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Current News and Analysis

How the Cambridge Analytica scandal still haunts Mark Zuckerberg

RT | October 23, 2026

‘Cambridge Analytica’ is by now a byword for the social media Wild West of 2016, when regulations were non-existent and unscrupulous brokers sold personal user data to advertisers and political operatives. RT explores the scandal that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg still can’t dodge.

On October 22, Meta was ordered by a New Mexico judge to pay $25 billion in civil penalties over the collection of personal data from 44 million Facebook users by Cambridge Analytica more than a decade earlier.

The judge concluded that Meta’s misconduct warranted a penalty exceeding $219 billion under state law, but reduced the amount to $25 billion, making it one of the largest fines ever imposed on an American corporation.

Meta, operating at the time as Facebook, knowingly and systematically deceived users about how it managed their personal data and allowed its harvesting by third-party companies like Cambridge Analytica. The jury also found Meta’s senior executive team knew of, and lied about, deceiving users about how it planned to investigate data-harvesting companies after the Cambridge Analytica scandal became public.

To understand how Meta ended up owing an eighth of its annual revenue in just one judgment, it’s necessary to go back to 2013, when Cambridge Analytica emerged from Britain’s shadowy private intelligence sector. … continue

The Ongoing Cancellation Campaign Against a Dissenting Academic in Norway

By Glenn Diesen | October 23, 2026

The very public execution of my professorship and reputation continues in Norway. Today’s media article about me makes three claims that are misleading and/or false. … continue

Yemen and ‘the Houthis’: Challenging Sami Hamdi’s Narrative

By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | October 23, 2026 

Amidst widespread confusion about the Saudi-Yemen War, British journalist Sami Hamdi has weighed in on the debate. Unfortunately, his stance and analysis not only miss the mark, but are replete with factual errors, undemonstrable assumptions, and an incorrect timeline of how events transpired.

Until recently, the war in Yemen has long been ignored by the corporate media in the West. Despite the conflict being over a decade old, most references to it highlighted a humanitarian crisis and presented a narrative that a Saudi-Iranian proxy war was raging on. “The Houthis” have been labeled as terrorists, and many have found it rather difficult to understand what is truly going on inside the country.

Therefore, the goal of this article is to push back against Sami Hamdi’s portrayal of events inside the country and provide key context that will help a wider audience understand this issue in greater depth. It is not an attack on Hamdi himself, or an attempt to discredit him as a journalist; instead, it is a criticism of his narrative on this issue and a correction of false information he has presented. … continue

No, Christians did not invent Zionism

By David Miller | Tracking Power | October 23, 2026

What is it with anti-Zionist Jews claiming that Christians invented Zionism? … continue

AIPAC-led lobbying network opens branches in Cypriot, Greek parliaments

The Cradle | October 23, 2026

Cyprus hosted the leadership of the pro-Israel US lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in Nicosia on 21 October, pledging to deepen the island’s ties with Israel and the US.

Outgoing AIPAC president Bernard Kaminetsky and his successor, Yehuda Neuberger, led the delegation to the presidential palace for talks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.

The talks focused on accelerating the 3+1 Mechanism, a partnership binding Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and the US to coordinate on energy, security, and infrastructure.

AIPAC, in return, pledged to keep championing Cypriot interests in Washington.

Meanwhile, pro-Israel lobbies have been embedding themselves inside the Cypriot and Greek parliaments, with Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) launching caucuses in both legislatures to bring lawmakers into line with Israel’s regional agenda.

IAF president Josh Reinstein unveiled the Cypriot caucus on 14 October after meeting Christodoulides, explicitly pitting the initiative against Ankara by branding Turkiye a “common enemy” of Israel and Cyprus. … continue

IOF demolishes home of suspected al-Khalil attacker amid collective punishment measures

Palestinian Information Center – October 23, 2026

WEST BANK – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) demolished a residential building containing three apartments in the Farsh al-Hawa neighborhood of al-Khalil, in the southern occupied West Bank, on Friday, as part of a collective punishment policy targeting Palestinian families and threatening to leave them homeless.

The demolition coincided with the closure of entrances to the city and the imposition of severe restrictions on the movement of residents and vehicles.

Local sources reported that Israeli bulldozers began demolishing a building belonging to Palestinian resident Riyad Amreish. The building contained three residential apartments, each measuring approximately 200 square meters.

According to the sources, the IOF ordered the residents to evacuate the building before carrying out the demolition. They added that Israeli troops sealed off the surrounding area and its main entrance, which serves as the only access point connecting al-Khalil to the bypass road, further restricting movement throughout the city.

The IOF also closed all entrances and roads leading into al-Khalil, preventing residents and vehicles from entering or leaving the city as military restrictions intensified in the surrounding area.

The demolition and road closures followed a shooting attack in al-Khalil earlier this morning that killed two Israeli soldiers.

Following the resistance operation, Israeli government officials threatened to demolish Palestinian homes and other structures near the site of the shooting. … Full article

Israeli army detains 11 international activists supporting Palestinian olive harvest in West Bank

MEMO | October 23, 2026

Israeli forces detained 11 international solidarity activists on Thursday while they were helping Palestinian farmers harvest olives in the village of Al-Buwaib, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian volunteer campaign.

The Fazaa campaign said in a statement that the activists had been held since Thursday morning, without Israeli authorities providing an explanation for their detention.

According to the campaign, the detainees include nationals of Italy, Germany, the United States, Britain and Australia. […]

The activists were participating in efforts to support Palestinian farming communities facing threats and attacks by Israeli settlers during the olive harvest season. … Full article

Commission Documents 409 Israeli Attacks During Olive Harvest

IMEMC | October 22, 2026

The Wall & Colonization Resistance Commission documented 409 attacks by Israeli occupation forces and illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers against Palestinian olive farmers, olive trees, agricultural land, and agricultural equipment between October 1 and 21, 2026. Illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers carried out 317 of the documented attacks, while Israeli soldiers were responsible for 92.

The documented violations included preventing farmers from accessing their fields, assaulting them and forcing them to leave, stealing harvested olives, and damaging olive trees and agricultural equipment.

The Commission reported that the Nablus governorate recorded the highest number of attacks, with 166, followed by Salfit with 91, Ramallah and Al-Bireh with 69, Jenin with 36, Hebron with 30, Qalqilia with nine, Bethlehem with five, and Jerusalem with three. Nablus and Salfit together accounted for approximately 63% of all documented attacks.

The Commission documented 287 attacks directly targeting farmers, including 149 incidents of intimidation and threats, 50 physical assaults, 29 incidents involving restrictions on movement and denial of access, 18 abductions during the harvest, and 15 cases in which farmers were detained in olive groves.

It also documented 14 incidents involving the use of pepper spray or the firing of gas bombs at farmers, as well as 11 incidents involving live fire.

On October 7, 2026, Israeli paramilitary colonizers killed Ali Hassan Bazari, 44, a resident of Burqa town, northwest of Nablus, while he was harvesting olives. Sixteen Palestinians were injured by the colonizers and Israeli soldiers in the attack. … continue

3 Palestinians killed, others injured in fresh Israeli attacks on Gaza

MEMO | October 23, 2026

Three Palestinians were killed and others injured in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip on Friday as violations of the October 2025 ceasefire continue unabated, Anadolu reports.

Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle in the al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City, medical sources told Anadolu.

In a separate incident, the sources said several Palestinians were wounded in a strike on Gaza City’s al-Rimal neighborhood.

On Friday morning, another Palestinian was killed and others injured when a drone targeted a bicycle on al-Qubba Street in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, a medical source and local sources told Anadolu.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army expanded the areas under its control east of al-Masdar village in central Gaza.

Local sources said the army extended its control east of the village by moving the concrete blocks marking the so-called “Yellow Line” into areas beyond its existing zone of control. … Full article

Saudi aggression kills or wounds 30 civilians, mostly women and children, in Yemen’s Taiz and Hajjah

Press TV – October 23, 2026

At least 30 Yemeni civilians have been killed or wounded over the past 24 hours in a fresh wave of airstrikes and artillery attacks by Saudi Arabia and its affiliated forces targeting residential areas in the provinces of Taiz and Hajjah, according to Yemen’s Al-Masirah network and local health authorities.

Al-Masirah reported early Friday that the Saudi coalition and its forces carried out five separate attacks on civilians, resulting in the deaths of nine people and injuries to 21 others. The majority of the casualties are women and children.

In Al-Ma’afir District of Taiz, three Saudi airstrikes struck a residential home in the Al-Nashma area, killing two civilians and wounding one woman and three children. The bombardment also destroyed civilian property. In the same district, Saudi fighter jets targeted the Al-Sharq Club and a sports hall in the Al-Sannah area, causing extensive destruction to public and private property, spreading terror among residents, and destroying sports facilities used by local youth.

A separate Saudi airstrike on a house in the Al-Omari area of coastal Dhubab District killed one woman and injured eight other civilians. The attack specifically targeted residential homes.

In Al-Ta’iziyah District, an artillery attack by Saudi-led coalition forces on the home of a Yemeni citizen in the Al-Arsh area killed three women and wounded three children from the same family. … Full article

Qatar signs deal to buy millions of tons of US LNG through 2054

The Cradle | October 23, 2026

QatarEnergy signed a deal with US firm Cheniere Energy Inc. to buy 4 million tons a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through 2054, in a bid to meet its obligations to customers after the disruption of its own production due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, Bloomberg reported on 22 October.

Qatar, the world’s second-largest LNG exporter before the war, needs gas to supply customers in Asia after Iranian strikes damaged its Ras Laffan facility during the first month of the war in March.

QatarEnergy has also been forced to dramatically reduce LNG exports through the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks on vessels transiting the strategic waterway.

QatarEnergy will buy 2 million tons a year of LNG from each of Cheniere’s two plants, Sabine Pass in Louisiana and Corpus Christi in Texas, the company announced in a statement on Thursday. … Full article

Never-Before-Seen Images Reveal Damage at U.S. Bases as Troops Describe Being Abandoned

“So Much Worse Than People Realize”

By Aaron Parnas and Ken Harbaugh | MeidasTouch | October 22, 2026

When the United States went to war with Iran in late February, the American public was told little about what was happening to the troops stationed across the Middle East. There were no embedded journalists. Casualty details trickled out slowly. Images of damage to American bases were almost nonexistent.

Now, service members, civilian contractors, and military families are breaking their silence.

MeidasTouch, in coordination with our partner VALOR Media Network, has obtained dozens of never-before-published photos and videos showing damage to U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, along with firsthand accounts from people who were there. They describe destroyed aircraft, bombed-out barracks and mess halls, troops digging their own foxholes, and military families hiding in parking garages while Iranian missiles flew overhead. … continue

Araghchi blasts ‘parasitic’ alliance as US taxpayers pay for Israel’s war on Iran

Press TV – October 23, 2026

Iran has condemned “parasitic” military relations between the United States and Israel, citing the spending of $11 billion in American taxpayers’ money on missiles for the occupying regime over the past three years.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the remarks in an X post on Friday, saying the US has fired more interceptors to protect Israel than the usurping entity has.

“That is not a symbiotic relationship. It is a parasitic one,” he added. … continue

Easy fix for Europe’s chaos? Stop fueling war against Russia

By Finian Cunningham | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 23, 2026

There is a straightforward way to alleviate the social chaos sweeping Europe, as well as the war in Ukraine threatening to engulf the continent. It’s an easy fix… continue

Putin’s key remarks on peace talks and Europe’s ‘schizophrenia’

RT | October 23, 2026

Russia remains ready to negotiate a lasting settlement in Ukraine but will achieve its objectives regardless, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Thursday. He also outright rejected “schizophrenic” claims in Western media that Moscow could be seeking a war with Europe. … continue

Why Russia wants peace between Iran and the Gulf

No short-lived oil-price windfall can compensate for damage done by endless war between partners

By Murad Sadygzade | RT | October 22, 2026

… Western media and expert debates, including those focused on Middle Eastern politics, frequently portray Russia as a beneficiary of the war, arguing that disruptions to Gulf supplies drive up energy prices and create opportunities for Russian exporters.

A short-term price benefit is certainly possible, but to assume that war gives Russia a strategic advantage is analytically unsound, because the country’s national interests are not limited to a single source of export revenue. Additional income from commodity sales says little about the cost of damaged partnerships, postponed investment, and worsening conditions for long-term projects.

The Middle East matters to Russia as a political and economic partner, and stable relations depend on predictable institutions, transport routes, and financial transactions. A prolonged war raises shipping and insurance costs, complicates infrastructure agreements, and forces partners to divert resources from development toward immediate security needs. … Full article

Woman Injured by COVID Vaccine Not ‘Disabled Enough’ to Qualify for Compensation

By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. | The Defender | October 19, 2026

A British nurse who sustained permanent injuries after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was denied compensation for her injuries because she is “not disabled enough” to meet the threshold set by the U.K.’s Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS). The Telegraph first reported the story last week.

Marie-Claire Hoyle, now 44 and a mother of three, worked for Royal Liverpool University Hospital in 2020, when she volunteered for AstraZeneca’s U.K. COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.

Within two weeks of receiving her second dose, Hoyle developed transverse myelitis, a rare and permanent neurological condition caused by inflammation of the spinal cord that interrupts nerve signals between the body and the brain.

The condition left Hoyle “in agonising pain and unable to use her limbs fully,” The Telegraph reported.

While rare in the general population, hundreds of cases of transverse myelitis have been recorded among people injured after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. … continue

UK Speech Regulator Considers Restricting VPNs Over Online “Safety”

Ofcom wants emergency blocking powers, proactive scanning, and fewer ways for users to route around them.

By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | October 22, 2026

UK’s speech regulator Ofcom and some members of the country’s parliament are looking for ways to expand their censorship powers, including by going after VPNs.

The biggest one is the power to get sites blocked in the UK straight away, while Ofcom is still investigating, if “there was ongoing, urgent, immediate harm to the public.” […]

Labour MP Jeff Smith asked whether VPNs, which allow users to circumvent geoblocks that sites put up in compliance with the Act, also allow those companies to “get off with not paying their fines.” … Full article

Germany plans to force social media platforms to fill 20% of algorithmic recommendations with ‘state-approved’ content

Remix News | October 22, 2026

Germany’s federal states are proposing that social media platforms reserve at least 20 percent of algorithmic recommendations for content from a pool of approved media outlets deemed important for opinion diversity, according to a draft under public consultation. The proposed measure is already being slammed as a state-mandated propaganda effort that would force German citizens to view content friendly to the ruling establishment parties.

The measure is part of the second stage of a planned Digital Media State Treaty developed by the Broadcasting Commission of the Federal States. Under the draft, public broadcasters such as ARD, ZDF and Deutschland Radio would automatically qualify for certain offerings.

Meanwhile, private outlets would generally need to apply and demonstrate that they meet criteria including news and political reporting, information and educational content, documentaries, local or regional coverage, original journalistic production, editorial staffing and accessibility standards. Approvals would be decided by the 14 state media authorities. […]

The rule would apply to algorithmic recommendations shown to users, such as in feeds or under videos on platforms including Instagram and X. … Full article

AIPAC hides its hand: Drops endorsements, keeps unlimited super PAC

Al Mayadeen | October 22, 2026

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is getting out of the business of endorsing candidates, writing checks from its own PAC, and bundling donations for specific campaigns, CNBC reported. The move undoes an approach the pro-“Israel” lobbying group adopted five years ago, and it comes as the organization contends with growing political pushback.

AIPAC laid out the changes in a letter sent to members on Wednesday, which CNBC obtained. The letter says the group will keep running its super PAC, the United Democracy Project, and will instead steer more of its energy toward encouraging individual supporters to contribute to candidates themselves.

Spokesperson Deryn Sousa told CNBC the organization wants to substantially broaden its community’s role in politics and give its activists more direct influence and that this will be its priority over the next two years. The letter itself struck a more somber tone, describing 2026 as among the toughest political climates the group has faced in years and cautioning that conditions will likely worsen.

The restructuring removes AIPAC’s most public-facing political tools but leaves its capacity to deploy big money intact. It may also make the group’s footprint harder to trace. … Full article

Workers at 100 ports act against arming Israel as boycott hits supply chains

Palestinian Information Center – October 22, 2026

GAZA – Trade unions and labor groups in about 100 ports distributed across 17 countries are preparing to organize strikes and protests on Friday, October 30, to demand a halt to the transfer of weapons and goods related to the Israeli war on Palestinians, in a move that raises Israeli fears regarding the impact on supply chains and shipping traffic, including shipments transiting through intermediate ports.

Under the slogan “Port workers do not work for war”, the organizers of the action seek to put pressure on shipping companies and commercial institutions, by refusing to participate in the transfer of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Israel, and opposing transactions that contribute to the continuation of its war effort. … continue

‘Hell’s Wing’: US-made tools, arms linked to torture of Palestinians

Al Mayadeen | October 22, 2026

An investigation by The Guardian and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism has linked reports of electric-shock torture against Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody to weapons manufactured by US company Axon Enterprise, raising questions about the continued supply of the equipment to Israeli security agencies.

The investigation examined the case of Issa, a 43-year-old Palestinian who recalls Israeli soldiers repeatedly subjecting him to electric shocks while he was detained. More than 18 months later, marks from the shocks remain visible on his body, according to the report. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims said the proximity of two scars gives evidence that he received repeated shocks while tightly restrained.

Issa was abducted in January 2024 from the Jabalia refugee camp, where he had been staying after losing both feet in an Israeli aggression on his home. He was held at Ofer Prison before his release in October 2025.

‘Hell’s Wing’

According to his account, Israeli forces dragged him into a section of the prison known as “Hell’s Wing,” pushed him into a corner, and fired two rubber bullets at him. After binding him tightly, they continued beating him before one soldier used a stun gun against his body.

The investigation found that three other Palestinian detainees, subsequently released, also reported that Israeli personnel tortured them with Axon-manufactured weapons between 2024 and 2025. The company was formerly known as Taser International.

Axon’s business ties with Israeli security agencies

The investigation found that Axon has maintained commercial connections with Israeli entities for decades, with evidence indicating that its products and accessories continued to be supplied to Israeli security agencies.

In 1995, a delegation led by company founder Rick Smith attended a security trade exhibition in Eilat. More recently, Israeli distributors have facilitated the sale of its electroshock weapons.

In 2016, MR Hunter became an Axon distributor in “Israel” and signed a contract worth 13 million shekels, equivalent to approximately $3.5 million, to provide Israeli security agencies with Taser X26P weapons and related equipment.

Axon listed another Israeli distributor, Goren-Kidon Group, in 2025. The company’s customers include the Israeli police, the Police Ministry, the Ministry of War, and the Israeli Prison Service (IPS).

In June 2025, Axon held a conference in “Israel” to present its latest electroshock weapons to representatives of Israeli security agencies.

The weapons are manufactured in Arizona and exported under the category of crime-control equipment. US export regulations allow authorities to consider evidence of human rights violations when determining whether to grant export licenses.

Palestinians describe electric shocks, lasting injuries

The investigation also examined two video clips produced by the Israeli Prison Service over the previous year. The weapons shown appear to resemble Axon-manufactured tasers, according to the report. Issa and the three other former detainees interviewed identified the weapons they said had been used against them as tasers.

One former detainee described being doused with water before receiving an electric shock during his detention in 2024. He said he continued to experience severe vision problems, muscle spasms, and recurring fainting episodes. Water can intensify the effects of electric-shock torture, according to guidance cited in the investigation.

In August 2025, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs reported that detainees at Gilboa Prison had been subjected to electric shocks before being dragged to shower areas, doused with water, and shocked again. … Full article

9,400 Palestinian prisoners face winter without warm clothing or blankets in Israeli prisons

Palestinian Information Center – October 22, 2026

WEST BANK – The Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies has warned that approximately 9,400 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons face worsening conditions as winter approaches, amid continued deprivation of warm clothing, blankets, and heating for more than three years, alongside deteriorating living and health conditions inside prisons and detention centers.

Riyad al-Ashqar, director of the center, said Israeli occupation authorities have continued to deny prisoners access to clothing and blankets since October 7, 2023, while suspending family visits and closing prison commissaries, which prisoners previously relied on to purchase basic necessities.

In a statement issued by the center, al-Ashqar explained that Israeli authorities have prevented international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), from delivering clothing to prisoners.

Meanwhile, prison authorities have confiscated prisoners’ personal belongings, including clothing and blankets, and removed mattresses and remaining bedding from rooms and cells during daylight hours.

Al-Ashqar added that prisoners have been forced to use the same clothing and blankets for extended periods without being able to wash or replace them, contributing to the spread of skin diseases, particularly scabies, amid inadequate medical care and a lack of necessary treatment. … continue

Israeli attacks kill 4 Palestinians, including girl, in Gaza amid ceasefire violations

MEMO | October 22, 2026

Israeli strikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip killed four Palestinians, including a girl, and injured more than 19 others on Thursday amid continued violations of an effective ceasefire agreement, medics said.

In the latest attack, a Palestinian was killed when an Israeli drone struck an electric bicycle west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, a medical source said.

Another Palestinian was killed and others were injured, one seriously, when an Israeli drone struck a civilian vehicle in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood southwest of Gaza City, the source said.

In the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian girl in the head in Jabalia, a medical source told Anadolu.

In southern Gaza, another Palestinian was killed and two others were injured when an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle in Khan Younis, the source said.

Four members of a displaced family were also injured when Israeli artillery fire hit a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in the city.

A medical source at Nasser Hospital said a man, his wife, and their two children arrived with varying injuries after the shelling targeted Mustafa Hafez School.

An Israeli artillery shell struck a tent sheltering the displaced family in the school courtyard, according to local sources.

Southern Syria: Israeli Occupation Forces Kill Man with Disabilities, Abduct Young Man

Al-Manar | October 22, 2026

Israeli occupation forces killed a civilian with disabilities during an incursion into Syria’s Daraa province and abducted a young man while obstructing a UN patrol in neighboring Quneitra province in southern Syria on Thursday, according to local media reports.

Alikhbariah TV reported that Israeli forces entered Taranja village in northern Quneitra countryside with seven military vehicles, abducted a young man and obstructed the passage of a patrol belonging to the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) by blocking the village road. The broadcaster did not provide details about the young man’s identity or where he was taken. It added later that the young man was released.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli forces entered Jamlah village in western Daraa province and shot dead a civilian with disabilities, according to Syria’s official SANA news agency. The victim’s body was transferred to Daraa National Hospital. The agency did not identify him or specify the nature of his disability.

During the incursion into Jamlah, Israeli occupation forces deployed in the village’s eastern neighborhood and positioned snipers on the rooftops of residential buildings, SANA reported.

Alikhbariah TV also said Israeli troops searched several houses and fired indiscriminately in residential neighborhoods.

On Wednesday evening, Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Abidin village in the Yarmouk Basin area of western Daraa. SANA reported that two shells landed west of the village, with no information available on casualties or material damage. … Full article

Sanaa welcomes Al-Azhar’s call to end wars, urges pressure on Riyadh

Al Mayadeen | October 22, 2026

Yemen’s Foreign Ministry in Sanaa has renewed its welcome for Al-Azhar’s call to end wars in the region, urging pressure on Saudi Arabia to lift its siege, halt its aggression, and end its occupation of Yemeni territory.

In a statement, the ministry expressed readiness to welcome any serious efforts aimed at ending the aggression against Yemen, lifting the siege, and ending the Saudi occupation of Yemeni lands.

Sanaa has consistently called on the Saudi regime to withdraw its hand from Yemen, warning that Riyadh would bear full responsibility for the consequences if it failed to do so.

The ministry’s statement follows a call by Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb for Arab and Muslim countries to work toward an immediate and comprehensive halt to wars and hostilities across the region.

Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam had called on Arab and Muslim countries to prioritize the bonds of religion, kinship, and language, urging them to embrace dialogue and reason and immediately halt acts of war, fighting, destruction, and devastation that drain people’s resources and claim innocent lives. … Full article

Saudi airstrikes on residential areas across Yemen kill two women, injures several

Press TV – October 22, 2026

A series of Saudi airstrikes against residential neighborhoods across Yemen have killed at least two women and injured several others, as conflict intensifies between the Sana’a-based Yemeni government on one side and Riyadh and the Saudi-backed forces on the other.

Yemen’s official Saba news agency, citing local sources, reported that a woman was killed and a girl sustained injuries after Saudi fighter jets dropped bombs on an area in the Bakil al-Mir district of in Yemen’s northwestern province of Hajjah on Thursday morning.

The development came hours after a woman lost her life and eight people were wounded when a Saudi airstrike targeted a residential building in the Dhubab district of Yemen’ southwestern province of Ta’izz. … Full article

Trump’s Iran war is on an Israeli leash

A reported strike plan, paused only until after the midterms, exposes the limits of American strategic independence.

By Dr. Sara Neumann | MEMO | October 22, 2026

On October 21, the Financial Times reported that Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed his military to prepare a multi-day bombing campaign against Iran for the weekend of October 10—only for Donald Trump to block it until after the November 3 midterms . The operation would have targeted electricity plants, nuclear facilities, and regime sites, surpassing the intensity of the joint offensive launched in February. Trump’s opposition did not end the war. It rescheduled it.

That distinction is the entire story. The veto is being presented as proof that Washington can restrain Jerusalem. In reality, it is a demonstration of an alliance leash—a tether that permits tactical friction while leaving the strategic architecture of the war untouched. Trump can pull the leash to protect Republican seats. Netanyahu can pull it to protect Likud seats. Neither pull ends the war. Both manage the calendar.

The FT report is clear that the operation was not cancelled, only deferred. “There will either be a deal or an attack,” one person familiar with the matter said. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Israel on Monday to meet Netanyahu, and Israeli officials presented an updated target bank that included civilian infrastructure not struck earlier in the year. The machinery of escalation remains fully assembled. The only variable that changed was the date. … continue

Saudi oil boss issues global supply warning

RT | October 22, 2026

The US-Israeli war on Iran has caused an “unprecedented” shock to global energy markets, removing some 3 billion barrels of oil supply, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser has warned.

The war launched in February effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil and LNG artery, sending crude prices up roughly 50%. Despite Gulf exports recovering to a reported 80% of pre-war levels, renewed attacks on vessels have kept markets on edge, with Brent hitting a five-month high above $112 this week. Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and shipping have compounded the crisis, threatening another vital trade chokepoint, the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

In an interview with Al Arabiya Business aired on Thursday, Nasser said the nearly eight-month crisis had deprived global markets of an estimated 3 billion barrels of oil. … continue

Trump accuses Iran of driving up oil prices ahead of midterms

MEMO | October 22, 2026

US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused Iran of attempting to drive up global oil prices ahead of the midterm elections, Anadolu reports.

“Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of Oil prior to the U.S. Midterm Election. They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the Conflict,” Trump wrote on his Truth social platform.

He accused Iranian authorities of continuing to kill protesters and others who oppose the government, claiming that 75,000 protesters had died in less than seven months.

Riyadh Says Its Oil System Is Intact. The Numbers Say Otherwise.

By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | October 22, 2026 

Earlier this month, Aramco’s chief executive, Amin Nasser, assured the markets that “our system is intact” and that Saudi Arabia could restore its full 12 million barrels a day of capacity within days. It is a comforting message, and Washington, European capitals and oil traders have every reason to want to believe it. It is not true.

Karl Miller has just completed a 37-slide operating assessment of Saudi Arabia’s energy system, covering everything from the oil fields to the fuel depots, as of October 20. I have read it closely. It is the most careful accounting of this damage I have seen, and it is careful in a way that should worry anyone counting on Saudi oil this winter. Miller does not count Houthi boasts, social-media videos or plumes of smoke as damage. He separates confirmed hits from claims, and he refuses to add up the design capacity of every facility that was struck as if it were all offline at once. Even with all of that discipline, the picture is grim. … continue

Trump and Netanyahu Want to “Finish the Job” on Iran

By Philip Giraldi • Unz Review • October 21, 2026

If one were seeking to create something like a modern-day folk tale based on current realities and having the theme of “good versus evil” there are any number of real-life narratives available that could be exploited to invite speculation on actual environments that might have served as models for the fiction. I have found much of the bizarre and blood-soaked evil relationship between the United States and Israel, which serves no US interest at all, to be one such arrangement in which two countries have through their own behavior become the most hated in the world. They have successfully established an odd partnership based largely on a common view of which other nations they hate and would like to destroy. … continue

US ‘one-sided dictation’ not Iran’s beliefs makes rational talks impossible: Baghaei

Press TV – October 22, 2026

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says the United States’ negotiating behavior, marked by coercion and one-sided demands, rather than Iran’s religious beliefs, makes rational negotiations impossible.

In a post on his X account on Thursday, Baghaei questioned the relevance of Iranians’ “religious beliefs” to Washington’s failure to honor its diplomatic commitments and its addiction to force and pressure.

He said faith does not preclude rationality, noting that genuine diplomacy requires more than imposing terms on the other side. … continue

Iran: US political targets legitimate if assassinations return

Al Mayadeen | October 22, 2026

A senior security official in Tehran said Iran would consider US political targets, along with the infrastructure of countries participating in a new war, legitimate targets if another round of broad war includes assassinations of officials and the massacring of civilians, Fars News Agency reported late on Wednesday.

The official said Iran has communicated this to its operational ranks.

The official explained that Iran takes a US and Israeli attack as a given and regards American diplomatic gestures as lacking credibility, a view that intensified after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s October 7 speech in Athens, which Tehran sees as giving the war a historical and civilizational cover.

The official said Iranian leaders and elites have reached the unprecedented conclusion that US Middle East policy is directed from Tel Aviv and that “Israel” will not allow a diplomatic solution, because for Trump, “Israel” comes first. … continue

Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Mom Accused of Murdering Twins Who Died 8 Days After Vaccines

By Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. | The Defender | October 19, 2026

Highlights:

  • Idaho prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Andrea Shaw, who faces first-degree murder charges in the May 2025 suffocations of her twin toddlers.
  • Idaho’s primary execution method is now firing squad under a July 2026 state law.
  • Shaw has pleaded not guilty, denying the charges and alleging her children became severely ill and died following a “post-immunization reaction” from routine vaccinations received days earlier.
  • Shaw’s attorney called the capital punishment filing “outrageous,” noting that core prosecution evidence remains unreleased while grand jury indictments and coroner reports are sealed.
  • Children’s Health Defense (CHD) outside counsel Rick Jaffe joined the defense team last week.

Full article

The Leukemia Remission Study Oncology Willfully Ignored for Twenty Years

By Sayer Ji | October 19, 2026

Twenty years ago, Mayo Clinic published a report that should have changed how we treat leukemia forever.

It didn’t.

Not because the patients didn’t improve.
Not because the doctors who saw it were fringe.
Not because the follow-up trial failed.

It didn’t because the thing that helped them was a green tea extract, and nobody stood to profit from carrying it to the finish line.

I’ve spent two decades tracking studies like this one: findings that make it into the peer-reviewed record and then quietly disappear from medical practice. Across more than 100,000 studies indexed on GreenMedInfo, this is one of the clearest examples I know.

What the study actually showed

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, is the most common adult leukemia in the Western world. For most patients diagnosed early, the standard of care is a phrase that patients come to dread: watch and wait. There is no treatment offered. You come back every few months, and your doctors measure how fast the disease is advancing until it is bad enough to justify chemotherapy.

In 2004, a Mayo Clinic team that included hematologists Tait Shanafelt and Neil Kay reported that a green tea compound called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) killed leukemic cells from CLL patients in the lab. The paper in Blood found that EGCG significantly increased leukemic cell death in 8 of 10 patient samples.

Then something happened that rarely happens in medicine. Patients read the research and acted on it.

In 2006, the Mayo team published a report in Leukemia Research on four of their own patients with low-grade B-cell cancers who had started taking over-the-counter green tea extracts on their own. Three of the four met standard criteria for a partial response.

The detail that matters most is this: several of these patients had documented, steady progression immediately before they started the green tea extract, and then developed objective responses shortly afterward.

Read that again. The disease was getting worse. They added green tea extract. The disease reversed. … continue

Fluoride update: A federal judge called it a neurotoxin, an appeals court erased his order, and California still mandates it

By Robert Yoho, MD | Surviving Healthcare | October 14, 2026

Summary

· The National Toxicology Program (NTP) reviewed 72 studies and concluded, with moderate confidence, that fluoride lowers children’s IQ. A 2025 meta-analysis of 74 studies found that 64 reported the same result. The 2 prospective cohort studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found IQ losses of 2.5 to 4.5 points per unit of maternal fluoride exposure.

· On September 24, 2024, Senior Judge Edward Chen of the federal district court in San Francisco ruled that fluoridation at 0.7 milligrams per liter “poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children” and ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate it. On May 21, 2026, a Ninth Circuit panel vacated his order on a procedural technicality without ruling on the science. The Supreme Court deadline to file a petition is October 18, 2026.

· Fluoridation chemicals are scrubber waste from phosphate-fertilizer plants. About 95 percent of what goes into American water is this byproduct. Imports supplied about two-thirds of it in 2019, and China was the primary foreign source.

· The American Dental Association (ADA) took in $237 million in 2024 and charges an average of $53 per fluoride-varnish application. In 2022, it asked the Biden health department to remove “neurotoxin claims” from the NTP report before its release. Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine then put the report on hold, and it took 2 more years and a court order to publish it.

· Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised in November 2024 that the White House would advise every water system to stop on day 1. Twenty months later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends fluoridation. The EPA is in step 2 of a 4-step review with no deadline, and 2 states have banned it.

· About 2.3 million American babies are born each year to mothers who drink fluoridated water. Europe almost without exception rejects the practice. The pattern mirrors every other globalist program I have written about: a known harm, a captured profession, a public-health slogan, and a regulatory agency that defends the harm in court.

[…]

Adults have finished building their brains, so the damage lands elsewhere. In 2015, Stephen Peckham at the University of Kent compared hypothyroidism rates across 7,935 English general practices. Practices in areas with water fluoride above 0.3 milligrams per liter were 30 percent more likely to report high rates of hypothyroidism. Fluoridated West Midlands practices were nearly twice as likely as unfluoridated Manchester practices to report high rates of hypothyroidism.

A 2018 Canadian study found the effect was concentrated among iodine-deficient adults, who made up 18 percent of the sample. Fluoride competes with iodine for the thyroid, and Americans have less iodine to spare than they did. … Read full article

IOF declares Deir Jarir closed military zone, prevents its farmers from harvesting olives

Palestinian Information Center – October 21, 2026

RAMALLAH – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) prevented farmers in the village of Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, from reaching their lands to harvest olives on Wednesday morning. The measure comes days after attacks by Israeli settlers targeting local farmers and solidarity activists in the village.

The head of the village council, Eid Hammad, told Al Jazeera channel that the IOF had declared the village a closed military zone and barred farmers from harvesting their olive crops. This coincides with ongoing restrictions on residents’ access to their fields during the olive harvest season. … Full article

Three Palestinians injured in separate settler attacks in Nablus and al-Khalil

Palestinian Information Center – October 21, 2026

WEST BANK – A Palestinian man was wounded by live ammunition on Wednesday evening during an attack by Jewish settlers on the village of Osarin, south of Nablus.

In a separate incident, two Palestinian children were exposed to pepper spray during a similar assault in the Huwara area of Masafer Yatta, south of al-Khalil, in the southern occupied West Bank.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that its emergency crews treated a 40-year-old man who had been shot in the hand by settlers in Osarin. He was subsequently transported to a hospital for medical treatment.

According to local sources, Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting olives in the village and opened fire with live ammunition, wounding one of the farmers.

In a separate attack, Jewish settlers sprayed two Palestinian children with pepper spray in the Huwara area of Masafer Yatta, south of al-Khalil. … Full article

Israeli Forces Demolish Seven Apartments Near Qalandia

IMEMC | October 21, 2026

On Wednesday morning, October 21, 2026, Israeli forces demolished seven residential apartments belonging to the Abu Labba family near Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. The apartments had housed approximately 35 Palestinians.

Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli bulldozers carried out the demolitions in the al-Wad area, near the quarry adjoining Qalandia refugee camp.

Masdar News, citing the governorate, reported that Israeli forces were deployed around the area during the demolition operation. The report said demolition operations began that morning.

According to Jerusalem Governorate, the demolitions were carried out under the pretext that the buildings lacked Israeli-issued construction permits.

Video footage published by local media showed Israeli forces beating owners of homes threatened with demolition near the refugee camp. Soldiers also smashed a vehicle and beat homeowners in the area. … Full article

Two Palestinians martyred, others injured in Gaza

Palestinian Information Center – October 21, 2026

GAZA – Two Palestinians, including a child who was in critical condition, were martyred and others were wounded on Wednesday following Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Information Center reporter said that 10-year-old Abdul-Rahman Awad succumbed to wounds he sustained last Monday in an Israeli strike near al-Saroukh junction, north of Gaza City.

In southern Gaza, a citizen was killed and another one was injured in an Israeli drone strike in the al-Mawasi area of al-Qarara, north of Khan Yunis.

Another civilian was wounded by Israeli gunfire in al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

Earlier, two schoolgirls were injured by Israeli gunfire during a morning assembly at a girls school in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza.

Gaza’s ministry of education said Israeli forces opened fire towards the school and the area around it, injuring sixth-grade student Suaad Abd Rabbo, who was shot in the thigh and required surgery, while fourth-grade student Amena Khadr sustained abdominal injuries.

The ministry said “the incident comes amid a growing pattern of attacks on Palestinian students and children,” noting that six children had been killed and several others injured over the past two days. … Full article

Yemeni armed forces strike Saudi military cargo at Riyan airport

Press TV – October 21, 2026

The Yemeni armed forces say they have struck Saudi military equipment flown by cargo aircraft into Riyan airport in the port city of Mukalla, warning Riyadh against using civilian facilities for military purposes.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces, announced the operation in a brief statement on Wednesday, saying the consignments had been transported to the airport aboard Saudi military cargo aircraft.

“The criminal Saudi enemy is using Riyan Airport to transport weapons and military equipment aimed at the massacre of Yemeni people,” Saree stated.

He warned that Riyadh is making use of Yemeni civilian facilities in order to advance its military agendas. … Full article

Iran strikes force Pentagon to reassess US bases across region: Report

Al Mayadeen | October 21, 2026

The Pentagon is reconsidering the future of its military bases across West Asia after Iranian strikes inflicted significant damage on several key US installations during the war, raising questions over Washington’s ability to maintain and protect its longstanding military presence in the region.

A senior US defense official said the Pentagon is currently working with US Central Command (CENTCOM) to assess damaged installations and determine which facilities remain necessary under Washington’s future military posture.

“We’re meeting with CENTCOM [US Central Command] and doing the assessments right now from an installation perspective,” the official told reporters during a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington.

“Part of this is what will the global posture be in the future, and what does that require us to have?”

The review comes after Iranian strikes targeted several US military sites across the region following the US-Israeli attack on Iran in February.

Among the facilities hit was Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, one of Washington’s most important military hubs in the region, where strikes reportedly rendered the Pentagon’s Combined Air Operations Center inoperable.

US installations in Saudi Arabia and Jordan were also targeted, while military infrastructure in Bahrain sustained major damage.

Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao acknowledged the scale of the destruction in Bahrain, saying “they blew the hell out of Bahrain.”

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle separately said the US Navy would not be returning to Naval Support Activity Bahrain “anytime soon.”

Rather than automatically restoring the facilities that were struck, Pentagon officials are now assessing whether rebuilding them fits Washington’s future military requirements.

The senior defense official said the department intends to direct resources toward bases considered essential to US operations, suggesting that reconstruction decisions will depend on broader changes to Washington’s regional deployment strategy.

The financial cost of rebuilding the damaged installations has also yet to be fully disclosed.

While the Pentagon has provided lawmakers with estimates related to the war with Iran, those figures have not included a complete assessment of damage to US military bases. … Full article

Iraq shuts key border crossing with Iran under US pressure: Report

The Cradle | October 21, 2026

Iraq shut the strategic Sheeb border crossing with Iran on 21 October, sources told western media outlets, framing the move as a result of intensified US pressure on Baghdad to strangle the Islamic Republic.

An Iraqi source told AFP that the crossing was shut “until further notice.” Two other sources said Washington is pressuring Baghdad to close more border crossings. … continue

Araghchi: Hormuz lanes opened for Iraqi oil tankers to ease losses

Al Mayadeen | October 21, 2026

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that his country has opened special routes for ships carrying Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of reducing the economic losses Iraq is bearing as a result of the strait’s closure.

In an interview for Iraqia News, Araghchi explained that Tehran is aware of the scale of the losses and economic burdens Iraq has incurred because of developments in the strait, stressing that the Iranian side has made efforts to mitigate them.

He added that the economic damage was not limited to Iran but extended to Iraq and the rest of the countries in the region, attributing it to the American-Israeli aggression and the subsequent disruption to navigation and trade.

Araghchi welcomed the withdrawal of American forces from Iraqi territory, praising the steadfastness of the Iraqi people and the role of the Iraqi Resistance in achieving this outcome.

In addition, the Iranian foreign minister noted that he discussed developments in Yemen and regional conditions with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, in addition to holding consultations with ministers taking part in the conference held in Baghdad on the Iranian nuclear file and issues of mutual interest. … Full article

Undersea Internet cables could be targeted in retaliation for attacks on Iran: IRGC deputy chief

Press TV – October 21, 2026

A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned that Iran could target undersea Internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz if the country’s infrastructure is attacked.

Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, political deputy to the IRGC chief commander, made the remarks in an interview with Iran’s Arabic-language Al-Alam television news network on Wednesday.

Addressing the possibility of strikes against undersea Internet infrastructure, Javani said Iran would use its full capabilities if the country’s own infrastructure came under attack. … continue

The Hidden Material Cost Of The Green Energy Transition

By Peter Clack | October 7, 2026

The world consumes roughly 28 million tons of copper every year—a mass equivalent to five Great Pyramids of Giza.

Yet that refined metal is just the tip of the iceberg of a far more monstrous physical reality.

Beneath those 28 million tons of copper sits a massive geological footprint: billions of tons of blasted rock, colossal volumes of chemical tailings, vast energy expenditures and trillions of liters of water.

This is all fresh, relentless demand.

Crucially, up to 75 percent of that copper never enters individual turbines, solar panels or electric vehicles. It goes into the invisible grid infrastructure required to link everything together and make it function.

When you trace 28 million tons of copper backward into the Earth, the true scale and cost is staggering.

The drive to overhaul the global energy structure rests on a profound misunderstanding of physics: it treats energy supply as a ‘software’ problem while ignoring the devastating raw material gridlock caused by manufacturing billions of solar panels and over a million wind turbines, with hundreds of thousands more in the pipeline.

When an energy system shifts from reliable, high-density fuels—hydrocarbons and uranium—to low-density, intermittent sources like wind and solar, the physical apparatus needed to capture, convert, stabilize and transmit that diffuse flux just explodes.

It becomes an absurd trade-off: expending colossal amounts of finite, high-grade ‘fossil fuels’ upfront simply to dig up materials for low-density generators—generators that can never run a steel mill, power an ocean cargo vessel or sustain international air travel.

Mining is already a vast consumer of continuous energy. As global copper ore grades decline—frequently dropping to 0.5 percent or lower—the mass of rock that must be dug, hauled, and crushed grows exponentially per unit of recovered metal.

Crushing rock alone accounts for roughly three to four percent of total global electricity consumption. Demanding billions of additional tons of processed metal creates a self-defeating loop: huge volumes of reliable, baseline power are consumed just to extract the raw materials needed to construct weather-dependent hardware.

Yet the primary metals drain does not come from the turbines or arrays themselves. It stems from the enormous physical web needed to transport that energy across vast distances. Diffuse generators located hundreds of kilometers from cities require unprecedented volumes of step-up transformers, substations, high-voltage transmission lines and regional grid overhauls.

The heavy overhead wiring looping across the landscape regularly dwarfs the metal required to build the turbine in the first place. Because two centuries of industrial civilization have already extracted the highest-grade deposits, meeting future demand forces miners to dig deeper, crush harder and manage billions of tons of toxic slurry. … Full post

EU sending ‘biased’ observers to interfere in Serbian election – president

RT | October 20, 2026

Acting Serbian President Ana Brnabic has accused the European Parliament of breaking its own ethics rules and sending a team of political operators to Serbia “with already formed conclusions” about how they want this weekend’s election to end.

Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is running in parliamentary elections this Sunday, after vacating the presidency last month. Vucic’s coalition, led by his SNS party, is competing against the Student List – an electoral faction put together by the organizers of anti-government protests raging in Serbia since 2024.

European Parliament elections observers are due to arrive in Belgrade on Thursday. However, in a letter to Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Tuesday, Brnabic accused the team of political bias, pointing out that some of its members have openly expressed “extremely negative judgments about the authorities in Serbia [and] expectations for their removal.”

Lead EU observer Andreas Schieder monitored parliamentary elections in Serbia in 2023, and signed off on the official result, before accusing Vucic’s party of fraud and vote-buying. Brnabic explained this in her letter to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, which was seen by Serbian media outlets.

The appointment of Schieder, an Austrian Social Democrat, violates the UN’s Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, she continued. This document, to which all EU delegations are beholden, states that observers must be “free from any political, economic or other conflicts of interest.” … continue

China raises serious concerns over UK detention and questioning of Chinese nationals

Global Times | October 20, 2026

The Chinese Embassy in UK has urged Chinese nationals to protect personal property and privacy, amid multiple cases involving prolonged questioning and seizure of electronic devices by British border officials.

Multiple Chinese nationals have been detained and questioned for extended periods when entering or leaving the UK, with personal electronic devices, including mobile phones, also seized in several cases, the embassy said on Tuesday.

The cases involved several members of Chinese trade and business delegations visiting the UK, Chinese nationals traveling to visit relatives privately, and ordinary tourists, according to a post published on the Consular Affairs WeChat account of the Chinese Embassy in the UK. … Full article

UK universities suppress Palestine solidarity in breach of human rights law

The Cradle | October 21, 2026

UK universities have waged a coordinated crackdown on students and academics who express solidarity with Palestinians and oppose Israel’s genocide in Gaza since October 2023, deploying “repressive and heavy-handed measures” to stifle dissent, according to an Amnesty International report released on 20 October.

Examining 26 cases between October 2023 and September 2025, the rights group documented universities turning to campus bans, court injunctions, surveillance, and drawn-out disciplinary cases to quell peaceful protesters.

Students were subjected to disciplinary action for chanting, clapping, and wearing keffiyehs, acts that universities treated as threatening or disruptive without any evident sign that anyone had been targeted or harmed. […]

Some students discovered that senior administrators had compiled dossiers on their activities, denying them any means to access, contest, or have the files expunged, while in many cases their data was gathered or retained without consent or legal justification. […]

The group also raised alarm over counterterrorism measures such as the Prevent duty, which obliges university staff to refer people to police over suspected drift toward terrorism even when no crime has been committed, calling for it to be scrapped across the education sector.  … Full article