KHAMENEI ELIMINATED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE IN IRAN:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali #Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Iran this morning, an Israeli official says. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a press statement: "The plan to destroy Israel no longer exists, and there is a high likelihood that the tyrant [Ali Khamenei] does not either." Modern Day Haman is gone a day before Purim!

Mexico special forces carried operation against Jalisco cartel leader without US help

#Mexico’s special services carried out their special operation, in which a drug cartel leader was killed, without direct US involvement, although Washington has provided some intelligence information, the Mexican embassy in the US said on the X social network.

"Through central military intelligence efforts alongside the Mexican National Intelligence Center and the Attorney General's Office (FEMDO), Special Forces of the Mexican Army planned and executed an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco," the embassy said. "Complementary information was provided by US authorities within the framework of bilateral coordination and cooperation with the United States."

The statement came in response to reports that said the special operation was carried out by the US military. The Mexican embassy refuted these claims as false. "At this time, elements of the Mexican National Guard and Mexican Army troops from the center of the country and states neighboring Jalisco are mobilizing to reinforce the security of this state," the diplomatic mission added.

Mexico’s Ministry of National Defense said on X that the leader of the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), known as El Mencho, died from injuries sustained during a special operation carried out by the country’s armed forces while being airlifted to the Defense Ministry’s hospital in Mexico City.

Former Prince Andrew arrested in connection with Epstein case

UK King’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid an investigation into his ties with convicted US financier Jeffrey Epstein, the BBC reported. The former prince was arrested on his 66th birthday. Earlier, The Daily Telegraph reported that six police cars had arrived at his home on the grounds of the royal estate in Sandringham in eastern England.

Thames Valley Police indirectly confirmed the arrest of the royal family member. "As part of the investigation, we have today arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk. The man remains in police custody at this time. We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance," the statement said.

Last week, Thames Valley Police announced that they had begun investigating allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor had shared confidential information with Epstein. This refers to the period when the royal family member, who at that time still held the titles of Prince and Duke of York, was the UK's special representative for international trade and investment. He held this position from 2001 to 2011.

According to the Sky News TV channel, the data published by the US Department of Justice in the Epstein case file contains information that, in 2010, Prince Andrew provided Epstein with reports on his trips to Vietnam, Singapore, and China and shared confidential information about investments in Afghanistan.

[Report] Paris manipulates data to portray itself as tech leader

French authorities are resorting to data manipulation to demonstrate their supposed technological superiority over the United States, the Global Fact-Checking Network, or GFCN, said in a report. "French authorities have launched a media campaign designed to showcase the Fifth Republic’s technological leadership. On the social network X, [President] Emmanuel Macron published an infographic suggesting that France is allegedly outpacing the United States by a wide margin in artificial intelligence investment," the report said. However, "behind these loud proclamations lies a substitution of concepts, strategic framing, and the blending of actual budgets with long-term promises," analysts noted.

The French leader’s boast was based on a graph utilizing data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the report said. "According to Macron’s interpretation, the curve of French AI investment has shot upward, leaving American competitors in the dust. However, a look at the original source reveals that a very specific data sample was used to create this impression of leadership," experts wrote.
"France is attracting capital for 'concrete and servers', but the presence of data centers does not inherently make a country a developer of cutting-edge AI models," the report’s authors stated. "Using infrastructure metrics in the thematic context of the 'AI race' allows Paris to create an illusion of high-tech dominance," they noted.

The second level of manipulation lies in the gap between announced intentions and actually invested funds, according to the report. "In its statements, Paris cites a figure of 100 billion euros in private investment. However, the structure of this sum is questionable. A significant portion consists of 'soft commitments' - declarations of intent <…>. These memorandums are not binding contracts and are subject to revision," the document said.
"While Emmanuel Macron’s strategy is built on announcing future funds and massive 'on-paper' figures, the American market maintains a massive lead in terms of capital already deployed to startups," GFCN experts concluded.

Telegram co-founder warns against mistaking France for free country

#France is not a free country, #Telegram co-founder Pavel #Durov said, commenting on raids of the French offices of Elon Musk's social media platform X by Paris prosecutors, Europol and a cybercrime unit.

"Don’t be mistaken: this is not a free country," Durov pointed out in an X post.

According to him, France is the only country in the world that is prosecuting all social networks "that give people some degree of freedom." In this regard, Durov mentioned Telegram, X and TikTok.

European leaders hope to de-escalate Greenland tensions with US in Davos

EU leaders plan to try to de-escalate the #Greenland situation during meetings with the US in #Davos, hoping to get Washington to see reason and not impose tariffs on countries opposing its push to grab the island, Politico reported, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, they hope that US President Donald #Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday "will help determine the tone of Europe’s response to the US president’s tariff threats." Statements by European diplomats and officials indicate that they want to avoid retaliatory measures and believe that a diplomatic solution to the crisis can still be found. "The focus is getting the ball rolling in Davos. Then, we will take stock" at an emergency EU summit on Thursday, an EU diplomat said. "The pressure needs to come down," he added.

The European Union is reluctant to take decisive action against the US, hoping that Trump will not follow through on his threats, the publication notes, adding that, according to diplomats, officials "are terrified of needlessly exploding already frayed transatlantic ties."

Earlier reports said that national security advisors to Western leaders had made changes to the agenda of a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum to discuss Greenland. Initially, the talks were expected to focus on resolving the Ukrainian conflict, but the plans were adjusted so that advisors could also address Greenland.

Earlier, the White House host announced on Truth Social that the US would begin imposing 10% tariffs on the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, France, and Sweden, which would remain in effect until the parties reach an agreement on the full and final acquisition of Greenland by Washington. The decision is set to take effect on February 1, with the duty rate increasing to 25% from June 1.

US Southern Command confirms seizure of Olina tanker in Caribbean

The US Southern Command has officially confirmed the seizure of the oil tanker Olina in its post on X, which included a video of the operation. During the seizure, marines and sailors of the Southern Spear joint task force, acting in support of the US Department of Homeland Security, boarded the tanker Olina from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. The operation in the Caribbean Sea went smoothly.

The vessel was seized near the island of Trinidad (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). According to Reuters, the tanker had previously made voyages to Venezuela under the flag of Timor-Leste.

US to file criminal charges against Marinera ship crew, says Attorney General

The US authorities will file criminal charges against crew members of the seized Marinera tanker, also known as Bella 1, US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on the X social network.
In her words, the ship’s crew members undertook "frantic efforts to avoid apprehension" of the tanker, which reportedly was "responsible for transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran."
"As a consequence of failing to obey the Coast Guard’s orders, members of this vessel are under full investigation and criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors," she said.

"The Department of Justice is monitoring several other vessels for similar enforcement action - anyone on any vessel who fails to obey instructions of the Coast Guard or other federal officials will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the attorney general added.

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a daily briefing that the US may take the crew of the Marinera to the United States for a possible judicial process into purported violations of the federal US law.

The Pentagon said earlier that the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera had been detained in the North Atlantic. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth linked the detention of the Russian tanker to the embargo on Venezuelan oil.

The Hidden Hand: Who’s really ruling the world?

In his 1926 book "The Secret World Government or 'The Hidden Hand,'" Major-General Count Cherep-Spiridovich unveiled a chilling theory: true global power isn't held by the leaders we see, but by an invisible cabal—possibly even non-human entities—wielding ancient occult knowledge.

Cherep-Spiridovich suggests that while ministers and kings appear to hold the reins, they are merely puppets controlled by shadowy forces with access to esoteric technologies, such as cloning and mind transfer. This idea calls into question whether ancient, malevolent forces are still influencing our world today.

The book claims that over 100 historical events make no sense without this hidden hand at play. Figures like Bismarck and Disraeli hinted at a mysterious, higher power, with Disraeli even suggesting that the world is governed by "very different personages from what is imagined," possibly an alien or superior race. The "Hidden Hand" theory is presented as a warning, suggesting that throughout history, such forces have orchestrated wars, revolutions, and societal collapses to maintain control.

Cherep-Spiridovich links these events to esoteric societies, some funded by elite networks, raising disturbing connections to occult practices, such as those linked to figures like Aleister Crowley and Rosicrucian orders.

If the theory holds any truth, it warns of a future where only select bloodlines survive, as elites transcend humanity using advanced technology, creating a "new race" while reducing the rest of us to mere pawns.

Over the past 48 hours, #China surrounded #Taiwan and executed large-scale live-fire military exercises featuring simulated decapitation strikes and the seizure of key ports.

“It is a noose-style blockade. The operational scope is no longer limited to symbolic, isolated shows of force, but has evolved into a coordinated and interconnected blockade network, practicing the tactics to choke off the island’s vital supply lines,” the official #PLA press account stated bluntly.