/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global
🇪🇺❌🗣 European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, on X: Today we open formal infringement proceedings against @X : ⚠️ Suspected breach of obligations to counter #IllegalContent and #Disinformation ⚠️ Suspected breach of #Transparency…
🇪🇺❌🗣 Press service of the European Commission:
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether X may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers.
On the basis of the preliminary investigation conducted so far, including on the basis of an analysis of the risk assessment report submitted by X in September, X's Transparency report published on 3 November, and X's replies to a formal request for information, which, among others, concerned the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel, the Commission has decided to open formal infringement proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act.
The proceedings will focus on the following areas:
🔸 The compliance with the DSA obligations related to countering the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, notably in relation to the risk assessment and mitigation measures adopted by X to counter the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, as well as the functioning of the notice and action mechanism for illegal content in the EU mandated by the DSA, including in light of X's content moderation resources.
🔸 The effectiveness of measures taken to combat information manipulation on the platform, notably the effectiveness of X's so-called ‘Community Notes' system in the EU and the effectiveness of related policies mitigating risks to civic discourse and electoral processes.
🔸 The measures taken by X to increase the transparency of its platform. The investigation concerns suspected shortcomings in giving researchers access to X's publicly accessible data as mandated by Article 40 of the DSA, as well as shortcomings in X's ads repository.
🔸 A suspected deceptive design of the user interface, notably in relation to checkmarks linked to certain subscription products, the so-called Blue checks.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_6709
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether X may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers.
On the basis of the preliminary investigation conducted so far, including on the basis of an analysis of the risk assessment report submitted by X in September, X's Transparency report published on 3 November, and X's replies to a formal request for information, which, among others, concerned the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel, the Commission has decided to open formal infringement proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act.
The proceedings will focus on the following areas:
🔸 The compliance with the DSA obligations related to countering the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, notably in relation to the risk assessment and mitigation measures adopted by X to counter the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, as well as the functioning of the notice and action mechanism for illegal content in the EU mandated by the DSA, including in light of X's content moderation resources.
🔸 The effectiveness of measures taken to combat information manipulation on the platform, notably the effectiveness of X's so-called ‘Community Notes' system in the EU and the effectiveness of related policies mitigating risks to civic discourse and electoral processes.
🔸 The measures taken by X to increase the transparency of its platform. The investigation concerns suspected shortcomings in giving researchers access to X's publicly accessible data as mandated by Article 40 of the DSA, as well as shortcomings in X's ads repository.
🔸 A suspected deceptive design of the user interface, notably in relation to checkmarks linked to certain subscription products, the so-called Blue checks.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_6709
European Commission - European Commission
Commission opens formal proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess whether X may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to risk management, content moderation, dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers.
Forwarded from Middle East Spectator — MES
— 🇱🇧 🇮🇷 NEW: According to some military analysts, Hezbollah used advanced Iranian-made 'Basir' laser-guided HE artillery shells against two Iron Dome batteries in Israel today
This is unconfirmed, but if true, it highlights a sifnificant capability, not only that Hezbollah posesses such advanced guided artillery but also that it has the means to fire them, which suggests that Hezbollah owns large caliber 150mm artillery.
@Middle_East_Spectator
This is unconfirmed, but if true, it highlights a sifnificant capability, not only that Hezbollah posesses such advanced guided artillery but also that it has the means to fire them, which suggests that Hezbollah owns large caliber 150mm artillery.
@Middle_East_Spectator
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🌡 🌍 🚢 Here is a heat map of the recent maritime incidents in The Red Sea near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
🔶️ Sources:
Heat map: UK MTO 2023-12-18
Mapzen terrain layer
World Bank Country outlines
📎 Radio & Nukes
🔶️ Sources:
Heat map: UK MTO 2023-12-18
Mapzen terrain layer
World Bank Country outlines
📎 Radio & Nukes
Middle East Spectator — MES
— 🇮🇱/🇱🇧 Israeli Minister Yoav Gallant: 'If Hezbollah does not retreat beyond the Litani river through diplomatic efforts, we will not hesitate to act [militarily]' @Middle_East_Spectator
📢 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Joint Press Conference With Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel
🔶️ Q: And if I may, with regard to the north, Israel says, and Minister Gallant has just repeated that it will attack Lebanon if there won't be an acceptable solution that will include Hezbollah withdrawal north to the Litani River. Jake Sullivan was here last week and he was quite confident that such a solution can be achieved.
🔶️ MIN. GALLANT: I would like to reiterate what I said. I said that diplomacy is the preferred way. We are not looking for wars but we have 70,000 Israeli refugees and Hezbollah is shooting us every day since October 8, the day after Hamas launched the war against Israel.
🔶️ Therefore, in one hand, we are patient and we are looking for a diplomacy solution that will make sure that Hezbollah is not threatened Israeli civilians on the northern communities directly. On the other hand, we are preparing ourself to any situation that is needed, and if something like that happened, we will know what to do and we will prevail.
🔶️ Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Joint Press Conference With Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel
https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3621107/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-joint-press-conference-with-israeli-def/
🔶️ Q: And if I may, with regard to the north, Israel says, and Minister Gallant has just repeated that it will attack Lebanon if there won't be an acceptable solution that will include Hezbollah withdrawal north to the Litani River. Jake Sullivan was here last week and he was quite confident that such a solution can be achieved.
🔶️ MIN. GALLANT: I would like to reiterate what I said. I said that diplomacy is the preferred way. We are not looking for wars but we have 70,000 Israeli refugees and Hezbollah is shooting us every day since October 8, the day after Hamas launched the war against Israel.
🔶️ Therefore, in one hand, we are patient and we are looking for a diplomacy solution that will make sure that Hezbollah is not threatened Israeli civilians on the northern communities directly. On the other hand, we are preparing ourself to any situation that is needed, and if something like that happened, we will know what to do and we will prevail.
🔶️ Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Joint Press Conference With Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel
https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3621107/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-joint-press-conference-with-israeli-def/
U.S. Department of Defense
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Joint Press Conference With Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke at a joint press conference with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel.
🚢 🇾🇪 🌍 CENTCOM Statement on Red Sea Attacks
🔶️ On December 18, at approximately 9:00 (Sanaa time), there were two Houthi militant attacks against commercial shipping in the Southern Red Sea.
🔶️ The chemical/oil tanker motor vessel SWAN ATLANTIC was attacked by a one-way attack drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Cayman Islands flagged SWAN ATLANTIC reported impact on the vessel and requested assistance, the USS CARNEY (CCG 64), the closest U.S. warship, responded to assess damage.
🔶️ At approximately the same time, the bulk cargo ship M/V CLARA reported an explosion in the water near their location. This attack is separate from the attack on the M/V SWAN ATLANTIC. There was no request for support or report of damage.
🔶️ There were no injuries reported during either incident.
📎 CENTCOM
🔶️ On December 18, at approximately 9:00 (Sanaa time), there were two Houthi militant attacks against commercial shipping in the Southern Red Sea.
🔶️ The chemical/oil tanker motor vessel SWAN ATLANTIC was attacked by a one-way attack drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Cayman Islands flagged SWAN ATLANTIC reported impact on the vessel and requested assistance, the USS CARNEY (CCG 64), the closest U.S. warship, responded to assess damage.
🔶️ At approximately the same time, the bulk cargo ship M/V CLARA reported an explosion in the water near their location. This attack is separate from the attack on the M/V SWAN ATLANTIC. There was no request for support or report of damage.
🔶️ There were no injuries reported during either incident.
📎 CENTCOM
🚢 🇾🇪 🌍 Are the Houthis A Sea Power? | How a Not-State Actor Changed the Course of Global Shipping - Sal Mercogliano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQuec8PyZcE?feature=shared
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQuec8PyZcE?feature=shared
YouTube
Are the Houthis A Sea Power? | How a Not-State Actor Changed the Course of Global Shipping!
Pirates of the Red Sea
What's Going on With Shipping?
Dec 18, 2023
In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - discusses the suspension of voyages, new attacks, increase in…
What's Going on With Shipping?
Dec 18, 2023
In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - discusses the suspension of voyages, new attacks, increase in…
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🌋 🇮🇸 First aerial footage captured just minutes ago of the newly opened volcanic fissure near Grindavík, Iceland.
🔶️ It is estimated to be about 3 km long
📎 Nahel Belgherze
🔶️ It is estimated to be about 3 km long
📎 Nahel Belgherze
Forwarded from Middle East Spectator — MES
— 🇮🇷/🇾🇪 Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Muhammad Baqeri: 'We are providing advisory and intellectual assistance to the Yemeni Army (Ansarullah), and we will stand with the Yemeni people till the end'
@Middle_East_Spectator
@Middle_East_Spectator
Forwarded from White Lives Matter Official
Media is too big
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📌2 years and many months later, WLM is still at it.
Still on the way to 14, still upholding the same standards: explicitly pro-White, legal, anonymous.
This weekend was our last event of 2023, and it marked the birth of a couple WLM local efforts in Europe and the re-birth of WLM Texas.
It's up to YOU to re-ignite the spark in YOUR area.
Our track record speaks for itself at @wlm_events. One day a month, 12 times a year - the minimum we can all do.
@wlmcontactbot to get involved.
@WhiteLivesMatterOfficial
Still on the way to 14, still upholding the same standards: explicitly pro-White, legal, anonymous.
This weekend was our last event of 2023, and it marked the birth of a couple WLM local efforts in Europe and the re-birth of WLM Texas.
It's up to YOU to re-ignite the spark in YOUR area.
Our track record speaks for itself at @wlm_events. One day a month, 12 times a year - the minimum we can all do.
@wlmcontactbot to get involved.
@WhiteLivesMatterOfficial
Forwarded from Demographics Now and Then
Japan’s demographic crisis is hitting its plans to build a stronger military. The Japanese army, navy & air force have failed to reach recruitment targets for years, and the number of active personnel (~247,000) is nearly 10% lower than it was in 1990. https://t.co/Tbzaro09Wh
NY Times
Japan Wants a Stronger Military. Can It Find Enough Troops?
A shrinking, aging population poses an obstacle as the nation tries to counter security threats from China and North Korea.
Forwarded from Middle East Spectator — MES
— 🇺🇸/🇮🇱/🇱🇧 NEW: Israel has informed the Biden administration that they want Hezbollah to be pushed roughly 6 miles (~7.5 kilometers) from the border as part of a diplomatic deal, otherwise the IDF will initiate a military campaign - Axios
@Middle_East_Spectator
@Middle_East_Spectator
/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global
🌋 🇮🇸 First aerial footage captured just minutes ago of the newly opened volcanic fissure near Grindavík, Iceland. 🔶️ It is estimated to be about 3 km long 📎 Nahel Belgherze
🛢 🚢 ✈️ @GMJournalist reports that Jet Fuel will be the cargo most disrupted by the pause of ships transitioning the Red Sea. - John Konrad
⬛️ At present jet fuel consumption rates the market could get squeezed. But consumption could spike
🔶️ Will jets be grounded because of the iceland volcano or burn more fuel diverting around it?
🔶️ The #1 user of jet fuel is the US military which may have to fly a LOT more airlift missions to compensate for @Maersk military cargo ships stuck waiting.
🔶️ How many more flights? The air capacity of the entire USAF cargo fleet is less than what fits on a single modern ultra-large containership.
🔶️ What about the non-military cargo aboard the containerships? Most of that isn’t time sensitive enough to switch to air but a portion is. Because of the size of a containership even a tiny percentage being sent by air requires a large number of planes.
🔶️ The ships that carry jet fuel are called product tankers. These ships also carry gasoline and diesel. Gas is unlikely to rise but the massive containerships sailing around Africa are likely to sail at top speed to make up time. Ships are not efficient at top speed and most burn marine diesel. This additional load will compete with jet fuel for cargo space.
🔶️ And even before this incident, there was a major shortage of product tankers.
🔶️ And that’s all provided the war doesn’t spread. Wars consume and inordinate amount of fuel as militaries go increase speed.
🔶️ Even nations not in the fight consume more fuel as they launch surveillance planes and start moving supplies closer to the fight.
🔶️ Finally there is the fact that a large percentage of jet fuel use goes unreported. Some of this is to hide just how much planes burn (even John Kerry flys his jet to COP) and some of the under-reporting are militaries trying to keep fuel movements secret.
🔶️ Finally when a critical commodity becomes scare, nations begin to hoard available supply.
🔶️ What does this all add up to? Uncertainty. Jets grounded because of the volcano and fuel hoarding could ease the supply constraints. The rest of the problems could tighten the market.
🔶️ Lastly this action is being coordinated by Iran who likely has a plan and is tipping off commodity traders. These traders could use leverage to tighten the market further (some do it by paying tankers to sit at anchor while prices go up) or they could artificially lower prices (either with financial tools or by paying states with large reserves to release product).
⬛️ Uncertainty is the word of the day.
📖 Read Greg’s full article here:
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/red-sea-chaos-could-boost-tanker-and-container-shipping-rates
📎 John Konrad
⬛️ At present jet fuel consumption rates the market could get squeezed. But consumption could spike
🔶️ Will jets be grounded because of the iceland volcano or burn more fuel diverting around it?
🔶️ The #1 user of jet fuel is the US military which may have to fly a LOT more airlift missions to compensate for @Maersk military cargo ships stuck waiting.
🔶️ How many more flights? The air capacity of the entire USAF cargo fleet is less than what fits on a single modern ultra-large containership.
🔶️ What about the non-military cargo aboard the containerships? Most of that isn’t time sensitive enough to switch to air but a portion is. Because of the size of a containership even a tiny percentage being sent by air requires a large number of planes.
🔶️ The ships that carry jet fuel are called product tankers. These ships also carry gasoline and diesel. Gas is unlikely to rise but the massive containerships sailing around Africa are likely to sail at top speed to make up time. Ships are not efficient at top speed and most burn marine diesel. This additional load will compete with jet fuel for cargo space.
🔶️ And even before this incident, there was a major shortage of product tankers.
🔶️ And that’s all provided the war doesn’t spread. Wars consume and inordinate amount of fuel as militaries go increase speed.
🔶️ Even nations not in the fight consume more fuel as they launch surveillance planes and start moving supplies closer to the fight.
🔶️ Finally there is the fact that a large percentage of jet fuel use goes unreported. Some of this is to hide just how much planes burn (even John Kerry flys his jet to COP) and some of the under-reporting are militaries trying to keep fuel movements secret.
🔶️ Finally when a critical commodity becomes scare, nations begin to hoard available supply.
🔶️ What does this all add up to? Uncertainty. Jets grounded because of the volcano and fuel hoarding could ease the supply constraints. The rest of the problems could tighten the market.
🔶️ Lastly this action is being coordinated by Iran who likely has a plan and is tipping off commodity traders. These traders could use leverage to tighten the market further (some do it by paying tankers to sit at anchor while prices go up) or they could artificially lower prices (either with financial tools or by paying states with large reserves to release product).
⬛️ Uncertainty is the word of the day.
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/red-sea-chaos-could-boost-tanker-and-container-shipping-rates
📎 John Konrad
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FreightWaves
Red Sea chaos should boost tanker and container shipping rates
A growing number of ship operators are refusing to transit the Red Sea and taking a very long detour around Africa instead.
Africa Intel
🇸🇩🇺🇸 RSF seize Sudan army base in Wad Madani while the US calls for the end of violence Residents of the Sudanese city of Wad Madani say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have attacked a hospital and have taken over an army base. The area is home…
Such a State and such a City are key logistical hub and could trigger a major change in the Sudanese Civil War
On social medias, local netizens and observers reported that the RSF units, mostly using tehcnical pickups, reached the city, with the forces of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) nowhere from being seen.
Noteworthy that such thing forced dozens of thousands of civilians to move out of the region, as they fear that the RSF — which is known for its brutality and genocidal actions— might start punitive campaigns against supporters of the Sudanese Military Junta
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Bellum Acta - Intel, Urgent News and Archives ✝️ #FreeVenezuela
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Bellum Acta - Intel, Urgent News and Archives ✝️ #FreeVenezuela
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📝 🏴☠️ 🇸🇴 Op-Ed: Somali Pirates Are Back, But a Full-Scale Return is Unlikely
🔶️ "I have my suspicion that this is not so much Somali piracy of the early 2000s, but now a form of Privateers where the Somalis are backed by the Houthi to open another front." - Sal Mercogliano
https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/op-ed-somali-pirates-are-back-but-a-full-scale-return-is-unlikely
🔶️ "I have my suspicion that this is not so much Somali piracy of the early 2000s, but now a form of Privateers where the Somalis are backed by the Houthi to open another front." - Sal Mercogliano
https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/op-ed-somali-pirates-are-back-but-a-full-scale-return-is-unlikely
The Maritime Executive
Op-Ed: Somali Pirates Are Back, But a Full-Scale Return is Unlikely
An Iranian fishing vessel, Almeraj 1, was reportedly hijacked by Somali pirates in November 2023. According to media reports, the pirates demanded US...
🇺🇸 🤝 🇫🇮 U.S. forces are gaining access to 15 military sites in Finland, where a new defense agreement reached this week also paves the way for the positioning of American military gear in the country.
🔶️ “Today is just the latest demonstration of the United States’ comprehensive effort to bolster trans-Atlantic security,” Blinken said, adding that a series of similar deals with Sweden and Denmark is fortifying the alliance’s position.
🔶️ The pact allows U.S. forces to have exclusive access to defense materiel pre-positioned in various locations, with “unimpeded access” to those storage facilities.
🔶️ Among the sites U.S. forces will be granted access to is a border guard base in Ivalo, a northern area near Russia’s fortified Kola Peninsula.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2023-12-19/finland-us-site-use-agreement-12407565.html
🔶️ “Today is just the latest demonstration of the United States’ comprehensive effort to bolster trans-Atlantic security,” Blinken said, adding that a series of similar deals with Sweden and Denmark is fortifying the alliance’s position.
🔶️ The pact allows U.S. forces to have exclusive access to defense materiel pre-positioned in various locations, with “unimpeded access” to those storage facilities.
🔶️ Among the sites U.S. forces will be granted access to is a border guard base in Ivalo, a northern area near Russia’s fortified Kola Peninsula.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2023-12-19/finland-us-site-use-agreement-12407565.html