Bulletins and News Discussion from January 13th to January 19th, 2025 - From Mar-A-Lago to Nuuk - COTW: Denmark (including Greenland)
Bulletins and News Discussion from January 13th to January 19th, 2025 - From Mar-A-Lago to Nuuk - COTW: Denmark (including Greenland)
The imperial core is continuing the process of self-cannibalization as the interimperial wars between Europe and the US over resource and territorial control continue. Greenland, populated with less than a hundred thousand heavily exploited people, is the newest territory to fall under Trump's gaze. The main draw is the mineral resources present there, of which it boasts nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum, and much more than remains unexplored under the ice. But the ice is melting, and profit must be made. There is an additional element of wanting Arctic territory to counter Chinese and especially Russian interests and aims; Russia is increasingly eyeing the northern Arctic route as an alternative to more vulnerable routes through the Suez Canal or around Africa, and is investing heavily in icebreakers for that purpose.
However, even if Europe possessed the desire to resist American annexations - and they absolutely do not, at the end of the day - they do not even have the ability. Denmark may, to a lesser or greater extent, make angry sounds and talk about national honour or some such, but their military would be trampled underfoot by even the New York Police Department, let alone a concerted military effort by the US. If Trump wants Greenland, he will have it. This will naturally increase the grumbling in Europe about reconsidering the Transatlantic alliance, and that grumbling may, in the medium-term future, as the American Empire continues its decline, lead to meaningful results. But in the short term, Europe shall have to bear whatever Trump throws at them, for they obviously cannot now ally with Russia, who was the natural counterweight to American interests for decades before 2022.
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Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
David Lynch, Visionary Director of ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Blue Velvet,’ Dies at 78.
In January 2025, Lynch evacuated his Los Angeles home due to the Southern California wildfires; Deadline Hollywood reported that these events preceded a terminal decline in his health, and on January 16, 2025, Lynch's family announced that he had died at the age of 78.
Director-writer David Lynch, who radicalized American film with with a dark, surrealistic artistic vision in films like “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and network television with “Twin Peaks,” has died. He was 78.
Lynch revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema after a lifetime of smoking, and would likely not be able to leave his house to direct any longer. His family announced his death in a Facebook post, writing, “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'”
The “Twin Peaks” TV show and films such as “Blue Velvet,” “Lost Highway” and “Mulholland Drive” melded elements of horror, film noir, the whodunit and classical European surrealism. Lynch wove tales, not unlike those of his Spanish predecessor Luis Bunuel, which proceeded with their own impenetrable logic.
A four-time Oscar nominee, Lynch received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2020. After years spent as a painter and a maker of short animated and live action films, Lynch burst onto the scene with his 1977 feature debut “Eraserhead,” a horrific, black-humored work that became a disturbing fixture on the midnight movie circuit. His outré and uncompromising style quickly won the attention of the Hollywood and international movie-making establishment.
He was hired by Mel Brooks’ production company to write and direct “The Elephant Man,” a deeply affecting drama about a horrifically deformed sideshow freak in Victorian England who became a national celebrity. The feature captured eight Academy Award nominations, including Lynch’s first for best director.
Related to news. The national news of Finland has taken the time out of their Russia = bad focus to tell us plebs that Rednote is bad and heavily state controlled and nobody should use it.
Seeing a status quo maintenance piece about the TikTok ban and Rednote is a great example of the vassal state status that we now occupy.
Edit. The source our state media is using on this is China Digital Times.🤡
They have a label plastered all over their newssites that claims them to be "responsible journalism".
Argentina’s Health Ministry announces 1,400 layoffs
The latest round of dismissals came as a surprise for most of the already-reduced workforce. ‘It’s a bloodbath.’
Argentina’s Health Ministry announced in a press release on Wednesday that it would not renew the contracts of 1,400 workers. The ministry cited a “reorganization of its competencies and the reorientation of health policies.” The ministry’s communiqué described the layoffs as “a resource optimization” that would affect national hospitals. The decision resulted from “the identification of hiring irregularities during the previous administration, duplicate roles, and non-compliance with tasks,” the communiqué added, saying they had already fired 30% of the ministry’s “political positions.”
President Javier Milei celebrated the layoffs on X with his usual catchphrase: “Afuera.”
“We keep going with the chainsaw. The End,” he wrote.
These are not the first cuts Milei’s administration has made in the health sector. Medical doctors nationwide held protests throughout 2024, saying their salaries were virtually frozen, and the government stopped giving some medications for free to retirees. In 2024, the Milei administration fired 120 workers from the Posadas National Hospital. In its 2025 budget proposal, the government put forward a minimal increase for the country’s national program combatting HIV, STIs, Hepatitis, and Tuberculosis, which Act Up Argentina condemned as equalling a 76% cut when considering inflation.
Some workers had been notified of the impending layoffs: on Tuesday, 130 employees at the Baldomero Sommer National Hospital, located in the Buenos Aires province, got the news. “The notices are coming in right now. It’s a bloodbath,” Leonardo Fernández Camacho, the union’s representative of the Laura Bonaparte Mental Health Hospital, told the Herald on Wednesday evening. Fernández Camacho said there were “more than 100 layoffs and counting.”
I would almost say there are virtually not enough people to open the hospital tomorrow,” he added.
Last year, the government announced it would partially shut down the Bonaparte Hospital, the only national government-owned public hospital dedicated to addictions, but backtracked on it after widespread protests.
A source from the ATE state workers union told the Herald that other affected areas include the Malbrán Institute—an award-winning microbiological research center—the ANMAT—the government agency that monitors the efficacy, safety, and quality of drugs, food, and medical device — and the ministry’s central headquarters. The ATE source also confirmed to the Herald that they will hold an assembly on Thursday and then speak with Health Minister Mario Lugones.
And they celebrate shit like this, not only they don't give a single fuck about the people they're sending straight into poverty -- they celebrate it, they have the courage to show how proud and happy they are about it. I swear to God, if it's even out there, that this will not be forgotten nor forgiven. One day they will finally find out that their actions have consequences, that they can't escape them.
The social fabric is being torn apart, I see a lot of poverty and misery just about everywhere now. Entire families struggling to secure some food and a shelter, and I'm not even talking about a proper house. Material conditions are worsening, society as we know it is being destroyed slowly but surely... all in the name of Capital.
It can't go on like this, it's impossible, it's against nature itself. Despite the shit times, the setbacks, the defeats and the deaths, we will have the final word.
Marco Rubio says the U.S. may put Cuba back on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism Removal of the Caribbean country from the list was announced in the last days of Joe Biden's Democratic administration.
“I have no doubt that (Cuba) meets all the requirements to be considered a state sponsor of terrorism,” Marco Rubio said on Wednesday before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing as secretary of state.
The statement was made just one day after President Joe Biden announced the removal of Cuba from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism”. “Nothing that the Biden administration has agreed to in the last 12 to 18 hours is binding on the next administration, which begins on Monday,” he said.
🇺🇸🇨🇳Biden administration looks for ways to keep TikTok available in the U.S President Joe Biden’s administration is considering ways to keep TikTok available in the U.S. if a ban that’s scheduled to go into effect on Sunday proceeds, according to three people familiar with the discussions. “Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” an administration official said, adding that officials are “exploring options” for how to implement the law so that TikTok does not go dark on Sunday.
Lol America is so cooked. I can't wait for the millenium of humiliation for the US
https://xcancel.com/Sino_Market/status/1879755727583195436#m
TikTok Plans Total Closure in the U.S. if Prohibition Does Not Stop - Telesur English
Article
This is a new chapter in the tense relationship between China and the U.S. over technology and national security issues. TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, will completely shut down its app in the U.S. this Sunday unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban.
According to China Securities Journal, TikTok has decided that it “will not allow existing users to continue accessing the app after the ban, opting for an abrupt shutdown” to highlight the impact of the prohibition. The measure follows a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2024, which requires app stores like Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their platforms and mandates that the social network’s cloud service provider, Oracle, cease hosting user data in the U.S.
As part of the shutdown plan, users attempting to open the app after Sunday will encounter a pop-up message directing them to a website with detailed information about the ban and instructions on how to download their personal data before the app is fully deactivated.
Users will be given the option to download their personal data before the app ceases operations. Contrary to expectations, TikTok will not allow existing users to continue accessing its content after the ban. The social media platform has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of speech. However, questions raised by the justices during hearings suggest that the court is likely to uphold the law.
The shutdown’s impact will be immediate, affecting millions of users in the U.S., many of whom have already begun migrating to other platforms such as Xiaohongshu, known as the “Chinese Instagram,” which has gained popularity among American users in recent days. TikTok has not issued further comments about its future in the U.S., although the situation marks a new chapter in the tense relationship between China and the U.S. over technology and national security issues.
A couple months ago I hosted the mega thread and the intro was about the Giant mine in northern Canada, an abandoned mine with big arsenic contamination issues. Here's a story about a Canadian mining company doing the same thing in Namibia. The Chinese company Sinomine owns it now - I hope they do better.
today's nakedcapitalism roundup on the gaza ceasefire is worth a look. the triumphalism of unsurprising given how desperate any normal person is to see even a pause in the israeli genocide, but celebration seems quite premature given modern history and the incentives of various parties to fuck things up or look the other way while people fuck things up.
Venezuelan Air Force Commander General Lenin Lorenzo Ramirez Villasmil: “We reject the new sanctions imposed by imperialism.”
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes denies Bolsonaro's request to travel to the US for Trump's inauguration
According to the decision, Bolsonaro did not present a formal invitation to the inauguration of the new American president - scheduled for this Monday (20). The former president had his passport seized in a PF operation investigating an alleged coup attempt.
“There was, therefore, no compliance with the decision of January 11, 2025 [which called for the invitation to be presented], since no evidentiary document was attached to the case file that demonstrated the existence of an invitation made by the US president-elect to the applicant Jair Messias Bolsonaro, as alleged by the defense,” argued Moraes.
The decision reinforces that since the passport was withheld there has been no change that would justify suspending the measure. It also states that Bolsonaro continues to give indications that he may try to flee the country.
“The scenario that justified the imposition of a ban on leaving the country, with the surrender of passports, continues to indicate the possibility of an attempt by the indicted Jair Messias Bolsonaro to evade the application of criminal law, in the same way that he has been advocating fleeing the country and asylum abroad for the various convicts who have been sentenced by the plenary of the Federal Supreme Court in cases related to this investigation and related to the 'attempted coup d'état and violent abolition of the democratic rule of law',” the document says.
Moraes also mentions that, shortly after the indictment, Bolsonaro considered, in an interview with a newspaper, fleeing and seeking political asylum in another country to avoid possible accountability in Brazil. “The support for the illicit evasion from national territory of defendants definitively convicted by the Supreme Court plenary in cases related to the present investigation, and the defense of clandestine residence abroad, especially in Argentina, to avoid the application of the law and final judicial decisions, are constantly being corroborated by Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, who, according to the defense itself, would have intermediated the invitations for the trip requested by the indicted Jair Messias Bolsonaro to the USA,” says another excerpt.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bolsonaro says he is no longer taking Viagra since Trump's so-called “invitation”. “I’m feeling like a kid again with Trump’s invite. I’m fired up. I’m not even taking Viagra anymore,” the former Brazilian president said in an interview on Tuesday, employing his trademark sophomoric humor. “Trump’s gesture is something to be proud of, right? Who’s Trump? The most important guy in the world.”
Russia to Supply Gas to Transnistria on Humanitarian Grounds - Telesur English
Article
Gas will be supplied in the volumes necessary for the population, as well as for thermal energy and industry. On Wednesday, Vadim Krasnoselski, the president of Transnistria, announced that his country had reached an agreement with Russia for the supply of gas to address the energy crisis.
“The humanitarian gas will be supplied in the volumes necessary for the population of Transnistria, as well as for thermal energy and industry,” Krasnoselski stated, while admitting that the transit route for the gas has not yet been determined and will be agreed upon during additional negotiations.
“There is no exact date for the pumping, but the fact that there will be a supply is certain… I hope that, as a result of the negotiations, the gas will soon reach Transnistria,” he pointed out. Transnistria is a territory with a population of less than half a million people, situated between Moldova and Ukraine. On January 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended the transit of Russian gas, triggering a crisis in Transnistria.
The agreement was reached on Tuesday during Krasnoselski’s visit to Moscow, for which he received permission to travel from Moldovan President Maia Sandu. “Chisinau does not place any obstacles to finding solutions to the gas crisis,” Sandu remarked, noting that Moldova wants this situation to “end as soon as possible.”
Last week, the separatist authorities were forced to “completely” suspend the supply of hot water for both heating and everyday consumption, and gas is now only used for kitchen stoves. Tiraspol considers the only solution to the crisis to be the resumption of Russian gas supplies, which power the territory’s sole thermal power plant.
Transnistria, a territory whose authorities have been loyal to Moscow since breaking ties with Chisinau more than 30 years ago, hopes to receive Russian gas through an alternative route, referring to the TurkStream pipeline.
The Greenland Crisis Continues: Danish Regime Scrambles to Reassure Business Leaders After Trump Call
Denmark’s Social Democrat-led government finds itself in crisis mode following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s demand to buy Greenland, accompanied by threats of economic warfare and even military action. This unprecedented situation marks the most serious threat to Denmark’s territorial integrity since World War II, thrusting one of Washington’s most loyal vassals into the unfamiliar position of being the target of American imperialist ambitions.
Yesterday Danish leader Mette Frederiksen had a 45 minutes long phone call with Trump, asserting that Greenland is not for sale and any future change in its status must be decided by the Greenlanders themselves. In statements to the press Frederiksen avoided confirming if Trump fully grasped her message, she only acknowledged his "very strong" interest in Greenland. Trump, however, did not back down from his threats of putting punitive tariffs on Danish goods, placing Denmark in a precarious position given its economic reliance on U.S. trade, with the U.S. being Denmark's largest export market, ahead of Germany.
In response, Frederiksen held a meeting with business leaders to inform them and help them prepare for potential tariffs. Minister of Business Morten Bødskov sought to project calm, stating that the government was "taking it easy". Criticism arose from the pro-democracy Red-Green opposition for excluding unions from these discussions, arguing that workers will suffer most from any economic fallout.
Despite Trump’s continued threats, Frederiksen extended an invitation for him to visit Denmark during their phone call, underscoring the regime’s steadfast Atlanticist loyalty. No concrete plans for a visit have been made. Since the end of WWII, Denmark has been a an extremely loyal vassal to the U.S., even among western European countries. Trump’s previous attempt to buy Greenland in 2019 was dismissed by Frederiksen as "absurd," led to him to throw a tantrum and labeling her "nasty." Now, Frederiksen walks a tightrope, trying to square the circle of rejecting of Trump’s outrageous and offensive demands while continuing Danish subservience to U.S. interests.
As Denmark’s political elite continues to recite the atlanticist mantra of the U.S. being "our most important ally," their desperation becomes increasingly apparent. With allies like these, Denmark may find that enemies are hardly necessary.
I'm skeptical of the durability of this cease-fire, and this will certainly be temporary for as long as the Entity exists it will never be able to cease the settler-colonial genocide, however I truly hope this is a moment of happiness and reprieve for the indomitable people of Palestine. Glory to the resistance.
I just found something spooky
The vote difference between Trump and Harris is almost exactly the same amount as the pre-genocide population of Gaza, 2.2 million votes/people
Today’s news from occupied Palestine and Syria.
Social media users react to ceasefire with mix of relief, joy: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/15/740983/Gaza-won-Netizens-react-Hamas-Israel-ceasefire-genocide
The fascist and genocidal Tel Aviv massacred another 62 Palestinian civilians today, as the ceasefire negotiations continued: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/15/740980/Israel-Kills-62-Palestinians-despite-ceasefire-deal
Zionist aircraft have now intentionally attacked the “HTS” in Syria for the first time, killing two members in Quneitra province. I wonder how these new rulers in Damascus will respond to this blatant aggression. One frustrating aspect of the previous Syrian government is that they did not shoot back after these kinds of thuggish Zionist attacks: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/15/740976/Syria-Israel-HTS-airstrike-Quneitra-Assad
Just a reminder: the ceasefire only comes into effect on the 19th of January officially, this Sunday. There have been videos of Hamas fighters coming out from underground (so far it all seems like reposts of the same single video, but there may be more in the coming hours and days), and reports of Israeli massacres in Gaza within the past hour. If you see recent videos of Hamas fighters on social media, do not repost or share them! At least until the 19th. This is critically important for OPSEC reasons and the safety of Palestinians. I am not trying to put a damper on the situation or being a downer, i know OPSEC sucks at times, but this is very important. It's only one video for now.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/15/statement-from-president-joe-biden-14/ turns out they could have done it at any time, huh
So, did Biden just tried to take all the credit for the peace deal? He didn't do shit to help the peace deal, he could have literally done nothing, but he kept sending ammo, weapons, supporting everything tha POS Bibi motherfucker wanted, and no one inside that demonic government said anything about it, Kamala could have told Biden to fuck off, she wouldn't stand for it, but no, she was too busy trying to win votes from the far right people who want to kill her and hanging out with mass murderers and war criminals.
no fucking way trump told bibi to pound sand
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/14/tech/rednote-china-popularity-us-tiktok-ban-intl-hnk/index.html
Within the span of two days, more than 700,000 new users have joined Xiaohongshu, Reuters reported, citing a person close to the company. CNN has reached out to Xiaohongshu for comment.
As of Wednesday, the hashtag “TikTok refugee” had garnered nearly 250 million views and over 5.5 million comments. Many of the American users they had joined as an act of defiance against Washington’s move on TikTok.
“Our government is out of their minds if they think we’re going to stand for this TikTok ban,” a user called Heather Roberts said in a video message on Xiaohongshu, which has garnered more than 45,000 likes. “We’re just going to a new Chinese app, and here we are.”
Article
Tensions escalated in La Paz on Monday as police clashed with a large group of protesters aligned with former President Evo Morales. The demonstration, dubbed the “March for Life,” began in the morning in Achica Arriba, before making its way through El Alto and eventually reaching the city center of La Paz, with the intent of reaching Plaza Murillo.
The confrontation highlights the growing political polarization and social unrest in Bolivia, fueled by discontent with the current government’s economic and social policies. Around 4 PM local time, the situation turned violent as protesters allegedly began throwing high-powered firecrackers and stones at police officers near the intersections of Mercado and Ayacucho streets.
The police responded with tear gas, dispersing the demonstrators into surrounding streets. Gunther Agudo, the La Paz Departmental Police Commander, stated that police intervention was necessary due to the “aggressive” nature of the protest, claiming that objects were thrown at officers. He added that police forces are maintaining their presence throughout the city center, especially around the Obelisk plaza, to prevent further incidents.
The protesters, who have vowed to maintain a vigil near Plaza Murillo until their demands are met, are calling for the resignation of President Luis Arce and a reversal of current economic and social policies. According to teleSUR correspondent Freddy Morales, the protesters believe Arce has betrayed the mandate of the people, and are demanding a shift towards more equitable and progressive policies.
This action underscores the deepening fracture within the ruling MAS party and the broader left, as Morales loyalists increasingly see Arce as departing from the socialist principles they advocate for. Former President Evo Morales has condemned the actions of the government and accused it of operating under a “fascist tyranny,” repressing the people through police violence.
He claimed on X that peasant leaders, “legitimately and democratically elected,” who attempted to reclaim their union headquarters in Cochabamba, were brutally attacked by the police. Morales accused the Arce administration of turning union headquarters into police barracks, claiming this as proof of repression of grassroots movements. Senator Leonardo Loza, among other Bolivian politicians, also denounced the violence against protesters and the threats against them, after they decided to remain in Plaza Murillo.
The events of Monday serve as a stark reminder of the volatile political climate in Bolivia, and the fragility of social progress when governments fail to address the genuine needs and grievances of their people. The deep fractures that exist within the MAS party and the broader left are symptomatic of a struggle for power, but more importantly it underscores the ongoing fight for a more equitable and democratic future. The deployment of police forces against protestors, a tactic reminiscent of right-wing authoritarian regimes, is particularly concerning.
The use of force against legitimate expressions of social dissent reveals the willingness of the Arce government to prioritize its own hold on power over the basic rights of assembly and protest. Such actions risk further destabilizing the country and fueling a cycle of violence. The situation highlights the necessity for genuine dialogue and a commitment to addressing the legitimate demands of the population, particularly in the rural areas and among marginalized groups, in order to create long-lasting social peace. The escalation of violence between social movements and the state underscores the urgency for a reevaluation of the government’s trajectory, moving towards a truly participatory process that puts the needs of the people first.
With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans:
https://xcancel.com/FlaDems/status/1879279835413168143The Florida Democratic Party condemns the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Russia rejects Germany and Japan as permanent UN security council members because they’re US puppets.
“Americans name Germany and Japan as contenders for permanent membership in the security council, who do not have any independent voice in world politics. They blindly and submissively follow the path of USA and when the US oppresses them directly, they do not even dare to squeal. Like chancellor Scholz did not dare to squeal when NordStream was blown up!”
Lavrov, Russian foreign minister
BREAKING: Blinken sheds single tear upon news of a ceasefire
A major agreement has been reported between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages.
According to American and Israeli media, the concluded agreement provides for a preliminary six-week stage , during which a ceasefire must be observed, a partial withdrawal of the Israeli army must be carried out, and an exchange of hostages must be carried out. The agreement provides for:
- Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, partial withdrawal of the IDF and the return of local residents to the north of the region.
- Gaza will receive 600 trucks with humanitarian aid .
- Hamas will release 33 captured Israelis in stages.
- Israel, in turn, will release 30 Palestinian prisoners for each kidnapped person and 50 for each female soldier.
I hate 'purity politics', with the exception of pro-genocide purity politics, then I'm all in favor of purity politics!
It's clear: Harris lost A LOT of votes because of the Biden admin's support for Israel’s genocide.
Our poll out today with @YouGov finds Biden 2020 voters who did not vote for Harris name "ending Israel's violence in Gaza" as the top issue affecting their vote choice.
Qatar PM announces ceasefire to begin 19 Jan, specific time to still be negotiated.
— ❗️🇮🇱/🇵🇸/🇶🇦/🇪🇬 BREAKING: The Prime Minister of Qatar officially announces a hostage deal and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip!
The initial ceasefire is temporary (1st phase of 43 days) and will transition into a permanent ceasefire when all the requirements are met.
The ceasefire will begin on Sunday.
The war in Gaza is over.
@Middle_East_Spectator
Glory to the Resistance!
alpha tier: yemen, pal action, paragliders and hezbollah the only blessed people of this horror show (and like one hundred draft dodgers in pisrael i guess) (+ 4 (?) brave self-immolation protests in the belly of the beast)
sigma-tier: mena mcdonalds and coca cola sales, turkey oil business, british and american war criminals, germans in general, syria, those fucking dnc ghouls and leftists advocating voting for democrats in amerikkka
wishing idf soldiers very successful career in space programRedNote Rises to Top Spot Amid Looming TikTok Ban - Telesur English
Article
This Chinese app became a haven for content U.S. creators and users seeking an alternative to TikTok. As the potential TikTok ban in the United States drew near, a Chinese social media app named RedNote unexpectedly climbed to the top position on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on Monday.
RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, saw a sudden surge in popularity among American users as TikTok faced a possible ban on January 19, 2025. The app became a haven for content American creators and users seeking an alternative to TikTok.
The app’s sudden rise to prominence in the U.S. came as the Supreme Court was set to rule on enforcing a law that could either ban TikTok or force its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell it to an American firm. This legal uncertainty prompted many TikTok users to seek alternative platforms, with RedNote emerging as a popular choice.
Founded in 2013, RedNote initially focused on overseas shopping advice but has since evolved into a comprehensive lifestyle platform. The app allows users to share product reviews, lifestyle tips and personal experiences through text, images and short videos. In December 2024, RedNote boasted approximately 300 million monthly active users globally. RedNote’s user base consists primarily of young, urban Chinese women, with 70 percent of its users reportedly born after 1990. However, the recent influx of American users has begun to diversify its user demographics.
The platform’s success can be attributed to its unique blend of social media and e-commerce features. Users can share content and purchase products directly through the app, creating a seamless shopping experience. As users flock to RedNote, some are embracing the platform’s international nature. Videos from American users identifying themselves as “TikTok refugees” have begun to appear, with some even reaching out to Chinese members to learn about trending memes in China.
Btw the IMF has an online library where you can download a bunch of their analysis (analyses?) of various regions of the world. Presumably you can learn a lot about how the vampires all think, and where they see potential faultlines in the financial empire of the United States. Same with the world bank, which has a quarterly commodities forecast which talks about the potential price developments in wheat, oil and others.
This is not to encourage people to take their word as gospel, but it's probably a decent idea to know how these specific institutions looks upon the world, since their ideology is so dominant among the ruling elites of the world.
Duma Boko became president of Botswana 2 months ago and he has very promptly demanded that the Americans halt operations in the Thebephatshwa Airbase. In 2019, the EFF also stated that the base presents a direct security threat to South Africa, being less than 400 kilometers away from Gauteng and that an attack would be casus belli for South Africa to engage in conflict with Botswana again. 20 million people live within this 400-kilometer radius with the bulk of them in Gauteng.
Of course, post-Apartheid South Africa and Botswana have maintained generally good relations apart from that one time they undermined the beginnings of academic boycotts against piSSrael. It would take a coup for the relations between the two to go sideways which would create an immediate parallel to the Euromaidan coup over a decade ago.
The Palestinian football team Burj al Luq-Luq has also landed in Cape Town last week and recently, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance scaled the Diamond Building in Johannesburg, hoisting a large Palestinian flag to the building's eastern side antenna.
Death to NATO, Death to AmeriKKKa, Death to piSSrael
Ukrainian MP Bezugla appealed to the US government to stop providing military aid to Ukraine as long as Syrsky remains the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Having the Central Bank "finance" deficits by simply issuing debt to them was the common practice in the west till 1980s. This "central bank independence" is nonsense. It is just a way to transfer the responsibility for austerity to someone else.
It should be seen in a different way. Strain on the external sector due to sanctions and the war forced the Government to deficit spend as the economy went to a recession due to shrinking tax revenues.
This happened in the West too in 2008, when economic collapse resulted in tax revenues going down and unemployment benefits to go up. "Automatic stablizers". If anything, the lack of discretionary spending on recovery in Syria didn't help the economy recover once the war subsided.
The exchange rate depreciation resulted in passthrough inflation. This wasn't the fault of Syrian Government, sanctions were responsible for it. You can look at Iranian Rial and see the same thing when Trump ramped up sanctions.
Argentines Demand President Milei Immediate Delivery of Oncology Medication - Telesur English
Article
His administration dissolved the departments responsible for designing policies for HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy, and hepatitis. On Tuesday, Argentine scientific societies, patient organizations, and unions organize a “Hug for Public Health” demonstration in front of the Health Ministry in Buenos Aires.
This symbolic act aims to demand the immediate delivery of medication to cancer patients and to protest the impact of recent budget cuts on healthcare. “We demand the immediate compliance with the ruling that orders the National Directorate for Direct and Compensatory Assistance (Dinadic) to regularize the delivery of medication to cancer patients and those with rare diseases,” they stated.
In Argentina, over 60 people have died due to not receiving medications from the state. This occurred after far-right President Javier Milei decided to halt the distribution of medication through the Directorate of Direct Assistance for Special Situations (Dadse), an institution that was not audited in 2024.
The secretary of the Federation of Health Professionals of the Argentine Republic (Fesprosa), Jorge Yabkowski, explained that cuts to public programs have caused dramatic situations. “Medication was cut off for over 1,000 patients. Obviously, these were critically ill patients, and the months-long suspension of their medication caused a large number of deaths,” he stated.
The National Front for the Health of People with HIV denounced that, in addition to cutting 76% of funding for people with this disease, the Milei administration dissolved the departments responsible for designing public policies for people with HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy, and hepatitis.
I also recently finished reading International Brigade Against Apartheid by Ronnie Kasrils and this other book, the title of which would certainly give off some
vibes at a first glance by Steven Friedman, published just in November 2023. Despite the otherwise problematic title, the author of the latter gave an interview on CII Radio live and on Newzroom Afrika last year, discussing the launch of his newest book that reads like the South African counterpart to Blackshirts and Reds and he speaks just like George Galloway and Norman Finkelstein.The first book is a collection of war stories and the numerous campaigns against the Apartheid South African regime, more in-depth details of guerilla operations, organized calls of boycott throughout the world, the development of various solidarity movements and a closer examination of the Apartheid government's politics, both internal/domestic and international. While the intent of this book is not necessarily to draw parallels between one former and one current Apartheid entity, many of the actions, goals and the words of the participants of Apartheid has matched exactly with those of piSSrael today. Of course, the Apartheid South Africa's ambitions of a "genocide against most of the continent in self-defence" fell flat.
The second book goes more into detail on the deliberate misuse of the label "antisemitism" against anyone critical of piSSrael (as well as similar tactics employed during the Apartheid in South Africa), the prevalence of Western hypocrisy, the conflation between Judaism and Zionism, supporters of piSSrael overlooking or complicit in actual antisemitism and lastly, the demonization of Palestinian solidarity activism, particularly the targeting of Jewish pro-Palestinians by pro-piSSraeli individuals/governments/organizations mostly in the Western world. Had this book come out in 2024 instead, there would be plenty more to write about the double-standards post 7 October, the university encampments worldwide and repression of Palestinian solidarity movements in the UK and EU. It isn't stated in the book specifically, but Steven Friedman mentioned in an interview by the SAJFP how the end of Apartheid in South Africa had really magnified this conflation. Really, only in South Africa can these words be spoken without putting oneself in danger.
I can't find a PDF of International Brigade Against Apartheid as of right now, but I did find Steven Friedman's book on Libgen
Death to AmeriKKKa
Some news from occupied Palestine.
The Zionist regime admitted that yesterday Palestinian resistance fighters eliminated five more Zionist occupation troops in northern Gaza: https://southfront.press/israeli-army-takes-in-more-losses-in-gaza-as-ceasefire-nears/
Yemen fired another hypersonic Palestine-2 ballistic missile at the Zionist “Defense Ministry” headquarters in Tel Aviv: https://thecradle.co/articles/undeterred-by-us-led-war-yemen-targets-israel-three-times-in-12-hours
Zionist genocidal attacks massacred over 50 civilians in Gaza, including an attack on Gaza City's Shujaiya neighborhood that killed 11 people. https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/14/740875/Israel-kills-50-Palestinians-Gaza-strikes
Special bonus video, a US activist correctly called out Blinken for being a brutal war criminal: https://news-pravda.com/world/2025/01/14/977470.html
Hey news nerds, I'm disappearing for a longer period now due to travel and certain life things that need to be addressed. I'll of course pop in here if something funny or cool happens, but expect a very light posting schedule until spring at least. Before I go, I need help on a few things from you nerds:
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My kid is starting to be fascinated by screens and I feel that we're quickly approaching the cartoon age. I don't want him to watch any brainrot-inducing fascist Cocomelon or make the same mistake that my dad did by accidentally making young kid me watch the American bombing of Iraq on Al Jazeera, so please recommend any communist cartoons for kids.
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Is there any good books on the Arabs of Latin America and West Africa? I've been quite fascinated recently about random Arabs in Latin America and all those Lebanese families in West Africa.
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Another book-question. Any good books about connections between sports and politics? I recently read Angels with Dirty Faces about Argentinian football and politics which was pretty good. I would love some recommendations of similar books.
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South Korean president arrested by anti-corruption investigators after weekslong showdown - CNN
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested for questioning, according to the country’s anti corruption agency, in the latest chapter of a weekslong political saga that began with the embattled president’s shock martial law decree last month. Yoon left his residential compound with investigators in a motorcade Wednesday morning and was taken into custody – the first time such an action has been taken against a sitting president in South Korea.
Yoon is wanted for questioning in multiple investigations related to his short-lived declaration, including over accusations of leading an insurrection – a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty. The embattled president has been holed up in his fortified residence for weeks surrounded by his Presidential Security Service team, evading arrest as he faces several probes and an impeachment trial.
The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is working with police and the defense ministry to investigate Yoon, first attempted to detain him earlier this month, but it failed after an hours-long showdown in which soldiers and members of the presidential security detail blocked some 80 police and investigators from approaching the presidential compound.
Following his arrest, Yoon released a pre-recorded video message Wednesday in which he again dismissed the investigations into him as “illegal” and said “the law is all broken in this country.” “As a president who must protect the constitution and legal system of the Republic of Korea, responding to these illegal and invalid procedures is not an acknowledgment of them, but in the hopes of preventing unsavory bloodshed,” he said.
The warrant allows investigators to hold Yoon for up to 48 hours. The CIO would need to apply for an arrest warrant within that period to detain him further. Groups of supporters and opponents of Yoon were both at the scene Wednesday, with videos from Reuters and CNN affiliate YTN showing demonstrators pulling up in buses and gathering in the streets around Yoon’s compound, despite sub-zero conditions.
Some demonstrators could be heard chanting “resign,” “your time is up” and “take responsibility,” while supporters of the embattled president chanted “invalid impeachment,” “free ROK, hurrah!” and “we won!” The crowds were accompanied by lines of uniformed police, and a combination of police buses and protester buses remained outside the residence, blockading the street.
A YTN video showed a large sign on the back of one bus that read “Insurrection Department – Yoon Suk Yeol” in Korean – a slogan typical of anti-Yoon protests since the president launched his martial law decree last month. A court approved a warrant to detain the president earlier this month after Yoon, a former prosecutor, refused to answer three summonses by investigators in recent weeks asking for his cooperation, according to the CIO.
FEATURING!
The News Megathread Imperialism Reading Group: Week 1 - January 13th to January 19th, 2025
IF YOU WANT TO BE HUGE THEORY NERD THAT DUNKS ON HOGS WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNIST PROBAGANDA DRENCHED BRAINS WITH THE EASE AND FEAST UPON THE CORPSES OF YOUR ENEMIES WITH THE ELEGANCE OF A BEAUTIFUL PURPLE EMPEROR BUTTERFLY NOW'S YOU CHANCE TO GET THE NOGGIN MARINATION GOING!
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO 72T'S POST WHERE IT SAYS
Welcome to the first week of the Imperialism Reading Group!
This will be a weekly thread in which we read through books on and related to imperialism and geopolitics. How many chapters or pages we will cover per week will vary based on the density and difficulty of the book, but I'm generally aiming at 30 to 40 pages per week, which should take you about an hour or two.
The first book we will be covering is the foundation, the one and only, Lenin's Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism. We will read two chapters per week starting from this week, meaning that we will finish reading in mid-to-late February. Unless a better suggestion is made, we will then cover Michael Hudson's Super Imperialism, and continue with various books from there.
Every week, I will write a summary of the chapter(s) read, for those who have already read the book and don't wish to reread, can't follow along for various reasons, or for those joining later who want to dive right in to the next book without needing to pick this one up too.
This week, we will be reading Chapter 1: Concentration of Production and Monopolies, and Chapter 2: Banks and their New Role.
Please comment or message me directly if you wish to be pinged for this group. (Meaning you poke 72T not me. don't make me play telephone!)
Several Russian media outlets are reporting that two Brazilian mercenary groups were destroyed in Kursk. According to reports, the surviving mercenaries are trying to contact Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) by satellite for help evacuating the area.
The Russian government estimates that there are 241 Brazilian mercenaries fighting with Ukraine, most of whom are former Brazilian military or police officers. In 2016, Civil Police in the Southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul discovered that members of the fascist Azov militia were recruiting members of illegal Brazilian Neo-nazi groups in 11 cities to fight for right wing militias in Donbas.
Hirono also asked him about reports of excessive drinking. Hegseth has told Republican senators in meetings over the last month that he will not drink on the job.
Republicans dismissed the allegations. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., noted that Democratic senators had asked Hegseth about his drinking, saying, “How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it, because I know you have,” Mullin said to his colleagues.
🤣🤣🤣
While this comment is a bit out there, I beg everyone to hear me out: the strongest sign I've seen that the potential ceasefire in Gaza is expected to go ahead and last for the next few months, has to do with the activities of Ansar Allah (known as the Houthis in mainstream western media) and their latest operations, with regards to the types of missiles that they are using in their attacks. Now again I know that might sound mad, but I'll explain my thoughts below.
My analysis
Ansar Allah are an interesting party to follow because they have operated, throughout this confrontation with Israel to try stop the genocide in Gaza and ease the pressure on them, on a first in last out model. They were some of the first to fire directly at Israel, launching Qadr ballistic missiles at the port of Eliat in Israel on the 6th November 2023, resulting in the first instance of space combat in history when Israeli Arrow-3 interceptor missiles intercepted it. They also began operations against Israel on the 19th October 2023, before Israel even launched their full invasion of Gaza on the 27th. So they will, I assume, be one of, if not the last, groups to cease fire on Israel. Which makes their recent operations interesting.
I'll start with their operations against US Navy aircraft carrier battle groups. Ever since the attack that resulted in the US Navy downing their own F/A-18F aircraft via friendly fire, Ansar Allah have exclusively used cruise missiles and drones to attack the carrier groups and no Anti Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBMs). I think it's been four times in a row now that they've attacked the US Navy without using ASBMs, according to their own press releases. This is extremely odd in my view, considering that Ansar Allah made use of these weapons in the past in large numbers. The first attack can be explained by a change of strategy, but four times in a row, without achieving the same results as the first attack? Their Iranian designed Manoeuvrable Re-entry Vehicle (MARV) equipped ASBMs are the most sophisticated and modern anti ship weapons in the Ansar Allah and Iranian arsenal, in fact Ansar Allah are the first group in history to use ASBMs in warfare. So why have these weapons disappeared from the battlefield?
Secondly, we can look at their recent attacks against Israel. In the last few weeks, Ansarallah started using Zulfiqar series ballistic missiles in their attacks against Israel and not just Palestine-2 ballistic missiles, as confirmed by their own press releases and photos of missile debris from a new type of missile. The only missile in the Zulfiqar series that has the range to hit Israel from Yemen is the Haj Qasem missile, named after Qasem Soleimani. The debris found a few weeks ago matched this missile. And today, a missile booster stage that got lodged in the attic of a house in Israel was removed, and this booster stage matches the Haj Qasem missile, I'll post an image below. Also a cruise missile was launched against Israel, the first in a long time as usually only ballistic missiles and drones are used.
So Ansar Allah is now using Zulfiqar series ballistic missiles cruise missiles on attacks against Israel, and not exclusively using Palestine-2 missiles and drones as they did previously. Now while both the Haj Qasem and Palestine-2 ballistic missiles are MARV equipped, the Palestine-2 is the more advanced missile. I've seen it described as a battlefield prototype using technologies from both the Kheibar Shekan series and the Fattah-1 missiles, the most advanced operational missiles in Iran's arsenal, with highly manoeuvrable and aerodynamic MARVs capable of long glide phases, and a sustainer rocket motor attached to the MARV itself on the Fattah-1. This is why Iran and Ansar Allah call these weapons hypersonic weapons. Fattah literally means "the opener". These are special purpose weapons. By contrast, the Haj Qasem missile is a way of extending the range the common MaRV of the Zulfiqar series missiles to 1400+km by fitting it to a giant booster stage, this same MARV is used on the Zoheir, original Zulfiqar, Dezful and Haj Qasem. So it's more of a general purpose weapon.
With the trend of Ansar Allah using less sophisticated weapons to carry out their recent attacks now being established, the question is why is this happening. Is Iran no longer giving Ansar Allah the shipments of the parts and materials needed to assemble and manufacture these weapons because they expect a ceasefire? Or have Ansar Allah themselves made the decision to stop producing these weapons because of an upcoming ceasefire? I think such is a definite possibility.
Ballistic missiles with a long enough range to hit Israel from Yemen are expensive, and highly advanced bespoke weapons like the Palestine-2, even more so. We're taking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions of dollars per missile. Iraq bought SCUD B missiles for 1 million US dollars per missile (including long term support) back before the Gulf War. That works out to over 2.5 million US dollars per missile today. And solid fueled MARV capable missiles are more sophisticated than SCUDs. The first MARV capable missile, the United States' Pershing II missile, the cost per unit works out to 10 million US dollars in today's money, when adjusted for inflation. ASBMs require advanced terminal guidance systems in the warhead itself such as radars and electro optical sensors that can survive atmospheric re-entry, this is obviously very expensive. Yemen is one of the poorest countries on earth, they will not spend the money and resources required to produce or acquire such missiles unnecessarily. If there's a ceasefire on the horizon, there's no need for these weapons or to burn through the stockpiles of the most advanced stuff, deterrence can be established using cheaper and less sophisticated systems, at least for now.
Just learned that not only is TikTok likely getting banned, but CapCut is too, which is a video editing software that helps with automatically adding in mandarin subtitles to your videos. Making RedNote harder for people. These cowardly pricks lol
The United States takes steps in the right direction, but the blockade remains. - Cuban Goverment
Cuban Goverment
On January 14, 2025, the U.S. government announced the decision to: 1) exclude Cuba from the State Department's list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism; 2) make use of the presidential prerogative to prevent action in U.S. courts against lawsuits filed under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act; and 3) eliminate the list of restricted Cuban entities that designates a group of institutions with which U.S. citizens and institutions are prohibited from engaging in financial transactions, which has had an effect on third countries.
Despite its limited nature, this is a decision in the right direction and in line with the sustained and firm demand of the government and people of Cuba, and with the broad, emphatic and reiterated call of numerous governments, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, of Cubans living abroad, of political, religious and social organizations, and of numerous political figures in the United States and other countries. The government of Cuba thanks everyone for their contribution and sensitivity.
This decision puts an end to specific coercive measures that, along with many others, cause serious damage to the Cuban economy, with a severe effect on the population. This is and has been an issue in Cuba's official exchanges with the U.S. government. It is important to point out that the economic blockade and a good part of the dozens of coercive measures that were put into effect since 2017 to reinforce it remain in force, with full extraterritorial effect and in violation of International Law and the human rights of all Cubans.
To cite just a few examples, the illegal and aggressive persecution of fuel supplies that Cuba has a legitimate right to import continues. The cruel and absurd persecution of Cuba's legitimate international medical cooperation agreements with other countries continues, threatening to deprive millions of people of health services and limiting the potential of Cuba's public health system. Cuba's international financial transactions or those of any nationals that are related to Cuba remain under prohibition and retaliation. Merchant ships docking in Cuba also remain under threat.
On the other hand, every U.S. citizen, company and subsidiary entity of a U.S. corporation is prohibited from trading with Cuba or Cuban entities, except for very restricted and regulated exceptions. Harassment, intimidation and threats against the national of any country that intends to trade with or invest in Cuba continue to be official U.S. policy. Cuba continues to be a destination that the U.S. government prohibits its citizens from visiting.
The economic war remains and persists in posing the fundamental obstacle to the development and recovery of the Cuban economy with a high human cost for the population, and continues to be a stimulus to emigration.
The decision announced today by the United States corrects, in a very restricted way, aspects of a cruel and unjust policy. It is a correction that occurs now, on the verge of a change of government, when it should have been made years ago, as an elementary act of justice, without demanding anything in return and without fabricating pretexts to justify inaction, if it was desired to act correctly. In order to exclude Cuba from the arbitrary list of State sponsors of terrorism, it should have been enough to acknowledge the truth, the total absence of reasons for such designation and the exemplary performance of our country in the fight against terrorism, which even U.S. government agencies have admitted.
It is known that the government of that country could reverse in the future the measures adopted today, as has happened on other occasions and as a sign of the lack of legitimacy, ethics, consistency and reason in its conduct against Cuba.
To do so, U.S. politicians do not usually stop to find honest justification, as long as the vision described in 1960 by then Assistant Secretary of State Lester Mallory, and the goal he described of subduing the Cubans by means of economic encirclement, misery, hunger and desperation, remains in force. They would not stop at justifications as long as that government continues to be incapable of recognizing and accepting Cuba's right to self-determination, and as long as it continues to be willing to assume the political cost of international isolation caused by its genocidal and illegal policy of economic asphyxiation against Cuba.
Cuba will continue to confront and denounce this policy of economic warfare, the interference programs and the disinformation and discrediting operations financed every year with tens of millions of dollars from the U.S. federal budget. It will also remain willing to develop a relationship of respect with that country, based on dialogue and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, despite differences.
Havana, January 14, 2025
Imagine waking up as the CEO of ByteDance and seeing people outside of China refer to your competitor as "Chinese Tiktok."
Biden will remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/14/politics/biden-remove-cuba-from-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-list
moo deng endorses trump
trump, being the puppet of moo deng, forces the pissrael to accept ceasefire
are you still not trusting her plan anon ?
confused whether more recent tweet talks same or been some developments in pisrael
The United States removes Cuba from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism - White House
Memorandum
The United States maintains as the core objective of our policy the need for more freedom and democracy, improved respect for human rights, and increased free enterprise in Cuba. Achieving these goals will require practical engagement with Cuba and the Cuban people beyond what is outlined in NSPM-5, and that takes into account recent developments in Cuba and the changing regional and global context.
Accordingly, I hereby revoke NSPM-5.
Section 1. Revocation. NSPM-5 is hereby revoked. Accordingly, the Secretary of State shall immediately rescind the list developed in accordance with Section 3(a)(i) of NSPM-5, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall initiate a process to adjust current regulations as a result of this revocation of NSPM-5.
Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i)the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
End of fact checks only applies to the US, says Meta to the Brazilian government.
The company claims to be “committed to human rights” and that it is seeking a “balance” between freedom of expression and security. Meta said that the end of the company's fact-checking program on social networks will initially only take place in the United States. According to the company, the initiative will be tested and improved before expanding to other countries.
“Meta hereby clarifies that it is currently shutting down its independent Fact Check Program in the United States only, where we will test and improve Community Notes before beginning any expansion to other countries,” says the document sent to the Brazilian government.
https://www.mining.com/barrick-halts-operations-in-mali-after-245m-gold-seized/
The Mali government yoinked a bunch of gold from Barrick, Barrick in turn suspended the mining operation. That project has been a pretty big chunk of state revenue in the past, so with operations stopped that will dry up. The question now is whether Barrick will agree to new terms and restart it, if the state will seize it and do Malians Going Their Own Way, or if it will just languish in project limbo.
Today’s news and videos from the Donbass.
Russian forces liberated the western Donetsk People’s Republic settlement of Neskuchnoye (southwest of Kiev-occupied Velikaya Novosyolka) and the northern DPR settlement of Terny (northeast of Kiev-occupied Krasny Liman): https://sputnikglobe.com/20250114/russian-army-liberates-neskuchnoye-and-terny-settlements-in-donbass-1121427446.html
Russian air defenses shot down six US-supplied “ATACMS” missiles and eight British-supplied “Storm Shadow” cruise missiles over the past 24 hours: https://sputnikglobe.com/20250114/ukraine-loses-over-1600-soldiers-in-battles-as-russia-liberates-two-settlements-1121427183.html
Russian self-propelled howitzer in action (video): https://s5.cdnstatic.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/mat.mp4?_=3
WaPo endorses most of Trump's right-wing cabinet picks
Not news but inspired by this week's COTW I wrote something about what Danish social democrats were up to during the cold war:
AIC: The Cold War Anti-communist Intelligence Agency Of Denmark's Social Democrats
The Labour Movement Information Centre (AIC), founded in 1944 by Denmark's Social Democrats and trade unions, was a secretive anti-communist organization. It monitored and undermined communist influence in workplaces and collaborated with the domestic security state and foreign intelligence agencies, including the CIA. The AIC's operations included surveillance, propaganda, and counter-infiltration.
It appears that the latest round of negotiations for a ceasefire deal between Gaza and Israel, which started in earnest late in December last year, are closer than ever before to a ceasefire.
One of the final stumbling blocks, the release of female Israeli soldiers and their classification in a hostage release/exchange deal (should female Israeli soldiers be released at the same time/in the same group as male soldiers and military aged males (18-50 years old), or at the same time as civilian women, children and elderly men over 50) has been worked out in the latest draft proposal.
Latest reporting states that a decision has been made, female Israeli soldiers will be released alongside civilians and the elderly in the first phase of a hostage exchange deal, with male Israeli soldiers and military aged Israeli males being released at a later date, in a second phase of a potential hostage exchange and ceasefire agreement. The hostage "exchange rate" for the first stage involving female Israeli soldiers and civilians/the elderly is said to be 50 Palestinian prisoners for every female Israeli soldier, and 30 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli civilian or elderly male.
So a compromise was reached: female Israeli soldiers now enjoy the same classification as civilian women, children and elderly men in a hostage exchange, but at the cost of more Palestinian prisoners being released. I won't comment on the ethics of that... Anthony Blinken is set to release his proposal for the third stage of the ceasefire agreement, the rebuilding and governance of Gaza, later today. Let's hope that he doesn't screw everything up. Can't believe that the whole deal now hinges on Blinken
not messing it up.Al Jazeera, 14 January 2025: Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel, Hamas at ‘closest point’ – Qatar
Relevant excerpt
Israeli media have leaked details of the potential ceasefire deal which will reportedly be implemented in three stages:
In the first stage, 33 Israeli captives being held in Gaza will be released. In turn, Israel will free 50 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each female soldier, and 30 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining civilians being held captive. The reports also say Israel will completely withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor – the strip of land between the borders of Gaza and Egypt – at the end of the first phase of the deal.
The second stage will start 16 days into the ceasefire and will focus on negotiations to release the remaining men and soldiers held in Gaza.
The third stage of the deal will address long-term arrangements, including discussions on establishing an alternative government in Gaza and plans to rebuild it. Other details about the reported deal focus on security, with checks said to be carried out by an international body, and Israel allowing one million Palestinians back in the northern Gaza Strip.
Reuters, 14 January 2025: Main points of the Gaza ceasefire proposal
Relevant excerpts
HOSTAGE RETURN.
- In the first stage, 33 hostages would be set free. These include children, women including female soldiers, men above 50, wounded and sick. Israel believes most are alive but has had no official confirmation from Hamas.
- The first stage would last 60 days. If it proceeds as planned, on the 16th day from the deal taking effect, negotiations would start on a second stage during which the remaining living hostages - male soldiers and younger civilian males - would be released and the bodies of dead hostages returned.
- In return for the hostages, Israel will free from its jails more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including convicts serving long sentences for deadly attacks.
- Hamas fighters who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel would not be released.
TROOP WITHDRAWAL.
The withdrawal would be phased, with Israeli forces remaining in the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages.
- There would be security arrangements at the Philadelphi corridor bordering Egypt, along the southern edge of Gaza, with Israel withdrawing from parts of it after the first few days of the deal.
- Unarmed North Gaza residents would be allowed back, with a mechanism to ensure no weapons are moved there. Israeli troops will withdraw from the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.
- The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza will start to work gradually, allowing the passage of those who are sick and humanitarian cases out of the enclave for treatment.
Axios News, 14 January 2024: Blinken to present post-war plan for Gaza on Tuesday
relevant excerpt
Blinken's plan is based on establishing a governing mechanism that will include the involvement of international community and Arab countries that could also send troops to Gaza to stabilize the security situation and deliver humanitarian aid.
- The speech will call for reform of the Palestinian Authority, while making clear the PA must be a part of any future government in Gaza.
- The Israeli government wants Arab countries to be involved in a post-war Gaza but has so far refused to agree to any day-after plan which includes the involvement of the Palestinian Authority.
- Blinken's speech will also reiterate the principles he laid out in Tokyo early in the war and that object to any permanent Israeli occupation of Gaza, the decrease of its territory or the forced transfer of Palestinians from Gaza.
With this update, DJI’s Fly and Pilot flight app operators will see prior DJI geofencing datasets replaced to display official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data. Areas previously defined as Restricted Zones (also known as No-Fly Zones) will be displayed as Enhanced Warning Zones, aligning with the FAA's designated areas. In these zones, in-app alerts will notify operators flying near FAA designated controlled airspace, placing control back in the hands of the drone operators, in line with regulatory principles of the operator bearing final responsibility.
DJI drones are just free drones traveling the land now
Sad news that former Venezuelan Attorney General Isaías Rodríguez has passed away aged 82. Rodríguez was a key figure in the 2002 coup, standing firm against the putschist elites and telling the world that Chávez had not resigned. He was always an admired voice in Chavismo.
During his administration he had to deal with controversial cases and difficult situations such as the events of April 11, 2002 (Military Coup), the oil strike (Bourgeoisie Coup Attempt) or national civic strike (Legislative Coup) or the assassination of Prosecutor Danilo Anderson, among others.
A freshly published Taipei Times report has focused on an important announcement made at a recent government press conference. Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs of Taiwan, J.W. Kuo, stated that TSMC is now allowed to manufacture 2 nm chips on foreign soil—according to him, the foundry behemoth is "cautiously" evaluating an investment of roughly $28 to 30 (USD) billion into 2-nanometer production facilities Stateside.
His colleagues have worked hard—in the past—on preserving the country's "Silicon Shield," but fresh adjustments are sweeping in. Kuo commented: "those were old-time rules. Times have changed." TSMC's—allegedly costly—North American hub is reportedly marked down for a "by 2030" push into 2 nm process territories.
2030 is not 2027, but porky does as sovereign porky commanded (for reference tsmc claims 2nm by 2026-2027 for big beans like apple, and mass production a couple of years later)
China announces the largest trade surplus the world has ever seen: almost US$ 1 trillion. The highest Chinese surplus so far had been US$ 838 billion - in 2022.
China exported almost US$ 1 trillion more goods than it imported in 2024. A spokesman for the General Administration of Customs said that the country exported US$3.58 trillion in goods and services, and imported US$2.59 trillion - creating a surplus of US$990 billion, a world record. The highest Chinese surplus so far had been US$838 billion - in 2022.
Chinese factories produce a third of all manufactured goods in the world. More than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea and the United Kingdom combined, according to 2022 data from the United Nations. In the last decade, China has gone from importing cars to becoming the world's largest exporter. Chinese companies produce almost all the solar panels sold on the planet. At the same time, the Chinese have been importing less. The Chinese government spokesman said that if other countries hadn't politicized trade, China would have imported more.
why on earth people were whining about low chinese bond yields btw, i missed that episode?
(to keep newsworthy #beanwatch update: cocoa is still at 11 k a ton, and coffee is still at 320, but both been steady for a month (awaiting new #beanclimb in the spring)
China May Sell TikTok to Elon Musk If App Banned in US, Bloomberg Reports
The US Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to uphold a law requiring Chinese company ByteDance to stop TikTok operations in the US by January 19.
Senior Chinese officials have already begun discussing contingency plans as part of discussions about how to work with the Donald Trump administration, one of which involves Musk. One scenario discussed in Beijing would see the businessman's social media company X take control of TikTok's U.S. arm.
After all these miserable years of knowing who Charlie Kirk is, it’s still refreshing to know that the underground tankie photoshop brigade sneaks in to shrink his face in every one of his pictures
Another unrelated rant
One thing israhell will never admit is that their envy of Ireland. Almost no one hates Irish, anyone who knows 2 things about their history will welcome them, while israhellis forever will have risk of being confronted for their war crimes if they ever go to another country. I should send some baklava to my Irish neighbour
New — Asked Speaker Johnson about placing conditions on aid to California, and he tells us: “I think there should be conditions on that aid.” Said that’s his personal view before talking with the conference.
Also says “there’s some discussion” within the House GOP about tying the debt limit increase to the aid “but we will see how it goes.”
Aid to rebuild after natural disasters often is approved without any conditions and with significant bipartisan support. But there could be a big fight over the California aid in the coming weeks.
seeing the USA self-balkanizing itself over petty duopoly party conflicts is really funny
SHOT:
https://x.com/academic_la/status/1878889705837842653
Israel has capitulated on several factors, allowing for a deal to be reached:
- Isreal has agreed to withdraw FULLY from Gaza leaving no troops or security zone. That includes a full withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor.
- It has agreed to allow Hamas to rule Gaza. That is not in the agreement, but there is also no mechanism to remove Hamas.
- Israel has agreed not to exile released prisoners but rather let them into Gaza again.
- Israel has waived its demand for a list of live hostages.
- It has agreed to allow residents to return to northern Gaza with only symbolic security measures.
- Israel agreed to accept dead bodies in the first stage.
All of these were red lines for Israel at one point. It is remarkable that all of them are being waived. The victory for Hamas is remarkable.
The reason this happened is clear. Despite incredible victories on the battlefield, Israel has not offered a political program to replace Hamas or moved to remove them from Gaza as a governing force. It has failed to translate IDF gains into political ones. That has, in essence, nullified all of its military achievements.
Given the reaction from other Israeli media, this seems to generally be accurate. Supposedly this is happening because Trump told Netanyahu to have a deal in place by his inauguration or else.
CHASER:
On Greenland, it looks like the USA already got some of what they wanted recently, I made a comment on it earlier, I'll just repost it here.
US lobbied Greenland rare earths developer Tanbreez not to sell to China, Reuters, January 9 2025
Article excerpts
Greg Barnes, CEO of privately held Tanbreez Mining, said U.S. officials who visited the project in southern Greenland twice last year had repeatedly shared a message with the cash-strapped company: do not sell the large deposit to a Beijing-linked buyer.
Barnes ultimately sold Tanbreez to New York-based Critical Metals (CRML.O), as part of a complex deal that will be complete later this year. Tanbreez aims to mine 500,000 metric tons annually of the crimson rare earths-containing mineral eudialyte as soon as 2026.
"There was a lot of pressure not to sell to China," Tony Sage, CEO of Critical Metals, told Reuters. Barnes accepted payment of $5 million cash and $211 million in Critical Metals stock for Tanbreez, far less than Chinese firms offered, Sage said.
Barnes said offers from Chinese and other parties were not relevant because they had not clearly outlined how they could pay.
Neither executive disclosed which officials they met with or identified the Chinese companies that made offers.
Moving onto the next section
Critical Metals applied for funding to develop a rare earths processing facility from the U.S. Department of Defense last year, but the review process has stalled ahead of Trump taking office on Jan. 20. Sage said he expects talks to resume after Trump's inauguration and that Trump's transition team has already contacted him.
"We're already in discussions with the U.S. to sell (rare earths) to the U.S. and build the processing plant in the U.S.," he said.
Critical Metals' third-largest investor is brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald (CNTOR.UL), led by Howard Lutnick, who Trump nominated to run the U.S. Commerce Department. Sage said he has never met or talked to Lutnick, but acknowledged Cantor's investment is a positive for his company.
The Tanbreez deposit is about 30% heavy rare earths, which are used widely in defense applications. The site also contains gallium, which China imposed export restrictions on last year.
Critical Metals has held supply talks with defense contractor Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), and has upcoming talks with RTX (RTX.N), and Boeing (BA.N), Sage said.
NVIDIA Statement on the Biden Administration’s Misguided ‘AI Diffusion’ Rule
Wow. Did not expect such strong language in an official statement from a publicly traded company.
That global progress is now in jeopardy. The Biden Administration now seeks to restrict access to mainstream computing applications with its unprecedented and misguided “AI Diffusion” rule, which threatens to derail innovation and economic growth worldwide.
While cloaked in the guise of an “anti-China” measure, these rules would do nothing to enhance U.S. security. The new rules would control technology worldwide, including technology that is already widely available in mainstream gaming PCs and consumer hardware. Rather than mitigate any threat, the new Biden rules would only weaken America’s global competitiveness, undermining the innovation that has kept the U.S. ahead.
I can't say that I disagree. This really is one of the most demented policies of the whole Biden administration. Even from the POV of an imperialist, restricting half of NATO from one of your top exports makes zero sense...
Can someone reply to this saying maduro is president? i got banned https://old.reddit.com/r/somethingiswrong2024/comments/1i17iuf/truly_what_was_the_point_of_releasing_the_report/
Greenland's Stolen Children
In 1951 a group of 22 Greenlandic children were ripped from their families and communities and shipped to Denmark as part of a social experiment. The children were made to speak Danish and sent to Danish schools. The children were meant to become role models for a new bilingual school system and to get ahead in life by forming the nucleus of a colonial comprador elite in Greenland.
Very little came of the grand designs and the children suffered the consequences for the rest of their lives.
Amid UN demands for decolonisation after WWII the Danish colonial regime had big plans for modernisering Greenland. They saw the Danish language as an important part of the effort and believed Inuit language and culture to be backwards and primitive, an albatross around the neck of a modern Greenland. Together with the Red Cross and Save The Children the Danish regime hatched the plan to make the children become "civilised" by assimilating into Danish culture and learning the Danish language.
Local Danish priests in Greenland were tasked with selecting the children, who were all supposed to be orphans, six to seven years old, healthy and intelligent. When they failed to find enough eligible children requirenents were relaxed. Out of 22 trafficked children only six were actual orphans and the oldest child in the scheme was nine years old. Families were misled to give up their children, being made to believe that the separation would only be temporary.
The children were supposed to stay at Save The Children's summer camps in Denmark and later on with Danish foster parents for 15 months. But the stay was prolonged as the construction of the orphanage in Nuuk they were supposed to return to got delayed. Eventually six children were adopted by their Danish foster parents with the remaining 16 returning to Greenland. The children's families had not been told that the children would stay in an orphanage instead of going home to their communities.
The returning children had forgotten the Greenlandic language so when they got back to Nuuk they were sent to school with Danish-speaking children, defying the programme's stated goal of "bridging" Danish and Greenlandic society. They were seen as foreign by both Greenlanders and Danes and struggled with loss of identity. The geographical distance as well as the linguistic barrier alienated them from their families for life.
The children stayed at the orphanage until they turned 15. Most of them eventually moved to Denmark, a few moved to other countries and only six stayed in Greenland. Of the 16 children in the orphanage three completed higher education, seven of them did not complete any secondary education. Half of the children would grow up to struggle with substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness. Many were affected by unemployment. Half of the 22 children in the scheme died before turning 70.
At no point does the surviving archival material suggest any concerns for the wellbeing of the children among those responsible. Nobody was asking about consequences due the children. It was seen as a given that assimilation to Danish culture was beneficial.
It was not until 2020 that the Danish state would give the children an official apology. In 2021 six surviving children sued the Danish state, the case was settled in 2022 with each victim receiving a DKK 250.000 compensation. In 2024 four of the Greenlandic children who had been adopted by Danish families sued the state for a similar compensation.
To this day the trafficking of the 22 children is a national trauma for Greenland and is seen as an example of the colonial mentality and disregard for Inuit culture that still festers as a dark undercurrent in Danish-Greenlandic relations.
Psaki: I'm assuming he didn't bring up his intention to publicly say he was going to annex through economic means Canada
Trudeau: When I started to suggest there could be a trade for Vermont or California, he immediately decided that it was not not that funny anymore.
You know he's lying because Trump would 100% jokingly trade off California for Alberta or some shit
Australian pilot Daniel Duggan to fight US extradition order
In short: Lawyers for Daniel Duggan's family are challenging his extradition to the United States in the Federal Court. The former US Marines pilot is due to face charges for allegedly training Chinese military pilots. What's next? Mr Duggan was due to be extradited by February, but this will now be paused until a judicial review is finalised.
Daniel Dumbrill interviewed Robbie Barwick from the Australian Citizens Party about it on his channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj32_Y8G_3Q
Given the massive influx of TikTok users to the Chinese app Xiaohongshu (aka “Little Red Book”) I’ve decided to hold the first ever semi-official Hexbear Agitprop Contest. You can read more about what is going on and the contest here.
I hope to see some posting or input on the contest concept from our big beautiful comrades
The Norwegian state media has published a new article in its anti-China fearmongering series:
Shipping company with eyes on Kirkenes is blacklisted by the US
full article
Shipping company with eyes on Kirkenes is blacklisted by the USA
Several Chinese companies present in Norway are accused of having military ties.
The U.S. military has placed China's large shipping company China Ocean Shipping Company (Cosco) on its "blacklist."
The company has invested in ports internationally and has also shown interest in the port of Kirkenes.
The company is now on the U.S. Department of Defense's list of Chinese companies allegedly linked to the Chinese military, which Cosco denies.
Professor Kåre Dahl Martinsen at the Institute for Defense Studies wrote a book on geopolitical economic warfare last year. He says this is a clear signal from the American authorities.
– It is a signal from the USA to China that "we are keeping an eye on you."
– What kind of list is this?
– This is a warning list from the American authorities. They consider that this company serves the interests of the Chinese military and they warn American public actors against using it.
Interest in Kirkenes
Cosco has gained an increasingly stronger foothold in European ports in recent years.
They have established themselves in Rotterdam and Antwerp, and also manage the port of Piraeus in Athens, which is one of the most important ports in Europe.
As recently as 2022, Cosco also acquired a stake in the port of Hamburg in Germany, despite warnings from the EU Commission. They feared that sensitive information about the activities in the port could be sent to the Chinese authorities.
In Norway, the Intelligence Service has pointed this out and warned against it happening here as well.
Even though Cosco has an office in Norway, the group has no container ships or terminals in the country. They use local partners to transport their goods.
They offer shipping to and from the ports in Kristiansand, Brevik, Larvik, Oslo, Moss, Fredrikstad, Bergen, Ålesund, Tananger, Orkanger, Haugesund, Måløy, and Sortland.
In Kirkenes, the company has shown clear interest in further activity at the port there.
The mayor of Kirkenes, Magnus Mæland, believes that the U.S. "blacklisting" of Cosco illustrates how Kirkenes is a unique place that must deal with what happens in the rest of the world.
– We already know that the security authorities have been clear about the risks of Chinese presence. The relationship with China is a difficult balancing act where it is in Norway's interest to trade with China. But at the same time, we must be careful not to become dependent, says Mæland.
"It is clear that when Norway's closest allies blacklist companies, it is something the Norwegian authorities must take into account." This is complicated, and once again I must refer to the government on how this should be addressed, says the mayor of Kirkenes.
NRK has previously reported how the port manager in Kirkenes worked for a year and a half to establish a collaboration with Cosco.
According to Kirkenes port, the dialogue has revolved around leasing or using areas, but the port should still have Norwegian owners.
After NRK reported on the dialogue between Kirkenes port and the Chinese state-owned company, the government issued a clear message that they would not allow Chinese establishments.
Hope the Cosco-flirt is put on hold
Kåre Dahl Martinsen, who is a professor of Norwegian security policy at the Norwegian Defence University College, believes that the U.S. blacklisting of Cosco should have consequences for the assessment in Kirkenes.
– I hope this leads to the Cosco plans in Kirkenes being put on hold.
– Why is that?
"If this is a company that both the USA and the EU consider a tool for Chinese influence, then one must ask whether we should allow Kirkenes port to become a place where China can exert significant influence, when the port plays a key role in Norwegian preparedness," says Dahl Martinsen, referring to warnings against Cosco in the EU parliament.
Now he points out that Kirkenes is NATO's closest port to the Russian Northern Fleet.
– We are increasingly seeing that China and Russia are operating together. They are not there just for the sake of it.
Cosco responds
NRK has contacted Cosco Norway for a comment. They refer to a statement from the headquarters, which says they will contact the Pentagon to be removed from the list of companies that are warned against.
"Cosco Shipping and its subsidiaries have always followed local laws and regulations, and adhered to strict compliance in all international operations."
We emphasize that none of the mentioned companies are "Chinese military companies." We will work with U.S. authorities to clarify this. Being on this list does not entail any sanctions or export controls, and our global activities are not affected by this," the statement from the headquarters reads.
More companies on the list
The main purpose of the American list, according to U.S. authorities, is to identify and dissuade American companies from doing business with these entities. The list is updated regularly and was released in a new edition on January 7.
In addition to Cosco Shipping, several well-known Chinese companies were listed:
- Tencent – which owns Norway's largest gaming company Funcom
- CATL – the car battery manufacturer that supplies Tesla batteries
- China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) – which is one of Equinor's Chinese partners
From earlier, other friends of Norway are also on the list:
- ChinaChem, which owns Elkem
- The technology company Huawei
- Drone giant DJI
- The video surveillance companies Hikvision and Dahua
- China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) is another state-owned company on the list, primarily engaged in engineering and construction activities.
The relevant ministries have not yet provided any answers to NRK's questions about the matter.
Translation of the little "series introduction" attached to the bottom of the article:
In a series of articles, we examine Chinese influence and dependency in Norway, the Arctic, and Northern Europe. We are collaborating with colleagues in many countries to take a closer look at, among other things, espionage and technology theft, but also acquisitions, disinformation, and propaganda.
We have written about the diplomatic fallout after a woman posed in military uniform at a Chinese celebration in Svalbard, revealed that Kirkenes Port has been working for months to establish cooperation with the controversial shipping giant Cosco, and that the Government is being criticized for failing to balance local business interests and national security when it comes to China.
While this new article isn't particularly interesting, the highlighted article, published in early November, included this fun tidbit:
This is shown by surveys NRK has conducted in collaboration with the American media house Radio Free Asia (RFA)
Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh’s strong message to Donald Trump: “Canada is not for sale”
As if Canada isn't already a lapdog who sold out ages ago, and a resource colony of the US.
whoopsies, i originally posted in the wrong thread so i'm gonna edit and add news
CW: mentions of SA here, more detail in links
Recent developments on the fascist zionist regime doing fascist zionist regime things
:From Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor: Israel must be added to UN’s sexual violence blacklist
Israel’s consistent obstructions of all United Nations investigations into allegations of sexual violence since 7 October 2023 is profoundly concerning. These obstructions, coupled with substantial evidence indicating systematic and widespread acts ofremoved and other forms of sexual violence by Israeli forces against Palestinians, including prisoners and detainees, constitute grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. [...] It was disclosed last Wednesday that Israel has once again denied authorisation for an investigation by the UN Special Representative on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, Pramila Patten. This refusal reportedly stems from concerns that a comprehensive investigation would expose Israel’s systematic use of massremoved against Palestinians, including women and children, as Patten had insisted that access to Israeli detention centres to investigate allegations against Israeli soldiers was a crucial requirement for the process.
From Haaretz: Israel Blocks UN Probe Into Hamas Sexual Crimes From October 7 to Avoid Inquiry Into Abuse of Palestinians
The UN's special representative on conflict-related sexual violence asked to investigate Hamas' alleged crimes on October 7 and towards the hostages, but Israel refused her request to access Israeli detention facilities to examine claims of IDF abuse. Israeli women's rights groups warn this could lead to Israel, instead of Hamas, being added to the UN's sexual violence blacklist
Elon Musk has claimed that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer "sent agents to America to undermine the US election!" This is how an entrepreneur from Trump's team commented on the publication in X about Starmer not being invited to the inauguration.
Musk has previously said Washington should step in and "liberate" the people of Britain by changing the government. According to the FT, Musk is exploring ways to destabilise the Labour government with the help of his allies.
Why does he give a shit about the UK?
Immigration raid on ag. Workers in Kern county, Central Valley of California.
Keeping The Dark Money Red And White: Danish Regime Scrambles To Prevent Musk's Interference
Afraid of the potential of American far-right conspiracy theorist and oligarch Elon Musk interfering in the electoral process, Denmark's Liberal and Moderate parties are now proposing a ban on foreign campaign contributions to political parties. The two parties make up two thirds of the Social Democrat-led regime ruling the Nordic hermit kingdom.
Musk's recent endorsement of Germany's fascist AfD party has stoked fear of similar developments across Europe. In Denmark the more mainstream right-wing parties like the Liberal and the Moderate parties stands to lose if the far right grows.
However, attempts to stop hostile oligarchs from tipping the scales are being hamstrung by notoriously lax Danish campaign funding laws. Decades of weak regulations, minimal transparency and a near-total absence of enforcement and accountability has resulted in especially the right wing being funded by secretive streams of dark money.
Musk could easily skirt the ban by giving the money through the Danish subsidiary of Tesla, which would turn the money domestic through legal sleight of hand. If the donation exceeds USD 3.000 the recipient would have to declare they received money from Tesla, but not the actual amount. Even that minimun of disclosure can be easily avoided by laundering the money through a so-called "money club", a private association existing exclusively to dodge campaign funding laws, effectively erasing all traces to the donor. The usage of "money clubs" is completely legal and extremely widespread. Especially the Liberal Party is infamous for funding their activities through the shady "money clubs".
Musk and his Danish collaborators could also simply lie about the source of the money as there is virtually no enforcement of the rules and no punishment for violations.
Even if Danish leaders were successful in stopping Musk from funding far right movements, nothing would stop the Trump associated oligarch from leveraging his unchecked control over media networks and social media like X - The Everything App (formerly Twitter) to spread propaganda and shape public opinion.
Denmark's political elite stands in a dilemma. For decades they have benefited from domestic oligarchs interfering in elections but now outside actors like Musk are threatening to shake up the status quo they depend on. However, in order to effectively stop Musk they have to destroy the nebulous networks of shady money that sustains the status quo.
- Source: DR (state media), January 13th 2025
He might still change his mind, but it looks like Trump's demand to end the genocide by inauguration day is already applying lots of pressure on Israel.
Biden tried to defend his course in his farewell speech, claiming that the US had bent everyone over and become stronger. Although in fact, it was under Biden that the late Washington world order finally collapsed and neoliberal globalism collapsed. This is the main result of his presidency.
And it is quite ironic that Biden's replacement is going to fight this "Biden Legacy" first and foremost with the same zeal with which he fought the "Obama Legacy" last term. But as they say, if you don't praise yourself, no one else will.
So is this going to be just like the Lebanon ceasefire where they violate it within a few days or once the hostages are freed?
Biden says US is 'stronger' on world stage in farewell speech - France24
Outgoing US President Joe Biden said Monday that the US was "winning the worldwide competition" in his final policy speech before the inauguration of Donald Trump. Biden sought to portray his efforts to strengthen the US's global alliances as a core part of his international legacy.
Article
Joe Biden said Monday that America was stronger on the global stage than it had been for decades, in a swansong foreign policy speech one week before Donald Trump's White House comeback. The outgoing US president took aim at Russia, China and Iran, and urged the West to maintain support for Ukraine in an address at the State Department setting out his international legacy.
But Biden's unspoken target was Trump as he touted his rebuilding of international alliances over the last four years after his Republican rival's chaotic first term. "The United States is winning the worldwide competition compared to four years ago," said Biden, after diplomats at the State Department gave him a standing ovation.
"America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and competitors are weaker." The Democrat added that America's ties with its allies were the strongest "in decades," and said partners in the NATO military alliance were now "paying their fair share."
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO countries, at one point saying he would encourage Russia to do "whatever the hell it wants" to allies that did not pay their way. The incoming president has also previously expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin – but Biden mocked Putin over the progress of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"When Putin invaded, he thought he'd conquer Kyiv in a matter of days. The truth is, since that war began I'm the only one that stood in the center of Kyiv, not him," said Biden. Biden became the first sitting US president to visit a warzone not controlled by American forces when he made a top secret visit to Ukraine's capital in 2023.
He said the United States and its allies "can't walk away" from Ukraine, to which Washington has sent billions of dollars in military aid since the war started in 2022.
China won't 'surpass' US. "There is more to do," said Biden.
Trump has vowed to get a Russia-Ukraine peace deal "in 24 hours" and there are fears in Kyiv he may force a ceasefire that sees Ukraine cede territory to Moscow.
Biden meanwhile insisted that China would "never surpass us" and that the United States would remain the world's dominant superpower. "According to the latest predictions, on China's current course they will never surpass us – period," Biden said.
He added that Washington managed its complex ties with Beijing and that the relationship "never tipped over into conflict" in his four years as president. Biden's speech was more restrained on Israel's war in Gaza, with his administration facing criticism from within his own party for its unstinting support of Israel.
But he said a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal was "on the brink" of "finally coming to fruition." The Democrat also defended another major foreign policy fiasco – the fall of Afghanistan's US-backed government to the Taliban and the bloody US withdrawal of 2021.
"Ending the war was the right thing to do. And I believe history will reflect that," Biden said. The 82-year-old president finally urged the Trump administration to continue Biden's green energy policies, saying climate deniers under Trump were "dead wrong" and "come from a different century." Biden's foreign policy speech will be followed by a farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office in primetime on Wednesday.
If you ignore the pro Canada Lng brainworms, this oped is a decent rundown of the impact and players associated with gas transit from Russia through ukraine to European end users
🚨🇵🇸🇵🇸 BREAKING: Statement issued by Hamas:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
On the Announcement of a Ceasefire Agreement and the Aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire agreement is the result of the legendary steadfastness of our great Palestinian people and our valiant resistance in the Gaza Strip over the course of more than 15 months.
The agreement to halt the aggression on Gaza is an achievement for our people, our resistance, our nation, and the free people of the world. It marks a pivotal stage in the ongoing struggle against the enemy, paving the way toward achieving our people's goals of liberation and return.
This agreement comes as part of our responsibility toward our steadfast and patient people in the proud Gaza Strip, to put an end to the zionist aggression against them and halt the waterfall of blood, massacres, and the genocide war they are subjected to.
We express our appreciation and gratitude for all the honorable official and popular stances that stood in solidarity with Gaza, supported our people, and contributed to exposing the occupation and stopping the aggression—whether Arab, Islamic, or international. Special thanks go to the brotherly mediators who exerted significant efforts to reach this agreement, especially Qatar and Egypt.
The Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas Wednesday: 15 Rajab 1446 AH Corresponding to: January 15, 2025
Where the actual mega?
