Вот такое письмо пришло от вице-президента Никарагуа Росарио Мурильо:
'Когда же США поймут, что акты агрессии, которые они беззастенчиво именуют санкциями (будто у них есть божественное право назначать наказание), означают не что иное, как попытку утвердить свои притязания на роль мирового диктатора?
Когда же они поймут, что наш мир изменился и что у них нет ни моральных, ни политических оснований выступать в роли вселенского прокурора, судьи или полицейского?
Справедливость восторжествует! Потому что гордыня и высокомерие превратят в пыль тех, кто считает себя богами, будучи в действительности колоссом на глиняных ногах, жалким в своем абсолютном невежестве и безрассудстве!
Единомышленники из RT, Sputnik, «России сегодня», еще раз выражаем вам свое признание и уважение за вашу работу и за творческий, вдумчивый, обоснованный, чуткий и проникновенный подход к освещению событий, благодаря которому вам удается тронуть сердца аудитории.
Ключевая роль RT заключается в том, чтобы продвигать и провозглашать новую культуру духовной силы человека. Это так и никак иначе. Еще раз примите наши поздравления за ваши знание, веру и силу. Победа будет за нами!'
И добавить тут нечего. Только бесконечная благодарность.
Analysts say Mossad likely hid explosives in pagers before they reached Hezbollah
Israel has scored a major intelligence success by apparently infiltrating a supply chain to cause the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of Hezbollah pagers in a blow for the Lebanese terror group and its Iranian backers, analysts say.
At least nine people were killed and some 2,750 wounded, including the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, when the pagers exploded in Hezbollah strongholds across the country in an unprecedented simultaneous attack.
With Hezbollah appearing to prefer the use of pagers for internal communications over smartphones for security reasons, analysts said it appeared Israel had corrupted the devices before delivery, allowing them to explode at a specific time.
A source close to Hezbollah, asking not to be identified, told AFP that “the pagers that exploded concern a shipment recently imported by Hezbollah of 1,000 devices,” which appear to have been “sabotaged at [the] source.”
Sky News Arabia quoted sources saying that the Mossad spy agency got hold of Hezbollah’s communication devices before they were handed over to the terror group.
The Israeli spy agency placed a quantity of PETN, a highly explosive material, on the batteries of the devices, and detonated them by raising the temperature of the batteries from afar, the source said.
A Lebanese security source quoted by Al Jazeera said an explosive weighing less than 20 grams had been placed in each pager.
A video circulating on social media purports to show the moment that a pager used by a Hezbollah operative exploded in Lebanon. According to Lebanese media, dozens were injured after Israel allegedly hacked the devices and detonated them.
The pagers that exploded had been newly acquired by Hezbollah after the group’s leader ordered members to stop using cellphones, warning they could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press the pagers were a new brand the group had not used before.
“Mossad infiltrated the supply chain,” said Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute, referring to Israel’s intelligence agency.
“A small plastic explosive was almost certainly concealed alongside the battery, for remote detonation via a call or page,” he said.
Officials with the group initially suspected overheated lithium-ion batteries may have caused the pagers to explode, but images of the destroyed devices seen Tuesday showed signs of detonation, said Alex Plitsas, a weapons expert at the Atlantic Council.
“A lithium-ion battery fire is one thing, but I’ve never seen one explode like that. It looks like a small explosive charge,” Plitsas said.
Paul Christensen, an expert in lithium-ion battery safety at Newcastle University said the level of damage caused by the pager explosions seemed inconsistent with known cases of such batteries failing in the past.
“What we’re talking about is a relatively small battery bursting into flames. We’re not talking of a fatal explosion here. I’d need to know more about the energy density of the batteries, but my intuition is telling me that it’s highly unlikely,” he said.
SMEX, a Lebanese digital rights organization, told Reuters that Israel could have exploited a weakness in the device to cause it to explode. It said the pagers could also have been intercepted before reaching Hezbollah and either tampered with electronically or implanted with an explosive device.
Yehoshua Kalisky, a scientist and senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank, noted the possibility of an electronic pulse “that was sent from afar and burnt the devices and caused their explosion.”
“It is not some random action; it was deliberate and known,” he said.
‘Their big comeback’
Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the explosions. Israel, which traditionally does not comment on security operations outside the country, has yet to confirm or deny its involvement.
It remains unclear whether the action could tip the region into a regional war between Israel and Hezbollah that the West has been battling to avoid ever since Hamas’s October 7 massacre on Israel sparked the war in Gaza.
But the images captured on camera of pagers exploding are a major security blow for Hezbollah and an illustration of Israel’s reach even into the terror group’s members’ pockets.
The action comes after senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on July 30 that indicated Israel had precise information about his whereabouts.
Just a day later, the political leader of Hamas, Ismael Haniyeh, was killed in a residence in Tehran, reportedly using an explosive device that had been placed by Israeli operatives weeks before. Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in the assassination.
French defense expert Pierre Servent said the latest action against Hezbollah would help Israeli intelligence services restore their reputation, which was badly dented by the October 7 massacre when Hamas-led terrorists rampaged across southern communities on October 7, murdering some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza.
“The series of operations conducted over the past few months marks their big comeback, with a desire for deterrence and a message: ‘We messed up but we’re not dead,'” he told AFP.
‘Classic sabotage’
Former CIA analyst Mike Dimino of the US-based Defense Priorities think tank said that judging by images of the injuries a “very small explosive” implanted inside the devices was the most likely cause, rather than an overheating battery.
“This was a classic sabotage operation,” he said on X, adding such an operation takes “months if not years” to orchestrate.
Dubai-based analyst Riad Kahwaji said that Israel had taken advantage of Hezbollah’s move away from smartphones to pagers.
Israel intelligence had conducted a “most professional operation,” he said.
“Without a doubt, one of the factories it (Israel) owns manufactured and shipped these explosive devices that exploded today,” he said.
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4000 ливанцев получили ранения в результате взрывов пейджеров, 400 из них находятся в критическом состоянии. Немыслимые цифры.
Mocarstwa szykują się na nowy konflikt zbrojny. Ta broń może odegrać w nim kluczową rolę
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Obrona Ukrainy pokazuje, że można zniszczyć dużą flotę tanim sposobem
Ukraińcom, praktycznie nieposiadającym floty morskiej w tradycyjnym tego słowa znaczeniu, udało się zatapiać potężne i bardzo drogie jednostki rosyjskie za pomocą opracowanych wedle własnego pomysłu małych, bardzo szybkich, zdalnie sterowanych jednostek.
Obrona przed morskimi dronami stwarza Rosjanom potężne problemy, chociażby dlatego że są one bardzo ciężko wykrywalne przez radary.
Koszt wyprodukowania takiej jednostki to zaledwie ok. 200 tys. dol., a dzięki swojemu stosunkowo bardzo taniemu pomysłowi strona ukraińska zniszczyła już jedną trzecią rosyjskiej Floty Czarnomorskiej, w tym duże okręty desantowe wyceniane na miliardy dolarów.
Jak zauważa we wtorek Reuters, te wydarzenia, a także podobne (bo niewymagające sporych nakładów finansowych) sukcesy w utrudnianiu ruchu morskiego w regionie Morza Czerwonego przez wspieranych przez Iran rebeliantów Huti, skłoniły Amerykanów do myślenia w kategoriach "masy dostępnej cenowo". Chodzi o to, żeby w razie konfliktu mieć duże ilości stosunkowo taniej i łatwo dostępnej broni, z której w prosty sposób mogą też korzystać sojusznicy.
Otwarta konfrontacja USA z Chinami w regionie Morza Południowochińskiego to prawdopodobny scenariusz
To, do czego Amerykanie się szczególnie przygotowują, to neutralizacja floty chińskiej, co - jak sugerują opracowania tematu - byłoby warunkiem koniecznym, aby skutecznie obronić przed chińską inwazją Tajwan.
To Tajwan, który ma gwarancje ze strony USA, że staną w obronie wyspy, jest postrzegany jako najprawdopodobniejsze zarzewie otwartego zbrojnego konfliktu mocarstw, do którego może dojść nawet w perspektywie najbliższych lat, czyli przed zbliżającym się stuleciem Chińskiej Armii Ludowo-Wyzwoleńczej, które przypada na 2027 rok.
Taki scenariusz ma stawać się coraz bardziej prawdopodobny ze względu na to, że Komunistyczna Partii Chin w ostatnich latach zaostrzyła agresywną retorykę, a "dołączenie Tajwanu do chińskiej macierzy" uważa za kluczowy krok na drodze realizacji planu przywrócenia Chinom należnego im - w jej opinii - centralnego miejsca na mapie świata. Chiny nie wykluczają przy tym agresji zbrojnej, której warianty ćwiczą zresztą od dekad.
Równocześnie w ostatnich latach Chiny zbudowały flotę, która pod względem liczby statków przewyższa flotę amerykańską. Chińskie statki - jak podkreślają eksperci - są mniejsze i gorsze technicznie, a chińska flota ma ograniczone możliwości operowania na pełnym morzu. Jednak bitwa o Tajwan rozegrałaby się jednak głównie w najbliższych okolicach wyspy Tajwan, położonej zaledwie od 130 do 250 km od kontynentalnych Chin.
W przeprowadzonej przez amerykański Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) na początku 2023 roku symulacji chińskiej inwazji na Tajwan, która zakłada, że do ataku miałoby dojść w 2026 roku, starcie skończyłoby się przegraną Chin i m.in. całkowitym zniszczeniem chińskiej floty, jednak przy sporych stratach także ze strony USA.
Problem otwartej konfrontacji z Chinami na bieżąco rozważają też amerykańscy wojskowi i współpracujące z nimi spółki z sektora przemysłu obronnego.
Odpowiedzią na chińskie zbrojenia ma być "tania masa" bomb Quicksink
Jak zauważa cytowany przez Reutersa analityk think tanku Australian Strategic Policy Institute Euan Graham, "tania masa" to "naturalna kontra do tego, co teraz robią Chińczycy", czyli budowy w regionie arsenału statków i konwencjonalnych rakiet balistycznych, w tym tych przeznaczonych do atakowania statków.
Jak zauważa Reuters, Stany Zjednoczone w tym kontekście przyspieszyły testy broni Quicksink. To niedroga i potencjalnie łatwa w produkcji na masową skalę bomba wyposażona w stosunkowo tani zestaw nawigacji GPS i moduł umożliwiający śledzenie poruszających się obiektów.
W ramach testów przeprowadzonych w Zatoce Meksykańskiej, Siły Powietrzne Stanów Zjednoczonych użyły wyposażonego w Quicksink bombowca B-2, aby zaatakować statek.
W razie konfliktu Chiny będą nadal miały dużą przewagę pod względem liczby pocisków przeciwokrętowych, a także będą mogły je wystrzeliwać z własnego terytorium. Jednak zwiększenie produkcji Quicksink zmniejszyłoby tę przewagę, podczas jakiegokolwiek przyszłego konfliktu narażając flotę około 370 chińskich okrętów wojennych na większe ryzyko, niż mogła się ona tego spodziewać do tej pory - ocenia Reuters.
Quicksink, wciąż w fazie rozwoju, to efekt współpracy notowanych na giełdzie spółek Boeing i BAE Systems.
Szczególną zaletą tego rozwiązania ma być, że Quicksink, może być używany z zestawami ogonowymi amunicji ataku bezpośredniego (JDAMs), które można zrzucić z amerykańskich lub sojuszniczych samolotów bojowych i w ten sposób zamienić "głupie" bomby o masie ponad 900 kg w broń precyzyjnego rażenia.
Według anonimowych źródeł cytowanych przez Reutersa Amerykańskie Dowództwo Indo-Pacyfiku chce mieć tysiące sztuk broni Quicksink, szacując, że wycelowanie wystarczającej ilości takiej "taniej masy" w kierunku chińskiej floty przeciążyłoby jej systemy obrony.
W takim scenariuszu armia amerykańska używałaby rakiet przeciwokrętowych dalekiego zasięgu (LRASM) lub rakiet SM-6, aby uszkodzić chiński okręt wojenny i jego radary, a następnie bombardowałaby statek tańszą bronią, taką jak Quicksink.
Już teraz USA gromadzą arsenał w regionie Morza Południowochińskiego
Reuters przypomina również, że Stany Zjednoczone już gromadzą w regionie Morza Południowochińskiego różnorodne rodzaje broni przeciwokrętowej. I tak w kwietniu armia amerykańska rozmieściła na Filipinach nowe baterie rakiet mobilnych Typhon, które zostały w tani sposób opracowane z istniejących już komponentów i mogą wystrzeliwać rakiety SM-6 i Tomahawk przeciwko celom morskim.
Taka broń, stosunkowo łatwa w produkcji na bazie istniejących już zapasów i projektów, które istnieją od dekady lub dłużej - jak zauważa Reuters - może pomóc Stanom Zjednoczonym i ich sojusznikom bardzo szybko nadrobić zaległości wobec Chin w regionie w trwającym wyścigu zbrojeń.
Chiny uznają 90 proc. Morza Południowochińskiego za swoje terytorium, ale sprzeciwia się temu nie tylko Tajwan, ale także pięć innych krajów regionu - Brunei, Indonezja, Malezja i Wietnam. Aby wyrównać ich szanse w ewentualnym starciu z chińskimi komunistami, Amerykanie starają się rozmieszczać w regionie swoje jednostki, w szczególności broń przeciwokrętową w takich miejscach, jak Filipiny. Chińczycy z kolei próbują im te działania utrudnić, jednocześnie stosując strategię zastraszania wymierzoną w szczególności w Filipiny i Tajwan.
Cabin pressure issue on Delta flight causes bloody ears and noses for passengers
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Some Delta Air Lines passengers are recovering after a pressurization issue on a flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Portland, Oregon, caused bloody noses and other issues, according to airline and passenger statements.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience on flight 1203 on Sept. 15,” said a statement from a Delta spokesperson. “The flight crew followed procedures to return to SLC where our teams on the ground supported our customers with their immediate needs,” the airline said.
Flight 1203 passengers were accommodated on another aircraft.
Delta technicians fixed the pressurization issue on the aircraft, the airline said, and the plane was returned to service the following day.
Caryn Allen told CNN affiliate KSL that said it didn’t take very long for passengers to notice something was wrong on the flight. “I looked over at my husband, and he had both of his hands over his ears, you know, kind of leaning forward,” Allen said.
“I looked about a row behind me, over on the other side of the aisle, and there was a gentleman that clearly had a very bad bloody nose, and people were trying to help him,” Allen told the outlet.
Fellow passenger Jaci Purser said it felt like somebody was stabbing her in the ear. “I grabbed my ear, and I pulled my hand back, and there was blood on it,” Purser said.
No serious injuries were reported, but medical personnel identified 10 individuals in need of evaluation or treatment following the flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate.
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С сожалением и понятными пожеланиями, Dimitriy.
Putin could make millions of iPhones blow up without warning, if my fears are right, writes MARK ALMOND
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And there could be consequences for us, too. Western democracies will already be assessing what this novel form of warfare means for them – and how they might be able to copy Israel's methods.
History teaches us that no new military technique remains a monopoly of its inventor for long. How long before Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping works out how to make millions of iPhones around the world burst into flames in the pockets of their foes?
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Lebanon is hit by MORE explosions as 'Hezbollah walkie talkies' detonate across country - a day after pager bomb attacks
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Walkie talkies used by Hezbollah fighters have detonated across Lebanon, killing three and wounding hundreds of people including mourners at a funeral, witnesses and security sources have reported.
The second wave of carnage comes a day after thousands of exploding pagers used by the group left almost 3,000 people injured and a dozen dead, including civilians and children.
Security sources have now confirmed that hand-held radios were purchased by Hezbollah five months ago, at around the same time as the compromised pagers.
The latest explosions this afternoon have hit the country's south and the capital Beirut, where dramatic time-lapse video shows multiple plumes of smoke rising above the skyline in different locations almost simultaneously.
Multiple explosions occurred at the site of a funeral for three Hezbollah members and a child killed by exploding pagers the day before, according to reports.
Lebanon's foreign minister has today warned that yesterday's pager blasts are an omen of a widening war.
Hezbollah said on Wednesday it had attacked Israeli artillery positions with rockets in the first strike at its arch-foe since pager blasts wounded thousands of its members in Lebanon and raised the prospect of a wider Middle East war.
Israel's spy agency Mossad, which has a long history of sophisticated operations on foreign soil, planted explosives inside pagers imported by Hezbollah months before Tuesday's detonations, a senior Lebanese security source and another source told Reuters.
The death toll rose to 12, including two children, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said on Wednesday. Tuesday's attack wounded nearly 3,000 people, including many of the militant group's fighters and Iran's envoy to Beirut.
A Taiwanese pager maker denied that it had produced the pager devices which exploded in an audacious attack that raised the prospect of a full-scale war between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel.
Gold Apollo said the devices were made by under licence by a company called BAC, based in Hungary's capital Budapest.
There was no immediate word on when Hezbollah had launched its latest rocket attack, but normally the group announces such strikes shortly after carrying them out, suggesting it fired at the Israeli artillery positions on Wednesday.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel, whose military declined to comment on the blasts.
The two sides have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the Gaza conflict erupted last October, fuelling fears of a wider Middle East conflict that could drag in the United States and Iran.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi accused Israel of pushing the Middle East to the brink of a regional war by orchestrating a dangerous escalation on many fronts.
'Hezbollah wants to avoid an all-out war. It still wants to avoid one. But given the scale, the impact on families, on civilians, there will be pressure for a stronger response,' said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center.
Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful proxy in the Middle East, said in a statement it would continue to support Hamas in Gaza and Israel should await a response to the pager 'massacre' which left fighters and others bloodied, hospitalised or dead.
One Hezbollah official said the detonation was the group's 'biggest security breach' in its history.
Вот статья о взрыве вейпа в самолёте. Представляете, что случилось бы если бы на борту авиалайнера взлетевшего или садящегося вчера в Ливане оказался боец Хезболы или его родственник? Полагаете это остановило бы Израиль?
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Terrifying video shows chaos after 'vape explosion' on packed easyJet flight with Brit passengers leaping down emergency slide at Crete airport
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This is the moment chaos ensued on an easyJet flight from Crete to London Gatwick after a 'vape explosion' forced a hasty evacuation before takeoff.
Terrifying video showed chaotic scenes on Tuesday as passengers scrambled into the central aisle before disembarking via the inflatable slide, surrounded by officials.
Witnesses said 'a very large red flash and flame' caused the commotion before panicked passengers started screaming 'bomb!'
Staff believe e-cigarettes and a power bank inside a carry-on likely caused 'popping noises' and 'thick black smoke' to fill the cabin during boarding.
All 236 on board were forced back off the plane, guided by emergency services, and passengers were left to wait some nine hours for the next flight home.
Video obtained by MailOnline shows a passenger clutching a bag and a phone as they were led to exit the plane at Crete airport via the emergency slide.
Officials in hi-vis jackets stood by to help passengers back off the plane at Heraklion.
Passengers were safely off the plane within 'minutes' but the flight to London was cancelled.
A flight was later chartered, leaving for London after 11pm.
Passengers described their horror as a fire broke out on board the plane, fearing for the worst.
'Fire and acrid smoke billowed from the bag, popping exploding noises, smoke filled the cabin around the bag,' one eyewitness said.
A passenger told MailOnline they heard someone asking 'what is that what is that' as she took her seat, seconds before the explosion occurred.
Passengers were 'screaming bomb and clattering to get out' as panic broke out, with some saying a 'lady with a vape in her bum bag was waving it around as smoke started to come out'.
One said the woman with the bag was British and tried to leave the plane, asking people to get out of the way.
But as her bag caught fire, she dropped it in the aisle as people were still trying to take their seats.
There was a fire scorch mark left on floor, but travellers were later allowed back on plane to collect belongings.
MailOnline understands no customers suffered burn injuries from the explosion, but one passenger suffered a friction burn from the evacuation slide.
'EasyJet have kept us up to date with the replacement flight, which we are boarding now, they gave us a voucher to get food,' another said.
'All the staff have been very helpful and it was as painless as it could be given the circumstances.'
Police forces rushed to the scene to investigate the incident.
A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'easyJet can confirm that flight EZY8216 from Heraklion to London Gatwick was evacuated during boarding prior to departure, due to a fire in a passenger's cabin bag.
'Fire services attended the aircraft and cabin crew evacuated the aircraft in line with procedures.
'Customers are currently being looked after in the terminal and a replacement aircraft and crew have been arranged to fly customers home later today. Safety is our highest priority.'
Is Netanyahu paving the way for all-out war with Hezbollah? How Israeli PM 'widened war goals' hours before pager blasts and is poised to 'sack defence chief who pushed for ceasefire'
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The Middle East is on the brink after a mass attack on Hezbollah saw thousands of its militants' pagers explode - just hours after Israel's prime minister vowed to step up military action against Lebanon.
While Israel has not confirmed that it was behind the pager blasts - which left some 2,800 Hezbollah members and civilians injured and nine dead in Lebanon and Syria - several security sources have blamed the IDF and Mossad spy agency for the attack.
Hostile rhetoric on both sides was building even before the blasts amid ongoing cross-border fire between Lebanon and Israel over the past year, as Hezbollah continues to pummel Israel in a show of support to its allies Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged that Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to sack his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, who is widely seen as the most vocal government minister pushing for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza to free Israeli hostages.
This means that the prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza appears evermore distant at the same time as tensions on Israel's northern border are spiking, with Netanyahu seemingly pushing ahead for broader escalation.
Over the weekend, Israel's premier called for a 'change in the balance of forces on our northern border,' amid the near-daily attacks by Hezbollah, while pledging to do 'whatever is necessary' to return evacuated residents to their homes.
Israel has been ramping up preparations for a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, taking on the Iran-backed militant group to improve security in its northern region.
Netanyahu frames it as an existential war for Israel and has argued that now is not the time to show weakness, defying calls for restraint and compromise, including from within his war cabinet.
The PM's office has been putting out the message that while he is pushing for greater confrontation with Hezbollah, retired military general Gallant is against it, according to Israeli outlet Haaertz.
Michael Milshtein, a leading Palestinian studies scholar at Tel Aviv University, said that Gallant 'doesn't want a broad escalation', but that Netanyahu is 'considering' it.
In an expansion of Israel's official war goals on Tuesday, Netanyahu announced that his forces would now aim to halt Hezbollah's attacks in the north to allow tens of thousands of residents to return to their homes along the border.
As news of the plans emerged, Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to the Biden administration warned Netanyahu against initiating a wider war against Lebanon, sources told Axios.
On the same day, Gallant told the United States military envoy visiting the region that 'military action' is the 'only way left to ensure the return of Israel's northern communities.'
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Israel unleashed pager attack earlier than expected in 'use it or lose it moment' amid fears Hezbollah were about to foil the plot, report claims
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Israel carried out a pager bomb attack that left roughly 2,800 people injured and 12 dead in Lebanon and Syria yesterday fearing that Hezbollah was on the cusp of foiling their deadly plot, a new report has claimed.
Pager devices recently introduced by the group to beef up security exploded en masse yesterday, causing chaotic scenes and devastation in Lebanese hospitals. Israel is believed to have orchestrated the attack but has not claimed responsibility.
Security sources believe Mossad, Israel's spy agency, intercepted devices en route to Lebanon months ago and embedded explosives to be remotely detonated as part of a plan to cripple the Iranian proxy group.
Still, questions remain as to why the attack was carried out on Tuesday. One American official told Axios it was 'a use it or lose it moment' as Hezbollah were understood to be getting close to uncovering Israeli espionage.
Israel's domestic security agency said only on Tuesday that it had recently foiled a plot by Hezbollah to assassinate a former senior defence official in the coming days.
Three US officials told Axios that Israel decided to blow up the pager devices carried by Hezbollah members on Tuesday as they feared the group was close to uncovering their operation.
A security source told Reuters that up to three grams of explosives had been hidden in the new pagers and had gone 'undetected' by Hezbollah for months.
One senior Lebanese security source told the news agency he believes the devices had been modified by Mossad 'at the production level' before arriving in Lebanon.
'The Mossad injected a board inside of the device that has explosive material that receives a code. It's very hard to detect it through any means,' the source said.
Hezbollah earlier this year ordered thousands of pagers to conduct communications after leader Hassan Nasrallah declared smartphones would be more susceptible to cyber attacks by Israeli forces.
As many as 5,000 devices are believed to have affected, though not all went off on Tuesday, according to the Lebanese source.
The source claimed Hezbollah ordered the pagers from a Taiwanese company called Gold Apollo, but executives there said the devices were actually manufactured and sold under licence by BAC Consulting in Budapest, Hungary.
Elijah J. Magnier, a Brussels-based senior political risk analyst, later said he spoke with Hezbollah members who had examined pagers that failed to explode.
The pagers appeared to receive a coded error message sent to all the devices that caused them to vibrate and beep for some 10 seconds.
When the user pressed the pager's button to cancel the alert, the explosives were detonated - a design that would ensure the pager was being held by the user at the time of the blast to inflict maximum damage.
The months-long operation by Mossad and the IDF represents an unprecedented security breach for Hezbollah, which vowed to exact revenge on Israel and continue its support for ally Hamas amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
'The resistance will continue today, like any other day, its operations to support Gaza, its people and its resistance which is a separate path from the harsh punishment that the criminal enemy (Israel) should await in response to Tuesday's massacre,' a statement read.
Hsu Ching-kuang (L), head of Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, speaks to the media outside the company's office in New Taipei City on September 18, 2024. Taiwanese company Gold Apollo on September 18 denied a report that it had produced thousands of explosive-packed pagers.
The string of detonations, which began around 3:30pm local time yesterday and continued for roughly an hour, gave way to widespread panic and chaos across Beirut's southern suburbs, southern Lebanon and even in neighbouring Syria.
Shocking video footage showed how unsuspecting targets reached for their pagers, only to be blown off their feet by an unexpected and violent explosion.
Victims were seen writhing in agony with hideous injuries to their faces, abdomens and even their groins in harrowing images and videos shared to social media and published on Lebanese networks.
Among the 12 people reportedly killed were two girls, aged eight and ten, and several Hezbollah fighters, as well as the son of a Lebanese MP.
Iran later confirmed its ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, sustained injuries to his face and hand.
More than 2,800 people were ultimately injured in the blasts, 300 of whom were rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Early speculation in the wake of the blasts suggested an Israeli hack could have overloaded the lithium ion batteries powering the pagers, which can burn up to 590 degrees celsius (1,100 F) when ignited.
But a slew of security sources and experts have since determined the detonations were caused by an Israeli operation that disrupted the supply chain and inserted explosives into the pagers that were subsequently remotely activated by the coded error message.
A former British Army bomb disposal officer explained that an explosive device has five main components: A container, a battery, a triggering device, a detonator and an explosive charge.
'A pager has three of those already,' explained the ex-officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he now works as a consultant with clients on the Middle East.
'You would only need to add the detonator and the charge.'
By the time of the attack, 'the battery was probably half-explosive and half-actual battery,' said Carlos Perez, director of security intelligence at TrustedSec.
Security camera footage shared to social media yesterday appeared to show the moment on Israel sent out its deadly message.
A Hezbollah member was seen confusedly lifting his shirt up at a supermarket after his pager, concealed just above his hip, began beeping and lighting up.
The device suddenly exploded, crumpling him to the floor as supermarket workers and fellow shoppers panicked and fled.
'Looking at the video, the size of the detonation is similar to that caused by an electric detonator alone or one that incorporates an extremely small, high-explosive charge,' said Sean Moorhouse, a former British Army officer and explosive ordinance disposal expert.
This signals involvement of a state actor, Moorhouse said. He added that Israel's foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad, is the most obvious suspect to have the resources to carry out such an attack.
A Hezbollah statement said: 'After examining all the facts, current data, and available information about the sinful attack that took place this afternoon, we hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression that targeted civilians too.'
Israel has declined to comment on the explosions.
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С сожалением и понятными пожеланиями, Dimitriy.
Russia's ambassador to the UK hauled into the Foreign Office over Kremlin's 'completely baseless' claims that six expelled British diplomats were 'spying' in Moscow
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Russia's ambassador to the UK was hauled into the Foreign Office today over 'malicious and completely baseless' claims against British diplomats in Moscow.
The Kremlin last week announced the expulsion of six Foreign Office staff from Russia and claimed to have evidence they were engaged in spying and sabotage.
The move ratcheted up tensions between London and Moscow as Sir Keir Starmer prepared to meet Joe Biden in Washington DC.
The PM and US President held talks on giving the go-ahead for Ukraine to use long-range missiles, including Britain's Storm Shadow weapons, against targets in Russia.
The Foreign Office immediately rejected the claims by Russia's FSB security agency against its staff in Moscow and today announced the summoning of Russian ambassador Andrey Kelin.
It said the action was taken in response to Moscow's 'malicious and deliberate public campaign of aggression against the UK'.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'The UK condemns in the strongest terms Russia's unprecedented and unfounded public campaign of aggression against the UK, including the malicious and completely baseless accusations made against Foreign Office staff last week.
'This behaviour is in direct contravention to Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
'This pattern of behaviour is completely unacceptable, deeply unprofessional, and beneath the standards of conduct between states.
'This is the latest development in a deliberate campaign by Russia to undermine and threaten UK security and democracy and deter our support for Ukraine, through disinformation, acts of sabotage in Europe and direct harassment and restrictions against our diplomatic missions in Russia.
'This campaign will not succeed. Russia must stop this activity immediately.'
The expulsion of six UK diplomats from Moscow is the latest in a series of diplomatic rows between Britain and Russia over the past year.
In May, the UK expelled Russia's defence attache in London, Colonel Maxim Elovik, claiming he was an 'undeclared military intelligence officer', removed diplomatic status from several Russian-owned premises, and placed restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas.
In response, Russia expelled Britain's defence attache in Moscow, Captain Adrian Coghill.
Despite Sir Keir and Mr Biden's talks last week, no decision has yet been reached on giving Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles to target Russian airfields and military bases.
Кто из кандидатов станет президентом США в ноябре?
Тот, который доживет до выборов.
Статья «Politico» - спекуляция, за то каков заголовок!
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Trump called for ‘unity’ after the first assassination attempt. Not this time.
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False reports of explosives found in a car near a Trump rally spread online
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NEW YORK (AP) - Law enforcement officials on Long Island worked quickly on Wednesday to publicly knock down social media posts falsely reporting that explosives had been found in a car near former President Donald Trump´s planned rally in New York.
The false reports of an explosive began circulating hours before the Republican presidential nominee´s campaign event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, just days after he was apparently the target of a second possible assassination attempt.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said police questioned and detained a person who "may have been training a bomb detection dog," near the site of the rally and "falsely reported explosives being found."
Lt. Scott Skrynecki, a spokesperson for the county police, said in follow-up messages that the person, who police have not yet identified, was a civilian and not a member of a law enforcement agency.
He also said the person was not working at or affiliated with the event, which is expected to draw thousands of Trump supporters to the arena that was formerly the home of the NHL's New York Islanders.
The rally is Trump's first on Long Island, a suburban area just east of New York City, since 2017.
Earlier Wednesday, Skrynecki and other county officials responded swiftly to knock down the online line claims, which appear to have started with a post from a reporter citing unnamed sources in the local police department.
"False," Skrynecki texted the AP as the claims spread on X, formerly Twitter.
"No. Ridiculous. Zero validity," said Christopher Boyle, spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
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Cops confirm no threat to Trump's rally after report of 'explosives'
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Police say there is no threat to former President Donald Trump's rally site on Long Island after 'explosives' were reportedly found in a car near the site. A spokesperson for the Nassau County Police Department confirmed to DailyMail.com that 'there was a suspicious occurrence' on Wednesday ahead of Trump's speech where thousands of MAGA fans are gathering. But there is 'no validity' to a report that there was an 'explosive device found.' 'Reports of explosives being found at the site are unfounded,' said Nassau County Commissioner of Police Patrick Ryder.
He went on to blame a suspect with a 'self-trained bomb-detecting dog' for sounding the alarm about explosives near the rally site. The latest reports of a possible Trump security breach come just three days after a would-be assassin was arrested after stalking the former president with a rifle as he golfed at his Palm Beach golf club. Police working in conjunction with Secret Service remain on high alert in the area hours before the former president is set to take the stage. 'There is a person who is being questioned who may have been training a bomb detection dog near the site,' said Commissioner of Police Ryder.
'The individual with the bomb dog falsely reported explosives being found and that individual is currently being detained by police.' Sources in the Nassau County Police Department had allegedly told journalist James Lalino earlier Wednesday that the rally site 'perimeter was breached and a blue barrel was removed.' In addition, during the K9 sweep they apparently 'found an explosive device in one of the vehicles.' The sources allegedly said the driver ended up running into the woods.
'No one saw if he had anything on him, they just saw him take off running. A lot of cars are now parking, they’re lining up on Hempstead Turnpike, just parking on the grass. Even over at Eisenhower Park, they’re just parking over there,' the source went on to tell Lalino according to a post on X. Thousands of MAGA fans are expected to descend upon Long Island this afternoon ahead of the 7 p.m. ET rally at the Nassau Coliseum. A large crowd has already assembled and many camped out overnight to get good seats in the indoor arena. Doors don't open until 3 p.m. ET, but already MAGA fans have assembled, decked out in Trump gear, hats and buttons and waving large flags.
Nassau County Police told DailyMail.com they are 'working on an email' to send out in response to the alleged security incident. A Secret Service spokesperson also said that reports of 'explosives' found in a car are false. Trump has largely moved to indoor events since the first attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. He was shot in the right ear by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks as shots rang out at his mid-summer rally after the stunning security failure.
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Secret Service falsely assured locals they would 'take care of' building where would-be assassin Thomas Crooks shot Trump
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Report: Secret Service said they'd handle building used by Crooks
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Lessons from Red Sea and Ukraine’s Black Sea fight help prep Navy for possible conflict with China
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy is taking lessons from its combat in the Red Sea over the past year and what Ukraine has done to hold off the Russians in the Black Sea to help U.S. military leaders prepare the service for a potential future conflict with China.
From drones and unmanned surface vessels to the more advanced operation of ship-board guns, the Navy is expanding its combat skills and broadening training. It is also working to overcome recruiting struggles so it can have the sailors it needs to fight the next war.
Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations, is laying out a series of goals, including several that will be highly challenging to meet, in a new navigation plan she described in an interview with The Associated Press. The objective is to be ready to face what the Pentagon calls its key national security challenge — China.
“I’m very focused on 2027. It’s the year that that President Xi (Jinping) told his forces to be ready to invade Taiwan,” Franchetti said. “We need to be more ready.”
The new plan, set to be released Wednesday, includes what she considers seven priority goals, ranging from removing delays in ship depot maintenance to improving Navy infrastructure, recruiting and the use of drones and autonomous systems.
One significant challenge is to have 80% of the force be ready enough at any given time to deploy for combat if needed — something she acknowledged is a “stretch goal.” The key, she said, is to get to a level of combat readiness where “if the nation calls us, we can push the ‘go’ button and we can surge our forces to be able to meet the call.”
The announcement of the goals comes as U.S. leaders are treading a fine line, pledging a commitment to the defense of Taiwan while also working to keep communication open with Beijing to deter greater conflict.
Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that split from communist China in 1949, has rejected Beijing’s demands that it accept unification. China says it will do so by force if necessary. The United States is obligated under domestic law to help defend Taiwan and give it weapons and technology to deter invasion.
An important element in any Asia-Pacific conflict will be the need to control the seas. Franchetti said the U.S. can learn from how the Ukrainians have used drones, airstrikes and long-range unmanned vessels to limit Russian ship activity in the western Black Sea and keep access open to critical ports.
“If you look at the Ukrainian success in really keeping the Russian Black Sea fleet pushed all the way over into the east, that’s all about sea denial and that’s very important,” Franchetti said. She added that Ukraine has been innovating on the battlefield by using existing systems, such as drones, in different ways.
The Navy’s monthslong battle with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has provided other lessons.
“I think probably no one is learning more than the Navy, because really, this is the first time we’ve been in a weapons engagement zone for this sustained period,” she said.
She said sailors are watching their attacks and analyzing the data as ships respond.
Earlier this year, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier was stationed in the Red Sea to respond to help Israel and to defend commercial and military ships from Houthi attacks. The carrier returned home after an eight-month-plus deployment that the Navy said was the most intense running sea battle since World War II.
F/A-18 fighter jets routinely launched off the carrier’s deck to take out Houthi weapons, and Navy destroyers persistently fired rounds of missiles and used on-board guns to shoot down incoming strikes and drones.
On board the USS Mason destroyer, which was stationed with the Eisenhower, Franchetti in August met and promoted one of the destroyer’s fire control sailors who worked on its large, fully automatic artillery gun. Unlike missiles, many of the drones launched by the Houthis were more complicated and challenging to target and shoot down, and he was able to adjust the gun to better defeat them.
“He could see how it was performing against the Houthi threat,” Franchetti said, “and he came up with a different way to use the gun to make it more effective in these engagements.”
She did not identify the sailor and declined to provide details on the exact changes he recommended. But it resulted in new formal military tactics and procedures that were distributed to all other ships.
Another key effort will be to improve Navy development of unmanned and autonomous systems and weapons and integrate them into training and combat. As the military brings on new technologies, including unmanned surface vessels, the Navy needs to ensure it has trained sailors who can use and repair them.
The new navigation plan notes that the Navy is now working on concepts and requirements for larger robotic systems and the artificial intelligence applications they could use to understand and control the battlespace.
Navy leaders also understand the financial restraints they will likely face from Congress — limits that rivals such as China do not have. China outpaces the U.S. in the number of ships and is expected to do so into the future.
Navy officials said that while they would like a bigger naval force, they need to offset that by working more effectively with the Army, Air Force, Space Force and Marines, which is something the U.S. has historically done very well.
A challenge will be eliminating the maintenance overruns that often prevent ships from being able to deploy on time. Getting ships in and out of depots on time, Franchetti said, is critical to having a combat-ready Navy.
“These are the things that we know that we need to be able to do to have the force that’s going to be more ready every single day,” she said.
ABC urged to turn over any communications with Kamala Harris' campaign after network rejected 'whistleblower' claims of collusion
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Congress is demanding that ABC News and Vice President Kamala Harris hand over any communication with the network and campaign team related to the debate earlier this month.
It comes after a sworn affidavit emerged from a whistleblower claiming to be staffer with knowledge that ABC gave Harris an advantage in the debate by providing her the questions ahead of time.
Donald Trump claimed before the debate that Harris would somehow find a way to cheat since she is close friends with Disney executive Dana Walden.
And Sen. J.D. Vance told DailyMail.com on Tuesday it would be a 'national scandal' if the whistleblower claim is true.
'On debate night, it became abundantly clear that ABC News and its respective moderators had a biased agenda,' Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) wrote to ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic and Harris' Campaign Manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez.
Besides just whether questions were provided to Harris, Marshall is also questioning whether ABC intentionally left subjects off the table to seem more favorable to Harris.
He also pointed to the real-time fact-checking of Trump by moderators Linsey Davis and David Muir and whether that was meant to negatively affect the former prescient's performance on September 10.
'The American people deserve transparency and accountability from the mainstream media and a full accounting of whether ABC News coordinated with the Harris campaign to skew the debate's questions and face-checking in favor of the Vice President,' Marshall wrote.
Asked to respond to preconditions detailed in the sworn whistleblower affidavit, Vance told DailyMail.com: 'If it happened, it's disgraceful. It should be a national scandal.'
Vance, however, said that he will still participate in his upcoming debate with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hosted by CBS - even if he thinks it won't be a fair showdown.
The Ohio Senator is set for the vice presidential debate with Harris' running mate on October 1. The faceoff will be hosted by CBS News in New York City .
But even if the network cheats and leaks information to Gov. Walz, Vance is remaining committed.
'You know, on my own debate, the attitude that I take – and I know President Trump takes – is we should go anywhere, we should talk to everybody,' Vance told DailyMail.com.
'And if that means that there's going to be a slightly biased debate, I don't care,' he added. 'That's the price of doing business.'
Vance was in Sparta, Michigan on Tuesday for a rally at a barn where he aired the campaign's grievances about the ongoing Democratic rhetoric leading to another assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend.
He told reporters on the tarmac in Sparta that the main issue with Democrats is that they keep calling Trump a 'threat to democracy.'
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did so again on Tuesday.
Democrats 'haven't learned a damn thing' he said at his rally with a few hundred MAGA supporters in the key swing state.
'I think it's time to say to the Democrats… cut it out or you're going to get somebody killed,' the Republican vice presidential candidate said in his remarks.
Vance will debate Walz in their one and only showdown on October 1. It will be moderated by CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell and Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan.
The ABC News whistleblower document in question is allegedly a sworn statement penned by a staffer at the network. It was first published Sunday by an X account with the name 'Black Insurrectionist.'
The document, said to be a sworn affidavit signed by a notary public the day before the debate, says the network gave Harris questions ahead of time while agreeing to a series of other preconditions to give the vice president an advantage over Trump.
Prohibited at the debate were inquiries about Harris' stint as California Attorney General, as well as any questions involving her brother-in-law, Tony West, according to claims made in the document.
It includes several other stipulations, as well as redactions protecting the whistleblower's identity.
'ABC News followed the debate rules that both campaigns agreed on... No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates,' the network said in a statement where it did not address the specific claims.
The whistleblower said in the affidavit: 'I have worked for ABC news for over 10 years in various technical and administrative positions.
The alleged staffer, who says they do not support Donald Trump, claims they 'observed significant transformations in the nature of news reporting at the organization' within that span, as well as a 'shift from unbiased reporting to a model influenced by external factors.'
They state the intent of the affidavit is solely to 'address concerns regarding perceived biases within news reporting within my employer's debate.'
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Psychologists reveal why Kamala Harris uses 'fake accents' after VP debuts bizarre Spanish twang in latest appearance
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Kamala Harris has raised eyebrows on the presidential campaign trail for using 'fake accents' that experts suggest could be a result of a confidence issue.
Harris, who was born in California and spent some of her childhood in Canada, has been accused of putting on Midwestern, Southern and even French accents during depending on who her audience is.
And just today, social media erupted after a video of the vice president appeared to speak with a Spanish twang while talking at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual Leadership Conference
Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert, who owns a practice in New York, said there are two main reasons people alter their accents, which in psychology circles is known as 'mirroring' or the 'chameleon effect.'
The latest 'fake accent' took Americans by surprise.
Harris appeared to say 'I love you back' with a Spanish twang to a group of her supporters on Wednesday.
Some do it out of empathy, so others find them trustworthy and to show they want to experience another person's emotions.
Others put on different accents to fit in because they feel like an outsider of a group and want to conform.
Alpert told DailyMail.com that he thinks that is the case with Harris.
'Using a fake accent could also be a result of feeling self-conscious around a particular group and feeling like she has to make changes to her baseline voice in order to be accepted - to some extent this a natural and normal way to handle people we might perceive as different than ourselves,' Alpert said.
'There's a possibility she feels like she won't fit in, so she overcompensates by taking this whole accent thing to the extreme.
'I think there could be an element of Harris trying to gain acceptance across these different demographics. But again, I think it's backfiring.'
As well as shaping her accent to suit certain groups, Harris has also been accused of shaping her policy stances to fit what is currently popular.
In 2020, at the height of the George Floyd protests, Harris endorsed the 'defund the police' movement in an interview with the hosts of the Ebro in the Morning show.
This was a stark difference from when she ran for Attorney General of California in 2010, her ad production imitated the tense proficiency of a Law and Order episode.
'Our justice system needs drastic repair,' Harris said as she walked confidently with law enforcement officers, hair blowing in the wind as a helicopter buzzed overhead.
She has also said that she would shut down Donald Trump's border wall project and once called it a 'medieval vanity project' and a 'waste of taxpayer.'
But in August, Harris has allegedly and suddenly vowed to sign a bill that would allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to continue building a wall along the southern border, according to a report.
Harris was a major supporter of the Green New Deal in 2019, which call for public policy to address climate change, but this year she swore of off any prior assertion that she opposed fracking in a bid to win battleground Pennsylvania.
While her shift in policies has come under fire over the years, her 'fake accent' has taken center stage in the last few months and some Americans have viewed it as superficial.
'By altering her accent she might be perceived as inauthentic or manipulative and ultimately could undermine trust if the audience feels she is not genuine,' said Alpert.
'Authenticity is critical in building meaningful connections with the electorate and if people perceive the accent as disingenuous, it could damage Harris's credibility.
'In Harris' attempt to connect with a specific group, there is a risk of alienating other audiences.
'If her accent change is seen as pandering or insincere, it might alienate people who view it as a superficial attempt to fit in rather than a genuine expression of solidarity.'
Harris is not the only human to have put on a different speech, as many Americans have and some experts believe their is a social aspect to the chameleon effect - subconsciously replicating the physical actions of another human.
Dr Nan Wise, a licensed psychotherapist who has appeared on The Today Show, said: 'When you talk to children, you're gonna sound different, right.
'When you talk to old people, you're gonna sound different. And even if you talk to people who are not native language speakers you automatically adjust.'
Dr Wise also noted that Harris' strange accent is something 'we humans do automatically kind of a matching and a mimicry, noting it is done unconsciously.
'Human beings are very social animals, and some of this accommodation goes along with the way we're wired to connect and to unintentionally mimic aspects of our social environments,' she explained.
However, a 2021 study led by the University of Pennsylvania found that code-switching is a thought-out behavior.
Dr Wise also claimed that the accent makes Harris appear trustworthy, but Alpert suggested it could be doing the opposite.
'By altering her accent she might be perceived as inauthentic or manipulative and ultimately could undermine trust if the audience feels she is not genuine,' he said.
'Authenticity is critical in building meaningful connections with the electorate and if people perceive the accent as disingenuous, it could damage Harris's credibility.'
Harris put on the 'fake accent' during a press conference September 17 while speaking to in a discussion with the journalists at the National Association of Black Journalists.
The code-switching, when a person alternates between languages in a conversation, is not a recent behavior for Harris as she adopted a languorous southern drawl during at a Georgia rally in July 2024.
But years before in 2021, she was accused of slipping into a cod French accent while speaking to scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.
The vice president is half Jamaican and half Indian, and spent her childhood in San Francisco and Canada.
Danielle Wade, a licensed clinical social worker, wrote in MedicalNewsToday: 'Some perceive it as a negative because it may reinforce stereotypes.'
But she noted that the behavior could be 'a way of preserving one's identity and culture.'
Harris is not the first presidential candidate to switch up their speech as Hilary Clinton came under fire for the same behavior during a 2015 campaign stop in Columbia, South Carolina.
Clinton, who grew up in Chicago, put on a southern drawl during an event with minority women small-business owners.
Dr Yalda Safai, a psychiatrist in New York City, said that Clinton has long tried to use fake accents to appear relatable, but 'it just feel completely flat' among American voters.
On the other hand, Alpert explained how people respect political figures who are more true to themselves.
'Bill Clinton, I thought, was masterful at that,' he continued.
'I thought he just resonated with whoever he was speaking to, from highly educated New Yorkers to poor people, he just he always seemed to be true to himself, and was widely accepted.
'I think the same is true with Donald Trump. We've all heard the description, the Blue Collar billionaire. He just speaks his mind and is consistent across the different speeches and audiences.'
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С сожалением и понятными пожеланиями, Dimitriy.
U.S. deploys soldiers, rocket systems to Alaska island as Russian military activity ramps up in region
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The U.S. military has moved about 130 soldiers along with mobile rocket launchers to a desolate island in the Aleutian chain of western Alaska amid a recent increase in Russian military planes and vessels approaching American territory.
Eight Russian military planes and four navy vessels, including two submarines, have come close to Alaska in the past week as Russia and China conducted joint military drills. None of the planes breached U.S. airspace and a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday there was no cause for alarm.
"It's not the first time that we've seen the Russians and the Chinese flying, you know, in the vicinity, and that's something that we obviously closely monitor, and it's also something that we're prepared to respond to," Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a news conference.
As part of a "force projection operation," the Army on Sept. 12 sent the soldiers to Shemya Island, some 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, where the U.S. Air Force maintains an air station that dates to World War II. The soldiers brought two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, with them.
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the U.S. military also deployed a guided missile destroyer and a Coast Guard vessel to the western region of Alaska as Russia and China began the "Ocean-24" military exercises in the Pacific and Arctic oceans Sept. 10.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it detected and tracked Russian military planes operating off Alaska over a four-day span. There were two planes each on Sept. 11, Sept. 13, Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.
The planes operated in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, a zone beyond U.S. sovereign airspace, but within which the U.S. expects aircraft to identify themselves, NORAD said.
The Russian Embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
NORAD has said the number of such incursions has fluctuated yearly. The average was six to seven intercepts a year. Last year, 26 Russian planes came into the Alaska zone, and so far this year, there have been 25.
Often in such encounters, the military provides photos of the Russian warplanes being escorted by either U.S. or Canadian planes, such as during a July 24 intercept of two Russian and two Chinese planes. However, none was released in the past week and a NORAD spokeswoman, Canadian Maj. Jennie Derenzis, declined to say whether jets were scrambled to intercept the Russian planes.
Also in July, the Coast Guard spotted four Chinese military ships north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands in international waters, but also within the U.S. exclusive economic zone.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday its homeland security vessel, the 418-foot Stratton, was on routine patrol in the Chukchi Sea when it tracked four Russian Federation Navy vessels about 60 miles northwest of Point Hope, Alaska.
The Russian vessels, which included two submarines, a frigate and a tugboat, had crossed the maritime boundary into U.S. waters to avoid sea ice, which is permitted under international rules and customs.
Two years ago, a U.S. Coast Guard ship about 85 miles north of Alaska's Kiska Island in the Bering Sea came across three Chinese and four Russian naval vessels sailing in single formation.
In August 2023, the U.S. Navy sent four destroyers to the Alaskan coast after 11 Chinese and Russian warships were spotted patrolling in international waters within the Exclusive Economic Zone.
Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson, said the recent spike is "something that we'll continue to keep an eye on, but doesn't pose a threat from our perspective."
Sullivan called for a larger military presence in the Aleutians while advocating for the U.S. to respond with strength to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"In the past two years, we've seen joint Russian-Chinese air and naval exercises off our shores and a Chinese spy balloon floating over our communities," Sullivan said in a statement Tuesday. "These escalating incidents demonstrate the critical role the Arctic plays in great power competition between the U.S., Russia, and China."
Sullivan said the U.S. Navy should reopen its shuttered base at Adak, located in the Aleutians. Naval Air Facility Adak was closed in 1997.
Russia has also ramped up its military presence in the Arctic. The expansion includes the recent unveiling of two nuclear submarines by Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a major strategic shift in the region.
Netanyahu criticizes British government: They are sending a horrible message to Hamas
In interview with Daily Mail, PM Netanyahu criticizes Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government over its anti-Israel decisions: These misguided decisions will not change our determination to defeat Hamas.
Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper on Wednesday published an interview with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which Netanyahu blasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “misguided” new government and accused it of “sending a horrible message to Hamas” as “shameless antisemitism” is on display across the country.
His comments follow Britain’s decision earlier this month to suspend 30 arms export licenses to Israel, as well as Labour’s dropping of Britain’s objections to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant being issued against Netanyahu.
“After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government [under Rishi Sunak] was clear in its support. Unfortunately, the current government is sending mixed messages,” Netanyahu told the Daily Mail.
“They say that Israel has the right to defend itself, but they undermine our ability to exercise that right both by reversing Britain’s position on the absurd allegations made by the ICC Prosecutor against Israel and by blocking weapons sales to Israel as we fight against the genocidal terrorist organization that carried out the October 7 massacre,” he added.
“Most recently,” continued Netanyahu, “the new UK government suspended 30 arms licenses to Israel, days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, sending a horrible message to Hamas.”
“These misguided decisions will not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas [which] savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens, and took 255 people including five British hostages,” the Prime Minister told the newspaper.
Asked by the Daily Mail about his conditions for a ceasefire, Netanyahu replied, “We will destroy Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, return the hostages and ensure Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future.”
“We do not intend to occupy Gaza,” Netanyahu stressed. “After Hamas is destroyed, Gaza will need to be demilitarized and deradicalized and rebuilt by peace-seeking parties.”
Netanyahu was asked whether, in the event diplomacy should fail, he was willing to go to war in Lebanon, and replied, “Hezbollah’s unprovoked attacks on Israel beginning on October 8 have caused 60,000 Israelis to evacuate their homes along our border with Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon.”
“Israel has eliminated about 650 Hezbollah terrorists, including their senior military commander, and destroyed thousands of rockets. We do not seek escalation in Lebanon, but are committed to return our citizens safely to their homes. That will be achieved diplomatically or with other means,” he added.
In the wake of reports that Iran may have been passed nuclear secrets by Russia, Netanyahu told the Daily Mail that it is high time that Britain woke up to the menace of the mullahs.
“For the past 30 years I have warned the world about the threat posed by Iran, and Israel has acted to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” he said. “Our actions delayed a nuclear Iran by about a decade, but the jury is still out on all of us [sic]. Today, Iran is closer to becoming a nuclear power. This would threaten Israel, Britain and the entire world. Today, more and more countries understand that.”
“What are required are crippling sanctions and a credible military threat to prevent Iran from completing its pursuit of nuclear weapons. What is also needed is a common defense against its aggression in the Middle East,” he continued.
“I was encouraged by the international coalition that helped ward off Iran’s rocketing of Israel in April, and that same coalition is in place now. I appreciate the fact that this policy is continued by the present British government.”
Цитата:
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Sir Keir Starmer's 'misguided' Labour party has 'undermined' his country: Jewish state's leader tells Mail UK arms embargo 'sends horrible message to Hamas' - as second wave of tech attacks hits Hezbollah
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Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Labour of undermining Israel as a second wave of booby-traps rocked the Middle East.
In an interview with the Mail, Israel's prime minister attacked Sir Keir Starmer's 'misguided' administration.
And he accused the Prime Minister of ‘sending a horrible message’ to Hamas after the UK Government suspended a raft of arms licences to Israel.
The Jewish State’s longest serving leader also slammed looming arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) as ‘preposterous’ in his first British newspaper interview since the October 7 attack.
His responses were given days before thousands of Hezbollah fighters were maimed when hand-held pagers exploded in Syria and Lebanon on Tuesday. Yesterday another 14 people were killed and 450 injured when walkie-talkies used by the terror group detonated across Lebanon.
Israel has not yet commented on either attack – although it is widely believed they were orchestrated by the country’s spy agency Mossad
In an astonishing broadside at Sir Keir, Mr Netanyahu told the Mail: ‘After the October 7 Hamas massacre, the previous British government was clear in its support. Unfortunately, the current government is sending mixed messages.
'They say that Israel has the right to defend itself, but they undermine our ability to exercise that right both by reversing Britain’s position on the absurd allegations made by the ICC prosecutor against Israel and by blocking weapons sales to Israel as we fight against the genocidal terrorist organisation that carried out the October 7 massacre.’
Sir Keir told Parliament at the time that the ‘difficult issue’ of a partial arms embargo was ‘a legal decision not a policy decision’.
He said the decision was taken following a review by the Foreign Office into Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas. But the timing of the partial arms embargo was criticised – coming days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages.
When his office announced the measure, a spokesman for the PM said this was a ‘proposal by the previous government which was not submitted before the Election’.
But Mr Netanyahu slammed the move, saying: ‘Israel is waging a just war with just means, taking unprecedented measures to keep civilians out of harm’s way and comporting fully with international law.
‘Most recently, the new UK government suspended 30 arms licences to Israel, days after Hamas executed six Israeli hostages, sending a horrible message to Hamas.
'These misguided decisions will not change Israel’s determination to defeat Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organisation that savagely murdered 1,200 people on October 7, including 14 British citizens, and took 255 people, including five British hostages.
'Just as Britain’s heroic stand against the Nazis is seen today as having been vital in defeating barbarism, so too will history judge Israel’s stand against Hamas and Iran’s axis of terror. Israel will win this war and secure our common future.
The ICC is expected to issue warrants against Mr Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes over the conflict in Gaza which Hamas says has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.
Rishi Sunak’s government had reportedly filed an amicus brief saying it would challenge the court over the decision in June. In return, Britain would get access to the prison conditions of Hamas terrorists held by Israel amid mounting concern over human rights abuses being committed.
But, since coming to power, Sir Keir’s administration has signalled it will no longer challenge any warrant from the ICC – breaking with allies such as the US.
Mr Netanyahu added: ‘The Labour ¬Government decided to drop its challenge to the preposterous ICC arrest warrants that were requested by the ICC prosecutor against the prime minister and the defence minister of Israel.
‘If the arrest warrants are issued against the leaders of the only democracy in the Middle East, it will compromise the ability of all democracies in the world to fight terrorism, including Britain.
'President Biden and others called these arrest warrants 'outrageous'. Britain's General Sir John McColl... said after visiting Gaza, 'I fought in Iraq – I know Israel is doing all it can to save civilians'.
'For the ICC prosecutor to falsely accuse the leader of Israel of deliberate starvation and deliberately targeting civilians is an outrageous slander that can’t be explained by anything other than anti-Semitism and will forever stain the ICC’s reputation.
‘The principle is simple: justice for all nations except the Jews.’
Mr Netanyahu also hit out at rising anti-Semitism on British streets, saying: ‘Britain is witnessing shameless anti-Semitism on its campuses, at its city centres and in many parts of the country. It is worrisome. I trust and expect that the UK leadership will take the necessary steps to root out this scourge.’
A Foreign Office source last night said the government remains 'a friend of Israel'.
But a spokesman said that 'regrettably' Israel had failed to address concerns about alleged human rights violations.
The spokesman added: 'We have been absolutely clear that when taking military action to support its legitimate right to self-defence, Israel must adhere to International Humanitarian Law.
'The UK has raised concerns about these issues over many months, and so have other allies. Regrettably, these concerns have not been satisfactorily addressed.
'Our priority remains achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, the hostages released, civilians protected and aid flood in.
'There is no place in Britain for antisemitism, and we will not relent in our work to root out hatred in all forms. This government is committed to multi-year funding for the Community Security Trust, and working with the Jewish Community and police to ensure that everyone feels safe on our streets.'
_________________
С сожалением и понятными пожеланиями, Dimitriy.
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