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Current News and Analysis

France authorizes Netanyahu’s plane to cross airspace en route to UN General Assembly

MEMO | September 22, 2026

Paris authorized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plane to fly through French airspace Tuesday as he traveled to New York for the UN General Assembly, according to a diplomatic source, Anadolu reports.

“This is the fifth time. It is time to put an end to this France that humiliates itself and tramples on international law,” European Parliament member Emma Fourreau said on US social media company X, as she criticized the authorization.

“France under Macron once again authorizes Netanyahu, a criminal, to fly over French airspace to attend the UN General Assembly, even though he is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza,” Fourreau added. … Full article

IOF shell southern Lebanon, continue demolishing towns

Al Mayadeen | September 22, 2026

Israeli occupation forces carried out artillery shelling, detonations, property destruction, and bulldozing operations across multiple locations in southern Lebanon on Tuesday and overnight, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent and the National News Agency.

In detail, Israeli artillery targeted the valley of Zibqine on Tuesday, while the IOF carried out a detonation in Wadi al-Salouqi in southern Lebanon and set fire to residents’ property in the eastern town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.

According to the National News Agency, the outskirts of the towns of Haddatha and Baraachit were subjected to Israeli artillery shelling.
Shelling targets Bint Jbeil, Tyre districts

Heavy-caliber artillery shelling was also recorded on the outskirts of the towns of Haddatha and Haris in the Bint Jbeil district, and artillery shelling targeted the center of the Marj’youn plain near the refinery station.

Overnight, Israeli forces targeted the outskirts of the town of Zibqine, as well as Kfar Tibnit, with several heavy 155mm shells.

In the evening, Israeli forces continued carrying out detonations in the town of al-Mansouri, while the movement of bulldozers and military vehicles was detected inside the town. … Full article

China condemns US extortion of Iranian airlines, rejects Washington’s ‘illegal’ sanctions threats

Press TV – September 22, 2026

China has fiercely rejected the United States’ latest attempts to ground Iran’s aviation sector, dismissing Washington’s threats of secondary sanctions as “illegal” coercion that lacks any basis in international law.

The rebuke from Beijing signals growing global resistance to the Trump administration’s failing “Economic D-Day” campaign against Iran.

The diplomatic clash erupted after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent boasted in a televised interview that “all the Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world” within days.

Bessent threatened global aviation hubs and foreign firms with exclusion from the US dollar system if they provide fuel, landing services, or ticket sales to Iranian carriers.

Beijing, a primary economic and diplomatic partner of Tehran, swiftly condemned the maneuver.

“China consistently opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law or authorization from the UN Security Council,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters.

The friction arises just days before a scheduled summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and shortly after Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for economic talks. … continue

Iran ready to reopen Hormuz within a week if US ends war? Tehran denied the claim: No such offer has been made

The Cradle | September 22, 2026

Iranian sources speaking to Fars News Agency rejected claims that Tehran is prepared to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if Washington reduces military pressure and lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.

Fars said the report by Japan’s Kyodo News is “inaccurate and baseless,” noting that its publication was followed by by a drop in oil prices.

Original story as follows: Kyodo News

At least 150 killed in Yemen within two days amid indiscriminate Saudi air campaign

The Cradle | September 22, 2026

At least 150 people have been killed in Yemen since Sunday as Saudi warplanes launch indiscriminate strikes across the country and clashes continue between Ansarallah-led forces and Riyadh-backed proxies.

“The death toll from Saudi airstrikes, clashes, and artillery fire in the governorates of Taiz, Al-Jawf, Marib and Saada stands at 118,” AFP reported on 22 September, citing what it said were Ansarallah-linked military sources.

Sources close to the internationally recognized government, supported by Riyadh, say 36 of their fighters have been killed, according to AFP.

Sirens sounded in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday due to more Yemeni strikes launched in response to the kingdom’s aggression against Yemen.

Hours earlier, Saudi strikes killed several people in Yemen.

An early morning strike by the Saudi-led coalition, targeting a residential home in the city of Mokha, in Yemen’s Taiz Governorate, killed six people, including two infants and a woman. … Full article

‘Shameful’: UK to provide refueling support for Saudi warplanes amid war on Yemen

Press TV – September 22, 2026

Britain is preparing to deepen its military involvement in Saudi Arabia’s renewed aggression against Yemen, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) set to provide aerial refueling support for Saudi warplanes.

The deployment would make Britain a direct military support partner in Saudi Arabia’s war against Yemen, adding RAF assistance to London’s longstanding military cooperation with Riyadh.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday that Britain would deploy an RAF Voyager aircraft to support Saudi Arabia for several weeks, with the arrangement subject to review. … Full article

Italy to move military personnel from Taif base after missile strike

Al Mayadeen | September 22, 2026

The Italian government has decided to relocate a significant portion of its military personnel from an airbase in Taif, Saudi Arabia, following a missile strike that hit an Italian Eurofighter fighter jet stationed at the facility, the Italian newspaper Messaggero reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

The move concerns personnel from the Italian Task Force Air Arabia, which operates from the Taif airbase. The Italian contingent stationed there is estimated to number around 500 personnel.

The relocation is being described as a “restructuring” of Italy’s military deployment, rather than a complete withdrawal from the base, according to the report.

A significant portion of the Italian military personnel will be moved to a safer facility, which is also likely to be located in Saudi Arabia. The Taif airbase will not be left without operational coverage, with continuity of activities set to be maintained in line with Italy’s international obligations.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto decided to strengthen security measures for the country’s military personnel after a missile struck an Italian Eurofighter stationed at the base overnight into Friday, Messaggero reported. … continue

Defeating Russia on battlefield impossible – Fico

By Lucas Leiroz | September 22, 2026

Not all NATO countries are willing to support the alliance in its relentless pursuit of conflict with Russia. In a recent statement on the matter, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made it clear that he disagrees with NATO’s current policy regarding Russia. He described the war plans pursued by some of the bloc’s leaders as absolutely irrational and asserted that Russia cannot be defeated on the battlefield. … continue

Finland’s Stubb tells European leaders to calm down

RT | September 22, 2026

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has pushed back against warnings from fellow European leaders that Russia could attack NATO in the near future, saying Helsinki’s intelligence sees no evidence of an imminent military threat.

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed claims that it intends to attack NATO. Russian officials have argued that Western governments are exaggerating the prospect of a confrontation with Moscow to justify increased military spending and continued support for Ukraine.

Stubb made the comments in an interview with Politico on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, after several European officials suggested that Moscow could target members of the US-led military bloc within months.

“We don’t see the evidence of that,” Stubb said. “In our intelligence we see that there is activity but no imminent military threat right now.”

“It is not in the interest of Russia nor in the capacity of Russia to go full-scale,” he added.

Stubb’s assessment contrasts with increasingly urgent warnings from several other European officials. … continue

Finland’s Gender Clinic Reversal

An Essay on the National Registry and the Psychiatric Trajectory After Adolescent Gender Reassignment

Lies are Unbekoming | September 21, 2026

In April 2026, a Finnish research team led by Professor Riittakerttu Kaltiala published in Acta Paediatrica the largest and longest-running study yet conducted on psychiatric outcomes after pediatric gender reassignment. The study drew on Finland’s mandatory national health registers, which captured every gender-referred adolescent in the country from 1996 to 2019 and followed them for up to twenty-five years. The finding contradicts the clinical claim that has justified these interventions for a generation. This essay presents that finding, the pre-referral pattern the finding rests on, the statistical work that closes off the obvious defense, and the international context into which the study lands. … continue

Massachusetts Wants Mental Health Visits, Why Does Government Use ‘Health’ to Enter Our Homes & Families?

By Jefferey Jaxen | September 22, 2026

In our modern era, there is an uncomfortable political magnetism that continually compels government to want inappropriate inclusion into our personal lives.

The medical and health aspects are the preferred vectors for this addict-like state behavior.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey just announced over $2M in funding for the state to conduct home mental health checks on every mother and their newborn in the state.

Why? Because Lindsay Clancy killed her kids. At least that was the excuse Healey used.

The move dovetails with the expanding public-health police powers from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed Department of Health rules (warrantless entry into homes and schools for “disease control measures,” including non-infectious “conditions”). … continue

Pfizer Gave $500,000 to Groups That Lobbied to End Religious Exemption in Massachusetts

By Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW | The Defender | September 21, 2026

Pfizer paid $500,000 to two nonprofits that later signed a letter urging Massachusetts lawmakers to eliminate the state’s religious exemption from mandatory childhood school vaccinations, according to the company’s own public grant disclosures and a legislative letter reviewed by The Defender.

The drugmaker’s “US Medical, Scientific, Patient and Civic Organization Funding Report” for fiscal year 2024, posted on Pfizer’s transparency website, lists a $400,000 payment to the American Society for Meningitis Prevention (ASMP) for “Policy Efforts for comprehensive Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccination.”

The same report lists a $100,000 payment to the March of Dimes Foundation in 2024, categorized as a “Vaccine Policy Campaign Maternal Immunization.” … continue

Vaccinated People Can and Do Spread Measles, Peer-Reviewed Analysis Finds

By Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. | The Defender | September 9, 2026

People who were vaccinated against measles can still contract and transmit the virus to others, and in some instances can initiate substantial chains of transmission, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.

The study, published Aug. 14 in the peer-reviewed Expert Review of Vaccines, examined decades of evidence on measles transmission from people who had received at least one dose of a measles-containing vaccine.

Researchers at Public Health Ontario identified 70 vaccinated people who transmitted measles, resulting in 237 directly linked secondary cases. When the researchers included subsequent generations of infection, 812 measles cases were traced back to transmission from vaccinated individuals. … Full article

US lawmaker admits American people footing bill for Trump’s failed aggression against Iran

Press TV – September 22, 2026

Republican Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa has criticized the unprovoked US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, declaring that ordinary Americans should no longer pay the price for a war that has spectacularly backfired on its architects.

Hinson, who is running for a US Senate seat, posted on the social media platform X that “Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran.”

She called for immediate measures to ease soaring fuel and living costs, including suspending the gas tax, pausing diesel exports, expanding E-15 ethanol use, reinstating the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax credit, and creating a diesel relief program for farmers and truckers.

“These actions to lower costs are needed ASAP, and the war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end,” Hinson wrote, while insisting the highway trust fund must still be replenished to avoid further infrastructure decay. … continue

Israeli lobby seeks to bind US fate to ‘Israel’: Araghchi

Al Mayadeen | September 21, 2026

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the Israeli lobby of attempting to tighten its hold over Washington after a prominent pro-Israel figure called for deeper US-Israeli integration that would make any economic action against “Israel” costly for the United States.

“The Israel lobby is getting less shy about its grip on U.S. policy toward Iran,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X.

“In Miriam Adelson’s publication, the Lobby’s loudspeaker says U.S. policy must ensure America pays a price for any slight against Israel,” he added, concluding, “High time for Washington to break free from these shackles.”

Araghchi was responding to an opinion article published by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, whose publisher is US-Israeli billionaire Miriam Adelson. … continue

New online database tracks pro-Israel political donations in the United States

Roya News – September 1, 2026

A new online database tracking pro-‘Israel’ political donations in the United States has been launched by activists amid the protracted conflict in Gaza.

The site, whofundedgenocide.com, was announced via an Instagram post by the account @archive.genocide

The group describes it as a searchable record of pro-‘Israel’ political money drawn primarily from US Federal Election Commission filings and public disclosures.

According to the announcement, the database lists 11,168 named donors (searchable by name and employer), tracks funding linked to 523 members of Congress, details spending against 49 candidates targeted for defeat, includes Senate and House votes on resolutions to block arms transfers, and covers fundraising pages built for 165 candidates along with related committee data.

“We have launched whofundedgenocide.com – a searchable database of pro-Israel political money in US politics,” the ArchiveGenocide post stated.

“We encourage you all to look up your own representatives.” … Full article

Israeli soldier who shot wounded Palestinian in the head pardoned ‘in the spirit’ of Jewish holiday

MEMO | September 21, 2026

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has pardoned Elor Azaria, the former army medic filmed shooting a badly wounded Palestinian in the head in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron in 2016.

Azaria shot Abdel Fattah Al-Sharif in March 2016. Al-Sharif had stabbed and wounded an occupation soldier, but Israeli troops had already shot him. The injured Palestinian lay on the ground for about 11 minutes before Azaria killed him. Al-Sharif was unarmed and badly hurt when Azaria approached him.

The horrific killing of the Al-Sharif by Azaria was captured on video, sparking outrage.

Herzog’s office said the president acted on the recommendation of Defence Minister Israel Katz. It cited the time that had passed and the spirit of Yom Kippur among its reasons.

The statement said Azaria had “expressed his sorrow” in his request. The same statement noted that in an earlier request, Azaria had called the shot an “operational error”.

The army rejects the claim that Azaria has shown remorse. In a letter to the defence minister, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and other senior officers said Azaria “has refrained from expressing remorse and taking responsibility for his actions, even a decade after his conviction”.

Azaria has said as much himself. In 2018, months after leaving prison, he told Israel Hayom he had “no remorse whatsoever” and would act the same way again.

Katz called the pardon a “right, humane and fitting decision” and said Azaria had been on a “complex operational mission”. Katz also wrote on X that it sent a message to soldiers and their families: “We do not abandon our fighters.”

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said: “Cancelling the criminal record of someone who killed a terrorist makes me emotional and very happy.” He urged Herzog to grant a similar pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.

A military court convicted Azaria of manslaughter in 2017 and sentenced him to 18 months in prison. Prosecutors had sought three to five years. Then Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot later cut the sentence by four months.  Azaria walked free in May 2018 after serving just nine months.

Israel’s political leadership rallied behind him from the start. Netanyahu called for Azaria to be pardoned immediately after the verdict. After his release, settlers gave him a hero’s welcome in Hebron.

In 2019 he demonstrated outside a military court in support of soldiers on trial for beating Palestinians in their custody. … Full article

Israel blocks Gaza patients from leaving for treatment for 2nd day over Jewish holidays

MEMO | September 21, 2026

Israel prevented Palestinian patients and wounded people in the Gaza Strip from traveling abroad for treatment Monday for the second consecutive day because of Jewish holidays, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Anadolu reports.

“For the second consecutive day, no patients or wounded people have been evacuated through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings because of holidays observed by the occupation,” the ministry said in a brief statement.

According to Yoram Halevi, Israel’s coordinator of government activities in the Palestinian territories, the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings in southern Gaza were closed Sunday and Monday because of Jewish holidays. … Full article

Woman and Child Among Three Killed by Israeli Forces in Gaza

IMEMC | September 21, 2026

Israeli occupation forces killed three Palestinians, including a woman and a child, and wounded several others amid shooting and shelling across the northern, central, and southern Gaza Strip.

Medical sources reported that Fida’ Khader Totah, 31, was killed after Israeli soldiers shot her in the head on Salahuddin Street in central Gaza on Monday morning.

Medical sources said the child, Ismael al-Bardawil, was killed after Israeli military vehicles fired at Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area, west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. He was struck in the chest.

In Gaza City, Israeli tanks opened heavy fire on eastern areas, while artillery shelled locations north and east of the city.

The Palestinian Civil Defense said artillery fire also struck areas east of Gaza City and south of Khan Younis, while Israeli tanks renewed their fire east and south of Gaza City.

Medical sources reported that a Palestinian died from wounds sustained from Israeli fire in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.

In the Halawa area of northern Gaza, Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a Palestinian woman.

In central Gaza, Israeli artillery and military vehicles struck Palestinian homes in the northern part of the Bureij refugee camp.

Two Palestinians were wounded when artillery shells hit a home belonging to the Abu ar-Rous family in Block 12, east of the refugee camp. Israeli helicopters also opened fire on the camp’s northern area.

Medical sources said a woman was seriously wounded when Israeli forces fired at tents housing displaced Palestinians between the Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps. The sources added that a Palestinian girl was also wounded, although it was not immediately clear whether she was injured in the same attack.

The Israeli army also detonated residential buildings in the northeastern part of the Bureij refugee camp while artillery shelling and gunfire targeted Palestinian homes north of the camp.

Medical sources reported that three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli military fire in and around Hamad City, north of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Furthermore, two Palestinians were wounded by artillery fire that struck tents housing displaced families in the al-Akhras area of the al-Amal neighborhood, west of Khan Younis.

The artillery strike in the al-Akhras area coincided with shelling of eastern and southern Khan Younis and heavy gunfire toward tents sheltering displaced Palestinians.

In southern Gaza, Israeli military vehicles opened heavy fire in the Shakoush area north of Rafah and targeted tents housing displaced Palestinians in the Fash Farsh area of al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.

Separately, Israeli naval vessels pursued Palestinian fishermen offshore, opened heavy fire toward them, and forced them to leave the sea. … Full article

Israeli Occupation Forces Shell Western Daraa Countryside

Al-Manar | September 21, 2026

Israeli occupation forces shelled the Abidin and Al-Raqad valleys in western Daraa countryside early Monday and opened machine-gun fire toward nearby areas, with no casualties reported.

SANA news agency reported several artillery shells struck the two valleys as Israeli forces simultaneously targeted the outskirts of Jamlah village in the Yarmouk Basin.

Israeli forces also opened fire from one of their positions along the 1974 disengagement line toward the outskirts of Abidin town, the correspondent added. … Full article

Syria probes mysterious arms depot explosions after fifth blast in three weeks

The Cradle | September 21, 2026

Syrian authorities are investigating the cause of an explosion that destroyed a Syrian army weapons depot in the southern Aleppo countryside on 21 September, the fifth such explosion in the past three weeks.

The Defense Ministry is opening an investigation into the cause of the explosion near Al-Eis in southern Aleppo, which injured four people, state media SANA reported on Monday.

More than 10 blasts were reported at the site, which were heard across parts of the western and northern Aleppo countryside.

SANA added that relevant authorities were investigating the causes of explosions at several such weapons depots in recent weeks and that they would take measures to protect personnel and military sites and prevent similar incidents. … Full article

Saudi airstrikes kill 4, injure 3 in northern Yemen

Al Mayadeen | September 21, 2026

Four workers were killed, and three others were wounded in Saudi airstrikes targeting communications towers in Yemen’s northeastern Al Jawf Governorate, Yemen’s Health Ministry in Sanaa said.

The ministry said Saudi warplanes carried out airstrikes on communications towers in the Khab wa Al Shaaf district, killing four workers and injuring three others.

The strikes were part of a broader series of attacks on Al Jawf. Yemen’s SABA News Agency reported that Saudi warplanes also carried out two airstrikes targeting the Al Maton district complex.

SABA also reported that Saudi forces fired dozens of missiles at several populated border districts in Saada Governorate in northern Yemen.

The attacks came after Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said on Sunday evening that Saudi warplanes had carried out 28 airstrikes on Taiz, Al Jawf, and Marib over the previous 24 hours. … Full article

IRGC air defenses destroy another US MQ-1 drone over Strait of Hormuz

Press TV – September 21, 2026

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Aerospace Force has intercepted and destroyed another MQ-1 drone belonging to the US military over the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC announced the development on Monday, saying the aircraft was brought down using the Aerospace Force’s new air-defense system operating under the control of Iran’s Integrated Air-Defense Network.

The medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft has won notoriety as the “Butcher of Kandahar” after logging 20,000 flight hours over Afghanistan.

It has been removed from the operational fleets of the US Navy and Air Force for several years and replaced by the MQ-9.

Its re-entrance into service has been attributed to the US Army’s having lost a large number of MQ-9 drones to the Islamic Republic’s defensive operations. … continue

Pakistan-Iran talks secure LNG shipment to Islamabad through Hormuz

Al Mayadeen | September 21, 2026

Pakistan has negotiated with Iran to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for another liquefied natural gas shipment, offering some respite as the South Asian nation struggles with an energy shortfall.

The tanker, which loaded LNG from Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility in late June, crossed the strait over the weekend and is signaling that it will arrive at Pakistan’s import facility by Tuesday, according to ship-tracking data.

The passage was negotiated between government officials, said people with knowledge of the matter, and would mark the second such Qatari delivery this month. The people asked not to be named as the conversations are not public. … continue

Black Sea grain crisis puts global wheat supplies under pressure

Al Mayadeen| September 21, 2026

The disruption of grain shipments from the Black Sea is deepening concerns over global food security, with Russia and Ukraine’s reduced wheat exports threatening to push prices higher and intensify inflation pressures.

The two countries account for more than a quarter of global wheat trade, making the Black Sea a critical route for grain shipments to some of the world’s largest importers. However, escalating attacks on ports, grain terminals, storage facilities, and vessels have severely disrupted exports since July.

The crisis comes as markets remain focused on energy disruptions and rising oil prices linked tothe US and Saudi aggressions in West Asia, while food supply risks have received less attention from investors.

“We can think of the Black Sea as important for global wheat trade as the Strait of Hormuz is for global oil trade,” Caitlin Welsh, a food security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said. “The world is underestimating the impact of these attacks.” … continue

Imran Khan’s entire immediate family detained in Pakistan ahead of mass protest demanding his release

The Cradle | September 21, 2026

Pakistan’s police have detained the three sisters of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan ahead of mass protests to demand his release, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported on 21 September.

Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leader and former cricket star, has been jailed since August 2023 on corruption charges that he and his supporters say are politically motivated.

The PTI has called for a mass march in the capital, Islamabad, on 27 September, with Khan’s release from prison as a central demand.

On Sunday, his sister Aleema Khan was detained at her residence in Lahore under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law as part of a crackdown ahead of the protest.

PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram denounced the arrests. Akram said Aleema Khan was detained “because she refused to stay silent about her brother’s illegal detention, solitary confinement, and denial of medical care.”

Aleema and her children were taken to an unknown place in an armored vehicle, Akram added.

Khan’s other two sisters, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, were detained later on Sunday after holding a press conference to denounce their sister’s detention. The three sisters’ children were also detained. … continue

EU nation detains former presidential frontrunner

RT | September 21, 2026

Romanian right-wing politician Calin Georgescu, who won the first round of the country’s 2024 presidential election before the result was controversially annulled, has been detained in connection with an alleged €1 million fraud scheme.

Georgescu’s surprise win on an anti-NATO platform was met with accusations from Brussels and Bucharest of fake online campaigning. He was disqualified from running when a new vote was held, despite revelations that the suspected digital campaign in question was run by a party opposing him.

Romania’s Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) said on Monday that it had detained a suspect and searched five properties linked to the case, with local media identifying Georgescu as the person of interest. His key ally George Simion described the latest case as a warning that “any of us can be next.” … continue

German chancellor refuses to leave office after ‘disastrous’ election loss

The Cradle | September 21, 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would remain in office on 20 September after his party faced its most serious loss in decades, with the chancellor himself referring to the result as a “disaster.”

Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was projected at 4.9 percent the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state of north Germany.

According to German law, a chancellor is not automatically ousted from office following a loss in regional elections.

Chancellors are elected by the federal parliament of Germany.

“What needs to be done now requires backbone, steadfastness, and patience,” the German chancellor said.

Far-right movement Alternative for Germany (AFD) stood at 38.3 percent, while the Social Democrats followed at 35.4 percent.

This was AFD’s second first-place victory in state elections since the start of September.

Merz’s party has also suffered in Berlin state elections, where the CDU fell by 19 percentage points.

A poll from last month indicates that 85 percent of Germans are dissatisfied with Merz as chancellor.

The elections coincide with a surge of NATO-backed Ukrainian [terror] strikes on Russia. […]

Merz has supported these attacks and has framed them as a “defense” of Europe. … Full article

Unelected EU official fumes over Russian election

RT | September 21, 2026

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has lashed out at the results of Russia’s parliamentary election, dismissing it as a “veneer of democracy.” The senior EU official, a noted Russia hawk who was appointed, not elected, to her post in 2024, made no mention of the 1,600 drones Ukraine launched into Russia during the vote.

Her claims of democratic dysfunction did not include Ukraine’s own indefinitely suspended elections, but stuck to a vote whereby some 60 million people cast ballots across 11 time zones.

In a post on X on Monday, Kallas targeted the elections in which the ruling United Russia party retained a commanding parliamentary majority with nearly 58% of the party-list vote, well ahead of its rivals, according to preliminary results. Turnout exceeded 59% from 51.7% in 2021, according to Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova.

Kallas claimed that “the so-called Duma elections marked another major setback for Russian democracy,” adding that “their outcome was never in doubt.” She further accused Moscow of silencing its critics, stressing that “the veneer of democracy is all that remains in Russia.”

Kallas also claimed to have “proposed measures against those facilitating these sham elections in occupied Ukrainian territories.” The EU said separately that it would never recognize voting held in Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions – all of which voted to join Russia in public referendums in 2014 and 2022.

Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK issued a joint statement likewise describing the voting in those territories as a “sham.” … Full article

Zelensky floated single state idea to drag Warsaw into war – Polish opposition leader

RT | September 21, 2026

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky sought to drag Poland into war with Russia in 2022, even floating the prospect of creating a single state, Polish opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has claimed.

The head of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party recalled how the government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reacted to the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Kaczynski was deputy prime minister at the time and chaired the government committee responsible for national security and defense affairs.

“The Ukrainians sometimes expected things that – for various reasons I cannot discuss here – we simply could not agree to,” the veteran politician said during a meeting with the PiS youth congress last weekend.

“Initially, they held a somewhat strange concept, namely, that they would drag us into the war, perhaps even to the point of creating a single state,” he added, noting that Zelensky’s speech in the Polish parliament was “heading in that direction.”

Zelensky addressed the Sejm remotely in March 2022 as part of his efforts to rally Western support. Warsaw went on to provide Kiev with additional military aid while pressing other NATO members to increase their contributions, Kaczynski said.

Other Polish politicians made similar criticisms of Zelensky

Krzysztof Gawkowski, a deputy to incumbent Prime Minister Donald Turk, similarly accused Kiev of trying to drag Poland into the war in 2024, as he rebuked Zelensky for “pestering” Warsaw with demands for greater military involvement.

Poland suffered casualties early in the conflict when a missile fired by Ukrainian air defenses struck a farm near the border village of Przewodow in November 2022, killing two civilians. Zelensky initially insisted that the projectile was Russian and urged for a collective NATO retaliation.

Former Polish President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, later described Kiev’s reaction to the incident as part of an effort to draw NATO nations directly into the conflict. … Full article

Leaked: Britain’s Sham Conviction Of Hashim Thaci

By Kit Klarenberg | Al Mayadeen | September 20, 2026

On September 16th, The Hague’s Kosovo Specialist Chambers found former Kosovo Liberation Army chief Hashim Thaci ⁠guilty of cruel treatment, arbitrary detention, torture and the murder ⁠of 96 people during the 1998/9 Kosovo War. The verdict stunned his supporters and detractors alike, but neither believe he will ultimately be convicted, with good reason. Thaci is but a sacrificial lamb, defendant in a purely symbolic show trial secretly orchestrated by British intelligence – who once considered the KLA leader their bosom ally. … continue

Russia Voted Under Fire. Washington Is Loading the Tankers.

By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | September 20, 2026

Two things happened this weekend that belong in the same frame, though you will not see them connected anywhere in the Western press. Russia held a national election under a hail of drones and cyberattacks — and came through it. And overnight, the United States began signaling that it is about to widen the war in the Middle East. They are not separate stories. The same barrage that tried to break the Russian vote also tore a piece out of Russia’s refining capacity, and that connects directly to the fuel crisis Washington is about to make worse. Take them in order. … continue

12 Things Your Oncologist Was Trained Not to Tell You

An Essay on the Profession Trained for Procedures, Not Cure

Lies are Unbekoming | September 15, 2026

The single most consequential number in this essay:

“The overall contribution of curative and adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5-year survival in adults was estimated to be 2.3% in Australia and 2.1% in the USA.”

— Morgan, Ward, and Barton, Clinical Oncology, 2004

Everything else follows from that number, and from the specialty’s twenty-plus-year refusal to act on it. … continue

Anthrax Attacks Paved Way for COVID-Era ‘Junk Drugs and Vaccines’

By Jill Erzen | The Defender | September 16, 2026

The anthrax attacks that followed 9/11 did more than frighten Americans — they helped create the legal, regulatory and biosecurity framework that later enabled the government’s response to COVID-19, according to Dr. Meryl Nass.

Speaking at the Turning the Tide: 9/11 25 Years Later conference last week in New York City, Nass drew a direct line between the anthrax letters of 2001 and the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s worth thinking about the similarities between the COVID experience and the anthrax letters because it seems that both were inside jobs planned by the same cabal for the same purpose,” Nass said.

Nass, an internal medicine physician who has conducted extensive research on biological warfare and anthrax, outlined what she sees as striking parallels between the two events.

“Each had an uncanny, scripted simulation preceding it,” she said, pointing to the Dark Winter tabletop exercise in 2001 and Event 201, a pandemic simulation, in 2019.

“Each was blamed on countries the U.S. government had already targeted,” Nass said. The anthrax attacks were initially blamed on Iraq while COVID-19 was blamed on China.

“A huge, expensive biodefense gravy train resulted after each of them,” she said.

Both events were also accompanied by “a massive amount of false narrative construction and control of the media to project the false narratives.” And neither received a serious investigation into who perpetrated the event, according to Nass.

In addition, both crises “led to a mushrooming of the surveillance state,” Nass said. … continue

Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian, Injure Another Near Jenin

IMEMC | September 20, 2026

On Sunday, Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian man and injured another after opening fire on their vehicle near Haddad Resort, east of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said the General Authority for Civil Affairs informed it that Israeli soldiers had killed Sami Hasan Hussein Zawaida, 32.

Local sources said the soldiers fired live rounds at a vehicle carrying two Palestinians, killing Zawaida and wounding the other man. The wounded man’s condition remained unknown at the time of publication.

The Israeli army alleged that the vehicle had attempted to ram soldiers before they fired several live rounds at it. The claim could not be independently verified. … Full article

How Real Is the Impact of Western Sanctions on Israel?

By Salman Rafi Sheikh – New Eastern Outlook – September 20, 2026

Europe is getting tougher on Israel in rhetoric and sanctions, but its latest measures may be designed to create political distance from Israel without creating enough economic pain to make Israel change course in the West Bank or anywhere in Palestinian territories. … continue

Iran Army downs US Orbiter reconnaissance drone over Strait of Hormuz

Press TV – September 20, 2026

The Iranian Army says it has destroyed an advanced Orbiter reconnaissance drone over the Strait of Hormuz, the latest in a series of American unmanned aircraft destroyed by the country’s armed forces during the war.

In a statement on Sunday, the Army said the drone was targeted and destroyed by indigenous air defense systems stationed in the southeastern part of the country.

It added that the systems operated as part of Iran’s integrated air defense network when they intercepted the advanced Orbiter reconnaissance drone over the strategic waterway. … Full article

How Iran turned US military and economic aggression into strategic leverage to dictate terms

Press TV – September 20, 2026

… The most rigorous test of victory in any war is whether the aggressor achieves its stated objectives. By this metric, the United States has failed decisively and comprehensively.

Before the war was launched in late February, American officials articulated goals such as toppling the Islamic Republic, ending Iran’s uranium enrichment program, eliminating its ballistic missile capability, and dismantling its regional network.

Seven months later, none of these objectives have been achieved. The Iranian government remains in power, its enrichment program continues, its missile arsenal has grown rather than shrunk, and its regional allies – including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Ansarullah in Yemen – remain active and strong. The Yemeni military forces have recently expanded their control along the Red Sea coast, capturing strategic ports and islands.

What the United States has lost, by contrast, is substantial. It has completely lost control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf at large. It has seen its expensive military stockpiles depleted to levels that will take years and decades to replenish. It has alienated key allies and demonstrated to the world that its military power is a myth.

The strategic implications extend beyond the immediate region. The US failure to achieve its military or strategic objectives in Iran will be studied by policymakers and strategists for years to come. … Full article

Turkey to consider Saudi military needs amid Yemen attacks, Fidan says

Al Mayadeen | September 20, 2026

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia may have some military needs to address continued attacks carried out by the Yemeni Armed Forces, adding that Türkiye will consider and assess those needs under the trilateral defense agreement signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Speaking to Turkish broadcaster NTV, Fidan said joint defense frameworks and mechanisms were being developed to address security developments and emerging threats in the region.

He also revealed that proposals and initiatives aimed at ending the fighting had been conveyed to all relevant parties in the region.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan activate defense agreement

On August 31, Fidan said the three countries had held comprehensive discussions on the practical steps to be taken during the implementation of the Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.

His remarks followed the first meeting of the Political and Strategic Defense Committee established under the agreement, which was held in Istanbul. … Full article

France, You Are Guilty: How Paris Turned Western Sahara into the Maghreb’s Powder Keg

The Rupture That Was 50 Years in the Making

By Mohammed ibn Faisal al-Rashid – New Eastern Outlook – September 20, 2026

On September 10, 2026, Algeria announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE ambassador was given 48 hours to leave the country, and as of September 11, Algerian airspace was closed to all Emirati aircraft. The official reason was “provocative and hostile actions” by Abu Dhabi. Behind that phrasing, however, lies a conflict that had been smoldering for decades—and in which one of the key roles was played by… France. … continue

Merz calls preliminary German election result a ‘disaster’

RT | September 20, 2026

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described his Christian Democratic Union’s performance in Sunday’s state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a “disaster,” after preliminary results showed a historic low for the party.

The CDU received just 5.5% of the vote, according to an ARD exit poll, its worst results in a state election since the founding of the federal republic in 1949. This leaves the party just above the 5% threshold required to enter the regional parliament.

The Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is leading with 37%, ahead of the ruling Social Democrats (SPD) at 35.5%, according to the poll.
Half of Germans expect Merz to be out by year-end – poll READ MORE: Half of Germans expect Merz to be out by year-end – poll

Merz’s party is faring better in Berlin but is still trailing the Left, which leads with 24.5%. The CDU is second with 20%, followed by the AfD at 16%, according to exit polls.

The preliminary results come two weeks after the AfD took first in Saxony-Anhalt, and amid mounting pressure on Merz over the CDU’s declining support. The chancellor called a meeting of the party leadership for Sunday evening to discuss the election results.

Ukraine launches ‘unprecedented’ attack during elections – officials

RT | September 20, 2026

Two civilians were killed and several others, including two children, were injured in Moscow Region during a powerful Ukrainian drone raid that was aimed at derailing Russia’s parliamentary elections, local officials said.

In a statement on Sunday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said more than 1,600 UAVs were repelled since the previous day, adding that 450 UAVs were intercepted on approaches to the capital.

“The unprecedented attack was clearly planned to disrupt the elections. The enemy failed,” he said. … Full article

Russian Investigators Open Terrorism Case Over Ukrainian Attacks on Moscow, Moscow Region

Sputnik – 20.09.2026

MOSCOW – Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into terrorism over Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Moscow and the Moscow Region, Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told Sputnik on Sunday.

“A criminal case has been opened regarding the terrorist attack carried out by Ukrainian armed formations using unmanned aerial vehicles in the Moscow Region (Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code),” she said.

On the night of September 20, Ukrainian forces carried out a massive drone attack on civilian facilities in Moscow and the Moscow region. … Full article

Pentagon says four killed in US strike on alleged drug boat in Caribbean

Experts have raised serious doubt about the legality of the US military strikes killing untried suspects

Press TV – September 20, 2026

The US military has announced that a strike on a boat allegedly smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea killed four people.

The Pentagon said the boat suspected of being used to move narcotics from Latin America to the United States via the Caribbean Sea was targeted on Saturday as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing so-called campaign against international drug traffickers.

US Southern Command claimed it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. On August 25, the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere also attacked a go-fast vessel in the Caribbean, killing four people the command claimed were “narco-terrorists.”

At least 231 people have been killed in 69 strikes since the Trump administration began its boat attacks in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea about a year ago.

The US Southern Command did not provide any evidence to prove that the people killed in the attack were actually drug smugglers or that the boat targeted in the strike had any drugs aboard. A video posted by the military on X showed an image of what appeared to be a moving boat followed by a sudden flash. … Full article

2025 Nature Paper Claiming Worsening Global Drought Gets RETRACTED … Heavily Flawed

By P Gosselin | No Tricks Zone | September 20, 2026

A study by Gebrechorkos et al. (published in Nature in 2025) claiming climate change is worsening global drought severity has been retracted, reports ScienceFiles.

Gross errors throughout… continue

Your Milk Is Not the Problem

An Essay on How a $50 Billion Industry Convinced a Generation of Mothers That Their Bodies Were Hurting Their Babies

Lies are Unbekoming | September 20, 2026

Mothers of newborns are being told by pediatricians, every week, that their infants are allergic to their breast milk. They are instructed to stop breastfeeding and switch to specialized formulas costing tens of dollars a week. The claim is biologically implausible, and the mainstream medical literature, when examined, confirms that it is false in more than 99 percent of cases. … continue