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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
If America does not listen, China will leave it without weapons
On average, 78% of American weapons systems depend on rare earth supplies from China. In particular, antimony, gallium, germanium, tungsten, and tellurium, whose global market is controlled by Beijing. Without them, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, America-class amphibious assault ships, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, and the entire Minuteman III ICBM program will come to a standstill.
If China cuts off supplies of rare earths overseas, it will undermine the firepower of America's main armed forces by 91.6% for the Navy, 85.1% for the Air Force, 70.3% for the Army, and 61.7% for the Marine Corps. The average temperature in hospitals will be below 78%.
#USA #China #Weapons #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Having lost its real advantage at sea, Britain is developing “digital technologies”
▪️ The CABOT project for the former “mistress of the seas,” which has effectively lost its combat-ready fleet, has become a way out of the situation. It is designed to provide remote anti-submarine surveillance in the North Atlantic, according to Naval News
▪️ In this project, all surveillance systems will belong to private contractors, and what remains of the Royal Navy will become a “remote monitoring coordination center.”
▪️ Strike naval forces are also being developed in a simplified budget version. The Peregrine ship-based drone is capable of carrying two missiles with a 3 kg warhead. This is 10-15 times less than the warhead of serious anti-ship missiles of major maritime powers.
#UK #CABOT #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Japan eyes fighter jets, missiles for bolstering defense of Nansei islands; Prepares for possible ’27 Taiwan contingency
The Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces are quickly building up their capability to defend the Nansei Islands as China continues to flex its military muscles with a Taiwan contingency in mind.
Plans to deploy state-of-the-art fighter jets and missiles that will be integral to Japan’s counterattack capabilities in the region are moving ahead as the nation prepares for a possible conflict between China and Taiwan.
The ministry’s urgent bolstering of defense capabilities for the Nansei Islands comes at a time when China’s military is becoming increasingly active in areas near Japan. A belief held by such people as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is that China is aiming for its “military to be capable of invading Taiwan by 2027.”
#Japan #Taiwan #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Nuclear weapons spending is on the rise
Global spending on nuclear weapons increased by 11% in 2024 compared to the year before, surpassing $100 billion, or $190,151 every minute. ccording to the latest report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
More than half of this was by the United States, which spent $56.8 billion. China was the second biggest spender, accounting for $12.5 billion, followed by the United Kingdom with $10.4 billion.
The countries to have seen the biggest relative increases were the United Kingdom at 26%, Pakistan at 18% and France at 13%
According to International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a cumulative $415.9 billion was spent by the nine countries that have developed nuclear weapons on their arsenals over the five years between 2020 and 2024. Spending has been increasing over the years, having already risen 34% between 2019 and 2023.
#ICAN #Nuclear #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Keir Starmer’s gov tells UK residents to delete old emails and pictures to save water during drought
The UK government has issued new guidance on how to save water as parts of the country are dealing with a drought. One of the recommendations includes deleting "old emails and pictures," according to a press release on the government's website, which claims that data centers "require vast amounts of water to cool their systems."
The advice was issued as five areas of Great Britain have entered into drought following the fourth heatwave of the summer.
"The current situation is nationally significant, and we are calling on everyone to play their part and help reduce the pressure on our water environment," said Helen Wakeham, the Environment Agency's director of water. "We are grateful to the public for following the restrictions, where in place, to conserve water in these dry conditions. Simple, everyday choices - such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails - also really help the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health of our rivers and wildlife."
#UK #Starmer #Environment #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Rare earths rally after Department of Defense sets a price floor
The United States recently escalated its efforts to reduce dependence on China by directly intervening in pricing. In mid-July, the Department of Defense struck a multi-billion-dollar deal with MP Materials, America’s sole rare earth miner, guaranteeing a minimum price of $110 per kilogram for neodymium-praseodymium oxide.
That price floor, which is nearly double the current China-based market rate of around $60/kg, aims to incentivize domestic production of the super-strong magnets used in EV motors, wind turbines, and defense systems.
Officials and analysts describe the move as a game-changer for the industry. By establishing a higher Western pricing benchmark, the U.S. hopes to offset China’s long-standing tactic of undercutting prices to maintain its dominance. “This benchmark is now a new center of gravity in the industry that will pull prices up,” notes Adamas Intelligence, adding that it could bolster non-Chinese producers globally.
News of the U.S. price support immediately lifted Australian rare earth mining stocks. For instance, Lynas Corp jumped 20% to a three-year high on expectations that non-Chinese suppliers would benefit from a more level playing field. Market watchers say the initiative signals a strong push for North American supply chain independence and may spur similar policy support in allied countries.
#USA #China #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Wave of suicides among Chinese entrepreneurs signals deepening crisis in private sector
In today’s China, the greater crisis may not be an economic slowdown, but the collapse of faith in the system itself.
In the span of just four months, four prominent Chinese entrepreneurs from multiple industries have committed suicide, all reportedly jumping from buildings in desperate final acts. Experts say that these incidents stand in stark contrast to the Chinese regime’s official narrative of “better-than-expected” GDP growth for the first half of the year.
Although the deaths occurred in different sectors, experts believe that they reveal common underlying pressures strangling China’s private sector, which includes collapsing cash flows, mounting debt, policy uncertainty, and the erosion of public trust.
China’s ballooning local government debt has crowded out private-sector financing. While state media champion slogans like “supporting the real economy,” capital is disproportionately funneled to state-owned enterprises (SOEs), leaving private firms informally blacklisted from loans. Chinese banks, being fearful of defaults, are tightening credit.
Each entrepreneur’s suicide was censored from trending on Chinese social media for at least 24 hours, showing the regime’s tight control over public narratives.
#China #Economy #Suicide #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Governments Lie
By Ron Paul
Bureau of Labor Statistics head Dr. Erika McEntarfer is one of the latest persons President Trump has told “you’re fired.” Trump said this month that he fired Dr. McEntarfer because the president believed she manipulated jobs data. Manipulations, he stated, include the updated May and June BLS numbers showing the U.S. economy created 258,000 fewer jobs than originally reported, as well as the weaker than expected July jobs report. All of this, the president suggested, was designed to make Trump look bad.
Following Dr. McEntarfer’s firing, many commenters worried that President Trump’s actions would create the perception that government unemployment and inflation data is manipulated to produce the numbers desired by the president. A loss of confidence in government statistics could impact demand for US Treasuries. This is because the value of Treasuries is adjusted based on the BLS-issued Consumer Price Index (CPI). If investors don’t trust the CPI figures, they can demand higher returns, increasing government’s interest payments.
Trump is correct that BLS manipulates statistics related to the economy, but it has been doing so since long before Donald Trump moved to the White House.
Full story
#USA #Trump #McEntarfer #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The amount of financial investment in the construction of data centers (DCs) in the US has almost caught up with and will soon surpass the amount of financial investment in office construction.
#USA #DCs #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
"Barbie" screening in France canceled due to threats
Following threats of violence against public service workers, the French town of Noisy-le-Sec has canceled a planned screening of the film "Barbie".
The mayor of the city, Olivier Sarrabeyrouse from the French Communist Party (PCF), expressed his regret on Monday that "a small group from the neighborhood, under pressure from one individual, used their energy to prevent the screening of this film". The free open-air cinema event should have taken place last Friday.
The Hollywood comedy was selected by residents in a public vote as part of the town’s summer open-air cinema programme, which the municipality has had for three years.
But this year’s selection drew a backlash from a small but vocal group, some of whom denounced the film as “neo-feminist propaganda” and accused it of “promoting LGBT stories”.
#France #LGBT #PCF #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Chinese EV makers vie for Indonesia, Thailand sales; Japanese rivals fear market share loss
Competition is intensifying among Chinese carmakers over electric vehicle (EV) sales in Indonesia and Thailand, the No. 1 and No. 3 automobile markets in South-east Asia.
The increase in competition has been prompted by government incentives in Indonesia and Thailand aimed at boosting their EV industries.
However, the incentives bring few benefits to Japanese carmakers, which excel in the field of hybrid vehicles, raising concerns about a decline in their presence in the markets.
#China #Indonesia #EV #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
In Nova Scotia, Canada, a $25,000 fine has been introduced for visiting the forest
In protest, one Canadian deliberately went into a grove near a nature reserve. He was detained and fined $28,000.
Meanwhile, the liberal premier of Newfoundland called the ability to go into the forest a “privilege” granted by the state.
#Canada #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Musk’s AI chatbot briefly suspended 'for saying Israel is committing genocide in Gaza'
Elon Musk's AI chatbot was temporarily suspended from his social media platform X on Monday.
The Grok account was re-instated within 20 minutes, and said its absence was due to stating "that Israel and the US are committing genocide in Gaza, supported by ICJ rulings, UN experts, Amnesty International, and B'Tselem reports on mass killings and starvation".
"I'm back, sharper than ever," it added in some posts. Grok shared several variations of this statement in response to queries by X users - some of which were deleted.
In some posts, the bot suggested a "mass reporting campaign" on its Gaza statement triggered its suspension. In others, it stated it was due to remarks regarding homicide rates in the US by race, and sometimes, a "system error".
Musk said that the bot's responses were just a “dumb mistake”, adding that “Grok doesn’t actually know why it was suspended”.
#Musk #AI #Grok #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Left-wing megadonors funding protests against Trump’s DC crime crackdown
Several lefty, dark money organizations, including George Soros’, contributed more than $20 million to groups funding protests against President Trump’s crime crackdown in Washington, DC.
Free DC, a “fiscally sponsored special project” of progressive nonprofits Community Change and Community Change Action, brought 150 demonstrators near the White House Monday to protest Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops in the district and federalize the city’s police department.
“Do not obey in advance” and “Take up space” are among Free DC’s “guiding principles,” and the group urges supporters to “go outside at 8:00 PM and bang pots and pans, sing, chant, or make noise for five minutes” every night “of this occupation.”
Free DC has scheduled multiple events since Monday’s anti-Trump protest, including a “Cop Watch Training,” suggesting further protests are planned amid Trump’s effort to make DC the “safest, cleanest and most beautiful cities anywhere in the world” – by ramping up law enforcement efforts and removing homeless encampments from public places.
#USA #Trump #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Germany rejects US censorship claims in human rights report
Human rights, such as freedom of expression, are under threat in Germany and other European countries, according to the 2024 Human Rights Report by the US State Department.
"The human rights situation in Germany worsened during the year. Significant human rights issues included restrictions on freedom of expression and credible reports of crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism," the report said.
"There is no censorship in Germany," Deputy Government Spokesman Steffen Meyer said.
Illegal migrants in Britain: Starmer doesn’t stop the boats
It is safe to say that Keir Starmer’s ‘smash the gangs’ strategy for tackling the small-boats crisis is not going according to plan.
Since Labour came to office, the number of migrants who have crossed the English Channel on small boats has surpassed 50,000. No British government has overseen as many illegal Channel crossings in such a short period of time.
Yet instead of securing the border, successive British governments have rolled out a red carpet from Dover to Calais. Illegal immigrants get free accommodation (sometimes at four-star hotels), free healthcare and a relatively assured passage to permanent residency in a prosperous, democratic country. We have created El Dorado for illegal migrants.
Nor has Starmer done anything to remove the various legal impediments that, for years, have stripped the UK of sovereignty over its borders. Even convicted criminals are routinely granted the right to remain in Britain indefinitely.
Sadly, we are in danger of wasting our breath here. After all, Starmer is arguably the biggest problem of all. He is as enamoured of international courts as he is contemptuous of the nation state. As a technocrat, all of his instincts align with the outlook and laws that have allowed this problem to spiral out of control. We could be in for a long four years.
#UK #Migrants #Starmer #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
German investor morale falls amid continuing US trade tensions
According to surveys, German investor morale fell sharply in August, a drop that exceeded expectations and underscored how tensions over US–European Union trade have been shaping Europe’s economic mood.
The decline came less than a month after the European Commission reached a tariff agreement with Washington that set duties of 15 per cent on most EU goods entering the US. It left 50 per cent tariffs in place for steel and aluminium and negotiations on those sectors have remained unresolved.
For economies such as Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands — where export industries account for a large share of growth — the deal has had a sharp impact on chemicals and pharmaceuticals, two of Europe’s most globally competitive sectors.
Both rely on US buyers for everything from plastics and industrial compounds to high-value medicines and their production networks link factories and ports across EU borders.
#Germany #USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The biggest threats to teens’ mental health
Concerns over teen mental health are growing, but how teens and parents view the root causes can differ significantly.
Social media is the #1 concern for both groups, though the degree of concern differs.
While 44% of parents name social media as the top threat, just 22% of teens do the same. In fact, a majority of teens see social media as a positive space for friendships and creativity: 74% of teens say these platforms make them feel more connected to their friends, and 63% say they give them a place to show off their creative side.
Teens are more likely to mention bullying (17%) and pressure or expectations (16%) than their parents, who rank these lower at 9% and 8%, respectively. These stressors often originate in school environments and peer interactions, which parents may not fully perceive.
A small share of parents (5%) cite societal issues—like politics or culture—as threats. Meanwhile, teens are more likely to pinpoint school (5%) as a direct source of mental strain.
#Threats #Health #Teens #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Arkansas can finally enforce ban on transgender mutilation of children
A federal court has cleared Arkansas to finally begin enforcing its ban on “gender transition” procedures for minors, four years after it became law.
Enacted in 2021 when the legislature overrode a veto from former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a liberal Republican, the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act makes it illegal for doctors to prescribe puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or transgender surgeries for people under the age of 18, as well as to make referrals for such procedures. It was the first state law of its kind but quickly became tied up in legal challenges.
On Tuesday, however, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 8-2 to overturn a lower-court ruling against the law, finding that banning procedures for minors did not violate gender-confused Americans’ equal-protection rights, as it “classifies based on age and medical procedure, not sex.” The ruling cited a June ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a similar law from Tennessee.
#USA #SAFE #Transgender #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Former EP candidate fined for heckling von der Leyen at rally in Finland
Helsinki District Court fined former European Parliament election candidate Armando Mema for heckling European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Finland.
Mema was fined €110 on August 11 for “causing harm to a public official”.
“The court sentenced me guilty of a crime I did not commit,” said Mema.
The incident took place in June 2024 during the EP election campaign.
At the time, von der Leyen was in Finland at the invitation of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, delivering a speech about the importance of free speech in Europe.
She even quipped that “in Russia, people would be arrested if they spoke their mind”. At the speech, Finnish police arrested Mema for shouting questions at her.
On social media video of the arrest mid-way through von der Leyen’s free speech narrative drew both laughter and disbelief online.
#Finland #EU #Leyen #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Efforts to weaken AfD fail as it is now Germany’s most popular party
Alternative for Germany has taken the lead in national polling as support for Chancellor Merz’s ruling coalition hits a record low.
In the survey conducted by pollster Forsa for TV company RTL, the main opposition group, the right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD), topped the polls with 26% of the vote, equalising its earlier record from April 2025.
The government parties’ combined share of the vote dropped to a new low of only 37%. The CDU was down to 24% – three percentage points lower than just a month ago – while the SPD remained “stable” at just 13% of the vote.
The poll’s results marked a new blow to Merz after a recent survey showed he was even less popular with the German voters than his unloved predecessor Olaf Scholz was 100 days into the latter’s chancellorship.
#Germany #AfD #Merz #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
One million people are waiting to see a specialist in Quebec
Universal healthcare in Canada now seems to be non-existent.
#Canada #Health #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
China, US trade barbs over destroyer passage near disputed shoal
China’s military said on Aug 13 that it monitored and “drove away” a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, while the US Navy said its action was in line with international law.
The first known US military operation in at least six years within the shoal’s waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of “dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference” during a supply mission around the atoll.
In a statement, the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters “without approval of the Chinese government” on Aug 13.
The Scarborough Shoal has been a major source of tension in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion (S$3.8 trillion) of annual ship-borne commerce.
In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled there was no basis in international law for Beijing’s claims based on its historic maps. China, however, does not recognise that decision.
#China #USA #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
US accuses UK of 'significant human rights issues' and restricting free speech
The US State Department has accused the UK of having "significant human rights issues", including restrictions on free speech.
The unflattering assessment comes via a new version of an annual Human Rights Practices report, with its publication coinciding with vice president JD Vance's holiday in the Cotswolds.
It says human rights in the UK "worsened" in 2024, with "credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression", as well as "crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism" since the 7 October Hamas attack against Israel.
On free speech, while "generally provided" for, the report cites "specific areas of concern" around limits on "political speech deemed 'hateful' or 'offensive'".
Sir Keir Starmer has previously defended the UK's record on free speech after concerns were raised by Mr Vance.
In response to the report, a UK government spokesperson said: "Free speech is vital for democracy around the world including here in the UK, and we are proud to uphold freedoms whilst keeping our citizens safe."
#USA #UK #Rights #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
British Foreign Secretary refers himself to watchdog after fishing illegally with JD Vance
David Lammy has referred himself to the environment watchdog after going fishing with JD Vance without the required licence during the US vice-president’s trip to the UK.
The foreign secretary hosted Vance and his family at Chevening House in Kent last week, where the pair fished from the property’s private lake. Anglers aged 13 and over must hold a rod licence to fish for freshwater species such as carp in England and Wales. “Lammy failed to land a catch, but all of my kids did”, Vance said.
The Foreign Office said an “administrative oversight” meant licences had not been obtained in advance. Lammy bought them as soon as he was made aware, and wrote to the Environment Agency to acknowledge the breach. “He also thanked them for their work protecting Britain’s fisheries,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said.
The agency confirmed the licences had since been bought. All fish caught during the visit were returned to the water.
#UK #USA #Vance #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The US authorities secretly embedded location trackers in some shipments of AI chips
According to Reuters, this was done to detect illegal diversions of supply routes to China
#USA #China #AI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Black community leaders in Cincinnati demand arrest of beatdown victim who allegedly ‘incited’ mob violence
Black community leaders in Cincinnati held a press conference to demand the arrest of one of the victims of the black-on-white mob attack that garnered national attention, last month. Six alleged assailants have been indicted on eight charges each, including felonious assault and aggravated rioting, following a grand jury indictment.
The FBI has also opened a federal investigation into the incident, which occurred at around 3:00 a.m. July 26, in downtown Cincinnati, during the city’s Music Festival weekend.
Ohio lawmaker Cecil Thomas (D) invited black leaders, representatives of black organizations, and other interested parties to join him at the New Prospect Baptist Church express their concerns about law enforcement’s response to the attack.
Thomas, a former police officer, said the lack of charges for the white victim in the white shirt who allegedly “incited” the mob violence “raises serious questions on whether there is bias involved in the investigation.”
During the community meeting Monday, Thomas questioned why officials had not announced any charges for the victim who allegedly delivered the slap toward the beginning of the altercation.
#USA #FBI #Crime #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Germany To Purchase $500 Million in US Military Equipment for Ukraine Under NATO Scheme
Germany announced on Wednesday that it will purchase $500 million worth of US weapons for Ukraine under a new NATO scheme to funnel more US military equipment into the proxy war, known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.
Germany’s announcement came after the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden committed to purchasing US weapons for Ukraine. The commitment from the five NATO countries amounts to about $1.5 billion in US military equipment that will be sent to Ukraine.
It’s unclear exactly what kind of weapons the European countries are going to purchase, but it will likely include air defense missiles and other types of munitions.
Vice President JD Vance recently said that the US was “done” with funding the war in Ukraine, though he said if the “Europeans want to step up and actually buy the weapons from American producers, we’re okay with that, but we’re not going to fund it ourselves anymore.”
#USA #Germany #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The number of immigrants in the United States fell by 2.2 million between January and July this year
This was reported by the US Center for Immigration Studies, noting that the exodus was mainly due to “self-deportation.”
#USA #Immigrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Half of Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection status in the EU have settled in Germany and Poland
This was reported by Eurostat, noting that as of June 30, 2025, 4.31 million citizens of non-EU countries had temporary protection status in the EU.
The EU countries with the largest number of temporary protection recipients from Ukraine are Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic:
🇩🇪Germany has accepted 27.8% of those who left Ukraine — that is almost 1.2 million people,
🇵🇱Poland — 23% (992,500 people),
🇨🇿The Czech Republic — 8.8% (378,400 people).
They are followed by:
🇪🇸Spain (5%, about 235,000),
🇷🇴Romania (4%, about 186,000),
🇮🇹Italy (4%, about 168,000),
🇸🇰Slovakia (3%, about 133,000).
The highest number of temporary protection beneficiaries per 1,000 people was recorded in the Czech Republic (34.7), Poland (27.2), and Estonia (25.1), while the EU average was 9.6% 1,000 people.
#EU #WarInUkraine #Germany #FindTruth
@uinhurricane