The Post – Walt Pittman

Reports indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has directed the country’s military forces to prepare for a retaliatory strike against Israel. This move comes in response to a recent Israeli airstrike that reportedly inflicted significant damage, despite Iran’s initial attempts to downplay its impact.

Khamenei has reportedly instructed the Supreme National Security Council to draft plans targeting key Israeli military sites, marking a shift in Iran’s official stance on the airstrikes. This decision, sources say, followed a comprehensive briefing where Khamenei was informed of both the scope of destruction and the casualties among Iranian personnel.

Key Points:

• Preparation for Retaliation: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has been tasked with identifying strategic Israeli targets.
• Casualties and Damage: The briefing reportedly included details on the loss of Iranian personnel, prompting Khamenei to consider a measured response.
• Change in Narrative: Although initial Iranian statements dismissed the airstrike’s significance, the recent shift indicates a more serious impact than originally acknowledged.

Interestingly, pro-Iranian social media channels initially mocked the Israeli attack, claiming that Iran’s air defences effectively neutralized the threat. However, Khamenei’s response suggests that the strike was far more consequential than those accounts implied. This change has fuelled speculation about the true extent of the damage and the broader implications for the region’s stability.

The Australian Army’s new Black Hawk helicopters made their debut at Holsworthy Army Barracks in a counter-terrorism drill simulating an embassy rescue. With 1,400 flight hours logged, these helicopters will replace the troubled Taipan fleet and will soon conduct training exercises over Sydney, including night-time operations throughout November.

What happens when you mix the US Marine Corps with Australia’s unique military landscape? Could 16,000 Marines really become a permanent fixture in Darwin, Australia? In this video, I look into the latest proposal from the Australian Institute of Public Affairs and explain how this move could deter China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. From the AUKUS alliance to military drills like Exercise Pitch Black, I explore what’s driving the deepening military ties between Australia and the US. With China’s rapid military buildup and increasing geopolitical pressure on Taiwan, this expanded Marine presence might be the answer Australia is looking for.

Northern Arizona University

Luke Auld-Thomas, a PhD candidate at Northern Arizona University, made a remarkable discovery that has taken the archaeology world by storm. While analysing publicly available lidar data, he uncovered a sprawling, long-lost Mayan city hidden beneath dense vegetation in the Mexican forest. The site, now named “Valeriana,” revealed a hidden world containing nearly 6,700 undiscovered Mayan structures. These included everything from majestic pyramids to family homes, forming a complex network of infrastructure that flourished between 250 and 900 AD, known as the Classic Period of Mayan civilization.

This ancient city had been shrouded in obscurity for centuries, with no previous awareness of its existence within either the government or the scientific community. Valeriana’s location and scale hint at the city’s historical significance and underscore the vast, yet still hidden, secrets of Mesoamerican history.

The breakthrough wouldn’t have been possible without the transformative power of lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. Over the past decade, lidar has become an invaluable tool in archaeological research, especially for exploring dense tropical regions where thick vegetation obscures ancient ruins. Traditional survey techniques allowed archaeologists to examine only a tiny portion of the expansive forested area, leaving vast swathes unexplored. In contrast, lidar scans can survey large tracts of land from an aerial perspective, sending laser pulses that penetrate the forest canopy and reveal hidden structures below.

This technology has revolutionized our understanding of Mayan civilization and has led to a surge of discoveries across the Yucatan peninsula. Researchers now realize that many more ancient Mayan cities might be lying hidden, awaiting rediscovery. The lidar data allowed Auld-Thomas to identify irregularities in the landscape, which ultimately led to the revelation of Valeriana, adding yet another chapter to the story of one of the most complex pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas.

Studying the newly discovered city of Valeriana offers more than a glimpse into the past; it provides modern urban developers with a wealth of knowledge about ancient urban planning. Mayan cities were well-organized and designed to support growing populations, often with sprawling agricultural patchworks surrounding hyperdense urban cores.

Researchers have pointed out that Mayan urban planning was complex and sophisticated, involving extensive infrastructure to support both agriculture and daily life within dense communities. These ancient layouts could offer solutions to today’s challenges, such as rapid population growth, food security, and sustainable city planning. The discovery of Valeriana has already prompted archaeologists to reconsider previous assumptions about Mayan cities and their layouts, expanding our understanding of how ancient civilizations adapted to and thrived within their environments.

The accidental discovery of Valeriana emphasizes the incredible potential that technology holds for unveiling humanity’s hidden past. For centuries, the dense jungles of Central America have concealed countless treasures of Mayan civilization. With tools like lidar, researchers are now closer than ever to reconstructing the complex tapestry of ancient Mesoamerica and shedding light on the resilience and ingenuity of the Mayan people.

Luke Auld-Thomas’s discovery reminds us that history is often hiding in plain sight, waiting for the right technology — and a little serendipity — to bring it into view.

Indian Express News

The Taliban has imposed yet another restrictive and dehumanizing decree. This time, it prohibits women from hearing each other’s voices, even during prayer, revealing the Taliban’s relentless tightening of restrictions on Afghan women. These bans add to an already severe erosion of women’s freedoms and rights in Afghanistan.

The Latest Decree

The Taliban’s acting minister of the Vice and Virtue Ministry recently declared that women are now banned from hearing other women’s voices during prayer. This decree forbids women from reciting Quranic verses or expressing themselves vocally, even in the privacy of their own homes if there’s a chance they could be overheard.

In a shocking twist, even common Islamic phrases such as “subhanallah” (Glory be to Allah) are prohibited from being spoken out loud by women. The Taliban justifies this decision as a means of protecting society from “temptation and tempting others.” The government’s rhetoric essentially positions women as temptations, attempting to erase their voices from public—and now private—life entirely.

This ban joins a long list of restrictions imposed on women in Afghanistan. Women are already required to be fully covered in public and must have a male guardian whenever they leave their homes. These measures paint a grim picture of a society that denies half of its population the right to live freely and express their faith openly.

Crimes Against Humanity?

The Taliban’s escalating restrictions against women’s fundamental rights are raising alarm globally. A recent United Nations report found that the Taliban’s system of gender oppression may constitute crimes against humanity. Documented abuses include incidents of sexual violence, including rape, against women detained by the Taliban, adding to the trauma endured by women and girls.

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett is expected to present these findings to the UN General Assembly on November 1. Bennett’s report highlights that the Taliban’s actions may amount to “gender persecution,” a crime against humanity under international law. The UN’s condemnation underscores the severity of the Taliban’s treatment of women and amplifies calls for global intervention.

A Dark Future for Afghan Women

These oppressive policies beg the question: What role are Afghan women allowed to play in their own country? In a society that restricts their movement, expression, and now even the ability to practice their faith, Afghan women are increasingly marginalized and invisible. The international community faces a moral imperative to act, as Afghanistan’s women are subjected to a regime that appears determined to silence, subdue, and control them completely.

For over two years, Russia has been under intense economic pressure due to sanctions from Western nations, especially impacting its vital oil and gas sectors. This critical source of revenue, which largely supports Russia’s wartime economy, has significantly dwindled. President Vladimir Putin admitted this week that the nation’s economy is suffering severely.

Beyond sanctions, Russia now contends with record-high national interest rates, with the central bank recently hiking the rate to 21%. The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War warns that Russia’s financial resources are limited, stating, “Russia’s economy will reach a burnout point, and Putin cannot sustain these costs indefinitely.”

The economic situation has also drawn concerns from Russian business leaders, who caution that many companies may face closures as the crisis deepens.

To prepare for a potential war over Taiwan, the U.S is increasing its military presence in Australia to a level not seen since World War 2. Taiwan is regarded by China as part of its territory and Beijing has vowed to take control of the island by force if necessary. What advantages does Australia’s geography offer the U.S. in a potential fight in the Asia-Pacific region?