MTQ News

Love this story. “Brezhnev turned pale, began perspiring and trembled visibly. He repeatedly asked Grechko: ‘is this definitely an exercise?’…” pic.twitter.com/7kHWJPxWSw — Shashank Joshi (@shashj) December 31, 2022 WNU Editor: That must have been one incredible exercise and briefing. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/IiOmTbc via IFTTT

People walk along the Red Square in front of the St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow on December 31, 2022. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP)  FOX News : Russia readies air defenses over Moscow, gives shelter maps to border city ahead of New Year     Russia prepares for possible strikes ahead of New Years celebrations   Russia on Saturday stationed air defenses over Moscow and handed out shelter directions to citizens in Belgorod near the Ukrainian border in preparation for New Years festivities.   Some 2,000 servicemen will oversee Moscow’s air defenses while "on duty at combat posts on New Year's Eve," Russia’s defense ministry said according to state owned media outlet, TASS.  "In total for the period of the New Year holidays and weekends, about 20 thousand military personnel of the air defense-missile defense formation of the Aerospace Forces will be on combat duty for air defense," the outlet said on Telegram.    Read more ....   Update: ...

  Daily Mail: World leaders pay tribute to 'God's Rottweiler' Pope Benedict XVI after his death aged 95: Ex-pontiff who became first to resign in 600 years is hailed 'one of the greatest theologians of our time' and a 'formative figure' of the Catholic Church   * Former Pope Benedict has died aged 95 following prayers for his failing health  * World leaders have paid tribute to the ex-pontiff as a 'great theologian'  * He died at 9:34 on Saturday in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican  * He was first pontiff to resign as head of Catholic Church since the Middle Ages  World leaders have paid tribute to 'God's Rottweiler' Pope Benedict XVI after his death aged 95, hailing him as 'one of the greatest theologians of our time' and a 'formative figure' of the Catholic Church.  The ex-pontiff who became first to resign in 600 years when he stood down nine years ago passed away on Saturday in the Mater Ecclesiae ...

  CNBC: Highly immune evasive omicron XBB.1.5 variant is quickly becoming dominant in U.S. as it doubles weekly   * The Covid omicron XBB.1.5 variant has nearly doubled in prevalence over the past week and now represents about 41% of new cases in the U.S., according to CDC data.  * XBB.1.5 is highly immune evasive and appears to bind better to cells than other members of the XBB omicron subvariant family.  * Scientists at Columbia University have warned that the rise of subvariants such as the XBB family could “result in a surge of breakthrough infections as well as re-infections.”  The Covid omicron XBB.1.5 variant is rapidly becoming dominant in the U.S. because it is highly immune evasive and appears more effective at binding to cells than related subvariants, scientists say.  XBB.1.5 now represents about 41% of new cases nationwide in the U.S., nearly doubling in prevalence over the past week, according to the data published Friday by the Center...

  WNU Editor: I know the war has changed me. Stress. Worry. Trouble sleeping. But it pales to what my family and friends are experiencing in Ukraine.  As for my friends and relatives in Russia. Life still goes on, and sometimes I get the impression that they are not impacted. There are of course daily reminders on mass media, and hundreds of thousands of reservists have been called up. But the economy is still functioning. Everyone is working, and even inflation has come down.  BBC's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg is correct in the above video that Russia is on a war footing, and society has become militarized. Uncertainty is in the back of everyone's minds, but for the old timers like myself we have seen this before.  All wars do come to an end. And the Ukraine war will eventually end.  And as for Russia. It will survive. It always has. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/KcuqfWg via IFTTT

Jordanian security forces deploy armoured vehicles in the southern city of Maan on 16 December 2022, hours after a senior police officer was shot dead in riots during a strike against rising fuel prices (AFP)   Middle East Eye : Jordan's protests could be the second wave of an 'Arab Spring   Recent protests sweeping the country amid record fuel prices and national debt could signal another revolution, as much of the Middle East faces an unprecedented economic crisis   Jordan is witnessing escalating popular protests whose violent turn has ushered in an important, sensitive, and dangerous period in the country's history.  But what is happening in Jordan cannot be isolated from current conditions and growing tensions in the entire region, signalling what may be a prelude to a second wave of the Arab Spring.  The latest wave of demonstrations in Jordan began with the announcement of truck drivers on strike, in which other public transport workers soon ...

A U.S. House of Representatives committee was poised to release the tax returns of former President Donald Trump to the public, Southwest Airlines has promised to refund passengers for tickets and other expenses after it canceled thousands of flights. 5⃣ stories you need to know pic.twitter.com/cglqepu1Ht — Reuters (@Reuters) December 30, 2022 🇷🇺🇨🇳Putin - Xi Jinping:"We aim to strengthen cooperation between the Armed Forces of Russia and China.Coordination between Moscow and Beijing in the international arena(in the UN,BRICS,G20,SCO) serves to form a just world order based on international law." pic.twitter.com/f2rjqvyzMf — AZ 🛰🌏🌍🌎 (@AZgeopolitics) December 30, 2022 China said all the #COVID19 data it has shared -- including with the World Health Organization -- has been transparent, despite its hospitals being overwhelmed and its official figures on infections and deaths being tiny compared with other countries https://t.co/NnScJRQOhA — AFP News Agency (@A...

  WNU Editor : A lot of interesting updates today. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/r4wDRFk via IFTTT

For years, US officials and their media allies denounced China, Russia and Iran as despotic for conditioning the ability of Big Tech platforms to maintain access to their countries on their willingness to censor. Now, the US Security State has done exactly that with TikTok. pic.twitter.com/AaE6e4dXGL — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 28, 2022 Glenn Greenwald: Reflecting New U.S. Control of TikTok's Censorship, Our Report Criticizing Zelensky Was Deleted   For years, U.S. officials and their media allies accused Russia, China and Iran of tyranny for demanding censorship as a condition for Big Tech access. Now, the U.S. is doing the same to TikTok. Accusations of Chinese tyranny are often based on demands from Beijing that Google and Facebook comply with their censorship orders as a condition for remaining in China. Reports over the years suggested that these firms typically comply: Google was building a censored search engine suited to Chinese demands; The New York T...

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks at the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon on Thursday morning. (Yonhap)   Reuters : South Korea's Yoon orders revamp of response to violations of country's air space   SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered a revamp of the military's response to objects violating its airspace, his office said on Thursday, after an intrusion by North Korean drones exposed its difficulty in shooting down small aircraft.  Five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea on Monday, prompting South Korea's military to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters, though it failed to bring down the drones, which flew over South Korea for hours.  Amid criticism over South Korea's air defences at a time of North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, Yoon visited the state-run Agency for Defence Development to check the country's reconnaissance and interception capabilities and called for an overhaul of th...

Engels air base may be under attack again for the third time this morning. Air defence clearly active. pic.twitter.com/YCIAJiG1Pw — Artoir (@ItsArtoir) December 29, 2022 Reuters : Russia Says It Shot Down Drone Near Engels Air Base   (Reuters) - A Russian regional governor said on Thursday that air defences had shot down a drone near the Engels air force base, home to long-range strategic bombers.  Russia says Ukraine has already tried to attack the base twice this month, killing at least six Russian servicemen, although it said there was only slight damage to two aircraft.  The base is located near Saratov, 730 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow and hundreds of kilometres from the frontlines in Ukraine.   Read more ....   Update: Russia's Engels Airbase Attacked For 3rd Time This Month (Zero Hedge)   WNU Editor : It looks like attacking Russia's Engels Air Base is the new normal for Ukraine's military. A frightening prospect since this airf...

  Daily Mail: The Hell in Bakhmut goes on: Russia unleashes devastating TOS-1A thermobaric rocket launcher that 'sucks the air out of its victims' amid WW1-style fighting in Ukraine that has claimed THOUSANDS of lives   * Footage shows Russian TOS-1A thermobaric MLRS purportedly being blasted in Bakhmut area  * Most of the heaviest fighting has taken place around Bakhmut since November   * But spy chief Kyrylo Budanov says the conflict in Ukraine is at a 'dead end'   Footage has emerged of a Russian TOS-1A thermobaric MLRS purportedly being blasted in the Bakhmut area of Ukraine, where there has been intense fighting over the Christmas period.  The video, posted on Twitter and said to have been filmed a week ago, shows the weapon being raised from the tank before several rounds of rockets are fired.  They can be seen exploding on the ground through the eyes of the soldiers firing them, in black and white footage with the crosshair vi...

A picture was released on the "Ukraine Weapons Tracker" Twitter account on December 28, 2022, showing new Panthera T6 4x4 armored vehicles on a train car that was reportedly for delivery to Ukraine. The vehicle is designed and developed by Minerva Special Purpose Vehicles (MSPV) based in the United Arab Emirates, which also has manufacturing plants in different countries around the world. Read full Defense News at this link ... Panthera T6 4x4 armored vehicles are being delivered to Ukraine. (Picture Source Twitter Ukraine Weapons Tracker) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/mkXhKU6 via IFTTT

 According to information published by the UK MoD on December 29, 2022, the Royal Navy’s drone squadron has taken its expertise in uncrewed systems one step further by building its own quadcopter. Read full news at this link Quadcopter Walrus. (Picture source: UK MoD) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/YHS236j via IFTTT

  Bloomberg: Milan Reports 50% of Passengers on China Flights Have Covid   (Bloomberg) -- Italian health authorities will begin testing all arrivals from China for Covid after almost half of the passengers on two flights to Milan were found to have the virus.  They are also sequencing the Milan tests to see if there are new variants, the Health Ministry said in a statement.  If a new strain is found, officials may impose stricter curbs on travel from the country. China has seen outbreaks of the virus since the government there abandoned its strict zero-Covid policies. Uncertainty over the scale of the spread has prompted countries, including the US, to consider new restrictions on entry.   Read more ....  Half Of Passengers On Two Chinese Flights To Italy Have COVID   Nearly half of passengers from China to Milan have COVID: Italian officials -- The Hill   Half of the passengers on 2 flights from China had COVID: report -- NYPost...

Incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset on December 28, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)   The Guardian/AP: Netanyahu government makes West Bank settlement expansion its priority   Hardline coalition vows to legalise dozens of illegally built outposts and annex the occupied territory  Benjamin Netanyahu’s incoming hardline government put West Bank settlement expansion at the top of its list of priorities on Wednesday, vowing to legalise dozens of illegally built outposts and annex the occupied territory as part of its coalition deal with its ultranational allies.  The coalition agreements, released a day before the government is to be sworn into office, also included language endorsing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people on religious grounds, as well as generous stipends for ultra-Orthodox men who prefer to study instead of work.    Read more ....  New Netanyahu Government Vows To Make West Bank Settlement Expansion Its Prio...

  France 24: Russian, Syrian, Turkish defence ministers meet in Moscow for first talks since 2011   The defence ministers of Russia, Turkey and Syria met in Moscow on Wednesday, the first such talks since a war broke out in Syria, the Russian defence ministry said. It was also the first meeting between the defence ministers of Turkey and Syria since the start of the war in 2011.  Russia and Turkey are both involved in Syria, with Moscow supporting the Damascus regime against its opponents, and Ankara backing rebels.   Read more ....   Update #1 : Turkish, Syrian, Russian defense chiefs hold surprise talks (AP)   Update #2: Turkey, Syria, Russia defence ministers hold talks in Moscow (Al Jazeera)   WNU Editor : This is laying the groundwork for the eventual meeting between Assad and Erdogan. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/aiD85o2 via IFTTT

December 27, 2022, on its Twitter account, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Italy will provide an additional €10 million of aid to Ukraine including air defense systems. Previously, Army Recognition reported that Italy planned to deliver SAMP/T, an air defense missile system produced by the company MBDA. Read full Defense News at this link ... Italian Army TEL Transporter Erector Launcher truck of the SAMP/T air defense missile system. (Picture source Leonardo) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/yV0G5Y1 via IFTTT

 According to information published by Tass on December 28, 2022, the frigate Admiral Golovko has sailed into the Baltic Sea for the second stage of sea trials, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Read full news at this link Russian Project 22350 frigate Admiral Golovko. (Picture source: Rus Podplav) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/WqvbtfA via IFTTT

 According to information published by Infodefensa on December 16, 2022, the shipyard Asmar has launched the new icebreaker, Almirante Viel, for the Chilean Navy. Read full news at this link Icebreaker Almirante Viel. (Picture source: Asmar) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/6hUfGSp via IFTTT

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and grandchildren Natalie Biden and Robert Hunter Biden disembark from Air Force One as they arrive for a New Year's vacation, at Rohlsen Airport, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands   Daily Mail: Warming up! Bidens touch down in 76 degree US Virgin Islands as America recovers from historic blizzard and thousands are left stranded by airport chaos   * Joe and Jill Biden arrived sunny St. Croix on Tuesday  * Arrival comes as thousands in U.S. are stranded at airports due to snow   * Optics of trip being questioned as nation faces multiple crises  * Bidens will be on island through New Year's Eve   Joe and Jill Biden arrived in the U.S. Virgins Islands on Tuesday evening to spend the New Year's Eve in the sun as thousands of Americans remain stranded by canceled flights in the wake of winter weather.  The Bidens, accompanied by grandkids Natalie and Hunter Jr. and daughter Ashley, arrived to 7...

CNN: Russia ready to resume gas supply to Europe via Yamal-Europe gas pipeline   Russia is prepared to resume gas supplies to Europe via the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, which was previously stopped for political reasons, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Russian state news agency TASS on Sunday.  “The European market remains relevant, as the gas shortage persists, and we have every opportunity to resume supplies. For example, the Yamal-Europe pipeline, which was stopped for political reasons, remains unused,” Novak said. There is an increase in demand for gas from Europe, Novak said, according to TASS.  Read more ....   Update #1: Russia Willing To Resume Gas Supplies To Europe Via Yamal Pipeline (OilPrice.com)   Update #2: Russia is prepared to resume some gas flows to Europe via pipeline, deputy prime minister says (Market Insider)   WNU Editor: I have trouble seeing Europe in the current environment agreeing to this Russian...

  WNU Editor: A lot of fighting reported today. Specifically around Bakhmut and the Lyman front-line. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/hTVEqUZ via IFTTT

  Daily Mail : Iran threatens to raze Tel Aviv to the ground in chilling video explaining how Tehran would respond to an Israeli strike on its nuclear plant   * The violent video, posted on Twitter, includes terrifying explosions and missiles  * It contains a step-by-step process of how Iran would raise Tel Aviv 'to the ground'  * 11 years ago former president of Iran Khamenei made the same threat to Tel Aviv  Iran has threatened to raze Tel Aviv 'to the ground' in a chilling video explaining how Tehran would respond to an Israeli strike on its nuclear plant.    The violent video - shared on Twitter - begins by acknowledging how the Zionist regime conducted 'another joint exercise with the US' to 'simulate an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities'.    A confident reporter in the video said: 'Let's assume that Israeli jets manage to reach the Natanz nuclear site in one piece, and let's assume that they manage to bomb this ...

  Reuters: Putin says Russia ready to negotiate over Ukraine, Kyiv says Moscow doesn't want talks   * Russian resident Vladimir Putin says the West is trying to break up Russia.  * Putin accuses Kyiv and the West of refusing to negotiate.  * Ukraine says Putin needs to come back to reality.  Russia is ready to negotiate with all parties involved in the war in Ukraine but Kyiv and its Western backers have refused to engage in talks, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview aired on Sunday.  Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most deadly European conflict since World War  Two and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: Both Russian President Putin and Ukraine President Zelensky say that they are ready for peace talks. But in reality there is no common ground between the two sides to even begin such talks.  More News On ...

  ABC News Australia: China sends 71 warplanes, seven ships towards Taiwan in 24 hours following anger at US defence bill   China has sent 71 planes and seven ships towards Taiwan in a 24-hour period, the island's defence ministry said on Monday, after Beijing expressed anger at Taiwan-related provisions in a US annual defence spending bill passed on Saturday.   In recent years China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has sent planes or ships toward the self-ruled island on a near-daily basis.  Between 6am Sunday and 6am Monday, 47 Chinese planes crossed the median of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary once tacitly accepted by both sides, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said.   Read more ....   WNU Editor : This incursion follows the PLA military sending 39 aircraft and three warships toward Taiwan on Thursday last week .... China Sends Huge Show Of Force Across Taiwan Strait Median Line (Zero Hedg...

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that three military personnel were killed on December 26, 2022, after an aerial attack with a drone launched by Ukraine. The drone was shot down but several pieces of debris fell on the Russian Engels air force base located in the southwestern Saratov region which hosts Tu-160s, the most powerful bomber aircraft of the Russian Air Force. Read full Defense News at this link ... The Engels Russian Air Force Base was already attacked on December 5, 2022, by a modified Tu-141 soviet-made drone launched from Ukraine.  Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/VJ1tKgy via IFTTT

BAE Systems via its Twitter account announced on December 21, 2022, that the company awarded a $128 million contract for the production of 26 M88A2 HERCULES tracked armored recovery vehicles for the Polish army. Read full Defense News at this link ... United States army M88A2 ARV Armored Recovery Vehicle. (Picture source Army Recognition) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/6SaXFM7 via IFTTT

Smoke billows from a fire, as members of the Kurdish community attend a demonstration, following a shooting, in Paris, France. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier   WNU Editor: The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... Top Photos of the Day (Reuters). from War News Updates https://ift.tt/zLPSd5s via IFTTT

The K-4386 Typhoon-VDV, another new 4x4 armored vehicle designed for Russian airborne troops is now deployed in Ukraine to perform combat operations. The vehicle was unveiled in 2019 at the Military Technical Forum defense exhibition that was held near Moscow. Read News Russia - Ukraine War 2022 at this link ... New K-4386 Typhoon-VDV 4x4 armored vehicles for Russian airborne troops are involved in the war in Ukraine. (Picture source Social Network VK) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/PHF6jJE via IFTTT

A new video was released via the Russian social network on December 25, 2022, showing a new batch of Russian army T-90M and T-72B3 Model 2022 main battle tanks (MBTs) on a railway near the city of Rostov, a city in southern Russia, on the way for Ukraine. Read full Defense News at this link ... A train near Rostov with Russian army T-90M and T-72B3 Model 2022 on the way to Ukraine. (Picture source Screen Shot video footage VK Russian Social Network) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/l2fAU3M via IFTTT

According to information and video published by Russian TV presenter and journalist Vladimir Solovyov on December 25, 2022, the Russian army has deployed its first latest generation of main battle tanks, T-14 Armata, in the NVO areas, which are the regions in Ukraine under the control of Russian separatists. Read full Defense News at this link ... The latest generation of Russian-made main battle tanks T-14 Armata was spotted by Russian journalist Vladimir Solovyov in the Ukrainian Donbas region.  (Picture source Vladimir Solovyov Telegram) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/kGaTfMY via IFTTT

  VOA: Taliban Bans Afghan Women from Universities   Women and girls in Afghanistan suffered another setback in their push for equal access to education on Wednesday. Many universities closed their doors to female students hoping to take exams and attend class.   Reports by Voice of America and the Associated Press said young women could be seen crying after they were not permitted to go into their university buildings.  Taliban fighters in Kabul and other Afghan cities blocked the students from going into their classrooms. The action came one day after the Taliban administration shared a letter that said private and public universities should ban women and girls as soon as possible.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: The public executions and floggings are back .... Afghan Taliban Announce New Round of Public Floggings (VOA). More here .... Taliban carry out first public execution since returning to power in Afghanistan (CNN).  Taliban ...

Citing information published by the Russian Ministry of Defense on December 23, 2022, Russia's armed forces use for the first time in Ukraine new hypersonic missiles in combat operations including the Kinzhal air-to-surface and 3M22 Zircon ship-launched hypersonic cruise missile which cannot be detected and intercepted by Ukrainian air defense systems. Read full Defense News at this link ... Russia uses for the first time in Ukraine hypersonic missiles including Kinzhal air-to-surface and 3M22 Zircon ship-launched hypersonic cruise missile. Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/X1tUNKC via IFTTT

 According to information published by the UK MoD on December 23, 2022, the Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Tamar has completed her first ‘proper’ visit to Brunei as she heads west towards the Indian Ocean. Read full news at this link River class Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS Tamar. (Picture source: UK MoD) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/ic3VCJP via IFTTT

 According to information published by Tass on December 23, 2022, the Velikiye Luki diesel-electric submarine of project 677 Lada will be floated soon. The date has already been set by Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Read full news at this link Russian Project 677 (Lada class) submarine Velikiye Luki. (Picture source: VPK) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/cXpbztl via IFTTT

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced on December 22, 2022, a signature with the United States for the procurement of American-made Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 loitering munitions designed and manufactured by the company AeroVironment. The contract value amounts to approx. €45 million. Read full Defense News at this link ... American Switchblade 600 loitering munition at the front et Switchblade 300 at the back. (Picture source Army Recognition) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/nrPs7hp via IFTTT

 According to information published by the French MoD on December 23, 2022, the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CSG) transited the Suez Canal. Read full news at this link French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. (Picture source: French MoD) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/J0sFcPY via IFTTT

 According to a tweet published by Navantia on December 23, 2022, after the work carried out during its drydocking, the submarine Isaac Peral is back afloat to continue its next port and sea trials. Read full news at this link S-80 Plus-class submarine Isaac Peral at Cartagena shipyard.  (Picture source: Navantia) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/LrA3Qv7 via IFTTT