By Zeynep Conkar | TRT World | May 19, 2026
Israel has become the first Western-aligned “democracy” to legislate a mandatory death penalty targeting a single ethnic group under military occupation, and this week, it put that law into force. … continue
Press TV – May 21, 2026Israeli soldiers occupying southern Lebanon have engaged in widespread looting of civilian homes and businesses alongside the systematic destruction of villages, with commanding officers turning a blind eye to the practice, according to testimonies published by Haaretz.
Five soldiers from different units described a battlefield culture resembling that of a “Viking army,” where discipline has given way to moral disintegration and a lawless environment prevails, the newspaper reported.
“For most of the senior commanders, it did not matter. Soldiers looted even when the brigade commander came to visit, and he turned a blind eye,” one soldier testified. … Full article
The Dissident | May 21, 2026
Naftali Bennett, the leader of the Israeli opposition challenging Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, shares the exact same genocidal, expansionist vision of greater Israel as Netanyahu, arguably in an even more extreme way. … continue
By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | May 21, 2026
US President Donald Trump has boxed himself into a corner that his ego will not allow him to get out of. Instead of Tehran surrendering, it is Washington that has to accept defeat, or risk dragging this regional conflict into a much wider and bloody war. The bottom line– Iran is better at wars of attrition. … continue
Sputnik – 21.05.2026
Amid the conflict in Ukraine, voices in the German establishment increasingly call for strengthening the armed forces to counter the perceived Russian menace.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to make the German army the strongest in Europe, while Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warns of a new military threat from Russia, which Europe has “forgotten over the last 20 to 30 years.”
An art installation in Berlin’s Thomas Schulte Gallery displayed the Ukrainian phrase “The best gift — dead Russians”, sparking debate over the anti-Russian provocation when the exhibition claims to condemn violence.
But not all politicians support militarization or war… continue
RT | May 21, 2026
Europe is facing an “energy crisis tsunami” following a series of political earthquakes, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has warned. The forecast comes as energy shocks caused by the US‑Israeli war on Iran continue to destabilize supplies across the region. […]
Several officials across the EU have called for restoring energy ties with Russia to tackle the crisis. However, the European Commission has stated that there will be no return to Russian energy imports and it will continue to pursue a full phase-out of Russian fossil fuels by 2027.
Earlier this year, Dmitriev said that the EU would “inevitably beg” for Russian gas, as energy prices are projected to further increase. He has also stated that the bloc is the last in line among Russian energy consumers as Moscow expands projects with other countries. – Full article
Remix News | May 21, 2026
The Polish Senate has rejected President Karol Nawrocki’s proposal for a nationwide referendum on the European Union’s climate policy. Earlier this month, the president submitted a motion to allow Poles to express their opinion on the EU’s Green Deal.
“Are you in favour of implementing climate policy, which has led to an increase in the cost of living of citizens, energy prices and the cost of running a business and agricultural activity?” This was the question submitted that Nawrocki wanted Poles to answer.
Yesterday, 32 MPs voted in favor of the resolution, 62 voted against, and one abstained. … Full article
Six years later, the legal vacuum that made domestic surveillance possible hasn’t moved an inch.
By Rick Findlay | Reclaim The Net | May 20, 2026
The Canadian Armed Forces reprimanded soldiers who warned that an order to spy on citizens during COVID-19 could violate intelligence-gathering rules. The soldiers were right. The military punished them anyway.
Internal records and emails obtained by CBC News show that on March 11, 2020, a team called Joint Operational Effects (JOE) was ordered to create anonymous social media accounts and scour the internet for information about Canadians. … continue
Al Mayadeen | May 20, 2026
Google is facing a legal challenge from an AI engineer who says he was unfairly dismissed after protesting against the company’s work for the Israeli government, in a case that highlights mounting concerns over the social and ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
The engineer, who is of Palestinian heritage and has requested anonymity, distributed flyers around Google DeepMind’s London offices reading: “Google provides military AI to forces committing genocide.”
He also asked colleagues: “Is your paycheck worth this?” In addition, he emailed colleagues about Google’s 2025 decision to drop a promise not to pursue weapons that harm people and surveillance that violates international norms, urging them to unionize.
According to a claim filed with the UK’s employment tribunal, the worker alleges that Google discriminated against his belief that no one should be complicit in war crimes. He maintains that by emailing and leafleting colleagues, he was acting as a whistleblower. He stated he was laid off in September following meetings with human resources, after which Google concluded he had resigned, a claim he denies. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | May 20, 2026
Pro-Palestine demonstrators occupied the rectorate building of Ghent University on Wednesday, demanding the institution completely end its academic and research relationships with Israeli entities, according to Belga News Agency.
The protest came after the university announced it would withdraw from five remaining projects linked to Israeli partners under the Horizon Europe framework. Activists argued the measure did not go far enough and accused the university of maintaining ongoing cooperation despite the decision.
The latest mobilization builds on a campaign that began in 2024, when pro-Palestine students established encampments and demonstrations at the university amid the Israeli war on Gaza. Following those protests, UGent severed ties with several Israeli institutions, including the Holon Institute of Technology, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, and the Volcani Center after the university concluded they no longer met its human rights standards. … Full article
MEMO | May 20, 2026
Israeli forces on Tuesday evening burned several homes in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank.
Local sources said Israeli forces set fire to a house in the Tal’at al-Ghabr area and another belonging to the Al-Rashid family. The sources said the Israeli army had been using the homes as military barracks for more than a year and a half.
The sources added that Israeli forces also burned another house in the camp later in the evening, although its ownership was not immediately known.
The Israeli army launched a large-scale military operation in the city of Jenin and its refugee camp on 21st January 2025, displacing all residents of the camp and surrounding areas, estimated at around 22,000 people.
Palestinian Information Center – May 20, 2026
BEIRUT – The Lebanese health ministry announced today, Wednesday, that 31 people were killed and 61 others were injured in the past 24 hours.
According to the ministry, the death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression, which started on March 2, 2026, has climbed to 3,073 martyrs, while the total number of the wounded has increased to 9,362 people.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, according to the country’s health ministry and media.
12 of them, including three children and three women, were killed in a single attack that hit a house in the town of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, the state-run National News Agency reported.
By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | May 20, 2026
Not long after a couple kids shot up a mosque in San Diego, the Jewish American Security Act (JASA) was rolled out in the Senate by two uniparty “representatives,” Jacky Rosen (Democrat faction) and James Lankford (Republican faction). … continue
Press TV – May 20, 2026
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has rejected as totally “baseless” the US Central Command (CENTCOM)’s narrative regarding the missile strike on Minab’s Shajareh Tayyebeh school, saying the US is attempting to shun accountability for the massacre of more than 170 students and teachers.
In a post on his X account early Wednesday, Esmaeil Baghaei said that the “claim by US Central Command (CENTCOM) that the targeted #Shajareh_Tayyebeh Elementary School in #Minab was located within a ‘missile launch facility’ is a baseless fabrication and an appalling lie.”
On the very first day of the unprovoked war of aggression by a US-Israeli military coalition on February 28, US Tomahawk missiles struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School in Minab, in southern Iran, killing at least 175 people, most of them schoolgirls.
Baghaei’s remarks came after Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, claimed during a House committee hearing that the school was located near an active Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) cruise missile base. … continue
Press TV – May 20, 2026
Iran reports increased ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz under new arrangements to facilitate transit via the key Persian Gulf waterway.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Wednesday that a total of 26 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
The IRGC Navy’s command, which controls the Strait in cooperation with the Iranian Army, said in a statement that the ships that passed through the Strait during the period included “oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels”. … continue
By Linnea Lueken | Climate Realism | May 18, 2026
Sky News claims that a recent Alaskan tsunami was caused by a climate change-induced landslide. This claim is speculative at best, since it is difficult to say whether the particular tidewater glacier is retreating because of warming or other factors that impact glacial movement. Climate change and glacial retreat have always occurred, but media overuse of the former term conflates natural shifts with supposed human-caused change. This has made it difficult, if not impossible, to discuss natural hazards. … continue
By George Samuelson | Strategic Culture Foundation | May 20, 2026
In yet another chapter pulled straight from the pages of Orwell, educators across Wales are being trained to identify and report “racist incidents” by toddlers – yes, you read that right, toddlers – under new legislation endorsed by government ministers and funded by taxpayers.
The initiative turns daycare centers into miniature surveillance camps for the government’s “anti-racism” agenda.
The program has received over £1.3 million in taxpayer funding via the Welsh Government, and distributed to more than 300 nurseries, daycare centers and kindergartens.
Administrators are absurdly advised to determine whether a child’s interaction with other children could be considered a hate crime and, if so, contact police. … continue
Sputnik – 20.05.2026
Armenia continues to hold six Russian citizens on espionage-related charges linked to alleged filming activities for Azerbaijan, despite what their supporters describe as weak evidence and the absence of any classified material, RT reports.
The individuals—Artem Makhmutov, Daniil Semenyuk, Viktor Tikhomirov, Emirkhan Emirkhanov, Said Aliyev, and Vladislav Yeliseyev—were detained between June 2024 and March 2026. Three of them grew up together in a Moscow orphanage.
According to the defense, they were hired to film a documentary about Azerbaijani cultural heritage sites in Armenia, including mosques, cemeteries, and churches. None of the locations were restricted or classified. Daniil Semenyuk was arrested at the airport before entering the country.
The producer who commissioned the project, a Russian national from the film industry, has since disappeared and cannot be reached. Viktor Tikhomirov went to Armenia to investigate his friends’ detention and was subsequently arrested himself. … continue
By Prof. Glenn Diesen | May 20, 2026
I argue that European states have made themselves legitimate targets by being participants in attacks on Russia. The emotional and often hysterical reactions this argument provokes reveal the extent of the radicalisation engulfing Europe.
Most countries avoid sending weapons to states engaged in war precisely because doing so risks making them participants in the conflict. Many Western leaders, from Boris Johnson to Marco Rubio, recognise that this is a proxy war. European states provide weapons, intelligence, targeting, planning, and contractors. European leaders openly speak about the need to bring the war to Russian territory and to destroy Russian refineries, while rapidly expanding the production of long-range weapons to support this objective. Attacks are now also being launched from the territory of the Baltic states. It is therefore difficult to deny that European states are directly involved in military actions against Russia. As this involvement escalates, Russia is under ever-greater pressure to retaliate and restore its deterrence. This should all be common sense, yet in Europe, recognising the march to war is considered a controversial observation. Why? … continue
By Lucas Leiroz | Strategic Culture Foundation | May 20, 2026
The Ukrainian regime continues intensifying its persecution against the faith traditionally followed by the majority of the local population. In yet another episode exposing the worsening internal crisis in Kiev, a Russian human rights organization recently sent an official letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, denouncing what can be described as a systematic campaign of persecution against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The document, signed by Ivan Melnikov, vice-president of the International Movement Human Rights Defense Committee, described a series of violations allegedly committed by Ukrainian authorities and radical nationalist groups. According to the complaint, the Kiev regime has been promoting continuous repression against representatives of the Orthodox Church historically linked to the Moscow Patriarchate, while simultaneously favoring the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, considered politically aligned with the Ukrainian government.
According to the letter sent to the UN, the process of religious persecution has intensified proportionally to the escalation of the war. In recent years, hundreds of canonical Orthodox churches have been forcibly seized by radical activists and Ukrainian security forces. The purpose of these operations would be to transfer the temples to religious structures considered more loyal to Kiev’s current political project. … continue
RT | May 20, 2026
Almost two out of three violent attacks against politicians in Germany in 2025 targeted members of Alternative for Germany (AfD), government data shows. An MP from the right-wing party blamed the development on what he called a years-long defamation campaign.
AfD politicians were targets in a total of 121 cases last year, almost twice as many as all other major German political parties combined, the federal government said in a response to a parliamentary inquiry by AfD MP Martin Hess. The party was also the most frequent target of non-violent politically motivated offenses, the data suggested. The total number of crimes committed against the AfD in 2025 surpassed 1,800.
Around 60% of violent politically-motivated crimes were committed by left-wing suspects, Nius media outlet reported, citing police data provided by the government. Only 11% of offenses were reportedly attributed to right-wing suspects. … Full article
By Alan Mosley | The Libertarian Institute | May 20, 2026
If Thomas Massie were president, there would be no American involvement in the war in Iran. Rep. Massie (R-KY) introduced a bipartisan resolution barring “unauthorized hostilities” against Iran and said flatly that, “The ongoing war between Israel and Iran is not our war.” Massie respects the Constitution: Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war. A Massie presidency would not begin hostilities at the behest of a foreign nation and then pretend the War Powers Resolution clock never started when Iran didn’t turn out like Venezuela (which he also wouldn’t have started). … continue
It took US lawmakers eight attempts to push through a largely symbolic resolution that is doomed to fail
RT | May 19, 2026
The US Senate has advanced a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military operations against Iran without congressional approval or a debate on the rationale, cost, strategy, and clear end goal.
The chamber voted 50-47 on Tuesday to take up the war powers resolution, which would require Trump to end US hostilities against Iran, marking the first time either chamber has moved such a measure forward since the conflict began in February.
Four Republicans – Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – joined almost all Senate Democrats in supporting the eighth attempt to advance such a measure. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote against it, while three Republicans did not vote. Cassidy, who had previously opposed the effort, switched sides after losing a primary race in which Trump had endorsed his opponent.
The measure is highly unlikely to pass, as it still faces a final Senate vote, major obstacles in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, and an almost certain veto by Trump if it reaches his desk.
Even so, Democrats have cast the vote as politically significant, arguing that it forces Republicans to go on record over an increasingly unpopular and costly conflict. … Full article
By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. | The Defender | May 19, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal challenging the constitutionality of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The court rejected the case without comment, upholding a 2025 federal appeals court ruling dismissing the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021 by Health Freedom Defense Fund and LAUSD employees with California Educators for Medical Freedom, alleged LAUSD’s vaccine mandate violated their fundamental rights to reject medical treatment.
The mandate resulted in more than 1,000 employees losing their jobs.
In July 2025, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an earlier dismissal of the lawsuit, ruling that it was reasonable for LAUSD to think the vaccines protected public health, based on comments by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health authorities.
Τhe 9th Circuit also found that LAUSD had a right to mandate the COVID-19 shots, even if the vaccines didn’t provide immunity or prevent transmission.
Michael Kane, director of advocacy for Children’s Health Defense, called the Supreme Court’s decision “surprising,” and said the lower court’s ruling creates a potentially dangerous precedent for unvaccinated employees in any industry.
“It is so incredibly scary what this precedent now is,” Kane said. “It’s a really bad blow to fired unvaccinated workers and to our liberties in general.” … Full article
By Freddie Ponton | 21st Century Wire | May 19, 2026
In March 2026, an investigation in Haaretz argued that West Germany may have “secretly financed” much of Israel’s Dimona nuclear project through off‑the‑books loans worth roughly 2 billion Deutschmarks, funneled under the cover of “Negev development.” Historical clues indicate that Germany secretly funded Israel’s nuclear program and raise the questions about how much Dimona cost, who really paid for it, and what that says about Germany’s postwar “moral responsibility”.
This article picks up where that story stops. It goes back to Bundestag files, development‑bank records and declassified intelligence histories to show, in considerably sharper detail, how Bonn built a secret credit machine for Israel, who ran it, and how it locked Germany into a nuclear order it still refuses to name.
Germany did not just look away while Israel built the bomb. It helped pay for it, hid the money off the books, and then spent decades pretending that nothing of the sort had ever happened. Today, the same state that secretly bankrolled Dimona presents itself as a guardian of non‑proliferation and lectures Iran on the dangers of nuclear ambiguity. … continue
The Cradle | May 19, 2026
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic rejected Israel’s proposed ambassador to Zagreb over the policies of the current Israeli government and what he described as a breach of diplomatic protocol, according to statements released on 19 May by the Croatian presidency.
“The proposed Ambassador of the State of Israel has not received, nor will he receive, the consent of the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović,” the president’s office said in a statement.
The Croatian presidency said it had previously avoided public comment on ambassadorial nominations in line with diplomatic practice. It accused Israel of violating an “unwritten rule” by publicly announcing the nominee before receiving formal approval from Zagreb.
“In light of this action by the Israeli side,” the office said, the president confirmed the nominee would not be approved, linking his decision to the “policies pursued by the current Israeli authorities.”
Israeli media identified the nominee as Nissan Amdur, who was appointed to replace outgoing ambassador Gary Koren, and is now expected to arrive in Croatia as chargé d’affaires, a diplomatic posting that does not require presidential approval. […]
Milanovic, who has repeatedly condemned Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, saying that “there is not cooperation with Israel as far as the Croatian Army is concerned,” adding that Israeli actions in Gaza amounted to “a brutal policy” and “horrific, unprecedented disregard for humanitarian law and humanity.”
The Croatian president also defended the decision as a sovereign prerogative of his office, saying that “granting or withholding of consent for proposed ambassadors is a sovereign right” of the presidency.
The reports said it is the first time a Croatian president has refused approval for an ambassadorial appointment.
The Cradle | May 19, 2026
Italian authorities are holding three shipments suspected of carrying military-grade steel from India to Israel after activists from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and No Harbour for Genocide (NHB) exposed their contents, Middle East Eye (MEE) reported on 18 May.
According to the activists, the shipments amount to roughly 806 tonnes of military-grade steel and could be used to manufacture up to 17,458 artillery shells for the Israeli army.
They said the cargo originated from R L Steels & Energy Limited in Aurangabad and was destined for IMI Systems, now known as Elbit Systems Land, in Ramat Hasharon.
Three consignments transported by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are being held in Gioia Tauro and Cagliari, while another three were reportedly rerouted toward Sri Lanka after activists began tracking the vessels. … continue
Press TV – May 19, 2026
The Israeli army received about 2,500 complaints related to sexual assault and harassment within its ranks in 2025, amid a deepening moral crisis among the occupying regime’s forces.
According to data presented to an Israeli parliamentary committee on Tuesday, the army’s Yahalom unit received 2,420 reports of sexual assault within the military during 2025, Israel’s Channel 12 reported. [..]
Reports of sexual assault within the Israeli army have steadily increased over the years, rising from 668 complaints in 2014 to 2,092 in 2024.
The way Israel handles sexual harassment and assault complaints inside the army has drawn criticism, particularly due to the relatively low number of indictments compared with the total number of complaints filed.
The developments come as Israeli soldiers and extremist settlers use gender-based violence, including sexual assault and harassment, to force Palestinians from their homes in the besieged Gaza Strip and across the occupied West Bank.
Suicidal tendencies have also risen among Israeli soldiers amid the US-backed war on Gaza and the ongoing aggression in Lebanon. … Full article
Palestinian Information Center – May 19, 2026
WEST BANK – Extremist Jewish settlers set fire to a wheat field and attacked Palestinian farmers in an attempt to steal their harvest in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that settlers burned parts of a wheat field in the village of al‑Sawiya, Nablus governorate, before locals and civil defense crews managed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading.
Other witnesses reported that settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers in the eastern area of Idhna town, al-Khalil governorate, as they transported their wheat harvest.
One armed settler stopped a Palestinian vehicle loaded with wheat and tried to seize it, sparking tension in the area.
On Monday, settlers burned 500 dunums of farmland in the village of al‑Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah, under military protection.
IMEMC | May 18, 2026Israeli occupation forces delivered demolition and stop‑work orders on Monday targeting 15 Palestinian homes, including inhabited structures, in the town of Tuqu’, southeast of Bethlehem, in a continued effort to restrict Palestinian construction while expanding nearby illegal colonies.
Occupation troops invaded the al‑Halqoum neighborhood on the western side of the town and handed residents military notices ordering the demolition or immediate halt of construction.
The orders give homeowners one week to comply, despite several of the homes having been previously targeted with similar notices.
Tuqu’ has faced repeated invasions and demolition threats in recent years as Israeli authorities intensify measures aimed at preventing Palestinian development while enabling the growth of surrounding illegal colonies and outposts.
The Cradle | May 19, 2026
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered the forced displacement of occupied Jerusalem’s Khan al-Ahmar in response to reports that he may be targeted by an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, along with other officials.
Smotrich also vowed to impose “war” on the Palestinian Authority (PA), while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, reportedly also a target for a potential ICC warrant, has lashed out at the court as well and vowed to continue escalating against Palestinians.
In response to the new reports about the warrants, Smotrich signed an order on 19 May for the displacement of Khan al-Ahmar, a Palestinian Bedouin community east of occupied Jerusalem whose strategic location is considered critical to the territorial continuity and viability of a future Palestinian state.
“Issuing international arrest warrants against the prime minister, the defense minister, and the finance minister is a declaration of war. The Palestinian Authority is the one that started the war, and therefore it will get war. I promise all our enemies. This is just the beginning,” Smotrich said on X.
For decades, the Jahalin Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar has faced persistent targeting and forced displacement threats by Israel, which seeks to demolish the entire village under the pretext of lacking building permits.
Israeli policies have hindered the community’s daily life by denying them access to electricity and water, repeatedly destroying infrastructure, and confiscating solar panels.
Located along a critical highway corridor in the West Bank’s E1 zone, the area is viewed as vital to a future Palestinian state. Israeli efforts to erase it are intended to connect Israeli settlements like Maale Adumim to occupied Jerusalem.
A day before Smotrich’s threats, Ben Gvir took to social media to slam the Hague and vow to accelerate the forced displacement of Palestinians and torture of prisoners. … Full article
Palestinian Information Center – May 19, 2026GAZA – Two Palestinian fishermen were injured by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, amid ceasefire violations persisting for the 222nd consecutive day.
According to media sources, two fishermen from the al‑Najjar family were injured in the morning when an Israeli gunboat opened fire at them as they were working near the coast of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
Earlier, Israeli warplanes struck the al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis, bombing the tent camp for displaced families just hours after ordering residents to evacuate over the phone.
Another airstrike targeted al‑Tina street of Khan Yunis, while Israeli forces detonated several buildings in the eastern areas of the city.
A warplane also bombed the al‑Faluja area of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Palestinian Information Center – May 19, 2026
Six people were killed and three others were wounded in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon Tuesday, marking the latest breach of the ceasefire agreement, Lebanese media reported.
According to state news agency NNA, four civilians were killed and two others injured when Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the al‑Mahfara neighborhood of Kfarsir, Nabatieh district.
Earlier, a drone strike targeted a vehicle near the Harouf municipality building, killing one civilian and injuring a council member as they were going to distribute bread to local residents.
Another drone targeted a motorcycle in Froun, Bint Jbeil district, killing one person.
Further strikes that targeted other areas of southern Lebanon were reported last night and on Tuesday.
Press TV – May 19, 2026
The Kata’ib Hezbollah resistance movement has warned the Amman government against ongoing reconnaissance missions launched by the United States and Israel from Jordanian soil against Iraqi resistance fighters, particularly the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
“In the wake of unfolding developments across the region and US-Israeli actions against Iraq’s security and stability, the enemies are aggressively seeking to escalate tensions against the (Iraqi) resistance front and the PMU,” Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, the security chief of the group, said in a statement on Monday evening.
He warned that the patience of heroic resistance fighters in the face of blatant Israeli violations of ceasefire agreements and recurrent acts of aggression against Iraq’s national sovereignty is about to run out.
Assaf noted that the bulk of US and Israeli surveillance missions are being launched from Jordan, warning that this serves as a prelude for attacks against Iraq.
The Jordanian government, therefore, is strongly advised to take lessons from missile and drone operations conducted in retaliation for the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, as “patience is starting to run out,” the senior Kata’ib Hezbollah official emphasized. … continue
Press TV – May 18, 2026
Yemeni armed forces have intercepted and shot down a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone as it was flying in the skies over the northwestern oil-rich province of Ma’rib.
Local sources reported that powerful explosions rattled the provincial capital city of Ma’rib on Monday as Yemeni air defense units targeted the intruding surveillance aircraft over the nearby Ma’rib al-Wadi district.
The sources added that the US reconnaissance drone was struck with an anti-aircraft missile launched from the Sirwah district.
Images shared on social media platforms showed the wreckage of the drone strewn across a desert area east of Ma’rib al-Wadi district.
Among the debris was the fuel system of the unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as its reconnaissance equipment.
The downed drone was apparently armed with two AGM-114R9X air-to-ground precision strike and semi-active laser (SAL) guided missiles.
Press TV – May 18, 2026
A newly-released Congressional report says the American military lost at least 42 aircraft during 40 days of the US–Israeli war of aggression against Iran, with estimated costs already reaching billions of dollars.
The report, prepared for Congress using information from the Pentagon, United States Central Command, and defence media outlets, estimated the total cost of the aircraft losses at approximately $2.6 billion.
US lawmakers, however, warn that the real figure could be significantly higher, saying it remains “unclear” whether the Pentagon has fully accounted for all combat losses during the war against Iran. […]
Questioning Pentagon Chief Financial Officer Jules Hurst, US Democratic Congressman Ed Case referred to an earlier report by the defence outlet The War Zone and asked whether the Pentagon had calculated the full replacement cost of the destroyed aircraft.
Hurst declined to confirm the losses publicly, saying the Pentagon still needed to conduct a “full diagnosis” before estimating repair and replacement costs.
The War Zone report cited by Case said that the United States Air Force carried out nearly 13,000 flights during the 40-day war with Iran.
The congressional report now says that actual long-term costs could rise far beyond current estimates.
According to the assessment, replacing some of the destroyed aircraft could require restarting production lines for systems that are no longer manufactured.
It noted that the destruction of an E-3 Sentry could force the Pentagon to revive the cancelled E-7 Wedgetail replacement program at a cost exceeding $2.5 billion.
Analysts cited in the report estimated that total aircraft losses and replacement programs could eventually exceed $7 billion. … Full article
Press TV – May 18, 2026
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly rejected “baseless and selective accusations” leveled by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz against the Islamic Republic regarding a mysterious failed explosion incident near a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.
In a post on X on Monday night, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei sharply criticized Merz for invoking international law and regional security only when it suits Western political interests, while turning a blind eye to clear acts of aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.
“Mr. Friedrich Merz, hypocrisy becomes evident when a clear attack by the United States and the Zionist regime on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is not only not condemned, but is effectively justified,” Baghaei wrote.
“Yet, regarding an incident that was a false flag operation by the enemies of peace and regional harmony — and even the UAE has not officially blamed Iran for it — suddenly the language of ‘international law’ and ‘regional security’ is invoked,” he added.
The spokesperson stated that any genuine concern for the safety of nuclear sites and the people of the region must be applied equally and without double standards.
“If an attack on nuclear facilities is considered a threat to the people of the region, this principle must apply equally to all countries, not only when it serves Western political interests,” Baghaei stated. … Full article
Press TV – May 19, 2026
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif says that a resumption of the US‑Israeli war on Iran is unlikely given the widespread global opposition and lack of public support in the United States for another war in West Asia.
In an interview with Geo News’ “Capital Talk” program on Monday, Asif said Israel strongly desires the war to restart and be fought by America on its side, but “my hunch says that this war will not happen again.” … continue
The EU will turn to a long-term strategy involving cow dung to stave off a looming fertilizer shortage, rather than supporting farmers with immediate measures like suspending tariffs on Russian and Belarusian imports, Politico wrote on Monday.
The US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles an estimated one third of the global fertilizer trade, and a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) – a commodity important in the production of nitrate fertilizers. The key waterway was blocked during planting season in the Northern Hemisphere, with analysts warning of a potential global shortage of crucial crop nutrients and a delayed world-wide food shock.
As the EU had already secured fertilizer supplies this crop season, any knock-on effect for the bloc’s farmers and consumers is likely to be delayed, Politico wrote.
However, some EU officials have reportedly warned that a long-term strategy relying on cow dung would not be enough.
“Manure can be a contribution, but it can never substitute the urea-based, the nitrogen-based fertilizers,” Politico cited Italian MEP and AGRI Committee member Herbert Dorfmann as saying. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | May 19, 2026
China reaffirmed its support for Cuba on Tuesday, condemning US sanctions and calling on Washington to end coercive measures against the island nation, Global Times reported.
Speaking during a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing opposes unilateral sanctions that are not authorized under international law and expressed support for Cuba’s efforts to protect its sovereignty and national security.
“China has consistently opposed illegal unilateral sanctions lacking basis in international law,” Lin stated, while urging the United States to “immediately end its blockade against Cuba and all forms of coercion and pressure.”
He further accused Washington of undermining the Cuban people’s rights to development and basic living conditions. … continue
RT | May 19, 2026
NATO should strike Russia’s Kaliningrad to make a point to Moscow, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has said.
Kaliningrad Region is a Russian exclave of over a million people, which sits on the Baltic Sea coast and borders NATO member-states Lithuania to the north and Poland to the south.
In his interview with Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung on Monday, Budrys insisted that the Europeans “need to turn our fear of the [Russian] threat into a sense of self-empowerment.”
“We must show the Russians that we can penetrate their small fortress that they have built in Kaliningrad,” he said.
The minister claimed that “NATO has the means to raze the Russian air defense and missile bases there to the ground in an emergency.” … Full article
RT | May 19, 2026
Estonia has shot down an alleged Ukrainian drone over its territory for the first time, the NATO and EU member state’s defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, has said.
Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of incidents related to Ukrainian UAVs targeting northwestern Russia, particularly energy facilities in Leningrad Region. Some of the aircraft eventually crashed in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland.
Moscow has warned that if it turns out that the Baltic States and Finland “deliberately provide their airspace” to Kiev’s UAVs, Moscow has the right to self-defense in response to an “armed attack” under Article 51 of the UN Charter. … continue
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By Brandon Martinez | Press TV | April 3, 2014
Some studies estimate that close to 1.5 million Iraqis have lost their lives as a result of the brutal American invasion and occupation of their country in 2003.[1] Millions more Iraqis have become refugees and orphans with no future prospects for prosperity or stability. Most of the critical infrastructure of the country was bombed into rubble and dust. American depleted uranium weapons have caused cancer rates in some Iraqi cities to skyrocket, permanently destroying the genes of future generations of Iraqis who are being born with horrific birth defects and diseases.
The culprits responsible for this genocidal campaign to subdue and enslave the Iraqi people are not the CEOs of American oil companies as some disingenuous commentators on the Left have claimed. President George W. Bush’s foreign policy in the Middle East was not his own nor that of the oil lobby, but was the brainchild of the neoconservative conspirators behind the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and other Zionist-oriented think tanks that dominated the Washington Beltway. … continue
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