Grand Theft Hybrid: Toyota Prius Cars Targeted for Platinum Components Across Japan

Thieves in Japan continue to target Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius hybrids for parts containing platinum and palladium amid high prices for these rare metals. According to local police, last year saw at least 173 thefts of mufflers or catalytic converters in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, 16 times more than in 2021.

About 90% of such thefts target older models of the Prius, fitted with components, such as exhaust emission control devices, that contain more platinum and palladium than many other cars, police added.

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▪️ At least two people have been killed and dozens were injured in a stampede at a stadium in Basra, in southern Iraq, ahead of the Arabian Gulf Cup final.

▪️The Iraqi interior ministry said that two people had died and about 80 were injured in the stampede on Thursday.

📌 LIVE UPDATES: Western Aim to Make Russia Lose in Ukraine May Lead to Nuclear War, Medvedev Says

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Russian Envoy Tells Canada Kiev Violating Laws of War Led to Dnepropetrovsk Tragedy

The Russian Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov drew attention to Kiev’s violation of the laws of war on non-deployment of military infrastructure in civilian residential areas, which he claimed was the reason of the Dnepropetrovsk tragedy, during his meeting at the Canadian Foreign Ministry.

Earlier in the day, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly told reporters that Canadian officials summoned the Russian ambassador to condemn the recent incident in Dnepropetrovsk.

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📹 Russia's MoD has published footage showing how D-20 howitzer crews of the Russian Armed Forces destroy artillery and camouflaged strongholds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

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❗️ Russian MoD's latest statements on the Ukraine crisis:

▪️ Russia’s Army Aviation and artillery have neutralised units from the 14th and 92nd mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the LPR and Kharkov region.

▪️ Over 30 Ukrainian personnel, 1 armoured fighting vehicle, 2 motor vehicles, and 2 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers have been eliminated.

▪️ The strikes launched by Russia’s aviation and artillery have resulted in the neutralisation of the units from Ukrainian 95th Airborne Assault Brigade in the DPR, and 24th Mechanised Brigade in the LPR.

▪️ Russia’s units continued their successful offensive operations, and neutralised the enemy in Donetsk.

▪️ The offensive operations of Russia’s units have resulted in taking more advantageous lines, as well as elimination of over 30 Ukrainian personnel, 2 armoured fighting vehicles, and 3 pickups in the Southern Donetsk region.

▪️ The Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 67 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 98 areas.

▪️ Fighter Aviation from the Russian Aerospace Forces have shot down 1 Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 warplane in the DPR.

▪️ Air defence units have destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past 24 hours.

▪️ Some 374 airplanes and 200 helicopters, 2,903 unmanned aerial vehicles, 401 air defence missile systems, 7,569 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 985 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,865 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 8,113 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Serbian President Calls European Parliament's Kosovo Demands 'Shameless'

The resolution of the European Parliament demanding Serbia recognize Kosovo as an independent state is an example of the West's "shameless" behavior, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Vucic met with EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak in Davos to discuss current developments around Kosovo after the parliament adopted a resolution based on the report on the common EU foreign and security policy for 2022.

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Running Out of Money: Usain Bolt Reportedly Loses Over $12 Million

Usain Bolt has discovered $12.7 million missing from his account. Bolt noticed that the funds were missing at the investment company Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL), reports suggested.

The amount was reportedly put aside for the athlete's retirement savings. The remaining sum is reportedly a mere $12,000. Bolt's lawyers are threatening SSL that they will sue for theft fraud if the money is not returned within eight days.

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Astronomers Detect 9 Billion Year-Old Signal From Galaxy Far, Far Away

A team of astronomers from India and Canada has detected a radio signal from a very distant galaxy, which had been traveling to Earth for almost nine billion years.

The signal came from atomic hydrogen, the substance that is the main element in star formation in the galaxy.

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📹 Russia's MoD has revealed footage showing Grad MLRS crews of the Russian Armed Forces in combat as part of the special military operation

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EU Believes US Unwilling to Supply Abrams Tanks to Ukraine Fearing Escalation, Report Says

European officials believe that the United States is reluctant to hand over even a token contingent of its Abrams tanks to Kiev over concerns about the risk of escalation, British media reported on Thursday.

On Friday, the United Kingdom, Poland and Finland will try to persuade Germany to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, while the US is not expected to commit to sending Abrams tanks, the report said.

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Japan Reverts to Militarism as US Prepares to Use Tokyo Against China, Scholars Warn

Tokyo approved an updated version of three doctrinal documents at the end of 2022: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Defense Build-Up Plan.

The Japanese government intends to significantly increase the country's military potential, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alerted during a press conference on January 18.

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West Doesn’t Want Peace in Ukraine Rather Bleed Russia White, US Author Says

"The West does not want peace, does not want to negotiate a settlement to this conflict. And why is that? It's because they want to bleed Russia. They want to weaken Russia through this conflict," US author and lawyer Dan Kovalik told Sputnik. "People like Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense of the United States, have openly said that. Many others have said that."

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🇮🇳🏍 The Well of Death is a kind of entertainment for Indian bike riders. They gamble with death, performing stunts on their vehicles.

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⚡️ Yellen notifies congressional leaders that Treasury began using 'extraordinary measures' on Thursday after US hit debt ceiling

☦️ Bathing in freezing weather in unheated open waters on Epiphany is one of the most popular religious rites among Russians, with more than 2.1 million people participating annually.

▪️ On January 19, Russia, along with other Eastern Orthodox Christian nations, celebrates the Epiphany. The Orthodox believe that on Epiphany Eve, the water in the hole, which is usually consecrated by priests in advance, has unique characteristics that purify the soul and temper the body.

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😍 🐼 On January 22, people celebrate Chinese New Year. In the southwestern province of Sichuan, ten baby pandas sent Lunar New Year wishes with their keepers.

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💬 "I do think that we have to look at drugs as this huge commodity that has been intertwined with the US empire and really before that, the British Empire, going all the way back to the Opium Wars. Drugs are one of the three most lucrative commodities traded internationally. I believe it goes oil, weapons and then narcotics. This is a huge amount of money. And this money ends up in the Western financial system", Aaron Good, political scientist, author, and host of the American Exception podcast, says.

🎧Listen to more of Aaron Good's analysis in our podcast: GOP Candidate Arrest, Santos Committee Appointments, CA Insulin Suit