MESSAGE FROM CHINA'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL

Taking a long view and working in joint hands for a new chapter

The first Hebrew word I encountered is "Shalom", which not only serves as a greeting but also carries the Jewish people's long desire for peace since ancient times. China is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

 

By Xiao Junzheng  

 

Israel Hayom

Nov 28, 2024

 

Xiao Junzheng is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The People's Republic of China to the State of Israel.

 

I am greatly honored to be appointed by President Xi Jinping as the 10th Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the State of Israel. I would like to send my best regards and extend my heartfelt gratitude to friends across the Israeli society who have given care and support to the development of China-Israel relations over the years.

Though located thousands of miles apart at different ends of the Asian continent, China and Israel have enjoyed sound and stable development in bilateral relations since the diplomatic ties were established more than 30 years ago, and significant outcomes have been gained through friendly exchanges and cooperation.

It can be attributed to the traditional friendship passed down from generation to generation. The Chinese and Jewish people each possess a long history and an ancient civilization, and enjoy a time-honored friendship that continues to flourish. There has never been antisemitism in China. During the Second World War, the two peoples supported each other, and Chinese cities of Shanghai, Harbin and Tianjin accommodated a large number of Jewish refugees, leaving many touching stories worth memorizing.

 

  

The Great Wall at Jinshanling, Hebei Province 

 

It can be attributed to the wisdom of seeking common ground while shelving differences. There is no direct and fundamental conflict of interests between China and Israel, nor are there any outstanding historical issues. We differ in culture, tradition, development stages, ideologies, and social systems, and we don't always have the same views on some issues. Despite that, during the exchanges, China and Israel have all along strictly abided by the basic norms governing international relations, including mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Israel reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China principle on many occasions. All those efforts have been conducive in keeping the bilateral relations in the right direction.

It can be attributed to the spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation. In 2017, China and Israel established Innovative Comprehensive Partnership. Both sides leverage respective advantages to achieve common development. Before coming to Israel, I paid a visit to the Changzhou Innovation Park and the Shanghai Innovation Park, and felt vividly the robust vitality of China-Israel innovation cooperation. After my arrival in Israel, I saw how popular the Chinese electric vehicles are in this country, and deeply believed that our win-win cooperation had broad prospects and tremendous possibilities.

Led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), China is advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the Chinese path to modernization. According to the strategic plans laid out in the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, China is making efforts to comprehensively deepen reforms, open up at a higher level, and achieve high-quality development. China's new development will bring new opportunities to Israel and all other countries around the world, and open up more possibilities for the China-Israel relations.

I have long been working on China's diplomacy on the Middle East, and thus deeply understand the value of peace. The first Hebrew word I encountered is "Shalom", which not only serves as a greeting but also carries the Jewish people's long desire for peace since ancient times. China is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind. China actively advocates and is ready to work with all countries in delivering on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. Following the situation between Israel and Lebanon, China welcomes the agreement reached by relevant parties on a ceasefire, and supports all the efforts conducive to easing tensions and achieving peace. As a friend to all Middle Eastern countries, China sincerely hopes for an early end to the fighting, the peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine, and between the Jewish and Arab people. China will continue playing a constructive role in fostering peace between Israel and Palestine, and promoting peace and stability in the region.

The Chinese often suggest taking a long view. China-Israel friendship is featured with solid foundation and complementary strengths in win-win cooperation. Our bilateral relationship is characterized with various dimensions, sufficient resilience, and broad prospects. As long as both sides consolidate confidence, work in joint hands, and look at and advance the bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term perspective, there will surely be a brighter future for China-Israel relations. As a Chinese saying goes, "Small streams can gradually converge into a broad river, and tiny flames can eventually become a great wildfire." I look forward to keeping close communication and having candid discussions with friends across the Israeli society, so as to increase mutual trust and jointly promote cooperation. Together, we will embrace the steady and sustained growth of China-Israel relations that continuously make new progress.

NEITHER LEBANON'S ARMY NOR UNIFIL IS CAPABLE OF KEEPING HEZBOLLAH FROM BREAKING THE TERMS OF THE CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT

‘The ceasefire is shaky, like all things in Lebanon’

The arrangement is fragile, and Hezbollah's intentions of keeping to it are in doubt, Professor Eyal Zisser tells JNS. 

 

By Yaakov Lappin

 

JNS

Nov 29, 2024

 

Face-off between Lebanese soldiers and Israeli tanks, separated by UNIFIL peacekeepers, Mar. 5, 2023. 

 

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which came into effect on Wednesday morning, is facing significant questions regarding its stability and longevity.

Throughout the day on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces detected violations of the truce by Hezbollah, and in keeping with vows by government and military leaders, enforced the arrangement using Israeli firepower.

Several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in Southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire and leading the Israeli military to fire on them. 

Later that day, terrorist activity was identified in a facility used by Hezbollah to store mid-range rockets in Southern Lebanon. An Israeli Air Force craft struck the site, the military reported.

“The IDF remains in Southern Lebanon and will actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement,” it added.

Professor Eyal Zisser, vice rector of Tel Aviv University and holder of the Yona and Dina Ettinger Chair in Contemporary History of the Middle East, told JNS on Thursday that the arrangement is shaky, “as is everything in Lebanon.”

“It depends on one thing—whether Hezbollah will be deterred from violating it for fear of an Israeli response,” Zisser said. “If Hezbollah decides to violate it, the Lebanese army will not be able and will not want to prevent it from doing so, because it is weak and also composed of members of the Shi’ite sect, and in general, it is an army lacking capability, and UNIFIL is a body lacking usefulness and ability that will not confront Hezbollah.”

The burden will therefore be on Israel and its willingness to enforce the arrangement, including for so-called minor incidents, he added, a dynamic that could lead back to war.

“It is clear that Hezbollah will seek to rearm and violate the agreement as soon as it can,” Zisser assessed. “As a result, the agreement is on ice, and most of the chances are that they will not keep to it.”

This, he added, likely sets the stop clock rolling to the next conflict.

The military appears to be keenly aware of these challenges. IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday: “Early this morning, the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon came into effect, as approved by Israel’s prime minister, the minister of defense and the Cabinet. The IDF’s mission is to enforce the agreement—the IDF is operating determinedly—any violation of the ceasefire will be met with fire.”

Hagari emphasized that IDF soldiers remain positioned in Southern Lebanon, with forces only gradually withdrawing in future in accordance with the agreement.

“IAF aircraft continue to fly in Lebanese airspace, gathering intelligence and are prepared to act wherever necessary. In the coming weeks, we will reshape the defensive and security areas and implement lessons learned from the past,” he said.

Operational redundancy

Meanwhile, concerns remain about Hezbollah’s capacity to rebuild. Sarit Zehavi, founder and president of the Alma Research and Education Center, which specializes in security challenges in the northern arena, and Tal Beeri, head of research at Alma, stated in a joint paper on Wednesday that “Hezbollah maintains a widely dispersed UAV array. The UAVs are operated both by the Radwan unit, the [Hezbollah] geographic units and Hezbollah’s air unit—Unit 127. In our assessment, before the war, Hezbollah had about 2,500 UAVs of all types.”

The IDF estimated on Wednesday that 70% of Hezbollah’s drone arsenal was destroyed over the past year of conflict.

Zehavi and Beeri wrote that “although the IDF has worked hard to damage this array and its commanders …, it seems that considering its decentralization and deployment throughout Lebanon, and the ability to assemble UAVs independently on Lebanese soil, Hezbollah has managed to maintain operational redundancy.”

They noted that the IDF inflected massive damage on Hezbollah’s senior military leadership, and over 170 field unit commanders, part of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, were eliminated. They cited estimates that the IDF killed some 3,000 terror operatives and wounded thousands more, and severely damaged Hezbollah infrastructure, to the point where the terror organization can no longer pose an invasion threat to the Galilee.

Hezbollah’s missile and rocket arrays also sustained severe damage, with 70% to 80% of its firepower destroyed, but this still leaves thousands of projectiles in its possession, Zehavi and Beeri noted.

Addressing the text of the truce agreement, they wrote, “The bottom line is that the agreement’s content fails to provide a clear answer to the phrase ‘effective enforcement mechanism,’ resulting in further ambiguity.

“The agreement does not say what will happen if Lebanon does not disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani [River] during these [initial] 60 days, and what will happen if Israel proves Hezbollah’s presence south of the Litani, including in areas that the IDF did not reach during this period. At the same time, during the 60 days, Lebanese residents will be able to return to live in the hills overlooking the Israeli communities along the contact line,” they cautioned.

Another critical issue is that “the state of Lebanon has not changed its relations with the state of Hezbollah. Hezbollah continues to be a member of the Lebanese government and to maintain its civilian systems, which enable it to create dependence of the Shi’ites in Lebanon on the organization—and thus continue to establish the tactic of human shields,” according to Zehavi and Beeri.

“At the end of the day, the conclusion from all these is that the Middle East is measured by actions. The texts are drafted in a political way that allows each side to interpret them in a way that is convenient for them (including the international mediator/supervisor).

“In the end, the decision is in the hands of the Israeli government—at what point will the IDF forces receive an order from the Israeli government to act against Hezbollah’s violations, which are clear to everyone that they will come,” they added.

“To clarify the issue, we will conclude with a statement written on November 20, 2024, by Ibrahim al-Amin, editor of the Al-Akhbar newspaper—Hezbollah’s main mouthpiece: ‘The current conflict is only one round of war against Israel, which must be destroyed. To this end, Hezbollah will work to rehabilitate its capabilities and regain its strength.”

Not just in Southern Lebanon

On Wednesday, an Israeli security official said that “this is just the beginning” of the arrangement phase, and that Israel has called on Lebanese citizens to stay away from the IDF until Israel signals to them that it’s safe for them to return to a zone of Southern Lebanon currently under Israeli control.

“And of course, if we will see Hezbollah coming back or trying to build any capabilities—not just in the area of Southern Lebanon—we [will] prevent it,” he said.

Despite the enforcement mechanisms outlined in the ceasefire agreement, which call on the Lebanese Armed Forces under American supervision to enforce ceasefire violations, it appears as if the IDF is not waiting for anyone else to begin enforcement action.

“This is our directions from the government,” said the security source. “These first days are very important. Right now, we’re seeing some fire between our forces, and attempts by Hezbollah to provoke us. And we will enforce it [the ceasefire terms] by fire,” he vowed.

AN ELABORATE STAGED CAR CRSH SCENE THAT FAILED TO WORK

Fire captain was 'inconsolable' when his wife was found dead in a burning wreck... then the chilling truth emerged

 

By David Thompson 

Daily Mail

Nov 28, 2024

Ashley and James Schwalm married at Craigleith Ski Club, in Ontario, with the bride arriving by horse and carriage

 

At first glance, it looked as though the mom-of-two had lost control of her car late at night and swerved off the snow-covered road in the bitter cold down a steep embankment.

The vehicle burst into flames, killing Ashley Schwalm, nee Milnes, 40, in a seemingly tragic accident that shocked friends, family and community.

Her husband of 10 years, James Schwalm - a firefighter - was inconsolable, left to raise their two children, aged six and nine, on his own.

The heartbroken trio moved in with his deceased wife’s family as they picked up the pieces of their shattered lives.

Except Schwalm’s grief was a savage lie.

Police eventually determined he had strangled his wife at their three-bedroom home in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, while his children were sleeping.

He then staged the entire crash site as part of an elaborate murder plot. 

A captain with the Brampton fire department, Schwalm first dressed his dead wife in hiking clothes after the murder. 

 

Schwalm was a captain with the Brampton fire department. He and his wife shared two young children aged six and nine

 

He then left his sleeping children at home alone and drove the body in her 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV to a quiet area near Alpine Ski Club in the Blue Mountains.

At around 6am on January 26, 2023, he doused the vehicle in gasoline and torched it with the body inside using a lighter with his own initials on - JWS - which he left amid the flaming wreckage.

Surveillance footage captured a person with a large backpack running from the scene.

Schwalm, 40, then methodically embarked on an elaborate cover-up to hide his tracks.

He used his mother’s car, which he’d parked nearby, as a getaway vehicle after staging the fake crash.

He also sent a series of texts to himself from his wife’s phone to pretend she was still alive.

In one text, he asked her to fill up gas cans for a snowblower.

Then, pretending to be her, he wrote: ‘Ok I’m going to zip out I think kids will be fine their sleeping’. 

In another, as the woman he had just killed in cold blood, he texted: ‘Eww I left the gas cans in my car and it smells.’

One more said: ‘Oh, I have vertigo. I’m going to rush home.’

Later, as he took them to school, he told his two children their mother had left to go on a hike.

Ashley Schwalm, a project manager, was identified using dental records. A post-mortem revealed she had been killed by strangulation and that she was dead before the fire.

Two days after the death, Schwalm gave a statement to officers from Ontario Provincial Police, saying he had been walking the family dog in the neighborhood when his wife had apparently crashed her car.

He handed over surveillance footage from their home’s security camera which he claimed showed him leaving the property with their pet - but police later determined the film had been ‘deliberately manufactured.’

 

Schwalm had discovered his wife’s affair with her boss in 2022. She changed jobs and the couple tried marital counselling, hoping to save the marriage

In the days leading up to the murder, Schwalm searched online the word ‘alimony.’ He also typed in questions ‘can you see iPhone history after deleted’ and ‘does a road flare completely burn’

 

Schwalm was eventually arrested on February 3, 2023.

The fairytale marriage began when the couple wed at Craigleith Ski Club in the Blue Mountains of Ontario, the bride arriving by horse and carriage.

‘I’ve been picturing that moment since I was a little girl,’ she told Wedding Bells magazine in 2012.

‘I truly felt like a princess and isn’t that how you’re supposed to feel on your wedding day?’

A misspelled 2013 Valentine’s Day tweet to his wife read: ‘Lots of people can say your pretty when they meet you Guys at the bar say your hot but I get to call you beautiful every day.’

But the fairytale began crumbling. Schwalm had discovered his wife’s affair with her boss in 2022.

She changed jobs and the couple tried marital counselling, hoping to save their relationship.

But he was secretly ‘nurturing’ an affair with her former boss’ ex-wife. Days before the killing, he had told the woman he had strong feelings for her and the woman replied she felt the same about him.

In January 2023, a court heard, he also told a woman friend that he would do whatever it took to make himself happy ‘regardless of Ashley still wanting to make their marriage work.’

Eventually, they were heading for divorce and overnight on the evening of January 26 last year, they had a furious row.

In the days leading up to the murder, Schwalm searched online for ‘alimony.’

He also typed in the questions ‘can you see iPhone history after deleted’ and ‘does a road flare completely burn’.

Schwalm told investigators he had been worried about the potential cost of divorce.

During a social gathering, he asked a doctor present if it was possible to kill someone by snapping their neck like actor Steven Seagal’s character does in his movies.

It emerged that his wife had a $1 million ($712,000 USD) life insurance policy of which he was the sole beneficiary. There was also a $250,000 policy for their children in the event of her death.

During a November 25 court hearing, family and friends provided 21 impact statements before sentencing.

They said ‘AJ’ was a beloved role model, incredible mother, friend and confidant for many.

Her sister described how the family had supported him when he moved into their home following the so-called accident.

‘James deceived us. No amount of justice will ever be enough for the monstrous act he has committed,’ she said.

‘He sat here broken and grieving while we consoled him, even though he knew what he’d done.’

 

Schwalm dressed his dead wife in hiking clothes after the murder. He then left his sleeping children at home alone and drove the body in her 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV down this embankment near Alpine Ski Club in The Blue Mountains

Her father labelled Schwalm a ‘pure narcissist,’ adding: 'This selfish act only benefited you, Jamie. This was perpetrated by a smart man, a leader, a first responder.'

A family friend said: ‘How on earth could he do this to his own children?’

A cousin said Ashley ‘was murdered by the one person who was supposed to protect her.’

A family friend described how her four-year-old son happily hugged Schwalm after his wife’s death because the youngster ‘trusted firefighter Jamie.’

Then Schwalm ‘picked him up and gave him a long, tight embrace.

‘This image will haunt us for the rest of our lives. We allowed the hands that just murdered our friend to hold our child. 

‘I can’t wrap my head around how he could do this to anyone, let alone the mother of his children, a beautiful soul who was loved by so, so many people.

In June this year, Schwalm pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, instead admitting  second-degree murder.

Prosecuting attorney Lynne Saunders told the court it was an 'exceedingly' brutal murder, 'thought about, considered, weighed and executed.' 

Schwalm is facing an automatic life sentence. In February, Justice Michelle Fuerst will determine how long Schwalm will have to be behind bars before he is eligible to apply for parole, which could be up to 25 years. 

Weeping, Schwalm said in written statement: ‘I despise my actions and am haunted that they continue to hurt the people I loved and cared for the most. I am ashamed. 

‘This is where I need to be, deserve to be.’ 

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the bereaved children. 

It says Ashley was 'an amazing mother, friend, sister and daughter. She was as treasured resident of Collingwood and a special member of the Brampton firefighter community.

'Her greatest joy was her beautiful children. Both of their worlds have been turned upside down and they now need our support, stability, and nurturing more than ever.'

Her brother and his wife are now their legal guardians as 'they pick up the pieces in the wake of the devastation.'

DIRECTING TRAFFIC IN PLAIN CLTHING WHERE THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC ..... COME ON, GIVE THE GUY A BREAK. HE WAS JUST PRACTICING DIRECTING TRAFFIC

'Deputy of the Year' Garrison Page is charged with DUI after he was seen trying to direct non-existent traffic

 

By Ishita Srivastava 

Daily Mail

Nov 28, 2024

 

Insert: Booking photo of Deputy Garrison Page. Background: Garrison Page accepting the 2019 "Deputy of the Year" award

 

A Georgia officer who was once named 'Deputy of the Year' has been charged with a DUI amid claims he attempted to direct non-existent traffic while drunk. 

Garrison Page, a Houston County Sheriff's Office deputy, was seen wearing plain clothing near Skyview Elementary School in Lizella on November 19. 

He was reported to 911 by concerned witnesses who said on the road and making motions as if to control the flow of vehicles in an area with no traffic. 

The mistake indicated to onlookers that something was amiss, and a deputy soon arrived at the scene.  

The responding officer reportedly noticed Page speaking with Bibb County Board of Education Police officers. 

According to the arrest report acquired by 41NBC, the accused, whose Houston County patrol vehicle was on the scene, was slurring his speech, had an unsteady posture and smelled of alcohol.

'When Page noticed my presence, he immediately began walking away from the scene and entered the oncoming turning lane of the roadway,' the deputy wrote in the document. 

A Board officer also revealed that when they asked Page if he needed any medical help or was taking any medication, he responded: 'None of your business'. 

He also told the responding deputy that the accused 'appeared intoxicated and incoherent and was directing traffic in an area with no active traffic flow'. 

Another witness at the scene further told officials that Page appeared 'not right' and was talking to himself while directing cars, though none were there. 

According to the arrest report, a parent had allegedly seen Page in an intoxicated state and he 'required help from a cashier to complete a transaction' at Carr's Convenience Store earlier in the day. 

Officials found an open can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the passenger seat and an unopened can of Natural Light beer inside a black bag during a search of his patrol car.

The responding officer also noted that Page was uncooperative during his arrest, allegedly refused to take a breath test and reportedly even tried removing a needle from his arm during an attempted blood test.

Despite his interference, officials managed to secure a warrant from a Superior Court judge to finally get his blood drawn. The results have not been made public yet. 

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office's 2019 winner was taken and booked on DUI charges at Bibb County Jail. 

He was later released from prison and has been suspended pending termination from the Houston County Sheriff's Office. 

A court date has not yet been set for Page. 

 

The incident happened near Skyview Elementary School in Lizella 

Officials found an open can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the passenger seat and an unopened can of Natural Light beer inside a black bag during a search of his patrol car

 

This comes two months after an off-duty police officer who was allegedly intoxicated crashed his car into two people on a motorbike - leaving the pair fighting for their lives in hospital.

The collision happened around 9:21pm in Illinois and left Chelsey Farley and boyfriend Trevor Hopkins severely injured. They were ejected from their vehicle.

The couple were hospitalized, and the driver who hit them was identified as Springfield Police Sgt. Michael Egan. He is seen stumbling and struggling to stand in footage filmed shortly after the crash.

Deputy Chief Sara Pickford of Springfield Police said Egan's last day of employment was the same day as the collision, and that he had just retired after 20 years.

Egan - who was allegedly fed water and gum by the responding officers - was not arrested or breathalyzed on the scene, and got away with just a ticket.

$1,072 FOR A TICKET? ..... I WOULDN'T PAY HALF-A-BUCK TO SEE THIS GAME

Texas vs. Texas A&M rivalry game tickets are the most expensive in college football history

 

By Maryann Martinez 

Daily Mail

Nov 28, 2024

 

 

After a 13-year hiatus, the biggest rivalry game in Texas is back - bringing with it the most expensive tickets in college football history. 

Tickets for the Texas vs. Texas A&M game set for Saturday peaked at $20,000, according to local reports, but even at an average of $1,072 each, they're still the costliest prices for a college game ever.

Admissions to the highly-anticipated show-down are also more expensive than the average price of any regular-season NFL game in history. 

The cheapest tickets started at $562, according to StubHub.

The game and rivalry runs deep in the Lone Star State, with the first face-off between the universities dating back to 1894 and eventually becoming a Thanksgiving tradition. 

In 2011, the foes played their last game when A&M left the Big 12 Conference both teams were a part of at the time.

The Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference, (SEC) which prevented the match up. 

However, the Longhorns are now also part of the SEC, making the game possible again, although it has moved to Saturday instead of it usually slot on the turkey holiday. 

 

Texas Longhorns cornerback Jelani McDonald (25) celebrates an interception against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Nov. 23

 

Adding to the hype, the winner of the game could position themselves to play in the SEC championship in Atlanta.

'Now that it's game day, prime time, for a shot in Atlanta, the ticket prices probably match the demand to get in the building,' A&M coach Mike Elko told reporters earlier this week.

'I expect our guys, I know our 12th Man will show up. I know they'll hold on to those tickets regardless of what anybody asks for, that we'll protect and that we'll fill this place with Aggies.'

Students at A&M, where kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Kyle Field, get free tickets.

School officials and fans have begged the co-eds not to sell their tickets to Longhorns fans-- a nightmare scenario in this bitter feud. 

'Ticket prices are absolutely insane,' Brendan Brimage, a Texas A&M student the Austin Fox station. 

Ambulances were called out to the football stadium nine times on Nov. 20 as tickets were released to undergrads and people were crushed in the mayhem, the Houston Chronicle reported.

'I couldn't move my arms,' senior Aubrey Hollas told the paper.

 

Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart (4) celebrates a missed field goal during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 23

 

'At some point, I was able to get it [my phone] out. I was texting my mom, and I was telling her how bad it was. She asked me if she should call the police, and I said "Yes."'

'I was fine at the time. I could breathe. But I was thinking of the people around me who could've had panic attacks or who couldn't breathe: they would have no way of being able to get out of that crowd.'

With tragedy averted, the demand for entry to the game means many wanting to witness state history will be priced out and forced to watch on TV. 

'My friend, a close friend of mine that went to A&M, we were going to go together, and we were like, It is not worth it; that's a lot of money to spend on one game,' Longhorns fan Juan Meraz told Fox 7.

I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED ROBERT WAGNER MURDERED NATALIE WOOD

Bombshell update in Natalie Wood drowning mystery as witnesses reveal who 'killed her'

 

By Alex Hammer 

Daily Mail

Nov 28, 2024

 

Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner are pictured in 1970. The actress drowned in 1981, and some of the last people to see the actress alive are now airing bombshell claims some say could result in fresh charges being filed in the long cold case

 

Natalie Wood screamed for her life while hurling accusations at her A-list actor husband, one of the last people to see the 'West Side Story' star alive has claimed. 

The fresh account of one of Hollywood's most shocking and scandalous deaths - along with one from a dying 80-year-old woman - was given to author Marti Rulli, who relayed them to RadarOnline.com. 

Wood and Wagner were a nearly unparalleled Hollywood power couple when the 'Splendor in the Grass' actress shockingly drowned to death on Thanksgiving weekend 1981. 

Now, the stunning confessions from two new witnesses have painted Wood's 'Hart to Hart' TV star husband Robert Wagner as her alleged killer, after the case was reopened.

Rulli told Radar she believes the new accounts could warrant a fresh grand jury investigation of Wood's death in the dark waters near their yacht Splendour off California's Catalina Island at about 11 p.m. on Nov. 28, 1981.

She described one of the witnesses as a California man who was just 17 at the time of Wood's drowning death, which, after 43 years, remains mired in mystery.

The man, Rulli said, had been a worker on a fishing boat moored near the yacht where the West Side Story was last seen, owned by her husband, Wagner.

Contacting Rulli last year, he recalled hearing Wood's screams - as well as an argument.

'It still bothers him and he wanted to tell me what he knew,' Rulli told radar of the then-young witness.

'He heard an argument, and he told me he heard Natalie's screams that made him feel uncomfortable. But he didn't report it to police because he thought it was an open-and-shut drowning case.'

Both acoounts, Rulli said, coincided with ones given to cops by the boat's captain, Dennis Davern - one of only four aboard the Splendour that night. 

He was joined by Wood, Wagner, and a then 38-year-old Christopher Walken - each part an alleged love triangle said to have sent Wagner off the rails. 

The man's claim supports testimony by Davern, who told police the Thanksgiving weekend cruise turned violent when Wagner accused Wood, 43, of having an affair with her 'Brainstorm' co-star Christopher Walken, who was also on the yacht.

Davern has claimed a raging Wagner, then 51, allegedly smashed a bottle of wine on a table and began brawling with Wood just before she vanished.

At one point Davern claims he heard Wagner scream: 'Get off my f***ing boat!'

 Wagner, now 94, has repeatedly denounced the claims.

'The case will remain open as long as Robert Wagner is alive because he is the suspect,' said Rulli, who is currently compiling evidence against the aging Hart to Hart star after the 1981 case was reopened in 2011.

The next year, Wood's cause of death was changed from 'accidental drowning' to 'drowning and other undetermined factors' - decades after cops cut Wagner loose as a suspect.

'I still hold hope the Los Angeles DA will see fit to let the strong previous evidence, and the new evidence I have gathered, bring justice for Natalie's murder,' Rulli explained, keeping the names and details of the witnesses under wrapped. 

'It still bothers him and he wanted to tell me what he knew,' she said of the then-17-year-old.

'He heard an argument, and he told me he heard Natalie's screams that made him feel uncomfortable. But he didn't report it to police.'   

Rulli added how she also contacted by an elderly woman who said she worked with Wood as an up-and-coming actress in the 1960s, but today is close to death.

Her account also indicated abuse from Wagner, who she said put his hands on Wood in their dress room

"She said she saw Wagner come into their dressing room [before the incident,' Rulli said of the woman's claims, calling them 'additional evidence of [the] abuse.'

 

Wagner, now 94, was named as a person of interest amid a renewed probe into the case in 2018, but was cleared in 2022. Both of the new witness accounts appear to paint him as Wood's killer

Wood's drowning death occurred on November 29, 1981, after she vanished from Wagner's boat The Splendour, seen here the day after the incident

The case was reopened in 2011. The next year, Wood's cause of death was changed from 'accidental drowning' to 'drowning and other undetermined factors' - decades after cops cut Wagner loose as a suspect. The pair are seen together on their wedding day in 1957

The two were joined by Christopher Walken on the boat that night. One of the witnesses, a fishing boat worker who had been on a boat moored near the Splendour - recalled hearing Wood's screams as well as an argument with Wagner

 

Rulli went on to ask the publication that it keep both witnesses names concealed for now, as she hope it will soon spur a grand jury investigation that will see Wagner - who was recently cleared again after being declared a person of interest in 2018 - indicted.

Davern, meanwhile, has repeatedly claimed the Thanksgiving weekend cruise with the three stars took a turn when Wagner accused his then 43-year-old bride of engaging in an affair with Walken, with whom she had just filmed 1983's Brainstorm.

Watching them fight it out on the boat, Davern saw Wagner smash a bottle of wine on a table before the spat got physical.

At one point, Davern - who maintains Wagner is Wood's killer - says he heard Wagner scream: 'Get off my f**king boat!' 

She would go on to vanish later that night, after which Davern said Wagner stopped him from turning on the searchlights or phoning for help for a four full hours.

her body was found the next morning, washed up on the shore of Catalina. her death was subsequently ruled to be an accidental drowning - a decision that's since been reversed.   

RadarOnline further reported how another witness phoned LA cops sometime after Wood's death, claiming he lived next door to the high-profile couple in the 50s. 

'He remembers Natalie banging on the door in the middle of the night', Rulli told the publication, as she plans to also compile the new claims in an upcoming book. 'She was asking for a place to stay for the night because [Wagner] was going to kill her.'

 

The claims coincided with ones given by the boat's captain, Dennis Davern - the final person on the boat. He said it was a love triangle said to have sent Wagner off the rails

Now reopened, the cold case could now give way to a grand jury investigation with the man and another unnamed witnesses new allegations against Wagner

The couple spent almost all their weekends on the Splendor often with friends

Wagner, seen here an on-camera interview for the HBO documentary Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind four years ago. has maintained Wood went off in a dinghy on her own accord and never returned. He did not respond when he was named a person of interest in 2018

 

Wagner, who was cleared by The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in its renewed probe back in 2022,  has maintained Wood went off in a dinghy on her own accord and never returned.

Lana Wood, Natalie's sister, has claimed in the past that he does not want to be interviewed because he says he cannot rely on his memory. 

He also did not respond when he was named a person of interest by the LAPD in 2018.

His 95th birthday is in February.

TRUMP'S ELECTION VICTORY IS IS PROMPTING A STRATEGIC SHIFT BY IRAN

Is Tehran changing course amid Trump win and Hezbollah setback?

The diplomatic pivot represents a stark departure from late October, when Iran was preparing for a potential strike against Israel. At that time, a deputy IRGC commander had declared, "We have never left an aggression unanswered in 40 years."

 

Israel Hayom

Nov 28, 2024

 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei inspects Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) soldiers

 

Iran appears to be recalibrating its regional strategy following Donald Trump's election victory and the weakening of its proxy Hezbollah, the New York Times has reported based on multiple sources familiar with Tehran's decision-making process.

In a notable shift from its typically aggressive stance, Tehran has made several conciliatory diplomatic moves. These include dispatching a senior official to Beirut in mid-November to encourage Hezbollah to accept a ceasefire with Israel, and its UN ambassador meeting with Elon Musk, seen as an attempt to establish communication channels with Trump's circle.

Seven Iranian officials, including one from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), told the New York Times that Trump's Nov. 5 election victory prompted this strategic shift. They cited concerns about renewing confrontation with an administration that had previously pursued a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran.

 

  

Donald Trump stands on stage with Melania and Lara Trump, Nov. 6, 2024, West Palm Beach, Florida  

 

This diplomatic pivot represents a stark departure from late October, when Iran was preparing for a potential strike against Israel. At that time, a deputy IRGC commander had declared, "We have never left an aggression unanswered in 40 years."

The change in approach also follows significant losses by Hezbollah in its confrontation with Israel. According to Iranian media reports, there is growing discontent among displaced Lebanese Shia communities who traditionally look to Iran for protection.

Mehdi Afraz, director of research at Baqir al-Olum University, offered an unusually frank assessment: "Our friends from Syria called and said the Lebanese Shia refugees who support Hezbollah are cursing us up and down, first Iran, then others. We are treating war as a joke."

Iran's domestic challenges have also influenced this shift. The country faces mounting economic pressures, with the government recently announcing daily power cuts. The death of hard-line president Ebrahim Raisi and the election of moderate Masoud Pezeshkian in July has brought promises of economic reform and increased Western engagement.

Several senior Iranian officials have indicated openness to negotiations with the incoming Trump administration on nuclear and regional issues. "Iran is now applying restraint to give Trump a chance to see whether he can end the Gaza war and contain Netanyahu," said Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former Iranian diplomat now at Princeton University.

"Without doubt in Iran, among senior officials and ordinary people, there is a real desire to end the tensions with the West and to get along," Naser Imani, an analyst close to the government, told The New York Times. "Cooperation with the West is not viewed as defeat, it is seen as transactional diplomacy and can be done from a position of strength."

THE IRANIAN CLAUSE

Secret ‘Iranian clause’ included in US Lebanon- deal guarantees

“If Israel decides to act [against Tehran], it will notify the United States as soon as possible,” is allegedly among America’s stipulations.

 

Israel Today

Nov 28, 2024

 

Smoke rises from the smoldering rubble following an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2024.

 

A confidential clause in the US-Israel side agreement to the Lebanon ceasefire deal focuses on the Islamic Republic, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday.

Dubbed the “Iranian clause” by Israeli officials, the provision is part of a two-and-a-half-page letter the full contents of which have not been fully disclosed, according to Channel 12 News.

“The US commits to working with Israel to prevent Iran from destabilizing the region, establishing a foothold in Lebanon, or undermining the principles of the agreement—either directly or through its proxies,” the letter states, according to the report.

The “Iranian clause” also stipulates, “If Israel decides to act, it will notify the United States as soon as possible. The United States expects all Israeli actions to comply with international law and aim to minimize harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

Additional provisions in the letter reportedly include guarantees of Israeli operational freedom against Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire.

The Israel Defense Forces is authorized to counter immediate threats in Southern Lebanon, such as observed preparations for a Hezbollah rocket launch, and also to address emerging threats, for example the digging of new tunnels or arms transfers, if Lebanon’s government is unwilling or unable to act.

The letter further outlines US responsibilities as chair of the monitoring mechanism, stating, “The United States will lead and direct the Lebanese Armed Forces to prevent and effectively address violations.”

An Israeli Cabinet minister described the document as “a significant achievement,” according to Channel 12, adding, “We’ve effectively brought the United States into Lebanon as a primary overseer.”

THE ISLAMISTS HAVE TAKEN OVER

Western Europe’s Muslim problem

Muslim migrants arrived in the industrialized Western European states after World War II, many from the countries that were formerly colonial possessions. 

 

By Joseph Puder

 

JNS

Nov 28, 2024

 

The East London Mosque

 

The streets of major Western European cities are occupied territories.

Radical Muslim gangs who harbor a hatred for Western culture and believe Islam is the answer for all bear a visceral and violent antisemitic hatred for Israel and Jews. The pogrom perpetrated by Arab and Turkish Muslims against Israeli and Jewish fans of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team in Amsterdam earlier this month illustrates the point. Local law enforcement feigned efforts to contain the aggressive hordes, which did not prevent the severe beating of scores of Israelis and Jews and the hospitalization of six. For many people, the images out of Amsterdam conjured up images of the evil perpetrated by the SS Nazi Germany and the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 1938. Attacks on Jews and Israel are now widely evident in other major Western European cities, including Berlin, Brussels, London, Madrid and Paris.

Referring to the recent pogrom, there were kind words from the King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, who told Israeli President Isaac Herzog, “We failed the Jewish community of the Netherlands during World War II, and last night we failed again.” Geert Wilders, leader of the largest party in the Dutch parliament, blamed Moroccan Muslims for the attack on the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. He noted that the Muslims do not hide the fact that they want to destroy Jews and recommended the deportation of those people convicted of involvement in the pogrom if they have dual nationality.

Muslim migrants arrived in the industrialized Western European states after World War II, many from the countries that were formerly colonial possessions. Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian Muslims landed in France and in Belgium (since French was also widely spoken there). Turkish Muslim temporary laborers were brought to Germany and never left. The Netherlands became home to Indonesian Muslims. South Asian Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslims settled in Britain. Many of those early Muslim settlers sought a quiet life, economic betterment and freedom.

The revival of Islamic strength—with Saudi Arabia accumulating unimaginable oil riches and power in the 1970s—created an initial stirring, followed by the 1979 Islamic Shi’ite revolution in Iran, and the defiance against the Western world and its culture. The mayhem in Iraq and the endless terror in the aftermath of the Bush administration’s 2003 war that deposed Saddam Hussein eliminated the secular Sunni-Muslim rule in Iraq and led to Shia-Muslim supremacy and Iran’s stranglehold on Iraq.

Then came the civil war in Syria a decade later, which created millions of refugees. The guilt-ridden European and former colonial powers opened their doors to hundreds of thousands of Muslims from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s misplaced guilt about the Holocaust led to more than a million Syrian and Iraqi Arabs, as well as Afghan Muslims, coming to live in Germany. Many of these refugees had been brought up to hate Jews and Israel.

For the new arrivals, the Western practice of separating church and state is unfamiliar and unacceptable. Islam is the state religion in most Arab states, especially in Iran.  The majority of recent Muslim immigrants express less attachment to their Western European host countries and greater loyalty and attachment to their country of origin. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the host countries do not tend to promote assimilation into the culture. The Muslims have separate communities, separate schools and separate rules of law.

 

  

The Mosque of Rome, the largest in the European Union

 

Europe used to have a “Jewish problem” and still does, but not for the same reasons as their “Muslim problem.” The Jews integrated well and enriched European culture in multiple ways. Many European Nobel laureates were Jews. Today’s Muslim immigrants commit a large percentage of violent crimes, while crime coming out of the Jewish communities is virtually nonexistent. In most cases, Jews spoke the native tongue better than the Christian natives. The problem, until the late 18th century, was religious animus and discrimination, which later transformed into antisemitic racism. In Europe, Jews became the scapegoats for the ills of their societies.

The late Oriana Fallaci, famed Italian journalist and author, who later in life became a staunch defender of Israel and Jews, famously stated that she stood with Israel and the Jews and that, “I defend their right to exist, to defend themselves, and not to allow themselves to be exterminated a second time.”

While earlier in her career, Fallaci defended the Palestinians and Muslims, she was subsequently quoted as saying, “The Muslims refuse our culture and try to impose their culture on us. I reject them, and this is not only my duty toward my culture—it is toward my values, my principles, my civilization.”

Fallaci made no secret of her hatred of the way Islam enforced passivity and submission of women through Sharia law. She famously ended an interview with Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini by ripping off the chador she had been forced to wear, yelling “These Medieval rags!” She wrote of the “monstrous darkness of a religion which produces nothing but religion … secretly envious of us, confessedly jealous or our way of life … in Europe, the mosques literally swarm with terrorists or candidate terrorists … .”

 

 

The Great Mosque of Paris

 

In Europe today, Islamists and the radical left have allied themselves in the green-red alliance with a common antisemitic agenda under the guise of anti-Israelism. Their vocal demonstrations in the streets of Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, London and Paris have intimidated the governments who have done little to stem the gushing hate displayed and the violence accompanying such events, as demonstrated earlier this month in Amsterdam. While peaceful demonstrations are a given in Western democracies, incitement to violence is proscribed.

With the Muslim population in Europe swelling into double-digit percentages and stagnant native European birthrates, it is only a matter of a generation or two before radical Islam becomes dominant in Europe. In her 2005 book Eurabia: The Euro‐Arab Axis, Bat Yeor, the pen name for Gisèle Littman, pointed out that Europe has surrendered to Islam and is in a state of submission (described as dhimmitude) in which Europe is forced to deny its own culture, stand silently by in the face of Muslim atrocities, accept Muslim immigration and pay tribute through various types of economic assistance.

Incoming President Donald Trump, by acting on his unintimidated commitment to deport illegals and criminal aliens from the United States, may just show the Europeans how to save their culture. It’s high time for the European elites to consider acting aggressively on behalf of their survival.

OFFICER COOPER DAWSON WAS ALSO THE TRAINING OFFICER FOR THE NORTH REGION OF THE TEXAS NARCOTICS OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Texas city mourns its first officer killed in line of duty in more than 100 years 

 

By Andy Rose 

 

CNN 

Nov 28, 2024

 

 

Greenville Police Officer Cooper Dawson was ambushed and killed Monday during a foot pursuit.

 

A northeast Texas town is in mourning this Thanksgiving week after an officer on its police force died in the line of duty for the first time in over a century.

Officer Cooper Dawson, 27, was running after a suspect following a traffic stop Monday night when that suspect ambushed Dawson and shot him multiple times, according to the Greenville Police Department.

“Despite his critical injuries, Officer Dawson displayed exceptional courage, returning fire and striking the suspect,” the department announced.

Dawson and the suspect, Christian Robert Sparger, 25, were both taken to a local hospital. Dawson was then airlifted to a hospital in Plano where he died his injuries. 

Officer Cooper Dawson was shot to death during a foot pursuit following a traffic stop

Dawson, who was married with three children, died less than a month before his 28^th birthday, said Police Chief Chris Smith. He joined the Greenville force in April 2023 after seven years with the Garland Police Department. Dawson also served in the Army National Guard.

“Officer Dawson dedicated his life to serving others. He made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting his community,” Smith said in an emotional news conference Tuesday. The chief wore a black and blue mourning band across his badge.

People in Greenville, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas in Hunt County, remembered Dawson as a friendly officer who loved his family and the community. He frequently stopped at a local Italian restaurant during his dinner breaks, the manager told CNN affiliate WFAA. 

“Usually, every evening he was in here, he’d FaceTime his wife and kids,” Kristen O’Brien said. “I’d hear him talking to his family while he’s working before they go to bed.”

Smith said Dawson not only returned fire after being injured but managed to apply a tourniquet to himself while waiting for an ambulance. “That is the epitome of what a heroic police officer is,” Smith said.

There have been 127 US police officers killed in the line of duty this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Texas has 15 fallen officers in 2024, the most of any state.

Dawson was the first Greenville officer to be killed in the line of duty in more than 100 years, Smith said.

“We’ll get through, but it’s gonna hurt,” the chief said.

Dawson’s family has requested privacy, police said in a statement. His funeral is planned for Tuesday.

The nature of the traffic stop that ended in Dawson’s death has not been released, but police said Sparger had warrants for probation violations in Denton County that would have led to him being jailed without bond, according to Greenville Police Lt. Brandon West.

Sparger pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault last year and was sentenced to probation, Denton County court records show. CNN has reached out to his attorney of record in Denton for comment.

In Dawson’s death, Sparger was ordered held on $5 million bond on a capital murder charge in Hunt County, according to jail records. It could not immediately be determined whether he had legal representation in Hunt County.

His last known medical condition after the shooting was critical, according to police.

THE LARGEST AMOUNT TO EVER BE AWARDED BY A JURY IN A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASE IN THE U.S.

New Mexico man awarded $412 million medical malpractice payout for botched injections

 

By Susan Montoya Bryan      

 

Associated Press  

Nov 27, 2024

 

 

NuMale Medical Center - Albuquerque NM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Jurors in New Mexico have awarded a man more than $412 million in a medical malpractice case that involved a men’s health clinic that operates in several states.

The man’s attorneys celebrated Monday’s verdict, saying they are hopeful it will prevent other men from falling victim to a scheme that involved fraud and what they described as dangerous penile injections. They said the punitive and compensatory damages total the largest amount to ever be awarded by a jury in a medical malpractice case in the U.S.

“It’s a national record setting case and it’s righteous because I don’t think there’s any place for licensed professionals to be defrauding patients for money. That is a very egregious breach of their fiduciary duty,” said Lori Bencoe, one of the lawyers who represented the plaintiff. “That’s breach of trust and anytime someone is wearing a white coat, they shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”

The award follows a trial held in Albuquerque earlier this month that centered on allegations outlined in a lawsuit filed by the man’s attorneys in 2020. NuMale Medical Center and company officials were named as defendants.

According to the complaint, the man was 66 when he visited the clinic in 2017 in search of treatment for fatigue and weight loss. The clinic is accused of misdiagnosing him and unnecessarily treating him with “invasive erectile dysfunction shots” that caused irreversible damage.

Nick Rowley, another attorney who was part of the plaintiff’s team, said the out-of-state medical corporation set up a “fraudulent scheme to make millions off of conning old men.” He provided some details in a social media post, saying clinic workers told patients they would have irreversible damage if they didn’t agree to injections three times a week.

NuMale Medical Center President Brad Palubicki said in a statement sent Wednesday to The Associated Press that the company’s focus is on continuing to deliver responsible patient care while maintaining strict safety and compliance standards at all of its facilities.

“While we respect the judicial process, due to ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment on specific details of the case at this time,” he said.

NuMale also has clinics in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

According to court records, jurors found that fraudulent and negligent conduct by the defendants resulted in damages to the plaintiff. They also found that unconscionable conduct by the defendants violated the Unfair Practices Act.