A Ukrainian man who embarked on a perilous journey fleeing his war-torn country into Romania was rescued from a deep mountain ravine in subzero temperatures with an unlikely companion: his months-old kitten named Peach. More than a dozen rescuers worked in a harsh blizzard to save Vladislav Duda, 28, who was found “soaked and frozen” and severely hypothermic in a 400-meter (437-yard) deep ravine in the northern Maramures region last week, according to the region’s mountain rescue service. Duda had fled Ukraine to avoid being drafted into his country’s armed forces fighting Russia. “The cat was warm and was warming him … so he saved his life,” Dan Benga, the director of the Maramures mountain rescue service, told The Associated Press. “The only thing we saw he is caring about is the cat. He doesn’t care about himself.” When the rescue team located and found the Ukrainian, they unzipped his jacket and discovered Peach snuggled up inside. Benga recalls asking Duda if he was OK, to which he replied: “I’m happy because my cat is alive. I got a chance from God for a new life. The happiest moment is because the cat is here with me,” Benga recalled Duda saying. The auburn-colored kitten, a tomcat named “Peach” in Ukrainian, was experiencing the effects of malnutrition after they ran out of food four days earlier and melted snow helped to keep him alive. “It’s like a dream, after all I have been through, I only hoped to be found and to survive,” Duda, who worked as a journalist in Ukraine, told the AP. “Peach kept my heart warm and he kept my faith alive.” A helicopter retrieval was initially launched but was aborted due to dangerous weather that hampered visibility. Ground rescuers then embarked on a grueling mission through deep snow and temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) until they reached the pair. During the complex ascent out of the ravine which took more than five hours, the Ukrainian would not let go of his kitten. He kept Peach clutched to his chest “from the bottom to the top … until we put him in the ambulance,” Benga said. “He said only ‘Please take care of the cat.’” Close to getting frostbite, Duda is now receiving anti-inflammatory medication and blood circulation treatment, said Izabella Kiskasza, who runs a community center for Ukrainian refugees in Maramures and is assisting the duo. Peach received veterinary treatment in Baia Mare on Monday and is expected to fully recover. Duda left his home in Ukraine’s war-ravaged Kharkiv region more than a week before getting stranded with his feline companion in the arching Carpathian Mountain range, which straddles northern Romania and southwest Ukraine. While Peach is the first feline rescued from the mountainous Romanian region, Duda is just one of many Ukrainian men who have risked their lives traversing the harsh conditions of the mountains to avoid being drafted into their country’s grinding war with Russia. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, more than 160 Ukrainian men have been rescued from Romania’s Maramures region and the numbers have doubled each year since, Benga said. Another 16 have been found dead. Two other Ukrainian draft-aged men were rescued by helicopter the same day as Duda, he said. “There are a […]
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has signaled his willingness to sidestep the City Council to revise the city’s stringent sanctuary city designation, which has been under fire amidst the ongoing migrant crisis. Speaking on CBS’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer” on Sunday, Adams said his administration is exploring executive powers to address the issue. “The City Council made it clear they don’t want to change that,” Adams said. “They stated they’re not willing to change the sanctuary city law. I think they’re wrong. I have my teams looking at my power as executive orders. Do I have the power to do so? I have to protect the people of this city. That is my north star.” Adams’ remarks follow criticism from Queens Councilman Robert Holden, who last week urged the mayor to amend or repeal the sanctuary city laws, which limit cooperation between city agencies and federal immigration authorities. Holden criticized Adams for previously missing an opportunity to address the issue through the city’s Charter Revision Commission. “Tough talk is good, but actions speak louder,” Holden said. He also proposed reopening a federal immigration office at Rikers Island, which was closed in 2015 under former Mayor Bill de Blasio. The suggestion garnered support from federal immigration officials the following day. A City Hall spokesperson pushed back on Adams’ comments, noting that the sanctuary city designation is codified in law and can only be modified by the City Council. However, Adams expressed a determination to find alternative solutions, stating he has directed the city’s corporation counsel to outline potential options. “I told the corporation counsel, give me what are my options,” Adams said during the interview. “As I stated almost a year ago, I want to look at those who are committing serious violent felonies in our city. And I want to know what are my powers.” Adams clarified that his focus is on individuals committing violent crimes, noting that the council’s refusal to adjust the laws has forced him to consider “Plan B.” Adams, who has historically supported the sanctuary city designation, has recently advocated for a more flexible policy. His proposals include making exceptions for migrants who commit serious crimes, allowing local authorities to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in such cases. Sanctuary city policies generally prohibit local law enforcement from holding migrants for federal immigration authorities. However, Adams has argued for exceptions for criminal offenders, stating similar positions in February and again last week. The city’s sanctuary policy has faced increasing scrutiny amid a migrant influx that has cost the city over $6 billion to house, feed, and police newcomers since 2022. The crisis has also drawn attention to criminal elements, including reports of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua operating out of city-funded shelters. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In a dramatic escalation, the Israeli Air Force has carried out over 250 airstrikes in Syria within 48 hours, effectively dismantling the country’s former Navy, Air Force, and chemical weapons facilities. The strikes come amid as U.S. bombers deployed more than 140 satellite-guided bombs against ISIS, with officials from both nations citing the grounding of Russia’s air force as a strategic window of opportunity. Israeli operations have targeted key infrastructure, including three major airports, military and intelligence headquarters, ammunition depots, and chemical weapons production sites. These actions aim to prevent advanced weapons and strategic facilities from falling into hostile hands. Israeli forces report the destruction of dozens of helicopters and aircraft, emphasizing concerns over military assets potentially being seized by opposition groups. The coordinated strikes by Israel and the U.S. highlight their intent to capitalize on Russia’s reduced air presence, ensuring regional stability and preventing further proliferation of advanced weaponry. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
For Iran’s theocratic government, it keeps getting worse. Its decades-long strategy of building an “Axis of Resistance” supporting terror groups and proxies around the region is falling apart. First came the crushing Israeli campaign in Gaza started by Iranian-backed Hamas’ murderous Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. That war spawned another in Lebanon, where Israel has mauled Iran’s most powerful ally, Hezbollah, even as Israel has launched successful airstrikes openly inside of Iran for the first time after Iran twice directly attacked Israel. And now Iran’s longtime stalwart ally and client in Syria, President Bashar Assad, is gone. As dawn broke Sunday, rebel forces completed a lightning offensive by seizing the ancient capital of Damascus and tearing down symbols of more than 50 years of Assad’s rule over the Mideast crossroads. Ali Akbar Velayati, a key adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once called Assad and Syria “the golden ring of the resistance chain in the region.” “Without the Syrian government, this chain will break and the resistance against Israel and its supporters will be weakened.” That break in the chain is literal. Syria was an important geographical link that allowed Iran to move weapons and other supplies to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Its loss now further weakens Hezbollah, whose powerful arsenal in southern Lebanon had put Iranian influence directly on the border of its nemesis Israel. “Iran’s deterrence thinking is really shattered by events in Gaza, by events in Lebanon and definitely by developments in Syria,” a senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, said at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Iran still holds the card of its nuclear program. Though it denies that intention, it can use the potential for building a weapons capability to cast a shadow of influence in the region. “Iran remains a critical regional player,” Gargash said. “We should use this moment to connect and speak about what’s next in my opinion.” It’s a dramatic reversal in Iran’s regional might Only a few years ago, the Islamic Republic loomed ascendant across the wider Middle East. Its “Axis of Resistance” was at a zenith. Hezbollah in Lebanon stood up against Israel. Assad appeared to have weathered an Arab Spring uprising-turned-civil war. Iraqi insurgents killed U.S. troops with Iranian-designed roadside bombs. Yemen’s Houthi rebels fought a Saudi-led coalition to a stalemate. Syria, at the crossroads, played a vital role. Early in Syria’s civil war, when it appeared Assad might be overthrown, Iran and its ally, Hezbollah, rushed fighters to support him — in the name of defending Shiite shrines in Syria. Russia later joined with a scorched earth campaign of airstrikes. The campaign won back territory, even as Syria remained divided into zones of government and insurgent control. But the speed of Assad’s collapse the past week showed just how reliant he was on support from Iran and Russia — which at the crucial moment didn’t come. “What was surprising was the Syrian’s army’s failure to counter the offensive, and also the speed of the developments,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television late Sunday night. “That was unexpected.” Russia remains mired in Ukraine years after launching a full-scale invasion there in 2022. For Iran, international sanctions over its advancing nuclear program have ground down its economy. […]
In just 48 hours, the Israeli Air Force has conducted over 250 airstrikes, effectively destroying Syria’s former Navy and Air Force as well as chemical weapons plants. This came shortly after U.S. bombers dropped 140 satellite-guided bombs on ISIS. Officials say both nations are capitalizing on the grounding of Russia’s air force. This was done to ensure weapons don’t fall into dangerous hands.
Court documents confirm that a Pentagon leak delayed a planned Israeli military operation against Iran, U.S. prosecutors revealed. Lead prosecutor Troy Edwards stated the disclosure forced Israel to postpone a “kinetic action,” fearing its plans were compromised. Asif William Rahman, 34, accused of leaking the classified documents, was ordered released to home detention under electronic monitoring, despite prosecutors presenting incriminating evidence. The Justice Department plans to appeal, citing national security risks due to Rahman’s memory of sensitive information. Rahman, an Ohio native and Yale graduate, was arrested in Cambodia while allegedly trying to delete classified files and secure his devices. Officials say he leaked two documents in October during Israel’s preparations for a retaliatory strike following an Iranian missile barrage. The leak delayed Israel’s response by three weeks, culminating in the “Days of Atonement” operation, foreign reports claim—allegations denied by Israel at the time. Rahman’s motives remain unclear. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The silent black-and-white surveillance camera video of the Russian missile attack in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro was brief but chilling: Six huge fireballs pierced the darkness and slammed into the ground at astonishing speed. Within hours of the Nov. 21 attack on the military facility, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the rare step of speaking on national TV to boast about the new, hypersonic missile. He warned the West that its next use could be against Ukraine’s NATO allies who allowed Kyiv to use their longer-range missiles to strike inside Russia. Putin said the missile was called the “Oreshnik” — Russian for “hazelnut tree.” A look at the weapon, how it fits into Moscow’s battle plan and what political message Russia wants to send by using it: What’s known about the Oreshnik? A satisfied smile played across Putin’s face as he described how the Oreshnik streaks to its target at 10 times the speed of sound, or Mach 10, “like a meteorite,” and claimed it was immune to any missile defense system. Ukrainian military officials said it reached Mach 11. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could carry nuclear or conventional warheads and has a range to reach any European target. The Pentagon said the Oreshnik was an experimental type of intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM, based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. The attack marked the first time such a weapon was used in a war. Intermediate-range missiles can fly between 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,400 miles). Such weapons were banned under a Soviet-era treaty that Washington and Moscow abandoned in 2019. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the missile had six warheads, each carrying six submunitions. Its payload of independently targetable warheads, like a cluster of hazelnuts growing on a tree, could be the inspiration for the missile’s name. Video of the attack appeared to show six warheads surrounded by clouds of plasma raining down in a fiery descent. The six submunitions released by each warhead apparently were unarmed but had high kinetic energy estimated to deliver a destructive force equivalent to tons of explosives. Putin claimed the weapon is so powerful that using several such missiles — even fitted with conventional warheads — could be as devastating as a nuclear strike. It’s capable of destroying underground bunkers “three, four or more floors down,” he boasted, threatening to use it against the government district in Kyiv. Ukraine’s Security Service showed The Associated Press wreckage of the missile — charred, mangled wires and an ashen airframe — at Dnipro’s Pivdenmash plant that built missiles when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. There were no fatalities in the attack, and authorities haven’t described the damage to the plant. They said the missile was fired from the 4th Missile Test Range of Kapustin Yar in Russia’s Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea. What other missiles has Russia used? Russia has used an assortment of missiles to pummel Ukraine since the start of its invasion in February 2022, but none had the range and power of Oreshnik. They included subsonic long-range cruise missiles that carry about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of explosives, enough to inflict a significant damage to Ukrainian power plants and other key infrastructure. The winged, jet-propelled cruise missiles have a range of up […]
UPDATE: Crown Heights Shomrim has released photos of the suspect wanted for the stabbing, which occurred on Monday afternoon on President Street, where the victim was stabbed in the neck.
Almost exactly seven years ago, President Vladimir Putin stood with Russian troops at their air base in Syria and proudly declared victory over “terrorists” in that country as part of the Kremlin’s military intervention to prop up the government of Bashar Assad amid a civil war. This weekend, those hard-won gains seemed a distant memory. Assad hastily fled to Moscow as his power crumbled during a lightning offensive by rebels that his main international allies, Russia and Iran, were unable to stem. The Kremlin’s failure to prevent Assad’s swift downfall has exposed limits of Russia’s power and dented its international clout at a pivotal stage of its war in Ukraine. A look at Russia’s involvement in Syria and the possible consequences of Assad’s demise for Moscow: What was Russia’s role in Syria and its civil war? The Soviet Union was a longtime ally of Assad’s father, Hafez Assad, who ruled the country for nearly 30 years, and provided military advisers and aid. After an 2011 uprising against Bashar Assad’s rule morphed into a civil war, Russia continued to be a key backer of Damascus, offering political support at the United Nations. When Assad’s rule neared collapse after a series of battlefield defeats in 2015, Russia joined Iran to intervene militarily. Russia deployed warplanes to the Hemeimeem air base in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia, delivering thousands of tons of military equipment and supplies in an operation dubbed the “Syrian Express.” On Sept. 30, 2015, Moscow launched its air campaign. Russia kept only about 50 warplanes at Hemeimeem, but they operated at a frenetic pace, each flying several sorties a day. Most of the Russian air force personnel were rotated through the base, giving them combat experience. At the same time, Moscow expanded and upgraded its naval base in Tartus, the only such outpost outside the former USSR. It deployed special operations forces for critical ground missions and sent hundreds of military advisers to train Syrian troops and direct their operations. Mercenaries from Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group military contractor also joined the battle. The military intervention allowed Assad to reclaim control of most of Syria, making the Kremlin a key power broker in the Middle East and boosting Russia’s prestige. Putin’s triumphal visit to Hemeimeem on Dec. 11, 2017, came a week after Russia declared victory over the Islamic State group in Syria and shortly after he announced a reelection bid for 2018. It was Russia’s first military operation outside the former Soviet Union since the USSR’s collapse in 1991 and gave Moscow a chance to test its latest weapons in combat. That military success emboldened Putin and was a key factor that contributed to his decision to invade Ukraine in 2022. Why did Russia fail to keep Assad in power? After helping Assad regain control over most Syria, Russia urged him to engage in talks with moderate opposition groups. Buoyed by opposition defeats, however, Assad staunchly resisted any initiatives aimed at national reconciliation. “Trying to minimize its costs in Syria, Russia has increasingly focused on maintaining the shaky and inefficient status quo, preserving the crumbling and delegitimized Assad regime without any perspectives,” said Ruslan Pukhov, a Moscow-based military expert, in an analysis. During recent contacts between Syrian and Turkish officials that Moscow helped broker this year, Assad’s government showed little […]
The results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election rattled the country and sent shockwaves across the world — or were cause for celebration, depending on who you ask. Is it any surprise then that the Merriam-Webster word of the year is “polarization”? “Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. “Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.” The election was so divisive, many American voters went to the polls with a feeling that the opposing candidate was an existential threat to the nation. According to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, about 8 in 10 Kamala Harris voters were very or somewhat concerned that Donald Trump’s views — but not Harris’ — were too extreme, while about 7 in 10 Trump voters felt the same way about Harris — but not Trump. The Merriam-Webster entry for “polarization” reflects scientific and metaphorical definitions. It’s most commonly used to mean “causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings.” Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month on its site, chooses its word of the year based on data, tracking a rise in search and usage. Last year’s pick was “authentic.” This year’s comes as large swaths of the U.S. struggle to reach consensus on what is real. “It’s always been important to me that the dictionary serve as a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody,” Sokolowski said. “It’s a kind of backstop for meaning in an era of fake news, alternative facts, whatever you want to say about the value of a word’s meaning in the culture.” It’s notable that “polarization” originated in the early 1800s — and not during the Renaissance, as did most words with Latin roots about science, Sokolowski said. He called it a “pretty young word,” in the scheme of the English language. “Polarized is a term that brings intensity to another word,” he continued, most frequently used in the U.S. to describe race relations, politics and ideology. “The basic job of the dictionary is to tell the truth about words,” the Merriam-Webster editor continued. “We’ve had dictionaries of English for 420 years and it’s only been in the last 20 years or so that we’ve actually known which words people look up.” “Polarization” extends beyond political connotations. It’s used to highlight fresh cracks and deep rifts alike in pop culture, tech trends and other industries. Paradoxically though, people tend to see eye to eye on the word itself. Sokolowski cited its frequent use among people across the political spectrum, including commentators on Fox News, MSNBC and CNN. “It’s used by both sides,” he said, “and in a little bit ironic twist to the word, it’s something that actually everyone agrees on.” Rounding out Merriam-Webster’s top 10 words of 2024: Demure A TikToker’s 38-second video describing her workday makeup routine as “very demure, very mindful” lit up the summer with memes. The video has been viewed more than 50 million times, yielding “huge spikes” in lookups, Sokolowski said, and prompting many to learn it means reserved or modest. Fortnight A pop song titled “Fortnight” undoubtedly spurred many searches for this word, which means two weeks. “Music can still send people to the dictionary,” Sokolowski said. Totality The solar […]
Syrian reports suggest the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on the Latakia port moments ago, targeting naval assets linked to the ousted Assad regime.
Israeli officials on Monday dismissed a Qatari report claiming significant advancements in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas for a temporary ceasefire that would include a hostage exchange. “These reports are not true,” the Hostage Affairs Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office stated in a message to the families of Israeli captives. “We continue to work tirelessly to bring the hostages home, while maintaining strict information security regarding the matter. We recommend relying exclusively on information from official sources.” The denial followed a report from the London-based, Qatari-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news outlet, which claimed that negotiations had reached an advanced stage. The report suggested that Hamas had provided Egyptian mediators with preliminary lists of Israeli hostages it was willing to release, prioritizing the elderly, those requiring medical treatment, and four American citizens. In return, Hamas reportedly demanded the release of specific Palestinian prisoners. While the Qatari report hinted at “unprecedentedly serious” talks involving Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, Israeli officials remain tight-lipped. An Israeli delegation was reportedly expected to travel to Cairo on Monday to discuss terms, but officials have yet to confirm any such plans. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met separately with two groups representing hostage families on Sunday: the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum and the Tikva Forum. The two groups differ on their approaches, with the former advocating for a deal at any price, while the latter emphasizes national security and opposes concessions that could empower Hamas. As the war in Gaza continues into its 14th month, speculation about a ceasefire persists. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has urged both sides to reach an agreement before his January 20 inauguration. Meanwhile, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani expressed cautious optimism over the weekend, noting that his country has resumed its role as a mediator after sensing renewed momentum. Israeli officials, however, have remained firm in their stance that no deal has been finalized. Netanyahu emphasized his commitment to bringing the hostages home but underlined the importance of balancing humanitarian concerns with national security. “We hope for progress, but our actions must prioritize the safety and future of Israel,” he said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
