news

https://old.reddit.com/r/UkraineRussiaReport/comments/1guyz3k/ru_pov_lavrov_explains_that_atacms_cannot_be/

Lavrov confirms the red line has been crossed, the war has entered a "qualitatively new phase", and Russia will "react accordingly".

A spokesperson for the German regime said they will only definitely decide whether or not they would arrest Netanyahu or Gallant if/when they plan on coming to Germany, but he said arresting them would be "hard to imagine". ^tagesschau^

So they have definitely decided they will not arrest Netanyahu but don't want come right out and say that.

The newly-elected premier Susan Holt of New Brunswick, Canada has followed through on a post-election promise. There's now a rent cap on all residential housing, 3% maximum increase at a time, only one increase allowed in a 12 month period. The law takes effect February 1st. It also requires a six-month notice of an increase, so even though it's not legally in effect yet, it's effectively in effect.

Prior to this it was basically open season on renters. There were no rent caps whatsoever. The legislation has a lot of other tenant-friendly changes. To use that overused phrase, I'm cautiously optimistic about the new premier. She may be the mildest of mild socdems at best, but so far so good compared to her electoral opponent who was basically New Brunswick's own De Santis with many of the same views.

A few thoughts on the situation in Ukraine:

• Russia's winter power grid bombing campaign has begun (obviously)
• Ballistic missiles (Iskanders and Kinzhals) are being used freely to suppress and destroy Ukraine's air defenses, keeping the way clear at all times in case more cruise missiles need to be launched, which will target the power grid
• They are carefully hitting substations to force Ukraine to turn off their nuclear power plants without triggering a meltdown
• The unusual use of Tu-160 strategic bombers a few days ago shows that Russia considers this operation extremely important
• If Russia succeeds in disabling the nuclear power plants, it's over for Ukraine

This seems to be a potentially war-ending gambit. In the chaos of a complete blackout in eastern Ukraine, coupled with angry civilians without heat, and low morale among Ukrainian soldiers, many more options become available for Russia. Biden's unhinged escalations could be less about forcing Trump to continue the war, and more about preventing a total collapse until it's Trump's problem.

There is something really ironic about all this that has happened to Bolsonaro and these politicians and military people. They did everything possible to mock and humiliate Lula da Silva and his family, party and friends. They said that Lula was the leader of the Criminal Group and the biggest thief in history, that Lula was a criminal and corrupt. They mocked Lula's second wife, who died of cancer, and his young grandson, who also died.

Iirc, Lula ended up making friends with the guards of his cell. And he told them, a few days before his release, that he would return to power and that he would do everything possible to fuck these people over. And now, even though Lula has nothing to do with this, since it's just Supreme Court doing the right thing, it's good to see all these people getting what they deserve. Being humiliated in front of the whole world, being thrown in jail like the garbage they are and losing all respect and everything they've built, their families are being ostracized. And their supporters and voters, who wake up every day sadder and sadder for having voted for and supported these people.

Open hexbear

see map

Feb 2022

According to the most recent CBS news poll, a majority of Americans do not support sending military aid to Ukraine (49/51)

At least five ATACMs were used against an unknown target in Kursk Oblast

I guess Biden really wants that escalation, Ukraine and Israel are basically the only things he cares about right now.

In Finland news:

They are now trying to blame China for the cable damage.

Hilariously at the same time there is reporting that Finnish boomers love Temu.

walrus man bloodfeast checking-in

Jesus christ these missiles travel at 2.5-3km PER SECOND

Shattering the Iron Wall

Even the English press is engaging in bizarre conspiracy brain over those telecommunications cables that broke in the Baltic a few days ago. This is from the Financial Times, print edition so can't link it unfortunately.

Investigators seeking to explain two severed data cables in the Baltic Sea are scrutinising the movements of a Chinese bulk carrier, the second such probe in recent months amid rising concerns in Europe over potential acts of sabotage.

Yi Peng 3, a Chinese registered vessel that was travelling from the Russian port of Ust-Luga to Port Said in Egypt, passed close to both the Swedish-Lithuanian and Finnish-German cables around the time each was custom on Sunday and Monday, according to data provided by maritime tracking group Marine Traffic. Sweden is investigating both incidents, and is examining what role the Yi Peng 3 might have played, according to people familiar with the probe.

Ah yes, everybody knows the secret to Western hegemony is a communication cable between Sweden and Lithuania, the two major players of NATO and strategic masterminds of the strategy of Chinese containment.

ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

“The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024”, a statement from the court said.

There are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Gallant and Netanyahu “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity”, the statement continued, covering only part of the allegations against them.

The court also rejected two Israeli challenges to its jurisdiction, saying “the acceptance by Israel of the Court’s jurisdiction is not required, as the Court can exercise its jurisdiction on the basis of territorial jurisdiction of Palestine”.

Maybe it matters, I dunnow. Still happy. Interested to see the fallout on anti-zionism laws and censorship. If still intends to blame it on a couple of people, we're way passed the point where that could possibly work.

EDIT: Now detailed at the Electronic Intifada. Of note, IMO

The arrest warrants are classified as ‘secret’, in order to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations. However, the Chamber decided to release the information below since conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest appears to be ongoing. Moreover, the Chamber considers it to be in the interest of victims and their families that they are made aware of the warrants’ existence.

At the outset, the Chamber considered that the alleged conduct of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant falls within the jurisdiction of the Court. The Chamber recalled that, in a previous composition, it already decided that the Court’s jurisdiction in the situation extended to Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Furthermore, the Chamber declined to use its discretionary proprio motu powers to determine the admissibility of the two cases at this stage. This is without prejudice to any determination as to the jurisdiction and admissibility of the cases at a later stage. [...] each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.

The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.

No idea on the technicalities of law, but this is is probably a deep open wound on the "rules-based order" that is not getting closed if they manage to manipulate a dismissal.

stated they will not uphold the ICC ruling

Felix mentioned on a recent Matt-Shaped Hole episode that the median age of a home buyer in the United States is now 56, so I went to look it up and it's true, up from 49 in only one year:

The ages of home buyers reached all-time highs. The median buyer age increased to a peak of 56 years old, up from 49 last year. The median first-time buyer age increased to 38 years old this year from 35 last year, while the typical repeat buyer age also increased to 61 years from 58 last year

from the NAR report linked at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/buying-a-house-first-time-homebuyer/

So, the yanks put on a fake Ukrainian moustache and attacked Russian territory with ATACMS missiles in clear violation of russian red lines. Then the British put on another fake Ukrainian moustache and attacked a Russian presidential command bunker with Storm Shadow missiles.

Then Russia responded by firing an ICBM against an Ukrainian arms manufacturing plant in Dnepropetrovsk (the first time in military history that an ICBM has been fired in anger?). Ukrainian air defences were unable to stop the ICBM.

I saw some westoid "expert" say that firing the ICBM was "irresponsible" since it could have scared the yanks into a nuclear exchange. That might be but I think this sends a very clear message to the west. I hope they get it.

I wonder what other messages Russia has prepared.

Amazing things are happening in Germany - https://x.com/HeerJeet/status/1858562537760981420

German elites love doing this shit. "You have shown your antisemitism by signing a petition against murdering civilians in Gaza. Therefore we will not give you the €100,000 Joseph Goebbels award for journalism."

Large scale Ukrainian drone attack against Russia is currently underway, over 40 drones reported to be shot down. Over 30 were over Bryansk, the oblast that Ukraine used ATACMS against last night/early morning. So far only Ukrainian UAVs. If Ukraine launches ATACMS as part of these attacks, it could get bad, but I don't think the Ukrainians are that suicidal...

Twitter Source and the same source on xcancel.

This is the same source that correctly reported on Russia's attack on Ukrainian electrical infrastructure as it it happened a few days ago.

Victor Orbán of Hungary will not respect the ICC

I really don't believe that Russia's red line about long range missiles is a bluff. Putin specifically said that such attacks would mean direct conflict with NATO. Russia's nuclear doctrine was changed to authorize the use of nuclear weapons in response.

Russia's actual response (probably not nukes) remains a mystery, but I bet that they have something planned, and will do it if necessary. Of course, this will only happen if Ukraine actually launches the missiles.

The vibes I'm getting make me think that Ukraine may attempt massive combined missile/drone strikes on Russia, including Western weapons. I sure hope they don't try that, because Russia could genuinely consider that an existential threat worthy of using nukes over.

Two headlines from the website of centre-lib mainstream state media DR:

• The ICC issues arrest warrant for "Israel's" prime minister
• The terror organisation Hamas applauds arrest warrant

I fucking hate western journalism

Edit: In one of their news updates these spineless slimeballs writes that the arrest warrant is likely to "complicate the efforts to negotiate a ceasefire to end the 13 month long conflict".

to employ 5 thousand people we need 31 gw of power 😥

Dr Oz picked to lead Medicare and Medicaid

German Org named after a literal NSDAP (nazi party) member dont want to give a award to a anti israeli guy.

German architecture award rescinded over British artist’s Israel boycott vow

Schelling Architecture Foundation refuses to give James Bridle his €10k prize after he signed open letter Philip Oltermann European culture editor Mon 18 Nov 2024 14.27 GMT

A German architecture foundation has rescinded one of its €10,000 (£8,360) awards from a British artist over an open letter he signed promising a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions, citing the German parliament’s controversial antisemitism resolution as a factor behind the decision.

The Athens-based artist and author James Bridle was announced in June as the recipient of the Schelling Architecture Foundation’s theory prize, awarded every two years, for his “outstanding contributions to architectural theory”.

But on Sunday, days before this Wednesday’s awards ceremony in the south-western city of Karlsruhe, Bridle was informed in an email that the foundation’s committee had decided unanimously not to award him the prize because he was among the several thousand authors who signed an open letter calling for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions.

Signatories of the pledge, published on LitHub at the end of October, stated that “we will not work with Israeli cultural institutions that are complicit or have remained silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians”.

In a press release, the foundation said Bridle’s signature on the letter was “in direct contradiction” to responsibilities from the “awareness of Germany’s national history”.

The foundation’s prizes, which have been awarded since 1992, are named after the late German architect Erich Schilling. On its website, the foundation says Schilling was a member of the NSDAP, the German Nazi party, between 1937 and 1945, and worked on the construction of the offices of the publishing house of the party newspaper Der Führer.

“We respect the right to express political views, especially since the foundation does not accuse James Bridle of antisemitism,” its statement said. “But the foundation can neither support nor be associated with a call for cultural isolation of Israel.”

In its email to Bridle, which has been seen by the Guardian, the foundation further linked its decision to a cross-party resolution passed by the German parliament earlier this month.

“The German Bundestag has just passed a resolution on the protection of Jewish life, which points the way forward for state institutions and is relevant to society as a whole,” the foundation said in its email.

The resolution, entitled Never Again is Now: Protecting, Preserving and Strengthening Jewish Life in Germany, was first proposed after the Hamas terror attack on 7 October 2023. International NGOs including Amnesty International and Israeli Jewish groups campaigning for a two-state solution have criticised its text for eliding antisemitism and criticism of Israel’s human rights record, predicting it would have a chilling effect on freedom of expression.

The resolution says “the Bundestag reaffirms its decision to ensure that no organisations or projects that spread antisemitism, question Israel’s right to exist, call for a boycott of Israel or actively support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement receive financial support”.

Bridle told the Guardian: “Although they are clearly not prepared to state it outright, the foundation’s decision is an accusation of antisemitism, which is abhorrent. It is particularly so given the organisation’s own history.”

Bridle said there was an irony in that the Schilling jury cited as particularly deserving of recognition his 2022 bookd Ways of Being, which contained a discussion of Israel’s “apartheid wall” in the occupied West Bank, and “of the relationship between genocide and ecocide”.

A spokesperson for the foundation said the other nominees for the prize had been informed of their decision, “and we have to be prepared for there to be further reactions”.

Gallup: Half of Ukrainians Want Quick, Negotiated End to War

https://news.gallup.com/poll/653495/half-ukrainians-quick-negotiated-end-war.aspx

Interesting polling, particularly how much it's swung since 2022/3.

After signing 37 bilateral trade deals, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave Brazil's President Lula da Silva with a gift: a piece of the Moon collected by the Chang'e-5 during China's, 2020 Lunar exploration mission.

NYT has an interview with María Corina Machado. The main photo is her staring wistfully through a window:

Venezuela’s ‘Iron Lady’ Pleads With Trump to Save Her Country’s Democracy

Now, with President Nicolás Maduro accused of stealing the election and his government threatening her capture, María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s wildly popular opposition leader, has gone into hiding — alone.

In a series of rare, in-depth virtual interviews since she mobilized millions to vote against Mr. Maduro in July, Ms. Machado said she was holed up in a secret location somewhere inside her country. Because anyone who helps her could be detained — or might lead government agents to her — she said she has not had a visitor in months.

Nicknamed the country’s “Iron Lady” for her conservative politics and steely resolve, Ms. Machado is, she admitted, “longing for a hug.”

Her mother has urged her to meditate. She has not.

The rest of the article is her begging Trump and the "international community" to coup her country, concluding with “But I am willing to do what has to be done,” she said, “for as long as it takes to assert the truth and popular sovereignty," and then somehow you can hear "SPEAK ABOUT DESTRUCTION" fade in.

Spirit airlines filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy

US shuts Kyiv embassy due to 'potential significant air attack'

The Italian and Greek embassies said they had also closed their doors after the unusual U.S. warning, while the French embassy remained open but urged its citizens to be cautious.

Entertainment news: Ana de Armas is apparently dating Diaz-Canel’s stepson lol.

I always knew that she’s a communist based on how she has talked about Cuba unlike the gusanos I’ve spoken to. Also she unfollowed Gal Gadot on instagram after the latter talked about “Hamas atrocities”.

Wapo taking an interest in Eritrea?

https://archive.is/bCyQL

Hasan x Kojima is happening in January

https://xcancel.com/hellb0yhasan/status/1858840503787082077

spin machine broke, your call is important to us

More video of ICBMs hitting Dnipro

https://tankie.tube/w/o6XpSAjFwHhFcpUgmWZFMW

https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/130665

Another day, another $30m drone shot down in Yemen.

https://www.axios.com/2024/11/17/biden-ukraine-russia-missiles-north-korea-response

1. Only ATACMS have been allowed for use.

2. They are only allowed for use in the Kursk region.

If this is the case, there won't be an escalation. This is entirely about preventing Russia from taking back the region before negotiations. The primary focus of Ukraine right now is to hold out until then.

Another W for China

World’s first underwater boron ramjet for hypersonic weapons achieves 90% efficiency
The engine was stable as the flame and the pressure in the afterburner remained unchanged.

https://interestingengineering.com/military/china-underwater-boron-ramjet-engine

The business-school scandal that just keeps getting bigger
Business schools are having the same kind of reproduction/fabrication issues that have previously come up in psychology programs. Pretty large portions of the field are looking to be outright wrong, with some speculation that the ability to turn these studies into consulting positions or books is creating significant pressure to fake results.

trump and his incompetent cabinet can't come soon enough, I would prefer to not be vaporized by a russian ICBM