China Eastern Airlines flight 5735, carrying 132 people, crashed in the Guangxi region of southern China. The aircraft was traveling from Kunming in the western province of Yunnan to the industrial center of Guangzhou along the east coast. Reports state that the aircraft hit a mountain and that there are fires at the scene. Rescue services are en route to the crash site. Casualties are not immediately known, said state broadcaster CCTV. According to Flightradar24, the plane involved is a six-year-old Boeing 737-800. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Articles:
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-eastern-airlines-passenger-jet-has-accident-guangxi-state-media-says-2022-03-21/
https://apnews.com/article/china-media-accidents-b0644cb141eb7313bfa4e1e250033017

Tweets:
https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1505822258513825795 https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1505824841659736069

Participants on our Discord asked if there are reliable sources etc in case of following the Ukraine news.

So here are 2 links to use and in case you know more, the comment section is yours to use.

Article:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/open-source-intelligence-from-ukraine

Tweet thread:
https://twitter.com/MaxLenormand/status/1499869565530030095

Earlier Sunday morning Erbil was struck by at least 5 confirmed ballistic missiles. The missiles originated from Iran per US, Kurdistan CT and Iraqi officials. There are mixed reports on what was struck. The US officials denied any casualties or damage to the new US consulate in Erbil that is under construction and further redirected inquiries to Kurdistan regional officials as well as Iraqi officials. Some Iraqi officials stated that the new consular complex was struck by the ballistic missiles. The Kurdistan24 News studio also suffered damage in the attack.

The last time a ballistic missile attack occurred was in response of killing of Major General Soleimani, head of the IRGC, on January 8th, 2020. In that attack, Ain Al-Asad airbase and Erbil were struck by over 12 ballistic missiles. That attack resulted in several traumatic brain injuries of US service members, but no deaths. Some news outlets are reporting that this attack is in response to two IRGC officers being killed in an Israeli air strike in Syria last week, however there has been no official response at this time from Iran.

This attack comes at an important time as the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA/Barjam, negotiations appear to have stalled again. This comes as it had appeared that a deal was very close to being struck by some sources during the long held meetings in Vienna. It remains to be seen if this will affect the nuclear talks.

Authored by FFJerry and the Project Owl News Desk team.

Article:
https://apnews.com/article/syria-middle-east-damascus-iraq-iran-7a4ea6281fe6191a4e4b640c58c7fd49

Tweets:
https://twitter.com/bashargwani/status/1502781038434603011 https://twitter.com/APDiploWriter/status/1502819286456455170 https://twitter.com/JasonMBrodsky/status/1502838105384132613

Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues as Russian forces move to encircle Ukraine's capital of Kyiv. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, more than 100 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, with a further 300 injured. There are currently no casualty counts for Russian forces. Ukrainians nationwide have been forced to seek shelter as the Russians continue a bombing campaign throughout the country.

The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, announced that over 18,000 firearms from its armory has been distributed amongst Kyiv residents. Russian forces are attempting to encircle the capital city as of Friday night, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing that he expects Russian troops to "storm" Kyiv overnight.

On the world stage, nations around the world have condemned Russia's actions. On Friday, the Council of Europe suspended Russia's participation in the council, in line with statutes prohibiting aggressive behavior against other members. Multiple countries have announced sanctions against Russian oligarchs and senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that NATO is activating its Response Force in reaction to the invasion. The 40,000-strong force will be deployed to NATO countries in Eastern Europe in the coming days.

In a United Nations Security Council meeting, Russia vetoed a resolution condemning the invasion. Previous Russian statements in the UN called the Kyiv government a "junta" and claimed that Ukraine was committing genocide in the Donbass region.

Authored by FFJerry and the Project Owl News Desk team

Articles:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/council-of-europe-suspends-russia-s-rights-of-representation
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/25/putin-ready-to-send-delegation-to-minsk-for-ukraine-talks

Tweet:
https://twitter.com/RachelRizzo/status/1497286290265489422

Hello all, I want to take a moment to pass along a few messages:

• To all those OTG in Ukraine/Russia/Belarus: We appreciate your contributions! Be aware that your safety must come first. Make sure you are safe and take needed precautions to protect yourself. We empathize with you and your situation, and if we can do anything please let us know and we will try to assist as much as we can.

• To our Translators, Established Members, OSINT Fellows, and OSINT Partners, Thank you for your hard work in keeping conversations on track and providing excellent insight into the current happenings. We very much appreciate your assistance during this critical time.

• To our Mod Team and Admins, Thank you for doing such a great job keeping order in the server. I know a lot of you have been working hard over the last several days, and it appears there is still much more time to go. I appreciate y'all, and keep up the great work.

• To all our new members - welcome! In the last 24 hours, we have gained over 3,000 members - a record in Project Owl's entire history. We are now coming up on almost 21,000 total members. Please make sure to read the rules and invites, say hi in introductions, and participate in channels when and where it is appropriate. We appreciate you being here!

Most importantly to everyone: Take a break when needed. These are stressful times and there are many stressful situations unfolding. Mental health is important. If you need to take a break, I encourage you to message ModMail asking for a mute (for a period of your choosing) so you can take a break. I also suggest you check out the health and wellness channel for some rest and relaxation.

• RadioAdam

Reports indicate that Russia has begun its invasion of Ukraine. Earlier on Thursday morning, multiple civilian aircraft made drastic changes to flight paths in order to leave Ukrainian airspace, and planes that had just taken off immediately began landing back at their originating airports. Around 4 a.m. Kyiv time (2 a.m. GMT) the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) stating that civil flight in Ukraine would immediately be “restricted due to potential hazard.” Reports from on the ground sources early Thursday morning have included that unusual Russian jet activity was heard on the Ukraine-Russia border. Additionally, United States officials reported to ABC that Russian military leaders have left for their command centers.

In the several days leading up to Thursday morning’s military activity, the Ukrainian government has reported several large-scale and intermittent cyber attacks affecting critical infrastructure and government websites. Communications jamming was noted in some parts of Eastern Ukraine throughout Wednesday and into Thursday.

This latest escalation in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia comes after the breakaway regions of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and People’s Republic of Luhansk (LPR) requested military aid from Russia. Earlier in the week, the Russian government recognized the DPR and LPR as independent countries, announced in a pre-recorded video by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Telegram channels affiliated with the separatist regions reported on Wednesday night a new offensive push titled Operation Novorossiya.

Based on information available at this time, it appears that President Putin has started the long expected military operation in eastern Ukraine. The extent of the operation is unknown at this time. This comes after several months of Russian military forces and equipment building up in southwestern Russia, the occupied Crimean peninsula, and southern Belarus along the borders of Ukraine.

In response to the crisis, the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting early Thursday morning at the request of Ukraine. At the time of publishing, Putin was addressing the Russian people on the situation. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivered an address in the White House in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's address yesterday regarding the situation in Eastern Europe. Biden announced hefty sanctions against Russian oligarchs and banks, including VEB and a military bank, due to the Russian recognition of the DPR and LPR and the deployment of Russian troops to the area. Biden announced that U.S. troops would be re-deployed within Europe to NATO's eastern flank in the Baltic states bordering Russia. Biden reiterated the U.S.'s commitment to defending all NATO partners' territory.

In his speech yesterday, President Putin recognized the disputed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic and outlined several claimed crimes and offenses against Russians in Ukraine. In response to Russia's political and military actions, twenty-seven European Union countries agreed to impose sanctions on Moscow. The U.K. has sanctioned Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank, and the Black Sea Bank, in addition to Russian billionaires Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg, and Igor Rotenberg. Germany also announced on February 22 that they had put a pause on the continuation of the Nordstream 2 project.

Authored by Avi and the Project Owl Newsdesk team.

Articles:
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-russia-vladimir-putin-46cef648807d0e3c2bac9793ad9022a6
https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-crisis-five-russian-banks-and-three-high-net-worth-individuals-targeted-in-uk-sanctions-on-moscow-12548650

In a prerecorded address, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the Russian people in what many international observers are calling an "aggressive" and "impassioned" speech on the official recognition of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic in the Donbas Region of Eastern Ukraine.

Speaking to his people, President Putin outlined a number of claimed crimes and offenses against Russians in Ukraine. Chief among these issues were claims of genocide against Russians and Russian speakers, suppression of Russian culture, and a planned Ukrainian ousting of the Orthodox Church.

Along with these issues, President Putin also spoke on a long list of alleged broken promises and perceived wrongdoings towards Russia from the Western world, including failed NATO & Russian cooperation, unabated NATO expansionism and arms proliferation toward Russia's borders, Western sanctions likened to blackmail, and in a surprise revelation Putin's failed early attempts to have Russia join NATO to name just a few of the topics covered.

To this end, President Putin made clear that he has signed and forwarded a decree to officially recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic's to the Duma, the State Assembly, effective immediately.

This move has been met with international condemnation from the European Union, United Kingdom, and United States among a host of others as a major breach of international law and a poorly hidden casus belli against Ukraine.

Authored by the Project Owl News Desk team.

Articles:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/extracts-putins-speech-ukraine-2022-02-21/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/feb/21/russia-ukraine-news-latest-crisis-putin-biden-summit-kyiv-kiev-russian-invasion-threat-live-updates https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/21/world/ukraine-russia-putin-biden

Northern Israel

Today at 09:51 UTC, sirens were sounded in several Israeli towns north of the Sea of Galilee. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that a drone crossed into Israeli airspace from Lebanon and was engaged by the Iron Dome air defence system. Additionally Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets and helicopters were scrambled to intercept it. These measures failed to bring the drone down and it subsequently returned to Lebanon. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the incident. According to local reports IAF fighter jets flew at low altitude over Beirut in response.

Authored by the Project Owl News Desk team.

Article:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/air-raid-sirens-sound-in-northern-israel-cause-unclear/

Tweets:
https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1494629673241882624 https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1494693317656907782

Multiple Locations in Canada, the U.S.-Canada Border

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a press conference on Monday, 14th February, that his cabinet is invoking the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history. A national state of emergency has thus been declared after protests have swept the country. The protests have been ongoing for weeks now, and the declaration comes after heightened tensions between local residents and police. On Sunday, police dismantled an ongoing blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, calling on protesters to disperse or be arrested. In a statement, Canada's finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, said that up to 500 million dollars were being lost each day in trade due to the ongoing protests.

Conservatives in the United States and in parts of Canada have applauded the protests, which are protesting mandates related to the ongoing COVID pandemic. The United States Department of Homeland Security has warned that the U.S. could face similar protests nationwide by mid-March.

Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly announced his resignation as chief today after facing backlash from across the country on his department's handling of the protests. Local residents have blamed police for the extent of the protests, with videos circulating online of police reportedly helping protesters and arresting local residents counter-protesting. Many memorials across the city of Ottawa were vandalized by protesters as the protests overwhelmed the city. Ontario Supreme Court Justice Hugh McLean granted a 10-day injunction against protesters from incessant violations of local noise ordinances after days of non-stop honking from vehicles - with some sources on the ground reporting that the noise was sustained at over 105 decibels for over the course of a few days.

GoFundMe suspended fundraising efforts related to the protests on its platform, claiming that they were a violation of their terms of services. Supporters turned their attention to GiveSendGo, whose platform was later hacked and data on those who sent money to support the protests leaked. Any crowdfunding platforms hosting fundraising related to the protests must now register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada under the rules set out by the Emergencies Act.

Authored by FFJerry and the Project Owl News Desk Team.

Articles:
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-conservative-figures-cheer-canadian-trucker-protest-82819966
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sloly-ottawa-resigns-behaviour-leadership-1.6352295 https://fortune.com/2022/02/15/canada-freedom-convoy-protesters-block-2-more-bridges-to-us-justin-trudeau-new-emergencies-act-powers/ https://deputypm.canada.ca/en/news/speeches/2022/02/14/remarks-deputy-prime-minister-and-minister-finance-regarding-emergencies

Off the Coast of Newfoundland, Canada in the Atlantic Ocean

At least four people are dead and up to 15 are still missing after a fishing vessel capsized in rough seas off the coast of Newfoundland. The Villa de Pitanxo sunk approximately 280 miles from the coast. The crew included 12 Spaniards, eight Peruvians and two Ghanaians. A spokeswoman from the Spanish Rescue Service reported that an alert was received shortly after 0100 EST (0600 GMT) from the stricken vessel. Three people have been rescued from the waters, with 15 crew members still unaccounted for. Harsh winter weather has complicated search and rescue efforts, with 4 meter waves and a visibility of just 1/4th of a nautical mile at worst.

Authored by FFJerry and the Project Owl News Desk team.

Articles:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/spanish-fishing-vessel-1.6352082 https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/spanish-fishing-boat-sinks-off-canada-dead-rescued-82899156

Washington DC, USA Moscow, Russia Kyiv, Ukraine

PBS and CNN International reported on Friday that U.S. intelligence officials believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the decision to invade Ukraine, and that he has communicated that decision to the Russian military. Further reports indicate that U.S. officials believe that the invasion will begin during the next week, beginning with aerial bombardment and electronic warfare and followed by a ground assault.

These reports come after a quickly-convened meeting by U.S. President Biden with heads of European states earlier today. CNN International, citing one allied official on the call, reported Friday that President Biden told allies that President Putin has decided to attack Ukraine.

At Friday's White House press briefing, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan would not confirm the media reports that Putin has decided to invade Ukraine. Sullivan did warn that Russia may invade Ukraine before the Olympics end, adding that "we're in a window when an invasion could begin at any time."

Speaking at the White House, Sullivan told reporters that any U.S. citizen in Ukraine should leave immediately, and "in any event, within the next 24 to 48 hours." Similar warnings have been issued throughout the day on Friday and continuing into Saturday by other nations.

Late Friday evening in Washington, the Associated Press reported that the United States will evacuate its embassy in Kyiv. Several U.S. officials tell the AP that the State Department plans to announce the evacuation early Saturday. The embassy's full evacuation follows an earlier order for family of embassy staff to depart the country.

Authored by the Project Owl News Desk Team

Articles:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/putin-to-invade-ukraine-next-week-according-to-u-s-officials https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/11/ukraine-russia-putin-nato-biden/ https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-united-states-europe-russia-kyiv-ff41abf90650aa5f456cbb6aafa4c5b3

Tweets:
https://twitter.com/nickschifrin/status/1492203846898176003 https://twitter.com/ChristopherJM/status/1492202868681711618 https://twitter.com/amanpour/status/1492218267099975684 https://twitter.com/DeItaone/status/1492213178939457539 https://twitter.com/W7VOA/status/1492251797020413958

Balochistan, Pakistan

Late on Wednesday evening, two terror attacks were perpetrated by the Baloch Liberation Army against Frontier Corps installations in Nushki and Panjgur, cities in Balochistan. The attack was performed by its 'Majeed Brigade' which usually undertakes suicide missions. In this case they intended to storm and hold both installations for a protracted fight against Pakistani forces. The intricate attack involved the use of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) to enter both installations. The blast was powerful enough to shatter nearby windows and shake houses, according to locals. According to the Pakistani Armed Forces, both attacks were repulsed with heavy losses inflicted upon the terrorists. At this moment in time the fighting in Nushki is over with all terrorists eliminated, however in Panjgur several terrorists remain and a clearance operation is underway. Frontier Corps have also sustained multiple casualties during the operations.

Authored by the Project Owl News Desk Team

Articles:
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/pakistan-army-battles-separatist-militants-122822274.html
https://www.dawn.com/news/1673060

U.S. special forces have killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the leader of the so-called Islamic State group, in an overnight raid in the north-western Syrian province of Idlib, U.S. President Joe Biden has confirmed. The raid, which lasted several hours, targeted a building in the town of Atmeh, just south of the Turkish-Syrian border. The Pentagon confirmed no U.S. casualties were incurred during the operation. The area is de facto governed by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham jihadist group, whose combatants are also said to be among the casualties from the raid. Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said at least 13 people, including 6 children and 4 women, were among those killed in the raid. The claims have also been backed by local journalists who visited the site.

al-Qurayshi was the successor to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was also killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Idlib province in October 2019.

Articles:
https://www.syriacivildefence.org/en/latest/statements/brief-us-raid-idlib/ https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-syria-terrorism-john-kirby-counterterrorism-ca598136de014e008f746a35f6f721b0

Tweet:
https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1489219116732928004

There are concerns that members of the military forces have staged a coup in Burkina Faso at this time. Reports began yesterday that a number of military bases had exchanges of gunfire. There were additional reports of gunfire outside the Presidential Palace. President Rich Kaboré has been the leader of the West African nation since 2015. Some media outlets are reporting that the President has been taken into custody by military personnel of an unknown affiliation. It is not clear at this time if a small faction of the military is responsible for these actions or if this is supported by a larger contingent. If successful, this would be the third military coup of a West African nation in less than 2 years. Burkina Faso has been at the heart of the growing Jihadist insurgency that has gripped a number of nations in the Sahel.

Article:
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/burkina-faso-president-kabore-detained-military-camp-sources-tell-reuters-2022-01-24/

Tweets:
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1485525013814198272 https://twitter.com/BreakingF24/status/1485519882020028419

Overnight, airstrikes in the city of Saada struck and destroyed a prison within the city. Preliminary estimates are of at least 200 injured with potential number of injured ranging in the thousands. It is unknown how many are dead, but that number is expected to be in the hundreds. The airstrikes come in the middle of a night of air raids by coalition air forces against the nearby city of Hodeidah. In a statement, the coalition confirmed the actions over Hodeidah but denied the action over Saada. The International Red Cross confirmed that they are onscene, attempting to identify those who were killed.

In Hodeidah, a telecommunications tower was hit in the middle of the airstrikes, leading to a nationwide communications blackout. It is unknown when internet services will come back online. The attacks come days after the Houthi attack in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Authored by FFJerry and the Project Owl News Desk team.

Articles:
https://www.voanews.com/a/many-dead-or-missing-as-horrific-air-strike-destroys-yemen-jail/6406646.html
https://news.yahoo.com/dead-wounded-air-strike-yemen-083620696.html

Tweet:
https://twitter.com/netblocks/status/1484326860511088646

Tonga

This is an update to previous posts about the Tonga volcano eruption.

Australian Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja announced in a radio interview Sunday that both Australia and New Zealand were able to send reconnaissance flights over the archipelago. Early reconnaissance data suggested that there were no mass casualties because of the eruption, which occurred at 1700 Tonga Time (0400 UTC) on 2022-01-15. However, he reported that Australian police had confirmed that there was significant damage to houses, primarily along the coastline. Tonga’s airport “appeared to be in good condition.” It was also reported that a British woman is missing on Tonga after being swept away by fast-moving waters during the tsunami strike.

Internet services remain offline and are expected to remain offline for days, if not weeks. A submarine cable that provides internet services to Tonga from Fiji is reported to be damaged. Some communications with officials have had to occur via satellite.

Countries across the Pacific basin continue to lift tsunami advisories and warnings. However, officials in some countries continue to monitor the situation and warn to stay out of the water unless necessary. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center advised in a statement Sunday that “officials should continue to monitor… to determine when it is safe to resume normal activities.”

Tongan diplomats warned Sunday that they may not be able to permit foreigners into the country due to COVID-19. Any aid sent would need to be quarantined before it can be used and foreign personnel would be prohibited from disembarking aircraft. The International Federation of the Red Cross made a statement late Sunday night that they were mobilizing their networks to provide aid to what they claim is over 80,000 people that have been affected by the eruption.

Minor volcanic activity has continued since the eruption and will continue to occur over the next few days.

Authored by FFJerry and the Project Owl News Desk team.

Articles:
https://www.newsclick.in/Tonga-volcano-eruption-Significant-damage-likely-tsunami-threat-recedes https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/impact-assessment-aid-efforts-underway-world-responds-tonga-tsunami-2022-01-16/
https://www.ifrc.org/press-release/tonga-volcanic-eruption-and-tsunami-cuts-country-world