Aletho News

Fire breaks out at US nuclear weapons facility

The South Carolina site plays a key role in maintaining America’s nuclear arsenal, including processing tritium for warheads

RT | October 29, 2026

A fire broke out at a major nuclear research complex in South Carolina that supports the US nuclear weapons program, the Department of Energy has said.

The fire started at Savannah River National Laboratory, part of the Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, on Wednesday evening and was subsequently extinguished, officials said. […]

Local media reported that the fire broke out in a single room and involved an unfiltered, ground-level radiological release. One employee was reportedly hospitalized with minor injuries. […]

The US government is also developing a facility at the SRS to manufacture plutonium cores for nuclear warheads as part of efforts to modernize the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile. … Full article

Beyond Netanyahu: what Israel’s election means for Palestinians

By Ramzy Baroud | MEMO | October 29, 2026

In the past, many Palestinians and Arabs followed Israeli elections closely. They did so not because they entertained illusions that a Zionist leader would deliver peace and justice, dismantle the occupation or remove illegal settlements. Rather, they feared that some Israeli leaders were worse than others. They hoped to avert the worst-case scenario.

Over time, however, that distinction gave way to the belief that all Israeli leaders were essentially the same. This is not pessimism. It is experience. … continue

Israeli Forces Demolish Five Palestinian Homes In West Bank

IMEMC | October 29, 2026

Israeli occupation forces demolished five Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, October 29, 2026: two in Deir Ballout and one each in Bruqin, ar-Ram, and Tarqumiya.

Deir Ballout Mayor Jihad al-Qassem said Israeli forces invaded the town with bulldozers and demolished two homes in its eastern Bab al-Marj area. The homes belonged to Idris Jabara and Abdul-Khaleq Abdullah.

Al-Qassem said Jabara’s home had three floors, while Abdullah’s was a single-story house ready for occupancy.

In Tarqumiya, northwest of Hebron, Israeli forces invaded Shu’ab al-Bir, west of the town, and bulldozed Fadi Abu Hjeisha’s inhabited home, leaving seven residents homeless.

The area faces repeated attacks by Israeli forces and illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers. The colonizers seek to expand the nearby Telem and Adora colonies, built on Palestinian-owned land, onto surrounding Palestinian land. … Full article

IOF, settlers carry out 12 attacks on Palestinian olive harvesters across five West Bank governorates

Palestinian Information Center – October 29, 2026

WEST BANK – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers carried out 12 attacks against Palestinian olive harvesters and their agricultural lands across five governorates in the West Bank on Thursday, according to the Palestinian Anti-Wall and Settlement Commission.

The commission documented the attacks between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., warning that the escalation threatens the olive harvest season and the livelihoods of thousands of Palestinian families.

The incidents included the arrest of foreign solidarity activists, physical assaults on farmers, the use of pepper spray and tear gas, live gunfire, crop theft, tree destruction, restrictions on access to farmland and continued land bulldozing. … Full article

IOF arrests three Palestinians returning to Gaza, turning Rafah Crossing into trap

Palestinian Information Center – October 29, 2026

GAZA – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested three Palestinians as they attempted to return to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, raising growing concerns over the safety of returning residents amid severe travel restrictions and human rights reports documenting arbitrary detention and mistreatment.

Gaza’s Crossings and Borders Authority confirmed on Thursday evening that the three detainees were Shukri Nihad Kamel Ghazal, Mohammed Raed Munir al-Najjar, and Mohammed Kamal Kamel Aqila.

The authority provided no further details about the circumstances of their arrests or where they are being held.

The arrests come as the Rafah crossing, which connects Gaza with Egypt, continues to operate intermittently under strict restrictions and complicated procedures that severely limit Palestinian movement. … Full article

Israeli occupation burns property, shells towns across South Lebanon

Al Mayadeen | October 29, 2026

Israeli occupation forces burned residents’ property in the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and shelled the outskirts of Yater on Thursday, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in South Lebanon.

The correspondent also reported artillery fire on Wadi Zibqin, as attacks continued on villages across the South despite the declared “ceasefire.”

Local media in the South tallied a string of attacks between midnight and around 8 am. Occupation artillery bombed Wadi al-Hujeir and the outskirts of Qantara, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Mayfadoun. It also shelled al-Mansouri, the plain of Khiam and Wadi Zibqin, with machine-gun fire accompanying the shelling of Wadi al-Hujeir and al-Mansouri. … Full article

Majority Of Jewish Schools In The UK Teaching Kids To “Love Israel”

JFS students wrote thank you letters to Brits serving for the occupying forces at the start of the Gaza genocide

By Nate Bear | ScheerPost | October 28, 2026

More than half of the 45 mainstream Jewish schools in the UK say a core part of their mission is teaching children to “love Israel,” possibly breaching UK government rules against the promotion of partisan political views in schools. These schools also all organise regular trips to the apartheid state and invite occupation soldiers to speak to pupils, almost certainly breaching rules on political impartiality.

These findings come after a fraudulent report published last week by a UK government taskforce initiated a moral panic about antisemitism in British schools on the basis of just 29 affirmative responses. This tiny number, which should have discredited the report entirely, was omitted from all mainstream media coverage. Also omitted from media coverage of the report was the explicit admission, buried on page 30 of the report, that only anti-Israel attitudes, not anti-Jewish views, have risen in the UK. My identification of this admission has been widely picked up on social media.

The report was a barely concealed attempt to stifle pro-Palestine, anti-genocide views in schools, and to ensure children are instead brainwashed to support genocidal Zionism, as many Jewish children already are. […]

We’re talking about a significant section of Jewish youth in the UK being brought up to worship a state which has committed genocide. Genocide, the supreme crime in international law. A word which alone barely does justice to the horrors and evils the entity has committed in the last three years, let alone the last seventy-eight of its existence.

We’re talking about a state which induced a famine, left babies to rot in incubators, destroyed every university and hospital in Gaza, turned an entire territory which was home to 2 million people to rubble. A state which plunged people into famine then opened up food distribution points and turned them into human safaris. A state which has murdered and maimed tens of thousands of children in all manner of horrific ways. A state which burnt people alive in their hospital beds, a state which tortures and rapes. A state which for decades has enforced an illegal occupation and whose leader is an internationally wanted war criminal.

And this is what many Jewish kids in the UK are being raised to take pride in.

In schools funded by the British government, Jewish children are being commanded to identify with a genocidal state and adopt it as an essential component of their personality.

It’s frightening.

Not that there’ll be any investigations or David Bell-style reports into Zionism in UK schools.

Not that there’ll be any recommendations about de-radicalising these schools. … Full article

Lithuania plans universal conscription

RT | October 29, 2026

Lithuania will introduce universal male conscription despite public resistance to compulsory military service, the country’s government has announced.

The Baltic state reinstated selective conscription in 2015, seven years after abolishing it. Under the new plan, the draft would be extended to all eligible men, while women would continue to serve voluntarily.

Annual recruitment will increase from just over 5,000 to around 7,500 men, President Gitanas Nauseda announced on Thursday following a State Defense Council meeting.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius described universal conscription as “necessary and inevitable.”

The decision follows similar recruitment pushes elsewhere in Europe. Poland is considering restoring compulsory service, which was abolished in 2009, and introducing a system covering both men and women. A recent poll, however, found that 53% of Poles aged 18–24 opposed reinstatement of the draft.

Germany has already introduced mandatory military registration for 18-year-old men. Enlistment remains voluntary, but parliament can activate compulsory service if recruitment falls short or the security situation deteriorates. … continue

Lies, Damn Lies, and Ukraine News

By William Dunkerley | Ron Paul Institute | October 29, 2026

It’s been said that truth is the first casualty of war. What about the Ukraine war? I’ve followed the news closely, and have found ample evidence in headlines and storylines that the old adage holds true today. Too often the Ukraine news stories we see are misleading instead of informative.

For instance, in March 2014 CNN reported that Ukraine’s Maidan Revolution was “standing up on behalf of democracy.” A month earlier, The Week cited many pundits and policymakers also characterizing events as a victory for democracy. It was a clear and compelling news theme.

But what’s misleading about that? It creates an impression that is contrary to reality. The truth is that the immediate result of the revolution was an abrupt end to constitutional democracy, not a victory for democracy.

The uprising totally dismantled the constitutional democracy that Ukraine had operated under since its independence from the USSR in 1991. The sequence of events makes it clear. Out went the democratic constitution; in came rule by force under the unelected revolutionaries. That’s what Ukrainians were stuck with for months. The stories about a boost for democracy were completely misleading.

This is a good example of truth being a casualty of war. The news celebrated an advance of democracy while in reality democracy itself had been lost. … continue

Financial Times rejects Nordic demands to correct Putin call story – media

RT | October 29, 2026

The Financial Times has refused to correct an anonymously sourced article about a recent phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Norway and Finland, despite objections from both Nordic governments, according to media reports.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Finnish President Alexander Stubb spoke with Putin earlier this week, drawing criticism from some of Europe’s more Russia-hawkish politicians.

The British newspaper claimed that Putin spent much of the conversation “lecturing” the Nordic leaders on “medieval Slavic history” and its relevance to the Ukraine conflict, rather than discussing ways to end the hostilities. Citing three anonymous sources described only as “familiar with the conversation,” the FT portrayed the Russian president as “fixated” on history.

Store’s government told Norwegian daily Verdens Gang (VG) that the characterization was inaccurate and that Finland had contacted the FT on behalf of both countries to challenge its account, the newspaper reported on Thursday. Finnish media also covered the joint objection, with the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat citing its own sources to dispute the British paper’s description of the call.

Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said later in the day that the FT article is “some invented information, or rather disinformation” and that the Nordic leaders were correct to call out the publication.

The FT, however, rejected the request, telling VG that it stood by its reporting. … continue

The Case for Less Unity in Europe

Why Norway and Finland Were Right to Call Putin

By Glenn Diesen | October 29, 2026

The leaders of Norway and Finland are criticised for breaking with the European consensus on boycotting diplomacy by calling President Putin. Their decision to undermine this solidarity is seen as dividing and weakening Europe. I argue the opposite. It was a brave and necessary move, as the European consensus is based on a rhetorical trap that isolates Europe, makes it increasingly irrelevant, and risks taking it to war with Russia – the world’s largest nuclear power. I will make a further argument: we should develop a healthy scepticism towards the notion that speaking with one voice is always a strength. … continue

Ukraine expands minority rights under EU pressure – but Russians remain excluded

By Uriel Araujo | October 29, 2026

President Volodymyr Zelensky recently signed Bill No.16119, a law expanding educational rights for national minorities and indigenous peoples. Ukraine is thereby selectively adjusting, rather than reversing, its post-2014 Ukrainization policies.

The measure was presented as progress on minority rights and a step that could help open further EU accession clusters. Romanian President Nicusor Dan welcomed the legislation, noting that mother-tongue education for ethnic Romanians is “no abstract matter” for families living in Ukraine.

The law expands the use of eligible minority languages in schools, recognizes special institutional status for minority-language schools, and strengthens continuity of education.

Crucially, the additional protections apply only to official languages of the European Union and to indigenous languages such as Crimean Tatar. Hungarian, Romanian, Polish, Bulgarian and Slovak qualify. Russian does not. The Ukrainian Ministry of Education clarified that the additional rights “do not apply to the Russian language.” … continue

Albania takes anti-riot crackdown cue from France

RT | October 29, 2026

Albania has imposed steep fines on people who take part in violent protests, citing a recent law imposed in France, in an attempt to quell weeks of clashes between police and protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Under measures adopted Wednesday, remaining at a demonstration that turns violent will be a criminal offense, even for those not directly involved in clashes. Anyone who “chooses to remain in a crowd” engaged in violence or looting, or is found “concealing their identity,” faces fines of up to 500,000 leks ($6,130), over six-times the Balkan country’s average monthly salary.

Initially sparked by student anger over education costs and deteriorating facilities, the demonstrations have evolved into nationwide protests against inequality, soaring living costs, and cuts to public services.

Citing “urban anarchy” when announcing the crackdown, Rama acknowledged France’s controversial ‘casseurs-payeurs’ (rioters pay) bill, which would hold demonstrators liable for up to €10,000 ($11,160) in damages. The bill passed the French Senate on Wednesday and is now headed to the National Assembly, following weeks of protests and riots in which over 1,300 protesters were arrested in a single day.

Italy has also followed suit. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government approved measures last week that criminalize “violent participation in a demonstration,” punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of up to €20,000. … continue

The interest of the House of Rothschild in Ukraine

By Raphael Machado | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 29, 2026

This week, Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance, led by Sergey Marchenko, signed an agreement with the financial group Rothschild & Co for the purpose of preparatory consultancy for the privatization of the Ukrainian state banks Ukrgasbank and Sense Bank, two of the largest banks in the Ukrainian financial system. Rothschild & Co will carry out an inventory of these banks’ assets, as well as an assessment of their financial health, organize the information, and attract buyers for the acquisition. In practice, Rothschild & Co will end up determining the buyer(s), thanks to its privileged role in this operation, as well as its institutional weight.

The Ukrainian government claims that the operation is necessary to reduce the role of the State in the Ukrainian banking-financial system and to attract foreign investment, in accordance with recommendations forwarded by the IMF.

In most other countries, these sudden privatization operations always generate large waves of protest organized by unions, social movements, and opposition parties, but the privatization of some of the main Ukrainian banks is advancing without any popular reaction, a symptom of Ukraine’s transformation into a dictatorship through the recourse to a permanent state of exception.

This is not the first Rothschild operation in Ukraine. … continue

Saudi airstrikes on homes kill 12, injure 3 critically in Yemen’s Taiz

Al Mayadeen | October 29, 2026

12 Yemenis were martyred and three others were critically injured in an initial toll in Saudi airstrikes on the al-Barh area of Maqbanah District, west of Taiz Governorate, Yemen’s Health Ministry reported on Thursday.

Saudi airstrikes targeted two civilian homes in the said area on Thursday, resulting in civilian casualties, including women and children, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Yemen reported.

The correspondent also reported a series of Saudi raids on the coastal districts of Dhubab and Mokha in the southwestern governorate. … Full article

IRGC announces downing of US MQ-1 drone east of Hormuz

Al Mayadeen | October 29, 2026

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a US MQ-1 drone east of the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Sirik.

In a statement, the IRGC’s public relations department said the operation was carried out using an advanced air defense system operated by its Aerospace Force, under the control and supervision of Iran’s integrated national air defense network.

The IRGC also released a tally of US combat and reconnaissance drones downed by its systems during the war. According to the statement, its forces have destroyed 54 MQ-9 drones and 14 MQ-1 drones, bringing the combined total to 68.

The interception follows a separate operation announced days earlier by the Iranian Army, which reported shooting down a US LUCAS drone in the country’s southern airspace. … Full article

Pentagon fires top military planner

RT | October 29, 2026

The Pentagon has fired its top military strategist as Washington draws up contingency plans for a possible escalation of hostilities with Iran.

Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia has been removed from his position as director for strategy, plans, and policy (J5) on the Joint Staff, a spokesman confirmed late Wednesday, following media reports of his dismissal.

His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced into retirement a year ago amid reported friction with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. Sylvia previously served as vice director of the J5.

The Pentagon did not explain Sylvia’s departure. His responsibilities included developing military strategies and plans to advise the chairman and the US president. He joins nearly two dozen senior military and civilian officials removed during Hegseth’s tenure.

The secretary has portrayed the dismissals as part of an effort to reduce the military’s bloated ranks of generals and make the armed forces more efficient and lethal. Critics, however, have characterized the shake-up as an ideological “purge.” … continue

Three tankers hit mines on unauthorized Hormuz route: IRGC Navy

Al Mayadeen | October 29, 2026

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Thursday that three oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to cross an unauthorized southern route through the Strait of Hormuz.

The vessels disregarded warnings from Iranian naval forces and switched off their radar and navigation systems before entering the mined passage, according to the statement.

“Over the past 24 hours, three violating oil tankers exploded and caught fire after striking mines while attempting to pass through the unauthorised southern route of the Strait of Hormuz,” the IRGC said.

The navy reported that the tankers were left along the southern shores of the strait following the explosions. Their identities and flags were not immediately available, and no information was provided about casualties. … continue

Regional security runs through Tehran

By Peiman Salehi | The Cradle | October 28, 2026

The presence of Saudi, Turkish, and Pakistani officials in Tehran on 26 October reflected a growing recognition that Iran cannot be excluded from any serious regional security arrangement. Despite the US–Israeli war against Iran, Tehran remains central to the region’s military and political balance.

For Riyadh and its partners, the meeting also exposed the limits of the Mecca defense pact, particularly as Saudi Arabia faces renewed confrontation with the Ansarallah-aligned Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF).

Much of the speculation surrounding the four-country meeting centered on what Iran might be expected to surrender, particularly its relationship with Sanaa. Such expectations rested on the assumption that Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan had established a regional security order into which Iran was now seeking admission, with Tehran potentially offering concessions over Yemen in return.

Yet the political and military circumstances that brought the participants to Tehran suggest a different calculation. Iran has withstood sustained American and Israeli attacks, while Saudi Arabia and its partners have struggled to contain the YAF’s military operations. Any agreement that disregards these realities risks reproducing the confrontations it seeks to resolve.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry had identified Israel’s expansionist policies, Lebanon, and the US war against Iran among the subjects for discussion. Yemen was absent from the announced agenda and the subsequent press statement. … continue

Saudi Airstrikes on Yemen’s Al-Jawf Leave 13 Martyred, 16 Injured

Al-Manar | October 28, 2026

Saudi Arabia launched multiple airstrikes on the Al-Hazm market in Yemen’s Al-Jawf governorate on Wednesday and bombed a fuel station in the area, killing and injuring shoppers, according to reports.

Yemen’s Health Ministry in Sanaa said the death toll from the Saudi airstrikes on the city of Al-Hazm had risen to 13, with 16 others injured. The figures are preliminary.

Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi aircraft carried out four airstrikes on the administration building of the security district in the coastal city of Al-Mokha, west of Taiz.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Saba news agency, based in Sanaa, reported that two children were injured by a projectile fired by Saudi-backed military reinforcements at civilian homes in Al-Qubaytah district, north of Lahij governorate in southern Yemen. … Full article

Yemeni army repels Saudi-backed incursion toward Bab al-Mandab

Sanaa’s forces also targeted the Saudi Defense Ministry building in Riyadh, as well as a key energy site and other facilities

The Cradle | October 27, 2026

Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said on 27 October that Sanaa’s forces repelled a Saudi-backed attack and attempt to advance toward Bab al-Mandab, inflicting “large numbers” of casualties among Riyadh’s proxies.

“Our armed forces, with God’s help, repelled an attempted advance by forces belonging to the Saudi enemy. These forces are overseen by Saudi officer Badr al-Harbi, commander of the forward operational base in Aden, and were advancing from the southern direction of Bab al-Mandab,” Saree said. … Full article

Voters Don’t Want the Old GOP

By Jack Hunter | The American Conservative | October 28, 2026

Donald Trump and his coalition have rocked the Republican party more than any other right-wing movement this century.

So much so that some Republicans now long for the party as it was before MAGA, the ostensibly “traditional” pre-Trump GOP.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is one of them. The senator, who decided not to run for re-election this year, is promoting a new book that presents himself as, if not a Never Trumper, then at any rate a dissident from MAGA. “What [Trump’s] done is he’s created a coalition that, in my opinion, will not stay with Republicans once we go back to traditional Republican platform priorities,” Tillis said of the GOP’s future in an interview last week. “I think a lot of the elements of the populism that Trump created to expand a base that made him successful running for president, I don’t think that stays with the party long term.”

On X, The Blaze’s Auron MacIntyre shared a clip of Tillis saying this and added, “They’re admitting out loud that they’re running out the clock on Trump so they can return the GOP to factory neocon settings.”

MacIntyre is not wrong.

Another figure who longs for the GOP before Trump is Rahm Emanuel, the former chief of staff to President Obama who is currently making a bid for the 2028 Democratic nomination. He wants Democrats to embrace what he calls “McCain-Romney Republicans” who now vote Democrat. … continue

Former US officials who resigned over Gaza urge 2028 presidential candidates to reject architects of Biden-era policy

MEMO | October 28, 2026

A group of former US government officials who resigned because of Washington’s policy in the Gaza Strip has urged candidates seeking the 2028 presidential nomination to pledge not to appoint officials they said enabled Israel’s genocide in the enclave, Anadolu reports.

“Senior Biden Administration officials who were architects of the Gaza policy are now actively white-washing their own roles in enabling genocide,” Gaza Resignees said in a statement signed by 12 former officials.

“They violated U.S. and international law by providing U.S. weapons while Israel indiscriminately and disproportionately attacked civilians and civilian infrastructure, and as Israel arbitrarily blocked humanitarian assistance to Gaza,” it said. … continue

IOF displaces five Palestinian families after razing their building in Bethlehem

Palestinian Information Center – October 28, 2026

BETHLEHEM – Five families, comprising 12 people, were left homeless after the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) demolished their apartment building in the village of al-Walaja, northwest of Bethlehem.

The three-story building belonged to brothers from the family of Rabah.

In the same village, the IOF bulldozed a half-dunum plot of land owned by Khaled al-Araj, uprooting more than 50 olive and almond trees and damaging crops.

The IOF also demolished a wall and a staircase, as well as water tanks in the area.

For years, al-Walaja has faced repeated Israeli demolition and bulldozing operations targeting homes, infrastructure, and farmland, placing severe strain on local residents and threatening their ability to remain on their land.

Israeli military demolishes homes of two Palestinian prisoners in West Bank village of Beita

MEMO | October 28, 2026

Israeli forces demolished two homes belonging to Palestinian prisoners in the occupied West Bank town of Beita, south of Nablus, on Wednesday, using heavy explosives to detonate one structure and a bulldozer to flatten the other, according to local officials.

Israeli troops entered the village and ordered the families of Ibrahim Abdulkerim Davud and Zakaria Muhammed Davud to evacuate their residences prior to the demolitions, local sources reported. … Full article

Four people killed, others wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza

Palestinian Information Center – October 28, 2026

GAZA – Four Palestinian civilians were martyred and several others were injured in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

According to media sources, at least three people were killed and 15 others were wounded, including children, when an Israeli drone bombed a civilian gathering in northern al-Mawasi, near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

Medical sources reported that five of the wounded remain in critical condition.

Another strike in Khan Yunis killed a citizen and injured five others.

Drone strikes also wounded five people in al-Qarara town, north of Khan Yunis, and three others in an-Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza.

Additionally, five people sustained injuries in separate Israeli attacks across various areas of Gaza, including a five-year-old child and a father with his young daughter.

Israeli Enemy Forces Set Up Checkpoint in Quneitra Village, Search Passersby

Al-Manar | October 28, 2026

Israeli occupation forces entered the village of Majduliyah in the Quneitra countryside on Wednesday, setting up a temporary checkpoint at the village entrance to search passersby and check their identification documents.

The incursion occurs against the backdrop of ongoing Israeli occupation military maneuvers and violations across various parts of the Quneitra countryside. These actions including the establishment of temporary checkpoints and the searching of civilians restrict the movement of local residents and raise serious concerns regarding their safety and freedom of movement. … Full article

Wired for War Crimes: Israeli spy-tech firm targeted Starlink users – researchers

RT | October 28, 2026

An Israeli online advertising company implicated in spyware attacks targeting internet users was heavily active on SpaceX’s Starlink service, Japanese researchers have found, bolstering claims that the firm was running a “targeting and tracking” operation masquerading as a commercial advertising business.

Earlier this month, Canadian cybersecurity watchdog Citizen Lab and New York-based ad security firm Confiant published extensive investigations identifying Discover-Tech, an Israeli advertising technology company, as a middleman helping spyware firms, including Candiru and Intelos, as well as a little-known US-linked operator known as Dark Cartographer, track internet users and potentially infect their devices without their knowledge.

Discover-Tech’s operation involved purchasing advertising space on hundreds of thousands of websites and apps, using ads to collect information about users who viewed them, and making the data available to spyware companies. Those firms could then identify specific targets and potentially install spyware on their devices through malicious advertising code.

Despite presenting itself as a commercial operation, Discover-Tech concentrated much of its advertising spending on markets that would be of limited interest to conventional advertisers. Of 228 countries and territories examined, Palestine was the most heavily targeted, despite its population having severely limited access to Western goods and relatively little purchasing power.

In more than 100 countries, Discover-Tech was the leading bidder for advertising space targeting Starlink users, according to researchers at TrendAI, a unit of Japanese cybersecurity firm Trend Micro. The company was also the largest advertising bidder in Syria, Libya, Yemen and South Sudan, and the second-largest in Afghanistan. … continue

Canadian advocates, academics urge reassessment of refused study permits for Palestinian students from Gaza

MEMO | October 28, 2026

Rights advocates, academics and a Canadian party leader urged the government on Wednesday to reassess refused study permit applications from Palestinian graduate students accepted into Canadian universities, warning that promises of fair treatment have not been kept, Anadolu reports.

Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa on behalf of the Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk Network (PSSAR), Baher Abdulhai said: “Despite repeated assurances from government officials, students from Gaza are receiving refusals, rather than the fair resolutions they were promised.”

“What began as a crisis of endless processing times and delays turned into a crisis of fairness and accountability. Unfortunately, the government’s commitments have not translated into results,” he said.

Abdulhai said that of 37 students outside the Gaza Strip whom the network is tracking, about 30 have reportedly received refusals or remain without substantive decisions. … Full article

Here are the Bills Pushing Forward Authoritarian Control in Canada

How Four Canadian Bills and an Expanding AI Infrastructure Could Threaten Our Privacy, Freedom and Digital Independence

By Dr Mark Trozzi MD | October 27, 2026

In 1850, French economist Frédéric Bastiat published The Law, arguing that governments and laws are established to collectively protect life, liberty and property. Yet he also warned that law itself could become an instrument for violating those principles when those controlling the state acquired the power to use it against the population. That warning provides a useful lens through which to examine a series of rapidly advancing Canadian laws and policies involving online speech, surveillance, digital identification and artificial intelligence.

Bill C-9, Bill C-22, Bill C-34 and Bill C-8 are presented as responses to problems ranging from “hate” crimes to child safety to cybersecurity, while Canada is simultaneously expanding its artificial-intelligence strategy and the computing infrastructure necessary to support it. Although ostensibly aimed at protecting Canadian citizens, these bills raise serious problems related to privacy, freedom of expression and the growing ability of governments to identify, monitor and restrict individuals in the digital world. … continue

Media groups urge EU Commission transparency as Gaza documents probe unfolds

MEMO | October 28, 2026

A group of 15 media outlets, journalist associations and press freedom organizations urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday to improve journalists’ access to public documents, as an inquiry by the EU Ombudswoman into the commission’s refusal to release documents concerning Gaza unfolds, Anadolu reports.

In an open letter to von der Leyen, the organizations called on the EU executive to address what they described as a “silent crisis” that has hampered journalists’ efforts to obtain information needed to scrutinize matters of public importance.

The appeal comes after European Ombudswoman Teresa Anjinho last week opened an inquiry into a news outlet’s complaint over the commission’s refusal to release 17 documents concerning EU-funded infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip.

EUobserver first requested the documents in February as part of an investigation examining the extent to which Israeli attacks had destroyed infrastructure financed by the EU in the Palestinian territory.

The commission refused to release the material, arguing that there was no overriding public interest justifying disclosure. EUobserver’s subsequent appeal went unanswered. … Full article

EU Commission Plans to Maximally Restrict Journalists’ Access to Its Information – Reports

Sputnik – 28.10.2026

The European Commission, as part of its reform, may maximally restrict journalists’ access to documents and information about the work of the EU executive body, 16 journalistic organizations fear, according to a letter they sent to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Politico reported on Wednesday.

The reform recommendations propose disclosing information to the press “where appropriate,” the report read. According to Committee to Protect Journalists representative Tom Gibson, such wording leaves the European Commission broad scope to classify everything except the cafeteria menu, Politico reported.

The authors of the letter claim that the current system already prevents journalists from working fully: responses are delayed, access to documents is denied on dubious grounds, and published materials are heavily redacted.

The journalists point out that they have encountered difficulties, for example, when trying to find out who received funds from the post-pandemic recovery fund, why the Commission withdrew a controversial patent bill, or what contacts it maintained with TikTok regarding the elections in Romania in 2024.

The organizations’ demand include publishing data on the processing times for requests, complying with EU court rulings on transparency, and improving the registration and archiving of documents. The latter, in their opinion, would help avoid a repeat of the Pfizergate correspondence search saga.

European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier, in turn, told Politico that the Commission has not yet received the letter. He said that the EU executive body, which receives about seven thousand journalistic requests annually, takes its obligation to ensure transparency extremely seriously.

The accession of Ukraine could signal the collapse of the EU

By Sonja van den Ende | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 28, 2026

EU enlargement has become a trap in which political intentions collide with economic reality; Eastern and Southern Europe will bear the brunt of the impact if Ukraine joins the European Union. Ukraine is a war‑torn country, and EU citizens are already footing the bill for its reconstruction and the support of its refugees. The EU’s cohesion policy would collapse: Ukraine would become the largest and poorest member state, absorbing virtually all available development funds. Current beneficiaries – such as Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, and Greece – would lose 80% to 100% of their cohesion funding and, overnight, become net contributors. … continue

There is cautious optimism about ending the Ukraine war

By M. K. BHADRAKUMAR | Indian Punchline | October 28, 2026

The needle may not have moved on ending the Ukraine war but the joint phone call on October 27 by Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to Russian President Vladimir Putin can be regarded as a defining moment. The two Nordic leaders insisted that their initiative was taken solely in their capacity as neighbours of Russia rather than on behalf of Europe, but the fact remains that their initiative was borne out of their exclusive meeting in Oslo on October 20 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US special envoy Stephen Witkoff.

Russian expert opinion is that it is unlikely that Oslo and Helsinki acted without the consent of Brussels [EU] and Kyiv. But no one is making an issue of the white lie. Clearly, European countries are attempting to re-establish direct communication channels with Russia. Entry of Finland and Norway in the negotiation process indicates that even Ukraine’s most vocal supporters are shifting their position in favor of dialogue with Russia. According to official data, Norway has provided Kyiv with nearly €17 billion in aid, while Finland has provided €5 billion. … continue

Italy puts Ukraine weapons package on hold – media

RT | October 28, 2026

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has put a major new weapons package for Ukraine on hold until after the US midterm elections, according to La Repubblica. The move comes as her ruling coalition faces mounting resistance to arming Kiev.

The long-delayed 13th military aid package remains stuck despite repeated assurances that Rome will continue to support Ukraine, the Italian outlet reported on Tuesday. Initially expected in July, the shipment was pushed back to September, then delayed again, with a decision now potentially postponed until after the November 3 US congressional elections.

La Repubblica noted that the delay has cast doubt on whether Meloni will deliver on promises made to French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to send more Aster 30 interceptor missiles for Kiev’s SAMP/T air defense systems by the end of October.

The Italian parliamentary intelligence committee has yet to review the decree authorizing the shipment, while Rome continues to declare its support for Ukraine without specifying when the weapons will be delivered. … continue

GOP Rep. pledges post-election Hegseth impeachment push

Al Mayadeen | October 28, 2026

Republican Representative Thomas Massie plans to renew his bid to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth after the midterm elections, adding to Democratic pressure for his removal over the US-Israeli war on Iran, The Independent reported Monday.

The Kentucky lawmaker intends to pursue the effort regardless of which party wins control of the House, setting up a potential confrontation over Hegseth’s leadership when lawmakers return to Washington in November.

Democratic leaders have signaled that Hegseth’s position could become a central point of contention after the elections.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has pledged to run the war secretary “out of town” if Democrats secure a House majority. Senate Democrats have also suggested that cooperation with President Donald Trump on defense funding and other legislation during the post-election session could depend on Hegseth’s departure. … Full article

US kills 5 in Pacific as unproven drug smuggling claims persist

Al Mayadeen | October 28, 2026

The US military killed five people in a strike targeting a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, marking the latest operation in Washington’s expanding military campaign against alleged drug trafficking networks across Latin America.

US Southern Command said the vessel was targeted along what it described as “established narco-trafficking routes.” However, despite citing “confirmed intelligence”, the military did not publicly provide evidence that the boat was transporting narcotics at the time of the attack.

Footage released on social media showed a vessel in the crosshairs before being struck and engulfed in flames.

By media counts, the operation is one of over 70 such attacks carried out since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term, with the combined death toll now topping 240. … continue

Iran Respects International Law, US & Israel are Rogue States

It’s the elephant in the international living room

By Kevin Barrett | October 28, 2026

On February 28, the US and Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran, killing its Supreme Leader alongside many other officials—and around 160 civilians, mostly schoolgirls, at Minab. The attack was an extreme case of the supreme war crime: aggression. Attacks on civilian targets are, of course, also highly illegal. The US and Israel routinely target civilians and civilian infrastructure, and Trump even brags about it.

Western media, dominated by co-ethnics of the genocidal pariah state of Israel, paints black as white, up as down, freedom as slavery, ignorance as strength, and victims as perpetrators. Though the media won’t say it plainly, Israel is the world’s worst outlaw nation in every possible way, including its de facto national mission of the genocide of Palestine and invasion of neighboring states, its outrageous terrorism and torture, its hundreds of ongoing violations of UN resolutions and international law, notably its flaunting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its threatening the whole world, including ostensible allies, with the nuclear “Samson option”—while whining about Iran’s NPT-compliant civilian program.

The US, too, is a serial international outlaw, kidnapping and murdering leaders of sovereign nations, shredding the Geneva Convention and the UN Convention Against Torture at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere, refusing to recognize ICC jurisdiction, repeatedly threatening dozens of nations with aggression, refusing to allow delegations access to the UN, and on and on.

By contrast, Iran is one of the most law-abiding states in the world. It hasn’t attacked another nation in centuries. It signed and complies with the NPT, despite being repeatedly attacked, and threatened with nuclear weapons, by the US and Israel. … continue

US war on Iran cost tops $47 billion, 25% above Pentagon’s July figure

Al Mayadeen | October 28, 2026

The US war on Iran has cost the US military at least $47.1 billion as of mid-October, according to a Central Command estimate provided to lawmakers and first reported by CBS News. The figure is more than 25% above the $37.5 billion that War Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Congress in July.

Replacing munitions is the largest item, at about $29 billion, followed by $6.1 billion to replace lost equipment and about $11.9 billion in incremental costs such as support for service members. […]

Moody’s Analytics puts the cost to the average American household at about $2,000 so far, and the national average for gasoline was $4.27 a gallon last week against $2.98 before the aggression was launched. … Full article

Pres. Pezeshkian hails Moscow visit as ‘positive,’ highlights talks with Russian, Qatari heads of state

Press TV – October 27, 2026

President Masoud Pezeshkian has described his two-day visit to Moscow as successful, highlighting constructive discussions at the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) and bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart and Qatar’s emir.

Speaking before departing Moscow on Tuesday, the chief executive said the summit produced positive understandings and that his meetings with the Russian and Qatari heads of state addressed cooperation in energy, trade, infrastructure, and security.

“During the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), extensive and in-depth discussions and exchanges took place. We reached a number of positive understandings with favorable outcomes, and the summit was constructive and productive,” he said.

Meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the visit, Pezeshkian had thanked Moscow for its political, security, and economic support, emphasizing the need for stronger cooperation among countries facing the United States’ sanctions. He had argued that regional countries could resolve their challenges through cooperation without relying on Washington. The president had also called for expanding bilateral relations with Russia in scientific, economic, industrial, cultural, security, and military fields. … Full article

China slams US policy on Iran as Russia rejects legality of nuclear meeting at UN

Press TV – October 27, 2026

Members of the United Nations Security Council attend a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. (File photo)

China has denounced Washington’s policy toward Iran, blaming US and Israeli attacks for halting IAEA inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities, while Russia has challenged the legality of a UN Security Council meeting on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.

The UN Security Council held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program after the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) voted to refer Tehran’s nuclear dossier to the council.

During the meeting on Tuesday, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Fu Cong criticized US and European policies toward Iran, saying military attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities had directly blocked IAEA inspections. … continue

Iran, Yemen, discuss regional security, support for Palestine

Al Mayadeen | October 27, 2026

Iranian National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai met with Yemen’s ambassador to Tehran, Ibrahim al-Dailami to discuss the latest developments on Yemen’s fronts, expressing appreciation for Yemen’s support for Palestine and its role in supporting Gaza.

During the meeting, Rezai praised Yemen’s defense of Palestine in its confrontation with Israel and during the “Ramadan War,” as well as its support for and defense of Gaza.

Rezai also addressed the recent four-party meeting in Tehran, saying it aimed to strengthen regional security, secure the withdrawal of foreign forces, and end their interference in the affairs of regional countries. […]

Pezeshkian condemned Israeli actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the region, citing US support for Israel and calling for a coordinated regional response. “We are confident that if the countries of the region stand together and adopt a unified position, these attacks cannot recur,” he said. … Full article

Barghouti: ‘Netanyahu has fallen,’ era of Smotrich, Ben-Gvir over

Al Mayadeen | October 27, 2026

Palestinian National Initiative Secretary-General Mustafa Barghouti told Al Mayadeen after “Israel’s” election that “Netanyahu has fallen” and that “the era of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir is over.”

He hailed the Arab electorate for its stand “against fascism,” and said divisions within the right-wing camp had weakened Netanyahu’s bloc, leaving the remaining parties to determine the next political steps.

Barghouti warned that if former military chief Gadi Eisenkot fails to ally with Arab parties, “Israel” could face another election or a zionist unity government. He said that regardless of who leads the next Israeli government, Palestinian statehood remains off the table, and that the most dangerous scenario would be Netanyahu’s government continuing as a caretaker administration. … continue

Israeli siege of Hebron displaces nearly 5,000 Palestinians amid West Bank-wide lockdown

The Cradle | October 27, 2026

Israeli occupation forces have forcibly displaced nearly 5,000 Palestinians in Hebron over the past five days, according to the city’s municipality, after sealing off the entire occupied West Bank under a lockdown set to last through 27 October.

The 4,969 displaced, belonging to 780 families, include 336 infants, 441 elderly people, 216 pregnant and nursing women, 44 people with disabilities, and 312 people with chronic illnesses, the municipality said.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said 85 Palestinians have been detained across Hebron Governorate, including a young girl.

The displaced were driven out of Deir Baha and Al-Jilda areas of Hebron, which troops have since sealed off, while hundreds more remain trapped inside their homes in nearby neighborhoods.

Local officials said occupation soldiers beat residents, destroyed their cars, and used Palestinian vehicles to barricade roads, while the closures have inflicted mounting losses on homes and businesses.

According to a military source cited by Israel’s Public Broadcaster (KAN), occupation troops ransacked at least 500 buildings across Hebron and turned up with just two firearms.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned on Monday that Israel’s attacks in Hebron raise serious concerns of ethnic cleansing, saying statements by senior Israeli officials show the measures are punitive and designed to spread fear.

“Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law,” he said.

Across the occupied West Bank, the lockdown has brought daily life to a halt, with checkpoints choking the movement of students, patients, and workers trying to reach schools, hospitals, and workplaces, according to local sources. … Full article

12 West Bank martyr memorials razed in IOF raids

Palestinian Information Center – October 27, 2026

WEST BANK – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) demolished 12 memorials dedicated to Palestinian martyrs across Nablus and Qalqilya governorates in the northern West Bank on Tuesday.

Local sources reported that the demolitions targeted 11 martyrs’ memorials in towns and villages in the Nablus Governorate, as well as another one in the town of Kafr Qaddum in Qalqilya Governorate.

In southern Nablus, Israeli forces stormed dozens of homes in the village of Burin at dawn, detaining around 60 citizens and using some houses as military posts.

Israeli forces also raided the villages of Surra, Tell, and Salim in the Nablus Governorate, searching multiple homes and interrogating citizens.

IOF bar MPs, including SNP lawmaker, from occupied W. Bank amid escalating settler attacks on olive harvest

Press TV – October 27, 2026

Israeli occupation authorities have denied entry to an international parliamentary delegation, including Scottish National Party MP Lara Bird, after detaining and interrogating the group for approximately eight hours at the Allenby Bridge (King Hussein Bridge) crossing from Jordan into the occupied West Bank.

The Progressive International delegation of around 23 people, drawn from countries including the UK, Spain, France, Ireland, Greece, and others, had planned to attend the organization’s Second Ramallah Congress at Birzeit University, meet Palestinian students, academics, and civil society figures, and join Palestinian farmers during the annual olive harvest. Participants included Bird, Labour MP Clive Lewis, Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens, former Labour MP Sam Tarry, and Spanish senator Josu Estarrona Elizondo.

In a statement on X on Monday, Bird said the group was held, interrogated, and ultimately turned away “with no reason given.”

She had traveled “to stand alongside Palestinians being attacked for harvesting olives on their own land,” noting that “increased blockades, demolitions and unthinkable violence have become the norm” under the Israeli occupation forces and illegal settlers. … Full article

Netherlands withdraws from Eurovision 2027 over Israel’s participation

Palestinian Information Center – October 27, 2026

The Dutch public broadcasting organization NPO announced on Tuesday that the Netherlands will withdraw from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation, marking another development in the growing boycott movement linked to the Gaza genocide.

NPO’s media director, Jurre Bosman, said Israel’s participation had long prompted mixed reactions within Dutch society and had become a source of controversy and division.

He explained that the decision was made following consultations with the board of broadcasting organizations.

The Dutch withdrawal comes amid mounting objections to Israel’s participation in the annual music competition over its genocidal campaign in Gaza on October 7, 2023. […]

Ireland had previously announced that it would not participate in the competition, while the head of Spain’s public broadcaster expressed support for a boycott.

Earlier this month, the Czech public broadcaster also announced its withdrawal, citing budget constraints. … Full article

Palestinian Child Killed as Israeli Attacks Continue in Gaza

IMEMC | October 27, 2026

A six-year-old Palestinian girl died on Tuesday morning, October 27, from wounds sustained in Israeli army gunfire in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Israeli forces continued shelling and opening fire across the Gaza Strip in continued violations of “ceasefire” agreement.

Medical sources at Nasser Medical Complex identified the child as Tahani Mohammad Shalalfa, 6. Palestinian news reports said she died from a gunshot wound sustained in Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.

In southern Gaza, Israeli tanks and military vehicles opened heavy fire in the Al-Alam and ash-Shakoush areas, west of Rafah. Palestine Online reported that the gunfire was directed toward tents sheltering displaced Palestinians.

In central Gaza, an Israeli tank fired an artillery shell at an area north of the Al-Bureij refugee camp, while military vehicles opened fire toward the eastern parts of the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, according to field sources cited by Sama News.

Palestine Online also reported artillery shelling targeting the Al-Nuseirat and Al-Bureij refugee camps.

Arabs48 reported artillery shelling in northern Gaza and the demolition of homes in several parts of the Gaza Strip. … Full article

Israeli Occupation Forces Burn Houses in Houla Border Town, South Lebanon

Al-Manar | October 27, 2026

The Zionist occupation forces continued on Tuesday their barbaric attacks against the civilian properties in South Lebanon. In this regard, the enemy troops burned a number of Houses in Houla border town after carrying out two explosions.

The Israeli occupation forces also detonated a building in Mais Al-Jabal border town.

Moreover, the Zionist artillery targeted Wadi-Slouki area in addition to the outskirts between Haddatha and Haris.

Former Syrian soldier assassinated in Beirut following online incitement campaign

The Cradle | October 27, 2026

A young Syrian man was assassinated in Beirut, Lebanon, on 26 October, following a month-long incitement campaign led by pro-Syrian government social media influencers and media figures, the Syrian Justice Archive (SJA) reported.

Ali Alawi Aaqel, 36, from the Alawite community, was shot and killed while inside his car in the Hadath neighborhood of the Lebanese capital on Monday. His body was taken to Baabda Government Hospital.

Aaqel had been active on social media while serving as a soldier in the Syrian army during the US-backed insurgency that began in 2011.

The US and its allies supplied weapons and funding to Al-Qaeda-linked groups, including the Nusra Front and ISIS, in a bid to topple the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.

Aaqel stopped posting on social media around two years ago.

Last month, influencers and media figures linked to self-appointed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former Nusra leader, launched an incitement campaign against Aaqel based on his former military service during the war. The influencers and media figures circulated photos of the Aaqel in his military uniform to justify his assassination, despite there being no evidence that he committed any war crime, SJA stated.

“He was simply fulfilling mandatory military service as required by Syrian law, which applied to more than a million young men during the Syrian war, from all sects,” SJA wrote.

While speaking in social media posts as a soldier during the war, Aaqel rejected sectarian strife, called for reconciliation between sects, and affirmed that the Syrian army was fighting against extremist armed groups such as ISIS, viewed as terrorists by the international community. … Full article

The Mecca Pact Courts Iran: Containment Comes Full Circle

By Junaid S. Ahmad | MEMO | October 27, 2026

For nearly half a century, Iran’s adversaries have tried to isolate it, intimidate it, sanction it into submission and bomb it into irrelevance. Now, in a remarkable inversion of regional power politics, three countries historically invested in its containment have arrived in Tehran to discuss their security with the very state they were supposed to marginalise.

The country they could not defeat is becoming the country they cannot afford to ignore.

Yesterday, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın met Iranian officials in an encounter whose diplomatic courtesies barely concealed its strategic significance.

The Mecca Pact, the joint defence agreement that Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed in Mecca in August, was supposed to consolidate a formidable Sunni-led defence alignment. Yet its representatives have come to Tehran confronting an inconvenient reality: Iran cannot be excluded from regional security merely because Washington and its partners find its independence intolerable.

Apparently, the Islamic Republic has become considerably more respectable since demonstrating that it cannot be conveniently eliminated. … continue

Oman FM: Persian Gulf states, Iran, Iraq should form security pact excluding US

Press TV – October 27, 2026

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has called for the formation of a non-aggression security pact involving six Persian Gulf states plus Iran and Iraq, slamming US attempts to demonize the Islamic Republic as a threat.

Speaking at Girton College, Cambridge, on Monday, Albusaidi stressed that Washington has promoted for almost half a century the false image of Tehran as a threat to the Persian Gulf states, holding back West Asia’s ability to solve its own problems.

The Omani foreign minister, speaking to break the deadlock over the region’s future, stressed that the US would no longer be the region’s primary security provider. … continue

Trump peddles fresh falsehoods, claims Iran ‘started the war’ as US aggression drags on

Press TV – October 27, 2026

US President Donald Trump has again resorted to brazen falsehoods while defending Washington’s ongoing war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, claiming Tehran initiated the war and dismissing an earlier ceasefire as a “waste of time.”

Speaking at a campaign rally in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday, ahead of the November midterms, Trump echoed the talking points of hardline Republicans by asserting: “We didn’t start the war with Iran. Iran started the war with us.”

He further claimed the Islamic Republic had developed missiles capable of striking American cities, declaring that “they’d hit San Diego, they’d hit Los Angeles, they’d hit our cities too,” and argued that the military offensive “should’ve been done a long time ago.”

Trump’s remarks stand in stark contradiction to the established record. … continue

Chaos Sown Abroad Returns Home: Macron in the Persian Gulf amidst Firestorm at Home

By Simon Chege Ndiritu – New Eastern Outlook – October 27, 2026

… Western countries have been driving policies to restrict Russian oil exports and replace it with Israeli energy, which has backfired and resulted in the prevailing elevated fuel prices. Destruction of Russia’s energy export capacity through EU sanctions and the US bombing of Nord Stream 2 was greatly celebrated by European leaders. Radosław Sikorski, a Polish foreign minister, then a member of European Parliament, thanked the US for the bombing. Later, in February 2023, France’s delegation to the UN, despite agreeing that the Nord Stream 2 explosion appeared deliberate, rejected Russia’s request to have an independent UN investigation into the matter, in favor of probes by Germany, Denmark and Sweden, parties that were likely to be influenced by Washington. European leaders then appeared confident that restricting Russia’s energy exports would not affect their interests, while the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that the EU was developing energy cooperation with Israel to reduce dependence on Russian energy, a shift that would cause conflagration in the Middle East.

Israel’s natural gas export volume was 22 billion cubic meters (bcm), grossly insufficient to replace 155bcm imported by Europe from Russia in 2021. Therefore, the EU was willing to urge Israel to export gas from reserves belonging to Gaza and Lebanon, an attitude that may have accelerated violence later in 2023. For context, over 31 bcm had been discovered off the shores of Gaza (Gaza Marine) in 1999, but the Israeli occupation had conveniently restricted its development. Also, in October 2022, Israel and Lebanon embarked on settling their disputed maritime borders to delineate gas reserves in anticipation of high revenues from increased gas demand by the EU. These negotiations were driven by the US, which supported Israeli claims to proceeds from Lebanon’s Qana fields, using a justification of preventing war. A war occurred anyway. The US or EU are always on hand to negotiate on behalf of Israel, which they also arm to keep the Middle East under their control. EU’s hurried demand for gas provided resources and justification for Israel and the US to raze down the Middle East, ultimately causing the closure of the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb. … Full article

US intelligence hypes Chinese, Russian space threats while accelerating its own military buildup in orbit

By Deng Xiaoci | Global Times | October 27, 2026

Like Don Quixote tilting at windmills he mistook for menacing giants, Washington appears to be sounding the alarm over alleged threats in outer space, even as it presses ahead with its own military buildup in orbit.

In its latest assessment, released on Monday, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) claimed that China could deploy space-based directed-energy weapons by the late 2020s, while also highlighting Russia’s expanding anti-satellite capabilities, according to SpaceNews.

However, the claims come even as the US itself accelerates the militarization of outer space, having already publicly acknowledged deploying weapons in orbit while advancing its ambitious Golden Dome missile defense initiative. … continue

Ukraine quagmire? Yes, but it’s for NATO, not Russia

By Finian Cunningham | Strategic Culture Foundation | October 27, 2026

Western politicians and media claim that Russia is bogged down in a Ukrainian quagmire. We are told that Russian forces are taking heavy losses, held in a stalemate by gritty Ukrainian soldiers. Nearly five years after invading, it is claimed, Russia’s military is still confined to Ukraine’s far eastern territory with little progress.

But this upbeat Western narrative is flawed and wearing thin. The NATO-backed Ukrainian regime is straining from collapse. The grinding losses on the battlefield, as disproportionate body exchanges attest, the corruption within the Kiev regime, the dredging of conscripts to include women, and the incessant pounding by Russian air strikes are exposing a state teetering on defeat.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump seems to have sobered up from drinking the Kool-Aid about Ukraine winning. He’s peeved and telling Vladimir Zelensky it’s time for him to step aside and cut a peace deal.

There is a growing foreboding sense that European NATO leaders are dreading the inevitable implosion of their “Ukraine project”. As German MEP Michael von der Schulesburg pointed out in an interview with Glenn Diesen, European politicians are increasingly uneasy that their lies about Ukraine will soon be blown wide open. There will be hell to pay for bankrupt economies and impoverished societies, all based on lies. … continue

One killed in Ukrainian strike on passenger bus – governor

RT | October 27, 2026

A Ukrainian drone strike on a passenger bus bound for Moscow has killed one person and wounded several others, according to Evgeny Balitsky, the governor of Russia’s Zaporozhye Region, where the attack took place.

The attack was reported on Tuesday morning near the town of Primorsk, on the Sea of Azov between the towns of Melitopol and Berdyansk. The area, which Ukraine claims as its territory, lies within the zone of so-called “middle strikes,” where Ukrainian forces have regularly launched drone attacks on purported Russian military and logistics targets using the Starlink satellite system for guidence.

Balitsky said 31 people were aboard the bus, which was traveling from Simferopol, the capital of the Crimean Republic, to Moscow. He said the wounded were taken to hospital, while other survivors were provided with food and accommodation.

The incident comes amid a dispute between Kiev and Elon Musk over Ukraine’s use of his Starlink satellite communications network for military purposes.

Musk has accused Ukraine of abusing Starlink for deadly “middle strike” operations, saying the system was intended as a civilian communications service rather than an offensive military tool. He contrasted it with Starshield, SpaceX’s military-oriented satellite service developed for US government customers. … Full article