Bulletins and News Discussion from January 13th to January 19th, 2025 - From Mar-A-Lago to Nuuk - COTW: Denmark (including Greenland)

Overwhelmed at these scenes of liberated Palestinian hostages

https://t.me/Palestine_Updates/1108

The only way Greenland could secede and remain independent is if they are given an atomic weapon. Yes, my campaign is "A Nuke for Nuuk"

so most likely thing seem to be destined to happen (also naks is truly sicko, going green with sna assistance, more like running red)

Argentinian media be like: DO NOT MENTION THIS IS A PRISONER SWAP DO NOT MENTION THIS IS A PRISONER SWAP DO NOT MENTION THIS IS A PRISONER SWAP DO NOT MENTION THIS IS A PRISONER SWAP DO NOT MENTION THIS IS A PRISONER SWAP

Because once they do the whole "Hamas is super evil" narrative falls apart. It's insane because palestinian prisoners held FOR YEARS in "israeli" prisons under terrible conditions are not important and the only thing that matters here are the "israeli" people held by Hamas.

Full speech, with English subtitles, from Abu Obeida, spokesperson of the Al-Qassam brigades, with the start of the ceasefire agreement.

Twitter source

Xcancel mirror

Which Democratic politician will be the first to switch sides and join the Republicans? It will also be very funny to see Democrats criticizing Trump's handling of US domestic problems and foreign policies, when they themselves would be doing the same thing, only pretending to care about minorities and the working class.

Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell face police interview after pro-Palestinian rally: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clykrvp1g83o More public order offence fascism

seeing happy freed hostages is nice at least;

https://xcancel.com/SamidounPP/status/1881131475791409245

Hundreds of Aid Trucks Begin Flowing into Gaza Through Egyptian Side of Rafah Crossing - Telesur

Apparently Vivek got shit canned lmao

Edit: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vivek-ramaswamy-expected-to-depart-doge/

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

tik tok is back for US users with this glazing lmao. so funny the Dems set this shit up. 170 million US users being told "trump saved the day!" by the app they like that was going to get removed

https://xcancel.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/1881071284639223890

car protest in front of butcher blinky home

Earlier today I made the mistake of opening reddit and there a post with a map of the level of education of heads of state. There were the usual comments about Putler and whatever. But what caught my attention were the Brazilian Gusanos and other chuds, badmouthing Lula da Silva's education. How "dumb" he is and how he's "not prepared" to be president because he had to quit school to work.

Lula literally went to vocational school, worked since he was a child and even lost his pinky finger in an accident because his boss refused to help him. Shortly afterwards he joined the trade union movement, with the help of his communist older brother. Lula winning the presidency is something never seen before, someone truly from the lower working class reaching the highest office in South America's largest country. Whatever you say about Lula da Silva's neoliberal policies and other cringe things he's done, Lula has done more for the working class and minorities than any other president before him.

And another thing these people love to say, about the corruption in Lula's government and how he was arrested. Lula was arrested by a criminal judge called Sergio Moro who worked for the CIA and tried to become president of Brazil (when you say this to the Gusanos they don't know what to say). And the Gusanos also love to attack the Supreme Court because it released Lula from prison and dropped all his charges, the Supreme Court only did its job which was to release Lula because the charges were bullshit, also when the Supreme Court didn't grant Lula da Silva political rights, something the UN supported, to run in the 2018 elections, these people didn't say anything.

They're just angry that their man, Bolsonaro, has lost all political rights and can't even meet his master, Donald Trump. The Gusanos are the dumbest people in the world, pretending to be patriots but hating their own country and always saying that the US is better.

"Full year results of household survey for 2024 in China just posted. Real household income and consumption rose faster than overall GDP growth. Gains to rural households are significantly higher than urban households."

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/19/741202/Hardline-minister-and-his-party-quit-Netanyahu-coalition-over-ceasefire-agreement

Israeli minister Ben-Gvir quits Netanyahu’s coalition over Gaza ceasefire

Israeli minister along with his entire party have resigned from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition over the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and his “Jewish-power” party announced on Sunday that they are leaving the coalition “in light of the approval of the reckless agreement with the Hamas.”

The party called the ceasefire agreement a “capitulation to Hamas” and the renunciation of the Israeli regime’s so-called achievements since the start of the war.

Although Jewish power said it will not try to bring down Netanyahu’s cabinet, the departure of its ministers, especially Ben-Gvir, makes Netanyahu’s coalition >significantly weaker.

The party said it would be willing to return to Netanyahu’s coalition should the war eventually resume.

In a video posted to X, Ben-Gvir admitted that he and Bezalel Smotrich, another Israeli minister, used their political influence in order to prevent a ceasefire >agreement from moving forward.

“If this irresponsible agreement is approved and implemented, the Jewish power party will not be part of the government and will leave it,” he said.

Ben-Gvir also said humanitarian aid and fuel, electricity, and water must be “completely stopped” from entering the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

Ben-Gvir has been convicted of incitement to racism, destroying property, possessing a “terror” organization’s propaganda material, and supporting a terrorist >organization – the Israeli group Kahane Chai, which he joined when he was 16.

Israel was forced to accept a ceasefire deal with Hamas on Wednesday. The agreement has been set to take effect on Sunday 06:30 GMT.

Israel launched its brutal Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led resistance groups carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in >retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since October, the occupying regime has killed at least 46,788 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 110,450 others, in Gaza.

What a bunch of crybabies.

SCMP: China runs final tests of hypersonic air-to-air missile in extreme Mars mission tunnel

This is the first official confirmation of the existence of this mysterious weapon, which could pose an unprecedented threat to US military aircraft, including the B-21 stealth bomber that is currently undergoing flight testing.

Trump says he will revive TikTok, but wants 50% U.S. ownership

Trump said he would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”

“I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up,” he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said the executive order would specify there would be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before his order.

Joint ownership was exactly as I wrote in this comment here - we’ll probably see a joint venture in some kind of AI development between Meta/Google and a Chinese partner in return. The whole TikTok ban was just to open up the path for Meta/Google to enter China again:

I would expect some kind of joint venture in the field of AI development, which is what Meta and Google excel in.

For reference, Apple is currently in talks with Tencent and ByteDance to roll out its AI features in China, you can see why Meta and Google, both banned in China, would want a slice of that share too. How do you force China to lift the ban? By banning TikTok itself and force a hostage exchange situation.

It also fits with the recent US emphasis on banning AI stuff to China. The US then offers an olive branch if China allows American tech companies to enter to participate in their AI development. Now we see how China responds.

Supporters of South Korean President Yoon Seok-yul, who is accused of attempting to violently seize power, have caused a disturbance in the court that decided to remand the president in custody, the Yonhap news agency reported.

According to the agency, the angry crowd overcame police resistance and broke into the courthouse through the gate behind the building, and some of the president's supporters climbed over the fence. They began smashing windows and managed to get inside the building, where they also smashed glass and furniture with fire extinguishers and other improvised means, shouting "President Yoon Seok-yeol." Some also tried to find the judges who ordered his detention, threw plastic chairs at police officers, took away their shields and rubber batons and used them against the police themselves.

Other supporters of Yun Seok-yol tried to calm their comrades, convincing them that this was "not what the president wanted." The law enforcement reinforcements that soon arrived began arresting individual rioters, calling on those remaining in the building to leave immediately, and on everyone who was in court to disperse, ending the uncoordinated rally and other illegal actions.

The police in South Korea apparently only know how to beat up students and trade unionists; when it comes to incels and chuds, they always act as if they are defenseless against them.

Arnaud bertrand continues to be a good follow on twitter

spoiler

The real important story that happened since the Cold War is perhaps best illustrated by this Margaret Thatcher anecdote: in 2002, she was asked for her greatest achievement. She replied: "Tony Blair and New Labour. We forced our opponents to change their minds."

And guess what: she was right, that was indeed her greatest achievement.

That's what happened throughout the West: the ideological takeover of the "left" by "social democrats" who had no substantial difference to their opponents across the aisle. And in order to maintain the pretense that they were different, they decided to focus their platform on cultural and identity issues while abandoning any challenge to economic or imperial power - reducing civil rights struggles to convenient diversions from questions of class and systemic change. It's not the left that's unpopular, it's this sanitized ersatz of it. Voting essentially became a choice between the same product with different packaging, the illusion of choice.

Even more contemptible: candidates who emerged who were actually on the left, who wanted to drive actual substantial and meaningful change, were endlessly demonized with some of the most dishonest and disgusting tactics in politics. Jeremy Corbyn in the UK is a perfect example of this - smeared as a national security threat (and an antisemite) not just for his economic program but for questioning the wisdom of NATO expansion and opposing Western imperialism. In France we're currently seeing much the same playbook being applied on Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

This ties back to the concept of "extreme center" described by thinkers such as Tariq Ali, Pierre Serna or Alain Deneault. A radicalized form of liberalism that presents itself as moderate and reasonable while actually taking extremist positions in defense of the status quo - whether through unwavering support for imperial adventures abroad or the suppression of democratic alternatives at home. This centrism is 'extreme' in how viciously it reacts to any genuine left-wing challenge to the established order, whether through media smear campaigns, lawfare, or the cynical weaponization of identity politics to defend both domestic inequality and imperial power.

The irony and the situation we today find ourselves in is that this "extreme center," in its zealous defense of neoliberal orthodoxy and its refusal to address fundamental economic grievances, ended up creating the very conditions of social instability and political polarization it claims to stand against. And, ultimately, the conditions of its demise as we're currently seeing throughout the West.

The sad result though is that because the actual left has been so thoroughly demonized, legitimate popular anger and resentment largely get directed towards nihilistic movements that, far from solving our fundamental problems, channel these sentiments into scapegoating and division. These movements won't solve our fundamental problems - while they may break with certain aspects of neoliberal orthodoxy, they mostly offer the aesthetic of rebellion while dropping even the pretense of serving the common good.

That's where we are: the victory of the 'extreme center' over the left has proven to be simultaneously absolute and self-defeating. Thatcher's boast about Blair might have been premature - her true legacy may not just have been making the left compatible with neoliberal economics, but creating a world where our only choice is between the plague and cholera.

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:::

As long as the zionist regime exists, so too will the Resistance

This footage of a hostage transfer shows like a hundred Hamas fighters

https://www.douyin.com/

Has the Chinese TikTok always been available to burger brains? Because it is right now

Jon Elmer on the latest radio war nerd discussing specifics of the Palestinian resistance within gaza. A lot of topics covered won't be new to the newsmega but Elmer brings a deep understanding of tactics and history all the same.

https://pca.st/episode/e2c19d95-8831-47eb-9805-3919e609d54b

The City of Atlanta crushed a homeless man to death with one of its bulldozers as the city attempted to clear a homeless encampment ahead of MLK Day celebrations scheduled for Monday. They didn't check to see if anyone was in the tents. Welcome to Hellscape America.

from https://xcancel.com/anthonyzenkus/status/1880453411348607259

Trump to unblock TikTok on inauguration day. "On Monday, I will issue an executive order extending the period before the law's restrictions go into effect so we can make a deal to protect our national security," he wrote on social media.

Trump added that the US should have a 50 percent stake in TikTok. "My initial idea is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners, in which the United States would have a 50% ownership interest in the joint venture," the president wrote.

For me the main benefit of this "cultural exchange" isn't Americans learning that China isn't 1984

The benefit is Chinese citizens learning there is no greener grass on the other side, there's no western salvation, no capitalist led utopia across the pacific.

Honestly, the fact so many Chinese citizens didn't believe a basic fact like American ambulance fees, reveals a serious failure of the Communist Party to inform its populace about basic realities of the world, that goes beyond a simple propaganda failure and right into dangerous 1980s Soviet-style delusions about the western world, which is fertile soil for counter-revoulationary forces

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) as part of it's carrier strike group, is the closest it's been to Yemen since the 21st of December. Highly likely we'll see an attack on Ansar Allah (known as the Houthis in mainstream western media) in Yemen before the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas goes into effect.

Update: The Carrier Strike Group has already come under attack within the last hour, according to the latest statement by the Yemeni Armed Forces, likely in self defence to try deter an upcoming attack.

Israel will release 1,890 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 hostages held by the radical Hamas movement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

It's interesting Temu isn't being targeted, since it's well known that it tracks every little thing you do on your phone as soon as you download the app.

Pissrael is bombing Gaza. Ceasefire was a lie.

CW: Suicide

Two Iran Supreme Court judges killed in Tehran shooting attack

ISIS defends SISI

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

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

not sure if it's appropriate for news mega (not news) or general mega (contains bad vibes),

but is the bottom of this picture ai or what (look at the hand/elbow)?

https://xcancel.com/TheDemocrats/status/1880041868915777644

image from here btw

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

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)

The Taiwanese political poll just got their yearly update:
https://esc.nccu.edu.tw/PageDoc/Detail?fid=7801&id=6963

Taiwanese separatism peaked in 2020 because the Hong Kong protests were still on people's minds, and it's being downhill ever since. Nobody is buying what the DPP is trying to peddle. Damn, it turns out sending one of your political opponents to jail on corruption charges for transparent political reasons would put a damper on your party ideology. The status quo reigns supreme. Eat shit, boba libs.

Burkina Faso Bans Colonial-Style Wigs for Judges in Decolonisation Effort:
https://www.telesurenglish.net/burkina-faso-bans-colonial-style-wigs-for-judges-in-decolonisation-effort/

YouTube Ukraine Trending page is interesting:

Cw: azov

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/milei-budget-cuts-nets-argentina-194926602.html

Milei’s Budget Cuts Nets Argentina First Surplus in Over a Decade

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it'll move back into deficit as tax revenue falls unless there are further cuts. how much can you cut while keeping your head?

The ceasefire deal has been signed by

Archive Link

Bolsonaro says: “If I remain ineligible, I no longer believe in democracy”.

Former president Jair Bolsonaro insisted on Friday that he would be the candidate of the right in the 2026 election. The former chief executive also said that he will no longer believe in democracy if he remains ineligible by decision of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

“What would democracy be? Respecting due process, the Constitution, the laws. Why make me ineligible? Two eight-year sentences (...) If I remain ineligible, I no longer believe in democracy. Democracy is over,” Bolsonaro said in an interview.

Why? WHY? Bolsonaro literally tried to kill people and created documents detailing how he would kill them. His own vice-president had an entire plan to send him into exile in the US, literally nobody likes Bolsonaro.

Indicted by the Federal Police (PF) in November for the crimes of attempted coup d'état, attempted abolition of the democratic rule of law and criminal organization, the former president could be ineligible until 2061 if he is prosecuted and sentenced with the maximum penalty, in 2025, for the alleged crimes. Bolsonaro would be 106 years old when he could stand for political office again.

lol

I talked to my nephew if they taught them about the Dot Com or Housing bubbles of 2001 and 2008.

He said no. Like the Empire is just sweeping major recent history oopsies under the carpet.

mBridge, a Bank of International Settlements Project Hyped by BRICS Fans as a Way to Evade Sanctions, Shut Down by Naked Capitalism

A case study in how much the world has changed, and how promoting narratives (boy do I hate that word) trumps getting things right is mBrigde, a BIS project that just got canned.

A bit of a “told you so” tone from Yves Smith but an excellent dissection on the practical challenges faced by BRICS (if they truly want to challenge US dominance) and how overenthusiastic multipolar fans hyped up projects without understanding the fundamentals of the issue at hand.

Importantly, we have Michael Hudson in the comment section saying this:

Yves highlights the big problem with well-wishers hoping that BRICS can create a better financial and economic system than the West has.

The idea is that financial independence requires one’s own “money.” But money itself is a legal creation that requires agreement by the governments issuing it as to (1) what countries — and who in them — gets the money that is being created, and (2) what will the money be created for.

This requires political unification and that a collective BRICS government is far from being created in the foreseeable future.

What CAN be created is a settlement system for intergovernmental debts among countries running surpluses and deficits. Keynes described such a system in his proposals for a banker back in 1944. If creditor countries did not pursue policies that enabled debtor countries to pay — by accepting their exports, for instance — then when the balances reached some critical mass, the creditor claims and debtor liabilities would be wiped off the books, because creditors had not taken responsibility for enabling debtors to pay. Such debts were bad loans, Keynes argued.

The US opposed this, wanting Hard Money, because the US had 75% of the world’s gold (and increased its share to 80% by 1950).

And today’s US would not take responsibility for loans to countries that can’t afford to pay their dollar debts without stifling their economic growth by accepting IMF austerity plans.

None of this kind of reform requires a common currency. The problem is the IMBALANCES among countries. That is the key.

As Hudson pointed out, the main problem has always been how are you going to sort out balance of payments issue. Keynes had the right idea with bancor, but with China running $1 trillion trade surplus these days, there is virtually zero incentive for China to get onboard with such a trade arrangement because bancor will only heavily punish the two countries (US and China) for running their huge trade deficits (huge import) and surpluses (huge export) - the two countries that have benefited tremendously from the status quo at the expense of the rest of the world.

This again goes back to why I always said that China’s only way out is to transition into a domestic consumption economy and give up their export industries, because the very act of transitioning itself has a very nice built-in incentive for China to embrace the bancor-like mechanism that will return the world to a more balanced trade, and also contains the antidote against dollar hegemony at the same time. That means industrial capacities more equally distributed across the world, as well as simultaneously blunting the force of US monetary imperialism.

In acp (patsoc/haz weirdos) news, they apparently fighting each other or something (don't want to investigate what's this about)

https://xcancel.com/JenksJackman/status/1880254497815245111

[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!!

There's gonna be a lot of CEOs and other really awful people all in one place on monday... Just making an observation

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

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

spoiler

On 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

NEW: We reconstructed @samhusseini's viral confrontation with Antony Blinken by combining footage from multiple sources, including @amrhsayed & @ryangrim. A must-see.

This was the culmination of months of State Dept stonewalling.

“Why aren't you in The Hague??”

video at https://xcancel.com/decensorednews/status/1880230957070029141

Had a beautiful fantasy today imagining right after Trump takes office, a massive mobilization of people coming together to march on wherever Biden is with the campaign of a Citizen’s Arrest of Biden. And/or Blinken, Miller, etc. Like a Jan 6th of trying to physically get Biden and try him in a People’s Court. This would never work out obviously lol but because Trump is Trump I don’t think he would put up too much of a fight against it with federal forces. Maybe it’d just be secret service aiming guns at protestors. But just thinking about a million people coming together to march on that one aim…beautiful

Today’s news from the Donbass.

Russian forces liberated the Donetsk People’s Republic settlement of Vremyevka, just west of Velikaya Novosyolka. Kiev regime occupation forces inside Velikaya Novosyolka are now mostly encircled (map included): https://news-pravda.com/world/2025/01/17/983791.html

The details continue emerging of how Kiev regime troops (including Western mercenaries) massacred civilians in the DPR’s Selidovo before fleeing in late October: https://southfront.press/black-tuesday-how-the-afu-strewn-the-town-with-corpses/

A surrendered Ukrainian soldier stated that the Kiev regime is burning its dead troops’ bodies to avoid paying their families. They also burn Western mercenaries’ bodies to hide their presence: https://sputnikglobe.com/20250117/ukrainian-forces-burn-soldiers-bodies-to-avoid-paying-families---pow-1121442354.html

A combat summary for today (plus videos): https://southfront.press/overview-of-military-situation-in-ukraine-january-17-2025/

Inauguration moved inside because Hellword has frozen over

Apparently the surprise musical guest at the inauguration is going to be Nelly?

After all the death and suffering....the entity still exists. What was gained?

Under Brazil's presidency, BRICS announces the entry of Cuba, Bolivia and six other countries as partners. The countries join the bloc as partners, with a lower status than full members, but with the possibility of participating in summits and thematic meetings. According to Friday's announcement, the following countries have joined the BRICS as partners:

• Belarus

• Bolivia

• Kazakhstan

• Cuba

• Malaysia

• Thailand

• Uganda

• Uzbekistan

seems fairly brazen from iran (if true/not old stuff), i would assume they would have suspended this part of the operations. kinda darkly funny how open hts is about its preferences

Fire at the world’s largest battery plant in California forces evacuations

Trump, China's Xi hold call on TikTok, trade, Taiwan

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed issues including TikTok, trade and Taiwan in a phone call on Friday, just days before Trump takes office again promising tariffs that could ratchet up tensions between the world's two biggest economies.

Both leaders were upbeat about the call, with Trump calling it "a very good one" and Xi saying he and Trump both hoped for a positive start to U.S.-China relations, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

It was the first known phone call between the pair after Trump's election in November.

The U.S. and China are embroiled in an array of diplomatic and economic disagreements, including an accelerating technological and military rivalry and bitter trade disputes. Marco Rubio, Trump's nominee to be his secretary of state, has defined China as the gravest threat facing the U.S. and warned about the risks of possible military conflict between the two countries.

The call came shortly before U.S. Supreme Court on Friday announced a ruling upholding a law that mandates TikTok owner ByteDance divest TikTok's U.S. assets by Sunday to a non-Chinese buyer, or be banned on national security concerns.

"The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects," Trump wrote on his social media platform.

"President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!"

Xi raised China's concerns about Taiwan, which Beijing maintains is part of its territory, and said he hoped the U.S. would treat the matter with great care.

"The Taiwan issue concerns China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and he hopes the U.S. side will handle it with caution," he said according to Chinese state television.

Xi said the United States and China can have their differences but must respect each other's core interests, and that trade relations can be mutually beneficial without confrontation and conflict, comments similar to those he made during Trump's first term.

The Chinese readout of the call said the two leaders agreed to set up a "channel of strategic communication to keep in regular touch on major issues of shared interest."

Trump offered strong support to Taiwan, including regularizing arms sales, in his first term. But during the campaign last year, he said Taiwan should pay the U.S. to be defended.

The Republican president-elect, who upended trade relations in his first term, is about to embark on an even more aggressive effort in his second term. He has pledged to impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless Beijing does more to stop trafficking of the highly addictive narcotic fentanyl, and he threatened tariffs in excess of 60% on Chinese goods while on the campaign trail.

Trump said on Jan. 6 that he and Xi have been communicating through representatives, expressing optimism about their relationship.

Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, said whether Trump in coming days would permit TikTok to operate without a qualified divestment and whether he applied tariffs on China quickly or first began negotiations with Beijing would be early indicators of how confrontational his stance toward China would be.

Trump posted online later that his decision on TikTok would be coming soon, and that "everyone must respect" the Supreme Court ruling.

Breaking with tradition, Trump had invited Xi and other foreign leaders to his Jan. 20 inauguration, but China is sending Vice President Han Zheng, a move signaling Beijing's desire to step up communication with the incoming administration.

Still, any "grand bargain" between the two sides over trade, Taiwan and other strategic issues would be difficult to reach, said Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington.

"There's an immense amount of distance between what one can imagine and actually achieving such an outcome. The interests between the U.S. and China on many of these issues are different and the views of key advisors to both are quite hawkish," Kennedy said.

Folks, we’re gonna do so many great things, folks. lmao this guy.

But as I’ve said, there is a good chance of easing US-China tension with Biden gone.

Lmao.

SC has upheld the ban on Tiktok lmao

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/17/supreme-court-rules-to-uphold-tiktok-ban.html

Now its up to the executive to enforce it. Biden has decided to leave it up to trump, and trump has signaled he won't enforce it either

Marco Rubio To Unsuccessfully Seek a New Interventionist Adventure in Venezuela - Telesur English

Article

The U.S. politician proposes reconsidering Chevron’s License in this South American country. On Wednesday, Republican Senator Marco Rubio presented his confirmation hearing as the next U.S. Secretary of State, a position he is expected to assume after Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Known as one of the most hostile U.S. politicians toward independent governments, he suggested that Washington should reconsider the oil licenses granted to energy companies to operate in Venezuela. The next chief of U.S. diplomacy criticized President Joe Biden for negotiating with President Nicolas Maduro, whom Rubio baselessly accused of ‘fostering migratory flows’ toward the U.S.

Although the Biden administration reversed sanctions relief against Venezuela in April 2024, the transnational company Chevron continues to operate in this South American country thanks to an individual license. During his presentation, Rubio also accused Russia of having a strong presence in Venezuela, even going so far as to suggest that “the Iranians are already starting to build drone factories.” This claim, too, was unsupported by any evidence.

Despite the barrage of threats and false information, “Rubio’s aggressive statement against Venezuela does not signal a shift in foreign policy toward Caracas under Trump 2.0,” said political analyst William Serafino. “The next U.S. Secretary of State is not an organic politician within the MAGA universe. While this ideological current is more radicalized compared to Trump’s first term, it views Venezuela as a second- or third-tier issue,” he explained, and argued that Rubio is “a hawk by design” who generates mistrust even within the political bloc led by the future U.S. president.

“For Trump, revisiting the ‘Venezuelan swamp’ that the Guaido project represented and exposing himself to a new punitive interventionist adventure against Venezuela, as Rubio wants, would mean betraying everything he said during the campaign about the U.S. relationship with the world,” Serafino believes.

Some news for today from Russia’s special military operation.

Russian forces recently liberated the Shevchenko Lithium Ore Field in the western parts of the Donetsk People’s Republic, which is a major loss for Western capitalists that wanted to exploit it: https://sputnikglobe.com/20250118/ukraine-losing-lithium-wealth-major-blow-to-the-west-1121457558.html

A Russian Iskander missile strike eliminated a NATO/Danish F-16 pilot and ‘instructor’ in Krivoy Rog: https://www.rt.com/russia/611145-danish-f16-instructor-killed/

Russian missiles struck the Kiev regime military's Luch design bureau (that manufactures “Neptune” missiles) in Kiev (video): https://news-pravda.com/world/2025/01/18/987365.html

Russian forces liberated the Donetsk People’s Republic settlement of Petropavlovka, northwest of Kurakhovo: https://sputnikglobe.com/20250118/russian-forces-strike-ukrainian-defense-sites-in-response-to-atacms-attacks-free-two-villages-1121455742.html

Yesterdays UN image (as chosen by the Hexbear UnitedNations acc.)

Joyful reactions of Palestinians in Deir el-Balah after news on ceasefire, Gaza Strip. © 2025 UNRWA Photo by Ashraf Amra

TikTok is now unavailable in the United States

russia and iran signed their economic thingy (and it's apparently mainly economic, without mutual defense)

note to self: if you participate in bloody civil war - win it, so you don't be prosecuted.

Here is an update on the story of the south African illegal miners stranded underground. Pretty grim, I can't imagine what it must be like underground there. It's a tomb.

https://www.business-standard.com/amp/world-news/at-least-78-dead-at-abandoned-south-africa-gold-mine-toll-expected-to-rise-125011501286_1.html

Venezuela Modernizes Exports with AI: A Radical Change in Foreign Trade - Telesur English

Article

The graduate and ambassador Coronoto Godoy has been appointed as its head, with the mission of centralizing and coordinating all institutions related to international trade in Venezuela. In a move that could redefine Venezuela’s foreign trade, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced a series of reforms aimed at modernizing and streamlining export processes. With the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), the time required to complete export formalities will be drastically reduced from 51 to only 10 days.

This transformation is part of a decree that seeks to simplify and unify the protocols for entrepreneurs, marking a milestone in the country’s commercial history. The creation of a new ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Trade, will be key to this initiative. The graduate and ambassador Coronoto Godoy has been appointed as its head, with the mission of centralizing and coordinating all institutions related to international trade in Venezuela.

This approach seeks not only to facilitate the processes but also to strengthen the country’s export vocation, which has faced significant challenges in recent years.

In addition, the modernization of foreign trade is complemented by the creation of the Venezuelan National League for Entrepreneurship. This new entity emerges after an extensive consultation process involving more than 3.5 million citizens through 160,000 assemblies, reflecting a participatory approach in economic policy formulation. The League will act as a catalyst for business development, providing entrepreneurs with mentoring programs, connections to both national and international sectors, access to credit, expert advice, and promotion of their brands.

These measures not only represent a significant technological advance but also demonstrate a commitment by the Venezuelan government to revitalize its economy through entrepreneurship and innovation. By integrating AI into business processes, Venezuela is seeking to position itself in an increasingly competitive global market where efficiency and speed are crucial.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: "We must resist the anti-values of the western empire of the north."

“The time of the absent country is over, let's do whatever we have to do so that our identity prevails.”

President Nicolás Maduro pondered this Monday the struggle for values as the spearhead of the Venezuelan and Latin American identity against the colonialist and imperialist model of Western countries.

During the presentation of the National Culture Award 2023-2024, the South American leader stressed that “behind the collapse of the West and its anti-values, fascism is beginning to resurface. Venezuela, Latin America and the Caribbean need a powerful cultural revolution that vindicates the best of human values and opposes the anti-values of fascism”.

“A transculturated people is a dominated people, we must combine efforts. We must resist the anti-values, the cultural decadence of the Western empire of the North, and advance in the construction of the new, a new society,” he stressed.

Video

Electoral Dispute Tribunal Takes On Noboa: Serious Allegations of Electoral Violations - Telesur English

Article

The correspondent of teleSUR, Elena Rodríguez, has pointed out that Noboa’s election campaign has been marked by irregularities, which adds a complicated context to his re-election. The Electoral Dispute Tribunal (TCE) of Ecuador has admitted to trial case number 008-2025, filed by Jorge Escala, the presidential candidate of the Popular Unity movement, against the current president, Daniel Noboa. The complaint focuses on possible electoral violations committed by the President during his campaign.

Judge Joaquín Viteri, who was in charge of the case, based his decision on Articles 90 and 208 of the TCE Procedural Rules, as well as Article 278, paragraph 3 of the Democracy Code, which defines electoral offenses. According to the complainants, Noboa committed offenses considered serious and very serious, as stipulated in Articles 278 and 279 of the aforementioned code.

Daniel Noboa, who is again running for the presidency on behalf of the National Democratic Action (ADN) movement, has been at the center of controversy since the beginning of the election campaign. On his first day of activities, January 5, the president addressed his supporters from the balcony of Carondelet Palace, promising an imminent election victory. He has also been carrying out proselytizing activities in various provinces, such as Santa Elena and Guayas, accompanied by members of his cabinet.

The correspondent of teleSUR, Elena Rodríguez, has pointed out that Noboa’s election campaign has been marked by irregularities, which adds a complicated context to his re-election. The TCE’s acceptance of this case opens a new chapter in Ecuadorian politics, where accusations and scrutiny over the president’s electoral conduct could have significant implications for the country’s political future.

Meeting coverage (SC/15968) from yesterdays 9839th meeting ("Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine") of the United Nations Security Council (Verbatim recordings to be issued as S/PV.9839, Web TV recording), as quoted by me (see SC/15968 for full version):

**Speakers in Security Council Raise Alarm Over Involvement of Pyongyang’s Troops in War against Ukraine**

Turning to the humanitarian crisis, [Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs] noted that 12.7 million people will require assistance this year and urged the international community to fully support the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. The attacks “have also made the situation increasingly dangerous for the diplomatic community and international organizations,” she pointed out, stressing that diplomatic and international personnel and assets must be protected.

The Council also heard from Ukraine’s delegate, who stressed the need to counteract the Russian Federation’s “aggressive, imperialistic policies”. Recalling that one of Russian Federation President Vladimir V. Putin’s closest accomplices recently expressed the hope that “Ukraine will cease to exist in 2025,” he said this destructive ambition has guided that country’s policy for decades. It is essential to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence capabilities and dry up the Russian Federation’s oil and gas revenue streams by strengthening sanctions. That country’s “war budget for 2025 is 25 per cent bigger than last year’s”, he said, adding: “If we want to stop the war, we should cut off Putin's cash flow.”

However, the representative of the Russian Federation said that things are quickly unravelling for Kyiv. Many high-level officials are fleeing the country, he said, adding that those speaking out against Ukraine’s regime face torture. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are being pushed back, and losing thousands of soldiers. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is nervous about the danger of having fresh elections, and the fact that the United States Government could audit assistance to Ukraine and examine the scope of the corruption in his country, he said, adding that there are rumours in Kyiv that the regime is preparing a large-scale provocation for which Russian Federation will be blamed.

As for the “Washington puppeteers” of the Kyiv regime, he said, they are worried that their investment in the “anti-Russia project” is going to collapse, similar to what happened with the United States in 2021 in Afghanistan. The rhetoric of the United States and its satellites here has changed considerably, he went on to say. “Initially, they were talking about the need to ensure that Ukraine is victorious,” he said. Then they moved on to supporting the Kyiv regime as long as it takes for the Russian Federation not to be victorious. And today, the idea is to ensure that the “Ukrainian sinking ship” has a strong negotiating position, he said.

The representative of the United States countered this, stressing that “in more than 1,000 days of this reckless war of choice, Putin has failed to achieve any of his goals in Ukraine; instead, he has left Russia’s power and influence greatly diminished”. Some 700,000 Russian soldiers are dead or injured. Meanwhile, Ukraine remains “strong and defiant” as a free and sovereign democracy.

The Russian Federation’s forces have systematically attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, “weaponizing winter” by leaving thousands of households without power, she said. They have abducted Ukrainian children and tried to erase their identities. And yet China’s exports continue to directly fuel the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine and its attacks against civilian infrastructure. “This support makes China the decisive enabler of Russia’s war,” she added.

But, China’s delegate described this as “downright lies through and through” adding that, if his country had really provided military supplies to the Russian Federation, the situation would not be where it is now. His Government has repeatedly emphasized respect for the sovereignty of and territorial integrity of all countries. The United States has used the Ukraine situation to advance its own geopolitical strategy, wanting “nothing more than a weakened and defeated Russian Federation”, he said.

The representative of the Republic of Korea said the testimonies of two soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, captured in the Kursk Oblast, clearly demonstrate that troops from that country “are engaged in combat and being dissipated as expendables”. The two soldiers were unaware of being deployed for the war against Ukraine, he said, adding that they were told they were participating in combat simulation drills. “As a native Korean speaker, I can definitively tell that those two soldiers spoke in Korean with North Korean accents,” he said. “Despite Pyongyang’s efforts to muzzle any rumors,” he said, soldiers’ families in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are fearful that their “sons and brothers are being used as slave soldiers and mere cannon fodder”.

Speakers also highlighted the humanitarian suffering, with the representative of Denmark noting that “Each passing day brings further death, destruction and hardship,” for Ukrainians. Millions struggle to secure heating, water and electricity in the cold winter months. “These are not just abstract words in a statement; these represent human lives,” she added. Somalia’s delegate stressed the need to ensure humanitarian aid, noting that 2 million children require “multisectoral assistance”, while Panama’s representative demanded that humanitarian personnel be protected. “They make herculean efforts to provide assistance to the thousands of civilians unjustly affected,” he added. Pakistan’s delegate stressed that “the solution lies in dialogue and negotiations and not on the battlefield”.

What if Donald Trump sues Donald Tusk over copyright infringement, there can only be one Donald T. inside NATO.

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.

SpaceX's Starship explodes in flight test, forcing airlines to divert

WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A SpaceX Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas on Thursday, forcing airline flights over the Gulf of Mexico to alter course to avoid falling debris and setting back Elon Musk's flagship rocket program.

SpaceX mission control lost contact with the newly upgraded Starship, carrying its first test payload of mock satellites but no crew, eight minutes after liftoff from its South Texas rocket facilities at 5:38 p.m. EST (2238 GMT).

Video shot by Reuters showed orange balls of light streaking across the sky over the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, leaving trails of smoke behind.

"We did lose all communications with the ship - that is essentially telling us we had an anomaly with the upper stage," SpaceX Communications Manager Dan Huot said, confirming minutes later that the ship was lost.

The last time a Starship upper stage failed was in March last year, as it was reentering Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, but rarely has a SpaceX mishap caused widespread disruptions to air traffic.

Dozens of commercial flights diverted to other airports or altered course to avoid potential debris, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. Departures from airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were also delayed by about 45 minutes, it added.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates private launch activities, said it had briefly slowed and diverted planes around the area where space debris was falling, but normal operations had since resumed.

The FAA regularly closes airspace for space launches and reentries, but it can create a "debris response area" to prevent aircraft from entering if the space vehicle experiences an anomaly outside the originally closed zone.

SpaceX CEO Musk posted a video on X showing the debris field and said: "Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!"

The failure came a day after Blue Origin, billionaire Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab founder Jeff Bezos' space company, successfully launched its giant New Glenn rocket into orbit for the first time.

Checking in from my new Little Red Book "#wuhluhwuh" addiction to post this quote I just saw on there (the app is such good agitprop) of the Chinese rep apparently popping off at the UNSC today. I checked their UN mission site transcript and IT'S TRUE lol. Here's some choice excerpts.

For some time now, and in fact today, the US has been peddling false narrative to discredit and smear China at the Council's meetings on the Ukraine issue. [...] At earlier meetings, I responded to the US fallacies many times. Today, I might go a little further.

First, if China had really provided military supplies to Russia, the situation on the battleground would not have been where it is now. [...]

[...] The fact is, since the beginning, the US has used the Ukraine war to advance its geopolitical strategy and serve its own agenda. To sum up, first, the US wants nothing more than a weakened and defeated Russia through the war, so as to dominate European security and further increase its influence in Europe. Second, through the war, the US intends to stoke up bloc confrontation, create divisions, and contain and isolate China, a strategic rival in their eyes. Third, the US wishes to project a positive image to offset the international community's criticism of its policies in the Middle East. Unfortunately, the US has failed on all three attempts.

https://x.com/Hezbolsonaro/status/1880084827141206235

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.

Two US journalists bravely called out “Secretary of State” Antony Blinken for being a war criminal today.

Max Blumenthal: https://x.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/1879926469633487204

Sam Husseini: https://www.rt.com/news/611039-state-department-husseini-blinken/

Huge respect to these two guys for doing what is right.

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3295043/chinas-local-governments-raise-minimum-wages-boost-consumption

China’s local governments raise minimum wages to boost consumption

We were banning TikTok because it is a huge national security threat, but also we need to roll the TikTok ban back because it hurts the influencers!

Congress panics realizing no one is going to buy TikTok before the ban (a problem they created!), with Sen. Schumer saying: " It's clear that more time is needed to find an American buyer and not disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans of so many influencers who have built up a good network of followers."

https://x.com/kenklippenstein/status/1880007290830688609

Ryan Grim out here with a banger tweet.

Drug-eating rats invade Houston police evidence room, potentially disrupting hundreds of cases

China's economy beats forecasts in 2024, braces for trade war

BEIJING, Jan 17 (Reuters) - China's economy ended 2024 on better footing than expected helped by a flurry of stimulus measures, although the threat of a new trade war with the United States and weak domestic demand could hurt confidence in a broader recovery this year.

Exports, one of the few bright spots, could lose steam as United States President-elect Donald Trump, who has proposed hefty tariffs on Chinese goods, is set to return to the White House next week.

For the full-year 2024, the world's second-largest economy grew 5.0%, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showed on Friday, meeting the government's annual growth target of around 5%. Analysts had forecast 4.9% growth.

The economy grew 5.4% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, significantly beating analysts' expectations and marking the quickest since the second quarter of 2023.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) would expand 5.0% from a year earlier, quickening from the third-quarter's 4.6% pace as a flurry of support measures began to kick in.

"China's economy is showing signs of revival, led by industrial output and exports," said Frederic Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC in Hong Kong.

However, he added, the strong GDP print last quarter may already have been flattered by front-loading of shipments to the U.S. - something that will inevitably lead to a pay-back with production and exports turning down once tariffs begin to bite.

"As exports come under pressure in 2025, dragged lower by U.S. import restrictions, there will be an even bigger need to apply domestic stimulus."

Sam Husseini physically dragged away from Blinken’s press briefing. “Why aren’t you at The Hague?”, he asks - Blinken continues to talk about the improved “agility” of the empire’s foreign policy, like some mid 2000s software consultant stuck on their bullshit, proud of improving the velocity of a killing machine

🇺🇸🇨🇳Biden administration looks for ways to keep TikTok available in the U.S President Joe Biden’s administration is considering ways to keep TikTok available in the U.S. if a ban that’s scheduled to go into effect on Sunday proceeds, according to three people familiar with the discussions. “Americans shouldn’t expect to see TikTok suddenly banned on Sunday,” an administration official said, adding that officials are “exploring options” for how to implement the law so that TikTok does not go dark on Sunday.

Lol America is so cooked. I can't wait for the millenium of humiliation for the US

https://xcancel.com/Sino_Market/status/1879755727583195436#m

Netanyahu says a ceasefire in Gaza has been delayed until Hamas releases a list of hostages

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ckg0znng8x2t

I hate Starmer so much, says Israeli's were "massacred" but Palestinians "lost their lives"

David Lynch died at 78 Im sad hexbear users

David Lynch, Visionary Director of ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Blue Velvet,’ Dies at 78.

In January 2025, Lynch evacuated his Los Angeles home due to the Southern California wildfires; Deadline Hollywood reported that these events preceded a terminal decline in his health, and on January 16, 2025, Lynch's family announced that he had died at the age of 78.

Director-writer David Lynch, who radicalized American film with with a dark, surrealistic artistic vision in films like “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and network television with “Twin Peaks,” has died. He was 78.

Lynch revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema after a lifetime of smoking, and would likely not be able to leave his house to direct any longer. His family announced his death in a Facebook post, writing, “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'”

The “Twin Peaks” TV show and films such as “Blue Velvet,” “Lost Highway” and “Mulholland Drive” melded elements of horror, film noir, the whodunit and classical European surrealism. Lynch wove tales, not unlike those of his Spanish predecessor Luis Bunuel, which proceeded with their own impenetrable logic.

A four-time Oscar nominee, Lynch received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2020. After years spent as a painter and a maker of short animated and live action films, Lynch burst onto the scene with his 1977 feature debut “Eraserhead,” a horrific, black-humored work that became a disturbing fixture on the midnight movie circuit. His outré and uncompromising style quickly won the attention of the Hollywood and international movie-making establishment.

He was hired by Mel Brooks’ production company to write and direct “The Elephant Man,” a deeply affecting drama about a horrifically deformed sideshow freak in Victorian England who became a national celebrity. The feature captured eight Academy Award nominations, including Lynch’s first for best director.

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.

Related to news. The national news of Finland has taken the time out of their Russia = bad focus to tell us plebs that Rednote is bad and heavily state controlled and nobody should use it.

Seeing a status quo maintenance piece about the TikTok ban and Rednote is a great example of the vassal state status that we now occupy.

Edit. The source our state media is using on this is China Digital Times.🤡

They have a label plastered all over their newssites that claims them to be "responsible journalism".

The Greenland Crisis Continues: Danish Regime Scrambles to Reassure Business Leaders After Trump Call

Denmark’s Social Democrat-led government finds itself in crisis mode following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s demand to buy Greenland, accompanied by threats of economic warfare and even military action. This unprecedented situation marks the most serious threat to Denmark’s territorial integrity since World War II, thrusting one of Washington’s most loyal vassals into the unfamiliar position of being the target of American imperialist ambitions.

Yesterday Danish leader Mette Frederiksen had a 45 minutes long phone call with Trump, asserting that Greenland is not for sale and any future change in its status must be decided by the Greenlanders themselves. In statements to the press Frederiksen avoided confirming if Trump fully grasped her message, she only acknowledged his "very strong" interest in Greenland. Trump, however, did not back down from his threats of putting punitive tariffs on Danish goods, placing Denmark in a precarious position given its economic reliance on U.S. trade, with the U.S. being Denmark's largest export market, ahead of Germany.

In response, Frederiksen held a meeting with business leaders to inform them and help them prepare for potential tariffs. Minister of Business Morten Bødskov sought to project calm, stating that the government was "taking it easy". Criticism arose from the pro-democracy Red-Green opposition for excluding unions from these discussions, arguing that workers will suffer most from any economic fallout.

Despite Trump’s continued threats, Frederiksen extended an invitation for him to visit Denmark during their phone call, underscoring the regime’s steadfast Atlanticist loyalty. No concrete plans for a visit have been made. Since the end of WWII, Denmark has been a an extremely loyal vassal to the U.S., even among western European countries. Trump’s previous attempt to buy Greenland in 2019 was dismissed by Frederiksen as "absurd," led to him to throw a tantrum and labeling her "nasty." Now, Frederiksen walks a tightrope, trying to square the circle of rejecting of Trump’s outrageous and offensive demands while continuing Danish subservience to U.S. interests.

As Denmark’s political elite continues to recite the atlanticist mantra of the U.S. being "our most important ally," their desperation becomes increasingly apparent. With allies like these, Denmark may find that enemies are hardly necessary.

Argentina’s Health Ministry announces 1,400 layoffs

The latest round of dismissals came as a surprise for most of the already-reduced workforce. ‘It’s a bloodbath.’

Argentina’s Health Ministry announced in a press release on Wednesday that it would not renew the contracts of 1,400 workers. The ministry cited a “reorganization of its competencies and the reorientation of health policies.” The ministry’s communiqué described the layoffs as “a resource optimization” that would affect national hospitals. The decision resulted from “the identification of hiring irregularities during the previous administration, duplicate roles, and non-compliance with tasks,” the communiqué added, saying they had already fired 30% of the ministry’s “political positions.”

President Javier Milei celebrated the layoffs on X with his usual catchphrase: “Afuera.”

“We keep going with the chainsaw. The End,” he wrote.

These are not the first cuts Milei’s administration has made in the health sector. Medical doctors nationwide held protests throughout 2024, saying their salaries were virtually frozen, and the government stopped giving some medications for free to retirees. In 2024, the Milei administration fired 120 workers from the Posadas National Hospital. In its 2025 budget proposal, the government put forward a minimal increase for the country’s national program combatting HIV, STIs, Hepatitis, and Tuberculosis, which Act Up Argentina condemned as equalling a 76% cut when considering inflation.

Some workers had been notified of the impending layoffs: on Tuesday, 130 employees at the Baldomero Sommer National Hospital, located in the Buenos Aires province, got the news. “The notices are coming in right now. It’s a bloodbath,” Leonardo Fernández Camacho, the union’s representative of the Laura Bonaparte Mental Health Hospital, told the Herald on Wednesday evening. Fernández Camacho said there were “more than 100 layoffs and counting.”

I would almost say there are virtually not enough people to open the hospital tomorrow,” he added.

Last year, the government announced it would partially shut down the Bonaparte Hospital, the only national government-owned public hospital dedicated to addictions, but backtracked on it after widespread protests.

A source from the ATE state workers union told the Herald that other affected areas include the Malbrán Institute—an award-winning microbiological research center—the ANMAT—the government agency that monitors the efficacy, safety, and quality of drugs, food, and medical device — and the ministry’s central headquarters. The ATE source also confirmed to the Herald that they will hold an assembly on Thursday and then speak with Health Minister Mario Lugones.

And they celebrate shit like this, not only they don't give a single fuck about the people they're sending straight into poverty -- they celebrate it, they have the courage to show how proud and happy they are about it. I swear to God, if it's even out there, that this will not be forgotten nor forgiven. One day they will finally find out that their actions have consequences, that they can't escape them.

The social fabric is being torn apart, I see a lot of poverty and misery just about everywhere now. Entire families struggling to secure some food and a shelter, and I'm not even talking about a proper house. Material conditions are worsening, society as we know it is being destroyed slowly but surely... all in the name of Capital.

It can't go on like this, it's impossible, it's against nature itself. Despite the shit times, the setbacks, the defeats and the deaths, we will have the final word.

today's nakedcapitalism roundup on the gaza ceasefire is worth a look. the triumphalism of unsurprising given how desperate any normal person is to see even a pause in the israeli genocide, but celebration seems quite premature given modern history and the incentives of various parties to fuck things up or look the other way while people fuck things up.

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2025/01/gaza-ceasefire-deal-still-not-approved-by-knesset-and-why-should-the-world-trust-israel-to-comply-if-so.html

Marco Rubio says the U.S. may put Cuba back on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism Removal of the Caribbean country from the list was announced in the last days of Joe Biden's Democratic administration.

“I have no doubt that (Cuba) meets all the requirements to be considered a state sponsor of terrorism,” Marco Rubio said on Wednesday before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing as secretary of state.

The statement was made just one day after President Joe Biden announced the removal of Cuba from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism”. “Nothing that the Biden administration has agreed to in the last 12 to 18 hours is binding on the next administration, which begins on Monday,” he said.

TikTok Plans Total Closure in the U.S. if Prohibition Does Not Stop - Telesur English

Article

This is a new chapter in the tense relationship between China and the U.S. over technology and national security issues. TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, will completely shut down its app in the U.S. this Sunday unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes to block the ban.

According to China Securities Journal, TikTok has decided that it “will not allow existing users to continue accessing the app after the ban, opting for an abrupt shutdown” to highlight the impact of the prohibition. The measure follows a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2024, which requires app stores like Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their platforms and mandates that the social network’s cloud service provider, Oracle, cease hosting user data in the U.S.

As part of the shutdown plan, users attempting to open the app after Sunday will encounter a pop-up message directing them to a website with detailed information about the ban and instructions on how to download their personal data before the app is fully deactivated.

Users will be given the option to download their personal data before the app ceases operations. Contrary to expectations, TikTok will not allow existing users to continue accessing its content after the ban. The social media platform has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, arguing that the ban violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of speech. However, questions raised by the justices during hearings suggest that the court is likely to uphold the law.

The shutdown’s impact will be immediate, affecting millions of users in the U.S., many of whom have already begun migrating to other platforms such as Xiaohongshu, known as the “Chinese Instagram,” which has gained popularity among American users in recent days. TikTok has not issued further comments about its future in the U.S., although the situation marks a new chapter in the tense relationship between China and the U.S. over technology and national security issues.

ben gone-vir more like (now sounds like anti-viral and net benefit for humanity, needs some workshopping)

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.”

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

A couple months ago I hosted the mega thread and the intro was about the Giant mine in northern Canada, an abandoned mine with big arsenic contamination issues. Here's a story about a Canadian mining company doing the same thing in Namibia. The Chinese company Sinomine owns it now - I hope they do better.

https://archive.is/vHbur

mr jihadi trumpo, pls bomb tel aviv

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.

Blue MAGA wishing for gaza to be razed even more and them wishing arab americans to be expelled because they didn't cosign this genocide only for this news to happen which was a bare minimum.....is an unfathomably bad look even if its very temporary

Blue MAGA trying to cope give Biden credit like didn't circumvent congress to send weapons for this genocide. How many issues has he circumvented congress on? Just demonic

I'm skeptical of the durability of this cease-fire, and this will certainly be temporary for as long as the Entity exists it will never be able to cease the settler-colonial genocide, however I truly hope this is a moment of happiness and reprieve for the indomitable people of Palestine. Glory to the resistance.

Hearing Biden on television take credit for ending the Gaza Genocide made me livid.

Absolutely evil. These fucking demons have no shame at all.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj3d4pwlrjo

@MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net

I just found something spooky

The vote difference between Trump and Harris is almost exactly the same amount as the pre-genocide population of Gaza, 2.2 million votes/people

Today’s news from occupied Palestine and Syria.

Social media users react to ceasefire with mix of relief, joy: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/15/740983/Gaza-won-Netizens-react-Hamas-Israel-ceasefire-genocide

The fascist and genocidal Tel Aviv massacred another 62 Palestinian civilians today, as the ceasefire negotiations continued: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/15/740980/Israel-Kills-62-Palestinians-despite-ceasefire-deal

Zionist aircraft have now intentionally attacked the “HTS” in Syria for the first time, killing two members in Quneitra province. I wonder how these new rulers in Damascus will respond to this blatant aggression. One frustrating aspect of the previous Syrian government is that they did not shoot back after these kinds of thuggish Zionist attacks: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/15/740976/Syria-Israel-HTS-airstrike-Quneitra-Assad

So, what is up with BadEmpanada? Seems like some neoliberal polandball youtuber got angry at him, and BadEmpanada fans trolled the guy so hard, he thinks BadEmpanada owns 200 different twitter accounts.

phase 1 of the ceasefire is only a 12 period/day with no ground/aerial operations

So, did Biden just tried to take all the credit for the peace deal? He didn't do shit to help the peace deal, he could have literally done nothing, but he kept sending ammo, weapons, supporting everything tha POS Bibi motherfucker wanted, and no one inside that demonic government said anything about it, Kamala could have told Biden to fuck off, she wouldn't stand for it, but no, she was too busy trying to win votes from the far right people who want to kill her and hanging out with mass murderers and war criminals.

Just a reminder: the ceasefire only comes into effect on the 19th of January officially, this Sunday. There have been videos of Hamas fighters coming out from underground (so far it all seems like reposts of the same single video, but there may be more in the coming hours and days), and reports of Israeli massacres in Gaza within the past hour. If you see recent videos of Hamas fighters on social media, do not repost or share them! At least until the 19th. This is critically important for OPSEC reasons and the safety of Palestinians. I am not trying to put a damper on the situation or being a downer, i know OPSEC sucks at times, but this is very important. It's only one video for now.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2025/01/15/statement-from-president-joe-biden-14/ turns out they could have done it at any time, huh

sorry if this has been covered previously but what did the removal of Cuba from the 'state sponsor or terrorism' list actually do? afaik that designation post-dates the blockade so why would that semantic change do anything?

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/14/tech/rednote-china-popularity-us-tiktok-ban-intl-hnk/index.html

Within the span of two days, more than 700,000 new users have joined Xiaohongshu, Reuters reported, citing a person close to the company. CNN has reached out to Xiaohongshu for comment.

As of Wednesday, the hashtag “TikTok refugee” had garnered nearly 250 million views and over 5.5 million comments. Many of the American users they had joined as an act of defiance against Washington’s move on TikTok.

“Our government is out of their minds if they think we’re going to stand for this TikTok ban,” a user called Heather Roberts said in a video message on Xiaohongshu, which has garnered more than 45,000 likes. “We’re just going to a new Chinese app, and here we are.”

Russia rejects Germany and Japan as permanent UN security council members because they’re US puppets.

“Americans name Germany and Japan as contenders for permanent membership in the security council, who do not have any independent voice in world politics. They blindly and submissively follow the path of USA and when the US oppresses them directly, they do not even dare to squeal. Like chancellor Scholz did not dare to squeal when NordStream was blown up!”

Lavrov, Russian foreign minister

no fucking way trump told bibi to pound sand

With Democrats like these, who needs Republicans:
https://xcancel.com/FlaDems/status/1879279835413168143

The Florida Democratic Party condemns the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised that Trump told Bibi to fuck off. I thought he was going to do that with Elon or Milei first.

Trump will turn out to be the arm reduction candidate when it comes to gaza. Which is not to Trump's credit, it only demonstrates how monstrous the Democrats are

So, why would Trump care about a ceasefire? What are his interests here?

I hate 'purity politics', with the exception of pro-genocide purity politics, then I'm all in favor of purity politics!

It's clear: Harris lost A LOT of votes because of the Biden admin's support for Israel’s genocide.

Our poll out today with @YouGov finds Biden 2020 voters who did not vote for Harris name "ending Israel's violence in Gaza" as the top issue affecting their vote choice.

https://x.com/imeupolicy/status/1879576523377975352

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

He is dealing

Bolivian Police Clash with Protesters Demanding Arce’s Resignation Amidst Growing Social Unrest - Telesur English

Article

Tensions escalated in La Paz on Monday as police clashed with a large group of protesters aligned with former President Evo Morales. The demonstration, dubbed the “March for Life,” began in the morning in Achica Arriba, before making its way through El Alto and eventually reaching the city center of La Paz, with the intent of reaching Plaza Murillo.

The confrontation highlights the growing political polarization and social unrest in Bolivia, fueled by discontent with the current government’s economic and social policies. Around 4 PM local time, the situation turned violent as protesters allegedly began throwing high-powered firecrackers and stones at police officers near the intersections of Mercado and Ayacucho streets.

The police responded with tear gas, dispersing the demonstrators into surrounding streets. Gunther Agudo, the La Paz Departmental Police Commander, stated that police intervention was necessary due to the “aggressive” nature of the protest, claiming that objects were thrown at officers. He added that police forces are maintaining their presence throughout the city center, especially around the Obelisk plaza, to prevent further incidents.

The protesters, who have vowed to maintain a vigil near Plaza Murillo until their demands are met, are calling for the resignation of President Luis Arce and a reversal of current economic and social policies. According to teleSUR correspondent Freddy Morales, the protesters believe Arce has betrayed the mandate of the people, and are demanding a shift towards more equitable and progressive policies.

This action underscores the deepening fracture within the ruling MAS party and the broader left, as Morales loyalists increasingly see Arce as departing from the socialist principles they advocate for. Former President Evo Morales has condemned the actions of the government and accused it of operating under a “fascist tyranny,” repressing the people through police violence.

He claimed on X that peasant leaders, “legitimately and democratically elected,” who attempted to reclaim their union headquarters in Cochabamba, were brutally attacked by the police. Morales accused the Arce administration of turning union headquarters into police barracks, claiming this as proof of repression of grassroots movements. Senator Leonardo Loza, among other Bolivian politicians, also denounced the violence against protesters and the threats against them, after they decided to remain in Plaza Murillo.

The events of Monday serve as a stark reminder of the volatile political climate in Bolivia, and the fragility of social progress when governments fail to address the genuine needs and grievances of their people. The deep fractures that exist within the MAS party and the broader left are symptomatic of a struggle for power, but more importantly it underscores the ongoing fight for a more equitable and democratic future. The deployment of police forces against protestors, a tactic reminiscent of right-wing authoritarian regimes, is particularly concerning.

The use of force against legitimate expressions of social dissent reveals the willingness of the Arce government to prioritize its own hold on power over the basic rights of assembly and protest. Such actions risk further destabilizing the country and fueling a cycle of violence. The situation highlights the necessity for genuine dialogue and a commitment to addressing the legitimate demands of the population, particularly in the rural areas and among marginalized groups, in order to create long-lasting social peace. The escalation of violence between social movements and the state underscores the urgency for a reevaluation of the government’s trajectory, moving towards a truly participatory process that puts the needs of the people first.

BREAKING: Blinken sheds single tear upon news of a ceasefire

Qatar PM announces ceasefire to begin 19 Jan, specific time to still be negotiated.

— ❗️🇮🇱/🇵🇸/🇶🇦/🇪🇬 BREAKING: The Prime Minister of Qatar officially announces a hostage deal and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip!

The initial ceasefire is temporary (1st phase of 43 days) and will transition into a permanent ceasefire when all the requirements are met.

The ceasefire will begin on Sunday.

The war in Gaza is over.

@Middle_East_Spectator

Glory to the Resistance!

A major agreement has been reported between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages.

According to American and Israeli media, the concluded agreement provides for a preliminary six-week stage , during which a ceasefire must be observed, a partial withdrawal of the Israeli army must be carried out, and an exchange of hostages must be carried out. The agreement provides for:

• Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, partial withdrawal of the IDF and the return of local residents to the north of the region.

• Gaza will receive 600 trucks with humanitarian aid .

• Hamas will release 33 captured Israelis in stages.

• Israel, in turn, will release 30 Palestinian prisoners for each kidnapped person and 50 for each female soldier.

Yemen targets US carrier in Red Sea as Washington 'gears up' for escalation | The Cradle

is it foolish to dream that china will help the reconstruction of gaza? If anyone is capable of rebuilding urban sprawl its china, but would that be too active of a role to play for them?