Texas: Cows Found Dead With Tongues Missing

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office in Texas is actively coordinating with other agencies to find answers after ranchers found six cows dead in suspicious circumstances, including that all had their tongues removed, reports The Epoch Times.

In a statement, the office stated that it found the six cows in separate locations, pastures, and herds, but all in the same condition.

The cows were described as lying on their sides, with the hide around their mouths removed on the side facing upward, via a straight, clean cut, with apparent precision. The meat under the removed side wasn’t touched. Their tongues were removed completely removed. There was no blood spill surrounding any of the cows.

On two of the cows, a circular cut was made removing the anus and the external genitalia, the statement reads.

This circular cut was made with the same precision as the cuts noted around the jaw lines of each cow.

There were no signs of struggle or disturbance found in the grass surrounding the carcasses of the cows. There were no noticeable tracks, including tire tracks, around the area.

The cause of death of all the cows remains undetermined.

No predators or birds would scavenge the remains of the cows for several weeks after their death, so they were left to decay untouched during that time.

The cattle were found along Texas State Highway OSR. Investigators with the sheriff’s office were first alerted by ranchers to one of the deaths— a 6 year old longhorn cross cow—before finding out about the deaths of the other five cows. They included four adult cows and one yearling, found along the area of OSR running into Brazos County and Robertson County.

“Multiple similar incidents have been reported across the United States,” the sheriff’s office noted.

In 2019, five bulls were found dead in Oregon over the course of several days. All of their sex organs and tongues had been removed, and the blood was drained from their bodies.

According to a report from The Associated Press, as in the new case of six cattle, there were neither signs of struggle nor any tracks around the carcasses.

 

Rising concerns about US proxy war with Russia

Reportedly a number of Republican lawmakers, including three senators have expressed grave concerns about a United States proxy war with Russia.

“A proxy war with Russia in Ukraine is not in the strategic interest of the United States and risks an escalation that could spiral out of control” they warned in a letter to President Joe Biden.

The Ukraine war has entered its second year with no end in sight as Washington brushes aside any peace initiatives by third parties, the latest by China and Brazil.

The lawmakers warned that the American aid to Ukraine threatens further escalation while lacking much needed strategic clarity.

The United States is the number one financial sponsor of the war. To date, it has contributed US$113 billion, mostly in military assistance, which the lawmakers said is aimed to prop up a government that is historically mired in corruption.
They pointed out that this comes at a time when the American people suffer from record inflation and a crippling national debt.Time and again, the executive branch has used debt as a tool to finance foreign wars to the detriment of the American taxpayer.

The legislators have highlighted how the US strategy towards Ukraine is pushing Washington's two greatest adversaries closer together.

In early February 2022, the presidents of China and Russia reminded the world of their no limits partnership in their first face-to-face meeting in two years.

On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry said no country has the right to interfere in its relationship with Russia, as the two sides are sovereign, independent countries.

A spokesperson said, "China and Russia follow the principle of no-alliance, no-confrontation and no-targeting of any third party and are committed to developing a new type of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. This is entirely different from the US practice of forming exclusive blocs and stoking bloc confrontation.

“Both China and Russia see the US as inextricably opposed to their interests and security. The depth of US involvement in Ukraine only gives credence to this narrative,” the letter said.

In their address to Biden, the American lawmakers said US national interests and those of the Ukrainian people are best served by encouraging negotiations to end the conflict. "We strongly urge you (Biden) to advocate for a negotiated peace".

Ironically, this is the same approach that the entire world has been advocating for, with the exception of the US-led NATO military alliance. 

Russia, in particular, has repeatedly warned that pouring weapons into Ukraine will only prolong the war and the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

“The current strategy of sanctions and drawn-out aid will only prolong the conflict, leading to escalation and more violence. Our national and economic security demands an alternative,” the lawmakers wrote. 

The letter pointed out US military assistance also extends to military training and intelligence support and warned of the risk of provoking a direct war with Russia.

"The extent of our aid makes it increasingly difficult to deny Russian accusations of US complicity in a proxy war. Vladimir Putin's advisors are already framing the conflict as a military confrontation Russia and NATO, and above all the United States and Britain, Russian tolerance for fighting a proxy war with NATO could run out at any point."

They added that Moscow's decision to take military action in Ukraine should be evidence enough of its willingness to use military force and should give us pause in continuing to push the limits at the risk of catastrophe.

"With every new aid package and every new weapon provided to Ukraine, the risk of direct conflict with Russia climbs," the letter added.

"The Biden administration’s virtual blank check funding of this conflict for as long as it takes, without any defined objectives or accountability, distracts from our country’s most pressing challenges."

“Unrestrained US aid for Ukraine must come to an end, and we will adamantly oppose all future aid packages unless they are linked to a clear diplomatic strategy designed to bring this war to a rapid conclusion.”

They also spoke of a delusional US strategy, which has made the US military weaker as it will take months or, in some cases, years to manufacture a depleted weapons stockpile being shipped to Kyiv.

“Should our actions entangle us in a confrontation with Russia now or should conflict erupt in the Indo-Pacific in the coming years, we fear that our military will be woefully unprepared to meet these challenges as a direct result of what has been shipped to Ukraine,” they said.

The senators and representatives also criticize the Biden administration’s decision to send High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to the Ukrainian military. That decision was seen as a serious provocation, given the enhanced capabilities these weapons afforded, according to the lawmakers.

The letter mentions the Biden administration's plans to ship M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, which require months to ship and training for Ukrainian crews, and to send ground-launched small-diameter bombs, which would also require months to ship.

On top of the US$113 billion that Congress has authorized for Ukraine, the Biden administration is still drawing funds from the US$45 billion package approved in December 2022. That aid is expected to be exhausted by the summer, meaning the White House will likely ask Congress to authorize more funds soon.

In February, Representative Mathew Gaetz accused the Biden White House as well as members of both parties of spending tens of billions of dollars in Ukraine to keep a war going that does not satisfy any US national interest other than making US weapons manufacturers happy.

"How much more for Ukraine? Is there any limit?" Gaetz asked on the floor of the US House of Representatives. "Which billionth dollar really kicks in the door? Which redline we set will we not later cross?"

US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene recently told US media that Ukraine was not the 51st state and that she has to focus on fixing the problems her constituents and the American people are facing.

“We’re ignoring our own people’s problems... the United States needs to be pushing for peace in Ukraine, not funding a proxy war with Russia.”

“Politicians have given over US$100 billion of taxpayer money to Ukraine,” a spokesperson for Senator Rand Paul said. “Taxpayers deserve to have a full accounting of how their money is being used overseas, particularly before even more is asked of them and especially since priorities in our own nation are being neglected.”

The arguments against blank checks for Ukraine appear to be gaining popularity among regular Americans. The support for unconditional military aid has decreased notably, from 60% in May 2022 to 42% this February. The biggest drop has come from Republicans, according to a poll by The Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research.

The letter comes as Ukraine received US-made Patriot surface-to-air guided missile systems, which will further satisfy US arms manufacturers.

Iran and Russia to cooperate in transit trade

Iran and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on transit cooperation. The MoU on tripartite cooperation between the Iran Transportation Development Fund, the International Coordinating Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT), and the Economic Development Center of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was signed in Moscow.

The MoU was inked in the presence of Iran’s Ambassador in Russia Kazem Jalali, Russian Deputy Transport Minister Dmitry Zverev, Head of Iran Transport Development Fund Davoud Danesh-Jafari, Director-General of the Business Center for Economic Development Center of the CIS (BC CIS) Vadim Ganin, and Secretary-General of International Coordination Council on Trans-Eurasian Transportation (CCTT) Gennady Bessonov.

Based on this MoU, the signatories agree to cooperate with each other to increase trade, transit and storage of goods along international corridors, especially the North-South corridor.

The signatories of this memorandum also emphasized the exchange of information, carrying out joint projects, and exchange of specialized delegations to achieve these goals.

Earlier this month, during a meeting between Iranian Transport and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash and a visiting Russian delegation headed by Igor Yevgenyevich Levitin, a senior aide to the president of the Russian Federation, the two sides emphasized the necessity to boost the transit of commodities through the Caspian Sea.

During the meeting, held at the Iranian Transport and Urban Development Ministry in Tehran on Sunday evening, the two countries emphasized the development of cooperation in the air, sea, rail, and road sectors and multimodal transportation.

In the meeting, the Iranian minister considered the development of transportation cooperation between the two countries to be beneficial for both sides and said while the maritime trade between the ports of the two countries has a very long history, the use of the capacity of the active ports of the two countries in the Caspian Sea can be considered for new cooperation.

The senior aide to the president of the Russian Federation, for his part, summarized the expert meetings and the visit of the Russian delegation to the Rasht-Astara railway route and called for the development of transportation cooperation in all areas.

Iran and Russia reached an agreement last year for reviving the idle section of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) in Iran for expanding transit ties.

The first Russian freight train arrived at Iran’s Sarakhs railway station in Khorasan-Razavi province on the border with Turkmenistan last July to officially launch the eastern section of the INSTC.

The Russian train was allowed into the Iranian border in a ceremony attended by First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber along with transport, oil, industry, and agriculture ministers as well as the vice president for science and technology.

The second Russian transit cargo for India entered Iran also from the northeastern Sarakhs border in October last year.

Iran and Russia are also cooperating in the maritime sector to use the Caspian Sea to shorten the transit route from Russia to India.

 

Saudi foreign minister holds talks on Sudan with counterparts

According to Saudi Gazette, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia discussed the developments in Sudan with counterparts during phone calls on Sunday.

Prince Faisal and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly discussed the rapid development of events in Sudan, and the conditions of stranded foreigners.

They stressed the importance of stopping the military escalation, providing necessary protection for Sudanese civilians and residents on its soil, and providing safe humanitarian corridors for those wishing to leave Sudan.

Prince Faisal and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell discussed the efforts being exerted to stop the military escalation between the conflicting parties in Sudan.

They also discussed the end of the violence, and provide the necessary protection for Sudanese civilians and residents on its territories.

The two sides also reviewed the latest regional and international developments and the efforts being exerted in this regard, especially in enhancing international peace and security.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulated the Saudi foreign minister on the successful evacuation of Saudi citizens and other nationals from Sudan to the Kingdom.

Bilawal Zardari also commended the Saudi authorities for their high efficiency and professional handling of the evacuation operations, which contributed to their success.

 

Can Netanyahu afford to spark a new Israel-US crisis?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could spark another crisis between his government and the Biden administration by tapping May Golan as a potential New York consul general, a move is yet to be finalized.

Two media outlets reported on Saturday that Netanyahu had backed away from the Golan appointment in light of US objections to the matter.

US State Department spokesman Verdant Patel frowned on such a move Thursday when asked during a press briefing about comments the 36-year-old Likud minister has made in the past against African asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants in south Tel Aviv.

“Broadly, we would condemn such kind of rhetoric and believe that such kind of language is also particularly damaging when it’s amplified in leadership positions,” Patel said.

Patel did not expand on the matter further. But under the terms of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the US has the right to refuse to allow Golan to fill the role of consul general in New York.

Left-wing Jewish groups have already spoken out against the move, which would need government approval.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the executive director of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, tweeted, “May Golan [and] her racist politics are not welcome here. If she is appointed as consul general, American Jews will give her a proper reception, just as we did to Smotrich.

J Street said, “This appointment would be another affront by the Netanyahu government to shared democratic values, and an offense to the people – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – of a city that embodies America’s commitment to vibrant diversity.”

Golan tweeted on Thursday, “I am very flattered to be considered for the post of Israel’s consul general in NY.

“I want to assure everyone that if I will be appointed, I will represent 100% the mainstream policies of PM Netanyahu and the Likud Party, to which I belong,” she wrote. “I am completely committed to the unity of the Jewish people, and that is the exact policy that I will follow. If appointed, I will work with the leaders of all the Jewish organizations – as part of the effort to strengthen the great partnership between Israel and the American Jewish communities.”

Prior to her entry into the Knesset in 2019 on the Likud ticket, Golan was one of the more recognizable faces of the battle against the presence in Israel of African asylum-seekers and migrants, particularly in her neighborhood of south Tel Aviv.

In 2011, she was filmed at a rally stating that outside her home were migrants who one could see from their eyes wanted to kill her but no one believed it.

“We’re racist because we want to preserve our lives and our sanity. I am proud to be a racist. If I am racist in order to preserve my life, then I am proud,” she stated at the time.

In an interview with the Hebrew daily Haaretz in 2014, Golan alleged that the migrants posed a health risk.

“I believe that infiltrators don’t have to work in restaurants. I check every restaurant before I go in and call on Israeli citizens who care about themselves and their health to do the same thing.”

Until her name was raised for the New York consul general post, Golan had been poised to be named to a newly created ministerial post for women’s affairs.

The New York Consular General post has been vacant for close to a month, since Asaf Zamir resigned from the role to protest the government’s judicial overhaul plan.

The plan has also generated tension between Netanyahu and the Biden administration, which fears it would weaken Israeli democracy.

US President Joe Biden clarified last month that Netanyahu would not be invited to the White House in the near term.

Comments by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for the IDF to wipe out the West Bank Palestinian town of Huwara, have also added stress to the situation. Smotrich later clarified that he meant the IDF should act against terrorists in the town.

 

 

 

Bulgaria: Newest customer of Iranian oil

The Eurostat, European Union statistics office announced the import of Iranian oil by three European Union (EU) members in 2022, and introduced Bulgaria as the newest customer of Iranian oil in this union, IRNA reported on Sunday.

The information published by Eurostat shows that the European Union imported 4,181 tons of crude oil or oil products from Iran last year.

Although the amount of EU oil imports from Iran is not a significant figure, it indicates the desire of European refineries to ignore the US sanctions against Iran, and the inclusion of these figures in the official European oil import statistics shows the desire of the European authorities to distance themselves from the sanctions, or at least showing their objection to the US sanctions policy against Iran.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that the oil and gas sector experienced a growth of 9% in the past Iranian calendar year 1401.

Oil Minister Javad Oji has recently said that a new record high will be reached in the country’s oil export in the current Iranian calendar year.

The country’s oil export in 1401 was 83 million barrels more than that of 1400 and 190 million barrels more than the export in 1399, the minister announced.

Underlining that now oil export has reached the highest figure in the last two years, the official said, “Considering that the Oil Ministry is one of the main providers of the country's foreign currency; in the 13th government, despite the tightening of cruel sanctions, fortunately, thanks to the grace of God and the efforts of our colleagues in the country's oil and gas industries, there are good records in the field of exporting crude oil, gas condensate, and petroleum and petrochemical products.”

Despite the negative impacts of the US sanctions, Iran has been ramping up its oil production and exports over the past few months.

In his remarks in November 2022, President Raisi highlighted the failure of the enemy’s policy of maximum pressure, saying the country’s oil export has reached the pre-sanction levels.

Back in January, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in a report put Iran’s average oil production in 2022 at 2.54 million bpd, 140,000 bpd more than the previous year.

Iran's oil production in 2021 was about 2.4 million bpd.

 

 

G7 calls for extension full implementation and expansion of Black Sea grain deal

The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers called on Sunday for the extension, full implementation and expansion of a critical deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, the group's agriculture ministers said in a communiqué.

Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal was signed in Istanbul last July, allowing Ukraine to export more than 27 million tons of grain from several of its Black Sea ports.

Russia has strongly signaled that it will not allow the deal to continue beyond May 18 because a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertilizer exports has not been met.

In the communiqué after a two-day meeting in Miyazaki, Japan, the G7 agriculture ministers recognized the importance of the deal, saying, "We strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI)."

"We condemn Russia's attempts to use food as a means of destabilization and as tool of geopolitical coercion and reiterate our commitment to acting in solidarity and supporting those most affected by Russia's weaponization of food," the communiqué said.

G7 members stand ready to support recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including by providing expertise in de-mining of agricultural land and reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure, the document said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to discuss the Ukraine Black Sea grain export deal with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York.