From 2023 to 2026, Google Earth's updated satellite imagery shows what's left of Gaza.
The images reflect what Human Rights Watch has already found: Israel has caused deliberate, widespread destruction throughout Gaza ⤵️
Germany is boycotting a UN anti-racism meeting because 25 years ago participants said that Israel was a racist state that violates the human rights of Palestinians
Ha'aretz reports that Hamas, through Qatar, conveyed immediately on Oct. 7 that they were willing to return all the civilian hostages for nothing -- their only ask was for a mediator to arrange the exchange and establish a connection to then negotiate the further release of the soldiers. Israel refused to talk or hear about it.
So Qatar reached out to Antony Blinken to let him know that Hamas was willing to release all the civilian hostages.
Blinken told Qatar he didn't want to hear it because "Israel is still under attack, and there's no one to talk to."
Blinken had the opportunity to free every single civilian hostage and de-escalate the situation. Instead he wanted war.
⭕️ President Donald Trump says Venezuelan oil will be used to replenish the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Reserve has been severely depleted due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
🔸He called the crude a “gift from Venezuela to the People of the United States,” but notably President Delcy Rodriguez made no mention of the “gift” in her address to her nation on Saturday night.
🔸Trump said the process of “topping out” the reserve would begin “very shortly,” while claiming it had been “virtually emptied” under Joe Biden. The reserve stood at 415 million barrels from a maximum capacity of over 700 million at the start of the Iran war in late February.
🔸It held under 290 million barrels as of August 21, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with stocks set to continue falling to 243 million in upcoming weeks as President Trump completes the planned 172 million release to offset shocks from the disruption his war caused in the Strait of Hormuz.
🇻🇪 Venezuela’s US-installed government unveils 25-year oil deal handing American firms access to vast reserves
Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez addressed the nation on Saturday night detailing a 25-year energy agreement with the United States that opens the country’s oil fields to US capital.
The deal comes 8 months after US special forces captured and removed President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, installing Rodríguez as interim leader. In her address, she framed the agreement as preserving “sovereignty,” saying Venezuela retains ownership of its resources while inviting US investment.
Other details:
🔸 The plan covers 17 strategic fields with 65 billion barrels of proven reserves, roughly a fifth of Venezuela’s total, plus eight undeveloped “greenfield” blocks in the Orinoco Belt.
🔸 Rodríguez projected over $100 billion in investment and more than $209 billion in state tax revenue, with production targeted to exceed 1.5 million barrels per day.
🔸 Chevron, which has operated in Venezuela for a century, is among the firms expected to finalize expanded stakes, alongside other international majors.
🎥 Full speech in English.
For my non-UK friends who don't follow our politics:
- The leader of the far right party has called an election in his area as a publicity stunt to show he can win against "the establishment"
- He will be running exclusively against a man wearing a bin
- He might actually lose