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So, as I understood, Turkey and the gulf states were OK with the Julani comprador state if it meant stability in the region and kicking Iran out.

I can't imagine they are too happy at the destabilization taking place in Syria. Will they spring into action?

Séamus Malekafzali: Israel has hit the Syrian General Staff's headquarters in Damascus with several airstrikes.

This looks serious

The situation in Syria is complex and deteriorating.

An agreement brokered by the United States last night is in place, which has led to Al Jolani/HTS official forces withdrawing from Suwayda and south of Damascus, and Israel ceasing airstrikes on HTS forces. However, this is not the end, as sectarian violence between the Bedouin and Druze is escalating, with reports of massacres on both sides, Druze factions "taking revenge" and sectarian violence against the Druze continuing, despite HTS withdrawal. Armed groups seperate from HTS, part of various tribes/clans or factions, could still go towards Suwayda, and the Druze would be vastly outnumbered. It's unknown what the Israeli response would be, or the response by other groups such as ISIS, who have carried out massacres in the region before.

Israel has begun airstrikes against Bedouin groups, according to Israeli sources

New details are emerging with regards to the missions carried out by the US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft deployed to Jordan on October 2024, which returned to RAF Lakenheath yesterday, July 18th 2025. These were the F-15Es equipped with 6 seven shot APKWS laser guided rocket pods for intercepting one way attack drones, for a total of 42 guided rockets per aircraft. The planes show various signs of wear and use, and feature nose art depicting horror movie characters and various interesting kill maks. By all indications they were very busy intercepting one way attack drones from Iran during the 12 day Israel/US-Iran war, but also bombing targets, who or what is unknown (Iran and Yemen are the obvious options).

Source article

Picture of F-15E Strike Eagle with 42 APKWS rockets, for illustrative purposes:

According to the markings, the squadron of 8x F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft:

• Shot down 115 one way attack drones using APKWS laser guided rockets (only 6 aircraft feature kill marks).
• Executed 54 electronic attacks, lightning bolt symbol (likey jamming the guidance systems of one way attack drones, same red colour as APKWS markings)
• Launched 28 JASSM stealth high altitude subsonic cruise missiles. (only 7 aircraft feature kill marks).
• One aircraft conducted 4 high value electronic attacks, possibly against incoming surface to air missiles or radars tracking the aircraft, black lighting bolts.
• Dropped over 100 JDAM guided bombs. (Haven't done an exact count)

A squadron of 8 aircraft taking out around 170 one way attack drones via hard kill (APKWS rockets) and soft kill (jamming) methods is, well, a lot. Especially if these were the drones that managed to make it to Jordan. I think over 1000 drones were fired throughout the entire war, with one impact.

Big question is who were they launching the JASSMs at, they were likely bombing Yemen with JDAMs, did they use JASSMs there too, or were these fired at Iran?

The 42 APKWS laser guided rockets per aircraft loadout has also been put on F-16CJ block 50 aircraft at Shaw Air Force base, in the last few days.

What is APKWS?

▶️ Israeli PM Netanyahu announces plans to occupy southern Syria, from the Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain near Damascus.

@PressTV (Iran) telegram w/video of Bibi doing peace through strength BS.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Monday (14) that he has asked Pope Leo 14 for help in rescuing the 31 Venezuelan children who are in the United States. According to Caracas, these children have been separated from their deported parents in the anti-migrant policy pushed by the White House since Donald Trump took over the US presidency in January.

“We have delivered a letter to the office of the Catholic nuncio in the country, in which we ask Pope Leo 14, as the moral authority, for support for the Venezuelan children kidnapped in the United States,” the president said on his weekly television program Con Maduro+.

This is the second time the Venezuelan government has denounced what it calls the “kidnapping” of children. At the beginning of July, the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, claimed that the United States had custody of 18 Venezuelan children. Last week, the complaint increased to 31 youngsters between the ages of 2 and 12

"The first thing we do every day is demand that our children be returned to us. They are not yours, they are your mothers', your fathers', your grandparents'; they are Venezuela's," said Jorge Rodríguez.

The announcement made last Friday (11) by the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, detailed that 203 Venezuelans deported from the United States arrived last week, including three mothers who had four children detained in US territory. The minister also spoke about the 252 Venezuelans arrested in El Salvador accused of being part of the Tren de Aragua group.

He criticized Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for holding the Venezuelans in a maximum security prison without evidence.

"Bukele is part of this group of kidnappers of Venezuelans and he is a great coward. You're a coward who doesn't even take responsibility for what you're doing, you motherfucker, traitor," he said.

• Telegram

China reiterates support to the people and government of Iran - Prensa Latina

The US leader Donald Trump has ordered the cancellation of the visas of Alexandre de Moraes (the Supreme Court Justice Bolsonaro attempted to kill), his family members and his “allies on the court”. It is not yet known whether by “allies” he means other Justices. Trump, through its Secretary of State Marco Rubio, states that “his administration will hold foreign nationals responsible for censoring protected expression in the United States accountable.”

Rubio: "@POTUS made clear that his administration will hold accountable foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States. Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes's political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond Brazil's shores to target Americans. I have therefore ordered visa revocations for Moraes and his allies on the court, as well as their immediate family members effective immediately."

• Telegram

• Tweet + Rubio Tweet

The only thing that I can say is Hillary 2028!

The political opinion poll on the Brazilian President, released on Wednesday, shows that the confrontation with President Donald Trump helped Lula's government regain popularity. "The tariff against Brazil managed to unite the left, the Lulaistas and the moderates (Liberals and Conservatives), but it divided the right and the Bolsonaritas. In other words, it pushed the ‘center’ into Lula's hands," says Nunes, owner of the Quest polling institute.

The survey showed that 80% of voters who say they have no political position believe Trump is wrong to impose tariffs on Brazil. Even among those who identify as right-wing (52%) and Bolsonaro supporters (48%). “Lula and the Workers' Party have won the battle of public opinion against Bolsonaro and his allies, at least when it comes to the issue of national sovereignty.” Nunes said.

The main right-wing candidate, Tarcisio de Freita, the current governor of São Paulo, is seen as the biggest loser in this conflict. First, by embarrassing himself by having to delete photos wearing the MAGA cap, then by trying to hold a meeting similar to the federal government's meeting with the representatives of the United States, where Tarcisio tried to negotiate something without the federal government, but his meeting was only attended by 15 businessmen and an American consul (who has no power or contact with Donald Trump), and because of this meeting, Tarcisio was insulted by Eduardo Bolsonaro, who called him a servant of the elites and a coward.

• Telegram

CNN says that Trump intends to send howitzer shells and medium-range air-to-air missiles to Ukraine, in addition to Patriot missile defenses. The US president has given a deadline of 50 days for the war to stop or he will tax Russia 100% and all countries that buy Russian oil.

Russia intensifies bombing raids against Ukraine after Trump threatens to tax Russian products 100% if the war doesn't end. Trump also said he would send Patriot air defense systems to Ukrainian soil. The US president is meeting with the head of NATO today.

• Telegram

: “I don't know what's happening in Trump's head. I like him, I'm in love with him, the American people, American politics, the country that the United States is”

Tweet

: "President Bolsonaro is not a dishonest man. He loves the people of Brazil. He fought very hard for the people of Brazil. He negotiated trade deals against me for the people of Brazil and he was very tough, I believe it's a witch hunt and it shouldn't be happening. It's not that... look, he's not like a friend of mine, he's someone I know. And I know him as a representative of millions of people. Brazilians are great people and he [Bolsonaro] loves the country and fought hard for these people, and they want to put him in jail. I think it's a witch hunt and I think it's very regrettable. Nobody is happy with what Brazil is doing because Bolsonaro was a respected president."

Who knows what the fuck is going on in Syria rn. Further escalation, I think, and israel has continued bombing, including a strike on Homs in the last hour. No idea where this leads. Seems like Arab clans are pouring into the south to attack the Druze militias who have been carrying out their own mass killings. Erdogan is a watermelon seller and the son of a dog.

China-Serbia Peace Guardian 2025 Joint Training to be held this month

BEIJING, June 14 -- Army special operations troops of China and Serbia will carry out Peace Guardian 2025 joint training in North China's Hebei Province in the second half of July, said Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, at a press briefing on Monday.

"This will be the first joint training between Chinese and Serbian militaries. It will help strengthen combat capabilities of participating troops and deepen cooperation between the two militaries," he stated.

• China's Ministry of National Defense

Lula just said that if he's still healthy by then he'll campaign for re-election in 2026 to stop that "band of crazies". He'll be 80 yo next by then

What do we think? Mistake? Should be propping up a successor like with Dilma?

That was my first thought but when you think about how close the 2022 election was, which pitted Lula, unarguably the left's strongest candidate, against Bolsonaro, arguably a weak candidate for the right, I'm sure there are more palatable bolsonaristas the right could run with, it could really be that the PT won't be able to win without Lula.

From portuguese language twitter sometimes I see news about crazy brazillian right wingers that are apparently popular, but not so much about center-left or left-wing figures that could take Lula's place, I only hear about Guilherme Boulos but he's much to the left of Lula (from what I understand) so he likely wouldn't be the PT's candidate

Felix Baumgartner has died

https://apnews.com/article/felix-baumgartner-death-paragliding-skydiver-40aee076396adceffdd322d4105af0e4

If Bernie wants to stand up for hadash he should stop carrying water for their opponents by using liberal zionist rhetoric that fundamentally discredits what hadash stands for

India can secure oil even if Russian imports sanctioned, minister says - Reuters, 17 July 2025

India is confident of meeting its oil needs from alternative sources if Russian supplies are hit by secondary sanctions, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday.

India should be able to deal with any problems with Russian imports by seeking supplies from other countries, Puri said. He noted there are many new suppliers coming onto the market such as Guyana and supply from existing producers such as Brazil and Canada.

Additionally, India is increasing exploration and production activities. "I'm not worried at all. If something happens, we'll deal with it," Puri said at an industry event in New Delhi.

"India has diversified the sources of supply and we have gone, I think, from about 27 countries that we used to buy from to about 40 countries now," he said.

Responding to Rutte's comments, India's foreign ministry spokesperson said that securing energy needs was an "overriding priority" for the country, in which it was guided by what was on offer in markets and the "prevailing global circumstances".

"We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter," spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing.

And from the state owned and run Indian Oil Corp, the largest Indian SOE in this field:

In case Russian supplies are hit, Indian Oil Corp will "go back to the same template (of supplies) as was used pre-Ukraine crisis when Russian supplies to India were below 2%," company Chairman A.S. Sahney told reporters at the event.

India folded almost immediately?

The IDF has announced that Israeli jets struck the entrance of the Syrian government's military headquarters in Damascus.

• Telegram

As for Copper - the UP of michigan has a ton of old copper mines. Very pure. I have a co-worker who used to dive in Lake Superior. He said you can see copper viens in the sheer dropoffs. Don't know what it would take to reopen the mines since most of the easy to moderate stuff was hauled out. Dangerous to go back in 100+ old shafts that have been "sealed". Then theres the environment. Superior is relatively clean. Resuming mining might make it not so clean.