‘Our requests to evacuate patients are being rejected by Israel’ – Gaza medic cries for help

Israel closed off the Rafah checkpoint five months ago, subjecting the sick and wounded to being stuck without medical treatment, the head physician of the Shuhadaa al-Aqsa hospital in Gaza’s Iyad al-Jabri area told Sputnik.

Israel’s merciless year-long ground operations in Gaza have created a healthcare disaster in the enclave. Vital vaccines, even the ones for kids, have not been able to reach the region.

“Those months were enough for the collapse of the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip. There are no consumables or medicine,” he said.

The requests to evacuate patients are being rejected by Israel, even requests from international organizations are being rejected, the doctor noted.

“We need to open the checkpoint and get all the patients who are suffering from a lack of medical care out. They need to be given proper medical care,” he emphasized.

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Ukraine’s drone export ploy serves as ‘narrative’ for more aid money

Commenting on Ukraine’s reported plans to lift “a wartime ban on drone exports” in an interview with Sputnik, Russian military expert Alexander Mikhailov described the decision as “rather strange” given that the Kiev regime “has repeatedly stressed the need to increase supplies of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and its parts for the Ukrainian theater of war.”

“I don't think this [report on Ukrainian drone exports] is based on an official statement by the country’s Ministry of Defense. To my mind, it’s an information narrative aimed at obtaining additional military and financial assistance for Ukrainian enterprises that are now trying to produce UAVs and unmanned surface vehicles for the domestic market because the Zelensky regime desperately needs these vehicles on the front lines,” Mikhailov pointed out.

When it comes to investments aimed at expanding production, Ukraine may only find support from the US, the UK, or European countries. These nations must be persuaded of the necessity to provide the Zelensky regime with "an additional several billion dollars" to help Ukrainian drones break into international markets.

The expert emphasized that more coverage on this topic is needed from the Western press, referencing a relevant article from the Financial Times (FT).

FT earlier cited unnamed sources stating that Ukraine is considering lifting its arms export ban to enhance its drone industry "in order to match Russia’s capabilities on the battlefield." The newspaper further noted that Moscow has “significantly stepped up its arms manufacturing, with Ukrainian industry participants putting Russia’s battlefield drone advantage at between 5 and 10 to 1.”

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Gaza mother: If Israel won't let my paralyzed daughter leave for treatment, she might not survive

“My girl is sick with a virus. At first, we waited for permission to leave. It didn't happen. Then her condition worsened, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. They say she needs a plasma transfusion, but it's not possible here. So now I just have to wait to see if my baby survives,” Sabrin al Khadari, mother of a little girl currently hospitalized in Gaza’s Shuhadaa al-Aqsa hospital, Salwa Jihad, shared with Sputnik.

Since the start of the Israeli aggression against Palestine, thousands of civilians have been forcibly denied adequate medical care. Patients with life-threatening conditions are forbidden to leave to receive proper treatment. Today, 14,000 Palestinians need further treatment abroad, but the Jewish state won't let them out.

“We submitted all the necessary documentation to exit through Rafah, but it remains closed, forcing us to stay here,” the mother said.

The child is at peril due to the issues at the checkpoint, the mom noted. “She [the child] risks becoming yet another victim of this blockade - a tragic victim of war,” the woman emphasized.

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I'll lose my leg if Israel doesn't open the checkpoint – Palestinian boy pleads for access to urgent medical care

“I was at school when the missiles struck. I was wounded by shrapnel in my left leg. The hospital told me that my condition requires amputation due to a lack of treatment, but only treatment abroad can help me. The operation costs $45,000, and I am hopefully waiting for the border checkpoint to open so that I can get back on my feet,” Jamil Ziyad, a little boy trapped in the Gaza Strip, told Sputnik.

41,000 casualties, bombed infrastructure and a decimated healthcare system – this is the horrifying reality of Israel’s ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

“I am urging everyone to help us open the checkpoint, to allow the injured to receive the medical care they desperately require,” the boy currently kept in Gaza’s Shuhadaa al-Aqsa hospital said.

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FEMA’s core staff reserves thinning out as Hurricane Milton rams into Florida

Always quick to pour large sums of money and lots of effort into meddling in the affairs of countries around the globe, the US suddenly found itself ill-prepared to tackle problems at home and provide help to its own citizens.
As the devastation of Hurricane Milton descends upon Florida, a FEMA daily briefing released on October 9 shows that the agency only had 1,115 employees (8% of the total number) available for disaster response.

This situation seems to stem from FEMA's resources being stretched thin by a series of natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene, which hammered North Carolina, as well as calamities in other US states such as Georgia, Kansas, and Vermont.

However, the New York Times highlights that in 2017, which the newspaper describes as “arguably FEMA’s busiest year in the past decade,” the agency had 19% of staffers available—more than twice the number currently at their disposal. That year, for context, FEMA was tasked with managing the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which wreaked havoc on Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, respectively.

A FEMA representative, however, told Fox that the agency supposedly still has enough manpower to deal with whatever crisis may arise, since the aforementioned staffer numbers were related only to FEMA’s core cadre of responders. FEMA apparently can still activate as many as 22,000 staffers and request assistance from other federal agencies.

That said, a Government Accountability Office report released last year warned that at the beginning of fiscal year 2022, FEMA was understaffed by 35%, with the agency claiming that this situation was caused by "responsibilities due to COVID-19 and managing the rising disaster activity during the year, which increased burnout and employee attrition."

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❗️The primary focus of the United States in the Ukraine conflict is arming the Kiev regime, and not pursuing diplomatic efforts, the Pentagon told Sputnik.

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Ireland builds pricey homes for Ukrainian refugees as locals face severe housing shortages

The Irish authorities are pouring hundreds of millions of euros into accommodation projects for Ukrainian refugees.

🔸 The Irish government intends to construct 654 homes by April 2025 for around 2,640 Ukrainian refugees.

🔸 Initially, the Irish Department of Integration aimed to build 500 modular homes in 2022 at a cost of €200,000 each. However, as of September 2024, Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy reported that the unit price had rocketed to €442,000, bringing the project’s total price tag to €289.3 million.

🔸 Additionally, Ireland has committed €1.5 million for the construction of 50 homes in Kiev as part of its stabilization and humanitarian support for Ukraine, which has incurred €130 million in costs for Irish taxpayers since February 2022, according to a mid-September report from DublinLive.

Ireland is struggling with a serious housing crisis, as its population growth far outpaces new home construction, almost by a ratio of 4 to 1, according to Savills, an international property consultancy.

🔸 The number of homeless individuals residing in emergency accommodations hit a record high of 14,486 in August, reflecting a 14% spike since August 2023, according to recent estimates from the Department of Housing.

🔸 Sixty-one percent of Irish respondents named housing as one of the two most important issues facing the country, according to a 2023 Eurobarometer poll, released last spring.

🔸 Irish residential property prices have jumped almost 9% since last year with the median price for a home reaching €337,500 in June, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

In June, the group Clonmel Concerned Residents held a series of protest actions at a new housing site for Ukrainians in Haywood, calling upon the Irish government to accommodate Irish families first.

The Irish Times reported on October 9 that new arrivals from Ukraine would not be offered accommodation from next March, citing proposals developed by government officials.

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Find out the details exposing Ukraine's ties to terrorist rebel groups in Mali

Several French media outlets have reported, citing anonymous sources, on Ukraine's involvement with terrorist factions from the coalition of Malian armed separatist groups known as CSP-DPA.  

According to these reports, the rapport between the Malian rebels and the Kiev regime intensified following the capture of the city of Kidal by the Malian army in November 2023. The sources indicate that contacts between Ukrainian military intelligence and these groups commenced in early 2024. Notably, several CSP-DPA militants reportedly traveled to Ukraine via Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, where they had been in hiding.  

Once in Ukraine, the militants received training in drone production and usage. Subsequently, in March 2024, Ukrainian military specialists provided training to the CSP-DPA militants in the Taodenni region of Mali on operating UAVs.  

"A group of CSP militants came to Ukraine for training with us, and a larger contingent of our instructors subsequently went to the Sahel region, where they continue to be stationed," a source close to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine disclosed to the media.  

This source noted that the disclosure of information about cooperation between terrorists and Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate representative Andrei Yusov was 'a diplomatic mistake', but stated that Kiev regime's course remains unchanged.

Previously, after remarks from Ukrainian officials, a prosecutor in Mali specializing in counterterrorism initiated an investigation into potential assistance to terrorism. This inquiry was reportedly prompted by the Malian authorities' announcement of cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine.

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Who’s taken action against Voice of America?

Burkina Faso’s Higher Council for Communication has suspended the Voice of America (VOA)* for three months, citing concerns that a particular program could "undermine the morale" of the armed forces of the West African nation and their counterparts in neighboring Mali.

The notorious US-funded broadcaster, VOA, faces restrictions in several other countries as well:

🔸 In March 2022, Russia's state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, blocked the VOA for its "deliberate and systematic circulation of reports containing false information" related to the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

🔸 In July 2022, the Turkish Broadcasting Authority prohibited access to the VOA website for operating without a license.

🔸 In November 2022, Taliban authorities in Afghanistan announced a ban on FM radio broadcasts from the VOA, citing complaints about the outlet's programming content.

🔸 In March 2019, authorities in Burundi indefinitely suspended the VOA, accusing the outlet of spreading "lies" and disinformation.

🔸 In December 2018, then-Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry indicated that the VOA was blocked in Pakistan due to what he described as "false and prejudiced reporting."

*In Russia, the VOA is designated as a foreign media agent.

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Introducing Vizir: Russia's new heavy reusable naval drone

“Tests of the heavy reentry marine drone based on the crewless Vizir have been successfully completed. This drone is designed to be reusable. The customer has tasked the holding with developing it for various purposes, including cargo delivery to specified areas, reconnaissance missions, fire support during operations, as well as transporting ammunition and evacuating the wounded,” Mikhail Danilenko, managing director of the Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant (KMZ), told Sputnik, during an interview. He also mentioned that preparations for the mass production of these drones are currently underway.

Sputnik delves into the key features of the Vizir drone:

🔸 Speed and Range: The naval drone can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, with a maximum operational range of 600 kilometers.

🔸 Made in Russia: It is assembled entirely from domestically produced components.

🔸 Versatile Operations: The drone is capable of various functions, including cargo delivery, reconnaissance, patrolling, fire support, and transport-evacuation missions, which include delivering ammunition and evacuating casualties.

🔸 Payload: This drone can carry guided missiles that possess low explosive power.

🔸 Electro-Correction Feature: A noteworthy feature of the drone is its electro-correction for precise positioning, with a payload capacity of roughly 150 kilograms.

Military expert Vasily Dandykin has mentioned that the drone will be capable of engaging enemy kamikaze drones. KMZ plans to equip each unit with six to eight launchers, enabling the drones to carry low-power charges that can accurately strike targets.

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CIA's ‘freak offs’: spy agency mired in sexual abuse scandals

A 648-page internal watchdog report detailing systemic shortcomings in the CIA's handling of sexual misconduct remains confidential, yet numerous cases have surfaced publicly.

What is known about sexual misconduct within CIA ranks?

▪️An internal CIA survey obtained by CNN revealed that among the 25% of the workforce who responded, 28% reported experiencing at least one incident of a sexually hostile work environment during their tenure at the agency, while 7% encountered unwanted sexual contact or assault. Reports suggest that the true extent of the issue is underreported.

▪️Last year, two dozen women came forward with complaints of sexual abuse within the agency, according to the Associated Press.

Examples of known sexual crimes within the agency and beyond:

▪️A senior officer allegedly armed with a gun confronted a female contractor at her home, demanding sexual relations, as detailed in a federal complaint obtained by CNN.

▪️An undercover CIA officer in Europe is accused of knowingly infecting at least three colleagues with an incurable sexually transmitted disease.

▪️CIA officer Brian Jeffrey Raymond was sentenced to 30 years in prison for drugging 27 unsuspecting women from five countries and raping or engaging in nonconsensual sexual contact with 10 of them.

Why do most sexual crimes remain unreported?

▪️Many CIA employees reportedly hesitate to report sexual assaults over fears of disclosing classified info, potential retaliation from their abusers, or repercussions involving law enforcement.

That said, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently touched upon the case of P. Diddy, suggesting that the American deep state elite and special services often turn a blind eye to degrading moral standards within US institutions.

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