Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2026 ||
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Slightly weird down here in Australia- in two days we’ve had four shark attacks in NSW, a crocodile attack in the Northern Territory, and a Canadian woman killed by a pack of dingoes on Fraser Island in Queensland. Don’t know what to think.
I'm curious though, what time of day did those 'bites' occur?
I read somewhere that dawn and dusk is the danger zone where sharks cannot readily tell the difference between human and their normal preys (typically seals.)
Clashes erupted today on the border between North Kordofan and Khartoum. The Sudanese army and the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces militia are engaged in a fierce battle for control of the strategic export route between Omdurman and Bara.
Clashes erupted today on the border between North Kordofan and Khartoum. The Sudanese army and the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces militia are engaged in a fierce battle for control of the strategic export route between Omdurman and Bara.
Reports indicate that army forces repelled a major surprise attack near Wadi al-Hout.
The Sudanese Armed Forces successfully repelled a fierce attack by the RSF militia on the army's advanced defenses in Rahad al-Nuba. The army lured the militia into an ambush by attacking Jabra al-Sheikh, then withdrew.
#Sudan#SITREP The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) stated that they repelled a large-scale drone attack launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of El Obeid, North Kordofan State.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) stated that they repelled a large-scale drone attack launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the city of El Obeid, North Kordofan State.
Futhermore, the RSF regained control of the Al-Dankoj area north of El Obeid, a location the SAF had previously announced it had recaptured. Territorial control continues to shift on a near-daily basis as both sides seek to consolidate their positions in North Kordofan.
Meanwhile, joint forces allied with the SAF deployed to the village of Um Al-Sout after securing control of the surrounding area north of El Obeid. Joint and mobile units also carried out extensive sweep operations across northern parts of the state, extending from Al-Obeiba to Um Dabakir.
[SudanTribune] The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) warned on Sunday of an imminent siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the city of El Obeid, as satellite imagery revealed significant defensive preparations and a mounting humanitarian crisis.
While El Obeid faces a renewed threat of blockade, researchers reported that the cities of Kadugli and Dilling in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan are already under siege by an alliance between the RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
Analysts at the lab identified newly created earthen walls, or berms, along key exit points from the city and around critical infrastructure. This military activity is consistent with forces engaged in preparations for siege warfare, although the lab withheld specific locations due to human security risks.
The report highlighted a trend likely to shape this phase of the conflict, characterized by an emphasis on aerial bombardment and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting civilian areas and vital facilities.
Satellite imagery captured between January 2 and 14 corroborated damage to El Obeid’s power generation station consistent with bombardment. Open-source reports indicated that RSF drones struck the facility in the early hours of January 4, resulting in a shutdown of the electrical grid.
The human toll has escalated in eastern El Obeid, where imagery from the same period confirmed damage to multiple buildings in the Al-Jallabiya neighbourhood. These findings align with local reports of RSF drone strikes on January 6 that allegedly killed at least 10 people, including eight members of a single family.
[Zgazola] Chadian security forces on Sunday recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition during a joint search operation in parts of the capital, N’Djamena, as part of intensified efforts to combat insecurity.
Sources Zagazola Makama that the operation was carried out in the 10th arrondissement and parts of the 2nd arrondissement of the city.
According to the sources, the joint team of internal security forces seized 28 pistols, 14 other firearms, and more than 1,000 rounds of assorted ammunition during the raid.
They also recovered military equipment and six vehicles suspected to be linked to criminal activities.
“Two gun owners were arrested during the operation and are currently in custody for further investigation,” a senior security official said.
He explained that the exercise was conducted under the supervision of top security authorities and formed part of broader measures to dismantle criminal networks and curb the proliferation of illegal arms in the capital.
The official added that the recovery of the weapons had significantly disrupted the operations of armed groups and criminal elements in the affected districts.
TROOPS OF OPHK DESTROY MULTIPLE TERRORIST CAMP, RECOVERED ARMS AND EQUIPMENT
Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI have recorded further operational successes in the ongoing Operation DESERT SANITY, destroying multiple terrorist camps, recovering arms… pic.twitter.com/nn5oCEa6Pw
TROOPS OF OPHK DESTROY MULTIPLE TERRORIST CAMP, RECOVERED ARMS AND EQUIPMENT
Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI have recorded further operational successes in the ongoing Operation DESERT SANITY, destroying multiple terrorist camps, recovering arms and equipment, and repelling coordinated attacks by the insurgents in the Timbuktu Triangle.
A statement signed by media information officer headquarters joint taskforce north east operation hadin kai, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba indicates that on sunday, 18th January 2026, troops advanced from their harbour area and conducted deliberate, intelligence-led operations across several identified terrorist enclaves including Chilaria, Garin Faruk and Abirma.
The operation was supported by the Air Component of OPHK, which provided persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage over the axis.
Gunmen retaliate after rustling of 102 cows, kill one, injure two in Barkin Ladi in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
One person was killed and two others injured when gunmen attacked Kasuwa Denkeli village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State in the early… pic.twitter.com/kg5LtaYieI
Gunmen retaliate after rustling of 102 cows, kill one, injure two in Barkin Ladi in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
One person was killed and two others injured when gunmen attacked Kasuwa Denkeli village in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State in the early hours of Saturday, in a retaliatory strike linked to the recent rustling of 102 cows in neighbouring Riyom LGA.
The attack, which occurred at about 2:30 a.m., came days after armed men drove away 102 cows from Dan Sokoto, Ganawuri District of Riyom LGA, heightening tensions across the Barkin Ladi–Riyom–Jos South axis.
Residents of Kasuwa Denkeli told Zagazola Makama that the assailants stormed the community and opened fire on houses, leaving one person dead on the spot and two others with gunshot injuries. The injured were evacuated to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for medical attention, while the body of the deceased was deposited at the General Hospital morgue in Barkin Ladi for autopsy.
Police sources who confirmed the incident said “On receipt of a distress call, a team led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Barkin Ladi immediately moved to the scene.
Bandits attack churches, abduct unspecified number of worshippers in Kajuru, Kaduna
By Zagazola Makama
Bandits have attacked two churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and abducted an unspecified number of worshippers.
A reliable source told Zagazola Makama that the attack occurred on Jan. 18 at about 11:25 a.m., when the assailants, armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and Cherubim and Seraphim Church II in the community.
Afghan terrorist forces opened unprovoked fire on a Pakistani border area near Chaman in a clear act of aggression. The intent behind this action appears to be the facilitation of Fitna-e-Hindustan elements attempting to cross… pic.twitter.com/yrbzg4l9OD
Afghan terrorist forces opened unprovoked fire on a Pakistani border area near Chaman in a clear act of aggression. The intent behind this action appears to be the facilitation of Fitna-e-Hindustan elements attempting to cross the border under the cover of firing, once again aiding terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
Such provocations are not new and have repeatedly been aimed at destabilizing Pakistan. These actions endanger regional peace, threaten stability, and severely damage bilateral trust.
Iraqi Armed Forces deploy in large numbers along the border with Syria, coinciding with Syrian government forces seizing prisons holding thousands of ISIS fighters. Deputy Chief of Iraq's Joint Operations: "We reassure our citizens that Iraq's borders with Syria are fully secure.… pic.twitter.com/7VeTsga5K5
Iraqi Armed Forces deploy in large numbers along the border with Syria, coinciding with Syrian government forces seizing prisons holding thousands of ISIS fighters. Deputy Chief of Iraq's Joint Operations: "We reassure our citizens that Iraq's borders with Syria are fully secure. Our units are ready for any infiltration or approach by the terrorist gangs from outside our borders."
Posted by: badanov ||
01/20/2026 00:00 ||
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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli crews on Tuesday started bulldozing the Jerusalem headquarters of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, pushing forward with its crackdown against an organization tasked with delivering humanitarian services to millions of people across the region.
Israel has long accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency of collaborating with Hamas — a charge it denies — and last year banned it from operating on its territory. But Tuesday’s demolition marked Israel’s latest and most dramatic step against UNRWA.
Roland Friedrich, the group’s West Bank director, said UNRWA had received word that demolition crews and police arrived at their east Jerusalem headquarters early in the morning. Staff has not operated out of the facility due to danger and incitement for almost a year, but Israeli forces confiscated devices and forced out the private security hired to guard the facility.
"What we saw today is is the culmination of two years of incitement and, measures against UNRWA in east Jerusalem," Friedrich said, calling it a violation of international law guaranteeing such facilities protection.
UNRWA’s mandate is to provide aid and services to some 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, as well as 3 million more refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. The group has for years maintained infrastructure in refugee camps and also run schools and provide health care. But its operations were curtailed last year when Israel’s Knesset passed legislation severing ties and banning it from functioning in what it defines as Israel — including east Jerusalem.
The agency said the demolitions could imperil operations at its vocational center in Qalandia and heath facility in Shua’fat, where it continues to provide education and health services.
An Israeli flag was seen hoisted above the facility in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, where some Israeli politicians arrived on the scene to celebrate the organization’s fate. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called it "a historic day."
[IsraelTimes] Two Palestinian terror operatives who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in separate incidents yesterday were killed by troops, the military says.
In one incident in south Gaza, two operatives crossed the Yellow Line and approached troops of the 188th Armored Brigade, according to the army. The IDF says the troops opened fire, killing one.
In the second incident in the Strip’s north, the military says three operatives crossed the ceasefire line and approached reservists of the Alexandroni Brigade. The soldiers opened fire and killed one of the three, according to the IDF.
[IsraelTimes] Israeli strikes in several areas of southern Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... on Monday targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including rocket launching sites, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Among the targets were training camps used by Hezbollah to plan and carry out attacks against Israel, according to the military.
The IDF said it also struck tunnel shafts used by the terror group to store weapons. The shafts were located at Hezbollah sites where "unusual military activity" by the terror group was identified in recent months, the military said.
In addition, the IDF said it struck rocket-launching sites and buildings used by Hezbollah to advance attacks on Israel.
No injuries were immediately reported from the strikes, which came amid ongoing IDF efforts to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its infrastructure and arsenal in the wake of a November 2024 ceasefire.
[IsraelTimes] A Hezbollah operative was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese town of Zibqin, close to Tyre, a short while ago, the military says.
The IDF does not immediately provide further details.
[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday called on young Kurds in northeast Syria (Rojava) and Kurdish communities in Iraq, Iran, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... and Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... to "unite" and "join the resistance" as Damascus-affiliated forces advance into the region despite a ceasefire.
"We call on all our youth, our young women and men of Rojava, North, South and East Kurdistan, as well as in Europe, to unite together and break the borders of the occupiers and join the resistance," the SDF said in a statement.
The call comes amid ongoing festivities between the SDF and Damascus-affiliated factions in northern Syria, despite a ceasefire recently brokered on Sunday under US mediation.
"We declare that we will turn our cities from [al-Malikiya] Derik to Hasaka and Kobane into a graveyard for the new carriers of [the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... ] ISIS mentality," the SDF said, implicitly referring to Damascus-affiliated factions leading the offensive in Rojava.
Earlier on Monday, the SDF accused Damascus-aligned gangs of decapitating several of their fighters in northeast Syria, releasing a video of it described as a "heinous crime" that was committed and recorded in "the style of" ISIS.
The footage shows the captured fighters, at least four individuals, in military uniforms, while Arabic-speaking men refer to them as "Havalan [comrades in Kurdish]" and "the [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK pigs."
Damascus and its closest regional ally, Turkey, have long accused the SDF of links to the PKK, an allegation the Kurdish-led force has consistently denied.
"Some of these groups that are making [up] the Syrian government’s military, some of these groups are Jihadis, are bully boys, are takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... , and I do not know if Damascus can actually control them," Myles Caggins, a retired US Army colonel and former spokesperson for the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, told Rudaw on Monday.
The term takfiri is commonly used to describe individuals or groups who declare other Moslems to be non-believers, often to justify violence.
Other videos circulating online also appear to show captured SDF members and civilians being insulted, beaten and killed by gunnies. One video shows a man referring to two female fighters in Arabic as "the nicest gifts" to another Death Eater, implying they could be used as sex slaves.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have published footage they say "captures the moment Damascus-affiliated factions stormed al-Shaddadi prison [in Hasaka] - which houses thousands of ISIS members - and freed them."
SDF 'loses control' of ISIS prison in Hasaka after attack by 'armed groups'
[Rudaw] The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday reported a “serious escalation” by Damascus-affiliated “armed groups” in Hasaka and Raqqa, including near two prisons housing thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, despite a landmark ceasefire agreement that came into effect on Sunday to halt clashes and integrate the Kurdish-led forces under the Syrian state. The SDF later reported that their forces lost control of one of the two jails.
In a statement on X, the SDF said that “factions affiliated with the Damascus government continue their attacks on our forces in Ain Issa in northern Raqqa, al-Shaddadi in southern Hasaka, and Raqqa.”
The statement added that “violent clashes are underway between our forces and those factions in the vicinity of al-Aqtan Prison in Raqqa, which houses detainees from the ISIS terrorist organization, representing an extremely dangerous development.”
In a follow-up statement, the SDF said that “armed groups” also launched an attack near al-Shaddadi prison, “which holds thousands of ISIS members,” adding that “intense clashes with our forces tasked with protecting the prison” are underway amid “an extremely dangerous security situation.” Soon after the SDF reported that the al-Shaddadi prison "is no longer under our forces' control."
The Kurdish-led forces further warned that “the level of threat is escalating significantly,” cautioning that the capture of these prisons by Damascus-affiliated armed groups could lead to serious security repercussions, threatening stability and opening the door to a return of chaos and terrorism.
For her part, Foza Alyusuf, a senior member of northeast Syria’s (Rojava) ruling Democratic Union Party (PYD), has called on "Kurdistani forces to declare a general mobilization," warning that "Kurds in Rojava face the threat of extermination." In a post on X, she added that "the ceasefire announcement by the Damascus [interim] government, it has not been upheld," citing the clashes in al-Shaddadi and Ain Issa.
“Our people must stay alert and prepared for all possibilities,” the senior Rojava official warned.
The escalation comes less than 24 hours after Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced late Sunday that he had signed a 14-point agreement with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi to “immediately” halt ongoing violence in northeast Syria (Rojava) and integrate areas administered by the Kurdish-led authority into state institutions.
Among its key provisions, the agreement stipulates the integration of the SDF and its affiliated Internal Security Forces (Asayish) into the defense and interior ministries, as well as the immediate handover of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces by the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES).
Under the accord, Damascus will also assume responsibility for ISIS detainees and their families currently held by the SDF.
The agreement further grants SDF leadership the right to submit “a list of nominees” for “senior military, security, and civilian posts,” with Sharaa expected to issue a decree “appointing one nominee as governor of Hasaka.”
Ambulance missing as Damascus-affiliated factions ambush medical convoy near Hasaka
[Rudaw] A medical convoy transporting wounded civilians from Raqqa to Hasaka in northeastern Syria (Rojava) was ambushed on Sunday evening, leaving several people dead and injured and one ambulance unaccounted for, a doctor in the convoy told Rudaw.
The attack came after the Syrian Arab Army and its allied factions launched operations in eastern areas of Syria administered by the Kurdish-led authorities.
Dr. Agid Oso, who was part of the convoy, said the attack took place at around 4:30 pm near the Sabah al-Khair point, about 50 kilometers from Hasaka, as they "were transporting the wounded from Raqqa."
According to Dr. Oso, the convoy was made up of 10 ambulances carrying between 20 and 25 wounded Kurds and Arabs, along with a number of Kurdish civilians from Raqqa and Tabqa who were traveling with them.
He said the attackers opened fire on the convoy, causing casualties among both patients and civilians. “Gunmen attacked us. Although we do not know exactly who they were, it is likely they are militants affiliated with the Syrian government or ISIS [Islamic State] sleeper cells present in the area,” he said, adding, “As a result of the attack, a number of civilians were wounded and some were killed, but we do not know the exact numbers.”
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) later arrived at the scene and secured the area, according to the doctor. He said the ambush forced the convoy to split into different routes.
“Due to the ambush, the convoy split up. Some of us changed our route toward Kobani, while others continued toward Hasaka,” Dr. Oso said.
He also expressed serious concern over one missing ambulance that lost contact after the attack. “We have lost contact with one of the ambulances. The driver was wounded and told us he could not continue; we do not know what has happened to it now, and it is missing,” he said.
Doctors who reached Kobani have begun treating the wounded at the city’s hospital, while those who arrived in Hasaka are also providing medical care there. Dr. Oso said the convoy included six doctors and around 15 nurses.
On Sunday night, Syria’s interim president signed a ceasefire agreement with SDF chief Mazloum Abdi.
The 14-point agreement, announced late Sunday, calls for the withdrawal of SDF forces from key provinces, including Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, and for the integration of SDF fighters - on an “individual” basis and following security vetting - into Syria’s ministries of defense and interior. The deal also transfers control of oil and gas fields, border crossings, and major prisons holding ISIS suspects to the central government in Damascus.
Courtesy of badanov:
#Syria 🇸🇾: Syrian Army (former #HTS) reportedly captured the Al-Aqtan prison in #Raqqa from Syrian Democratic Forces (#SDF).
Syrian Army seemingly using a couple of #Turkey-made 🇹🇷 BMC Amazon 4x4 Armored Vehicles with possible Aselsan SARP Remote-Controlled Weapon Stations. pic.twitter.com/bGQucOy1Xp
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli crews on Tuesday started bulldozing the Jerusalem headquarters of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, pushing forward with its crackdown against an organization tasked with delivering humanitarian services to millions of people across the region.
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed...
