For the 65th anniversary of the Cuban revolution on January 1st, six of the most important dissenting officers in the regime’s history issue a historic warning on the global threat it poses and call on their former comrades to end "the corrupt tyranny subjugating and impoverishing the Cuban people."
The signatories of the remarkable open letter are a former member of the Central Committee of Cuba’s Communist Party and Chief of Staff for ten years of Raul Castro's office, a Brigadier General and Deputy Chief for Air Defense, three high-ranking officers of the Intelligence Directorate, and a Lieutenant Colonel who called for Fidel Castro's resignation. All live outside Cuba having broken their ties with the dictatorship; some are sentenced to death for alleged "treason."
Written by Mostafa Salem, Abbas Al Lawati and Rob Picheta, Tara John and Hande Atay Alam, CNN on .
Posted in Headlines.
More than 100 people killed in twin blasts near slain Iran commander’s grave
By Mostafa Salem, Abbas Al Lawati and Rob Picheta, Tara John and Hande Atay Alam, CNN
At least 103 people were killed Wednesday and 188 injured in the Iranian city of Kerman after twin blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani, in what officials called a terror attack.
The blasts, at least one of which was caused by a bomb, state TV said, came on the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a US air strike, and threatens to accelerate tensions in the region that have spiked since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The first explosion was 2,300 feet (700 meters) from Soleimani’s grave, and the second was 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) away as pilgrims visited the site, IRNA added.
Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike ordered by former President Donald Trump at Baghdad International Airport four years ago Wednesday.
IRINN, another state television channel, reported that the first explosion near the grave of Soleimani was caused by a bomb placed in a suitcase inside a Peugeot 405 car, and appeared to be detonated remotely.
Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the first explosion happened at 3:00 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET) during an interview with Iran’s state news channel IRIB. Vahidi said the second, more deadly blast took place 20 minutes later, when other pilgrims came to help the injured.
Videos posted on Iranian state media showed large crowds running in the area after the explosion. Footage also showed bloodied bodies being transported from the scene, and ambulances leaving the site through large crowds. No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, yet Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel for the explosions, saying it will pay a “heavy price.”...
Written by Jack Kim // Reuters on .
Posted in Headlines.
Story by By Jack Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the country's military commanders the most powerful means must be mobilized to destroy the United States and South Korea if they choose military confrontation, state media reported on Monday.
Kim said the danger of an armed confrontation on the Korean peninsula is fast becoming a reality because of hostile maneuvers by the enemies including the United States, requiring the country to "sharpen the treasured sword" to protect itself.
"If the enemy opt for military confrontation ... our army should deal a deadly blow to thoroughly annihilate them by mobilizing all the toughest means and potentialities without moment's hesitation," KCNA news agency quoted Kim as saying.
Kim made the comments as he hosted senior military leaders on Sunday at the ruling Workers' Party (WPK) headquarters to congratulate them on the accomplishments made in 2023, the state news agency said.
North Korea in 2023 tested its largest ballistic missiles and launched its first military reconnaissance satellite, which Kim has called major advances in modernizing the country's military...
Ukraine claimed three more Russian Su-34 bombers downed on Friday, all in the southern area of operations which has been the focus of Kyiv's counteroffensive efforts over the past six months.
The Ukrainian military published the claim—made by Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk—on social media on Friday. This brings the total number of Russian aircraft Kyiv claims to have destroyed since February 2022 to 327.
Newsweek cannot independently verify the figure and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email.
The war in Ukraine has been costly for Russia's air force, despite its numerical superiority. The Oryx open-source intelligence tracker has reported 21 Su-34 strike aircraft destroyed since February 2022, among a total of 88 downed military planes. Oryx lists 77 destroyed Ukrainian aircraft over the same period.
Unconfirmed reports on the pro-war Russian Military Informant Telegram channel attributed Friday's three destroyed Su-34 aircraft to a U.S.-made MIM-104 Patriot air defense system, the first of which arrived in Ukraine in April.
The losses—if confirmed—add to a painful picture for the Russian air force. Moscow has been unable to suppress Ukrainian aerial operations despite its much larger air force and the claimed potency of long-range missiles that were expected to be used to destroy Kyiv's aircraft on the ground in the opening hours of the full-scale invasion...
Written by Democracia Participativa on .
Posted in Headlines.
Washington DC, Dec.14.– The House of Representatives on Wednesday, Dec. 13, formally launched its impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The vote was 221-212. All Republicans voted in favor of the inquiry while no Democrats voted for the inquiry outlined in H. Res. 918.
“The facts don’t lie. It’s time to get the American people answers,” House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X before the vote.
Why are House Republicans formalizing Biden’s impeachment inquiry?
Several House Republicans have argued that by formalizing the inquiry, the chairmen of the three committees handling the investigation into Biden’s conduct will gain more power to compel interviews, obtain documents, and further the case that the president improperly benefitted from his son’s overseas deals. This move now allows Republican congressional investigators to collect more information about Biden’s alleged involvement in his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.
GOP lawmakers have already issued an array of demands to executive branch agencies and the president’s son related to the probe, but argue that the Biden administration and Hunter Biden have so far done nothing but obstruct the investigation.