Iraqi resistance strikes 'vital' Israeli target in Eilat after strike on PMU base

Fighters from the Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups have launched a drone strike against a strategic target in the southernmost part of the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories in response to the attack on a military base housing a coalition of anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, in a statement published on its Telegram channel, claimed responsibility for the attack on the "vital" site in the port of Eilat, which lies at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on Saturday morning.

It said the drone strike was carried out in continuation of the second phase of the struggle against the occupying Israeli regime, in support of Palestinians in Gaza, and in retaliation for the massacres that the usurping Zionist entity is perpetrating against ordinary people in the besieged territory.

The group noted that the strike also came in reprisal for grave violation of Iraqi sovereignty and in response to the aggression on Hashd al-Sha'abi camps.

Earlier, at least one person was killed and eight others wounded after a military base housing Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters came under an airstrike in Iraq's central province of Babylon.

Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news channel reported that the "aerial assault" targeted the Calso military base south of Baghdad overnight, and hit the main entrance to the base and an office belonging to Hashd al-Sha'abi.

The report added that the attack was most likely carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles.

An unnamed Iraqi military source stated that three Iraqi military personnel had been wounded in the strike.

In a statement, Hashd al-Sha'abi said an "explosion" had inflicted "material losses" and casualties, without specifying the number of wounded.

The group confirmed that its premises on the military base had been hit and that investigators had been sent to the site.

Responding to questions from AFP, two security sources would not identify who was responsible, or say whether it had been a drone strike.

"The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles," an Interior Ministry official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Shortly after the explosion, the US military said its forces were not behind the reported strike in Iraq.

"The United States has not conducted air strikes in Iraq today," US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on social media platform X, adding that reports that American forces had carried out a strike were "not true."

Separately, the US-led military coalition, purportedly formed to fight the Daesh terrorist group, announced in a statement that it did not participate or strike locations in Iraq.

The explosion on the Iraqi military base comes as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq vowed to proceed with its retaliatory operations until Israel stops its genocide in Gaza.

The coalition has been staging many such attacks on Israeli targets since the occupying regime launched a genocidal war on Gaza in early October.

Israel launched its atrocious onslaught against the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals, residences, and houses of worship since Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the usurping regime on October 7.

More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced during the war as well.

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Dear Georgian people,

For most of the 20th Century you enjoyed peace and prosperity as part of the Soviet Union, where you lived in harmony with your Russian neighbors.

In 1991 you allowed nationalists to lead you down a path of national suicide, prematurely declaring independence from the Soviet Union, and foregoing the normalization of relations with Russia in the false pursuit of western prosperity.

The West ignored you.

In 1991-2 nationalists instigated a Civil War in South Ossetia which tore your nation apart, leading to civil conflict and ethnic cleansing.

Russia intervened as a peacekeeper.

The West ignored you.

In 1992-3 nationalists instigated a Civil War in Abkhazia which led to the loss of that territory, the deaths of tens of thousands, and more than 250,000 Georgians ethnically cleansed.

Russia offered to intervene to save Abkhazia. The Georgian government rebuked the Russian offer.

The West ignored you.

In 1993 nationalists started a Civil War that threatened to tear your nation apart.

Russia offered to intervene to save Georgia.

You accepted the Russian offer.

Georgia was saved.

The West ignored you.

In 2003 the West pushed you to overthrow your government, tempting you with promises of EU and NATO membership.

In 2003 the West had you deploy your troops to Iraq.

In 2004 the West had you deploy your troops to Afghanistan.

The Russians did nothing to you.

In 2008 Russia was engaged in active negotiations with Georgia for the return of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The West ordered your government to stop negotiations, and instead use your army which the West had helped you build to invade South Ossetia.

You invaded, killing Russian peacekeepers in their sleep.

Russia counterattacked, destroying your army.

Russia stopped short of taking Tbilisi, which was left undefended.

The West did nothing to help you.

In 2014 the West provoked a war with Russia in Ukraine.

The West promised to stand by Ukraine forever.

The West promised Ukraine EU and NATO membership.

In 2022 Russia counterattacked.

Ukraine is being destroyed.

There is no EU membership,

There is no NATO membership.

There is only death and destruction.

In 2024 the West is trying to buy Georgian politicians in an effort to open a second front against Russia.

The West offers EU membership.

The West offers NATO membership.

Russia offers peace and co-prosperity.

Georgia, the choice is yours:

A path of peace and prosperity that leads through Moscow.

Or a path of war and total destruction that leads through Brussels.

Remember: Russia cares for you.

The West is only using you for its larger purposes.

If you choose the Brussels path, you will die.

If you choose the Moscow path, you will thrive.

Choose wisely.

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Improving the demographic situation and achieving sustainable growth in birth rates is a matter of life and death for Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with national media published on Tuesday.

President Vladimir Putin has designated 2024 the 'Year of the Family' in Russia, and according to his spokesman, the issue is of critical importance for the country.

"Demographics is probably our Achilles heel, our biggest problem. It cannot be resolved overnight. And so we desperately need to continue to take all possible measures that are aimed at correcting the demographic situation," Peskov told the Argumenti i Fakty newspaper.

He added that Russia will continue to focus on improving the quality of family life by extending the maternity capital program and offering more financial benefits to single mothers and families with multiple children.

"At the same time, it is possible and necessary to promote large families," said Peskov, himself a father of six. "Having many children should become fashionable. That's why traditional values are so important to us... it is a matter of life and death for our country with its vast territory."

"There should be more of us! We have only 7 million people living beyond the Urals. We must have children, we must increase human mobility and live our lives in different cities, which should be equally comfortable," he added.

In his address to the Federal Assembly last month, President Putin admitted that Russia, like many other countries, is faced with a decline in birth rates. He suggested that all levels of government, civil society, and religion should work together to make large families the social norm, a cornerstone of social life, and a guideline of state strategy.

Putin has raised the issue of family sizes before, pointing to the lingering consequences of the 1990s demographic collapse, comparable in severity to that of the Second World War. While the number of abortions in Russia has declined significantly since 2000, the number of births in 2023 was just over 1.2 million, the lowest since 1999. The national statistics bureau, Rosstat, has predicted a continued decline in the birth rate through 2027.

The president has once again urged citizens to have more children

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday urged Russians to start families early and have at least two children, preferably more.

His comments came during a meeting with the workers of Uralvagonzavod, a major Russian weapons and military equipment manufacturer located in Nizhny Tagil, in the Urals.

"Supporting young families is our absolute priority if we want to preserve our ethnic groups inhabiting Russia. And for this, each family must have at least two children. Three, if we want to grow and expand," Putin said, answering a question on whether the state Young Family program will continue.

The president added that funding for the program has been secured through 2025. Further measures to support families are in the works and may be announced during his upcoming annual address to lawmakers.

Putin has designated 2024 'Year of the Family' in Russia. The president has repeatedly pointed to the lingering consequences of the 1990s demographic collapse, comparable in severity to that of the Second World War.

He has raised the family-size issue before. Speaking in Kaliningrad last month, he explained that having children early on was the way to go. Couples who wait until 30 or later end up having no time or energy for more than one child, he said at the time, which is why the government has focused on helping young families. While the number of abortions in Russia has declined significantly since 2000, the number of births in 2023 was only 1.213 million, the lowest since 1999. The national statistics bureau, Rosstat, has predicted a continued decline in the birth rate through 2027.

"I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years," Berliner wrote in the post. "I don't support calls to defund NPR. I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism. But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cite in my Free Press essay."

On Friday, Berliner was suspended for five days without pay, NPR confirmed Tuesday, a week after his essay in the Free Press, an online news publication, where he argued the network had "lost America's trust" and allowed a "liberal bent" to influence its coverage, causing the outlet to steadily lose credibility with audiences.