Ok, kinda old article but I absolutely love reading this bozo's crap, it feeds my soul with much needed western copium and it's extra exquisite because it comes from a Brit who thinks his fucking ghoulish country can be "The Empire that once was". It provides great entertainment, the comment box is full of absolute morons like him, and his takes are Hearts of Iron IV level of bad. He is, after all, the author of this cheff kiss excellent article that didn't even have time to age at all, it just died immediately lmfao.

The Telegraph: British tanks have got the Russians rattled

In Ukraine, donated Challenger 2s are holding up far better than anything Moscow has managed to build.

Grainy footage is circulating of a British-built Challenger 2 tank, donated to Ukraine 18 months ago, allegedly meeting its end in Kursk under fire from a Russian attack drone.

If this is true, this would likely be the second British tank destroyed over a period when Moscow is thought to have lost around 2,000 of its own. Perhaps this disparity in performance is why the Russians are so vexed by the handful of Challengers offered to Kyiv. The release of the footage is clutching at some very slippery straws to try and suggest the Russians are in the ascendency in Kursk.

(There are no more than 20 Challenger IIs in Ukrainian service, and they aren't used in the frontlines like the Abrams)

That is, if it’s accurate. To me, the footage smells “off”. First, the tank is in what we call a ‘hull up” position showing the whole vehicle to any attacker. Anybody who has any experience of armoured warfare will know you show as little of your tank as possible to the enemy, in what we call a “hull down” position. Very inexperienced tank crews could make this mistake, but the Ukrainians have been manning these Challengers for 18 months and only two have been badly damaged as far as we understand, suggesting that they know what they’re doing.

In the video (provided here, so you don't have to give that mf free clicks) the tank is just parked near some trees, it's not in combat. The FPV drone hunted it down like it usually does. Striking tanks while on the move or being engaged by your forces is not as common as it seems like. So the entire "MUH HULL DOWN POSITIUNNN" bit is pure copium.

Second, while the footage is low quality there doesn’t seem to be any additional armour on the tank. Again, the other Challenger 2’s we’ve seen in active duty in Ukraine have been kitted out with “explosive-reactive” armour or drone cages.

Third, the drone is attacking the strongest part of the tank, the frontal 60 degrees of the turret. None of the drones we’ve seen in Ukraine so far should really be able to damage armour of this thickness; usually attacks are characterised by the drone attempting to manoeuvre around the tank and hit it in the rear, or through an open turret.

The FPV drone operator aimed for the upper hull, near the driver's hatch. It's clearly visible in the video. He knows his audience is stupid so there goes, or maybe he is?

Finally, there’s no surveillance drone supporting the attack variant, capturing the moment of explosion and conducting battle-damage assessment. This is pretty suspect; usually we get footage from the support unit showing the devastating impact on the unfortunate vehicle in question. The lack of any such footage suggests that perhaps the drone might have been a “dud”, scratching the paintwork but doing little more harm.

Frankly, without further evidence coming to light, my suspicions are that this footage is not quite what it’s purported to be; either less successful than claimed, or a propaganda con with the low quality of the footage helping to pass it off as genuine. On a personal level, I find it quite heartening that the Russians are so fixated with attempting to do down the Challenger 2: it shows that it’s holding up well in performance, quite likely better than anything they’ve managed to build.

Sure it has a significant propaganda value. We know Russia offers good rewards for those who destroy western equipment, but trying to spin it off as "Heh, they got our tank because they are jealous of us" is a bit weird. Imagine this: Britain heavily celebrated the sinking of the german battleship "Bismarck", in reality the battleship was pretty shitty compared to it's peers, and even if it wasn't destroyed it wouldn't have given Germany the victory, despite being able to oneshot HMS Hood. Imagine if Goebbels issued a statement like "Britain is so fixated on our battleship heh , joke's on them actually!". Pretty big L if you ask me.

If the footage is of a real vehicle, however, then it would appear that the Russians do have access to a genuine Challenger 2. This could be cause for concern as its successor – the imaginatively named Challenger 3 – is based on the same model, and there can be little doubt that Russian engineers will have stripped the captured unit down to its basics to learn whatever secrets they can.

Recent MoD briefs on the Challenger 3 suggest that it will be very different on a technical level, with new fire control systems and defensive aid suites. But this should surely be a wakeup call to the designers and engineers to take stock and re-evaluate their plans on the assumption that the Russians know more than we’d like them to. I have faith that this can be overcome; what Rheinmetall – the German manufacturer involved in the new build – doesn’t know about making tanks isn’t worth knowing!

Give War Thunder forums a few weeks and they'll release documents on "Challenger 3", another Wunderwaffe of theirs.

As I continue to work on my new book – tracing the development of tank warfare from Cambrai, the first tank battle, to Kursk today – it’s striking how fundamentally very little has changed. Just as the Germans were fixated by the MK4 tank in November 1917, so are the Russians with the Challenger 2 tank in 2024. I wouldn’t bet against the Challenger 3 continuing this noble lineage.

What fucking noble lineage lmfao

It's also important to point out that the Challenger 2 has a terrible record in Ukraine. Not only they are in the backline most of the time, but they also suffered losses without being able to inflict any upon the russians. It's abysmal. Leopard's record is mediocre at best in the war, but at least the vehicles are up there fighting and will, of course, take losses. However that british piece of junk...

🟢 Hamas leader Hussam Badran to Ultra Palestine: — There are no negotiation meetings, neither in Doha nor in Egypt.

In the last round that was in Doha, we were on the verge of signing an agreement, were it not for the American coup.

We are in daily and continuous contact with the mediators to discuss the issue of stopping the war. We do not stop communications and efforts even if there are no negotiation rounds or delegations.

The complexities of the internal Palestinian situation persist; all this war and bloodshed have not succeeded in unifying our institutions or leadership.

No party from the Palestinian Authority or the PLO has officially asked us to participate in negotiations. On the contrary, we take the initiative to consult with them and keep them informed.

We are in communication with leaders from Fatah and the Palestinian Authority; in most negotiation rounds, we update them on the situation and listen to their opinions.

We remain ready to implement past unity agreements, but their application is stalled by the PA leadership's refusal to proceed.

Whoever wants to renew Palestinian institutions must commit to the previously signed agreements, not by imposing unilateral conditions on any faction for participating in elections. Insisting that adherence to the failed Oslo path is a condition for elections violates national agreements and is a policy of unilateralism.

Our goal is first to stop the war, then to arrange the Palestinian situation based on an internal national consensus. Governance is an internal Palestinian matter, and we will not accept dictates from any outside party.

Our last response to the mediators was viewed as positive and constructive by Qatar, Egypt, and even the occupation’s own delegation in Doha.

It was the American envoy's response, which contradicted the positive atmosphere, that was surprising to all parties and derailed a potential agreement.

We are not betting on unseen or intangible things. Our positions are based on a clear assessment of our people's interests, formulated after consultation with the other factions.

The "israeli" cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza is not strange. This occupation does not need a pretext to continue its genocidal war and crimes against our people.

https://t.me/PalestineResist

🟢 Hamas Leader Mahmoud Mardawi: — Negotiations are the only way to reach an agreement. But Netanyahu continues to mislead and evade the requirements of serious negotiations by taking actions that fail the negotiation process time and again.

It seems that Netanyahu is unable to pass any agreement acceptable to both sides; due to the rejection of the right-wing faction in his government, he continues with a policy of deception and hiding behind a false arm. For the first time, Netanyahu alone will bear full responsibility for the failure of negotiations and the consequences of his policies and actions.

https://t.me/PalestineResist

🟢 Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades: — Al-Qassam Brigades strike an enemy command and control site on Al-Sawrani Hill, east of Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, with a number of mortar shells.

https://t.me/PalestineResist

America's largest socialist organization, the Democratic Socialists of "America" just changed their by-laws to allow participation by democratic-centralist groups at their national convention.

This is an end to the tenuous situation where multiple groups in the Bolshevik tradition (Marxist Unity Group, Reform and Revolution, and Red Star) were practicing democratic centralism in violation of the organizations' by-laws which went un-enforced due to the left's majority on the organization's steering committee "the National Coordinating Committee."

Meanwhile, following their South American comrades, many American anarchists are embracing democratic centralism under the framework of Especifismo, an uruguayan formulation of anarchism syncretizing the practices of Focoist groups in the 50s with Anarchism. Great examples of this are the Center for Especifismo Studies and Black Rose / Rosa Negra (BRRN).

These developments show that the American left is beginning to take itself seriously and adopt techniques which have proven historically successful.

New David Axehole piece just dropped: https://archive.ph/RoGeU

Russia found 1,000 T-72's under the couch cushions. But they're shitty and old, so don't worry! Ignore the fact that the Abrams was also designed in the 70's!

I think this is a propaganda spin, priming people to see a whole lot more Russian tanks appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

📹 Bread distribution to the war-stricken and resilient people living in Al-Hayat Camp, #Gaza, carried out by the Iran-e Hamdel Campaign.

📲 KHAMENEI.IR | 𝕏 (Official) | 𝕏 (Website)

✅ @Khamenei_en

https://t.me/Khamenei_en

Today, we honor the anniversary of the martyrdom of Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, the Lion of Nablus. We salute a guardian who fearlessly, tirelessly protected our soil and its steadfast people.

This day does not merely mark an end, for while all people die with their last breath, martyrs are born on the day of their sacrifice. Their names resonate, echoing heroism, raising bloodstained rifles that seem to reach Heaven itself.

Having grown up during the second intifada in the embrace of the Old City of Nablus, Mountain of Fire, his resolve was tested early on. He witnessed firsthand the bravery of its people, those who resist until victory or martyrdom. By 15, he was already wanted by the occupation. In 2021, he was the most wanted fighter in the West Bank. He was detained with friends and martyrs Mohammed Al-Dakhil and Adham Mabrouka by the PA and subjected to torture. Even as the PA sought to kidnap him just a month before his martyrdom, Ibrahim's spirit was, as always, unbroken.

Guided by his principles, Ibrahim’s compass never strayed. He survived nine assassination attempts, never abandoning resistance. His sights were set on our eternal capital of Al-Quds, his rifle always directed at the enemy.

Ibrahim embodied our struggle, representing the ideals of the homeland, dedicating himself to his land, people, and religion. His journey left an indelible mark on a nation, and his status as a beacon of defiance shall remain ablaze in the hearts of generations, kindling the flames of resistance amongst the cubs of this great nation, from Nablus to Gaza to the camps in exile and diaspora. Young eyes continue to look up at him, seeing themselves in the Lion's legacy.

Ibrahim gifted us his final testament. His words, profound beyond his 19 years, remind us that perhaps, in the face of such giants, we are the ones who seem small.

"I love my mother." "Take care of the homeland after me." "Do not abandon the rifle."

We honor his memory by upholding his principles, following in his footsteps, and continuing on his path as we resist the enemy in all its forms, in all places.

Mother. Homeland. Rifle. Glory to the Lion of Nablus, Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi.

https://t.me/PalestineResist

Dispute over island in the Amazon River escalates, prompting Colombia and Peru to deploy military forces to the border.

Colombia accuses Peru of appropriating an island in the triple border area. In July, Peru created a municipality in an area that includes the island, formed from sedimentation in the Amazon River. This week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and representatives of the Peruvian government visited the region to demonstrate their strength.

In protest against threats made by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the Peruvian government deployed military personnel to the island of Santa Rosa, a territory in the Amazonian triple border between Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.

The Colombian Armed Forces also reinforced the military presence in Leticia, the Colombian city in the region that is located practically opposite the island of Santa Rosa. Amid the escalating dispute, Petro took a stand and traveled to Leticia on Thursday, where he transferred a celebration of Colombia's victory in a battle against Spain that originally takes place in a city more than 1,000 kilometers away.

On the same day, Peruvian Prime Minister Eduardo Arana and some of his ministers visited the region. And the Peruvian press reported an alleged overflight of Colombian military aircraft in Peruvian airspace.

For years, the Peruvian media has been reporting that people living in that part of Peru are so neglected by the Peruvian government that they want to become Brazilian or Colombian citizens. This is because in order to do or buy anything they need, from healthcare to food and drinking water, they have to cross the river to Santa Rosa in Brazil or Leticia in Colombia. In that part of Peru, they use the Brazilian real more than the Peruvian sol.

• Telegram

UEFA releases a statement on the death of Suleiman al-Obeid, a Palestinian football player killed by "israel" in the midst of a Genocide

And, as expected from a corrupt body like UEFA, it's extremely neutral in tone..., as if al-Obeid died of natural causes or in an accident.

"israel" has killed a lot of FIFA-registered football players in Gaza, and while also engaging in Genocide, they have received NO sanctions from either UEFA (the body they belong to) or FIFA (whose players are being killed outright). May their heads roll around the floor very soon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke today with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, completing his phone calls to the leaders of the other founding members of BRICS (China, India, South Africa, and Brazil) ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump next week.

Putin and Trump will meet in Alaska, in what the White House sees as an attempt to secure an agreement to end the war waged by Moscow against Ukraine. Trump even suggested yesterday that a peace agreement between the two countries could include “some exchange of territory.”

Putin's phone call lasted about 40 minutes, during which he shared information about his ongoing discussions with the United States and recent efforts for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

According to the Planalto Palace, Putin “thanked Brazil for its commitment and interest in this issue.” President Lula, in turn, emphasized that Brazil “has always supported dialogue and the search for a peaceful solution and reaffirmed that his government is available to contribute whatever is necessary, including within the scope of the Group of Friends of Peace, launched on the initiative of Brazil and China.”

The Kremlin released a statement saying that the Brazilian president “expressed support for efforts to help resolve the crisis in Ukraine.” Putin is stepping up diplomatic contacts with influential emerging countries that have allied themselves with Russia or remained neutral in the conflict with Ukraine, observers note.

Putin has already spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and leaders from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian products because India purchases Russian oil, which is cheaper. New Delhi has signaled that it will not stop buying Russian oil anytime soon. At the same time, it has frozen plans to purchase US weapons and canceled a high-level visit to Washington. In the case of Brazil, there have been threats so far, but no concrete sanctions. About 90% of imports from Russia are fertilizers and diesel fuel.

• Telegram

⚫️ Saraya Al-Quds: — Scenes of the Rocket Force fighters in Saraya Al-Quds shelling the "Nir Am" settlement in the Gaza envelope with Quds-3 type rockets, in response to the storming and desecration of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa Flood — Notes: 00:41 - "Oh cowardly zionists, we in the rocket force shelled you before the operation you called Gideon's Chariots, and we shelled you during Gideon's Chariots operation from the heart of the infiltration axes. And now we are shelling you after the end of Gideon's Chariots operation. This rocket operation comes in response to the storming and desecration of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque."

https://t.me/PalestineResist

UN report finds United Nations reports are not widely read

Many of these reports are not widely read," he said. "The top 5% of reports are downloaded over 5,500 times, while one in five reports receives fewer than 1,000 downloads. And downloading doesn't necessarily mean reading."

Billions of humans and the top 5% of UN reports are downloaded a mere 5500 times.