel. And there is nothing going to happen today,” Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if he would allow Israel to retaliate against Iran.
He made the remarks on the South Lawn before departing aboard Marine One without any further clarification or citing of a source for the military intelligence revelation.
A reporter had asked if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities with Biden responding, “we’re discussing that. I think that would be a little… anyway.”
Oil prices jumped five percent over concerns about the Middle East after Biden spoke.
The comment came in the wake of Democrats and the media frequently criticizing former President Donald Trump for allegedly talking with Russia yet here is Biden telling Iran directly that it is safe from attack.
As Breitbart News reported, Iran launched an unprecedented 180-plus missiles at Israeli targets on Tuesday, in what it described as retaliation for the killings of several militant leaders and Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon.
The large-scale strike followed Israel’s airstrike a week earlier killed terrorist Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, as well as Abbas Nilforoushan, a high-ranking commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Jack Smith is Back With Recycled Accusations
Quote:U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan Wednesday unsealed special counsel Jack Smith’s latest motion in his salvaged case against Donald Trump for interference in the 2020 election.
Chutkan’s release of the redacted motion – filed last week – follows Trump’s surge in swing state polls and comes the day after Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, shined in the vice presidential debate – likely the last debate in the election cycle.
Under local criminal rule 47(e) of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, motions of this type are limited to 45 pages. Yet Chutkan allowed Smith to file a mammoth 165-page motion, which Smith used to rehash – in official court documents – political attacks and Democrat grievances against Trump yet to be proven in court.
Smith’s motion includes one-sided allegations that turn on Trump’s state of mind, repeating that Trump’s claims regarding the election were knowingly false and deceitful without allowing the possibility that Trump believed what he said.
Trump emphatically denies Smith’s charges, and many commentators profess that Trump sincerely believes that he would have won if all relevant laws were faithfully enforced.
The 165-page document is unusual in other respects, including the timing and manner of its release.
Chutkan could have kept the motion under seal until after the election. Instead, she released a lightly redacted motion that appears to have redacted little other than names.
Trump’s team argued more redactions were necessary if Chutkan chose to release the motion publicly. They also objected to the timing, noting that early voting has already begun.
Smith’s team Tuesday rejected any accusations of political motivation behind the filing or its timing, saying that despite the timing so close to Election Day, they have “no role or interest in partisan politics.”
DOJ policy does not allow prosecutions or legal actions that could influence ongoing elections.
Smith was forced to go back to a grand jury to salvage his case after the Supreme Court ruled in July that all presidents enjoy partial immunity for actions taken in office in an official capacity. Yet Smith’s superseding indictment contained the same four charges Trump originally was charged with, reconfigured to charge Trump in fact had acted as a private citizen, not as president, and therefore not immune. That is a disputed legal question that will be hashed out in court.
“The superseding indictment, which was presented to a new grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in this case, reflects the Government’s efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Court’s holdings and remand instructions in Trump v. United States,” Smith wrote at that time.
Trump wrote at the time that Smith’s latest effort “has all the problems of the old indictment, and should be dismissed immediately.”
Smith’s appointment itself was ruled unconstitutional in a Florida court this summer, where a Florida judged tossed Smith’s documents case against Trump.
Chinese Intruders
Quote:Five Chinese nationals were indicted on federal charges on Wednesday for conspiracy, lying to federal investigators, and destroying records pertaining to their strange midnight visit to a Michigan Army National Guard base in August 2023.
The defendants, who were University of Michigan students at the time, were caught with cameras near a major National Guard live-fire training exercise at Camp Grayling. The exercise, dubbed “Northern Strike,” involved military vehicles and classified communications equipment. Visiting personnel from Taiwan were involved in the drills.
The indictment filed on Wednesday did not pertain to the suspicious activities of the students near the military base, but rather to the false statements they gave investigators. When they were approached by a National Guard officer after bypassing abundant caution tape and “no trespassing” signs to enter the Northern Strike area, the five Chinese nationals falsely claimed to be members of the media, then fled the area.
Local law enforcement soon discovered the five had booked themselves into a motel in Grayling, seemingly for the purpose of observing the military exercise.
One of the students, 23-year-old Renxiang Guan, changed his story after he was detained at Detroit Metropolitan Airport while attempting to travel to Shanghai a few months later. Guan reportedly claimed the five were “stargazing,” but two photos of military vehicles taken on the day of their visit to Camp Grayling were found in his personal electronics.
The other four students – Zhekhai Xu, 22; Haoming Zhu, 21; Jingzhe Tao, 22; and Yi Liang, 23 – were questioned by the FBI three months later, when they flew into Chicago O’Hare International Airport from Iceland.
The quartet gave inconsistent statements to FBI investigators, including implausible claims of visiting the Camp Grayling to watch a meteor shower on a rainy, overcast night. They also gave conflicting statements about whether they knew they were near a military base, and made false statements about when they booked their motel room.
The FBI also discovered WeChat messages in which the defendants admitted to deleting photos from their cameras and phones, and using third parties to carry their electronics on their trip to Iceland so they could avoid searches.
“The subjects discussed their encounter with the (sergeant major) at Bear Lake, attempted to coordinate their accounts of what happened so that the stories would match if any of them were questioned in the future and deleted potentially incriminating photos from their phones and cameras to preclude law enforcement from finding them,” the criminal complaint against the five Chinese students said.
The complaint referred to other instances of Chinese students performing what appeared to be surveillance of sensitive American facilities, including two other University of Michigan students who were caught snapping photos at Florida’s Naval Air Station Key West in 2020.
The two Chinese nationals in the Key West case wound up serving prison time, but the indictment against the five students on Wednesday indicated they attended the University of Michigan as part of a two-year joint program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and left the country in May 2024 after it was completed. None of the five are currently in custody.
“Should they come into contact with US authorities, they will be arrested and face these charges,” Gina Balaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit, said on Wednesday.
Deadly Hurricane Helene
Quote:Nearly 200 people are reportedly dead after Hurricane Helene slammed the southeast portion of the United States.
NBC News reported on Thursday that 194 people lost their lives amid the destruction the storm brought, with over half of the deaths occurring in North Carolina.
“Hundreds are still missing and officials have reported difficulties in identifying some of the dead,” the outlet said.
It added “President Joe Biden visited North Carolina yesterday and announced that up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers will join the North Carolina National Guard in delivering supplies, food and water to isolated communities.”
Video footage shows floodwaters moving entire buildings, holes in roofs where residents busted through to escape the rising water, and landslides in the mountainous areas, per Today.
“There are significant challenges ahead between three different states; North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, there are roughly still a million people without power,” a reporter on the show said.
The village of Chimney Rock, North Carolina, has been described as being “washed away,” Breitbart News reported on Monday.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe authorized by former President Donald Trump to help victims of the storm has raised $4,460,640 of its $1,000,000 goal, as of Thursday morning.
An update on the page reads:
President Trump and his supporters are using the GoFundMe platform to direct unprecedented levels of generosity from MAGA supporters to help Americans facing the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene. In just a matter of days, this account for those across the Southeastern US has raised millions of dollars. Please continue to support your fellow Americans in their recovery efforts! President Trump is grateful for your support of this effort and as funds come in we will disperse to those who have been impacted. We have selected Samaritan’s Purse and Water Mission as the recipients of this generosity. We have made an initial disbursement and will continue providing more funds as support continues to come in.
Country music star Morgan Wallen donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross through the Morgan Wallen Foundation in an effort to help communities hit by the storm, Breitbart News reported Tuesday.
Quote:Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the remainder of hurricane season, yet $640 million has been allotted to DHS specifically for issues related to illegal immigrants.
“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting. We do not have the funds — FEMA does not have the funds — to make it through the season,” Mayorkas revealed.
This is problematic, as hurricane season does not end until November 30. According to Fox News’s Chad Pergram, “Congress made sure FEMA had more than $20 billion in last week’s emergency spending bill ahead of the storm, but last year, Congress awarded DHS $640 million to help communities provide shelter and aid to people in the country illegally.”
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is among those who have sounded the alarm, contending that officials laundered the money for their illegal immigrant pet projects.
“This is not something that has just happened recently,” she said, explaining that “Florida’s been warning about this since this administration took over.”
“Mayorkas has come in like a virus and infected these — what need to be healthy, strong, fundamental programs to ensure the stability and safety of Americans in times of disaster. So you heard, they have taken the FEMA emergency food and shelter program and over time, siphoned off hundreds of millions of dollars into basically making it an illegal immigrant resettlement program,” she revealed, adding that these moves encourage more illegals to come here.
“Biden and Harris are having to fund that on the backs of the American people. And now, right now, in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, all of these states are hurting,” she continued.
At least 190 have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of the storm, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend before wreaking havoc as far inland as Asheville, North Carolina, and beyond.
This also comes as the Biden-Harris administration is under fire not only for the lackluster Helene response — Harris actually opted to party with celebrities in Los Angeles in the aftermath of the storm — but for the latest call from the Department of Transportation instructing drone pilots to stop their relief efforts.
“Drone pilots: Do not fly your drone near or around rescue and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in an X post.
“Interfering with emergency response operations impacts search and rescue operations on the ground,” it continued, sharing a video of Buttigieg touting “temporary flight restrictions to make sure that the airspace is clear for any flights or drone activity that might be involved in helping to allow those emergency responders to do their job.”
Chaotic Ports
Quote:Growing lines of container ships continued to form outside major U.S. ports on Thursday as the biggest dockworker strike in nearly 50 years entered its third day.
The choke points are threatening shortages of everything from bananas to auto parts and are anticipated to grow in coming days if no resolution is forthcoming.
Reuters reports no negotiations were scheduled between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and employers, but the port owners, under pressure from the White House to hike their pay offer to land a deal, signaled they were open to new talks.
Some 45 container vessels that have been unable to unload had dropped anchor outside the strike-stricken East Coast and Gulf Coast ports by Wednesday, up from just three before the strike began on Sunday, according to Everstream Analytics.
“Many seem to have decided to wait it out, possibly in hopes of a prompt resolution to the strike action, rather than taking the proactive decision to divert,” said Everstream’s Jena Santoro in a video presentation seen by Reuters.
As reported by Breitbart News, the ILA launched its strike by 45,000 port workers from Maine to Texas, its first major stoppage since 1977, on Tuesday after talks for a new six-year contract with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group broke down.
The ILA is seeking a big pay raise along with commitments to halt port automation projects it fears will kill jobs. The USMX had offered a 50 percent pay bump, but the ILA said it was insufficient to address its concerns.
“Reaching an agreement will require negotiating,” USMX said late on Wednesday. “We cannot agree to preconditions to return to bargaining, but we remain committed to bargaining in good faith to address the ILA’s demands and USMX’s concerns,” it said.
LATIN AMERICA
Mexican Military & Middle Eastern Migrants
Quote:Mexican Army soldiers mistook a fleeing convoy of vehicles that was moving a large group of Middle Eastern migrants for cartel gunmen in the state of Chiapas. The subsequent chase and shooting killed at least four migrants, while some accounts point to six dying.
The shooting took place on Wednesday evening in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas along the highway that connects the towns of Villa Comaltitlan and Huixtla, a statement from Mexico’s Army revealed.
According to the military, a contingent of soldiers patrolled the roads when they saw a pickup that suddenly sped off. The fleeing vehicle was closely followed by two cargo trucks that gunmen commonly use the military claims in that region.
Two soldiers claimed to have heard gunshots and began firing at the fleeing vehicles. One of the trucks stopped, and when military forces approached, they found a total of 33 migrants from Egypt, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and Cuba.
The information revealed by the military differs from local news accounts that claim that six migrants died and that the army chased down the fleeing human smuggling group for several miles and fired numerous times. As the army statement revealed, the driver of one of the trucks lost control, rolled over, and did not stop.
According to the Mexican Army, four migrants died, 12 others were injured, and 17 others were unharmed. However, according to local news reports, six migrants died, and nine were injured. The military forces provided first aid and rushed them to local hospitals.
The Mexican military revealed that the two soldiers who fired their weapons had been placed on leave pending investigations by federal authorities.
Cartel Gunmen Active in Cancun
Quote:A group of gunmen riding on jet skis pulled up to one of the luxurious hotels in Cancun, shot an unidentified man, and fled before authorities could arrive. The shooting is just one of several that have taken place in recent months in the popular beach resort area as rival drug cartels wage a fierce turf war.
The shooting took place on Wednesday morning on the private beach of the Riu Hotel in Cancun, Mexico’s Noticaribe.mx reported. The shooting took place in the luxurious Cancun beach area, which has several ritzy hotels with private beaches along a beachfront boulevard.
At least two gunmen walked up to the unidentified victim, shot him numerous times, and then ran off towards a nearby hotel, where they got on their jet skis and sped away on the water.
By the time first responders arrived, the victim was already dead. A subsequent search by Mexican authorities did not yield any results.
Despite efforts by Mexico’s government to suppress negative news, Cancun has become a hotspot for violence in recent years as rival drug cartels fight for control of drug distribution and the lucrative sex trade. While most of the killings take place in the inner city areas, away from the beach resorts, as Breitbart Texas reported, killings inside resort areas and trendy nightclubs have become more and more common.
In July, a group of gunmen shot and killed a 12-year-old boy who was vacationing with his family in that same beach area, Noticaribe.mx reported at the time. The boy was not the target but was caught in the crossfire as a group of gunmen riding in jetskis clashed with another group of gunmen. The gunmen were from rival drug gangs fighting over the local drug trade.
In August, a group of cartel gunmen threw a grenade at a luxurious apartment complex called Koa Towers in Cancun, Breitbart Texas reported. While the device did not explode, it caused widespread panic as authorities had to seal off the area until military forces could safely retrieve the explosive, which was described as a fragmentation grenade.
Daniel Ortega's Brother Passed Away
Quote:Humberto Ortega, younger brother of Nicaragua’s communist dictator Daniel Ortega, died on Monday, four months after his brother placed him under house arrest and accused him of “treason” for questioning the regime’s continuity.
The younger Ortega sibling denounced being a political prisoner of his brother’s regime in an audio recording posthumously released hours after his death by the local newspaper Confidencial.
According to a statement from the Nicaraguan military, Humberto Ortega suffered respiratory arrest in the early midnight hours of Monday at the Alejandro Dávila Bolaños Military Hospital in the capital city of Managua.
The younger Ortega sibling had not been publicly seen or heard from since he was placed under house arrest in May. Following months of rumors, the hospital confirmed on Sunday that Ortega had been hospitalized in the facility since June 11.
Humberto Ortega, 77 at the time of his death, was a retired general who participated in the Sandinista revolution alongside his brother and played an instrumental role in the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), helping his brother’s dictatorial rule during the 1980s by serving as his defense minister, army chief, and strategist.
The younger Ortega began taking a critical stance of his brother in April 2018 amidst the wave of anti-communist protests against Daniel Ortega that called for an end to his regime’s decades-long rule over Nicaragua. Ortega responded to the protests with a brutal persecution campaign that left over 300 people dead.
The strained relationship between both Ortega siblings further deteriorated in the following years and reached a crucial point in May after Humberto Ortega gave an interview to the Argentine outlet Infobae where he questioned the continuity of the Nicaraguan communist regime without the leadership of his brother Daniel, who is presently 78 years old.
Humberto Ortega asserted that, in a hypothetical scenario in which Daniel Ortega is suddenly absent, there would be an “impossibility” for the ruling Sandinistas to consolidate power again.
The younger Ortega expressed his doubts to Infobae that Daniel Ortega’s wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, or son Laureano Ortega Murillo, would be capable of succeeding the communist dictator upon his death.
“Without Daniel, there is no one because, all in all, Daniel is the only leader, historically, who still retains the credits of that struggle,” Humberto Ortega told Infobae at the time. “Without Daniel, I see it very difficult for two or three to get together, much less one in particular, and more difficult in the family.”
“With the absence of Daniel, it would be very fragile to sustain everything that, until now, he has managed to sustain with great effort and with enormous complexities,” he continued. “Not only internally but also with the allied forces of the left and the governments of the region. The only one they know is Daniel.”
Daniel Ortega responded to his brother’s interview by placing him under house arrest and having the Nicaraguan police seize his phone, computer, and other communication devices. Days later, Daniel Ortega publicly accused his brother of being a “traitor” without directly mentioning him and claimed “he had given his soul to the devil.”
Venezuelan Christmas Season Began in October
Quote:Venezuela’s socialist regime kicked off the “Merry Christmas 2024” season on Tuesday as decreed by dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Christians normally celebrate the Christmas season in a four-week period in December known as Advent that marks the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth on December 25, Christmas Day.
The Venezuelan socialists have a long track record of misinterpreting Christian faith and co-opting the religion to suit their ideological pursuits, maintaining a longstanding animosity towards the Venezuelan Catholic Church. Maduro has repeatedly rescheduled the start of Christmas in Venezuela to either October or November, depending on what best suits his own interests at a given time.
The 2024 Venezuelan Christmas period, according to Maduro’s latest orders, started on October 1 and will run through January 15, 2025. The dictator claimed in September that the decision to move Christmas earlier this year was to express his “gratitude” to Venezuelans for the “results” of the July 28 sham presidential election, which Maduro and the Venezuelan institutions under his control fraudulently insist he “won.”
The Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (CEV) issued a statement rejecting the regime’s political use of Christmas and condemning the move, emphasizing that, for Catholics – the majority of Venezuelans – Advent begins on December 1.
“Christmas, as a liturgical season, begins on December 25 with the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and extends until the Epiphany of the Lord in January,” CEV said at the time. “Therefore, Christmas is a celebration of universal character.”
“The manner and time of its celebration is a matter for ecclesiastical authority. This feast should not be used for propagandistic or political purposes,” the statement concluded.
Maduro reiterated his decision to start Christmas in October on Monday during the latest broadcast of his weekly television show With Maduro Plus and responded to CEV’s September criticism by stating that Christmas will start in October “as it was decreed.”
Amazon Fires
Quote:Smoke from thousands of out-of-control fires in the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil is covering as much as 80 percent of the country, several outlets reported over the weekend.
Local emergency personnel in some of Brazil’s largest cities have documented a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking medical help for respiratory problems; in Brasilia, the national capital, the number of such cases has multiplied by 20. Experts asserted that inhaling smoke from the fires can cause effects comparable to smoking four or five cigarettes a day.
Nearly 60 percent of the Amazon Rainforest occupies Brazilian territory. The Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, faces recurring fires every year that in recent times became an international political controversy during the administration of conservative Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who served from 2019 to 2022. Bolsonaro was the target of several campaigns led by Hollywood celebrities and international heads of state to condemn the former Brazilian government for the “destruction” of the rainforest.
Presently, under the socialist government of radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Amazon Rainforest is experiencing the most severe fires in over a decade. Despite the dire situation, the loud international outrage seen under the Bolsonaro administration has not resurfaced.
According to statistics from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) reported by the local outlet Poder 360 on Tuesday, Brazil ended September with 83,157 documented fires, making it the worst month in 2024 so far and representing a 78.74-percent increase from September 2023’s 46,498 fires.
INPE has documented 210,208 fires in 2024 so far as of Tuesday, at an average of 210.2 per day — a number that, according to Poder 360’s report, surpasses the average of 197.6 fires per day logged in 2019 during the first year of Bolsonaro’s presidency. In 2007, during Lula’s second presidential term, Brazil experienced its worst forest fire rate in 26 years at an average of 393.9 fires per day.
Karla Longo, an atmospheric chemistry and pollutant dispersion specialist at INPE, told the local newspaper O Globo last week that the smoke cloud from the fires had spread to 80 percent of Brazil, extending across 7 million square kilometers (some 2.7 million square miles).
Longo explained that the smoke spread through the “flying rivers” of the Amazon Rainforest, air channels that normally exist in the atmosphere and distribute humidity during rainy seasons — but, she explained, carry smoke during fires beyond the rainforest.
The scientist explained that the smoke has not only spread over a larger area, but stressed that it can remain in the atmosphere for up to ten days, devastating air quality in the country and carrying tiny particles from everything burned by the fires that are harmful to health, in addition to other pollutants.
“These are long-term effects. It is high time for Brazil to prioritize combating fires. The situation should improve by the end of the month in the Southeast. But the Amazon will not see relief soon,” Longo said. “The drought in the north region is expected to continue at least until the end of October.”
A report recently published by the left-wing Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo stated that at least 40 percent of of the population of the southern cities of Belo Horizonte and São Paulo said they experienced health complications from the fires, while 29 percent of the citizens in Rio de Janeiro and 27 percent of Recife’s inhabitants also reported similar health complications.
The situation has reportedly led to locals wearing masks, placing wet towels and buckets of water near fans in their homes, and a temporary suspension of classes in nearly 40 schools in the capital city of Brasilia, where local authorities recommended residents stay hydrated and avoid outdoor exercise.
Bukele & Milei Meet in Argentina
Quote:The President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele met his “great friend,” Argentine President Javier Milei, on Monday during his first visit to the South American nation since he took office in 2019.
Milei granted Bukele an hour-long private meeting at the Casa Rosada (“Pink House”) presidential palace while several Argentine ministers met with their Salvadoran counterparts in tandem. Milei and Bukele then held a broader meeting in the company of their respective delegations.
According to the Salvadoran presidential office, the countries signed joint project agreements on nuclear energy, culture, sports, airport hubs, and water resources management. The countries also vowed to strengthen their commitment and “strategic cooperation” in economy and security.
...
Monday’s meeting marks the second official encounter between the presidents following Milei’s visit to El Salvador on June 1 on the occasion of Bukele’s swearing in ceremony for his second presidential term (2024-2029).
The two additionally met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week where, according to reports, Bukele agreed to swap positions on the list of speakers with Milei to avoid an impasse between the Argentine president and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Milei’s speech, reportedly, was originally scheduled minutes before Pezeshkian’s.
Argentina holds Iran and its proxy, the Shiite jihadist organization Hezbollah, responsible for the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) and the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. The 1994 AMIA bombing was the deadliest terrorist attack in the Western Hemisphere prior to the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Under Milei, Argentina has “realigned” its foreign policy, embracing the United States and Israel as its main allies following nearly two decades of socialist governments that pushed the nation towards China, Russia, and Iran.
The Salvadoran president arrived last Thursday in Argentina but reportedly spent the weekend in the southern region of Patagonia carrying out a private agenda. Bukele kicked off his official agenda on Monday with a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of Argentine independence hero José de San Martín in Buenos Aires in the company of Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino.
EUROPE
Russia's Vacuum Bomb
Quote:Newly released footage shows Russian forces striking a Ukrainian town, using what pro-Kremlin sources have claimed is one of the most potent non-nuclear weapons in the world.
On Tuesday morning, videos began circulating on Russian and Ukrainian media of a "vacuum bomb" being dropped on the town of Vovchansk in the country's northeastern Kharkiv Oblast.
Ukrainian news agency InsiderUA posted the video to its Telegram channel, citing Russian military bloggers who said that the bomb was the ODAB-9000, a three-ton glide bomb sometimes referred to as "the father of all bombs."
In the video, the bomb can be seen descending from the top right corner of the screen, exploding in the already derelict city and damaging the surrounding buildings.
A pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel shared the video but said that the munition was the ODAB-3000 thermobaric bomb and that the use of the more powerful explosive was a lie spread by "Rashists," a Ukrainian term used to refer to members and backers of the Russian Armed Forces.
A thermobaric or "vacuum" bomb draws in oxygen to generate intense, high-temperature combustions. According to the International Review of the Red Cross, an international law-focused academic journal produced by the humanitarian organization, the use of thermobaric weapons in built-up, civilian areas could constitute a war crime.
Russian "milbloggers" have continued to share the footage and reiterate claims that the bomb was the ODAB-9000, which one called "the most powerful non-nuclear munition in the world."
"A decision was made to use something awesome in Volchansk: The ODAB-9000 vacuum bomb. The first use during the entire war," another prominent pro-Kremlin channel wrote alongside the video.
"I doubt that any of [them] survived," it added, using a common ethnic slur for Ukrainians.
The Telegram channel for the operational and tactical unit (OTU) of Kharkiv responded to the claims.
"The information about the alleged use of the ODAB-9000 aerial bomb by the Russian occupation forces in Vovchansk is not true," it said before referencing a statement given by Kharkiv OTU spokesperson Vitaliy Sarantsev.
"For the use of this munition, a suitable carrier is required, which theoretically could be, for example, a Tu-160 strategic bomber, but the movement of such aircraft was not recorded," Sarantsev was quoted as saying. "A smaller weight and power munition was used, the explosion of which was used by propagandists to create a 'spectacular' picture."
Sarantsev said that footage of the strike and claims that the ODAB-9000 caused the explosion was likely intended to demoralize Ukraine's Armed Forces, as well as the local population.
Chinese Mercenaries in Ukraine
Quote:Chinese nationals serving as "mercenaries" have been killed on the front lines in Ukraine, according to a social media group focused on honoring fallen Russian soldiers.
Thousands of foreigners have fought for Russia since Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but no solid evidence has emerged that Chinese nationals are among them.
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces have killed two Chinese mercenaries according to Russian channels," an X (formerly Twitter) account called PS01△ said on Wednesday.
Below the tweet, the netizen shared a post from the Telegram channel for a pro-war volunteer group known as ZOVNovoshakhtinsk.
The post included a statement on the deaths of a pair of soldiers nicknamed "Sprite" and "Cola."
"The guys from China. Good guys, great fighters, Died...," the poster wrote alongside photos of two young Asian men wearing military gear. Below the brief eulogy, members of the group seemed to be discussing how soon the soldiers had died after joining.
Newsweek could not independently verify the post. Newsweek reached out by email to the Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministries for comment outside office hours.
A Russian media outlet earlier this year called ZOVNovoshakhtinsk "an initiative group of volunteer wives, sisters and relatives of mobilized Novoshakhtinsk residents who died in the [Special Military Operation] zone."
Novoshakhtinsk is a mining city in the southwest Russian region of Rostov and sits just a few miles from the Ukrainian border. The "Special Military Operation" is the Kremlin's term for the war against Ukraine.
The write-up detailed the group's installation of billboards around the city featuring Novoshakhtinsk residents who had been killed in action.
Kyiv has also welcomed thousands of foreign mercenaries since launching its International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine. These included an army veteran from Taiwan, Tseng Sheng-guang, who in November 2022 became the first person from an East Asian country to be killed in the fighting.
Russia Hates Population Census
Quote:Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a federal law suspending part of the All-Russian Population Census.
According to some sources, this measure is intended to hide Russian society from the demographic impact that the casualties in Ukraine are having on the population.
A tally by independent Russian media outlet Mediazona and BBC News Russian released on September 27 said more than 71,057 Russian soldiers had been confirmed to have been killed, an increase of 1,998 since its last update in mid-September, although an estimate by Kyiv in the same month put the Moscow's total losses at 649,170.
Newsweek has not been able to independently verify the figures.
The law, effective until January 1, 2029, halts Paragraph 4 of Article 3 of the census law, affecting the frequency of selective federal statistical observations, which traditionally cover a sample of at least 5 percent of the population.
The suspended paragraph had mandated regular surveys as part of Russia's ongoing efforts to track population changes. However, with this change, it is unclear how Moscow will proceed with population tracking in the coming years.
The suspension was approved by the Federation Council on September 25, 2024. Russian officials have yet to clarify if or how they plan to compensate for the lack of up-to-date population data over the next five years.
Additionally, Moscow's suspension of this key census component may affect international bodies and businesses that depend on the country's demographic data for analysis, market strategies, and forecasting. It also adds Russia to a growing list of countries grappling with how to maintain accurate population statistics in the face of financial, technological, and political obstacles.
While the suspension is set to end in 2029, it remains uncertain whether other changes to Russia's census process will be introduced during this period.
Russia Seizes Key Ukrainian Stronghold
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Ukraine is set to pull out of Vuhledar, a town that has been a critical point of contention between Ukrainian and Russian forces for more than two years.
The town, located on a strategically important hill in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk province, has fallen into Russian hands after intense fighting. Kyiv's Khortytsia ground forces confirmed the withdrawal to protect military personnel and equipment, stating that Moscow's forces had launched flanking attacks, which led to a potential risk of troops being encircled.
NATO Fighters Jets Scrambled
Quote:Four NATO fighter jets were scrambled and an emergency alert issued in response to a Russian drone attack on targets near the Romanian border in Ukraine's Odesa region.
The jets were deployed after Russian drones were detected near Romanian airspace flying toward Ukrainian territory in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the country's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
It comes amid several recent reports of Russian drones flying into NATO territory, leading to calls from the Bucharest 9 bloc for a "collective answer" from the alliance.
After the drones were detected, two Spanish Air Force F-18 aircraft, part of NATO's Air Policing Combat Service, and two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft were scrambled to "monitor the situation."
Romania also issued emergency alerts for people living near the Ukrainian border in Tulcea and Galați Counties at 2:41 a.m. local time. The two Spanish jets had completed their mission by 3:00 a.m., while the Romanian aircraft had done so by 5:00 a.m.
"During this timeframe, Romania's radar surveillance system did not detect the intrusion into the national airspace of the drones involved in the attack against the Ukrainian targets," the Ministry of National Defense said in its statement.
It went on to condemn "these attacks conducted by the Russian Federation against certain facilities and elements of Ukrainian civil infrastructure, which are unjustified and seriously violating the international law norms."
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.
A few weeks ago, the Bucharest 9 bloc—consisting of Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia—issued a joint statement voicing concerns about the possibility of Russian drones and missiles landing in NATO territory.
Independent Russian outlet Verstka has reported that debris from missiles and drones had landed in countries neighboring the conflict 34 times, on 20 occasions in NATO member states.
Romanian territory has been affected 13 times, often close to Ukrainian Danube ports that are frequent Russian targets.
"We express our profound concern over the repeated incursions of NATO airspace…by the Russian Federation's drones and missiles, and the escalations of tensions along NATO's borders," the bloc said.
Latvia's government said that a Russian drone had come down in the east of the country on September 7, likely after crossing the border into the NATO nation from Russian ally, Belarus.
Separately, but on that same weekend, Romania's foreign ministry said "criminal" Russian drones had violated Romania's airspace while targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Russian Glide Bomb
Quote:A Russian glide bomb struck a five-story apartment block in Kharkiv on Thursday, injuring at least 12 people, including a 3-year-old girl, Ukrainian officials said.
The bomb hit between the third and fourth floors, igniting a fire, according to local officials. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has frequently faced aerial attacks throughout the ongoing war against Russia, now in its third year.
The increasing use of glide bombs, launched from Russian aircraft within Russia, has terrorized civilians and overwhelmed the Ukrainian military's front-line defenses.
These weapons played a crucial role in Russia's recent capture of the tactically significant town of Vuhledar, where Russian forces are wreaking destruction in the eastern region, forcing Ukrainian troops to withdraw from battered towns.
During a news conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need for increased military support from Western allies by stating that the latest Kharkiv attack highlights the urgent need for increased support from Ukraine's Western allies.
As Zelensky addressed the media, NATO's newly appointed Secretary-General Mark Rutte was visiting Ukraine for the first time since taking office. Rutte met with Zelensky in Kyiv as air raid sirens sounded twice, underscoring the perilous situation on the ground. He vowed to bolster Western support for Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russia's full-scale invasion since February 2022.
Rutte expressed confidence in working with whoever is elected president of the United States in November, as that election could significantly impact Ukraine's access to ongoing Western assistance. During their meeting, Zelensky discussed the elements of Ukraine's so-called victory plan, ahead of a NATO meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany next week. This gathering will unite defense leaders from over 50 partner nations to coordinate weapons aid.
Ukraine on New Long Range Missile
Quote:A new Ukrainian-developed ballistic missile has passed flight tests, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as Kyiv ramps up investment in its domestic weapons production more than two-and-a-half years into the war with Moscow.
"Our new ballistic missile has successfully passed flight tests," the Ukrainian leader said during an appearance at a defense industry conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Ukraine relies on Western aid deliveries to keep its missile arsenal stocked but has heavily invested in its homegrown weapons production and defense industry as its grueling war against Russia has continued.
The U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which tracks daily changes and developments in Ukraine, said on Wednesday that Kyiv's push to beef up its domestic production of military equipment and weapons will help ease its dependence on its Western backers in the long-term, but the war-torn country will still need "considerable Western assistance for the next several years."
Zelensky said in late August that Ukraine had tested a domestically-produced ballistic missile, describing the results as "positive." He declined to provide further details.
Ukraine has a variety of ballistic missiles, excluding Western-provided equipment like the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, noted Jacob Parakilas, research leader for Defense Strategy, Policy and Capabilities at the European branch of the RAND think tank.
Kyiv is not permitted to use long-range Western weapons like ATACMS against Russian targets over the border. Ukraine has appealed against this restriction, but despite signaling from officials last month, it remains in place. Domestically-made ballistic missiles would not fall under this ban.
Ukraine has prewar stocks of missiles like the short-range tactical Tochka-U, which is of some—but limited—use to Kyiv, Parakilas told Newsweek. Kyiv has converted some older air defense missiles into land-attack ballistic missiles, Parakilas said, but these are "not as effective as purpose-built ballistic missiles."
"As with the Tochkas, there's a limited and declining supply of such weapons available, so they're a stopgap measure at best," Parakilas added.
Zelensky's remarks this week likely refer to the Hrim-2, a missile long in development though to have an estimated range of around 500 kilometers, or just over 300 miles, Parakilas said.
This is "not enough to hit Moscow," Parakilas said, but it is a long enough range to threaten key Russian sites like air bases, ammunition storage sites or other military facilities from Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine Strikes Back
Quote:Ukrainian drones struck a Russian military airfield inside Russia overnight, according to a Ukrainian source and Russian reports, as Kyiv plugs away with its long-range attacks on destructive Russian aerial bombs and high-value aircraft.
Ukraine targeted the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia's border Voronezh region overnight into Thursday, a source in Ukraine's SBU security service told Newsweek.
The SBU, along with other branches of Ukraine's military, attacked warehouses where Russia stored KAB precision-guided aerial bombs, the source said. Kyiv also targeted Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets and aviation fuel storage sites at the airfield, the source added.
It is not yet clear how many jets were damaged. Satellite imagery showed four fires in the area, according to the source. The NASA-run Fire Information for Resource Management System showed several fires around Borisoglebsk in the past 24 hours.
Footage circulating online, which Newsweek couldn't independently verify, appears to show at least one large fire close to what looks to be a residential street.
...
Moscow said on Thursday that air defenses had intercepted 113 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight, including 25 over the Voronezh region.
Voronezh regional governor, Alexander Gusev, said in a post to messaging app Telegram early on Thursday that "about three dozen Ukrainian drones" were shot down by air defense systems or taken out by electronic warfare systems.
In a later statement, Gusev said one person had been injured and admitted to hospital, and 16 homes had been damaged by falling debris.
Ukraine has consistently targeted Russian military airfields and airbases across the border with long-range drones, although it is not allowed to use Western-provided long-range missiles to strike inside Russian territory. Kyiv has appealed against this restriction, but despite signaling from Western officials last month, the ban is still in place.
Quote:The Russian military has lost 37 artillery systems, 43 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and 75 vehicles within 24 hours, according to Ukrainian officials.
The report, posted on Thursday to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense page on X (formerly Twitter), also said that 1,150 troops, six tanks and an air defense system were eliminated over the same period.
Russia does not officially publish its military losses, and military analysts are skeptical of reports released by both sides.
These latest figures would bring Russia's total losses since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine to 656,710 personnel, 8,893 tanks, 18,906 artillery systems, 964 air defense systems, 16,393 UAVs, and 43,346 vehicles, still according to Kyiv.
...
Alongside the ministry's post was a quote attributed to U.S. Navy admiral Chester W. Nimitz which read: "Leadership consists of picking good men and helping them do their best."
Russian losses of artillery systems and prized equipment hit record highs in July and August, according to Ukrainian figures.
In July, Russia lost 1,520 artillery systems and 1,517 in August. In September, 1,219 were reportedly destroyed.
This period also saw some of the highest losses of Russian military personnel so far, with 35,680 in July, 36,810 in August, and 38,130 in September.
Data sourced from Ukraine's armed forces suggested that in September, Russia suffered almost 10,000 casualties within the space of a week.
On Thursday, Ukrainian forces said they had successfully hit a $100 million Russian Nebo-M radar station with ATACMS ballistic missiles.
The Nebo-M is "very complex" and able to operate in "stealth mode," Ukraine's military said.
It added that the station's destruction "significantly reduces the ability of the Russian army to detect, track and intercept aerodynamic and ballistic targets."
Kyiv said Russia has just 10 Nebo-M radar stations remaining and put the cost of each system at more than $100 million.
"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.
![[Image: SP1-Scripter.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Scripter.png)
![[Image: SP1-Writer.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Writer.png)
![[Image: SP1-Poet.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Poet.png)
![[Image: SP1-PixelArtist.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-PixelArtist.png)
![[Image: SP1-Reporter.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/GmxWbHyL/SP1-Reporter.png)
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
