An Essay on the Four Walls That Make the Injured Defend the Injury
Lies are Unbekoming | April 12, 2026
1. The Testimony That Should Not Exist
A woman films herself from a hospital bed. Her left side will not move. Her speech is slurred. She took the COVID vaccine three weeks earlier and had a stroke within days. The camera shakes because she is holding it with the hand that still works. And she says, into the lens, that she is glad she took it. Because it could have been worse.
By every ordinary standard of how people respond to injury, the woman in the bed should be angry. She should want to know what happened to her body, who gave her the injection, what was in it, why she was not warned. Instead she is defending the thing that harmed her, and she is doing it sincerely, from a bed she may never leave.
The pattern repeated at scale throughout 2021 and 2022. Myocarditis in young men, received with gratitude. Sudden hearing loss, received with gratitude. Menstrual disruption, miscarriage, Bell’s palsy, shingles, tinnitus, cognitive fog — received with gratitude. The injured gave television interviews thanking the health authorities. They wrote newspaper columns urging others to take the product that had injured them. They volunteered at vaccination centres. The more severe the injury, the more fervent the testimony.
The COVID case is the clearest and most recent instance of something older. Chemotherapy patients credit the treatment with saving them while enduring a devastation that is the treatment.¹ Flu shot recipients who get the flu report that the shot made it milder — a claim no one can check. Statin patients who develop muscle weakness, diabetes and cognitive decline continue taking the drug in gratitude for a heart attack that may never have been coming.² SSRI patients who cannot feel, cannot sleep without the pill, cannot leave the house without the prescription, describe the drug as having saved their lives.³ Parents whose children regress after vaccination defend the schedule that preceded the regression.
The gratitude is real. That is what makes it devastating. These patients are not lying or performing. They feel what they say they feel. They are captured, and the gratitude is what their captivity looks like when it speaks.
What follows rests on one claim. The phenomenon is an engineered room, not a cognitive error or a cultural drift. Four walls stand around the captured person, each sealing a different exit, built by identifiable actors serving documented interests. The same four walls stand around every major medical intervention of our time.
The essay names the walls, shows them at work across several medical domains, names their architects, and ends where it must — with the one act that brings them down. … continue
Palestinian Information Center – April 18, 2026
WEST BANK – A horde of extremist Jewish settlers attacked the Wadi Abul-Hayat Bedouin community west of the al-Auja area, north of Jericho, and stormed other parts of the occupied West Bank on Saturday.
Al-Baidar Human Rights Organization reported that a number of settlers broke into and ransacked homes and terrorized children inside the Wadi Abul-Hayat community, where seven families live, noting that the families had already been displaced three times.
The rights group warned that recurring settler attacks against Bedouin communities in the area pose a serious threat to residents’ safety and stability.
In another incident, settlers stormed the hamlet of Khirbet al-Rakeez in Masafer Yatta, south of al-Khalil, carrying out provocations against local residents.
In northern Ramallah, settlers set up a new structure in their illegal outpost in the Turmus Ayya plain near villagers’ homes.
In northern Nablus, settlers stormed the Wadi al-Hisan area of Asira ash-Shamaliya, grazing livestock in farmers’ fields and obstructing their work.
In southern al-Khalil, a settler guarded by Israeli soldiers used a bulldozer to destroy swaths of Palestinian-owned farmland in Khirbet Rabud near Dura City.
IMEMC | April 18, 2026
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded several others on Friday after opening fire on displaced families in northern Gaza, amid continued attacks and rising casualty figures across the besieged Strip.
Field reporters confirmed that Israeli soldiers stationed in the northern Gaza Strip fired heavy machine‑gun rounds toward tents sheltering displaced families in the Tal ath‑Thahab area of Beit Lahia, killing one civilian, and injuring several others.
Residents said the gunfire struck an area densely populated with families who had already been displaced multiple times since the start of the assault.
The attack in Beit Lahia occurred as Israeli forces continued to target civilians across several areas of the Gaza Strip throughout the day. … continue
The Cradle | April 18, 2026
Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian truck drivers hired by UNICEF and injured two others during routine water delivery operations at a filling point in northern Gaza on 17 April.
“UNICEF is outraged by the killing of two drivers of trucks contracted by UNICEF to provide clean water to families in the Gaza Strip,” a statement from the UN agency reads.
UNICEF added the victims were “killed by Israeli fire in an incident that took place early this morning at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza.” The attack occurred during normal operations, with no changes in the convoy’s movements or procedures that morning.
UNICEF has since told its contractors to stand down at the site until conditions are safe enough to return.
“The Mansoura water filling point is currently the only operational truck filling point for the Mekorot water supply line serving Gaza City,” UNICEF said, highlighting the significance of the disruption.
“UNICEF and humanitarian partners use it multiple times a day to sustain critical water trucking operations for hundreds of thousands of people, including children.” … continue
Al-Mayadeen | April 18, 2026
Hezbollah has denied any involvement in an incident targeting United Nations observers in southern Lebanon earlier today.
In a statement, the group said it “calls for caution in issuing judgments and responsibilities regarding the incident,” urging restraint until facts are fully established.
The movement specifically rejected any responsibility for the incident involving UNIFIL forces in the al-Ghandourieh–Bint Jbeil area, stressing that blame should not be assigned before the Lebanese Army completes its investigation and clarifies the circumstances.
Emphasis on coordination and stability
Hezbollah also highlighted the importance of maintaining cooperation between local residents, UNIFIL, and the Lebanese Army. It emphasized the need for coordination between the army and UN peacekeepers, particularly given the current sensitive conditions.
The group further “expressed surprise at the [parties] that rushed to throw accusations arbitrarily, while remaining silent when Israeli forces target UNIFIL personnel.” … continue
By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | April 18, 2026
… Earlier this month, Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich declared an official start to the Greater Israel project. He included Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine in the project. Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, Zionists have strived to weaken neighboring states, dismantle their military capacity, and worked to reshape the balance of power in West Asia. The original plan called for occupying and ethnically cleansing the entirety of Palestine, all of Jordan, south Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, and northern Saudi Arabia.
The Nazis had a similar plan during their occupation of Europe in the Second World War. It was called the “Greater Germanic Reich” (Großgermanisches Reich). In the autumn of 1933, Adolf Hitler made plans to annex territories including Bohemia, parts of western Poland, and Austria to Germany. He also aimed to create satellite or puppet states that would lack independent economies or policies. Nazi racial theories classified the Germanic peoples of Europe as part of a racially superior Nordic subset within the broader Aryan race, which they considered to be the sole true bearers of civilized culture.
In Deuteronomy, the Jewish God chooses Israel to be his holy (kadosh) and treasured (segulah) people. Deuteronomy 14:2 states God has chosen the Jews “to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” According to the Torah, “Eretz Israel” (“Land of Israel” in Hebrew), now defined as “Greater Israel,” was “given” to the “children of Abraham” and serves as the basis for “a merger of religious fundamentalism and modern political ethno-nationalism, whereby ancient texts are used to justify a modern military expansionist state.” In regard to Lebanon, the Zionists believe Greater Israel extends up to the Sidon and Litani rivers.
According to Amichai Friedman, a rabbi in the Israeli Army, “This land is ours, the whole land, including Gaza, including Lebanon,” while Daniella Weiss, a Jewish ethnonationalist and former mayor of Kedumim, called for the “invasion of Lebanon” immediately after the war in Gaza. … continue
Press TV – April 17, 2026
A majority in the Dutch House of Representatives has backed a proposal calling on the Netherlands’ government to push for the suspension of the trade component of the EU-Israel Association Agreement at the bloc over the regime’s crimes against Palestinians.
During a parliamentary debate on Thursday, the political party called Democrats 66 (D66) and Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), which are part of the ruling coalition, stressed that Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, and recent legislative developments raise serious human rights concerns. They backed exploring EU-level measures, including suspending trade provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which entered into force in 2000 and includes a clause stipulating that cooperation between the parties is contingent on respect for human rights and democratic principles. […]
The adopted motion urges the Dutch government to take a leading role within the EU in advocating for the suspension of the agreement’s trade component.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen is now expected to raise the issue with EU member states during the foreign ministers’ meeting on April 21. But any decision to suspend the accord would require consensus among all member countries. … Full article
The bill that died with Trudeau’s election call is back, and so is the advisory panel that wrote it.
By Christina Maas | Reclaim The Net | April 18, 2026
Canada’s Liberal government is preparing to revive legislation that would hand the state new powers over what Canadians can say online, with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s team signaling that a rebooted “online harms” law is coming. […]
One of the members back at the table is Bernie Farber of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. The advisory group helps shape what the government will treat as hateful, harmful, or dangerous.
That definition, once written into law, determines which posts get deleted, which accounts get silenced, and which Canadians face fines or house arrest for saying the wrong thing online. … Read full article
By Tarik Cyril Amar | RT | April 18, 2026
Imagine you know about a brutal gang of serial killers openly committing one sadistic crime after the other. Imagine you recognize your obvious moral obligation to do something to stop or at least impede these crimes as best you can, but your country’s morally perverse and politically corrupt authorities are in cahoots with the murderers, so you cannot simply call the police.
Indeed, if you try to resist the killers and their accomplices, the police and state prosecutors will relentlessly go after you instead of them, and in effect, protect the criminals. Imagine, finally, that while you cannot strike the killers directly, you can make committing their heinous crimes harder for them by disrupting their business activities and alerting the public to their scandalously uninhibited activities and shocking power in your society.
That is the situation in which the activists of the British direct-action group Palestine Action find themselves. Except it is even worse than the schematic thought experiment sketched above, because, in reality, we are not speaking about a gang of serial killers but a whole state. Small but extremely aggressive and far too well armed – including with entirely ‘rogue’ nuclear weapons – that state is committed to a relentless agenda of proudly announced (Amalek and all that) genocide and gleeful ethnic cleansing, systematic torture and sexual violence on a mass scale, ceaseless territorial aggression (attacking more countries last year than any other country on the planet), ethnic (in this case Jewish) supremacist racism and apartheid as anchored in its laws, and the conquest of ‘lebensraum’ (a term let slip in that state’s own mainstream media).
And that monster of a state is closely, almost symbiotically allied, even capable of intermittently dominating the single most powerful country on the planet, which also happens to hold international law and basic ethics in open contempt – the US. That state, in addition, has extraordinary and nefarious influence in many other countries of the West, that odd place so proud of its ‘values’ and so complicit in genocide at the same time. Palestine Action, in short, is up against Israel and its form of internationally virulent fascism – Zionism. … Full article
American policy is clearly being made in Israel, by Israel, and for the benefit of Israel.
By Bryan Anthony Reo – New Eastern Outlook – April 18, 2026
… Can any American honestly claim that permitting and indeed facilitating the Israeli seizure of the majority of southern Lebanon (in what is an obvious naked land grab) under the guise of establishing a “security buffer zone” is somehow in the interests of Americans?
Can any American honestly claim that permitting and indeed facilitating the Israeli seizure of southwestern Syria (in what is an obvious naked land grab) under the guise of establishing a “security buffer zone” is somehow in the interests of Americans?
Can any American honestly claim that permitting and indeed facilitating the Israeli obliteration, population cleansing, and annexation of Gaza (in what is an obvious naked land grab) under the guise of establishing a “security buffer zone” is somehow in the interests of Americans?
Who decided these policies were not only in the interests of Americans but were in the *best interests* of Americans?
Why are American taxpayers paying for Israeli armaments, settlements, bomb shelters, an Iron Dome, the most elite air force in the region, and everything else that Israel demands?
None of this even addresses the simple fact that not only is the USA going broke paying for Israel, we’re making major enemies across entire regions and then incurring further debt having to fight those new enemies.
Israel is a Bottomless Vortex For American Money
The United States has given Israel no less than $300 billion in direct assistance since 1948.
None of that includes “soft” forms of assistance such as loans that are forgiven or rolled over into other loans that are never going to be paid back, diversion of American wealth via private donations by disloyal dual-citizen (“passport paper Americans”) such as Sheldon Adelson and Ben Shapiro, whose passports say the USA but whose hearts have always been with Israel and in Israel.
The $300 billion amount also does not take into account the immense tribute money paid to Egypt to bribe their successive corrupt administrations to tolerate Israeli militarism in the region and to sit back and do nothing while Israel runs roughshod over the Palestinians, Lebanese, and Syrians. Similarly large bribes have also been paid to Jordan on a regular basis to procure similar complicity on the part of the Jordanian regime.
The $300 billion amount also fails to account for the money spent in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation, a war that was undertaken entirely for the benefit of Israel in the furtherance of Israeli geopolitical interests via the strategic goal of weakening rival powers that were competing with Israel for power and influence in the region. The direct cost of the Iraq War was around $3 trillion , although this cost is expected to exceed $6 trillion due to long-term interest on debt and the medical costs associated with veterans’ care.
It is not unreasonable to say that the Zionist State of Israel has cost the United States upwards of ten trillion dollars, while providing absolutely nothing to the United States.
Israel Costs America Much, Provides No Discernible Benefit
If Israel allows us access to an airbase from which American forces launch a strike against Iran, that is not Israel helping the United States to pursue American interests; that is Israel facilitating for America to do Israel’s bidding for it. That is Israel allowing the USA to operate from an Israeli facility for the sole and express purpose of securing Israeli objectives. … Full article
By Jim Lobe | Responsible Statecraft | April 14, 2026
If the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is ultimately assessed as a defeat, some measure of blame could be cast on five pro-Israel “think tanks” that consistently promoted military action against the Islamic Republic in the eight months before it began, according to analyses by four different widely used AI programs.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Hudson Institute, and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) ranked among the top six think tanks identified by the AI models as the “most prominent in promoting military action against Tehran” during the period between the “Twelve-Day War” in June 2025 and the current war’s launch on February 28.
A fifth think tank, the more traditionally right-wing Heritage Foundation, was also included by three of the apps as among the top six think tanks promoting military actions against Iran.
Unsurprisingly, four platforms – Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok – identified the same five Washington-based institutions as also having played leading roles in promoting the U.S. invasion of Iraq 23 years ago.
Of the five, FDD, AEI, Hudson, and WINEP fall squarely into the neoconservative camp of U.S. foreign policy hawks in that support for Israel is a central principle of their world views and work. Indeed, the organization that claimed the top spot for prominence in promoting war against Iran in all four AI apps was FDD, whose original submission to the IRS in 2001 described its mission as “provid(ing) education to enhance Israel’s image in North America and the public’s understanding of issues affecting Israeli-Arab relations.”
The Heritage Foundation — which identifies itself as pursuing an “America First” foreign policy — has long promoted close ties with Israel. A “Special Report” published by Heritage in March 20025 called for transforming U.S.-Israeli relations from a mere “special relationship” to a “strategic partnership.”
“Experts” from all five organizations repeatedly propounded some or all of the same themes — that Iran’s nuclear program and missile arsenal posed an unacceptable threat to Israel and eventually to the U.S. homeland, that the regime was still “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” and that it was at the weakest point since the 1979 Revolution.
They pressed these points in congressional testimony, on the op-ed and news pages of major print and online publications, in broadcast television and radio interviews, and on social media, notably X, in what were clearly efforts to persuade elites and the public to accept the necessity of military action against the Islamic Republic. These arguments echoed the same themes as those propagated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as well-known pro-Israel hawks in the U.S. Congress, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, in their appearances on U.S. broadcast media.
As can be seen in the table below, three of the AI apps identified several additional neoconservative-led think tanks among the six most prominent promoters of military action, including the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), the Center for Security Policy (CSP), and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which was founded by neoconservative military analyst Kimberly Kagan in 2007. “While ISW positions itself as analytical rather than explicitly advocacy-oriented, its framing of Iranian threats consistently supported the case for military actions,” according to Claude.
Over the past quarter century, the foreign policy orientation of FDD, AEI, Hudson, JINSA, and CSP has been hardline neoconservative; their positions, particularly with respect to the Middle East, have generally reflected the views of Netanyahu’s Likud Party. … Full article
Press TV – April 18, 2026
Israeli forces have carried out house demolitions in several southern Lebanese border towns despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, according to local media reports.
Explosions were heard across multiple locations as residential areas near the frontier were targeted.
Israeli officials have stated that the goal is to destroy parts of Lebanese border towns to prevent residents from returning.
Human rights groups have drawn parallels to similar Israeli tactics used in Gaza, warning that such actions could constitute ethnic cleansing.
Lebanon’s Al-Manar correspondent reported that Israeli troops conducted large-scale house detonation operations, describing the moves as violations of the ceasefire in an attempt to compensate for battlefield failures.
The report also noted that Israeli drones were flying over towns adjacent to areas where occupation forces remain deployed.
In a separate incident, an Israeli airstrike on a car and a motorcycle on the Kounin-Bint Jbeil highway resulted in one fatality and one injury.
The development comes after US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the occupying regime and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire.
Under the agreement, the Israeli regime is barred from carrying out offensives against the Arab country, including its civilian and state infrastructure. … Full article
The Islamic Republic once again shut the strategic waterway due to what it described as US “piracy”
RT | April 18, 2026
Iran said the renewed restrictions on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz are justified under international law and necessary to counter hostile actions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei has said in an interview with RT.
Iranian military officials said on Saturday that Tehran had reasserted “strict control” over the strategic route, which carries about 20% of global oil, citing the continued US blockade of its ports, just a day after declaring it open. The Revolutionary Guard Navy Command later said the strait would remain under Iranian military control as long as US restrictions stay in place.
“There was no safe and secure passage in this waterway,” Baqaei told RT on Saturday, adding that as a coastal state Iran has the right under international law to take measures against what it sees as hostile actions. … continue
Al Mayadeen | April 18, 2026
Iran’s military announced that the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous operational status, placing it under “strict management and control” by the country’s armed forces, following repeated violations of prior understandings by the United States.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said Iran had earlier agreed, in good faith and within the framework of negotiations, to allow the managed passage of a limited number of oil tankers and commercial vessels through the strategic waterway.
However, the spokesperson stated, the United States had failed to uphold its commitments, amid Washington’s continued acts of “piracy and maritime robbery” under the guise of a naval blockade.
The statement added that, in response, Iran has reinstated full control measures over the strait, emphasizing that the passage of vessels will remain tightly regulated unless the US fully lifts restrictions on Iranian shipping routes, both inbound and outbound.
“As long as the United States does not completely lift the restrictions on the passage of vessels from Iran to destination and from destination to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will be strictly controlled and remain as before,” the spokesperson said. … continue
Al Mayadeen | April 18, 2026
Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejects uranium transfer abroad and warns of a firm response to any naval blockade, as Tehran sets red lines ahead of the next round of negotiations with the US. … Read article
Nominee authored US military pandemic influenza policy and directed surveillance, vaccination, and compliance systems
By Jon Fleetwood | April 17, 2026
President Donald Trump has tapped Dr. Erica Schwartz—a military-trained architect of influenza pandemic surveillance, vaccination, and compliance systems—to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), elevating a systems-level influenza operator to the top of the nation’s public health apparatus.
The nomination comes as the Trump administration continues funding influenza gain-of-function research, advances influenza vaccine development under its “Gold Standard” framework, signs into law a multi-billion-dollar influenza pandemic preparedness omnibus directing federal funding toward outbreak response systems, and maintains coordination with the World Health Organization’s global influenza network despite formally withdrawing.
The U.S. government is advancing the influenza pathogen side, the vaccine response, and the deployment system—and now seeks to put a military-grade influenza pandemic architect in charge of the CDC. … continue
By Freddie Ponton | 21st Century Wire | April 17, 2026
More than a month after Cuba charged six exiles with terrorism over the attack and publicly tied at least two of them to a prior terrorism list shared with Washington, Trump’s State Department is still “reviewing” the case while FBI agents move quietly in and out of Havana. At the same time, newly declassified Bay of Pigs files from the National Security Archive (NSA) lay bare an earlier era of U.S. covert war against Cuba built on wishful thinking and deniable violence, casting a long shadow over how this latest incident is understood in Havana. In Miami and Washington, officials talk about “clarifying events.” In Cuba, people talk about a Florida based militant network that used a U.S.registered boat to launch an armed infiltration under the cover of the blockade that is choking the island.
The old war returns
A stolen speedboat left the Florida Keys before dawn, crossed into Cuban waters, and turned a quiet stretch off Villa Clara into a battlefield on 25 February 2026. Cuban authorities said the vessel carried rifles, pistols, scoped AR-style weapons, night optics, radios, body armour, a drone, and nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, while international outlets later confirmed the Florida origin, the stolen registration, and the presence of U.S. citizens among the dead and wounded. At least one of the dead and one of the injured were confirmed by U.S. officials as American citizens, all ten men aboard were Cuban nationals living in the United States, and an eleventh alleged accomplice was arrested on land after reportedly coming to meet them on the beach.
This article places that raid beside newly released Bay of Pigs invasion records by the National Security Archive (NSA), which show how Washington’s covert war on Cuba was built on fantasy, deniability, and a willingness to gamble with Cuban lives. It also documents something more immediate and damning. Years before the Villa Clara clash, Cuba had already identified Autodefensa del Pueblo (ADP), Amijail Sánchez González, and Leordán Cruz Gómez in official counterterrorism files shared with the United States, yet the men still lived, organised, and sailed from U.S. soil.
What follows is not a nostalgic Cold War story. It is an account of how that war against Cuba shrank and mutated inside a permissive exile ecosystem in Florida, and how a country suffocating under sanctions and a de facto oil blockade became the stage for one more armed fantasy of regime change. … continue
RT | April 17, 2026
The EU’s newly unveiled age‑verification app is a “surveillance tool” disguised as a privacy‑respecting solution, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has warned. Security researchers were reportedly able to bypass its protections in under two minutes.
The app, which was presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, is intended to let users prove their age online without revealing personal data. Von der Leyen called it “technically ready” and said it meets the “highest privacy standards.”
But Durov has dismissed those claims, alleging that the app is “hackable by design” and is part of the EU’s three‑step plan – to present a “privacy‑respecting” but vulnerable app, let it get hacked, then remove privacy features under the guise of fixing it.
“The EU bureaucrats needed an excuse to silently start turning their ‘privacy‑respecting’ age verification app into a surveillance mechanism over all Europeans,” Durov said.
Security consultant Paul Moore, cited by Cybernews, confirmed the app’s fundamental flaws and warned that it’s only a matter of time before it becomes “the catalyst for an enormous breach.” He noted that the app’s security could be bypassed in under two minutes because it effectively trusts the device it runs on – a basic design error that leaves it wide open to manipulation.
The EU’s push for mandatory age checks comes as several countries have adopted similar measures. Australia has already banned social media for under‑16s, while Denmark, France, Spain, Italy and Greece are jointly testing age‑verification tools. Germany has proposed a similar ban. … Full article
MEMO | April 17, 2026
A French media report alleging that pro-Palestine member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan was subjected to months of police surveillance has sparked controversy in the country, Anadolu reports.
Hassan had been under surveillance since January 2026, with authorities reportedly geolocating her phone and closely tracking her movements and daily schedule, reported Mediapart, a French investigative online newspaper.
Opposition lawmakers have condemned the alleged surveillance as a “state scandal.” … Full article
IMEMC | April 17, 2026
A Palestinian man was injured on Thursday evening after illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers attacked his vehicle between the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, east of Nablus in northern West Bank, and the city of Salfit, in the central occupied West Bank.
Local sources reported that the victim, identified as Amjad Ahmad Al-Hindi, a man in his fifties, was struck in the head with a stone after a group of colonizers ambushed and attacked the vehicle he was traveling in while passing through the Wadi Al-Sha’er area, located between Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya and Salfit.
Medical crews transported Al-Hindi to a nearby hospital, where medical staff described his condition as stable. … Full article
IMEMC | April 17, 2026
Illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers invaded the Khalayel Al‑Louz area southeast of Bethlehem on Friday, while another group attacked displaced Bedouin families north of Jericho, in a continuation of escalating assaults across the occupied West Bank.
Media sources said that colonizers entered Khalayel Al‑Louz and gathered around the Bir Al‑Mayya area, carrying out provocative actions aimed at intimidating local residents.
The area has witnessed repeated attacks in recent weeks, including assaults on homes, the uprooting of trees, and the demolition of agricultural structures.
In a separate incident, colonizers attacked the displaced Arab Al‑Mleihat Bedouin community in the Al‑Balqa area north of Jericho, chasing shepherds and attempting to force families away from their tents and livestock areas.
The Al‑Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouins said the colonizers invaded the community’s homes and encampments, noting that these families had previously been forcibly displaced in July 2025 before returning to the area months later.
The organization stressed that the repeated attacks directly threaten the safety and stability of Bedouin communities and are part of ongoing efforts to pressure them into leaving their lands.
These assaults come amid a broader escalation of coordinated attacks by colonizers and the Israeli army across the West Bank, particularly targeting rural and Bedouin communities vulnerable to displacement.
At dawn Friday, Israeli colonizers burned two Palestinian vehicles during an attack on homes south of Hebron, while Israeli occupation forces detonated the doors of several commercial shops and invaded homes in nearby towns, in the southern occupied West Bank.
IMEMC | April 17, 2026
Two Palestinians were killed and several others were injured, Friday, when Israeli occupation forces bombed a water desalination plant in the Al‑Shuja’iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
The attack struck one of the Strip’s most vital civilian facilities, marking a new escalation against essential infrastructure and deepening the already severe humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
Local sources said the strike caused extensive damage to the desalination plant, raising fears of a worsening shortage of potable water at a time when much of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed during the onslaught.
Hundreds of thousands of residents rely on these facilities for their daily water needs, and any disruption threatens to accelerate the collapse of basic living conditions.
Israeli forces carried out additional attacks across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, killing and wounding Palestinians in several areas, as the army continued its violations of the ceasefire agreement for the 190th consecutive day, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health and the Government Media Office.
In Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire toward tents of displaced families in the Tal ath‑Thahab area, injuring three Palestinians, including a woman who suffered critical wounds.
In Jabalia, in northern Gaza, one Palestinian was shot in the Halawa area, where thousands of displaced civilians remain without adequate shelter or services. … Full article
A former Israeli General close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of the strategic and political consequences of the ongoing conflict, saying a military confrontation with Iran is not in Israel’s interest.
Major General (res.) Giora Eiland, former head of Israel’s National Security Council, said in remarks reported by Israeli media platform Walla that Israel’s international standing has sharply declined over the past three years, adding that the war in Gaza is the main driver of this deterioration.
He said the prevailing view among political circles in Europe and the United States is that Netanyahu has drawn Washington into an unnecessary confrontation.
Eiland added that these tensions have caused tangible harm to the global economy and threatened its stability, fuelling international public opinion against Israeli policies.
He stressed that the erosion of Israel’s standing is no longer limited to international institutions, but has become “clear and evident” within the United States, Israel’s closest ally.
By Yousef Ramazani | Press TV | April 17, 2026
During the 40-day US-Israeli war of aggression, a new and unexpected weapon emerged in the global battle for hearts and minds – colorful, AI-assisted LEGO-style animations produced by innovative Iranian creators that caught the imagination of people worldwide.
These videos exposed the absurdity of imperial warfare while humanizing the Iranian people’s resistance, only to be systematically silenced by YouTube’s corporate censorship apparatus and smeared by a coordinated Western media campaign led by the BBC. […]
According to observers, the suppression of Explosive Media’s YouTube channel reveals the deepest insecurity of the US-Israeli axis: their fear of unfiltered truth told through the simplest of mediums. These LEGO animations did not glorify conflict – they condemned it, exposing imperialism’s hollow claims and celebrating Iran’s dignified defense of sovereignty.
YouTube’s act of censorship was not strength but desperation, a corporate confession that the people’s creative resistance had already won the information war.
From the streets of Tehran to online forums around the world, these animations fostered a shared understanding: the US-Israeli aggression was not defense but domination, and Iran’s creative counteroffensive embodied the indomitable spirit of a nation under siege.
As one X user captured it perfectly in the wake of the ban, the LEGO clips were never about violence—they were about truth in a world drowning in deception.
Iran’s digital defenders have shown that even in wartime, art can be the sharpest sword. … Full article
By Ramzy Baroud | MEMO | April 17, 2026
A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced on Thursday by US President Donald Trump, but its reality tells a very different story. The ceasefire was not the product of American diplomacy, nor Israeli strategic calculation. It was imposed—largely as a result of sustained Iranian pressure.
Washington, Tel Aviv, and their allies—including some within Lebanon itself—will continue to deny this reality. Acknowledging Iran’s role would mean admitting that a historic precedent has been set: for the first time, forces opposing the United States and Israel have succeeded in imposing conditions on both. … continue
Press TV – April 17, 2026
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says a “new order” is now in place over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, outlining strict new regulations for all maritime traffic.
In a statement released on Friday, the IRGC Navy commander announced that all commercial vessels will only be permitted to transit through routes designated by Iran.
The announcement also reaffirmed that military vessel transit through the strategic chokepoint firmly under Iranian control remains strictly prohibited.
According to the IRGC Navy, all transits, commercial or otherwise, will only be allowed with the explicit authorization of the IRGC’s naval forces.
The statement further stated that these transits are being conducted in accordance with the agreement established under the ongoing Iran-US ceasefire and following the implementation of the ceasefire in Lebanon late on Thursday.
The new measures signal Iran’s firm grip over the waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, after the 40-day war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the American-Israeli coalition. … continue
Al Mayadeen | April 17, 2026
… Despite Washington’s insistence on maintaining its blockade, maritime activity suggests that Iranian oil shipments have not been halted.
Reports indicate that Iranian vessels have continued to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, reaching international waters and proceeding toward their destinations. … Read full article
The Cradle | April 17, 2026
It could take up to two years for oil production in West Asia to return to levels from before the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February, Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told Bloomberg on 17 April.
“There is a general belief that the minute we see the strait open … we come back to the level of production before – which is, in my view, misleading,” Birol stated.
West Asia oil production was disrupted by the US-Israeli bombing campaign, which targeted Iranian oil and energy infrastructure.
Iran retaliated by targeting Gulf oil and gas infrastructure. It also threatened to target ships linked to the “enemy” in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closing the waterway through which most Gulf oil is exported.
“The recovery will be gradual as damage from the conflict has affected oil fields, refineries, and pipelines across the Persian Gulf,” Birol said.
The IEA chief emphasized that the effective closure of Hormuz has caused world markets to lose hundreds of millions of barrels of crude and refined fuels.
The full resumption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production could take even longer, with some terminals taking more than two years to repair after suffering damage in attacks, Birol added. … continue
The Cradle | April 16, 2026
Iranian oil shipments have continued moving through Persian Gulf waters despite a US-imposed naval blockade, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported on 16 April, with multiple tracking sources reporting tanker activity in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman in recent days.
Fars reported that Iranian tankers transported around 11 million barrels of oil through the Sea of Oman toward undisclosed destinations after US President Donald Trump announced a blockade targeting vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports.
Citing a ship-tracking website, the Iranian news outlet said this marked the first time shipments linked to Iran exited the “blockade zone” since its imposition.
The agency added that earlier breaches had occurred through vessels approaching the Gulf from international waters.
TankerTrackers.com said it had “VISUAL CONFIRMATION” that Iran shipped nine million barrels from floating storage in the Gulf of Oman after the blockade began, with an additional two million barrels departing just before its enforcement.
Separate ship-tracking data cited by Bloomberg showed that at least two US-sanctioned vessels linked to Iran entered the Persian Gulf on Thursday using a route between Iran’s Larak and Qeshm islands.
One of the vessels, a supertanker capable of carrying up to two million barrels, entered empty and signaled it was awaiting further instructions.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported that vessel movements between 14 and 15 April indicate continued Iranian-linked activity, describing one tanker’s route as a likely “blockade-breaking movement.” … Full article
Press TV – April 17, 2026
Following 40 days of unrelenting US-Israeli aggression, mounting evidence reveals that the US Department of War is deliberately concealing catastrophic, billion-dollar military losses inflicted by highly effective Iranian retaliatory strikes, the Daily Mail reports.
In the latest episode of the Daily Mail’s Photo Evidence, the British paper “scrutinizes new satellite images that reveal how America’s Department of War may not be telling the full truth about the scale of its losses during the Iran war,” it said.
Since the launch of the joint US-Israeli terrorist bombing campaign against Iran, the Islamic Republic has retaliated by targeting American military assets across the Persian Gulf with waves of missile and drone strikes.
As the Mail explains, “Iran’s war strategy has been anything but conventional. Rather than targeting fighter jets or bombers, the IRGC has systematically attempted to blind and cripple America’s command and control layer, launching attacks against radar and air defense systems”.
“It is these costly losses in strategic equipment that the Department of War is not being fully transparent about,” the paper wrote. … continue
Sputnik – 17.04.2026
White House budget director Russell Vought declined to provide lawmakers with an estimate of the cost of US aggression against Iran, saying the figures “fluctuate” and are difficult to assess, American media reported.
“I wouldn’t [want] to make a characterization of that at this point,” he said when asked about reports the conflict may have already cost tens of billions of dollars.
Senators suggested the war could be costing up to $10 billion a week, while the administration is preparing a request for additional defense funding.
Critics accused officials of attempting to “hide” the scale of spending as the US national debt continues to grow.
Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz during 10-day ceasefire
By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | April 17, 2026
The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Nawaf Salam, thanked President Trump for a ten-day ceasefire announced on Truth Social that took effect at 5PM on Thursday, April 16. Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the US-brokered deal, but with the same caveat imposed after Hamas conducted its Operation Al-Aqsa Flood breakout and offensive on October 7, 2023. … continue
RT | April 17, 2026
Passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is now completely open, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared on Friday. He added that the waterway will remain open for the remainder of the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Araghchi’s announcement came shortly after a 10-day truce came into force between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, which has been one of the major obstacles to a peace deal between Iran and the US.
Writing on X, the Iranian minister stated that “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire.”
He noted however, that the vessels would be allowed to move along the “coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,” suggesting that the strait will remain under Tehran’s control. … continue
By Chris Menahan | InformationLiberation | April 12, 2026
Fox News host Mark Levin and US-born Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard are both pushing for their respective governments to use nuclear weapons against Iran.
Levin and Pollard are connected through Levin’s stepson, David Milstein, who the New York Times revealed in Nov 2025 held a “friendly” secret meeting with Pollard at the US Embassy in Jerusalem together with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. … continue
Sputnik – 17.04.2026
Ukraine’s national guards have been preventing the flight of soldiers from the 113th separate territorial defense brigade, which is suffering heavy losses in battles in the Kharkov region, security sources told Sputnik.
“Attempts by combat groups of the territorial defense brigade to flee are being suppressed by Ukrainian national guard barrier units,” one of the sources said.
Sources said that heavy fighting is ongoing near the village of Zybino in the Kharkov region, where the Ukrainian command has forbidden units of the 113th separate territorial defense brigade to retreat despite mounting losses and a lack of critical supplies.
RT | April 16, 2026
Russia would have the right to retaliate if Finland and the Baltic states are deliberately allowing Ukrainian drones to pass through their airspace, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday.
“Recently, there has been an increase in Ukrainian drone strikes against Russia via Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia,” Shoigu told journalists. “As a result, civilians are suffering and significant damage is being caused to civilian infrastructure.”
Either Western air defenses are proving ineffective, or these four countries “deliberately provide their airspace, thereby becoming open accomplices in aggression against Russia,” he added. In the latter case, Moscow has the right to self-defense in response to an “armed attack” under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the security chief stressed. … continue
MEMO | April 16, 2026
Support for Israel is set to become a virtual purity test for Telegraph journalists after the newspaper’s takeover by German media giant Axel Springer, whose chief executive, Mathias Döpfner, has reportedly described his political credo as “Zionism above all”.
The acquisition, cleared by UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, puts one of Britain’s most influential newspapers under the control of a company that formally lists support for Israel as one of its core institutional values. … Full article
MEMO | April 16, 2026
France has denied entry to the general director of Al-Haq, preventing him from attending a series of high-level meetings in Europe, the Palestinian rights group said Thursday, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the group said Shawan Jabarin was refused a French visa at the “last minute,” blocking his participation in scheduled briefings with the French Parliament, the Foreign Ministry, and the Council of Europe.
Jabarin was also expected to attend meetings at the European Parliament and Belgium’s Foreign Ministry as part of an advocacy tour focused on accountability and Palestinian rights. … Full article
MEMO | April 16, 2026
An Israeli rights group has reported a sharp rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, saying attacks are taking place under clear government cover.
The organisation Yesh Din said it had documented 378 violent incidents carried out by settlers over just 40 days during the war with Iran— an average of ten incidents of settler violence took place per day. The attacks targeted Palestinians and their property across the territory.
According to the group, the incidents occurred in 148 Palestinian villages and towns across the West Bank.
It added that eight Palestinians were killed by settler gunfire during that period, while around 200 others were injured. Cases of arson targeting property were also recorded.
Yesh Din, which monitors settler violence and opposes settlement expansion, said on X: “Israel can stop settler violence if it chooses to. Instead, government policy encourages criminal settlers and fuels the spread of violent farm outposts across the West Bank,” referring to a tactic used by settlement activists to establish farming outposts aimed at forcing Palestinians from their homes.
The organisation said that “the map of Palestinian communities affected by settler violence under the cover of war clearly illustrates the objective of this state-backed violence: the displacement of Palestinians from their land and their confinement to small, densely-populated enclaves.”
IMEMC – April 16, 2026
Shortly after midnight, a group of fanatic illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers invaded the village of Harmala, southeast of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, and assaulted Palestinian residents, injuring two.
According to local media sources, the colonizers drove through the village and hurled stones at a Palestinian vehicle before attacking residents with knives. Two Palestinians sustained wounds during the assault.
Palestinian medics rushed to the area and transferred the injured residents to a hospital in Bethlehem, where their wounds were described as stable.
Residents of Harmala told reporters that colonizer attacks have intensified in recent weeks, particularly in rural areas east and southeast of Bethlehem, where colonizers have been attempting to expand outposts and restrict Palestinian movement.
On the same day, Israeli colonizers carried out a series of coordinated attacks on Palestinian civilians and property across the southern Hebron area, Ramallah district, and Nablus region, injuring residents, damaging vehicles, stealing livestock, and attempting to invade homes under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that these coordinated assaults—often carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces—aim to pressure Palestinian communities to abandon their lands.
MEMO | April 16, 2026
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas condemned statements by the US Vice President J.D. Vance claiming that aid entering Gaza is at its highest level in five years, describing the remarks as “misleading and far removed from reality.”
In a statement issued Wednesday, Hamas said the claims represent an attempt to distort facts and obscure the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
The movement stated that conditions on the ground contradict such assertions, pointing to Israel’s ongoing policies of “engineering starvation,” alongside strict restrictions on the entry of aid and disruption of essential supplies.
It added that Israeli authorities have not implemented the terms of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, maintaining a blockade that leaves residents in “life under duress.”
Hamas said the situation has led to severe shortages of basic goods, including food, medicine, and fuel, citing reports by human rights organizations and international bodies.
The statement also noted that continued targeting of infrastructure is further worsening humanitarian conditions, contributing to what it described as an unprecedented level of crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Press TV – April 16, 2026
A new report by the Lebanese daily Al Akhbar has ignited a firestorm of controversy by reporting that the transfer was carried out under the cover of the US Israeli aggression against Iran, which began on February 28.
According to the report, Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative of the so-called “Peace Council” – a body established by the US administration – has informed the administrative committee managing the Gaza Strip that the dedicated fund is now completely empty.
The money, which was intended to support the Council and finance the reconstruction of Gaza, has been transferred to the Israeli side.
Citing informed sources, Al Akhbar reports that during a January conference in Davos, the head of the committee, Ali Shaath, received pledges of financial aid for approximately 350,000 families. … Full article
The Cradle | April 16, 2026
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved the return of five Unit 100 soldiers charged with the rape and torture of a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman prison to active military service, even though investigations into their crimes remain incomplete, Haaretz reported on April 16.
The decision allows reservists implicated in the assault to resume service while the military says its internal inquiry “will be completed soon,” adding that “the investigation does not prevent them from serving in the reserves.”
The case centers on five soldiers who were charged in February 2025 with raping a Palestinian detainee in Sde Taiman prison in July 2024.
The soldiers beat the detainee, dragged him across the ground, stepped on his body, and used a taser against him, including to the head. One soldier stabbed him in the anus, causing a tear in the rectal wall.
The detainee was hospitalized with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and severe internal injuries.
Professor Yoel Donchin, a medical officer who treated the detainee, described the injuries in blunt terms, saying, “He arrived, and we saw he had a stab wound in the anus,” adding, “I saw a wounded man who had been abused and beaten severely.”
Surveillance footage later showed detainees bound and blindfolded, while a group of Israeli soldiers isolated one individual and attempted to shield their acts from the CCTV camera pointed directly at them.
Despite the footage and medical records, the charges were later dropped after Israeli Chief Military Prosecutor Itai Ofir ordered the indictment withdrawn last month, citing “complexity regarding the existing evidentiary infrastructure,” with no command-level investigation completed since.
Israel’s defense minister later apologized to the soldiers, described their prosecution as an “injustice,” and moved to reinstate them.
The case comes amid a growing body of testimonies and investigations pointing to widespread torture and systematic sexual violence embedded within Israeli prisons.
A new report compiled by Euro-Med Monitor, based on testimonies from former Palestinian detainees, describes an “organized state policy” of sexual violence inside Israeli prisons, with abuse carried out systematically and under official cover. … Full article
Palestinian Information Center – April 16, 2026
GAZA – Two civilians, including a child, were killed on Thursday evening by Israeli gunfire in the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, and in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The PIC correspondent confirmed that the 9-year-old Saleh Badawi was killed and others were injured after being shot at on Kashko Street in the Zeitoun neighborhood.
In Khan Yunis, Mohsen Ouda Mohsen al-Dabbari, 38, was killed after being shot by Israeli forces in the Ard al-Limoun area, south of the city.
Earlier in the day, Rizq al-Malahi, 33, died from wounds he had sustained in an Israeli strike targeting a police vehicle on al-Nafaq Street in Gaza City a few days earlier.
This comes amid ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, with the number of casualties since it took effect in October 2025 reaching approximately 770 killed and 2,150 injured.
IMEMC – April 16, 2026
Israeli military vehicles continued firing across several areas of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, in ongoing field violations of the “ceasefire” agreement. Medical sources confirmed that two Palestinian brothers were killed in the northern Gaza Strip after an Israeli drone targeted an area near Abu Tammam School in the city of Beit Lahia.
The two brothers, Abdul-Malek Al-Attar and Abdul-Sattar Al-Attar, were transferred to the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City.
Their deaths occurred amid a series of Israeli attacks that struck areas surrounding shelters and tents housing displaced families near Abu Tammam School in Beit Lahia, causing additional injuries among Palestinians.
In the central Gaza Strip, four Palestinians were injured when Israeli military vehicles opened fire along Salahuddin Street. Israeli forces also targeted several other locations across the Gaza Strip, contributing to a widening pattern of ceasefire violations.
Eastern areas of the Gaza Strip were subjected to heavy gunfire from Israeli vehicles and tanks, alongside ongoing artillery shelling in multiple locations.
Similar attacks were reported in the eastern and southern parts of Khan Younis, where residents described sustained gunfire accompanied by repeated artillery strikes.
In Gaza City, Israeli artillery shelled the eastern neighborhoods, while additional strikes targeted areas east of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
The attacks coincided with large-scale demolitions carried out by Israeli forces in the Tuffah neighborhood east of the city.
Israeli military vehicles positioned near the perimeter fence also continued firing toward eastern and northern Gaza City, alongside intermittent artillery fire, while drones flew at low altitude over several neighborhoods. … Full article
MEMO | April 16, 2026
Eight people were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, minutes after US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between Beirut and Tel Aviv, Lebanese media reported, Anadolu reports.
Israeli fighter jets struck the town of Ghazieh, south of Sidon, the state-run National News Agency said.
The Health Ministry said the attack killed eight people and injured 33 others.
The strike came minutes after Trump said Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a pause in fighting for 10 days starting midnight Friday local time.
Al Mayadeen | April 16, 2026
The Israeli occupation has approved a new settlement expansion plan in the occupied Syrian Golan, with an estimated cost of nearly one billion shekels, aiming to significantly increase the settler population and consolidate control over the territory.
The plan includes the absorption of thousands of new settlers and the transformation of the settlement of Katzrin into what officials described as the “first city” in the occupied region.
According to Israeli minister Ze’ev Elkin, approximately 700 million shekels will be allocated from a previously announced northern reconstruction plan valued at 15 billion shekels. Israeli government ministries will further provide an additional 230 million shekels.
The funding structure reflects a broader strategy to integrate settlement expansion into wider state-backed development initiatives. … continue
By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | April 16, 2026
… India, Brazil, and the US are dependent on urea from the Gulf, while China, India, and the US depend on sulfur and ammonia exports from the region.
“The timing of the disruption makes the situation especially acute,” explains the Kiel Institute, a European research institute for global economic affairs. “March and April are peak months for fertilizer application in the Northern Hemisphere planting season. […]
Australian economist Steve Keen, known for predicting the 2008 financial crisis, warns that famine could begin within two months, with India likely among the first hit due to fertilizer shortages. “If we lost 20 per cent of the world’s fertilizer, we’d lose roughly 20 per cent of the world’s food, and it would cause a global famine,” he said. “Food production on the planet could fall 10-25 percent and there simply won’t be enough food for everyone on the planet.” … Full article
The Cradle | April 16, 2026
Since 28 February, the US and Israel have been waging war on Iran, with consequences that reach far beyond the battlefield. Across the Persian Gulf, governments have seized on the conflict to expand repression at home.
Under the pretext of combating “disinformation” and “rumors” on social media, Gulf states have launched sweeping arrest campaigns against hundreds of citizens and residents, making clear that any expression outside the official narrative can now be treated as a “security threat” or even the “voice of the enemy.”
Calls not to photograph or publish footage did not arrive as casual advice. Interior ministries across the Gulf issued them as official warnings. At first glance, the arguments appeared plausible: avoid panic, protect national security, deny useful information to the enemy. Within days, however, these directives became the basis for a much broader campaign of repression, one that moved quickly from warnings to prosecutions.
The Gulf states have imposed a near-total blackout on the flow of information, claiming that independent content could spread fear, aid the enemy militarily, or amount to treason. In practice, the war on Iran has become a ready-made excuse to criminalize speech.
Bahrain: From emergency measures to mass arrests
Manama justified its tightening security measures through a series of official statements. The Interior Ministry’s Civil Defense Council announced a ban on gatherings “in order to maintain compliance with public safety responsibilities in light of the blatant Iranian aggression against Bahrain.” What appeared to be a response to regional escalation quickly turned into cover for a far broader crackdown.
Authorities arrested more than 260 citizens on charges including “misuse of platforms” and “sympathy for Iranian aggression.” According to human rights sources, three of those detained were women. Authorities also published photographs of detainees in an effort to shame them publicly. […]
The campaign has also turned deadly. Mohammad Mohsen Mousavi, who was arrested in mid-March, reportedly showed signs of torture on his body during funeral preparations. The Interior Ministry responded by defending his detention and accusing him of links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). … Full article
Al Mayadeen | April 16, 2026
… Germany typically avoids dispatching weapons to active conflict zones, the DPA report noted. However, two exceptions exist: Ukraine and “Israel.” Berlin’s special treatment of “Israel” is tied to Germany’s stated “historical responsibility.” … Full article
By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | April 16, 2026
Trump is going to attack Iran again — perhaps as early as this weekend — as a prelude to declaring victory and withdrawing US forces from the Persian Gulf area. I say this because Trump, via Secretary of War Hegseth, has dispatched 10,000 more US military personnel to the Persian Gulf region, along with the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group. In addition, there has been a sizeable fleet of C-17s flowing into Jordan and Saudi Arabia. In other words, while Trump is telling interviewers that the war is over, he is busy prepping for another strike.
In preparation for that strike, the Trump team if pushing a frantic information operation that insists that the US has blocked dozen of ships from entering and leaving the Persian Gulf on the first full day of the US embargo. This is a lie. The Pentagon is cooperating with this disinformation campaign… Certainly not the first time that the Department of War and a theater commander have issued false reports in order to persuade the citizens of the US that the war is going our way. The reality is that the US still does not have enough ships in place, along with helicopters, to carryout an effective blockade. Moreover, the US is keeping its ships at least 500 miles from the Iranian coast out of fear of being struck by a Close-Range Ballistic Missile (CRMB) or a Coastal Defense Cruise Missile (CDCM). … Full article
By Joseph Solis-Mullen | The Libertarian Institute | April 16, 2026
For decades Washington has advertised its air and naval supremacy as the indispensable guarantor of global order. Recent events have shown this to be little but increasingly expensive theater. The 2026 Iran War has paused not with Iranian capitulation but in a cascade of humiliations that have permanently altered the strategic landscape. Washington’s vaunted power-projection capabilities proved unable to shield even its own forward bases, depleted critical munitions stockpiles, and ultimately ceded effective control of the Strait of Hormuz to Tehran. These lessons will not be lost on Beijing or Taipei. If the United States cannot impose its will on Iran, or previously the Houthis, it cannot credibly claim it could defend Taiwan against the far more formidable People’s Liberation Army. … continue
RT | April 16, 2026
Two children have been killed and two other people injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse, east of Crimea, a senior regional official has said. The victims were aged five and 14.
Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev wrote on Telegram on Thursday that an apartment block and five houses were damaged in what he described as “a massive UAV attack.” […]
Russia has accused Ukraine of using Western-supplied weapons and equipment, including drones, to target civilians. On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry released what it said was a list of European companies involved in manufacturing military drones for Ukraine.
“Instead of strengthening the security of European states, the moves of European leaders are increasingly dragging these countries into the war with Russia,” the ministry said. – Full article
Sputnik – 16.04.2026
The Russian Defense Ministry’s statement on Europe’s plan to scale up drone production for Ukraine contained an explicit warning, says military analyst Ivan Konovalov speaking to Sputnik : Europe is turning into a “strategic rear base.”
The term applies to infrastructure that, while located outside the battlefield, directly sustains combat operations.
Under this logic, European hubs supplying Ukraine with drone components, data systems, FPV drones and heavy fixed-wing UAVs are no longer a “civilian facility in a peaceful country.”
“Once the production cycle on their territory is integrated into Ukraine’s strike capabilities against Russia, the line is crossed – they become a target deep within the enemy’s operational structure,” remarks the analyst. … continue
RT | April 16, 2026
Stockholm’s allegations that a pro-Russian hacker group attempted to disrupt a thermal power plant in Sweden last year are unfounded and lacking concrete evidence, Russia’s ambassador to the country, Sergey Belyaev, has said.
Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin claimed on Wednesday that a group linked to Russian intelligence attempted to attack a district heating plant in western Sweden in the spring of 2025. Bohlin stated that Swedish security services had identified the actor behind the attack, which he said was thwarted by the plant’s built-in security systems.
“The Swedish Security Service handled the case and was able to identify the actor behind it, which has ties to Russian intelligence and security services,” Bohlin told reporters.
However, Belyaev has rejected the allegations as baseless, noting that Stockholm has not sought any consultations with the Russian side over the issue, which suggests that “there are no specific facts or evidence.”
He further stated that claims about the alleged involvement of “certain Russian hackers in such illegal activity remain at the level of the ‘highly likely’ principle, beloved by Western countries, that is, unfounded suspicions.”
Moscow has repeatedly denied Western accusations of involvement in hacking activities as warmongering and has consistently expressed willingness to cooperate on cybersecurity matters. … Full article
RT | April 16, 2026
The EU spy campaign that helped bring down Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a lesson to anyone who defies Brussels, former Slovak Interior Minister Vladimir Palko has warned. “What they did to Orban yesterday, they can do to you tomorrow,” he told the outlet Marker on Monday.
Orban’s Fidesz party suffered a landslide defeat to Peter Magyar’s Tisza on Sunday, with Tisza outperforming even the most one-sided polls to win a 54% to 38% over Fidesz. Magyar’s party now holds 137 of 199 seats in parliament, giving the incoming PM power to rewrite the country’s constitution as he – and his allies in Brussels – see fit.
That the EU wanted this result was obvious. Orban had been a thorn in Brussels’ side for 16 years and was an insurmountable obstacle to the bloc’s plans to approve a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine. Throughout the election, evidence of interference by the EU, Ukraine, and opposition-friendly Hungarian media trickled out of Budapest. With the election over, the full extent of the EU’s intelligence campaign against Orban – and its implications for populists across Europe – is slowly becoming apparent.
“The defeat of Viktor Orban after 16 years of rule is not surprising at all,” Palko told Marker. “However, the tragedy is what happened in the election campaign.” … continue
- Germany: Anti-immigration AfD party jumps to 27%, 4 points ahead of CDU
- Elon Musk reveals COVID vaccine injury after former Pfizer official admits shots likely killed 60,000 in Germany
- Fact-Checking the “Placebo Control” Fact Checkers
- Vaccine Skepticism in U.S. Is Widespread, Politico Poll Reveals
- California’s “Stop Nick Shirley Act” Would Penalize Journalism
- Another Trump Flip Flop: From ‘Kill FISA’ to ‘Clean Renewal’
- AIPAC ‘slimeball’ Eric Swalwell leaves the stage
- Arms industry given direct influence over university courses
- UAE to close its flagship Burj Al Arab hotel for 1.5 years after Iranian strikes
- US-Israeli Mideast war damage to energy infrastructure may cost $58bln
- Belgium seizes two British cargoes of military components bound for Israel
- ‘Israel’ hits rescue zone in South Lebanon 3 times, kills 3 rescuers
- ‘Normalization Talks’: Lebanon No Longer Has A Government
- ‘Israel’ targets civilian vehicles, South Lebanon towns
- Israeli Colonizers Bulldoze Road in Duma, Cut Water Line
- Iranian academic and anti-war activist detained by ICE in US despite valid visa: Reports
- EU condemns ‘shrinking’ freedom in Germany
- Poland’s political exiles face extradition threat after Magyar election victory in Hungary
- Acting Bulgarian PM is on a mission to give whatever he can to Zelensky before he’s booted from office
- Europe Ramps up Drone Production for Ukraine to Target Russia
- NATO member planning exit vote
- US Navy Confirms ‘mishap’ to $250 million spy drone downed by Iran
- We Are the Barbarians
- The Iranian knot needs to be untangled, not cut – Lavrov
- Villains of Judea: Charles Bronfman
- Five Palestinians killed, others injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- West Bank students forced to study outdoors after illegal settlers block road to school
- Three Palestinians injured in settler attack in Tuqu’ town
- UNESCO-listed shrine destroyed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon
- The new assault of the Zionist lobby in Brazil
- Only 22% of Canadians view ‘Israel’ favorably, poll reveals
- Petition to suspend EU-Israel Association Agreement reaches 1M signatures
- Italy suspends defense deal with ‘Israel’ over war on Iran, Lebanon
- Pezeshkian thanks 6 countries for their position on Israeli crimes
- Israel’s Netanyahu says US reports to him daily on Iran talks, sparking backlash
- Iran says damage caused by US-Israeli aggression estimated at $270 billion
- Iran demands reparations from Arab states
- Indonesia Agrees to Receive Oil, Gas Supplies From Russia – Indonesian Energy Ministry
- Spanish PM urges stronger China role amid shifting global order, US’s unreliability
- Xi meets Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, makes four-point proposal on Middle East peace
- Saudi Arabia Urges US Back to Iran Talks as Other Oil Routes Face Risk
- Tankers transit Strait of Hormuz amid US attempt to impose blockade, data shows
- US Strikes Kill Five in Alleged Pacific Anti-drug Campaign
- EU Defense Agency head says compulsory military service could be necessary
- UK seeks to jail Palestine Action for ‘terrorism’ amid UK media blackout
- France To Vote On Bill That Would Criminalize Criticism Of Israel
- Nearly dozen journalists martyred in US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Lebanon
- Israeli attacks in Gaza kill six Palestinians, injure others
- There are No Ceasefires with Israel, Only Opportunities for Later Attacks
- Most Israelis oppose Iran ceasefire, reject talks: Poll
- Trump’s desperate bombasts amount to war crimes
- China to Ignore Trump’s Blockade: The Strait Remains Open to Us
- Iran to charge ships from ‘hostile’ nations to cross Hormuz – security chief
- Iran warns Trump: Security for all ports in the Gulf or for none
- The Day After Islamabad: When U.S. Power Meets Its Future in the Narrow Strait of Hormuz
- Netherlands refuses to join US Strait of Hormuz blockade
- UK, Spain reject Trump’s new scheme to blockade Hormuz Strait
- Russian frigate ‘resurfaces’, chases off NATO pirates days after Kiev ‘sank’ it
- Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ makes mockery of UK naval power
- Ukraine Targets Russian Merchant Fleet With NATO Intel Support – Presidential Aide
- Ukraine plans to attack Russian ships with Norwegian support
- Lavrov to Visit China on April 14-15 to Discuss Ukraine, Mideast – Russian MFA
- China issues rules on countermeasures against foreign states’ unlawful extraterritorial jurisdiction
- US’s ‘Very Foolish’ Double Blockade of Hormuz Strait Makes Absolutely No Sense: Here’s Why
- Tomorrow’s naval blockade showdown
- JP Sears Administers IQ Test to Alex Jones
- London police arrest 523 protesters over Palestine Action ban
- Global Sumud Flotilla Sets Sail from Barcelona in Largest Civilian Mission to Challenge Gaza Blockade
- Israeli forces attack Christian worshipers during Holy Saturday in occupied al-Quds
- Palestinian killed by Israeli gunfire in southern Gaza
- Domicide in Lebanon: ‘Israel’ demolishes entire southern villages
- New Israeli strike on south Lebanon kills infant girl during father’s funeral
- Hezbollah resists Israeli forces besieging south Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil
- Israeli attacks kill over 24 in South Lebanon since dawn, ongoing on Bekaa
- ‘Israel’ attacks civilians to hide its embarrassing military failures & out of pure sadism
- Any Foreign Military Vessel Approaching Hormuz Under Any Pretext ‘Will Be Dealt With Severely’: IRGC
- UK will not join US blockade of Strait of Hormuz
- Trump announces ‘Hormuz blockade’ after Iran talks collapse
- Trump Says US Naval Blockade in Strait of Hormuz Will Begin Shortly
- Pezeshkian, Putin discuss ways to restore regional peace after US talks fail
- Diplomats slam US negotiators’ performance in Iran talks
- US-Iran talks: Russian diplomat criticizes JD Vance for not knowing ‘ABC of diplomacy’
- US, Iran end 21-hour talks without agreement
- Trump Refuses Exit Ramp, War with Iran will Continue
- Talks with the US end without a deal over excessive US demands: Iran
- ‘Nobody Told Me’: Former Mental Health Patient Calls Out Dangerous Side Effects of Psychiatric Drugs
- Feeling Better, Getting Worse: How Psychiatric Drugs Create the Illusion They Cure
- Don’t Use Antidepressants During Pregnancy or for Children
- Meningitis B Vaccine Contains Chimeric Bioengineered Bacterial Proteins and Aluminum
- Israeli Colonizers Attempt to Burn Home in Duma
- Israeli Colonizers Kill a Palestinian Near Ramallah
- Israeli military kills six Palestinians at Gaza checkpoint, medics say
- Dr. Abu-Sitta: Beirut ‘felt like a day in Shifa Hospital’
- Last Kursk civilians held by Ukraine freed after 500 days
- Brussels cannot say where its own pipeline inspectors are as Hungary’s oil lifeline remains shut
- Iran Has Won the War, It Will Be Up to the US to Secure the Peace: Mohammad Marandi
- Iran condemns assassination threats against Iranian negotiators amid US talks
- US destroyer forced to withdraw from Hormuz after Iranian warning
- Israel’s Iran War: Myth and Reality
- Between war and industrial breakdown: The US-Israeli attrition crisis
- Dozens Martyred as Israeli Airstrikes Intensify Across Southern Lebanon
- Islamabad talks: US must drop ‘forever war’ logic and ‘Israel First’ posture for any breakthrough
- Pressure builds on Iran to ‘drop’ Lebanon ceasefire demand as Islamabad talks hang in balance
- In another clash report, US denies agreement to release Iran’s assets
- Iran Negotiating From a Dominant Position… And Melania’s Strange Presser on Epstein
- Pharma bribery corrupts health care, puts patients at risk, new review warns
- Israeli army’s covert media cells exposed for posing as impartial outlets to mislead the public
- Israeli occupation forces demolish residential building in Tulkarem camp
- Israeli Colonizers Invade, Attack and Seize Land Across West Bank
- No talks with US without Lebanon ceasefire and unfrozen assets: Qalibaf
- What is fueling unrest across the EU?
- Why no power can undermine Iran’s eternal dominance over the Strait of Hormuz
- Is The War Against Iran Over?
- Iran’s report details US-Israeli war crimes in targeting schools, hospitals, livelihoods
- Iran war will leave long-term ‘scar’ on Wall Street, investors warn
- How Iran decimated US power projection in West Asia: Military lessons of 40-day war
- NATO’s Slow Fracture: How Trump’s Iran War Exposed the Instrument of Hegemony
- German government proposes blocking real estate sales based on political views in new threat to free speech
- Facebook interfering in Hungarian election – Budapest
- Overnight Drone Barrage Across Multiple Russian Regions Leaves One Dead
- Ukraine Sea Drone Fired From Libya Hit Russian Tanker in Mediterranean
- Trump’s ex-attorney general spared Epstein grilling, sparking cover-up claims
- US ceasefire position on Lebanon shifted after Trump–Netanyahu call
- IRGC: Iranian forces launched no attacks during ceasefire hours
- Iran denies Islamabad talks amid ongoing war on Lebanon
- Israeli Army Kills Child and Two Men in Gaza
- Trump Administration Moves To Automate U.S. Military Draft Registration
- Spain orders reopening of Tehran embassy, condemns Israel’s carpet bombing of Lebanon
- Israel faces ‘unsustainable’ strategic crisis following 40-day war against Iran: Analyst
- Iran restricts Hormuz access to 15 vessels per day under ceasefire terms: Report
- Talks With US Depend on Ceasefire Being Observed ‘on All Fronts’ – Tehran
- The ‘Opposition Party’ Has Done Nothing to Stop the Iran War and Much to Goad Trump Into Continuing It
- Vance Claims Lebanon Is Not Part of the Ceasefire
- Moscow backs Tehran on status of Lebanon in US-Iran deal
- How UK Regulator Ofcom Quietly Bypassed International Law to Police American Speech
- The Black Cube Files: How Former Mossad Operatives Flipped a Nation
- Three more journalists killed in separate Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Gaza
- Israeli Army Assassinates Journalist in Gaza Airstrike
- Palestinian journalists’ Syndicate documents 53 Israeli violations against journalists in March
- Soldiers Kill One Near Tubas, Shoot a Child Near Hebron
- Israel’s priority lies in destroying chances of peace between Iran, US: Ex-UN nuclear chief
- Spanish PM calls for EU to suspend Association Agreement with ‘Israel’
- Record High: 60% of Americans Have an Unfavorable View of Israel
- Israel commits harrowing massacres across Lebanon, kills and injures hundreds
- Iran preparing response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, IRGC warns
- Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s ‘nuclear weapon’ that forced US retreat: Medvedev
- Ceasefire for all or for none: Iran shuts Hormuz over Lebanon attacks
- Energy crisis will last for months – Kremlin envoy
- Europe’s quiet role in the war on Iran
- Iraqis celebrate Iran’s victory as resistance groups commit to ceasefire
- Forty days that shook the Empire: How Iran turned the tables on US and prevailed
- Netanyahu unilaterally declares Lebanon outside of ceasefire deal
- What on earth just happened? Trump, Iran, and the unlikely ceasefire
- Israeli leaders: ‘Not a single goal’ achieved in war with Iran
- Alberta Bill Would Fine Political Deepfakes $10,000 Without Satire Exemptions
- IRGC strikes US bases across Gulf, warns of wider escalation
- Iran declares ‘historic victory’ over US, says enemy forced to accept its proposal
- Trump Claims Ceasefire, Reopening of Strait of Hormuz Agreement with Iran
- Two Palestinians, foreign solidarity activist injured in settler attack south of Al-Khalil
- Ten Palestinians killed in Israeli bombing of civilian gathering in Gaza
- Israeli tank fire killed UN peacekeeper in Lebanon, UNIFIL investigation finds
- The US-Israeli War on Science is an Assault on our Future
- Russia, China block Bahrain-sponsored UN resolution on Strait of Hormuz
- Trump’s Promise to Bomb Iran ‘Like Never Before’ Faces Brutal Logistics — Expert
- Germany seeks to restrict stays abroad for men of fighting age – Berliner Zeitung
- Ukrainian drone strike kills 12-year-old boy and parents in Russian region
- Evidence points to Ukraine being behind TurkStream attempted sabotage, but that should come as no surprise
- Sri Lanka secures supplies of Russia oil – minister
- Nations across Asia strike direct deals with Iran for Hormuz passage
- IRGC commander declares ‘new phase’ of reprisal attacks against aggressors
- Missiles Hit Saudi Arabia’s Key Industrial Hub — Reports
- Israel’s air defenses overwhelmed by cluster-warhead Iranian missiles: Reports
- Why The F-15 Pilot Rescue Fiasco Became Iran’s Huge Operational Win
- Iranian synagogue destroyed in US-Israeli overnight airstrike on Tehran
- Two pharmacists killed as US-Israeli aggression targets 25 Iranian pharma units in 40 days
- Striking Iran’s Infrastructure Would Have Little Military Impact – Report
- What’s Behind U.S./Israeli Strikes On Iranian Pistachio Factories?
- Senior BBC Iran reporter exposed as opposition activist
- BBC Caught Fabricating Quote Of An Iranian Calling For The U.S. To Drop An ‘Atomic Bomb’
- Fungal Infections: The Cleanup Crew
- How I fell foul of the BBC thought police
- UK police arrest activists protesting US aggression on Iran near RAF base
- Army Kills Palestinian, Shoots Child in Gaza
- The End of NATO
- Ukraine Attacks Caspian Pipeline Consortium Facilities to Put Economic Damage on US Energy Companies
- 37 days of war on Iran cost US staggering $42bln, tracker shows
- Baghdad tells Asian refiners, traders to begin loading Iraqi crude amid Iranian exemption
- Befooled by Iran’s grand strategy, Trump hits out. But to what end?
- Under fire, Moscow and Tehran close ranks
- Iran, US receive Pakistan-mediated plan for ceasefire then final deal
- Iran submits demands for end to war as mediators scramble ahead of Trump deadline
- Iran Threatens Retaliatory Strike on Stargate AI Project in UAE
- Barak Ravid Launders Deception To Allow Trump To Back Off Of His Power Plant Threat – Again
- US sent ‘a lot’ of arms to Iranian protesters – Trump
- Another Iranian petrochemical plant bombed in US-Israeli aggression
- Iran slams US-Israeli attack on heavy water facility as ‘crime against human health’
- IRGC intel. chief Majid Khademi martyred in US-Israeli aggression
- Dozens killed, including 10 children, in overnight US-Israeli air raids across Iran
- Ukrainian drone smashes into apartment block in Russia
- Apricot Seeds, Essiac Tea, and the Destruction of Natural Medicine
- NIAID/NIH and USDA Fund Bioengineered Chimeric Influenza Viruses Built Using Pandemic H1N1 Components: Journal ‘Science Advances’
- Villains of Judea: Sidney Gottlieb
- Colonizers Assault 3 Citizens, Burn 2 Farms in Nablus, Ramallah
- Israeli Soldiers Shoot Palestinian Child In Beit Furik
- Five Palestinians killed in fresh Israeli attacks in Gaza
- Israeli strike kills three people, injures others in Lebanese town of Siddiqin
- Hezbollah hits Israeli warship off Lebanon’s coast, sets it aflame
- Iran slams US strikes on B1 bridge, Mahshahr petrochemical plants as ‘blatant acts of state terrorism’
- UK direct participant in war on Iran: Russian ambassador to UK
- In letter to UN chief, Araghchi warns of dire consequences of US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities
- Why the CIA conspiracy to invade Iran with Kurdish militias failed
- Why Are Upbeat US Claims About Mission to Rescue Pilot ‘Highly Questionable’?
- Aircraft destroyed during US ‘rescue’ of downed F-15 pilot cost more than $100 million each
- Washington University removes professor who condemned US-Israeli war on Iran
- Al Mayadeen voices solidarity with Dr. Marandi amid death threats
- US imposes satellite imagery blackout over West Asia amid Iran strikes
- Serbia thwarts plot to bomb Russia-Hungary gas pipeline – Vucic
- Russia Warns of Retaliation as UK Authorizes Seizure of Vessels
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