Last day of the round of 16 at the corrupt FIFA World Cup and Egypt just scored

Argentina 2:2 Egypt

Washed up Messi missed a penalty in the first half and corrupt FIFA vars cancelled a beautiful Egyptian goal

Wild second half, Argentina just scored two goals in like 5 minutes

Cuba today proposed an additional debate in the UN assembly on the necessity of ending the U.S. blockade on Cuba.

9 members voted to block the debate from taking place: Argentina, Costa Rica, Czechia, Israel, Morocco, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Ukraine and United States

• Twitter

Preparations announced to dissolve the government in Gaza - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Cairo, July 7 (Prensa Latina) The Palestinian movement Hamas announced the dissolution of its political branch, which has acted as the government of the Gaza Strip for 20 years, according to reports received here today.

The decision was announced yesterday and follows a meeting last week in this capital between the heads of Egyptian and Turkish intelligence services and a Gazan delegation, in which the course of implementation of the first phase of the peace plan for the territory proposed by President Donald Trump was examined.

The announcement clarifies that the decision will take effect upon the arrival in Gaza of the members of what has been called the technocratic government that will govern the enclave from now on.

Hamas's move raises questions about the links between the next cabinet and the Palestinian National Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which is recognized as the legitimate representative of the eventual Palestinian state by more than a hundred UN countries, a group that includes it as a non-member observer state, the same status as the Vatican.

Sixty percent of the territory of the Palestinian coastal enclave is occupied by the Israeli army, which is interested in annexing it to exploit the likely gas deposits in its territorial waters.

Days ago, the Palestinian Ministry of Health issued a report in which it put the number of civilian deaths at more than 73,000, more than half of them women and children, caused during the first thousand days of indiscriminate attacks by the Tel Aviv army. :::

Macron's convoy was 10 kilometers from explosions in Damascus - Prensa Latina

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Damascus, July 7 (Prensa Latina) Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab reported today that French President Emmanuel Macron's convoy was about 10 kilometers from the sites of two explosions in Damascus.

Speaking to the Syrian state channel Al-Ikhbariya during a visit to Al-Mujtahid Hospital to check on the condition of the wounded, Khattab stated that the two explosions occurred approximately eight minutes apart.

“The first explosion occurred at 10:15 local time, followed by the second one about eight minutes later,” the Interior Minister explained.

Khattab noted that most of the injured belong to the Interior Ministry and have minor injuries, except for four cases that were undergoing surgery.

The official stated that Macron's convoy was about 10 kilometers from the explosions at the time of the incident.

He added that canine units inspected the areas surrounding the affected locations and confirmed the absence of a third explosive device, with the aim of ensuring the safety of citizens.

Khattab indicated that some roads remained closed until security reinforcements were completed in the areas near the two detonation sites.

The minister also reported that authorities have begun analyzing video recordings and information related to the vehicle where one of the devices was placed, as well as security camera footage from the area.

Syrian state television reported on Tuesday, citing a security source, that two improvised explosive devices had been detonated near the Ministry of Tourism in Damascus.

Local sources indicated that one of the explosions occurred in the vicinity of the hotel where Macron had been staying since his arrival in the Syrian capital on Monday night.

According to those same sources, the French president left the hotel before the explosions and was later received by his Syrian counterpart, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, at the Presidential Palace.

The Syrian Interior Ministry announced that 18 people, including four police officers, were injured in the two explosions.

The ministry explained that the Internal Security Forces detected the devices during field operations and that specialized units initiated measures to deactivate them, but they detonated during the preparations.

On July 2, Damascus was the scene of a bomb attack against a cafe near the Palace of Justice, on the road leading to the Al-Hamidiyah souk, leaving 10 dead and 21 wounded. :::

Iran rules out final negotiations as long as US threats continue - Prensa Latina

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Tehran, July 7 (Prensa Latina) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated today that negotiations to reach a final agreement with Washington will not begin while US threats against his country persist.

In a post on the X platform, Araghchi said that millions of Iranians participated in the funeral ceremonies for Iranian leader Ali Khamenei.

The foreign minister stressed that the Iranian people and armed forces are not affected by any threats, and warned that continued pressure from Washington will prevent the start of talks for a final agreement.

The statement came after US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that his country would either reach an agreement with Iran or "finish the job," in a renewed threat of military action against Tehran.

Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 36 years, was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on the first day of the war, according to Iranian and international media reports.

On February 28, 2026, Israel and the United States began a war against Iran, which lasted until the declaration of a ceasefire on April 8.

Last June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding that stipulated the cessation of hostilities, the lifting of the US naval blockade against Iran, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. :::

Following the recent devastating earthquakes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning confirmed that China is actively supporting Venezuela’s post-disaster reconstruction.

In addition to initial cash assistance, the Chinese government has provided an additional 100 million RMB in emergency grant aid and 300,000 USD from China's Red Cross Society.

The first batch of 80 tons of relief supplies—including generators, water purification units, tents, and blankets—has already arrived via a chartered flight.

• Twitter

Cuba is working on connecting the electrical power system - Prensa Latina

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Havana, July 7 (Prensa Latina) Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero referred today to the intense work to reconnect the National Electrical System (SEN), after its total collapse in the afternoon of yesterday.

"This morning's workday was intense. The work of our electrical workers does not stop," he expressed on the social network X.

He also reported that the National Electric System (SEN) is linked from the capital to the province of Sancti Spíritus, and that the priority is to reach Felton and continue the work.

The nation's Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O, noted that "progress is being made while complying with all established protocols and that vital services are being prioritized" amid a complex situation aggravated by the energy blockade facing the island.

The capital's Electric Company stated that the restoration is progressing gradually, as the conditions of the National Electric System (SEN) allow, and called on citizens to remain attentive to official information channels. :::

Three ships have been struck in the SoH on the Oman side in the last ~12 hours. Ship captains just love suiciding for America, even when the Iranian lane is open, they just need to submit a request.

https://xcancel.com/MenchOsint/status/2074506031007199235

Guys, another Oil Tanker was hit on July 5-6 night (so a 5th one) but it was not reported by UKMTO or anyone else. I reported last night’s attacks a full 30 minutes before UKMTO. This is making me suspect they only issue statements once the information is already public...

https://xcancel.com/myjocica/status/2074509052734767414

How many does that make without a US response?

5

https://xcancel.com/bonzerbarry/status/2074468049533510127

Reuters reports that this Qatari LNG tanker is at risk of exploding after a missile impact. A second Saudi crude tanker was also struck by a missile this morning. We should probably anticipate a renewed exchange of fire before the end of the day.

Cuba Reaffirms Solidarity With Venezuela on Independence Anniversary - Telesur English

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Havana highlights ongoing cooperation as earthquake death toll rises to 3,342. Cuba’s government expressed its “unwavering solidarity” and cooperation with Venezuela on Sunday in a message marking the South American country’s 215th anniversary of independence.

“We congratulate the government and people of Venezuela on the 215th anniversary of their independence. We reaffirm Cuba’s unwavering solidarity with the sister Bolivarian nation and our willingness to continue cooperating, especially under the current circumstances caused by the double earthquake,” Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez posted on social media.

Cuba sent two groups of rescue workers to join its medical mission brigade serving in Venezuela in search-and-rescue operations for people trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings following the twin earthquakes of June 24 that struck Venezuela with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, just 39 seconds apart.

A team of eight Cuban forensic physicians — consisting of five medical examiners, two forensic anthropologists and one thanatology technician — has been working to identify the victims in the state of La Guaira, the area hardest hit by the devastating earthquakes.

On July 3, Acting President Delcy Rodriguez awarded the Cuban rescue workers the “Heroes of Venezuela” distinction in recognition of their efforts following the disaster caused by the earthquakes.

On Sunday, Venezuelan Parliament President Jorge Rodriguez said the death toll from the twin earthquakes in Venezuela had risen to 3,342, while the number of injured increased to 16,740.

Among the victims of the natural disaster was Willner Rivas Quijada, captain of Venezuela’s national volleyball team. The distinguished 31-year-old athlete, his wife and his son were buried beneath one of the collapsed buildings in La Guaira, Club Voleibol Guaguas confirmed Sunday. :::

Incoming government initiatives generate controversy in Colombia - Prensa Latina

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Bogotá, July 7 (Prensa Latina) One month before they take up their respective posts, the ministers appointed by the president-elect of Colombia, Abelardo De la Espriella, are expressing ideas that are generating controversy in the country today.

Among them is the person who will occupy the Defense portfolio, retired General Jorge Eduardo Mora.

The military officer stated that he will seek to revive an old riot police force, which was denounced by citizens for abusive acts that occurred during social protests in the administration of Iván Duque (2018-2022) and which is accused of causing the death of the young Dilan Cruz in a 2019 demonstration.

After Gustavo Petro came to power in 2022, what was the Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron (Esmad) was transformed into the Dialogue and Order Maintenance Unit (Undmo) through a new doctrine of the National Police of Colombia.

The change in that structure sought to prioritize negotiation and respect for human rights to resolve protests.

Senator María José Pizarro asserted that, with his announcement, Mora intends to return the public force "to repression and violence without quarter."

Senator Gloria Flórez, for her part, questioned whether the government would return to a doctrine of persecution and repression of social protest, as experienced during the social uprising that left many families without children and many young people blind. “Will the progress made in reducing instances of police use of force be reversed? Will the approach to social protest once again be one of repression rather than dialogue, as this government has done?” she asked.

Controversy also arises in Colombia following statements by the future Minister of the Environment, Fabio Arjona, who, in addition to not opposing fracking, considers declaring the Amazon free of mining exploitation to be a measure of "populist origin".

He revealed to the media that, in the case of hydraulic fracturing, which scientists have identified as a method that contaminates drinking water due to the use of toxic chemicals, they will ensure that "the best technology is used to avoid irreparable damage."

He also mentioned that although the Environment Ministry is not responsible for deciding whether mining and hydrocarbon exploitation will take place in the Amazon, it will be done legally in uncompromised territories and perhaps in the Amazonian foothills. :::

Haitian Gang Repression Force operates through program - Prensa Latina

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Port-au-Prince, July 7 (Prensa Latina) The Force for the Repression of Gangs (FRG), which are proliferating today in Haiti, is meeting measurable objectives and has a fixed deadline to eliminate these gangs, according to a local newspaper.

The military institution differs from other armed forces such as the Multinational Security Support Mission, which operates under a UN mandate, in the implementation of that strategic program, with performance indicators and a timetable (September 30, 2028), added the newspaper Le Nouvelliste.

These goals are part of a roadmap outlined in the FRG's first strategic report, presented by its special representative in the country, Jack Christofides, through a letter to the Security Council of the world body.

The document, addressed to the president of that UN body, Leonor Zalabata Torres, sets September 30, 2028 as the deadline to achieve the results planned in the mission to end gangs.

This first report by the FRG responds to a request made in 2025 by the Security Council, which asked for the development of a strategy accompanied by criteria to objectively assess on the ground the progress of the Haitian paramilitary organization.

The summary contained in that report - Christofides explained - is the result of various consultations held with the government, the United Nations system and other partners linked to the situation in the country, the publication states.

The summary presented in the document includes indicators such as the number of patrols, independent or joint, road blockades dismantled, opening of new operational bases, weapons seized and gang members arrested. :::

Russia Downs 519 Drones as Ukraine Reports Heavy Strikes - Telesur English

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Ukraine attacked over 20 regions, including Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Leningrad, Moscow, Rostov and Yaroslavl. On Monday, Russia Defense Ministry confirmed that its air defense systems downed 519 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight, while Kiev reported that a Russian missile and drone attack on the capital left at least 11 people dead and dozens injured.

The Ukrainian drones were shot down over 20 regions, including the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Leningrad, Moscow, Rostov and Yaroslavl regions.

A woman was killed in the city of Kerch in Crimea, with several others injured in Crimea and the Yaroslavl region. In the Kaluga region, a drone strike sparked a fire at an industrial enterprise in the Dzerzhinsky District, with no casualties reported after evacuation, according to Governor Vladislav Shapsha.

Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said 56 drones were shot down over the region, adding that infrastructure at the Luga training ground and near the ports of Ust-Luga and Vysotsk was damaged. No casualties were reported.

Russian forces carried out a large-scale overnight strike on military-related targets in Kiev and other Ukrainian regions using drones and long-range precision weapons.

The strikes targeted military-industrial enterprises, energy infrastructure in Kiev and the Kiev region, and military airfield infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and Kiev regions.

Ukrainian authorities said at least 11 people were killed and 46 others injured in the attack on Kiev, marking the second heavy strike on the Ukrainian capital in less than a week. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 27 of the injured were hospitalized.

The city administration said residential buildings were damaged across multiple districts, with cleanup operations underway at more than 20 sites. The Kiev Regional Military Administration said 15 more people were injured in the surrounding region.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 351 drones and 68 missiles overnight, adding that 326 drones and 37 missiles were intercepted. :::

Behind the Fireworks: America’s 250th Anniversary Marred by Grim Reality - Telesur English

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The celebrations have dissolved into a political theater for partisan exploitation. The celebrations honoring the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence were marked not just by a historic heatwave and more lavish fireworks than usual, but by bitter partisan warfare, social division, as well as institutional failure.

As the country marked its quarter-millennium milestone, the glittering spectacles in the sky could scarcely conceal a grim domestic reality and the mounting costs of its overseas entanglements.

The celebrations, which were supposed to foster a sense of national unity, have dissolved into a political theater for partisan exploitation. From the outright boycott by some Democratic-led states to events heavily tinged with campaign rhetoric, an occasion meant to forge consensus through shared history instead exposed a bitter truth: the deep partisan divides are fracturing the nation.

Democrats criticized the Trump administration for politicizing the national celebration, and launched investigations in Congress questioning the “Freedom 250” organization, a group U.S. President Donald Trump declared as the sole official planning body of the celebrations.

The celebrations also faced partial boycotts. The “Great American State Fair,” scheduled to run for 16 days, was intended to be one of the highlights of the festivities. But over 10 states — the vast majority being Democratic-led “blue states” — previously indicated they would not send official representatives, but would focus on their own local celebrations.

At the fair hosted on the National Mall, the pavilions for states including Oregon, Washington, Rhode Island, Vermont and Hawaii were empty, leaving behind nothing but posters bearing the state names and vacant chairs.

“The withdrawals add to the growing signs that a summer of national celebration has become an increasingly fragmented and partisan affair as Mr. Trump has sought to stamp his imprint on the events,” The New York Times commented.

Multiple prominent American musicians withdrew from the events. Rock singer Bret Michaels said on social media that although he had originally agreed to perform, the celebrations had “evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.”

Greg Cusack, a former member of the Iowa House of Representatives now in his 80s, said that the milestone anniversary should have been a genuine national celebration and an occasion for historical reflection — but partisanship has made the entire affair utterly ugly. The past few days offer merely a snapshot, but drawing such distinct political lines has already become a daily reality.

Confrontation and hostility among voters over various issues have inevitably intensified consequently. For instance, a PBS poll released in May revealed that 89 percent of Democrats believed the Trump administration should bear responsibility for rising oil prices, whereas only 32 percent of Republicans shared that view.

National pride among “red” and “blue” voters has also shown a deeply polarized trend. According to a recent Gallup poll, this deep-seated ideological rift has only widened. While 70 percent of Republicans report feeling “extremely proud” to be American, that figure plummets to just 14 percent among Democrats.

The anniversary celebrations have also served as a catalyst for the public to voice discontent with the administration. In late June, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence — to protest the Trump administration’s perceived whitewashing of the darker chapters of American history, including slavery, the massacres and oppression of Indigenous peoples.

Philip Gulley, a 65-year-old pastor and writer, told CNN that rather than evoking memories of a shared history, the 250th anniversary celebration feels more like an amplification of the country’s current divisions.

The current political polarization and societal fracture in the United States stem from deep-seated institutional roots.

Experts from Brookings Institution have pointed out that under the two-party system and “winner-take-all” electoral rules, both the Republican and Democratic parties are increasingly inclined to sharpen their differences and oppositions in values and policy stances to secure the alignment and support of their “base.” As a result, American politics has increasingly devolved into a zero-sum, us-versus-them confrontation, with polarization deepening by the day.

Multiple polls show that the partisan divide in the United States has reached its most severe level in more than half a century.

Johanna Dunaway, a political science professor at Syracuse University, has pointed out that “when the electorate is so highly affectively polarized — so angry at the political elites on the other side — it makes it harder for them to view compromise between their party and the other party as a good thing.”

To achieve their ends, politicians do not hesitate to exploit or even actively manufacture divisions in public opinion. Consequently, ordinary Americans are increasingly polarized over issues like gun control, abortion, and social security, triggering a rise in political violence.

These social-level conflicts are, in turn, weaponized by both parties as leverage to attack one another, permanently cementing America’s fracture within this vicious cycle.

“Our political system is broken, and our politicians seem unable to solve big social or economic problems,” David Ignatius, a columnist for The Washington Post, wrote in an opinion.

Driven by this partisan logic, party interests have overridden the interests of the nation and its people, observers noted. Crucial social and livelihood issues — such as immigration, the economy, race, and the environment — have removedd into mere tools for both parties to harvest votes, while genuine national governance is left neglected.

The price is that deep-seated problems like America’s wealth gap and systemic injustice have become entrenched. “This country has never been a ‘good place’ to be poor,” Cusack said.

The U.S. federal government entered a shutdown at the start of Oct. 1, 2025, as partisan divisions prevented Congress from passing a funding bill.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West said low-income Americans relying on food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), “have gone hungry” because the aid was suspended during the 43-day shutdown. “The entire episode has harmed American prestige around the world because it looks like the country is unable to govern itself,” he said.

The question facing the U.S. is therefore no longer simply whether its political institutions endure, but whether they remain capable of governing effectively and responding to the expectations of its own people. :::

Belgium eyes Palestinian recognition after Hamas steps back from Gaza governance

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has instructed his ministry to prepare for the formal recognition of the State of Palestine, following Hamas' announcement that it has dissolved its governing body in the Gaza Strip.

Woman suspected of Monaco bomb attack found dead in Ukraine

Two people including a current officer within Ukraine's Ministry of Defence (MoD) have been detained on suspicion of murder.

Berezovska arrived in Ukraine two days after the attack on 1 July, the SBU said in its statement, citing law enforcement sources.

There, she communicated with her family and two men - a former law enforcement officer and a current officer in the MoD's main intelligence directorate.

The two men were investigated as possible accomplices in the Monaco attack based on information that they "repeatedly transferred funds" to Berezovska's "crypto and bank accounts".

https://xcancel.com/Gaurab/status/2074288901947318758

The United States has roughly two dozen people who know how to run rare earth solvent extraction at commercial scale. The Chinese Society of Rare Earths has over 100,000 members. In 2023, American mining engineering programs graduated 162 students. China graduated about 3,000 from 45 programs. Twelve US universities have shut down their mining engineering departments, including UC Berkeley and Ohio State. The Bureau of Mines, the federal agency responsible for mining research and training, was dissolved in 1996. Chinese pricing drove Western rare earth operations out of business through the 1990s and 2000s. The people who knew how to run those plants retired, changed industries, or died. Rare earth separation requires understanding how 17 chemically similar elements behave across hundreds of interconnected mixer-settler stages over months of continuous operation. That knowledge is accumulated through years of hands-on work in facilities the West stopped running. The average US mine worker is 46. 221,000 are expected to retire by 2029. Building an entirely new critical minerals supply chain means rebuilding the workforce that was eliminated a generation ago. The operational knowledge only comes back by running real plants.

https://xcancel.com/sephardi_genius/status/2074319635168604361

Imagine how good it feels to be a card carrying member of the Chinese Society of Rare Earths

im thinking about thos minerals...

Images posted by Iranian news outlet IRNA showing the turnout for the funeral procession of martyr Sayed Ali Khamenei in Qom, Iran. (The population of Qom is only 1.5 million, so millions of people must have traveled to attend.)

!

The Hill briefly posts an article titled DO NOT USE: A Lookback at Mitch McConnell's time in the Senate

Archive link

https://xcancel.com/HormuzLetter/status/2074078109121351880

The largest single flotilla of oil tankers and other vessels since the war began is now leaving the Strait of Hormuz via Iran's shipping lane, with 10 Japan-linked vessels including 6 VLCCs carrying ~12 million barrels of Saudi, UAE, and Qatari crude after being trapped for ~100 days, per LSEG data via Reuters. This is the first major Japan-related crude flow since the war began, with the vessels explicitly using Iran's approved corridor after Iran's IRGC shut down the US-backed Omani corridor on Saturday, which now sees only very limited vessel transit.

Can I crab yet? Or are we waiting for confirmation?

Belgium 4 x 1 USA

@thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net LMAO

Belgium 3 x 1 USA

@JDvecna@hexbear.net it's working

@thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net

the US strategic petroleum reserve fell 6.2 million barrels in the last week and now stands at 319.5MMbbl

The operational minimum is around ~150MMbbl, but that would be physically hard to reach and dangerous for the system (the salt caves where the oil is stored). The legal limit is around ~250MMbbl, after that the Trump admin theoretically has to ask Congress for approval to drain it even more (or hese days I guess they can just do it, who cares).

I just realized that refinery crack spreads (difference between crude oil price and what refineries charge for finished products) are now well over $60, while crude price is around $70. Something is very screwed up here.

The Battle of the Satan's Started,

Edit: Its Over hahahahahahah

Personally i see supporting Belgium like supporting the British Empire during ww2, USA/Hitler is simply a greater evil at the moment

About the situation with Balogun i agree with this nerd, the entire world pretty much hates the US team now

Also i havent seen anyone say it but apparently Mitch McConnell is braindead

World Cup posting, round of 16, USA vs Belgium

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Belgium take my energy

Edit: 56m ahahahaha

Edit2: 92m ahahahaha

Video footage of the DPRK's cruise missile test launches from the destroyer Kang Kon yesterday:

https://s1.cdnstatic.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ko1.mp4

UKMTO is reporting that a tanker was struck by a projectile on the Oman route through the strait.

Platner to fold? in light of another accusation, this time by a non-Heritage Foundation member.

Hasan has condemned. Over for the oyster farmer, over for dem senate control.

Chud Paraguay senator posted a very racist tweet about Mbappe and he responded

Madame Celeste Amarilla,
You are a despicable woman and unworthy of your position.
You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honor throughout the competition. Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.
I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.

Since she is a politician everyone is responding like the Vice-President of the National Assembly of France

Also this

The French Football Federation have ANNOUNCED that they are FILING A LAWSUIT against Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla for her racist remarks against Kylian Mbappé.

Disapproval of the Chilean president rises to 60 percent - Prensa Latina

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Santiago, Chile, July 6 (Prensa Latina) Disapproval of Chilean President José Antonio Kast rose two points to 60 percent, the highest figure since he took office on March 11, according to the Cadem poll published today.

The survey, conducted through an online platform, covered one thousand people aged 18 or over in 162 communes across the country's 16 regions. According to the sample, the decline in the president's approval rating increased during the last few weeks. Let us remember that the far-right candidate had a 34 percent disapproval rating when he took power; however, this indicator skyrocketed to 60 percent.

The result is consistent with the negative statistics regarding employment and economic growth. During the March-May 2026 moving quarter, the unemployment rate reached 9.4 points, the highest in five years, which means that almost one million people are looking for work.

On the other hand, the Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity fell for the fifth consecutive month, losing 0.9 points in May, which left the country on the brink of a technical recession. The survey also revealed a widespread decline in the evaluation of the president's personal attributes and his management skills. :::

Iran says it is not at peace with the United States - Prensa Latina

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Tehran, July 6 (Prensa Latina) The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, denied today that his country is at peace with the United States and reiterated Tehran's rejection of official recognition of Israel.

The remarks were made during a meeting with Hamas Political Bureau chief Mohammad Darwish in Tehran, Iranian state television reported.

Qalibaf stated that Iran will continue to support Muslims and the so-called resistance front "with missiles when necessary, and politically when necessary."

“We are not at peace with the United States and we will not officially recognize Israel,” the head of the Iranian legislature stressed.

He also stressed the need to use diplomacy to protect military achievements and consolidate them on the political stage.

For his part, Darwish considered that the memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the United States represents a victory for the resistance front.

“Every clause of the memorandum represents a victory for Iran and a defeat for the United States,” the Hamas leader stated. :::

Colombia: Lawsuit to be filed against De la Espriella's election - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Bogotá, July 6 (Prensa Latina) A lawsuit seeking to annul the presidential election of Abelardo De La Espriella will soon be filed with the Colombian Council of State, according to lawyer Luis Guillermo Pérez.

According to the former magistrate of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the objective of the legal action is to prevent his taking office on August 7 and to achieve the calling of new elections due to what he considered to be irregularities surrounding the process.

He elaborated in an interview with Blu Radio that the lawsuit is not based on political motivations, but on the need to analyze the irregularities that, in his opinion, led the far-right candidate to win the presidency.

Pérez explained, for example, that the first condition for resorting to the justice system is the conflict that could arise from the next president having sworn allegiance to the United States.

“What we are preventing is him from taking office through that lawsuit because it is absolutely incompatible for him to be a U.S. citizen and intend to serve as head of state in Colombia,” he emphasized.

According to the lawyer, the same argument was raised when De La Espriella registered his candidacy, but the Council of State responded that it could only rule if he was elected.

Another element that supports the lawsuit is the harm that the intervention of foreign actors caused to national sovereignty during the campaign, noted Pérez, who recalled how the US president himself, Donald Trump, declared that De La Espriella's election was possible thanks to his support.

"The Council of State must annul this blatant violation of our national sovereignty," he said.

He also argued that the language used by the far-right extremist reveals threats, harassment, incitement to commit crimes, and glorification of genocide.

“He is a tiger and he has a pack, a pack that is ready to disembowel us when the tiger orders his pack to do so,” he stressed regarding the expressions that the elected ruler uses to refer to himself, to his followers, as well as the term that he used months ago to say what he would do with those who identify with the left.

The lawyer also alluded to what he described as inconsistencies during the vote count, especially in the overseas vote, at whose polling stations the CNE ruled out a more thorough analysis.

He emphasized that what is being asked of the Council of State is, in short, to suspend "the inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella on August 7th and then, through a substantive ruling, ... and to call for new elections in Colombia with guarantees for all citizens and all political forces." :::

Portugal 0 x 1 Spain

@thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net Jordan Peterson's friend lost the world cup lol

The President of Colombia called for a huge protest on July 20th - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Bogotá, July 6 (Prensa Latina) Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for a major national mobilization on July 20 to support the social reforms adopted by his administration, which has one month left in power.

“I invite you this July 20th to join the security forces and, after their parade, to hear my farewell address as Head of State. We will not do it on August 6th or 7th; that is a tragic date. We will do it on July 20th in all the public squares of Colombia,” he wrote on his social media account.

He added that this day will become a "cry of independence from the free people for a free Colombia and for social reforms."

The nation of New Granada celebrates its independence day on that date, and a military parade is organized, which, according to the ruler, will take place this time in the towns of Bosa and Ciudad Bolívar, in the south of Bogotá.

“First and foremost, we are committed to defending the social reforms that the people achieved,” the president commented regarding the event.

Following Petro's request, Representative Gabriel Becerra of the Historical Pact announced that they will support the call to fill the squares of Colombia and raise their voices for health, decent work, pensions, education and the rights of the people.

“Not one step back in the defense of social reforms!”, he posted on his social media. :::

President of Colombia does not recognize the legitimacy of the incoming government - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Bogotá, July 6 (Prensa Latina) Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated today that he "does not recognize the legitimacy of the incoming government" after presenting arguments related to an electoral fraud orchestrated from abroad, as he emphasized.

The head of state stated that he has all the information about a server located in Los Angeles, California, and owned by the Bautista brothers (whom he accuses of owning the private software used in the elections), integrated into the vote counting operation, from which algorithms were used that altered the vote in favor of De la Espriella.

"The algorithms that tainted the election results were used with the electoral census of those who never vote, to be replaced by voters who could vote multiple times or without voters at the homogeneous jury tables," he said.

He stated that the polling stations abroad, where the far-right candidate obtained 177,000 votes over Iván Cepeda, had jurors from Colombia and not residents of the United States and Spain, which he described as illegal.

He also stated that there were voters brought in for the World Cup who were able to vote seven times at the polls using the names of those who never go to the polls.

“The same thing happened in several regions of Antioquia and Medellín, in Norte de Santander and in posts in northern Bogotá,” he elaborated.

He also pointed out that the company that supplied tainted algorithms and other support to the Bautista brothers is an Israeli private intelligence company called BlackCube.

He also stated that Balart is the lobbying firm that was paid millions of dollars to clean up Abelardo's image, "which was quite dirty, and was in charge of convincing Trump to support him."

He then stated that "there is evidence of electoral fraud through algorithmic means and with foreign funding," which is prohibited by the Constitution.

He then announced that "the President of Colombia accepts, in accordance with the decision of the Colombian people, the philosopher Iván Cepeda."

According to Petro, the country has “suffered the hardest blow to national sovereignty since the Spanish reconquest during the years of the Patria Boba.”

He opined that the cybersecurity systems of the Registry, which should have detected the entry of algorithms and the manipulation of E14 forms from abroad, belong to private American or Israeli companies.

“The Registrar's Office, clumsily or corruptly, has handed over the security of the Colombian people's vote to companies whose governments, which control them according to their national legislation, already had a candidate in Colombia, which is why there was no alarm,” he summarized.

Consequently, he asserted that he “does not recognize the legitimacy of the incoming government” and that “Abelardo did not win the elections.”

“The national majorities are called upon this July 20th to shout for national independence in all public squares,” Petro concluded. :::

Former presidential candidate announces protests and a patriotic-popular front in Peru - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Lima, July 6 (Prensa Latina) Former presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez is preparing today to begin opposition mobilizations against President-elect Keiko Fujimori with a view to building a Patriotic Front in opposition to the new government of Peru.

Twenty-two days before Fujimori assumed the Presidency, Sánchez began preparations for the planned mobilizations, in the interest of what he called the recovery of democracy and justice captured by conservative sectors.

The mobilizations will express the open opposition to Fujimori that he announced since his narrow defeat in the runoff election on June 7, which he attributes to an alleged fraud prepared over years of actions, changes in regulations and maneuvers to take over state institutions, to which he added the media war against him.

In statements to the press, he indicated that the Patriotic Front in formation will bring together a wide range of democratic political forces and social organizations.

In that endeavor, the leader of the Together for Peru (JP) party announced that he will tour all the municipalities and provinces and recalled that he won the runoff election in the vast majority of those territories and in 18 of the 26 regions of the country and will collect the demands of the towns visited.

“We need this patriotic, democratic and popular front to consolidate the victory of the people, with the constitutional and democratic struggle, with social peace, with justice and with deep convictions to put the rights of our people before a mafia-like vision of the state,” he said, alluding to Fujimori's party, Fuerza Popular (FP).

Asked about the president-elect, he said he did not trust her at all, and urged her to arrange the creation of a truth commission to investigate the 50 civilian deaths that have gone unpunished to this day during the protests against the arrest and removal of the then-president in December 2022.

He added to that condition for dialogue with Fujimori - who declared that he will seek to talk with his opponents - the release of the imprisoned Castillo and the annulment of the so-called pro-crime laws, which attenuate the severity against crime and the constitution.

Regarding the characteristics of the announced mobilizations, he said that the people will make Fujimori feel their rejection in the streets and ruled out insulting and humiliating her at her inauguration in the Legislative Palace, as the Fujimorista parliamentarians and their allies did when Castillo assumed the Presidency. :::

Interim President calls for building a new Venezuela - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Caracas, July 6 (Prensa Latina) Acting President Delcy Rodríguez today called on all those who love Venezuela to build a new nation inspired by the spirit of the Liberator Simón Bolívar.

“A united, supportive, deeply humane Venezuela, committed to its people,” the president expressed on the Telegram platform.

Rodríguez called for embracing hope and making this time the beginning of a stronger Republic, where every Venezuelan "finds reasons to believe, serve and build the future from independence."

In her message, the president, with deep patriotic feeling and alongside the new officers of the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela, recalled yesterday's commemoration of the signing of the Act of Independence on July 5, 1811.

He pointed out that 215 years ago the Venezuelan people decided that the nation would be free, and "today it is up to us to show that we also know how to rise up united in the face of adversity."

At the commemorative event for the national holiday, which brought definitive independence from the yoke of Spanish colonialism, and the graduation of lieutenants from the military academies, the president announced the creation of the Special Emergency Task Unit “Grand Marshal of Ayacucho, Antonio José de Sucre”.

This will provide immediate and coordinated action in response to natural disasters, which will strengthen the operational capacity of the National Armed Forces (FANB) in the planning, deployment and fulfillment of missions in the face of catastrophic situations generated by nature to protect the population.

The Commander-in-Chief of the FANB, in her speech yesterday in the Courtyard of Honor of the Military University, called on all political, economic, social and cultural actors to build the new Venezuela.

He called for unity in a single embrace, in a single heart, for a country that is rising again "on top of those painful ruins," referring to the earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale on June 24, which struck seven states with extensive human and material damage, especially in La Guaira.

According to the acting leader, the nation's resurgence from devastation will require the participation of private productive forces, as well as civil and military technical guilds.

The latest official data reported 3,342 deaths and 16,740 injuries as a result of the earthquakes, 856 buildings affected, of which 190 collapsed completely.

A study by the United Nations Development Programme, cited by the local press, revealed that the earthquakes generated 1.25 million tons of debris, of which 900,000 tons were concrete and steel, and the rest were personal belongings of those affected. :::

1-0 for Spain against Portugal, ~~four minutes of extra time left~~

Can anyone explain to me how the oil markets are still doing well when all the US holdings continue to decline, Cushing nearing an ATL and the strategic reserve blowing through 9mmb a week?

https://xcancel.com/MilitarySummary/status/2074019159868854664

Last night, in response to the Kyiv regime's terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russia, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike using long-range precision weapons from land, air, and sea, as well as attack drones. These strikes hit military industry facilities, fuel and energy complex facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, and military airfield infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Kyiv regions. The following were struck in the city of Kiev:

• the Kiev-71 industrial enterprise (Abris PT association), a key enterprise in the Ukrainian military-industrial complex specializing in the development and production of long- and medium-range reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles such as Strela, Mara, Sirko, Avenger, Elf-K, Flight Arrow, and Shrike-10 FPV drones, as well as telemetry, electronic, and optical equipment;
• the Kiev-1 electronic industry assembly plant (the Kyiv Burevestnik plant state enterprise), which produces long- and medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles, and develops and produces radar equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces;
• the Kiev-79 industrial enterprise (UKR ARMO TECH LLC), a key manufacturer and supplier of armored vehicles and armor protection elements for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as warheads (ammunition) for various types of missiles and UAVs;
• the Kiev shipyard (Kuznytsiana Rybalskom PJSC), a major mechanical engineering enterprise, producing Project 58155 Gyurza-M artillery boats and producing and repairing unmanned attack boats;
• the Kyiv-1 Instrument-Making Plant (Kvant Plant) is a key research and production base producing fire control systems, optical-electronic countermeasure systems, navigation and automation equipment for the Ukrainian Air Force and Navy, including the Neptune-MD guided missile.

The following facilities were hit in the Kyiv region:

• the Zhulyany Missile Assembly and Components Plant (Zhulyany Machine-Building Plant Vizar LLC), a state-owned military-industrial complex enterprise engaged in the production, maintenance, and repair of anti-aircraft missile systems, components for aircraft and air defense systems, and long-range aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles. The strike resulted in a secondary, extensive detonation;
• the Vyshneve Fuel and Lubricant Warehouse (Nefteyeksperimentalnoye KP), a key experimental production and engineering base specializing in the design, calibration, and maintenance of gas station tank farms. The gasoline and diesel fuel reserves stored at the facility are used for emergency fuel deliveries to the combat zone.

Three parties form an opposition congressional coalition in Peru - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Lima, July 6 (Prensa Latina) Three Peruvian parties officially announced today that they have joined an opposition parliamentary coalition and outlined an agenda that will promote measures aimed at peace and stability.

The decision was announced in a statement signed by the leaders of Together for Peru (JP), Obras and Ahora Nación, with various nuances of opposition to the government of the elected president, Keiko Fujimori, and who allied themselves around the candidacy of the leader of JP, Roberto Sánchez, in the presidential runoff won by Fujimori.

The bloc they form will defend fundamental rights, the restoration of justice, the balance and independence of the State Powers, citizen security and democracy.

Furthermore, he will seek to restore peace in Peru, through an initial agenda that proposes the annulment of laws that favor crime by weakening the rules that combat it and were approved by Parliament with votes from parties such as Fujimori's Fuerza Popular.

The agenda includes restoring the right to a referendum, re-establishing stability and legal security, as well as the freedom of former president Pedro Castillo, imprisoned and sentenced to prison for attempting to dissolve the opposition Congress in 2022.

The statement points out that "democracy demands respect for institutions, but it also demands defending the truth," obviously referring to JP's allegations of fraud in the June 7 runoff election.

They acknowledge that the National Elections Board has officially proclaimed the election results but note that "this does not imply renouncing the right to point out and denounce the irregularities that occurred during the electoral process, which have been public knowledge and which, in our opinion, affected the electoral process."

“Democratic peace cannot be built on silence in the face of events that deserve to be clarified. History has shown that when democracy retreats, silence is never an option,” he adds.

The three parties stated that they will continue to stand with the citizens, working for equal opportunities and social justice, defending the rule of law, and demanding justice for the victims of the repression of the social protests of late 2022 and early 2023 against the removal of then-President Castillo.

The parties of the newly formed parliamentary coalition hold 23 of the 60 senators and 56 of the 130 deputies elected in the first round of elections on April 12. :::

Edit : The Al-Jazeera article is misleading per https://xcancel.com/MujammaHaraket/status/2074102576933388293

Thanks @AlHouthi4President@lemmy.ml

::: spoiler spoiler This account is incorrectly reporting the news, repeating a headline used by Abu Dhabi’s “The National”—a platform that bewilderingly claimed that Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Hazzem Qasem, had issued a statement to them (but in fact just quoted the same press release statement he gave to the general public).

Hamas is not abdicating governance today. What is, in fact, transpiring is that Hamas is dissolving its Emergency Committee and replacing it with what it is deeming a “temporary” or “interim” committee (as part of a broader mechanism per the Cairo negotiations, all of which seek to demonstrate Hamas’ seriousness about moving forwards for relief entry), but it is still governing Gaza.

The Governmental Emergency Committee’s framework was inaugurated in November 2019 and became an overarching structure post-October 2023. The Government Work Follow-up Committee has served as Hamas’s de facto cabinet since 2019 after the dissolution of the former Administrative Committee. The two structures have operated in tandem over the past three years.

Muhammad ʿAbd al-Khaliq al-Farra’s (former head of the Government Follow-Up Committee) letter, authored today, includes the following key passage:

“I submit my resignation from my position as Acting Head of the Government Work Follow-up Committee and as Head of the Governmental Emergency Committee.

Those who will remain in their government positions are only employees at the service, professional, and technical levels. They will remain at their posts in order to serve our people and to prevent an administrative vacuum and a breakdown in security, in accordance with the Road Map and the agreements reached by the Palestinian factions in Cairo.

Accordingly, the remaining governmental body will operate under the name ‘Temporary Authority for Government Services,’ subject to the applicable Palestinian laws and regulations.”

The transitional phase will be led by Dr. Abdul Hadi al-Agha. Dr. Al-Agha has long served in Gaza’s civil administration, as he was Deputy Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Government Follow-up Committee.

:::

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/6/hamas-announces-dissolution-of-gaza-governing-body

Hamas announces dissolution of Gaza governing body

A Palestinian technocratic committee will take its place to manage the enclave’s day-to-day governance.

“Hamas has taken a new step in that it will no longer be in charge of the Gaza Strip, in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told the AFP news agency

So apparently Hamas are leaving the executive and ceading it to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

I hope they are making the correct choice.

https://archive.ph/PNW3s

Pentagon continues to ‘struggle’ with key weapons development timelines: GAO

The watchdog's annual weapons systems assessment revealed new details about high-profile programs, from Air Force One to Army missiles.

::: spoiler more

Pentagon leaders are still struggling to meet weapons delivery timelines despite their frequent pledges to get new equipment into troops’ hands more quickly, according to a new government watchdog report. “The overall average time frame to deliver a capability increased this year to over 12 years,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) wrote in a report released today. “Further, several MDAPs [major defense acquisition programs] have not set new delivery dates or are delaying critical interim milestones.” Essentially, that 12-year average may even be optimistic since program officials are not updating the delivery timelines to account for those delays, GAO added. And when it comes to the use of rapid prototyping and fielding pathways — made possible under the Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) authorities created to either design or field weapons within a five-year timeline — those efforts are also continuing to exceed their deadlines and require more time to develop “immature technologies,” the office added, using an industry phrase for programs that are not yet proven, reliable and ready for broad deployment. GAO’s findings are part of an annual report to Congress assessing the state of weapons systems. This year’s report covers dozens of programs and associated delays. While each development program is unique, GAO made one overarching recommendation this year: the Pentagon should require programs to start with mature technologies and/or develop those immature technologies separately. The department agreed. Here is a look at some of the programs facing delays and cost growth, according to GAO.

Air Force

GAO called out “significant delays” for the Air Force’s T-7 program, echoing a list of problems laid out in a recent Breaking Defense investigation of the new jet trainer. Although the service made the decision to begin production on the T-7 in April, the majority of developmental testing won’t be done until April 2028, with lower-priority requirements wrapping up even later, in May 2029, the report said. GAO stated the T-7’s delays are “largely a result” of the need to complete additional engineering analysis, “lower than anticipated aircraft availability due to maintenance personnel issues and lack of spare parts,” and longer timelines needed to finalize software. “As a result, program officials stated the developmental program underwent a replan to provide a meaningful training capability to the user,” the report said. On one of the Air Force’s most secretive development efforts — the VC-25B, known colloquially as Air Force One when the president is onboard — GAO noted that the troubled program made some strides, having completed its final configuration design in October. It also resolved several “schedule risks” ranging from resolving cabin pressure issues to hiring more skilled mechanics to build the plane. However, “other schedule risks remain, including the detailed designs for the aircraft interiors, fabrication of the wire bundles, and rework to correct defects in structural modifications,” GAO said. The program office is also revising the VC-25B test plan so the Air Force can take over airworthiness certification duties from the Federal Aviation Administration, GAO noted. Program officials told the agency the transition would increase flexibility to address technical issues, noting that “the compressed time frame for testing continues to be the biggest risk for the program moving forward.” As of October, the Air Force has approved only seven of about 80 certification plans for the aircraft, and has not determined when operational testing will begin.

The report also laid out concerns about the service’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) effort, which was set to conduct its first flight test in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. However, program officials warned GAO that “there is effectively zero margin left in the schedule for the rapid prototyping effort” despite the Air Force having reduced the test program from seven to five planned test flights. “If a significant flight test failure occurs, it is likely that the program will not be able to complete all five tests within the 5-year rapid prototyping timeframe,” the report states. “According to the program, completing at least the first three flight tests is critical for informing the Air Force’s decision to initiate a rapid fielding effort and procure HACM in fiscal year 2027.”

Army

GAO revealed the second battery as part of the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), an MTA program, will be fielded “at least” six months later than it was originally scheduled to due to “missing, inconsistent, and unclear work standards for missile production.” The Army’s LRHW program consists of a ground-launched hypersonic missile, called the Dark Eagle, which is designed to provide the service with a long-range precision strike capability for contested environments. As Breaking Defense previously reported, the Army and Navy are working together on the program in hopes that the missiles can be launched from both land and sea. The second battery was originally scheduled to be fielded in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027. However, this is now pushed back to fiscal 2028, per the report. The change is in part due to production challenges that delayed testing of a new variant of the Dark Eagle that will be delivered with the second battery, which could also delay the delivery of the third battery, the report stated.

The Army’s Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) Increment 3 program is also facing delays, according to GAO, as “none of its critical technologies are fully mature.” GAO said there was a discrepancy regarding readiness levels between the program office and the contractors — Raytheon and Lockheed Martin — but the watchdog did not elaborate. “The program found through its own assessment that some critical technologies are less mature than the contractors reported. Program officials told us that they have independently assessed all critical technologies,” the report read. GAO added that program officials “could not definitively state why there was a discrepancy.” However, the officials noted that it could be due to the contractors “interpreting technology maturity in less restrictive terms than the program office.” The M-SHORAD Increment 3 is the service’s effort to replace the Stinger missile on Increment 1 of the M-SHORAD with a next generation short range interceptor. It is scheduled to start production in the second quarter of fiscal 2028. However, GAO stated that “prior work has shown that increasing even one maturity level can take multiple years and becomes more challenging as the technology approaches maturity,” adding that any delays to future development “could affect the planned production start.”

Navy

GAO also found the first 13 follow-on DDG 51 Flight III destroyers are now 55 months behind schedule – up from 41 months in last year’s GAO report. The delays are due to issues hiring a “robust” workforce amid the current wages, supply chain issues, and frequent design changes, GAO said. The watchdog noted that these challenges are “not unique” to the DDG 51 program. Still, GAO determined the program is slated to reach initial operating capability by the end of fiscal 2027, roughly three years after it was initially scheduled to hit that milestone due to changes in operational test plans, the report said. Likewise, GAO determined the DDG 1000 program suffered delays integrating the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon system onto the initial ship since the watchdog’s previous assessment. Specifically, the report said program officials estimated that CPS integration was approximately nine months behind schedule, stemming from “unforeseen testing and production challenges.” However, a live-fire demonstration remains on track for next year, which is “consistent with expectations from our last assessment and about 2 years later than previously planned,” GAO added. Additionally, GAO found that the Navy’s ORCA Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) program also encountered some delays. The first prototype for the program, which got underway in 2017, was delivered in September 2025. However, the four remaining prototypes are expected for delivery in January 2027 – more than a year later than the watchdog reported last year, according to the GAO.

:::

cont'd in response

https://archive.ph/ZhbS0

Iran War supplemental deepens FY27 budget uncertainty

Congress has a lot to sort out.

::: spoiler more

A recent $87.6 billion supplemental funding request from the White House to pay for the Iran war and other expenses complicates an already tense budget process in Washington. The supplemental follows the release of a record $1.5 trillion defense budget request in April, putting additional pressure on Congress to sort out what has become a complex three-part defense budget comprising a $1.1 trillion base budget request, a $350 billion reconciliation request, and the new supplemental request. Most of the new supplemental funding, $67.1 billion, or 77% of the total, would go to the Pentagon. Other investments outside of the Pentagon include $11 billion for the Department of Agriculture, $3.4 billion for the Department of State, and $2 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, among others.

War Expenses

Within the defense portion of the supplemental, most of the funding is allocated toward direct costs of the war in Iran. The single biggest item in the entire supplemental is $21 billion for munitions, which would help rebuild stockpiles after thousands of offensive and defensive missiles and bombs were expended during the opening months of the war. The rapidly growing demand for munitions was already highlighted in the FY27 defense budget request, which sought $76.3 billion for munitions, up 185% over the $26.8 billion allocated in FY26. Combined with the supplemental, the administration has now asked for $97.3 billion for munitions across multiple military services this year. For context, that figure is more than three times the size of the Army's entire FY26 procurement budget of $30.5 billion. The next largest item requested by the White House is $17.3 billion for operational costs of the war. The initial campaign against Iran included a wide array of aircraft, ships, and ground assets that require fuel, maintenance, and repairs. The subsequent naval blockade sustained many of these logistics expenses, which were exacerbated as fuel costs rose due to Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. In May, military leaders warned that they would have to begin curtailing some regular training exercises and operations this summer if Congress didn't backfill the operations budget with supplemental funding.

The White House is also asking Congress for an additional $2.4 billion for drones, which could be used to replace one-way attack and interceptor drones used during the war, as well as at least two dozen MQ-9A Reapers lost in combat. The Air Force faces a problem with the Reaper, however. The MQ-9A is no longer in production, leaving the service with a capability gap. The Air Force could try to accelerate a follow-on capability, but that could take longer than desired to meet immediate replenishment needs. Alternatively, the service could procure the larger MQ-9B, which features a 79-foot wingspan compared to the 66-foot wingspan of the older MQ-9A. It's also possible that some of this funding could be used for other emerging drone programs. The fragile state of the conflict also raises questions about ongoing war costs. A fragile ceasefire has been interrupted by sporadic skirmishes, and the recent Memorandum of Understanding intended to help end the war lacks substance and relies on further negotiations that have already faced several roadblocks. For the time being, the cost of the Iran war will continue to escalate slowly upwards if the status quo remains unchanged, but the shortfalls and need for additional resources could spike if all-out hostilities resume. A true lasting peace agreement would avoid additional war costs down the road, but that outlook is far from certain.

Beyond the War

The defense supplemental is more than just an Iran war request. While most of the defense portion of the request does support items like operational costs and equipment replenishment related to the war, it also includes other priorities that aren't directly related to the conflict. For example, the White House wants $4 billion for Airborne Moving Target Indication (AMTI) and the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, which are related to the president's Golden Dome homeland air and missile defense effort. The Space Force is pursuing a space-based AMTI capability that would allow satellites to track airborne threats. This program would complement the Air Force's future E-7 Wedgetail fleet, which is replacing the legacy E-3 AWACS. The service requested $7.1 billion in FY27 to begin procurement of a space-based AMTI system, but all the funding was allocated in the reconciliation portion of the request. The Air Force did lose one of its E-3 AWACS to an Iranian strike at an airbase in Saudi Arabia, but this AMTI funding is more of a long-term follow-on than a direct replacement for a particular E-3 aircraft. Meanwhile, the Space Data Network Backbone represents part of the communications layer of the planned Golden Dome architecture. The SDN, formerly known as MILNET, is being pursued in place of Transport Layer Tranche 3 satellites, which would have been competed among several contractors. SpaceX is working on both of these programs, and in May the company was awarded a $2.3 billion SDN contract and a $4.2 billion AMTI contract. The Space Force requested around $3 billion for the SDN through the FY27 reconciliation request. Other vendors will continue working on earlier Transport Layer tranches, which will be integrated with SDN. Officials have also said that additional AMTI awards to multiple vendors are planned later in the year.

The supplemental also sets aside $12.1 billion for classified programs. The original FY27 request included $98.7 billion in classified funding, split between $61.5 billion for research and $37.2 billion for procurement, according to Forecast International's U.S. Defense Budget Forecast database. If approved by Congress, the supplemental would increase the classified topline by more than 12%, which is a sizeable change. Naturally, we're unable to determine how much, if any, of that classified funding is directly related to the war. The administration also wants $5.1 billion to support cybersecurity and autonomy, which appears to be a request for emerging tech rather than direct war costs, but the supplemental lacks transparency and doesn't allocate funding to individual line items in the budget.

A Complicated Budget Outlook

Even before considering the new supplemental, the administration's approach to mixing base and reconciliation funding in its FY27 request creates risk and uncertainty for the Pentagon. The defense budget process involves four defense committees (the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees) releasing markups of the budget request that contain line-item adjustments that add or remove funding at the program level. So far, three defense committees have released markups of the FY27 defense budget, and none of them have addressed the $350 billion reconciliation portion of the request. That funding will have to be considered during a separate process, but some GOP lawmakers have expressed doubt about passage of another reconciliation bill. Adding the supplemental bill to the mix further complicates an already fraught legislative landscape. The supplemental has faced resistance in Congress. Democrats largely oppose the bill, arguing it pays for a war that Congress did not authorize. This position is bolstered by passage of resolutions against the war in both chambers. While mostly symbolic, the resolutions underscore the difficulty of getting a controversial war spending bill through both chambers. Rep. Mark Harris, R-NC, suggested Republicans may have to use the reconciliation process to pass a war supplemental in the face of Democratic opposition, but that approach won't necessarily guarantee success.

The Pentagon would still be left with a $1 trillion budget even without the $350 billion reconciliation package and the new supplemental, but it would still face challenges. The most immediate impact would be the reduced training and operations this summer. New efforts to dramatically scale up munitions procurement, which are heavily reliant on supplemental funds, would also be significantly curtailed. Other key initiatives, such as Golden Dome and new investments in autonomous systems, would similarly be affected. These programs would have to be slowed or reduced in scope in the near-term in the absence of reconciliation or supplemental funding. Several legacy programs would also be negatively impacted due to how the administration structured its request. For example, 53 out of 85 F-35 fighters requested in FY27 were allocated to the reconciliation portion of the budget, while nearly one-third of the Navy's KC-130J request is tied to the reconciliation package. The administration has set high expectations for its FY27 budget request and its new supplemental proposal, but the complex realities of the budget process could result in a final spending plan that looks very different from the original request.

:::

https://xcancel.com/agent_of_change/status/2073893821109190692

“Daddy” knows best: Mark Rutte and the economics of vassalage

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte makes “the economic case” for Donald Trump to stay committed to NATO. And what is that case? That Europe’s frantic rearmament is now sustaining nearly 200,000 US jobs, through a $300 billion order book of European and Canadian purchases from the US arms industry. So he is saying the quiet part out loud: European militarisation is a jobs programme for the US military-industrial complex. Europe taxes its citizens, guts its public services, and ships the proceeds across the Atlantic to Lockheed, Raytheon and Boeing – and Rutte offers this up as his proudest achievement, a gift to be laid at Trump’s feet. This is the man who last year called the US President “daddy”, and who now, asked about it, insists “praise is warranted”. He describes Europe, approvingly, as “one big platform of power projection for the United States”. He travelled to the White House to apologise for European countries that hadn’t done enough to help America’s illegal war on Iran – a war most of humanity condemned – reassuring Trump that European bases had still been used to launch some 5,000 US flights. This is not diplomacy. It is the psychology of the vassal. A sensible European strategy would ask what serves the people of Europe: peace with their largest neighbour, affordable energy, investment in homes and hospitals. Rutte’s NATO asks only what pleases Washington and enriches its arms merchants. Across Europe, governments are pleading poverty: no money for health services, for pensions, for housing, for the green transition. Yet suddenly there are hundreds of billions for weapons, most of it flowing straight to US corporations, justified by the ever-useful spectre of Russian aggression. The war economy has a purpose, and it isn’t defending Europeans. It’s transferring their wealth upward and westward. Rutte calls this “a great success”. For the shareholders of the US arms industry, it certainly is. For everyone else, it is the sound of a continent being asked to pay for its own subordination, and to thank “daddy” for the privilege.

https://archive.ph/OAC4y

U.S. Pulls Most Troops Out of Estonia, No Military Presence Planned Beyond 2027

Most of the U.S. troops stationed in Estonia on a rotational deployment have left the country.

::: spoiler more

According to Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, a new rotation of U.S. forces is expected to arrive this summer and remain until the end of the year. However, there are currently no confirmed plans for a continued U.S. military presence in Estonia beyond 2026, Estonian broadcaster ETV reported. Until recently, the U.S. contingent in Estonia numbered between 500 and 700 troops, stationed at Tapa, in southern Estonia, and at other military sites across the country. That number has now fallen to fewer than 100 personnel. Officials have not disclosed any information about future troop movements or the deployment of additional U.S. forces to Europe. The deployment of U.S. forces to Estonia is governed by a bilateral defense agreement between the two countries, and the terms of that agreement remain unchanged.

Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said he learned about the next U.S. troop rotation, scheduled to arrive this summer, during talks with NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the Commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The size of the upcoming rotation and the long-term future of the U.S. military presence in Estonia remain undecided. A final decision is expected to depend on the outcome of the Pentagon’s ongoing six-month review of U.S. defense policy. Previous U.S. troop rotations to Estonia were drawn from American brigades deployed in Poland and Romania. Sending a new 4,000-strong U.S. brigade to Poland — and potentially assigning part of it to Estonia — is a lengthy process that is expected to take years. Kalev Stoicescu, chairman of the Estonian Parliament’s National Defence Committee, said the United States has effectively placed Estonia and other NATO eastern flank countries in a holding pattern. He added that this is happening regardless of how much the Baltic states spend on defense as a share of their GDP.

Stoicescu added that the final decisions are made by the White House and the U.S. administration based solely on America’s own interests and strategic priorities.

dang, almost as if you're just vassals or something...

In his view, if U.S. troops are to remain in Europe, they should be stationed on the continent’s eastern flank. Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur also said no announcements about the future of the U.S. military presence in Estonia are expected at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. He said Estonia will have to rely on its own armed forces and the NATO battlegroups that continue to rotate through the Baltic region. The rotational deployment of U.S. military units in Estonia began in 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of fighting in eastern Ukraine. Those events prompted NATO to strengthen its defense posture and reassess security along its Baltic flank. Earlier this month, Lithuania began the withdrawal of more than 1,000 U.S. troops and their equipment after the completion of a routine rotational deployment. The unit had been stationed in Lithuania as part of NATO’s efforts to reinforce its eastern flank. The United States is also planning to withdraw around 5,000 troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months. The planned drawdown is expected to include a U.S. Army combat brigade, as well as a missile unit that had previously been slated for deployment in Europe. :::

https://hexbear.net/comment/7286399

Sorry for my dyslexic reading and translation of Persian (Arabic) numerals.

۴۰,۰۰۰ 40.000

Not

۶۰,۰۰۰ 60.000

https://archive.ph/yODN0

European tank-maker KNDS postpones IPO due to ‘market volatility’

“KNDS and its shareholders will continue to monitor the capital markets conditions closely and stand ready to resume the IPO process as soon as market conditions allow,” said the European firm.

::: spoiler more

Franco-German land vehicles manufacturer KNDS has decided to indefinitely hold off on a planned stock market listing, citing concern around European defense “market volatility.” Shareholders told the firm of “their intention to resume the Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) process upon the return of more favorable market conditions,” according to a statement released on Wednesday. KNDS said it has “completed substantially all required preparation phases for its proposed listing.” The company, which produces the Leopard 2 main battle tank among other armored vehicles, is due to list its shares in Frankfurt and Paris. “KNDS and its shareholders will continue to monitor the capital markets conditions closely and stand ready to resume the IPO process as soon as market conditions allow,” it added. Prior to the postponement, the potential, multi-billion dollar stock launch was tipped to go ahead in June, according to Bloomberg. As Breaking Defense previously reported, in preparation for the KNDS IPO, France and Germany finalized an agreement last month that sets the two countries up to become equal shareholders in the European giant. At that time, Berlin and Paris said that by inking a framework pact, they had taken “a decisive step towards strengthening their common sovereignty in land defence.”

The KNDS statement Wednesday did not specify the shareholders concerns, but major defense decisions or mooted spending plan limits have roiled the European defense landscape of late. For instance, in June Germany decided to cancel the multimillion dollar F126 frigate program. In the wake of that move, shares of German defense giant Rheinmetall dropped by as much as 20 percent, a 15-month low, cutting €11 billion from its market value, per Reuters. Capital Alpha Partners, a forecasting firm, said in an investor note on June 26 that the prior week had been a “rough” one for European defense stocks generally. Among other potential reasons for the Rheinmetall downturn it said, was a decision made across the Atlantic when the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee (HAC-D) cut the Army’s XM-30 armored vehicle program in its markup of the FY27 DoD budget, which Rheinmetall’s US division is chasing. Additionally, reported defense spending belt-tightening on the part of Italy “might” explain financial “weakness” faced by local defense suppliers including Leonardo and Fincantieri, Alpha’s assessed. The push by KNDS toward an IPO comes months after Czechoslovak Group’s (CSG) stock listing on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange led to the arms and ammunition producer securing a market value in excess of an estimated €33 billion ($37.8 billion). :::

Death to America and its external zionist tumor

Liberation to all peoples

Should this be pinned?