cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/40731680

https://archive.org/details/karlmarxlife0000whee

https://archive.org/details/karlmarxlife0000whee/page/152/mode/2up?q=Nick

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/40789835

TATA Advanced Systems on 24 December, 2025 has announced and declared regarding its delievery of first batch of TATA Whap to Royal Moroccan Army, out of 150.

This batch was manufactured in TASL's newly established facility in Berrechid, Morocco, which was inaugarated by Indian Defense Minister himself. This shows rising Indian-Moroccan defense partnership.

The Whap has around 50 percent of local moroccan components, which is said to enhance employment and other opportunities in Morocco for moroccan people.

The real thing to discuss is the issue with Indian Army. Despite such success of Tata Whap, Indian Army still does not operate Tata Whap in a large scale, despite being indigenous and capable. 105 units are planned, but until now, only 15 are operational and 9 are on order.

The real reason for this is said to be US Stryker. Despite the capabilities of Stryker being busted by Indian Army during testings, India mainly to improve and enhance diplomatic defense relations with US to control China, has not yet ordered neither Tata Whap nor Stryker in large numbers.

Tata Whap nonethless is better in high-altitude warfare, the problem is for how long will Indian Army keep doubting Indigenous Content like it did with ATAGS and Self-propelled Artillary (MGS) despite being the best in their respective classes and terrains.

Lets see. What do you think about it, let me know. Join "BharatDefense" to support us.

Jai Hind

Jai Bharat

cross-posted from : https://sh.itjust.works/post/52039645

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/47847537

Archived

China’s manipulation of the Interpol Red Notice system has reached a level of sophistication that poses a far-reaching danger to international law enforcement. Russia often remains the focus for many, as it is viewed as being the most prolific abuser of the system. But China is fast emerging as the more insidious threat.

As our readers will know, Red Notices are requests for provisional arrest pending extradition, circulated among police forces worldwide. The system works: thousands of dangerous fugitives are apprehended each year as a result. But authoritarian regimes have weaponised it. By issuing Red Notices through Interpol, states with poor human rights records can harness the police forces of democracies to pursue their opponents abroad.

China’s approach is different from Russia’s. Rather than relying primarily on extradition, Chinese authorities use Red Notices as one tool in a broader campaign of transnational repression. The notice locates the target. Then the pressure begins: threats against family members back home, asset freezes, surveillance, and relentless calls urging “voluntary” return. The so-called “persuasion to return” programme is profoundly misleadingly named.

The pretexts are revealing. Financial crime is the charge of choice – allegations of fraud, embezzlement, or money laundering that are difficult to verify and easy to fabricate. As one expert put it: if someone accuses you of murder, there needs to be a body; if someone accuses you of financial crimes, it is ones and zeros in the wrong ledger somewhere. China has used these charges to pursue businesspeople who have “Westernised,” political dissidents, Uyghur activists, followers of Falun Gong, and anyone else deemed a threat to the Chinese Communist Party.

[...]

The UK government’s recent overtures to Beijing make vigilance more pressing. Despite China’s well-documented human rights abuses – the persecution of Uyghurs, the crackdown in Hong Kong, the targeting of dissidents abroad – economic interests continue to drive policy. Those targeted by Chinese Red Notices often discover that economic relationships between states provide little protection when they find themselves detained at an airport or frozen out of the banking system.

Interpol has taken steps to address abuse. The Notices and Diffusion Task Force screens Red Notice requests before publication. But its review is limited – it cannot investigate the merits of every case, and as a result politically motivated requests can slip through.

[...]

China is not currently subject to Interpol’s corrective measures – enhanced scrutiny or suspension from the network – despite mounting evidence of systematic abuse. This makes vigilance all the more important. Those who find themselves in the crosshairs of a Chinese Red Notice must understand that the system offers them limited protection – and that experienced legal representation is essential from the outset.

[...]

Targeted by China Through Interpol? Your Options Explained -- (archived)

Red Notices are just one tool in a broader strategy of transnational repression that includes surveillance, asset freezes, and intense pressure on family members back home. If you find yourself in Beijing’s crosshairs, understanding the full picture is essential.

Bill C-12 includes many changes around border security along with new ineligibility rules for refugee claimants

Canada’s Liberal government is pushing through sweeping new legislation targeting refugees that observers fear will usher in a new era of US-style border policies, fueling xenophobia and the scapegoating of immigrants.

Bill C-12, or Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, includes many changes around border security along with new ineligibility rules for refugee claimants.

It was fast-tracked and passed through a third reading in the House of Commons on 11 December before members of Parliament rose for the holidays. If it receives Senate approval in February, the bill will become law.

“It’s very regressive in terms of refugee protection,” said Idil Atak, a professor of refugee and human rights law at Toronto Metropolitan University.

https://archive.is/GmyLR

Soriot points out that Europe now faces a double threat. On one hand, major pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily in the United States to avoid their products being heavily taxed by the Trump administration. On the other, China is already a leader in generics and has become a formidable competitor in innovative medicines.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/44153480

...

Certainly on the surface it appears China’s alliance with Russia has only grown stronger since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Nowhere has this been more evident than when looking at trade between the two countries, which has boomed ever since the West slapped Putin with massive sanctions.

Last year, the value of trade between Russia and China hit a record $245bn (£182bn), fuelled by Xi becoming the world’s largest buyer of Putin’s oil and gas. Overall, China also became Russia’s biggest supplier of goods.

However, closer ties with China have come at a cost.

In particular, Russian businesses have grown increasingly frustrated at a flood of cheap Chinese goods.

Vladimir Milov, who worked in the Russian government from 1997 to 2002 before becoming a vocal Putin critic, says the economic alliance is backfiring badly for Russia.

“It is deeply disadvantageous,” he says. “China is taking advantage because it knows that Russia has nowhere to go.”

Such warnings could signal that the economic ties between the two countries are beginning to fray.

While mutual trade hit a record high in 2024, it has fallen by nearly a tenth so far this year.

...

One key area of tension is cars.

After Western manufacturers cut ties with Russia in 2022, Chinese competitors duly stepped in.

In the two years to 2024, Chinese car exports to Russia have increased sevenfold, prompting a growing number of complaints from domestic manufacturers.

Maxim Sokolov, the chief executive of Russian carmaker AvtoVAZ, has accused the Chinese of “unprecedented dumping”, which he said in December has crossed “all imaginable boundaries”.

Sales of his company’s signature Lada car have plunged, pushing the company to slash production by nearly half and move to a four-day work week at the end of September.

...

There are signs that Russia’s steel sector is also hurting.

Andrey Gartung, chief executive of the Chelyabinsk Forging and Press Plant, warned last year: “Russian enterprises competing with Chinese ones are holding on by the skin of their teeth.”

Not one to shy away, China has hit back with trade restrictions of its own.

Most notably, Xi reintroduced tariffs on Russian coal in January 2024, two years after the restrictions were first lifted.

This has already hit exports to China, with Milov claiming that the levies are adding to what is the worst crisis for Russia’s coal industry since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

...

Elsewhere, China has so far refused to lift a longstanding ban on imports of Russia’s largest agricultural exports – winter wheat and barley. Instead, it buys from Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

What China does import from Russia, it gets incredibly cheaply because it has a monopoly as one of Russia’s only buyers, says Milov.

...

The average annual flow of Chinese investment into Russia has plummeted from an average of $1.2bn from 2011 to $400m, says Milov ... In 2022, China dropped Russia from its Belt and Road financing programme, while in July, China’s commerce ministry “strongly advised” carmakers against investing in Russia.

Many major projects that were previously announced with Chinese backing have now been scrapped or are on hold.

Russia quietly disappeared from what was supposed to be a joint development of a long-haul aircraft with the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.

...

Plans for Chinese CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles to build a high-speed rail line between Moscow and Kazan in south-west Russia have also been paused.

Separately, there has been no progress on the development of the Tianjin oil refinery, a joint venture between Rosneft and the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which was approved in 2014.

...

This may be a sign that, for all the pomp and ceremony, the countries’ authoritarian alliance may be weaker than it appears.

“Despite all these hugs and kisses at summits, China and Russia are very much far apart,” says Milov.

Web archive link

cross-posted from: https://pawb.social/post/37056794

i tend to be a bit of a yapper, very loud (theres an interesting reverse-masking thing going on there, which if anyones interested, lmk and ill explain) and tend to be quite rude.

really inside, im a quiet person, but i tend to impulsively speak and be loud, and say things i dont really want to say, e.g. being rude.

these are things i really want to deal with. when i talk less, and be quieter like i am inside, i tend to be much happier. does anyone have any tips?

The advice from the AG, Judith Collins, on the new Age Verification Bill gives it a big thumbs up and includes a scenario where it would be OK to restrict access to adult websites, even though the bill is targeted at social media, and none of the debate has mentioned adult websites.

Get ready to upload your ID to sketchy adult websites?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/47786060

Archived

A teacher. A college student. And even a construction worker.

To the casual observer scrolling through Facebook, these profiles would look like ordinary Filipinos. A teacher posting about classroom experience, students interacting with other students, and an ordinary worker sharing glimpses of his daily grind. They had names, faces, and opinions.

The problem: they’re not real people but carefully curated masks, created by a covert unit of “dedicated keyboard warriors” paid to infiltrate the daily conversations of Filipinos, as part of sophisticated and foreign-funded operations.

Internal onboarding documents from InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, a marketing firm allegedly hired by the Chinese embassy, show what could be information operations designed to “change the overall negative perception of Filipinos about the Chinese and China,” according to its written guidelines.

[...]

InfinitUs’ alleged client is the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, which would implicate the People’s Republic of China in domestic interference. And while this is not the first time that Beijing has been linked to coordinated information operations in the Philippines, the leaked documents provide a rare and granular look at the “outsourcing” of these operations to local firms, weaponizing Filipinos against their own democracy.

[...]

The agency’s “social media army” included 300 Facebook accounts and 30 X accounts managed by a team of 11 operatives, including one team leader. Each operative was expected to “maintain and nurture” at least 20 accounts, each with different personas.

These manufactured “personas” were the backbone of the alleged P3.7-million (roughly $200,000 US dollars) operation to deploy “keyboard warriors” in Philippine social media spaces, based on the copy of the alleged service agreement contract between the embassy and the agency.

Every member of the team was expected to produce 700 to 1,000 comments and shares every month. They also monitored Facebook posts for any anti-China posts and comments.

“On a daily basis, team members should seek out public Facebook Posts that could be a potential target for hate comments against China or FB Posts that are garnering anti-China comments, then inform the team to operate on it succeedingly [sic],” the document’s instructions said.

[...]

Operatives were provided with operational guidelines and protocols, which included the creation of Facebook accounts with different identities and personalities, specifically one that would “best represent a person who would likely be objective about China, its role and presence in the country.” [The linked article provides examples for such guidelines as screenshots.]

[...]

Once the accounts were established, they were weaponized to push specific political narratives and attack critics, as shown in what was labeled as a monthly report on their issue management operations. This included “Tone and Voice” guidelines that operatives echoed in their campaign.

In one instance, the “army” was deployed to launch an “aggressive comment campaign” against Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers after he made negative comments about China. “Mahilig kayo magsupporta sa mga batas na mali at walang basehan!” one of the suggested lines said, referring to new maritime laws signed by the President to operationalize the 2016 arbitral award.

The narratives pushed by the network went beyond mere pro-China sentiments but actively sought to undermine the Philippine government’s position on the West Philippine Sea.

Responding to the enactment of the Philippine’s Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act in 2025, one script instructed operatives to say that “China has all the right to oppose this because it runs counter to their territorial stand.” Another suggested that “the Philippine government should not have passed these laws because they very well know that it will intensify our conflict with China and other Asian neighbours.”

[...]

Conversely, the “social media army” was tasked with praising Chinese officials. When the Chinese Ambassador or the embassy posted content, the operatives were instructed to “support the advocacies and activities.” Suggested positive comments included “China made a solemn commitment to the world to make Planet Earth a better place to live in” and “Thank you Chairman President Xi for leading the way.”

[...]

InfinitUS is not the first case study of commercialized disinformation put to light.

“What makes this case unique is that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has always denied interfering with domestic issues. They do that because they’re a country with diplomatic relations with the Philippines. It’s improper for foreign mission to be interfering with domestic issues,” said Marco*, not his real name, a national security expert who wished to remain anonymous.

“What’s unique about this case is the fact that we have documented and evidence-based studies which proves that PRC interferes with the domestic policy of the Philippines.”

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations prohibits foreign missions from meddling in domestic politics or social issues: “Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State. It is also their duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State.”

[...]

Security experts have already talked about how modern conflict has gone beyond physical threats.

Philip Fortuno, who wrote the book Cognitive Domain: A Neoteric Space for Warfare, described the “cognitive domain” as the ultimate evolution of conflict. In traditional warfare, the objective is to degrade the enemy’s physical capacity to fight. In cognitive warfare, the objective is to “influence, disrupt, and corrupt” the decision-making of a target population without firing a single shot.

[...]

This is not the first time that Beijing has been linked to coordinated information operations in the Philippines. Rappler has been looking into Chinese information operations in the Philippines as early as 2018. A Rappler report in 2023 exposed how Chinese state media content was systematically amplified by questionable news sites and coordinated Facebook groups to drown out criticism of Beijing. That investigation found that narratives were often seeded by state actors and then artificially boosted to create an illusion of public support.

[...]

[One expert] said what is required is a whole-of-society approach. On the defensive side, [the expert] highlighted the need for a new superbody that will lead the government’s approach to responding to these threats. He noted that different agencies have approached this problem in different ways, but there needs to be a streamlining of the government’s thinking and response.

More important is the need to increase our citizens’ cognitive resilience through education. “All wars start in the mind,” [the expert] said. “We have to protect our mind — whoever you are. Our mind is what separates us from animals.”

[...]

The challenge ahead

The InfinitUs case proves that the war for the cognitive domain may not be a future threat but an ongoing operation. The “teacher” commenting on a news feed, the “student” sharing a viral post, and the “construction worker” mocking the President may not be fellow citizens exercising their freedom of speech but “dedicated keyboard warriors” on a foreign payroll, executing a script designed to destabilize a nation from within.

The war is indeed being fought on two fronts. The visible one — of coast guard cutters, supply missions, and diplomatic protests — and the invisible one, which is fought in the comment sections, group chats, and trending topics of social media.

Homer asked calmly.

While all eyes are on the four-month-long US military campaign against Venezuela, the White House has been quietly striking security agreements with other countries to deploy US troops across Latin America and the Caribbean.

As Donald Trump announced a blockade on oil tankers under sanctions and ordered the seizure of vessels amid airstrikes that have killed more than 100 people in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the US secured military deals with Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago in the past week alone.

The agreements – ranging from airport access, as in Trinidad and Tobago, to the temporary deployment of US troops for joint operations against “narco-terrorists” in Paraguay – are being signed under the banner of a so-called “war on drugs”, the same rationale Washington has used to justify its offensive against Venezuela, although White House officials and Trump himself has said that the goals also include seizing the country’s vast energy reserves and bringing down the dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Although Washington has long maintained similar agreements in the region, the scale and timing of the new deals are seen by analysts as a further escalation amid what would be an unprecedented US invasion of a South American country.

"Ah ha!" he smirks to himself, "I see you, Jeffrey."

"Bingo. Treats! Magazine. Of course there's a fucking 'Treats' magazine and of course that filthy vapid motherfucker Epstein is subscribed to their news letter."

"I'm gonna get this. The scoop is mine."

Tipping forward his black felt Fedora, the hunched nerd finally straightens back into his chair, lower back collapsing into the lumbar support pad as he rolls his neck and shoulders, surprised to find the burn of built up lactic acid finally circulating out of his muscles.

Fuckin' dexadrine, he thinks as he absendmindedly starts kneading at a couple of familiar knots in his back. Fucking futile.

Three fingers of brown liquor, half gone before he's back at the keyboard. Fresh cigarette to his lips as finally he resumes sating his innate gumshoe curiousity. What stupid boomer shit are you and your fellow zillionaire treat enthusiasts treating yourselves to anyway? Probably some disappointingly prosaic shit.

But it doesn't matter to him. This wretch and dozens (at least!) just like him live for the sweetest treat of all- finding out the mortifying treat indulgences of the rich and infamous so they can crack the same 6 jokes to each other and just smugly know.

See, the thing about power, is it doesn't buy taste. Not that taste matters to the amalgamation of spasming muscles, frayed nerves and bone. Nor should it, bougie standards of culture and aesthetics are worse than meaningless. What the fuck is this sad excuse for an investigator even doing with their life? It doesn't sound like praxis and it sure doesn't look like he's getting paid.

"Mmmm-mm!" The pitiful human slagheap rubs his hands together in anticipation then leans in.

"Can't wait to show the fellas THIS on Hexbear dot net. Haha, yes! haha"

Cursor drag. Click drag. An email client ingests the file and unfolds like delicate origami.

....

"OH FOR FUCKSAKE. PORN? YOU ONE. DIMENSIONAL. PIECE. OF. SHIT ARE THESE CHILDREN OR AM I JUST FUCKING ANCIENT?"

I can't take this back to the Bear site he shakes his head slightly, sadly, nobody wants to see this. Ugh why didn't I expect porn?

He downs the remains of his drink, which he now knows with certainty that he does not deserve.

"Whelp, off to Hexbear."

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/55589035

The killing of a Hindu man during recent violent protests in Bangladesh has pushed already strained ties between Dhaka and Delhi into a deeper crisis.

As the two neighbours accuse each other of destabilising relations, questions are growing over whether their once close, time-tested relationship is fraying beyond repair.