Category: World

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has strongly condemned Russia's latest large-scale attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Source: Sandu on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Sandu condemned the use of winter to force the subjugation of an entire nation.

"I strongly condemn Russia’s massive air strikes on power infrastructure across Ukraine.

Weaponising winter to freeze a nation into submission is cruel and unacceptable. Moldova stands with Ukraine," the Moldovan president tweeted.

I strongly condemn Russia’s massive air strikes on power infrastructure across Ukraine.
Weaponising winter to freeze a nation into submission is cruel and unacceptable.
Moldova stands with Ukraine.

— Maia Sandu (@sandumaiamd) November 17, 2024

Background:

• Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that Russia's latest large-scale missile attack against Ukraine was war criminal Vladimir Putin's response to those who have called or visited him recently.
• On the afternoon of 15 November, it was reported that Scholz had spoken to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in two years. At the time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy labelled the call a "Pandora's box".

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During a G20 event, Genia Lula da Silva spoke harshly about Elon Musk's regulation of social media. Musk responded to this on social network X, hinting at the defeat of the current government in the next election.

Brazilian First Lady Jena Lula da Silva scolded billionaire Elon Musk during a G20 social event on Saturday, where she spoke about the need to regulate social media to curb disinformation. UNN reports with reference to Reuters.

Details

As she spoke, a ship's horn sounded, and she joked: "I think it's Elon Musk," and then added: "I'm not afraid of you, fuck you, Elon Musk.

Musk reacted to the video of her statements by posting a graphic emoticon depicting loud laughter on the social network X. He added: "They will lose the next election," referring to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The president's wife spoke at the event on the eve of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, which will take place on Monday and Tuesday.

Add

This year, Musk's social messaging network was suspended in Brazil for a month because the company failed to name its legal representative in the country and ignored court orders to block accounts accused of spreading fake news and hate messages.

Musk tries to become 'co-president' on Trump's team – NBC NewsNov 14 2024, 08:46 PM • 31638 views

Several railway sections in Ukraine's south, west and northeast suffered power outages due to a large-scale Russian attack on 17 November.

Source: press service for the Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia)

Details: As of 10:20, power has been restored to the blacked-out sections of the tracks via neighbouring substations, and most trains are running with regular electric locomotives. Delays had been reported earlier on some routes.

Trains are running under backup diesel locomotives on sections where the power supply has not yet been restored.

Background: On the night of 16-17 November, up to seven Tu-95MS strategic bombers took off from Olenegorsk, Russia. They launched cruise missiles, which entered Ukrainian airspace around 06:30. The attack, lasting about an hour, targeted Ukraine's energy sector.

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Iran is demanding $1 trillion in compensation from the United States for losses from the sanctions. Restrictive measures have been in place since 1979 after the Islamic Revolution and the seizure of the embassy.

Iran is demanding $1 trillion in compensation from the United States for the sanctions imposed on the country. This was announced on Saturday, November 16, by the Deputy Legal Affairs Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), General Ali Shamkhani. This was reported by Al-Alam TV channel, UNN reports.

Americans must pay Iran $1 trillion in compensation for the damage they have caused to our country by restraining it,

– the message says.

It is known that the United States first approved restrictive measures against Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

For reference

The sanctions were imposed against the backdrop of the seizure of the embassy by a group of Iranian radicals. In particular, Washington stopped buying Iranian oil and froze Iranian bank deposits.

Later, some bans were lifted, while others were tightened. After the nuclear deal (2015), sanctions were gradually lifted in response to the restrictions on Iran's nuclear program.

Recall

The United States imposed sanctions against Iran's oil and petrochemical sectors in response to the missile attack against Israel. The restrictions apply to 16 organizations and 23 vessels associated with the Iranian oil industry.

Russian forces struck Volyn and Vinnytsia oblasts during a large-scale attack on the morning of 17 November.

Source: Volyn Oblast Military Administration; Natalia Zabolotna, Deputy Head of Vinnytsia Oblast Military Administration

Details: The authorities specified that the energy infrastructure in both oblasts had been damaged.

Early reports indicate no casualties.

Power outages have been reported in Vinnytsia Oblast.

The authorities stressed that the missile threat persists and urged people to stay in shelters.

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Japanese troops will begin regular training in northern Australia in 2025. US rotational forces will join the exercises as part of a strategy to strengthen the security of the three countries.

Japanese troops will begin regular training in northern Australia as part of military cooperation with Australia and the United States, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday. This was reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.

On Sunday, November 17, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Darwin, northern Australia.

Today, we are announcing that Japan's Rapid Reaction Airborne Brigades will be deployed to Australia on a regular basis,

– said Richard Marles.

Details

Starting in 2025, Japanese troops will be regularly deployed to conduct joint exercises with rotational US forces in northern Australia. This will be the latest step by the three countries to strengthen security ties in the face of growing strategic competition with China.

At the same time, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed confidence that the United States will provide the opportunities provided for in the AUKUS agreement, under which Australia will purchase US nuclear submarines and develop a new class of nuclear submarines jointly with the United States and the United Kingdom.

The US Department of Defense is focused on a smooth and efficient transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump,

– Lloyd added.

The training is expected to start next year, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

About 2000 US Marines are already in Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory.

South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint air exercises involving a B-1B bomberNov 4 2024, 12:46 AM • 23391 view

Russian attacks on Saturday resulted in civilians being injured in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Kherson oblasts.

Source: Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration; Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration; Kherson Oblast Military Administration

Details: Fedorov reported that at around 17:00, the Russians struck a village in Vasylivka district in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The blast wave and debris destroyed a car and injured a man.

Serhii Lysak reported that a woman of 75 was injured in a drone attack in Nikopol district. She received medical assistance.

Damage was caused to a transport company, a five-storey building, ten houses and ten outbuildings, three garages, some solar panels, a greenhouse, a power line and a gas pipeline.

Two residents of Komyshany were on a bus at the time of a Russian drone strike in Kherson Oblast at around 17:00. They suffered blast injuries and concussion. One, a 41-year-old man, also sustained shrapnel wounds to his face and forearm. A 19-year-old man was diagnosed with an arm injury. Both men were hospitalised.

Russian troops also dropped explosives from a UAV on a 55-year-old resident of Beryslav. The man was taken to hospital with a blast injury and a leg injury.

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XPeng showed the Land Carrier, a car with the ability to fly, at an air show in China. The modular design with a flying module is scheduled for production in 2026.

China has presented a flying car that could be released in 2026. This is reported by CGTN, UNN reports.

Details

The car, called the Land Aircraft Carrier, made its debut at an air show in China. The unique development was presented by XPeng, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer. "Land Aircraft Carrier made its first public flight at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China.

The Land Aircraft Carrier is a revolutionary Chinese innovation, the world's first product capable of fitting an airplane into the trunk of a car, making it an exciting achievement. In the future, road trips may mean traveling in this vehicle to scenic locations and enjoying magnificent views of the landscape from the air,

– Zhao Deli, founder of XPeng, told CGTN in an interview.

This futuristic vehicle combines traditional driving with the ability to fly, a significant step in the integration of advanced transportation solutions into everyday life. The XPeng flying car is a modular design that includes a ground vehicle and a removable flying module.

In addition, the vehicle has features that reduce radar visibility, making it potentially useful for military applications. XPeng is leveraging its expertise in electric propulsion systems to create an environmentally friendly aircraft that is in line with global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The flying car is scheduled to be released in 2026.

Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi to switch to Tesla charging standardDec 20 2023, 11:41 AM • 31883 views

A Czech company has allocated over €700,000 to Ukraine, which will be used to purchase anti-tank rocket launchers.

Source: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Foreign Ministry reported that STV GROUP handed over a symbolic cheque for RPG-7 anti-tank rocket launchers for the Ukrainian defence forces in the Ukrainian Embassy in Czechia. The weapons were worth EUR 765,000.

The Foreign Ministry emphasised that the RPG-7 is a weapon that has proven highly effective on the battlefield.

Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych noted that the transfer of this military aid is "another example of solidarity and support of our Czech friends."

Quote from Vasyl Zvarych: "I am convinced that these anti-tank rocket launchers in the hands of our heroic military will play a significant role in defending Ukraine from the aggressor and protecting human lives."

Background:

• Vasyl Zvarych reported in early October that Ukraine had received more than a third of the 500,000 rounds of ammunition to be delivered under the Czech initiative by the end of the year.
• On 16 November, it was reported that the Estonian government supported Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur's proposal to send Ukraine a new military aid package.

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The Pentagon UFO Office received 757 reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena in 2023. About 300 cases have already been explained, but hundreds more are still under investigation.

In 2023, the Pentagon's Office of UFOs (AARO) received 757 reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). Some of the most important sightings are still unexplained. This is reported by The Hill, according to UNN.

Details

Between May 1, 2023, and June 1, 2024, a special agency of the U.S. Department of Defense received 757 reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (previously known as unidentified flying objects). This is stated in the report of the Anomaly Elimination in All Domains (Spatial Areas) Office – AARO, which was declassified on November 14 this year.

The researchers found explanations for nearly 300 incidents. In many of them, the unidentified objects turned out to be balloons, birds, airplanes, or satellites, while hundreds more are in the queue for verification. While the agency is investigating 1,652 cases in total, the office noted in the report that it "has not found any evidence of alien beings, activity, or technology.

There are definitely anomalies, but we have not been able to establish a connection to extraterrestrial life,

– said John Koslosky, director of AARO.

The report was released only the day after the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee heard witnesses who claimed that the government was hiding evidence of extraterrestrial technology.

In particular, the former head of the now-defunct Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, Luis Elizondo, said that the government allegedly seeks to hide the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Excessive secrecy has led to serious crimes against loyal civil servants, military personnel, and the public – all to hide the fact that we are not alone in space,

– said Luis Elizondo.

The publication notes that recently there have been cases of UFOs near important US military facilities, including dozens in December 2023 at Langley Air Force Base. The Pentagon later said that these UAPs were unknown drones.

The director of AARO said that the agency is not aware of any advanced capabilities of a foreign adversary or breakthrough aerospace technologies.

Recall

As early as 2023, the US Senate insistedthat the government disclose classified UFO data.