Forced disappearances have plagued Mexico for decades. In 2019, something remarkable happened: Twenty-one disappeared people were found, alive. They had been toiling in narco-slavery camps, an under-covered aspect of Mexico’s illicit drug trade. But there wasn’t a happy ending. (This story was originally published in Spanish by Quinto Elemento Lab):
Freedom had not been kind to the captives. Few had been able to regain even the wretched standard of living that had pushed them into the arms of the cartels in the first place. Many were scarred by paranoia, trapped in addiction or suffering mental illnesses. Some had been abandoned by their partners or families. More than one, we learned, died after being rescued, some by their own hand. We came to feel that these men had been triply betrayed: first by the narcos who had lured them into the mountains, then by the government that failed to look for them, and finally by a society that refused to welcome them back into its fold.
We are telling their stories not because we hope to secure justice, but simply to establish the truth. This was a modest ambition shared by one of our interlocutors, Andrés. He told us that many of the survivors’ accounts had been doubted. He’d even read criticisms on social media: That’s what they deserve for being shiftless and lazy. “Those people should try thinking before they speak, because they don’t know when they might suddenly find themselves in a similar situation,” Andrés said. “They might be lucky enough to be rescued, or unlucky enough to die out there. I decided to give this interview because this situation’s not going to change. In Mexico, there’s sexual slavery, human trafficking, forced labour. This didn’t start yesterday; it’s been going on for many years.”
Across the United States, dozens of law enforcement officers face accusations of misusing Flock, a surveillance network of 120,000 cameras that track license plates. Flock’s proponents claim that the technology does far more good than harm; one investor tells the Washington Post that abuse is “truly a nonissue.” But fear isn’t a statistic. Drew Harwell, Douglas MacMillan, and Aaron Schaffer structure their investigation of Flock’s misuse by law enforcement around the story of a woman in suburban Atlanta who had her whereabouts tracked hundreds of times by her ex, the local chief of police. Their report telescopes between the tradeoffs of a “transformational” technology and a few nightmarish cases of misuse.
Bakely said the cameras had left her feeling powerless to stop her ex-boyfriend from tracking her life. She didn’t feel safe asking the police agency he led, she said, and she couldn’t get access to records that would have shown the surveillance was happening in real time. After Steffman told her about his Flock searches, she filed for a restraining order, but a judge denied it on the basis that she couldn’t prove ongoing abuse, court records show.
He “watched every single move I made,” she said. But “who do you turn the chief of police in to?”
MI5 directors secretly pushed for Britain’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization
MI5 directors secretly pushed for Britain’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and helped the government adopt the draconian National Security Act, a report says.
The report, published by The Grayzone on Friday, revealed that MI5 Director General Kenneth Douglas McCallum and former MI5 chief Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller privately worked to advance the IRGC designation and expand state security powers before the measure was adopted.
McCallum discussed the proposed IRGC proscription with then-Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in 2023, while acknowledging that its “direct operational benefit” was likely to be “modest.”
The combo shows the former MI5 chief Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller (L), and the current MI5 Director General Kenneth Douglas McCallum (Image via Press TV)
Despite recognizing the limited practical impact, McCallum told Cooper that granting authorities such powers was still “sensible to contemplate” as Britain debated whether to formally proscribe the IRGC.
The leaked emails showed that the IRGC designation gained momentum amid false claims by British security officials that Iran had been involved in plots inside the UK, including McCallum’s statements that MI5 had disrupted multiple Iran-related threats without disclosing any evidence.
The UK government officially designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization on July 13, granting authorities expanded powers to prosecute individuals for activities to support or promote the group under Britain’s so-called terrorism laws.
The intelligence campaign to the passage of the National Security Act,
The report also linked the intelligence campaign to the passage of the National Security Act, a controversial law that expanded government powers against activities considered threats to national security.
In one leaked email, McCallum thanked Manningham-Buller for helping secure the legislation, writing, “Many thanks for your support (and stamina) in getting the NS Act over the line.”
The report said the legislation introduced offenses targeting unauthorized disclosures of state information, while parliamentary debates explicitly referenced preventing future “WikiLeaks-type” disclosures.
Grayzone: “The Act could have a “chilling effect” on legitimate journalistic activity”
The Grayzone also cited warnings from lawyers involved in drafting the legislation that the Act could have a “chilling effect” on legitimate journalistic activity. The leaked correspondence showed McCallum continued promoting warnings about foreign threats, including unfounded claims that Iran had carried out plots against British targets.
In October 2024, Manningham-Buller praised McCallum’s public security warnings, writing, “You could not have hoped for fuller coverage. Hope it helps with SR,” referring to the government’s spending review.
The report said the exchange highlighted how claims of foreign threats were used to support calls for increased intelligence resources, with the government later announcing a seven-percent rise in spending on domestic and foreign intelligence operations.
The war in Iran began five months ago. Headline news about the conflict tends to focus on when and how it might end. In the meantime, the impacts of the conflict are felt worldwide—by drivers, farmers, business owners, and families. The Associated Press shares the stories of seven people suffering because of the war. Among them is Edgar Funelas, a jeepney driver in the Philippines who lives with his ten-year-old daughter:
He uses laundry soap—harsher, but cheaper—to wash his body and his clothes in the same motion, stretching what little money he has. Even before the war in Iran, he was living on the margins. A fire took their home and their belongings, forcing them to move into the brightly colored minibus he drove.
He’d hoped to be able to rent a room by now. Then diesel prices surged, and he could no longer afford the fuel to run his jeepney.
He hasn’t earned a single peso in days. There will be no breakfast. Hunger gnaws, but it’s the small rituals of privacy that he misses most: to be able to wash out of sight, to sleep behind walls, to keep his desperation from being laid bare.
During the medieval period and early modern Japan, decapitation was a common method of execution for criminals and defeated enemy warriors. During the feudal period, particularly under the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868), beheading became a standard execution method for many serious crimes.
Decapitation was also common on the battlefield. During Japan's long era of civil wars, especially the Sengoku period, warriors routinely took the heads of defeated enemies and presented to the victorious lord. For criminals or rebellious warriors, the heads were displayed publically as a warning and deterrent to others.
A Japanese block print depicting the decapitation of violent Chinese soldiers. Circa 1894. Credit: Museum of Fine Arts
A remote village in north-western China, on the edge of the Gobi desert, is said to have been founded by Roman soldiers. According to this controversial theory, the village of Zhelaizhai in China's Gansu Province was established by Roman legionaries who were captured after a disastrous battle, carried across Central Asia, and eventually settled on the far eastern edge of the known world. While most historians remain sceptical of the claim, the story has become one of the most fascinating legends linking the ancient civilizations of Rome and China.
A strong earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.7, was distinctly felt in various neighborhoods of Naples around 7:45 PM. The epicenter was located in the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) at a depth of 2.6 km.
According to Italian TV RAI News, “It’s the strongest tremor in 40 years.”
Power outages occurred from Pizzo Falcone to Fuorigrotta. Many people, frightened, took to the streets. Dozens of calls were made to the fire department for stuck elevators in buildings or collapsing debris. Firefighters were also working to check the stability of buildings.
Damage was also reported in Pozzuoli. The Municipality of Pozzuoli has activated the Municipal Operations Center (COC) to coordinate all monitoring and assistance activities for the population.
The seismic swarm affecting the Campi Flegrei area continued unabated throughout the night. After the main 4.7 magnitude quake recorded at 7:46 PM, seismographs detected at least thirty aftershocks of varying intensity, including the strongest magnitude 3.8 at 10:00 PM and the last magnitude 1.6 shortly after midnight. In Pozzuoli, many residents chose to spend the night outside, fearful of returning after the constant tremors.
Despite this, no evacuation plan has been implemented, except for the emergency plan, which, in the event of a volcanic eruption, would be virtually useless…
The Civil Protection Department’s primary task remains to monitor the damage and damaged infrastructure.
The tuff rock collapses in two places: a boulder on top of a car – VIDEO
The tuff rock overlooking Via Napoli, in the municipality of Pozzuoli, collapsed in two places.
Specifically, one of the two collapses affected an open area of a private condominium and involved a car and a scooter. As clearly visible in one of the many videos circulating on social media, a boulder broke away from the rock and fell on the car, crushing it completely.
There were no people present at the time of the collapse. The municipality of Pozzuoli reported extensive damage, primarily in the downtown area near the epicenter of the magnitude 4.7 earthquake, in the Solfatara area. The situation has been particularly severe in the historic center, on Via Napoli, and in the amphitheater area. The municipality has received hundreds of reports of fallen plaster and is therefore evaluating its response priorities.
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Two Seriously Injured and Pozzoli Pier Closed: Ferry Connections to Ischia and Procida Suspended
During the Crisis Unit meeting, chaired by Italian Department Head Fabio Ciciliano, the number of injured was updated to 21, two of whom were classified as critical. To ensure assistance to the population, 185 beds have been set up in the Palatrincone reception area in Pozzuoli.
The magnitude 4.7 earthquake, centered in the Campi Flegrie area, caused damage to the Pozzuoli pier, which is currently unusable. The Port Authority has therefore prohibited its use.
The port of Pozzuoli has been closed following the strong earthquake recorded this evening. The earthquake caused deep cracks in the access lanes to the commercial port’s docks, raising concerns about safety and stability.
For this reason, all maritime connections to and from the Campi Flegrei have been suspended. The closure will result in the suspension of over forty daily ferry and high-speed ferry services scheduled to and from Ischia and Procida.
Following the earthquake in the Phlegraean Fields area, a high-voltage pylon operated by Terna collapsed. Thanks to coordination with technicians from E-Distribuzione, which manages the underlying medium-voltage grid, other functioning sections of the grid were used to restore power to customers.
El Cuerpo de la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica de Irán (CGRI) informó este jueves que sus fuerzas atacaron esta mañana la base aérea de Al Azraq, en Jordania, y causaron graves daños a…
Irán recibirá un primer lote de sistemas portátiles de defensa antiaérea de producción china en unas semanas, según reporta este miércoles Reuters citando a fuentes familiarizadas con el asunto. El acuerdo incluiría…
Por Alfredo Jalife Rahme La guerra ya regional en el Medio Oriente exhibe una dramática escalada (https://bit.ly/4vIFh5A) cuando la reacción de Irán, a los 10 días de bombardeos consecutivos de…
Un informe de los servicios de inteligencia de EE.UU. concluye que los ataques militares contra el territorio iraní no lograrán que Teherán modifique su postura, según revelaron a The Washington Post…
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, escribió en su red Truth Social que su Gobierno restablecerá el «bloqueo iraní», una medida que busca impedir la entrada o salida de barcos…
En una demostración de unidad nacional, amor y profundo respeto, millones de iraníes se congregaron este sábado en la Gran Mosalla de Teherán para despedir con honores al ayatolá Alí…
Por Alfredo Jalife Rahme Hoy resaltan dos posturas diametralmente opuestas cuan incompatibles entre el “memorándum Islamabad” de 14 puntos, negociado con Irán por el vicepresidente JD Vance, frente al “memorándum…
Por Juan Manuel de Prada En la última jornada de la reciente Feria del Libro de Madrid, el Ayuntamiento dio la orden de evacuar y cerrar el parque del Retiro…
Leider hatte ich aus privaten Gründen auch diese Woche nicht die Zeit, allzu viele Artikel zu schreiben. Aber trotzdem haben wir bei Tacheles mit Röper und Stein natürlich trotzdem über die aus unserer Sicht wichtigsten Themen der Woche gesprochen. Sollte YouTube die Sendung löschen, können Sie sie auch hier bei NuoViso anschauen.
Die derzeit international wichtigsten Themen sind die Kriege in der Ukraine und im Iran. Am Dienstag hat US-Präsident Trump nacheinander den ukrainischen Machthaben Selensky und den israelischen Premierminister Netanjahu getroffen. Auch wenn über den Inhalt der Gespräche nicht viel bekannt wurde, übersetze ich hier eine Zusammenfassung der TASS über die Treffen und die danach abgegebenen […]
First off: This isn’t a Rick Moranis profile. I know you want it to be—we all want it to be—but it’s not. Maybe one day we’ll get the deep, rich look at a man who’s beloved by millions of comedy fans but who also stepped out of the public eye more than 30 years ago. Until then, there’s the fact that Moranis will be part of next year’s Spaceballs sequel, and as such was game enough to show up at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend (where, predictably, Hall H chaos ensued). Anthony Breznican was there, shadowing the proceedings. Read it at ludicrous speed, obviously.
Even in this holding area, Moranis is already getting a sense of the excitement building around him. Among the first people to have their socks knocked off is Clerks and Mallrats filmmaker Kevin Smith, the moderator of the presentation and a Comic-Con stalwart for decades. “I came for the panel because of Rick Moranis,” he tells me, invoking the name of the actor’s beer-swilling duo with Dave Thomas from their SCTV days. “Jay and Silent Bob doesn’t exist without Bob and Doug McKenzie. Having him at Comic-Con is like having geek royalty here. You’re talking about a dude who, for most of us, was there as we grew up. He was part of the fabric of the culture since we were kids.”
When Steven Judy was executed for rape and murder in 1981, he was little more to the public than a monster. To Traci and Randy Carr, he was something else: a hero and a protector. After all, he was their foster brother. For The Guardian, Masha Hamilton—who covered the Judy trial as a young reporter more than 45 years ago—returns to Indiana to meet the Carrs, and to take the measure of the hole rent in their lives by Judy’s actions and disappearance.
Her mother has begun appearing again in her sleep: Mary holding her, comforting. Almost as if speaking aloud what had been buried for decades had called her mother back.
“Everyone hated Steve, and we were told we should too,” Traci says. “For a long time, I thought we did something wrong, and I was ashamed. People treated us like we had raised a murderer. It’s still how people remember us. I don’t think Mom ever got to grieve properly. I don’t think any of us did.”
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