spoopy plane crash distraction. so what else is going on ?

https://www.nation.co.ke/business/Kenya-plans-Iran-tea-mission-as-US-conflict-rages/996-5410442-sdj9p6/index.html

Kenya will next month send its third tea trade mission to Iran in the last four years as it seeks to retain the Tehran market despite mounting challenges resulting from US sanctions.

The director general of Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Anthony Muriithi said the Kenyan delegation will head to Iran next month to solidify the Asian market amid sanctions that have nearly made trade between Kenya and Iran impossible.

The mission comes at a time when there are heightened tensions after the US killed an Iranian military commander in a missile strike in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, raising fears of war breaking out in the region.

Iran remains one of the Kenya’s key markets and it pays a premium price for local tea, a move that has seen the country conduct several trade missions in defence of the market.

“Iran remains one of our key markets and the demand for the beverage is still high in that country,” said Mr Muriithi.

In 2017, Kenya sent a delegation to Iran to promote the country’s beverage by seeking more buyers of the commodity. This was followed by another last November.

Because of the sanctions imposed by the US, tea destined to Iran has to pass through a third party country (either in Europe or Dubai), and so are the payments as most banks are scared of trading with Tehran directly for fears of reprisal from the US.

Mr Muriithi said selling tea through a third party was an expensive affair for traders and it would be better if the trade can be done directly.

Kenya’s delegation will be meeting with both government officials and members of the Iranian Tea Association.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/as-the-victorian-bushfires-raged-patsy-the-corryong-wonder-dog-stayed-to-protect-her-flock

Meet Patsy - now known as the Corryong Wonder Dog.

When the fire closed in on the tiny Victoria town, in the early hours of New Year’s Eve, Patsy sprang into action to herd her 900 sheep into a safe paddock away from the moving fire front.

“I’d have been stuffed without Patsy,” owner Stephen Hill told SBS News.

“She’s earned front-seat privileges for the rest of her life.”

Despite the heat and terrifying conditions, Mr Hill said Patsy kept her cool and kept an eye on her charges, even as smoke blanketed the property.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2020/01/08/553885.htm

Travelex Holdings Ltd., the London-based foreign exchange company, is being held ransom by hackers, forcing the firm to suspend services across 30 countries, according to the BBC.

A ransomware gang called Sodinokibi has told the news site that it is responsible for the hack and is demanding Travelex pay $6 million (4.6 million pounds)

The group, also known as REvil, claims to have gained access to the company’s computer network six months ago and to have downloaded 5GB of sensitive customer data, according to the BBC. They claim to have dates of birth, credit card information and social security numbers in their possession.

Travelex confirmed the discovery of a software virus on Jan. 2, and said in a statement on its website that IT specialists and cybersecurity experts are working to isolate the virus.

“Our investigation to date shows no indication that any personal or customer data has been compromised,” according to the statement. Travelex couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200108000649

Prosecutors have asked an appeal court to increase the jail term for former President Lee Myung-bak to 23 years on charges of bribery and embezzlement, and sought a fine of 32 billion won ($27.3 million).

The Seoul High Court heard appeals from the disgraced president and prosecutors over a lower court’s October 2018 ruling that sentenced Lee to 15 years in prison on convictions of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, and ordered him to pay a fine of 13 billion won.

Charges against Lee, president from 2008-2013, include embezzling about 33.9 billion won in slush funds while virtually possessing his brother’s auto parts company DAS and taking bribes of 6.77 billion won from Samsung to cover litigation costs for the firm. Most of the alleged crimes took place while Lee was president from 2008 to 2013 or when he was a candidate before winning the 2007 election.

Prosecutors said the 15-year prison sentence is too light considering the importance of the matter.

“The defendant abused the authority given by the people as a means of pursuing private interests and damaged the constitution,” it said.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3852641

The Philippine government said Wednesday that it has ordered the mandatory evacuation of Filipino workers from Iraq and the coast guard said it is sending a vessel to the Middle East to ferry its citizens to safety in case hostilities between the United States and Iran worsen.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said the government has raised the alert level in Iraq to the highest level, requiring Filipinos to leave the country due to escalating security risks. Filipinos can leave on their own or escorted out with the help of their employers or the Philippine government.

Other Asian nations with large populations of expatriate labor may face similar decisions after Iran fired missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. forces in a major escalation of hostilities. The strikes were retaliation for last week’s killing of Iran's top general in a U.S. drone attack.

There are an estimated 1,600 Filipinos and their dependents in Iraq, including many who work for U.S. facilities and commercial establishments. President Rodrigo Duterte and top officials have been holding emergency meetings since the weekend to discuss evacuation plans.

Philippine officials were finalizing details of evacuation plans in the increasingly tense Middle East but Manila’s coast guard said a new patrol vessel en route to the Philippines from France has instead been ordered to head to the Middle East in case Filipino workers need to be immediately extricated from any danger. The vessel can ferry up to 500 people at any time.

“In case of conflict, overseas Filipino workers will be brought to safer ports where they may be airlifted, as the need arises,” the coast guard said, adding the Philippine vessel may temporarily dock in Oman or Dubai.

The estimated 7,000 workers in Iran and Iraq are a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who are employed in countries lining the Persian Gulf.

The Philippines is a leading source of labor worldwide, with about a tenth of its more than 100 million people working abroad mostly as household help, construction workers, sailors and professionals.

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/nation-world/world-reaction-iran-missile-strike/507-dca308ee-dbff-4f26-abfb-aaedbb2422d2

A Russian lawmaker warns that a conflict between the U.S. and Iran might lead to a nuclear war. It was just one of many responses by world leaders and other officials after Iran launched a missile strike against bases in Iraq that house U.S. forces. The strike was in retaliation for the U.S. killing Iran's top military commander last week.

“Reciprocal strikes by the U.S. and Iran may lead to an all-out war in the region,” said Vladimir Dzhabarov, a lawmaker with Russia’s upper house of parliament. “If Washington sees that it can’t achieve its goals, there’s a danger of a nuclear war.”

The Russian lawmaker said the U.N. Security Council should get involved to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.

Germany condemned the missile strike. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer urged Iran "not to engage in further escalation."

None of the German troops stationed in Iraq were injured.

Japan says it will urge governments to do their utmost to help ease tensions following an Iranian missile strike at bases in Iraq used by U.S. forces.

Japanese Chief Cabinet spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Japan remained on track to soon deploy a warship to the Gulf to help safeguard Japanese vessels and oil tankers transiting the area.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says all of his country's troops and diplomatic staff in Iraq are safe after Iran's firing of missiles at two military bases there. Around 300 Australian defense personnel are stationed in Iraq.

France, Poland, Denmark and Finland also said their troops in Iraq were not harmed.

…..

https://twitter.com/radiosweden/status/1214819698271019013

Swedish military report no injuries in attack against Coalition bases in Iraq. "The personnel on the ground took measures according to the security routine." They are following the situation and have plans in place to evacuate if needed. There are c.70 Swedish soldiers in Iraq.

https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/brazil/politics-brazil/fernandezs-stance-regarding-maduro-stresses-relationship-between-brazil-and-argentina/

Argentinian President Alberto Fernández has chosen to distance himself from the policy of isolation from Nicolás Maduro that characterized his predecessor, Mauricio Macri.

The president who came to power in December is also unwilling to be an unconditional ally of the Venezuelan leader, unlike former president Cristina Kirchner (2007-2015), now vice-president.

In its new foreign policy, Argentina, like Mexico, is betting on a third option to find a peaceful solution to Venezuela's political and economic crisis.

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the rest is paywall