Dozens of Peruvians were injured after tensions flared again on Friday night as police clashed with protesters in anti-government demonstrations that are spreading across the country.

In the capital Lima, police officers used tear gas to repel demonstrators throwing glass bottles and stones, as fires burned in the streets, local TV footage showed.

In the country’s southern Puno region, some 1,500 protesters attacked a police station in the town of Ilave, Interior Minister Vicente Romero said in a statement to news media.

A police station in Zepita, Puno, was also on fire, Romero said.

Health authorities in Ilave reported eight patients hospitalized with injuries, including broken arms and legs, eye contusions and punctured abdomens.

By late afternoon, 58 people had been injured nationwide in demonstrations, according to a report from Peru’s ombudsman.

The unrest followed a day of turmoil in Thursday, when one of Lima’s most historic buildings burned to the ground, as President Dina Boluarte vowed to get tougher on “vandals.”

The destruction of the building, a near-century-old mansion in central Lima, was described by officials as the loss of a “monumental asset.” Authorities are investigating the causes.

Romero on Friday claimed the blaze was “duly planned and arranged.”

Thousands of protesters descended on Lima this week calling for change and angered by the protests’ mounting death toll, which officially stood at 45 on Friday.

Protests have rocked Peru since President Pedro Castillo was ousted in December after he attempted to dissolve the legislature to prevent an impeachment vote.

The unrest has until this week been concentrated in Peru’s south.

In the Cusco region, Glencore’s (GLEN.L) major Antapaccay copper mine suspended operations on Friday after protesters attacked the premises – one of the largest in the country – for the third time this month.

Airports in Arequipa, Cusco and the southern city of Juliaca were also attacked by demonstrators, delivering a fresh blow to Peru’s tourism industry.

“It’s nationwide chaos, you can’t live like this. We are in a terrible uncertainty – the economy, vandalism,” said Lima resident Leonardo Rojas.

The government has extended a state of emergency to six regions, curtailing some civil rights.

But Boluarte has dismissed calls for her to resign and hold snap elections, instead calling for dialogue and promising to punish those involved in the unrest.

“All the rigor of the law will fall on those people who have acted with vandalism,” Boluarte said on Thursday.

Some locals pointed the finger at Boluarte, accusing her of not taking action to quell the protests, which began on Dec. 7 in response to the ouster and arrest of Castillo.

Human rights groups have accused the police and army of using deadly firearms. The police say protesters have used weapons and homemade explosives.

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WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Chris Hipkins, set to become New Zealand’s prime minister, built a reputation for competence in tackling COVID-19, though he acknowledges some mistakes in handling the pandemic and faces a tough battle to retain power in an October general election.

Known as “Chippy”, the former COVID minister is a close ally of Jacinda Ardern, who shocked the nation on Thursday by announcing she was resigning.

Hipkins, 44, expected to succeed Ardern as Labour leader on Sunday after no other candidates emerged, faces a stern test upon taking power, with Labour trailing the opposition in opinion polls and the country expected to fall into recession next quarter before a general election on Oct. 14.

Often brought in by Ardern when other cabinet colleagues were struggling with their portfolios, Hipkins pledged on Saturday to continue her governing style while putting his own stamp on running the country.

“Jacinda provided calm, stable, reassuring leadership, which I hope to continue to do. We are different people though, and I’m sure that people will see that,” Hipkins told a news conference on Saturday after emerging as the only candidate to lead the ruling Labour Party.

First elected to parliament in 2008, Hipkins became a household name fronting the government’s response to the pandemic. He was appointed health minister in July 2020 before becoming the COVID response minister at the end of the year.

Under Ardern’s “go hard, go early” approach to COVID, the island nation of 5 million was among the first to close borders.

The policy was hailed around the world for keeping New Zealanders virus-free through the first half of 2021, but the public tired of the zero-tolerance strategy, which included a nationwide lockdown over a single infection.

Criticism over the strict lockdowns grew as officials struggled to control a Delta outbreak from August 2021. Hipkins later said quarantine measures should have been scaled back earlier.

‘THE ODD MISTAKE’

“I’ve dealt with some challenging situations over the last five and a half years, the last couple of years particularly,” Hipkins said on Saturday. “And, you know, I’m a human being. I’ll make the odd mistake from time to time. I try and own the mistakes that I make.”

He would not be drawn on his policy plans.

A 1News-Kantar poll released in December had Labour’s support falling to 33% from 40% at the start of 2022. At that rate, Labour could not form a majority even with traditional coalition partner the Green Party at 9%. The opposition National Party has benefited from Labour’s decline.

Hipkins is known around parliament for his sense of humour – including an ability to laugh at himself.

Meaning to tell COVID-cramped New Zealanders once that they should socially distance when they go out to stretch their legs, he mistakenly said “spread your legs”. After the faux pas went viral, he was seen drinking from a mug with the notorious phrase on it.

Hipkins, who grew up in the Hutt Valley north of the capital Wellington, said his “parents came from relatively humble beginnings and worked really hard to provide a good life” for him and his brother.

“My commitment and politics is to make sure that we provide opportunities for all Kiwis who want to work hard, to be able to work hard and get ahead and provide a better life for themselves and for their families.”

Hipkins became minister for police in mid-2022 amid a crime wave. He is also minister for education and public service, as well as leader of the House.

Before joining parliament, he was senior adviser to two education ministers and served in the office of former Prime Minister Helen Clark.

An outdoor enthusiast and keen cyclist, Hipkins is known to commute to the capital Wellington by bicycle from his home in an adjoining city.

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The post Video: Wagner Group’s Yevgeny Prigozhin brags about capturing Ukrainian city without Russian troops appeared first on Ukraine Intelligence.

ViDI Studio/Shutterstock; Rachel Mendelson/Insider

• As Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and other tech giants have announced major cuts in January.
• Over 55,000 tech workers are being let go across 154 companies, more than the first 6 months of 2022.
• What corner of tech will tech pros find solace in?

There have now been more layoffs in tech in the first 20 days of January than there were in the first six months of 2022 combined, according to job-cut tracker Layoffs.fyi.

In the first half of 2022, from January to June, there were 44,257 reported layoffs in the tech sector. Things have already taken a bigger turn for the strange in 2023: the number of reported layoffs have hit 55,225 in just this month alone, representing 154 tech companies. To put it another way, it means that January 2023 is already the biggest single month for tech layoffs since the beginning of 2022.

The lion’s share of those layoffs are among Big Tech names like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, which had the biggest employee bases from which to cut jobs.

Amazon announced a 10,000-person layoff in November and then cut an additional 8,000 just this week. Microsoft announced less than a week ago that it was reducing its workforce by 10,000. And Google is letting go of 12,000 workers.

The only big-name tech company to not do layoffs is Apple. But the company is in the middle of a hiring freeze that it says will last until September.

What’s also unfortunate about this is those tech workers who left the startup world seeking stability among Big Tech may be wondering what corner of tech is a safe haven right about now. 

Here’s the chart showing just how serious the situation is in January:

Courtesy of the Airbnb Photographer Community

• The Villa Tasca is available for around $6,000 per night with a three-night minimum on Airbnb. 
• The three-story palatial estate with 20-acre gardens featured on HBO’s “The White Lotus.” 
• Your luxury stay includes a butler, concierge, and room attendants. 

If you’re in desperate need of a 16th-century Sicillian villa to spill your marital secrets, the Villa Tasca is now available to rent on Airbnb.

Featured in the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” the palatial estate hosted Daphne, played by Meghann Fahy, and Harper, played by Aubrey Plaza, when they ditch their husbands on their luxury vacation. 

The Villa Tasca has inspired famous opera composers, according to its website.

Courtesy of the Airbnb Photographer Community

Now, you and up to seven guests also can enjoy the home’s neoclassical architecture, Venetian chandeliers, 20-acre gardens, citrus grove, and a pond filled with live swans. The nightly rate starts at GBP £4,814 (US $6,000) and there is a three-night minimum for every stay. 

Built in the 1500’s as a hunting lodge for an Italian baron, Villa Tasca has welcomed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and King Ferdinand IV, according to the Villa’s website. The grounds have also inspired music by famous opera composers Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi. 

The Villa Tasca grounds include a 20-acre garden and citrus grove.

Courtesy of the Airbnb Photographer Community

In “The White Lotus,” the villa is located in the town of Noto, known for its baroque architecture. But the Villa Tasca actually is located in Palermo, Sicily’s capital and where other tragic storylines in season 2 take place. The estate regularly is the site of weddings and disco parties, according to its Instagram. 

Each apartment, according to the listing, comes with private sitting rooms, carved wooden wardrobes, and marble bathroom tiles – but only one room has a king-sized bed.

During your stay, you’ll be taken care of by a full time staff that includes a concierge, butler, room attendants, and house manager. For an extra undisclosed fee, the staff will arrange local excursions and laundry services.

A full-time staff comes with your minimum three-night stay.

Courtesy of the Airbnb Photographer Community

Andre Pain

• Milley on Friday said Russia has suffered “significantly well over” 100,000 casualties in Ukraine.
• This marked a slight update from a figure Milley offered in November.
• Milley urged Putin to end the war, saying it had become an “absolute catastrophe” for Moscow.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Friday said that Russia has “really suffered a lot” in Ukraine and urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.

“The Russian casualties — last time I reported out on it publicly, I said it was well over 100,000. I would say it’s significantly well over 100,000 now,” Milley said at a news conference alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Germany, providing a slight update on a figure the top US general offered in November.

Milley said that the “tremendous amount of casualties” suffered by Russia included “regular military, and also their mercenaries in the Wagner Group and other type forces that are fighting with the Russians.”

“Putin could end this war today,” Milley said, “It’s turning into an absolute catastrophe for Russia.” 

“Ukraine has also suffered tremendously,” Milley added. “You know that there’s a significant amount of innocent civilians that have been killed in a result of the Russian actions. The Russians are hitting civilian infrastructure. There’s a significant amount of economic damage, a significant amount of damage to the energy infrastructure, and  the Ukrainian military has suffered a significant amount of casualties themselves.”

“This is a very, very bloody war, and there’s significant casualties on both sides,” Milley said, going on to say that “sooner or later” negotiations will have to occur to bring the conflict to a conclusion. 

Russia has shown no signs of taking steps to end the war, despite facing repeated, major setbacks. Ukraine has also warned that Russia appears to be preparing for another offensive, as Kyiv urges the West to provide more weapons — particularly tanks — possibly for its own offensive push. 

But NATO countries are at an impasse on the issue of sending main battle tanks, the German-made Leopard in particular, to Ukraine, and Western defense chiefs failed to come to an agreement on the matter as they met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday.

The discussion has largely centered around whether Germany is willing to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine or at the very least allow other European countries who have the German-made tank in their inventories to provide them to Ukrainian forces. Germany would need to grant permission for the Leopard tanks to be exported by other countries, and so far, that hasn’t happened.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is facing questions on whether it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. There have been signs from Germany that it won’t provide Leopard tanks unless the US sends M1s, but the Pentagon has pushed back on that while arguing that it does not make sense to send the Abrams to Ukraine because the cost is too high and the training and maintenance is too complicated.

Austin on Friday challenged the assertion that decisions on the Abrams and Leopards are tied together. In an update on the situation though, he said he had no announcements to make regarding whether the US might change its stance on the M1 and noted that Germany, which he called a “reliable ally,” has “not made a decision on Leopards.”

Curtis Bradley and Jack Goldsmith concluded their three-part analysis of Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. United States. In the third installment, they focused on the government’s curious reliance on the argument that an executive branch agreement with a foreign state preempts relevant statute.

Scott R. Anderson sat down with professors Chimène Keitner and Ingrid Wuerth to discuss oral arguments in United States v. Turkiye Halk Bankasi S.A. (Halkbank), a challenge to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act currently before the Supreme Court.

Emma Svoboda outlined the issues at hand in Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. United States (Halkbank), a criminal case presenting issues regarding the implications of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA). Oral arguments for Halkbank were heard before the Supreme Court on Jan. 17.

Saraphin Dhanani weighed the value of designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism (SST) with instances when the U.S. had applied the designation to Iran and Cuba. After presenting two case studies, in which victims’ families attempted to leverage the SST to claim reparations, Dhanani considered the possible value added by applying the SST in response to atrocities committed by the Russian government.

James Petrila and Phil Wasielewski advocated for applying the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation to the Wagner Group, as recently proposed by the Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries (HARM) Act. After contextualizing the nefarious activities of this paramilitary group, the authors delineated which additional tools the FTO designation could provide to U.S. government watchdogs.

Roger Parloff continued live-blogging the seditious conspiracy trial of five top members of the Proud Boys organization in his Proud Boys Trial Diary, available on Lawfare. The live-blog will run each day that the trial is in session.

Naman Karl-Thomas Habtom analyzed Sweden’s challenges and delays as the country moves towards NATO membership, including opposition and foot-dragging from member states Turkey and Hungary.

Dhanani sat down with Michael German and Michael Warrick to discuss the Brennan Center’s new report, “Ending Fusion Center Abuses.” They discussed the origins of fusion centers in the wake of 9/11, their success as intelligence centers, and abuse of their power.

Daniel Woods argued that a federal cyber insurance backstop would be counterproductive, contributing to an already oversupplied market and diminishing insurers’ ability to demand due diligence from policyholders.

Eugenia Lostri sat down with Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud to discuss their new book, “Pegasus: How a Spy in Your Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy,” to discuss how Pegasus spyware has been used by some governments against journalists, activists, political dissidents, and others.

J. Dana Stuster deconstructed the term “great power” amid its rapid proliferation in foreign policy and national security discourses, including the inherent generalizations accompanying its use.

Jordan Schneider sat down with Sam Hammond and Zohar Atkins to discuss the implications of AI for creativity, employment, and more.

Jason Healy discussed the merits and implications of cyber brandishing as a means for deterrence or coercion, and considered the depreciating nature of cyber brandishing measures.

Bobby Chesney and Steve Vladeck sat down to compare Biden and Trump’s classified document scenarios, presidential and congressional authority under Arms Export Control Act, a harassment indictment at the Berklee School of Music, and more.

Justin Sherman—as part of Lawfare and the Hoover Institution’s “AEGIS: Security Policy in Depth” series—illuminated the vulnerabilities of undersea cable systems as critical infrastructure components, and considered how the networks may be protected under international law.

Brian Fleming sat down with Michael Ellis and David Kris to discuss the likelihood of reauthorizing FISA section 702, a recent court case filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission over enforcement of a subpoena investigating a 2020 cyber attack by a state-sponsored Chinese cyber espionage group, and more.

Hyemin Han shared the Supreme Court Marshal’s report on the 2022 leak of a draft majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Marshal’s team was not able to identify a person responsible for the leak by a preponderance of the evidence and determined that no further investigation was warranted regarding the “82 employees [who] had access to electronic or hard copies of the draft opinion.”

Anderson, Quinta Jurecic, and Alan Rozenshtein discussed the week’s biggest national security stories, including the Washington Post’s publication of a Jan. 6 committee draft report on far-right groups’ coordination on social media prior to the attack on the capitol, the implications of China’s now-declining population for the U.S.-China relationship, the Federal Reserve’s “extraordinary measures” to avoid default as the debt ceiling approaches, and more.

Nikolas Guggenberger and Peter Salib considered the likelihood of generative artificial intelligence—like ChatGPT—to amplify harmful content online, and introduced avenues to mitigate this risk. Guggenberger and Salib also discussed the inherent limitations of neural networks, distinguishing human- from machine-generated content, the role of social media platforms and more.

David Priess sat down with Jean Becker, chief of staff to former president George H. W. Bush for almost 25 years. They discussed the president’s life after office, his interactions with classified materials, his relationship with other former presidents, and more.

Darrell West and Nicol Turner Lee discussed the future of American tech policy under the 118th Congress, touching on issues including antitrust, broadband expansion, China, and more.

Schneider sat down with Jacob Feldgoise and Vishnu Kannan to discuss the tensions and tradeoffs of the CHIPS Act and its $52 billion for reshoring semiconductor manufacturing in America.

Priess sat down with Chris Whipple to discuss his recently-published book, “The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House,” which offers a glimpse into Biden’s first two years as President. Priess and Whipple discussed foreign policy challenges the Biden Administration has faced since January 2021, and more.

And Stewart Baker sat down with Andy Greenberg to discuss his book “Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency.” Baker and Greenberg delved into how cryptocurrencies are used in the informal economy, and the future of digital currencies.

And that was the week that was.

No decision was reached by Western allies on a rapid shipment of German Leopard-2 battle tanks to Ukraine to boost its firepower for a possible spring offensive against Russian forces.

* Senior U.S. officials are advising Ukraine to hold off on launching a major offensive against Russian forces until the latest supply of U.S. weaponry is in place and training has been provided, a senior Biden administration official said.

* Although NATO defence leaders and allies reached no decision on authorising export of Leopard-2 tanks at a meeting at the Ramstein military base, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin was ready to “move quickly” if there was an agreement.

* Ukraine will still have to fight to ensure a supply of modern heavy armour, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

* Ukrainian forces will train on Leopard-2 battle tanks in Poland, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov was quoted as saying, despite the lack of an agreement.

* A bipartisan delegation of three U.S. senators visiting Kyiv blasted the delays over Western tank supplies, with one warning of an impending “major counter-offensive” by Russia.

* Germany and other countries supporting Ukraine have to decide individually whether to supply it with tanks, the head of NATO’s Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said.

* NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said countries backing Ukraine needed to focus not only on sending new weapons to Kyiv, but looking at ammunition for older systems and helping maintain them.

* A group of 11 NATO countries, including Britain and Poland, pledged a raft of new military aid to support Ukraine.

* A Canadian company supplying battle-ready armoured vehicles to Ukraine plans to deliver the 200 vehicles Ottawa promised to Kyiv before summer, the firm’s chief executive said.

* Ukraine’s Western allies might bridge delays in implementing a 10-point peace plan that the country has put forward if each country takes responsibility for one part, Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, said in an interview.

* The United States will impose additional sanctions next week against Russian private military company the Wagner Group, which U.S. officials say has been helping Russia’s military in the Ukraine war, the White House said.

* Ukraine’s energy minister said the situation at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station was deteriorating because of the psychological state of its Ukrainian staff and the condition of equipment.

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The other day I heard the song “Bad moon rising.” The song is by Creedence Clearwater Revival and is about a coming apocalypse. It made me think of Florida — and the apocalypse that’s torn through the state in the form of an unhinged Governor by the name of Ron DeSantis.

One could indeed argue that since DeSantis took office, so much of the beauty — the good — the beguilement — of the sunshine state has been washed away, receding in the wake of a belligerent tyrant who has gone stark raving mad with power.

And he is seemingly determined to destroy all the beauty of Florida. DeSantis has done everything from trying to cancel Disney to banning books to enacting his pathetic “Don’t say gay” law.

And now he’s in the news again. DeSantis has blocked an African American Studies program — an advanced placement course — from being part of the state curriculum. It’s a mad moon rising. Florida’s Office of articulation has explained that this program is “contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”

This pilot course would have been included in Florida high schools.. Apparently, DeSantis does not like that. On January 12, a letter was sent to the organization that oversees AP(advanced placement) Coursework. This letter came from the Department of education and said:

“In the future, should the college board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion.”

LAWFUL? THAT is the word that jumps out. How DARE he. I’m not being hyperbolic either. How DARE he. It’s really heartbreaking. And it’s happening because Florida, try though she did to eject him, has a racist a###ole for a governor. Can there be any doubt that Ron DeSantis is a vile human being and a racist? I think not.

So yes, a bad moon is rising over Florida – a mad moon. It is a sign of increasing madness that such a thing could happen. It does not feel real, and yet it is. I am not worried about DeSantis as a presidential contender because he does not have a chance.

I AM concerned about the children of Florida — these children who only want to learn and whose quest for knowledge is being denied by an all-around horrible human being who would be more comfortable in the days of Jim Crow than in the year 2023.

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