WNU Editor: The Military Summary Channel's analysis on why NATO is positioning a large number of its forces in Poland on the border of Ukraine in the upcoming exercises is spot on.
Friday, January 19, 2024
Ukraine Claims One Of Its Drones Flew Over Russian President Putin's Residence In Valdai
Putin's dacha in Valdai was flown over by a drone during attack on the oil depot in St. Petersburg (Photo: rosmedia)
RBC Ukraine: Drone flew over Putin's residence in Valdai: New details on oil depot attack in St. Petersburg
During the attack on the oil depot in St. Petersburg that happened tonight, one of the drones flew over the residence of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Valdai, according to the source in the special services.
Earlier sources reported that the drone attack on the oil depot in the Leningrad region was a special operation of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU).
In particular, one of the drones flew over Valdai, where the estate of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is located. In particular, this residence and the surrounding area are covered by air defense systems.
Read more ....
Update: Ukraine says it flew a drone over Putin's woodland palace, evading its heavy defenses (Business Insider)
WNU Editor: Both sides are investing heavily into drones .... Ukraine relying more on drones in war with Russia (CNN).
Ukraine Targeting Russian Oil Plants
BBC: Ukraine war: Russian oil depot hit in Ukrainian drone attack
Fire has broken out over a large area of an oil storage depot in southern Russia after officials say it was hit by a Ukrainian drone.
Russian media say four oil tanks caught alight and the fire then spread over an area of 1,000 sq m (10,763sq ft). Russian authorities in the Bryansk region say no-one was hurt.
The Bryansk governor said the drone was intercepted near the town of Klintsy and its explosives then fell on the oil depot.
The drone strike is the second on Russian oil facilities in two days.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Four oil tanks were destroyed. This drone strike is the second on Russian oil facilities in two days.
Ukraine Targeting Russian Oil Plants
Oil Depot Catches Fire After Drone Downed in Russia's Bryansk Region -- Sputnik
Kyiv Claims New Attack on Oil Depot in Russia -- Moscow Times/AFP
Russian oil depot on fire after attempted Ukrainian drone attack -- Reuters
Ukraine Targets Russian Oil Plants, Aiming to Disrupt Military Operations -- New York Times
Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Reservoirs -- AP
Ukrainian drone attack on Russian oil depot causes massive blaze -- Euronews
Kyiv claims new attack on oil depot in Russia -- RTE
Russian forces bring down Ukrainian drone, munitions explode and set Klintsy oil depot ablaze -- FOX News
Ukrainian drone strike torches oil storage depot in southern Russia -- UPI
American MQ-9 Reaper Drone Shot Down Over Iraq
An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) flying over the Nevada Test and Training Range on January 14, 2020 (Photo: AFP)
Trend News Line: American MQ-9 Reaper drone shot down near Migdadiyah in Diyala Province, Iraq
American MQ-9 Reaper drone shot down near Migdadiyah in Diyala Province, Iraq
In a recent incident that has sparked concern and raised questions about regional tensions, an American MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down near the town of Migdadiyah in Diyala Province, located in eastern Iraq. The downing of the drone, which occurred on January 18th, has prompted investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Drone Shot Down: What We Know So Far
According to reports, an MQ-9 Reaper drone, a remotely piloted aircraft used by the United States military for various purposes, was targeted and brought down in Diyala Province. The specific details of the incident, including who was responsible for shooting down the drone, are yet to be confirmed.
Read more ....
Update: Pentagon official confirms US drone crashed near Diyala (K24)
WNU Editor: The Pentagon is confirming the loss of a drone in Iraq, but not that it was shot down.
North Korea Says It Tested A Nuclear-Capable Underwater Attack Drone
North Korean state media published these images of the "underwater nuclear system" when the drones were revealed last April
BBC: N Korea conducts 'underwater nuclear weapons system' test - state media
North Korea says it has carried out a test of its "underwater nuclear weapons system" in response to drills by the US, South Korea and Japan this week.
The underwater drone, which supposedly can carry a nuclear weapon, was tested off the east coast, state media said.
There is no other evidence of the tests being conducted and Seoul had earlier said the North's descriptions of the drones' capability were exaggerated.
South Korea called the reported tests a "provocation". It "threatens peace on [the] Korean Peninsula and the world," the South Korea's defence ministry said, adding:
"If North Korea directly provokes us, we will respond in an overwhelming manner following the principle of immediate, strong, and terminal action."
Read more ....
WNU editor: It is belevied that this was the device that was tested .... What Is HAEIL-5-23? North Korea's Underwater Nuke System Test Raises Alarm (Newsweek). More here .... Haeil-5-23 Nuclear Bomb Drone: North Korea's 'Sneak Attack' Weapon (National Interest).
North Korea Says It Tested A Nuclear-Capable Underwater Attack Drone
North Korea says it tested a nuclear-capable underwater drone in response to rivals’ naval drills -- AP
North Korea says it has tested another underwater nuclear drone -- Washington Post
North Korea claims it tested 'underwater nuclear weapon system' -- France 24
North Korea says it has tested an underwater nuclear attack drone -- PA Media
North Korea claims it tested nuclear-capable underwater drone capable of destroying naval vessels and ports -- FOX News
North Korea conducts test of underwater nuclear weapon system: KCNA -- ABC News
North Korea says it tested underwater nuclear attack drone -- The Hill
Is The Biden Administration’s Electric Vehicle Plan Putting U.S. National Security At Risk?
An employee works on an electric vehicle assembly line in Ningde, Fujian province, in August. [Photo/Xinhua]
FOX News: 17 retired military officials raise alarm on Biden's electric vehicle push
Biden's EV push is 'clear example of tone-deaf policymaking,' retired military officials write
A coalition of 17 retired military officials — including multiple one-, two-, and three-star officers — are raising the alarm on President Biden's aggressive electric vehicle (EV) push over its national security implications.
In a letter addressed to Biden and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, the officials led by retired U.S. Army Major General James Marks warned that the president's plans for mass EV proliferation will increase reliance on Chinese supply chains.
They wrote that regulatory initiatives aimed at incentivizing EV adoption "intensify America’s vulnerability to political interference by the Chinese Communist Party."
Read more ....
Update: Former generals say Biden’s electric vehicle plan is putting national security at risk (Washington Examiner)
WNU Editor: China is definitely dominating the EV market .... China Auto Giant BYD Sells More Electric Vehicles Than Ever (New York Times).
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Trashes Donald Trump
CTV News/Canadian Press: Day after Trump win in Iowa, Trudeau says U.S. faces choice between optimism, retreat
MONTREAL - Voters in the United States will likely face a choice in the November presidential election between optimism for the future, or nostalgia for a past that never existed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
And while a second Donald Trump presidency "won't be easy," Trudeau told a Montreal business audience, the federal government is prepared for that possibility.
Trudeau made the comments a day after Trump handily won the Iowa Republican caucuses, with about 51 per cent of the vote, a result that gave the former president an early lead for the Republican nomination ahead of the country's November election.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The joke in Canada is that in the next election Prime minister Trudeau will be running against Trump rather than his Canadian political opponents. I am not sure if this is a good strategy. It appears that Trump is becoming more popular than Trudeau .... Trump is more popular among Canadians than Trudeau (and what that means) (National Post).
Canada's Department Of Defense Announces That Removal Of Tampon Dispensers In Men’s Bathrooms “Will Not Be Tolerated”
Sent to us from CFB Trenton. This is a picture of a men's washroom, think maybe the Troops are tired of being humiliated by the woke nonsense? pic.twitter.com/WgL9nNaX2u
— Veterans 4 Freedom (@Vets4FreeCanada) January 10, 2024
True North: Removal of tampon dispensers in men’s bathrooms “will not be tolerated,” Defence Department says
The Department of National Defence says it won’t stand for members of the Canadian Armed Forces removing or vandalizing the feminine hygiene fixtures now required in men’s washrooms.
True North has received reports and photos of damaged or removed tampon dispensers and disposal units, which were mandated in all federally regulated male and female washrooms late last year.
One photo shared with True North was said to be taken in a men’s washroom at CFB Trenton, a large air base in central Ontario.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: And the powers that be wonder why no one wants to join the military .... Canada’s military closing out the year on a low note (Hill Times).
Is The U.S. Navy Struggling To Deploy Repalcement Ships To The Middle East?
In this photo released by the U.S. Navy, the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, front, and the landing ship USS Carter Hall travel through the Red Sea on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. | Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley Gasdia/U.S. Navy
Politico: As the Middle East heats up, the Navy struggles to deploy replacement ships
Delays are emblematic of a wider issue with repair and maintenance in the Navy that has seen warships languish pierside for months after they had been scheduled to leave.
A group of warships led by the USS Bataan has done it all over the past six months.
From warning off Iranian ships in the Persian Gulf to patrolling the Red Sea to filling in for an aircraft carrier off the Israeli coast, the workhorse amphibious ships Bataan and USS Carter Hall and their force of 2,000 Marines have been at the center of the action in a volatile Middle East. Yet the group is past the point that it should have started heading home for some much-needed rest, and is still on station because replacements are in short supply.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I am sure the US Navy can keep a necessary deployment of ships in the Middle East for as long as it takes. But there is going to be a heavy cost in resources, manpower, and monies.
The US Air Force's New Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Program Is Facing Serious Cost Overruns
An artist's concept of the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM.
Air & Space Forces Magazine: New ICBM Has ‘Critical’ Cost and Schedule Overruns, Needs SecDef Certification to Continue
The new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program being developed by the Air Force and Northrop Grumman will cost 37 percent more than expected and take at least two years longer than previous projections before achieving initial operational capability—compelling the service to extend the life of some of its Minuteman ICBMs, senior service and Northrop officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Just before close of business Jan. 18, the Air Force sent Congress notification of a Nunn-McCurdy breach on the Sentinel program. The Nunn-McCurdy Act requires the Pentagon to inform lawmakers if a program incurs a cost or schedule overrun of more than 15 percent. Any breach over 15 percent is considered “significant,” while a breach of 30 percent is considered “critical.”
Read more ....
Update #1: US Minuteman III missile replacement breaks $96 billion budget, triggers Pentagon review (Reuters)
Update #2: US Test Fires $100B ICBM; Top Official Says Its Struggles Have Made Him ‘More Nervous’ Than B-21 Raider (Eurasian Times)
WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. These costs overruns are just starting.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
NATO To Hold Its Largest Exercise Next Week Since The Cold War
Reuters: NATO to hold biggest drills since Cold War with 90,000 troops
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -NATO is launching its largest exercise since the Cold War, rehearsing how U.S. troops could reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the alliance's eastern flank if a conflict were to flare up with a "near-peer" adversary.
Some 90,000 troops are due to join the Steadfast Defender 2024 drills that will run through May, the alliance's top commander Chris Cavoli said on Thursday.
Read more ....
NATO To Hold Its Largest Exercise Since The Cold War
NATO to start biggest wargames in decades next week, involving around 90,000 personnel -- AP
NATO to kick off biggest drills in decades with some 90,000 troops -- CNA
NATO to start biggest wargames in decades next week, involving around 90,000 personnel -- El Pais
Biggest NATO drills since Cold War to start next week -- Al Jazeera
NATO Deploying 90,000 Troops in Largest Drill Conducted Since Cold War -- KNewsZ
Is NATO Mobilizing 90,000 Troops for War With Russia? What to Know -- Newsweek
Pentagon Says US Bases In Middle East Attacked 140 Times Since October 2023
(Photo credit: AFP)
TASS: US bases in Middle East attacked 140 times since October 2023 — Pentagon
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said that 57 of these attacks targeted US bases in Iraq and 83 - in Syria
WASHINGTON, January 18. /TASS/. US bases in Iraq and Syria have been attacked around 140 times since October, 2023, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh has told reporters.
She said that 57 of these attacks targeted US bases in Iraq and 83 - in Syria.
In a statement, posted on the Telegram messenger, Shiite groups earlier warned the United States that they will step up their attacks in Syria and Iraq, because "the American enemy continues to provide military aid to the Israeli army, which is killing civilians in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Make it 141 attacks since October 2023 .... Iraqi Resistance targets US base near Erbil Airport with drones (Almayadeen).
U.S. President Biden Admits Airstrikes Have Failed To Stop The Houthis
The Guardian: US carries out fifth strike against Houthis as Biden admits bombing isn’t stopping attacks
Defiant Houthi leader mocks US president and calls for boycott of Israeli goods as Biden tells reporters attacks are ‘going to continue’
The US has carried out a fifth strike against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, even as Joe Biden acknowledged that bombing the rebels has yet to stop their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Late on Thursday US warplanes targeted anti-ship missiles that “were aimed into the southern Red Sea and prepared to launch,” according to US Central Command.
But in an exchange with reporters in Washington DC, the US president was frank about the efficacy of the US airstrikes. “When you say working, are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes.”
Read more ....
More News On The U.S. Led Coalition War Against Yemen
Middle East crisis live: Houthis claim another attack on US ship in Gulf of Aden; US launches fifth round of strikes on Houthis -- The Guardian
US forces strike Houthi sites in Yemen as Biden says allied action hasn’t yet stopped ship attacks -- AP
US strikes Houthi targets again, officials say, as Biden vows attacks will continue -- ABC News
Airstrikes have failed to stop Houthis – Biden -- RT
US strikes Houthi anti-ship missiles, shipping disruptions grow -- Reuters
US forces strike 2 Houthi anti-ship missiles, two defense officials say -- FOX News
Super Hornets Hit Houthi Missiles Prior To Launch In Yemen (Updated) -- The Warzone
Houthis strike US ship in Gulf of Aden — statement -- TASS
U.S., Houthis Continue to Trade Strikes For Fifth Day -- USNI News
The US has moved from shooting Houthi threats out of the sky to blowing them up before they even get off the ground -- Business Insider
US battle with Houthi rebels shows no signs of stopping -- The Hill
Israel One Of The The 'Worst Jailors' Of Journalists In The World
FILE - Palestinian journalists are seen during a protest march heading toward a United Nations office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Nov. 7, 2023.
The Guardian: Israel added to list of ‘worst jailers of journalists’ for first time
Israel is in sixth place after the Committee to Protect Journalists recorded 19 Palestinian journalists in its jails Israel has joined a notorious band of authoritarian states with a history of imprisoning journalists by detaining Palestinian reporters without trial since the beginning of the latest war in Gaza.
A report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released on Thursday said that for the first time Israel figures in its list of “worst jailers of journalists”, putting it on a par with Iran.
Read more ....
Update #1: Israel Ranks Among World’s Worst Jailers of Journalists, Report Finds (VOA)
Update #2: Israeli arrests of Palestinian journalists soared in 2023: CPJ (Al Jazeera)
WNU Editor: Israel is not what I call in good company .... Israel Jailed Record High Number of Journalists in 2023, Tying With Iran: Report (The Messenger). And it gets worse .... Israel’s War on Journalists: More Reporters Killed in Gaza in 3 Months Than Any Country Over Entire Year (Democracy Now!).
Israel - Hamas War -- News Updates January 18, 2024
BBC: Netanyahu publicly rejects US push for Palestinian state
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has told the United States that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state once the conflict in Gaza comes to an end.
In a news conference, a defiant Mr Netanyahu vowed to press on with the offensive in Gaza "until complete victory": the destruction of Hamas and return of the remaining Israeli hostages, adding that it could take "many more months".
With almost 25,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and 85% of the strip's population displaced, Israel is under intense pressure to rein in its offensive and engage in meaningful talks over a sustainable end to the war.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Now we know what is the Israeli government's eventual goal .... Benjamin Netanyahu Just Said “From the River to the Sea” (The New Republic).
Update: Yup .... Netanyahu Says ‘From the River to the Sea,’ a Phrase Zionists Claim is Genocidal (Rolling Stone).
Update #2: I am willing to bet that the real true number is significantly higher .... Almost 25K now dead in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes pound Khan Younis (UPI).
Israel - Hamas War -- News Updates January 18, 2024
Netanyahu says he has told US he opposes Palestinian state in any postwar scenario -- AP
Netanyahu tells US he opposes creation of Palestinian state after Gaza war -- The Guardian
Netanyahu says he has told U.S. he opposes Palestinian state in any postwar scenario -- Politico
US says 'no way' to solve Israel security, Gaza war without Palestinian state -- Reuters
White House Dismisses Netanyahu's Opposition to Palestinian Statehood -- VOA
Israel has destroyed two thirds of Hamas regiments, Netanyahu says -- Reuters
Israeli forces hit southern and central Gaza despite fears of hostage families -- Washington Post
IDF releases video, photos of raid uncovering Hamas training area in southern Gaza -- FOX News
Troops killed around 40 Hamas operatives around Khan Younis over past day, says IDF -- Times Of Israel
Israel says 60 militants killed in Gaza in past day -- DPA
Israeli troops engaged in close-quarter combat in south Gaza -- RTE
Israel says troops reach farthest south in Gaza so far -- RFI/AFP
New wave of violence sweeps West Bank as Israel launches series of raids -- The Guardian
Mexico and Chile ask International Criminal Court to investigate possible crimes in Gaza -- AP
Mexico, Chile refer Israel-Hamas conflict to ICC over potential crimes -- Reuters
Harsh Israeli rhetoric against Palestinians becomes central to South Africa’s genocide case -- AP
Snubbed by Netanyahu, Red Cross toes fine line trying to help civilians in Israel-Hamas conflict -- AP
Gaza communications blackout, the longest of the war, hits one-week mark -- CNN
Russia -Ukraine War -- News Updates January 18, 2024
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a passionate plea to leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, urging them not to allow Russia’s war in Ukraine to become “frozen.”
Speaking in person at the conference for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly two years ago, Zelensky said Ukraine had defied expectations in repelling Moscow’s forces for so long and that its allies “know what’s needed” to allow “progress on the ground,” which has been in short supply for many months.
At the start of Zelensky’s address, which he delivered in English, he said he understood many in the audience would be asking difficult questions: “When will the war end? Is the third world war possible? Is it time to negotiate with Putin?”
Read more ....
Russia -Ukraine War -- News Updates January 18, 2024
Russia-Ukraine war: Russia seizes village in eastern Donetsk, officials say; Ukraine claims drone strike in St Petersburg – as it happened -- The Guardian
Blinken Assures Zelenskyy of 'Strong Enduring Support for Ukraine' -- VOA
Biden adviser says US aid for Ukraine to get done in ‘coming weeks’ -- The Hill
Ukraine launches drone strike on Russian city of Voronezh -- Euronews/AP
Ukraine Situation Report: Drones Strike Russian City Of Voronezh -- The Warzone
Russia intercepts 10 Ukrainian missiles over Belgorod region -- La Prensa
Russian Troops Liberate Veseloye Settlement in Donetsk People's Republic - MoD -- Sputnik
Russia Strikes Ukraine With Drones, Missiles in Overnight Attacks -- Moscow Times/AFP
Strikes on mercenaries in Ukraine ‘painful for the West’ – Finnish editor -- RT
Paris dismisses Russian claim of French 'mercenaries' in Ukraine -- France 24
World not producing enough weapons to beat Russia – Zelensky -- RT
Ukraine buys six French Caesar howitzers, France to supply missiles -- Reuters
France ramps up weapons production for Ukraine and says Russia is scrutinizing the West’s mettle -- AP
France to produce 78 Caesar howitzers for Ukraine in one year -- Ukrainska Pravda
US, France to lead artillery coalition for Ukraine -- Defense News
Russia now knows West cannot be trusted, says Lavrov -- TASS
West worried Zelensky ‘getting out of control’ – Lavrov -- RT
For The First Times Since The Start Of The War Russia Downs Drone Over St. Petersburg
Newsweek: Ukraine Drone Targets Putin's Home Region for the First Time
A drone has targeted Russian President Vladimir Putin's home region, Leningrad, for the first time since full-scale war in Ukraine began, Russia said on Thursday.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a drone was shot down over the Leningrad region overnight.
Putin was born in Leningrad, which changed its name to St. Petersburg in 1991. However, the region, or oblast, around the city retains its Soviet-era name.
Read more ....
WNU editor: This Ukraine minister is saying the drone that was used to strike St. Petersburg has a 1,250km range .... Minister confirms Ukraine hit 'a target' near St Peterburg with homegrown drone (Kyiv Independent).
For the First Times Since The Start Of The War Russia Downs Drone Over St. Petersburg
Ukrainian drone downed near St. Petersburg – MOD -- RT
In First, Russia Downs Drone Over St. Petersburg -- Moscow Times
Ukraine says it hit targets in St Petersburg with domestic-made drone -- Reuters
Ukraine targets Putin’s hometown in ‘new phase’ of drone strikes against Russia -- The Independent
Ukraine Claims It Hit St. Petersburg Oil Terminal With Drone Strike -- Messenger
Ukrainian drones hit oil depot in St Petersburg -- Ukrainska Pravda
Russia - Ukraine War News Updates -- January 18, 2023 (Videos)
WNU Editor: Not a good day for Ukraine. Russian advancements are being reported at numerous sections along the frontlines.
IDF Chief Believes War In Lebanon Is Becoming Much More Likely
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (center) meets troops during a drill in northern Israel, January 17, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Times of Israel: Visiting north, IDF chief says war in Lebanon becoming much more likely
Halevi says lessons from fighting in Gaza will be applied to fight against Hezbollah and its allies, as Hamas rocket barrage from Lebanon targets Rosh Hanikra
The likelihood that Israel will be drawn into a war in Lebanon is growing, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Wednesday, hours after Hamas terrorists fired a barrage of rockets at a northern Israel town.
With visiting troops drilling for a simulated offensive inside Lebanon, as the army winds down its most intense stages of fighting in Gaza, Halevi said Israel was “increasing readiness for fighting in Lebanon,” as it seeks to stabilize its northern border and allow tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from the region to return home.
The IDF has “a very clear goal in Lebanon — to return the residents to the north, all the communities in the north,” Halevi said.
Read more ....
Update: IDF chief Herzi Halevi warns likelihood of Israel going to war in Lebanon is 'higher than before' -- NYPost
WNU Editor: It looks like Israel is now focusing its attention on Lebanon .... IDF shifts focus from Gaza to Lebanon, West Bank (Long War Journal).
Kim Jong Un Says North Korea Will No Longer Pursue Reconciliation With South
BBC: North Korea's Kim Jong Un abandons unification goal with South
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said unification with the South is no longer possible, and that the constitution should be changed to designate it the "principal enemy".
Mr Kim also said three organisations dealing with reunification would shut down, state media KCNA reported. South Korea's president said it would respond "multiple times stronger" to any provocation from the North.
The two Koreas have been divided since the Korean War ended in 1953.
Read more ....
Kim Jong Un Says North Korea Will No Longer Pursue Reconciliation With South
North Korea will no longer pursue reconciliation with South, Kim Jong Un says -- AP
North Korea abandons unification goal with South Korea amid heightened tensions -- Semafor
Kim Jong Un moves to modify North Korean constitution, write in South Korea as ‘No. 1 enemy’ -- FOX News
A Fundamental Shift or More of the Same? A Rebuttal -- North 38
Analysis: North Korea's rejection of the South is both a shock, and inevitable -- AP
Indian Navy Rescues Crew After US-Owned Merchant Ship Was Attacked By The Houthis Off The Coats Yemen
FOX News: Indian Navy rescues crew of US-owned ship attacked by Houthis
M/V Genco Picardy was hit in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday
The Indian Navy says one of its guided-missile destroyers on Thursday has rescued the crew of a U.S.-owned ship that was attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels near the Red Sea.
The military branch wrote in a post on X that INS Visakhapatnam, which was in the region already for anti-piracy operations, responded to a distress call from the M/V Genco Picardy following an attack in the Gulf of Aden.
All 22 crew members onboard the ship, which included nine Indians, were reported safe by the Indian Navy. It added that a fire onboard the M/V Genco Picardy was under control and an inspection of the vessel determined that it was safe to continue transiting to its next port of call.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The Indian Navy rescuing these crew members?!?!?! Where was/is the US Navy?
Update: This is not going to make shipping insurers comfortable .... Scorched but sailing on, the US ship hit by Houthi drone (The Telegraph).
Indian Navy Rescues Crew After US-Owned Merchant Ship Was Attacked By The Houthis Off The Coast Of Yemen
Indian Navy rescues crew after Houthis hit ship off Yemen -- Reuters
Indian Navy’s destroyer responds to distress call from drone-hit merchant vessel in Gulf of Eden -- The Hindu
Houthi strikes: Indian Navy saves U.S. ship crew -- RBC Ukraine
Navy destroyer INS Visakhapatnam responds to drone attack in Gulf of Aden -- ANI
Pakistan Launches Airstrkies Against Iran
The Guardian: Pakistan hits separatist ‘hideouts’ in retaliatory strikes against Iran
Drone and missile attacks in Sistan and Balochistan province come after Iran struck sites inside Pakistan
Pakistan has launched retaliatory strikes against militants in Iran in response to attacks by Tehran that targeted sites within Pakistan’s borders, heightening fears of further instability across the Middle East and surrounding region.
A statement by Pakistan’s foreign office early on Thursday said it had undertaken “a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts” in the Sistan and Balochistan province of Iran, adding that “a number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation”.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: One can only hope that the calmer voices will sway away from escalating this further .... Pakistan’s Army Strikes Back at Iran as Both Sides Urge Calm (Bloomberg).
Update: This news report raised my eyebrows .... Iran struck Pakistan with missiles and drones as the 2 countries held a joint naval exercise (Business Insider).
Pakistan Launches Airstrikes Against Iran
Pakistan launches airstrikes in Iran, killing 9, after an earlier attack by Tehran -- AP
Pakistan fires retaliatory strike at Iran, stoking regional tension -- Reuters
Pakistan carries out retaliatory strikes on militant targets in Iran -- France 24
Pakistan launches retaliatory strikes into Iran, killing nine people -- BBC
Pakistan Retaliates With Strikes Inside Iran as Tensions Spill Over -- NYT
Pakistan’s air force carries out retaliatory strikes against Iran -- Politico.eu
Pakistan Launches Retaliatory Strikes Against ‘Terrorist Hideouts’ in Iran -- VOA
Tensions rise after Pakistan launches deadly retaliatory air strikes against Iran -- ABC News Australia
Pakistan missiles strike Iran in retaliatory bombing as tensions soar -- Al Jazeera
Who Are the Separatists Targeted by Pakistan's Strikes in Iran? -- Reuters
The War Between The U.S-Led Coalition And Yemen Is Reshaping Shipping Flows
Houthi attacks are starting to reshape shipping flows © Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters
Freight Waves: Houthi attacks are starting to reshape shipping flows
U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen have not made the Red Sea any safer for shipping.
“Red Sea issues are getting worse, not better,” said Stifel shipping analyst Ben Nolan.
U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen have not made the Red Sea any safer for shipping. “Red Sea issues are getting worse, not better,” said Stifel shipping analyst Ben Nolan.
The dry bulk carrier Gibraltar Eagle, owned by Connecticut-based Eagle Bulk (NYSE: EGLE), was struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The Greek-owned dry bulk carrier Zografia was hit by a missile in the southern Red Sea on Tuesday.
Read more ....
Update: Houthi attacks are starting to reshape shipping flows (Washington Post)
WNU Editor: Oil prices have inched a little bit upwards in the past few weeks, but if this continues I agree with Chevron's CEO view that this will have a severe impact .... Chevron CEO says Houthi attacks in Red Sea pose 'very real' risks to oil flows and prices (FOX Business).
U.S. Strikes Yemen's Houthis Again As Attacks Continue On Commercial Shipping
ABC News: US strikes Houthi fighters again amid continued attacks on ships off Yemen: Officials
The group has targeted vessels in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
The U.S. has launched a new retaliatory strike against Houthi targets in Yemen amid the group's continued attacks on international ships in the area, officials said Wednesday.
Five areas were targeted in the U.S. strikes on Yemen: the governorates of Hodeidah, Taiz, Dhamar, Bayda, and Saada, the Sanaa-Saba press agency, the Houthi state media claimed.
CENTCOM said in a post on X Wednesday night that the strike targeted 14 Iranian-made Houthi missiles "that were loaded to be fired in Houthi controlled areas in Yemen.”
Read more ....
Update #1: US Strikes Yemen Again as Houthi Shipping Attacks Continue (Bloomberg)
Update #2: US Coalition In Another Wave Of Strikes On Houthi Positions To Thwart Red Sea Launches (Zero Hedge)
WNU Editor: This is the 4th US strike against the Houthis this week.
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
NATO's Top Military Officer Says NATO Countries Need To Be On Red Alert For War And "Expect The Unexpected"
Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer
Politico.eu: NATO official warns West: Be ready for ‘anything’
'The tectonic plates of power are shifting,’ Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer says.
NATO countries need to be on red alert for war and "expect the unexpected," the chair of the alliance's military committee of national chiefs Rob Bauer said Wednesday.
“In order to be fully effective, also in the future, we need a warfighting transformation of NATO,” said Bauer during a meeting of military chiefs in Brussels.
“For this too, public-private cooperation will be the key.” Bauer, a Dutch admiral, said allies need to "focus on effectiveness" and ramp up defense readiness with more exercises, industry partnerships and troops on high alert.
Read more ....
NATO's Top Military Officer Says NATO Countries Need To Be On Red Alert For War And "Expect The Unexpected"
Top NATO military officer urges allies and leaders to plan for the unexpected in Ukraine -- AP
NATO needs 'warfighting transformation', top military official says -- Reuters
NATO needs a 'warfighting transformation' as 'anything can happen at any time,' top military official says -- FOX News
US Re-designates Yemen’s Houthis As ‘Global Terrorists’
CNBC: Biden designates Houthis terrorist group, as U.S. ramps up Red Sea counterstrikes
* The U.S. has designated the Yemen-based Houthis as specially designated global terrorists.
* The State Department revoked the Houthis’ foreign terrorist organization label in 2021, in response to humanitarian groups that claimed it was accelerating a famine in Yemen.
* The Houthis’ attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea have threatened global trade over the past months.
The U.S. State Department on Wednesday designated the Iranian-backed, Yemen-based Houthi rebels as specially designated global terrorists, or SDGTs, in an effort to deter further attacks against commercial ships traversing the Red Sea.
The SDGT designation triggers an asset freeze aimed at cutting off Houthi financing, but will not take effect until mid-February. The SDGT sanctions specifically do not apply to food, medicine, fuel and other humanitarian assistance going to the Yemeni people.
“If the Houthis cease their attacks, we can consider delisting the designation,” a senior administration official said Tuesday on a call with reporters.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The US State Department was against designating the Houthis as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organization' .... State Department Pressed On Decision To Not Designate Houthis As 'Foreign Terrorist Organization' (Forbes).
The Biden administration is saying that this designation will not significantly impact aid programs to Yemen .... US pledges new sanctions over Houthi attacks will minimize harm to Yemen’s hungry millions (AP). Aid organizations have a different opinion .... US-UK airstrikes force aid agencies to suspend operations in Yemen (The Guardian).
US Re-designates Yemen’s Houthis As ‘Global Terrorists’
Biden administration relists Houthis as terror organization after reversing Trump move -- FOX News
US redesignates Houthis as global terror group -- ABC News
U.S. renews terrorist designation of Houthi rebels amid Red Sea attacks -- CBS News
Biden administration re-designates Houthis as Specially Designated Global Terrorists -- CNN
Yemen strikes: Houthis to be re-designated as terror group by US 1-- BBC
US redesignates Houthis as global terrorists amid Red Sea attacks -- The Guardian
U.S. re-designates Houthis as foreign terrorist organization -- Axios
US redesignates Yemen’s Houthis as ‘global terrorists’ -- Al Jazeera
Israel - Hamas War -- News Updates January 17, 2023
Middle East Eye: War on Gaza: Israel pummels Khan Younis, damaging field hospital and razing cemetery
Israeli jets and tanks kill several Palestinians near Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza after night of 'terrifying' attacks
The Jordanian army on Wednesday accused Israel of a "flagrant breach of international law" after its field hospital in southern Gaza's Khan Younis was badly damaged by Israeli overnight shelling.
This came after Israeli forces heavily shelled and bombed the vicinity of Nasser Hospital, the main medical facility in Khan Younis, on Tuesday night, killing at least 23 people.
Read more ....
Live Updates
Live Updates: The latest on Israel's war in Gaza -- CNN
Live - Israel-Hamas war: International law being ignored — Guterres -- DW
Israel’s war on Gaza live: US designates Yemen’s Houthis ‘terrorist group’ -- Al Jazeera
Israel’s war on Gaza live: Israeli forces kills 11 in West Bank attacks -- Al Jazeera
Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 103 -- Al Jazeera
Israel - Hamas War -- News Updates January 17, 2023
Jordan Says Southern Gaza Hospital Badly Damaged by Israeli Shelling Nearby -- Reuters
Israel-Hamas War: Displaced Gazans Flee Southern Hospital as Fighting Intensifies -- New York Times
IDF says Hamas launches attacks from Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis -- i24 News
Jordan says field hospital in Gaza damaged by Israeli shelling -- RTE
IDF says it destroyed rocket launchers used in Netivot barrage, caught 7 gunmen, killed others -- Times of Israel
Israel's military kills top Hamas intelligence official in charge of investigating 'suspects of espionage' -- FOX News
Dozens of Palestinian militants killed in north Gaza, Israel says -- DPA
West Bank strike: Israel accused of targeting civilians in deadly attack -- BBC
Hostages and residents in Gaza are set to receive medicines as Israel-Hamas war rages on -- AP
Aid headed into Gaza after Israel-Hamas seal first deal since truce ended -- Al Jazeera
‘We don’t know where he is’: Israel’s administrative detention rates soar after October 7 -- France 24
'Risk of exodus from Gaza is serious and imminent', ex-Palestinian PM Fayyad warns -- France 24
Iran Launches Missile Strikes On Targets In Pakistan
* Pakistani media said attack was near Panjgur in southwest Balochistan province
* It comes less than a week after UK-US coalition struck Houthi targets in Yemen
An Iranian strike on targets inside Pakistan killed two children and wounded three other people overnight, the Pakistani government has said, further stoking fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a statement confirming Tuesday's attack, which was first announced by Iranian media reports that were later withdrawn.
Islamabad called the attack an 'unprovoked violation' of the country's airspace, with the strikes reportedly targeting bases of Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, and warned of 'serious consequences'.
Read more ....
Iran Launches Missile Strikes On Targets In Pakistan
Iranian Missiles Strike Baluch Militant Bases In Pakistan -- Iran International
Iran attacks alleged militant bases in Pakistan; Islamabad says ‘unprovoked’ strikes kill 2 children -- AP
Iran launches strikes into Pakistan amid rising tensions in Middle East -- UPI
Iran strikes inside Pakistan following IRGC missile attacks in Iraq, Syria -- Al-Monitor
Pakistan Expels Iran Ambassador After Air Strike, Recalls Envoy From Tehran -- NDTV
Pakistan warns of 'consequences' after Iran's deadly bombing killed two children -- FOX News
Pakistan condemns deadly Iranian missile strike on its territory as tensions spike across region -- CNN
Iran’s Strike in Pakistan Adds to Middle East Tensions -- OilPrice.com
Who is Jaish al-Adl, the Sunni group that Iran targeted in an airstrike on Pakistani soil? -- ABC News/AP
Pakistan-Iran border tensions: A timeline -- Al Jazeera
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Admits The War Against Hamas Could Go Into 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the security cabinet meet with western Negev local council chiefs in Beersheba, January 16, 2023. (Itai Ben-Onn/GPO)
Times Of Israel: Netanyahu says war against Hamas set to continue into 2025 — TV report
PM speaks to local council chiefs from communities near Gaza, agrees to revise framework for residents’ return home, Channel 12 reports
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told local council chiefs from communities near Gaza on Tuesday that he anticipates the war against Hamas extending into 2025.
According to an unsourced Channel 12 report on the meeting, which was held at the IDF’s southern command headquarters in Beersheba and attended by other security cabinet ministers, Netanyahu told the council chiefs that, according to the current assessment, the war may continue into next year.
He disclosed the assessment in the course of a discussion in which he also reportedly agreed to revise a current Defense Ministry framework that provides financial assistance to Israeli residents who are prepared to return to evacuated communities 4-7 kilometers from the Gaza border areas.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. If this war continues for another year, much of Gaza will be depopulated.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Admits The War Against Hamas Could Go Into 2025
Gaza war could last into 2025, Israel says; US seizes Iranian missile parts: Live updates -- USA Today
Israel-Hamas war in Gaza could continue into 2025, Netanyahu admits -- Jerusalem Post
Netanyahu reportedly predicts that Gaza war could continue into 2025 -- All Israel News
Israel expects another year of war against Hamas – media -- RT
Benjamin Netanyahu 'warns war in Gaza will continue until 2025' despite US pressure -- Express
Israel PM Netanyahu says Gaza war could continue into 2025: report -- New Arab
Russian President Putin Says Ukraine's Leaders Are Idiots. Their Statehood Is At Risk If The Pattern Of War Continues
Russian President Vladimir Putin © Sputnik / Sergey Savostyanov
❗️"Morons": Putin Slams Ukraine's Rejection of Peace Deal
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) January 16, 2024
The Russian President believes Ukraine is currently diverting attention from failures by laying siege to Russia's border region with strikes.
Vladimir Putin said the "barbaric" attacks on civilian areas are to show its… pic.twitter.com/eBiKl5HEcN
RT: Ukraine's leaders have only themselves to blame – Putin
Kiev bears full responsibility for the situation in which it finds itself, the Russian president said
Ukraine’s much-touted counteroffensive has now “completely failed” and its very statehood could soon suffer an irreparable blow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the ‘Small Motherland – the Strength of Russia’ forum in Moscow on Tuesday.
Putin noted that the head of Ukraine’s negotiation team, which participated in peace talks with Russia in the early months of the conflict, had recently admitted that Kiev was at one point ready to reach an agreement with Moscow. However, after a visit by then-British prime minister Boris Johnson, the Ukrainian authorities were convinced to stop pursuing a deal with Russia and continue fighting.
“Are they not idiots?” Putin asked, adding that if Ukraine had simply ignored Johnson, then the fighting could be long over by now. “This just proves yet again that they are not independent people,” the Russian leader said.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The Ukraine state that I grew up in certainly does not exist anymore, and it certainly will not exist when this war is finally over. What we will probably end up seeing is a country that will have lost about a third of its territory, and half of its population. The economy will certainly be crippled, and the state, or what remains of it, will owe the West trillions in loans for funding this war.
Russian President Putin Says Ukraine's Statehood Is At Risk If The Pattern Of War Continues
Ukraine Bungled Counteroffensive, Faces Loss of Statehood If It Continues Along This Path: Putin -- Sputnik
Putin says Ukraine's statehood at risk if pattern of war continues -- Reuters
Putin: Ukraine Risks 'Irreparable Blow' if Conflict Continues -- Moscow Times/AFP
Putin Warns Ukraine of 'Irreparable Blow' if War Continues -- Newsweek
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