Headline 12 Jan 24

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January 12, 2024

produced on 11 Jan 24 for release on 12 Jan 24

 

UK, U.S. expected to strike Yemen (Reuters)

Breaking 11 Jan 24 16:00 CST

Britain is expected to join the United States in conducting overnight air strikes on military positions belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, the political editor for the Times newspaper reported on Thursday.

The U.S. has not confirmed any intention to launch air strikes and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment.

launch strikes against Houthis - Times report

 

YEMEN UNDER ATTACK (Hal Turner)

Breaking 11 Jan 24 19:00 CST

5:58 PM EST -- Yemen air space has suddenly become "evacuated" and a commercial no-fly zone (NOTAM) has been issued to keep commercial flights out of Yemen air space.

Flight radar shows the air space in Yemen is empty:

Iran, Syria and pro-Iranian groups in Iraq have declared their unconditional support for Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has not yet stated its position, but has brought its armed forces into a state of combat readiness. The Houthis have stated earlier that if Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar provide their airspace for an American attack, then these countries will be considered at war with Yemen. Qatar hosts the US base.

A military source in Ansar Allah states: "If foreign forces consider attacking Yemen, our forces will open the gates of hell for Western forces in the Red Sea and the region, and neither Washington nor London will be able to extinguish it."

Iran's Behshad intelligence ship left the Red Sea and is heading to the Gulf of Aden from Bab al-Mandab to continue the mission under the protection of the Alborz warship.

Behshad is not a warship, but with its espionage equipment, it will be of great help to the Yemeni army to court the aggressors, and its departure from Hodeidah coast is to stay away from possible dangers.

-- The Yemeni Armed Forces have begun a massive launch of surface-to-surface missiles.  US MILITARY BASES IN THE COUNTRY OF IRAQ ARE BEING HIT!

 

Houthis Warn 'All Force' Will Be Used to Respond to US Bombing Yemen (NewsWeek)

The Iran-aligned Yemeni rebel group waging an ongoing campaign of attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea over Israel's war in Gaza has told Newsweek that it would respond forcefully to the U.S. bombing Yemen.

"Any strike against us will be responded to, absolutely, without the slightest doubt, with all force and determination, and the region will be on the verge of escalation, the end of which no one knows," Ansar Allah Deputy Information Secretary Nasreddin Amer told Newsweek on Thursday as reports emerged of up to a dozen strikes being conducted by the United States and the United Kingdom in Yemen.

"Any strike against us has no justification," Amer added, "as it is only support for Israel to continue killing the oppressed Palestinian people."

U.S. President Joe Biden later confirmed the operation in a statement issued by the White House, saying that the U.S. and the U.K. jointly operated "with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands" to conduct "strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways."

 

US and UK launch strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen (BBC)

 

Top Russian Commander Killed in Crimea Strike—Reports (NewsWeek)

A top Russian commander was killed in an attack on annexed Crimea by Ukrainian forces last week, it has been reported.

News of the death of Russian Colonel Vadim Nailyovich Ismagilov, commander of the 3rd Signals Intelligence Regiment of Russia's Aerospace Forces, comes after Ukrainian troops struck a command post of a Russian military unit near Sevastopol in Crimea on January 4.

The Chelyabinsk Higher Military Automotive Command and Engineering School, from which he graduated in 2003, said on social media platform VKontakte on Wednesday that a farewell to the colonel would take place in Chelyabinsk on Thursday at 11 a.m. local time.

 

Russian City Freezes After Electricity Fails (NewsWeek)

A power outage in Russia's Siberia region left almost half of the city of Omsk without power amid subzero temperatures.

Vladimir Shnipko, Omsk's minister of energy and housing and communal services said there was an emergency shutdown at the Tavricheskaya substation. On Wednesday at around 5 p.m. local time, the lights suddenly went out in several areas of Omsk, including in both central regions of the city, and in rural areas, local media reported.

There have been large-scale power outages nationwide since the new year, leaving Russians to grapple with freezing temperatures as authorities work to restore heat to homes. Power outages have also struck St. Petersburg, Rostov, Volgograd, Voronezh, Primorsky Territory, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk in Siberia.

 

What is South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ? (BBC)

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been asked to consider whether Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. South Africa brought the case to the court. Israel has strongly rejected the allegation, calling it "baseless".

 

Israel officials support Gaza destruction, court hears (BBC)

Israel's plan to "destroy" Gaza comes from "the highest level of state", the UN's top court has heard.

The claims were made by South African lawyers as it presented its case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice. South Africa also called on the court to order Israel to cease military operations in Gaza. Israel - which will present its defence on Friday - has vehemently rejected the accusations as "baseless".

The court will deliver only an opinion on the genocide allegation, although it is being closely watched.

Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, a lawyer for the High Court of South Africa, told the ICJ Israel's "genocidal intent" was evident "from the way in which this military attack is being conducted".

 

Iran Says It Seized Tanker Over US "Theft" of Its Oil (NewsWeek)

Iran has defended its military's seizure of an oil tanker amid soaring tensions at sea, arguing that the move was legally justified as a result of the United States' earlier capture of the same vessel in line with Washington's sanctions policy.

"The Iranian Army's seizure of the oil tanker does not constitute hijacking; rather, it is a lawful undertaking sanctioned by a court order and corresponds to the theft of Iran's very own oil," the Iranian Mission to the United Nations said in a statement shared with Newsweek.

"Adhering to the established legal procedures is the most prudent approach for the resolution of this matter," the Mission added.

 

Hard choices for the West in Red Sea stand-off (BBC)

The mass attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels against vessels in the Red Sea on 9 January was their biggest yet and it signals two things.

Firstly, the Iranian-backed Houthis, who control their country's Red Sea coastline, are not backing down in the face of international pressure.

Secondly, they clearly have a powerful arsenal of missiles and drones and they are not afraid to launch them at Western warships.

In the event, all 21 drones and missiles were shot down by a combination of US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets and missiles launched from US and British warships. But this is expensive, very expensive, and the Houthis know it.

 

Why Taiwan's Elections Could Change the World (NewsWeek)

Dozens of elections will be held around the world this year, bookended in November by hotly contested presidential, congressional and gubernatorial races in the United States. Across the Pacific, Taiwan will this weekend hold one of the most closely watched polls globally and its outcome could impact rocky U.S.-China ties and dictate geopolitical trends in 2024. China has called it a choice between war and peace.

On January 13, 19.54 million people—83 percent of Taiwan's population—will be eligible to vote, including 1.03 million possible first-timers, according to the Central Election Commission in Taipei. At stake are the promise of myriad social reforms, the future of Taiwan's economic and energy policies, and, as always, its relationship with neighboring China, balanced against its decades-long closeness with America.

 

EXCLUSIVE: 16K Chinese Migrants Apprehended by Border Patrol Since October (Breitbart)

Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 16,000 Chinese migrants who crossed the border between ports of entry since the new fiscal year began on October 1, according to unofficial reports reviewed by Breitbart Texas. This number is nearly two-thirds of the Chinese migrants apprehended during the entire Fiscal Year 23, which ended on September 30.

 

How building fake aircraft carriers and destroyers in the desert could be helping China better threaten the US Navy (BusinessInsider)

  • China has long built mock-ups US warships in the desert, likely to serve as targets. 

  • New images show an apparent USS Gerald R. Ford mock-up, indicating China is watching the Navy's newest carrier.

  • The mock-ups could help China develop its bolstering missile force, but they also send a distinct message to the US.

 

Kim Jong-un Says North Korea Has ‘No Intention of Avoiding War’ with South Korea ‘Scum’ (Breitbart)

North Korea’s communist dictator Kim Jong-un declared that his country has “no intention of avoiding war” with South Korea on Tuesday during an inspection of a military munitions factory.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s flagship government propaganda outlet, referred to South Korea as the “Republic of Korea,” a change in style that appeared to acknowledge that South Korea is a separate state from the North. For years, KCNA would refer to the country as “south Korea,” a territory under the dominion of a rogue faction that North Korea considered rightfully territory under Pyongyang’s rule.

 

KIM-FLUENCER Kim Jong-un hires mystery glam influencer to lure foreign tourists to hermit state on Instagram…despite social media ban (Sun)

KIM JONG-UN has hired a mystery glamorous influencer to promote a ghostly North Korean ski resort on her Instagram. The move is a strange one given the strict social media ban in place in the country, however the dictator is renowned for his erratic nature.

Known only as Viktoria, the Russian bombshell has faced a barrage of criticism since relocating to live in the despotic state. She regularly appears online – which has led to claims she is linked to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.

It comes as Vladimir Putin has been encouraging Russians to take vacations in North Korea as a thank you for supplying missiles and shells for his war against Ukraine. The 23-year-old model’s posts show a deserted Masikryong resort where she took skiing lessons in English. 

 

Ecuador president defies gangs to take on the army (BBC)

Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa has challenged armed gangs to take on the military rather than civilians as soldiers were deployed to combat the criminal groups. Mr Noboa declared a state of emergency on Monday after a wave of gang violence swept through the Andean country.

In the most dramatic incident, armed men stormed a TV station and threatened the staff during a live broadcast. More than 300 suspects have been arrested under the state of emergency. Mr Noboa struck a defiant tone in a radio interview on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old president, who has only been in power for two months, challenged the gangs. "Be brave, fight the soldiers," he told them, referring to the fact that most of those who have been targeted by the gangs have been civilians or unarmed prison guards.

 

Swedish alarm after defense chiefs' war warning (BBC)

A warning to Swedes from two top defence officials to prepare for war has prompted concern and accusations of alarmism. Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin told a defence conference "there could be war in Sweden".

His message was then backed up by military commander-in-chief Gen Micael Byden, who said all Swedes should prepare mentally for the possibility. However, opposition politicians have objected to the tone of the warnings. Ex-prime minister Magdalena Andersson told Swedish TV that while the security situation was serious, "it is not as if war is just outside the door."

 

Congressional Democrats move to crack down on militia activity in the U.S. (WashTimes)

A pair of Democratic lawmakers introduced bills Thursday to prevent private paramilitary activity in the U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts put forth the legislation that would create a federal prohibition on paramilitary groups through civil and criminal enforcement.

The ban would hold individuals liable who directly engage in certain types of conduct, including intimidating state and local officials, interfering with government proceedings, pretending to be law enforcement, and violating people’s constitutional rights, while armed and acting as part of a private paramilitary organization.

 

Cancer Is Striking More Young People, and Doctors Are Alarmed and Baffled (WSJ)

Meilin Keen was studying for the bar exam and preparing to move to New York City last June when she started throwing up blood. Keen, 27 years old, learned days later that she has gastric cancer. She postponed the bar exam. Brain fog from chemotherapy made it hard to do her legal work.

Surgeons removed her stomach in December. Keen is coming to terms with all that means for her diet, her health, even her dating life. “That’s a fun icebreaker: I don’t have a stomach anymore,” she said.

Cancer is hitting more young people in the U.S. and around the globe, baffling doctors. Diagnosis rates in the U.S. rose in 2019 to 107.8 cases per 100,000 people under 50, up 12.8% from 95.6 in 2000, federal data show. A study in BMJ Oncology last year reported a sharp global rise in cancers in people under 50, with the highest rates in North America, Australia and Western Europe. 

 

Covid kills nearly 10,000 in a month as holidays fuel spread, WHO says (WaPo)

Almost 10,000 coronavirus deaths were reported in December, and admissions to hospitals and intensive care units surged, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said — with data indicating that holiday gatherings fueled increased transmission of the virus.

“Although covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the virus is still circulating, changing and killing,” Tedros said at a news conference in Geneva on Wednesday.

There was a 42 percent increase in hospitalizations and a 62 percent increase in ICU admissions from the previous month. Trends are based on data reported to the WHO from fewer than 50 countries, mostly in Europe and the Americas, said Tedros, who noted that this is not the full picture.

 

Big banks mull the unthinkable: suing the Fed (Semafor)

Big banks have hired one of the country’s top trial lawyers and are preparing to sue the Federal Reserve — a nearly unthinkable challenge — if sweeping new industry regulations aren’t watered down.

Eugene Scalia, the son of the former Supreme Court justice and a well-known conservative litigator, is quietly drawing up a lawsuit seeking to block the proposed rules on behalf of the Bank Policy Institute, a trade group that represents JPMorgan, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, and others, people familiar with the matter said. It would be the first time in recent memory that the industry has sued the Fed, and a departure from standard halls-of-power persuasion efforts that try to avoid antagonizing its chief regulator.