cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/42831843

Israeli forces kill at least three Palestinians in Gaza. U.S. uses chartered private jets to deport Palestinian men to the occupied West Bank. Palestinian journalist arrested in the West Bank. Another U.S. boat strike in the Pacific. Progressive challenger narrowly leads in the primary election for Mikie Sherrill’s New Jersey congressional seat. DOJ files reveal years of contact between Apollo chief Marc Rowan and Jeffrey Epstein. Local police often decline to probe shootings by federal immigration, ProPublica investigation says. Justice Department moves to gut immigration appeals process. Trump administration unveils Sudan peace plan. RSF drone strikes hit South Kordofan hospital for second consecutive day, killing at least 22. Polio cases in Malawi. Cuba prepares national defense plan and UN chief warns of humanitarian collapse as the U.S. moves to block any oil supplies from reaching the country. U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations begin in Oman. Israeli fire strikes multiple areas across southern and eastern Lebanon. Senior Russian intelligence general shot in Moscow. Saudi Arabia plans to pour billions into southern Yemen to maintain control. At least 31 killed in Islamabad mosque bombing.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/7577049

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/25692

This article by Obed Rosas originally appeared in the February 5, 2026 edition of Sin Embargo.

Mexico City, On February 20, 2025, the Chihuahua Health Department reported a case of measles in a 9-year-old boy from a Mennonite community in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc who had traveled to Seminole, Texas, a settlement where measles cases had already occurred with one known death at the time of the visit.

The boy’s school in Chihuahua was closed after more cases were detected. A month later, on March 20, the National Institute of Diagnosis and Reference (InDRE) confirmed that the virus isolated in the first patients belonged to the same lineage of measles previously identified in Seminole, Texas.

This is how Irma Leticia de Jesús Ruiz González, from the Chihuahua State Health Department, and Rubén Morales Marín, from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua, describe the reintroduction of measles in the state, in an article published last November in the American Journal of Field Epidemiology. The text warns that the outbreak occurred in “a highly susceptible population, such as the Mennonite community in Chihuahua, where there is low adherence to vaccination for religious or cultural reasons, in addition to close interconnection with other unvaccinated populations.”

Mennonites in Mexico

The outbreak occurred within an adverse regional context. In November 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) declared that the Americas had once again lost their measles elimination status. The reintroduction of the virus led Mexico to face its largest outbreak since it interrupted endemic transmission in 1997. Chihuahua became the main epicenter of infections and deaths on the continent, with figures that even surpassed those of the entire United States.

This week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) confirmed that Mexico leads the Americas in COVID-19 infections, with 6,428 cases and 24 deaths. Of that total, Chihuahua accounts for 4,495 cases and 21 deaths; followed by Jalisco, with 1,034 cases and one death; Chiapas, with 432 cases; Michoacán, with 261; and Guerrero, with 257.

Of the total infections, 275 were imported, 4,054 were related to importation, and 2,839 remain with the source of infection under study.

The report in the American Journal of Epidemiology highlights that 10 of the deaths occurred among Indigenous communities in Chihuahua, where 569 cases were recorded. Three deaths were recorded in the rest of the population, in addition to the death of a Wixárika child from Nayarit.

“The Rarámuri indigenous population of Chihuahua had a mortality rate 18 times higher than the rest of the population, and this excess was statistically significant,” the study notes. The age distribution shows especially high rates in children under six months and in infants aged six to 11 months, with levels 41.4 and 82.5 times higher, respectively, than those observed in people aged 50 and over. The second most affected group was the 20-39 age group.

In mid-January, another study conducted by researchers from the University of Guadalajara, with participation from the Tlajomulco de Zúñiga campus and the University Center of Los Altos, identified five key findings. The first: the outbreak was highly concentrated, with 73 percent of the cases in Chihuahua and 76.8 percent in just 45 municipalities.

The second finding was the existence of two independent introductions of the virus: one across the northern border and a separate importation into Oaxaca. Third, the analysis describes a three-stage transmission pattern: introduction through networks of temporary agricultural workers, amplification in under-vaccinated communities, and subsequent spread to marginalized Indigenous populations.

The fourth point highlights that vaccine effectiveness remained high, supporting the theory that the outbreak was due to an accumulation of susceptible individuals rather than vaccination failures. The fifth point identifies age, living conditions in indigenous communities, lack of vaccination, and residence in rural areas as independent risk factors.

The report also documents the concentration of the outbreak in closed communities with persistent immunity gaps, such as the Mennonites of Chihuahua, a pattern similar to that observed in the 2015 outbreak in Texas, which resulted in 762 cases and two deaths. Comparable episodes have been recorded in recent years in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and Amish communities in Ohio, reinforcing the existence of “hotspots of susceptible individuals” capable of triggering large epidemics even in countries with seemingly high national coverage.

This resurgence is occurring within a complex regional context. In November 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned that the Americas had once again lost their measles elimination status, just one year after regaining it. The combination of ongoing imports and inequalities in access to vaccination threatens to reestablish endemic transmission.

Although the study acknowledges limitations—such as self-reporting of vaccination status and the partial availability of genomic data—it is the most comprehensive epidemiological analysis conducted to date on a measles outbreak in Latin America. It integrates individual surveillance data, genetic information, and social determinants at the municipal level in all 32 states of the country.

The conclusion is stark: measles did not return due to vaccine ineffectiveness, but rather due to the accumulated neglect of entire communities. Without targeted campaigns, strengthened molecular surveillance, and specific strategies for mobile, Indigenous, and rural populations, Mexico will remain vulnerable to new outbreaks. This major setback in nearly three decades offers an uncomfortable lesson: measles elimination is not lost overnight; it erodes slowly.

• 

  News Briefs

  A Child with Measles Arrived in Mexico from the US, & Then the Virus Was Everywhere

  February 6, 2026February 6, 2026

  This major setback in nearly three decades offers an uncomfortable lesson: measles elimination is not lost overnight; it erodes slowly.

• 

  Analysis | Interviews

  Attack on Venezuela: Mexico’s Response

  February 6, 2026February 6, 2026

  An interview with Daniela González López of Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de Los Pueblos.

• 

  News Briefs

  Sheinbaum: The Regime of Privileges Will Not Return

  February 5, 2026February 6, 2026

  The Mexican President spoke at the 109th anniversary of the 1917 Mexican Constitution, which was one of the most advanced social constitutions at its time, & inspired the Soviet constitution.

The post A Child with Measles Arrived in Mexico from the US, & Then the Virus Was Everywhere appeared first on Mexico Solidarity Media.

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In a joint operation last month, Istanbul police and Turkish intelligence arrested two individuals who had been reported missing for the past three weeks. Security sources said the cell had been working for Israeli intelligence since 2012, running several shell companies to collect intelligence on Palestinian citizens and targets, attempting to export drone parts, and planning to establish front companies to infiltrate supply chains. During a meeting with Israeli handlers abroad in January 2026, a Turkish citizen identified as MBD, who has since been apprehended, discussed plans to establish a series of shell companies outside Turkey. According to the plan, unnamed products sourced from countries designated by Israeli intelligence would be shipped to final destinations also determined by Israeli handlers...

Crosspost from https://altmedia.house/post/190545

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/7576644

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/25725

Last Updated on February 6, 2026 Anti-Indigenous rhetoric and policy actions have started trending in Canada, Australia, the United States and New Zealand, reflecting what can only be described as a coordinated rollback of hard-won gains and an emboldened backlash against Indigenous self-determination. What was once debated at the margins has moved into mainstream politics. Governments and opposition movements alike are questioning the legitimacy of Indigenous governance, narrowing interpretations of historic agreements, and rolling back institutions designed to address long-documented inequalities.

At the same time, online harassment, public hostility and, in some cases, violence directed at Indigenous peoples have intensified, creating a climate of normalization around racism that had previously been more openly condemned.

From challenges to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in New Zealand to efforts to dismantle tribal sovereignty protections in the United States, these developments are not isolated. Instead, they reflect a shared political playbook that minimizes colonial history and treats Indigenous rights as an obstacle to national unity rather than a foundation of justice.

Source

From Intercontinental Cry via This RSS Feed.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement, has called on Yemenis to take part in large public marches on Friday in support of the Palestinian people and in solidarity with what he described as their suffering caused by ongoing Israeli attacks.

According to Yemen’s Saba news agency, al-Houthi said in a statement issued on Thursday that the call came in response to a request from Palestinians. He said Palestinians are facing killing, siege, abduction, forced displacement, destruction of homes and the abuse of detainees, which he described as ongoing violations of international agreements and guarantees.

Hadeel has been struggling with abdominal pain for one year. Her stomach is sensitive to many types of food and beverages, including chicken, meat, and milk.

She has visited multiple doctors in the Yemeni capital Sanaa and had many medical tests in search of the right diagnosis and the perfect prescription. All her efforts, along with the expenses she endured, have been to no avail.

Hadeel’s circumstances are not rare. In northern Yemen, thousands of patients endure prolonged agony or die prematurely amid a crippled health sector and the absence of commercial flights.

With this new year, United Nations officials say the health crisis in the country is getting worse amid renewed political and security tensions.

“We’re going to see a major change where the health system is not going to be supported in the way it has been in the past,” Julien Harneis, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, said on January 19.

Dr Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization regional director, indicated last month that the emergency in Yemen receives far less attention but remains just as urgent.

https://archive.ph/Wy2yr

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/42768100

For the first time ever in the history of Indian Aeronautics, HAL, the primary goverenment aeronautics company is out of a significant project like Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

The HAL has been removed due to the current large orders it is yet to deliever of 180 Tejas and 150 LCH Prachand. After some significant delays in both delievery of existing platforms and in development of prototype of AMCA, such a move has been made.

The three short listed companies out of 7 for this project are Tata, L&T (with BEL & Dynamatic Technologies) and Bharat Forge of Kalyani Group (with BEML & Data Patterns.

The final company yet to be chosen within 3 months will make 5 prototypes of AMCA with Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).

I think this is a positive approach as by doing so we make sure we don't get over dependent on HAL and also by doing so we will have one more Company capable of making such advanced fighter jets, giving India more than one option in future.

What do you think about this.

To all Indians and people who like our content, it is a humble request, Please join "BharatDefense", we need your support.

Thanks

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/42759010

Responding to Washington’s intensified blockade on Cuba, President Díaz-Canel says the island remains open to dialogue with the U.S. - but not under coercion. His statement comes amid escalating hostile rhetoric from the Trump administration and a new wave of economic pressure.

The U.S. has used decades-long sanctions, financial strangulation, diplomatic isolation, and now the targeting of fuel shipments, to pressure Cuba, deepening the economic crisis, affecting electricity, transportation and the daily lives of millions of Cubans. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently admitted the strategy is aimed at forcing regime-change on the island.

In this context, a key question emerges: how can U.S. policymakers claim to act in a country’s interest while also suffocating it?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has provided a rare assessment of battlefield losses during an interview with a French television network.

Zelenskyy said an estimated 55,000 of his country’s soldiers have been killed since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

“And there are a great number Ukraine lists as missing,” he told France 2, which translated his comments.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/7566912

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/25407

On January 29, the White House issued an official statement declaring a national emergency in the United States because, it claims, “the policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

According to the statement, the Cuban government “aligns” itself with hostile countries, terrorist groups, and “malign actors adverse to the United States,” which the White House considers to include Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah. Several analysts believe that these justifications do not imply that Cuba is a threat to US national security.

However, beyond the reality behind this or that suspicion, the Trump administration, based on these justifications, has decided to economically suffocate the Cuban government, which, since 1959, the year the Revolution triumphed, has been considered by Washington a fundamental target to be eliminated.

Cuba is currently subject to the longest economic and commercial blockade in contemporary history, imposed unilaterally by the United States. It has been condemned and rejected dozens of times by the almost absolute majority of the world’s countries in the United Nations.

Now Washington seeks to further suffocate Cuba’s small economy, which, in its own way, has managed to withstand punishment from the most powerful country on the planet for more than 60 years. According to the statement, the alleged threat from the small Caribbean country authorizes US authorities to impose new tariffs (the amount is not specified) on products from countries that sell or offer oil to Cuba.

Trump’s goal is clear: to overthrow the government in Havana. Following the White House announcement, Trump told the press: “It looks like it won’t be able to survive. Cuba won’t be able to survive.”

Rejection and condemnation by Cuban authorities

The measure has been strongly rejected by the Cuban authorities. The country’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, said: “Under a false and empty pretext, sold by those who make politics and enrich themselves at the expense of our people’s suffering, President Trump intends to suffocate the Cuban economy by imposing tariffs on countries that sovereignly trade oil with Cuba. Didn’t the Secretary of State and his harlequins say that the blockade did not exist? Where are those who bore us with their false stories that it is simply an ‘embargo on bilateral trade’?”

He added: “This new measure highlights the fascist, criminal, and genocidal nature of a clique that has hijacked the interests of the American people for purely personal gain.”

For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez posted on X that Cuba does not pose a threat to the United States: “To justify [the new measures, the United States] relies on a long list of lies that seek to portray Cuba as a threat that it is not. Every day, there is new evidence that the only threat to peace, security, and stability in the region, and the only malign influence, is that exerted by the US government against the nations and peoples of Our America, which it seeks to subjugate to its dictates, strip of their resources, mutilate their sovereignty, and deprive them of their independence.”

Rodríguez also pointed out: “The US also resorts to blackmail and coercion to try to get other countries to join its universally condemned policy of blockade against Cuba, threatening those that refuse with the imposition of arbitrary and abusive tariffs, in violation of all free trade rules. We denounce before the world this brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people, who for more than 65 years have been subjected to the longest and cruelest economic blockade ever imposed on an entire nation and who are now promised to be subjected to extreme living conditions.”

A new economic threat to Cuba’s partners

The measure seeks to encourage countries that still offer aid to the blockaded island to reconsider their position regarding the revolutionary government. Even prior to the invasion of Venezuela on January 3, Cuba had lost its main energy partner when Washington imposed a naval blockade on Venezuela. Cuba is now experiencing an energy crisis as a result of the US economic blockade, which has intensified after Washington forced the Venezuelan authorities to cut off the supply of hydrocarbons to Cuba.

Read more: Trump’s ultimatum to Cuba: no fuel until surrender!

Among the countries that collaborate with Cuba on energy matters is Mexico, which many analysts believe is the main target of Washington’s “warning”. Russia and China could also be affected if they decide to continue their collaboration with Cuba.

For now, Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico, has said that aid to Cuba will continue in such a way that it does not “put Mexico at risk”. She said she will request more information from the US State Department on the scope of this measure, but that she will not abandon the “tradition of solidarity and respect” that Mexico has maintained with all Latin American countries. “The application of tariffs could trigger a far-reaching crisis, affecting hospitals and food supplies, a situation that must be avoided in accordance with international law,” said the president.

Indeed, within the framework of this new form of US foreign policy, Cubans will undoubtedly be the most affected. The civilian population could find itself in dire straits without transportation and electricity, which compromise the most fundamental aspects of people’s lives.

This was stated by Jorge Legañoa, president of Prensa Latina: “What is the goal? The goal is genocide of the Cuban people, and if the tariffs are implemented, the effect would be to paralyze electricity generation, transportation, industrial production, agricultural production, the availability of health services, water supply … in short, all spheres of life.” 

The post The US is using “blackmail and coercion” to intensify the blockade, says Cuba appeared first on Peoples Dispatch.

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Dockworkers from over 20 Mediterranean ports are set to carry out coordinated industrial action on 6 February, following this week’s announcement by dockworkers’ unions, including Italy’s Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), targeting port authorities’ and governments’ complicity in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

The planned action will take place simultaneously in ports across Italy, Greece, the Basque Country, Morocco, and Turkiye, with the aim of disrupting arms shipments, opposing rearmament, and challenging the use of civilian transport infrastructure for war logistics, the organizers announced.

USB said the mobilization is a response to the accelerating militarization of port infrastructure and the broader war economy, which unions assert is eroding workers’ rights and undermining social protection systems.

At least 10 Italian ports have already confirmed participation, building on dockworker actions that began in 2023 against weapons shipments to the Israelis.

The union stressed that the strike is meant to “ensure that European and Mediterranean ports are places of peace, free from any involvement in war.”