egofags
sad there's been a rash of them - like moths to the light here. Night Shift has always been muh fave, never filtered until a week ago. Now its every night.
Saudi-Led Coalition Says It Has Destroyed Houthi Armed Drone
CAIRO (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi movement said on Sunday it had attacked and hit a military air base in southern Saudi Arabia with a drone, but the Saudi-led coalition fighting the group said it had intercepted and destroyed an armed drone fired into the kingdom.
A Houthi military spokesman said on Twitter the group had targeted the King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait with a drone.
There was no Saudi confirmation of any hit.
The military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which intervened in Yemen against the Iran-aligned Houthis in 2015 after the Houthis captured the capital Sanaa, has said it intercepts the majority of Houthi missile and drone attacks.
The Houthi movement, which holds most of north Yemen, has kept up cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and a ground offensive in Yemen's Marib region at a time the United States and the United Nations are pushing for a ceasefire agreement.
Riyadh has proposed a truce, but the Houthis reject the offer, saying they want the full lifting of a sea and air blockade which allows the Saudi-led coalition to restrict imports into Yemen.
The conflict, seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed millions to the brink of famine in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-04-25/saudi-led-coalition-says-it-has-destroyed-houthi-armed-drone
53 sailors presumed dead after sunken Indonesia submarine found
A scan detected the submarine at 850 metres deep – well beyond its survivable limits.
Indonesian officials say debris from a missing submarine was found after the vessel sank as hopes of rescuing 53 sailors on board faded on Saturday.
The items located included a bottle of lubricant and a device that protects a torpedo, Air Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto said.
“The objects found near the last location of the submarine are believed to be parts of the submarine,” he said. “These objects would have never got out of the submarine unless there was pressure.”
The submarine – one of five in Indonesia’s fleet – disappeared on Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island of Bali.
Navy chief Yudo Margono said on Saturday that rescuers found several items, including parts of a torpedo straightener, a grease bottle believed to be used to oil the periscope, and prayer rugs from the submarine.
“With the authentic evidence we found believed to be from the submarine, we have now moved from the sub miss phase to sub sunk,” Margono said.
Indonesia earlier considered the submarine that disappeared off Bali as just missing. But now officials declared the submarine sank.
(article continues)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/24/indonesian-searchers-recover-debris-from-missing-submarine
Former Sri Lankan minister arrested over April 2019 bombing
Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 24 (ANI): Former Sri Lankan Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and brother Riyadh have been arrested by the country's Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for allegedly assisting the terrorists responsible for the deadly April 2019 bombing attacks, police spokesman Ajith Rohana said on Saturday.
According to Sputnik, earlier in the day, the ex-minister, who presently serves as a lawmaker, tweeted that the CID was standing outside of his house in Boudhaloka Mawatha, looking to arrest him "without a charge." Bathiudeen also mentioned having cooperated with the authorities so far.
"They were arrested by the CID on the charges of aiding and abetting the suicide bombers responsible for the 2019 April 21st attacks," Rohana said as quoted by Sri Lanka's News 1st outlet, reported by Sputnik.
The law enforcement agency had witness statements, as well as circumstantial and scientific evidence, at its disposal, according to the spokesman.
On April 21, 2019, Sri Lanka was hit by a series of deadly bombings that killed over 250 people, including 40 foreigners, and injured many more.
The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed the responsibility for the attacks. More than 100 people have been arrested in connection with the bombings.
https://www.saudiarabianews.net/news/268968533/former-sri-lankan-minister-arrested-over-april-2019-bombing
US Government 'Has Acknowledged the Reality' of UFOs, Former Pentagon Official Says
The National UFO Reporting Centre claimed that 2020 saw at least 7,263 sightings of "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" (UAP) in the US, as compared to 5,796 such objects detected the year before.
In an interview with the New York Post, Luis Elizondo, former head of the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Programme, gave his thoughts on a soon-to-be-released report by the US Department of Defence that will focus on UFOs, also referred to as "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" (UAP) or "Anomalous Aerial Vehicles" (AAVs).
Described by the newspaper as a "noted whistleblower", Elizondo said that he thinks the report, due in June, comes at a time when "the [US] government has acknowledged the reality of UAP".
"I think they all want answers and I think they are all willing to ask the hard questions", he added.
According to the National UFO Reporting Centre, there were 46 such sightings in New York City last year, compared to 35 the previous year. Notably, the figure marked a 283% spike versus 2018, when just a dozen "UFO" sightings were detected.
Elizondo argued that senior US national security officials have been unwilling to release more UAP-related information to the public because "they felt that it made them look inept".
"They felt in some cases that it challenged their philosophical and theological belief systems […]. They just couldn't process it", the whistleblower claimed.
He also suggested that growing "UAP" activity might be linked to the development of nuclear technology in the US.
"That's concerning to the point where we've actually had some of our nuclear capabilities disabled by these things […]. There is absolutely evidence that UAPs have an active interest in our nuclear technology", Elizondo asserted.
The remarks followed Elizondo's press conference earlier this week, where he described UAPs as objects that are ostensibly capable of flying 50 feet above the Earth's surface or 80,000 feet high in the sky.
"When you see that, you recognise you are dealing with a technology more advanced than ours", the whistleblower said, also referring to their alleged capability to submerge underwater without a compromise in performance.
He spoke after US media reports said last week that Pentagon-confirmed imagery featuring "pyramid-shaped" UFOs, as well as other such objects resembling a "sphere" and an "acorn", will be deciphered as part of "ongoing investigations" into UAPs.
The sightings include an 18-second video of what looks like three "pyramid-shaped" craft hovering over the USS Russell in July 2019 as well as images of three other mysterious objects, one of which was reportedly shared online last year.
Department of Defence (DOD) spokesperson Susan Gough said that she "can confirm that the referenced photos and videos were taken by [US] Navy personnel".
At the same time, she underscored that the Pentagon would not publicly discuss the matter "to maintain operations security and to avoid disclosing information that may be useful to potential adversaries".
https://sputniknews.com/us/202104251082717543-us-government-has-acknowledged-the-reality-of-ufos-former-pentagon-official-says/
Scott Rudin to Resign from Broadway League
As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Scott Rudin will "step back" from active participation in all of his Broadway productions, as well as film and streaming projects, following a recent story by the Hollywood Reporter about his abusive workplace behavior. This was followed by numerous other outlets detailing his abuse including Vulture, and today, The New York Times. In addition to the news stories, numerous Broadway actors participated in a protest march, and Equity as well called on the Broadway League to take action.
As part of the Times story, it's revealed that: And, in written responses to questions for this article, he said he was "profoundly sorry" for his behavior and revealed that he is resigning from the Broadway League, which is the trade association of producers and theater owners.
"I know apologizing is not, by any means, enough,' he said. "In stepping back, I intend to work on my issues and do so fully aware that many will feel that this is too little and too late."
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Scott-Rudin-to-Resign-from-Broadway-League-20210424
Tributes pour in for Milva, beloved Italian singer, who has died aged 81: 'Milva the Red' was beloved by fans across the world
In announcing her death, Italy’s Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said Milva’s versatile voice “stirred deep emotions in entire generations". No cause of death was given.
Milva also starred as a stage actress, with a repertoire heavily based on the works of German playwright Bertolt Brecht. She often worked with Milan theatre director Giorgio Strehler, who directed her in one of Brecht's signature works, The Threepenny Opera, a musical drama.
Who was Milva?
Born in 1939 as Maria Ilva Biolcati in Goro, a Po River delta town, she adopted the one-word stage name Milva. Along with Italian singers Ornella Vanoni and Mina, another performer who used a first name only, Milva was considered one of the greatest Italian popular female singers.
Milva sold some 80 million records, the LaPresse news agency said, and recorded 173 albums. She was nicknamed “Milva the Red”, for her voluminous red hair as well as “the Panther of Goro” for her vitality.
Germany, France and Italy all honoured her with national awards. Milva also had a following of fans in Asia, particularly in South Korea. She appeared 15 times at the San Remo festival, the annual contest to promote Italian songs, joking after her 12th time that she never would win.
One of her hits was the song Alexander Platz. Composed by Italian songwriter Franco Battiato in 1982, it explored love in divided Berlin during Cold War times, with its name taken from the famous Berlin square Alexanderplatz.
Other top Italian songwriters whose works Milva sang included Luigi Tenco and Fabrizio De Andre.
'An artist all heart and voice'
Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Saturday praised Milva as a “cultured, sensitive and versatile interpreter, much appreciated abroad”. He extended his condolences to her family.
Milva, who announced her retirement in 2010 after more than a half-century of performing, lived in Milan with a daughter, Martina Corgnati. The singer's former husband, Maurizio Corgnati, was a TV director who died in 1992.
Music critic Mario Luzzatto Fegiz wrote in Corriere della Sera that among Milva's many talents was the uncanny ability to sing just about any kind of music in any language after listening to it just once.
“She worked by memory,” Luzzatto Fegiz recalled. “In German, she wasn't even able to order breakfast.”
Milan's Piccolo Theater Strehler said it would host a wake on Tuesday in its foyer and that Milva's funeral to follow will be private. In a Facebook post, the theatre paid tribute to her, saying she was an “indominable, sensitive, passionate woman, an artist all heart and voice”.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/tributes-pour-in-for-milva-beloved-italian-singer-who-has-died-aged-81-1.1210238
Dozens killed in oxygen tank blast at Baghdad hospital: Casualties still being assessed after fire caused by the explosion was put out on Sunday morning
Dozens of people were killed when oxygen tank exploded late on Saturday at a hospital treating Covid-19 patients on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraqi security and health officials said.
The explosion caused a fire in the pulmonary intensive care unit on the second floor of the Ibn Al Khateeb hospital in Jisr Diyala district, the head of the Iraqi Civil Defence said.
“Elderly and [coronavirus] patients were on pulmonary devices and that made it impossible for them to move,” Maj Gen Kadhim Bohan told state-run TV as firefighters battled flames behind him.
“The inferno and the smoke led to fatalities and injuries among them.”
Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi announced a three-day mourning period for the victims and ordered an investigation into the blast.
Casualty numbers were still being assessed after the fire was extinguished early on Sunday morning, but security and health officials said dozens were killed and wounded. Health officials said there were between 200 and 300 patients in the hospital.
Maj Gen Bohan blamed the absence of safety standards in the three-storey building.
“Unfortunately, there were no protection teams, no fire extinguishers and no fire-detection systems,” he said. The flammable material of the false ceiling, the official said, made the situation worse.
Videos and pictures of the scene showed hundreds of firefighters and residents of the area trying to put out the fire and rescue patients. Patients’ relatives were seen crying hysterically and beating their heads and chests in grief.
The prime minister described the incident as a “setback” and blamed negligence. Authorities will investigate the director of the hospital, the heads of security and maintenance, and other officials, Mr Al Kadhimi said.
The prime minister's official Twitter account said he ordered safety inspections to be conducted on all medical facilities within a week.
It is still unclear what caused the oxygen tank to explode, but a medical worker at the hospital blamed a patient's relative for using a heater next to it.
The incident sparked calls on social media for the sacking of the Health Minister, Hassan Al Tamimi, and anger over inefficiency and corruption in the country.
“Everything in Iraq can explode in your face and kill you, even the oxygen tank that is supposed to help you breathe,” activist Omar Al Janai wrote on Twitter.
“Corruption has gnawed the state and the only victim is the people,” he added.
"Not only coronavirus is killing us, we are being killed by the corruption and inefficiency of successive Iraqi governments," said another Twitter user.
Iraq's semi-official Independent Human Rights Commission said the incident “is a crime against patients exhausted by Covid-19 who put their lives in the hands of the health ministry and its institutions and instead of being treated, perished in flames".
Iraqi hospitals have been battered by decades of war, sanctions and corruption. The pandemic has put the country’s healthcare system on the brink of collapse with acute shortage of medical staff and equipment.
Much of Iraq’s health infrastructure was built during 1970s and 1980s. Most medicines and medical supplies are only available on the black market and medical staff are dying from Covid-19 because of a lack of protection.
Many coronavirus patients prefer not to go to crowded hospitals and receive treatment at home.
Iraq is in a new wave of the pandemic that pushed the number of Covid-19 cases past one million on Wednesday. On Saturday, the country registered 6,967 new cases and 43 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 1,025,288 and fatalities to 15,217 since the first infections were reported in February last year.
The ministry said it carries out about 40,000 tests daily among a population of 40 million.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iraq/dozens-killed-in-oxygen-tank-blast-at-baghdad-hospital-1.1210136
Thank you, Baker
Well, that didn't work out as planned. Sorry. Time for anon to go to bed.
Four tonnes of cannabis found in cupcake-making machines
The drugs had an estimated street value of €33 million.
Greek authorities have seized more than four tonnes of cannabis hidden in industrial cupcake-making machines.
The processed drugs were found by police in the country's main port of Piraeus, stored in a shipping container heading from Lebanon to Slovakia.
Their estimated street value is €33 million.
The shipment, whose registered contents were three industrial cupcake-making machines, arrived by sea in Piraeus on April 14.
According to authorities, the equipment was due to be transported by rail on April 20 to Bratislava, through North Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary.
A search was carried out on the container after a tip-off from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
"The inspection revealed that there was, among other machines, an iron tank in which a hidden storage space had been constructed," Greece’s Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) said in a statement.
"After careful research, a manhole was discovered on the roof of the tank, which opened up to a constructed storage space."
Police said they had recovered 129 nylon bags of processed cannabis, as well as another 282 bulk packages of the drug. In total, 4,387 kilograms of cannabis were confiscated in the bust.
Greek authorities said they received assistance in the case from the drug enforcement agency of Saudi Arabia, as well as the DEA office in Athens.
According to the US, the SDOE Drug Agency received information that a large quantity of narcotics was being moved by sea from the Middle East to Central Europe.
An investigation into the shipment is continuing.
https://www.euronews.com/2021/04/23/four-tonnes-of-cannabis-found-in-cupcake-making-machines
Albanian voters head to the polls after divisive election campaign
Millions of Albanians will vote Sunday amid the COVID-19 pandemic and following a bitter and divisive election campaign that has seen recriminations and violence between the country's two main parties.
Prime Minister Edi Rama and his main opponent, Lulzim Basha, have traded blows in the media as their supporters have clashed on the streets, with a Socialist Party activist shot dead on Wednesday during an argument with a Democratic Party supporter.
Basha has accused the Socialist Party of vote-rigging, corruption, and links to organised crime. His MPs walked out of parliament in 2019 over the allegations.
Rama is hoping to secure a third mandate after his two previous victories in 2013 and 2009. He has promised to promote tourism, agriculture, and energy projects.
Sunday's election has been described as a milestone in Albania's path to EU membership, which has been repeatedly stalled in recent years amid growing reluctance in Brussels towards enlargement. In 2019, President Emmanuel Macron blocked the start of Albania's negotiations over joining the bloc.
Even if negotiations do begin, significant hurdles remain over key areas such as corruption, organised crime, and institutional reform. Speaking this week, Rama blamed the EU for dragging its feet over Albania, while Basha has blamed Rama for failing to make progress during his eight years in power.
A recent poll found that 97% of Albanians want the country to join the EU bloc, making it one of the most pro-EU countries in the Western Balkans.
But even aside from the COVID-19 pandemic Albania, a country of 2.8 million, has had a challenging couple of years, hit by a devastating earthquake in 2019 that left thousands homeless.
"Gray voters"
Critics say that Albanians are also tired of the same old faces in politics, with Rama having been in government since 1998 and Basha since 2005. A recent poll by Euronews Albania found that all the major candidates - Rama, Basha, and Monika Kryemadhi - had negative popularity ratings.
As a result, Alfonc Rakaj, an analyst, told Euronews, there is a sizable number of so-called "gray voters" that have not yet decided who to vote for - or whether to vote at all.
"[They are] disappointed with what is on offer. They are likely to distrust all political parties and political leaders. Main political parties have tried very hard to gain their support, but if polls were to be trusted, none has managed to fully get it," he said.
Rakaj said he believed the election was "too close to call."
Around 3.6 million Albanians, including the country's large diaspora, are eligible to vote. They will pick 140 out of 1,800 candidates across 12 political parties.
Vetëvendosje
One of the parties running this year is Vetëvendosje, the movement led by Albin Kurti, who won a landslide in February's election in Kosovo. Vetëvendosje has fielded three candidates in Albania's election and Kurti has campaigned in Albania, criticising Rama and the other main candidates.
But while Kosovo's ethnic Albanians voted in force to overturn the country's political elite earlier this year and bring Kurti to power, it is unlikely that Vetëvendosje will perform a similar feat in Albania, where the two main political parties are far more entrenched than in Kosovo.
https://www.euronews.com/2021/04/25/albanian-voters-head-to-the-polls-after-divisive-election-campaign
Thinking that refers to our beginning. Not everyone questions our origin story, and some evidence suggests we were made to be slaves.
Moved and countermoves. The chess game is coming to an end. Normie fren (voted Xiden) thinks I'm nuttier than squirrel shit, now in a panic bcuz fren will be fired next week if not vaxxed by Friday. Fren suddenly VERY interested in what anon knows and who can help. kek
TY
Friend was presented with every reasonable option and links provided for FDA laws, attorneys, etc. Decision for further awakening and exiting the sheep farm are friend's to make (free will).
Hard not to say aloud, your fault for voting Xiden.
peyote scene is the best!
"We're in the spirit world, asshole. They can't see us." kek
Reference: https://youtu.be/9AduBW3iCNY