news

A new report from the US National Intelligence Council categorically denies any connection between Nicolás Maduro’s government in Venezuela and the now-defunct criminal group known as the Tren de Aragua (TDA). The report contradicts the central argument used by the US administration and Venezuelan far-right opposition leader María Corina Machado to justify mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants without legal protections.

The document, published by The Washington Post and reviewed by the Telesur news agency, was unanimously supported by all 18 US intelligence agencies—except the FBI, which maintains moderate reservations—and concludes there is no evidence that the defunct Tren de Aragua operates under orders from Caracas.

This is the second assessment in two months to contradict these claims made by President Donald Trump, who in March invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport hundreds of Venezuelans accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, sending them to a mega-prison in El Salvador without due process.

Trump’s justification relied on the theory that the Tren de Aragua was part of an “invasion” led by Maduro—an argument echoed by far-right actors such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Machado.

Using this rationale, the US government invoked the Alien Enemies Act, last employed during World War II to imprison 110,000 Japanese-Americans. The law permits deporting or detaining foreigners without due process if their home country is at war with the US or conducts a “predatory incursion.” Legal experts note the law requires a clear foreign government link, which the report explicitly refutes.

“The idea that Maduro runs the Tren de Aragua and sends criminals to infiltrate the US is absurd,” said Geoffrey Ramsey, a Venezuela analyst at the Atlantic Council. “The group operates more as a decentralized brand than a hierarchical structure.”

In response to questions from The Washington Post, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, dismissed the report as the work of “deep state actors”—a term Trump allies use for officials allegedly undermining his agenda. The White House defended the deportations as necessary to “protect the US from terrorists,” without providing evidence.

Nice little encapsulation of the boomers still lording over us giving the finger to younger people fighting for their lives.

My dad loves Carville and thinks he's one of the smartest men alive

Is this good? My main concern is the Ukronazi freaks who probably won't want to adhere to a ceasefire.

The New York Times reported that one of Bukele’s aides planted the tropical-looking drinks on the table to make it look like Abrego Garcia was living large. Van Hollen confirmed this on Friday. “This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will go to deceive people about what’s going on,” he said, “and it also shows the lengths that the Trump administration and the president will go to, because when he was asked … about this, he just went along for the ride.”

Van Hollen added that Bukele’s government wanted the meeting to take place by a pool: “They actually wanted to have the meeting [take place] by the side of the pool in the hotel,” he said. “This is a guy who’s been in CECOT. This is a guy who has been detained. They want to create this appearance that life was just lovely for Kilmar, which, of course, is a big fat lie.”

Van Hollen Photo	Bukele Photo

China has gone over 70 days without importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, according to Kpler data cited by the Financial Times. This move is a response to Beijing’s imposition of 49% tariffs, making U.S. LNG commercially unviable. The last shipment arrived on February 6, while a second vessel was diverted to Bangladesh to avoid the tariffs.

Although the U.S. supplies only 5-6% of China’s LNG (5-6 million tons in 2025), the halt affects 13 contracts valid through 2049 and threatens 28 million tons per year in U.S. projects. Experts like Anne-Sophie Corbeau (Columbia University) predict that China will avoid new contracts with the U.S., prioritizing energy autonomy.

Beijing has quadrupled its imports of Russian LNG since 2022, making Moscow its third-largest supplier after Australia and Qatar. Ambassador Zhang Hanhui confirmed that Chinese companies are seeking to expand agreements with Russia, taking advantage of lower prices following European sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

China redirects 70% of imported U.S. LNG to Europe, profiting in higher-priced markets. This maneuver demonstrates China’s ability to reshape global energy flows, while the U.S. faces risks in key projects and a reciprocal tariff escalation (up to 245% in some sectors).

https://xcancel.com/ChrisVanHollen/status/1913325124394090873

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xset8ptMk0&t=600

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/us/politics/abrego-garcia-chris-van-hollen-el-salvador.html

https://archive.is/sxMQd

We do ok sometimes

It was only through international pressure – including interventions by British MPs – that my brother was released after 100 days of illegal detention. But the threats did not end there.

Shortly after his release, I began receiving encrypted messages warning that “we are not done with you.”

Weeks later, on the evening of 26 November 2023, I was attacked at my UK residence.

When I answered the doorbell, a man dressed in biker gear and wearing a helmet and gloves threw an acidic liquid at my face.

My four-year-old daughter stood behind me as I was rushed to the hospital. The police arrived at the scene, collected evidence, and provided me with protection.

But despite the severity of the attack, there was no public outcry, no expulsion of Pakistani intelligence officers from the High Commission, and no official condemnation.

Instead, I was privately informed that a “strong message” had been delivered to the Pakistani authorities.

the fuck

China will carry out intensive space missions, including Tianwen-2 for asteroid exploration, in 2025, an official of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Thursday.

The Tianwen-2 mission will carry out an asteroid flyby and sampling, and the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crewed spacecraft are also scheduled for launch this year, said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the CNSA's system engineering department, at a press conference on the upcoming Space Day of China.

In terms of international collaboration, Liu confirmed two major projects: the China-Europe joint space mission – Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) – which aims to uncover how solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, and an electromagnetic monitoring satellite jointly developed by China and Italy, which will support research into earthquake prediction.

China will deepen space cooperation with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), BRICS nations, and European partners, Liu said. Efforts will focus on advancing collaboration in lunar and deep space exploration, including jointly promoting the construction of the international lunar research station, he added.

Within the BRICS framework, China will continue advancing the development of the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation to enhance disaster emergency data sharing, Liu said.

China will also provide satellite services to BRI partner countries, supporting their space capacity development and fostering sustainable progress in agriculture, disaster prevention, and smart city initiatives, he added.

I guess you should sit down with your older relatives and tell them no Elon, Trump or Kamala or Joe Biden is not contacting you directly to invest in their crypto coin.