this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2025
126 points (99.2% liked)

news

23898 readers
663 users here now

Welcome to c/news! Please read the Hexbear Code of Conduct and remember... we're all comrades here.

Rules:

-- PLEASE KEEP POST TITLES INFORMATIVE --

-- Overly editorialized titles, particularly if they link to opinion pieces, may get your post removed. --

-- All posts must include a link to their source. Screenshots are fine IF you include the link in the post body. --

-- If you are citing a twitter post as news please include not just the twitter.com in your links but also nitter.net (or another Nitter instance). There is also a Firefox extension that can redirect Twitter links to a Nitter instance: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/libredirect/ or archive them as you would any other reactionary source using e.g. https://archive.today/ . Twitter screenshots still need to be sourced or they will be removed --

-- Mass tagging comm moderators across multiple posts like a broken markov chain bot will result in a comm ban--

-- Repeated consecutive posting of reactionary sources, fake news, misleading / outdated news, false alarms over ghoul deaths, and/or shitposts will result in a comm ban.--

-- Neglecting to use content warnings or NSFW when dealing with disturbing content will be removed until in compliance. Users who are consecutively reported due to failing to use content warnings or NSFW tags when commenting on or posting disturbing content will result in the user being banned. --

-- Using April 1st as an excuse to post fake headlines, like the resurrection of Kissinger while he is still fortunately dead, will result in the poster being thrown in the gamer gulag and be sentenced to play and beat trashy mobile games like 'Raid: Shadow Legends' in order to be rehabilitated back into general society. --

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Image is of Donald Trump Jr. in Greenland, proudly demonstrating what he's learned in his standing lessons.


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.


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

Please check out the HexAtlas!

The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

If you have evidence of Israeli 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 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.


(page 5) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 46 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

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

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago

Not sure if it counts as news but it looks like Marvel Snap was accidentally caught up in the TikTok ban and users can’t log in or play anymore 😂

https://bsky.app/profile/wario64.bsky.social/post/3lg3253fnn42d

[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

[Trump’s ]https://x.com/NeatAlfonzo/status/1880710589695262861)‘ALL HELL TO PAY’ threat was also directed at Israel, not just Hamas — WSJ

JDPON DON lets gooo!!

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago (19 children)

So what are the news heads predictions for the trump admin?

[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

Immediate fumbling the bag legislatively, some shenanigans at confirmation hearings, probably will start some shit with iran and venezuela, dunno about ukraine. Showy deportation raids which mysteriously don't reach genocide joe numbers and/or don't touch construction/agricultural industry, introduction of tariffs on some subsets of products. Some kind of medicare or social security fumble, which erases republican win by midterm.

oh yeah, market crash by summer (my pet theory)

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (18 replies)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago (7 children)

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.

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

Xi: Readiness to secure greater progress in China-U.S. relations from a new starting point

TL;DR: Congratulations, better relations, Ukraine, Palestine.

spoilerOn the evening of January 17, President Xi Jinping took a phone call from U.S. President-Elect Donald J. Trump.

President Xi congratulated Trump on his reelection as President of the United States. President Xi noted that they both attach great importance to their interactions, and both hope for a good start of the China-U.S. relationship during the new U.S. presidency. President Xi expressed his readiness to secure greater progress in China-U.S. relations from a new starting point.

President Xi stressed that the two great nations of China and the United States are pursuing their respective dreams, and are both committed to delivering a better life to their people. Given the extensive common interests and broad space of cooperation between the two countries, China and the United States can become partners and friends, contribute to each other’s success, and advance shared prosperity for the good of the two countries and the whole world.

President Xi pointed out that it is natural for two big countries with different national conditions to have some disagreements. The important thing is to respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, and find a proper solution. The Taiwan question concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. side needs to approach it with prudence. The bilateral economic ties are essentially mutually beneficial and win-win. Confrontation and conflict should not be an option for the two countries. The two sides should follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, work more closely together, do more big, practical and good things that benefit the two countries and the world, and keep the two giant ships of China and the United States sailing forward along the route of steady, sound and sustainable development.

President-Elect Trump thanked President Xi for the congratulations, and said he values his great relations with President Xi. He hoped they would keep talking to each other, and looked forward to meeting with President Xi soon. As the most important countries in the world, the United States and China should get along well for years and beyond and work together for world peace.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and other major international and regional issues of mutual interest.

The two leaders agreed to set up a channel of strategic communication to keep in regular touch on major issues of shared interest.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xw/zyxw/202501/t20250117_11538172.html

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago (6 children)
load more comments (6 replies)
[–] [email protected] 45 points 2 months ago

Immigration raid on ag. Workers in Kern county, Central Valley of California.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 months ago

Venezuelan Air Force Commander General Lenin Lorenzo Ramirez Villasmil: “We reject the new sanctions imposed by imperialism.”

[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (9 children)

What's stopping TikTok from moving their URL to tiktok.cn and giving instructions on sideloading the app? Even a non-jailbroken US iPhone can have apps sideloaded.

As far as I've seen, the ban bill just says that app stores and web hosts can't do business with them.

Edit: they could even move the URL and release an update to the app now before it's banned. Anyone who already had the app installed would still be able to access it.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The US government told them they will get banned unless they move their servers to Oracle. They did so, now they are getting banned anyway. My guess is that the servers will have to shut down and moving everything was too costly and/or they started the migration too late?

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (8 replies)
[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 months ago (8 children)

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.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Xi's special representative Han Zheng to attend Trump's inauguration

BEIJING, Jan. 17 -- At the invitation of the U.S. side, President Xi Jinping's special representative, Vice President Han Zheng will attend the inauguration ceremony of President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C., a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Friday.

China follows the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation in viewing and growing its relationship with the United States, the spokesperson said.

"We stand ready to work with the new U.S. government to enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly pursue a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship and find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other," the spokesperson added.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Trump's inauguration portrait was shown. The Internet noticed a significant difference with the 2016 portrait. Trump has noticeably aged, no longer smiling, but frowning with a raised eyebrow.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (3 children)

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.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago

Resistance News Network Telegram Intense armed clashes between resistance fighters and “Palestinian Authority” Security Forces have renewed around #Jenin camp, after the resistance factions announced the PA's breach of the agreement and failure to withdraw snipers and security personnel from the area.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (2 children)

im a bit out of the loop but why is this ceasefire such a big deal? wont israel just immediately violate the ceasefire

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (6 children)

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.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (3 children)

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)

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 months ago (3 children)

what is the deal with the new american "Embassy" for lebanon

CraigMurray on twitter https://x.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1880609364651700296

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 42 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

UN News, 2025-01-17: "[United Nations] Security Council briefed on challenges to peackeeping in Lebanon, Syria"
This news is about the 9840th Meeting of the Security Council. Verbatim records the be issued as document S/PV.9840 | Web TV video recording of meeting.

As quoted by me (emphasis original. See the UN News link above for full story)

Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix was joined by Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) who is temporarily in charge of the UN force in the Golan, UNDOF.

Mr. Lacroix is currently in Lebanon, where the UN Interim Force in the country UNIFIL, monitors the Blue Line border of separation with Israel. He is there with the UN Secretary-General and they visited the Mission's area of operations earlier that day.

The peacekeeping chief updated on UNIFIL's activities as a fragile truce between Lebanon and Israel continues to hold.

The agreement, signed on 27 November 2024, ended more than a year of hostilities between Hezbollah militants and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), triggered by the Gaza war.

It calls for Israel to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon within 60 days, and for Lebanese troops to redeploy during this period.

Hezbollah and Israeli forces previously clashed nearly 20 years ago, and the Council adopted Resolution 1701 (2006), which continues to apply today.

“With 10 days until the end of the stated 60-day period for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, however, Israeli demolitions of tunnels, buildings, and agricultural land continue,” he said.

“Some airstrikes have also been reported, as have ongoing violations of Lebanese airspace.”

UNIFIL also continues to detect trajectories of projectiles fired from south to north of the Blue Line, although at a far lower level compared to before the truce.

“Noting that the Israel Defense Forces has stated that its actions are targeting Hezbollah assets and personnel, the continued presence of the Israel Defense Forces in Lebanon is a violation of resolution 1701,” he said.

We urge the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw from Lebanese territory without delay, certainly by the end of the period envisaged in the announcement of the cessation of hostilities.”

Mr. Lacroix told the Council the past year has clearly demonstrated the significant presence of unauthorized armed personnel, assets and weapons related to Hezbollah and other non-State armed groups south of the Litani – in blatant violation of the UN resolution.

He said the LAF have shown increased resolve in dealing with these in recent weeks. Furthermore, UNIFIL has also located 116 caches of weapons and ammunition, in addition to observing potential tunnels and Hezbollah sites, and informed the LAF for their appropriate action.

The Mission’s unrestricted freedom of movement and full access throughout its area of operations are critical to support the full implementation of the resolution, he said.

Yet, seven weeks since the truce, most contingents remain confined to base and occasionally have to seek shelter in bunkers due to nearby IDF military activity or IDF advisories.

Operational activities are further constrained due to the presence of unexploded ordnance, IDF roadblocks, and interference from local people.

“As the IDF has been replying to very few of the Mission’s requests for deconfliction, the Mission has adjusted to a notification system for critical operational and logistics movements,” he said.

Mr. Lacroix noted that while challenges remain in Lebanon, “there is reason for optimism coupled with strong determination that there be no return to the past.”

He stressed that confidence in security and stability along the Blue Line is necessary for communities in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

“The ongoing returns of residents to southern Lebanon will continue as Israeli forces withdraw and as reconstruction efforts gather speed. We note that Israel has also presented a plan for the return of its residents to communities close to the Blue Line, in March 2025,” he said.

Major General Patrick Gauchat emphasised the operational difficulties his mission has encountered in maintaining its mandate amid heightened tensions in the area of separation.

“While UNDOF has had continuous contact with Syrian interlocutors throughout these recent developments, liaison by UNDOF with Syria is impacted,” he explained, noting that efforts are underway to establish stable communication channels with the de facto authorities.

UNDOF peacekeepers, supported by UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) observers, remain at their pre-December 2024 positions. They continue key tasks such as monitoring the ceasefire line and patrolling the ceasefire line.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have undertaken construction work using heavy equipment and setting up communication in the area of separation as a “temporary defensive measure,” Mr. Gauchat quoted.

UNDOF has informed its Israeli counterparts that their presence and activities in this area violate the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.

The IDF’s presence and roadblocks have severely impacted UNDOF's operational capacity, reducing movements from 55 to 60 operations daily to just 10 essential logistics missions.

However, the mission has adapted its approach, increasing weekly patrols from 10 to 40 and addressing urgent safety concerns, such as the neutralisation of unexploded ordnance in public areas.

Residents of the Golan have expressed concerns to UNDOF, calling for the IDF to leave their villages. Some reported instances of searches and arrests of their relatives.

UNDOF is working to understand and address these grievances through ongoing liaison efforts.

It is imperative that the UN peacekeepers are allowed to carry out their mandated tasks without obstruction,” Mr. Gauchat stressed, urging all parties to maintain the ceasefire and respect the terms of the 1974 Agreement.

“We count on the continued support of Member States to return to full mandate implementation,” he concluded.

 

(Being new to this, criticism of my quoting, or other thoughts on how you think this account should function, are appreciated)

[–] [email protected] 42 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

korean dude running the cornerstore is convinced Yoon is gonna get executed. how accurate do newsheads think that assessment is?

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] [email protected] 42 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

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.”

load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›