RT News - January 21st 2023

Africa : Janet Yellen's Africa tour and the U.S.'s renewed interest on the continent after years of little or no interest. The US Treasury Secretary uses a lengthy Africa tour to push back against Russia and China's rising influence on the continent, despite her visit officially being all about developing co-operation. How does Africa perceive what's going on? Karabo Letlhatlha reports
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Aerial drones have become a major component of the fighting for Donbass, as essential means for modern warfare. RT's Murad Gazdiev correspondent reports from the front line with some scary insight footage.
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Berlin remains defiant against US pressure and, for now, won't send advanced tanks to Kiev, following NATO talks at the Ramstein military base in Germany. Analysis from Rachel Marsden
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Russia and China are helping develop some countries in Latin America. This isn't sitting well with USA and they seem to be lamenting their lack of attention and care (right on their doorstep). As U.S. notices the abundance of natural resources, General Laura Richardson says China and Russia are threatening U.S. national security. Political analyst Didier Ortiz comments.
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DAVOS: Cloudfare's CEO spoke of being asked to bypass ordinary protocols and sanctions and to "do in Iran what you are doing in Russia".....

Show more

**Fakery, lies and the information war** (QS: play this twice or three times and jot down notes - how fakes are used to control all we see and why we must question everything - 10 times. It isn't only Israel and Iran. Last year we observed a tweet post made by UK prime minister Boris Johnson gain 25,000 likes in literally one minute and 200,000 likes in less than 30 minutes - amazing as he was possibly the most disliked politician ever, at the time of that tweet) VERY important Report from Maria Finoshina
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Afhsin Rattansi's Going Underground excellent show is back and on Rumble - see the full episode right here on Rumble https://rumble.com/v26g3um-noam-chomsky-increasing-threat-of-nuclear-war-humanity-about-to-fall-off-a-.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=4
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STOP PRESS A flight from Moscow to Goa has been diverted to Uzbekistan due to a bomb threat

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Below, via RT website 1) --- Musk warns against ‘relentless escalation’ in Ukraine
2) --- Sweden greenlights Koran-burning stunt outside Turkish Embassy
3) --- Russian number one marches on at Australian Open
4) --- Russia and Pakistan agree to major energy deal
5) --- New Zealand picks replacement PM
6) --- EU treats Croatia like ‘retarded’ child – president
7) --- US urges Ukraine not to ‘fixate’ on defending key city – media
7a) --- Pentagon confirms new type of combat vehicle for Ukraine
8) US to label Russia’s Wagner Group a ‘criminal organization’
9) --- German intelligence ‘concerned’ over Ukrainian losses – media
10) --- US terror ‘no fly’ list leaked
11) --- Musk explains controversial tweet to jury
12) --- Kamikaze drones strike US base
13) --- US Navy SEAL killed in Ukraine

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1) --- Musk warns against ‘relentless escalation’ in Ukraine

21 Jan, 2023 07:08

The Twitter CEO reacted to a New York Times article saying Washington could arm Kiev to help it target Crimea

Billionaire Elon Musk urged caution on Friday following reports that the US is changing its stance on whether it should assist Ukraine in attacking Russia’s Crimean Peninsula.

Earlier this week, the New York Times reported, citing sources, that Washington is starting to concede that Kiev needs to have the ability to strike deep into Russian territory, even if this entails the risk of escalation.

US officials are said to be “discussing with their Ukrainian counterparts the use of American-supplied weapons, from HIMARS rocket systems to Bradley fighting vehicles, to possibly target … Crimea.” The peninsula overwhelmingly voted to join Russia in 2014 following the Maidan coup in Kiev.

Musk responded to a Twitter user who posted a link to the Times article by saying: “I am super pro Ukraine, but relentless escalation is very risky for Ukraine and the world.”

This is not the first time the tycoon has weighed in on the Ukraine conflict. In October, Musk came up with a peace plan to end the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev. According to his proposal, Russia should “redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision,” with Moscow withdrawing from these areas if this is what the people want.

He was referring to the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, which overwhelmingly voted to join Russia last year.

However, the Twitter CEO also suggested that Crimea should remain part of Russia, sparking outrage in Kiev. Ukraine’s former ambassador to Berlin, Andrey Melnik, told him to “f**k off.”

Later, Musk noted that Russia views Crimea as an integral part of its territory, and attempts to seize it by a foreign power could trigger a nuclear war. “If Russia is faced with the choice of losing Crimea or using battlefield nukes, they will choose the latter,” he wrote at the time.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570246-musk-warning-escalation-ukraine/
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21 Jan, 2023 06:08

2) --- Sweden greenlights Koran-burning stunt outside Turkish Embassy

The new diplomatic row comes as Stockholm awaits Ankara’s blessing to join NATO

Police in Sweden have said they will allow the leader of a hard-right political party to burn a copy of the Koran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, reportedly prompting Ankara to summon its Swedish envoy over the “provocative act.”

Anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish lawyer who heads up the right-wing ‘Stram Kurs’ (Hard Line) party in Denmark, will be permitted to destroy the Islamic holy book during a rally planned outside Türkiye’s Embassy on January 21.

“Sweden’s constitutional laws give strong protection and you need to judge that the value of being able to demonstrate and freedom of expression is extremely important,” said Swedish police spokesman Ola Osterling.

According to unnamed diplomatic sources cited by Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu news agency, the Swedish ambassador to Türkiye, Staffan Herrstrom, was summoned by the Foreign Ministry to discuss the book-burning on Friday, with the sources saying the planned stunt is “clearly a hate crime.”

“Sweden’s attitude is unacceptable. We expect the act not to be allowed, and that insults to sacred values cannot be defended under the guise of ‘democratic rights,’” they added.

Paludan, who has staged several Koran-burnings at past events, said he hopes to “take a small stand for freedom of expression against Turkey” during the embassy rally. A similar protest last year prompted riots and street clashes in several Swedish cities, with hundreds of police officers and a number of protesters injured amid the unrest.

The rally on Saturday will follow another protest in Stockholm earlier this week, which saw Kurdish activists string up a life-size dummy meant to depict Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara responded harshly to the incident, branding Sweden a “propaganda center” for terrorism, echoing previous allegations that the government supports armed Kurdish groups also active in Türkiye.

The spat over the planned book-burning comes as both Sweden and Finland seek Turkish approval to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which requires unanimous consent from all members before inviting new states to join. Though it appeared some progress was made on the issue last year after the two Nordic states applied for membership, negotiations have since stalled as Ankara insists the NATO hopefuls take further steps against groups and individuals it regards as terrorists.
https://www.rt.com/news/570244-sweden-koran-burning-turkey/
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21 Jan, 2023 06:49

3) --- Russian number one marches on at Australian Open

Andrey Rublev is into the fourth round after victory over Britain’s Dan Evans

Russia’s Andrey Rublev swept into the second week of the Australian Open with a big-hitting performance to defeat Britain’s Dan Evans in their third-round meeting on Saturday.

Fifth seed Rublev outclassed Evans in straight sets, winning 6-4 6-2 6-3 at Margaret Court Arena. Highlighting Rublev’s dominance, he racked up 60 winners during the contest compared to 20 from the British number 25 seed. The Russian broke his rival’s serve four times, staving off four break points on his own serve.

Rublev, who overtook Daniil Medvedev as Russia’s highest ranked player ahead of the tournament in Melbourne, will next play Danish ninth seed Holger Rune in the fourth round. Rune overcame an injury scare to defeat France’s Ugo Humbert in their third-round match on Saturday.

Rublev, 25, is bidding to reach a seventh quarterfinal at a Grand Slam, and what would be his second in three years in Melbourne. However, he has yet to reach the semifinals of a major and will be aiming to finally break that hoodoo this year.

Crucially, Rublev is finding form after a disappointing start to 2023 which saw him exit two warm-up tournaments in Adelaide in the opening round.

“At the beginning of the season I lost a bit of confidence with those losses, but now I am playing good tennis,” Rublev said after seeing off Evans. “After the first set I was feeling really confident and I knew I could play better, faster and that he was not comfortable with that, so I tried to play even more aggressive.”

Elsewhere in the men’s draw in Melbourne, Russia has representation in the form of Karen Khachanov, who takes on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the fourth round on Sunday. Two-time Australian Open finalist Medvedev saw his hopes ended at the tournament this year when he suffered a shock third-round exit to America’s Sebastian Korda in straight sets on Friday.
https://www.rt.com/sport/570247-andrey-rublev-beats-dan-evans-australian-open/
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21 Jan, 2023 06:08

4) --- Russia and Pakistan agree to major energy deal

Oil and gas exports from the sanctions-hit country will help the world’s fifth-most populous nation meet its energy demands

Moscow and Islamabad have reached “conceptual” agreements on supplies of Russian oil and petroleum products to Pakistan, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Sergey Mochalnikov said at a meeting of the intergovernmental commission in the Pakistani capital on Friday.

Earlier in December, the minister of petroleum, Musaddiq Malik, visited Moscow to negotiate energy supplies to Islamabad and announced that Russia would provide oil, gasoline, and diesel to the country at discounts. He did not specify the price but noted that the talks were “more productive than expected.”

During the meeting in Islamabad, the sides also discussed “remaining questions” on the construction of the Pakistan Stream gas pipeline and the prospects for wider cooperation in energy and power engineering.

Mochalnikov said Russia presented a concept of future gas supplies to Pakistan, adding that “we must evaluate the position of the Pakistan Stream in this concept as soon as possible.”

The day before, Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov stated that Moscow is “ready to sign required corporate documents” to kickstart the construction of the pipeline.

Russia and Pakistan signed an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the North-South gas pipeline (Pakistan Stream) from Karachi to Lahore in 2015. The launch of the project was postponed several times. The 1,100km pipeline with a capacity of 12.3 billion cubic meters of gas per year will link liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in southern Pakistan with power plants and industrial gas consumers in Lahore in the north of the country.

The pipeline will transport both regasified gas and pipeline gas from various sources, including Iran and Turkmenistan, according to Shulginov.

“The approach to the implementation of such projects has to be comprehensive. It means not only a pipeline but also a source of gas for it. And we are currently discussing the project both from the point of view of transporting regasified gas and pipeline gas,” the minister said.

Islamabad is also seeking to negotiate long-term deals with Russia on imports of LNG, as there is currently no stable supplier for the country. Pakistan has been struggling with an acute energy shortage, and the surge in global oil and gas prices has worsened the situation. Imports of the fuel have become five to ten times more expensive due to increased demand in the EU.
https://www.rt.com/business/570195-russia-pakistan-energy-deal/
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21 Jan, 2023 00:31

5) --- New Zealand picks replacement PM

The ruling Labour Party’s next leader is Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins

New Zealand’s ruling Labour Party on Saturday nominated Chris Hipkins to be the next prime minister. The former head of the Pacific nation’s Covid-19 response is expected to take over once PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation takes effect next month.

Hipkins, 44, currently heads the ministries of education, police, and public service, but came to prominence in 2020 as the minister of health. Ardern appointed Hipkins to the newly created ministry of Covid-19 response in November 2020, a post he held until July last year. The party’s parliamentary caucus is expected to formally approve him on Sunday.

Though it was speculated that Labour might pick Justice Minister Kiri Allan to be the country’s first Maori PM, Hipkins was reportedly the only nominee to succeed Ardern. Allan has issued a statement praising Hipkins as “decisive” and said he would be “an incredibly strong prime minister.”

The Green Party, whose 10 MPs generally support the Labour majority in the parliament, said it looks forward to working with him to “end poverty, take bold climate action and protect our native wildlife.”

While the opposition National Party has not yet commented on the choice, the crossbench ACT urged Hipkins to “deliver on substance instead of snowing New Zealand with spin” like his predecessor.

First elected in 2008, Hipkins represents Remutaka, an electorate in the suburbs of the capital, Wellington. The electorate has the dubious distinction of having the highest percentage of clerical and administrative workers among the voters in New Zealand.

Ardern, 42, stunned the country – and many foreign observers – earlier this week when she announced she would resign on February 7. The tearful PM said she did not have “enough in the tank” to keep going after almost six years at the helm.

She also became party leader when the PM at the time resigned in 2017. Her re-election in 2020 was a landslide victory, getting Labour an outright majority in the parliament. Though the party currently has 64 seats, it is polling poorly ahead of the general election scheduled for October, amid rising inflation, crime, and poverty.

Under Ardern and Hipkins, New Zealand imposed one of the toughest pandemic lockdowns in the world, banning all travel to the two main islands and not reopening until August last year.
https://www.rt.com/news/570241-new-zeland-prime-minister-hipkins/
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20 Jan, 2023 21:56

6) --- EU treats Croatia like ‘retarded’ child – president

Zoran Milanovic responded to criticism on his stance on Ukraine and objected to Brussels' treatment of his country

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic called out the European Union for treating its members like developmentally-challenged children, telling reporters on Friday that his tolerance for such behavior was approaching its limit.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Hungarian President Katalin Novak in Budapest, Milanovic had some choice words for EU foreign policy commissioner Josep Borrell when it came to Croatia’s participation in the peacekeeping mission in neighboring Bosnia.

“Borrell sent Croatia a memo last month filled with lies, in which he treats us as if we were retarded – excuse my language, as if we had special needs – so he would prevent us from even a symbolic presence in the Althea mission. I’m trying to stay polite, but at some point enough is enough,” he said.

“This kind of treatment is deeply irritating,” Milanovic added. “Today they do this to Hungary, tomorrow it will be some other, bigger country they want to bring into line. They did it to Poland until recently, too. Poland now gets a pass due to the situation in Ukraine, but their turn will come again tomorrow.”

Brussels has sought to compel the governments in Warsaw and Budapest to accept EU policies on migration and “rule of law” by threatening to withhold funds that Poland and Hungary were rightly entitled to.

One of the biggest problems for the EU is the way Brussels treats member states, the Croatian president insisted.

“I think Croatia and Hungary are within the framework of European values, which can’t be the same for every state,” Milanovic said. “If the EU wants to progress, it has to accept this diversity.” The current approach by Brussels is “seriously problematic,” he added, noting that it may soon be tested on a member state bigger than Hungary, which the EU won’t be able to treat the same way.

Milanovic also commented on the backlash to his comment earlier this week, when he called the conflict in Ukraine a “proxy war” against Russia – for which he was complimented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“When I call it a ‘proxy war’ in which Ukraine is the biggest victim, and that only Washington and Moscow can negotiate its end, I am merely quoting Ukraine’s current defense minister, who said NATO is fighting Russia with Ukrainian blood. But no one wants to hear that,” the Croatian president said. “I won’t allow us to be turned into a little dog that just goes around in a big pack and keeps barking.”
https://www.rt.com/news/570233-croatia-president-eu-retarded/

QS: On the 16th January 2022, Pres. Zoran Milanovic said he doesn’t want to be an “American slave” that he refuses to let Croatia be part of the sanctions and that NATO is waging ‘proxy war’ against Russia - see QS post of 16th Jan
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21 Jan, 2023 05:47

7) --- US urges Ukraine not to ‘fixate’ on defending key city – media

Washington wants Kiev to spare its scarce resources until the next round of US-supplied arms arrives

The US believes that Ukraine should “refocus” on preparations for a new offensive, suggesting fierce battles for the eastern city of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine) may be “hampering” Kiev, according to multiple news outlets, citing a senior US official. The comments cut against months of Western media reports that described the town as a key, strategic area.

Speaking to a small group of reporters on Friday, a top official in the administration of President Joe Biden (who refused to be named or cited verbatim) said that Ukraine “should not fixate on defending the city of Bakhmut at all costs,” according to AFP. Instead, Kiev was advised to use the time to prepare a large counter-offensive against Russia.

The strong focus on the city is “hampering Ukraine in the more important task” of organizing a spring offensive to reclaim territory lost to Moscow, the official reportedly added, noting that “time favors Russia” due to its superior troop numbers and artillery.

In a similar report on Friday, Reuters also indirectly quoted a senior Biden administration official advising Kiev to wait “until the latest supply of US weaponry is in place and training has been provided,” apparently referring to the $2.5 billion arms package approved in Washington this week. The aid includes a large number of artillery rounds, munitions for the US-supplied HIMARS multi-launch rocket platform, and, for the first time, Stryker combat vehicles – but no tanks. A small number of Ukrainian troops are also undergoing training at a US base in Germany, with some learning how to operate the Patriot missile defense battery authorized for Kiev in December.

The official allegedly said that Western weapons that will be needed for a “mobile offensive force” for future battles are currently “pouring into Ukraine,” adding that Kiev should not waste its limited resources on the “strategically unimportant target,” according to Reuters.

While much of the Western press – including outlets such as PBS, NBC, CBS, the New York Times, and others – have repeatedly deemed the city a key hub of major strategic importance, US officials have voiced an altogether different view in recent days.

Even if Moscow successfully captures the city, “it’s not going to strategically change the dynamics on the battlefield. It’s not going to set the Ukrainians back to a degree where they’re all of a sudden on the back foot and they’re losing,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said earlier on Friday.

The city of Artyomovsk has become a stronghold of the Ukrainian army in the years since the 2014 coup in Kiev. It is part of a 70-kilometer-long defense line created by the Ukrainian forces during the intervening years. Russia claims sovereignty over the city along with the rest of the Donetsk People’s Republic, which joined Russia in October after a referendum. Kiev rejected the vote as a “sham.”

The city remains a major logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in the region and has emerged as a focal point of the conflict for both sides in recent months. Russian troops have achieved several victories in the area over the last several weeks, taking the city of Soledar and the strategic village of Klescheevka among several other settlements as they seek to encircle Artyomovsk.

While it remains unclear whether Kiev will heed the advice, the comments from US officials came on the heels of a Friday report by Der Spiegel, which cited Germany’s Federal Intelligence Agency (BND) as being “alarmed” over heavy losses suffered by Ukrainian troops in the area. Earlier this week, British newspaper The Times also reported that Kiev had sent poorly equipped troops with little combat experience to defend Artyomovsk.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570243-ukraine-fixate-defending-bakhmut-artyomovsk/
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20 Jan, 2023 02:32

7a) --- Pentagon confirms new type of combat vehicle for Ukraine

A massive new weapons package still falls short of Kiev’s demands for heavier armor

The US government has authorized another $2.5 billion in military aid for Ukraine, including thousands of rockets and artillery rounds, as well as the first-ever shipment of Stryker fighting vehicles.

The Pentagon announced the new arms package on Thursday, marking the 30th drawdown from Defense Department inventories since the conflict in Ukraine erupted last year. In addition to 90 Strykers and a variety of other armored vehicles, Washington will supply 95,000 105-millimeter artillery shells, additional ammunition for the HIMARS multi-launch rocket platform, an unspecified number of rounds for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), and eight Avenger air defense systems, among other gear.

In service since 2002, the eight-wheeled Stryker can be equipped with a range of main armaments depending on the model, including the M2 machine gun, the MK19 grenade launcher, or the 30mm MK44 Bushmaster chaingun. The Pentagon did not say which version Kiev would receive, only noting that the 90 Strykers would come with 20 landmine rollers.

The Defense Department said it would also send 59 Bradley fighting vehicles, added to 50 already authorized earlier this month. Officials have dubbed the platform a “tank killer,” as it comes mounted with anti-armor TOW missiles, and have suggested it could be useful in future offensives against Russian forces. Another 590 TOW missiles were included in Thursday’s arms package, bringing the total to 2,590.

Though Washington has approved more than $27 billion in direct military aid to Kiev over the last year, Ukrainian officials have continued to ask for more powerful weapons, such as the M1 Abrams main battle tank. The administration of US President Joe Biden has yet to budge on that request, but some Western partners are increasingly willing to supply similar arms, with the UK vowing to send a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks earlier this week.

Berlin has also come under pressure to provide its own Leopard battle tanks, but has so far declined to do so, also barring other nations from shipping the German-made vehicle to Ukraine.

NATO members and some EU states are set to hold a meeting in Germany on Friday to discuss the possibility of heavier weapons for Kiev, though it remains unclear whether disputes over the tanks have been resolved. According to a German government source cited by Reuters, Berlin will lift its objections to sending Leopards only after Washington agrees to provide the M1 Abrams.

Russia has repeatedly warned against continued Western military aid to Ukraine, insisting it will only escalate and prolong the conflict. Following London’s announcement that it would send tanks on Monday, the Kremlin said the vehicles “will burn just like the rest [of the weapons],” insisting they would not change the situation on the battlefield.
https://www.rt.com/news/570170-pentagon-ukraine-stryker-avenger/
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20 Jan, 2023 20:45

8) US to label Russia’s Wagner Group a ‘criminal organization’

Washington’s latest move against Wagner comes after the private military company inflicted several defeats on Ukrainian forces

The US will label the Wagner Group a “transnational criminal organization” and apply further sanctions to the Russian private military contractor, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Friday.

“These actions recognize the transcontinental threat that Wagner poses, including through its ongoing pattern of serious criminal activity,” Kirby told reporters. A formal announcement of the designation – which places the group in the same category as Colombian drug cartels and Japanese Yakuza organizations – is expected next week.

“Our message to any company that is considering providing support to Wagner is simply this, Wagner is a criminal organization that is continuing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses,” Kirby added.

The Wagner Group, which has been under US sanctions since 2017, was designated an "entity of particular concern” by the State Department in early December for allegedly threatening religious freedom in Africa, and was labeled a restricted “military end user” by the US later that month, potentially curtailing its access to technology made with American equipment.
The group’s boss, Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, was dismissive of Kirby’s announcement. In a statement to Reuters he said that the designation would make Wagner and the US military “colleagues,” and that their relationship would now be a “showdown of criminal clans.”

Founded in 2014, Wagner has mainly operated as a security contractor in Africa and the Middle East. Wagner fighters are currently deployed in the Donbass, where they played a key role in liberating the strategically crucial town of Soledar from Ukrainian forces earlier this month, and seized the village of Klescheevka on Thursday.

These successes further threaten the Ukrainian garrison in the nearby city of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine) with encirclement.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570234-wagner-group-criminal-organization/
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20 Jan, 2023 20:42

9) --- German intelligence ‘concerned’ over Ukrainian losses – media

The battle over the strategic city of Artyomovsk has inflicted heavy losses on Ukraine, Der Spiegel has said, citing German intelligence

Germany’s Federal Intelligence Agency (BND) is “alarmed” over heavy losses suffered by Ukrainian troops in the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, Germany’s Der Spiegel weekly reported on Friday.

Russian and Ukrainian troops are currently vying for control over the strategic Donbass city of Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut by Ukraine), but the situation there does not look particularly bright for Kiev, the paper said, citing a “secret” meeting between BND officials and the German MPs responsible for decisions in the realm of security.

“The Ukrainian army is currently losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day” in the fight with Russian forces, Der Spiegel said, citing data reportedly presented by intelligence officials during the closed briefing earlier this week.

Earlier this week, The Times reported that Kiev had sent poorly equipped troops with little combat experience to defend Artyomovsk.

If the Russian forces manage to seize the city, it would have “serious consequences” for Kiev, the BND warned, adding that control over Artyomovsk would potentially facilitate major Russian advances deeper into Ukrainian-held territory.

The city of Artyomovsk has become a stronghold of the Ukrainian army in the years since the 2014 coup in Kiev. It is part of a 70-kilometer-long defense line created by the Ukrainian forces during the intervening years. Russia claims sovereignty over the city along with the rest of the Donetsk People’s Republic, which joined Russia in October after a referendum. Kiev rejected the vote as a “sham.”

The city remains a major logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in the region and has emerged as a focal point of the conflict for both sides in recent months. Russian troops have achieved several victories in the area over the last several weeks, taking the city of Soledar and the strategic village of Klescheevka among several other settlements as they seek to encircle Artyomovsk.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570235-german-intelligence-ukraine-heavy-losses/
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21 Jan, 2023 00:07

10) --- US terror ‘no fly’ list leaked

The database with over 1.5 million names and aliases was allegedly discovered on an unsecured server

The US Transportation Security Administration is reportedly doing damage control after a Swiss hacker found a copy of the FBI’s infamous “no-fly” list on an unsecured server belonging to regional US airline CommuteAir.

In a statement to tech outlet the Daily Dot on Thursday, the TSA acknowledged it was “aware of a potential cybersecurity incident” and investigating with other federal agencies.

The hacker, who goes by the name ‘maia arson crimew’, found a four-year-old copy of the no-fly list, a subset of the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database comprised of individuals forbidden from air travel over their known or suspected terrorist ties, while digging through an unsecured Jenkins server, according to a Thursday blog post.

Stored in an unencrypted, helpfully-named database file as nofly.csv, the data included 1.5 million entries, names and birth dates. While many were aliases – Viktor Bout, the Russian businessman imprisoned in the US on arms trading charges until the recent prisoner swap with American basketball player Brittney Griner, had more than 16 alternate names and spellings listed, plus several possible birthdays – crimew nevertheless expressed shock at the size of the list.

“It’s just crazy to know how big that Terrorism Screening Database is and yet there is still very clear trends toward almost exclusively Arabic and Russian sounding names throughout the million entries,” she told the Daily Dot.

Outliers included suspected members of Irish paramilitary group the IRA, as well as one individual who – judging by their birthdate, at least – was only eight years old.

The server also included private information on about 900 CommuteAir employees, including names, passport numbers, addresses, and phone numbers, according to crimew. The airline told the Daily Dot it had taken the server offline and reported the unauthorized access to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, while stressing that the server had been used for “testing purposes” and no customer data was breached – only that of employees.

A federal judge ruled the Terrorist Screening Database unconstitutional in 2019, arguing that because there was no “ascertainable standard for inclusion and exclusion,” it violated the due process rights of those named on the list. There have been no meaningful attempts to enforce that ruling since. The FBI shares the list with over 500 private-sector entities it deems ‘law enforcement adjacent,’ as well as over 60 foreign governments.
https://www.rt.com/news/570239-tsa-no-fly-list-leaked/

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/no-fly-list-us-tsa-unprotected-server-commuteair/

https://maia.crimew.gay/posts/how-to-hack-an-airline/
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21 Jan, 2023 08:49

11) --- Musk explains controversial tweet to jury

Shareholders are accusing the businessman of misleading them about Tesla’s future

Tesla owner Elon Musk argued that investors were not expected to treat his tweets as direct calls to action, as he defended himself in a fraud trial on Friday. The case stems from a tweet he made in 2018 announcing plans to make Tesla a privately traded company.

“Just because I tweet something does not mean people believe it or will act accordingly,” the billionaire, who also owns SpaceX and bought Twitter last year, said during a hearing in a San Francisco federal court, as quoted by several news outlets. Addressing Twitter’s character limit, he added: “I think you can absolutely be truthful but can you be comprehensive? Of course not.”

Shareholders are accusing Musk of posting a misleading tweet five years ago that they say had made them lose money. In August 2018, the businessman tweeted: “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420 [per share]. Funding secured.” He then followed up with another tweet claiming that “investor support is confirmed.”

However, the alleged deal never materialized. Musk claimed several days later that he had been in talks with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, but eventually announced that Tesla would remain a publicly traded company.

Short sellers – investors who essentially bet against the company’s stock in hope of profiting from a decline in Tesla’s share price – alleged that Musk had duped them. Investor Timothy Fries told the jury on Friday that he lost $5,000 buying Tesla stock after Musk tweeted about plans to make the company privately traded, according to Reuters.

Musk criticized short sellers in court, suggesting that “a bunch of sharks on Wall Street wanted Tesla to die very badly.” He argued that short selling should be made illegal because it allows “bad people on Wall Street to steal money from investors.”

The businessman’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, was quoted by Reuters as telling the court that, when tweeting in 2018, Musk had believed he had secured the funds from Saudi investors, but the tweets themselves contained “technical inaccuracies.”

The US Securities and Exchange Commission sued Musk over the same tweets in 2018. The case was settled later that year, with Musk and Tesla each agreeing to pay $20 million in fines. Musk also agreed to step down as the company board chairman.
https://www.rt.com/news/570249-musk-tweet-lawsuit-jury/
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21 Jan, 2023 02:28

12) --- Kamikaze drones strike US base

Two fighters with a US-backed Syrian militant group were injured in the attack, the Pentagon has confirmed

Several explosives-laden drones have targeted an American military base in southern Syria, with one successfully hitting the compound, according to US Central Command. Washington keeps just shy of 1,000 soldiers in the Middle Eastern nation, despite repeated demands from Damascus to withdraw.

CENTCOM said the attack involved three suicide drones and occurred on Friday morning at the US garrison in Al-Tanf, Syria, where American forces have long been stationed alongside militia fighters who previously sought to overthrow the Syrian government.

“Two of the drones were shot down by Coalition Forces while one struck the compound, injuring two members of the Syrian Free Army partner force who received medical treatment. No US forces were injured,” the military said, adding that such strikes are “unacceptable” as they “place our troops and our partners at risk and jeopardize the fight against ISIS.”

Situated near the three-way border junction with Iraq and Syria, the Al-Tanf outpost was established by US troops in 2016. They soon embedded with a rebel faction then known as Maghaweir al-Thowra (Commandos of the Revolution), which has since rebranded as the Syrian Free Army (distinct from the former Free Syrian Army).

While Washington maintains that the “vetted opposition” group is meant to combat Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists and has abandoned its aims to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, it has faced controversy in recent months amid allegations of corruption and drug trafficking by its members. In September, the US-led coalition was forced to sack the group’s commander, with the military saying the move “occurred to ensure the long-term success” of the militia.

The Al-Tanf garrison has come under similar drone attacks on several occasions over the years, with sporadic strikes by unidentified actors. Last summer, Russian forces – who continue to support the government in Damascus – conducted several airstrikes in the area against a group of “US-trained and equipped” militants who purportedly “had committed terrorist acts and killed civilians.”

In addition to 200 US soldiers based at Al-Tanf, around 700 operate elsewhere in Syria, most in the country’s oil-rich northeast, where they have allied with Kurdish fighters. The Syrian government has repeatedly declared Washington’s military presence illegal, and continues to accuse US forces of stealing vast amounts of the country’s energy resources.
https://www.rt.com/news/570242-us-syria-base-drone-strike/
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20 Jan, 2023 22:35

13) --- US Navy SEAL killed in Ukraine

Washington says the Iraq and Afghanistan veteran was a deserter from the American military

The US Navy confirmed on Friday that a member of the elite SEAL force was killed in eastern Ukraine, but said that Naval Special Warfare Operator Daniel Swift was in “active deserter status.”

Swift died on January 18 from injuries sustained in combat with Russian forces, an unnamed US Navy official told reporters in a background briefing.

“We can confirm the recent death of a US citizen fighting in Ukraine,” the State Department said in a statement, which did not name Swift. “We are in touch with his family and providing all possible consular assistance. Out of respect for the privacy of the family during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”

Swift’s service record shows that the Oregon resident enlisted in 2005 and received medals for taking part in the Global War on Terrorism, and the campaigns in both Afghanistan and Iraq, according to Time magazine. He was listed as going absent without leave (AWOL) in March 2019.

The administration of US President Joe Biden has officially discouraged Americans from enlisting in ‘foreign legion’ formations set up by Kiev. At least eight US citizens who did so anyway have been killed in the fighting over the past year.

Unofficially, US, UK, and other NATO special forces have been active in Ukraine since before the hostilities escalated in February 2022. French media testified to the presence of British and American special operators in April. This was confirmed in December by General Robert Magowan, former commandant of the Royal Marines since promoted to general staff duty. Magowan said the Royal Marines had engaged in “discreet operations” in a “hugely sensitive environment and with a high level of political and military risk.”

In August, British media revealed the existence of the ‘Mozart Group’, an ostensibly private and crowdfunded outfit led by Andrew Milburn, a retired US Marine Corps colonel. Milburn has since inadvertently revealed the Ukrainian army’s massive casualties in Donbass and had some choice words for the leadership in Kiev.

Washington maintains that the US is not a party to the conflict, though it has committed billions of dollars in financial aid and military supplies to Ukraine and publicly pledged to support Kiev “for as long as it takes” for Russia to “lose.” Moscow has warned the West that sending weapons and “mercenaries” to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict and risks a direct confrontation.
https://www.rt.com/news/570237-us-navy-seal-killed-ukraine/
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