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Ukraine plans to conscript prisoners into their armed forces.

NATO’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine is not only drained of ammo, but is rapidly running out of military personnel. As growing numbers of fighting-age men are either dying in combat, deserting active-duty service, or dodging the draft, the Kiev regime is desperate to round up more draft-eligible men to throw into the “meat grinder.”

Ukraine’s lack of any clear mobilization strategy aimed at plugging the gaping holes in the ranks of its armed forces is fueling “deep divisions in Ukraine’s parliament and more broadly in Ukrainian society,” The Washington Post reported.

Despite mounting losses, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been downplaying to wheedle more money from the West, there is still “no political consensus” on how to remedy the severe shortage of troops on the battlefront.

There is a yawning split between Zelensky and his top military commanders on a plan to conscript the thousands of soldiers they need as Russia continues to advance after liberating the stronghold of Avdeyevka.

As a result, Ukraine’s military has been “relying on a hodgepodge of recruiting efforts and sown panic among fighting-age men,” the publication stated. It referenced the package of aid to Kiev still stalled in the US Congress, adding that many of Ukraine’s men “have gone into hiding, worried that they will be drafted into an ill-equipped army and sent to certain death.”

Infighting over how many more troops Ukraine needs “factored” into Zelensky’s sacking of his top general in February, the outlet noted. The previous Ukrainian commander-in-chief, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, was dismissed, with Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky taking over, amid an overall reshuffle of the military command by Zelensky. Zaluzhny’s ouster came after months of intrigue between himself and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who slammed the commander for revealing that Kiev’s summer 2023 counteroffensive had ended in failure.

But, apparently, new Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has so far failed to bring new clarity regarding Ukraine’s mobilization efforts. Syrsky has been tasked with auditing the armed forces to scrape up more combat-eligible troops, added the publication. This comes after President Zelensky’s office recently announced that only some 300,000 have fought at the frontline of the one million people who have been mobilized.

With Ukraine’s rapidly dwindling troop strength described as a “strategic crisis,” Oleksiy Bezhevets, an adviser to the Defense Ministry on recruitment, was cited as saying that civilians of fighting age must recognize the fact that “there’s no time for you left to sit home.”

Martial law was introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The next day, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. Under martial law, men aged from 18 to 60 are banned from leaving the country, and men 27 and older are eligible to be drafted, with some exceptions. Civilians between the ages of 18 and 27 can sign up of their own volition. Draft cards are handed out not only in recruitment offices, but on the streets, at gas stations, and in cafes, as draft dodgers have become a huge problem.

Volodymyr Zelensky said in December 2023 that the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces had stressed the need to recruit an additional 450,000-500,000 men for the army. Accordingly, the government submitted a draft law on mobilization to parliament on January 30. However, the result has been a drawn-out and heated debate. The bill, which would broaden the scope of the draft, lowering the eligibility age from 27 to 25 years, caused outrage in the country and was sent back for revision. It also obligates people liable for military service to report to military commissariats to clarify their information within 60 days, Ukrainian media reported. These individuals may be restricted from traveling abroad, have their driver’s license suspended, or their bank accounts seized if they fail to do so.

Amid the debate over such draconian measures in January, panicky account holders withdrew over $700 million in a single month, the WaPo added.

In February, Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Maliuska proposed giving prisoners weapons and shovels when they are mobilized for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He underscored that in Ukraine, two categories of citizens are currently not involved in the mobilization, namely “those who are behind bars and those who are not.” Maliuska previously said that at least 50,000 men of military age with criminal records are hiding from Ukrainian draft boards and are not registered with the military.

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier said that amid the disruption of mobilization plans and in order to conceal massive losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Kiev regime has intensified the recruitment of mercenaries. Fighters from the United States, Canada, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East have joined the ranks of the Ukrainian military. Furthermore, NATO soldiers under the guise of mercenaries are involved in combat operations in Ukraine, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, head of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate, told Russian media.

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X appears to be returning to old Twitter’s controversial “misgendering” ideas, this time shadow banning instead of an account suspension.

For some reason quietly, X has started enforcing revised rules, detailed in its platform guidelines for users – among other things, adding a section to the “Abuse and Harassment” that concerns the use of pronouns, and speech referring to persons “transitioning” (in terms of transgenderism).

The “amended” rules came into force at some point between January 24 and 27 this year, and should an X user be found to “purposefully” address another using a pronoun different than what that user has chosen for themselves, they can expect to be (and they ostensibly already are) punished by having their posts’ visibility on the platform “reduced.”

Related: Rep. Jim Banks criticizes Twitter for locking his official account

It’s not entirely clear if this constitutes straight-forward shadowbanning, i.e., if the supposed guidelines violator is immediately notified of this; but given the nebulous nature of any attempt to determine if someone is doing this “purposefully” – the revised rules spell out that those addressed using “the wrong pronouns” will be consulted.

Some see this as a slow return to the policies and general trends in content moderation/censorship that once blossomed so wildly on Twitter.

What is undeniable is that the “Abuse and Harassment” guidelines now go into the pronouns of it all, although they were not mentioned in the June 2023 version.

But now they feature under the section, “Insults.”

The January 2024 version includes a subtitle, “Use of Prior Names and Pronouns.”

It reads as follows: “We will reduce the visibility of posts that purposefully use different pronouns to address someone other than what that person uses for themselves, or that use a previous name that someone no longer goes by as part of their transition.”

But how does X, or anyone for that matter, decide that something of this kind is “purposeful”? The near impossibility of doing so is referred to as, “complexity.”

“Given the complexity of determining whether such a violation has occurred, we must always hear from the target to determine if a violation has occurred,” the new guidelines read, again – no word if X will also “hear” from those accused of making the offense.

It seems that X has decided to expend a lot of time and energy, and no doubt money, in order to make this work.

It remains to be seen (and evidence so far from users to be heard) about how the whole thing works, or doesn’t – but meantime, X looks dead set to torment itself – and its users – by trying to figure out what is done on purpose, what is accidental, what might be thoughtless, or just light-heated.

Says one of the paragraphs added to the guidelines:

“Some posts may appear to be harmful when viewed in isolation, but may not be when viewed in the context of a larger conversation. For example, friends may consensually use certain terms or phrases to engage with each other that could appear abusive without this context.”

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Iran is typically depicted in Western media as being paranoid about external spy interference in its affairs.

Iran has continued to publicize that it is executing alleged saboteurs linked to Israel. On Sunday state TV announced the judiciary had put to death a “terrorist” behind a drone attack that targeted a military site in Iran last year.

The person was convicted on terrorism charges related to a plot to “explode the workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan under guidance of the intelligence officer of Mossad.”

The identify of the person was not made clear in Iranian media, nor was the precise date of the execution initially disclosed. The defense ministry previously described that the nighttime drone attack merely cause minor damage, and no one was killed.

In December of last year, Iran executed four people it said were linked to Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, after their prior convictions for espionage and spying. Those killed were three men and a woman, who were put to death by hanging.

State media reported at the time that “Four members of a sabotage group related to the Zionist regime [Israel]… were hanged this morning.” The group of alleged saboteurs “committed extensive actions against the country’s security under the guidance of the Mossad.”

Iran is typically depicted in Western media as being paranoid about external spy interference in its affairs, but it’s also true that Israel has carried out an unprecedented assassination and sabotage campaign inside the country over the years, related to the Iranian nuclear program.

Israeli officials have at times appeared to positively boast about it at various points in the recent past, and several top Iranian nuclear scientists have died.

Observers have long suspected that the exiled Iranian opposition group Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) has a significant covert network inside the Islamic Republic, and that they cooperate with Israeli intelligence. Washington officials have also been very public in their support to MEK as well.

The timing of these latest “Mossad-linked” executions seems also related to the Gaza War. Israel has been repeatedly threatening Iran given its historic support for both Hamas and Hezbollah, while Tehran officials have also been issuing daily threats and denunciations as the Palestinian death toll rises.

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Mark Zuckerberg is frantically buying gold and preparing to flee with his family to a doomsday bunker, according to reports. Jonathan Rose, the CEO of Genesis Gold Group in Beverly Hills, California, says many of the globalist elites […]

The post Mark Zuckerberg Buying Up Gold Reserves As He Prepares To Flee to Doomsday Bunker: “Something TERRIBLE Is Coming” appeared first on The People’s Voice.

Olive oil costs across the bloc have been on the rise since mid-2023, according to Eurostat.

Olive oil prices have skyrocketed across the EU over the past year amid unfavorable weather conditions, which have harmed harvests. According to data from Eurostat, the bloc’s statistics office, costs spiked by 50% in annual terms in January.

Prices rose steadily throughout the entire second half of 2023, with a 37% surge in August and a staggering 51% increase in November 2022.

By January, all member states reported spikes in the cost of the staple, with olive oil inflation especially high in southern European countries, where it is produced. The price in Portugal soared by 69.1% in January against last year, the largest increase across the bloc, followed by Greece with a 67% rise. In Spain, the world’s biggest olive oil producer and exporter, prices jumped by 62.9%.

The smallest increases were recorded in Romania (13%), Ireland (16%), and the Netherlands (18%).

Eurostat did not elaborate on the causes of the price spikes, but earlier media reports attributed them to unfavorable weather conditions in the region, including extreme heatwaves in olive oil producing nations such as Spain, which diminish harvests. Production in the country more than halved in the agricultural year of 2022-2023 to 675,000 tons, according to data from the Agriculture Ministry.

Officials in Spain expect output to remain below the average of 1 million tons in 2023-2024, which means that prices are likely to grow further. Industry experts have warned that price decreases are unlikely until at least 2025.

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Adams’ reaction came on the heels of a series of high-profile violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the city.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams wants to amend the Big Apple’s sanctuary city status laws because it prevents him as a city government official from deporting illegal immigrants and asylum seekers who have committed violent crimes.

During a town hall event on Monday, Adams said there should be more options for lawmakers when it came to deporting illegal immigrants who commit crimes. The existing sanctuary system, which is based on local laws in numerous sanctuary cities, counties and states including New York City, prevents local officers from working with federal immigration officials for deportation processes.

In the system, the city protects illegal aliens from federal authorities who may seek to deport them. Adams believes that for most migrants who want to work in the cities, the process works and is beneficial. But the story becomes different for criminals and gangs that illegally crossed the borders and were bused to sanctuary cities. “The overwhelming number of migrants that are here, they want to work; I still don’t understand why the federal government’s not allowing them to work,” Adams said. “They need to have the right to work like all of us that have come to this country could do so.” Current law prevents asylum seekers from automatically gaining working papers. Illegal immigrants who have applied for asylum must wait before they are permitted to find work legally.

“But those small numbers that are committing crimes,” he added, “we need to modify the sanctuary city law that if you commit a felony, a violent act, we should be able to turn you over to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE and have you deported. It is a right to live in this city, and you should not commit crimes in our city.”

Adams’ reaction came on the heels of a series of high-profile violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the city. Several Venezuelan gang members have been charged with brutally beating New York Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square last month. A tourist was also shot this month in a clothing store robbery in the area. There have been concerns among law enforcement that the Venezuelan gangs may team up with the violent MS-13 gang. Just this week, cops responded to a stabbing at a Manhattan shelter.

“The mere fact that we cannot share with [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE that this person has committed three robberies and this person is part of an organized gang crew … The mere fact we can’t say that and communicate that is a problem for me,” Adams said.

New York City became a sanctuary city in the 1980s under Democrat Mayor Ed Koch and has since taken in countless illegal immigrants. In 2020, former President Donald Trump’s last year in office, there were fewer than 500,000 apprehensions of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Meanwhile, since President Joe Biden assumed office, the number has skyrocketed to over two million.

Since September, Adams has been warning that the influx of migrants will “destroy” the city and has led to an “unprecedented state of emergency.” “We are past our breaking point. … For each family seeking asylum through the city’s care, we spend an average of $383 per night to provide shelter, food, medical care, and social services. With more than 57,300 individuals currently in our care, on an average night, it amounts to $9.8 million a day, almost $300 million a month, and nearly $3.6 billion a year,” he lamented back then. (Related: BREAKING POINT reached: NYC, other sanctuary cities “tired” of illegal immigrants influx, struggle with local resources.)

NYC council speaker opposes Adams’ call for city’s sanctuary laws amendment

NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams appears to be at odds with Mayor Adams’ harsh rebuke of the city sanctuary laws. For the speaker, it is imperative to protect migrants who historically have felt threatened because of their status. “We are not considering laws, changes to laws,” she said. “These laws have been in effect for decades.” She also believes that collaborating with ICE isn’t the answer.

“People are penned up in HERCS, and other places, in respite centers, whatever we want to call them,” she said. “These places with different policies, with nothing to do… So for me, it’s going to be the work status.”

Meanwhile, City Councilman Joe Borelli said that they are going to introduce a bill, a total repeal of the 2011, 2014 and 2017 sanctuary city laws. “I don’t anticipate much support from the other side, unfortunately. They should come back with their new version of the city’s sanctuary city in noncompliance with ICE rules that allows the mayor to properly get people out of here who are committing violent and repeated crimes,” he stated.

Moreover, Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo released a statement on behalf of ICE, saying: “ERO New York City continues to uphold its mission to protect the citizens and residents of New York by removing those who pose a public safety threat to our community. We welcome the opportunity to work with Mayor Adams and New York City officials and look forward to forging a mutually beneficial path that benefits all New Yorkers.”

InvasionUSA.news has more stories on Biden’s immigration policies.

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