A stone game board carved inside a medieval bathhouse in Morocco could rewrite what historians know about board games in early Islamic North Africa.

The discovery, published in the journal Libyan Studies, pushes back evidence for a game still played today by several centuries and sheds new light on social life in one of the region’s earliest Islamic settlements.

Tim Penn of the University of Reading led the study examining a previously unpublished game board at Walila, the site of ancient Roman Volubilis in Morocco. The board was carved into a stone step leading into a cold plunge pool inside a bathhouse, or “hammam,” built in the late eighth or early ninth century.

The structure was abandoned by the tenth or eleventh century. That narrow window gives researchers a rare, secure date for the board, something that is extremely difficult to establish for carved game boards found at ancient sites.

Morocco bathhouse yields a precisely dated medieval game board

The bathhouse was part of a larger complex that researchers believe served as the residence of Idrīs I, the founder of the Idrisid dynasty and one of the earliest Islamic rulers in North Africa.

Idrīs I arrived at Walila in 788 after fleeing the Hijaz and was declared imam by a local Berber tribe. The complex included a domestic building, a reception hall, and a storage compound, all built in a courtyard style more common to the Levant than North Africa.

The game board itself measures roughly 34 by 9.5 centimeters (13.4 by 3.7 inches) and consists of three rows of at least 13 small, shallow holes carved into the stone.

Researchers identified it as most likely used for “tab/sig,” a running-fight game in which two players move pieces across the board from opposite sides, trying to capture each other’s pieces. The game is still played in parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey today.

Tab identified as Walila’s ancient running-fight game

The identification matters because the first known written reference to tab appears in the work of Egyptian author Ibn Daniyāl, who died in 1310.

The Walila board predates that reference by roughly 400 to 500 years, suggesting the game has a far longer history in the region than texts alone would indicate.

Researchers also ruled out mancala, another widely played ancient game, because the Walila board’s holes are too shallow and too small to hold multiple playing pieces, which mancala requires. The odd number of holes per row also makes the mancala rules impractical.

Similar boards from the early Islamic period have been found in Arabia, the Middle East, and Portugal, but none had previously been confirmed anywhere in North Africa.

The broad distribution of these boards across the early Islamic world, and as far as Scandinavia, where a closely related game called “daldos” or “sahkku” was played, points to the game traveling through trade and cultural networks.

From Arabian trade routes to Scandinavian shores

At Walila, those connections to the east are well documented. Imported coins, glassware, and a wine jar from Egypt and the Levant were all recovered at the site.

The bathhouse itself uses a dry-heat system more closely linked to Levantine construction than to the Roman bathing tradition, further reinforcing ties to the Middle East. Researchers suggest the game may have arrived in Morocco with Idrīs I or members of his entourage.

The board sat at the center of the steps into the plunge pool, fully visible to anyone in the changing room or entering the water. Researchers noted that its prominent placement suggests gaming was openly accepted as part of the social experience of bathing.

Bone dice recovered from nearby buildings at the site further confirm that a range of games, including games of chance, were played at Walila during the early medieval period.

The study calls on archaeologists working across North Africa and the broader Mediterranean to document game boards more systematically, noting that carvings of this kind are routinely left out of excavation reports.

<p>Sérgio Conceição saiu do&#xa0;Al-Ittihad e está sem trabalho neste momento, mas quer voltar a treinar. O futuro, esse, admite que passa mais por fora do que por cá, ainda que não haja um não redondo à possibilidade de treinar o maior rival do FC Porto.</p>

Belarusian singer Max Korzh performed in Istanbul on June 6, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine, as he has at his other concerts. Ukrainian and Russian flags filled the venue. Online, the reaction was heated.

It was his first concert since February 2022 in a country Russian citizens can enter without a visa. Confining his concerts to Europe made them off limits to most Russians, and the prospect of a show they could attend sparked a frenzy among fans. The Beşiktaş stadium — with an official capacity of 42,000 for sporting events — was packed. The day before the show, fans around the city celebrated the coming performance. They remained peaceful, unlike the unrest that accompanied Korzh’s concert in Warsaw last year.

The venue was filled with national flags from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus — both the official Belarusian flag and the opposition’s white-red-white banner — along with flags from Kazakhstan, Georgia, Latvia, Israel, and other countries with large Russian-speaking populations. Flag-bearers danced and took photos together.

Korzh performed his anti-war song “Svoy dom” (“My Home”), written in 2022, leading the crowd in chants of “stop the war” before closing the song and addressing the audience: “Each of you can stop it. Simply by not taking part in this hatred. Not taking part in these comments. Not taking part in these arguments […]. And of course, not taking part in it physically.”

Music journalist Alexander Gorbachev’s book Kogda My Poyom, Podnimaetsya Veter (“When We Sing, the Wind Rises: A Brief History of Popular Music in Russia in the 21st Century) traces the rise of Russian pop music in the 21st century, including how Korzh became known to listeners beyond the rap world. It is available for purchase at this link.

The concert has generated fierce debate on social media across Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and beyond. Most comments are positive. Many users write that the concert gave them hope for reconciliation, thanking Korzh for bringing people together through his music.

But many Ukrainians expressed anger that Korzh’s abstract talk of peace never directly named Russia as the aggressor.

Korzh has been accused of absolving “ordinary” Russians of responsibility by placing blame on unnamed politicians while Russian soldiers commit crimes in Ukraine. Some have suggested that displaying Ukrainian flags alongside Russian ones was itself a provocation.

Korzh publicly condemned the war on the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion and recorded Svoy dom in the summer of 2022. The chorus includes the line: “Right is he who defends his home.” Around the same time, he canceled all his planned concerts in Russia.

Since 2023, Korzh has been performing across Europe, calling at each show for an end to the war and urging audiences to draw a distinction between politicians and ordinary people. Hard-line Ukrainian commentators criticized him for hedging, arguing that he was unwilling to risk alienating his large Russian following

At a concert in Bucharest that preceded the Istanbul show — attended by many Ukrainians — the crowd began chanting “Putin — khuylo!” (“Putin is a prick”). Korzh shut it down: “Guys, at this show and the next one, nobody’s name gets chanted except mine — good context or bad, doesn’t matter. Don’t hype anyone.” Security at the Bucharest show had already been confiscating national flags.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at reports@meduza.io.

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A gestora espanhola Qualitas Funds anunciou o lançamento dos seus primeiros veículos de investimento domiciliados em Portugal, numa iniciativa que pretende facilitar o acesso dos investidores portugueses ao mercado de private equity europeu, em particular ao segmento lower mid-market, focado em pequenas e médias empresas (PME). A empresa prevê captar cerca de 40 milhões de euros no mercado nacional ao longo de 2026, segundo a sociedade gestora.

Com sede em Madrid, a Qualitas Funds passa assim a disponibilizar localmente as suas estratégias de investimento diversificadas em private equity através de veículos estruturados ao abrigo da legislação portuguesa. Segundo a gestora, esta solução destina-se tanto a investidores profissionais como particulares, permitindo-lhes aceder a uma classe de ativos tradicionalmente reservada a investidores institucionais.

A empresa refere que esta expansão para Portugal dá continuidade a um modelo já implementado em Espanha. A operação no mercado português será acompanhada por Bernardo Marques dos Santos, partner da Qualitas Funds, e por João Pita Rua, diretor de Investimentos.

De acordo com a gestora, os fundos de fundos têm desempenhado historicamente um papel importante na introdução dos investidores ao private equity, permitindo uma diversificação imediata entre diferentes gestores, geografias e estratégias, além de um processo profissional de seleção e mitigação de risco. A Qualitas Funds considera que Portugal apresenta potencial de crescimento neste segmento, tendo em conta que a presença de ativos ilíquidos e de fundos de fundos entre investidores privados continua a ser inferior à observada em mercados como Espanha, Estados Unidos e outros países europeus.

Citado no comunicado, Bernardo Marques dos Santos afirma que o lançamento dos veículos locais representa “um marco estratégico” para a empresa e poderá contribuir para democratizar o acesso ao private equity em Portugal, proporcionando exposição a gestores especializados através de uma solução diversificada e estruturada.

A Qualitas Funds destaca ainda que já mantém uma presença relevante no mercado português, contando entre os seus investidores com instituições de referência, incluindo três dos principais fundos de pensões do país e vários family offices. Com os novos veículos, a gestora pretende reforçar a sua atividade junto dos segmentos Private e Affluent e consolidar o seu compromisso de longo prazo com o mercado nacional.

A plataforma, integrada na Ridgepost Capital, geria mais de 1,4 mil milhões de euros em ativos no final de 2025 e conta com uma base de mais de 1.600 investidores, entre os quais investidores institucionais, family offices e clientes de elevado património.

On Sunday, President Trump quit an interview with Kristen Welker of “Meet the Press” after becoming frustrated as he faced challenging questions. Fighting with the media is nothing new for the president, but the notion of giving up midway through when things get tough may be more indicative of Trump’s current mindset and emblematic of his second presidency.

Usually, it is difficult to tell when a presidency is over. Officially, Jan. 20 every four (or eight) years marks the end of a presidency. But long before that comes the moment when a president loses potency, ceases to be a driving force and is reduced to reaction. It is like the moment when your new car becomes just your car: You don’t know when it happened precisely, but you know it’s in the past.

In the year and half since Trump’s return, it seems everything has changed — except the economy.

In the 2024 election, voters gave Trump what few get in life: a mulligan. Trump received a political do-over. But as the GOP celebrated its 2024 wins, an irrational exuberance took over. It forgot — or never realized — that along with a do-over for Trump, voters gave Republicans a mandate to focus on the stubborn issues of affordability that continue to plague the post-Covid economy. For Americans of all ages, living, eating, breathing and simply going to work is incredibly and increasingly unaffordable, much less doing it all with a family. 

Long after Inauguration Day celebrations ended, the GOP kept partying, while the country saw norms shattered, DOGE shuttered and citizens shot by ICE. Then came a war with Iran that has Americans emptying their wallets to fill their gas tanks. Inflation is creeping back up, while Americans’ savings are going down. 

In the year and half since Trump’s return, it seems everything has changed — except the economy. It is very hard to say that the president’s second act has improved the lives or financial status of many, unless of course your last name is Trump. His second administration has been a historic misread of a political mandate, and a tragic mistake of a presidency. 

While it’s clear that Trump maintains an iron grip on the GOP, what good is that if he does nothing with it to alleviate the hardships of the American people? To date the administration and GOP have offered no economic agenda or ideas for the future. The only thing Republicans on the hill are focused on is giving more money to the Department of Homeland Security — which had already been given so much money it started to buy two private jets, one with a bar and a bedroom. 

The president has lost all credibility on the economy, the No. 1 priority of the American public. He has lost control over ending the war. The administration is rudderless. Trump is enamored with being president, yet wants nothing to do with the job. His Cabinet members turn their attention from serving the people to appeasing their boss. Many top officials now hold their jobs in an acting capacity — not just in title but in their emphasis on performance for an audience of one. 

Things are bleak for the party in control of all three branches of the federal government.

After giving up on governing, with no vision, the president has turned to what’s simply in his line of sight. Event after unrelated event, speech after rambling speech, he is obsessed with what he perceives as the beautification of his D.C. bubble. He talks about fountains, his arch and ballroom, a repainted reflecting pool, a UFC fight at the White House and a partisan rally for himself after the failure of a planned concert on the National Mall. His appointees propose plastering his face on passports and $250 bills. Banners with Trump’s looming image adorn government buildings in Washington while he rants about not being able to put his name on the Kennedy Center.

Things are bleak for the party in control of all three branches of the federal government. The Democrats seem to offer no discernible plan for the economy or other pressing issues, but when voters want to throw the bums out, not being the “bums” in power may be enough.

The 2026 midterms are on the horizon, and the 2028 presidential race will begin the day after.

In a matter of months, attention will soon move from the White House to the campaign trail, and even successful presidents struggle to keep the spotlight off their potential successors. Candidates from both parties will have a chance to define themselves and offer their ideas on everything from artificial intelligence to taxes to war and peace. America’s next act will be written not in the Oval Office or the halls of Congress, but in the town halls and events across America. 

Meanwhile, the second Trump administration is already a lost cause at home and abroad. He has made himself a lame duck president, and is getting lamer every day.

The post Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ walkout shows a presidency that’s already finished appeared first on MS NOW.

At a live event hosted at Red Emma’s Cooperative Bookstore and Coffeehouse in Baltimore, Maryland, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez got to sit down for a deep and wide-ranging conversation with Chris Smalls, co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union. Alvarez and Smalls discuss Smalls’ new book, When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class; they recount the incredible story of the formation of the Amazon Labor Union and the unionization of the first Amazon warehouse in the US; and they talk about Smalls’ journey from warehouse worker and labor organizer to becoming an internationally recognized public figure and a human rights activist who has sailed with humanitarian flotilla missions to Gaza and Cuba.

Additional links/info:

• Chris Smalls X page and Instagram
• Chris Smalls, Penguin Random House, When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class
• Maximillian Alvarez, TRNN, “Chris Smalls: Sabotage attempts and death threats won’t stop Gaza Freedom Flotilla”

Featured Music:

• Jules Taylor, Working People Theme Song

Credits:

• Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor
• Videography / Post-Production: Cameron Granadino

Transcript

The following rushed transcript may contain errors. It will be updated as soon as possible.

Maximillian Alvarez:

All right Welcome everyone to Working People, a podcast about the lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles of the working class today. Working People is a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network and is brought to you in partnership with In These Times Magazine and the Real News Network. This show is produced by Jules Taylor and made possible by the support of listeners like you. My name is Maximillian Alvarez and we’ve got a really special episode for y’all today, which is a recording of a live event that I recently hosted at Red Emma’s Cooperative Bookstore and Coffeehouse here in Baltimore. And for that event, I got to sit down in front of a big, lively audience and have a real deep and wide ranging conversation with Chris Smalls, co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union. Chris has a new book out called When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class.

And that book recounts the incredible story of how a young working class Black man from Hackensack, New Jersey led a walkout from his Staten Island Amazon warehouse during COVID-19 got fired and then with hardly any resources banded together with a scrappy group of Staten Island warehouse workers to form the independent Amazon Labor Union to fight this epic David and Goliath battle against Amazon, the second largest private employer in the United States and Jeff Bezos, the second richest man in the world, and to win and successfully unionize the first Amazon warehouse in the United States. And the book also traces Chris’s life story before the Amazon Labor Union and his journey from warehouse worker and labor organizer to becoming this internationally recognized public figure and a human rights activist who has sailed with humanitarian glotilla missions to Gaza and to Cuba, even facing detainment and harassment from ICE and imprisonment and abuse from the Israeli military because of it.

I’ve done a number of events with Chris over the years. I’ve interviewed him outside of the JFK8 warehouse on Staten Island and I interviewed him as he was sailing to Gaza with the Global Samuel Flotilla right before they were captured by the Israeli military last year. I’ve seen both up close and from afar what he, his story and the story of ALU mean to working people out there, young and old people across this country and beyond. I’ve seen up close and from afar how the media’s good and awful and obsessive coverage of Chris and ALU, how that’s all affected Chris and different members and factions within ALU. And I’ve watched them all try to do their best to navigate a situation and a spotlight that I don’t think any of them ever expected to be in and that most of us will frankly never be able to fully understand from the outside.

I’ve seen and learned about many of the struggles that Chris has been through. I’ve seen and learned about the things that he’s done to help others. I’ve seen and learned about mistakes that he’s made and regretful things that he’s done and said. I know he’s a controversial figure to different people for different reasons and I know that he’s an inspiration to different people for different reasons. I know that he’s a complex and imperfect person, like you, like me, and like the hundreds and hundreds of working people that I’ve interviewed on this show over the years. And I’ve said from the beginning of this show that the whole point of this project was to honor the full and beautiful and complex humanity of our fellow workers to lift up the unheard voices of working class people and to help them and us and others see ourselves as full people with important lives and stories, not just stereotypes, not just name tags and job titles.

We’re so much more than that. And as a fellow worker, Chris is no different. And whatever your thoughts are about him, I think we all need to remember that because I see a lot of people forgetting that and that is not to excuse or downplay any concerns that folks have about Chris, ALU, or the complicated relationship between media celebrity and political movements today. And of course, no one is above critique, not public figures like Chris and certainly not journalists like me and anyone who is part of the labor movement must hold themselves and be held accountable to that movement. I know that and I believe that, but I also know that movements don’t move and history doesn’t happen without people and people are complicated. And if we don’t have a healthy way as working people of talking and listening to each other and working through our shit, if the world is burning all around us and we cannot find ways to work together or work alongside each other for our common goals and common good, even if we don’t like each other, then to put it bluntly, we’re cooked.

And so with all that said, it was in that full spirit and with that same mission that I’ve had since I started this podcast eight years ago that I sat down with Chris Smalls for this important conversation that we had at Red Emma’s in Baltimore. I hope you guys enjoy it and I want to know what you think, but please first take a listen.

All right. Well, thank you so much to Red Emma’s Cooperative Bookstore and Coffeehouse for hosting us for this great event. I want y’all to give a proper Baltimore welcome to Brother Chris Smalls, the co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union here with us tonight. So we are of course here to talk about Chris’s new book, When the Revolution Comes, the Fight for the Future of the Working Class, but we’re also going to talk about so much more. And by way of getting us into this discussion, I wanted to just roll the clock back a second, right? Let’s go back five years, 2021, right? Feels like forever ago, but let’s not forget how crazy of a year that was. We had all just watched the batshit January 6th insurrection still in the middle of COVID, no vaccines yet. And out of this dark swamp in time, an unexpected source of light emerged in worker struggles and a sort of revived labor movement.

Everyone was talking about the Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama who were trying to unionize with the retail wholesale and department store union down there. I went down there. That was actually my first field shoot for the real news. And of course those workers lost that election and it was very heartbreaking for a lot of us and it was really incredible to see that heartbreak turn into the energy that we would see later in the year with the first Starbucks store to unionize in Buffalo, New York and the emergence of this ragtag group of badass workers from Staten Island who were trying to unionize their Amazon warehouse. And so it can be easy to forget all that we were going through in that moment. And so I wanted that to sort of be the start. And Chris, I wanted to ask you to take us back there.

Remind us who Chris Smalls was before COVID and then talk us through, because I think we need a refresher. Talk us through the incredible saga from the walkout that you led to you guys winning that first union election.

Chris Smalls:

And thank you all for being here. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Baltimore, so I’m glad and honored to be back and good company and some good comrades, familiar faces in the crowd. So thank you all once again for showing up and supporting my book and being here tonight. I really appreciate that. Yeah. As you said, we have amnesia in America. We all know that. One thing being a news cycle for a few weeks and then it’s always something else, especially under this Trump administration. And ironically, six years ago when I got fired from Amazon, that was also an election year. Trump was still in the headlines still. So we wasn’t garnishing any attention. As you mentioned, leading up to 2021, 2020, COVID was the peak at its peak, especially in New York City being one of the epic centers of the world.

Yeah, workers were afraid, workers were catching COVID. I remember walking into my warehouse and how seeing my comrades at work just really sick and not really themselves. So it’s a really eerie moment. But for those who don’t know, I was an assistant manager at Amazon for four and a half years. I opened up three warehouses in the tri-state area, New Jersey, Connecticut, Staten Island New York was my last building. People’s person always, the same way you see me today, it was the same way I went to work at Amazon. Definitely loved my people. I spent 70 hours a week with them. They were like my extended family. And when COVID hit, I definitely was afraid for all of us and I wanted to speak up on their behalf as well, which led to my firing after I led the walkout on March 30th, 2020, which once again was six years ago.

Seems like it was a long time ago, but it was six years ago it flew. It flew past. But just giving you a background about myself, what you’re going to read about in the book if you haven’t already, is that I’m just like anybody else in this crowd. I’m a single parent. My twins at the time was, well, damn, they were maybe eight or nine years old. And yeah, you can imagine how much time that I’ve lost spending with them over the last years, especially during COVID, the years of COVID, if I was lucky to see them half a year, that was a thing as well. And I love sports, grew up playing basketball, football, track. You going to see that in the book. I also was a rapper. I

Maximillian Alvarez:

Was going to say, don’t bury the lead. There’s a little juicy story about your rap history in there.

Chris Smalls:

Yeah, yeah. There’s a little rap stink that I had briefly after college, dropped out of college because I wanted to pursue music. I thought I was going to blow up overnight and then I got hit with reality getting back into the workforce. I got married and divorced at a young age, but I was married for eight years and during that hardship, working at Amazon was our main source of income for my household, one of them at least. And having healthcare as well. Healthcare Amazon provided for me and my kids and my wife at the time. So when I lost all of that during the pandemic, it really showed me how much the company didn’t really care about anybody. After I poured five years of my blood, sweat and tears into the company after I’ve done so much opening up these warehouses for them, training thousands of Amazon workers, hundreds of their upper management, the companies just say, “You know what?

We don’t care. We’re going to fire you. ” And not only fire you, they did it in a way that martyred me by Jeff Bezos, who was the richest man in the world, signing off on the smear campaign, which basically said to make me the face of the whole unionizing efforts against Amazon, which is a good idea. But at the same time, the racist part in the beginning saying that I’m not smart or articulate, something that they use in these corporate settings to put upon Black people and Brown people, saying that we’re not smart enough or we’re not articulate enough to even talk about anything when it comes to work related issues. So that was really the catalyst of a moment right there where I embraced it and I said, “You know what? Even though I no longer work for the company, I’m going to continue fighting for the workers inside the building.” Ultimately, for a whole year from 2020 to 2021, we traveled the country protesting in front of debt bases, mansions and penthouses while Bessemer, Alabama was trying their efforts and we all was paying attention.

My folks in Staten Island, we were paying attention, but we took it a step further. We did drive down there. We drove 16 hours from New York City down to Bessemer in a car, one car squished up and we stayed about a week connecting with workers there, connecting with the union, trying to figure it out because we didn’t know what we wanted to do. We wanted to do something, but we didn’t really have all the answers. But unfortunately, yes, like Max said, when they lost, it was definitely devastating for everybody. We felt that because of several reasons. Number one, that building investment Alabama has about 6,000 employees, five, 6,000 employees. Majority of them are black people. 85% of the building is black, 80% of the workforce there are black women. So when Amazon spent millions of dollars stopping that campaign, that was a direct attack on black and brown people and that’s something that we resonated with in Staten Island, New York where the demographics are similar to our building as well.

So the next day after the results came out, it just so happened to be our birthday, four 20, four / 20 / 2021 is when we started our campaign the next day after those results came out. We didn’t even wait.

And yeah, that year was like a blur as well, but it was 11 months, over 300 plus days I set up an encampment outside of the building that fired me at a public bus stop talking to workers every single day, rain shine, how to call night or day about why we need to start a union. And originally we sent out the Olive branch to the established unions. We wanted some support. We wanted some resources, some help, but we got nothing in return because a lot of people didn’t believe in us. A lot of people thought that it wasn’t going to work. Who are you guys to unionize when y’all don’t have any resources, y’all don’t have any knowledge, experience, et cetera. But one thing we did know is that we’re Amazon workers. Whether we’re fired or not, we know the ins and out of the company better than Jeff Basils.

So we felt that was the only way, and I still believe that till this day that the only way it could have been done was grassroots, gorilla style tactics in the trenches every day, meeting your workers face-to-face. That was the only way it was going to work. We couldn’t take the shortcut routes. We couldn’t do the traditional style organizing methods that most unions use. We had to think outside of that box and also sacrifice. Sacrifice was one of the things that we all had to do as a collective. And yeah, it was successful. 11 months, hard blood sweat and tears into the campaign and it paid off to become the first union in American history for Amazon workers. And still, till this day, that building is the only unionized building in this country and that’s what people got to understand. And it’s pro and con to that.

Yes, it’s great that we still are standing, but it shouldn’t take four years for us to have a contract. Keep that in mind that even when I was the president for three years, the first thing we did when we won was demand the bargaining order from Amazon, or at least from the National Labor Relation Board so that we can negotiate with Amazon. We didn’t hear anything under the Biden administration. I don’t know what happened, but there was some magic in the air. We got a bargaining order in April of this year, but Amazon has already appealed it because they’ve been spending millions of dollars holding things up for the last four years. So for those and everybody who’s been questioning like, “Why don’t you guys have a contract or you guys are not getting a contract?” It’s not because of us. It’s literally because the system is broken.

The system is not worker friendly. As much as these progressives and politicians say that the system are usher us to the system that’s supposed to work for us, it doesn’t. It’s not in our favor. So we have to continue to fight every step of the way. And actually when we won in 2021, that was just the beginning of the fight. This fight is a lifetime struggle and now the only thing that I can see that our union can do, and not just our union, because there’s other unions out here, Starbucks workers, all these other unions that emerge, they’re still fighting for contracts too and negotiating their way through it. But the only thing I can see that’ll work for all of us is if we withhold our strongest weapon, which is our labor and go on strike.

Maximillian Alvarez:

And it was wild too reporting on Bessemer and then reporting on you guys and sort of seeing how the things that worked for Amazon Imbessemer weren’t working on Staten Island. I think that was a real sort of moment of insurgent energy because in Bessemer, when the workers brought in the RWDSU, Amazon did what union busting employers always do where they’re like, “Oh, this is an outside force that’s trying to come in and get in between our relationship.” They couldn’t do that with you guys because it was like, no, these are literally just the workers in the warehouse. And so I wanted to touch on that because it was such a big debate at the time because of Bessemer and ALU especially, but everyone was talking about, is it better to go the independent route like Amazon Labor Union, Trader Joe’s United, the Home Depot workers who tried to unionize in Philly, or is it better to go with an established union like the Teamsters of the RWDSU?

And so with five, again, like you said, five, four years of experience since we were having those debates, I think it’s important for us to sort of revisit and update that and you know better than us. I wanted to ask after all that you’ve been through in this struggle, where have you landed on the independent or established union debate, especially in light of the AOU affiliating with the Teamster?

Chris Smalls:

Yeah. I mean, I still stick by my original sentiment that there was no other way that we was going to get it done, not with any established union. Didn’t matter how long they’ve been around, how powerful they are. The way we organize is completely against any type of style. You can’t read about it because it hasn’t been done before. And yeah, I still believe that independent unions are something that we still need to push. Not saying that established unions can’t support, but what’s happening over the last few years, to be honest, after we won in 2021, well, let me take it to the day of. The day we beat Amazon, we had $2.50 in our account. Now it’s funny because we were broke as hell. We didn’t have dudes paying members. We still don’t have dues paying members. We don’t have a contract. So I can’t ask for workers who are making $20 an hour to pay union dues.

I wasn’t going to do that as the union president. The next day we had almost half a million dollars because the bandwagon came, the unions, “Oh yeah, we supported. Oh yeah.” But they really, really didn’t. Actually, there was a reporting that all the established unions combined only contributed after we all won, talk about Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Amazon, you name it, they only contributed 3% of their resources into these campaigns. And I can tell you we didn’t get one of those 3%. We got zero. Literally nobody offered us anything before we won. And after we won, the bandwagon came and everybody said, “Oh yeah, we had some resurgence in the labor movement,” which is great. It was. It was definitely headlines, it was definitely international news and resonated with millions of workers around the world. The problem is that established unions didn’t use that opportunity to double down and really invest into grassroots movements because they was embarrassed.

We weren’t the first people who tried to unionize Amazon. Absolutely not. Actually, established unions have been trying to unionize Amazon for over a decade, even before Bessemer, Alabama. And guess what? You guys never heard about it. I never heard about it. It was actually a campaign at GFK8 while I was working there, didn’t even hear about it until we started and that was ran by the established union of the Teamsters. So when it comes to which side do I really ride with, I’m going to say the one that works and I know that there’s pros and cons to everything. The thing about independent unions and grassroots efforts, as we all know, if you’re grassroots, it’s a struggle. You’re not going to have all the tools and resources given to you all the time. You got to scrap, you got to sacrifice, you got to crowdfund, you got to have mutual aid.

We literally had a GoFundMe, which it’s sad to say, but that was our only lifeline of how we were able to feed our comrades and our workers there. So the reason why we had to affiliate with the Teamsters, which I signed by the way, is because we’re going up against a $2.2 trillion company like Amazon that has all the money to hold things up in federal court for four or five years like they have it, which you guys are not privy to this all the time, but Amazon has million dollar lawyers and while I was the president, I’ve been to federal court against Amazon. I lost count how many times over the years and all they do every time we do something, they appeal it into a federal court to try to get it to a right wing Supreme Court and try to get us decertified.

That is their game plan. They’re not trying to come to the table. They still don’t even want to recognize that we won. So the affiliation with the Teamsters was so that my union doesn’t go bankrupt because if we don’t have dues paying members and people are not going to continuously donate, we have to give resources to stay alive and stay afloat. The Teamsters was going to offer that. The affiliation agreement that I signed was something that I and my executive board negotiated along with our legal counsel and it was one that we benefited from the most. We have full autonomy with our local ALU, IBT, local one, full autonomy, full jurisdiction on Amazon. And the most important thing that I got in that contract was they have strike benefits. They can offer the workers at JFKA right now a thousand dollars a week to go on strike if they wanted to.

I’m not the president anymore, but this is something that I set up to help them succeed in that journey. It’s up to the workers, it’s up to the current leadership of the union. It’s up to them to take that initiative and utilize it. And hopefully they do because the clock is ticking. Right now since we’ve been issued a bargaining order, Amazon has already appealed it, but the clock is ticking for them to come to the table. They have about a year to do so. Otherwise, the game plan that Amazon is going to run is going to try to decertify the union. So hopefully they get their stuff together and they get it done. I’m always going to support my union, whether I have a position or not. And that’s what we all have to do in solidarity. We all have a role to play because our fight is absolutely your fight.

A lot of people don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes at Amazon are within these campaigns. So the reason why we’re here today, the reason why you guys are picking up this book is because this book is also not just a memoir, but it’s also a how-to. It’s going to give you some tools on how we can all fight back against the system that’s oppressing us.

Maximillian Alvarez:

Hell yeah.

So I really want to talk before we get to Q&A about your life, your work, your mission beyond ALU. And the last time we did an interview, you were sailing to Gaza for Christ’s sake. So I want us to get there, but before we do, just to pick up on what you were saying there, I think it’s really important for us to in this space, model a real, honest, no BS discussion about what we can learn from the beautiful, complicated, heartbreaking, inspiring story of the first Amazon union. Because so many struggles before you and there are going to be plenty after you, you guys faced a lot of external pressure and internal debates, division. This stuff happens and you write about some of that in the book and there’s a time and place to talk about that stuff and it’s not here. We’re not here to sort of air dirty laundry and point fingers.

Everyone knows Chris isn’t perfect. I’m not perfect. You’re not perfect. And that’s, I think the point is that whether you’re organizing your shop or trying to build a political movement, you can’t do anything without the messy realities of messy human beings who make the movement. So our humanity is always part of the story and none of us is perfect. And so I wanted to ask you, Chris, again, not for us to get sucked into the … She said … I’ve talked to other Amazon members who have different versions of the story and I always tell them, like I told you, I was like, “It’s not my place to pick sides here. I’m not in this union. I’m a fucking journalist.” And it breaks my heart when I see these divisions because I want the best for everybody, but life doesn’t work out like the fairytales in our heads.

So what can we learn from y’all’s experience that can help others out there who are going through these struggles and it’s getting tough and the company, the employers appealing every victory, it’s like one step forward, three steps back. You’re losing friendships because shit just gets really tough. You have no money. What can folks out there who are experiencing that learn from what y’all went through in ALU?

Chris Smalls:

Yeah, great question. I mean, once again, when you’re taking on one of the most powerful companies in the world, you’re trying to bring people together from all different backgrounds, all different creeds, you’re going to have disagreements, you’re going to have different political ideologies, you’re going to have infighting, every union, every organization does. We just were under a microscope because of our historical victory and the mistake that the media Yeah, sort of did was comparing us to established unions that’s been around for a hundred years. We weren’t that. We’re grassroots organizers. Most of them weren’t even organizers. They were just everyday civilians that were inspired, that were passionate, that wanted to do something. Even myself as the leader at the time, I didn’t have all the answers as well. I had to learn and I’m still learning every day. I’m a sponge. I’m learning new what’s going on overseas is affecting us here.

The things that I’m doing with Palestine, Cuba, wherever I’m going, it affects us here. I try to connect those dots. Some people just can’t think that big and unfortunately it leads to disagreements, but the disagreements are that’s a democracy. That’s exactly what a democracy is.

Unfortunately, the movement has its way of weaning people out. It’s not for everybody. It’s just real. A lot of people will see social media posts or see something happening, protests, whatever it is. Even going back to George Floyd days when there was millions of people taken to the streets in America. But where are these millions of people now? They’re back at work. A lot of people see things for the moment they get involved and then they get burnt out. They get weeded out or they realize this is too tough for me. And a lot of it is what happened to our union. A lot of folks thought that it’s a lot easier than what it is. Yes, I do make things look cool sometimes. That’s intentional because organizing is stressful as shit. I know we all know that. Organizing hard, stressful, tiring, exhausting, all of the above.

And I tried to make it as simple, as cool, as fun as possible because I know what workers are dealing with working at Amazon. That was one of my biggest things is making sure that everybody around me was always good in some capacity. Unfortunately, once again, the movement is going to be the movement. And for those who jump into this movement or this type of work or any type of work, you got to know what you signed yourself up for. This is a lifetime struggle. Our ancestors paved the way and not only that lost their lives, some are incarcerated right now as we speak so that we can have the right to organize, that we can have a reason to organize. So when these type of movements, you can’t have one foot in, one foot out. You got to be fully committed for the long haul and you got to be fully committed to sacrificing something because if you spoke out about Palestine, you lost something.

I know I did. If you spoke out at your workplace, you’re going to be targeted. If not worse, you’re going to get terminated. If you speak out against all of the injustices that we’re seeing right now in this country, you’re going to lose friends. You’re going to lose loved ones. I know a lot of us in here that probably when they started talking about October 7th, it was tough conversations in the beginning because I could tell you I lost 10,000 followers on Instagram instantly when I posted about Palestine over three years ago. And it was the same people that said in my DMs, “Chris, we supported you for Amazon workers, but this is where I draw the line.” What? In return, you know what I said? Fuck you.

Because if you can’t make the relationship between Amazon and genocide, then I can’t help you. And I don’t give a damn if you one of my organizers or not. If you fighting over some petty shit when Jeff Bezos is flying in space on the penis rocket, you missing the plot. So people want to attack the wrong things and that happens a lot on the left. We’re talking about the character, the person, the individual, how I look, how I talk, where I’m going, what headlines I’m gathering. Meanwhile, Amazon is firing 30,000 people next week. And that was what I always tell my organizers. We’re fighting about what we doing next when Amazon is winning. They are in the building union busting and y’all worried about the wrong things. So for me, the biggest lesson I learned is you got to stay true to the mission. And I don’t debate too much.

I mean, I do sometimes because I have to defend myself in certain cases, but I’ve never played into the naysay about myself or about my union because I let the work speak for itself. We made history, unprecedented history, and people that were there, they know. That’s all I care about. My day ones that walked out of the building six years ago with me, they know. Everybody else that came afterwards that’s going to jump on board later on, that’s going to look back, reflect back, that none of that matters. What matters is what are you willing to do to get Amazon to come to the table? What are you willing to do to liberate the people of Palestine? And more importantly, if you don’t get up and do the work, who’s going to do it because there’s no calvary coming for us?

Maximillian Alvarez:

One of the things that has sort of always colored the way that I have watched your journey is the fact that I always think that I was working in warehouses back in Southern California 15 years ago in the depths of the Great Recession. Our family was losing our house like millions of others. It was awful. And the thought of one of us having the cultural international statue that you do that one of us would be giving so much hope to people around the country and around the world is just mind boggling to me, but it’s also like that’s got to be a lot to go through as a working warehouse guy to then kind of be catapulted to that. So that’s not to excuse anything. It’s just to be like, we should give each other as much grace as we possibly can while holding ourselves accountable to each other.

Do our best. That’s the best that we can do for each other. And I say that to say by getting us to your activism beyond the warehouse, because what is it about your story, ALU’s story that has spoken to so many people around the world? And how did that lead you to becoming a global activist for human rights from Gaza to Cuba?

Chris Smalls:

Great question. I mean, well, number one, if you’d have told me that I could look as cool as a rapper, as a union organizer, I’d have been doing this shit a long time ago, would have saved you some

Maximillian Alvarez:

Years.

Chris Smalls:

I don’t look like your typical union president. My union doesn’t look like your typical union. My executive board didn’t look like your typical union executive board. So culturally, we gravitated to the younger generation. They looked at us and said, “Oh wow, they look cool. Amazon Labor Union, oh man, they’re wearing sweats and T-shirts and hat backwards and whatever else.” And we did something at a time where once again, the world was watching and we captivated that moment in time. But the international piece came when I got a passport because I just got a passport when I became the president three, four years ago. I didn’t even have a passport and 70% of Americans don’t have a passport.

I encourage you, number one, get one because since I got a passport, I’ve been to 45 different countries around the world and counted. And when I go to these countries, I’m not on vacation. I’m not on tourist trips sort of because I need to learn some things, I need to see some things, but I’m meeting with Amazon workers and I’ll give you the best example that I have as far as how much dedication or how dedicated I am to the movement. I was invited two years ago when I was the president still. I was invited to Paris by Pharrell and Rihanna to walk in the Louis Vuitton runway for this grand opening. And the same day I was invited to the White House again for the second time from Kamala Harris while she was running for president. I declined both of those and went to an Amazon warehouse in Canada, literally.

And guess what? I’m proud to say that that Amazon warehouse in Canada is the first unionized building in Canada’s history. So once again, people could say what they want about me. I know how I move. I know I’m very conscious about what’s going on, what’s being out there, what’s put out there and those around me, once again, they know if you’ve met me in the past, if you’ve been around me, if you hung around, what you see is what you get. I don’t really have to put on a facade and I think that’s what really resonates with people is that they can relate to me and that they feel comfortable talking and actually working alongside or working with me in some way. I think the international piece, the international solidarity that I’ve shown is also shown other people that what’s happening abroad is coming back home to roots, especially when it comes to Palestine.

There was several reasons why I got on that flotilla. Number one, I’m an Amazon worker, sure. Amazon has invested $7.2 billion into project numbers. The technology that’s being used to target and surveil and kill innocent Palestinians is powered by Amazon Web Services, number one. Number two, I’m a black man and I have kids. I don’t want my kids to grow up in a world where we’re watching, scrolling every day, seeing dead people. I don’t know about you guys, but that shit is enough, traumatizing. And number three, I’m a taxpayer citizen, American taxpayer citizen like all of us. We all should be outraged where our taxpaying dollars are going. And I could tell you what I saw in Gaza is there’s no comparison. Less than a hundred miles away from Gaza Strip. I’ll never forget before we got … Well, we were already intercepted, but I will never forgive me crying on the ship because I was so angry that we didn’t make it, but just knowing that we were so close, 60 miles away from Gaza Strip, our boat got swarmed with flies and I’ll never forget I asked one of my comrades, “Where the hell did all these flies come from?” And it’s because there was so much death and so much bodies under rubble, vermin, whatever you want to call it, that the flies flew a hundred miles away from land to find food from our garbage and we were swarmed and I said, “Whatever we’re seeing on Instagram, it’s actually just a glimpse.

It’s not even close to how bad it is over there.” And I hear testimonies from doctors all the time. It’s beyond what I could put into words and obviously what happened to me is just confirmation that Israel is a racist apartheid state. That being said, spreading awareness, going back to who I am and why I do what I do and how I move.

What other labor leader in this country that you know is banned from Israel for a hundred years? That’ll be me. When it comes to Cuba, I brought 25 people from the Amazon Labor Union to Cuba three, four years ago, first labor delegation to Cuba and we delivered humanitarian aid back then. We graduated from Fidel Castro University. We stayed in bootcamp. We were disciplined. We learned the Cuban way and I’ve never looked back, been to Cuba every year since. And you may have saw that I was detained two months ago. I took my phone and they worry about the 16 other people that they took their phones from. They gave them their phones back, but some of the comrades that I was with heard the ICE agents talking about, “Oh, that’s the Amazon guy. We got the Amazon guy.” So the target on my back is very much real and they’re detaining other people questioning about me right now as we speak.

It’s just happened. So I think it’s important and then I know y’all saw me crash the Med Gala. I wasn’t invited. I wasn’t invited to the Med Gala so I had to crash the party, but we crashing the Med Gala was the spread awareness and it worked because if I would’ve sat home 20 minutes away from where Jeff Babes was about to walk the red carpet, 40 minutes away from the building where they have a negotiated contract in four years, I’m doing a disservice to myself and to my entire union and the working class as a labor leader. I do the things that I do because I ask myself this question, if Chris Smalls doesn’t do this work, who’s going to do it? And that answer sometimes is very scary because the answer is nobody. And that’s the same question that each and every one of y’all got to ask yourselves.

If you don’t get up and do this work, who’s going to do it? And hopefully that motivates you to continue in doing what you’re doing.

Maximillian Alvarez:

Give it up for Chris. Well, and I think that’s a perfect lead into a final question before we get to Q&A, because your book is called When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class. And I want to talk about what that fight like, what’s really at stake and how big it is because right now from the excitement we felt when you guys won to the depression we feel that you still don’t have a contract to Trump strangling Cuba, invading Venezuela, kidnapping its president, going to war with Iran, the climate spiralantic in control, we tried and we failed to stop a genocide. It feels so hopeles sometimes, but the fight is where we actually have the chance to change the outcome and it’s not just in our workplaces and it’s not just in Gaza, but I wanted to ask you what your sort of final message is for a working class struggle and movement that can actually turn this tide and bring us back to a future that we can give to our kids that’s still worth living in.

Chris Smalls:

Yeah. Great question. And I mean, when I say a fight for the future of the working class, I mean, we’re fighting for humanity right now. There is no Calvary coming to save us. I’m going to tell you now, politicians are not our savior and in the history of the human race, we never voted our way to liberation. We always had to fight most of it with our lives. And when I’m talking about the revolution, well, the revolution starts with yourself. The times that we’re in right now, as you mentioned, they’re terrible. Society, things that are normalized, being desensitized, all of these things that are happening real time in our faces. Every day there’s something new on the headlines distracting us from the bigger picture. The way we was able to beat this $2.2 trillion company because we came together for one common cause the same way that people were coming together for Palestine because it wasn’t like this three years ago until we saw the student encampments, the protests in the streets, the flotillas, all of the different things that we’re seeing because people are fed up, young people, young people are fed up.

I knew one day when I walked into a middle school and this 10-year-old kid said, “Jeff Bezos is a bad man,” I said, “I’m doing something right.” Because I couldn’t imagine myself at 10 years old and I encourage teachers and many educators in the room, “Bring some of your labor leaders. I’ll come to your classroom. I will definitely come out. I’ve been to elementary schools, you name it. I’ve been there. University, I will be there because I know the importance of getting to the youth. We don’t want them to continue to praise these celebrities and athletes and musicians. We want them to praise the people that’s actually doing some great work and that’s people right here in our own community and reminding ourselves where we came from because society has changed because of companies like Amazon who’s forcing us to hit one click buy. Stay home, stay isolated, just audio package.

It shows up to your door. You see one person deliver it, but you never see the 10 or 12 people that that box done touched before it got there. Six of them got injured. One of them possibly could have got killed, but you would never hear about it. And that’s the message that we all have to spread because somebody in your household, somebody in your neighborhood doesn’t know this, doesn’t know what’s happening at these warehouses, doesn’t know what’s happened with the Amazon Labor Union. As big as that victory was, you already know we in a country that is very, very retroactive and a lot of people here got amnesias are living worse, living in their own bubbles. That’s saying you’re in your own bubble, but that’s not a good thing. That’s up to us to find these people, to meet them where they at, mainly work and to get them organized because when I say a fight for the future of the working class, and I say the revolution comes once again, that’s everybody in this room coming together for one common cause for the greater good of humanity.

And I’ll give you this last gem.

The fight for Palestine is going to liberate the world, but the fight for black and brown indigenous people is going to liberate everybody.

Maximillian Alvarez:

Let’s give it up for Chris Malls, everyone. All right, gang. That’s going to wrap things up for us today. I want to thank our guest, Chris Smalls, co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union. Go check out Chris’s new book, When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class. And thank you to Red Emma’s Cooperative Bookstore and Coffeehouse for hosting this amazing event. And of course, I want to thank you all for listening and I want to thank you for caring. We’ll see y’all back here next time for another episode of Working People. And in the meantime, go explore all the great work that we’re doing at the Real News Network, where we do grassroots reporting that lifts up the voices and stories from the front lines of struggle. Check us out across our YouTube channel, our different podcast feeds, our website, and our social media pages, and help us do more work like this by going to therealnews.com/donate and becoming a supporter today.

I promise you guys, it really makes a difference. I’m Maximillian Alvarez. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Solidarity forever.

💾

O Grupo Carrefour deu mais um passo em seu processo de reorganização no Brasil e confirmou que deixará definitivamente Barueri, na Grande São Paulo. Como parte da mudança, a companhia também colocará à venda o complexo corporativo que ocupa há anos no bairro do Tamboré, um dos principais centros administrativos da empresa no país.A decisão representa o encerramento de uma importante operação corporativa da rede varejista e acompanha uma tendência observada em grandes empresas desde a pandemia, período em que o modelo de trabalho passou por profundas transformações.Saída de Barueri já tem data definidaDe acordo com informações divulgadas pelo portal Barueri na Rede, a transferência está prevista para acontecer em agosto de 2026.Com a mudança, as áreas comercial, jurídica e administrativa deixarão o município e passarão a operar em dois endereços na cidade de São Paulo. As equipes serão distribuídas entre unidades localizadas na Vila Maria, na Zona Norte, e no Tatuapé, na Zona Leste da capital.Atualmente, o complexo de Barueri concentra operações ligadas ao Carrefour, Atacadão e Sam's Club, funcionando como um dos principais polos administrativos do grupo no Brasil. Leia Também: ECONOMIA Tarifaço dos EUA pode tirar R$ 38 bilhões do bolso dos brasileiros MUNDO Encontro entre Lula e Trump tenta reverter tarifaço de 37,5% REAJUATE Plano de saúde mais caro: alta de 9,9% força famílias a cortarem gastos no orçamento Imóvel chama atenção pelo tamanhoInstalada na Alameda Tucunaré, no Tamboré, a sede possui números expressivos e é considerada um dos grandes ativos imobiliários da companhia.O complexo conta com:45 mil metros quadrados de área total;Mais de 23 mil metros quadrados de área construída;744 vagas de estacionamento;Estrutura utilizada como campus corporativo integrado.Durante anos, o espaço foi utilizado como centro estratégico para a gestão das operações da empresa, o que torna sua venda um movimento relevante para o mercado imobiliário corporativo.Trabalho híbrido mudou estratégia das empresasA saída de Barueri também reflete uma mudança no comportamento das grandes corporações.Nas décadas passadas, era comum que empresas concentrassem milhares de funcionários em grandes sedes localizadas em regiões empresariais como Alphaville e Tamboré. Esse cenário, porém, começou a mudar com o avanço do trabalho híbrido após a pandemia.Com menos funcionários presentes diariamente nos escritórios, muitas companhias passaram a utilizar apenas parte das estruturas que mantinham, reduzindo a necessidade de grandes campi corporativos.Venda busca reduzir custos e gerar recursosAlém da reorganização operacional, a comercialização do imóvel faz parte da estratégia financeira da companhia.Ativos corporativos de grande porte passaram a representar uma oportunidade para empresas que buscam otimizar despesas e transformar patrimônio imobiliário em recursos financeiros.Nesse contexto, o Carrefour pretende enxugar custos ligados à manutenção da estrutura e, ao mesmo tempo, monetizar um imóvel de alto valor localizado em uma das regiões empresariais mais conhecidas do estado.O impacto para BarueriEmbora a mudança não altere o funcionamento das lojas da rede, a saída reduz a presença administrativa do grupo em Barueri, município que se consolidou ao longo dos anos como endereço de grandes empresas nacionais e multinacionais.O movimento também reforça uma tendência cada vez mais presente no mercado corporativo: a substituição de grandes sedes por operações mais enxutas, flexíveis e adaptadas às novas formas de trabalho.Mais do que uma mudança interna do Carrefour, a venda da sede do Tamboré simboliza uma transformação que vem redesenhando o perfil dos escritórios corporativos em todo o país.

As obras do Veículo Leve sobre Trilhos (VLT) de Salvador avançaram para uma das etapas mais simbólicas do projeto. Um novo vídeo divulgado pelo canal VDS revelou imagens inéditas da instalação da estrutura metálica que permitirá a passagem dos trens sobre a BR-324, além de mostrar a transformação de um extenso muro da obra em uma verdadeira galeria de arte a céu aberto.As novidades surgem poucos dias após o Governo da Bahia anunciar intervenções no tráfego da BR-324 para viabilizar o lançamento das vigas do elevado. Estrutura gigante já cruza a BR-324O principal destaque das novas imagens é a instalação da segunda grande peça metálica do elevado do VLT, que agora atravessa completamente a BR-324.O que mudou nas obras do Trecho 2: Instalação da segunda grande estrutura metálica que atravessa a rodovia;Conexão entre os dois lados do elevado;Avanço da implantação do tabuleiro que receberá os trilhos;Instalação dos berais laterais de proteção;Continuidade das obras de acabamento da estrutura;Recuperação da área localizada abaixo do elevado;Serviços de paisagismo e plantio de grama no entorno. 1 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 2 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 3 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 4 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 5 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 6 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 7 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 8 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 9 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 10 de 10 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS Obra exigiu mudanças na rede elétricaOutro avanço importante ocorreu nos bastidores do projeto.Para permitir a construção do elevado, foi necessária uma ampla intervenção na rede de transmissão de alta tensão existente na região. Novos postes foram instalados e trechos da infraestrutura elétrica precisaram ser substituídos para garantir a segurança e a continuidade das obras.O serviço envolveu equipes especializadas e representou mais uma etapa técnica fundamental para o avanço do empreendimento.Corredor do VLT vira galeria de arteMas nem só de concreto, aço e engenharia vive a obra.Um dos pontos que mais chamam atenção nas novas imagens é a intervenção artística que está sendo realizada em um muro de terra armada com quase dois quilômetros de extensão.Assinado pelo artista plástico baiano Yoshi José, o projeto transforma o corredor do VLT em uma grande galeria de arte a céu aberto, utilizando cores vibrantes e referências ligadas à identidade cultural da Bahia.As pinturas retratam a integração entre diferentes modais de transporte — como metrô, ônibus urbanos, rodoviários e o próprio VLT — além de destacar elementos da fauna local, como o ouriço-cacheiro, espécie encontrada em áreas próximas ao corredor das obras.Mais de 15 profissionais participam da execução dos painéis, que passam a integrar o projeto urbano do novo sistema de transporte. 1 de 3 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 2 de 3 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS 3 de 3 | Foto: Reprodução / Canal VDS Paisagismo começa a mudar entorno da obraAs transformações também já podem ser vistas na parte inferior do elevado.As equipes concluíram serviços de recuperação da malha asfáltica e avançam agora em ações de paisagismo, incluindo o plantio de grama ao longo do trecho onde a estrutura foi implantada.A proposta é revitalizar áreas impactadas pela construção e integrar o novo modal ao ambiente urbano. Leia Também: MOBILIDADE VLT de Salvador pode chegar ao Barradão; conheça proposta de ampliação OBRAS AVANÇANDO VLT de Salvador ganha novas frentes de obras com rede subterrânea SALVADOR VLT de Salvador: vídeo revela detalhes inéditos da obra gigante; assista VLT entra em fase decisivaO avanço da travessia sobre a BR-324 ocorre em um momento importante para o cronograma do VLT.Recentemente, o governador Jerônimo Rodrigues anunciou que os primeiros testes operacionais do sistema devem começar após os festejos juninos. A expectativa do governo estadual é colocar a primeira etapa em operação assistida ainda neste segundo semestre.Quando concluído, o VLT terá cerca de 43,7 quilômetros de extensão e 50 paradas distribuídas em três trechos. O projeto é considerado uma das maiores obras de mobilidade urbana em execução na Bahia e promete conectar o Subúrbio Ferroviário, a Cidade Baixa, Águas Claras e a região da orla ao sistema metroviário da capital.Confira as novidades do Trecho 2 do VLT de Salvador: Quais são as etapas mais recentes das obras do VLT em Salvador? As obras do VLT em Salvador incluem a instalação de uma segunda estrutura metálica que atravessa a BR-324, além da conexão dos dois lados do elevado e o avanço na implantação do tabuleiro para os trilhos. Como a intervenção na rede elétrica impactou as obras do VLT? A construção do elevado exigiu alterações na rede de transmissão de alta tensão da região, com a instalação de novos postes e substituição de trechos da infraestrutura elétrica para garantir a segurança da obra. O que é a galeria de arte no corredor do VLT? O corredor do VLT conta com uma galeria de arte a céu aberto, criada pelo artista Yoshi José, que utiliza cores vibrantes para retratar a fauna local e a integração entre diferentes modais de transporte. Quais melhorias estão sendo feitas no entorno do VLT? As obras de paisagismo incluem a recuperação da malha asfáltica e o plantio de grama ao longo do trecho do VLT, visando revitalizar áreas impactadas e integrar o novo sistema ao ambiente urbano. Quando os primeiros testes operacionais do VLT serão realizados? Os testes operacionais do VLT devem começar após os festejos juninos, com a expectativa de que a primeira etapa entre em operação assistida ainda neste segundo semestre.

O jogo online vale cerca de 24 mil milhões de euros e o jogo ilícito online poderá valer ”outro tanto”, o que é “muitíssimo dinheiro à solta nas plataformas eletrónicas”, disse hoje o ministro da Economia, Manuel Castro Almeida.

Falando no lançamento da campanha “Nem tudo o que vês é jogo seguro”, promovida pela Direção-Geral do Consumidor (DGC) em conjunto com a Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE) e o Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) do Turismo de Portugal, Manuel Castro Almeida apelou às entidades envolvidas que combatam o jogo ilícito online “com eficiência, com determinação e, sobretudo, com uma grande concertação”.

Depois de uma proposta do Livre para alterar o regime dos jogos online e das apostas ter sido chumbada no parlamento, pelo PSD e CDS, o governante anunciou que o Governo vai aprovar “neste verão” nova legislação “para atualizar as regras sobre o jogo online”.

Classificando o fenómeno como “uma praga”, referiu a necessidade de “combater o fenómeno” ao nível da fiscalização e da punição, mas também da “prevenção ativa” e na “consciencialização dos cidadãos sobre os perigos do jogo ilegal”.

“O jogo ilegal online destrói muita gente, muitas famílias, muitas pessoas, e também é péssimo para a economia“, assinalou. Alertou ainda que o fenómeno do jogo ilegal online “está a crescer muito depressa”, também porque “criou-se um pouco a ideia de impunidade em tudo o que é fraude digital”.

“É por isso que vos faço um apelo. Se precisarem de mudar as regras, sugiram-no. Se for preciso mudar as leis para permitir mais facilmente combater este problema, sugiram-no. O Governo está cá para isso”, disse ainda, dirigindo-se aos parceiros da campanha.

Na mesma sessão, o diretor-geral do Consumidor, Jorge Seguro Sanches, explicou que os objetivos da campanha passam por “dar aos consumidores mais informação sobre os riscos do jogo ilegal online”, um fenómeno que põe em causa “a situação económica, mas também a vida das pessoas”.

O diretor nacional da Polícia Judiciária, Carlos Cabreiro, enumerou os riscos do jogo ilegal online, que funciona através de esquemas fraudulentos destinados ao roubo de identidade, fraude financeira e disseminação de vírus para espionagem e bloqueio de ficheiros, entre outros crimes que qualificou como sendo “graves”.

A campanha, a ser divulgada através dos canais digitais das entidades envolvidas, conta também com a PJ como entidade parceira, e destina-se a alertar para os riscos associados à publicidade ao jogo ilegal, com especial enfoque nos jovens.

Durante a sessão de apresentação da campanha, foi também assinado um protocolo de cooperação entre a DGC e a PJ nas áreas da defesa dos direitos dos consumidores, do ambiente digital e da investigação criminal, através de formação, intercâmbio de conhecimento e boas práticas, comunicação e divulgação, organização de eventos e partilha de recursos documentais.

Hanno vinto tutti, come al solito. Ha vinto il centrodestra, che tiene Arezzo e Macerata e si prende Lecco. Ma ha vinto anche il centrosinistra, che trionfa – a sorpresa – ad Agrigento e si conferma a Chieti e Trani. E dunque, a stare a sentire i politici degli opposti schieramenti, c’è da festeggiare. Tuttavia a ben guardare le elezioni amministrative nel complesso non ha vinto né l’uno né l’altro. Sì, perché nei 118 comuni con più di 15mila abitanti al voto quest’anno tanto il centrodestra quanto il centrosinistra perdono sindaci. Chi vincono, quindi? I civici.

Tutti i risultati

L’elaborazione è pubblicata da YouTrend: dopo la tornata del 2026 il centrosinistra, in termini assoluti, porta a casa 50 città, 40 invece il centrodestra. Qual era la situazione prima del voto? Il centrosinistra aveva 59 sindaci, 42 il centrodestra. E dunque è boom per i candidati civici, che da 17 passano a 28.

Nei 18 capoluoghi di provincia il centrosinistra ne porta a casa dieci, sei il centrodestra e due i civici. E qui sì che per i due schieramenti c’è un miglioramento: il primo partiva da otto, il secondo da cinque. Dunque un piccolo incremento per entrambi. I ballottaggi di oggi, invece, dicono che c’è stato un sostanziale equilibrio: tre a tre, col centrodestra che ha strappato Lecco e il centrosinistra, come detto, Agrigento. Per Lorenzo Pregliasco di YouTrend “i capoluoghi confermano la tendenza del primo turno, di un certo equilibrio. L’affluenza registra un calo fisiologico di circa otto punti” e si conferma il “punto debole dei ballottaggio che tendono a vedere una partecipazione inferiore”. L’affluenza si è attestata al 52,07%, in calo di oltre otto punti.

Centrodestra vs centrosinistra

La presidente del Consiglio, Giorgia Meloni, nel pomeriggio ha fatto sapere, attraverso i social, che è soddisfatta del risultato, che conferma “ancora una volta la forza del centrodestra, la solidità della coalizione e il suo radicamento nei territori. Avanti così, con serietà e concretezza”. Per Antonio Tajani “il centrodestra vince moltissimi ballottaggi e si conferma la coalizione protagonista”. Soddisfazione anche per la Lega, con la ministra per la Disabilità, Alessandra Locatelli, secondo cui “la Lega vince a Lecco, Arezzo, Macerata e in tantissimi altri comuni e vince il centrodestra”, e con Matteo Salvini, che ha affidato ai social poche parole di circostanza, impegnato com’è nella gestione degli scossoni all’interno del partito e con una probabile riorganizzazione dei vertici.

A Meloni risponde prima Matteo Renzi, su X: “Nei comuni capoluogo è finita 10-6 per il centrosinistra. Sulla politica internazionale non ci hanno invitato a Londra. Sulla politica economica peggiorano debito, stipendi, bollette e produttività. E tu ci dici ‘avanti così?’ Chi si contenta gode, capisco. Ma così è troppo”. Poi tocca a Elly Schlein: “Vedo che continua ad avere problemi con la calcolatrice. Che si tratti di ammettere i troppo scarsi investimenti sulla sanità pubblica di questo governo o i risultati delle amministrative, il tentativo è sempre lo stesso: capovolgere la realtà. Quanto a noi, avevamo detto che i conti li avremmo fatti alla fine. Su 18 capoluoghi al voto, tra primo turno e ballottaggi, al centrosinistra vanno 8 sindaci e al centrodestra 6 sindaci. Belle vittorie a Agrigento, dove governavano loro, a Chieti e a Trani. Già al primo turno tra i comuni sopra i 15mila abitanti il centrosinistra ha vinto in 37 e il centrodestra in 25, cui si aggiungono numerosi comuni vinti in questo secondo turno, come la splendida vittoria di Molfetta. Al di là della propaganda di Meloni e Salvini, anche in questa tornata elettorale i numeri fotografano una chiara affermazione dell’alleanza progressista, con il Pd primo partito in gran parte del Paese”.

Sempre per i dem, c’è il responsabile organizzazione Igor Taruffi: “Alle vittorie di Mantova, Pistoia, Prato, Avellino e Andria al primo turno si aggiungono oggi Chieti, Trani e Agrigento al ballottaggio. Numeri ancora più chiari se si tiene conto dei risultati di altri due capoluoghi quali Salerno ed Enna già assegnati al primo turno in cui a prevalere non è stato certo il centrodestra”. E infine, il caso Molfetta, con Manuel Minervini di Rifondazione, sostenuto dal campo largo: “La vittoria netta del candidato del campo progressista è una nota particolarmente preziosa maturata in condizioni difficili ma che segnala l’affermazione anche del nuovo corso del Pd, che ha scelto di costruire l’alleanza progressista dicendo no a trasformismi e ambiguità”.

Il caso Vigevano e il No al referendum

A far parlare di sé, dopo il primo turno, era stata la seconda città più popolosa della provincia di Pavia – dopo il capoluogo – vale a dire Vigevano. E lo aveva fatto per il risultato oltre le aspettative del candidato di Roberto Vannacci, che correva senza simbolo (per ragioni organizzative), Fulvio Suvilla. Il candidato di Futuro Nazionale, infatti, aveva preso oltre il 14% dei voti, mentre Salvini aveva commissariato il partito dopo il disastro elettorale (il candidato del Carroccio è stato escluso dal ballottaggio). Nei giorni scorsi, Vannacci ha dato l’indicazione di non appoggiare nessuno, e di fare scheda bianca o nulla. Oggi ha vinto il candidato di Forza Italia, Paolo Previde Massara. E dall’analisi dei flussi elettorali di YouTrend, risulta che il 52% di chi aveva espresso il voto per Fuvilla è rimasto a casa, mentre il 41% ha dato la propria preferenza a Previde Massara.

Interessante un’altra elaborazione di YouTrend, che ha preso in considerazione il voto al referendum costituzionale dello scorso 22-23 marzo. Incrociando i dati tra le elezioni comunali e il referendum, emerge che il centrodestra “ha conquistato 25 comuni nei quali aveva prevalso il No. Al contrario, ci sono 6 comuni in cui aveva vinto il Sì ma in cui si è affermato il centrosinistra. Sebbene in questa tornata i comuni sopra i 15mila abitanti in cui il No aveva prevalso siano nettamente più numerosi rispetto a quelli in cui aveva vinto il Sì (91 contro 27), il dato evidenzia come il consenso raccolto dal No al referendum non si sia tradotto automaticamente in un sostegno ai candidati di centrosinistra alle amministrative”.

L'articolo Ballottaggi elezioni comunali, Meloni esulta: “Avanti così”. Schlein: “Ha problemi con la calcolatrice, ha vinto il centrosinistra”. Ecco tutti i numeri proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

Antes da entrada em bolsa, a OpenAI quer transformar o ChatGPT num assistente único capaz de programar, criar imagens e executar tarefas, numa viragem estratégica para produtos pagos e clientes empresariais. A OpenAI prepara a maior remodelação do ChatGPT desde que o seu lançamento deu início ao boom da inteligência artificial, numa altura em que o grupo, avaliado em cerca de 738 mil milhões de euros, procura novos motores de crescimento antes da entrada em bolsa prevista para este ano. A empresa pretende transformar o chatbot numa “superapp” que combine ferramentas de programação e agentes de inteligência artificial, acrescentando produtos

Куйбышевский районный суд Санкт-Петербурга закрыл уголовное дело поэта Гликерия Улунова (настоящее имя — Кирилл Яковлев), которого обвиняли в «пропаганде суицида». Улунов освобожден из СИЗО, сообщает правозащитный проект «Первый отдел».

«Не каждый день случаются такие чистые юридические победы! Абсурдное и с точки зрения здравого смысла, и с точки зрения права дело закончилось справедливо — человека освободили от уголовной ответственности», — сказал адвокат «Первого отдела» Евгений Смирнов.

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Мы знаем, что все устали от призывов о помощи и боятся действовать, потому что каждый день появляются новые запреты и способы давления. Но еще мы знаем, что людям, оказавшимся в российских тюрьмах из-за их антивоенной позиции, политических взглядов или просто по нелепой случайности, по-прежнему нужна помощь. Даже так — помощь ОЧЕНЬ нужна им самим и их близким. Пожалуйста, не оставляйте их одних.

Сидеть в российской тюрьме не только страшно, но и дорого. Ваш донат (лучше ежемесячный) позволит кому-то увидеться с родными, получить необходимые продукты и вещи, сохранить здоровье. Присоединяйтесь к неделе поддержки политзаключенных — все способы помочь собраны тут!

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Дело против Улунова было возбуждено по статье «организация деятельности, направленной на побуждение к совершению самоубийства». Она предусматривает лишение свободы на срок от пяти до 15 лет. Улунова задержали в августе 2025 года и затем отправили под арест.

Поводом для дела стало ироническое стихотворение «Пять тыщ идей для деструктивного дейта», написанное Улуновым. Следствие обнаружило в нем «скрытые призывы к суициду и самоповреждениям».

Гликерий Улунов — лауреат нескольких поэтических премий, он публиковался в журнале «Флаги». Российские пропагандистские СМИ обращали внимание на то, что Улунов учился в Европейском университете и Московской высшей школе социальных и экономических наук (Шанинка), а также собирался уехать в Великобританию по гранту фонда The Hill Foundation. РИА Новости назвало этот фонд «„продолжателем дела“ запрещенного в России „Фонда Ходорковского“».

Israel and Iran may be seeking an off-ramp to keep the latest flare-up of fighting from boiling over to an extended conflict in the wake of strikes between the two nations on Sunday and Monday. The attacks marked the most serious challenge to the shaky ceasefire that went into effect on April 8. They took place despite President Donald Trump urging both sides to stand down to let the sputtering peace process move forward.

Meanwhile, adding to the tensions, the Houthi rebels of Yemen, an Iranian proxy group, have threatened to attack Israeli shipping in the Red Sea region in support of Iran. As we reported yesterday, they fired missiles at Israel on Sunday.

Both Israel and Iran said on Monday evening local time that they were ready to stop fighting.

“Israel has decided to stop its attacks on Iran,” Reuters reporter Phil Stewart stated on X, citing a source.

SOURCE TO REUTERS: ISRAEL HAS DECIDED TO STOP ITS ATTACKS ON IRAN

— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) June 8, 2026

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it was halting attacks on Israel but maintained the right to resume them if Jerusalem continued “to target Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Fox News reporter Trey Yingst reported.

The IRGC says they are halting attacks on Israel. pic.twitter.com/yxAa4eokKX

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) June 8, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the decision to stop attacking Iran was made because “after we dealt a heavy blow to the terrorist regime in Tehran, it ceased its attacks on us. If the terrorist regime in Iran makes a mistake and attacks us again—we will respond with full force.”

در حال حاضر، آتش متوقف شده است، زیرا پس از اینکه ما به رژیم تروریستی در تهران ضربه محکم زدیم، حمله به ما را متوقف کرد.

اگر رژیم تروریستی در ایران اشتباه کند و دوباره به ما حمله کند – ما با قدرت پاسخ خواهیم داد.

نخست وزیر نتانیاهو:
شهروندان عزیز اسرائیل، یک سال پیش ما یک… pic.twitter.com/sk7sRwHNta

— اسرائیل به فارسی (@IsraelPersian) June 8, 2026

In a post on his social media platform, President Donald Trump said both sides “are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.”

The ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, however, “will remain in place, and in full force and effect, until a ‘Final Deal’ is reached,” Trump added. “Things should move quickly.”

“Both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on “Peace” are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way…” – President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/zLoFSZo3jZ

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 8, 2026

Earlier on Monday, Trump demanded that the two sides stop fighting.

“Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting,'” Trump insisted on Truth Social.

Trump: Israel and Iran should immediately stop “shooting”. pic.twitter.com/P3eM3qcGue

— The STRATCOM Bureau (@OSPSF) June 8, 2026

As we noted yesterday, the latest Israel-Iran fighting was sparked by Israeli bombing of Beirut on Sunday. Hours after that took place, Iran launched missiles at Israel and Israel fired back. Initially on Monday, Israeli leaders said they were expecting a conflict that would last for at least several days and that Iran has sufficient stocks of ballistic missiles to carry that out, according to the Israeli N12 News outlet.  

In addition, the IDF was preparing for more attacks from the Houthis and Hezbollah, N12 stated.

However, that analysis had apparently changed in recent hours.

החל גיוס מילואים, צה"ל נערך למערכה של כמה ימים עם איראן | כל הפרטיםhttps://t.co/T5OYTph17x pic.twitter.com/akVR63Fv2F

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) June 8, 2026

Israel’s retaliatory strikes came despite Trump telling several reporters on Sunday that he was going to tell Netanyahu to hold his fire and that both sides had done enough to each other and should cease attacking. Those conversations pointed to either messaging to deceive Iran about a pending attack or further signs of strain between the two leaders.

Trump to Channel 13 News:
''I think Israel has responded enough, no need for more. We can achieve peace after 3,000 years.''

— Farzad Seifikaran (@FSeifikaran) June 7, 2026

Netanyahu’s push to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon had reportedly already earned a invective-laden rebuke from Trump.

“You’re fucking crazy,” Axios said Trump told the Israeli leader in a phone call last week. “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”

"You're fucking crazy": Trump fumes at Netanyahu in call on Lebanon https://t.co/nAMDbaMWm6

— Axios (@axios) June 1, 2026

After Israel struck Beirut on Sunday, Trump told Financial Times that Netanyahu would have no choice but to accept any deal the U.S. negotiates with Iran, because he “calls the shots.”

“He won’t have any choice,” Trump told the outlet in a telephone interview. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn’t call the shots.”

BREAKING: President Trump says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will have "no choice" but to accept a US deal with Iran, because he "calls the shots," per FT.

Details include:

1. "I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn’t call the shots," Trump said

2.…

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) June 7, 2026

Despite Trump putting his foot down, overnight, “dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck nine Iranian air defense systems in western and central Iran, and this morning, the IAF struck three factories at a petrochemical complex in southwest Iran,” the Times of Israel reported. “The military says the strikes are only being carried out by Israel, but there is ‘full coordination’ with CENTCOM. Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has spoken with his counterpart, CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper, three times, according to the military.”

U.S. forces “are assisting in intercepting incoming missiles,” I24 News Diplomatic Correspondent Amichai Stein reported on X. “So far, Iran has launched approximately 22–24 missiles, while the Houthis have fired two.”

An IDF official confirmed that to us, saying that “the Israeli strikes were fully coordinated with CENTCOM across multiple dimensions, including intelligence, defensive preparedness, and operational planning.”

CENTCOM declined to comment.

However, a U.S. official told TWZ that American forces “did not defend Israel with air defense against missiles and drones.”

IDF sources:

• The military is preparing for at least several days of combat.

• U.S. forces are assisting in intercepting incoming missiles.

• So far, Iran has launched approximately 22–24 missiles, while the Houthis have fired two.

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) June 8, 2026

Earlier on Monday, Israel released video it says showed attacks on Iranian air defense systems.

FIRST FOOTAGE: Watch IDF strikes targeting aerial defense systems in Iran, which housed missiles intended to target aircraft. pic.twitter.com/7pWhnOuSGV

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 8, 2026

That strike was part of a wave of attacks Israel carried out on Iranian air defenses across the country.

STRUCK: The IDF completed a large-scale strike on strategic defense systems belonging to the Iranian terror regime.

Recently, defense systems were deployed across Iran to restore the regime’s capabilities degraded during Operation Roaring Lion. The strike led to the… pic.twitter.com/eEqV2QnXK3

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 8, 2026

Israel also claimed that among its targets were “infrastructure sites at the petrochemical complex in Mahshahr, in southwestern Iran.”

“These facilities were used by the armed forces of the Iranian terror regime to produce and export raw materials for weapons production,” the IDF posited. “The targeted infrastructure produced unique materials that serve as critical components for the development of ballistic missiles.”

confirmed. Among the 15 Targets IAF attacked is the Mahshahr Petrochemical Complex, officially known as the Petrochemical Special Economic Zone (PETZONE) in Bandar-e Mahshahr, Khuzestan Province. Right across the border from Kuwait !

This is Iran's 2nd largest petrochemical… https://t.co/2JgcUZpSZ3 pic.twitter.com/qvQFWMcC6I

— Eyal Ofer אייל עופר (@Eyalo365) June 8, 2026

Video emerged online showing the Israeli airstrikes in Tehran.

For the first time since the April ceasefire, Israel and Iran have attacked each other. Israel carried out strikes on western and central Iran including the Iranian capital Tehran.

While Iran launched missiles at northern Israel and said it is the beginning of a week of attacks.… pic.twitter.com/SmcwFKMw14

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) June 8, 2026

The attacks sparked a warning from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

“As a result of the current security situation in Israel, including Home Front Command alerts for multiple regions,” the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is ordering “all U.S. government employees and their family members to shelter in place, and be prepared to move to a protected shelter in the event of a red alert, until further notice.”

As a result of the current security situation in Israel, including Home Front Command alerts for multiple regions, the U.S. Embassy has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to shelter in place, and be prepared to move to a protected shelter in the event… pic.twitter.com/ohyK56GyNh

— U.S. Embassy Jerusalem (@usembassyjlm) June 8, 2026

Though both Israel and Iran say they are willing to stop fighting, tensions in the region remain high. We will continue to monitor the situation.

UPDATES

As we noted earlier in this story, the Houthi rebels of Yemen said they are banning Israeli ships from the Red Sea and took credit for missile attacks on Israel that took place on Sunday.

“We announce a complete ban on navigation for the enemy in the Red Sea, and any Zionist movements will be considered military targets for our forces,” said Brigadier General Yahya Sare’e, the Houthis’ spokesman. “We will confront escalation with escalation, and our operations will be escalating in line with the battle and our participation in the axis of jihad and resistance.”

“We affirm the right of our people and the free peoples of our nation to confront American-Israeli aggression,” he added. “We will not stand idly by in the face of the unjust siege on our people and the peoples of the axis of jihad and resistance.”

Sare’e also said the Houthis launched “a missile strike on sensitive targets of the Israeli enemy in occupied Jaffa, and achieving its objectives with precision, thanks to God.”

There were no reported injuries or damage from that attack.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announce that they launched a missile attack on Israel and declared a ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea.#Yemen pic.twitter.com/LYYPB7bibK

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) June 8, 2026

As we have previously reported, there have been major and relevant concerns that the Houthis could effectively shut down the Bab el-Mandeb (BAM) strait, a narrow stretch of water between Yemen and Djibouti. Doing so would choke off a flow of oil exports from Saudi Arabia to the east, exacerbating a huge spike in oil prices after Iran closed off the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping. Having both straits closed at once is something of a ‘sum of all fears’ scenario for the global energy marketplace.

A new Houthi offensive would be a major cudgel for Iran, because it would open a new front in the war and draw in U.S. military resources at a time when they are already heavily involved in the region. 

During the previous Houthi Red Sea campaign that stretched into early 2025, the U.S. and its allies deployed many warships, including the Eisenhower and Truman Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) to both defend against Houthi attacks and strike targets in Yemen. These operations resulted in a large expenditure of air defense munitions already under strain as Iran rained down missiles and drones across the Middle East.

You can see video from some of those encounters below.

Iran, meanwhile, insists it is maintaining its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

“No vessel without Iran’s permission has the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz Command vessel of the IRGC Navy,” the official Iranian Fars News Agency stated on X. “It is announced to all vessels that entry of any vessel from hostile countries into the Strait of Hormuz is prohibited and, if observed, they will immediately be targeted.”

Footage Shows Iran's Continued Control of Strait of Hormuzhttps://t.co/a4Ci6L1ZcO pic.twitter.com/4Tv6idNt8z

— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) June 8, 2026

CENTCOM says its forces once again disabled a ship trying to run the blockade. This time, the effort involved an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) firing “a precision munition into the ship’s engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions.”

The incident, involving the Palau-flagged M/T Marivex, took place as the unladen oil tanker transited international waters in the Gulf of Oman toward Iran, the command stated on X.

“Marivex is no longer sailing to Iran,” CENTCOM added.

This was the seventh ship trying to run the blockade that CENTCOM forces disabled, the command noted. In addition, it said it  “redirected 134 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13.”

You can read more about how the other six ships were disabled in our story here.

According to a release from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the U.S. disabled an unladen oil tanker, the M/T Marivex, in the Gulf of Oman today. Per the release, a “precise munition” from an F/A-18 Super Hornet was fired into the engine and steering areas of the vessel when the… pic.twitter.com/qyW4WBhfLa

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 8, 2026

Given existing concerns that Iran has mined the Strait, “US allies will seek Trump’s approval for a Europe-led plan to demine the Strait of Hormuz at next week’s G7 summit in France,” Bloomberg News is reporting. “The UK and French-led mine-clearing mission is operationally ready and set to deploy in the days after any Iran deal. Securing a G7 endorsement of the mission is one of the main goals of the summit. European leaders see it as a way of showing the continent is stepping up to help the US after Trump’s fury it didn’t back his war.”

US allies will seek President Donald Trump’s approval for a Europe-led plan to demine the Strait of Hormuz at next week’s Group of Seven summit in France. https://t.co/Byy6mE94rh

— Bloomberg (@business) June 8, 2026

You can read more about what it takes to conduct demining operations in our exclusive interview with a former MH-53E pilot who carried out those operations, which you can read here.

My exclusive interview with a pilot who flew the behemoth MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters on counter mine missions over the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.https://t.co/C0tvO2sLKp

— Howard Altman (@haltman) June 5, 2026

Despite the renewed fighting, Iran’s president says his country has not abandoned diplomacy.

“Our priority is national security and the peace of our people. We will defend the rights of the nation with authority and will not retreat in the face of any threat,” Masoud Pezeshkian stated on X. “Diplomacy and defense are the two wings of national power; we have neither abandoned the field nor the negotiating table. God willing, with unity and rationality, Iran will emerge triumphant from this trial as well.”

اولویت ما امنیت ملی و آرامش مردم است. با اقتدار از حقوق ملت دفاع می‌کنیم و در برابر هیچ تهدیدی عقب‌نشینی نخواهیم کرد. دیپلماسی و دفاع دو بال قدرت ملی‌اند؛ نه میدان را ترک کرده‌ایم و نه میز مذاکره را. به امید خدا با وحدت و عقلانیت ایران از این آزمون نیز سربلند عبور خواهد کرد.

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) June 8, 2026

In a post on X, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-connected Tasnim news agency claims Iran fired a new jet-powered drone at Israel during its waves of attacks yesterday. The outlet provided no details about the weapon or any imagery of it in flight. TWZ cannot independently verify the claim.

Iran Utilized Newly Unveiled Jet-Powered Drone in Overnight Strikes on Israel

Iran employed a previously unseen jet-powered drone in its overnight attacks on Israel, according to Seyed Mohammad Taheri, a military analyst at Tasnim News Agency’s War Interpretation Desk. https://t.co/ATvBOUmiOZ pic.twitter.com/Z4SBHawMcz

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) June 8, 2026

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

The post Iran And Israel Step Back From The Brink appeared first on The War Zone.

EUA atacam relatores da ONU que denunciam racismo, pobreza ou sanções. Defendem “interferência” quando convém e arruínam quem investiga seus crimes.

Junte-se a nós no Telegram , Twitter e VK.

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As tensões entre Washington e os relatores especiais da ONU não se limitaram à política externa ou à “guerra ao terror”. Em diferentes momentos, especialistas internacionais que voltaram os olhos para problemas internos dos Estados Unidos — racismo estatal, pobreza extrema e impactos humanitários de sanções econômicas — também passaram a enfrentar pressão política, ataques públicos e campanhas de deslegitimação.

A questão racial foi um dos temas mais sensíveis.

Muito antes do assassinato de George Floyd, mecanismos da ONU já vinham denunciando padrões persistentes de discriminação racial, violência policial e encarceramento em massa nos EUA. Um dos nomes mais associados a esse debate foi o sociólogo senegalês Doudou Diène, relator especial da ONU sobre formas contemporâneas de racismo entre 2002 e 2008.

Após visitas aos Estados Unidos e investigações sobre discriminação racial, Diène alertou para a persistência de estruturas históricas de desigualdade profundamente ligadas ao legado da escravidão e da segregação racial. Seus relatórios chamavam atenção para disparidades econômicas, tratamento desigual no sistema de justiça criminal e violência policial contra negros.

Em certos momentos, diplomatas americanos trabalharam para reduzir o impacto político de relatórios considerados excessivamente críticos dentro dos fóruns multilaterais.

A tensão se intensificou após os protestos de 2020 contra a violência policial. Países africanos chegaram a defender, no Conselho de Direitos Humanos da ONU, mecanismos internacionais mais robustos de investigação sobre racismo sistêmico nos Estados Unidos. Washington resistiu à ideia de qualquer instrumento de monitoramento direcionado especificamente ao país, e a proposta acabou diluída em uma investigação mais ampla sobre racismo no mundo.

Outro caso emblemático de atrito ocorreu com o professor australiano Philip Alston, relator especial da ONU sobre pobreza extrema e direitos humanos entre 2014 e 2020.

Após uma missão aos EUA em 2017, Alston publicou um relatório devastador sobre desigualdade, desproteção social e precarização econômica no país mais rico do mundo. O especialista afirmou que o chamado “American Dream” corria o risco de transformar-se numa “American illusion”, denunciando o contraste entre extrema riqueza e pobreza disseminada.

Durante visitas a estados como Alabama, Califórnia e Porto Rico, Alston descreveu comunidades sem saneamento adequado, pessoas vivendo em trailers degradados, crescimento do número de sem-teto e erosão de programas sociais.

Suas conclusões provocaram reações irritadas entre políticos conservadores e setores da imprensa americana. Ao contrário do que sempre fazem quando as críticas são aos inimigos dos EUA, eles acusaram o relator de ideologização e de ignorar a prosperidade média do país. Em certos círculos políticos, sua missão foi retratada como interferência indevida em assuntos internos dos EUA – uma grande ironia, vindo de quem veio.

A relação conflituosa reapareceria ainda no debate sobre sanções econômicas internacionais.

A jurista bielorrussa Alena Douhan, relatora especial sobre o impacto negativo de medidas coercitivas unilaterais, tornou-se alvo frequente de críticas após publicar relatórios apontando os efeitos humanitários das sanções impostas por Washington contra países como Venezuela, Síria e Irã.

Douhan argumentava que restrições econômicas amplas frequentemente agravavam crises humanitárias ao afetar acesso a medicamentos, alimentos, infraestrutura energética e sistemas de saúde. Em visitas e relatórios, sustentou que sanções unilaterais podiam violar direitos humanos fundamentais quando produziam sofrimento generalizado da população civil.

Nos EUA e em países aliados, críticos passaram a acusá-la de reproduzir narrativas de governos “autoritários” e minimizar responsabilidades internas por crises econômicas. Organizações políticas e think tanks ocidentais frequentemente tentaram desqualificar seu mandato, questionando a credibilidade de suas conclusões e denunciando suposta proximidade excessiva com governos sancionados.

Durante décadas, os Estados Unidos responderam a especialistas da ONU com métodos relativamente previsíveis: ataques políticos, campanhas diplomáticas, recusa de acesso, tentativas de esvaziar mandatos, pressão sobre o Conselho de Direitos Humanos ou esforços para deslegitimar publicamente relatores considerados hostis. No caso Albanese, Washington lançou mão do aparato coercitivo do próprio Estado americano — especialmente seu poder financeiro global.

Em todos os casos, o preço de se desafiar os EUA é muito alto. Não apenas para os relatores, que não podem realizar plenamente o seu trabalho. Mas, sobretudo, para os futuros relatores e especialistas – o recado é: não mexam com os interesses dos EUA e de seus aliados (sobretudo Israel), caso contrário sua carreira será arruinada.

Basta ver que, comparativamente aos países do chamado “Sul Global”, a abordagem dos funcionários independentes da ONU é muito mais amistosa com os EUA e seus aliados e os casos expostos nesta série são exceções da regra número um das Nações Unidas: atue contra os países alvo da cobiça imperialista.

Aqueles, que são a maioria, que seguiram perfeitamente o roteiro da ONU e investiram contra a Rússia, China, Belarus, Coreia do Norte, Venezuela, Irã, Nicarágua (ou seja, contra os alvos do imperialismo) tiveram sua carreira garantida, com premiações, sucesso, prestígio, forte apoio diplomático ocidental, ampla repercussão nos grandes jornais, intensa circulação de seus relatórios em ONGs e governos e audiências parlamentares, sanções e resoluções baseadas em suas acusações.

Por sua vez, os que desafiaram as estruturas e os chefes imperialistas da ONU são basicamente censurados, invisibilizados, descredibilizados, caem no ostracismo, sofrem intensa pressão psicológica, ameaças, sanções econômicas e proibição de entrada em eventos internacionais – inclusive os da própria ONU, pois sua sede central é justamente nos Estados Unidos.

Tenhamos um pouco de empatia com os burocratas a serviço da ONU: quem que deseje subir na vida e receber amplo prestígio mundial irá arriscar sua carreira colocando o dedo nas feridas dos seus patrões? Praticamente ninguém. E é assim que a ONU permanece quase absolutamente instrumentalizada pelas potências imperialistas, desde o primeiro momento de sua criação.

O ministro da Economia, Castro Almeida, admitiu esta segunda-feira alargar o prazo para a análise das candidaturas à reconstrução de habitações danificadas pelas tempestades em Leiria e na Marinha Grande que terminava a 30 de junho.

Falando à margem do lançamento da campanha “Nem tudo o que vês é jogo seguro”, promovida pela Direção-Geral do Consumidor (DGC) para combater o jogo ilegal online, Castro Almeida esclareceu que “o prazo de 30 de junho era um prazo indicativo, foi uma meta que os próprios municípios e as Comissões de Coordenação de Desenvolvimento Regional (CCDR) se impuseram a si próprios”.

“Foi uma data indicativa. Se tiver que ir para depois de julho, quer dizer que não foi possível fazer antes”, declarou.

Segundo o ministro, o prazo de 30 de junho [para conclusão das candidaturas aos apoios] “foi um consenso que se estabeleceu numa reunião com vários outros membros do Governo e com as Comissões de Coordenação de Desenvolvimento Regional e com as comunidades internas municipais”.

O ministro da Economia reagia a uma notícia do Jornal de Notícias, indicando que os municípios da Marinha Grande e de Leiria não vão conseguir concluir, até 30 de junho, a análise de mais de 14 mil candidaturas (3365 na Marinha Grande e 10.808 em Leiria) a apoios de até dez mil euros para reconstruir habitações danificadas pelas tempestades do início do ano.

Segundo o jornal, o prazo foi estipulada pela Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional (CCDR) do Centro, em articulação com a Comunidade Intermunicipal da Região de Leiria, mas há candidaturas que ainda nem sequer foram analisadas, o que pode significar que milhares de lesados não vão receber apoio para reerguer as suas casas até ao final do mês.

“Já há bastante tempo que chegámos à conclusão de que em três ou quatro concelhos esse objetivo pode ser difícil, mas na esmagadora maioria dos concelhos o objetivo continua de pé e creio que vai ser alcançado”, declarou o ministro, recordando que só o município de Leiria tem praticamente um terço das candidaturas.

“É compreensível que em Leiria possa demorar, mas essa exceção não é regra”, acrescentou.

Castro Almeida afirmou que “mais do que 90% das situações vão ficar resolvidas até o dia 30 de junho”, devendo as restantes candidaturas ser “resolvidas mais tarde”.

A 6 de junho, a plataforma do Governo indicava que apenas 10% dos processos da Marinha Grande tinham sido analisados pela autarquia, de um total de 3.365.

Alexander the Great’s (356-323 BC) death meant his vision for a Greco-Persian Empire was extinguished with him—or was it?

A hodgepodge of East and West, Mithridates’ Pontic Empire emerges as a compelling possibility of what Alexander’s empire could’ve been, a faint apparition of that fleeting dream.

Alexander 2.0

Mithridates (135–63 BC) was the inheritor of two cultures and, naturally, an incarnation of two worlds. He delighted in his Macedonian heritage as much as his Persian forbearers.

Claiming Macedonian ancestry on one side and Persian dynastic lineage on the other, Mithridates used his mixed descent to reveal the commonalities between his diverse subjects.

Taking on Alexander’s mantle of global empire, Mithridates envisioned an alternative to Roman supremacy, a new world order.

To achieve this ambitious aim, the Pontian King united his Greek, Anatolian, and Persian subjects under an anti-Roman cross-cultural coalition.

The result of this cooperation was three wars mounted against Rome, wars that escalated to the point of genocide.

How could he amass such a diverse following against such a formidable foe?

Mithridates took a page from Alexander’s book and embodied East and West, both in appearance and idea. 

Pontus: Alexander’s vision of empire?

Mithridates hailed from the Kingdom of Pontus, a cultural melting pot that Alexander the Great would have approved of.

The north of Pontus’s snow-clad Alps was a largely Hellenic-dominated coastline. There, Greek colonists had erected the city of Sinope, Mithridates’ capital.

The historian Strabo, himself a Pontian, claimed that it was “the most noteworthy of the cities in the region.”

South of the Alps was known as Katpatuka (land of horses) by the Iranians and, later, Cappadocia by the Greeks. There, villages predominated apart from a few settlements, such as Amaseia, Strabo’s hometown, and Cabeira.

While Hellenic culture dominated the coast, the Cappadocian hinterland preserved its old Anatolian non-Greek heritage. Rostovtzeff (1932), a pioneer in Pontic history, described the Hellenic influence around the Black Sea as “a thin Greek shell around a hard native kernel.”

The third influence on the region was Iranian. The enduring relics of Persian rule would have been visible to many a Hellenistic Pontian. Strabo says that the Pontic people took sacred vows at the state temple, Zela, which were dedicated to Persian deities: Anaitis, Omanus, and Anadatus.

Moreover, Zeus Stratios, most likely a syncretic reincarnation of Ahura Mazda, received lavish offerings from Persian Kings, which Pontian rulers, including Mithridates Eupator, continued. The continuation of Persian religious customs well after an eclipse of Achaemenid authority attests to the impression Persian presence had made on Pontic royalty and their subjects.

In the subsequent Hellenistic period, the increasing pace of Hellenization of the kingdom meant that the Mithridates Dynasty had to evolve.  There needed to be a balance between the new incoming wave of this ancient form of globalization with their Perso-Anatolian traditions that still held sway in their domain. 

Divine descent

Mithridates Eupator’s dual lineages afforded him illustrious ancestors and a unique hybrid set of dynastic customs. He was a Helleno-Persian Prince who practiced mixed religious rites.

Mithradates divine connections are well in accordance with Alexander the Great’s own claims. Like the Pontic King, Alexander claimed Heracles and Dionysus, among other numinous figures, as ancestors.

Consequently, the Pontic King embodied redemptive qualities resonating in the Greek and Perso-Anatolian worlds. For the Greeks, he established a mythical connection with Dionysus, the god of liberation and new beginnings, and took the theonym Mithridates Eupator Dionysus.

Likewise, Mithridates claimed heritage from Herakles, who emancipated the titan Prometheus, humanity’s creator. On the other hand, Mithridates’ star-signaling birth was said to fulfill Persian prophecies of a coming savior from the East, as did his name, “Mithras-sent.” 

Global principles

In addition to religious mediation, Mithridates weaponized the growing resentment of his subjects. Just like Alexander’s vision for his diverse empire, the Pontian King tried to respect Greek and Iranian values.

Both Greeks and Perso-Anatolians were chafing under Roman occupation. In mainland Greece and Anatolia, the common hatred towards Roman rule provoked a transcultural antagonism against Roman hegemony.

Debt accrued by Roman taxation hindered asa or Truth, a prominent Persian tenet. For the Greeks, Roman occupation was seen as compromising their eleutheria, or freedom, which was fundamental to Greek identity.

Mithridates acknowledged these grievances in his speeches, along with coins and other allusions. By showing sensitivity to both cultures, the Pontian King illustrated how compatible Iranian and Greek cultures could be.

This may be surprising, considering the tumultuous history that plagued the relations between Greeks and Iranians. Egregious crimes were committed in Athens by the Persians and by Greeks in Persepolis at Alexander’s instigation as punishment.

Yet Mithridates successfully harmonized the two cultures, as Alexander the Great’s policies aimed to accomplish.

Was Mithridates’ Pontian kingdom what Alexander’s empire could have been?

Sensitive to Greek and Perso-Anatolian culture, Mithridates entangled much of the Eastern Mediterranean in opposition to Rome. Mithridates carried on Alexander’s vision for an international empire even though he was unsuccessful in his wars against Rome. By doing so, the Pontian king proved Alexander the Great’s Helleno-Persian hypothesis was possible.

Alexander’s vision for joining East and West wasn’t an idyllic dream but was ultimately an achievable reality. 

Footage has emerged showing the destruction of a drone by a French Rafale fighter over Latvia earlier today. The engagement underscores how the drone war unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasingly spilling over borders, as well as the growing reality of the drone threat to NATO.

The French Air and Space Force confirmed that its Rafales, currently deployed in neighboring Lithuania, were scrambled in response to the drone incursion. The drone was identified before one of the fighters shot it down over an uninhabited area. The incident was a “demonstration of the French Armed Forces’ commitment to contributing to the security of Europe’s eastern flank,” the service said in a statement on X.

Lettonie | Destruction d’un drone par les Rafale

Survol d’un drone au dessus du territoire letton
Décollage sur alerte des chasseurs engagés dans la mission de l’OTAN Baltic Air Policing depuis la base aérienne de Šiauliai
Identification et destruction… pic.twitter.com/NFIMSP7Ibl

— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) June 8, 2026

A detachment of French Air and Space Force Rafale jets is currently engaged in the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission from Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania.

This morning, French fighter jets deployed to NATO Air Policing at Šiauliai Air Base shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace.

Lithuania thanks our French allies for their swift and professional action in safeguarding the security of our region.

— Lithuanian MOD (@Lithuanian_MoD) June 8, 2026

This is not the first time that a NATO fighter has shot down a drone in the Baltic region as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission. On May 19 of this year, a Romanian F-16 shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia after it strayed into NATO airspace, reportedly due to Russian electronic warfare interference. Last September, NATO fighters shot down at least three, and likely four, Russian drones, after 19 reported violations of Polish airspace. Polish authorities assessed that the drones “did not veer off course but were deliberately targeted.”

However, this is the first time that an incident of this kind has been captured on camera.

At least two videos are now circulating on social media showing the engagement playing out.

One shows the moment that a Rafale launches an air-to-air missile, leaving a prominent trail of smoke, before detonating seconds later.

NATO airpower in action this morning, safeguarding Latvian airspace. pic.twitter.com/Ugzbx8aaZS

— Marko Mihkelson (@markomihkelson) June 8, 2026

Another video, from a different angle, shows the immediate aftermath of the shootdown. Another trail is seen in the background of both videos, but it’s unclear if this is evidence of a previous missile launch, or a contrail from another aircraft that previously transited the airspace at a different altitude.

Rogovkā, Rēzeknes novadā notriekts lidrobots. NBS apstiprina.#Rogovka #Rēzekne #Latvija pic.twitter.com/kBdojUHanB

— BreakingLV (@breakinglv) June 8, 2026

In a typical Baltic Air Policing configuration, the Rafale is armed with MICA air-to-air missiles. These beyond-visual-range weapons can be fitted with either an active radar seeker or an infrared seeker head, with a mix normally being loaded. The MICA uses a thrust-vectoring motor for improved agility and has a reported maximum range of around 37 miles.

Lituanie | Le succès des vols conjoints commence au sol
 
Préparation d'un vol d'entraînement avec des avions de chasse et :

Montage d'armements entre mécaniciens des deux pays alliés

Échanges sur les procédures, matériel et méthodes des équipes… pic.twitter.com/LPYygu0P5r

— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) June 6, 2026

The Latvian Armed Forces provided more details of the shootdown, noting that a yellow alert was originally issued for the Ludza, Balvi, and Aluksne districts this morning at 9:20 a.m. local time. This led to NATO fighters being launched.

At 9:40 a.m., this alert level was increased to orange for the Ludza and Rēzekne districts. At this point, it was confirmed that some kind of drone was entering Latvian airspace. A military spokesperson told the Reuters news agency that the drone entered Latvian airspace from Russia.

NATO iznīcinātāji šorīt neitralizēja ārvalstu dronu, kas krievijas elektromagnētiskās karadarbības rezultātā bija ielidojis Latvijas teritorijā #WeAreNATO #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/07blbd7TUw

— NBS (@Latvijas_armija) June 8, 2026

Izsludināts gaisa telpas apdraudējums Krāslavas un Ludzas novados, informē Nacionālie bruņotie spēki.

Brīdinājums par iespējamu gaisa telpas apdraudējumu izsludināts Rēzeknes un Balvu novados. pic.twitter.com/PFcMZmhhga

— LTV Panorāma (@ltvpanorama) June 8, 2026

The Latvian Armed Forces warned residents in these areas to “Seek shelter indoors, close windows and doors — follow the two-wall principle.” It added: “If you notice a low-flying, suspicious, or dangerous object, do not approach it and call 112.”

At 10:05 a.m., the Latvian Armed Forces confirmed that NATO fighters were over the Rēzekne district, and a “foreign” drone was shot down over the Berzgale parish.

Berzgale is less than 20 miles from the nearest Russian border, and around 340 miles from the closest Ukrainian border, with Belarus, a close Moscow ally, separating Latvia and Ukraine.

NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission has safeguarded the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since the three countries joined the alliance in 2004. Because the Baltic states do not maintain fighter fleets capable of continuous air-defense duties, allied nations rotate detachments of combat aircraft to bases in Lithuania and Estonia, where they remain on quick-reaction alert around the clock.

The mission routinely scrambles fighters to identify and intercept Russian military aircraft operating near NATO airspace, particularly flights to and from Russia’s heavily militarized Kaliningrad exclave that often occur without flight plans, radio contact, or active transponders.

Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO expanded the mission with additional aircraft and operating locations, making Baltic Air Policing one of the alliance’s most visible peacetime deterrence operations on its eastern flank.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the expanding drone war between the two countries has provided another layer of responsibility to the Baltic Air Policing mission.

For most of its history, Baltic Air Policing centered on scrambling fighters to identify Russian bombers, fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, and transports flying near NATO airspace. The war in Ukraine has seen the increasing proliferation of drones that can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, creating a new challenge for NATO air defenses.

Since 2022, there have been several incidents, including drones and missile debris entering or crashing in NATO territory, including in Poland and Romania. Late last month, a Russian kamikaze drone strayed into Romanian airspace before striking a residential building, injuring civilians, in what appears to have been the first incident of its kind.

A russian drone carrying explosives, involved in the bombing of infrastructure in Ukraine crashed in Galați, Romania, causing a fire on the roof of a residential apartment building.

Two persons sustained minor injuries and several residents required medical attention, the… pic.twitter.com/P8jzYFrEEp

— Toiu Oana (@oana_toiu) May 29, 2026

We asked NATO for more details of today’s incident, including whether it could confirm reports citing the Latvian military that the drone had entered its airspace as a result of Russian electronic warfare. This is a threat that is by now commonplace in the Baltic region.

“While the circumstances surrounding this incident are still under review, jamming is known to occur in this region, and can pose serious safety risks, including to civil aviation,” a spokesperson for the alliance told us.

In recent days, Ukraine has carried out a number of high-profile drone attacks against Russian targets in and around the Baltic region.

In the last week, Ukrainian drones appear to have hit the St. Petersburg oil terminal, the Baltic Fleet base at Kronstadt, and a weapons factory in the Tambov region.

As we observed in our previous reporting, there have been very few confirmed Ukrainian attacks of any kind against the Baltic Fleet. However, satellite and other imagery that emerged in the wake of the recent drone strike reveals extensive damage inflicted on the  Steregushchiy class corvette Boikiy.

Footage of the Russian Navy Baltic Sea Fleet corvette Boikiy burning in its Kronstadt drydock after a Ukrainian drone strike yesterday. pic.twitter.com/9CHz4aLdY8

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 4, 2026

Another satellite image of the Russian corvette Boikiy following yesterday's Ukrainian strike. What is interesting here is that the active fire was captured before firefighting crews managed to extinguish it. @planet image taken on June 3 at 16:30 local time. It burned for hours. pic.twitter.com/PzcHxoSxGk

— Mark Krutov (@kromark) June 4, 2026

Today’s incident provides visual evidence of advanced NATO fighters used to shoot down drones over alliance territory. While effective on this occasion, this kind of interception can be inefficient due to the mismatch in cost between the drone and missile. It is notable that the French Ministry of Defense has plans to introduce a lower-cost counter-drone capability on the Rafale by the summer. Trials of a pod loaded with 68mm laser-guided rockets have already begun.

Un Rafale équipé de roquettes guidées laser aperçu à Istres. Les essais ont donc enfin démarré. Ici une nacelle Thalès JF12, donc 24 roquettes 68mm au total. Une corde de plus à l'arc du Rafale, la chasse au Shahed est OUVERTE ! pic.twitter.com/6v0xSMkUJ1

— bruno aviation (@Bruno_Aviation) April 16, 2026

As a result, NATO has accelerated work on layered defenses that include short-range ground-based air defenses, electronic warfare, and other counter-drone technologies.

Fighters, however, will always remain a critical last-resort option, especially when a drone poses an immediate threat or when a visual identification is required.

Today’s video not only illustrates the changing face of the Baltic Air Policing mission due to the Russian war in Ukraine, but highlights the growing threat posed by drones and cruise missiles that can cross borders with little warning, whether deliberately or not.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

The post Video Captures Rafale Fighter’s Drone Kill Over Baltic appeared first on The War Zone.

Há imagens que dizem mais sobre Portugal do que qualquer relatório estatístico.

Uma delas repete-se diariamente em papelarias e quiosques de norte a sul do país: um idoso, de mãos trémulas, a contar moedas para comprar uma raspadinha. Outra, mais silenciosa, mas igualmente reveladora: uma pessoa idosa, sozinha em casa, a ligar para um programa televisivo de participação paga que promete prémios imediatos, enquanto calcula se a pensão chega até ao fim do mês.

Estas imagens não são exceções curiosas. São sinais de um país onde a esperança foi convertida em negócio — e onde essa transformação recai com especial intensidade sobre quem tem menos recursos, menos proteção e menos alternativas.

Para muitos idosos, jogos como o Euromilhões ou as raspadinhas, bem como concursos televisivos baseados em chamadas pagas, tornam-se rotina

Não se trata apenas de entretenimento. Para muitos idosos, jogos como o Euromilhões ou as raspadinhas, bem como concursos televisivos baseados em chamadas pagas, tornam-se rotina. Não apenas pela promessa remota de ganho, mas porque preenchem um vazio mais imediato: o da solidão, da repetição dos dias e da ausência de contacto humano regular.

A raspadinha não é um simples jogo. É um mecanismo de antecipação emocional cuidadosamente explorado. Um instante de expectativa vendido a quem, muitas vezes, já perdeu quase tudo o resto em termos de expectativa social.

E é aqui que o problema deixa de ser individual.

Portugal mantém níveis persistentes de pobreza entre a população idosa. Muitas pensões não chegam para responder ao custo real de vida. Neste contexto, a promessa de uma mudança súbita de destino deixa de ser fantasia inocente e passa a funcionar como substituto simbólico de uma mobilidade social inexistente.

Não há necessidade de engano explícito para que haja exploração. Basta a existência de um desequilíbrio estrutural: produtos concebidos para maximizar repetição, estímulo e adesão, colocados num mercado onde uma parte significativa dos consumidores vive com margens económicas mínimas.

As raspadinhas estão omnipresentes, normalizadas, integradas no quotidiano. Os concursos televisivos alimentam-se de urgência emocional, linguagem de vitória fácil e promessa permanente de recompensa imediata. Tudo isto é legal, tudo isto é publicamente visível — e precisamente por isso a sua eficácia é tão relevante.

O que está em causa não é a liberdade individual de jogar ou participar. O que está em causa é a forma como essa liberdade é sistematicamente capturada num contexto de vulnerabilidade. Quando pequenas perdas sucessivas têm impacto real no orçamento mensal, o jogo deixa de ser neutro. Passa a ser regressivo.

Há aqui uma assimetria difícil de ignorar: de um lado, sistemas desenhados para maximizar participação e receita recorrente; do outro, pessoas para quem a promessa de um ganho improvável representa, muitas vezes, a única narrativa de escape disponível.

Não é preciso caricaturar intenções para reconhecer o resultado. Pode não haver malícia individual direta. Mas há um modelo que funciona porque encontra fragilidade — e a explora de forma consistente.

E isso deve ser dito com clareza: quando a esperança se torna produto vendido sistematicamente a quem menos pode suportar a perda, não estamos apenas perante entretenimento. Estamos perante uma forma normalizada de extração de valor a partir da vulnerabilidade.

O problema não é moralizar quem joga. O problema é aceitar sem incómodo suficiente um sistema que depende, estruturalmente, de que os mais frágeis continuem a alimentar a sua promessa.

E é nesse desequilíbrio — entre promessa e fragilidade, entre estímulo e limitação — que se torna difícil evitar a conclusão essencial: quando a esperança é transformada em produto sistematicamente direcionado a quem menos margem tem para perder, o problema já não é apenas individual. É estrutural.

Leia também: A era dos comentadores de fato feito | Por Luís Ganhão

Un pomeriggio domenicale ha riacceso improvvisamente il risiko bancario italiano. Movimenti veloci, in un gioco di incastri ancora tutto da decifrare ma che potrebbe cambiare dal profondo la geografia del credito tricolore. Con le Borse che dormivano, ha preso vita e corpo l’assalto al Monte dei Paschi, reduce dalla scalata, vittoriosa, a Mediobanca e dall’uscita di scena, felpata, del Tesoro. A incamminarsi verso Rocca Salimbeni ha cominciato Banco Bpm che, con l’assedio di Unicredit ormai alle spalle, ha avanzato una proposta di matrimonio all’ex banca toscana, una fusione tra pari, da un anno custode dell’ambitissimo 13% di Generali proprio grazie alle nozze con Piazzetta Cuccia. Neanche il tempo di metabolizzare la notizia e nel pomeriggio a muovere è stata Intesa Sanpaolo, lanciando un’offerta pubblica di acquisto e scambio volontaria totalitaria sulle azioni Mps da 30,6 miliardi.

C’è chi ha letto nella contromossa di Intesa, nella quale avrà un ruolo attivo anche Bper, il cui principale azionista è Unipol, la volontà di proteggere le Generali, che fungono da sempre da forziere del risparmio italiano, oltre a essere uno dei maggior acquirenti e sottoscrittori di titoli di Stato italiani. Non bisogna mai dimenticare, infatti, che il principale socio del Banco è la francese Crédit Agricole, terzo gruppo bancario europeo e incline a scorribande lungo la Penisola. E, dal momento che chi prende Siena mette anche un piede nelle Generali, la presenza di azionisti stranieri potrebbe diventare decisamente ingombrante. Anche per lo stesso esecutivo.

Le voci di corridoio raccontano di un apprezzamento di Palazzo Chigi per l’ingresso di Intesa nella partita per l’istituto guidato dal ritrovato Luigi Lovaglio, anche se sia Carlo Messina, ceo di Intesa e Carlo Cimbri, numero uno di Unipol, hanno più che altro preferito sottolineare, incontrando gli analisti in queste ore, sia la qualità dell’operazione Intesa-Bper-Mps, sia la profonda natura italiana della stessa. Particolare quest’ultimo che per il governo potrebbe fare la differenza: non è certo un caso che lo stesso Messina, sempre nel confronto con gli analisti, abbia paventato per il Banco criticità in odore di golden power proprio per la presenza dei francesi nell’azionariato di Piazza Meda. In questo gioco di incastri di partecipazioni che, come ricordato due giorni fa anche dal direttore del Sole 24 Ore, Fabio Tamburini, apre scenari interessanti ma anche, in potenza, rischiosi, resta da capire se tutti questi movimenti, alla fine, porteranno a un sistema bancario migliore perché più solido. Formiche.net ne ha discusso con l’economista e storico Giulio Sapelli.

“Sicuramente Intesa si è mossa per arginare Bpm, che poi sarebbe la Francia. Voglio dire, l’offensiva sul Monte dei Paschi viene chiaramente da Oltralpe”, premette l’economista. “Non è certo un mistero che il grande sogno francese, ma anche tedesco, è sempre stato quello di mettere le mani sul risparmio italiano. Certamente Intesa ha un biglietto da visita, un’etichetta italiana, Bpm non ce l’ha, nei fatti è una banca francese. Ciò fa una certa differenza nell’ambito di questo tipo di operazioni. L’obiettivo, nemmeno a dirlo, sono sempre le Generali, con il loro risparmio e i prodotti di bancassicurazione. Non dobbiamo mai dimenticare che nei momenti di crisi, la bancassicurazione è un qualcosa di molto ricercato”, spiega Sapelli.

Il quale allarga lo spettro all’intero risiko italiano. “Mi pare evidente che questi incroci di partecipazioni, Banco, Intesa, Mps, nascondano anche dei rischi. Si parla di Generali, certo, ma non solo. Per esempio, trovo ancora incredibile che Mps abbia trovato i soldi per aggredire Mediobanca. Forse Mediobanca non era più Mediobanca e Mps non era più Mps. Verrebbe da dire che c’è da ricostruire un’immagine del sistema bancario nazionale. Oggi non abbiamo più un sistema, per esempio, di istituti locali, con un movimento cooperativo che è in crisi. E questo in un momento storico in cui soffiano venti di guerra. Allora se dobbiamo fare delle fusioni, se dobbiamo fare quello che dice Draghi e cioè portare avanti il consolidamento bancario, bisogna farlo bene”.

L’economista spiega poi come questa vicenda, quella di Mediobanca, rifletta un cambiamento più ampio. “Il profilo e l’obiettivo dell’operazione, pur innaturali, rappresentano bene la trasformazione del capitalismo italiano. Oggi non è più né carne né pesce: non è riuscito ad aggregarsi attorno a grandi industrie, ormai scomparse dal mercato. Le famose 1.300 imprese di Mediobanca, pur finite progressivamente in un contenitore sempre più fragile, rappresentavano un glorioso conglomerato di piccole e medie imprese artigianali. Ma queste non hanno saputo fare il salto dimensionale, né hanno alle spalle un sistema bancario in grado di sostenerle”.

Alors que les premiers résultats de Parcoursup tombaient le 2 juin, des lycéens aux dossiers impeccables découvraient des dizaines de refus. Nikita, 17 de moyenne générale au lycée André-Malraux de Biarritz, 28 vœux rejetés malgré maths-physique, quatre langues et une formation Python. À Toulon, Katya, 16 de moyenne en ST2S, préparée depuis des années pour devenir manipulatrice radio, se retrouve sur liste d’attente tandis que ses vœux infirmiers sont acceptés. Derrière ces cas, révélés par Le Parisien, se cache l’échec prévisible d’un système bureaucratique qui prétend « orienter » mieux que les individus et leurs familles.

Avec 17 de moyenne générale, quatre langues maîtrisées et un solide parcours scientifique, Nikita, 17 ans, a pourtant essuyé 28 refus sur Parcoursup. Son cas est loin d’être isolé. Derrière les statistiques rassurantes du ministère, les premiers résultats de la plateforme révèlent une réalité plus dérangeante : celle d’élèves performants confrontés à une sélection opaque dont les critères demeurent souvent incompréhensibles.

La méritocratie scolaire en panne

Le 2 juin, date de publication des premières réponses Parcoursup, Nikita, élève du lycée André-Malraux à Biarritz, découvre que la quasi-totalité de ses candidatures a été rejetée.

Parcoursup : 17 de moyenne générale, 28 refus, ces bons élèves qui peinent à trouver une formation : Actualités - Orange

Alors que les premiers résultats de Parcoursup ont été dévoilés, de nombreux lycéens découvrent des réponses décevantes, malgré d’excellents dossiers. Certains peinent à comprendre pourquoi les formations qu’ils visaient leur ont échappé, selon des témoignages recueillis par Le Parisien. D’excellents résultats scolaires qui ne suffisent pas. En découvrant les premiers résultats de la plateforme d’admission post-bac Parcoursup, le 2 juin dernier, Nikita, 17 ans, a ressenti une profonde déception lorsqu’il a découvert que 28 de ses vœux avaient été refusés. Élève au lycée André-Malraux à Biarritz, l’adolescent a pourtant tout d’un bon élève. Inscrit en spécialités mathématiques et physique-chimie, le jeune homme a brillamment réussi son année de terminale en obtenant 17 de moyenne générale. L’adolescent parle également quatre langues, dont l’anglais et le serbe couramment, et passe une bonne partie de son temps libre à se former sur Python. Un parcours qui ne lui a cependant pas suffi pour valider ses vœux. “Je ne comprends pas pourquoi je n’ai pas été admis, ni ce que j’aurais dû faire de plus. J’ai pris le temps de me renseigner sur les critères de sélection dans chaque formation, adapté mes lettres de motivation en conséquence et participé à plusieurs journées portes ouvertes. J’ai même pris des cours particuliers pour me préparer aux prépas MPSI que je visais. Mais j’ai l’impression que mes efforts n’ont servi à rien. Je le vis vraiment comme une injustice.” confie-t-il. “L’aberration du système” À plus de 700 kilomètres de là, la désillusion est similaire pour Émilie. Sa fille Katya, également âgée de 17 ans et scolarisée en terminale ST2S au lycée Bonaparte de Toulon, n’a pas été admise dans la formation dont elle rêvait. Depuis des années, la jeune fille rêve de devenir manipulatrice radio et a tout fait pour réaliser son objectif. “Elle s’est inscrite dans la bonne filière, a rencontré des radiologues, effectué des stages, passé le brevet d’aptitude aux fonctions d’animateur (Bafa)”, énumère sa mère Émilie. Un engagement qui n’a pas porté ses fruits. Malgré une année d’avance et une moyenne générale de 16, Katya se retrouve sur liste d’attente pour intégrer l’Institut de formation public varois des professions de santé, son premier choix. Même situation pour l’école d’Avignon, où elle n’a pas encore obtenu de place. La jeune fille a toutefois été acceptée sur pratiquement tous ses vœux infirmiers alors que ce n’est pas son principal objectif : “C’est toute l’aberration du système”, s’exclame Émilie. Des situations qui remontent régulièrement à la FCPE, comme l’explique Grégoire Ensel, son vice-président : “La plupart du temps, il s’agit d’élèves travailleurs, impliqués, respectueux des consignes, avec de bons résultats, qui ont toujours répondu aux attentes du système scolaire. Et au moment de la découverte des réponses sur Parcoursup, les vœux espérés n’aboutissent pas, ou très mal.” Une injustice pour certains Un échec qui, pour beaucoup, prend la forme d’une injustice.“Beaucoup de parents, notamment dans les classes moyennes et supérieures, ont intégré l’idée que si leur enfant faisait ce qu’on lui demandait à l’école, il serait récompensé”, constate Grégoire Ensel. “Quand cette promesse implicite ne se concrétise pas, c’est extrêmement dur à vivre.” Sur les réseaux sociaux, les témoignages similaires sont nombreux : des élèves sérieux, avec de bons dossiers, qui n’ont pas obtenu la formation qu’ils souhaitaient. Malgré tout, le 2 juin, les deux tiers des lycéens avaient reçu au moins une réponse favorable à l’un de leurs vœux.

Orange ActualitésTristan Gorgeret and 6Medias

Pourtant, son dossier semble exemplaire : 17 de moyenne générale, spécialités mathématiques et physique-chimie, maîtrise de plusieurs langues et compétences en programmation Python. Malgré une préparation minutieuse de ses candidatures et des démarches ciblées vers les classes préparatoires MPSI, les portes se ferment.

Supprimer 4.000 postes à l&rsquo;Éducation Nationale fera-t-il baisser le niveau ?

La suppression de 4.000 postes d’enseignants au budget de l’Education Nationale pour 2025 n’a pas tardé à susciter les foudres

Le Courrier des StratègesÉric Verhaeghe

Même constat pour Katya, lycéenne de terminale ST2S à Toulon. Avec une moyenne de 16 et une année d’avance, elle visait une formation de manipulatrice radio. Malgré des stages professionnels, des rencontres avec des praticiens et un engagement démontré, elle se retrouve en liste d’attente dans les établissements qu’elle ciblait. Ironiquement, elle est admise dans de nombreuses formations infirmières qui ne correspondent pas à son projet principal.

Un algorithme opaque au service d’une allocation administrée

Créé en 2018 pour remplacer APB et ses dysfonctionnements, Parcoursup devait fluidifier l’accès au supérieur. Parcoursup repose sur des algorithmes locaux, des classements propres à chaque établissement et des capacités d’accueil limitées, créant une concurrence intense entre candidats. Le problème n’est donc plus seulement celui de la réussite académique, mais celui des critères de sélection eux-mêmes.

Bac 2026 : l’État redécouvre l’exigence, vingt ans trop tard

Un enfant de 10 ans candidat au bac, un taux de réussite frôlant les 92 %, une fraude en hausse de 30 %, le ministre de l’Éducation Édouard Geffray vient d’annoncer une série de mesures de renforcement. Salutaires sur le papier. Révélatrices d’un naufrage institutionnel sur le fond. A quelques semaines du

Le Courrier des StratègesLalaina Andriamparany

L’État a progressivement transféré aux établissements la responsabilité du tri des dossiers tout en maintenant le discours d’une égalité des chances fondée sur le mérite. Grégoire Ensel, vice-président de la FCPE, résume le problème : ce sont des élèves qui ont « toujours répondu aux attentes du système » et qui se retrouvent néanmoins exclus.

Le mécanisme de sélection de Parcoursup repose sur des critères opaques, définis établissement par établissement, sans que les candidats ni même les familles, puissent en comprendre la hiérarchie réelle.

Bac 2026 : l’orthographe redevient obligatoire… après avoir été sacrifiée

Dans sa circulaire de rentrée publiée le 7 mai 2026 au Bulletin officiel, le ministre Édouard Geffray place « le langage et le raisonnement scientifique » au cœur de la mission des enseignants. Fini les « textes à trous » en primaire : place au geste scripteur et aux phrases complètes. Au baccalauréat, la qualité

Le Courrier des StratègesLalaina Andriamparany

"Beaucoup de parents, notamment dans les classes moyennes et supérieures, ont intégré l'idée que si leur enfant faisait ce qu'on lui demandait à l'école, il serait récompensé", dénonce Grégoire Ensel.

Les bons élèves découvrent l’arbitraire d’État

Les témoignages concordent : élèves travailleurs, respectueux des règles scolaires, impliqués dans des stages et des journées portes ouvertes, se heurtent à un mur. Grégoire Ensel, vice-président de la FCPE, le reconnaît : ces profils « répondent aux attentes du système » mais n’obtiennent pas les places espérées.

Derrière la rhétorique de la « méritocratie républicaine » se jouent des rapports de force. Les filières sélectives (classes prépa, IFSI, paramédical) appliquent des quotas implicites, des priorités géographiques ou sociales et une logique de remplissage statistique.

L’État, en monopole quasi-absolu sur la régulation des formations et des numerus clausus, décide de l’offre de places. Parcoursup illustre parfaitement les limites de la planification par l’État : il produit de la frustration, de l’arbitraire et un gâchis humain coûteux. Plutôt que de laisser les établissements sélectionner librement et les étudiants choisir sans intermédiaire bureaucratique, on maintient une illusion d’équité qui sert surtout à préserver les rentes institutionnelles et les équilibres corporatistes.