Image is sourced from this article depicting the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, which took place at the same time as the 47th ASEAN Summit.
Last week concluded the 47th summit of ASEAN in Malaysia as well as a swathe of concurrent summits surrounding ASEAN. For those unfamiliar, formally, China is not a member of ASEAN, but is part of the ASEAN Plus Three (as part of the “Three”, alongside Japan and Occupied Southern Korea). And while not really ASEAN, there is also a yet wider organization, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which tacks on Australia and New Zealand to the group of countries that are currently in ASEAN (which is the single largest trade bloc on the planet). At the summit, Timor-Leste was officially introduced into ASEAN, making it the 11th country to do and the first since Cambodia in 1999.
Many important figures throughout Asia, as well as Trump, Ramaphosa, and Lula, attended the event. As you can imagine, Trump’s appearance was not exactly positive - signing four rather coerced bilateral deals there, including with Malaysia, which forced those countries to buy American goods in exchange for certain exemptions from Trump’s high tariff regime. The US is currently in a bit of a panic due to China restricting access to rare earths, a critical component of many weapons technologies (and electronics in general) and is looking around for countries to help supply them. After the summit, the US and China signed a deal related to tariffs and rare earths, but it seems very unlikely that this is the end of the saga; the US politically, economically, and militarily cannot tolerate China’s existence as a sovereign actor and will try to overcome them until the American Empire topples.
Meanwhile, China did as they ordinarily do, and urged higher regional integration and trade without high tariffs, as well as adherence to the Global Governance Initiative (which, as we here never tire of noting, is an interesting thing to try and encourage while the US only more feverishly violates the sovereignty of nations everywhere). One hopes they’re supplying a bit more than just speeches to Venezuela, Cuba, and beyond, as the US prepares to start bombing.
Last week’s thread is here.
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The Zionist Entity's Genocide of Palestine
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
@LargePenis@hexbear.net on upcoming Iraqi elections including a rundown of all major parties by region. A lot of juice in this one.
DM me to highlight good comments from this week’s newsmega.
track name ? wanna add it to my playlist
No$hu - Class Conscious
thx
A lot of juice in this one.
On Hecks Bear, we do not WASTE! When to the megathread the LargePenis comes, we make sure to get ALL the JUICE!!!
deleted by creator
Holy shit the LargePenis Iraq breakdown dropped. I haven’t read it yet, but it definitely belongs here.
Holy shit the LargePenis Iraq breakdown dropped.
Noted, I’ll add it soon. Also, this is a good site tagline.
I wonder when I can start making effort post I need to read more theory…
Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, documents seen by Reuters show. And the social media giant internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day. Among its responses to suspected rogue marketers: charging them a premium for ads – and issuing reports on ’Scammiest Scammers.’
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/06/retail-holiday-hiring-to-hit-lowest-level-in-15-years-nrf.html
Retailers’ holiday hiring to hit lowest level since the Great Recession, says major industry trade group Published Thu, Nov 6 20252:48 PM EST
-Holiday hiring by retailers is expected to fall to its lowest level in at least 15 years, the National Retail Federation said Thursday. -The major industry group’s prediction offers the latest glimpse into the jobs market as the record government shutdown stretches on. -Even so, the NRF expects holiday spending to hit a record of between $1.1 trillion to $1.2 trillion from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, the first time the total would top $1 trillion.
Somehow, I don’t think those expectations are going to be met.
https://apnews.com/article/sandwich-throwing-trial-justice-department-a2776c568a1ea4b8ce5b6af606669b63 Sandwich guy found not guilty
Today in open weight models: China’s Moonshot AI releases Kimi K2, a 3 trillion parameter CoT open weight model with comparable benchmarks to gpt-5, grok-4, and sonnet-4.5 (although gpt-5 and grok-4 are notoriously overfitted to benchmarks, so they should be taken with a grain of salt)[1]
Today in B-52s: a B-52 bomber with test markings has been spotted over California with an unknown weapon—likely a AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff nuclear capable stealth cruise missile.[1] this aligns with Trump’s announcement of the resumption of US nuclear testing. Similarly, two B-52s patrolled 50 miles off of Venezuela[2]. Ironically enough, their callsigns were TITO41 and TITO42.
Today in the intersection of war and tech: Google plans a military-use data center 200 miles off the coast of Indonesia on the crab-rich Christmas Island[1]
US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers are doing another show of force/probing flight off of the coast of Venezuela.
Contrails from the B-52s were visible from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao
They’re now flying in a loop near Venezuela
Venezuela is also moving around S-125/SA-3 air defence systems within the last hour or two.
The funny number thing says porkies are scared
Today’s Naked Capitalism link but this should come as no surprise if you have been following what I said about China’s marked liberal turn in policies since last September - coincidentally, right after the Fed first cut its rate since 2022.
It’s a clear signal that China wants the US to return to the status quo, but will the US bite?
If Trump insists on reducing the US trade deficit, then dollar hegemony will have to be sustained via foreign direct investment. We could be seeing a shift in the export of dollar towards investment while the trade deficit is cut back.
China to embrace free market, free trade and import more: Premier Li Economic Times
Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday called for embracing free markets and pledged to open China’s consumer market after Beijing and Washington reached a trade deal, raising expectations of normalcy in the restoration of global supply chains.
“At a time when the world economy is slowing down and international disputes are intensifying, we must all the more adhere to equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, embrace free markets and free trade, and resolve cross-border contradictions and problems through joint development,” Li said.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum in Shanghai.
“China is willing to work with all parties to create an open and inclusive development environment, enhance the level of trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, ensure the stability and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains, and better gather momentum for economic development,” he said.
He said China’s economic scale in the next five years was projected to exceed 170 trillion yuan (USD 23.9 trillion).
China will steadfastly advance high-level opening-up to the outside world, he was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
…
Ahead of the final agreement, China has agreed to lift the ban on the exports of rare earth metals - much needed for the US defence industry - and resume imports of US soybeans.
Trump signed an executive order to roll back 10 per cent of the “fentanyl tariffs” imposed on China. Both sides officially extended the tariff truce they had agreed on the “reciprocal tariffs” for one year.
Li visited pavilions set up by some US companies after the opening ceremony, sending a clear signal to American and global businesses that the Chinese market would still be fully open to them amid the de-escalation of the trade war between the world’s two largest economies, the Post reported.
Li, however, condemned the rise of tariffs in international trade without naming the US, noting that they had “seriously undermined international economic and trade rules and disrupted the normal operations of enterprises” in various countries.
China, which continued to be an export-dependent economy, grappled with slow growth of domestic consumption as the Chinese were reluctant to spend due to concerns over job prospects and a poor economic outlook.
This year’s CIIE sets a new record in scale, featuring over 4,100 foreign exhibitors from more than 150 countries and regions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing in Beijing.
China will continue its effort of expanding and opening up so as to share the opportunities of China’s mega market with the world, she said.
Duolingo shares plummet as AI pitch falls flat, bookings estimates miss
Shares in the language-learning app Duolingo (DUOL) plummeted on Thursday, falling more than 25% as an AI-heavy pitch from the company fell flat with investors and the company lowered its guidance on bookings.
Duolingo, which has leaned into pitching itself as an AI-forward company in recent months, posted third quarter sales of $271.1 million against analyst estimates of $260.3 million. But several negative measures dragged shares downward.
The company lowered its bookings forecast for the fourth quarter to a range of $329.5 million to $335.5 million, below analyst estimates of $343.6 million. Meanwhile, Duolingo also missed on estimates on user growth in the third quarter, ticking up to 50.5 million daily active users against analysts’ estimates of 51.1 million users.
Hezbollah’s open letter addressed to President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and the Lebanese people:
"Out of Hezbollah’s commitment to national understanding, the protection of sovereignty, and the preservation of security and stability in Lebanon—and as a contribution to strengthening and supporting the unified Lebanese position against the Zionist aggression, its violations, and its continued breach of the ceasefire agreement reached through the efforts of U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein following indirect negotiations between the Lebanese state and the Zionist entity—and in order to block attempts to drag the Lebanese state into new rounds of negotiations serving only the goals and interests of the Zionist enemy and the powers of tyranny hostile to truth and justice, we hereby express to you, gentlemen leaders, and through you to all our dear people in Lebanon, our vision regarding the current situation and the required national stance that we are committed to and consider the effective path to preserving Lebanon’s interests at this critical stage for our region and the world.
The ceasefire declaration of 27 November 2024, which was agreed upon to halt the Zionist aggression against Lebanon, constituted—according to the parties to the agreement, both individually and collectively—a mechanism for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, issued in 2006. That resolution defined the area of operation as being exclusively south of the Litani River in Lebanon, and stipulated that this area be cleared of weapons and armed personnel, and that the Israeli enemy withdraw beyond the known Blue Line.
While the declaration’s preamble stated that its clauses were steps to implement Resolution 1701, Article 1 of the declaration stipulated:
“Israel and Lebanon shall cease all hostilities as of 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 27 November 2024, in accordance with the commitments detailed below.”
Article 2 further stated:
“As of 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, 27 November 2024, and thereafter, the Government of Lebanon shall prevent Hezbollah and all other armed groups in Lebanese territory from carrying out any operations against Israel, and Israel shall refrain from any offensive military operations against Lebanese territory—including civilian, military, or other state-related targets—by land, air, or sea.”
The articles continued up to Article 13.
While the facts confirm that Lebanon and Hezbollah have implicitly and strictly abided by the content of the ceasefire declaration from the moment it was issued until today, the Zionist enemy has continued its violations of the declaration by land, sea, and air—and still does so now—disregarding all calls to cease its hostile actions. Instead, the enemy has exploited such calls to blackmail Lebanon, impose conditions, and evade halting its aggression—persisting in its project to subjugate Lebanon, humiliate its state, people, and army, and drag it into a political agreement that would force Lebanon to recognize the enemy’s interests in our country and the region, as well as to acknowledge the legitimacy of its armed occupation of Palestinian land.
'Although the hasty governmental decision regarding the “exclusivity of arms” was presented by some as a goodwill gesture toward the enemy and its protectors, the enemy exploited this governmental misstep to impose the disarmament of the resistance throughout Lebanon as a precondition for halting hostilities—something that was not stipulated in the ceasefire declaration and can neither be accepted nor imposed.
The issue of exclusive arms cannot be discussed in response to foreign demands or Israeli blackmail, but only within a national framework that produces a comprehensive strategy for defense, security, and the protection of national sovereignty.
It must be clear to all Lebanese that the Israeli enemy does not target Hezbollah alone; it targets Lebanon in all its components, and seeks to strip Lebanon of every means to reject the Zionist entity’s extortionist demands, imposing submission to its policies and interests in Lebanon and the region.
This demands a unified and dignified national stance that compels respect for our country and people, and safeguards Lebanon’s sovereignty and dignity.
As for becoming entangled in or sliding toward the proposed negotiation traps, such moves would only grant further gains to the Israeli enemy, which always takes and never abides by its commitments—indeed, it gives nothing.
With such a savage enemy, backed by the American tyrant, no maneuver or cleverness can succeed.
Lebanon’s responsibility today lies in enforcing the ceasefire declaration, and pressuring the Zionist enemy to comply with it—not in yielding to aggressive blackmail or being dragged into political negotiations with the Zionist enemy.
Such negotiations serve no national interest and carry existential dangers that threaten the Lebanese state and its sovereignty.
In conclusion, as a founding component of Lebanon, which we have pledged as a final homeland for all its citizens, we reaffirm our legitimate right to resist occupation and aggression, and to stand alongside our army and our people in defending the sovereignty of our country.
Legitimate defense does not fall under the category of a “decision of peace” or a “decision of war”; rather, we exercise our right to defend against an enemy that imposes war upon our country, refuses to halt its assaults, and seeks to subjugate our state.
Based on this vision, we approach current developments by reaffirming to all that the present moment calls for unity of effort to halt the Zionist violations, aggression, and escalation against our country, and to repel the security and existential dangers threatening it.
We hold in high esteem the patience of our steadfast and proud people, who endure injustice and aggression alongside us, hoping to preserve sovereignty and national dignity. We pledge to remain in the position of honor, dignity, and truth, defending our land and our people, and working toward the fulfillment of our generations’ hopes and future."
Media Relations Department — Hezbollah Thursday, 6 November 2025
Deterrence might work. WSJ says Trump is hesitating about Venezuela strikes
Trump Expresses Reservations Over Strikes in Venezuela to Top Aides
Administration is still deciding whether to push Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power or extract concessions from him
spoiler
WASHINGTON—President Trump has recently expressed reservations to top aides about launching military action to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, fearing that strikes might not compel the autocrat to step down, according to U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations.
The debate underscores that the administration’s Venezuela strategy remains in flux, despite a buildup of military forces in the region and public threats by Trump to launch attacks.
What began as a counternarcotics campaign with airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels has transitioned into the most muscular U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean in decades—one now squarely aimed at pressuring, and potentially ousting, Maduro.
But even basic questions, such as whether the goal is to remove Maduro or compel him into concessions, remain undecided, the officials said.
Trump continues to query aides about military options, the officials noted, leading some to suggest the president might eventually order an attack. The options presented to him range from intensifying economic pressure to military action inside Venezuela, including possibly against military and government facilities.
For now, officials say Trump is content with slowly building up U.S. forces in the region and continuing to strike boats allegedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific. The latest such attack occurred Tuesday when the U.S. military destroyed a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two alleged drug traffickers.
“We’re blowing them up, linked to the Maduro regime in Venezuela and others,” Trump said Wednesday during a speech in Miami.
There is no timeline for a decision on whether to step up the campaign, officials said. Trump remains wary about getting directly involved in Venezuela after a first-term attempt to oust Maduro by supporting his opposition failed, former officials involved in that effort said. He also has longstanding apprehensions about using the military for possible regime change.
“The president has said he would continue to strike narcoterrorists trafficking illicit narcotics—anything else is speculation and should be treated as such,” said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary.
Trump has been presented with three broad options to increase pressure on Maduro, the officials said.
They include stepping up economic pressure on Venezuela with sanctions and increased tariffs on countries that buy its oil; supporting Venezuela’s opposition while adding more U.S. military assets in the region to raise pressure on Maduro; and finally a campaign of airstrikes or covert operations aimed at government and military facilities and personnel. The options were previously reported by the New York Times.
The Justice Department is working on a legal justification allowing Trump to target the Venezuelan leader as part of a military operation, the officials added. Justice Department officials didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration has branded Maduro a “narco-terrorist,” accusing him of heading a trafficking network that is conspiring to “flood the United States with cocaine.” The U.S. in August issued a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro for narcotrafficking.
The steps taken already by the U.S. to persuade him that he can’t remain in power could prompt some members of the country’s security elite to turn on Maduro and oust him first, U.S. officials say.
The administration has been in touch with the Venezuelan opposition, current and former officials said.
“Maduro has to understand that the hours are running out,” Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Wednesday, speaking remotely to a Miami business forum that Trump was also attending. “If he accepts a transition, it will move forward orderly and faster—but it will take place regardless of whatever Maduro does.”
Some U.S. officials say there is no need to force out Maduro as long as he agrees to curb drug trafficking, give the U.S. more access to Venezuela’s oil reserves and promises to hold fair elections.
Sen. Jim Risch (R, Idaho), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview that Maduro has conspired with drug cartels designated by the U.S. as terrorists, “and is going to be subject to the same fate.”
But Risch, who also sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, added that he has seen no indication of the U.S. preparing military actions against Venezuela. “The president could change his mind, of course, because he is becoming very impatient and very unhappy with Maduro.”
Some senior Democrats think it is unlikely Trump will actually take military action.
“The press is far more convinced that the United States is going to attack Venezuela in some way than the administration actually is,” Rep. Jim Himes (D., Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in an appearance Tuesday at the Council on Foreign Relations. “I continue to be pretty bearish on the notion that we’re going to get militarily involved in Latin America.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security adviser, has played a major role in crafting Trump’s strategy and military campaign against drug boats, officials and State Department aides said. He briefed lawmakers on the plan Wednesday afternoon.
Last week, Trump publicly warned about possible attacks inside Venezuela. “The land is going to be next,” he told reporters, suggesting strikes directly within the country.
But he has toned down his comments since. Asked Friday by reporters if he was considering bombing military targets in Venezuela, Trump flatly said “No.” He then told CBS News’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he doubted the U.S. would go to war with Venezuela. But asked if Maduro’s days as president were numbered, he answered: “I would say, ‘Yeah.’ I think so, yeah.”
Maduro has accused Washington of trying to topple him, calling the military campaign “regime change through military threat.” Yet in a letter to Trump after the initial strikes in September, Maduro promised to produce data showing his country doesn’t traffic drugs. Last month, Trump said Maduro was willing to give “everything” to ease tensions, adding “he doesn’t want to f—around with the United States.”
Trump has switched course on military action before. He initially sought a deal to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, giving Tehran up to two weeks before he would authorize strikes. But within hours, B-2 bombers destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities, an operation Trump touts as a major success.
The Pentagon announced Oct. 24 that Trump had ordered the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford and its carrier strike group to the Caribbean, where it will join eight naval warships already in the region. The arrival of the Ford and its accompanying warships will give the U.S. additional firepower in the event Trump decides to order airstrikes, using jet fighters and long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The carrier spent the past 12 days making its way across the Mediterranean, a much slower pace than anticipated. It is likely the ship is moving slowly to complete additional training, including flight operations, to prepare for the Caribbean deployment, experts said. It is also due to undergo routine maintenance before entering a potential war zone, according to two U.S. officials.
“When they deployed, they probably didn’t prepare for this scenario, this operation in the Caribbean,” said Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. “I think this is probably the need for them to make sure that they are proficient at the kinds of actions they would need to do in the Caribbean.”
Odessa anti-fascist partisans are back in action:
Odessa guerrillas have successfully sabotaged a segment of the Izmail-Odessa railway line, disrupting the flow of NATO ammunition and military equipment from Romania, according to Vladimir Saldo, governor of the Kherson Region.
“Odessa guerrillas inflicted a significant blow to the Ukrainian armed forces’ logistical artery,” Saldo stated. “On October 17, they blew up a section of the Izmail-Odessa railway. A freight train carrying NATO supplies from Romania was scheduled to pass through that route. The explosion occurred hours beforehand, effectively preventing the delivery,” he explained via his Telegram channel.
