News of the World

[kyonides]

USA

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Publisher of Sports Illustrated Lays Off Magazine’s Entire Staff

The licensing group that owns the sports mag has terminated its agreement with The Arena Group to continue publishing the magazine three weeks after Arena missed a $2.8 million payment, a deficit that breached the magazine’s licensing deal, according to Front Office Sports.

Authentic bought SI out from Meredith in 2019 for $10 million. If it continues publishing, the magazine will turn 70 years old this August.
An email announcing the decision says in part, “We were notified by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) that the license under which the Arena Group operates the Sports Illustrated (SI) brand and SI-related properties had been officially revoked by ABG. As a result of this license revocation, we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand.”

“Some employees will be terminated immediately,” the statement continued, “and paid in lieu of the applicable notice period under the [the union contract]. Employees with a last working day of today will be contacted by the People team soon. Other employees will be expected to work through the end of the notice period and will receive additional information shortly.”

The union representing the Sports Illustrated employees responded by demanding that Arena continue publishing the magazine.

EUROPE

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UK Successfully Tests ‘DragonFire’ Laser Weapon Against Aerial Target

The United Kingdom has successfully used an “advanced future military laser” to shoot down an aerial target for the first time.

The British Ministry of Defence hailed a “milestone” on Friday after a successful test of its “DragonFire” high-powered laser weapon that it hopes will increase the military’s accuracy in targeting aerial targets such as drones while reducing the need for ammunition.

The laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) is claimed to have the ability to hit a precision target the size of a coin from a kilometre away. Although the exact range of the weapon is classified, the ministry said that it can engage with any visible target.

The MoD said that the average cost of firing the laser is around £10 per shot, meaning that the weapon has the “potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out.”

Both the British Army and the Royal Navy are currently considering adopting the weapons system as a part of their future air defence apparatus, the ministry said.

German Defence Minister Says That Russian Attack on NATO Not Likely At the Moment

Germany’s defence minister presented a less alarmist take on the Russian threat than some NATO colleagues, saying that while society has to “wake up” to the threat, a Russian attack on NATO is not likely at the moment.

European military leaders seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet, with politicians and generals following one another in rapid succession in recent weeks to warn of war with Russia in five to ten years.

Germany’s Boris Pistorius has followed suit, speaking to newspaper Der Tagesspiegel in an interview marking his first anniversary as national Defence Minister, quoting experts warning of a Russian attack.

Yet, Pistorius’s comments were less strident than others, including the senior military officer in NATO Admiral Rob Bauer, who told journalists this week he saw it as a positive if civilians felt compelled to buy preparedness supplies after hearing the remarks of military leaders, saying society needs to change its attitude towards war. Instead, Pistorius said that while there was a Russian threat in Europe that hadn’t been seen for decades, “At the moment I don’t think a Russian attack is likely.”

Citing his own military experts, the German defence boss said they expected a “a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible”, saying it was understandable that a country like Sweden had made more alarmist noises of late, because their geography — much closer to the Russian border — puts them “in an even more serious situation”.

Germany Eases Rules on Gaining Citizenship, Ends Dual Citizenship Restrictions

German lawmakers on Friday approved legislation easing the rules on gaining citizenship and ending restrictions on holding dual citizenship. The government argues the plan will bolster the integration of immigrants and help attract skilled workers.

Parliament voted 382-234 for the plan put forward by center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal coalition, with 23 lawmakers abstaining. The main center-right opposition bloc criticized the project vehemently, arguing that it would cheapen German citizenship.

The legislation will make people eligible for citizenship after five years in Germany, or three in case of “special integration accomplishments,” rather than eight or six years at present. German-born children would automatically become citizens if one parent has been a legal resident for five years, down from eight years now.

Restrictions on holding dual citizenship will also be dropped. In principle, most people from countries other than European Union members and Switzerland now have to give up their previous nationality when they gain German citizenship, though there are some exemptions.

The government says that 14% of the population – more than 12 million of the country´s 84.4 million inhabitants – doesn´t have German citizenship and that about 5.3 million of those have lived in Germany for at least a decade. It says that the naturalization rate in Germany is well below the EU average.

In 2022, about 168,500 people were granted German citizenship. That was the highest figure since 2002, boosted by a large increase in the number of Syrian citizens who had arrived in the past decade being naturalized, but still only a fraction of long-term residents.

Russia Looks to Seize Property from People Who Spread Disinformation or ‘Discredit’ Military

Russia’s parliament will consider a law allowing for the confiscation of money, valuables, and other property from those deemed to spread “deliberately false information” about Moscow’s military actions, a senior lawmaker said Saturday.

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, wrote in a Telegram update that the measure would apply to those publicly inciting “extremist activities” or calling for the introduction of sanctions against Russia, as well as those “discrediting” the armed forces, a criminal offense under a law adopted as part of Moscow’s crackdown on dissent after it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

“Everyone who tries to destroy Russia, betrays it, must suffer the deserved punishment and compensate for the damage inflicted on the country, at the cost of their property,” Volodin said. He added that under the law, those found guilty of “discrediting” the army also face being stripped of any honorary titles.

Volodin said the bill would be brought to the Duma, Russia’s lower parliamentary chamber, on Monday.

The existing law against “discrediting” the Russian military, which covers offenses such as “justifying terrorism” and spreading “fake news” about the armed forces, is regularly used to silence critics of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Multiple activists, bloggers and ordinary Russians have received long jail terms.

AFRICA

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South Africa’s Malema: We Will Arm Hamas When We Take Power

Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), one of South Africa’s larger opposition parties, has vowed that he will send weapons to the Hamas terrorist organization if his party forms part of his country’s next governing coalition.

Hamas is a Palestinian terrorist organization that intends to destroy Israel and create an Islamic state. Its charter also calls for murdering Jews all over the world. It is funded and armed by Iran, which seeks to spread its terrorist influence worldwide.

Nevertheless, Malema, who leads a radical black nationalist and communist political party, has vowed not only to defend Hamas, and to break off diplomatic relations with Israel, but to arm the terrorist group so that it can continue its murderous activities.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) distributed Malema’s remarks on Tuesday, though they date to October.
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Malema is notorious for his fulminations against white South Africans, and has vowed to use force to seize white-owned farms, despite the fact that such policies led to the near-starvation of Zimbabwe next door. He has also championed the use of the song, “Kill the Boer [Farmer],” and has faced repeated court accusations that the song incites racial hatred and anti-white violence.

ASIA

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Japan Seeks Trump Meeting in Anticipation of 2024 Win

Multiple newspapers in Japan reported this week that the government of conservative Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is seeking to establish contact with former President Donald Trump in anticipation of his potential return to the White House.

Trump won a decisive victory in the Iowa primary caucuses the week, defeating his three opponents by the largest margin in the history of the Republican Iowa caucuses. One of the three, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump, leaving Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the race. In the increasingly likely possibility that Trump is nominated and runs against incumbent President Joe Biden, recent polls indicate that he is attracting enough support in key states to potentially win the presidency.

During his first term in office from 2016 to 2020, Trump made Japan a priority in his foreign policy. The first world leader to meet with him following his election victory in 2016 was the late former prime minister of the country, Abe Shinzo, who developed a close friendship with the president. Kishida, the current prime minister, served as Abe’s foreign minister.

The left-leaning Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported on Wednesday that Kishida may have sent another former prime minister, Aso Taro, to establish contact with Trump’s team during a recent visit to America. Aso is currently serving as the vice president of Kishida’s and Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and is considered highly influential following his term as prime minister.

In the United States between January 9 and 13, Aso reportedly “spoke at an event sponsored by a U.S. think tank and met with U.S. government officials,” according to Asahi, “But according to sources, Aso also tried to meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is on the comeback trail.”

North Korea Claims to Test ‘Underwater Nuclear Weapon System’

North Korea announced on Friday that it tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, a weapon that could theoretically wipe out entire port cities.

North Korean state media said the test was intended as an intimidating response to United States-South Korean military drills.

“The Underwater Weapon System Institute under the DPRK Academy of Defense Science conducted an important test of its underwater nuclear weapon system ‘Haeil-5-23’ under development in the East Sea of Korea,” Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

DPRK stands for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North Korean regime’s preferred name for itself. “Haeil” is the name North Korea assigned to a series of undersea drones it has been working on since 2012. Only a few of the earlier tests were publicized, but dictator Kim Jong-un claimed on Friday he has overseen no fewer than 29 tests over the past decade.

“Our army’s underwater nuke-based countering posture is being further rounded off and its various maritime and underwater responsive actions will continue to deter the hostile military maneuvers of the navies of the U.S. and its allies,” KCNA wrote, quoting an unnamed North Korean military official.

Taliban Terrorists Urge ‘Restraint’ as Nuclear Pakistan and Near-Nuclear Iran Bomb Each Other

The Taliban terrorist organization that rules Afghanistan urged its neighbors in Iran and Pakistan to show “restraint” after the two nations bombed each other, allegedly to diminish the threat of ethnic Baloch separatist groups to their respective governments.

The Iranian Islamist regime engaged in strikes within Pakistani territory on Tuesday, reportedly killing children and prompting Islamabad to withdraw its ambassador to Tehran and demand respect for its sovereignty. Two days later, the Pakistani military bombed the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, which it borders, for allegedly the same reason.

The exchanges of aggression caused international concern in the broader context of Iran’s dramatic expansion of terrorist activities during the tenure of American President Joe Biden, which most recently included the bombing of a residence in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, and some sporadic airstrikes in Syria. Pakistan is one of the world’s few established nuclear weapons powers, while Iran has been illegally pursuing nuclear weapons for decades. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned in November that Iran appeared to be enriching uranium at a rate far beyond what is necessary for peaceful nuclear development and again complained this week that the regime was not allowing its inspectors to do their jobs properly.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Taliban’s “foreign ministry,” responded to the exchange of fire across the Iranian-Pakistani border by declaring the Sunni terrorist organization is “alarmed.” The terror organization, which waged a two-decade insurgency against the U.S.-backed government of Afghanistan before overthrowing it under Biden in 2021, called “on the two neighboring countries to exercise restraint.”

Balkhi added that, thanks to the Taliban’s conquest of Kabul, the region was allegedly enjoying “newfound peace and stability” and “both sides should direct efforts towards further strengthening regional stability and resolving disputes through diplomatic channels and dialogue.”

Iran claimed the strikes in Pakistan on Tuesday were necessary to subdue the threat from Jaish al-Adl, a Baloch separatist group seeking to carve out a country for the ethnic group out of parts of both Pakistan and Iran.

MIDDLE EAST

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Houthis Say Russian and Chinese Ships Have Free Passage Through Red Sea

A senior official from the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist army of Yemen told Russian media Friday that Russian and Chinese ships can pass safely through the Red Sea without fear of attack.

The Houthis have largely shut down the vital Red Sea shipping lane by attacking vessels under all other flags with drones, missiles, and hijacking squads.

Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Russia’s Izvestia newspaper that the Houthis are targeting ships headed for, owned by, or linked to Israel.

“As for all other countries, including Russia and China, their shipping in the region is not threatened,” he claimed. “Moreover, we are ready to ensure the safe passage of their ships in the Red Sea, because free navigation plays a significant role for our country.”

The Houthis have, in fact, targeted ships with no connection whatsoever to Israel, so their claims about careful targeting have little credibility, but they would probably refrain from hitting Chinese or Russian vessels, as both nations are allied with their patrons in Tehran.

Bukhaiti vowed that terrorist attacks on shipping would continue despite limited U.S. and British airstrikes against Houthi missile launch sites.

LATIN AMERICA

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Joe Biden Sanctions Conservative Guatemalan Ex-President Alejandro Giammattei, Banning Him from Country

The U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on former Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Wednesday, banning him and his sons from entering the United States because of his alleged “involvement in significant corruption.”

The sanctions were issued three days after Giammattei left office at the end of his four-year term and following the inauguration of his successor, leftist President Bernardo Arévalo, who took office on Monday.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, spokesman Matthew Miller asserted that the State Department has “credible information indicating that Giammattei accepted bribes in exchange for the performance of his public functions during his tenure as president of Guatemala.”

“The United States has made clear that it stands with Guatemalans who seek accountability for corrupt actors,” the State Department said. “Over the past three years, we have taken steps to impose visa restrictions or sanctions on nearly 400 individuals, including public officials, private sector representatives, and their family members for engaging in corrupt activities or undermining democracy or the rule of law in Guatemala.”

“Corruption weakens the rule of law and democratic institutions, enables impunity, fuels irregular migration, hampers economic prosperity, and curtails the ability of governments to respond effectively to their people’s needs,” the statement continued.

The sanctions imposed on Giammattei bar him from entering U.S. territory. The ban also extends to Giammattei’s adult daughter Ana Marcela Giammattei and his two adult sons, Alejandro Eduardo and Stefano Giammattei.

Ortega Regime Kidnaps Another Priest After Banishing 19 Catholic Clergy

Nicaragua’s communist regime reportedly kidnapped Catholic priest Ezequiel Buenfil Batún on Tuesday, the latest arrest in its ongoing persecution campaign against the Nicaraguan Catholic Church.

The priest’s abduction reportedly took place less than 72 hours after dictator Daniel Ortega ordered the banishment of 19 members of the Nicaraguan Catholic leadership to the Vatican. The 19 had been kept as political prisoners under criminal sentences of varying length. Among the best-known of those imprisoned was Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa, who had been sentenced to 26 years in prison for “treason” due to his outspoken criticism of Ortega’s regime.

Buenfil, a Mexican national, served as the director of the San Juan Neumann Convent, located in the city of Chinandega. The convent belongs to the Consecrated Missionaries of the Most Holy Savior Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that the Ortega regime forcefully shut down on Tuesday alongside 15 others. The Ortega regime has closed down more than 3,500 NGOs since 2018.

Nicaraguan lawyer and researcher Martha Patricia Molina, who documents the Ortega regime’s persecution of the country’s Catholic Church, confirmed the priest’s kidnapping to local media outlets and newspapers. Molina told La Prensa on Wednesday that it remains unknown if the priest has been expelled from Nicaragua.