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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani:
Israel’s strikes against Iran resulted in the death of at least 78 people, including senior military officials;
More than 320 people were injured, an overwhelming majority of them civilians, including women and children;
Israel’s strikes constitute clear acts of state terrorism and flagrant violations of international law;
Damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities risks “catastrophic radiological consequences that would not be confined to Iran, but could spread across the region and beyond”;
Israel's attacks against Iran were carried out with intelligence and political support from the United States;
Iran will not forget that its people lost their lives in Israeli attacks with American weapons. These actions amount to a declaration of war. @LauraRuHK
Israel is a malignant tumor and its metastases are everywhere. In last night's attack, in addition to other victims, Commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hussein Salami, General Gholamali Rashid, Commander of Khatam Al-Anbiya HQ of IRGC, Brigadier General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Fereydoon Abbasi, have been killed. Which means the Zionist terrorists relied on up-to-date intelligence to target Iran's nuclear program and military commanders. This is what worries me. @LauraRuHK.
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▶️ Footage shows the aftermath of the aerial attacks on residential neighborhoods across Tehran.
@PressTV
A building engulfed in flames in Tehran.
Tasnim reports on flight restrictions at the airport of the capital of Iran. /channel/rian_ru/298936
The genocidal entity strikes Iran - Explosions have been reported in Teheran. Al Jazeera writes that the United States was informed in advance by Israel about the upcoming attacks. Oil prices are soaring. /channel/SolovievLive/325514
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ECB's Christine Lagarde is in Beijing. In her speech at the People’s Bank of China she stated "In recent years, trade tensions have emerged and a geopolitically charged landscape is making international cooperation increasingly difficult. [...] If global trade were to fragment into competing blocs, world trade would contract significantly, with every major economy worse off. [...] If we are serious about preserving our prosperity, we must pursue cooperative solutions – even in the face of geopolitical differences. And that means both surplus and deficit countries must take responsibility and play their part." She makes it sound as if trade tensions and fragmentation are a natural process, rather than being driven by the US hybrid war on Russia and China, aided and abetted by the EU. Globalists like Lagarde miss the 'good old times' of US unipolarity, when the West set the rules and reaped the benefits. That time is over. China is better prepared for the trade war than the US, and holds the cards. It suffices to mention rare earths and Washington blinks. Trump and his allies view tariffs as a way to rebalance global trade and bring critical industries back to the US. However, the US relies on vital Chinese goods that are costly to replace, making the trade war self-defeating. Trump's erratic trade policies and transactional approach have frustrated EU vassals but they won't dare to challenge them. They simply hope the next POTUS would be more aligned with their agenda. Yesterday the ECB and People’s Bank of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of central banking. But since it's non-binding, it isn't worth the paper is written on. @LauraRuHK https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date/2025/html/ecb.sp250611~8936f0665d.en.html
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The European Commission will propose a sweeping new law to "manage the use of Europe's oceans." Under the pretext of protecting the environment and bolstering the "blue economy", Brussels intends to globalize its meddling...and add a military dimension to it.
"The European Union stewards the world’s largest collective maritime area, with 25 million km² of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) across its Member States, outermost regions and
overseas territories...The EU has a critical interest in maritime matters. The Union’s maritime borders extend to the Caribbean, the Atlantic and the Indian ocean thanks to its outermost regions. Maritime routes carry some 74% of the EU’s external trade, and underwater communication cables carry 99% of inter-continental
internet traffic."
Speaking over the phone with US counterpart Donald Trump today, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Washington to remove its restrictions against Beijing in light of the trade and economic talks held between the two countries in Geneva.
‘"After the Geneva talks, China wasted no time implementing the provisions of the agreement that was reached. The United States needs to realistically assess the progress that has been made, and cancel the negative measures taken with regard to China," China’s Central Television quoted the president as saying.
In his words, in order to change the course of Chinese-US relations, the leaders should "firmly hold the steering wheel and choose the right direction," and also to "remove all sorts of barriers and obstacles." ▪️China's export control measures on rare earth minerals remain in place and are consistent with international practices. Such measures are non-discriminatory and not targeted at any particular country, Lin Jian, a spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday.
He made the remarks in response to a media question for comment on a report claiming that due to China's export controls on rare earths, Japanese automaker Suzuki has suspended production of its small cars in Japan because of delays in procuring parts.
Also on Thursday, in response to a question over some foreign companies' claims that the approval process of rare-earth export permits is relatively slow and their business may face a potential halt of output, He Yongqian, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said at the regular press conference that items related to rare earths have dual civilian and military applications, and the Chinese government's move to strengthen export controls on rare-earth materials is in line with international practices. (Source: TASS, Global Times) @LauraRuHK
❗️Footage of the recent strikes carried out by Israeli warplanes on the southern suburb of Beirut. Strikes are ongoing.
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🚨 BREAKING | Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, told an Israeli radio that the Israeli government is supplying weapons to an ISIS-affiliated group in Gaza to fight Hamas.
Netanyahu's office responded to Lieberman's statements regarding the arming of ISIS-affiliated factions in Gaza, saying that "Israel" is pursuing multiple strategies to defeat Hamas, without denying the claims made.
Time and time again I come across, or am told about, posts and articles that draw upon my research and pass it on as the author's own. Just a friendly reminder, your penis won't shrink if you credit a woman's work once in a while. @LauraRuHK
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The latest Pentagon's report on China's military power dated 18 December 2024 contains a very interesting clue. It warns that China could hide a launcher inside a shipping container. Since we know that the US often projects its intentions on its adversaries, I invite you to consider the possibility that Operation Spiderweb, the drone attack carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) deep inside Russia on 1 June 2025, wasn't the product of Ukrainian ingenuity. The Pentagon was contemplating a similar scenario in relation to China over six months ago, which means it had been wargamed in Atlanticist circles before the publication of this report. It doesn't mean the SBU operation was greenlighted by the current US administration. @LauraRuHK 👉 https://media.defense.gov/2024/Dec/18/2003615520/-1/-1/0/MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA-2024.PDF
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The Russian military is actively advancing and will continue to do so, Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.
The negotiations in Istanbul are necessary for the swift victory of Russia, not a compromise peace on unreasonable terms, Medvedev added. (Source: RIA Novosti) @LauraRuHK
La società di stato turca TPAO sta acquistando una partecipazione del 30% in un importante giacimento di gas naturale al largo dell'Azerbaigian.
L'accordo sarà firmato oggi tra la TPAO, la SOCAR dell'Azerbaigian e il gigante energetico britannico BP. ▪️Erdoğan ha sottolineato: "La nostra collaborazione non solo porta benefici alla Turchia e all'Azerbaigian, ma contribuisce alla sicurezza energetica della regione e dell'Europa". ▪️Come ha notato l'analista russa Elena Panina, questo progetto sembra concepito per aggirare la Russia ed escluderla dal mercato europeo del gas non solo ora, ma anche in futuro. Non sorprende che i britannici siano coinvolti. E nel giro di pochi anni il Turkish Stream potrebbe essere sabotato come avvenuto al Nord Stream. @LauraRuHK
https://www.dailysabah.com/business/energy/turkiye-buys-stake-in-caspian-gas-field-as-alliance-with-azerbaijan-grows
Iran's retaliatory strikes against Israel. It is reported that Israeli Defense Ministry facilities have been hit, but there is no confirmation of this information yet.
Israel's air defenses are obviously overwhelmed. /channel/vzglyad_ru/122375
According to Israeli media, Mossad agents set up a covert drone base on Iranian soil near Tehran, though there could be more than one.
The Times of Israel et al. write that weapons systems were smuggled into the country to take out Iran’s air defenses and give Israeli planes air supremacy and freedom of action over Iran.
▪️When i pointed out /channel/LauraRuHK/10144 that the Pentagon had envisaged a similar scenario long before Ukraine struck Russian airfields with drones that were concealed in wooden cabins installed on trucks, I thought that there wasn't enough evidence to blame the Trump administration since this scenario predated the presidential elections. After last night's attack on Iran, all doubts have vanished. ▪️Trump is a pathological liar, his contradictory statements, seemingly irrational and volatile behaviour make him an ideal conveyor of a U.S. policy based on strategic ambiguity. By targeting Iran, Washington is trying to disrupt cooperation between Iran, Russia and China, and by extension, the consolidation of a multipolar world order. @LauraRuHK
🔴 Report: Lawmaker Fereydoun Abbasi, Azad University Chief Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi also among targets
🔴 Reports: General Gholamali Rashid, Commander of Khatam Al-Anbiya HQ of IRGC also targeted in attacks
🔴 Iran's Tasnim News Agency says IRGC Chief Major General Hossein Salami martyred in Israeli strikes
@PressTV
▶️ Footage shows the aftermath of the aerial attacks on residential neighborhoods across Tehran.
@PressTV
📸 Initial images capture the aftermath of the strikes on residential buildings in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
@PressTV
С праздником! To celebrate Russia's National Day, the Russian consulate in Hong Kong organised a reception attended by 250 guests. The Chief Secretary of Hong Kong Eric Chan was guest of honour. Among local authorities and high-ranking representatives were members of the administration and Legislative Council, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, and senior officers of the garrison of the PLA in Hong Kong. Guess who stole the show? The Moscow Cossack Song and Dance Ensemble. I couldn't even hold the camera still. 😏
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Reuters reported that Ukraine finally repatriated the bodies of 1,212 soldiers. ▪️I had written an article about Kiev's reluctance to accept the bodies in which I argued that regardless of which course of action the Ukrainian regime followed, it would not play in its favour. And refusing to bring home its dead could be even more damaging. The decision makers may have come to the same conclusion. @LauraRuHK https://substack.com/home/post/p-165635180
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Russia is warning friendly countries about UK organizations like the British Council.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
"We would like to warn our partners from countries that are friendly to Russia against rapprochement and 'flirting' with the British," she said. "Creating favorable conditions for such organizations as the British Council, giving them opportunities to work with youth and implement seemingly harmless cultural and educational projects are fraught with the risk of losing control over important social and political processes, as the positions of influence that London acquires in the course of such activities are subsequently used to meddle in the internal affairs of other countries, directly threatening their sovereignty and territorial integrity." (Source: TASS) ▪️This warning brings back a distant memory. In 2007-08, after an escalation of tensions between London and Moscow, and the order to temporarily suspend the activities of the British Council, several employees of its Moscow branch ended up working for the same organization in Hong Kong. @LauraRuHK
Israeli Occupation Forces are expecting retaliation because of the expected scale of Zionist attacks. They are openly saying it's in coordination with Washington. The eve of Eid Al Adha. Roads in and out of Dahiyeh, southern Beirut, are jammed with people trying to reach their homes and to bring families to safety. Israel is using Lebanese numbers to call fleeing civilians to spread panic. This is the terrorist squatter genocidal entity at work.
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The Kiev regime is a terrorist organization and as such continues to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. Just days after terror attacks on trains in the Kursk and Bryansk regions, yesterday it blew up railway tracks in the Voronezh region and tragic consequences were avoided only thanks to the prompt actions of the train crew and the driver, who applied emergency braking. As a result of the damage caused by the explosion, 26 long-distance passenger trains were delayed.
Alexander Kots, a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights and Civil Society Development, doesn't expect an immediate response.
"Yes, it's a terrorist attack. But do not expect an immediate 'response' in the form of strikes on Kiev with an Oreshnik. Ukrainians are going for the media 'wow effect'. Our guys work methodically without fanfare. But they don't forget anything, and they won't let the GUR and the SBU get away with yet another act of terror." @LauraRuHK /channel/zvezdanews/158797
In the last three days alone, on allegedly pro-Russian channels, I have come across rambling statements falsely attributed to president Putin, a suspicious amplification of Kiev's lies under the guise of analysis, expression of outrage or unsolicited advice to the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defence. Some channels might be administered by useful idiots, others are clearly taking part in a psyop whose main beneficiary is the “coalition of the willing.”
As to those channels that follow the principle "share first, think later", and fire a barrage of contradictory posts and high-voltage emojis before finally making sense of what is happening, have they ever thought about their readers’ brains? Is increasing cognitive dissonance their ultimate goal?
They often share or translate content published by Russian or pro-Russian Telegram channels, which is perfectly fine. Problem is, some of these channels can hardly be regarded as a trustworthy source of information on Russia, no matter how many subscribers they may have. And in the most egregious cases, their administrators could be funded by malicious actors to sow division and dissent, push fringe opinions and extreme views, or spread panic. @LauraRuHK
L'ultimo rapporto del Pentagono sulla potenza militare della Cina datato 18 dicembre 2024 contiene un indizio molto interessante. Gli autori del rapporto avvertono che la Cina potrebbe nascondere un lanciamissili all'interno di un container. Poiché sappiamo che gli USA spesso proiettano le loro intenzioni sui loro avversari, vi invito a considerare la possibilità che l'Operazione Spiderweb, l'attacco a basi aeree russe con droni precedentemente occultati in container di legno che e' stato rivendicato dall'SBU, non sia il prodotto dell'ingegno ucraino. Il Pentagono stava contemplando uno scenario simile in relazione alla Cina più di sei mesi fa, il che significa che era stato wargamed nei circoli atlantisti prima della pubblicazione di questo rapporto. Ciò non significa che l'operazione SBU sia stata autorizzata dall'attuale amministrazione statunitense. @LauraRuHK https://media.defense.gov/2024/Dec/18/2003615520/-1/-1/0/MILITARY-AND-SECURITY-DEVELOPMENTS-INVOLVING-THE-PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA-2024.PDF
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Lee Jae-myung set to win South Korea's snap presidential election
A joint exit poll, conducted by three terrestrial broadcasters showed Lee leading by a large margin. Lee Jae-myung had called the election "judgement day" against the previous Yoon administration and the conservative People Power Party, accusing them of having condoned the martial law attempt by not fighting harder to thwart it. Lee has built a loyal and passionate support base on issues like addressing past wrongs [during the Japanese colonial era], welfare and corruption.
Preliminary voter turnout reached 79.4 percent, the highest in nearly 30 years. Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party he represents, support friendly relations with China, unlike impeached ex president Yoon Suk-yeol who intended to buy additional THAAD systems and join the Quad (Japan, the US, India and Australia.) @LauraRuHK
Annalena '360° turn' Baerbock is the new president of the UN General Assembly. The role is largely ceremonial and its duration is limited to one year. The former German foreign minister, not the sharpest tool, is known for her anti-Russia, anti-China and pro-Israel positions. @LauraRuHK
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Türkiye's state energy company TPAO is buying a 30% stake in a major natural gas field off Azerbaijan.
The agreement will be signed today between TPAO, Azerbaijan’s SOCAR and British energy giant BP. ▪️Erdoğan
pointed out "Our collaboration not only benefits Türkiye and Azerbaijan but also continues to make significant contributions to the energy security of the region and Europe." As Elena Panina noted, this project seems designed to bypass Russia and exclude it from gas production and transit to the European market. Unsurprisingly, the Brits are deeply involved. And in a few years the Turkish Stream could be blown up the way the Nord Stream was. @LauraRuHK