Category: News
China’s Expanding Space And Arctic Reach Raises Western Concerns
China’s Expanding Space And Arctic Reach Raises Western Concerns
As the world moves closer to The Matrix, China is moving closer to Star Wars. The country’s drive to gain autonomy in critical technologies has pushed it deeper into space, the deep sea and the Arctic, according to a new article from the South China Morning Post.
After the Yinhe incident and later exclusion from Europe’s Galileo programme, Beijing built the BeiDou navigation system, now a 64-satellite network used over a trillion times daily. This move from dependence to autonomy now defines its national strategy. Recent five-year plans highlight deep-sea, polar and aerospace projects as “forward-looking and strategic,” and aim to make China a “major space power,” including an “ice Silk Road” to strengthen its polar role.
Analysts say China’s capabilities now rival global leaders. Li Hanming says “China’s space technology is at the same level as other leading players, such as the European Union, United States or Russia.”
BeiDou sits alongside other global navigation systems, and Tiangong mirrors the ISS. Commercial progress is rapid as well: LandSpace is testing a reusable first-stage rocket, prompting US worries. Brigadier General Brian Sidari warned it would be “concerning once they figure out that reusable lift,” since it could enable large satellite constellations. China’s Qianfan system has about 90 satellites but aims for 15,000 by 2030.
SCMP writes that China’s Arctic footprint is also expanding. The Tan Suo San Hao recently completed another Arctic mission, with state media saying China is now the only country capable of continuous manned deep-sea dives in dense Arctic ice zones. New icebreakers, research stations and private cruise operations bolster its presence.
Europe fears it is losing ground; a Mercator Institute study warned that “China’s footprint in the Arctic and space demands urgent attention,” citing risks to security and access to key minerals and energy. Katja Bego notes Europe’s slow investment has “helped open the door to actors with fewer scruples, such as China.”
China’s growing cooperation with Russia heightens these concerns. The two plan a joint lunar base and a lunar nuclear power plant, with Russian Arctic expertise complementing China’s ambitions. As Merics observed, “Russia’s contributions in the Arctic and space are substantial, and in many cases complementary to China’s capabilities.”
Western confidence in its technological lead is starting to waver. Charles Austin Jordan said, “That sentiment is primed to turn very quickly … even moderate progress by China … could quickly ignite severe anxieties.” Chinese experts argue the fears are exaggerated. Shan Guangcun says China is focused on reducing vulnerability after repeated restrictions: “Breaking through in these areas means freeing Beijing from dependence on others in core technologies,” and “Ensuring technological autonomy … has become a cornerstone of national security.”
He attributes Western reactions to shifting power dynamics, ideology and real concerns, saying “Some of the West’s anxiety reflects a natural wariness … some stems from ideological bias … some is based on genuine security concerns.” Li Hanming adds the US sees threat partly because “historically they themselves used space technology as a tool of deterrence.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/18/2025 – 05:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinas-expanding-space-and-arctic-reach-raises-western-concerns
Alcaraz se retira de las Finales de la Copa Davis por una lesión en el muslo
Associated Press
MADRID (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz, que encabeza el ránking de la ATP, anunció el martes que no disputará las Finales de la Copa Davis con España en Italia debido a una lesión en el tendón de la corva.
Alcaraz señaló que los médicos le recomendaron retirarse del torneo por países.
“Siento muchísimo anunciar que no voy a poder jugar con España en la Copa Davis en Bolonia”, afirmó en X. “Tengo un edema en el isquiotibial de la pierna derecha y la recomendación médica es no competir.”
El tenista murciano manifestó que regresaba a casa “dolido”.
“Siempre he dicho que jugar por España es lo más grande que hay, y me hacía mucha ilusión poder ayudar a pelear por la Ensaladera”, agregó refiriéndose al trofeo del torneo.
Alcaraz debía liderar a España en Bolonia frente a República Checa, cuarta preclasificada, en los cuartos de final de la Davis el jueves para intentar ganar su primera Davis. La temporada pasada, Alcaraz y España quedaron eliminados en la primera ronda de las finales en Málaga, empañando el último partido de la brillante carrera de Rafael Nadal.
Alcaraz, de 22 años, ha dicho que quiere “ganar la Copa Davis algún día… porque para mí, es un torneo realmente importante, importante.”
España ya tenía una tarea difícil ante una República Checa que cuenta con jugadores del top 20 de la ATP como Jiri Lehecka y Jakub Mensik. Los checos eliminaron a Estados Unidos en la ronda de clasificación en septiembre.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Zelenskyy visitará Turquía en un nuevo intento por poner fin a la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania
Por ILLIA NOVIKOV
KIEV, Ucrania (AP) — El presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dijo que viajará a Turquía esta semana en un intento por reactivar las negociaciones para poner fin a la guerra con Rusia, que comenzó hace casi cuatro años.
Turquía fue el escenario de unas conversaciones de bajo nivel entre Kiev y Moscú a principios de año, aunque el único progreso significativo en Estambul fue el intercambio de prisioneros de guerra. Los esfuerzos internacionales de paz liderados por Estados Unidos tampoco han logrado avances relevantes.
Zelenskyy dijo que estará en Turquía el miércoles, un día después de visitar España, donde esperaba obtener nuevos compromisos de apoyo el martes.
“Nos estamos preparando para reactivar las negociaciones y hemos desarrollado soluciones que propondremos a nuestros socios”, indicó Zelenskyy en redes sociales, sin ofrecer más detalles. “Hacer todo lo posible para acercar el fin de la guerra es la máxima prioridad de Ucrania”.
El mandatario dijo el jueves que se reuniría con altos funcionarios del gobierno, así como con los líderes del Parlamento y con su partido, Servidor del Pueblo.
Durante su estancia en Madrid, Zelenskyy se reunirá el martes con el presidente del gobierno, Pedro Sánchez, y con el rey Felipe VI, y visitará el Congreso de los Diputados.
El presidente ucraniano comenzó su ajetreada semana el lunes en París, donde firmó una carta de intenciones para la compra de hasta 100 aviones de combate Rafale franceses, además de drones y sistemas tierra-aire.
En el campo de batalla, Ucrania lanzó un ataque aéreo sorpresa contra la infraestructura energética en partes ocupadas por las fuerzas de Moscú de su región oriental de Donetsk.
El jefe designado por Rusia para la región parcialmente ocupada, Denis Pushilin, reportó el martes por la mañana un ataque de Kiev “sin precedentes” que dañó dos centrales térmicas en la provincia y dejó muchas zonas sin electricidad. En la víspera, Pushilin dijo que drones ucranianos habían atacado la infraestructura energética en la región y unos 500.000 clientes quedaron sin suministro. Las áreas ocupadas también ha sufrido escasez de agua.
Las fuerzas ucranianas, a pesar de estar en gran desventaja numérica, están luchando con ahínco para evitar que el ejército del Kremlin capture más partes de Donetsk.
Por otra parte, en la región de Járkiv, en el noreste de Ucrania, una joven de 17 años murió y otras 10 personas resultaron heridas en un ataque con misiles sobre la ciudad de Berestyn, a unos 110 kilómetros (70 millas) de la frontera con Rusia, explicó el jefe regional, Oleh Syniehubov.
Aviones rusos no tripulados provocaron múltiples incendios en la ciudad central ucraniana de Dnipro el lunes por la noche y dos personas sufrieron lesiones, de acuerdo con Vladyslav Haivanenko, jefe de la administración militar regional. Los drones causaron daños en seis edificios residenciales además de en las oficinas locales de la cadena pública Suspilne, aunque la compañía aclaró que el inmueble estaba vacío en ese momento.
El operador ferroviario de Ucrania, Ukrzaliznytsia, señaló que el ataque a Dnipro causó daños en vagones de tren y en otra infraestructura.
La fuerza aérea de Ucrania dijo que Rusia disparó cuatro misiles balísticos Iskander-M, además de 114 drones de ataque y señuelo contra el país durante la noche.
El Ministerio de Defensa de Rusia informó el martes que sus defensas aéreas derribaron 31 aviones no tripulados ucranianos sobre varias regiones rusas.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Today in History: ‘Steamboat Willie’ debuts on screen
Today is Tuesday, Nov. 18, the 322nd day of 2025. There are 43 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On Nov. 18, 1928, “Steamboat Willie,” the first cartoon with synchronized sound as well as the first release of the character Mickey Mouse, debuted on screen at the Colony Theater in New York.
These classic characters are losing copyright protection. They may never be the same.
Also on this date:
In 1978, U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan of California and four others were killed on an airstrip in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the killings were followed by a night of mass murder and suicide, resulting in the deaths of more than 900 cult members.
In 1987, an underground fire broke out in the King’s Cross St. Pancras subway station in London, causing 31 deaths.
In 1991, Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon freed Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite and Thomas Sutherland, the American dean of agriculture at the American University of Beirut.
In 1999, 12 people were killed and dozens injured when a bonfire under construction at Texas A&M University collapsed. The stack of thousands of logs more than 50 feet tall gave way ahead of an annual bonfire tradition marking a Texas A&M-Texas rivalry football game in College Station.
In 2005, eight months after Robert Blake was acquitted of murdering his wife at a criminal trial, a civil jury decided the actor was behind the killing and ordered him to pay $30 million to Bonny Lee Bakley’s children.
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In 2021, more than half a century after the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X, two of his convicted killers were exonerated; a New York judge dismissed the convictions of Muhammad Aziz and the late Khalil Islam after prosecutors and the men’s lawyers said a renewed investigation had found new evidence that undermined the case against them.
Today’s Birthdays: Author Margaret Atwood is 86. Actor Linda Evans is 83. Actor Delroy Lindo is 73. Comedian Kevin Nealon is 72. Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon is 69. Actor Oscar Nunez is 67. Actor Elizabeth Perkins is 65. Rock musician Kirk Hammett (Metallica) is 63. Author and lecturer Brené Brown is 60. Actor Romany Malco is 57. Actor Owen Wilson is 57. Commentator Megan Kelly is 55. Actor Chloe Sevigny is 51. Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz is 50. Rapper Fabolous is 48. NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is 45. Actor-comedian Nasim Pedrad is 44. Actor Damon Wayans Jr. is 43. Olympic track and field gold medalist Allyson Felix is 40. Fashion designer Christian Siriano is 40. Actor Nathan Kress is 33. NFL quarterback Caleb Williams is 24.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/18/today-in-history-steamboat-willie-debuts-on-screen/
Today in Chicago History: Standard Time adopted during convention at the city’s Grand Pacific Hotel
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Nov. 18, according to the Tribune’s archives.
Is an important event missing from this date? Email us.
Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago)
High temperature: 72 degrees (1953)
Low temperature: 8 degrees (1880)
Precipitation: 1.44 inches (1921)
Snowfall: 2.5 inches (1986)
A Chicago and Alton Railroad map shows the new time zones created in 1883 to help railroads with scheduling. (Rand, McNally & Co.)
1883: Standard Time — based on the mean solar time at the central meridian of each time zone — was formally inaugurated on a day that came to be known as the “Day of Two Noons.”
The time zones were enacted during the General Time Convention at the Grand Pacific Hotel at LaSalle Street and Jackson Boulevard in Chicago. A plaque at the location — which is just north of the Chicago Board of Trade Building — notes its significance.
Daylight saving time: Why it began, where it exists and how it saved one Chicago man’s life
The purpose — to develop a better and more uniform system of railroad scheduling. Prior to then, a Chicagoan asked to tell what time it was could give more than one answer and still be correct. There was local time, determined by the position of the sun at high noon at a centrally located spot in town, usually City Hall. There was also railroad time, which put Columbus, Ohio, six minutes faster than Cincinnati and 19 minutes faster than Chicago. Scattered across the country were 100 different local time zones, and the railroads had some 53 zones of their own.
McCormick Place, Chicago’s new lakefront exposition center, is pictured from the south as work was wrapping up on Nov. 17, 1960. Traffic flows along Lake Shore Drive on the left. (Jack Mulcahy/Chicago Tribune)
1960: Some 500 people attended a dedication dinner to celebrate the opening of McCormick Place, which was named for late Tribune publisher Col. Robert R. McCormick who had campaigned for new convention facilities. President-elect John F. Kennedy was invited to speak at the reception, but couldn’t make it.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: How McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center came to be on the lakefront
The Modern Living Home and Flower Show was the first convention held in the blockwide and 3-blocks-long facility and marked the first commercial use of the exposition center. It kicked off with a parade down State Street overseen by actor and parade marshal Jerry Lewis. Among the items on display inside McCormick Place for the expected 1 million visitors were five complete houses.
A retired United Airlines 727 made its way to the Museum of Science and Industry where it was to be placed on exhibit in September 1993. After it was taken apart, the plane was loaded into the museum piece by piece on Nov. 18, 1993. (Chicago Tribune)
1993: A United Airlines Boeing 727 was moved inside the Museum of Science and Industry — piece by piece — for an exhibit. The 133-foot-long, 41-ton aircraft arrived in September 1993, by barge from Burns Harbor, Indiana, then was pulled onto 57th Street Beach and across Lake Shore Drive to the parking lot of the museum.
The aircraft is part of the Take Flight exhibit, which was renovated and reopened in 2021.
Archbishop Blase Cupich, right, leaves the altar after his elevation ceremony on Nov. 18, 2014, at Holy Name Cathedral on Chicago’s Near North Side. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
2014: Blase Cupich was installed at Holy Name Cathedral as the ninth archbishop of Chicago. He replaced Cardinal Francis George.
Congressman Danny Davis, right, and his son, Stacey Wilson, speak during a news conference at the Chicago Police Department’s 5th District on Nov. 18, 2016, in the Pullman neighborhood. Fifteen-year-old Javon Wilson, the grandson of Danny Davis and son of Stacey Wilson, was fatally shot at his house. (Alyssa Pointer/ Chicago Tribune)
2016: Fifteen-year-old Javon Wilson, the grandson of 10-term U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, was shot and killed inside his Englewood home as he tried to break up a fight between his siblings and two teens. Tariq M. Harris, 16, and Dijae T. Banks, 17, were charged as adults and convicted of first-degree murder and home invasion in 2019. They were both sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The defendants who were found guilty on all counts in the “ComEd Four” trial are, from left, Jay Doherty, the former head of the City Club of Chicago; ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, Michael Madigan’s longtime confidant; Michael McClain, of downstate Quincy; and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore. (Chicago Tribune photos)
2020: Michael McClain, a close friend of House Speaker Mike Madigan; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker; and Jay Doherty, former head of the City Club of Chicago; were indicted on charges of bribery conspiracy and bribery.
McClain and Pramaggiore were each sentenced to two-year prison terms in July. Doherty was given a one-year sentence and reported to prison in September. Hooker was given a year and a half behind bars.
Madigan was convicted in a separate trial of an array of schemes that included the ComEd bribery payments. He was sentenced in June to 7½ years and reported to a West Virginia prison in October.
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Britain’s Speech Gulag Exposed: 10,000 Arrested Last Year For Social Media Posts
Britain’s Speech Gulag Exposed: 10,000 Arrested Last Year For Social Media Posts
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
A damning study complete with an interactive map has revealed that UK police arrested nearly 10,000 people in 2024 for “grossly offensive” social media posts—equivalent to 30 arrests every single day—while knife crime, burglary, and sexual offences go unsolved.
This Orwellian crackdown, driven by vague “communications” laws, has turned Britain into an international embarrassment, with forces devoting more manpower to policing opinions than protecting citizens.
Compiled from Freedom of Information requests to 39 police forces, the data shows 9,700 arrests in 2024 alone under the Communications Act 2003 and Malicious Communications Act 1988.
🚨 SPEECH CRIME POSTCODE LOTTERY
A Daily Mail investigation has exposed the shocking number of people arrested for “offensive” social media posts.
Freedom of Information requests sent to all police forces in England and Wales revealed that 9,700 people were arrested last year… pic.twitter.com/DxPsD3HBOE
— The Free Speech Union (@SpeechUnion) November 17, 2025
Britain’s police state unmasked: Map reveals shocking numbers clapped in handcuffs over ‘offensive’ social media posts https://t.co/oEMwjRK2Go
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) November 15, 2025
Cumbria police topped the list with 42.5 arrests per 100,000 population—20 times higher than Staffordshire’s 2.1. Six forces refused to release figures, meaning the true total is likely far higher.
Free speech fightback against social media arrests mapped: 200,000 Brits sign petition against jailing people for ‘offensive’ social media posts – so how many are in YOUR area? https://t.co/6xLCrpr8XJ
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) November 16, 2025
As we reported earlier this year, Britain now averages 30 speech arrests daily—Toby Young of the Free Speech Union described it as “a national scandal” and warned the UK is becoming “the North Korea of the North Sea.”
The map spotlights absurd prosecutions, like comedy writer Graham Linehan’s 2025 Heathrow arrest by five armed officers for three gender-critical tweets; a 71-year-old ex-cop detained eight hours for mocking a pro-Palestine activist, with officers mocking his “very Brexity” books; and parents raided at dawn over “sarcastic” school emails, held for 11 hours in front of their crying daughter, with eventually no charges filed.
These join a long list of horrors: women grilled at home over Facebook posts, men cuffed for WhatsApp gripes, and even a Telegraph journalist visited for a year-old tweet, as well as an endless list of other cases.
Maya Thomas of Big Brother Watch warns that “The UK is unfortunately gaining an international reputation as a country where online speech is policed with more enthusiasm than the types of crime causing people the most anxiety.”
🤐British police have made a huge number of CHILLING arrests over social media posts
“The government should immediately re-examine the laws that allow for this scale of arrest for online speech & rescue the UK’s worsening civil liberties reputation” – Maya Thomas, legal & policy… pic.twitter.com/5W5zeYThCu
— Big Brother Watch (@BigBrotherWatch) November 17, 2025
David Spencer of Policy Exchange added, “When Chief Constables choose to use their finite resources on policing social media, it means they are not using that resource to tackle knife crime, sexual offences and shoplifting.”
LOOK AT THAT
UK tops the list for arrests for online comments.
We’re higher than China, Belarus, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
And Keir Starmer has the nerve to tell the world we have freedom of speech.
Liar. pic.twitter.com/rF89bEQvM7
— Basil the Great (@BasilTheGreat) November 1, 2025
To accommodate this speech crackdown, the government began releasing violent criminals early—up to 1,700 by September 2024—while jailing people for “hurty words.” Officers have openly admitted on bodycam they’re too busy chasing online posts to investigate burglaries.
To make matters worse, schools in the UK now teach pupils to spot “extremist content and misinformation online,” turning British classrooms into training grounds for tomorrow’s thought police—straight out of Orwell’s 1984.
This curriculum risks stifling curiosity, fostering division, and weaponizing children against parents or peers for “offensive” views—eroding family bonds in a nation already jailing the outspoken.
As the UK polices pixels over predators, and Starmer’s speech gulag expands, President Trump has dispatched a free-speech squad to probe erosions, meeting jailed activists and tying trade deals to rights.
Trump Sent A ‘Free Speech Squad’ To The UK To Investigate Erosion Of Rights
Trump is now actively offering political asylum to persecuted Brits—from silent prayer protesters to gender-critical feminists.
This map is the smoking gun proving Britain no longer polices crime—it polices thought. While streets bleed, keyboards are handcuffed. The question is no longer if the UK is a police state, but how much longer the British people will tolerate it.
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/18/2025 – 05:00
Skokie bans ICE from village property following rally outside Village Hall
To thunderous applause from Skokie residents who rallied in support of immigrant rights beforehand, the Skokie Village Board further strengthened its village code to make it clear that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents cannot use village-owned property for civil immigration enforcement.
The Village Board took the action in a swift and unanimous way to approve the changes to its code on a first reading at its Nov. 3 meeting, a rare exception to how the Board usually approves an ordinance or resolution, i.e., in two readings across two meetings. The change took place just days after a violent Oct. 31 fracas involving Department of Homeland Security agents in nearby Evanston. North suburban schools have been going to indoor recess, closed campuses and keeping a closer eye on students.
The village will also post new signs with the reinforced ordinance on village property, according to Village Manager John Lockerby.
Nearby towns, including Evanston and Chicago, have created “ICE-free zones” in recent weeks. The resolutions are largely symbolic because the Illinois Trust Act already prohibits local governments from aiding federal immigration officers for civil arrests.
Skokie’s prior ordinances also have language that prohibits local resources from aiding federal immigration officers that do not have a criminal warrant. The Village Board adopted the changes to its Human Relations chapter first in 2017, then made another update after President Donald Trump was sworn in to serve his second term in office.
The Skokie Village Board approved strengthening its village code to ban immigration agents from using village owned property for civil arrests on Nov. 3, 2025. From left, Corporation Counsel Barbara Mangler, Mayor Ann Tennes, Village Manager John Lockerby. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
The new added language dictates that village property cannot be used as a “staging or debriefing area, processing location, operations base, or other support for civil immigration enforcement without a valid criminal warrant.” The ordinance also creates a precedent for the village to notify immigrants of their right to contact consulates, make support programs available for immigrants who are victims or witnesses to qualifying crimes and to promptly respond to requests for visa documents and forms.
Some residents, who spoke during public comment and at a rally outside of Village Hall before the meeting, and trustees said they wanted the ordinance to have sharper language that could allow the village to create barriers if need be.
“Although there’s so much appeal to that, it’s a very problematic, logistical problem to implement,” Lockerby said, pointing to that Skokie has over 30 village-owned parking lots. “I don’t think it’s logistically possible to put barriers and gates and staff security during hours of operation.”
Corporation Counsel Barbara Mangler pointed out that while other cities might have that language, it’s written in a broad way.
Mayor Ann Tennes said the ordinance could help the village in court, should federal agents gain access to village property without a criminal warrant.
“If there is a breach, we would need evidence, and this is what (it) would go to,” Tennes said. “We would seek legal counsel… It would go to not only the Illinois Office of Accountability, but we could seek relief through a court…. That seems to be where this is going, right?”
Skokie Village Trustee Gail Schechter at a rally to push the Skokie Village Board to create ICE-free zones outside of Village Hall on Nov. 3, 2025. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
A sticking point that some trustees and residents had was that the village had yet to offer a strong sign or flyer that could be both used on public and private property. Trustee Gail Schechter previously told Pioneer Press that residents can get a psychological benefit from knowing the village’s stance and that it could be replicated.
Mangler, however, said she was concerned that doing so would give homeowners who put up such a sign a “false sense of security” given that it’s not likely that the village could impede on federal agents’ actions.
Before the meeting, a local group of activists, organized as Indivisible Skokie/Morton Grove/Lincolnwood, organized a rally with about 100 attendees. Chris Whitaker, a Skokie resident, said that the previous week federal agents had detained between 14 to 16 people in the northern suburbs, a number disputed between members of local rapid response teams, who say DHS officials underreport how many people are detained.
Skokie residents participating in a rally outside of the Skokie Village Hall on Nov. 3, 2025. The rally was held to support immigrants in the community, and for the Skokie Village Board to create ICE-free zones. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
At public comment, Dr. Srikala Ayyagari, a former doctor at a Skokie health clinic, said she has been on the front lines serving refugees and undocumented patients. “Our patients are scared… It is hard to be a doctor and have a patient in the room and be in a soft lockdown because ICE will take them if they walk out of the door,” she said.
“I can only ask you three things that I ask myself when I practice medicine every single day. If not now, then when? If not here, then where? If not us, then who?”
“It is our responsibility to save ourselves, to go outside, to be part of the whistle response, to save each other. The ordinance has to be strong. We as a community have to be strong,” Ayyagari said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/18/skokie-bans-ice-from-village-property/
Poland Suspects Russia In “Unprecedented Act Of Sabotage” Of Rail Line
Poland Suspects Russia In “Unprecedented Act Of Sabotage” Of Rail Line
EU and NATO leaders are currently pointing the finger at Russia for what could be one of the single biggest acts of sabotage on European soil since the Ukraine war began.
A train track linking the Polish cities of Warsaw and Lublin was destroyed in an “unprecedented act of sabotage” on Sunday. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared that the now damaged railway is “crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine.” In invoking Ukraine aid, he’s clearly letting suspicion fall on Moscow – though no arrests have been made in the early investigation. But photos suggest it’s only a very small section of track left missing and subject to damage. And yet this could indeed be enough to derail a train.
An “explosive device” blew up the rail track, Tusk stated X. He followed by decrying that the act “directly (targeted) the security of the Polish state and its civilians.” Apparently there was more damage even beyond this, with destruction located further down the line as well.
“Unfortunately, the worst suspicions were confirmed. An act of sabotage occurred on the Warsaw-Lublin line (in the village of Mika). An explosive device detonated and destroyed the railway track,” Tusk said.
While not directly naming Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was quick to chime in, calling for greater European collective defense, also to ‘protect the skies’ amid alleged Russian-directed drone operations…
The threats to our security are real and growing.
Europe must urgently boost capacity to protect our skies and our infrastructure.
Poland is the largest defence spender in Europe. And it will be the biggest beneficiary of the SAFE instrument.
Razem jesteśmy silniejsi. https://t.co/bzHulLpnys
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 17, 2025
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal additionally condemned the apparent sabotage op, writing on X that he and his country stand with Poland. “Those behind hostile acts against (European Union) and NATO members must be exposed. Our response must be united,” Michal said.
Estonia is one among several Balkan and Eastern European countries which have lately been alleging EU airspace is being widely sabotaged by Russian drones or at times military aircraft incursions.
United Media/Dyspozytura Trakcji via X: Damaged railway track with shattered concrete sleepers and a deformed steel rail section near Warsaw, Poland — suspected sabotage site under investigation.
As for the location of the alleged train track sabotage, Mika is located a little over 60 miles from Warsaw. It could indeed be part of an ongoing tit-for-tat sabotaging of both Russian and European infrastructure, in a long-running chain of mystery events.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/18/2025 – 04:15
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/poland-suspects-russia-unprecedented-act-sabotage-rail-line
El papa León XIV pide acción urgente por el clima y dice que la creación de Dios ‘clama por ayuda’
Por ANTON L. DELGADO
BELÉM, Brasil (AP) — El papa León XIV instó el lunes a los países que participan en las conversaciones climáticas de Naciones Unidas a tomar “acciones concretas” para frenar el cambio climático que amenaza el planeta, al tiempo que afirmó que el ser humano está fallando en su respuesta al calentamiento global y que la creación de Dios “está clamando en forma de inundaciones, sequías, tormentas y un calor implacable”.
En un mensaje en video a los líderes religiosos reunidos en Belém, León indicó que las naciones han hecho avances “pero no son suficientes”.
“Una de cada tres personas vive en una situación de gran vulnerabilidad debido a estos cambios climáticos”, afirmó el pontífice estadounidense. “Para ellos, el cambio climático no es una amenaza lejana, e ignorar a estas personas es negar nuestra humanidad compartida”.
Su mensaje coincidió con el inicio de la segunda semana de la COP30 y con la llegada de ministros de alto nivel de todo el mundo a las inmediaciones de la Amazonía brasileña para unirse a las negociaciones. La jornada del lunes estuvo marcada por los discursos, y varios líderes de naciones del llamado Sur Global ofrecieron emotivos testimonios sobre los devastadores costos de los recientes fenómenos meteorológicos extremos y desastres naturales.
Las naciones vulnerables han presionado para aumentar el nivel de ambición en la cumbre mientras los líderes mundiales comienzan a reconocer que la Tierra casi seguramente superará un límite esperado de 1,5 grados Celsius (2,7 grados Fahrenheit) de calentamiento desde tiempos preindustriales. Ese fue el objetivo establecido en estas conversaciones en 2015, en el histórico Acuerdo de París.
Los científicos dicen que, además del calor letal, una atmósfera en calentamiento conduce a fenómenos meteorológicos extremos más frecuentes y mortales, como inundaciones, sequías, lluvias torrenciales y huracanes más potentes.
León apuntó que aún hay tiempo para mantenerse dentro de los valores del Acuerdo de París, pero no mucho.
“Como administradores de la creación de Dios, estamos llamados a actuar con rapidez, con fe y profecía, para proteger el regalo que Él nos confió”, dijo añadiendo que “debemos ser honestos: no es el acuerdo el que está fallando, nosotros estamos fallando en nuestra respuesta. Lo que está fallando es la voluntad política de algunos”.
León hizo historia este año al convertirse en el primer papa estadounidense, y ha abrazado el legado ambiental de su antecesor, Francisco, incluyendo el rechazo a los escépticos del cambio climático.
Estados Unidos, el segundo país que más contamina del mundo, no asiste a la COP30. Su presidente, Donald Trump, calificó el cambio climático como “el mayor engaño jamás perpetrado en el mundo” durante un discurso ante la Asamblea General de la ONU en septiembre.
El jefe climático de Naciones Unidas, Simon Stiell, dijo que las palabras de León “nos desafían a seguir eligiendo la esperanza y la acción”.
El papa “nos recuerda que el Acuerdo de París está logrando progresos y sigue siendo nuestra herramienta más fuerte, pero debemos trabajar juntos para conseguir más, y que una acción climática más audaz es una inversión en economías más fuertes y justas y en un mundo más estable”, comentó Stiell.
David Gibson, director del Centro de Religión y Cultura de la Universidad de Fordham en Nueva York, dijo que el pontífice se está convirtiendo en el líder moral más destacado del mundo contra el cambio climático.
“Este mensaje posiciona a León como una voz para el resto del mundo, especialmente el hemisferio sur, donde el cambio climático está causando estragos entre los vulnerables en Asia, África y América Latina”, manifestó Gibson.
Esto demuestra además que el papa, que pasó décadas trabajando como misionero en Perú y tiene la ciudadanía del país, “tiene un corazón y una voz latinoamericanos”.
El Movimiento Laudato Si’, un movimiento católico por el clima que toma su nombre de una encíclica de 2015 en la que el papa Francisco reclamó medidas contra el cambio climático, calificó el mensaje de León como “una profunda intervención moral”.
“Le recuerda al mundo que la creación está clamando y que las comunidades vulnerables no pueden ser dejadas de lado. Su voz atraviesa el ruido de las negociaciones y llama a los líderes a lo que realmente importa: nuestra humanidad compartida y el deber urgente de actuar con valentía, compasión y justicia”, dijo la directora ejecutiva del grupo, Lorna Gold.
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La cobertura climática y ambiental de Associated Press recibe apoyo financiero de múltiples fundaciones privadas. La AP es la única responsable de todo el contenido. Encuentre los estándares de AP para trabajar con filantropías, una lista de patrocinadores y áreas de cobertura financiadas en AP.org.
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Esta historia fue producida como parte de la Alianza de Medios sobre el Cambio Climático 2025, una beca de periodismo organizada por la Red de Periodismo de la Tierra de Internews y el Centro Stanley para la Paz y la Seguridad.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Rick Steves’ Europe: A walk through Ghent
Once one of Belgium’s medieval powerhouses, Ghent today is home to one of Belgium’s biggest universities and a vibrant student population. While it has plenty of pretty canals and gables, it also enjoys a certain amount of urban grittiness, with a welcome splash of creative hipster funkiness.
Ghent is very walkable, and I enjoy strolling through the old town in this extremely Flemish city, where the native language is Dutch – but everyone also speaks English.
I start in a square called Korenmarkt (Grain Market), the center of historic Ghent. This still looks much like it did circa 1500, when this was one of Europe’s greatest cities, bristling with skyscraping towers, rich with art, and thronged with hard-working and prosperous citizens. Back then, Ghent’s population was around 65,000 – north of the Alps, only Paris was larger. Two-thirds of its citizens were textile workers, meaning Ghent was arguably Europe’s first industrial city. With its wealth, it became the proud city of soaring towers you see today.
Near the square, I wander onto St. Michael’s Bridge, which provides Ghent’s best 360-degree panorama. The waterway under my feet – now plied by tourist-laden boats – was the city’s busy harbor. Lining the embankment are several ornately decorated guild houses – meeting halls for the town’s boatmen, grain traders, and weighers.
Turning around, I then head away from the river. Beyond a medieval church stands the big, wooden roof of the market hall. Just a couple decades ago, this space was no more than an ugly parking lot. Now, it’s a public square, partially sheltered by the hall’s modern twin-gabled roof, meant to evoke the rooftops of medieval Ghent. While many residents embrace the market, some find its avant-garde style jarring. (It’s been called the “Sheep Shed” and the “Hall of Shame.”)
Next door is the Belfry. Although most of this tower has stood here since the 14th century, its Neo-Gothic top spire was added when Ghent proudly hosted a World’s Fair in 1913. Visitors ascend the Belfry to share the gargoyles’ decent, if not stunning, view over town.
On the other side of the Belfry is St. Bavo’s Square and Ghent’s top sight: St. Bavo’s Cathedral. This towering Gothic church houses the pearl of Flemish painting – the Ghent Altarpiece, also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Jan and Hubert van Eyck’s work has been called the most influential painting in European art. It’s considered the first masterpiece done in the medium of oil, and the first to portray the stark realism of the everyday world. Hubert began the painting, but after his death, his better-known younger brother, Jan, completed his vision in 1432, taking a colossal stride in Northern European art from medieval stiffness to Renaissance humanism.
The work is monumental: 15 feet wide and 11 feet tall, it’s composed of a dozen separate panels depicting hundreds of figures – and weighs more than a ton. Its central panel shows pilgrims gathered to honor the Lamb of God (representing Jesus), while other panels depict the Annunciation, Adam and Eve, the Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist. It challenges visitors with its complex symbolism, multitude of rich details, and sheer scale – but it rewards those willing to invest the time to take it all in.
Somehow the Ghent Altarpiece has survived for six centuries. It’s been the victim of a half-dozen art thefts – perhaps the most stolen painting in existence. Even Hitler claimed it as war booty. In 1934, someone broke into St. Bavo’s and stole the Just Judges panel and, nearly a century later, the panel has yet to turn up. In its place is a top-notch copy, and the theft remains Belgium’s greatest unsolved art mystery.
Leaving the church, I walk north until I hit Hoogpoort, the main street of medieval Ghent. I’m headed for the castle at the end of this lane – the Castle of the Counts.
Built in 1180, this rough-stone fortress was designed not to protect the people of Ghent, but to intimidate the city’s independence-minded citizens. You get a real feel for the medieval world as you twist through its towers and ramble its ramparts. It has all the parts of a typical castle: courtyard and keep, throne room, chapel, 18-foot-deep dungeon, and high walls. Inside, there are displays of authentic swords and suits of armor, along with a guillotine that was last used in 1861.
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Since it’s so close to Brussels and Bruges – about 30 minutes away from both – Ghent is a popular day-trip destination. But it’s the kind of town that makes many who visit for just a few hours leave wishing they had more time.
(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick’s favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/18/rick-steves-europe-a-walk-through-ghent/
