Elon Musk Says Number of Starlink Devices in Iran Approaching 100

©AP Photo / Patrick Pleul

A total number of Starlink satellite internet terminals in Iran has been approaching 100 active devices, Elon Musk, SpaceX and Tesla founder and Twitter owner, said on Monday.

"Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran," Musk tweeted.

Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2022

In October, White House officials and Musk reportedly negotiated the supply of the internet service to Iran as a way of supporting the protest movement.

Public demonstrations began across Iran following the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini in September, allegedly at the hands of the country's so-called Morality Police for improperly wearing of a hijab. The Iranian authorities claim Amini died of a heart attack.

The billionaire had said in September that he would activate Starlink in Iran as part of a U.S.-backed effort "to advance internet freedom and the free flow of information" to Iranians.

The satellite-based broadband service could help Iranians circumvent the government's restrictions on accessing the internet and certain social media platforms amid protests around the country.

The Islamic Republic has been engulfed in protests that erupted after the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after being arrested by the morality police for wearing "unsuitable attire".

Starlink has more than 2,000 tiny satellites orbiting just a few hundred kilometres above Earth, providing internet access to users below.

The land-based terminals are then wired up to basic routers that create small Wi-fi spots.

Earlier this year, controversial billionaire Musk gained hero status in Ukraine after sending thousands of Starlink terminals to the country in the days after Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine now has 20,000 of the small white receivers throughout the country

Twitter head Musk’s Monday message was posted in response to a user whose video they said was taken in the “streets of Iran”, where there is now “more freedom for the women to choose whether they cover their hair or not”.

The post appeared to reference protests that swept Iran and the world after the September death of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini following her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of the country’s strict dress code for women.

Iran has unleashed a crackdown arresting around 14,000 people, according to the UN, and killing 469 protesters according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR).

The country’s top security body in early December gave a toll of more than 200 people killed, including security officers.

The authorities had already restricted access to Instagram and WhatsApp – until this autumn the last remaining unfiltered social media services – and then clamped down on apps like the Google Play Store as well as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that seek to circumvent local access restrictions.

Iranians have long used VPNs to access sites blocked in Iran – even government officials including the foreign minister have Twitter accounts despite the network being blocked in the country.

Dilaporkan ke KPK karena Dugaan Penyelewengan Bantuan, Bupati Cianjur: Silakan Cek ke Gudang

Bupati Cianjur Herman Suherman(KOMPAS.COM/FIRMAN TAUFIQURRAHMAN)

Bupati Cianjur, Herman Suherman, menanggapi santai pelaporan dirinya ke Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) dengan aduan dugaan penyelewengan bantuan bagi korban gempa. Herman percaya KPK akan menilai mana yang benar atau salah.

"Ah itu mah silakan saja. KPK juga nanti akan menilai. Ini benar atau tidak, akan menilai kan," kata Herman kepada wartawan di Pendopo Cianjur, Senin malam, 26 Desember 2022.

Kalau informasi pelaporan itu tidak benar, Herman mengaku tidak akan melakukan langkah hukum apapun. Herman pun mengaku akan menyampaikan apa adanya jika nanti dipanggil KPK untuk dimintai keterangan.

"Akan saya sampaikan apa adanya. Saya sampaikan apa adanya kondisi Cianjur seperti ini," jelas Herman.

Herman mengaku mengetahui adanya bantuan tersebut. Ia menyarankan wartawan mengecek ke gudang agar lebih jelas.

Itu adalah tanggapan dari Bupati Cianjur Herman Suherman menanggapi adanya pelaporan atas dirinya ke Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK).

Herman dilaporkan atas dugaan penyelewengan bantuan gempa oleh Acsenahumanis Respon Foundation.

Menurut Herman, sangat keterlaluan apabila dirinya menjual bantuan ke pasar sebagaimana yang dituduhkan.

“Saya terlalu naif kalau harus menjual barang-barang bantuan, masyarakat Cianjur kasihan. Bupati banyak kerjaan yang lain,” kata Herman saat dikonfirmasi wartawan di Pendopo bupati, pada hari Senin malam, 26/12/2022.

Herman menjelaskan bahwa, setiap bantuan yang diterima pemerintah daerah tercatat dan terdokumentasikan

“Terima apa saja dan itu ada tanda terimanya. Setelah itu ada permintaan dari masyarakat, melalui RT, RW, kades, camat. Setelah diverifikasi lalu disalurkan bantuannya, dan itu semua tercatat, ada buku catatannya,” terang Herman.

Terkait bantuan dari pihak asing yang dipersoalkan tersebut, Herman meminta para pihak untuk melakukan pengecekan langsung ke gudang.

"Saya tahu ada bantuan itu. Silakan cek ke sana (gudang). Tanggal berapa menerimanya, dikirim ke mana-mana saja. Seperti itu saja yang kemarin ramai, tenda. Silakan, diterimanya tanggal berapa, dikirim ke mana. Rendang, juga tanya, dapat berapa, dikirim ke mana sudah jelas. Tinggal tanya, cek ke lapangan," tuturnya

“Silakan cek ke gudang, tanggal berapa penerimaannya, dikirim ke mana saja, transparan,” ujar dia.

Herman menjelaskan setiap bantuan ada yang melalui pemerintah daerah, ada juga yang disalurkan langsung ke masyarakat. Bantuan yang melalui pemerintah daerah dipastikan akan tercatat dalam pembukuan serta ada tanda terimanya.

"Setelah itu kan ada permintaan dari masyarakat yang melalui RT, RW, kades, dan camat. Setelah verifikasi diberikanlah oleh penjaga gudang. Dan itu ada buku catatannya, ke siapa, jam berapa, dan fotonya juga ada. Itu langsung di-SPJ-kan. Sehingga setiap hari, setiap minggu ada pemasukan, pengeluaran, dan saldo di gudang," ungkapnya.

Karena itu Herman memastikan dirinya tidak mungkin menjual bantuan ke pasar. Ia menegaskan dirinya masih banyak pekerjaan mengurusi para pengungsi korban gempa yang hingga saat ini masih cukup banyak yang tinggal di pengungsian.

"Mohon maaf ya, mohon maaf, bantuan itu gak sampai dijual bupati ke pasar. Maenya bantuan dijual bupati ke pasar atuh (masak bantuan dijual bupati ke pasar). Aduh keterlaluan. Bupati banyak kerjaan. Bupati banyak kerjaan yang lain. Tinggal itu mah silakan saja. Saya terlalu naif lah kalau harus menjual barang-barang bantuan. Masyarakat Cianjur kasihan," terangnya.

Bahkan Herman selalu mengingatkan ke setiap perangkat daerah tidak bermain-main dengan bantuan untuk korban gempa. Malahan sejatinya para pejabat harus bisa menambah bantuan.

"Saya sampaikan, kalau ada yang mengkorupsi uang atau barang, itu hukumannya mati. Hati-hati jangan sampai hal tersebut disalahgunakan," jelasnya

Merespons pelaporan dirinya tersebut, Herman mengaku tidak akan mengambil langkah apapun saat ini.

“Slakan saja. KPK juga nanti akan menilai ini benar atau tidak. Saat ini saya fokus saja bekerja untuk rakyat. Rakyat masih di tenda-tenda (pengungsian), itu tugas kita, tugas pemerintah,” tandas Herman.

French Doctors Launch Week-Long Strike to Double Patient Admission Fees

French health workers launch week-long holiday strike

French general practitioners, as well as doctors of other specialties in private practice, have gone on strike from Monday to January 2, demanding double fees for receiving patients, BFMTV reported

In an interview published Monday by Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France (The Parisian-Today in France), Health Minister Marisol Touraine said she was “confident” that patients would receive necessary care during the strike but urged “vigilence”.

The doctors are calling for a reduction in working hours to 48 hours per week – down from the current 60 – and for overtime to be granted to anyone working more than 39 hours a week.

AFP

The strike is supported by 63 percent of the French with 36 percent opposed, according to an OpinionWay survey published in Le Figaro.

Doctors are calling on their colleagues to close offices from Monday, demanding an increase in patient admission fees from 25 euros ($27) to 50 euros, as well as better working conditions, the report read.

This is the second such protest in a month, after doctors went on strike across the country in early December.

The strike is organized by the association Doctors for Tomorrow (Medecins pour demain), created in September 2022 to draw attention to the shortage of doctors in the country and the difficult conditions in which they work, as well as trade unions SML (Syndicat des Medecins Liberaux), FMF (Federation des Medecins de France) and UFMLS (Union Francaise pour une Medecine Libre), according to the report.

Doctors complain about overcrowded hospitals amid ongoing epidemics of influenza, coronavirus and bronchiolitis in the country, the report read.

Negotiations between the ministry of health and emergency physicians continued throughout the weekend. While doctors praised the “significant” progress made during the talks, it was not enough to prompt them to end their calls for a strike.

The Association of Emergency Physicians of France (AMUF) expects some 80 percent of emergency room workers to take part in the strike.

But the action is not expected to compromise hospital care over the holidays. Strikers will be wearing white badges to show their solidarity with the strike action, but will continue to work.

A general practitioner receives a patient for a vaccination in 2021. (Photo by Fred SCHEIBER / AFP)

"There are epidemics, but there are also chronic patients. Today we no longer have the capacity to manage our patients, whether they are newborns or the elderly. We have whole waiting lists for consultations," general practitioner Florence Lapica said, as quoted by the broadcaster.

This strike will not be as massive as the December 1 and 2 actions, when up to 30% of offices were closed, but industry professionals are reportedly preparing a large nationwide action on January 5.

In summer, strikes by medical workers were held across France, to demand higher wages and more staff, and express dissatisfaction with the authorities' health care policies.

Trade unions previously noted that France was facing a health care crisis, and health care workers have been trying to draw attention to the situation in public hospitals, medical and social institutions for the past three years.

Doctors are also protesting against a bill that would allow nurses to write certain prescriptions, which is a policy aimed at preventing the collapse of the public health system.

The ongoing 7-day strike was called by the Union of Doctors in Free Practice, (SML), the Federation of Doctors of France (FMF), and the French Union for a Free Medicine (UFMLS).

The doctors' strike comes amid rising inflation that has mobilized other workers to protest. Last week, the workers of the national railway company SNCF were also on strike, which ended temporarily thanks to an agreement reached on Friday.

Originally initiated by the collective “Doctors for Tomorrow”, unions such as Generalists-CSMF and Jeunes Médecins have joined in calling on médecine géneralists (GPs or family doctors) to “be united in anger” and to close their practices for two days.

The idea to close down GP practices during the first few days of December was originally born in September, when members of the small Facebook group “Doctors for Tomorrow” began discussing their frustrations with their careers – as doctors say they do not have enough time for proper consultations and are not happy with the fees set by the government.

France and other European countries are facing rising energy prices and a massive energy crisis amid ongoing energy policies, including the imposition of sanctions against Russia after the start of a special operation to protect Donbass

Lavrov Predicts Downfall of Western Economic Leadership

©AFP 2022 / MIKHAIL METZEL

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that the West was bound to lose its leading role in the global economic hierarchy.

"The revision of risks and threats stemming from such dependence [on the Western leadership] is progressing rapidly. I assure you that we will soon see the West's capacity to steer the global economy shrink drastically," he told Russian media.

Lavrov said that many countries were increasingly disillusioned with the West after initially seeing the "instruments and mechanisms" at its disposal as promoting a global balance of interests. Russia, in particular, came to distrust the West after the recent breakdown in bilateral ties.

"We will not be running after the West after it severed almost all ties… We will seek out those who have never let us down and with whom we had to make difficult compromises in the past — but once we agreed on something they never failed us," he said.

Lavrov argued that the Biden administration was bent on universalizing its vision of Western liberal democracy, as described by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama in his 1992 book, "The End of History and the Last Man."

Russian Foreign Ministry: Any prediction about the end of the Ukrainian crisis is out of the question now

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said that the Ukrainian crisis has been prolonged and has taken on a long-term character, and any prediction about the date of its end is now out of the question.

Galuzin indicated that the West is ready for "the complete and unconditional victory of Kyiv" with the "return" of all new Russian regions to Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson provinces, as well as Crimea).

"Moreover, Westerners also expect us to pay compensation and rebuild Ukraine, and talk about their intentions to hold courts, convict and hold our country's leadership accountable," the deputy minister added.

He explained, "In other words, according to the logic of Kyiv and the West, we must withdraw from the liberated lands, rebuild everything that was destroyed, pay compensation, go to prison...and only after that will the Ukrainians return to negotiations."

"These preconditions cannot be the basis for a constructive conversation," the diplomat said, mocking the absurdity that the West and Kiev want, noting that if Zelensky had not become president and continued to play his role in the Russian humorous KVN television program to give funny answers to questions and play pre-prepared roles.

How Oil Prices Affected the Global Economy in 2022

Moscow has warned that it will not supply oil at prices artificially imposed by the Group of Seven (G7), the EU and Australia, in violation of free market rules. Moscow stands ready to reduce oil production in response to the price cap. So how have oil prices affected the world's economy during 2022, and what is to come?

Russian MoD’s briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine

• In the Kharkov region, up to 20 Ukrainian soldiers, an infantry fighting vehicle and two vehicles were destroyed as a result of a concentrated fire strike on the accumulation of troops and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.



• In the DPR, Russian artillery defeated the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;



• In the LPR, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group and a mortar crew were destroyed. The losses of the enemy in this direction amounted to more than 30 troops, two armored combat vehicles and two pickup trucks;



• As a result of a strike on the command post of the 80th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the city of Kramatorsk, DPR, more than 35 Ukrainian troops, including five senior officers, were killed. The total losses of the enemy per day in this direction amounted to up to 100 military personnel, four infantry fighting vehicles and eight vehicles;



• In the DPR, Russian ground forces and artillery defeated Ukrainian units. More than 40 Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles and three pickup trucks were destroyed.



• Russian missile forces and artillery hit 63 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 79 districts. In the DPR, the points of temporary deployment of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as foreign mercenaries, were hit;



• During the counter-battery fight in the Donetsk People's Republic and the Zaporozhye region, two Ukrainian Grad rocket launchers were destroyed;



• Three Ukrainian D-30 howitzers were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Torskoe, Vodyane and Maryinka in the DPR;



• In the area of the settlement of Georgievka in the Donetsk People's Republic, an M777 artillery system manufactured by the United States was destroyed, from which residential areas of the city of Donetsk were being shelled;



• Near the city of Kramatorsk, DPR, a Ukrainian weapons repair and restoration center was destroyed, which contained two US-made HIMARS rocket launchers, two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, five D-30 howitzers and three units of special vehicles;



• Air defense systems destroyed seven Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in a day.

S. Korea launches jets, fires shots after North flies drones

Five North Korean Drones Cross Into South Korean Airspace, One Flies to Seoul, MoD Says

©AP Photo / South Korea Defense Ministry

South Korea’s military fired warning shots, scrambled fighter jets and flew surveillance assets across the heavily fortified border with North Korea on Monday, after North Korean drones violated its airspace for the first time in five years in a fresh escalation of tensions.

South Korea’s military detected five drones from North Korea crossing the border, and one traveled as far as the northern part of the South Korean capital region, which is about an hour’s drive away, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The military responded by firing warning shots and launching fighter jets and attack helicopters to shoot down the North Korean drones. The attack helicopters fired a combined 100 rounds but it wasn’t immediately known if the North Korean drones were shot down. There were no immediate reports of civilian damage on the ground in South Korea, according to the Defense Ministry.

FILE - A suspected North Korean drone is viewed at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on June 21, 2017. South Korea said Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, it fired warning shots after North Korean drones violated the South’s airspace. (Lee Jung-hoon/Yonhap via AP, File)

The North Korean drones and the swift response from the South came days after the North fired two short-range ballistic missile in the latest in its torrid run of weapons tests this year. Friday’s launches were seen as a protest of the South Korean-U.S. joint air drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

One of the South Korean fighter jets scrambled on Monday, a KA-1 light attack plane, crashed during takeoff but its two pilots both ejected safely, defense officials said. They said they also requested civilian airports in and near Seoul to halt takeoffs temporarily.

South Korea also sent surveillance assets near and across the border to photograph key military facilities in North Korea as corresponding measures against the North Korean drone flights, the Joint Chiefs said. It didn’t elaborate, but some observers say that South Korea likely flew unmanned drones inside North Korean territory.

“Our military will thoroughly and resolutely respond to this kind of North Korean provocation,” Maj. Gen. Lee Seung-o, director of operations at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

South Korea’s public confirmation of any reconnaissance activities inside North Korea is highly unusual and likely reflects a resolve by the conservative government led by President Yoon Suk Yeol to get tough on North Korean provocations. North Korea could respond with more fiery rhetoric or weapons tests or other provocation, some observers say.

It’s the first time for North Korean drones to enter South Korean airspace since 2017, when a suspected North Korean drone was found crashed in South Korea. South Korean military officials said at the time that the drone with a Sony-made camera photographed a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.

North Korea has previously touted its drone program, and South Korean officials said the North has about 300 drones. In 2014, several suspected North Korean drones equipped with Japanese-made cameras were found south of the border. Experts said they were low-tech but could be considered a potential security threat.

Earlier this month, North Korea claimed to have performed major tests needed to acquire its first spy satellite and a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. They were among high-tech weapons systems that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to introduce along with multi-warheads, underwater-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-powered submarines and hypersonic missiles.

North Korea released low-resolution photos of South Korean cities as viewed from space, but some experts in South Korea said the images were too crude for surveillance purposes. Such assessments infuriated North Korea, with Kim’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong issuing a series of derisive terms to insult unidentified South Korean experts and express her anger.

North Korea is to hold a key ruling Workers’ Party conference this week to review past policies and set policy goals. Some experts say that during the meeting, North Korea will likely reaffirm its push to bolster nuclear and missile arsenals to cope with what it calls hostile U.S. policies, such as U.S.-led international sanctions and its regular military training with South Korea.

North Korea would eventually use its boosted nuclear capability as a bargaining chip to win international recognition as a legitimate nuclear state, the relaxing of international sanctions and other concessions, analysts say.

The South Korean Defense Ministry called the intrusion of North Korean drones into the country's territory "a clear provocation" and pledged to respond decisively.

South Korea last reported seeing North Korean drones south of the inter-Korean border in 2014 and 2017.

Lately, NK has conducted a range missile tests. This year alone, Pyongyang launched ballistic missiles 38 times. Some South Korean officials believe that these tests were aimed at ousting US forces from the Korean peninsula. Chung Jin-suk, leader of South Korea's ruling party, stated that Pyongyang plans to drive out US forces "through nuclear warheads and medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles."

Diduga Kelebihan Penumpang, Delman Rodanya Lepas hingga Tabrak Warung di Kediri

Delman rodanya lepas di Kediri (Foto: Tangkapan layar Instagram)

Seekor kuda delman mengalami kecelakaan saat membawa wisatawan. Diduga kuda tersebut membawa penumpang melebihi muatan hingga membuat roda delman lepas.

Peristiwa itu terjadi di kawasan Simpang Lima Gumul, Kediri, Jawa Timur.

Insiden itu terekam oleh kamera CCTV yang berada di sekitar lokasi. Video tersebut kemudian diunggah oleh akun instagram @infokediriraya.

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A post shared by INFO KEDIRI RAYA (@infokediriraya)

Dalam video terlihat seekor kuda delman yang tengah membawa wisatawan cukup banyak berjalan di kawasan Simpang Lima Gumul. Tiba-tiba saat lewat di tikungan, roda belakang delman tersebut terlepas.

Sang kusir pun langsung turun dari delman dan berusaha menghentikan laju kuda. Namun kuda tersebut terus berjalan hingga menabrak sebuah warung makanan yang berada di pinggir jalan.

Usai menabrak warung, delman tersebut baru berhenti. Para penumpang pun terlihat langsung turun dari delman.

Warga yang berada di sekitar lokasi pun langsung berdatangan untuk membantu proses evakuasi. Belum diketahui apakah ada korban dalam insiden tersebut.

Sejumlah warganet pun turut berkomentar pada unggahan tersebut. Tak sedikit yang menilai jika kuda tersebut kelelahan saat membawa penumpang berlebih.

"Meminta bantuan hewan untuk bekerja boleh, tapi jangan sampai mengeksploitasinya. Semua ada porsi dan ukurannya. Sehat-sehat selalu pak kusir, dan tolong dirawat dengan baik kudanya, perhatikan kekuatan delmannya," ujar efendy***

"Kasihan kadang kudanya mulutnya berbusa aku lihat yang ga tega," kata diana***

"Kasihan kudanya, kasihan kusirnya musibah tidak ada yang tahu. Kenapa kasihan kuda? Dia lelah, jelas butuh minum makan layaknya manusia. Kenapa kasihan kusirnya? Jelas beliau harus bertanggungjawab sama semua yang telah terjadi (nabrak stand orang). Guys doain aja semua baik-baik aja jangan saling hujat," komen cireng***

"Kudanya dipaksa jalan narik, padahal udah capek, sampai kurus, dokarnya kecil yang naiki penuh," ujar bima***