Saturday, December 9, 2023
Third Fall Explosion: Seychelles Explosion + Flood + State Of Emergency + Putin's Shell Companies + Pandora Papers = Putin Doom
1. Putin Shell Companies
2. Pandora Papers
3. Explosion
4. Flood
5. State Of Emergency
Police swoop on Seychelles financial services firm hours after new Pandora Papers probe
Seychelles authorities raided an offshore financial service provider just hours after a new Pandora Papers investigation by ICIJ’s media partners revealed that the firm had exploited a U.K. secrecy loophole and helped front companies used by Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
Seychelles-based Alpha Consulting was one of 14 offshore services providers whose leaked files made up the Pandora Papers, a trove of 11.9 million documents that were obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and shared with more than 600 reporters around the world.
The November investigation by media outlets Finance Uncovered, the BBC and Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation traced company records and analyzed hundreds of Alpha Consulting documents contained in the Pandora Papers cache to uncover more than 900 U.K.-registered firms set up by nominee directors linked to the Seychelles provider.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, boss of the Wagner Group, who died earlier this year, was reportedly one of those who reportedly benefitted from Alpha’s services. Prigozhin’s company Beratex Group Ltd was sanctioned by the United States in 2019. Source
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Second Advent 2023 Terror Attack: Muslim Set Off Bomb During Catholic Mass At Mindanao State University in Marawi City. Four Dead.
This is the second Muslim terror attack for Advent 2023
ISIS claims deadly blast at Catholic mass in southern Philippines
CNN
—
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a deadly explosion that ripped through a Catholic mass service at a university gym in the southern Philippines on Sunday.
At least four people were killed and dozens of others were injured in the blast at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, according to authorities.
In a communique, ISIS said its fighters “detonated an explosive device on a large gathering of Christian disbelievers in Marawi City,” according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a counterterrorism threat intelligence organization that tracks the online activity of extremist groups. Photos of the scene showed soldiers and emergency workers standing among debris in the gym. A section of the seating area was blown up, chairs strewn across the floor.
Lanao del Sur province Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., told reporters more than 40 people were being treated at a government hospital in Marawi, while a number of others with minor injuries were treated at the university’s infirmary following the blast.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned the attack in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Without naming any specific groups or elaborating further, he described the blast as “senseless and most heinous, perpetrated by foreign terrorists.”
“Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society,” he said, adding that additional security personnel had been deployed to assist in the response.
The United States condemned the “horrific terrorist attack” in a government statement.
“The United States is in close contact with our Philippine partners and stands with the people of the Philippines in rejecting this act of violence,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Source
Second Fall 2023 Explosion: Massive Blast Destroys Home In Virginia During Police Search
Police identify man likely killed in Arlington house blast
James Yoo, who lived in the house at 844 North Burlington Street, is believed to have died in the massive blast that sent flames, smoke and debris raining down on the neighborhood, County Police Chief Andy Penn said at a news briefing. Investigators found human remains at the scene of the blast and are still trying to determine the person’s identity, but Penn said in all likelihood it is Yoo.
The standoff that preceded the explosion involved suspected gunfire from inside the house as police officer were trying to execute a search warrant, looking for weapons, Penn said. Arlington’s Assistant Fire Chief Jason R. Jenkins told reporters that the cause of the blast remains under investigation, but that the flow of natural gas to the home had been cut off by firefighters before the explosion shortly before 8:30 p.m. James Yoo, who lived in the house at 844 North Burlington Street, is believed to have died in the massive blast that sent flames, smoke and debris raining down on the neighborhood, County Police Chief Andy Penn said at a news briefing. Investigators found human remains at the scene of the blast and are still trying to determine the person’s identity, but Penn said in all likelihood it is Yoo.
The standoff that preceded the explosion involved suspected gunfire from inside the house as police officer were trying to execute a search warrant, looking for weapons, Penn said. Arlington’s Assistant Fire Chief Jason R. Jenkins told reporters that the cause of the blast remains under investigation, but that the flow of natural gas to the home had been cut off by firefighters before the explosion shortly before 8:30 p.m. Source
Sunday, December 3, 2023
First Muslim Terror Attack Advent 2023: Muslim Terrorist Stabs Multiple People In Paris
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Suspected ISIS Terrorist Stabs Multiple People In Paris
A terrorist pleading allegiance to ISIS stabbed multiple people in Paris on Saturday night near the Eiffel Tower.
The suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the terrorist attack and was “known for radical Islamism,” the AFP reported. At least one person is dead and two more were injured. “The police have just courageously arrested an assailant attacking passers-by in Paris, around the Quai de Grenelle,” said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. “One deceased person and one injured person treated by the Paris Fire Brigade. Please avoid the area.
”Les policiers viennent d’avoir courageusement interpellé un assaillant s’en prenant à des passants à Paris, autour du quai de Grenelle. Une personne décédée et un blessé pris en charge par les Pompiers de Paris. Merci d’éviter le secteur.
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) December 2, 2023
France 24 journalist Wassim Nasr wrote in a post on X that the suspect uploaded a two minute video to social media “declaring himself as a supporter of the caliphate of the Islamic State and pledges allegiance to the caliph Abu Hafs.”
“He claims to act ‘to avenge the Muslims’ and greets the IS jihadists in all his areas of activity one by one,” Nasr added.
The threat of Islamic terrorist attacks against the West has skyrocketed in recent months after Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 Israelis on October 7. German authorities arrested two teenagers this week for allegedly planning and preparing to carry out an Islamic terrorist attack against a synagogue and a Christmas market. The two had discussed carrying out an attack on “infidels. One of the suspects was a Russian national while the other was described as a “German-Afghan.” They allegedly “planned to leave Germany together after the attack and join the Islamic State-Khorasan Province extremist group, an IS offshoot active in and around Afghanistan,” the Associated Press reported. Source
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
First Fall 2023 Explosion: Car Bomb Explodes At Rainbow Bridge Border Crossing - Two Muslims Dead
First Fall Explosion
Car Bomb
Muslim Terror attack meant for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Both Muslims dead.
2 dead after vehicle explodes at Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, official says
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — A vehicle speeding toward a U.S.-Canada bridge from the American side crashed and exploded at a checkpoint in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, leaving two people dead and prompting the closing of four border crossings in the area, authorities said.
There was no immediate information on the cause of the incident, but it raised concerns on both sides of the border. The White House said President Joe Biden was “closely following developments," and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said officials were “taking this extraordinarily seriously."
“This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” Trudeau said in Parliament before excusing himself from Question Period in the House of Commons to be briefed further.
The two deceased people were in the vehicle, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Aaron Ferguson, a spokesperson for the city of Niagara Falls, New York, said the vehicle was traveling at high speed from that city and crashed into the border station.
Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario, told The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that what happened appeared to be “an isolated incident.”
The U.S. FBI’s field office in Buffalo and other agencies were investigating the blast. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul traveled to Buffalo from the state capital, Albany.
The explosion happened on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River. Source
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Friday, November 10, 2023
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Oh sh*t. A new U.S. Army recruitment ad dropped and it’s all straight white men. We are definitely going to war.
Oh sh*t. A new U.S. Army recruitment ad dropped and it’s all straight white men.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 7, 2023
We are definitely going to war.pic.twitter.com/7rv8HnFaFT
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Friday, November 3, 2023
Hi Spain 🇪🇸👋 It turns out Spain (Andalusia) is also occupied Muslim land, and must be freed.
Hi Spain 🇪🇸👋
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) November 2, 2023
It turns out Spain (Andalusia) is also occupied Muslim land, and must be freed.
Good luck with that.
pic.twitter.com/HFDIkoSgfz
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Members of Israel’s Knesset Left ‘In Tears And Shock’ After Viewing IDF Video Of Hamas Atrocities
#FactCheck : The video is of Knesset members shocked after watching a video describing the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists on children and innocent civilians on 7.10.23 https://t.co/Blx170nFNc
— בודקים (@bodkim2022) November 1, 2023
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
‘There WILL Be Multiple Terrorist Attacks in the U.S. Over the Next 14 Months’
This post will be attacked by the left, the marxists, the trolls, antifa, blm, even the intelligence community.
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) October 31, 2023
I'm a 39 year intelligence analyst, I and my team’s clients include the United States Government, British Government, Israeli Government, Saudi Arabia Government,… pic.twitter.com/AeU6cTtOuh
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Homes in Paris and suburbs daubed with Stars of David to identify where Jews live - i24 News
JUST IN - Homes in Paris and suburbs daubed with Stars of David to identify where Jews live - i24 News pic.twitter.com/g3mC09WfMG
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) October 31, 2023
In Paris a woman threatens to blow up the subway shouting "Allah Akbar" and the French police shoot her.
In Paris a woman threatens to blow up the subway shouting "Allah Akbar" and the French police shoot her.
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) October 31, 2023
pic.twitter.com/13DU1faZLi
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Monday, October 23, 2023
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Israelis flee Gaza Strip en masse as Hamas Terrorists advance toward Israel’s border.
Zionist settlers flee Gaza Strip en masse as Palestinian militants advance toward Israel’s border.
— AF Post (@AFpost) October 7, 2023
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/jgkLhNg9dR
Hamas terrorists reportedly attacked Israelis at a desert rave party
Hamas terrorists engaged in 21 locations in southern Israel, according to the Police Commissioner
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 7, 2023
In video, Hamas terrorists reportedly attacked Israelis at a desert rave party pic.twitter.com/ZVBahQ2uA0
Hamas Terrorists in a battle with Israeli forces in southern Israel.
Terrorists in a battle with Israeli forces in southern Israel. Israel is under attack pic.twitter.com/vUchbF15hB
— Niv Calderon (@nivcalderon) October 7, 2023
Deployment of Israeli Merkava Mark lV Main Battle Tanks
The Significant Deployment of Israeli Merkava Mark lV Main Battle Tanks is continuing to occur in Southern Israel near the Gaza Strip as a Ground Invasion of the Region seems all but certain at this point. pic.twitter.com/aMv05w7MQs
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 8, 2023
The U.S. Aircraft Carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) as well as the other Ships in Carrier Strike Group 12 which includes Ticonderoga-Class Cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60), as well as Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers USS Ramage (DDG-61), USS McFaul (DDG-74), and USS Thomas Hudner…
The U.S. Aircraft Carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) as well as the other Ships in Carrier Strike Group 12 which includes Ticonderoga-Class Cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60), as well as Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers USS Ramage (DDG-61), USS McFaul (DDG-74), and USS Thomas Hudner… pic.twitter.com/FlV1tJT8DO
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 8, 2023
Friday, October 6, 2023
Thursday, October 5, 2023
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Never relax in Chicago.
Never relax in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/hQEUFpWW6C
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 26, 2023
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Saturday, September 23, 2023
First Fall Explosion: Huge Fireball Over Cangzhou: Factory In China Explodes
China first again....
A huge explosion occurred in northeastern China on Thursday. The massive fireball rose above a factory site in Cangzhou, a city of seven million people. According to authorities, two people were killed in the accident. Source
Monday, September 18, 2023
Sunday, September 17, 2023
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Twentieth Summer Explosion: Romania Explosion At Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Station
Romania explosion: Huge blasts at fuel station kill two and injure dozens
At least two people died and 56 were injured after two blasts at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) station in Romania.
The injured included 39 firefighters who went to the scene following the first explosion near the capital Bucharest on Saturday evening.
Shortly after, a second blast sent a mushroom cloud billowing into the sky, rocking the forecourt in Crevedia.
Several people are in critical condition with severe burns, authorities said.
The two people who died were a couple, Raed Arafat, the head of Romania's emergency department, told reporters on Sunday.
They sent four people who were injured, including two firefighters, to hospitals abroad and said others would follow.
Two police officers and two gendarmes are among the injured.
Authorities do not yet know what caused the blast. Mr Arafat said the station was no longer in use and "did not have a permit to function", according to quotes reported by the Agence France-Presse news agency.
People within a 700-metre (almost half a mile) radius were initially evacuated from the area, with Mr Arafat warning there was a risk of another explosion.
But by mid-morning, the fires had been contained.
Romania's President Klaus Iohannis described the explosions as a "tragedy" and said he was "profoundly saddened" by what had happened.
"An investigation must quickly be launched to see if rules were broken. I ask the authorities to take urgent measures for the injured so that these tragedies won't happen again," he wrote on Facebook. Source
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Nineteenth Summer Explosion: Yevgeny Prigozhin's Plane Blows Up Midair And Crashes To The Ground Killing All On Board
Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board the private jet that crashed in the Tver region north of Moscow, the Russian aviation authority has said.
Rosaviatsia posted a list of seven passengers and three crew members, who it said were aboard the plane “according to the airline”.
All 10 bodies have been recovered from the site and the search operation has been completed, authorities said.
The private jet crashed en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg, around 60 miles north of the Russian capital.
Exactly two months ago, Prigozhin led a short mutiny against the Russian military that Vladimir Putin denounced as “treason”. Source
Eighteenth Summer Explosion: Caleb Farley: NFL Player’s Father Killed In Home Explosion
Caleb Farley: NFL player’s father killed in home explosion
The father of NFL star Caleb Farley was killed in a massive explosion early on Tuesday at the player's North Carolina home, officials said.
First responders found the body of Robert Farley, 61, after searching through the debris of the multimillion-dollar house.
The Tennessee Titans cornerback was not at home at the time of the explosion.
The investigation is focusing on the property's natural gas lines - no foul play is suspected.
Christian Rogers, 25, a family friend who was also at the home, was taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement released by Iredell County.
The 6,300 sq ft (585 sq m) lakeside property, in the Charlotte suburb of Mooresville, was reduced to rubble and all vehicles parked outside the home were destroyed.
"There's a lot of devastation," Iredell County director of fire services and emergency management Kent Greene told the Tennessean. "There's nothing left of this structure except a partial wall."
Mr Farley, 24, was spotted on the scene speaking to authorities after the blast on Tuesday morning.
Neighbours told local news outlet Queen City News that they had smelled gas and heard the explosion.
"A loud boom, about five minutes to midnight," said neighbour Clay Wild. "I can't believe it."
Caleb Farley grew up in nearby Maiden, North Carolina, before going to play American football at Virginia Tech. He was later the number 22 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel gathered the players after practice on Tuesday and they kneeled to pray for Mr Farley.
"What's most important is that we do everything we can to support him emotionally," Mr Vrabel said. "It's shocking. We've got to focus on Caleb and his family, and how we can support him."
In 2018, Mr Farley lost his mother to breast cancer, Sports Illustrated reported.
"I know he lost his mother at a young age as well," his teammate Kevin Byard said.
"He's dealt with a lot of adversity. It's very tragic. It's an unimaginable tragedy." Source
Seventeenth Summer Explosion: Ten Dead In San Cristobal Explosion
SAN CRISTOBAL, Dominican Republic (AP) — The death toll from a powerful explosion near the Dominican Republic’s capital rose Tuesday to 10 with dozens injured, as firefighters searched through smoldering rubble and people cried outside hospitals looking for missing loved ones.
President Luis Abinader visited San Cristobal, located just west of Sango Domingo, to meet with those affected, saying an additional 11 people were missing and that authorities were still trying to extinguish the fire amid collapsed buildings and charred vehicles.
“We’re doing everything humanly possible ... to investigate the situation of the 11 missing,” he said. “The search for survivors has been very difficult.” At least 10 people were killed and more than 50 people were injured in Monday’s explosion at a bustling commercial center in San Cristobal, said Joel Santos, minister of the presidency. At least 36 of the injured remained hospitalized, he said. Source
Sixteenth Summer Explosion: Gas Station Explosion In Russia's Dagestan - 35 Dead
MOSCOW (AP) — A massive explosion at a gas station in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan killed 35 people and injured scores more, Russian officials said Tuesday.
Russia’s Health Ministry said 115 people were injured in the blast and subsequent fire, and 35 of them died, including three children.
A total of 65 of those injured, including 16 children, remained hospitalized as of midday Tuesday, the ministry said. Eleven people, including two children, were in grave condition. The explosion occurred Monday night on the outskirts of Makhachkala, the region’s capital. A fire started at a car repair shop and spread to a nearby gas station, triggering the blast. Source
Monday, August 14, 2023
Fifteenth Summer Explosion: Plum Explosion Kills Five
A 38-year-old man and his 12-year-old son are among five people killed in a house explosion in Pennsylvania over the weekend.
The 12 August blast in Plum, a Pittsburgh suburb, left three others injured, including one person in critical condition.
Three other structures in the neighbourhood were destroyed and at least a dozen others damaged.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the explosion.
According to officials in Pennsylvania's Allegheny County, they received an emergency 911 call at about 10:30 (15:30 BST) local time on Saturday. Police and firefighters "arrived on scene and reported that there were people trapped under debris".
"It appeared as if one house had exploded, and two others were engulfed in fire. Multiple other homes were damaged with windows blown out," they said in a Facebook post.
Doorbell camera footage - which has not been independently verified by the BBC - shows a massive explosion sending smoke and debris into the sky above the neighbourhood.
Five bodies were later recovered from the scene.
Officials say it is still unclear who was home and if any visitors were in the area at the time, complicating efforts to identify the dead.
"ID is expected to take some time as it will involve use of dental records, and potentially DNA, for formal identification," Allegheny County said on X, the social media network formerly known as Twitter.
While officials have not publicly named any of the victims, family members identified Casey Clontz, 38, and his son, Keegan, 12, as being among the five killed.
Mr Clontz and his son lived four houses away from the scene of the explosion. It is unclear why they were there, although family members told local news outlet TribLive that they were likely visiting neighbours.
A statement from the Clontz family described Keegan as Casey's "shadow", and the pair often went fishing and hunting together.
"Keegan and Casey were their most happy when they were spending time at the lake with their lake family and friends. They swam, did boating and loved cruising around in their golf cart," the family said.
Keegan was part of a youth football programme and was due to start junior high in a week.
Casey and Jen, his wife of 14 years, also had a 10-year-old daughter, Addie.
Additionally, an online fundraiser has been set up for the Oravitz family, which owned the property where the explosion took place. It is unclear if any members of the family are among the dead.
Crews from at least 18 local fire departments were needed to douse the flames. More than 50 firefighters were treated at the scene for minor issues, primarily heat exhaustion.
Local police and fire officials are investigating the cause of the explosion alongside staff from the local utility company and state public utilities commission.
Officials told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that the probe will be a "slow and long process" that could potentially take months, even years, to complete.
One resident, Rafal Kolankowski, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the explosion shattered windows in his house and knocked him and his wife down.
"It's just tragic, I mean, it looks like a war zone — it looks like a bomb hit our neighborhood and it's just unfortunate," Mr Kolankowski was quoted as saying.
"I was just with some of the neighbors yesterday, right, and now this happens." Source
Friday, August 11, 2023
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Twelfth Summer Explosion: Muslim Suicide Bomber Sets Off Explosion During Political Rally In Pakistan
Pakistan explosion: At least 40 dead in blast at political rally in northwest province
A bomb went off at an event held by supporters of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party. It is part of Pakistan's coalition government.
At least 40 people have been killed in an explosion at a political rally in northwestern Pakistan.
The blast happened on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said. More than 130 people were also injured when the suicide bombing went off at a rally organised by supporters of hardline cleric and political party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Some of those seriously wounded were airlifted to a hospital in the provincial capital, Peshawar.
Pictures from the scene also showed people being put into ambulances and the blast area being cordoned off, with emergencies declared at local hospitals.
Local party official among dead
One of the dead is the local leader of Mr Rehman's Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, Maulana Ziaullah.
Mr Rehman himself was not in attendance at the rally, officials said.
His party is part of Pakistan's coalition government and he also leads the Pakistan Democratic Movement, which united opposition parties against the then prime minister Imran Khan.
The group formed in September 2020 in a bid to oust Mr Khan, succeeding via a no-confidence vote last year.
Sunday afternoon's event came as parties prepare for a general election later this year.
Witnesses describe aftermath
Among the injured was 45-year-old Adam Khan, who was hit by splinters in his leg and hands.
"There was dust and smoke all around," he said.
Mohammad Wali said he was listening to a speaker address the crowd when the blast happened.
"I was near the water dispenser to fetch a glass when the bomb exploded, throwing me to the ground," he said.
"We came to the meeting with enthusiasm but ended up at the hospital seeing crying wounded people."
Area known for militant attacks
Pakistani journalist Zahir Shah Sherazi told Sky News the blast would give "a very negative message" to any parties holding campaign events in the coming weeks and months.
"They are feeling threatened," he said of Pakistan's leaders, who will contest the election within 60 days of the country's national assembly dissolving on 13 August.
Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi have condemned the attack, with Mr Rehman calling on them to order an official inquiry.
Nobody immediately claimed responsibility, but Islamic State operates just across the border in Afghanistan.
Mr Rehman is considered pro-Taliban, the group which has governed Afghanistan since summer 2021.
A Taliban spokesman offered condolences to relatives of the dead and prayed for a "speedy recovery of the injured".
Bajur was a safe haven for Islamic militants until recent years, when Pakistan's military carried out operations to eliminate the threat.
But there are still occasional attacks, targeting security forces and civilians alike.
Eleventh Summer Explosion: Explosion In Moscow After Suspected Ukraine Drone Attack
Several explosions rocked Moscow early Sunday morning in a drone attack that damaged a skyscraper, left at least one person injured, and shut down airspace over the area, according to local reports.
The Moscow City business center took a direct hit in the attack, with footage from the scene showing debris and smoke apparently pouring out of the building. Local outlet 112 reported that a security guard was injured in the strike, though Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said no injuries had been reported.
“Ukrainian drones attacked tonight. The facades on two [Moscow] City office towers were slightly damaged,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.
Residents reported hearing multiple explosions just before 3:30 a.m. local time, as air defenses were activated to shoot down the drones. Witnesses told local media at least one of the drones appeared to tear through a floor in the Moscow City skyscraper, blowing out nearby windows in the process.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have “suppressed” two drones, causing them to lose control and crash into Moscow City, and to have shot down a third drone.
Airspace over and around the city was shut down as a result of the attack, and Vnukovo International Airport temporarily halted incoming and outgoing flights. Source
💥 Moscow under attack: A drone can be heard flying into a building resulting in a massive explosion this morning.
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) July 30, 2023
'Moscow City' is a very high-end business district just 2.8 miles from the Kremlin. (4.5km) Multiple drone strikes reported. pic.twitter.com/hPduDET75M
Dashcam captured the moment of the impact explosion from the drone at 4:15am in Moscow. pic.twitter.com/YLhnCBcncr
— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) July 30, 2023
A Larimer County Sheriff’s Deputy tased a fleeing 28 year old man onto an active highway where he is ran over and killed.
A Larimer County Sheriff’s Deputy tased a fleeing 28 year old man onto an active highway where he is ran over and killed.
— Donut Operator 🍩 (@DonutOperator) July 29, 2023
Who was in the wrong here? pic.twitter.com/JzPv742d8r
Saturday, July 29, 2023
At A Haifa Church, Jewish Pilgrims Test Coexistence Strained By Painful History
At a Haifa church, Jewish pilgrims test coexistence strained by painful history
Haredi visitors outside Stella Maris say they want to pray near the presumed burial site of Prophet Elisha; churchgoers say it’s just another attempt to intimidate Christians As Christian worshipers stream in for prayer at the Stella Maris church, they are flanked by two small but conspicuous groups of young men standing on either side of the main entrance.
The men are not there for moral support.
They are an impromptu security force, made up of volunteers who have been standing guard here during services in recent weeks because of a dispute with Haredi Jews who have begun to come and pray outside this iconic church in Haifa. Seen locally as provocateurs bent on intimidating Arabs, the Jewish pilgrims say they merely want to worship outside what they believe is the burial place of Prophet Elisha, a biblical figure from the 8th century BCE and the disciple and successor of Elijah.
“This is for our own safety,” said one of the young Christian men, who works at his father’s popular falafel shop in Haifa, of the security posse flanking the entrance. He spoke to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity, saying, “If things escalate, I don’t want your article to establish some record about me.” Things did escalate just days later: On Sunday, Christian worshipers chased away from the area around the entrance to the church several dozen Haredi Jews from the Breslov Hasidic movement.
It was the latest in a string of attempts this summer by Breslovers to pray near the church, which has recently been added to the itineraries of several organizers of pilgrimages to the graves of Jewish sages.
The developments around Stella Maris are rare disturbances highlighting historic grudges in a city where deadly fighting between Jews and Arabs in 1948 led to a massive flight of Arab residents but that has since become a rare model for harmonious coexistence by followers of the three main Abrahamic faiths and beyond.
Churchgoers at Stella Maris dismiss the religious reasons cited by the Jewish pilgrims as a flimsy pretext for intimidating Christians, allegedly with the tacit support of the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Jewish pilgrims, meanwhile, decry the hostility of the Christians as intolerance and hooliganism, claiming they are backed up by the left-leaning mayor, Einat Kalish, and the media. Kalish’s office did not immediately respond to requests for a reaction on these claims.
The pilgrimages have led to violence in at least two cases, which ended with only minor injuries. In the scuffle on Sunday, men from inside and around the Stella Maris church shoved about 60 Haredi men away as the ultra-Orthodox Jews prayed outside the church.
Police separated the Haredim and the Christians and briefly detained several Jewish worshipers. In a previous scuffle this month, police arrested a Christian for assaulting a Haredi man near the church, and patrol vehicles have taken up stations opposite the church throughout this week.
On Monday, several hundred Christians held a vigil outside the church. It turned into a protest against the pilgrimages, with an unauthorized blockage of a main traffic artery.
“The Jews who come here are not about Judaism or religion at all,” said Father William Abu Shqar, the director of the office of the Greek-Catholic Bishop of Haifa. “Because of what’s going on with the government, they’re coming out all over the place. Jewish worship never existed here; it’s made up to gain a foothold in this place that’s been sacred to Christians for centuries,” Abu Shqar, 66, told The Times of Israel.
Abu Shqar is not alone in identifying a trend of harassment and hostility toward Christians. Several leaders and followers of the faith have said that since the new government came to power at the end of last year, they have been seeing increased expressions of hostility, mainly spitting on the ground in their direction, by devout Jews in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The young falafel vendor at Stella Maris threatened retaliation if Jewish pilgrimages to Stella Maris continued.
“If this continues, we will have to target faith [sites] too, to preserve our security. We want to defend ourselves, our land, and our church,” said the vendor. The pilgrimages have “shaken the feeling of security and safety of Christians in Haifa and enhanced our feeling of being discriminated against,” he said.
Asked if he’s angry, the falafel vendor replied: “You bet I’m angry. I’m angry about a lot of things. But we never wanted to intervene. Haifa never used to be like this. It still isn’t — Jews and Arabs live here side by side in peace. Next time they come, we will make pork BBQ and have them eat it. Alternatively, you think I can’t train a pig to shit inside synagogues?”
But other churchgoers downplayed the issue. “What, the Jewish worshipers outside? The more the merrier,” said one man who came to Stella Maris last week with his son and wife to light candles in the church’s grotto. “It doesn’t bother me if they pray outside: Ahlan wa sahlan,” he said, using an Arabic-language phrase that is often used to greet a guest. The man declined to be named.
The grotto is one of two places in Haifa known as the Cave of Elijah, and associated with that prophet, according to the Book of Kings of the Hebrew Bible. Many Christians believe Elijah prayed at the grotto inside the Stella Maris church, a 19th-century structure whose striking white facade and prominent bell tower crown a steep incline of the Carmel Mountain range overlooking the Mediterranean.
Inside, an impressive and ornate chapel with frescos of biblical scenes focused on the Virgin Mary wows visitors who may not expect such splendor when they first step into the dark and relatively small interior.
Stella Maris has a symbolic significance for its beauty and age but also for its connection to the area: It is the home base for the ancient Catholic order known as the Carmelites, named for the mountain. Each year, thousands of Christians ascend to Stella Maris in a ceremonial procession. Hundreds of foreign tourists visit the church each month.
Ayman Odeh, a Haifa-based Knesset lawmaker who heads the predominantly Arab Hadash-Ta’al political alliance, issued veiled threats of violence of his own on Sunday during a speech in the Israeli parliament.
“I want to tell all of you: You don’t belong in Haifa. In our city, Haifa, you do not belong,” Odeh said. He did not explain who exactly doesn’t belong there, but he issued a threat. “Either you deal with the hooligans, or we will,” warned Odeh, whose family is Muslim but who attended a Christian school growing up.Breslovers who visited the church say the hooligans are in fact the Christians preventing Jewish pilgrims from praying outside the church.
“There are multiple sources indicating the church as the grave of Prophet Elisha,” said Benjamin Israel, a 48-year-old Jerusalemite. Israel visited Stella Maris with several dozen other Breslovers on Sunday and said the locals had assaulted the Jewish pilgrims.
“We were standing off and away from the entrance, praying quietly. Suddenly dozens of Arabs attacked, shoved us, and wounded two people,” said Israel. Christians at Stella Maris said they believed the pilgrims wanted to enter the church despite a prohibition in halacha, Jewish Orthodox law, against setting foot inside a non-Jewish house of worship.
Several interviewees cited this as cause for their suspicion that the pilgrimages are about dominance rather than worship.
This was fueled by the actions of two pilgrims who earlier this month were filmed knocking on the church’s doors, apparently in a bid to enter. Several Breslovers said those pilgrims were indeed in violation of halacha. “The rabbinic authorities of our generation have spoken out against entering a non-Jewish house of worship and so we oppose this,” said Menachem Malka, a Breslov follower.
Benjamin Israel, the pilgrim, said that Breslovers are seeking “no change to the status quo” at Stella Maris. “We don’t want to enter, we don’t want a seating area, we don’t need water and refreshments, just let us stand and pray sometimes outside the church on public ground. Is that too much to ask?” he demanded. Police’s failure to allow prayers by Jews outside the church was “discrimination against Haredim and a violation of basic freedom of worship,” Israel said.
Asked how come Breslovers began frequenting the site only in recent months, he replied: “Because you can’t see the actual burial place, it’s a less obvious choice than other gravesites.
But it’s in the literature and we’re getting around to it now. We’re not going away.”
Sitting on a folding chair outside the church, Hanna Suheila, an 82-year-old regular worshiper at Stella Maris, views the dispute as part of a Jewish attempt to dispossess Arabs in Haifa, which saw an exodus of Arab residents in 1948.Today, the predominantly Jewish city has about 285,000 residents, of whom about 35,000 are Arabs, who are divided more or less equally between Christians and Muslims.
“They take everything — they dig under the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem looking for Jewish graves, but they found nothing,” said Suheila, offering a disputed but widely held understanding among Arabs of archaeological excavations and restoration works in Jerusalem’s Old City.
“We love the Jews, they are our cousins,” said Suheila, who was seven when tens of thousands of Arabs, most of them Muslim, left Haifa as local Jews took it over from British Mandate authorities during the first phase of Israel’s Independence War. “But why do the Jews take the churches?” she demanded. “Why can’t we have this one place to ourselves?”
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