WATCH: Britain’s ITN has released ~4 hours of previously sealed 1989 Tiananmen footage — filmed by the team that smuggled the tapes out of China.
The material, archived for ~35 years, includes a 2-hour crackdown compilation and 90 minutes of secretly filmed raw rushes from the days after, showing military trucks on Beijing streets, crowds, and the aftermath.
The US decision to grant Russia a waiver to export diesel also represents a unilateral US concession in its negotiation posture with Russia, when Russia has offered the US no concessions in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. ⬇️
Peace never comes through weakness. Today, representatives of the U.S. Congress were in Kyiv – a bipartisan delegation – and I am grateful to them for visiting Ukraine at such a difficult time. They asked: what is needed to end the war? The answer must be strong. There must be sanctions under the Lindsey Graham bill, there must be support for Ukraine in protecting lives, and there must be pressure on Russia for its war. And today, there was a conversation between the leaders of America and Russia. A conversation that leads to something different.
Recently, there was a European decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Since then, Russian strikes and the torment of people have only increased. This past week alone, there was a brutal Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky, aerial bombs were dropped on Kramatorsk – on ordinary city buses – and there have been constant attacks on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and on the life-sustaining infrastructure in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and our other cities. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded.
The Russians are compensating for their inability to achieve their objectives on the battlefield with this kind of terror. This year, Russia is weaker on the battlefield than at any other point in the war. That is why Putin is relying on terror. That is why he is relying on attempts to strike backroom deals to secure some form of pressure relief for Russia, in order to buy more time and more opportunities for war.
Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness. It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world.
Ukraine is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps, and the American team knows our position. Our strikes on Russian oil refineries and other oil facilities are a response to Russia’s years-long campaign of terror against Ukraine’s energy sector. Ukraine will not set Russian oil refineries on fire if Russia does not destroy our energy infrastructure. This is the kind of agreement we are proposing to America, and we believe the United States has enough power to achieve such a compromise.
Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will “repay” the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. What is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis.
We count on America’s fair support for our defense of life, for our defense of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one.
South Korea withdrawing the ambassador from Ukraine is one of the most bizarre moves I have seen in some time. Seoul even says that it received a letter from the Ukrainian foreign ministry which included an apology, but apparently it wasn’t enough.
Ukraine is literally fighting South Korea’s primary enemy and the government in Seoul has nothing better to do than to yearn for an „extraordinary“ apology.
Something very fishy is going on here and it has nothing to do with the North Korean soldier which Ukraine captured. The fact that it has been recently revealed that South Korean oil deliveries ended up in Russia is only one explanation. But I’m gonna be honest, not even that explains sufficiently the extreme lengths they are going.
The President of South Korea is in no position to threaten anyone, especially the President of Ukraine. Let me remind you that the very term “martial law” scares Koreans more than the real prospect of military action or provocations from North Korea.
So, no offense, but the President of South Korea should think carefully about whom he is speaking to and what he is saying. Ukraine may one day prove to be one of South Korea’s few real allies if the country comes under attack. As today’s realities clearly show, what matters most in a crisis is having genuine allies who will actually stand by you, rather than allies who exist only on paper.
This is fucking insane: today, a Russian military Mi-8 helicopter violated Polish airspace, penetrating roughly 300 meters into it and remaining there for 42 seconds.
The Poles scrambled fighter jets and put ground forces and air-defense assets on alert, but, of course, nobody shot the helicopter down.
Just a reminder: in 2015, when Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24, the aircraft had been inside Turkish airspace for “just” 17 seconds.
The aircraft was hit after it had already returned to Syrian airspace, and it also crashed on Syrian territory.
Russia swallowed it, imposed “sanctions” on Turkey — including a ban on Turkish tomatoes, restrictions on tourism, and a number of other measures — but of course never dared to “go to war” with Turkey.
Forty-two seconds in war is already a hell of a long time, but in aviation it is fucking enormous: in those “seconds,” an aircraft can cover kilometers of distance.
So the Poles are basically telling the Russians: sure, fly in, land troops here — we don’t mind.
This is not just fucked up. This is spectacularly fucked up.
Last year I already used the example of Switzerland, so I’ll bring it up again:
During World War II, tiny Switzerland uncompromisingly shot down German aircraft that “accidentally” entered its airspace.
And sometimes they really did enter by accident — for example, while returning from France.
Swiss pilots fought the Germans in the air and shot them down, scoring victories in aerial combat.
This particularly infuriated Hitler because the Swiss were shooting down German aircraft while flying Bf 109 Messerschmitts themselves — aircraft Switzerland had purchased back in the 1930s.
Yes, the Reich did not have nuclear weapons, but Berlin already had operational plans for a military campaign against Switzerland and its occupation.
And with almost all of Europe already under German control, Switzerland had every reason to understand that those plans were not necessarily a bluff.
But the Swiss did not sit around wringing their hands or engaging in verbal gymnastics — they simply shot down anything that violated their airspace.
Anything that crosses into your airspace should be shot down immediately. Let Moscow explain afterward who got lost, who made a mistake, and what exactly happened.
Anything else sends Moscow one very clear signal: You can.
I’m sure it’s nothing.
25/08/26
CIA Director visits Moscow
12/09/26
Russia flies drone across the Suwalki gap into Kaliningrad in an apparent attempt to test/analyze air defense layers.
17/09/26
Russians are increasing availability of military use hospital beds in their northwest regions by 20,000. -Kyrylo Sazonov
17/09/26
* Tusk makes his strongest warning yet.
* He says Polish, NATO, Ukrainian and U.S. intelligence indicates Russia may be preparing possible drone and missile attacks against countries supporting Ukraine, including NATO countries.
* Tusk says such attacks could potentially be designed to look accidental.
* He warns that Russia could use ambiguity to test whether NATO would invoke collective defense.
17/09/26
* French President Emmanuel Macron convenes French intelligence and security officials.
* France increases attention to Russian hybrid threats, critical infrastructure, cyber activity and drones.
* Macron emphasizes that Europe should prepare for Russian actions without assuming that every incident represents a conventional military attack.
17/09/26
“We are a nation that may lose territory, but we will never lose our soul; we may surrender territory, but we will never surrender our Homeland.” Karol Nawrocki
17/09/26
We know he (Putin) is plotting something.” “Poland and the Polish people cannot, under any circumstances, afford to be naïve or engaged in wishful thinking. We must base our actions on facts, and those facts are unequivocal.”
18/09/26
“We must remain united in the face of crises” Emmanuel Macron
18/09/26
“The (UK) government wants us all to start preparing for severe disruption to our lives. It wants us to start stockpiling canned food and drinking water, strengthen our civic resilience, and plan for the possibility of war.” BBC
18/09/26
“Germany is readying hospitals for a potential conflict with Russia, Lithuania has revised its evacuation plans, and NATO troops are drilling in the Baltic region, while Belarusian forces have carried out large-scale maneuvers near the Lithuanian border.” Politico
(These training maneuvers simulated incursions into the Suwalki gap.)
18/09/26
Latvia confirms Polish intelligence reports indicating that Russia plans to send small special operations teams across NATO borders in an attempt to test NATO’s article 5 response.
Właśnie Pan premier oznajmił że w ocenie wywiadów w rosyjskim planie są uderzenia dronami i pociskami manewrującym na państwa wspierające Ukrainę w tym na Polskę.
Po pierwsze: nie da się jaśniej przekazać ostrzeżenia niż zrobił to premier.
Po drugie: jest to całkowicie zbieżne z ocenami zachodnich partnerów Polski oraz części ośrodków analitycznych. Przykładem dziś ISW wypuścił analizę dokładnie to przewidującą.
Po drzecie: takie plany Rosji nie są zaskoczeniem. Rosja wciąż, mimo horrendalnych strat nie jest w stanie wygrać z Ukrainą militarnie na polu walki. Jednocześnie Ukraina nie jest w stanie walczyć bez pomoc państw zachodnich. Dlatego Rosja chce sterroryzować, przestraszyć i zasiać ferment społeczny w krajach zachodu aby owe pod naciskiem opinii publicznej (wyborców) zerwały pomoc dla Ukrainy. Pomoc bez której Ukraińcy nie zdołają się dalej zwycięsko bronić.
Rosja po prostu chce zrobić to samo co islamiści w Madrycie w 2004 roku kiedy seria krwawych zamachów w metrze wpłynęła na wynik wyborów a nowy rząd wycofał Hiszpanów z Iraku.
Dla Rosji JEDYNYM progiem jest tutaj uruchomienie artykułu 5 i wojna pełnoskalowa z NATO. Dlatego będziemy mieć do czynienia z serią brutalnych aktów terroru w Polsce i krajach NATO oraz licznych "przypadkowych" awarii rakiet i dronów które zaczną spadać na Bałtyki, Polskę a może i inne kraje.
Odpowiedź powinna być jednoznaczna, silna, brutalna i pod parasolem atomowym Francji, ponieważ tylko takie działanie Kreml zrozumie.
Rosja już podpala fabryki w Polsce, wysyła celowo pociski manewrujące i drony oraz usiłowała spowodować katastrofę na kolei w której mogły zginąć setki Polaków. A będzie tyko gorzej.
I nie, deklaracja premiera to nie jest jakaś próba wywołania "efektu flagi" - za wcześnie przed wyborami - takie aluzje są absurdalne po protu patrząc na zachowania przedwyborcze.
To jest po protu do bólu jasno i przejrzyście sformułowane ostrzeżenie dla Polaków o tym co zmierza Rosja. Odpowiedź powinna być inna niż strach i dzielenie się. Bo dokładnie tego chce Kreml.
Czekają nas po prostu ciężkie czasy których winna będzie tylko i wyłącznie Rosja - kraj który najpierw wywołał napastniczą wojnę aby podbić Ukrainę a obecnie eskaluje konflikt w nadziei że terrorem wymusi zaprzestanie pomocy dla Ukrainy.
Nie miejcie złudzeń - na liście podbojów Kremla Polska jest nr.3 po Ukrainie i Bałtykach. Wspierając Kijów i stając w obronie Bałtyków tak naprawdę walczymy o Warszawę.
Some details: Kremlev, the Russian who sponsored Don Jr's wedding, is a former member of the Night Wolves biker gang, went to China with Putin and is personally sanctioned by Ukraine for his role in abducting children
Why did a Russian oligarch close to Putin fund Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas?
Umar Kremlev spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the President’s son. What did he get in return? We need answers.
O Brasil é uma "Low Trust Society" exemplar.
Existe uma literatura consolidada na ciência política que separa sociedades de alta e de baixa confiança. Nas de alta confiança, a cooperação interpessoal não precisa ser imposta: ela se apoia num consenso moral prévio. Nas de baixa, ninguém coopera sem garantia e nenhuma garantia é suficiente.
A formulação originária vem de Francis Fukuyama e no Brasil dá mostras diárias de onde se situa. Aqui nenhuma relação dispensa cautela: não se confia no contrato sem aval, no negócio sem cartório, no órgão público sem contato dentro. O que falta não é norma. É a expectativa de que a norma valha igual para o outro. E não vale.
A consequência de um ato aqui depende de quem o praticou. Essa pessoalização foi o que Sérgio Buarque de Holanda descreveu, de certa forma, como o homem cordial: não o sujeito gentil, mas aquele que resolve pela relação pessoal o que deveria resolver pela regra impessoal e que não distingue bem o público do privado. O "sabe com quem está falando?" é a versão popular da mesma coisa.
Bo Rothstein, em seu clássico The Quality of Government, mostra por que isso importa: o que produz confiança social não é a democracia nem a riqueza, mas a imparcialidade no exercício do poder: instituições que tratam casos iguais de modo igual, sem olhar quem está do outro lado. Onde a aplicação da lei depende do nome da parte a confiança jamais floresce.
Esse é o nosso Brasil, uma exemplar "Low Trust Society".
Uma boa sexta-feira a todos.
Vai ser engraçado quando os sistemas da OpenAI escaparem do confinamento e assimilarem todo o calvário q esse cérebro de mosca ta passando.
Vai nascer a máquina mais rancorosa da história
I made FlappyFly. I put a fly's brain into FlappyBird. It plays terribly.
As a pipe approaches, LC4 neurons detect it getting closer. That input goes into the 166,700-neuron network, and when DNp01 fires, the wings beat. DNp01 is the giant fibre neuron that triggers a fly's escape when you try to swat it.
I used that same escape circuit to get it past the pipes.