this post was submitted on 25 May 2026
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A reminder that as the US continues to threaten countries around the world, fedposting is to be very much avoided (even with qualifiers like "in Minecraft") and comments containing it will be removed.

Image depicts Bolivian trade unionists on strike in La Paz, Bolivia.


Long preamble/summary below of recent news events.

summaryThe Iran ceasefire is grinding on. After a brief period over the weekend of heightened activity where it seemed that US strikes might be resuming, Trump announced a "Memorandum of Understanding" with Iran, which initially appeared to be an agreement along Iran's demands.

For those not following along with the diplomatic minutia, Iran's position for several weeks has been that the nuclear issue must be discussed separately - because, well, last time they started discussing the nuclear issue with the US, they got fucking bombed - and so have proposed a two-stage negotiation where the war is first officially ended with certain preconditions (e.g. the US has to end sanctions and unfreeze assets and presumably withdraw at least some military assets), and then the second stage will begin in which the nuclear issue is handled.

The reason why a deal has still not been signed after all this time is because the US disagrees with doing it this way, and wants the nuclear issue to be handled right away (and obviously also objects with things like Iran retaining control of the Strait). Therefore, Trump's announcement appeared to be him finally accepting reality, but it quickly became apparent that this was just another market manipulation. I'm definitely in the camp among several other analysts that believes another round of war is going to happen barring some very sudden circumstances (e.g. Trump being forced out of power one way or another, or Iran obtaining a nuke) because the US still seems agreement-incapable. And in Lebanon, consternation for the Zionists against Hezbollah's attacks continues as the FPV drone threat only continues to increase despite them desperately seeking countermeasures.

As I've been perhaps too focussed on Iran lately, here's a brief roundup of big news events from the last month or so.

  • Orban losing power: Pretty cool, though his replacement being Neoliberal #2980329891 means that big changes seem unlikely.

  • Strikes in Bolivia against that dipshit Paz: Very nice to see, as it appears that Bolivia has among the best widespread on-the-ground popular support for worker-centric policies and politicians in Latin America that makes it so they can genuinely pressure power (already, the Labor Minister has resigned).

  • Situation in the Sahel: "Mysterious" third parties sponsored a big offensive against the AES which they largely repelled with help from Russia. The situation there is still a little tenuous as I understand it with a greater focus by anti-government forces on blockades of cities to cause internal revolts. This tactic is currently broadly failing as armed convoys are getting fuel and food into the cities, but figures like Traore are aware that more needs to be done.

  • Ukraine War: Aside from the usual grinding advance by Russia on the front, there have been back-and-forth missile and drone strikes as Ukraine hit some targets in the outskirts of Moscow with drones and then Russia fired a shitload of missiles, including the iconic Oreshnik, directly at Kiev, as Simplicius and others have covered in greater detail.

I could go on and on with the recent aggressions against Cuba, Modi's recent victories in India and the AI/chip tech war between China and the US but this preamble has to end at some point due to the character limit.


Last week's thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.

Please check out the RedAtlas!

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The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.

The Zionist Entity's Genocide of Palestine

If you have evidence of Zionist crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:

UNRWA reports on the Zionists' 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.

Mirrors of Telegram channels that have been erased by Zionist censorship.

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.


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[–] red_giant@hexbear.net 39 points 6 days ago (3 children)

A Danish pension fund has blacklisted SpaceX, calling it grossly overvalued with catastrophic governance

AkademikerPension will not buy SpaceX shares at any price near the $1.8 trillion IPO target, saying the company cannot reasonably be worth more than $1 trillion and that Musk’s voting control makes it effectively uninvestable

Article

Denmark’s AkademikerPension, which manages roughly $25 billion for academic professionals, has said it will not participate in SpaceX’s initial public offering or buy shares in any secondary-market transaction, according to Bloomberg. Chief investment officer Anders Schelde called the company “grossly overvalued” and cited what he described as a “catastrophic governance structure” as the primary reason for the exclusion.

The fund calculates that SpaceX cannot reasonably exceed a valuation of $1 trillion, roughly half the $1.8 trillion the company is targeting when marketing begins as soon as 4 June. Pricing could come as early as 11 June. AkademikerPension will also avoid indexed equity products that include SpaceX, meaning it is not simply skipping the IPO but actively excluding the stock from its entire portfolio.

The governance complaint Schelde’s objection centres on Elon Musk’s control over SpaceX. The company’s S-1 filing revealed that Musk holds roughly 85% of voting power through a dual-class share structure in which Class B shares carry ten votes each compared with one vote for the Class A shares being offered to the public. Musk simultaneously serves as chief executive, chief technology officer, and board chair.

That concentration of control means public shareholders will have no practical ability to influence company decisions. Musk can appoint a majority of the board and cannot be removed as CEO without his own consent. SpaceX will claim controlled-company status after listing, which exempts it from Nasdaq rules requiring a majority of independent directors.

Schelde described the arrangement as “exceptionally poor performance on governance matters” and said investors are being asked to accept an “unprecedentedly low risk premium” for a company with this level of management entrenchment.

Not alone in the concern AkademikerPension is a relatively small player in global capital markets, but its concerns echo those of far larger institutions. In May, the heads of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the New York City Retirement Systems, and the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which collectively manage more than $1 trillion, sent a joint letter to Musk calling SpaceX’s governance “extreme.”

The letter described the IPO as featuring “the most management-favorable governance structure ever brought to the US public markets at this scale.” The pension fund leaders objected to Musk’s veto power over his own removal, the use of mandatory arbitration for shareholder claims, and the company’s reincorporation in Texas, which requires shareholders to hold up to 3% of outstanding stock to bring certain legal actions.

A pattern of activist divestment AkademikerPension has a track record of using its portfolio to make governance and political statements. Earlier this year the fund sold its remaining 200 shares in Tesla, citing Musk’s role in what it described as destroying the brand and its value, along with concerns about worker treatment and board independence.

In January 2026 the fund dumped approximately $100 million in US Treasuries, with Schelde saying the US government is “not a good credit” and that its long-term finances are unsustainable. The move came during heightened tensions between Washington and Copenhagen over Greenland, though Schelde said the decision was not directly related to the diplomatic rift.

What it means for the IPO One pension fund with $25 billion in assets declining to participate will not materially affect a $75 billion capital raise. SpaceX has allocated an unusually large 30% of the offering to retail investors, and demand from individual buyers is expected to be substantial regardless of institutional governance objections.

The question is whether the concerns shared by AkademikerPension and the US pension fund coalition represent a broader pattern that could weigh on pricing or long-term institutional ownership. At $1.8 trillion, SpaceX would trade at roughly 96 times its 2025 revenue of $18.7 billion, a multiple that assumes years of hypergrowth from Starlink satellite internet and the xAI artificial intelligence division.

SpaceX lost $4.94 billion last year after absorbing xAI, and Musk’s track record of ambitious but capital-intensive programmes means the burn rate is unlikely to slow soon. For investors who share AkademikerPension’s view that the company is worth half its asking price, the governance structure makes it impossible to push for changes from the inside. The only option is to stay out.

[–] red_giant@hexbear.net 19 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Business Insider - We asked four market pros whether they'd buy SpaceX stock at its IPO

Altug Dincturk, chief investment officer at Madison Partners Would you buy: No

Anna Rathbun, founder of Grenadilla Advisory Would you buy: No

Jon Zetlmaier, founder of Zetlmaier Wealth Management Would you buy: No

Rob Arnott, founder of Research Affiliates Would you buy: Yes

While he thinks the company's valuation is outlandish, steady buying from index funds tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 should propel the stock upward as it's gradually folded into them, he said.

"I don't buy stocks at 100-times sales," Arnott said. "This would qualify as a non-fundamental purchase decision."

He continued: "I would trim the position when it's added to the index, but I wouldn't necessarily get rid of the whole thing because no matter what the valuation, as the float increases as share lockups for those who own the stock start to lapse and they drop their stock onto the market, the index funds will have to be there to buy 25% of whatever new float is out there, and that's wild."

The case for buying SpaceX is that you too can steal from pension funds.

[–] red_giant@hexbear.net 18 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

SpaceX insiders will get to sell shares earlier than usual after the IPO

The biggest rug pull in history is just a few days away.

When most companies go public, they follow a simple rule: insiders can’t sell their shares for 180 days after the IPO. SpaceX is taking an unusual approach that could allow pre-IPO investors to sell sooner.

The company built in a series of release valves that allow insiders to sell portions of their stock in the weeks and months after the IPO.

Imagine the US stock market deciding to just do an Enron, just for fun, in the weeks before an oil shock hits.

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[–] jack@hexbear.net 34 points 5 days ago

before this thread closes down please never forget

DEATH TO ISRAEL DEATH TO AMERIKKKA UNLIMITED LIBERATION FOR THE THIRD WORLD BOIL ALL CAPITALISTS AND IMPERIALISTS IN OIL

[–] red_giant@hexbear.net 88 points 6 days ago (6 children)

Huawei - We are thankful to US for enabling our chip tech growth

When people asked how Huawei thought of the new chip tech approach for its growth, Xu replied that a major credit goes to the US. Without their “ban efforts”, the company wouldn’t have embarked on catching up with chip-related work.

According to the Rotating Chairman of Huawei, the external pressure from the US has forced the rapid growth of the Chinese semiconductor industry chain. He said:

“If the United States hadn’t forced our country, our companies, and our industry, we wouldn’t have done something like this. But we are also grateful to the US for enabling our country’s semiconductor industry chain to truly grow. Now the momentum is very good, and everyone recognizes and supports it.”

[–] Infamousblt@hexbear.net 46 points 6 days ago (1 children)

China is literally just flexing on America at this point

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[–] da_gay_pussy_eatah@hexbear.net 31 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I heard a joke from a cab driver in China that basically goes like this: "The US should sanction our soccer team next, that way perhaps they, too, will become the best!"

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[–] KuroXppi@hexbear.net 24 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Rotating Chairman of Huawei

You reckon he'd get dizzy after a while?

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[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 89 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Cuba has done it again.

Meet VAXIRA a therapeutic cancer vaccine developed by Cuban and Argentine scientists that helps the immune system recognise and destroy lung cancer cells. Approved in both Cuba and Argentina for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

It works by mimicking a molecule found on cancer cells but almost entirely absent in healthy human tissue — meaning it targets tumours with remarkable precision and very few side effects.

Clinical trials showed a significant improvement in survival for advanced lung cancer patients, with 1-year survival nearly doubling compared to the control group. Real-world data shows median survival of up to 24.5 months in maintenance therapy.

Minimal side effects. Suitable for long-term use. Affordable and accessible — unlike many Western immunotherapies that price patients out of treatment.

And in 2025, VAXIRA received Cuba's National Technological Innovation Award. All of this achieved by a country under decades of US economic blockade.

The United States spends billions on cancer research. Cuba, under sanctions, develops vaccines the world hasn't seen before.

[–] culpritus@hexbear.net 54 points 6 days ago

Cancer stalin-gun-1PCC

another victim of communism!

speech-r

mystery-emote porky-scared-flipped

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[–] HarryLime@hexbear.net 52 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Rule changes for the SpaceX $SPCX IPO:

ndex providers waived the profitability requirement and cut the seasoning window from 90 days to 5.

This forces over $30 trillion in passive 401k and retirement money to buy SpaceX at IPO valuations.

Bloomberg Intelligence estimates S&P 500 funds must absorb 19% of SpaceX's float within 6 months.

Russell 1000 and Nasdaq 100 funds will absorb 24%.

The rules built to protect passive investors:

  1. S&P 500 has required 12 months of trading and 4 quarters of GAAP profitability since 2002. Both waived.

  2. Nasdaq cut its inclusion window from 90 trading days to 15.

  3. FTSE Russell cut its to 5.

All three benchmarks are now structured to buy SpaceX at IPO pricing.


The world's richest centi-billionaire oligarch used his power to change the rules, so he could dump his garbage company (which is cartoonishly overvalued, unprofitable, and incinerating cash) on retail investors, using trillions of dollars in retirement funds as exit liquidity, all in order to become the first trillionaire.

This is the perfect metaphor for the US economy as a whole, which is entirely based on bubbles and scams.

[–] FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 33 points 6 days ago (1 children)

they're enshittifying index funds now 😭

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[–] hotcouchguy@hexbear.net 32 points 6 days ago

Scamming the middle class is the last remaining frontier for economic growth in the US. And after they're all broke they'll come up with some scapegoat and go completely fascist.

[–] miz@hexbear.net 22 points 6 days ago

90 days to 5

what a fucking scam

[–] darkcalling@hexbear.net 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)

So should I sell my broad exposure mutual funds now before they get burdened by and sunk by this? Who needs to actually worry?

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[–] thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net 78 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Polish President Nawrocki:

Unfortunately, President Zelensky has demonstrated that Ukraine, in terms of the mentality of glorifying bandits and murderers from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, is not ready to be part of the European family.

There is no place in the European family for bandits and murderers who killed women and children, who murdered Poles.

Such bandits cannot be glorified, and the UPA cannot be glorified.

https://x.com/clashreport/status/2060769610660491446

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[–] Lovely_sombrero@hexbear.net 63 points 6 days ago (6 children)

I somehow missed this;

The UN must open the Strait of Hormuz for us - Rubio

"What is the purpose of the UN?! The UN was supposed to be a place where you could peacefully resolve global conflict." 🤷‍♂️😎

“We are taking it to the UN”.

[–] Wakmrow@hexbear.net 51 points 6 days ago (1 children)

These people are ridiculous clowns lol

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[–] sisatici@hexbear.net 47 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Day 1 into overdosing on power tripping:

INTERNATIONAL LAW IS DEAD. I AM GOD. ACCEPT MY SADISM AS MERCY.

Day 2 into overdosing on power tripping:

I feel alone, lonely and powerless. I fear. I am but a mere human. Take pity on me

Something feels so good about islamists forcing americans to accept they are not gods

[–] Omegamint@hexbear.net 33 points 6 days ago

No kidding. Love that these dipshits cannot run from the truth that they cannot enforce what they want via violence here

[–] manuallybreathing@lemmy.ml 39 points 6 days ago

What, are the usa going to sign the United Nations Law of the Sea? The one that actually means the strait is not the famous international waters? Ha

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Sea

[–] Rojo27@hexbear.net 39 points 6 days ago

I hope he let's Israel know before doing that. They might start thinking the US is Hamas for negotiating with the UN, who are Hamas.

[–] OnlyTrueLiberal@hexbear.net 38 points 6 days ago

Wow operation epsteins fury is going really well.

I'm sure china and russia are eager to get in on this.

[–] WilsonWilson@hexbear.net 28 points 6 days ago (1 children)
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[–] Tervell@hexbear.net 62 points 6 days ago (2 children)

https://xcancel.com/calvinfroedge/status/2060978968740642998

An under appreciated point is that basically every ship in Hormuz is going to need to be dry docked after they get out to clean the barnacles off the hulls

[–] test_@hexbear.net 28 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

jellyfish

like, stuck to the ship?

*edit, probably polyps

[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 27 points 5 days ago (1 children)

In response to the US designation of the Brazilian cartels, PCC and CV, as terrorist groups, China supports Brazil - BdF

The statement was made on the eve of Mauro Vieira's visit; Flávio Bolsonaro asked Trump to classify the factions.

Article

On the eve of Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira's visit to China, scheduled for Sunday (31), the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, reiterated this Friday (29) that Beijing "has always defended non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries".

Mao Ning was responding to a question from Folha de S.Paulo about the US government's decision to classify the First Command of the Capital (PCC) and the Red Command (CV) as terrorist organizations. The spokesperson added that China "has noted the relevant reports."

The US State Department announced on Thursday (28) that it will include the PCC and CV in the categories of “foreign terrorist organizations” and “specially designated global terrorists”, effective June 5. The announcement came two days after Senator and presidential pre-candidate Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) met with President Donald Trump at the White House and one day after the parliamentarian's meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Brazilian government opposed the classification. Celso Amorim, special advisor for international affairs to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), stated at an event in Russia that "equating organized crime with terrorism doesn't help" and that the fight must be carried out "with maximum energy and determination," but in a way distinct from terrorism.

According to Gilberto Maringoni, professor of International Relations at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), the classification would make Brazil vulnerable to interventions from Washington, with the imposition of asymmetrical agreements and the subordination of local repressive actions to US laws. "The Brazilian state must be relentless in combating crime, but in a sovereign manner and without external interference," he said.

Thomaz Delgado de David, a doctoral candidate in International Relations at the University of São Paulo (USP), believes that the measure represents "a serious risk to Brazilian sovereignty."

Mauro Vieira will arrive in China on Sunday for an official visit that will last until June 2nd, at the invitation of Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The two ministers will co-chair the 5th Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue at the Ministerial Level between China and Brazil.

Announcing the visit on Thursday, Mao Ning described bilateral relations as being at the forefront of China's relations with developing countries, with progress in aligning the development strategies of both countries and fruitful results in pragmatic cooperation in various fields. According to the spokesperson, the ties have global, strategic, and long-term significance, and China hopes to deepen mutual political trust, promote solidarity among countries of the Global South, and contribute to world peace and stability.

According to Mao Ning, bilateral relations “have advanced steadily in recent years under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, with progress in building a China-Brazil community with a shared future and in aligning national development strategies.”

[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 21 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

In case anyone here is wondering why Trump did this, it was to give the U.S. a reason to invade or attack Brazil, and also to target the Brazilian/South American digital payment system (PIX), which Trump hates because it doesn't use Visa or Mastercard.

[–] darkcalling@hexbear.net 40 points 6 days ago (2 children)

US military secretly guiding ships through Strait of Hormuz – NYT (RT link)

Washington has reportedly coordinated the passage of 70 cargo vessels despite Trump’s abrupt suspension of Project Freedom

According to the Times, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has coordinated the passage of around 70 commercial vessels through the waterway over the past three weeks. An official told the newspaper that most of the vessels had turned off their transponders to avoid detection by Iranian forces. The ships reportedly used a shipping lane closer to the Omani coast.

In April, the US imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and has since intercepted more than 100 cargo ships. On Sunday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that 28 vessels had passed through the strait over the previous 24 hours after obtaining permission.

So to me it seems both sides are having limited success. US blockade isn't 100% tight but nor is Iranian control of the strait if that many ships snuck through. With recent reports of the US firing a missile at the engine room of a cargo ship for running the blockade I think the US just wants to sit and wait. If the US can get vital shipments of raw material through perhaps they believe they can choke Iran out with a blockade or at least not lose face. Iran meanwhile may not have the ability to project power that far from its coast or observe ships reliably that have transponders and lights off and may be moving through the most dangerous parts at night.

[–] screwthisdumbcrap@hexbear.net 25 points 6 days ago (3 children)

So are we still gonna have an oil crisis.

[–] hotcouchguy@hexbear.net 22 points 6 days ago

Globally? Yeah, a few ships per day won't really put a dent in it. And a lot of places already are to a large degree. Even if there was an agreement right now, it would take a few months for supplies to catch up. But how you experience it depends on your geography and economy and governance.

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[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 44 points 6 days ago

Cepeda, from the left, and Espriella, from the far right, will compete in the second round of the Colombian presidential elections in June - BdF

Iván Cepeda had 40% of the votes and Abelardo de la Espriella, 43%

Article

Left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda and far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella will compete in the second round of Colombia's presidential elections , scheduled for June 21. With more than 99% of the ballots counted, Espriella obtained 43% of the electorate (10,316,370 votes) and Cepeda, 41% (9,656,799) in the election this Sunday (31).

Espriella surpassed the projections of the voting intention polls and in recent days captured part of the electorate of the third force in the election, Paloma Valencia. While the Uribe-aligned senator appeared with 16% in the polls, this Sunday only 6% of voters chose her.

Polling stations closed after a peaceful day, amidst a truce with the main guerrilla groups. The government mobilized 408,000 security forces to maintain order. Votes were cast on paper, but the count is digital.

To guarantee the transparency of the election, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced the largest election observation mission ever. It includes 1,500 international observers, five times the number from the previous election, and 14,000 national observers. The presence of systems auditors has also been significantly expanded.

Iván Cepeda, a 63-year-old senator and ally of current president Gustavo Petro (who cannot be re-elected), defends the continuation of social programs and policies aimed at the poorest. Meanwhile, Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old millionaire lawyer with an anti-establishment discourse, represents the far right.

In Colombia, reelection is prohibited, and many see this election as a kind of plebiscite regarding Petro's four years in government. He started out discredited, with low approval ratings, but gained popular support by radicalizing his project, moving further to the left.

Political analyst and historian Miguel Stédile said during the podcast O Estrangeiro , on Rádio Brasil de Fato , that Petro "knew the limited time he had and the opportunities, and he picked the fights because perhaps he wouldn't have another opportunity to pick those fights."

“In moments when this correlation was unfavorable, in particular, I always remember the discussion of labor reform, which ended a pent-up demand of years, decades, in Colombia, for the recognition of professions such as domestic workers, app workers, and advanced women's rights, all in one fell swoop, in a single law, which was in dispute with Congress for a year, a year and a half, and Petro used May 1st to mobilize the population for this,” he explains.

Historically, Colombia was the United States' main strategic and military ally in Latin America, occupying a crucial geographical position due to its border with Venezuela and its presence in the Amazon. But, in the last four years, under Petro, the country has undergone a structural change, adopting a posture of sovereignty and alignment with progressive governments in the region (such as Brazil and Mexico).

The loss of this influence generated strong concern in Washington, culminating in allegations of foreign interference, such as Hondurasgate . The scandal revealed an alliance of the continental far-right, with alleged US support, and the creation of a "digital unit" to destabilize progressive governments, such as Petro's.

Colombia under Petro stood out globally for its firm defense of Human Rights, even formally denouncing the State of Israel and the USA for genocide against the Palestinian people. Undeniably, the government of the Historic Pact, which ends in August 2026, represented a break with the old Colombian oligarchy.

Among his main achievements, one can mention the Agrarian Reform , with more than 2 million hectares formalized and delivered to rural communities. Unemployment fell to 9.2%, the lowest of the century, 1.6 million people escaped monetary poverty, and the minimum wage accumulated a 23.4% increase.

During this period, solar energy generation surpassed that of coal, and national deforestation was reduced by 39%. A world record for cocaine seizures (3,417 tons) was also registered, along with full repayment of the debt to the IMF.

The 2026 presidential elections will decide the continuity of this project and "everything it symbolizes," says Stédile.

“Petro’s victory was already quite difficult, as all elections in Colombia have been, including those won by right-wing candidates, due to the complex context of Colombian politics for almost 100 years. There are no simple victories in Colombia,” he says.

Cepeda's running mate is Aida Quilcué , an indigenous leader and senator. Their platform proposes Three Revolutions:

  • Ethical Revolution: Radical transformation in political culture and the fight against corruption and violence.
  • Economic and Social Revolution: Focus on overcoming poverty and redistributing land.
  • Political and Democratic Revolution: Expanding popular participation and seeking peace with social justice.

One of the hallmarks of this election campaign is the so-called Project Jupiter, a massive digital strategy orchestrated by right-wing think tanks and business leaders to sow fear and uncertainty among the population, aiming to destabilize Cepeda's candidacy.

“The right wing has a modus operandi : they carry out attacks, kill many people, and transform this into a climate of war, an insecurity that calls into question the peace agreements defended by President Petro and candidate Iván Cepeda, and questions the vice-presidential candidate. It's a rehearsed script to try to create a climate that doesn't exist for the population,” journalist Leonardo Wexell Severo, from the ComunicaSul Agency, told Brasil de Fato in Bogotá covering the election.

The outcome of the election is seen as a decisive milestone not only for the future of Colombia, but for the balance of power throughout Latin America.

[–] insurgentrat@hexbear.net 29 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] marxisthayaca@hexbear.net 14 points 6 days ago

Oh my god imagine buying an animal and then treating them like a little boy in the 1920s.

[–] AlHouthi4President@lemmy.ml 30 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

IRGC released footage of the (single?) FATEH-110 missile that damaged 2 MQ9 drones and "wounded" 5 yankee child-killing soldiers in Kuwait last week. (ISW News)

Correction: this is a different missile from the one that was used to strike US base in Kuwait. This was carried out less than 24 hours ago. However the other strike was also carried out with a FATEH-110.

This is the sticker they put on it.

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[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 24 points 5 days ago

Bolivia: Protest leaders tell me they "have no incentive to negotiate with the government, if they are bought by the oligarchs, and they continue to seek to repress us, arrest us, and put us aside." They add, "This is the only way our interests can be represented."

[–] Tervell@hexbear.net 31 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

https://xcancel.com/MenchOsint/status/2061170587335074304

The "Beaufort Castle" PR stunt has been exaggerated by the Israeli regime. During the 2024 incursion they intruded in Deir Mimas, 3km from the border, for same purpose. From there, it's easy to access the Castle (they arrived today, but for how long will they hold...)

https://xcancel.com/bonzerbarry/status/2061234472507297977

israeli platforms speak of another “security incident” that recently occurred in Lebanon and is under censorship. Drone strike with a number of casualties.

https://xcancel.com/bonzerbarry/status/2061053838056902794

  • Hezbollah hasn’t stopped shooting rockets and drones at targets throughout northern occupied Palestine today, including down towards Acre. Sirens have been triggered in the north at least 11 times in 7 hours.
  • Army Radio: Hezbollah continues to extend its range of firing, and they may keep extending it.
  • Wounded occupation army troops were airlifted from Lebanon a short while ago.
  • An FPV just struck an IOF base in the north a moment ago.
  • Hadashot BezMen: Unusual event in the north of the country: urgent evacuation of 5 soldiers to Rambam Medical Center following a FPV attack.
  • Hezbollah fired heavy rockets down into Safed for the second day in a row.
  • israeli platform: Not only rocket launches towards Israel: Hezbollah fires dozens of FPV drones at our forces in Lebanon throughout the day.
[–] Nomisslehere@hexbear.net 20 points 6 days ago

Hezbollah is hitting them hard, and isntrael wants to restart fighting Iran and Gaza. They're really on a death spiral like WW2 Germany.

[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 38 points 6 days ago

Colombia will have a 2nd round pres. election between leftist candidate Cepeda and right-wing pro-US & narco-backed candidate Espriella. Cepeda achieved what polls predicted, same vote as Petro, but the opposition vote rallied around one candidate after a tactical vote campaign.

Entire election was marked by massive interference operation funded by the US and the narco-regime in Ecuador, including threats of a US military attack if people voted the 'wrong' way. Cepeda will fight these interests in the 2nd round. Not over yet.

[–] Tervell@hexbear.net 25 points 6 days ago (2 children)

https://xcancel.com/annework7/status/2061348862346879321

Chevron CEO said many tankers have been hit, but the USA is stopping UKMTO from reporting . Watch his interview, eye opening

from this interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iJSfeqr-TQ, at 11:15

There still has been kinetic activity this week, some of which has been reported in the media, some of which has not. ... There have been vessels that have been in transit that have suffered attacks.

More than what we've heard of in the press?

Yes, our reports would indicate that

although he doesn't specifically say the US is stopping the reporting from happening, just that there's hits not being reported on

[–] aanes_appreciator@hexbear.net 15 points 6 days ago

it seems like a particularly convenient state of affairs where the UKMTO, the primary source of a lot of these reports, is an imperialist-bloc aligned organisation with at least some level of state coordination.

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[–] Tervell@hexbear.net 29 points 6 days ago

https://xcancel.com/MenchOsint/status/2061224017349030374

Unreported? 👇 252 m ship spotted in Strait of Hormuz entrance ON FIRE being approached by 4 large speedboats from Iran 🇮🇷 direction while another left the scene heading SE at 26.0972, 56.8303. 2 DAYS AGO

Looks like one of the tankers quietly escorted by the US Navy was targeted and caught fire 2-3 days ago (unreported by UKMTO)

I guess part of "quietly guiding" ships is also making sure they quietly burn down when they get shot catgirl-smug

[–] Monk3brain3@hexbear.net 21 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] a_party_german@hexbear.net 20 points 5 days ago

On Feb. 15, 2025, then 23-year-old Patrick Mazerolle, from Inkerman, N.B., left for Europe. Patrick told his parents that he was going for a two-week vacation to the United Kingdom.

Wait, there's a town called Inkerman in Canada? It's even an entire county/parish? Funny, the original town of Inkerman is located in Crimea, right outside of Sevastopol. The Wiki even admits that:

The place is named after the Battle of Inkerman in the Crimean War.[1]

So a guy from a town in Canada named after a town/battle in a pointless war goes to fight and loses his life in another pointless war that's also kind of about the original town the fascists he's fighting for don't want to let go...? you-think-this-is-funny

You know, there's an old saying in Tennessee, probably in Texas - first as tragedy, second time as... as... it means it's not just a tragedy the second time! fool-me-once

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[–] Lovely_sombrero@hexbear.net 19 points 5 days ago

Tasnim reports that all talks between US and Iran have been halted by Iran.

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 56 points 6 days ago (5 children)

The Guardian - Netanyahu says capturing Beaufort a 'dramatic shift' in Lebanon offensive. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israeli forces’ capture of Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon marked a “dramatic shift” in Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Today, we have returned to Beaufort in a different way. We have returned united, determined, and stronger than ever,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, AFP reports.

“The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading. We have broken the barrier of fear. We are taking the initiative, we are operating on all fronts – in Syria, in Gaza, in Lebanon.”

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[–] quarrk@hexbear.net 20 points 5 days ago (1 children)
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[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 19 points 5 days ago

The Iranian government is demanding guarantees that the country's rights will be respected in an agreement with the United States - BdF

Article

In a statement made this Sunday (31), the president of parliament said that there are not enough demonstrations.

During a virtual session of the Iranian Consultative Assembly, held this Sunday (31), the President of Parliament, Mohamad Baqer Ghalibaf, declared that no agreement will be signed until the government has guarantees that the United States will comply with the measures present in the text.

The statement comes after US President Donald Trump submitted a peace proposal with terms considered tougher, according to AFP . The terms were not disclosed. Trump stated in an interview with Fox News that his priorities include preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

“Our criteria are the concrete results we must achieve; only then will we be willing to fulfill our corresponding commitments. And until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people are guaranteed, we will not approve any agreement,” Ghalibaf reaffirmed in a speech reported by the Iranian state news agency Irna .

In his speech to the assembly, the president praised the efforts of the Armed Forces, the population, and the state administrators responsible for alleviating the economic and subsistence difficulties faced by the population at this time, and expressed confidence. "Very soon, God will cause the feeling of victory to spread in the hearts of all the Iranian people," he declared.

Among the important points of the agreement for Iran, says the Tasnin agency , is the release of US$12 billion belonging to the Iranian government and frozen in international funds.

In his most recent post on the subject on the Truth Social network, where Donald Trump has been making pronouncements, the US president reposted a message from former White House spokesman Newt Gingrich.

In the text, Gingrich says he is confident that Trump is close to a major victory for the country regarding Iran and praised the importance of Israel and the coalitions formed in the Middle East.

[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 18 points 5 days ago

Drone attack hits Europe's largest nuclear power plant, under Russian control - BdF

A Russian state agency reported that the equipment is Ukrainian; Kyiv denies this.

Article

The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation , Rosatom, reported that a Ukrainian drone struck the engine room building of the sixth unit at Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The area has been under Russian control since the beginning of the conflict in 2022. The head of the corporation pointed out that the attack is the first in world history to target critical equipment at a nuclear power plant.

Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, reported that the impact caused an explosion and opened a hole in the wall of the engine room. The main equipment, however, was not damaged, and there were no casualties. According to him, the drone was controlled by fiber optics, ruling out the possibility of an accidental impact.

Ukraine rejected the accusations. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated in a press release that they lacked "logic." "It is unclear why Ukraine would attack its own nuclear power plant located on its own territory, which it seeks to recover under its sovereign control," the ministry said .

Radiation levels remain normal at the site, the company said in a statement. The agency reported that emergency teams are assessing the damage to the engine room, and the situation remains under full control.

Likhachev accused Ukrainian forces of overstepping insurmountable boundaries and acting recklessly. He warned of the risks of potential attacks against other critical plant facilities, including turbines, the reactor, or safety systems. The director stressed that such incidents could have consequences beyond Russia and Ukraine in the event of a nuclear emergency.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a United Nations agency, wrote on the social network X, on Saturday (30): “There should be no kind of attack coming from or against the plant”. “Attacking nuclear facilities is like playing with fire,” he added.

A team of IAEA experts visited the factory on Sunday to assess the damage, said Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's envoy to the UN agency and other international organizations in Vienna. He shared images of the site, showing the hole in the wall of the machinery shed caused by the drone.

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