Israel attacks Iranian targets in Syria as shadow war heats up between the two adversaries: report
JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s military reportedly launched an air strike Sunday in a Damascus neighborhood near an Iranian military installation – the latest attack in the Jewish state’s "shadow war" against Iran.
The Syrian opposition news outlet Orient News claimed the military strikes targeted Iranian regime officials in the central Damascus neighborhood of Kafar Sousah.
Israeli intelligence and security expert, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, now a senior researcher at the Israeli Defense Security Forum, told Fox News Digital that "Israel continues to actively undermine and hamper Iranian efforts to supply the [Bashar] Assad regime [in Syria] and Hezbollah with advanced weaponry."
Kuperwasser added, "According to the Information I have, some of the casualties in Damascus were a direct result of a Syrian air defense missile that struck a building. This is not the first time that unprofessional Syrian air defense fire causes unwanted casualties."
IRAN BLAMES ISRAEL FOR DRONE STRIKE CAUGHT ON VIDEO, THREATENS RETALIATION
Two Syrian military sources, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the press, told Reuters that stray anti-aircraft rockets fired in response to the missiles hit the vicinity of the historic citadel of Damascus.
Tehran’s military ally the Syrian Army said five people were killed after an Israeli rocket strike hit a building in the Kafar Sousah neighborhood of Central Damascus.
Media reports revealed in 2015 that Israeli spy agencies and the CIA reportedly assassinated the Iranian-backed global terrorist Imad Mughniyeh in a 2008 car bombing in Kafar Sousah. Mughniyeh oversaw terrorist operations for Iran’s chief strategic ally, the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement.
An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment to Fox News Digital on the alleged Israeli air strike on Sunday.
IRAN MAY USE SYRIA EARTHQUAKE TO SMUGGLE ARMS UNDER THE GUISE OF AID: REPORT
In addition to the five deaths, the Syrian regime-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that 15 people were injured and showed a picture of a destroyed building on its Twitter feed.
SANA reported that Syria’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday it "expects the United Nations Secretariat and Security Council to condemn Israeli aggression and crimes, take the necessary measures to deter them, hold them accountable, punish their perpetrators and ensure they do not recur."
The reported Israeli Air Force strike took place on the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Tehran for an attack on an Israeli-owned vessel in the Persian Gulf. "Last week Iran attacked an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf and harmed the international freedom and navigation," Netanyahu said at a weekly cabinet meeting.
Regional defense and security sources have said the suspected assault was carried out by Iran, which did not comment on the incident.
TENSIONS RISE AS IRAN THREATENS ISRAEL, REVEALS NEW UNDERGROUND AIRBASE
While Israel’s government has mostly stayed quiet on the military strikes, Syria has intensified its alliance with Iran’s regime since a revolt unfolded in the country in 2011 against the one-man, one-party rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
For almost a decade, Israel has been carrying out strikes against suspected Iranian-sponsored weapons transfers and personnel deployments in next-door Syria. Israeli officials have acknowledged some hundreds of military interventions targeting Iranian assets in Syria while staying quiet on other alleged strikes.
Iran has expanded its military and intelligence presence in Syria over the years and has a foothold in most state-controlled areas, with thousands of members of militias and local paramilitary groups under its command, Western intelligence sources say.
Syria’s army claimed that Israel’s military launched missiles toward Damascus’s airport on Jan. 2, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and injuring two additional people. The Jan. 2 attack was the last reported Israeli strike in the Syrian capital.
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The arrival of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander (IRGC), Esmail Qaani, in Syria after the earthquake-ravaged parts of Syria and Turkey put Israel’s security apparatus on notice. Video footage circulated by social-media outlets linked to the IRGC showed Qaani in Aleppo, Syria. Iranian media denied Qaani was injured or killed in the Sunday's air strikes.
Israel and its Sunni allies like Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have long expressed concerns about the Iranian regime plan to establish a so-called "Shiite crescent" that stretches from Iran to Lebanon.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Syria Attack
Higher Prices forecast for 2023 by the Food and Beverage Industry
By Stewart Brennan
Nestle, one of the major corporations within the food and beverage industry has just confirmed price increases on their products as a result of inflation; (See Here [01] and Here [02]) Just one of the many serious topics I wrote about in my second book (The Activist Poet Vol 2) [03] in 2021.
In fact, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble among others have also mentioned that there will be further increases in the prices of their products in 2023, as they navigate the destructive nature of inflation and growth economics to maintain dividend payouts to share holders.
In my book, I used the food and beverage industry as an example of the hidden dangers of growth economics due to the nature of our economic system. Growth is exponential for corporations which become parasitic, as inflation eventually consumes everything to their ultimate destruction.
Here is an excerpt from my book that explains the exponential nature of corporate growth.
From “The Activist Poet Volume 2”:
“The greatest shortcomings of the human race, is our “inability” to understand the exponential function.” ~ Dr. Albert Bartlett
Below is a real example of what happens when a corporation has usurped its market but still requires growth to hedge off its rising costs and potential bankruptcy. However, keep in mind that corporate survival also requires a steady supply of energy and so energy must always be available for a corporation to continue its growth.
Inflation and Growth within the food industry
As population continues to grow, the demand for food and energy also increases. But the energy needed (Oil & Gas) to help meet these demands are not an infinite resource and therefore cannot continue to increase forever. At some point supply will not be able to meet demand. In a normal world this would not be a sudden thing, but a gradual decline depending on demand.
However, the way our economic system is set up, corporations require a constant growth or their rising overhead costs eventually overtake their profits and send the company into debt, which if not remedied, will send the company into bankruptcy.
Corporations compete in their markets with other corporations to secure as much of the market share as possible. During this corporate war there are winners and losers. The losers either go bankrupt and fade away, or are consumed in consolidation or merger agreements. Eventually there are only a few big players left in the market and so they then find themselves not only bigger but with a much larger task to feed its constant growth requirements. Failure to do so begins a timeline of collapse.
The only options left for a company to feed its growth requirement once it has overtaken its market is to tighten its belt via lean business practices for efficiency including employee reductions if not done already, or to increase the cost for its products, reduce the portion size of the product or expand acquisitions into different industry markets. However, taking the last option of expanding into different markets only prolongs the inevitable, as growth even then is required. It becomes a vicious cycle that is, over all, parasitic to the entire system because there’s no safe plateau or off switch. Something must perish to ensure the continued growth of the corporate entity.
The Food and Beverage Industry is by far one of the largest industries in the world. One only has to look at some of the biggest players to see the truth of what growth economics has created through consolidation of their own markets and expansion into other markets. Tyson Foods, Nestle, Mars Inc, JBS, Kraft Heinz, Smithfield Foods, Unilever, General Mills, Kellogg, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, AB InBev, SYSCO, Cargill, George Weston Ltd, and others are multi conglomerates as a result.
The companies that own and control the Food & Beverage Industry are in a vicious growth cycle that threatens millions of people in North America alone. Competition is all but gone as many of the brand names have been consolidated by a few mega corporations and these companies require constant growth to maintain their bottom lines.
Some of the things that affect corporate bottom lines are of course energy costs, raw material inflation, increased feed costs, crop damage, and stock market profit taking. An increase in operation costs is mostly generated by the nature of our economic system which demands growth.
Although the function of these corporations within the system seems stable in 2021, they are really quite vulnerable, it doesn’t take much to cause a disruption in supply lines when a company becomes that size. The COVID operation has certainly put everything to the test and although people bought more quick foods and beverages, a corporation requires time to plan and increase its capacity so “Just in Time” shipments for swings or runs on buying, is not possible which can lead to disruption in supply lines. But also, when materials and supplies to produce are delayed or not available.
Today in 2021, when going into a grocery store, if you look around, you’ll notice that there are fewer and fewer products on the shelves than ten, twenty and thirty years ago. Many have been thinned out over the years, removing variety as the competition was swallowed up and discontinued, while portion sizes on the brands that remain have been getting smaller and smaller (25% to 30% each shot) while the prices have jumped 25% to 30% each time there is a fluctuation in the corporation’s bottom line since the 2008 market crash.
When looking back to the 1980’s, 1990’s, and in some cases even to the decade before the 2008 market crash, variety was present, portion sizes were bigger, and costs were much lower, yet the number of independent companies were more numerous, their margins were smaller, and their values were in the millions. Whereas today, most of those companies have consolidated or merged into mega corporations with valuations in the tens of billions, to hundreds of billions of dollars and of course they have huge economic and political power.
Change must come in the way our banking and economic system works so that the need for constant growth is eliminated and the costs of everything remain stable without inflation.
Capitalism and socialism will not work with the economic growth model in place because growth, which is exponential, meets with problems in supply and demand of finite resources. The entire system then becomes vulnerable to collapse.
We absolutely DO need to make a change, but it will have to be a 21st century sustainable socialism that we need to move to, and for that to happen, the current unsustainable economic system must end. When it does, that will be the moment we either evolve or perish. Change won’t happen overnight, there’s a transition period we need to go through to bring about change. The length of time that the transition lasts will depend on education, freedom of speech, freedom of information and cooperation.
Here is a lesson that explains how growth is an exponential function [04] given by Dr. Albert Bartlett which truly helps clear up any confusion about what the systems economic growth equation does to everything our economic system touches.
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North Korea confirms ICBM test, warns of more powerful steps in response to South Korea, US trainings
North Korea confirmed Sunday the intercontinental ballistic missile test conducted Saturday was meant to further bolster its "fatal" nuclear attack capacity against its rivals, according to The Associated Press. The country also threatened additional powerful steps in response to the planned military training between the U.S. and South Korea.
In its first missile test since Jan. 1, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said the launch involved the existing Hwasong-15 ICBM and was organized "suddenly" without prior notice at leader Kim Jong Un's order.
The launch was designed to verify the weapon's reliability and the combat readiness of the country's nuclear force, KCNA reported. It also signals that Kim Jong Un is using his rivals' drills as an opportunity to expand the North's nuclear capability, aiming to enhance its leverage in future dealings with the U.S.
An expert added the North may seek to hold regular operational exercises involving its ICBMS, The AP said.
NORTH KOREA FIRED BALLISTIC MISSILE INTO EAST SEA, SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN SAYS
KCNA also reported the missile was fired at a high angle and reached a maximum altitude of about 5,770 kilometers (3,585 miles). It also flew at a distance of approximately 990 kilometers (615 miles) for 67 minutes before accurately hitting a pre-set area in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Flight details reported by North Korea, which lined up with the information assessed by its neighbors, show the weapon is theoretically capable of reaching the mainland U.S. if fired at a standard trajectory.
The KCNA said Saturday's launch demonstrated NK's "powerful physical nuclear deterrent" and its efforts to "turn its capacity of fatal nuclear counterattack on the hostile forces" into an extremely strong one that cannot be countered.
Whether North Korea has a functioning nuclear-tipped ballistic missile remains a source of debate. Some experts say the country hasn't mastered the technology needed to protect warheads from the severe conditions of atmospheric reentry – the country claims it does have such technology.
NORTH KOREA THREATENS 'UNPRECEDENTEDLY' STRONG RESPONSE TO US-SOUTH KOREAN NUCLEAR DRILLS
The Hwasong-15 is one of the North's three existing ICBMS, all of which use liquid propellants that require pre-launch injections and cannot remain fueled for extended periods. The country is pushing to build a solid-fueled ICBM, which would be more mobile and harder to detect before its launch.
Korea Aerospace University Missile Expert Chang Young-Keun said the Hwasong-15 ICBM launched on Saturday appeared to be an upgraded version, as the information provided by NK showed the missile would likely have a longer potential range than the standard.
The North's launch came a day after it vowed an "unprecedentedly" strong response over an upcoming series of military drills planned by Seoul and Washington, D.C. – which NK has repeatedly slammed and referred to as an "invasion rehearsal."
In a separate statement Sunday, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un, accused South Korea and the U.S. of "openly showing their dangerous greed and attempt to gain the military upper hand and predominant position in the Korean Peninsula."
"I warn that we will watch every movement of the enemy and take corresponding and very powerful and overwhelming counteraction against its every move hostile to us," she said.
SOUTH KOREA REFERS TO NORTH AS 'OUR ENEMY' FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS AS TENSIONS HEIGHTEN
Soo Kim, a security analyst at the RAND Corporation, said it's clear that North Korea will consider any action taken by the U.S. and South Korea as an "act of hostility," regardless of how justified the action may be in response to the North's "reckless behavior."
"With nuclear weapons in tow and having mastered the art of coercion and bullying, Kim does not need ‘self-defense.’ But pitting the U.S. and South Korea as the aggressors allows Kim to justify his weapons development," Soo Kim said.
U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson ensured the U.S. would take "all necessary measures" to protect the American homeland, South Korea and Japan. South Korea's presidential National Security Council said it would seek to strengthen its "overwhelming response capacity" against potential aggression based on the alliance with the U.S. military.
South Korean and U.S. militaries plan to hold a tabletop exercise this week to sharpen a joint nuclear weapon response plan. In March, the allies will also conduct field training, another joint computer simulated exercise.
Last year, North Korea set an annual record with the launch of more than 90 missiles. It also passed a law that allows it to use nuclear weapons preemptively in a broad range of scenarios.
Kim Jong Un entered 2023 with a call for an "exponential increase" of the country’s nuclear warheads, mass production of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons targeting South Korea and the development of more advanced ICBMs targeting the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
0f1ab31d-North Korea
US captures ISIS official after helicopter raid in Syria
The United States military announced Saturday that it conducted a helicopter raid in eastern Syria that yielded the capture of a top ISIS official.
In a press release, CENTCOM announced that U.S. Central Command forces worked with the Syrian military to conduct a helicopter raid which led to the capture of an ISIS official identified as Batar.
The press release says that Batar was "involved in planning attacks on SDF-guarded detention centers and manufacturing improvised explosive devices."
No civilians, Syrian soldiers, or U.S. forces were killed or injured, according to the press release.
Shortly after the press release, CENTCOM issued another release stating that coalition forces had been attacked by rockets in northeast Syria on Saturday evening but said no injuries were reported.
News of the successful raid comes the day after CENTCOM announced that four U.S. service members were injured during a raid that left a senior ISIS leader dead.
NY STOCKBROKER TURNED ISIS SNIPER FOUND GUILTY OF AIDING TERROR GROUP
CENTCOM confirmed the death of Hamza al-Homsi during the helicopter raid and said that all four U.S. service members, along with a working dog, were being treated for their injuries at a U.S. medical facility in Iraq.
"Hamza al-Homsi oversaw the group's deadly terrorist network in eastern Syria before he was killed in the raid," CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino told Fox News Digital.
Sinam Mohamad, the representative of the Syrian Democratic Council to the U.S., told Fox News Digital that "the U.S. presence in northeast Syria is still essential to end ISIS."
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Peter Aitken contributed to this report
U.S. helicopter in Syria
Mexican candidates turn to migrants in US for votes: report
Mexican presidential candidates have turned to the migrant population of the U.S. to court support in the upcoming 2024 elections.
"[Mexican migrants] have voting power and the ability to influence and advise their family who lives in Mexico," Marko Cortés, national president of Mexico’s center-right party PAN, said at an event near Dallas, Texas.
Remittances, the money sent from citizens living and working abroad to families from their homeland, play a significant part as a crucial source of income for countries like Mexico, and with that comes the right to vote in key elections. Mexican citizens who have left the country can vote in presidential elections, but only a fraction of them usually register to vote.
Mexico is the second-largest recipient of remittances in the world in 2022, with its roughly $58.9 billion a nearly 13% increase over the previous year, according to the IMF. Nearly 11 million Mexican nationals live abroad, with the majority residing in the U.S.
MEXICO TO FAST-TRACK VISAS FOR CUBANS WITH FAMILY ALREADY IN COUNTRY
The election in 2024 will bring in a new president as current Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will finish out his term and cannot run again – even if they hold the post on a caretaker basis. Recent polling indicates strong support for Obrador’s MORENA party, but it remains unclear whom the party might finally put forth as a candidate.
The parties have already started their outreach, with some looking across the border to tap into that significant foreign contingent for support, according to the Texas Tribune. About 2.5 million immigrants in Texas – about half the total number in the state – come from Mexico.
CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY ELLIOT BLAIR FOUND DEAD ON MEXICO VACATION LIKELY ‘HIT AND DRAGGED’: LAWYER
A change to the Mexican constitution would see the ability to provide Mexican nationality to all people of Mexican descent, even born abroad.
Cortés spoke in front of a crowd of some 50 people at a restaurant in Oak Cliff, accompanied by his party’s 2018 candidate, Ricardo Anaya, as he seeks to pry control of the country away from the ruling MORENA party.
AMERICANS ON SPRING BREAK IN MEXICO UNDER STATE DEPARTMENT WARNING
The last presidential election saw more than 80% of the nearly 182,000 foreign Mexican votes cast from the U.S., with more than half of those votes going to MORENA, while PAN’s support dropped.
Hamlet Almaguer, a federal congressman for MORENA, said it was "very important to engage citizen participation abroad and encourage voting heading toward 2024."
"It will be important for our party to create a campaign abroad and guarantee massive participation of Mexicans abroad," he added.
National Regeneration Movement Party
Joe Biden a Serious Threat to Global Security
By: Stewart Brennan
By now it should be obvious that Joe Biden’s Alzheimer's is getting worse as he’s showing more and more signs of irrational behavior, memory loss, impairment, and confusion while losing his bearings in both conversation and decision making.
What many may not know is that Alzheimer's patients are also prone to fits of anger with a total lack of not being able to reason things out, and that's a real problem if it affects a person in a position of power, let alone the leader of a nuclear power in decline.
Anger is a normal trait in Joe Biden's character as history has proven; he's been a loose cannon for decades. However, with Alzheimer's, his anger and irrational behavior have become a major threat to global security as the job requires someone with all their faculties.
Biden’s current inability for rational thought or critical thinking in day-to-day decisions has shown itself in public many times but his obsession for defeating Russia expressed through his fiery delusional speeches and his military determination of backing Ukraine to the last Ukrainian has become dangerously irrational which was proven by his decision to destroy the Nord Stream I & II gas pipelines [See Here and Here].
Biden is obsessed with winning a losing battle in Ukraine that has cost Europe their economic future by his insistence [03] that they obey U.S. Government dictates on energy and economic sanctions on Russia while pushing NATO nations to provide military hardware to Ukraine where the US proxy war on Russia is taking place.
NATO nations have not only shown that they are militarily weak but they are also in rapid economic decline for having obeyed American foreign policies. Economies cannot run without a cheap supply of energy. In Joe Biden’s mind, the unity of NATO under US foreign policy dictatorship, strengthens the group, but as we’ve seen recently, with the individual European NATO nations unable to provide adequate military equipment for this suicidal cause, NATO nations have exposed just how weak they are.
Europe is at the cusp of a slow painful economic collapse due to the sanctions that Joe Biden “Insisted” that European nations levy on Russia (Insisting means being threatened with retaliation if they do not obey.) Of course, Europe complied like the weakling puppets they are and are now on the road to economic collapse or perhaps war with Russia…
If the recent publicized balloon shoot downs over North America have done anything (Besides distraction), they show an immense disconnect, paranoia and poor handling on the part of Joe Biden.
How much longer will Joe Biden remain in power?
A real medical exam, unlike the one he received [04] on Feb 16th, 2023, would remove this dangerous Alzheimer’s patient from power in a flash. However, the level of US government insanity that has plagued the world for the past 33 years (1990) doesn't look like its about to cave in just yet. Then again, could the US deep state be ready to look in the mirror and save what they have left, or will they blow it all in a losing crap shoot with a presidential warmonger who's prone to fits of rage and can't remember where he is?
Biden is a deep state pawn that won the 2020 US election by a well-organized mail-in fraud, so there's support for him behind the scenes. One would think there would be growing voices opposed to his remaining in office as he's become extremely dangerous to America and to the US deep state economic positions...and of course, he's a danger to the world in general. (Too late for Europe now I think, barring some economic or energy miracle.)
If the power structure and its controllers in the U.S. were moral characters and embraced a system built with honesty, then Biden and many of the other sociopaths the C.F.R. (Council on Foreign Relations) [05] controls would never have been selected as US politician or Presidents for that matter, and ultimately, the world would be in a much better state than it is right now. In fact, there never would have been a C.F.R. if the US governing system was honest and moral.
Of course, Joe Biden isn’t alone in his sociopathy as Vicky (the hut) Nuland (Joe’s personal sociopath) has led the destruction of Ukraine from its violent beginning [06] in 2013 to 2016 under Joe Biden as US vice president and from 2021 to today under Joe Biden as the US president.
Nuland not only outed herself in full knowledge of US biological labs in Ukraine [07] but also celebrated the destruction of the Nord Stream I & II pipelines [08] in 2022 and today in 2023 is telling her Ukraine regime contacts that Russian military sites in Crimea are “legitimate targets”[09], a serious red line that invites a major war between global nuclear powers.
Victoria Nuland works for Biden so it won’t be enough for Biden to be the only one removed from power but the whole destructive cell driving war and economic destruction via their proxy war with Russia via Ukraine. They all need to go, and it needs to be done quickly before another irrational decision causes a major incident that takes us all to World War III. Impeachment or a medical decision must be made soon before its too late.
LINKS:
[01] How America Took Out the Nord Stream Pipeline
[02] No More Nord Stream
[03] Biden Insisting
[04] Joe Biden heads out for his medical
[05] Council on Foreign Relations - 2007
[06] Nuland Pyatt Leaked Phone Call - 2014
[08] Nuland Celebrates Nord Stream 2 blast
[09] Nuland – Crimea Legitimate Target
Related:
[a] The Last Swing of a Dying Empire
[b] The Undeclared Declaration of War on Russia by Western Windbags
[c] Top Russian lawmaker labels US president a ‘terrorist’
[d] 95% of Crimean’s Vote to Join Russia Through National Referendum
[e] Ukraine - How Foreign Intervention is Tearing the Country Apart - (March 4th, 2014)
South Africa drills with Russia, China could signify failed Washington efforts to solidify African allies
South Africa launched joint naval drills with Russia and China Friday, prompting international backlash along with questions over its allegiances with Western allies.
The 10-day long military exercises, which come as the one-year anniversary of Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine looms, signify more than an ambivalent attitude towards the war, it suggests Washington's attempts to court South Africa are failing.
"There is a real desire on the part of South Africa to create a multipolar world and there is a real sense that the world has been done a disservice by an either bipolar or unipolar world," Cameron Hudson, a senior associate in the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) told Fox News Digital.
Hudson explained that this policy means South Africa will choose to work with any nation that best suits it including the U.S., Russia and China despite adversarial differences – a geopolitical tactic that Western nations have a difficult time accepting.
"In a multipolar world, all partners are valid partners," he said.
US-AFRICA LEADERS SUMMIT: WASHINGTON ‘PLAYING CATCH-UP’ WITH RUSSIA AND CHINA
The war in Ukraine has prompted Western countries to draw geopolitical lines, and they have called on nations around the globe to condemn the war.
But South Africa, which was one of 35 nations last year to abstain from a U.N. vote condemning the war in Ukraine, has decided to take a neutral stance.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a call with his South African counterpart earlier this week in which they reportedly discussed the upcoming anniversary and Minister Naledi Pandor’s support for a peaceful resolution to the war, a readout of the talks said.
But the readout did not include any mention of the joint drills with China or Russia – two of the U.S.’s biggest adversaries and who have been vying for greater influence in the African continent as their ties with the West become increasingly strained.
In a statement to Fox News Digital a State Department spokesman said Friday the department had noted with "concern" South Africa's decision to hold joint drills with Russia and China.
But Hudson argued that Washington's private or public lobbying to discourage relations with its chief adversaries could be only complicating the situation further.
"South Africa is not unique in the position that it holds among Africans," Hudson said. "They do not want to be trapped between great powers. They want to be able to choose and define their external relationships and not be pressured."
China has been inserting itself across the continent for years by employing various loan programs that often result in Beijing’s increased influence as poor nations struggle to pay off the loan commitments – a scheme that has been deemed "debt trap diplomacy."
But Russia’s increasing interest in the African continent has Western officials concerned.
BLINKEN FLIES INTO 'SUPERPOWER' BATTLEGROUND IN AFRICA
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has already visited the continent twice this year alone, including South Africa in January.
Earlier this month he pronounced that the West had been unsuccessful in isolating Moscow from Africa following his second tour.
Blinken traveled to South Africa in August where he championed the end of apartheid and met with Pandor for a joint press conference.
But Blinken’s reception by the South African government did not appear to be as warmly welcomed as Lavrov’s visit earlier this month. During a joint press conference the international minister accused the U.S. and its Western allies of employing "a sense [of] patronizing bullying" when it came to the war in Ukraine.
"It's a bit ironic that while South Africa kind of rails against the West, for its sort of hegemony historically, it's aligning itself with malign actors," Hudson said, adding that the drills that kicked off Friday are just the latest "rejection of all the courting that the Biden administration has been doing in South Africa."
Over the last 20 years the U.S. has provided over $7 billion in AIDS relief to South Africa alone, which doesn't include the other millions of dollars in humanitarian aid Washington continues to provide annually.
It is unclear how much aid either Russia or China provide to South Africa annually, but Hudson explained this is the crux of Washington's woes in Africa.
"We in the United States, view our relationships in South Africa and with Africa, as kind of aid dependent – it is not a relationship of equals," he said. "It is a relationship of donors and recipients.
"Whereas Russia and China are building relationships of equals," he added. "They're not sending aid to these countries. They're doing business deals, they're doing security deals, they're making investments, they're building political alliances in ways that we in the United States simply are not."
Russia’s close ties with South Africa date back to the days of apartheid when Moscow backed the African National Congress (ANC) in its fight against the oppressive government.
The U.S.'s support of the South African government during the early days of apartheid in the late 1940s was largely down to the government's support of anti-communist ideals – a topic of immense importance to Washington as the Cold War between the U.S. and Russia kicked off.
Though the U.S. also eventually sanctioned the South African government in support of ending apartheid in 1986, Russia’s official and unofficial financial backing of the ANC reportedly ensued for decades after apartheid ended.
Russia has also made efforts to renew its diplomatic ties with South Africa in the face of Western isolation.
"South Africa is going to have its cake and eat it too," Hudson explained. "They're going to take humanitarian aid from us. They're going to take investments from the Chinese. They're going to take energy deals from the Russians.
"For them there is no internal inconsistency to that because they want a multilateral world," he added. "The question is, is Washington willing to accept that?
"And I think the bottom line is if Washington isn't willing to accept that, it's going to be cut out of South Africa," Hudson said.
The South African embassy in Washington, D.C. did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
TOPSHOT-SAFRICA-ECONOMY-SUMMIT-BRICS
China representative invited to Taiwan by Taipei mayor met by dozens of protestors
A Chinese representative was met with protests during a three-day visit to Taiwan Saturday morning, according to The Associated Press.
Li Xiaodong, the head of Shanghai city's Taiwan Affairs Office, was invited to the Taiwanese capital of Taipei by its newly elected China-friendly Mayor Chiang Wan-an.
Dozens of protestors arrived at Songshan Airport to demonstrate their disapproval of Li's visit to the self-ruled island by chanting against Chinese efforts to undermine Taiwan's security, democracy and independent diplomatic relations.
Representatives of pro-China minority parties were also present in the crowd and welcomed the official. Li or his delegation has not issued arrival statements.
TAIWAN OFFICIAL WARNS CHINA, 'WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR FREEDOM'
Taiwan State Building Party Chair Wang Sing-huan told protesters Li had a right to visit, but that Taiwan's "way of peace is to prepare for any possibility of war, and to ally other democracies so that China would not dare invade us," The AP reported.
In September, Taiwan's Counsel General Ambassador James J.K. Lee said he is "very, very concerned about a future potential Chinese invasion against Taiwan."
"China has not renounced the use of force against Taiwan," Lee warned, calling on the world's democracies to support his nation.
CHINESE BALLOON FOUND ON TAIWAN ISLAND, DEFENSE MINISTRY SAYS
The visit marks a rare point of contact between the sides as they are at conflict with how to continue operating.
China sees Taiwan as a part of its territory to be conquered by force if necessary while most Taiwanese people support de-facto independence while maintaining close economic and social ties with the mainland.
Taiwan’s democratic system allows broad leeway for local governments to act without central authority.
Taipei recently elected Chiang Wan-an from the opposition Nationalist Party as mayor. He is a descendant of the Chiang family that ruled in China before being driven into exile in Taiwan during the civil war in 1949.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
768ce09f-TAIWAN-CHINA-POLITICS
North Korea fired ballistic missile into East Sea, South Korea and Japan says
North Korea launched a ballistic missile early Saturday afternoon, according to the Japanese and South Korean governments. The missile landed a short while later in the East Sea.
The Japanese prime minister’s office said a "possible ballistic missile was launched from North Korea. We will let you know as soon as we have further news," according to a translation.
South Korea’s military confirmed North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile into the sea on Saturday, but did not provide any additional information regarding its type or flight path.
"North Korea launches an unknown ballistic missile into the East Sea," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, according to Korean Broadcasting System News.
NORTH KOREA THREATENS 'UNPRECEDENTEDLY' STRONG RESPONSE TO US-SOUTH KOREAN NUCLEAR DRILLS
US, SOUTH KOREA VOW TO RAMP UP NUCLEAR DETERRENCE IN FACE OF NORTH KOREA AGGRESSION
The South Korean military is continuing to investigate the specifications of the missile launch, the news outlet reported.
The launch came a day after North Korea’s Foreign Ministry threatened to take "unprecedentedly" strong action against its rivals.
Their threat came after South Korea announced a series of planned military exercises with the United States.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dog vs shark standoff thrills tourists on Bahamas boat tour
The sight of a massive hammerhead shark was a rare treat for 32 travelers on a tour boat in the Bahamas this week. But then, something stranger still: A dog dove from a nearby dock to confront the monstrous sea creature.
Tourists aboard the four-hour excursion can be heard shouting and pleading with the dog to turn back, in a video circulating on social media. "Oh my god!" and "Get out baby!" and "Stop going after it!"
The dog ignored them and paddled after the 12-foot shark, which thrashed as the two animals circled each other in transparent turquoise waters near a private island in the southern Bahamas. Then the shark swam away slowly, much to the delight and surprise of the crowd.
"I don’t think the shark is going to mess with him!" exclaimed one man.
US COAST GUARD DETAINS BOAT CARRYING 396 HAITIAN MIGRANTS NEAR BAHAMAS
The shark had emerged from under the boat during a tour Wednesday in the southern Bahamas organized by Exuma Water Sports.
Company reservations manager Rebecca Lightbourn told The Associated Press on Friday that the black-and-tan dog always runs along the shore to greet the boat when it passes that island. But it’s the first time it was seen diving in.
"I guess this time the dog decided he wanted to protect his house or play with a really big fish in the water, so he went after it," Lightbourn said.
When the shark swam away from the pier, the medium-sized dog scrambled back onto the rocks and loped away, earning applause from the tourists. The boat then headed to a popular area where tourists jump into the water with the renowned Bahamian swimming pigs.
Heavily armed gunmen injure Filipino governor, kill 4 bodyguards
Gunmen wounded a provincial governor and killed four of his bodyguards in an attack on their convoy Friday in a southern Philippine region with a long history of violent political conflicts and Muslim rebellion, officials said.
Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. was shot in the waist, an aide was injured in the feet, and four bodyguards were killed by heavily armed men as their convoy passed through a village on the boundary of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon provinces, police said.
Adiong and his aide were hospitalized in stable condition, Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a brother of the governor, said on Facebook.
Authorities did not immediately provide other details, including who was suspected of carrying out the attack.
"The worst has passed. He’s out of danger," Zia Alonto Adiong said. "We implore the authorities to act with urgency and utilize all legal means available to pursue and bring the perpetrators to justice."
Lanao del Sur is part of a five-province Muslim autonomous region in the south of the largely Roman Catholic nation. It is governed by former Muslim rebels in a transition arrangement under a 2014 peace pact with the government.
A large number of available firearms has often sparked violent political rivalries in the past.
In 2017, hundreds of militants affiliated with the Islamic State group laid siege to Marawi city in Lanao. Troops quelled the siege after five months in a massive ground offensive backed by airstrikes that left more than 1,000 people dead, mostly militants, and the mosque-studded city in ruins.
Doctors Without Borders suspends Burkina Faso operations after fatal shooting
Aid group Doctors Without Borders said Friday it’s suspending non-emergency services in Burkina Faso after gunmen killed two of its staff there.
"This measure, necessary for the time of mourning, is essential to analyze the risks to which our teams are currently exposed," the group said on Twitter, adding that it will only respond to life-saving emergencies in Burkina Faso for an indefinite period.
Earlier this month gunmen fired on a vehicle carrying a medical team in the western region of Boucle du Mouhoun, killing two of the group's employees while two others escaped.
ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS IN MOZAMBIQUE KILL INTERNATIONAL AID WORKER
The west African nation has been wracked by violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for seven years, which has killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people, creating a humanitarian crisis.
The fighting has brought tens of thousands to the brink of starvation as jihadis besiege towns. Nearly 600,000 people live under blockade, which has reduced aid access by 60%, according to an unpublished report for aid workers seen by the Associated Press.
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS PULLS OUT OF SOMALIA
Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, was operating in some of the most volatile areas in the country, reaching more than one million people with some 1,000 staff.
No one has claimed responsibility for the MSF staff killings. A conflict analyst said the incident indicates the challenges for aid workers operating among a host of armed groups, including the government army and volunteers fighting on its side.
"With multiple armed actors the risks are high, and we can’t say for sure jihadists are the ones responsible," said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan-based think tank.
Africa-News
Retaliating against Austria, Russia expels 4 diplomats
Moscow has asked four Austrian diplomats to leave Russia in retaliation for the expulsion earlier this month of four Russian diplomats from Vienna.
Austria had accused the Russian diplomats of spying, and Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Friday defended their Feb. 2 expulsion. He said Austria would not watch idly "while espionage occurs in our country and hospitality is abused."
AUSTRIA'S GOVERNMENT ORDERS 4 RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY
In announcing the expulsion of the Austrian diplomats on Thursday, Russia's Foreign Ministry called the earlier act by Austria "unfriendly and unreasonable," calling into question Austria's "previously positioning itself as an unbiased and neutral state."
Nehammer rejected the claim that Austria isn’t neutral anymore.
Western European nations and Russia have expelled each others' diplomats on several occasions following the Russian military operation in Ukraine that started nearly a year ago. Austria, a European Union member that has a policy of military neutrality, was initially hesitant to take such action, but expelled four Russian diplomats in April after pressure from the public and EU partners.
AUSTRIA ANNOUNCES OPPOSITION TO EU MEMBERSHIP FOR UKRAINE WEEKS AFTER PUTIN MEETING
The Russian diplomats had been given a week to leave Austria. Russia said the Austrian diplomats had until Feb. 23 to go.
Moscow also said Vienna was making it difficult for Russian officials to obtain visas, "which contradicts Austria’s obligations as a venue for international meetings."
Russia-news
Bulgarian police find 18 migrants dead in abandoned truck
Police in Bulgaria on Friday discovered an abandoned truck containing the bodies of 18 migrants, who appeared to have suffocated to death inside a secret compartment under a load of lumber.
The Interior Ministry said that according to initial information, the truck was carrying about 40 migrants and the survivors were taken to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.
Bulgarian Health Minister Assen Medzhidiev said most of the survivors were in very bad condition.
TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER CHAOS: 51 MIGRANTS FOUND DEAD IN SAN ANTONIO INSIDE 18-WHEELER, REPORTS SAY
"They have suffered from lack of oxygen, their clothes are wet, they are freezing, and obviously haven’t eaten for days," Medzhidiev said.
The truck was found abandoned along a highway near the capital, Sofia. The driver was not there, but police discovered the passengers in a secret compartment below the lumber the vehicle also was carrying.
Authorities did not immediately give the nationalities of the migrants. Bulgarian media reported they all were from Afghanistan.
Bulgaria, a Balkan country of 7 million, is located on a major route for migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan to Europe. Only a small number of them plan to stay in the European Union’s poorest member, using Bulgaria instead as a transit corridor on their way west.
To prevent people from entering the country illegally, Bulgaria's government erected a barbed-wire fence along its 259-kilometer border with Turkey. But foreigners fleeing poverty or conflict in their home countries manage to enter with the help of local people smugglers.
While the deaths of Europe-bound refugees and asylum-seekers at sea are more common, the grim discovery in Bulgaria is not the first time groups of migrants have been found dead in abandoned vehicles.
In October 2019, British police found the bodies of 39 people inside a refrigerated container that had been hauled to England. Police said all the victims, who ranged in age from 15 to 44, came from impoverished villages in Vietnam and were believed to have paid smugglers to take them on a risky journey to better lives abroad.
73 MIGRANTS PRESUMED DEAD AFTER INFLATABLE RUBBER VESSEL WRECKS NEAR LIBYA
Police said they died of a combination of a lack of oxygen and overheating in an enclosed space. The truck discovered in the town of Grays, east of London, had arrived in England on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.
Another similar tragedy took place in August 2015, when 71 migrants suffocated to death in the back of a refrigerated truck found on a highway in Austria.
A court in Hungary convicted an Afghan man and three Bulgarian accomplices in 2018 of being part of a criminal organization and committing multiple crimes, including human smuggling and murder, in connection with the deaths.
Ten other defendants, mostly Bulgarians, were given prison terms ranging between three and 12 years.
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Slovenia fireworks company explosion kills 1, injures 2
An explosion at a fireworks company in central Slovenia has killed at least one person and seriously injured two, police said on Friday.
The blast occurred shortly before noon in Vrhinika, a town southwest of Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana. Videos from the scene showed huge amounts of smoke billowing from the site.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known. The explosion at the production area caused a fire that spread to the warehouse at the compound, officials said.
BUS OVERTURNS IN SLOVENIA RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF 3, INJURING MORE
The injured suffered burns and are being treated at a local hospital.
Police and firefighters sealed off the area. They said the blast happened on the premises of the Hamex company.
On its website, Hamex describes itself as a manufacturer of professional fireworks and a designer of pyrotechnic displays.
Former Afghan female lawmaker’s killer arrested by Kabul police
Security forces have arrested a man allegedly behind the killing of former Afghan female lawmaker Mursal Nabizada, a Taliban spokesman said Friday.
Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the capital Kabul's police chief, claimed that the arrested man had "confessed to his crime" of killing Nabizada and her bodyguard earlier this year. The police investigation was ongoing, he added.
Nabizada was among the few female parliamentarians who stayed in Kabul after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Nabizada’s brother was also wounded in the attack. It was the first time a lawmaker from the previous administration was killed in the city since the Taliban takeover.
IRAN BELIEVED TO HOUSE SUSPECTED NEW AL-QAEDA LEADER: UN REPORT
Nabizada was elected in 2019 to represent Kabul and stayed in office until the Taliban takeover. She was originally from eastern Nangarhar province. She also worked at a private non-governmental group, the Institute for Human Resources Development and Research.
After their takeover, the Taliban initially said they would not impose the same harsh rules over society as they did during their first rule of Afghanistan in the late 1990s.
But they have progressively imposed more restrictions, particularly on women. They have banned women and girls from schooling beyond the sixth grade, barred them from most jobs and demanded they cover their faces when outside.
Spain orders extradition of British alleged hacker to US
Spain’s National Court has agreed to the extradition to the U.S. of a British citizen who allegedly took part in computer attacks, including the July 2020 hacking of Twitter accounts of public figures such as Joseph Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Gates.
A court statement Friday said requirements had been met for handing over Joseph James O’Connor to U.S. authorities for 14 charges covering crimes such as revelation of secrets, membership of a criminal gang, illegal access to computer systems, internet fraud, money laundering and extortion.
O’Connor, 23, from Liverpool, England was arrested in the southern Spanish coastal town of Estepona in July 2021.
He is accused of hacking some 130 Twitter accounts. The court document said he is also wanted for hacking the Snapchat account of an unidentified public figure whom he allegedly tried to extort with the threat of publishing nude photographs of the person.
He is also wanted for several cases of "swatting," prank calls to emergency services aimed at getting large numbers of police to be sent to different locations.
The court rejected arguments by O’Connor’s lawyers that he should be tried in Spain since the servers he used were located there.
The statement said he is wanted by courts in the Northern District of California and the Southern District of New York. The extradition order can be appealed.
33 million children in sub-Saharan Africa vaccinated for polio
More than 33 million children in several southern African countries have been vaccinated against polio, part of ongoing efforts to eradicate the infectious paralytic disease that has been largely contained in much of the world, the World Health Organization announced on Friday.
About 80 million drops of the inoculation have been placed in the mouths of children across Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe since the launch of an emergency response in March last year, WHO said in a statement.
SENEGAL INSTITUTE GETS $50 MILLION TO BOOST AFRICA’S VACCINE CAPACITY
Malawi detected the wild poliovirus disease in a young child in its capital, Lilongwe, in February last year — the first time the strain was reported in Africa in five years. The virus spread to neighboring Mozambique, causing other countries in the region to be on alert.
Africa was certified as free of indigenous wild polio in 2020, according to WHO, which says the recent strain originated from Pakistan. The South Asian country and its neighbor, Afghanistan, are the only two countries where the virus is still entrenched.
In the latest outbreak, Malawi has reported one case while Mozambique has recorded eight. Mozambique recorded the last confirmed case in August 2022, said WHO.
Although polio has been spreading in numerous African countries in recent years, those outbreaks were linked to viruses originally contained in vaccines, not to the wild virus. In very rare instances, the live virus in the oral polio vaccine can mutate into a version capable of causing epidemics, particularly in populations that haven’t been immunized.
AFRICA TO RECEIVE ITS 1ST VACCINES FOR MPOX, FORMERLY KNOWN AS MONKEYPOX
Polio spreads mostly from person to person or through contaminated water. It attacks the nervous system and can sometimes paralyze people within hours. The disease mostly affects children under five.
Vaccinations will continue in southern Africa "so that every child receives the protection they need," WHO's Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said.
At least five vaccination rounds are planned for this year following 19 that took place last year, she said, adding that the region has "made huge efforts" to strengthen polio detection and control the spread of the virus.
Africa-News
FIFA allocates $1 million to those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey, Syria
FIFA has allocated $1 million to its FIFA Foundation to provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, soccer's world governing body said on Friday.
The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria has climbed over 43,000, and millions are in need of humanitarian aid after being left homeless and without basic amenities.
FIFA said it had consulted with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the Syrian Football Association (SFA), as well as "international and local non-governmental organisations".
UN PUSHES FOR $1 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR TURKISH EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS
"The aid will be used to purchase and distribute essential humanitarian items, as well as to provide emergency and temporary shelter and protection," FIFA said in a statement.
"FIFA will continue to collaborate with the TFF and SFA, while monitoring the situation and deciding on further action."
Congo rebel group M23 killed at least 20 men, raped 66 women and girls, report says
Fighters from Democratic Republic of Congo's M23 rebel group killed at least 20 men and raped scores of women and girls in the east in November, Amnesty International said in a report on Friday.
The militia, which stepped up its offensive in regions near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda last year, dismissed the accusations, saying they were part of a smear campaign.
The reported death toll was much lower than estimates from the United Nations, which said in December the rebels executed at least 131 people in reprisal killings in a campaign of murder, rape and looting in Kishishe and Bambo villages.
SENEGAL BUS CRASH CLAIMS LIVES OF 40, DOZENS OTHERS INJURED: REPORTS
Amnesty said it interviewed survivors and witnesses who described "groups of M23 fighters going house-to-house in Kishishe, summarily killing every adult male they found and subjecting scores of women to rape, including gang rape".
Based on that testimony, Amnesty estimated the M23 killed at least 20 men and raped at least 66 women and girls, mainly in Kishishe, between Nov. 21-30.
M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma dismissed the report. "There were no serious investigations because they did not come to the field," he told Reuters, adding that none of his soldiers would commit rape.
Congo's government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo also did not respond to a request for comment.
Amnesty said its findings were based on research conducted on the ground in M23-occupied territory.
NIGERIANS ARE GETTING HEALTH INSURANCE BY TRADING WASTE MATERIAL
Congo's army has been locked in heavy fighting since May last year with M23, which is waging its most sustained offensive since a 2012-2013 insurrection that seized vast swathes of territory.
The conflict has sparked a diplomatic crisis between Congo and neighbouring Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the rebels, including by sending its own troops into eastern Congo. Rwanda denies any involvement.
The M23 and its predecessor groups have claimed to defend Tutsi interests against ethnic Hutu militias whose leaders participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide of more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Amnesty called on the Congolese authorities to follow through on a pledge to investigate the alleged crimes and hold the perpetrators to account.
4 US servicemembers injured during Syria raid that left ISIS senior leader dead
Four U.S. service members were wounded and a senior ISIS leader killed during a helicopter raid in Northern Syria, officials announced Friday.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the death of Hamza al-Homsi, a senior ISIS leader targeted by the raid.
An explosion during the raid injured four U.S. service members as well as a working dog, all of whom are receiving treatment at a U.S. medical facility in Iraq.
The U.S. partnered with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to execute the raid.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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'Western agenda': Taliban ban sale of birth control, according to report
The Taliban have reportedly ended the sale of contraceptives in at least two major cities in Afghanistan, using threats and intimidation to further restrict access and erode women's rights in the country.
"They came to my store twice with guns and threatened me not to keep contraceptive pills for sale," a store owner in one of the cities told The Guardian. "They are regularly checking every pharmacy in Kabul, and we have stopped selling the products."
The government has issued no official policy or declaration on the matter, but that allegedly hasn’t stopped Taliban fighters from visiting any store or health care workers in the cities of Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif who would directly provide or promote the use of contraceptives.
The Taliban fighters have reportedly claimed that contraceptive use and family planning are part of "a Western agenda" that aims to control the Muslim population.
CHINA, IRAN URGE AFGHANISTAN TO END RESTRICTIONS ON WOMEN'S EDUCATION, WORK
Suhail Shaheen, head of the political office in Doha, told Fox News Digital that he had no knowledge of such restrictions, suggesting they may instead be "a rumor as it happens time and again."
A midwife, who remained unnamed, said the Taliban had threatened her several times, telling her she was "not allowed to go outside and promote the Western concept of controlling population and this is unnecessary work."
IRAN BELIEVED TO HOUSE SUSPECTED NEW AL-QAEDA LEADER: UN REPORT
Another shop owner told The Guardian that the fighters decreed "items such as birth control pills and Depo-Provera injections are not allowed to be kept in the pharmacy since the start of this month." The shop owner said he was too afraid to try and sell off his existing stock.
The new policy would be the latest step in a series of actions the Taliban have taken to restrict women’s rights in the country, starting with access to education: The Afghanistan government banned women from university education after telling Fox News’ Trey Yingst that "all citizens of Afghanistan" had the right to education.
"All citizens of Afghanistan, irrespective of their gender, have a right to education" under the government's "clear" policy, a Taliban spokesman said in August 2022. The Taliban also restricted access for girls to attend middle school and high school.
Women have also faced exclusion from certain areas of employment as well as public areas such as parks and gyms.
U.N. Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment by time of publication.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this report.
Afghanistan Kabul pharmacy
Global bird flu alarm prompts countries to reconsider once-shunned vaccines
French duck farmer Herve Dupouy has culled his flock four times since 2015 to stop the spread of bird flu but as a wave of deadly outbreaks nears his farm once again, he says it's time to accept a solution once considered taboo: vaccination.
"The goal is that our animals don't fall ill and that they don't spread the virus," Dupouy said on his farm in Castelneu-Tursan in southwestern France. "Our job as farmers is not to gather dead animals."
Like Dupouy, more and more governments around the world are reconsidering their opposition to vaccines as culling birds or locking them inside has failed to prevent bird flu returning to decimate commercial flocks year after year.
MAINE WILDLIFE AUTHORITIES FIND 6 DEAD WILD DUCKS THAT TESTED POSITIVE FOR BIRD FLU
Reuters spoke to senior officials in the world's largest poultry and egg producers, along with vaccine makers and poultry companies. They all said there had been a marked shift in the approach to vaccines globally due to the severity of this year's bird flu outbreak, though the biggest exporter of poultry meat, the United States, told Reuters it remains reluctant.
Besides the cost of culling millions of chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese there is also a growing fear among scientists and governments that if the virus becomes endemic, the chances of it mutating and spreading to humans will only increase.
"That's why every country in the world is worried about bird flu," French agriculture minister Marc Fesneau said.
"There's no reason to panic but we must learn from history on these subjects. This is why we are looking into vaccinations at the global level," he told Reuters.
Most of the world's biggest poultry producers have resisted vaccinations due to concerns they could mask the spread of bird flu and hit exports to countries that have banned vaccinated poultry on fears infected birds could slip through the net.
But since early last year, bird flu, or avian influenza, has ravaged farms around the world, leading to the deaths of more than 200 million birds because of the disease or mass culls, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) told Reuters.
The mass culls last year also sent the price of eggs sky-rocketing, contributing to the global food crisis.
U.S. Holds Out
Mexico started emergency vaccinations last year while Ecuador said this month it planned to inoculate more than two million birds after the virus infected a 9-year-old girl.
France is on track to start vaccinating poultry in September, agriculture minister Fesneau told Reuters, before the return of migrating wild birds that can infect farms.
The EU, meanwhile, agreed last year to implement a vaccine strategy across its 27 member states.
Brussels has also normalised its poultry vaccination rules, which are due to come into force next month. They will ensure poultry products and day-old chicks can be traded freely within the bloc, a European Commission spokesperson told Reuters.
China, which consumes most of its poultry production domestically, has been vaccinating against avian influenza for nearly 20 years and has managed to sharply reduce outbreaks.
But the biggest producer of poultry meat in the world, the United States, is holding out for now.
The United States has been hit hardest worldwide in the latest outbreak with a toll of more than 58 million birds in the past year, followed by Canada, while France has suffered the most within the EU, WOAH data showed.
COULD A BIRD FLU PANDEMIC SPREAD TO HUMANS? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
But the fear of trade restrictions remains centre stage for countries reluctant to vaccinate poultry against bird flu.
While vaccines can reduce death rates, some vaccinated birds could still contract the disease and transmit it, effectively masking the spread of the virus.
That's why some big buyers of poultry meat and live birds have banned imports from countries where vaccines are permitted, for fear of bringing in the virus as well.
Bird flu can also mutate rapidly and reduce the efficacy of vaccines while programmes are costly and time consuming, as shots often need to be administered individually. And even once birds have been vaccinated, flocks need to be monitored.
"The use of a vaccine at this time would have detrimental impacts on poultry trade while still necessitating response activities such as quarantine, depopulation, and surveillancetesting," the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) told Reuters.
Given trade restrictions on vaccinated poultry, bilateral negotiations would be needed to clear exports to those markets and avoid unfair competition, Philippe Gelin, chief executive of France's LDC, one of Europe's largest poultry firms.
French minister Fesneau told Reuters that Paris was negotiating with its non-EU trade partners to allow exports of vaccinated poultry while there were also bilateral talks at the EU level with countries outside the bloc.
mRNA Poultry Vaccines
Brazil, the world's largest poultry exporter, has so far avoided an outbreak - and the need for vaccines - though the virus is getting closer with several of its neighbours including Bolivia reporting outbreaks.
But countries such as France, which spent $1.2 billion last year compensating poultry farmers for their losses, believe it's time to bite the vaccination bullet.
"This is a huge economic loss," said Gilles Salvat, deputy director of the research division at French health security agency ANSES. "We won't avoid occasional introductions (of the virus) via wildlife or via a contaminated environment, but what we want to avoid is these occasional introductions spreading throughout the country."
As part of the EU-wide strategy, France is carrying out tests on vaccines for ducks, which are very receptive to the virus and remain asymptomatic for many days, increasing the risk of transmission to other farms.
The Netherlands is testing vaccines on egg-laying hens, Italy is doing the same on turkeys and Hungary on Pekin ducks, with the results from the EU trials expected in the coming months.
France's Ceva Animal Health, one of the main companies developing bird flu vaccines along with Germany's Boehringher Ingelheim, said initial results were "very promising", notably by sharply reducing the excretion of the virus by infected birds.
Ceva said it was using the mRNA technology used in some COVID shots for the first time in poultry vaccines.
The global market for bird flu vaccines would be about 800 million to 1 billion doses per year, excluding China, said Sylvain Comte, corporate marketing director for poultry at Ceva.
Although the risk to humans from bird flu remains low, and there have never been cases of human-to-human transmission, countries must prepare for any change in the status quo, the World Health Organization said last week.
The recent COVID crisis has shown the risk of a virus found in animals mutating or combining with another influenza virus to make the jump to humans - and lead to a global pandemic.
The H5N1 strain prevalent in the latest bird flu outbreak has killed several mammals, including minks in Spain, foxes and otters in Britain, a cat in France and grizzly bears in the United States.
"Without being alarmist, we should be careful and not let this virus circulate too intensively and for too long," said Salvat at French agency ANSES.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness will not face corruption charges in conflict of interest case
A top prosecutor in Jamaica has ruled that Prime Minister Andrew Holness won’t face charges over possible conflict of interest in contracts awarded to a construction company in 2007-2009 while he was education minister.
Jamaica’s director of public corruption issued the ruling Thursday after reviewing a report on the case by the country’s Integrity Commission.
The commission investigated the case after a news report in 2016 raised questions about close ties between Holness and principals of a company hired for several roof repairs at schools and other projects.
The panel found that Holness knew two directors and shareholders of the company for more than 20 years. The company had received 10 contracts totaling nearly $142,000, but only five of them were reported to the Office of the Contractor General as required, the report said.
Holness, education minister from 2007 to 2012, said he never exercised influence on any process for the awarding of the contracts. Holness became prime minister following 2016 elections.
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WHO calls for more funding to support health sector in war-torn Ukraine
The World Health Organization on Friday appealed for more funds to support Ukraine's health sector, which has been severely damaged by the Russian invasion.
WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said the
country now needed more funds to ensure that mental health services and rehabilitation could be dispensed, while ensuring community access to health services.
US MAY DELIVER 'SIGNIFICANT NUMBER' OF ABRAMS TANKS TO UKRAINE DESPITE PENTAGON MISGIVINGS
"We aim to reach 13.6 million people with this support this year," he told an online briefing from the Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr. "That's why we have increased our appeal for 2023 to $240 million - $160 million for Ukraine and $80 million for refugee-receiving countries."
Kluge said almost 10 million people may currently have a mental health condition in Ukraine.
He described its health system as "remarkably resilient" despite sustaining nearly 780 attacks against it.
But Ukraine also needed more mobility aids such as wheelchairs for those who sustained major injuries in the conflict.
A WHO survey showed that 10% of Ukrainians struggle to access medicine, including because of damaged or destroyed pharmacies and the unavailability of supplies, Kluge said.
One third of the people surveyed reported they could no longer afford the medication they require.
Ukraine says it expects Russia to broaden the war with a big push as the Feb. 24 anniversary of what Russia calls its "special military operation" approaches.
South African cheetahs begin journey to India as part of a plan to increase the country's big cat population
Twelve South African cheetahs began a voyage to India on Friday as part of an intergovernmental agreement to reintroduce the big cats to India.
They will join eight cheetahs from neighbouring Namibia that were released into the Kuno National Park in central India last year.
"The 12 cheetahs... have begun their journey to India," India's environment minister wrote on Twitter on Friday, adding they were expected to arrive on Saturday.
MYSTERY OVER WHALE DEATHS SPARKS ALARM: WE NEED TO ‘PAUSE AND INVESTIGATE’
They were sedated and loaded into crates, and on their way to Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport, where they will be picked up by an Indian military aircraft.
The cheetahs, 7 males and 5 females, are the first of dozens that South Africa has promised India over the next decade.
European Union lawmakers condemn IOC's decision to set path for Russian athletes to compete in Paris games
European Union lawmakers have condemned the International Olympic Committee's decision to set out a path for some athletes from Russia and Belarus to try to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games.
In a resolution adopted Thursday by 444 votes in favor, 26 against and 37 abstentions, EU legislators said allowing them to compete under a neutral flag "runs counter to those countries’ multifaceted isolation and will be used by both regimes for propaganda purposes."
The IOC has argued that it would be discriminatory to exclude Russia and ally Belarus from sports ahead of the Paris Olympics. With qualifying in many sports already underway, the IOC wants athletes from those countries to compete in a neutral capacity without national symbols.
WHAT VICTORY FOR UKRAINE LOOKS LIKE BEYOND BORDER SECURITY: CHIEF DEFENSE ADVISER
IOC president Thomas Bach and the IOC have faced widespread backlash from Ukraine and its allies, including comments directed at him by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In its resolution marking one year of the war, the EU Parliament urged the 27 EU countries and the international community to pressure the IOC to reverse its decision, "which is an embarrassment to the international world of sport."
Lawmakers also asked member states to seriously consider sending fighter jets to Ukraine and said Russian assets frozen by the EU should be used to rebuild Ukraine. They also asked for broadened sanctions against Moscow and demanded that accession talks for Ukraine's EU membership start this year.
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apologizes to LGBTQ community over former aide's remarks
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with representatives of LGBTQ groups Friday and offered an apology over discriminatory remarks made by his former aide that sparked nationwide outrage and calls for the government to ensure equal rights.
Former Kishida aide Masayoshi Arai's comments to reporters earlier this month that he wouldn’t want to live next to LGBTQ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriages were allowed prompted renewed demands that the government adopt an anti-discrimination law.
Kishida said Arai's remark was "deemed unjust discrimination and was extremely inappropriate" and offered an apology to LGBTQ activists in person: "I apologize sincerely for making all of you here and many other people feel uncomfortable."
He also appointed former Justice Minister Masako Mori on Friday as his special aide in charge of promoting understanding for LGBTQ people and she joined the meeting.
JAPAN FIRES AIDE FOR ANTI-LGBTQ COMMENTS: 'OUTRAGEOUS'
Kishida quickly fired Arai, his former aide, after he made the remarks. But the prime minister's own previous comments — including that allowing same-sex marriage would change society and family values and must be carefully considered — were also seen as an indication of his reluctance to promote equal rights for LGBTQ people despite his pledge to create an inclusive and diverse society.
Activists are now urging the government to enact anti-discrimination legislation before Japan hosts a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations in May in Hiroshima. Japan is the only G-7 member that has not recognized same-sex marriage or enacted an anti-discrimination law for LGBTQ people.
While surveys show growing public support for same-sex unions, government efforts to support sexual diversity have been slow in Japan and legal protections are still lacking for sexual minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people often face discrimination at school, work and home in Japan, causing many to hide their sexual identities.
Campaigns for equal rights for LGBTQ people have been stonewalled especially by conservatives in Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party. An attempt to enact an equality awareness promotion law ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics was quashed by the party.
Amid the criticisms over the discriminatory remarks, Kishida has instructed his governing party to start preparing legislation to promote more understanding of sexual minorities, but ultra-conservatives in the party have already shown resistance. Activists say mere awareness promotion is not enough.
Gon Matsunaka, head of the Pride House Tokyo, told reporters after the meeting that Kishida said he hoped to approach the issue step by step and that "We expressed our wish to have more opinions from the (LGBTQ) community absorbed and our stories heard."
Yuichi Kamiya, executive director of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, said he expected a move toward equal rights to "drastically accelerate."
More than 200 local municipalities, including Tokyo, have introduced partnership certificates for same-sex couples, allowing them to rent apartments and sign documents in medical emergencies and for inheritance. But the certificates are not legally binding and same-sex couples are often barred from hospital visits and accessing other services available to married couples.
During the meeting Friday, Kishida sought views from LGBTQ representatives, saying that further effort is needed "to achieve a diverse society where everyone respects each other's human rights and dignity and can live a fulfilling life."
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Russia to test hypersonic missile in drills with China, South Africa – a first for an international exercise
Russia is set to begin conducting naval drills with China and South Africa on Friday in a trilateral display of international cooperation – and show off a powerful weapon.
The Admiral Gorshkov, a Russian frigate, arrived in Capetown, South Africa, this week ahead of the joint drills that will take place in South Africa's Indian Ocean.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: BELARUS WILL JOIN FIGHT IF EVEN 'ONE SOLDIER' ATTACKS TERRITORY, PRESIDENT SAYS
The Admiral Gorshkov is expected to test-fire a Zircon hypersonic missile – the first launch of its kind in an international exercise, state media outlet Tass reports. The Zircon hypersonic missile can penetrate any missile defenses to strike targets at sea and on land, Russia says.
The exercises are set to run for 10 days and will coincide through Feb. 24, the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
South Africa's decision to participate in the drills has sparked controversy, with the opposition party claiming it demonstrates approval of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
AMERICANS TOLD TO LEAVE RUSSIA 'IMMEDIATELY' OR FACE FALSE ARRESTS, US WARNS
Kobus Marais, shadow defense minister of the Democratic Alliance, has questioned the motivations for going through with the plan, calling it "another bad judgment, an embarrassment."
South African military officials said the "multinational maritime exercise" will "strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China."
A similar exercise was held in South Africa's territorial waters in November 2019, between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Columbine.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Russian Hypersonic Missile Test
Death toll from New Zealand cyclone reaches 8, over 4,500 people still unaccounted for
The death toll from New Zealand’s cyclone reached eight on Friday with more than 4,500 people still unaccounted for four days after the nation’s most destructive weather event in decades brought widespread flooding, landslides and power outages, the prime minister said.
Cyclone Gabrielle struck the country’s north on Monday and the level of damage has been compared to Cyclone Bola in 1988. That storm was the most destructive on record to hit the nation of 5 million people.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said three more fatalities had been confirmed since Thursday and police held "grave fears" for other missing persons.
NEW ZEALAND HIT WITH MAGNITUDE 5.7 EARTHQUAKE, NO IMMEDIATE REPORTS OF DAMAGES OR INJURIES
"Police report that there are 4,549 persons reported as uncontactable. A team of 80 people are working now to narrow down this list as quickly as possible and to prioritize contact with those who are most likely to be missing," Hipkins told reporters.
Hipkins said he didn't know how far the death toll would climb.
"The thing is we don’t know. We’re not talking huge numbers," he said. "It’s not like I’m aware that there are lots and lots and lots out there that we’re not reporting. We’re still picking up one or two (fatalities) at a time," he added.
NEW ZEALAND PREPARES FOR MORE FLOODING AFTER COUNTRY'S NORTHERN REGION SEES DEADLY RAINFALL
Hipkins also said police hadn't specified to him how many people were considered to be of serious concern, but "there are several people that they are very concerned about."
A team of 25 Australian disaster response experts arrived Friday in New Zealand to help local authorities.
The North Island east coast around New Zealand’s most populous city, Auckland, has been hardest hit and several communities remained isolated on Friday.
Auckland was swamped two weeks ago by a record-breaking storm that killed four people.
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Canada will send Navy vessels to Haiti in effort to quell gang violence in the island nation
Canada will send navy vessels to Haiti for intelligence-gathering as part of efforts to quell worsening gang violence in the Caribbean nation, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Trudeau made the announcement in the Bahamas at an annual meeting of Caribbean leaders where a key topic has been Haiti’s surge in killings, rapes and kidnappings blamed on gangs emboldened since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, also at the meeting, has pleaded for a full-fledged international military intervention to stem the mayhem. His country requested help from the U.N. Security Council in October, and has suggested the U.S. and Canada lead a force. No such intervention has come together, and neither country has offered to take the lead.
Canada’s move to send ships, announced at the meeting of leaders of the 15-member Caricom trade bloc, comes shortly after the return of one of its surveillance planes on a similar mission to collect intelligence for Haitian police.
"Right now, Haiti is confronted with unrelenting gang violence, political turmoil and corruption," Trudeau said. "Now is the moment to come together to confront the severity of this situation."
Trudeau said Canada and Haiti’s neighbors need to work on long-lasting solutions to restore order and security, allow for essential aid to flow and create the conditions for free and fair elections.
He also unveiled sanctions on two additional Haitians: former interim president Jocelerme Privert and ex-political aide Salim Succar. Neither could be immediately reached for comment. They join 15 others already banned from making any economic dealings in Canada amid alleged ties to gangs.
Also on Thursday, the U.S. State Department announced it had placed visa restrictions on five more Haitians and seven family members that it did not identify, saying only that they have been fomenting violence, corruption, and instability. A total of 44 people have faced U.S. restrictions since October.
Meanwhile, the Canadian leader said his government would give an additional $12.3 million in humanitarian assistance and $10 million to support the International Office on Migration, to protect Haitian women and children along Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic. The neighboring country has deported tens of thousands of Haitian migrants and those of Haitian ancestry in the past year.
JAMAICA IS WILLING TO SEND SOLDIERS, POLICE TO HAITI AS CHAOS CONTINUES
"The toll of human suffering in Haiti weighs heavily on me," Trudeau said.
Earlier on Thursday, Trudeau met behind closed doors with Henry, who told reporters that he urgently wants Haiti to hold elections despite the worsening insecurity.
The number of reported killings in Haiti last year increased by 35% to 2,183 victims, while the number of reported kidnappings more than doubled to 1,359 victims, according to the U.N.
A report last month from the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti noted that "gang-related violence reached levels not seen in decades," and that tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the warring gangs.
Canada, the U.S. and other countries already have provided military equipment and other resources, along with training, to Haiti’s National Police, which only has 9,700 active-duty officers for a country of more than 11 million people. Gangs control an estimated 60% of the capital of Port-au-Prince.
Trudeau also pledged $1.8 million to fight illegal drug trafficking and strengthen border and maritime security across the Caribbean.
In addition, Trudeau said his government will set aside $44.8 million to help the Caribbean fight climate change.
The Caricom meeting, which has drawn other officials including Brian Nichols, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, began on Wednesday and is scheduled to end on Friday.
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Stunning Turkey earthquake rescues: Teen, new father saved 11 days later in 'true miracle'
Turkish rescue crews have managed to pull two people alive from the rubble 11 days after a devastating earthquake in an operation one family member is describing as a "true miracle."
Osman Halebiye, 14, and Mustafa Avci, 34, were found overnight in Antakya around 260 hours after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, according to Reuters.
As Avci was being carried away from the scene in a stretcher, he was shown in a video call with his parents his newborn baby, Reuters adds.
"I had completely lost all hope. This is a true miracle," his father reportedly said.
UN PUSHES FOR $1 BILLION IN FUNDING FOR TURKISH EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS
"They gave me my son back," he added. "I saw the wreckage and I thought nobody could be saved alive from there."
UN OFFICIAL SAYS SYRIAN DEATH TOLL FROM EARTHQUAKE IS LIKELY TO RISE
As of Friday, more than 43,000 are reported dead in Turkey and Syria from the earthquake.
Turkish officials are reporting over 38,000 deaths and fear the toll will rise as around 264,000 apartments are believed to have been destroyed in the disaster.
More than 5,800 deaths have been reported in Syria, according to Reuters.
Turkey Syria Earthquake Rescue Efforts
North Korea threatens 'unprecedentedly' strong response to US-South Korean nuclear drills
North Korea has warned the United States and South Korea that planned military drills this month will be met with "unprecedentedly persistent and strong counteractions."
The hermit nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the threat Friday after South Korea and the U.S. announced joint military drills have been planned that will focus on addressing North Korea's growing nuclear viability.
US, SOUTH KOREA VOW TO RAMP UP NUCLEAR DETERRENCE IN FACE OF NORTH KOREA AGGRESSION
"In case the U.S. and South Korea carry into practice their already announced plan for military drills that [North Korea] – with just apprehension and reason – regards as preparations for an aggression war, they will face unprecedentedly persistent and strong counteractions," the ministry wrote.
North Korea has long accused the U.S. and South Korea of using joint military drills as a pretext for rehearsing an invasion of the isolated communist country.
"This predicts that the situation in the Korean Peninsula and the region will be again plunged into the grave vortex of escalating tension," the North Korean statement continued.
South Korea called North Korea "our enemy" for the first time in six years in its biennial defense document published on Thursday.
"North Korea doesn't give up its nukes and is persistently posing military threats to us, so the North Korean government and military… is our enemy," the document read.
The country's description of its rival in defense papers typically reflects the relationship between the two. During past times of animosity, South Korea has referred to its neighbor as the "main enemy," "present enemy" or "enemy."
When relations were on better terms, such references were not made.
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North Sea storm causes train, ferry cancellations in Denmark, Norway
A storm over the North Sea on Friday led to dozens of cancellations of train and ferry connections in northern Denmark and southern Norway, with the Danish Meteorological Institute saying gusts of hurricane force can be expected.
The storm, named Otto, is set to move east over Sweden and the Baltic Sea. In Finland, authorities said they were also expecting rain, or rain mixed with snow, and that there could power outages over the weekend.
Ferries in southern Norway were canceled with "a significant" number of passengers and goods will be affected by the storm.
DENMARK EXPECTS A WINTER FREE OF COVID RESTRICTIONS
"We should of course have avoided this, but Otto is not a normal weather type, so this does not happen very often," CEO of the Norwegian ferry company Color Line Erik Brynhildsbakken told the Norwegian news agency NTB.
DENMARK'S DEFENSIVE MINISTER TAKES A LEAVE OF ABSENCE AFTER A MEDICAL CHECKUP IN COPENHAGEN
In Denmark, the stormy weather came at the end of a holiday week with many people traveling. Operators were forced to cancel trains in large parts of the country and authorities advised against crossing bridges in lighter vehicles, including on the link that ties Copenhagen to the Swedish city of Malmo.
The inhabitants of high-rises from the late 1950s with up to 13 floors in a Copenhagen neighborhood sitting atop of a hill were evacuated as a precaution.
The same storm hit Scotland and northern England, with wind gusts of up to 80 mph that left tens of thousands of homes without power. Trains were disrupted and some flights canceled. Toppled trucks snarled traffic on a main road linking London to Scotland.
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Chinese balloon found on Taiwan island, defense ministry says
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says a Chinese weather balloon has landed on one of its islands, nearly two weeks after the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese spy craft over the Atlantic Ocean.
The ministry announced Thursday that the balloon found on Tungyin, which is part of the outlying Matsu Islands archipelago, carried equipment registered to a state-owned electronics company in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan.
Reached by phone, a publicity officer at the company, identified in the report as Taiyuan Wireless (Radio) First Factory Ltd., told The Associated Press that it had provided electronics but had not built the balloon.
The spokesperson, who gave only his surname, Liu, said Taiyuan was among a number of companies that provided equipment to the China Meteorological Administration.
The balloon was likely among those launched daily to monitor weather and was probably set off from the coastal city of Xiamen with no fixed course, he said.
Its deflation was likely a natural outcome of it having reached maximum altitude of around almost 100,000 feet, Liu said. Such balloons regularly fly over the Taiwan Strait but have only recently begun to draw attention, he said.
Taiwan maintained control of the Matsu Islands after it and China split in 1949 amid civil war and they are considered a first line of defense should China make good on its threats to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary.
US OFFICIALS SAY IT WASN’T ‘CLEAR’ CHINESE SPY FLIGHT ‘WAS COMING TO’ AMERICA
Information on the balloon was written in the simplified Chinese characters used on the mainland rather than the traditional on Taiwan, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said.
China regularly sends military aircraft and warships into Taiwan air identification zone and across the middle line of the Taiwan Strait.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden said the U.S. is developing "sharper rules" to track, monitor and potentially shoot down unknown aerial objects, following three weeks of high-stakes drama sparked by the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon transiting much of the country.
China has claimed the balloon spotted traveling over the U.S. was a civilian aircraft designed for weather research purposes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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What victory for Ukraine looks like beyond border security: chief defense adviser
As the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine nears, NATO allies once again pledged this week to send more defense systems, ammunitions, artillery and tanks in an effort to defeat Russia, but one top defense official said victory for Ukraine will require more than border security.
Kyiv has said it hopes to claim victory against Russian President Vladimir Putin by the end of 2023, which in its eyes means ousting all Russian troops from its territory, including Crimea, and shoring up defenses for the future.
"Victory for us will mean not just throwing the enemy out and restoring our territorial sovereignty," Yuriy Sak, top adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, told Fox News Digital. "Victory will also mean establishing a Ukraine which will make such aggression impossible in the future."
DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN SAYS US WOULD ENTER CONFLICT IF RUSSIA ATTACKS ESTONIA
Ukraine has already seen victories in parts of its eastern front after it successfully pushed Russian forces out of the Kharkiv region in September, damaged Putin’s Crimean bridge in October, and forced Russian troops across the Dnieper River in November when it recaptured the city of Kherson.
But Ukraine is now faced with the prospect of keeping Russian troops not only out of these areas, but the regions they have not yet freed.
Sak said the only way to ensure adequate border protection is to transform Ukraine’s forces to adhere to the same standard as Western militaries – a feat its troops are already working on as they are being trained by U.S. and NATO forces.
But even more important to Ukraine’s long-term security is its ability to have the complete backing of its Western allies, explained the defense adviser – a move that Putin has long viewed as his greatest threat.
"Ukraine needs to become a member of NATO," Sak said. "De facto we are already a member of NATO alliance because we are fighting to stop the enemy from going further into the NATO countries. We are using weapon systems that members of NATO provide us with."
The defense adviser said that even after Russian forces are pushed out it will take time to rebuild Ukraine, particularly the Luhansk, Dontesk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions most affected by the war.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: BELARUS WILL JOIN FIGHT IF EVEN 'ONE SOLDIER' ATTACKS TERRITORY, PRESIDENT SAYS
Ukraine needs to become more militarily self-sufficient, he added.
"We will have to build and considerably improve our own defense industry so that we are less reliant on the military support of our partners," Sak said.
The adviser said munitions factories and maintenance plants are basic requirements for achieving this plan and he pointed to the fact that when military equipment is damaged during the war it frequently has to be sent to nations like Poland for repairs.
Putin launched his invasion over the claim that Ukraine posed an existential threat by attempting to join NATO.
In early peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, Russia demanded that Ukraine pledge to never join the alliance. Kyiv appeared to consider the demand until negotiations collapsed.
By September, Kyiv had pushed forward in its membership quest.
NATO has also rejected Russia’s demands that it block Kyiv’s pathway to joining the military alliance and NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg accused Putin last year of being fearful of "democracy and freedom."
Ukraine maintains that it is not only in its own interest that Kyiv win the war against Russia, but maintains that it is fighting for the security of Europe and world order.
"We all should step up our efforts and shift into high gear so that we don’t allow this war to become a protracted war – it's not in the interest of anyone," Sak argued. "It's not just about Ukraine. It's about the stability of Europe and the world."
"Rapid Trident" Military Exercises In Western Ukraine
North Carolina man developed 'uncontrollable' Irish accent during prostate cancer treatment
A North Carolina man developed an "uncontrollable Irish accent" until his death after being treated for prostate cancer, according to research published in the British Medical Journal.
The patient, who was only identified as a man in his 50s, was presumably afflicted with foreign accent syndrome (FAS) after receiving androgen deprivation therapy and being prescribed abiraterone acetate/prednisone.
The report said the man lived in England during his 20s and had friends and distant family members from Ireland, but had never visited the country or spoken with the foreign accent.
"His accent was uncontrollable, present in all settings and gradually became persistent," the four researchers wrote in their report, adding that it first began 20 months into his treatment.
WALKING DEAD SYNDROME AND OTHER RARE CONDITIONS THAT BAFFLE DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS
Several similar cases have been studied across the globe in recent years, but this was reportedly the first case of FAS described in a patient with prostate cancer and the third described in a patient with malignancy.
The researchers believe his voice change was caused by a condition called paraneoplastic neurological disorder (PND), which happens when cancer patients' immune systems attack parts of their brain, muscles, nerves and spinal cord.
"Despite chemotherapy, his neuroendocrine prostate cancer progressed resulting in multifocal brain metastases and a likely paraneoplastic ascending paralysis leading to his death," they wrote.
Even as his condition worsened, the accent remained until his death months later. The report said the man did not have any neurological examination abnormalities or psychiatric history. An MRI taken at symptom onset also did not display brain abnormalities.
AUSTRALIAN WOMAN WAKES UP WITH IRISH ACCENT AFTER THROAT SURGERY
According to the BBC, others who have dealt with FAS described it as an unsettling feeling of hearing a "stranger in the house" whenever they speak.
One of the first recorded cases was in 1941, when a young Norwegian woman developed a German accent after she was hit by bomb shrapnel during a World War II air raid, Medical News Today reported. The accent caused people to ostracize her, and she was thought to be a Nazi spy by locals.
In 2006, MNT said Linda Walker, a United Kingdom woman with a Geordie accent, adopted a Jamaican-sounding voice after she suffered a stroke.
A 2019 report by the British Medical Journal found that most reported having a foreign accent for two months to 18 years, with a mean length of three years. The study included 49 people who developed foreign accent syndrome.
The case was jointly studied and reported by Duke University in North Carolina and the Carolina Urologic Research Center in South Carolina, according to Yahoo News.
Prostate Cancer Slide
Washington is fueling Ukraine’s ambitions to attack Russian territory
Source: RT
The US has again confirmed its direct involvement in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, the Russian Embassy in Washington has claimed. The statement came after US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said Russian military sites in Crimea were “legitimate targets” for Ukraine, and that her country was “supporting” strikes on them.
Nuland “has admitted that the [Biden] administration is fueling the ambitions of the Kiev regime to attack our country,” the Russian Embassy argued in a statement on Friday.
The words of the high-ranking American official were “clear confirmation of Russia’s position that the US is directly involved in the conflict” between Moscow and Kiev, it said.
The statement added that Washington is not just using rhetoric but is also taking “concrete actions” by supplying modern weapons and advising Ukrainian military leaders, and that “de facto, they plan operations together.”
Citing American and Ukrainian officials, the Washington Post reported last week that Kiev’s forces would not fire a single shot from artillery systems provided by the US without first confirming the coordinates of the target with the Americans.
“Inciting Kiev criminals to attack Crimea is the same as pushing them to attack Moscow or Vladivostok,” the embassy insisted, adding that Russia would defend its territory in any case.
Crimea overwhelmingly voted to reunite with Russia in 2014 after a violent coup in Kiev. Ukraine still views the peninsula as part of its territory, with the US sharing that stance.
In her interview on Thursday with American think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Nuland said the US believes that Kiev is “owed and due all of their territory within their international borders,” including Crimea. “Ukraine is not going to be safe unless Crimea is – at a minimum, at a minimum – demilitarized,” she asserted, adding that the Biden administration backed Kiev’s attempts to target the peninsula.
Washington’s support for attacks on Crimea is “an undisguised manifestation of the bellicose attitude of the US towards our country,” the Russian Embassy insisted.
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China’s elite Peking University awards Iranian President Raisi ‘honorary professor’ title
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday was awarded an "honorary professor" title at China’s elite Peking University during a high-profile state trip.
University secretary Hao Ping awarded Raisi for his efforts strengthen ties between the two countries, according to Mehr News Agency, which monitors Middle Eastern news.
Raisi addressed faculty and students, telling them that forming a new world order requires distance from unilateralism – a veiled reference to the United States and its western allies.
Hi noted the historical bilateral relationship and made comparisons between the ancient Silk Road and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the massive infrastructure project to connect Asia to Europe.
IRAN BELIEVED TO HOUSE SUSPECTED NEW AL-QAEDA LEADER: UN REPORT
Peking University, founded in Beijing in 1898, is considered one of China’s best universities and ranks in the top 50 schools globally.
Thursday marked the end of Raisi’s visit to Beijing, during which both sides affirmed close economic and political ties and their rejection of Western standards of human rights and democracy.
The bulk of the China-Iran joint statement emphasized strong political and economic ties, the quest for peace and justice in the Middle East and denuclearization in spite of Tehran's suspected drive to produce atomic weapons.
In a meeting earlier with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raisi expressed support for China's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong and claim to self-ruling democratic Taiwan.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS DOUBLE DOWN ON SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION, REBUKE US CRITICISM
China and Iran portray themselves, alongside Moscow, as counterweights to American power, and have given tacit, and in Iran's case, material support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"China supports Iran in safeguarding national sovereignty" and "resisting unilateralism and bullying," Xi said in a statement carried by Chinese state TV on its website.
Xi and Raisi attended the signing of 20 cooperation agreements including on trade and tourism, the Chinese government announced. Those add to a 25-year strategy agreement signed in 2021 to cooperate in developing oil, industry and other fields.
China is one of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil and a major source of investment.
Iran has struggled for years under trade and financial sanctions imposed by Washington and other Western governments. The U.S. government cut off Iran's access to the network that connects global banks in 2018.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Japan discovers 7,000 new unknown islands after fresh survey
The number of official islands in Japan is expected to double from 6,852 to 14,125 after the government conducted the first survey since 1987 of its territorial waters, according to Kyodo News.
Japan, a mountainous nation with a land mass of about 146,000 square miles, is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea.
The new survey, conducted by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, isn't expected to increase the country's territory, but will give officials a more accurate picture of its terrain.
The revamped analysis was spurred by a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who told parliament in December 2021 that "an accurate understanding of the number of islands is an important administrative matter that is related to the national interest," Kyodo News reports.
While Japan is mostly just cataloging islands that have been there all along but went unnoticed, the formation of new islands in the country's terrioty is not unprecedented.
In August 2021, Japan's Coast Guard discovered a new C-shaped island with a diameter of about .6 miles after a submarine volcano erupted near Iwo Jima, according to the Japan Times.
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UN pushes for $1B in funding for Turkish earthquake survivors
The United Nations launched a $1 billion appeal Thursday to help 5.2 million survivors of the most devastating earthquake in Turkey’s modern history, two days after starting a $397 million appeal to help nearly 5 million Syrians across the border in the rebel-held northwest.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric was peppered with questions about why the appeal for Turkey is targeted at only 5.2 million people when according to the U.N. and the government more than 15 million people were affected. He also was asked why the appeal for Turkey is 2½ times larger than the one for Syria to help almost the same number of people.
He said the Turkish appeal "was designed in very close cooperation with the government of Turkey, which is leading the relief efforts."
UN CALLS FOR $397M IN HUMANITARIAN AID FOR SYRIAN EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS
"This is the number they came up with for the focus on people who need the most humanitarian aid, most quickly, and where the U.N. can be most effective," Dujarric said. He said Turkey has "a very efficient search and rescue and humanitarian system."
As for the disparity in the amount of the appeals, he said, part of the reason is that "there is already a well-established humanitarian community which has been working in Syria," and before the quake there was a $4.8 billion humanitarian appeal for Syria for 2023.
"So there’s already a humanitarian pot of money that exists for Syria, which did not exist for Turkey," he said.
Both appeals are for emergency funds for the next three months, and will be followed by fresh appeals for longer-term help.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the $1 billion appeal for Turkey saying the money will allow aid groups to rapidly scale up support for government-led relief efforts, including providing food, protection, education, water and shelter to survivors of the magnitude 7.8 quake on Feb. 6 that devastated southern Turkey and northwestern Syria.
"The needs are enormous, people are suffering and there’s no time to lose," Guterres said. "I urge the international community to step up and fully fund this critical effort in response to one of the biggest natural disasters of our times."
He said that "Turkey is home to the largest number of refugees in the world and has shown enormous generosity to its Syrian neighbors for years," so it is time for the world to support the Turkish people.
More than 1.74 million refugees live in the 11 Turkish provinces affected by the earthquakes, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, who visited both quake-ravaged countries last week, said: "The people of Turkey have experienced unspeakable heartache."
The earthquake struck at the peak of winter, leaving hundreds of thousands of people, including small children and the elderly, without access to shelter, food, water, heaters and medical care in freezing temperatures. Griffiths' office said some 47,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged.
"We must stand with them in their darkest hour and ensure they receive the support they need," Griffiths said.
The United Nations has been criticized for the slow response in getting aid and heavy equipment into Syria’s rebel-held northwest since the earthquake struck 10 days ago.
On Monday, following a visit to Damascus by Griffiths, Guterres announced that Syrian leader Bashar Assad had agreed to open two additional crossing points from Turkey to the northwest — at Bab Al-Salam and Al Raée — for an initial period of three months.
The U.N. had only been allowed to deliver aid to the northwest Idlib area through a single crossing at Bab Al-Hawa, at Syrian ally Russia’s insistence.
Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said 22 trucks with food and other aid crossed through Bab Al-Hawa on Monday and two trucks with tents crossed through Bab Al-Salam on Thursday. No convoys had yet entered the northwest from Al Raée.
"As of Feb. 14, according to the latest information we received, 8,900 buildings have been completely or partially destroyed in the northwest of Syria, leaving 11,000 people homeless," Dujarric said.
Shelter is the top immediate need in Syria, with food, cash assistance and supplies to cope with the winter weather also priorities, he said.
UNITED NATIONS OFFICIAL SAYS THE SYRIAN DEATH TOLL FROM EARTHQUAKE IS LIKELY TO RISE
Global humanitarian needs were already 25% higher this year than last year before the earthquake, and Dujarric said the U.N. is worried about the growing number of people who need help.
"Our humanitarian system is stretched to the limit," he said.
Many people needing aid are in areas beset by conflict and the impact of climate change, Dujarric said.
For the U.N., he said, it's frustrating that "so many of these issues could be addressed beforehand" but dealing with "the consequences of ignoring climate change, of not putting enough effort into peace, into reconciliation, into social cohesion ... lands on the U.N.'s doorstep."
Dujarric said the U.N. is working as fast as it can within international law and the U.N. Charter, "which sometimes forces the U.N. as opposed to other relief agencies to take into consideration and have to respect the political context."
"And if I were on the receiving end of aid I would feel nothing is coming quickly enough," he said.
"That being said, we hope that member states find the solidarity and generosity that is needed also from the public and private sector" to help earthquake survivors and millions of others in need, Dujarric said.
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Colombian President Petro signs trade deal with Venezuela's Maduro on border
The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela met on their border Thursday to sign an agreement designed to improve trade between the two countries and lift import duties on dozens of manufactured goods.
The deal comes as relations between the two countries improve following the election of Colombia’s first leftist president. Recently Colombia and Venezuela opened their border bridges to commercial cargo trucks for the first time in seven years.
"This is not only about making trade easier, but also about making it easier for people to move between both countries," Colombian President Gustavo Petro said. "There has to be legality here, so that the rights of people are protected."
COLOMBIA ELECTS FORMER REBEL GUSTAVO PETRO TO BECOME COUNTRY'S FIRST LEFTIST PRESIDENT
Trade between Colombia and Venezuela fell drastically after 2015 amid political disputes that led to frequent border closures.
In 2019, Venezuela's socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, shut the border for months, had shipping containers put on bridges connecting the countries and cut off diplomatic ties.
Maduro acted after Colombia’s then conservative government and the United States recognized Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate leader and tried to help him to bring truckloads of humanitarian aid into the cash-strapped country.
Last year, Colombia and Venezuela renewed diplomatic relations following the election of Petro as Colombia's president.
Petro has recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader and moved away from U.S. led efforts to isolate Venezuela’s authoritarian government.
Colombia's new president has said that he would like to convince Venezuela to rejoin the interamerican system of human rights, and has also asked Venezuela to assist Colombia’s efforts to broker a peace deal with the National Liberation Army, a rebel group that is present on both sides of the border.
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Mexico to fast-track visas for Cubans with family already in country
Cubans with relatives already in Mexico will be eligible for new expedited applications for Mexican visas, the country’s Foreign Relations Department announced Wednesday.
BORDER PATROL IN MIAMI ENCOUNTER 88 CUBAN MIGRANTS ON 5 BOATS IN FLORIDA KEYS AHEAD OF NEW YEAR
Special visa appointments will be held starting in April at the Mexican consulate in Havana, the agency said.
Deteriorating economic conditions and political dissent in Cuba have caused an exodus from the island, and many Cubans cross into Mexico seeking to reach the U.S. border.
CUBAN MIGRANTS SENT BACK BY COAST GUARD, WARNS OF HURRICANE DANGER
Of the 40,000 Cubans who entered Mexico in 2020, 5,000 were returned to the island and 20,000 were given some form of residency or humanitarian visa in Mexico. It was not clear what happened to the remainder, though many enter the United States. U.S. authorities have a hard time returning Cubans to the island because of strained relations.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has had a close relationshio with Cuban leaders, importing everything from Cuban doctors and Cuban-made coronavirus vaccines to crushed stone ballast from Cuba for a train project.
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Nigeria seeks $1.3 billion in aid to deal with extremist violence
At least 6 million Nigerians affected by the extremist insurgency in northeastern Nigeria need $1.3 billion in aid this year, according to the U.N. office in Nigeria.
The 2023 U.N. humanitarian response plan launched on Thursday noted the need for "critical life-saving assistance" as a result of more than 12 years of extremist violence that has killed an estimated 35,000 people and displaced at least 2 million in the region.
"An estimated 2.4 million people are in acute need and require urgent support," said Matthias Schmale, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Nigeria. "The large-scale humanitarian and protection crisis shows no sign of abating."
Over 80% of those in need in northeastern Nigeria are women and children, according to the U.N.
"The ticking time bomb of child malnutrition is escalating in Nigeria’s northeast, with the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition projected to increase to 2 million in 2023," it said.
NIGERIANS ARE GETTING HEALTH INSURANCE BY TRADING WASTE MATERIAL
The appeal for aid for those hungry and displaced comes just as Africa's most populous country, with 214 million people, readies for its presidential election on Feb. 25. The humanitarian crisis could further squeeze many in Nigeria, which has an unemployment rate of 33% and 63% of the people are in poverty.
Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown Islamic extremist rebels, launched an insurgency in 2009 to fight against western education and to establish Islamic Shariah law in the country's northeast.
Their rebellion has spread over the years to the neighboring West African countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. A breakaway faction of the group, known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, has risen to prominence, dominating the Lake Chad region where they often target security force convoys and outposts.
Some humanitarian needs of affected people are "deepening and increasing," particularly those related to food insecurity and malnutrition, the U.N. said, citing the situation in Bama, Borno state where at least 4,000 people could die, starve or face acute malnutrition if donors and authorities do not act quickly.
Armed UK police storm KFC restaurant after 'youth' seen with weapon
London Metropolitan Police raided a KFC on Tuesday evening after a teenager waved a gun at the fast food restaurant.
"At around 6.30pm, we received a call from a member of the public who had seen a group of youths in possession of knives and a firearm in the Grove Retail Park in Goodmayes," a Met Police spokesperson told the press in a statement. "Officers responded quickly, including armed response units."
Police stormed the restaurant to arrest the youths, some of whom had knives. The gun remained the primary focus of the police response.
Social media footage captured the moment when dozens of officers with guns and body armor rushed in while the group sat at a table, The Evening Standard reported.
GEORGIA POLICE SMASH WINDOW OF BURNING HOME, CRAWL INSIDE TO RESCUE ELDERLY WOMAN TRAPPED INSIDE
"At around 7.15pm, one of the group was seen to leave and challenged by armed officers," the spokesperson added. "A firearm was recovered, and he was arrested."
ARMY VETERAN WHO ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO ATTACK A NV SYNAGOGUE TO UNDERGO MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION
Police later recovered a second firearm in the restaurant and tasered one of the teenagers when "confronted."
SEATTLE BUSINESS OWNER CALLS FOR CHANGE AS CRIME SURGES: ‘WE’RE ALL SICK OF IT'
The spokesperson stressed that the teenager did not require medical attention and that no member of the public suffered an injury during the altercation.
The police arrested five males in the restaurant. The spokesperson praised the public for being "vigilant" and urged anyone to continue to "report anything suspicious."
Britain maintains extremely strict gun laws, the result of a mass shooting in Dunblane, Scotland, in 1996, which was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.K. No mass shootings have occurred since then.
b4c2d198-Armed police storm KFC as ‘youths seen with GUNS’
Senegal police smash windows of opposition leader's vehicle, forcibly removing him
Police in Senegal smashed the car windows of a top opposition leader and forced Ousmane Sonko from the vehicle Thursday after he appeared in court.
Videos on social media seen by The Associated Press show police physically removing the 46-year-old politician from the vehicle's back seat. He later was escorted to his residence by authorities and a government spokesman denied that he had been arrested.
Sonko is being sued for defamation and public insults, charges stemming from accusations he made against Senegal's tourism minister at a news conference late last year. On Thursday, the trial was postponed until next month.
After leaving the courthouse, Sonko greeted his supporters from his car. Police soon began firing tear gas at the gathering.
SENEGAL BUS CRASH CLAIMS LIVES OF 40, DOZENS OTHERS INJURED: REPORTS
"The convoy of the main opposition leader is blocked by combat vehicles," said Sonko's lawyer, Cire Cledor Ly, in a text message to AP on Thursday afternoon. It's unclear why the car was stopped and the government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sonko rose to prominence during the 2019 presidential election and is regarded as the frontrunner to challenge President Macky Sall in next year's elections.
The trial comes while Sonko is battling charges of rape, where if convicted, he faces up to 10 years in jail and would be barred from running for president. Sonko's supporters say the government is trying to derail the opposition leader's political future.
Rallies to support Sonko have previously turned violent.
Two years ago, at least 13 people were killed as supporters clashed with police after Sonko was arrested for disturbing public order while on his way to the courthouse for a scheduled appearance on the rape charges.
Abused women find safety in Kenya refuge where men are banned
The thorny trees and dung-caked homes of Umoja village make it resemble any other in Kenya's northeastern Samburu region, except in one key detail - the absence of men.
Since it was established over 30 years ago, Umoja has provided a refuge for women from the Samburu community and beyond fleeing female genital mutilation, domestic abuse or child marriage.
"I used to be mistreated but now I feel free," said 26-year-old Christine Sitiyan, a mother of four who abandoned her marriage because her husband physically assaulted her.
EGYPT'S MOST PROMINENT IMPRISONED ACTIVIST HAS BEGUN A 'FULL HUNGER STRIKE'
Losing hope in the relationship, she first tried to return to her home village, but the cattle used as a dowry to secure her marriage had been stolen.
"When I went back home, I was just sent back to my husband because my mum did not have the livestock to give back," said Sitiyan, who was adorned in a kaleidoscope of beadwork commonly worn by Samburu women. Her only option was to move to Umoja.
Three decades ago, Rebecca Lolosoli felt compelled to speak out about the violence she experienced at home and witnessed against women in her society, which is heavily male-dominated.
When her advocacy was met with hostility, she and 15 other women came together to form Umoja -- which means unity -- a village where men are banned.
TALIBAN FORCES KILL 3 IS MEMBERS IN RAID ON KABUL BUILDING
Now a thriving, self-sufficient community of almost 40 families, the women make money selling traditional beadwork to tourists, and from a nearby campsite.
As the village matriarch, time has done little to dim Lolosoli's resolve.
"I am very proud to live in this village because now there is no one stressing me, and my husband will not assault me here," she said. "I live as a mother with children who is fighting for rights against early marriages and FGM."
The village isn't free from problems: local men routinely steal their cattle. But Sitiyan is in no hurry to let a man back into her life.
"I do not desire to get married again because I went through a hard time, I was being mistreated. I did not have rights and my children were not allowed to go to school," she said. "Now, I am proud to be a mother."
Israel's foreign minister visits Ukraine, pledges financial aid
Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday made the first public visit to Ukraine by a senior Israeli official since Russia’s invasion last year, pledging financial aid to the war-battered country but giving no indication that Israel is ready to provide weapons to Ukraine.
At a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Israel would provide a $200 million loan for construction of a health-care facility. He also reiterated an Israeli offer to help Ukraine develop a "smart early-warning" air raid system.
But he gave no specifics on when that system might be delivered, made no mention of Russia and did not appear to respond to Ukrainian appeals for Israel to provide offensive weaponry.
"Israel, as stated in the past, stands firmly in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and remains committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Cohen said.
The visit came just before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion and as Western nations seek to increase aid to the country.
Since the outbreak of the war, Israel has walked a tightrope between assisting Ukraine and avoiding friction with Russia, with which it has strategic regional interests. Unlike other western countries, Israel has not imposed sanctions on Russia or Russian officials or provided Ukraine with weapons.
ISRAELI OFFICIALS DOUBLE DOWN ON SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION, REBUKE US CRITICISM
It has provided humanitarian support to Ukraine, including a field hospital, and pledged to provide the aerial-warning system. Ukrainian leaders have talked about some intelligence cooperation with Israel, but Israeli officials have not publicly confirmed these ties or the extent of any such cooperation.
Cohen met with Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who said on Twitter afterwards that he was "thankful for all of the support that Israel and Israelis have provided over the past year."
"During our detailed and frank talks, we focused on ways to enhance bilateral relations, increase assistance, and address shared security challenges," he said.
Yevgen Korniychuk, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, said that Israel "again assured us that they will bring the early warning system, but they didn’t say when."
ISRAELI PROTESTERS TAKE TO STREETS TO BLAST NETANYAHU 'JUDICIAL REFORMS' AS PM CALLS FOR UNITY
Cohen later was meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of the country’s Jewish community as part of the brief trip.
Cohen was reminded of the hardships endured by Ukrainians when air raid sirens sounded as he entered the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Cohen said earlier this year that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government "will definitely do one thing: publicly, we will talk less" about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but would keep providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid. Shortly after taking office, he spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Israel maintains good working relations with both warring countries, and has large populations of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants. Israel also relies on security coordination with Russia over neighboring Syria, where Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian military positions in the past decade. Russian warplanes also operate in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Russia and Israel maintain communication to avoid conflict.
As other Western nations step up assistance to Ukraine, pressure has built on Israel to share some of its sophisticated military means with Ukraine, including from the U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said following a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem last month that he had emphasized "the importance of providing support for all of Ukraine’s needs – humanitarian, economic, and security."
Yossi Shain, a former member of the Knesset’s foreign affairs and defense committee, said Israel’s ultranationalist government — which has butted heads with the Biden administration on the issue of West Bank settlements — may try to gain Washington’s favor by providing defensive capabilities to Ukraine, while "not crossing certain lines that will endanger its lesser involvement because of the threats of Russia" in neighboring Syria.
Last year, Israel’s former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, attempted briefly to mediate between the sides, flying to Moscow shortly after Russia’s invasion and meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Bennett said an interview earlier this month that Putin assured him at the time that Russia would not kill Zelenskyy.
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Jamaican anti-corruption agency investigating the country's prime minister for potential conflict of interest
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness is under scrutiny after an anti-corruption agency issued a lengthy report that suggests a potential conflict of interest involving him and contracts awarded to a construction company, some of which were not reported.
The island’s Integrity Commission noted in its report issued Wednesday that it referred the case to Jamaica’s director of corruption prosecution, who will review the findings. The report also was shared with the speaker of Jamaica’s House of Representatives, who is a member of Holness’ Jamaica Labor Party.
Holness released a statement noting that the matter occurred nearly two decades ago, and that "at no time have I ever exercised influence on any process for the award of contracts. I strongly disagree with the findings of the Integrity Commission regarding conflict of interest based on mere association."
He also noted that it’s a longstanding practice for members of Parliament to recommend local contractors to undertake works in their constituencies, and added that he has referred the commission’s report to his lawyers.
JAMAICAN COP ACCUSED OF ABDUCTING, RAPING WOMAN DURING TRAFFIC STOP
The commission’s investigation focused on 10 contracts awarded to a construction company from 2007 to 2009, when Holness was minister of education. Only five of those were reported to the Office of the Contractor General as required by law, according to the report.
The contracts totaled nearly $142,000 and were for work ranging from roof repairs to renovation of a teachers’ cottage.
JAMAICA IS WILLING TO SEND SOLDIERS, POLICE TO HAITI AS CHAOS CONTINUES
The commission found that the prime minister has known two directors and shareholders of Westcon Construction Limited for more than 20 years. Holness said one of them that he knows personally is a former employee in his constituency and personal business, and the other is known to him casually and was hired to do land surveying work, according to the report.
Officials with the construction company could not be immediately reached for comment.
The investigation began after a local TV news program in May 2016 questioned the contracts and the relationship between Holness and the construction company officials.
It was not clear if Jamaica’s director of corruption prosecution has a deadline to respond to the commission’s findings and whether her response could be appealed by attorneys for Holness.
The commission did not immediately return a message for comment.
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Thai soccer player rescued from flooded cave in 2018 died in England from head injury: report
The young soccer player who died in England this week after his team was dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 is reported to have suffered a head injury from an accidental fall.
Duangpetch "Dom" Promthep, of the "Wild Boars" team, was one of 12 players who, along with their coach, became trapped in the Tham Luang cave during an unexpected rainstorm in June 2018.
On Wednesday, the 17-year-old was found unconscious in his dorm room at the soccer academy he had been attending in Leicestershire since late 2022, the BBC reported. He later died at a local hospital.
The BBC, citing Thai media, said reports indicated Promthep that suffered a head injury.
CAPTAIN OF BOYS’ SOCCER TEAM RESCUED IN THAILAND CAVE IN 2018 DEAD AT 17
The head of a monastery in Chiang Rai told the Bangkok Post that Promthep’s mother had called him around 6 a.m. local time Wednesday to tell him that her son had died.
Phra Khu Prayut Jetiyanukarn said to the newspaper that initial reports stated the former captain of the soccer team had suffered an accidental fall, and despite being put on a ventilator at the hospital, he wasn’t able to survive.
An autopsy reportedly is ongoing.
Leicestershire Police told the BBC that Promthep’s death is not being classified as suspicious.
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6 killed in Egyptian crash involving a pickup truck, minibus near city of Ismailia
At least six people were killed Thursday when a pickup truck and a minibus collided near Egypt's eastern city of Ismailia, health officials said. Three others were injured in the crash.
Among the dead were five Palestinians, between 20 and 50 years of age, and one Egyptian, the local ambulance service said in a statement.
According to Egyptian media, the five Palestinian passengers were heading to Rafah, Egypt's official border crossing with the Gaza Strip.
EGYPT'S MOST PROMINENT IMPRISONED ACTIVIST HAS BEGUN A 'FULL HUNGER STRIKE'
Eight ambulances were dispatched to the scene of the accident to transfer injured people to nearby hospitals for treatment, the ambulance service said. No further details were given.
MORE THAN TWO DOZEN 2,500-YEAR-OLD SARCOPHAGI DISCOVERED AT ANCIENT SITE IN EGYPT
In a separate statement, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo said it would help facilitate the transfer of the bodies of the five Palestinian victims back to the Gaza Strip for burial.
Fatal car accidents are common across the North African country, killing thousands every year. Last November, 21 people died after a bus fell into a canal in Egypt’s Nile River Delta region. In July 2022, a passenger bus slammed into a parked trailer in the south of the country, killing 23 people.
Car crashes and road collisions in Egypt are largely caused by speeding, poor roads or lax enforcement of traffic laws.
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Russian official's 'suicide' latest mysterious death that raises questions for Kremlin
Another high-ranking Russia official has turned up dead after being found under the window of her high rise apartment building, according to Russian reports Thursday.
The body of 58-year-old Marina Yankina, head of the financial support department of the Western Military District in St. Petersburg, was reportedly found Wednesday in what one report described as a "suicide" after she fell from her home on the 16th floor.
Other reports noted that suicide as the cause of death had not been confirmed.
Yankina’s death is just the latest in a string of mysterious Russian deaths – many of which were caused by the victims allegedly falling to their deaths.
Pavel Antov, a sausage tycoon and local politician, was found dead in December after falling from a hotel window in India. His companion, Vladimir Budanov, was also reported to have died the same day after suffering a stroke.
Antov had been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Ivan Pechorin, a managing director of an aviation company, was found dead in September after allegedly falling from a boat while intoxicated.
Two weeks prior, Ravil Maganov, the chairman of Russian oil giant Lukoil, died after reportedly falling from a hospital window in Moscow.
In August, businessman and Putin critic Dan Rapoport reportedly jumped to his death from his apartment in Washington, D.C.
"This mysterious death of Marina Yankina is consistent with the Russian intelligence doctrine of ‘wet affairs’ – or the spilling of blood," Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency intel officer for Russian Doctrine & Strategy, told Fox News Digital.
Koffler explained that this doctrine dates back to the Soviet Union when the secret police would target state critics or dissidents they deemed were "enemies of the people" and would eliminate them through violent means.
"In today’s Russia Putin’s critics and those unwilling to go along with his policies are routinely eliminated by assassination," she said. "Shots in the back of the head, poisonings, forced suicides and other intricate forms of violent death are some examples."
"Throwing someone out of a window or having the victim throw herself or himself out of a window is a standard method," Koffler added.
Prior to her work with the defense department, Yankina reportedly worked at the Federal Tax Service, and served as deputy chairman of the property relations committee of St. Petersburg.
It is unclear if Yankina was critical of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Paul Best contributed to this report.
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France braces for a 5th day of nationwide protests over pension reform
A fifth day of nationwide strikes and protests in France Thursday tested the government's resolve on a controversial pension reform, the flagship policy of President Emmanuel Macron’s second term.
This latest in a series of protests that began last month is expected to be less disruptive that on previous occasions, with the Paris Metro and most main line train services working normally and most schools unaffected. Fewer people were expected this time amid school holidays and as unions look toward March 7, when a rolling general strike has been called.
A railway worker walkout will, however, disrupt high-speed TGV trains and regional services. Almost a third of flights were canceled at Paris’ second busiest airport, Orly, and traffic will be interrupted at regional airports as well.
"These reforms are robbing people of their rights. I'm here today to show (President) Macron that he cannot be deaf and that there are consequences when you try to defy the majority of the country," said Pierre-Yves Toudic, a 34-year-old engineer who was protesting at the Bastille Plaza in central Paris.
The proposed pension reforms — aimed at raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 — have unleashed the most turbulent debate in years in the National Assembly, with uncertainty looming over the final outcome.
Opponents filed thousands of amendments to delay debate, now making it uncertain if the lower house will actually get to debate the famed article 7, which sets out the change to the age of retirement, before a key deadline on Friday. The pension bill — whether or not it has been fully debated — will then automatically go to the Senate, the upper house, for consideration.
Lawmakers on Thursday afternoon were debating amendments related to article 2, out of 20 articles in the bill. The legislative process is not expected to end for several weeks.
Despite opinion polls consistently showing growing opposition to the reform and his own popularity shrinking, Macron insists that he’s living up to a key campaign pledge he made when he swept to power in 2017 and before his April 2022 reelection.
The powerful hard-left union, the CGT, is also keeping its eye on March 7, when unions threaten to bring France to its knees. CGT head Philippe Martinez said the strategy was to "keep up pressure on lawmakers" to reject the bill. The union this week called on support from trash collectors, which could see trash piling up in the French streets.
Nigerian president defends country’s redesigned currency after swapping notes led to bank closures, protests
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said Thursday that the country's redesigned currency would bolster the upcoming presidential election, appealing for an end to violent protests over a resulting cash shortage that has led to daylong lines at banks, business closures and people unable to pay for basic needs.
As he came under growing pressure to intervene after days of bank attacks by Nigerians who have failed to withdraw their money, Buhari pointed to the expected gains from swapping out the old naira notes, from curbing surging inflation to reducing the influence of money in the Feb. 25 vote to elect his successor.
"This is a positive departure from the past and represents a bold legacy step by this administration towards laying a strong foundation for free and fair elections," Buhari said.
TALIBAN FORCES KILL 3 IS MEMBERS IN RAID ON KABUL BUILDING
Nigerians have been unable to access cash in recent weeks after the country’s central bank started switching out currency notes of higher denominations of $2.16, $1.08, 43 U.S. cents with redesigned ones.
Policymakers said the move will help make Africa’s largest economy cashless and more inclusive. But a limited supply of new notes in banks has resulted in pain instead for many who deposited their old currency ahead of a Feb. 10 deadline but are now unable to withdraw cash to use.
The West African country is heavily reliant on cash and only 45% of adults owned a bank account as of 2021, according to the World Bank. The limited supply has forced people to wait in line at banks all day and night to try to withdraw cash only enough to last them a day.
On Wednesday, weeklong protests against the cash shortage crisis further escalated in Nigeria’s southern region where two banks were set ablaze and major roads were blocked, halting commercial activities. In Edo state, police fired tear gas at demonstrators as they attacked bank facilities.
In addition to the pain of continued fuel scarcity in major cities across Nigeria, many businesses also have been forced to close, further squeezing the informal economy — ranging from agriculture to street trade — that is key to economic growth.
Buhari urged against "violence capable of disrupting the electoral processes" in the election that would see Africa’s most populous country elect a new president after his second and final term.
"Unscrupulous officials in the banking industry" sabotaging the court-contested monetary policy by hoarding new currency notes must be prosecuted, said Buhari, who extended the use of the old 200 naira note until April 10. "I am deeply pained and sincerely sympathize with you all over these unintended outcomes."
Convicted killer nicknamed 'The Spider' busted trying to escape from prison disguised as sheep
An inmate in Bolivia is back behind bars after an unsuccessful attempt to break out of prison disguised as a sheep.
José Luis Callisaya Diaz, serving a 15-year sentence for murder, attempted to escape from a maximum-security prison in Bolivia earlier this month by wrapping himself in sheepskin and crawling across the grassland that surrounds the jail in the middle of the night, Jam Press reported.
Diaz used the fleece coat to sneak past security at the Chonchocoro prison facility, get past a wall, and out into the grassland.
Prison authorities noticed that Diaz was not in his cell, and they were able to apprehend him.
POLICE CAPTURE 5 MISSOURI INMATES, INCLUDING 3 SEX OFFENDERS, WHO PULLED OFF DARING JAIL BREAK
Diaz was photographed on all fours wearing a sheep suit, attempting to pass himself off as a farm animal in the grass.
Diaz goes by the nickname "El Arana," which translates to "the spider."
ECUADORIAN FUGITIVE WANTED FOR KILLING WIFE IN 2019 ARRESTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA
"Prison security police officers from the San Pedro de Chonchocoro Penitentiary Center prevented the escape of prisoner José Luis Callisaya Diaz (alias El Araña), who took advantage of the inclement weather to try to escape through one of the walls of the external perimeter of the prison," Juan Carlos Limpias, the prison’s director, said.
Officials say that legal and disciplinary actions have been taken against Diaz since his escape attempt.
Jam Press reported that social media users praised the prison staff with comments that included "good job to the prison regime!"
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China spy risks abound as VP Harris and senior US officials attend Germany security conference
Germany’s increased reliance on Huawei technology for its 5G networks has raised security concerns for officials as they gather this week for the Munich Security Conference.
"It is now unquestionable that Huawei poses a risk of espionage and a risk to citizens’ privacy," Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow focusing on Sino-American relations at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital. "When U.S allies stick with Huawei as their telecommunications equipment provider they put at risk scope for expanded allied cooperation."
A survey by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult found that Huawei accounted for 59% of Germany’s 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment – the base stations and related infrastructure – and 57% for the 4G network.
"There are indications that Germany has not taken the security threat that China poses seriously," the study says, drawing comparisons to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, long criticized by opponents as a security risk but which Berlin justified by saying Russia would not weaponize energy.
CHINA, IRAN URGE AFGHANISTAN TO END RESTRICTIONS ON WOMEN'S EDUCATION, WORK
A further review by Politico found Huawei telecommunications gear visible within 300 meters of the five-star Hotel Bayerischer Hof, where the conference is taking place. One mast atop the hotel itself may have Huawei technology built into it, two industry insiders suggested to Politico.
However, little data exists that can confirm which telecoms equipment has been used in which locations as vendors and operators do not disclose that information, citing contractual obligations, the Politico report added.
Maximilian Funke-Kaiser, a liberal member of the German Bundestag and digital policy speaker for the government’s Free Democratic Party (FDP), claimed that the dependence on Huawei posed an "incalculable security risk" for Germany that "runs counter" to the country’s security policy goals.
Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen and 45 other heads of state and government officials, along with nearly 100 ministers from around the world, will attend the conference.
CHINESE PARLIAMENT ACCUSES US OF VIOLATING SOVEREIGNTY WITH SPYCRAFT RESPONSE
Harris, during an interview on Tuesday with Politico, argued that the U.S. seeks "competition" with China, not "conflict or confrontation," adding that she didn't think recent incidents would impact relations between the two countries.
"Everything that has happened in the last week and a half is, we believe, very consistent with our stated approach," she said.
The U.S. shot down at least four aerial objects, including one alleged surveillance balloon and three other unidentified flying objects (UFOs), over the U.S. and Canada. Experts have warned that the invasions into sovereign airspace indicate strategic gaps and failures, prompting a renewed focus on security infrastructure, especially related to Chinese technologies.
China has repeatedly insisted that the U.S. actually shot down a weather balloon that had drifted off course, but it also has demanded the U.S. return the technology recovered from the craft. Secretary of State. Antony Blinken canceled a trip to China over the incident.
The U.S. government in November banned telecommunications and video surveillance equipment produced by Chinese brands such as Hikvision and Dahua in order to better protect the nation’s communications network. The Biden administration also banned new Huawei and ZTE equipment sales because they pose an "unacceptable risk" to U.S. national security.
The Trump administration had already added Huawei to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in 2019, banning the company’s technology from U.S. communications networks.
The Munich conference itself has already made headlines after organizers uninvited officials from Russia and Iran following the invasion of Ukraine and Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protesters following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for allegedly breaching the country’s headscarf laws.
Wolfgang Ischinger, who chaired the conference from 2008 to 2022, told the Financial Times that he thought it was "a pity," but that he agreed the decision was right.
"I always felt the conference was an important platform for talking informally with difficult adversaries – countries with whom our official contacts were poor or didn’t exist at all," Ischinger said.
Neither the U.S. State Department nor the NSC responded to a Fox News Digital request for comment by time of publication.
Reuters contributed to this report.
a5b06b53-Munich Security Conference (MSC)
President Biden Will Deliver Remarks Later Today On The Aerial Objects The Military Shot Down In The Past Two Weeks
U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis
Biden will explain how the administration is forming rules to deal with other objects in the future.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans to deliver his most extended public remarks yet — as early as Thursday — about the unidentified objects that the U.S. military has been shooting down, three people familiar with the matter said.
Biden will explain how he has tasked his administration with setting parameters about how to deal with balloons and other aerial objects spotted in the future.
The exact timing of Biden’s remarks has not been settled. The president is due to take a physical exam Thursday that could last several hours.
With federal investigators analyzing the wreckage and many questions still unanswered, Biden has been sparing in his remarks.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: We are already seeing changes in how the US military should respond to these incursions .... How China’s spy balloon spurred a rapid shift in US sky patrol (The Hill).
Senior Russian Diplomat Warns That Civilian Satellites Used By The Military In The Ukraine War Could Become Targets
RT: Russia issues space warning
Civilian satellites used by the military could become targets, a senior Moscow diplomat has cautioned
The US and its allies are exposing civilian space assets to potential attack by utilizing them for military purposes, a senior Russian diplomat has warned. The warning came after NATO unveiled plans for a space monitoring fleet that will use commercial and military satellites for its missions.
Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy director of the non-proliferation and weapons control directorate in the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday that the US is weaponizing space and blurring the boundaries between military and civilian infrastructure in orbit.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Everyday I am seeing more and more escalation in this conflict. No one is clearly interested in de-escalating the situation.
NATO To Step Up Efforts To Better Protect ‘Undersea Cables And Pipelines’
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference ahead of the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence. -/NATO/dpa © DPA
DPA: NATO to set up efforts to better protect underwater pipelines
NATO is to set up a coordination cell to better protect critical infrastructure following the alleged acts of sabotage on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.
The aim is "to map our vulnerabilities and engage with industry" Stoltenberg said at NATO's headquarters in Brussels.
"This will support our efforts to prevent and counter threats to critical infrastructure, including undersea cables and pipelines," he added.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Allegations that the US and a few key NATO allies were behind the Nord Stream pipeline attack have clearly raised the alarm bells in Brussels on Russian retaliation.
NATO To Step Up Efforts To Better Protect ‘Undersea Cables And Pipelines’
NATO stands up undersea infrastructure coordination cell -- NATO
NATO will prioritize "undersea cables and pipeline’" -- MENAFN
NATO to reinforce protection of its underwater infrastructure due to Nord Stream sabotage -- TASS
Spanish parliament approves legislation expanding teen abortion rights, entitling workers to menstrual leave
The Spanish parliament on Thursday approved legislation expanding abortion and transgender rights for teenagers, while making Spain the first country in Europe that will entitle workers to paid menstrual leave.
The driving force behind the two laws was Equality Minister Irene Montero, who belongs to the junior member in Spain’s left-wing coalition government, the "United We Can" Party.
The changes to sexual and reproductive rights mean that 16- and 17-year-olds in Spain can now undergo an abortion without parental consent. Period products will now be offered free in schools and prisons, while state-run health centers will do the same with hormonal contraceptives and the morning after pill. The menstrual leave measure allows workers suffering debilitating period pain to take paid time off.
SPAIN'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT REJECTS ABORTION LAW CHALLENGE
In addition, the changes enshrine in law the right to have an abortion in a state hospital. Currently more than 80% of termination procedures in Spain are carried out in private clinics due to a high number of doctors in the public system who refuse to perform them — with many citing religious reasons.
Under the new system, state hospital doctors won’t be forced to carry out abortions, provided they’ve already registered their objections in writing.
The abortion law builds on legislation passed in 2010 that represented a major shift for a traditionally Catholic country, transforming Spain into one of the most progressive countries in Europe on reproductive rights. Spain’s constitutional court last week rejected a challenge by the right-wing Popular Party against allowing abortions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
CYBERCRIME CONSTITUTES 20% OF SPAIN'S REGISTERED OFFENSES
A separate package of reforms also approved by lawmakers on Thursday strengthened transgender rights, including allowing any citizen over 16 years old to change their legally registered gender without medical supervision.
Minors between 12-13 years old will need a judge’s authorization to change, while those between 14 and 16 must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
Previously, transgender people needed a diagnosis by several doctors of gender dysphoria. The second law also bans so-called "conversion therapy" for LGBTQ people and provides state support for lesbians and single women seeking IVF treatment.
The center-left coalition government is currently under fire for another of Montero’s star projects, a new sexual consent law that was intended to increase protection against rape but has inadvertently allowed hundreds of sex offenders to have prison sentences reduced.
The "Only Yes Means Yes" Law makes verbal consent the key component in cases of alleged sexual assault. The government is now struggling to come up with an amended version and end the controversy ahead of elections later this year.
The three initiatives have met strong opposition from the right-wing parties that form Spain’s main opposition bloc.
Spain-equality-minister
Russia Wants Answers From Washington On The Nord Stream Pipeline Attack
Danish military video of bubbles in Baltic Sea where Nord Stream pipeline leaked. Danish Defense Command © Provided by Markets Insider
Reuters: Russia says U.S. should prove it did not destroy Nord Stream
(Reuters) - The United States should try to prove it was not behind the destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines that connected Russia to Western Europe, the Russian embassy to the United States said on Thursday.
Moscow considers the destruction of Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines last September "an act of international terrorism" and will not allow it to be swept under the rug, the embassy said in a statement.
Read more ....
Update: Russia demands the US prove it didn't destroy the key Nord Stream gas pipelines to Europe (Insider)
Update #2: Moscow makes vow over pipeline sabotage probe (RT)
WNU Editor: Beijing also wants answers from Washington .... US owes an explanation after Nord Stream revelations (China Daily).
The next venue where the debate on who was responsible for the Nord Stream attack will be at the UN's Security Council .... Russia requests UN Security Council meeting on Nord Stream sabotage for February 22 (TASS).
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