This line is so tired and false. Our Revolutions do not operate on exclusion and bigotry. Considerable work is being done within Venezuela towards expanding the rights of all people, including women and LGBT peoples. If you believe Venezuela is 'one of the most conservative countries in North or South or Central America' — then you haven't been to any countries.

Northerners are eager to export their culture war and apply narrow understandings just like embassies work to impose their imperialist agendas on the global south.

• Twitter

Leaked emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein helped build a secret Israeli intelligence backchannel to Russian over the war in Syria.

A Russian Il-76TD cargo plane belonging to Aviacon Zitotrans landed in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, yesterday. The flight departed from Mauritania on Sunday afternoon (10/26). Il-76 planes are commonly used to transport military equipment. This is the Russian plane that flew a very long route from Moscow to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. There are no reports on what type of cargo it was carrying, but this specific plane is widely used to transport military equipment and troops.

• Telegram

The Trump admin is doing illegal (unexpected, I know!) stuff in order to pay the troops and illegal stuff in order to not tap into the legally-required SNAP emergency funding in order to fund SNAP until the emergency fund runs out (~2 weeks).

Microsoft seemingly just revealed that OpenAI lost $11.5B last quarter

https://itif.org/publications/2025/10/27/backfire-export-controls-helped-huawei-and-hurt-us-firms/

think tank report on US actions taken against huawei and how huawei is in a better spot than ever despite them/because of them. the ITIF is funded by all the major US tech companies and many corporate giants like walmart, boeing and disney.

the report spends a bunch of time talking about sanctions/measures levied against huawei, how the company weathered them, and ultimately advocates for doubling down (getting more "allies" to ban huawei equipment), but ends with the following statement:

The failure of U.S. policies against Huawei evidences an outdated rationale to address Chinese mercantilism. The current U.S.-China techno-economic competition differs significantly from earlier episodes when U.S. technological leadership was challenged. For example, the United States regained its semiconductor lead during the U.S.-Japan rivalry of the 1980s and today commands nearly five times Japan’s global market share. It succeeded by combining restrictions, diplomacy with an allied partner (Japan), and sustained innovation. None of those conditions applies today: Chinese support offsets restrictions, the rivalry is with an adversary rather than an ally, and China has caught up or even pulled ahead in many strategic technologies. In other words, the United States is using yesterday’s tools against a fundamentally different adversary; it needs a realistic, not hubristic, policy approach.

someone please send a wellness check on gordon chang

Some interesting commentary on Russia's new, nuclear-powered cruise missile (the Burevestnik) and its implications for Washington's "Golden Dome" anti-missile system:

“The Burevestnik is a game changer… the missile can go around anti-aircraft zones around radar zones… it stayed in the air for 16 hours. Possibly can stay in the air longer. What this means is it’s a second-strike weapon, which means that if Russia is struck, it will strike back,” Krapivnik said.

“Right now, radar systems and anti-aircraft systems, normally for ballistic missiles like this, are set up on likely ballistic trajectories from nations that may fire on the US: North Korea, China, and Russia. So they don’t have to cover the entire US. With this missile, they would have to cover the entire United States, which makes everything much, much more difficult and much more expensive,” Krapivnik stated.

https://www.rt.com/news/626975-russian-burevestnik-cruise-missile/

The Russian IL-76 aircraft used by the PMC Wagner Group left Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, and flew to Cuba, disappearing from radar shortly after approaching Cuban airspace on Tuesday afternoon (10/28).

• Telegram

She is now missing, her car was found abandoned at the beach in Tel Aviv

Israel’s PM Netanyahu orders immediate ‘powerful strikes’ on Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to carry out intense strikes on the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of violating the US-brokered ceasefire.

“Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military to immediately carry out powerful strikes in the Gaza Strip,”

a statement from his office said.

• Al Jazeera live feed

To those not in the know, this situation has essentially stemmed from the Democrats refusing to sign off on the Republicans' plan to substantially shrink Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, which would eventually result in tens of millions losing healthcare coverage and tens if not hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths.

LOL wut? Remember when Chuck Schumer did exactly that, and everyone (rightfully) got pissed off at him? Republicans control the house, the senate, the executive and the courts. Blaming the shutdown on democrats is ridiculous GOP propaganda

Supreme Court Overturns Queensland Puberty Blocker Ban

In his written decision, Justice Callaghan said the proceedings were not concerned with the merits of the directive.

"They are concerned solely with the legal requirements that attend any decision of this nature, irrespective of the subject matter," he said.

Lawyers for the mother successfully argued that Dr Rosengren had issued the directive without consulting with Queensland's hospital and health services.

Basically only overturned it because they didn't file the right paperwork but still

Russian netizens have already begun discussing the presence of the Wagner Group PMC in Venezuela after a Russian IL-76 military cargo plane landed in Caracas. The company that owns the IL-76 is sanctioned by the US for transporting Wagner Group troops and cargo. In 2019, the presence of Wagner Group operators has already been confirmed in Venezuela, with mercenaries from the group acting with the Venezuelan Army and Police during the violent protests that broke out that year.

• Telegram

Taiwanese president calls Israel [sic] 'valuable model' for defense | The Cradle

Venezuela's two main opposition leaders are increasingly divided over possible US action against the country, politicians and analysts say. Donald Trump's administration has carried out several attacks on small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, killing dozens of people.

According to the U.S. government, these actions are aimed at drug traffickers. Trump has also authorized the CIA, the U.S. intelligence agency, to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. However, he said on Friday (31) that he is not considering attacks inside the South American country.

One bloc, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, has aligned itself closely with Trump, arguing that Maduro poses a direct threat to US national security. It also supports sending US troops to Venezuela.

But the other group, led by popular two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, a social democrat who calls himself a nationalist, rejects armed intervention by the United States and advocates the resumption of peaceful negotiations between the Maduro government and Trump, despite the limited success of previous talks.

Henrique Capriles advocates resuming negotiations, considering the other opposition group “extremist.” He told Reuters that he is determined to fight for change, despite being denounced as a traitor by some in the opposition, who claimed that his participation in the last legislative election rewarded Maduro for remaining in power.

María Corina Machado had already clashed with Capriles over his support for the referendum on the annexation of Essequibo. María had accused him of being a warmonger and of supporting Maduro. But Capriles countered by saying that it was not about supporting Maduro, but about correcting a historical error, which was ending the “occupation” of Essequibo, which he considers Venezuelan territory.

Although he congratulated Machado on winning the Nobel Prize, Capriles said there were “profound differences” between their positions. “I continue to believe that negotiation will always be better for the future of Venezuela,” he said. This fragmentation of the Venezuelan Right-Wing left many opponents unsure of what to do, both at home and abroad.

• Telegram

Long shot but does anyone here have a link to a piece about how US defense spending priorities reveal a contradiction between what the stated purpose of the military is (unlimited power projection, unchallenged hegemony) and it's actual capabilities? It used the F35 program and shipbuilding fiascos as examples of inefficiencies that could be solved, but aren't because they serve a purpose (the illusion that the most cutting edge equipment is always on the immediate horizon to justify spending more to keep up the illusion). I've tried searching for it but can't find it anymore.

Protests erupt in Cameroon as the 92-year-old president gets another seven-year term

This was an interesting article on the history of Kerala's development, especially on the land reforms driven by communist/left parties in the province. I don't know enough about India or Kerala to know what's missing but I thought it was worth reading.

https://aeon.co/essays/how-did-kerala-go-from-poor-to-prosperous-among-indias-states

The RSF/Janjaweed militias in Sudan have massacred so many people in El-Fasher during their genocide, that piles of bodies and pools of blood are visible on commercial satellite imagery from Airbus and Maxar.

Waring: Graphic, bodies and blood visible in low resolution: link to satellite imagery

Reports have also emerged that the RSF committed a massacre at the Saudi Hospital in the city, killing or leaving all patients for dead. There is horrifying video of this too.

Ecuador president seeks to reduce number of legislators by half

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa wants to reduce the current number of National Assembly members by nearly half.

The proposal will be put to a public vote Nov. 16 in a referendum that will also decide on the return of foreign military bases to the country, elimination of state funding for political organizations and convening of a new Constituent Assembly. If approved, the National Assembly would shrink from 151 members to just 71. This change could save the country about $16 million a year, according to Ecuavisa TV network.

The political opposition, however, argues that the reform will weaken citizen representation. "By reducing the number of lawmakers, there will be a significant setback for representatives from rural areas and from Indigenous peoples and nationalities," said Paola Cabezas, a member of the Citizen Revolution party.

Noboa said his proposal "maintains representation for all provinces and eliminates all other fixed seats. In this way, every province in Ecuador will be represented, while the structure of the National Assembly will adapt to the country's population changes over time." The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador opposes the proposal.

Source: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/10/27/ecuador/9311761584585 - United Press International

Banana Prince is going to close down the Ecuadorian regime.

edit: formatting issues

Ukraine is launching its largest one way drone attack (likely of the entire war), with most of the drones turning towards Moscow. Each individual red arrow is supposed to be a single drone, but they've launched so many it's just a blob of red.

What is the point of this? Ukraine has launched multiple drone and cruise missile (including FP-5 Flamingo) attacks on Moscow over the past few days. Nothing got through or impacted. This is because Moscow has an extremely dense air defence network, hundreds Russian air defence assets (from S-300/400, Buk, and Tor/Pantsir) are located there.

However this attack is considerably larger than previous attacks. Most will get shot down, but some will probably get through just because of the sheer number. My hypothesis is that Ukraine wants to show Russia that they can hold Moscow at risk, so that Russia does not redeploy some of these air defence systems located around Moscow to other areas.

It must also be noted that Russia launched a large aerial attack on Ukraine a few days ago, involving over 50 ballistic and cruise missiles and over 600 one way attack drones.

https://t.me/PalestineResist/83240

🟢 Hamas political bureau member Mohammed Nazzal to Al-Mayadeen: — Netanyahu and the ruling gang in the zionist entity are trying to evade the Sharm El Sheikh agreement.

The resistance holds cards, including retaining the bodies, its weapons which remain in its hands, and the justice of its cause.

If the occupation expands its operations and crosses the yellow line, it will have canceled the agreement on its part. If the occupation takes this step, it necessitates a stance from the Palestinian factions, and our options are open, responsibly.

We presented a vision for the leadership of Gaza, which was approved by the eight factions that met in Cairo, which is the formation of an independent committee of technocrats.

Netanyahu is deliberately and premeditatedly willing to violate the agreement and send a message that he can violate it whenever he wants. The cover comes from the American administration, and we should not deceive ourselves into thinking that we are facing a neutral and just administration that is biased against injustice.

The Hamas Movement cannot accept the idea of a High Commissioner; we cannot reintroduce colonialism.

Im hearing the value of NVIDIA now exceeds 16 percent of US GDP? Chat is this true?

Trump threatens to deploy the military 'guns-a-blazing' to Nigeria

President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened U.S. military intervention in Nigeria and the withholding of all foreign aid if its government continues “to allow the killing of Christians.”

Trump said in a post to social media that if Nigeria does not halt the persecution of Christians he may send U.S. troops “guns-a-blazing” to “completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” he wrote. “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”

On Friday, Trump threatened possible sanctions against the West African nation, declaring it a “country of particular concern” in terms of religious freedom — a classification Nigeria’s president pushed back on.

Jesus Christ,

Executive Order To Go Back To Steam Catapults On New Aircraft Carriers Coming: Trump

Greens second in latest polling

Polling conducted on 29/10/2025, by findoutnow

Photo: Zack Polanski of the Greens.

Polling results:

1. (=) Reform – 32% [-3%]

2. (↑3) Greens – 17% [+5%]

3. (↓1) Labour – 16% [-3%]

4. (↓1) Conservatives – 16% [+2%]

5. (=) Lib Dems – 12% [=]

Similar result echoed by other more reputable pollsters, such as YouGov putting the Greens at 16%, one point behind Labour.

https://web.archive.org/web/20251102170219/https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/11/02/idf-orders-removal-of-chinese-cars-over-espionage-fears/

Watch: The moment gang rip cash machine from shop https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cg43rg72d9yo Using telescopic construction vehicles for crime is so hot right now

Quote of the day:

"...President Xi is a great leader of a great country..." -- Donald Trump

https://sputnikglobe.com/20251030/us-china-to-have-fantastic-relationship-for-long-period-of-time---trump-1123034498.html

María Corina rejects mediation by Lula da Silva and Gustavo Petro. Hidden somewhere within Venezuelan territory, the opposition leader once again defended US military actions in the region.

“It is unacceptable, and definitely unacceptable if it comes from a leader who claims to be democratic,” María Corina emphasized, accusing the governments of Brazil and Colombia of giving Maduro time to “carry out one of the worst escalations of violence in the country” in the last 15 months. “Maduro must understand that, for his own good, his best option is to facilitate a peaceful transition. The starting point is Maduro's departure.”

“We won the election, and not just the last one. They attack us, repress us, arrest us. We had 17 attempts at dialogue, and Maduro always violated his commitments. It was Maduro who started the war,” says María Corina, for whom the Venezuelan dictator is the head of “a narco-terrorist structure.”

“They question the invasion by the US, but no one talks about the Russians, Iranians, Chinese, and Cubans who are operating within our country. The invasion already exists, and we ask for President Trump's support to end this war started by Maduro,” emphasized the opposition leader.

For María Corina, it is too late to talk about dialogue. Lula and Petro's actions were poorly received by María Corina and her allies, who sees them as an obstacle to pushing forward an offensive that has been going on for almost two months and has resulted in the explosion of 11 vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific. María Corina says it would be unacceptable for Brazil and Colombia to use “lies” to convince the United States and Trump to stop the attacks and a possible invasion.

In parallel with the US military movement, María Corina and her collaborators are organizing meetings with allies outside Venezuela. The opposition leader assured, through a video, that Venezuela offers, over a period of 15 years, a wealth estimated by her at US$ 1.7 trillion if she becomes president of the country.

• Telegram

I haven't quite decided how to feel about this little LinkedIn "article":

On the one hand they are doing a " 'AI' probably isn't replacing you" semi-apologia. On the other, they are actually being a little honest about both "AI" (in-)effectiveness and capitalist greed. (Also, gotta love "preemptive layoffs". LMAO.)

Trump declines to rule out underground nuclear tests

When he inevitably insists on a surface test, let’s hope his desire to “see it up close” leads to a repeat of the solar eclipse incident