johnraff

let us not talk falsely now the hour is getting late #BobDylan

Unlike the dailies, Shukan Shincho has published Imai Yuki’s name, making the case that more public attention will force the govt to prioritise securing his release. They also report that his wife is a journalist with one of the national papers and that he has a young daughter.

Since the Japanese media are still refusing to publish his name, it is left to The Moscow Times to provide background on Imai Yuki, the Hokkaido Shimbun journalist detained in Russia. www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/10/27/i...

Adventures in AI-generated manuscripts: Reading a paper (100% AI) that makes some untrue assertions about the relevant literature -- the paper cites a published article as support for those assertions, so I go get that article and it too is 100% AI.

Basically admitting that the arrest was nothing to do with anything Imai might have done. Also, these might be of interest: www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/10/27/i... www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/10/22/w...

Don't hurt the feelings of the Chinese Communist Party. China: The Mbappé-Chairman Mao controversy explained www.bbc.com/news/videos/...

"The border dispute also has wider strategic implications for Delhi, with a growing realisation that President Donald Trump's focus on expanding economic engagement with China could limit Washington's willingness to back India in any future confrontation with Beijing." www.bbc.com/news/article...

"rolling back the huge cuts in the corporate income tax over the past few decades could easily fund even larger tax cuts for people, whether it be the consumption tax or the personal income tax" richardkatz.substack.com/p/defense-ha...

I had no idea cocaine had taken off like this. I thought it was just something for rich rock stars and gangsters.

+1

Avante Camaradas!

Treating Ukraine exceptionally bad, Trump has now lost former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Musk is a barefaced liar, just like Trump.

The Japan-Soviet Consular Treaty stipulates that consular visits should be conducted within four days of detention at the latest, but so far, no such visits have taken place.

DM Koizumi hits back after Russia threatens retaliation for TerraDrone providing Ukraine with interceptor drones. Koizumi sees “no problem” in Japan firms acting this way so long as they remain within Japanese law. He notes RU’s use of DPRK troops to fight Ukraine. www.sankei.com/article/2026...

"A Shen victory would ... likely precipitate a major reassessment in Beijing on how to engage with Taiwan..." Hmm... I wonder what they might come up with? Free lollipops? An artificial virus epidemic? Just put them all in jail?

"China understands that whatever the outcome of negotiations with the United States and Russia, the reality on the ground will be very different and will depend above all on Ukraine" Trilateral Ukraine talks: What's in it for China? www.dw.com/en/trump-put...

Passkeys are a trap. Do not use them. - by The Hack nonfunctional.substack.com/p/passkeys-a...

"Govts that once spoke plainly about conditions in the Uyghur region (Xinjiang/ East Turkistan) now say little, or nothing at all...These developments reflect a choice governments and other institutions have made, quietly setting aside Uyghur rights in favor of economic and strategic priorities."

“If President Donald Trump wants a full-on riot within the Republican Party, going along with Vladimir Putin’s idea for a ‘Yalta 2’ summit with Xi Jinping is the way to do it” www.huffpost.com/entry/new-yo...

Universities line up for defense research funding despite concerns In part, because "the government [likely aiming for this result] has reduced operational grants to national universities by more than 10% compared with 20 years ago." www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

"Pentagon Officials Reportedly Ready to 'Spill Their Guts' to Help Get Hegseth Impeached" Of course Trump would replace him with another jerk, but it would be tough to find one as vile as Hegseth. www.commondreams.org/news/pete-he...

🆕BREAKING: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan announces an application for an arrest warrant against the Burmese military's Min Aung Hlaing for in the situation of #Bangladesh / #Myanmar #Burma #WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar #Rohingya #Rakhine #ICC www.icc-cpi.int/news/stateme...

“This case involves a serious incident in which the Chinese Communist party is suspected of using cross-border suppression tactics to direct lawless elements in our country to suppress dissenting political voices through extreme violence”.

Even if Trump lies all the time, he has been very steady in his position on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: 1. He has persistently supported Putin & Russia. 2. He has always blamed Ukraine & Zelensky, the victim. 3. He has never protested against Russia's terror bombing. /1

"the boat strikes expose the hypocrisy that permeates Trump’s entire approach to law"

Mississippi attorney general rules fatal police shooting of one-year-old as ‘justified’

An American president would tell Putin to fuck off. An American president would tell Putin to get the fuck out of Ukraine. An American president would stand with Ukraine. Trump however is not an American president. He works for Putin. So he’ll do what Putin tells him to do.👇

I love Kyoto Journal. I had to cancel my subscription some years ago because I just didn't have time to read it. Same applied to "Granta" which I think is now out of print. :(

What's your excuse for still having an account on a #Meta platform? There's no reason for anyone who is anti-fascist to be there, and has not for almost a decade. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

www.chinafile.com/document-9-c...

"Being talked about really is more valuable than being liked." There Is No Such Thing As Bad Publicity Why we just can’t quit the site formerly known as Twitter www.ft.com/content/236f...

The thought of Trump sitting alongside Xi and Putin to make "peace" is going to keep plenty of people up late in Tokyo (not just the PM, who is up anyway).

"Putin has broad, if unrealistic, ambitions for the trilateral format as a second Yalta summit, which would divide up the globe into spheres of influence" Meanwhile Ukraine and Europe just stand by? Will Xi be happy seeing his relationship with Europe totally wrecked?

The LDP’s Suzuki Muneo’s response to the Hokkaido Shimbun journalist’s arrest by Russia is to quote RU’s claims at length. He does not condemn RU’s action nor call for the Japanese citizen’s release. Instead he calls for a return to bilateral ties as they were under Abe. ameblo.jp/muneo-suzuki...

My generation grew up knowing that Europe and the US stood together to defeat Hitler. Future generations will grow up knowing that Europe stood with Ukraine, while the White House sided with the Hitler of our time.

"...the twin Trump strategy – to park the Iran and Yemen conflicts while blaming Zelenskyy – is now so transparent, so morally craven, and in its own terms so ineffective, that it looks unsustainable."

At least we get plenty of irony these days. #AIEthics Very revealing quote: “I felt no joy in the work or that I was contributing to society in any way.” www.404media.co/people-train...

This, too, is the Cult of AI 👇🏻

Don't forget, even after Trump is wiped out in the mid-term elections, Musk will still own Starlink and still be be the richest person in the world. And still be a fascist with crazy ideas.

These fucking people. If you want to save humanity, save it *here* and *now*. Bezos could easily move the needle on climate change if he wanted to try.

Trump's 'energy ceasefire' lasted precisely until Russia started bombing Ukraine's energy infrastructure, proving his negotiating prowess again.

"(Saudi) Air raids frequently targeted (Yemeni) civilian gatherings such as weddings and busy market places where there was no military target nearby, often with extremely deadly consequences."

"The deeper issue is that Musk and his fellow plutocrats have created a new media ecosystem that makes it easier to lie, and to evade accountability for those lies."

Zelensky is awesome 👇