One hundred days ago, the previously unthinkable happened in Israel. A state, born out of adversity and war only 75 years ago, woke up to what some have since described as a threat to its very existence. On Saturday night, in Tel Aviv, the events of 7 October were commemorated by thousands of people. Uppermost on the minds of everyone were the around 130 hostages abducted by Hamas and still being held in Gaza, although some of them may not still be alive. Just after dawn 100 days ago, thousands of heavily armed Hamas fighters stormed through and over the Gaza border fence in several different places. They attacked kibbutzim, military bases and border towns, accustomed to rocket attacks from Gaza but overwhelmed by the scale of the Hamas incursion. At least 1,200 people were killed along the length of the border as Israeli defences were caught completely by surprise. Images of hundreds of young music lovers fleeing for their lives at the Nova festival shook Israel to its core. More than 360 people were killed at the festival site and dozens more abducted to Gaza. Among those at the huge commemorative event in Tel Aviv were families of the disappeared, carrying posters and wearing T-shirts featuring the faces of their loved ones. I spoke to Yossi Schneider - a cousin of Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped along with her two young children and husband. "There are 130 people, mainly civilians being held without medicines and the Red Cross is not even being allowed to visit them," says Yossi, angered that the wider family has received little information on their physical or mental welfare. "There are three generations of my family that are disappeared. Three generations of my family! And the world is keeping silent and asking us to stay calm. I cannot take it anymore," he adds, tired but clearly frustrated. Most people here would say that 7 October was the biggest threat ever faced by Israel and that Israelis have never felt so vulnerable. While the safe return of the hostages is their absolute priority, many also agree with their government's war aims in Gaza and few voices are calling for tolerance and coexistence. As Israel's shaken defence establishment eventually responded to what was happening in the south as Saturday 7 October drew to a close, the Israeli military embarked on an unprecedented bombing campaign in Gaza - its stated goal: the complete destruction of Hamas and its support structure. Much of the territory, from Gaza city in the north to Khan Younis in the south, has since been destroyed. Israel says Hamas has been severely weakened and, according to the Israeli military, rendered almost inoperable as an organised force in northern Gaza. But the number of civilians killed in the Israeli bombardment has been huge. More than 23,000 have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, many of them women and children. Thousands more are believed to be dead under rubble. Palestinian officials say that 85% of Gaza's population has been displaced. While more aid is now getting into Gaza the UN's humanitarian chief has described the situation as "intolerable". Faten Abu Shahada needs regular kidney dialysis which is one reason why she and her family have been forced to move south. Home for Faten and the kids is now a plastic tent in Khan Younis - the sound of an Israeli drone overhead their constant companion. "Gaza has been destroyed. There's no Gaza left - no hospitals, no education," says Faten. "Our children have lost their school year, Gaza is no longer alive." Israel is coming under increasing international pressure to consider a ceasefire or pause in Gaza, such is the scale of the civilian suffering. Even its closest ally the US, which consistently defends Israel's right to self defence and to prevent a repetition of 7 October, has repeatedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the civilian death toll is "far too high". President Biden has spoken of Israel's "indiscriminate bombing", which he said meant the country was losing support around the world. Gideon Levy is a columnist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz and a frequent critic of Mr Netanyahu. I asked him if this war - already Israel's longest since 1948 - would soon come to a conclusion. "The war in its current shape will last as long as Americans will allow Israel (to do it)," says Levy. He adds: "I don't think it will be many weeks more. But that doesn't mean that the war is over because nobody has thought about the day after. "If Israel doesn't pull out of Gaza, there will be resistance. And if there is resistance there will be retaliation." As Israeli troops continue to attack Hamas positions in central and southern Gaza, ending the war seems to be far from Mr Netanyahu's intentions. Israel says the fighting will not end until Hamas is completely defeated. The immediate future across the region, and especially for thousands of civilians living in appalling conditions in Gaza, looks particularly bleak. Source:BBC.com
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Yemen has suffered years of civil war - with the Houthis in control of much of western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. Now, Yemen's internationally-recognised government has condemned the Houthis for "dragging the country into conflict" after the US and UK-led attacks on Houthi targets this week. In a statement, shared by the official Saba news agency on Friday, the Aden-based authority accused the rebels of "creating a conflict for propaganda", following their attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea, and "false claims" of support for Gaza. It stressed the need to restore legitimate state institutions in Yemen to ensure security in the Red Sea. The government also condemned Israel's bombardment of Gaza and called for prompt access to humanitarian aid for Palestinians. Amongst the works of art were ‘Salvator Mundi’ a depiction of Christ by Leonardo da Vinci, as well as pieces by Klimt, Modigliani, Magritte, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Matisse. The Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev is suing Sotheby’s accusing the auction house of collaborating with an art adviser in order to create inflated valuations for works of art resulting in Rybolovlev paying more money to purchase them than their actual worth. The trial of the case is expected to begin at the federal court of Manhattan today, Jan. 8, 2024. Amongst the works of art were ‘Salvator Mundi’ a depiction of Christ by Leonardo da Vinci, as well as pieces by Klimt, Modigliani, Magritte, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Matisse. The 57-year old businessman and owner of the island of Scorpios, previously owned by Aristotle Onassis, paid a whopping 2 billion dollars for a vast collection of world-class art. Rybolovlev filed a lawsuit against Yves Bouvier, a man posing as an art adviser working on behalf of the oligarch when in fact he was overpricing the works of art with many of the sales taking place at Sotheby’s. According to the Businessman’s lawyer the auction house aided Bouvier in his actions and is an accomplice to the fraud. According to The Guardian, a spokesperson for Sotheby’s stated, “Sotheby’s strictly adheres to all legal requirements, financial obligations, and industry best practices during the transactions of these art pieces. Any suggestion that Sotheby’s was aware of alleged wrongdoings or the buyer’s intent to deceive Mr. Rybolovlev is false.” This is one of the world’s longest art disputes with its outcome awaited with great interest. The tanker, St. Nikolas, is a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker associated with the Greek shipping company Empire Navigation and was headed for a Turkish refineryA Greek-owned oil tanker, identified as the St. Nikolas, has reportedly been boarded by six “unauthorized” men in military uniforms in the Gulf of Oman. According to reports, the seizure began in the early morning of Thursday in the waters between Oman and Iran in the narrow mouth of the Gulf, in the Strait of Hormuz. St. Nikolas is a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker associated with the Greek shipping company Empire Navigation. The company reported to the Associated Press that it had lost contact with the vessel and its crew of 18 Filipinos and one Greek national. The tanker was reportedly loading crude oil off Basra, Iraq and was heading for Aliaga, Turkey to a refinery. The six men who boarded the ship were wearing black military-style uniforms and black masks, and covered the surveillance cameras of the ship, according to statements made by private security firm Ambrey. Source:tovima.com Employers in Greece are increasingly finding it difficult to hire skilled employees, with the country experiencing a human resource crisis, similar to Japan, Germany and Israel. According to a ManpowerGroup survey, whose results were released on Wednesday, 82% of employers in the country said it was very difficult to find skilled labor, a figure that marks an 11-year high and one that surpasses the global average of 75%. Recruiting skilled labor has progressively become more difficult in the east Mediterranean country, with the percentage rising from 42% in 2014, to 61% in 2018 and 77% in 2023. The sectors reporting the biggest shortages are communication services and industry/construction, where 89% of employers reported difficulty in finding qualified employees. The energy and utilities sector is second with 88%. Source: tovima.com RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Winter Tent in AlUla on Monday. During the meeting, the crown prince and Blinken reviewed aspects of bilateral relations, areas of joint cooperation, and ways of developing it to achieve the common interests of Saudi Arabia and the US. They also exchanged views on regional and international developments and efforts being made toward them in order to achieve security and stability, especially the latest developments in the situation in Gaza. The crown prince stressed the importance of stopping military operations in Gaza, intensifying humanitarian aid efforts, and working to create conditions for the return of stability. He also urged a return to the peace track that would ensure the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and achieve lasting peace. Blinken is on a regional tour as part of a diplomatic push to stop the war in Gaza spreading further. Earlier on Monday, Blinken visited Abu Dhabi where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and underscored the importance of urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza He also visited Jordan and Qatar on Sunday. A group of armed men have broken into a live television studio in Ecuador and threatened staff, footage shows. A live broadcast by station TC in the city of Guayaquil was interrupted on Tuesday by the group, who were wearing hoods and carrying guns. Staff were forced to on to the floor, before the live feed cut out. A 60-day state of emergency began in Ecuador on Monday after a convicted gang leader vanished from his prison cell. The hooded men were seen leaving the TC studios, with police seen entering the set about 30 minutes after the gunmen first appeared. National police units in Quito and Guayaquil have been deployed to the scene. The country's national police force said in an update on X, formerly Twitter, that staff had been evacuated from the studio. Following the incident, President Daniel Noboa signed an executive order declaring an internal armed conflict and listed several organised crime groups as "terrorist organisations" and "non-state actors". At least seven police officers have been kidnapped by gang members since the state of emergency was declared. The measures were introduced by President Noboa after the boss of the Los Choneros gang disappeared from a maximum security jail on Sunday. Nearly 40 other inmates, including another convicted drug lord, broke out from another prison in the city of Riobamba in the early hours of Tuesday. It is not clear at this stage whether the storming of the television station is linked to the prison escape, but it is an example of the deteriorating security situation in the country. source: BBC NEWS Ruling conservative New Democracy (ND) holds a commanding lead against its main opposition rivals, according to a survey conducted by Alco pollsters on behalf of Greek TV station “Alpha”. The findings in the survey, the first pre-election poll for the 2024 European Parliament elections, reaffirmed New Democracy’s dominance in Greek domestic politics. ND commands a 30.3% share in voter intention among valid responses, followed by the center party PASOK which secured the second position with 12.2%, while leftist SYRIZA holds the third spot with 11.8%. A noteworthy surge is observed in the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), reaching just below a double-digit percentage at 9.7% in voter intention among valid responses. Other parties trailing behind include Greek Solution with 5.9%, Victory and Freedom’s Course with 2.8%, New Left with 2.3%, and MeRA25 with 2.1%. The majority of participants in the survey expressed pessimism about the outlook for Greece in 2024, unsurprisingly, as is affirmed by a recent poll with similar results. Specifically, 56% of respondents believe that 2024 will be either “worse” than, or “equally bad” with 2023, while 37% hold optimistic views, foreseeing a better or equally good year compared to 2023. In response to questions about expectations for family finances, 60% anticipate that 2024 will be either worse or equally challenging as 2023. A notable aspect of citizens’ sentiments is that 42% cite financial struggles as their primary concern, followed by 24% expressing worries about health issues. Additionally, 16% fear becoming victims of criminal activities, and 13% express concerns about the escalation of military conflicts Source: tovima.com The number of new registered businesses in Greece was the highest ever since relevant data started being compiled, according to the General Commercial Register (G.E.MI.). An additional encouraging sign of the positive sentiment in the market is that the rate of new business startups outpaced closures for 2023, as per the weekly bulletin released by the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The numbers revealed that the Maritime and shipbuilding sectors stood out prominently, as 38 new businesses were established at the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (Helmepa). According to the data from the General Commercial Registry (GEMI), in 2023, 57,272 new businesses were established, while 20,268 closed, indicating that last year’s startups were 14.7% more than the corresponding figure in 2022, and closures were 6.3% fewer. Thus, the balance of business startups and closures improved by 30.9% in 2023. Overall, an additional 37,004 new business entities were added last year. Private companies and one-person ventures were the most popular startups, while limited companies (Ltd) garnered the least interest. The best performance in terms of geographical regions, about startup-closure ratio, was achieved by the Southern Aegean with +235%, followed by Western Greece (+107.3%), the Ionian Islands (+75.4%), Epirus (+37.3%), and the Southern Aegean region (+34.4%). On the other hand, Western Macedonia had the worst performance. Source: tovima.com The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between the UAE and Israel in 2022 will go into effect on Saturday, April 1. The trade agreement will see reduced or removed tariffs on more than 96 percent of product lines, according to the UAE’s Ministry of Economy. In addition to the new tariff structures, “the agreement with Israel removes unnecessary barriers to trade, improves market access for services suppliers, opens opportunities in government procurement, provides a platform for SMEs to expand internationally, establishes parameters for digital trade, protects intellectual property, and creates transparent trade remedy mechanisms,” the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. The agreement is expected to increase non-oil bilateral trade from $1.3 billion recorded in 2021 to $10 billion by the end of the decade. In 2022, bilateral non-oil trade reached $2.49 billion, with re-exports from Israel growing 71.2 percent and non-oil exports to Israel climbing 48.6 percent, WAM reported. The UAE-Israel CEPA is the second of the Gulf nation’s new foreign-trade deals to be ratified following a similar deal with India in 2022. It has also concluded CEPA deals with Indonesia, Turkey and Georgia. The UAE and Israel normalized ties in 2020 in a US-brokered deal. However, ties between Israel and its neighbors have been shaky following uncivil comments made by a minister in Netanyahu’s coalition-led government. The UAE issued a statement condemning the Israeli finance minister Betzalel Smotrich’s call to destroy a Palestinian village earlier this month. At the time, the UAE called for strengthening tolerance and coexistence, and stressed the need to “confront hate speech and violence.” It also reiterated the need for establishing an independent Palestinian state along 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and “advance the Middle East Peace Process.” PARIS: Western powers on Thursday condemned Iran accelerating its production of highly enriched uranium, after a watchdog said it had upped manufacture following months of slowdown. In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany and the US said they “condemn this measure that further aggravates the continued escalation of the Iranian nuclear program,” adding that “Iran’s production of highly enriched uranium has no credible civilian justification.” The statement came two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report saying Iran “increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023.” Iran had increased its output of 60 percent enriched uranium to a rate of about nine kilograms (20 pounds) a month since the end of November, the UN watchdog said. That is up from about three kilograms a month since June, and a return to the nine kilograms a month it was producing during the first half of 2023. In their statement on Thursday, the Western powers said that “these developments constitute a step in a bad direction on the part of Iran,” warning of “significant proliferation risks.” “These decisions show the absence of will on the part of Iran to engage in a de-escalation in good faith and result in irresponsible behavior in the context of regional tensions,” the statement said. Responding to the IAEA report, Iran’s top nuclear official Mohammad Eslami said: “We have done nothing new and our activity is according to the regulations.” Enrichment levels of around 90 percent are required for use in a nuclear weapon. Iran appeared to have slowed its enrichment as a gesture while informal talks for a restored nuclear agreement resumed with the United States. But animosity between the two countries has intensified in recent months, with each accusing the other of exacerbating the war between Israel and Hamas. Iran suspended its compliance with limits on its nuclear activities set by a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers a year after then US president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions. It has since built up its stocks of enriched uranium to 22 times the level permitted under the deal, according to a confidential IAEA report seen by AFP last month. Iran has consistently denied any ambition to develop a nuclear weapons capability, insisting that its activities are entirely peaceful. WASHINGTON: More than 20 countries have joined the US-led coalition to protect Red Sea shipping from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling militant group Hamas. “We’ve had over 20 nations now sign on to participate” in the coalition, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists. Ryder said the Houthis are “attacking the economic wellbeing and prosperity of nations around the world,” effectively becoming “bandits along the international highway that is the Red Sea.” Coalition forces will “serve as a highway patrol of sorts, patrolling the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to respond to — and assist as necessary — commercial vessels that are transiting this vital international waterway,” he said, calling on the Houthis to cease their attacks. The latest round of the Israel-Hamas conflict began when the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock cross-border attack on October 7 that killed around 1,140 people in Israel, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel began a relentless bombardment of targets in Gaza, alongside a ground invasion, which Gaza’s Hamas government on Wednesday said has killed at least 20,000 people. Those deaths have provoked widespread anger in the Middle East and provided an impetus for attacks by armed groups in the region, including the Houthi strikes on Red Sea shipping. The United States announced the multinational Red Sea coalition on Monday, while the Houthis warned two days later that they would strike back if attacked. Hamas supporters in the USA gather to mock a pro-Israel group that had met up to mourn together10/10/2023
Hamas supporters in the USA gather to mock a pro-Israel group that had met up to mourn together.
The Hamas supporters hold up phones with pictures of murdered Israelis while laughing hysterically. "Look, that's your boy" one of them screams
The government, New Democracy as well as Kyriakos Mitsotakis personally, are moving at the pace of local government elections, in view of the first round of elections in regions and municipalities next Sunday. The blue faction aims for 13+3, given the official declaration of support for persons in all regions of the country with party choices everywhere, except for Crete where the current strong player, Stavros Arnaoutakis from PASOK, is supported, as well as in the municipalities of Athens ( Kostas Bakoyannis), of Thessaloniki (Konstantinos Zervas) and of Piraeus (Yannis Moralis). In the last meters of the race, a blue “sprint” is recorded and the government and party officials are requested to be mobilized to promote the choices of the governing party. Already, Mitsotakis has directly asked the blue mechanism to put aside “personal disagreements or bitterness” and to make all effort in unison towards the goal of confirming the political dominance of the ND through a “blue” electoral map. “We claim the positions of regional governors so that posts are taken up by people who can share the government’s goals and serve tomorrow the development plans that we have presented to the local communities,” Mitsotakis said to his parliamentary group last week. The big “bets” And as of today, he himself is coming forward to support candidates, which will inevitably bring even more difficulties and possibly upheavals for those who do not achieve a clear victory with 43% on the 8th October. For New Democracy, Attica (the most populous region of the country) and the Peloponnese (which carries additional symbolism for the faction) are two of the biggest “bets”. Today, Mitsotakis will visit the neighborhoods of Vyronas together with region candidate Nikos Hardalias. In Attica, New Democracy candidates are expected to clear the “game” from the first Sunday against Giorgos Ioakeimidis and Giorgos Sgouros, in order to avoid the difficulties of the second round. In addition, in the afternoon, Mitsotakis will be in Corinth to (again) support the regional governor candidate Dimitris Ptochos, who is the choice of the president of the faction, has been warmly supported all this time by the former prime minister Antonis Samaras and is constantly raising the pace rivaling the dynamics and recognition of Petros Tatoulis. Central and Western Macedonia and Thessaloniki The continuation will be given by Mitsotakis the day after tomorrow, when he will visit northern Greece, trying to combine the promotion of a “positive” agenda to the citizens with the support of candidates for the self-governing elections. In Western Macedonia, the current regional governor Giorgos Kasapidis is supported, who has a party renegade opposite him, Giorgos Amanatidis (now deleted from the ND) but also a joint candidacy of SYRIZA and PASOK, Georgia Zebiliadou. In Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas has eight opponents, but in New Democracy they believe that the race will end next Sunday. However, Mitsotakis will meet in Thessaloniki on Wednesday with the regional governor as well as with the mayor Konstantinos Zervas. For the municipality of Thessaloniki, there was limited mobilization of party cadres, hence Mitsotakis is quick to set the tone. In Thessaloniki, events are planned at the “Agia Sophia” station of the Thessaloniki Metro and at the former premises of the “FIX” brewery. The tours In recent days, ministers, MPs and party officials have been crisscrossing the country, mainly in an attempt to forestall any threat of the breakup of a party front. For Mitsotakis, the tours will remain a primary task, in order for him to communicate the government’s agenda (positive initiatives, projects that have been tendered and others that are on track for implementation, etc.). At the same time, the “openings” to society are also ongoing by the leader of the main opposition Stefanos Kasselakis, who is being scrutinized by the government and New Democracy but with the order from party central only for targeted responses to the criticism of SYRIZA and not for involvement in confrontations with the new leadership of the party, let alone commenting on internal SYRIZA party processes. in.gr The central banks of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have agreed to a currency exchange deal, which could bolster the struggling Egyptian economy. A joint news release on Thursday said the agreement would allow the two central banks to exchange up to five billion Emirati dirhams and 42 billion Egyptian pounds, or roughly the equivalent of $1.36bn. The Egyptian pound has lost more than 50 percent of its value against the dollar in the last 18 months, and the country is suffering from a shortage of foreign currency. Egypt, the Middle East’s most populous country, is the world’s largest importer of grain. Its supplies traditionally have come from Eastern Europe, so it has been hit hard by the fallout of the Ukraine war. Last month, Egypt’s annual inflation rate stood at 39.7 percent, more than double compared with the same month last year, when it recorded 15.3 percent. Currency swap arrangements are usually deployed when nations are seeking to shore up central and domestic banks by providing them with extra liquidity in the form of a foreign currency. “It seems again that the UAE is providing Egypt with financial support,” James Swanston, an economist specialising in the Middle East and North Africa, told The Associated Press. “Egypt’s central bank needs more ammunition to prop up its currency.” The UAE and the other Gulf states have been chief backers of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s government since it came to power in 2013. Estimates have suggested more than $100bn in Gulf money has gone to Cairo via Central Bank deposits, fuel aid and other support since then. The heads of the Emirati and Egyptian central banks both said Thursday’s deal would enhance cooperation between the two allied countries, but gave few further details about the agreement. RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has launched the masterplan to develop a new project in the mountainous region of Soudah to present a new face of luxury mountain tourism. The project called “Soudah Peaks” will see a luxury mountain tourism destination set 3,015 meters being created above sea level on Saudi Arabia’s highest peak. It will extend from the region of Souda and parts of Rijal Almaa. Situated within an extraordinary natural and cultural environment in the Aseer region, southwest Saudi Arabia, the project is a key part of the Public Investment Fund (PIF)’s efforts to diversify the economy by expanding vital industries such as tourism, hospitality, and entertainment, and supporting Aseer development strategy. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Chairman of Soudah Development’s Board of Directors, stated that Soudah Peaks represents a new era of luxury mountain tourism by providing an unprecedented living experience while preserving the natural environment, cultural, and heritage richness. It is strategically aligned with Vision 2030 goals of expanding tourism and entertainment, supporting economic growth, attracting investments, contributing more than SAR29 billion to the Kingdom’s cumulative GDP, and creating thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities. The Crown Prince said: “Soudah Peaks will be a significant addition to the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia and place the Kingdom on the global tourism map, whilst highlighting and celebrating the country’s rich culture and heritage. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover the beauty of Soudah Peaks, explore its rich culture and heritage, and experience the authentic hospitality of the local community. Soudah Peaks will offer unforgettable experiences amidst lush greenery, above the clouds.” Soudah Peaks aims to offer high-end luxurious hospitality services to over two million visitors throughout the year by 2033. The masterplan is being designed to reflect the local traditional, and architectural styles, and will promote both the cultural and landscape heritage of the region. The destination will be home to 6 unique development zones: Tahlal, Sahab, Sabrah, Jareen, Rijal, and Red Rock. Each will offer a range of world-class facilities including hotels, luxury mountain resorts, residential chalets, villas, premium mansion sites, entertainment and commercial attractions, as well as outdoor attractions dedicated to sports, adventure, wellness and culture. Soudah Development will deliver 2,700 hospitality keys, 1,336 residential units, and 80,000 square meters of commercial space for Soudah Peaks by 2033. Russia's unmanned Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control, officials say. It was Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years. The craft was due to be the first ever to land on the Moon's south pole, but failed after encountering problems as it moved into its pre-landing orbit. It was set to explore a part of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements. Roscosmos, Russia's state space corporation, said on Sunday morning that it had lost contact with the Luna-25 shortly after 14:57pm (11:57 GMT) on Saturday. Preliminary findings showed that the 800kg lander had "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon", it said in a statement. It said a special commission would look into why the mission failed. The loss of Luna-25 is a blow to Roscosmos. Russia's civilian space programme has been in decline for several years, as state funding is increasingly directed towards the military. Russia was racing to the Moon's south pole against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land there in the coming days and send a rover to explore the rocks and craters, gathering data and images to send back to Earth. Parts of the Moon's south pole remain permanently in shadow, which makes finding water a possibility.A spokesperson for the Indian space agency Isro described the Luna-25 crash as "unfortunate". "Every space mission is very risky and highly technical. It's unfortunate that Luna-25 has crashed," they told the BBC. Roscosmos had acknowledged that the Luna-25 mission was risky and could fail. The craft launched from Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region of Russia on 11 August, and then successfully entered the moon's orbit on Wednesday of this week. It was expected to make history by making a soft landing on Monday or Tuesday, just days before the Indian touchdown. No country has ever landed on the Moon's south pole before, although both the US and China have landed softly on the Moon's surface. Luna-25 was Russia's first Moon mission since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. That mission, Luna-24, landed successfully. Source: BBC
President Biden is facing backlash from conservatives following a report that his aides have been told to say publicly that he only has six grandchildren, omitting Hunter Biden’s 4-year-old estranged daughter.
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, settled his child support case in Arkansas last week, ending a years-long paternity dispute over his 4-year-old daughter, whom both the president and the first lady refuse to acknowledge as their seventh grandchild. Announced in a court filing on Thursday, Hunter agreed to give his daughter some of his paintings, and the mother of the child, Lunden Alexis Roberts, agreed to withdraw her counterclaim to change their child's last name to "Biden." The New York Times released a damning report Saturday saying the family dispute is rooted in "money, corrosive politics and what it means to have the Biden birthright." White House aides have been told during strategy meetings that the president and first lady Jill Biden have six, not seven, grandchildren, two people familiar with the discussions told the newspaper. In April, Biden listed six of his grandchildren by name during a "take your child to work day" event at the White House. "I have six grandchildren, and I’m crazy about them. And I speak to them every single day. Not a joke," he said at the time. Biden has also put up Christmas stockings at the White House for six of the grandchildren, but has repeatedly left his seventh grandchild out of the annual tradition. But as Biden seeks re-election in 2024 and as the speculation into Hunter’s foreign business dealings ramps up, the president has decided to more publicly embrace his son, Hunter, and grandson, Beau, bringing them to Camp David for the last two weekends in a row. Last month, the Justice Department announced that the president’s son had entered a plea agreement regarding two tax violations and a felony gun charge, which will likely keep him out of jail. Conservatives on Twitter called the claims in the Times report that the Bidens are shunning their granddaughter "gross" and "sad." (foxnews)
A Ukrainian model who was sawn off in a luxury apartment in Thailand styles herself on Marilyn Monroe and dreams of becoming a movie star. Alona Savchenko, 24, checked into the Sathorn-Charonraj Hotel-Apartment with her partner Jan Jergy Lagoda-Filippo, 25, in Bangkok on April 29. Polish-born Lagoda-Filippo had an advertising business registered in Covent Garden in the West End of London. Meanwhile Ms Savchenko had previously done photoshoots for them and several other advertising agencies, and was reportedly paid by brands to endorse their products on social media. Images of the young model saw her showing off her bleach-blonde hair and self-proclaimed ‘pin-up’ figure. Alona Savchenko, 24, died in a luxury Thai hotel-apartment Ukrainian styled herself on Marilyn Monroe and dreams of becoming a movie star Jan Jergy Lagoda-Filippo, 25, is suspected of murdering his Ukrainian girlfriend. Pole had an advertising business registered in Covent Garden in the West End of London. Hotel staff and police found a blood-stained saw next to Alona Savchenko’s body Hotel staff said the couple appeared happy upon checking in together and CCTV footage from the corridor showed the pair smiling as they walked towards their room. But security guards became suspicious on the morning of 15 May when the Polish tourist walked out of the building alone and in a hurry, dragging his belongings and looking very nervous. Lagoda-Filippo flagged down a taxi, whose driver, Surachai Sabaibang, later called the hotel to inform them of Pol’s erratic behavior after his passenger allegedly used the Google Translate app to ask for help in biting the body. used. CCTV footage of Lagoda-Filippo’s exit from the hotel shows him trembling as he leaves the lift, carrying his suitcase behind him. Following the driver’s call, hotel staff went to check the couple’s room on the 32nd floor where they found Ms Savchenko’s remains on the bed. The girl’s face was covered in blood and her left hand was cut at the wrist. His head was also partially severed with a deep cut from his neck to his left shoulder, and paramedics found that his chest had also been stabbed. A 2 feet long saw was lying next to his body covered in blood. Investigators believe Ms Savchenko had been dead for about a day before she was discovered, suggesting she was killed the weekend before Lagoda-Filippo attempted to escape. The young woman, who was studying in Jinan, China, appeared to live a jet-set lifestyle, holidaying in Valencia, Warsaw, Istanbul, London and Rome before arriving in Bangkok in late April. Photographs taken in the months before her death show the model posing in various locations, captioned with Beatles lyrics and stories of her dreams of stardom. Police Lieutenant Colonel Pongpun Phonharn of the Wat Phraya Krai district station said: ‘The victim came to the apartment with her boyfriend on 29 April, but he left without her at noon on 15 May.’ ‘We learned that he had hired a taxi to go to Sa Keo province. He was possibly trying to cross the Cambodian border. Alona Savchenko, 24, checked into the Sathorn-Charonraj Hotel-Apartment in Bangkok on April 29 with her partner Jan Jergy Lagoda-Filippo, 25. Images of the young model saw her showing off her bleach-blonde hair and self-proclaimed ‘pin-up’ figure Following the search, officers contacted Mr Surchai, the taxi driver, for questioning. The driver said: ‘I picked up the suspicious passenger, who told me via Google Translate that he wanted to play at the casino. When he couldn’t find a suitable place to play, he asked me to help him dismember his girlfriend’s body for 1,500 baht ($44) through the app. Annoyed by this alarming request, Mr. Surachai reportedly dropped Lagoda-Filippo at a hotel in Bangkok’s Sathorn district before calling the hotel where she was staying. Border officials were alerted soon after hotel staff discovered Ms Savchenko’s body and Lagoda-Filippo was caught on Monday evening at the Aranyaprathet border post, 135 miles away in Sa Keo province. Police had missed the suspect, but a police dog tracked him away from his truck toward an obscure travel agency close to the border. After detecting an unusual odor, Judy the Labrador began wagging her tail and sniffed Lagoda-Filippo, who was sitting outside the agency with his ticket to Cambodia. The young woman, who was studying in Jinan, China, appears to have a jet-set lifestyle Thai paramedics carry Ms Savchenko’s body from the hotel According to CCTV footage and security guards, Lagoda-Filippo hurriedly left the hotel, dragging his belongings alone and panicking Lagoda-Filippo is seen after being arrested by Thai police Lagoda-Filippo was cornered by a Labrador retriever named Judy, who smelled a strange odor on him and led authorities to the travel agency where he was waiting to cross the Thai border into Cambodia. The alleged killer had visa forms filled out and was minutes away from boarding a minivan when armed police descended on a remote building and wrestled him to the ground in handcuffs. He was then detained at the Wat Phraya Krai police station for questioning, while the police informed the Polish embassy of his arrest. Investigation underway. Police Lieutenant Colonel Pongpun Phonharn said: ‘The suspect was very calm when arrested. It was around 4 am (Tuesday) when he was caught. ‘He drank coffee in his cell as usual and started exercising, like it was his normal morning routine. He did not say anything. ‘We have contacted the Polish Embassy.’ (biz.crast.net) Mihailo Toloto was a Greek monk who spent his entire 82-year life on Mount Athos without ever laying eyes on an actual woman. Born in the year 1856, Mihailo Toloto faced adversity from the moment he came into the world. His mother died just four hours after his birth, and with no father to claim him as their own, he was abandoned on the steps of a monastery located on Mount Athos, the center of Orthodox monasticism. The monk there took him in and the monastery became his permanent home. Raised and educated within the walled monastery, Mihailo became a monk and reportedly never ventured off the mountain until his death, in 1938. And since women are not permitted to set foot on Mount Athos, Miahilo Toloto died without ever seeing a woman. Obviously, Mihailo Toloto, isn’t the only person to have never seen a woman in their entire lives. People born blind never see anything, but his story is a particular one in that he never ever came into contact with a woman, having spent his entire life among fellow monks and the occasional male visitors. Upon his death, Mihailo’s fellow monks organized a special funeral for him, believing him to be the only man in the world to have died without ever seeing, touching, or otherwise interacting with a woman. According to an old newspaper article, the Greek monk had also never seen a car or an airplane, although that isn’t as strange considering the age and place he lived in. Interestingly, Mihailo Toloto may have indeed come into contact with a woman on two separate occasions, even though he didn’t know it. In the 1920s, French philosopher and writer Maryse Choisy disguised herself as a sailor in order to gain access onto Mount Athos, and in the 1930s, Aliki Diplarakou, the first Greek woman to be crowned Miss Europe, also used a disguise to infiltrate the sacred Orthodox mountain forbidden to women. Mihailo may have come into contact with one or both female interlopers, although he most likely never realized it because of their disguise. Or, then again, he may have died without ever actually seeing an actual woman. (odditycentral) The parties are trying to correct the mistakes made in the first polls with each of them setting different goals ahead of the new election contest. The countdown to the June 25 polls has begun, with parties shaping their strategy by posing new dilemmas and trying to woo disgruntled voters as well as those undecided about what to vote for. The election result of May 21 caused a strong shock to SYRIZA, brought smiles to New Democracy, PASOK and KKE while at least two parties found themselves on the threshold of entering the Parliament. The parties are trying to correct the mistakes made in the first elections with each of them setting different goals. New Democracy has set as its primary goal to manage to secure a strong and self-sufficient government, SYRIZA is fighting to overturn the previous bad result, while PASOK has set the bar high by claiming – as top party officials say – to be in its place opposition officer. The Metron Analysis poll, which was presented last night at MEGA, showed how the dynamics of the parties are shaping up ahead of the new elections. One of the main conclusions of the poll is that the correlations of the previous elections do not change. New Democracy continues to lead with a huge margin over SYRIZA, which does not show, at least so far, signs of recovery despite the self-criticism for the mistakes made and the drawing up of the new strategy. Specifically, in terms of voting intention, New Democracy gets a percentage of 35.8%, while SYRIZA marks a new drop compared to the previous elections, reaching 16.7%. PASOK, which has set itself the goal of being close to or even surpassing SYRIZA, is at 10.2%. Communist party KKE trusts 6.7%, while the Hellenic Solution, which recedes to 3.8%. Seven-party Parliament? One of the first surprises in the latest poll, is that Pleussi Eleftherias and Niki seem to be entering the Parliament, registering 4.2% and 3.3% respectively in the vote intention. As for MePA25, it seems that so far it is not developing momentum to enter the Parliament, as it only reaches 2.2%. With regard to the vote estimate, New Democracy exceeds the percentage it got in the elections and reaches 41%. SYRIZA is at 19.1% from 20.1% and PASOK at 11.7%, marginally increased. New rise for the KKE which reaches 7.6% from 7.2% in the elections and the Hellenic Solution to 4.4%, with a decrease of only 0.1%. in.gr The Victory party, the surprise of the elections as it narrowly did not enter the Parliament, now reaches 3.8%, while Freedom Sailing “climbs” to 4.8% from 2.9% in the elections. MeRA 25 αt 2.5% without upward trends in order to cross the “threshold” of 3% and at 5.1% the other parties, therefore those who do not enter the Parliament are at 7.6%. What a new GPO poll shows Another GPO poll on Parapolitics confirms that the correlations in view of the new elections do not change, while it also seems to show seven parties entering the Parliament. More specifically, in terms of voting intention, New Democracy collects 41.1%, SYRIZA 20.7%, PASOK 11.4%, KKE 6.3%, Hellenic Solution 3.6%, Niki seems to be barely passing the entrance threshold of the Parliament 3.1%, Freedom Sailing 4.3%, MeRA25 1.6%, another party 1.5%, White Invalid 1.1% and Undecided 5.3%. The x-ray of Hellenic Manpower Employment Organization programs: Women, young people and the unemployed over 55 are being hired by small and very small businessesThe footprint of the businesses, but also of the unemployed who participated and joined the programs of the Hellenic Manpower Employment Organization in the last three years is included in a survey of the service, which was deemed necessary in order to plan the next programs. The official figures show that very small and small businesses, mainly active in trade, wholesale and retail, joined the programs. Participating businesses hire women, long-term unemployed, young people and people over 55, mainly in Attica and Central Macedonia. In detail, the number of companies that participated in these programs amounts to 47,816. Of these, the largest percentage, namely 69% or 32,940, participated with a single beneficiary, the maximum number being 42 beneficiaries in one enterprise, with 93% of enterprises participating with 1 to 3 beneficiaries. The distribution of the beneficiaries based on the size of the companies that participated in the new programs of the last 3.5 years clearly shows that mainly very small companies employing between one and nine people are the ones that apply to participate in the programs. The recruitment rate in these amounts to 90%. Next come small businesses (10 to 49 employees) with a much lower percentage of 7%. The activities carried out by the companies that joined are: Wholesale and Retail Trade 33% followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities with 15%. 56% of the beneficiaries of the programs live outside the regions of Attica (23%) and Central Macedonia (21%). Women and the 30-54 age group The largest percentage of beneficiaries (59%) concerns women, while in terms of age groups, the 30 to 54 age group ranks first with a percentage of 44% of the total. They are followed by the age group of young people up to 29 years old (40%) and the group of people aged 55 and over with a percentage of 16%. The largest percentage of beneficiaries concern Secondary Education graduates (40%) followed by Tertiary Education graduates at a rate of 33%. Of particular interest is the fact that 48% of beneficiaries were out of the labor market for up to six months, 21% for more than 24 months, 20% for 12 to 23 months and 11% for 7 to 12 months. 59% were non-long-term unemployed. The average duration of unemployment of the beneficiaries is 16 full months. in.gr The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) has announced that it will receive indigenously-developed Sky Sword II mobile missile launchers beginning next week. The move is part of the country’s 23.65 billion New Taiwan dollar ($771.6 million) Sea and Air Combat Capability Enhancement Plan to build various missiles, launchers, and military facilities. The National Chung-Shan Institute for Science and Technology has so far produced 19 Sky Sword II missile launchers to prepare the country for a potential Chinese invasion. According to the MND, the rate of progress for production and procurement is currently at 95 percent. The figure is on par with the recorded rate of progress for missile procurement of 100 percent. The defense ministry expects that around 1,000 Sky Sword II and other types of missiles will be produced domestically this year. The Sky Sword II Taiwan’s Sky Sword II is a medium-range, air-to-air missile for fighter aircraft. It features an inertial navigation system and an active radar seeker to effectively engage multiple airborne targets. The weapon also has a fire-and-forget capability, eliminating the need for additional guidance toward enemy assets. The missile first entered service with the Taiwanese Air Force in the 1990s, increasing the lethality of its Ching-Kuo fighter aircraft. An updated version of the Sky Sword II has a new rocket motor and improved electronic components, extending its range to 80 kilometers (49.7 miles). Weapons Stockpiling Apart from missiles and launchers, the Taiwanese military is stocking up on other heavy weapons and equipment to defend against a potential Chinese attack. Tensions have risen significantly between the nations as Beijing continues insisting that Taipei is part of its territory. Last month, CNA announced that the island nation will receive its first batch of 200 Javelin anti-tank missiles from the US in the second half of 2023. Another batch of 200 Javelins will reportedly be delivered “at some point in 2024.” The US Air Force has also ordered four MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones to help the Taiwanese military monitor China. The complicated relationship with Alexis Tsipras, the tumultuous meetings of the Eurogroup, the “negotiation” and the bankruptcyWho closed the banks in 2015? Mario Draghi. Yanis Varoufakis, although he had notified his wife Danai that “my love, I closed the banks” and shared his feat everywhere, now denies it. It is now “black establishment propaganda”. Who will be responsible if the banks close again? Draghi again. Since 2019, the head of the European Central Bank is Christine Lagarde, Draghi’s successor, but this is of no importance to Varoufakis. Reality has relative value for him, as we all saw broadcast live in the first half of 2015 when, as finance minister, he toured Europe to teach economics to his counterparts. The conflict with Europe If another finance minister had been expelled from the Eurogroup in the way he was in the “hard month of April” in Riga, Latvia, when he was effectively kicked out of the state dinner in a fit of self-centeredness, paradoxes and sleight of hand, he would have been held to account. Varoufakis, however, does not let anything or anyone come between him and himself. What was he saying in 2015? That the government should bluff by reaching extremes in negotiations with the institutions, so that in the face of the threat of leavib they would panic and retreat. Finally, both the Europeans and Alexis Tsipras had a hard time getting rid of him. In order to get back at them, Varoufakis exposed everyone’s dirty laundry, in his book “Adults in the Room”, and when his counterparts reacted, he informed them that he had illegally recorded the conversations. He submitted the relevant USB to the Greek Parliament, in order to deprive his critics of “the right to lie”. The Speaker of Parliament Kostas Tasoulas returned it to him as unacceptable. After the referendum, Varoufakis exerted all his leverage on Alexis Tsipras to continue as they started. “Either you activate our plan, or surrender” he told Tsipras. “Minister no more” But Tsipras had understood the game very well and was trying to do his “volte-face” (kolotoumba meaning forward roll in Greek) without losing his supporters. He suggested to him, according to what he writes in his book, that they play a double game with the lenders. Publicly pretending to be the good guys and behind the scenes preparing their counterattack. However, Varoufakis wanted a genuine revolution and told Tsipras. The latter suggested Varoufakis take on the Ministry of Culture, which he refused. He returned home, told everything to his wife Danae’s camera, which had become his confessional, slept, and then wrote his seventh and final letter of resignation, announcing on his blog: “Minister no more.” However, he did not leave a loser. He began to travel the world and give lectures for a fee, he also published his book, which became a global bestseller and a film by Costas Gavras. The title in the English version is “Adults in the room”, a phrase borrowed from a statement by Lagarde, who did not flatter him but Christine treated him more agreeably than the others, and so their tight-rope dialogues were quoted in the book, real or approximate. Much has been written about Varoufakis’ psychological make-up, since we learned that as a student he still forced everyone to spell his name with one “n” instead of two as is the regulart Greek spelling. His family history suggested a different kind of development. His father Giorgos was born in Cairo, a leftist academic that had been exiled, and later served as the president of the Board of Directors of Halyvourgiki (the largest steel plant in Greece). His mother Eleni, a chemist and an active member of the feminist movement. When he went to study in Essex, he got a letter of recommendation from Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. He had a close relationship with the latter’s son, and also Prime Minister, George Papandreou, and was his advisor until the first memorandum, then he was won over by ant-memorandum protesters. In 2018, he founded the European Realistic Disobedience Front (MERA25) and was declared its secretary general. The following year it entered Parliament with a percentage of 3.44% and elected 9 deputies, himself included. Along the way, three female MPs left, accusing him of bullying, nepotism and authoritarianism. He stopped appearing in Parliament, as he used to in flamboyant outfits, chosen by Danae, which had made headlines in the international media. Moreover, with the corona virus pandemic, he isolated himself in Aegina, and thus Parliament forgot his eccentricities, and for the procedural needs, everyone turned to MeRA25 MP Sofia Sakorafa. However, they have to say that MeRA25 was the only party that in the four years of its parliamentary term did not ask for the slightest of favors. “Prophet of Doom” On the MeRA25 website there is a speech by Varoufakis to the Central Committee of the party, entitled “Here we are building the new disobedient fighting Left is being”, the slogan of “responsible disobedience”. How responsible it is to take advantage of a difficult time for banks in the US and Europe to sow panic for Greek banks just before elections is up for debate. Some suspect that he is playing Mitsotakis’ game for his own reasons, but it is also possible that he is pretending to be the “prophet of doom”. Criticism is wasted, Varoufakis doesn’t give a damn about the powerful and the regime, the only opinion he cares about is that of those in Exarchia, an Athens neighborhood known for harboring self-styled anarchists, which he frequents. When anarchists beat him up while dining, af ew months ago (they were recently identified from videos they posted on social media and arrested) he told reporters that the assailants were gangster thugs, questioning even the video evidence. in.gr |