Russian operational-tactical and army aviation, rocket troops and artillery defeated almost 100 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the day, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday.
"Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops, and artillery of groups of troops (forces) of the Russian Armed Forces defeated 98 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the day," he said.
Konashenkov added that over the past day, Russian air defense systems intercepted 10 HIMARS and Smerch MLRS shells, a Grom-2 missile, and destroyed 14 drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Ten Ukrainian HIMARS and Smerch rockets, one Grom-2 missile, 14 drones downed
Ten Ukrainian HIMARS and Smerch rockets, a Grom-1 missile and 14 drones were downed by Russian air defense systems in the course of the special military operation over the past day, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday.
"During the day, air defense systems intercepted ten HIMARS and Smerch MLRS rockets and one Grom-2 tactical missile. Apart from that, 14 Ukrainian drones were downed near the settlements of Vasilyevka and Inzhenernoye in the Zaporozhye region, Staromayorskoye, Veseloye, and Kirillovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Krmennaya, Rubezhnoye, and Ilyinka in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR)," he said.
According to Konashenkov, as many as 406 planes, 228 helicopters, 3,716 unmanned aerial vehicles, 415 air defense systems, 8,593 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,078 multiple rocket launch systems, 4,543 artillery systems and mortars, and 9,387 special military cars have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation.
Chechnya leader says Ukrainian offensive disrupted near Zaporozhye
A Chechen battalion disrupted an offensive by Ukrainian forces in the Zaporozhye direction, Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel.
"Under the competent leadership of <…> Deputy Commander-Chief of Staff of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Vostok-Akhmat Battalion Vakha Khambulatov, our drones did a good job. They detected enemy offensives and adjusted mortar strikes. Mortar crews struck the Ukrainian and NATO infantry so effectively that they discouraged any attack on our positions," Kadyrov wrote.
According to him, the battalion destroyed two tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle. Kadyrov praised what he said were the battalion’s precise and well-coordinated actions that resulted in the elimination of armored vehicles and caused losses of Ukrainian troops.
The personnel of the battalion has thwarted an offensive in this area before, destroying 10 armored vehicles and enemy soldiers, the Chechen leader added.
Police and fire officials in the German city of Hamburg warned locals of possible toxins in the air after fires broke out early on Sunday at multiple storage facilities.
Some 140 people were evacuated, and it is not yet possible to say exactly how dangerous the situation is, a police spokesperson said.
A spokesperson with the fire department said they had reduced the threat level somewhat, even though the fire was still burning at midday, but that people should remain indoors with windows closed.
Authorities said the fire began around 4 a.m. in Rothenburgsort, just a few kilometres southeast of central Hamburg, and that the smoke cloud was moving in the direction of the city centre.
Multiple police, fire and other emergency workers were at the scene as a thick cloud of dark smoke billowed upwards.
The police spokesperson said the sky had darkened as a result, but the weather made it difficult to determine how much was smoke and how much was clouds.
Residents in the German city of Hamburg have been warned of heavy smoke and possible toxins in the air after a major fire broke out at a warehouse.
Video circulating on social media shows the warehouse engulfed in flames early Sunday morning, with smoke billowing into the sky.
"Smoke gases and chemical components in the air caused by a warehouse fire can affect breathing. The cloud of smoke is moving towards the city center!" an alert from the Hamburg fire department said.
German news agency dpa said the fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in the Rothenburgsort district, located in the eastern part of Germany's second-largest city. The smoke drifted from there toward the city center, halting long-distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin and other cities.
A public safety alert conveyed through a mobile phone app advised people in Hamburg to close windows, turn off ventilation and air conditioning, and to avoid the area. No injuries were reported.
Public broadcaster NDR said the fire involved containers with hydrogen sulfide, a toxic and foul-smelling substance, forcing firefighters and police officers in the area to wear breathing apparatus.
The Hamburg fire brigade warned residents of the Rothenburgsort area of the city that they could “be affected by smoke gases and chemical components in the breathing air due to a fire.” A cloud of smoke was moving toward the city center, the brigade said.
This footage was published by @nez_tuncer on Twitter. It was filmed in Rothenburgsort and shows smoke rising. Credit: @nez_tuncer via Storyful.
Tangkapan layar unggahan video bernarasi petugas mengamankan seorang pria terduga copet di Stasiun Tanah Abang.
Tangkapan layar unggahan video bernarasi petugas mengamankan seorang pria terduga copet di Stasiun Tanah Abang.(INSTAGRAM.com/@abouttng)
Unggahan video bernarasi petugas mengamankan seorang pria diduga copet di Stasiun Tanah Abang viral di media sosial. Video itu diunggah akun Instagram @abouttng pada Sabtu, 08/04/2023.
"Seorang pria tertangkap dan diamankan petugas setelah mencopet HP di Stasiun Tanah Abang, Jakarta Pusat," demikian keterangan yang dituliskan.
Adapun kejadiannya, terduga copet itu langsung diamankan setelah melakukan aksinya.
"Infonya HP korban dibuang ke bawah peron, kemudian pelaku langsung diamanin," lanjut keterangan dalam unggahan.
Juga dituliskan, bagi siapa pun yang hendak bepergian menggunakan kereta rel listrik atau KRL, diimbau untuk berhati-hati dan selalu menjaga barang bawaannya.
Hingga hari Minggu siang, 09/04/2023, unggahan video tersebut telah disukai lebih dari 17.000 kali dan dikomentari lebih dari 400 kali oleh pengguna Instagram.
Lantas, bagaimana penjelasan KAI Commuter?
Kronologi penangkapan copet di Stasiun Tanah Abang. Saat dikonfirmasi, Manager External Relations & Corporate Image Care KAI Commuter Leza Arlan membenarkan adanya kejadian tersebut.
Peristiwa itu terjadi di Stasiun Tanah Abang pada hari Jumat, 07/04/2023, sekitar pukul 13.30 WIB.
"Kejadian tersebut benar adanya, bahwa petugas keamanan di Stasiun Tanah Abang menangkap terduga pelaku pencopetan handphone pengguna lain," katanya, kepada Kompas.com, Minggu siang.
Leza mengungkapkan, petugas keamanan Stasiun Tanah Abang berhasil menangkap terduga copet itu setelah mendapat laporan dari korban.
Korban, lanjut dia, melaporkan kepada petugas di peron 5-6 Stasiun Tanah Abang.
"Petugas sigap dan langsung mengamankan terduga pelaku pencopetan untuk dimintai keterangan di Pos keamanan Stasiun Tanah Abang," tandasnya.
A sign on the highway welcomes drivers from New Mexico to Texas, near El Paso, U.S., January 13, 2023. Women's Reproductive Clinic, just over the border with Texas in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, provides medical abortions for women who are flying and driving hundreds of miles across Texas. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas on Friday suspended approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, which will essentially make sales of the pill illegal in the U.S., while a legal challenge proceeds.
The legal battle over medication abortion is only beginning and could wend its way through multiple levels of appeals courts over a period of months or years before it is resolved. Here is what you need to know about the case as it further unfolds:
WHAT IS MEDICATION ABORTION?
Medication abortion is a two-drug regimen consisting of mifepristone followed by misoprostol used to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks. It accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR?
Anti-abortion groups led by the Texas-based Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year, claiming that it approved mifepristone for abortion in 2000 using an unlawful process and did not adequately consider the drug's safety. They asked Kacsmaryk to revoke the drug's approval.
Kacsmaryk's order is not a final ruling on the merits of the case but rather a preliminary injunction, meaning that it bans the drug while the case proceeds. Like all federal judges, Kacsmaryk can issue injunctions with nationwide effect, even though he is assigned to one district in Texas.
The judge is a former Christian legal activist whose small courthouse in Amarillo has become a go-to destination for conservatives challenging Biden administration policies
WHAT ABOUT THE RULING FROM WASHINGTON STATE?
Minutes after Kacsmaryk's order, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice in Spokane, Washington, an Obama appointee, ordered the FDA not to make any changes to mifepristone access. The ruling applies only in 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, which had sued the government to challenge special safety restrictions around the pill.
Legal experts say that the ruling creates a conflict with Kacsmaryk's, which will need to be resolved by appeals courts and potentially by the U.S. Supreme Court.
WHAT WILL THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DO FIRST?
The Biden administration is seeking an emergency stay of Kacsmaryk's order from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Such a stay would stop the order from taking effect until that court hears a full appeal.
Kacsmaryk has already put his own order on hold for seven days in order to give the administration time to seek the emergency stay.
The 5th Circuit has a conservative reputation, with 12 of its 16 active judges appointed by Republican presidents. A three-judge panel will decide whether to grant the stay, and its decision will depend partly on whether it believes the agency is likely to succeed on the merits of the case.
WHAT IF THE 5TH CIRCUIT DOES NOT GRANT A STAY?
The FDA could then petition the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay. Emergency petitions from the 5th Circuit initially go to Justice Samuel Alito, one of the court's most conservative justices and the author of last year's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide.
Individual justices typically refer emergency petitions to the full court, though they can also decide them on their own. Such petitions are usually decided without argument and with minimal explanation; for that reason, they are often known collectively as the court's "shadow docket."
WHAT DOES A STAY MEAN FOR MIFEPRISTONE?
If the FDA wins a stay blocking the injunction, mifepristone will remain an FDA-approved drug for as long as the stay remains in place. If it does not, then the agency can be ordered to rescind the approval and it will be illegal to sell the drug in the United States. Whether the FDA would take any enforcement action to stop continued use of the drug is not immediately clear.
WILL THAT END THE APPEAL?
No. Regardless of whether it wins an emergency stay of the injunction, the FDA will continue its appeal of Kacsmaryk's preliminary injunction. The agency and the anti-abortion groups will both have a chance to file briefs with their legal arguments in the 5th Circuit, and a three-judge panel may or may not decide to hold an oral argument.
The 5th Circuit will not be considering the full merits of the case, but only whether Kacsmaryk was right to issue a preliminary injunction. That depends on whether the plaintiffs challenging mifepristone's approval have shown a likelihood that they will win on the merits, and that they would be irreparably harmed without an injunction.
That appeal process could last months. Whichever way the panel rules, the losing party could petition for rehearing with all judges of the 5th Circuit, known as en banc rehearing, and ultimately petition the Supreme Court. However, most such petitions are denied.
WHAT NEXT?
Once all the appeals over the preliminary injunction are over, the case can proceed to trial on the merits, giving both sides a chance to present factual evidence.
The FDA will need to produce evidence about the process leading to mifepristone's original approval in 2000, as well as several later actions modifying the approval and rules around the drug.
The anti-abortion groups will have to offer evidence to support their claim that the process was improper, and that mifepristone is dangerous. The two sides will exchange evidence in a process known as discovery.
Kacsmaryk could then decide the case without trial, known as summary judgment, or hold a trial including witness testimony.
A final resolution could be months or years away. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.
In recent years, the Soros family has gained a lot of attention for their political activism and contribution to liberal causes. George Soros, the billionaire businessman and philanthropist, has long been a controversial figure in conservative circles due to his support for left-wing policies and candidates.
His son Alexander Soros has also become a prominent figure in left-leaning circles. According to recent reports, Alexander Soros has become a de-facto White House "ambassador," making at least 14 visits to the White House on behalf of his father's Open Society Foundations since President Joe Biden's inauguration.
At just 37 years old, Alexander Soros is already a prolific Democratic fundraiser and philanthropist in his own right, just like his well-known father. He is the chairman of the Open Society Foundations, which is one of the most powerful and influential liberal grant-making networks in the world. The organization was founded by George Soros in 1979, and it has since doled out more than $32 billion to support progressive causes across the globe.
Matt Palumbo, author of "The Man Behind the Curtain: Inside the Secret Network of George Soros," argues that the younger Soros' access to top White House officials is indicative of the Soros family's growing influence over American politics.
"All throughout the White House, there is a Soros hold somewhere, and his son is his father's new ambassador," Palumbo told US media.
Despite the younger Soros' high-profile status in Democratic circles, his access to the White House has raised some eyebrows among conservative critics. According to records reviewed by US media, Alexander Soros scored at least a dozen meetings with White House officials:
10/29/2021: Madeline Strasser, adviser to then-Chief of Staff Ron Klain
12/15/2021: Jon Finer, Deputy National Security Advisor
4/22/2022: Madeline Strasser, adviser to then-Chief of Staff Ron Klain
9/14/2022: Nina Srivastava, adviser to then-Chief of Staff Ron Klain (x2)
9/15/2022: Jon Finer, Deputy National Security Advisor
10/6/2022: Jon Finer, Deputy National Security Advisor
10/6/2022: Kimberly Lang, Executive Assistant to the National Security Advisor
10/14/2022: Mariana Adame, Advisor to the Counselor Steve Ricchetti (x2)
12/1/2022: Nina Srivastava, adviser to then-Chief of Staff Ron Klain
12/1/2022: State Dinner on South Lawn for French President Emmanuel Macron attended by President Biden
12/2/2022: Jon Finer, Deputy National Security Advisor
12/2/2022: Mariana Adame, Advisor to the Counselor Steve Ricchetti
It's unclear what was discussed at these meetings, and the White House has not yet commented on Alexander Soros' visits. However, the mere fact that he has had so many meetings with top White House officials has led some conservative pundits to question whether the Soros family is exerting undue influence over the Biden administration.
Mike Howell, director of the Oversight Project at the Conservative Heritage Foundation, has called Alexander Soros' easy access to the White House "troubling," particularly given the Soros family's already existing political influence.
"The Soros agenda is one of death and destruction in the name of open borders and ending Western Civilization," Howell said in a statement. "The Biden administration and rogue prosecutor movement may be its most damaging purchase in America to date."
However, liberal commentators have pushed back against these criticisms, arguing that Alexander Soros' visits to the White House are simply part of his role as a major player in progressive politics.
Alexander Soros, the son of billionaire and longtime Democratic Party donor George Soros, has made at least fourteen visits to the White House since Joe Biden took office, according to publicly available visitor logs seen by the New York Post.
The younger Soros, 37, who is also a noted fundraiser on behalf of the Democratic Party, met with Biden administration officials a minimum of twelve times last year, according to recently updated logs. He also visited twice in 2021.
Alexander Soros is the chair of the liberal Open Society Foundations, whose remit, it says, is to provide grants to causes that promote “the growth of inclusive and vibrant democracies.”
His father George Soros set up the foundation, which has distributed more than $32 billion to various causes supporting liberal issues since 1998. He is a deeply controversial figure within some conservative sections in the US and abroad, who argue that his ‘philanthropy’ is merely political meddling.
“[He has done] tremendous damage to our country,” said Mike Howell of the Oversight Project at the Conservative Heritage Foundation, speaking of George Soros and published by the New York Post on Saturday. “The Soros agenda is one of death and destruction in the name of open borders and ending Western civilization.”
The nature of Alexander Soros’ White House visits include a meeting last December 1 with Nina Srivastava, the assistant of former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain. Later that same evening, Soros was among 330 attendees at a state dinner to honor French president Emmanuel Macron, records show.
A day later Soros junior met with Mariana Adame, who advises the counselor to President Joe Biden, as well as Deputy National Security Advisor Johnathan Finer, according to the logs. The content of the meetings remains unclear, and the White House did not respond to inquiries made by the New York Post.
“All throughout the White House, there is a Soros hold somewhere,” a critic of George Soros, Matt Palumbo, also told the Post. “[Alexander] is his father’s new ambassador.”
The elder Soros has again recently come under fire from right-wing critics recently after it was revealed he donated $1 million to a political action committee that later backed Alvin Bragg – the Manhattan DA pursuing a criminal conviction of Donald Trump. Soros denies directly funding Bragg or even knowing who he was.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov reported the elimination of a large group of Ukrainian troops between the localities of Kremennaya and Belogorovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), with a number of Ukrainians captured.
"The Akhmat special forces unit and fighters from the 4th brigade of the 2nd Army Corps commanded by dear brother Apty Alaudinov carried out a brilliant special operation between the localities of Kremennaya and Belogorovka. As a result, our fighters eliminated a large enemy group, taking some more [Ukrainian soldiers] prisoners," Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel on Saturday.
According to Kadyrov, one of the POWs, a Ukrainian National Guard soldier, Maxim Nikhayenko, had his feet frostbitten and was given high-quality medical assistance by Russian medics who "put him on his feet."
"So far, fighters from the Akhmat special forces unit jointly with the 2nd Army Corps and the Russia Aerospace Forces have been very effective at conducting targeted special operations, making it possible to expand the pool of POWs and eliminate the fascist-NATO threat," the Chechen leader underscored.
Chechnya leader says Ukrainian offensive disrupted near Zaporozhye
A Chechen battalion disrupted an offensive by Ukrainian forces in the Zaporozhye direction, Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel.
"Under the competent leadership of... Deputy Commander-Chief of Staff of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Vostok-Akhmat Battalion Vakha Khambulatov, our drones did a good job. They detected enemy offensives and adjusted mortar strikes. Mortar crews struck the Ukrainian and NATO infantry so effectively that they discouraged any attack on our positions," Kadyrov wrote.
According to him, the battalion destroyed two tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle. Kadyrov praised what he said were the battalion’s precise and well-coordinated actions that resulted in the elimination of armored vehicles and caused losses of Ukrainian troops.
The personnel of the battalion has thwarted an offensive in this area before, destroying 10 armored vehicles and enemy soldiers, the Chechen leader added.
Battlegroup East destroys Ukrainian recon team, drone in DPR
The Russian military disrupted three attempts by Ukrainian forces to carry out a reconnaissance mission in the South Donetsk direction, destroying a recon enemy group and a Valkyrie drone, Battlegroup East Spokesman Alexander Gordeyev told TASS.
"Three attempts by the enemy to conduct a reconnaissance mission were thwarted by Battlegroup East; also, a reconnaissance group was destroyed, and more than 20 militants were eliminated," he reported.
According to Gordeyev, an Osa-AKM missile system crew downed a Ukrainian Valkyrie drone. Besides, in the course of counter-battery fighting, two enemy howitzers were detected with automatic sound-ranging systems near Vodyanoye and Novopavlovka. The howitzers were destroyed by Giatsint-S self-propelled howitzer crews.
MoD: Russian Forces Destroy Two Ukrainian Sabotage Groups
Russian service members have destroyed two enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kupyansk direction and thwarted three attempts of Ukrainian troop rotation, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.
"During the day, in the Kupyansk direction, the military personnel … located and destroyed two enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups … and also thwarted three attempts to rotate the units of Ukrainian armed forces," the spokesperson said.
He added that Russian forces have also destroyed four Ukrainian drones near the villages of Vladimirovka, Stelmakhovka and Olshana.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine
On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.
Western countries have significantly increased their economic and military support for Kiev, which now includes air defense and multiple rocket launching systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery, anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles and various types of ammunition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in January that arms supplies to Ukraine by Western countries testify to their direct and growing involvement in the conflict.
