Sputnik – 26.10.2026
Hundreds of underage Russians aged between two and 17 have been added to the database of the notoriously controversial Ukrainian website Myrotvorets, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday.
“By the end of 2021, more than 300 underage Russians aged two to 17 had been added to the ‘Myrotvorets’ database. In 2025, more than a hundred minors from Russia were added to the database,” the diplomat told the UN Security Council.
The diplomat reminded that the creators of this internet resource consider those included in the lists to be “enemies of Ukraine” who are to be eliminated. He emphasized that, in addition to Russian citizens, the portal contains personal information about minors from Belarus, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Israel, Uzbekistan, Moldova, and other countries.
As an example, Nebenzia cited the story of Faina Savenkova, a resident of Lugansk, who appeared on the website in 2021 at the age of 12 after publishing an open video message to the members of the UN Security Council on Children’s Day, calling for attention to be paid to the situation of children in Donbass. … Full article
The data is expansive, and accountability remains mostly theoretical.
By Ken Macon | Reclaim The Net | October 26, 2026
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is negotiating a three-year contract with Cognyte, an Israeli surveillance company, for a portable cell-site simulator.
The New York Daily News reported about the $750,500 sole-source deal on October 24, noting that the system, called FalcoNet, comes with “undisclosed AI capabilities that analyze people’s behaviors” – this according to the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)’s Daniel Schwarz. […]
In August 2026, a federal judge in Mississippi ruled that “tower dumps” – a technique used to collect data from all phones in a certain area by contacting cell phone towers – is unconstitutional.
The judge said that the technique reaches “countless individuals, the vast majority of whom were merely passing by a location at the ‘wrong’ time.”
Just weeks before that, the US Supreme Court ruled that a person “has a reasonable expectation of privacy in records about his cell phone’s location.”
A cell-site simulator is essentially a tower dump done live, on the street, and in real-time, and it is indiscriminate in that it targets every phone in a given area. The courts are only now getting around to stating the obvious – that this type of collection is unconstitutional – and yet, New York is about to acquire a faster, more portable version of it.
The police department has dropped its previous claim that cell-site simulators are not using AI, while the vendor, Cognyte, advertises that it sells behavior analysis. Nobody outside the NYPD will be told when and where the new device is switched on, and the people who will know least about it are the New Yorkers whose phones it reads. – Full article
Palestinian Information Center – October 26, 2026
WEST BANK – Two Palestinians were injured in Israeli settler attacks across the occupied West Bank on Monday, as farmers faced assaults, olive crops were stolen and settlement expansion continued on Palestinian land.
The two Palestinians sustained injuries when settlers attacked residents in Khirbet al-Kharaba, east of the town of al-Samu, south of Al-Khalil.
In the Hamroush area, east of the town of Sair, north of Al-Khalil, settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers and stole their olive harvest.
Meanwhile, southwest of Jenin, settlers attacked farmer Khaled Hamdouni in an area between Khirbet al-Makhal and Umm Rihah, near the town of Yabad.
In a related development, construction work continued at a settlement outpost established several weeks ago on land belonging to the town of Salem, east of Nablus. … Full article
The Cradle | October 26, 2026
Over 3,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from the occupied West Bank city of Hebron as a result of the brutal, ongoing siege imposed by Israel several days ago, authorities said on 26 October.
According to the Hebron Municipality, the number of displaced people has reached 3,189. This includes more than 200 infants.
Officials in the city said earlier that almost half of those displaced are babies and people under the age of 18 years.
“We left with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Our savings, belongings, and documents are all in the house. I tried to go back after I got my family out safely, but I couldn’t. It’s not safe anymore,” a Palestinian resident of Hebron told Al Jazeera on Monday.
Palestinian authorities in Hebron have declared a state of emergency in the occupied and besieged city. Officials have put together a crisis group.
Rami Khamis, a member of the group, told Al Jazeera that “philanthropists who could not bear the thought of fellow Palestinians staying in temporary shelters opened their homes to the displaced.”
The current siege and Israeli attack on Hebron, launched on 23 October after a resistance operation killed two occupation soldiers, entered its fourth day on Monday. … Full article
Press TV | October 26, 2026
Palestinian physician Mazen al-Rantisi has been released from Israel’s notorious Ofer prison after nearly four months in detention, with photographs circulated following his release showing him gaunt and bearing a prominent red wound on his forehead.
The 72-year-old, widely known as the “doctor of the poor” for providing affordable medical care to disadvantaged Palestinians, was released from the facility, widely known to be playing host to rampant torture and physical abuse of Palestinians, on Sunday.
He was detained during a pre-dawn raid on his home in Ramallah’s al-Tira neighborhood in the occupied West Bank on June 21.
Prosecutors subsequently indicted him for serving as chairman of the board of the Union of Health Work Committees, a Palestinian non-profit organization that provides medical care to thousands of Palestinians annually.
For decades, al-Rantisi has treated low-income patients, often waiving medical fees, supplying medicines, and providing treatment free of charge. His clinic in Ramallah became a refuge for Palestinians seeking affordable healthcare and personal support. … Full article
MEMO | October 26, 2026
Four Palestinians, including a 7-year-old girl, were killed and 14 others injured in attacks by the Israeli army and Israel-backed gunmen in the Gaza Strip on Monday, amid daily violations of last year’s ceasefire agreement, a medical source said, Anadolu reports.
The source at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza told Anadolu that the bodies of two young men and a girl were brought to the hospital following an airstrike and gunfire in the Bir 19 area west of Khan Younis.
An Israeli drone carried out several strikes on Bir 19, an area housing tents for displaced Palestinians, killing a young man and moderately injuring four others, witnesses said.
Israeli military vehicles also opened heavy fire toward the displacement tents as Israeli-backed gunmen fired in the surrounding area, killing another young man and a 7-year-old girl, who was shot while inside her tent, they added.
Another Palestinian man was killed and four others were injured in an Israeli strike west of Khan Younis, the source said. … Full article
Palestinian Information Center – October 26, 2026
GAZA – The Israeli occupation army set fire on Sunday evening to a tent camp sheltering displaced families at the Shuja’iya junction east of Gaza City.
The arson attack forced more than 200 Palestinian families, comprising over 800 displaced people, to flee the camp, according to Gaza’s ministry of public works and housing.
The ministry said that Israeli quadcopters set fire to the displaced families’ camp around 8 p.m., destroying tents and belongings as the blaze raged for hours past midnight.
The ministry added that most of those affected were vulnerable groups, women, children, the elderly, and the sick, who were left without shelter after the fire destroyed their tents, compounding the already dire humanitarian conditions facing the displaced people across the Gaza Strip. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | October 26, 2026
Former Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency chief and lawmaker Abdullahi Mohamed Ali, known as Sanbaloolshe, has disclosed meetings in the United Arab Emirates with leaders of three Somali regional administrations, amid reports of efforts to form a political alliance against President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s federal government.
Somali media outlets quoted Sanbaloolshe as saying the meetings brought together Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Irro; Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni; and Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, known as Ahmed Madobe. The discussions reportedly addressed political relations and disputes with Mogadishu.
The meetings come as tensions persist between Somalia’s federal government and regional administrations over constitutional amendments, upcoming elections, and the division of powers. They also take place against the backdrop of a deepening rift between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi, with Mohamud accusing the UAE of encouraging Somaliland’s secession from Somalia. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | October 26, 2026
China and Djibouti have reaffirmed their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, rejecting efforts to secure diplomatic recognition for Somaliland as an independent entity.
The position was outlined in a joint statement issued in Beijing on Sunday following talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Djiboutian Foreign Minister and Minister of International Cooperation Abdoulkader Houssein Omar.
The two officials discussed strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual interest. Their joint statement stressed support for Somalia’s efforts to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, describing Somaliland as an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | October 26, 2026
Egypt’s parliament authorized the military to provide support to Saudi Arabia on Monday, according to lawmakers and local media, raising the prospect of deeper Egyptian involvement in the Saudi aggression against Yemen.
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi requested parliamentary approval last week for Egypt to assist Saudi Arabia if Riyadh sought help in confronting Yemen’s Armed Forces, which have been defending Yemen against the Saudi-led aggression since the intervention over a decade ago.
El-Sisi’s request followed a visit to Riyadh last Wednesday by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Hassan Rashad, who delivered a message from the Egyptian president to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In the message, el-Sisi stressed that Egyptian support would be limited to protecting Saudi territory and borders and would not extend to participating in attacks inside Yemen. Following the visit, Abdelatty said Cairo was calling for all available opportunities to be used to reach a diplomatic solution to the war in Yemen. … Full article
By Arman Shariati | Press TV | October 26, 2026
Israeli regime’s airspace – the airspace over the occupied territories – is widely regarded as among the most heavily defended in the world.
Yet the scale of its protection cannot be explained by Israeli military technology alone. Russia, China and even the United States do not benefit from an equivalent network of allied support dedicated to intercepting threats before they reach their territory.
Israel’s own defenses are indeed formidable. Arrow 3 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, while Arrow 2 targets ballistic missile threats within it. David’s Sling is built to counter medium-range threats, and Iron Dome intercepts rockets and other short-range projectiles.
These systems are backed by fighter jets and an extensive radar network, creating multiple layers of protection against incoming attacks.
But Israel’s air defense shield extends well beyond its own arsenal. From October 2023 through Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone operations in 2024, 2025 and 2026, a group of allied states has played an active role in protecting the regime.
They have provided interceptors, radar capabilities, fighter aircraft, military bases and personnel, helping the Tel Aviv regime detect, track and counter incoming threats.
What emerges is not simply a domestic air-defense network, but a wider umbrella sustained by the resources and involvement of powerful allies – from the US to Europe to Arab countries. … continue
RT | October 26, 2026
The EU faces a growing budget squeeze after borrowing hundreds of billions for pandemic recovery and Ukraine. Rising repayment costs threaten future spending and rushed payouts raise fraud risks, its chief auditor has warned. Brussels is nevertheless seeking billions more for Kiev.
Speaking to Rapporteur, Tony Murphy, president of the European Court of Auditors, described the budget situation as a “pressure cooker,” with EU debt potentially reaching €1 trillion (1.12 trillion) by the end of 2027. The bloc’s debt stood at €739 billion (825 billion) in 2025, up from €601 billion ($671 billion) a year earlier.
“You have to pay it back at some time. It’s not free money,” Murphy said. He emphasized that “it’s real money that has to be paid back.”
However, concerns have repeatedly been raised about the EU getting back any of the billions it has spent on Ukraine, including its recent €90 billion ($100 billion) loan, which Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico recently slammed as “gifts” that Ukraine will “never pay back.”
Kiev is required to repay the loan only after receiving Russian reparations – something Moscow has vehemently ruled out. Ukraine’s own former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has also acknowledged that such scenarios are “just fairy tales” and that Brussels will never get its money back, which is being actively embezzled by Kiev. … continue
By Finian Cunningham | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 26, 2026
South Korea is rebelling against U.S. dominance. It is witnessing a formidable opposition movement against the United States’ historic control over the Asian country’s military forces.
There is also growing pressure on the South Korean government to refuse demands by U.S. President Donald Trump for Korean troops to deploy in the Persian Gulf.
A major driver of this surging opposition movement is the widely held concern that Washington is maneuvering South Korea to fight a war with China.
Political analyst KJ Noh explains that the Korean people perceive the United States as positioning their country as a proxy to fight an eventual war with China, in a similar way to how Ukraine is being used as a front line to provoke Russia. … continue
Press TV – October 26, 2026
Yemen’s Health Ministry has condemned a Saudi airstrike on a maternity hospital in Ta’iz province, describing the attack as a violation of international humanitarian law.
In a statement carried by Yemen’s Arabic-language Al-Masirah television network, the ministry said Saudi warplanes had struck the maternity hospital in the Shamaytin district of Ta’iz, damaging parts of the facility.
“We condemn the targeting of the maternity hospital in Shamaytin district in Ta’iz by Saudi warplanes and the damage caused to parts of the facility,” it said.
The ministry added that the attack reflected Saudi Arabia’s continued efforts to deprive Yemenis of their basic right to safe healthcare.
“Targeting hospitals and medical facilities is a clear violation of international humanitarian law,” it said.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s armed forces said Saudi warplanes and missile forces had carried out 56 air and missile attacks against civilian sites in the previous 24 hours. The reported attacks targeted the provinces of Hajjah, Lahij, Amran, Saada, Al-Jawf, Ta’iz and Ibb.
According to the statement, the airstrikes were conducted using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from the Saudi air bases at Khamis Mushait and Taif, while missile attacks were launched from the Najran area. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | October 26, 2026
Tehran is prepared to take steps to safeguard its territory amid reports of Ukrainian drone deployments in countries bordering Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Baghaei said Iranian authorities responsible for assessing security risks were continuing their work and would act to counter potential dangers to the country. “Those who must carefully monitor the situation, I can assure you, are monitoring it and will continue to do so. They will take the necessary measures to protect the country and repel any threats,” he said.
The report follows reporting by Tasnim News Agency last week, which cited an Iranian security source that thousands of Ukrainian military drones had been positioned in neighboring countries.
The source also reported that Ukrainian personnel were instructing armed groups in Iraq’s Kurdistan region in the use of drones for sabotage activities. According to the source cited by Tasnim, Iranian authorities regard the reported activities as hostile.
The reports come as Tehran steps up its security measures along its borders, targeting Kurdish separatist groups based in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, which Tehran accuses of receiving foreign support. […]
Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region hosts camps and bases belonging to several Iranian Kurdish separatist groups, which Iranian forces have repeatedly targeted since the war began in February.
Tehran has accused these groups of receiving support from “Israel”. Israeli Channel 13 reported in late August that Israeli occupation authorities had trained thousands of Kurdish fighters as part of a plan to overthrow Iran’s government. “As part of the preparations, thousands of Kurdish fighters arrived in Israel, where they were trained for operational scenarios,” the report stated. … Full article
Press TV – October 26, 2026
Iran’s trade relations with Iraq remain robust and uninterrupted, with all but one border crossing continuing to operate normally, according to the head of the Joint Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce.
Yahya Ale-Eshaq dismissed concerns over the temporary closure of the Chazzabeh border crossing, emphasizing that the bilateral relationship is deeply strategic and backed by strong mutual economic needs.
He noted that while localized, temporary developments may affect the immediate volume of trade, they do not undermine the fundamental pillars of cooperation between the two neighboring nations.
“The closure of a single border is not in the interest of either country,” Ale-Eshaq stated, adding that active negotiations between relevant authorities in Tehran and Baghdad are already underway to restore normal operations. … Full article
By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | October 25, 2026
… The beaches are uncrowded, the hotels have plenty of rooms, and the views of the tankers burning offshore are spectacular. Just bring your own water. – Full article
Press TV – October 26, 2026
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says a meeting in Tehran with senior officials from Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia could lay the groundwork for a regional security framework based on the interests and decisions of countries in the region.
Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Baghaei said Tehran would host Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, Pakistan’s army chief and Turkey’s intelligence chief as part of an initiative to discuss regional security.
He stated that the initiative was proposed during Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran and was welcomed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. … continue
Palestinian Information Center – October 25, 2026
WEST BANK – Extremist Jewish settlers launched a new spate of violations and attacks across the occupied West Bank on Sunday, targeting Palestinian citizens, homes, and agricultural property.
In the vicinity of Occupied Jerusalem, settlers sabotaged the water supply lines feeding the Bedouin community of al-Tabana near al-Khan al-Ahmar.
In Nablus, a horde of settlers escorted by soldiers detained several olive pickers in a grove in as-Sawiya village before taking them to the illegal settlement of Rehelim, where they were assaulted. The settlers also stole an agricultural tractor and an olive harvest.
In al-Khalil, settlers bulldozed, under military protection, swaths of Palestinian-owned land in the areas of Khallet al-Farra and Marah al-Rabia for the second consecutive day. They also pitched tents in preparation for establishing an outpost and farms in the area adjacent to the settlement of Otniel.
In a separate incident, the Israeli occupation forces kidnaped two children from the al-Fahs area of southern al-Khalil and took them to a military base for interrogation.
By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | October 25, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a new military operation in the occupied West Bank to collectively punish the people of al-Khalil, all in the lead-up to the scheduled national elections early next week. Is the Premier playing with fire?
Following years of ever-escalating settler violence and the intensification of Israel’s military occupation across the occupied West Bank, two Palestinian men in their twenties – Hamouda and Firas al-Ja’ba – decided to carry out a resistance operation against an Israeli army guard post.
The two resistance fighters carried out their attack, injuring four Israeli soldiers and killing two, using pistols and a rifle near the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint in al-Khalil. The Israeli army called in backup, leading to an armed clash in which both of the Palestinians were killed during a 20-minute clash.
From the CCTV footage of the clash, it appears as if the two Palestinians were not professionally trained and acted alone. No Palestinian movement claimed the attack, although it was widely praised. Israel was quick to blame Hamas and then launch a new military campaign targeting the entire city of al-Khalil.
There are a number of reasons that the attack, which, although the most significant carried out in the West Bank in over a year, is not exactly unusual, has been reacted to in the way we see today. … continue
Palestinian Information Center – October 25, 2026
GAZA – Seven Palestinian civilians were martyred and several others were wounded in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, while a young girl died of injuries sustained yesterday.
According to media sources, three citizens were killed in an Israeli drone strike that targeted the campus of the Islamic University of Gaza, southwest of Gaza City, in the afternoon.
The sources identified the three martyrs as employees of the Islamic University of Gaza, Sami Baward, Ashraf Dahlan, and Shadi Abu Ataya.
This deadly strike occurred shortly after an Israeli drone targeted a gathering of students on campus, injuring at least five people, some of them critically.
Another Israeli attack killed a citizen and wounded three others in the west of Gaza City.
In southern Gaza, a strike claimed the lives of two citizens and injured several others, some critically, in northern Khan Yunis.
In central Gaza, a citizen was killed following a drone strike in the al-Mazra’ah area of Deir al-Balah.
Earlier today, eight-year-old Fatima al-Bayouk died from wounds she sustained after being shot by Israeli forces in the al-Mazra’ah area of Deir al-Balah yesterday.
Meanwhile, widespread military activity, including shooting incidents, artillery shelling, drone overflights, and demolitions, was reported in different areas of Gaza.
The Cradle | October 25, 2026
Tel Aviv stepped up its violent bombardment of southern Lebanon on 25 October, with warplanes carrying out airstrikes across multiple villages – as Hebrew media says Israel is on “high alert” and has deployed thousands of troops to the Lebanese border.
Another strike hit Wadi al-Hujair in south Lebanon on Sunday morning, following earlier attacks on the area overnight and the day before.
Israel also bombed the Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit.
The outskirts of Baraachit came under Israeli artillery fire a short while earlier. Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli occupation forces positioned in the south advanced toward the town of Aita al-Jabal and carried out an attack.
“This morning, two Merkava tanks were spotted positioned on the outskirts of Aita al-Jabal. They carried out machine-gun fire with heavy machine guns while residents were present in the olive groves harvesting the olive crop. No casualties were reported,” it said.
Israeli army vehicles also advanced in Haddatha and carried out an artillery attack on the town. Additionally, artillery shelling hit Majdal Zoun, Mansouri, Wadi al-Saluqi, and Zawtar al-Sharqiya.
Further violations included Israeli military vehicle movements in Zawtar al-Sharqiya and a series of explosions carried out by Israeli occupation forces in Majdal Zoun, targeting civilian infrastructure. Overnight, heavy airstrikes hit Wadi al-Hujair, destroying several buildings.
Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported on 24 October that the Israeli army has raised its state of alert to the “highest level” ahead of the Israeli elections in two days. It said “tens of thousands of troops” were deployed to multiple fronts, including the Lebanese border.
The outlet says it is preparing itself for rocket or missile launches from Lebanon or Iran – although military sources told KAN that “there is no specific intelligence.” Israel has reportedly been building a helicopter landing site in south Lebanon and has no intention of withdrawing, KAN’s reporting adds. … Full article
Press TV – October 25, 2026
The speaker of the Yemeni House of Representatives has denounced the European Parliament’s push to blacklist the Ansarullah resistance movement, saying the step is rooted in hypocrisy and double standards.
In a statement on Saturday, Yahya Ali Ahmed al-Raee emphasized that the legislature’s stance on Yemen is nothing more than a political cover for the war crimes being perpetrated by Saudi Arabia and its forces against the Yemeni nation.
“The European Parliament’s latest resolution is a clear sign of double standards and hypocrisy. It is an attempt to distort the position of the Sana’a-based Yemeni government, and blatantly ignores its repeated guarantees and commitment to international maritime security,” he noted.
Raee stated that the European Parliament should have designated Israel as the source of terrorism, given the genocidal crimes it is committing in the Gaza Strip. … continue
Press TV – October 25, 2026
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says a United Arab Emirates diplomat’s bid to become the next United Nations secretary-general aims to clear the diplomatic runway for Israel’s expansionist and aggressive ambitions under the so-called “Greater Israel” scheme.
Qalibaf made the remarks in a post on X on Sunday, saying UAE Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh’s candidacy for the UN’s top job also aims to whitewash Israel’s “systematic genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
He added that defending the Gaza tragedy had become a résumé for the UAE’s decision to seek the UN post, drawing a comparison between the country’s pursuit of the position and a fox seeking a job guarding a henhouse. … continue
Al Mayadeen – October 25, 2026
Iran has denied reports that it offered the US a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the naval blockade, insisting that it has submitted no new proposal to Pakistan, Tasnim News Agency reported, citing an informed source.
The source’s remarks came in response to claims by a Saudi satellite channel that Tehran had proposed such an arrangement, slamming them as “lies and pure fiction.”
“This is similar to many other reports about Iran published by the same media outlet,” the source stated. … Full article
Press TV – October 25, 2025
Pakistan has reopened a major border crossing with Iran that handles key energy and commodity supplies between the two countries amid improved security in the region.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Sunday that the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing, also known as Gate 250, in the country’s Gwadar region, had reopened a day earlier following a weeklong suspension that began on October 17.
The report quoted Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as saying that import and export operations between Pakistan and Iran had resumed.
It said the decision came amid dwindling LPG supplies in Pakistan ahead of the winter season. … continue
By Lucas Leiroz | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 25, 2026
… There is also a cultural dimension that the left frequently underestimates. Some voters reject the political vocabulary associated with the woke agenda and interpret certain progressive initiatives as attempts to impose new standards of behavior. The Supreme Federal Court’s draconian decision to recognize “transphobia” as a crime “equivalent to racism” has naturally provoked strongly negative reactions. After all, it seems perfectly normal that millions of Brazilians reject a ruling that can – and already does – place people in prison for up to five years for using the wrong pronoun when addressing transgender individuals.
Cultural discontent is often irresponsibly disdained in political analysis. Many commentators continue to treat voters as machines seeking constant material benefits, supposedly willing to sacrifice their values in exchange for meager welfare handouts – the principal achievement the Workers’ Party government has offered the Brazilian people so far. This analysis is mistaken. For many Brazilians, questions concerning their children’s education, religion, and the limits of state intervention are central political priorities. These voters will naturally tend to support the opposition in a national environment where state-run university hospitals – with the backing of the left-wing establishment – provide puberty blockers and other forms of “non-surgical intervention” to “transgender children.”
Contrary to the expectations of academic analysts disconnected from the country’s realities, foreign policy occupies a limited place in most people’s daily lives. Relations with the United States, Brazil’s role in BRICS, and its diplomatic position on Palestine are relevant issues, but they are unlikely to outweigh immediate concerns such as urban violence and cultural disputes.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s electoral support must be understood through this combination of factors, without attributing a single motivation to millions of voters. Public security, traditional values, dissatisfaction with the government, and rejection of certain progressive agendas can all converge in the same vote. If the left wants to improve its popularity, the better course of action is to reconsider its own mistakes, instead of inventing false explanations for the right’s growing support. – Read full article
Al Mayadeen – October 25, 2026
Britain has a little more than 1,000 days to be ready to fight a war alongside its allies, UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said in a piece for The Telegraph on Saturday, arguing that “adversaries” could be capable of attacking the country by 2030.
“My defining priority… is to make sure that this country is ready to fight and win a war,” Streeting wrote, setting out a two-step logic.
“To prevent the worst, we have to prepare for it,” he said, explaining that Britain should first expand its capabilities “so our adversaries think twice about attacking us,” and that if deterrence fails, “we must ensure that Britain is ready for war.”
Streeting wrote that hostile states have long wished Britain harm, and their expanding armed forces and war economies are what could give them the means to act by 2030. “By 2030 their force strength and war economy could put them in a position to attack,” he said, adding that this “gives us a little over 1,000 days to complete our mission.”
Streeting did not link this to Britain’s aggressive foreign policy and military interventions alongside the US around the world, including arming proxy wars and supplying military intelligence, such as in Ukraine, and instead presented Britain as taking a “defensive” stance.
He presented the window as the time left to finish preparations, with the goal of being ready “with our allies to fight and win,” and pledged that the government “will make sure it is mission accomplished.” […]
The comments come ahead of Wednesday’s Budget, where Chancellor John Healey faces pressure to commit to spending 3 percent of GDP on defense by 2030. Healey resigned as defense secretary in June over the previous government’s refusal to set that date. The government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham now points instead to NATO’s target of 3.5 percent by 2035.
Streeting’s article came days after the government launched its “Be Ready” campaign, which urges households to keep at least three days of water, non-perishable food and other basics, plus items such as blankets and radios. … Full article
Sputnik – 25.10.2026
Even as the US diesel deal with Russia that was brokered by Donald Trump could help bring the price of oil down, the Democrats’ Russophobia “is leading them to try to sabotage the deal,” Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, managing editor of CovertAction Magazine, tells Sputnik.
“Trump may be making some steps at the beginning to try to end the conflict in Ukraine, whereas the Democrats, I think, want to escalate that conflict. And they are totally irrational,” he adds.
Only a small number of Democrats opposed the anti-Russian sanctions bill, arguing that it is “totally irrational and is going to have a very negative effect on the US economy.”
“This is a case in point where this hysteria about Russia and Russophobia reaches the extent that the government is actually advocating for positions that are very harmful to the American economy and to American workers or farmers — even though the Democrats purport that they are more for the working people.” … continue
RT | October 25, 2026
Two civilians were killed and thirteen others wounded in a major attack on the Russian city of Belgorod, regional governor Aleksandr Shuvayev has said.
The death toll from an overnight drone strike has risen to two. One of the injured victims who was hospitalized following the attack has died, Shuvayev added.
Overall thirteen people were injured, according to updated data from regional authorities.
Earlier reports said one person had been killed and 14 injured.
“The enemy launched a large-scale drone strike on residential areas in the center of the city,” Mayor Valentin Demidov wrote in a post on social media early on Sunday. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | October 25, 2026
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced plans to fine participants in violent demonstrations more than $550, as months of anti-government protests intensify in Tirana and demonstrators continue to demand his resignation.
The Socialist Party leader said Sunday that a new law, expected this week, would penalize people who remain in crowds involved in violence or looting in public spaces, as well as those concealing their identities. The legislation would also authorize police to restrict gatherings when there is a risk of violence.
The announcement follows days of escalating confrontations between protesters and security forces, with demonstrators targeting government buildings over corruption allegations and demands for better conditions for students. … Full article
Sputnik – 25.10.2026
European leaders have only themselves to blame for growing unrest and economic problems across the continent, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
“This is bad for them, and why? Because they won’t address the root cause … And what is that cause? It lies in their own mistakes, mistakes made across various areas, including the economy and finance,” Putin said.
He pointed to mounting public debt, large budget deficits, and declining industrial production, calling the situation dramatic for many European economies. By comparison, he said, Russia’s external debt stands at just 2.6% of GDP, with total government debt at 17.5%, while Russian industrial output has grown since 2021.
He also criticized Europe’s green energy policies and described its decision to ban everything Russian as “stupidity.” Putin noted that Europe cut itself off from Russian markets and energy supplies, although it continues to import substantial amounts of Russian energy.
“They have cut themselves off from our energy resources and our market. You have to understand, we weren’t just supplying relatively cheap primary energy resources, we were also providing access to our market! A market that is, in fact, quite large for European countries,” Putin said.
Putin added that some Western companies “almost cried” when they were forced to abandon the Russian market under pressure from their own governments.
Turning to migration, Putin argued that European countries lack the financial resources to integrate and assimilate migrants, contributing to growing social tensions.
He also accused Europeans of dismantling their own traditional and historical values, arguing that societies abandoning their own traditions have little left to pass on to newcomers.
Sputnik – 25.10.2026
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that attempts to accuse Russia of inciting unrest in Europe is a clear exaggeration.
“My first reaction upon seeing this was surprise. To suggest that we are provoking mass protests in major European cities, well, that is clearly going too far, it’s something that, in my view, is obvious to the ordinary citizens of European countries,” Putin told Russian media.
Accusations that Russia has allegedly orchestrated unrest in Europe point to the weakness of European politicians and their inability to take responsibility for the events taking place, the Russian president said.
“This speaks to the weakness and inability of certain leaders in European countries to take responsibility for what is happening,” Putin said.
The Russian leader added he was surprised that the United States was initially blamed for the protests in Europe.
“I did not expect European leaders to lash out like that at their primary ally, their protector, so to speak, in the military sense, across the ocean. But they quickly came to their senses and reverted to their customary accusations against the Russian Federation,” Putin said.
RT | October 24, 2026
The Pentagon has designated cultural programs linked to China’s Confucius Institute as a national security threat, according to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He claims that the centers, which largely offer Chinese language courses on American college and university campuses, serve as a front for Beijing’s “propaganda” campaign – an allegation Chinese officials have previously denied.
In a video posted on Facebook on Friday, Hegseth said that while the US Congress had previously “banned” the Confucius Institutes from American educational institutions, they “came back disguised in new forms” and under new names.
Hegseth was apparently referring to several measures passed by Congress in recent years that stripped universities that hosted Confucius Institutes of federal funding. The pressure from the lawmakers has led to the closure of multiple centers on US soil.
According to Hegseth, over the past two months, the Department of War has “systematically dismantled” 80 new Chinese-backed cultural centers across 30 universities, adding “these sleeper organizations to our list of institutions that threaten our national security.”
The official alleged that the targeted entities had sought to “steal intellectual property and to infiltrate the minds of American students,” but stopped short of providing any concrete evidence. … continue
By Adonis Storr | The National | October 21, 2026
The BBC have been “very compliant to Israel, reporting their arguments even where it’s screamingly obvious, even to viewers, that what’s happening in Gaza is an international scandal,” a BBC insider has said.
A senior broadcaster, speaking on the condition of anonymity, has told The National: “The BBC have navigated themselves into a position where you can’t use [the word genocide]. And I think that’s a mistake.”
The source said that the BBC have “listened to Israel very closely and reproduced and reported Israel’s defence arguments, which is not their role” and that, “they should be much more investigative and much more deliberative about their views”.
The comments come in the wake of Francesca Albanese’s latest UN report.
Truth Under The Rubble: Media In The Time Of Genocide levelled heavy criticism at the UK’s public broadcaster, accusing the corporation of being one part of an interconnected system that is “intrinsic to genocide”. … continue
By Lucy Jackson | The National | October 19, 2026
Now, a damning new United Nations (UN) report could force news organisations to confront their own failures in accurately reporting on the scale and reality of the atrocities committed by Israel.
The report, by Francesca Albanese – UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories – lays bare the media’s complicity in Israel’s brutal onslaught of Gaza, which the UN, human rights organisations and leading academics have concluded amounts to genocide.
It argues that Israel has committed “mediacide”, finding that Israel has used “three interconnected patterns” which have both facilitated genocide and hindered accountability:
- The systematic killing of Palestinian journalists
- An information regime of propaganda and censorship within Israel
- International media amplifying Israeli narratives while silencing Palestinian voices
Particularly striking are the report’s findings on the role played by major broadcasters and newspapers in shaping the public’s understanding of the genocide.
The BBC is singled out as an example of how Palestinian suffering has been obscured through the repetition of unverified Israeli claims, the stripping away of historical context and a reliance on official Israeli sources over Palestinian voices.
Its own editorial guidance omits Gaza from the occupied territory and refers to the West Bank and Gaza as “disputed” territories, despite their status under international law. … continue
By Andy Worthington | October 21, 2026
There is no doubt that Israel’s sustained genocidal assault on the largely civilian population of the Gaza Strip, now in its fourth year, has been the deadliest military conflict for journalists in human history.
As the journalist Nick Turse reported for Brown University’s “Costs of War” project in April 2025, “The war in Gaza has, since October 7, 2023, killed more journalists than the US Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War (including the conflicts in Cambodia and Laos), the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan, combined.”
Under international humanitarian law, as most noticeably enshrined in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, “Civilian journalists engaged in professional missions in areas of armed conflict must be respected and protected as long as they are not taking a direct part in hostilities.” (emphasis added).
The State of Israel, however, has nothing but contempt for international humanitarian law. As far as they are concerned, everyone who works for a media outlet that is, in any way, aligned with the military wing of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any other militant faction in Gaza, is a terrorist, and can be targeted and killed, and anyone who works as a journalist but has previously had any suspected involvement with any of these military factions in any kind of capacity can also be targeted and killed.
Israel doesn’t recognize that, by the same application of its lawless logic, almost every journalist in Israel could be regarded similarly by the Palestinians, because military service is mandatory in Israel. Most crucially, however, it fails to recognize that, if an individual has, in the past, been a part of a Palestinian military faction in any way, that doesn’t apply endlessly as a justification for their targeted killing. If they don a press vest and begin reporting, international humanitarian law makes it clear, as noted above, that they cannot be regarded as a legitimate military target unless they are specifically “taking a direct part in hostilities.”
In a cynical, devious and sustained effort to erase these distinctions, Israel has targeted and killed journalists for what it regards as “suspicious activity” — using drones to secure footage or photos, for example, or using vantage points on buildings, both for the overview they provide, but also, often, to secure transmission signals in an environment in which internet and mobile phone signals are often notoriously unreliable.
It has also, increasingly, resorted to black propaganda, alleging, almost entirely without providing evidence, that the journalists it has killed were not journalists at all, but were military operatives masquerading as journalists, and it has sometimes targeted these journalists directly, texting or calling them to tell them to stop their work or threatening them that, if they don’t stop, they or their families will be targeted and killed.
One reason why Israel feels empowered to so comprehensively erase the distinctions between combatants and civilians is because, since the 1990s, western governments (including the US in 1997, the EU in 2003, and the UK in 2021) have obligingly designated the whole of Hamas as a terrorist organization — not just its military wing, but also the whole of the civilian administrative government in Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, this has allowed to Israel to claim that, for example, doctors and medical staff can — if a devious enough excuse can be invented — be regarded as terrorists because they work for the Ministry of Health. This is a western-approved betrayal of the absolute prohibition on targeting doctors or hospitals, which Israel has thoroughly embraced, making risible and never-proven claims that the hospitals were Hamas control and command centres, and that the doctors, like the journalists, were not actually doctors at all, but were military operatives pretending to be doctors. … continue
By Wyatt Reed | The Grayzone | October 23, 2026
Israeli soldiers have looted and demolished the family home of Radwan Mortada, a prominent Lebanese investigative journalist who directed the recent viral Al Jazeera 360 documentary “The Trap.” The film exposes the surreptitious network and planning behind Israel’s notorious pager attack, which left hundreds of Lebanese citizens wounded and maimed, and has become one of the channel’s most-watched in recent history.
Israel’s destruction of Mortada family home on October 17 has drawn condemnation from at least one international press freedom group, the Committee to Protect Journalists. On October 21, the organization issued a statement declaring that it “strongly condemns the Israeli military’s demolition of journalist Radwan Mortada’s family home in southern Lebanon. Just three weeks earlier, Mortada released an Al Jazeera documentary on the Israeli 2024 pager attack. In the days leading up to the demolition, Israeli soldiers launched a sound bomb, a tank tore down the entrance, and soldiers looted personal belongings. CPJ fears this destruction is in retaliation for Mortada’s work, marking another dangerous violation of international law and disregard for the press.”
Speaking to The Grayzone, Mortada recalled how he learned that Israel’s military forces destroyed the estate he and his family had painstakingly constructed over almost a decade. … continue
By David Miller | Tracking Power | October 24, 2026
Start in Gaza, not in a dean’s office. A UNESCO assessment with the Ministry of Education and AWRAD, presented in November 2025, covered 21 higher-education institutions and 38 campuses. Twenty-two campuses were completely destroyed, 14 more were damaged, and 195 of 206 buildings were unusable. Of 5,102 staff, 1,112 had been killed, detained or injured. Islamic University, Al-Azhar, Al-Aqsa, Al-Israa: the sector as a physical fact had been hit.
That is scholasticide, a pillar of the genocide, not collateral. In July 2025 the presidents of Gaza’s universities wrote an open letter refusing a reconstruction designed by donors and occupiers. The Emergency Committee was set up mid-genocide to keep the institutions alive without their buildings. Academic freedom in Gaza is the freedom to teach in a tent because the campus was bombed. … continue
The Cradle | October 24, 2026
On 23 October, the Israeli military demolished homes and expelled about 1,500 Palestinians from Hebron in a campaign of collective punishment, after resistance fighters killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint outside the occupied West Bank city.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to Hebron after the gun battle on Friday, promising the destruction of the neighborhood the two resistance fighters hailed from.
“We are going to apply the successful, aggressive model we used in the refugee camps,” Netanyahu stated, referring to earlier military campaigns to destroy the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams camps in the West Bank.
The first home demolitions began within hours of the attack on Friday. Ministers in Netanyahu’s cabinet also rushed to the site, hoping to use the incident to campaign for next Tuesday’s Knesset elections.
Religious Zionism leader and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted a video showing himself standing in front of a bulldozer as it demolished a Palestinian home near the site of the gun battle.
The destruction of the home, whose owners had no ties to the Palestinian resistance fighters, was intended to “create deterrence and exact a price,” Smotrich said.
Smotrich further called for Israel to launch a campaign in the West Bank “exactly like in Gaza or Lebanon,” where Israeli troops have erased entire Palestinian and Lebanese villages and cities to prepare for Jewish settlement.
The gunfight began Friday when two Palestinian resistance fighters were stopped by Israeli occupying troops at a temporary checkpoint. The fighters killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three others before they were killed, according to Israeli officials.
Armed resistance to foreign occupation is lawful under international law. Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in 1967. … Full article
IMEMC | October 24, 2026
The Commission Against the Wall and Settlements documented 19 separate attacks carried out by the Israeli occupation forces and armed Israeli paramilitary colonists against Palestinian olive pickers and their lands in 6 governorates in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, since early Saturday morning.
The attacks included firing live bullets and gas bombs at olive harvesters, abducting and beating the olive harvesters, stealing olive fruits and harvesting equipment, vandalizing agricultural property, preventing farmers from reaching their lands and forcing them to leave.
In Jerusalem Governorate, Israeli paramilitary colonists protected by the Israeli occupation forces attacked olive pickers in the village of Beit Iksa, northwest of Jerusalem, despite prior coordination for the harvest. The Israeli occupation forces fired live bullets and gas bombs at the farmers, and abducted citizen Muhammad Sidr after beating him and spraying his face with pepper gas, while the colonists stole the harvest cloths.
In Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, the village of Sinjil witnessed three raids on agricultural lands during the day, including attacks on farmers in the Al-Tall and Al-Waer areas, an assault on an elderly man and the theft of his phone and harvesting equipment, in addition to the release of sheep into agricultural lands and stealing water designated for irrigating trees.
In Salfit Governorate, Israeli colonists surrounded farmers in the Wadi al-Ahmar area east of Marda village, smashed one of their vehicles, and forced them to leave their land. In Deir Ballut, colonists attacked Mahmoud Othman Mustafa’s family in the Wadi al-Shami area, stealing 8 bags of olives, a picking machine, and an electric bike, and damaging mobile phones. … continue
Palestinian Information Center – October 24, 2026
GAZA – Four Palestinian civilians, including two women, were martyred and others were wounded in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, while another one died of injuries sustained in an earlier strike.
Local sources reported that a young girl was killed by Israeli gunfire in the Tal al-Dahab area of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
Another citizen was also killed and three others were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a group of civilians near Palestine Stadium in Gaza City’s al-Rimal neighborhood.
Later in the evening, a woman was shot dead by Israeli gunfire at al-Zahra School in Khan Yunis refugee camp, south of Gaza.
In central Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire towards Deir al-Balah, killing one citizen.
Meanwhile, a citizen was pronounced dead after succumbing to injuries sustained in a previous strike in the west of Khan Yunis, south of Gaza.
In northern Gaza, a woman was critically wounded by Israeli gunfire in Beit Lahia, while another woman was injured after being shot by an Israeli quadcopter in Jabalia refugee camp.
In Gaza City, several residents were injured and property was damaged after Israeli tanks fired projectiles at two inhabited homes near the Shuja’iya junction in the east of the city.
Additionally, widespread military activity, including shooting incidents, artillery shelling, drone overflights, and demolitions, was reported in different areas of Gaza today.
Press TV – October 24, 2026
Syrians rallied in several locations on Friday, including Damascus and Homs in central Syria, condemning Israeli incursions and attacks in the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa, AFP correspondents and state media reported.
In Damascus, outside a United Nations building, the family of a Syrian man kidnapped by Israel demanded his release, with children holding posters reading, “I want my dad.”
Protester Taysir al-Hariri told AFP that demonstrators aimed to show the world that Syrians stand strong and united against “Israeli incursions and against anyone who is tempted to tamper… with national security.”
State media released footage of other rallies showing protesters holding posters reading, “We are all Moaz.” Moaz Salameh al-Baair was a young man with Down syndrome who was killed by Israeli fire on Thursday during an incursion in Daraa province.
Demonstrators in the town of Khan Arnabah carried banners in Arabic and English denouncing the repeated violations and demanded the release of kidnapped Syrians held by Israeli forces. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | October 24, 2026
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said US military and surveillance aircraft violated Iraqi airspace 171 times between September 30 and October 23, accusing Washington of breaching its commitments to Baghdad and undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.
In a statement issued on October 24, the Resistance said the documented violations were carried out by combat and reconnaissance aircraft, calling on the Iraqi government to inform the public about the situation.
The movement also criticized the closure of airports and border crossings with Iran, arguing that the decisions reflected US pressure and restricted Iraq’s independent national decision-making.
It questioned how Iraq could claim full sovereignty while foreign powers continued to violate its airspace and influence its national decisions. … Full article
By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | October 24, 2026
Good news, everyone. The war is over, at least in the United Arab Emirates. That is the only conclusion you could draw from this month’s headlines. On October 14, Bloomberg reported the International Energy Agency’s estimate that UAE oil supply hit a record 5.3 million barrels a day in September. Fujairah, the port the Emirates built so they would never have to worry about the Strait of Hormuz, loaded a record 2.62 million barrels a day. The giant Ruwais refinery was declared back at full capacity at the end of August. Pop the (non-alcoholic) champagne.
Then Karl Miller sent me his October 22 assessment of the UAE’s oil and gas system, and spoiled the party. … continue
By Finian Cunningham | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 24, 2026
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has found a novel way of solving Britain’s cost-of-living crisis. By bombing Yemen.
Yes, you read that correctly. This week, Burnham authorized the deployment of British Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for its war with Yemen.
Downing Street assured the British public that the deployment was for “defensive” operations only. The BBC and other British media outlets indulged this fantasy by repeating over and over that the Royal Air Force was being deployed for “defensive actions”. The RAF would not be engaging in attacking Yemen, it was claimed, and the British fighter jets were being sent to “protect” Saudi Arabia from “escalating” Houthi aggression.
Britain’s Minister of Defense Wes Streeting (a former health minister, please note) framed the RAF mission as necessary to counter instability in the Middle East and soaring energy prices. As if Britain was not the cause of instability and higher fuel costs by backing Trump’s aggression on Iran. … continue
The Cradle | October 24, 2026
Saudi warplanes killed or wounded at least 21 people in strikes on a civilian home in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and a cement factory in the surrounding governorate, the Yemeni Health Ministry announced on 24 October.
The strike on housing for cement factory workers in the Hamdan district killed eight people, including six women and a girl, and wounded more than 10, according to Yemeni media. This is up from the ministry’s initial count of seven killed and eight wounded.
The strike on a civilian’s home in the capital’s Asr area killed three people and wounded three others. Both strikes were part of a wave of Saudi raids on Sanaa.
Saudi missiles also hit the Maran district of Saada Governorate, while Saudi warplanes launched 20 airstrikes on the coastal city of Mokha in western Taiz Governorate since morning.
Saturday’s escalation followed an announcement the previous day by Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), that Saudi warplanes had carried out 124 airstrikes on civilian facilities across several Yemeni governorates within 24 hours. … Full article
RT | October 24, 2026
Three people have been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian city of Oryol, Governor Andrey Klychkov has said.
The bodies were recovered from the rubble of a civilian enterprise targeted by Kiev on Friday, Klychkov announced on Saturday.
According to the governor, Ukrainian forces used NATO-made missiles in the attack. He shared photos of missile fragments bearing markings in English as evidence of their alleged Western origin.
Klychkov did not specify the type of weapons used, although Russian military bloggers earlier claimed that Kiev had fired British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
The governor condemned Friday’s strike as “especially cynical,” saying it took place during rush hour, when people were returning home from work to their families. … Full article
Strategic Culture Foundation | October 23, 2026
Diplomacy, as the saying goes, is the art of the possible. A peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine is possible if all sides were to engage in genuine diplomacy. That’s the easy, more civilized way.
If not, Russia will achieve peace the hard way through complete military victory.
Diplomacy is being prevented because European politicians, in particular, are held hostage by their own twisted ideology and false propaganda.
Ironically, the NATO proxy war in Ukraine was intended to “strategically defeat” Russia. It turns out, however, that it is the NATO axis that is staring at a historic defeat. The chaos surging across Europe is a manifestation of that failure, driven by higher energy prices and reckless, unsustainable militarism. … continue
By Patrick LAWRENCE | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 24, 2026
Given the gush of vitriol and condemnation since Oct. 9, when Donald Trump announced his deal to import 5 million metric tons of Russian diesel, roughly 37 million barrels, one would think the president had surrendered the United States’ sovereignty to the Kremlin, or handed over the Ukrainians to the Russian army, or rankly betrayed the Europeans or altogether renounced what we picturesquely call Western civilization.
This is, indeed, what we read daily in the corporate press these days and what we are supposed to think. It is 2016 redux, it seems. Another round of Russiagate may not be far off, given 16 House Democrats have introduced a Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act and 12 senators now attack the diesel accord as “a gift to our adversary.”
If there is one thing essential to recall about those dreary years it is that the wobbly-from-the-first Russiagate edifice, the whole of it, was made of mis– and disinformation, hyperbole, innuendo, extravagant abuses of office and propaganda incessantly disseminated in corporate media.
It was, in short, the Deep State’s attempt to scuttle any effort to advance beyond the poisonous Russophobia it had spent a decade cultivating (taking my date from Vladimir Putin’s era-defining speech to the Munich Security Conference in 2007).
It is the same again as Trump tries once more to end the war in Ukraine and refashion East–West relations, a project the old “MICIMATT”— the military-industrial, congressional, intelligence, media, academic and think tank blob — simply cannot abide. … continue
RT | October 24, 2026
Billionaire Elon Musk has accused US politicians of putting Kiev’s interests ahead of their own country’s, alleging that American taxpayer money sent to Ukraine is being laundered back into political campaigns.
Writing on X on Friday, the SpaceX founder suggested that financial interests could explain why some American lawmakers remain staunch supporters of Kiev in its conflict with Russia.
“Some of that US taxpayer money comes back through multiple laundry machines to fund political campaigns in America, which is why you see some politicians caring more about Ukraine than America!” Musk wrote, without identifying the beneficiaries. … continue
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