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Hunter Biden Tells Candace Owens His Father Blackmailed by Israel

By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | May 22, 2026

Hunter Biden, the crack addict son of the former president, told Candace Owens the Zionists were out to get him and his father. Despite the fact Joe Biden proudly considers himself a Zionist, the real Zionists threatened and blackmailed him into allowing a genocide in Gaza, according to Hunter.

Left unmentioned is the fact Joe Biden provided Israel with what it needed to eliminate Palestinians in Gaza. AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles for fighter jets, 155mm artillery shells, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles for attack helicopters, 2,800 MK-82 500-lb. bombs, JDAMs, small diameter bombs, and bomb fuzes worth $8 billion. He arranged the shipment of thousands of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits and hundreds of small diameter bombs worth $680 million. His Pentagon authorized the “deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and associated crew of U.S. military personnel to Israel.” … continue

DOJ Sides With Employers Who Fired Healthcare Workers Over COVID Vaccine Mandate

By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. | The Defender | May 21, 2026

A key U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) official has recommended the U.S. Supreme Court deny an appeal by former New York healthcare workers who lost their jobs after their COVID-19 vaccine religious exemptions were denied. Law360 first reported the story. … continue

Tulsi Gabbard quits Trump administration

RT | May 22, 2026

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has announced her resignation […]

Less than two weeks before news of her resignation broke, Gabbard told the New York Post that she was investigating more than 120 US-funded biological laboratories worldwide, more than 40 of them in Ukraine. Gabbard said that her team would determine whether these labs engaged in “dangerous gain-of-function research” – modifying viruses to make them deadlier or more transmissible. … Full article

Russia Has Three Responses to Ukrainian Attack on Donbass Children – Expert

Sputnik – 22.05.2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told the Defense Ministry to plan responses to the Ukrainian drone attack on a high school dormitory in Starobelsk in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).

Russia has several options, National Defense magazine editor-in-chief Igor Korotchenko tells Sputnik.

  1. Hitting decision-making centers — specifically in Kiev, “where the leaders of the terrorist regime direct and order attacks on Russia, including the latest large-scale tragedy involving the deaths of children”
  2. Critical infrastructure that supports Ukrainian Armed Forces rear operations and stability
  3. Ukrainian military and state command networks

“The retaliation strike must be large-scale and concentrated,” Korotchenko says. “Of course, we will not strike civilian infrastructure or the civilian population. Those are the methods used by Zelensky’s terrorists against us.”

The pundit stressed that Russia is fighting the military operation in Ukraine in line with international law and the UN Charter.

“Accordingly, strikes will target only military sites, critical infrastructure — considered lawful military targets — and Ukraine’s political and military command centers.”

The strike on the Starobelsk dormitory was not accidental — it came in three waves during the night. There are no military facilities near the dormitory.

Why does the Zelensky regime target civilians? Because it built up an illusion of safety and impunity, the expert replies.

The logic of victory: Iran’s principled terms for end to imposed war define a new strategic reality

Press TV | May 22, 2026

Nearly 40 days of all-out military aggression, shadow warfare, and economic blockade have given way not to Iran’s surrender, but its emergence with a strategic upper hand.

The “Ramadan War” – an unprovoked and illegal military aggression that came amidst Oman-mediated nuclear diplomacy – ended in a way Washington and Tel Aviv never anticipated. Iran did not collapse, its alliances did not fracture and its military deterrent remained intact. And now, as the guns have fallen silent, it is Iran – not the US – that is setting the terms.

Iran’s end-of-war conditions are not maximalist bargaining ploys. Rather, they are the logical, rational, and legally grounded demands of a victor who has proven, on the battlefield and in the diplomatic arena, that aggression against a resilient nation produces only defeat.

Tehran is not asking for charity. It is demanding what’s rightfully owed to a nation that has been wrongfully attacked, illegally sanctioned, economically terrorized, and yet emerging stronger, more cohesive, and more confident. … continue

Are we on the verge of a US-Iran deal?

China is emerging as the silent, indispensable diplomatic power in the region

By Trita Parsi | May 22, 2026

Nothing is confirmed and finalized yet, and the spoilers should not be underestimated, but lots of activity points in the direction of a deal.

A few things stand out… continue

IRGC Navy coordinates safe passage of another 35 ships through Strait of Hormuz

Press TV – May 22, 2026

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced that it coordinated the transit of another 35 ships through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.

“Over the past 24 hours, 35 ships, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, after obtaining permission, [and] with the coordination and security protection of the IRGC Navy,” the Public Relations Office of the IRGC’s Navy said in a statement on Friday.

The passage came on top of 31 vessels—including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships—that passed through the strait in the previous 24 hours, the IRGC Navy announced on Thursday. … continue

Iran eliminated $1bln worth of rare US MQ-9 reaper drones during war

Al Mayadeen | May 22, 2026

The war on Iran is exacting an increasingly costly toll on the United States, with Tehran reportedly eliminating nearly $1 billion worth of Washington’s prized MQ-9 Reaper drones since February.

According to Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter, at least 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and possibly as many as 30, have been neutralized since the US and “Israel” waged war against Iran. The figure includes drones damaged during operations that were later deemed beyond repair.

It should be noted that Iran contests the US’ numbers, as a number of confirmed strikes have yet to be acknowledged by the US.

A congressional report previously also said that 24 drones were shot down.

The reported losses amount to nearly 20% of the Pentagon’s prewar inventory of the high-value unmanned aircraft, marking one of the most significant setbacks for US drone operations in recent years.

Why US MQ-9 Reaper losses are significant

The MQ-9 Reaper has been among the US military’s most heavily deployed platforms throughout the war. Manufactured by General Atomics, the drone is designed for both surveillance and strike missions, equipped with advanced cameras, sensors, Hellfire missiles, and Joint Direct Attack Munition-guided (JDAM) bombs.

Each MQ-9 Reaper costs roughly $30 million, making the cumulative losses especially costly for the Pentagon as the war drags on.

Many of the drones were shot down by Iran’s Armed Forces, while others were accurately targeted and destroyed in missile strikes targeting regional US air bases, or lost in “operational accidents.”

Pentagon faces shrinking Reaper inventory

The setback is further complicated by the fact that MQ-9 Reapers are no longer being manufactured for US forces, limiting Washington’s ability to replenish the fleet.

Bloomberg also reported that only around 10 units of the newer jet-powered Avenger strike drone were built, leaving the Pentagon with few immediate alternatives for long-range unmanned strike operations.

Although variants of the MQ-9 Reaper continue to be produced for foreign buyers, production for the US military has effectively ended. … Full article

US-Israel attack ‘flagrant’ breach of UN Charter, not merely ‘unnecessary war’, Iran tells Germany

Press TV – May 22, 2026

Iran has lashed out at German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for downplaying the unlawful attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic as merely an “unnecessary war”, saying they were a “blatant” act of aggression against a sovereign state.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei made the comment in a post on his X account on Friday after the German president on Thursday described the illegal joint military aggression by the US and Israel on Iran as a “truly avoidable, unnecessary war.”

“The American-Israeli attack on Iran cannot be downplayed or reframed as merely an ‘unnecessary war.’ It was a flagrant violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter — a blatant act of aggression against a sovereign State,” Baghaei said.

He added that the US-Israel imposed war on Iran “could and should have been avoided”.

“The UN Charter does not recognize any notion of a ‘necessary war’ that would grant States the right to use force against another sovereign nation based on the arbitrary & whimsical decisions of aggressors,” he emphasized.

He urged any nation that values ​​the rule of law and the UN Charter to “unequivocally” condemn the US-Israel act of aggression and to call for accountability. … Full article

Ukrainian drone strike hits Russian school dormitory

RT | May 22, 2026

The death toll from an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on a school in the Russian town of Starobelsk has risen to at least four, with 40 others injured, including 14 minors, according to regional health ministry.

Eight people injured in the strike have been hospitalized, with three in serious condition, the Russian health minister’s aide told reporters.

The strike hit the main academic building and dormitory of the Starobelsk Professional College, which teaches students aged 14 to 18. Acting Governor Leonid Pasechnik said 86 students were inside the facility at the time of the attack, adding that some people may still be trapped under the rubble as emergency crews continue clearing the debris.

Health officials reported that eight victims are being treated at a local hospital, including three whose condition is considered serious.

Reports say at least one body was recovered at the site. The locations of at least three other people were identified by rescuers. Following the recovery of the body, local services said the operation had to be paused due to the threat of a new Ukrainian strike.

The Investigative Committee said four Ukrainian drones were used in the raid, which the agency designated as a terrorist attack.

According to Pasechnik, the school was not the only target in what he described as a broader raid on the town. Starobelsk is located around 80 km north of Lugansk, the regional capital of the Lugansk People’s Republic, which broke away from Ukraine following the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev and formally voted to join Russia in a referendum in 2022.

The governor said administrative buildings, shops, and private homes were also damaged, with at least one additional person injured. He published images showing several badly damaged buildings, including the school, some of them still on fire. … Full article

Ukrainian drones could trigger NATO-Russia war – Fico

RT | May 22, 2026

Ukrainian drone flyovers over NATO members’ territory could lead to uncontrollable military escalation if Western leaders continue to refuse direct dialogue with Russia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned.

Since mid-March, Ukrainian long-range drones have repeatedly crossed Baltic and Nordic airspace, with several NATO states reporting UAV crashes on their territory. Moscow has accused NATO members of quietly allowing Ukraine to use their airspace to strike Russian targets, particularly energy facilities in Leningrad Region. … Full article

Revealed: USAID, NED & Open Society Quietly Bankroll Cuba’s “Independent” Media In Push for Regime Change

By Alan MACLEOD | MintPress News | May 15, 2026

Amid escalating U.S. aggression towards the Cuban island through a maximum pressure campaign and the threat of military intervention, the United States government has been covertly funding a huge network of Cuban media outlets that claim to be independent in a push for regime change against the independent socialist government.

These outlets present themselves as unbiased investigative journalism, but are quietly being financed by Washington through USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy and the Open Society Foundation in order to sow discontent across the Caribbean nation, softening it up for a potentially “imminent” invasion by the Trump administration. … continue

The Rank Hypocrisy of the Trump Indictment of Raúl Castro

By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | May 21, 2026

… The decades-long illegal effort by the US to destabilize and terrorize the Cuban people is not part of the argument in regard to the arrest Raúl Castro and his involvement in the downing of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft. There would be little argument if the US had shot down Cuban aircraft assisting anti-American terrorists in Miami. … Read full article

Merkel Urges EU to Keep Regulating Social Media Speech

By Christina Maas | Reclaim The Net | May 21, 2026

Angela Merkel used her first major European platform since leaving office to tell the EU exactly what it wanted to hear: keep regulating speech online, and don’t worry too much about getting it wrong.

The former German chancellor, speaking Tuesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, urged the bloc to “continue regulating the social media” and artificial intelligence. “To believe that responsibility for spreading information is no longer necessary, that accountability – there should be no accountability for lies, then that would undermine democracy,” she told the chamber.

Lies. Who decides what counts as a lie? In the EU’s model, that question gets answered by the European Commission, by government-appointed regulators, by “trusted flaggers” that platforms are legally required to obey. Not by courts. Not through anything resembling due process.

Merkel knows this system well. Her government built the prototype. Germany’s NetzDG law, passed under her chancellorship in 2017, required platforms to delete “clearly illegal” content within 24 hours or face fines up to €50 million.

The people whose speech got censored under it included a satirical magazine, a political street artist, and an opposition party leader. NetzDG became an export product, copied by governments in Russia, Turkey, and across Southeast Asia, each adapting it to their own definition of “illegal.” … continue

Incoming Chief of UK Speech Regulator Takes Aim at VPNs

By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | May 21, 2026

Ian Cheshire, the government’s pick to run the UK’s speech regulator, appeared before the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee on Wednesday and laid out what amounts to an acceleration plan for online censorship.

He pledged to take on the “big tech bros,” branded VPNs as a “technical problem,” identified YouTube as needing a whole new set of regulatory powers, and hinted that Ofcom will ask the Treasury for more funding. … continue

The Rank Hypocrisy of the Trump Indictment of Raúl Castro

By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | May 21, 2026

… The decades-long illegal effort by the US to destabilize and terrorize the Cuban people is not part of the argument in regard to the arrest Raúl Castro and his involvement in the downing of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft. There would be little argument if the US had shot down Cuban aircraft assisting anti-American terrorists in Miami. … Read full article

Jewish settlers steal dozens of sheep, attack citizens and cars in West Bank

Palestinian Information Center – May 21, 2026

Extremist Jewish settlers committed a series of crimes on Thursday in the occupied West Bank, reportedly stealing dozens of sheep and attacking Palestinian civilians and vehicles.

According to local sources, a group of armed settlers infiltrated a sheep pen in the Khirbet al-Nabi area of Masafer Yatta, south of al-Khalil, and stole 45 sheep belonging to Ibrahim Abu Ali.

In the same area, settlers dressed in Israeli army uniforms detained and savagely assaulted a Palestinian citizen identified as Mohamed al-Nawajaa and damaged his car.

In the town of Bani Na‘im, east of al-Khalil, Israeli forces detained dozens of Palestinian citizens, searching and abusing them before releasing them.

In Bethlehem, a group of settlers attacked a vehicle transporting students from the village of al-Rashayda to their school in Kisan, east of the governorate, after blocking the main road near the illegal Ma‘ale Amos settlement, causing panic among the students.

Settler attacks on Palestinian students heading to school in the villages of Kisan and al-Rashayda have intensified recently.

In Nablus, a Palestinian woman sustained injuries in a road accident after her vehicle was attacked by settlers near the illegal Yitzhar settlement south of the city. She was rushed to the hospital for medical assistance.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian man and his son suffered injuries and bruises after being beaten by settlers in the town of Yasid, north of Nablus.

On Wednesday evening, settlers attacked Palestinian homes in the al-Massoudiya area of Nablus and fired live bullets at them, with no reported casualties.

Other settlers also stole construction materials belonging to Palestinians from the plain of Turmus Ayya town, north of Ramallah.

Six Palestinians Killed in Israeli Attacks Across Gaza, Thursday

IMEMC | May 21, 2026

Israeli occupation forces killed six Palestinians and injured dozens more on Thursday in multiple attacks across the besieged and devastated Gaza Strip, including drone fire, shelling of tents sheltering displaced families, and live ammunition targeting civilians in Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al‑Balah, and Beit Lahia.

Israeli drone fire killed Fatima al‑Zahra Ramzi al‑Ma‘ani, 26, in the al‑Mahatta area east of Deir al‑Balah in central Gaza.

Medical teams at al‑Aqsa Hospital confirmed that she was struck by live fire from an Israeli quadcopter while civilians were gathered in the area.

In southern Gaza, an Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced families in the al‑Mawasi area west of Khan Younis killed Mohammad Salah Abu Habib and injured four others.

Later in the day, another Israeli strike on a tent for displaced Palestinians in the same district killed an additional civilian and wounded several more.

Residents in the town of al‑Qarara northeast of Khan Younis discovered the remains of a Palestinian killed in an earlier Israeli attack. The body was transferred to al‑Aqsa Hospital in Deir al‑Balah.

Emergency crews also recovered the bodies of two Palestinian truck drivers shot dead by Israeli forces in the al‑Mawasi area of Rafah, in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip.

The victims were identified as Mohammad Abdul‑Fattah Ali al‑Heila and Mahmoud Nafez Mohammad Awad, both employees of a private transport company.

In northern Gaza, Israeli quadcopter fire killed 13‑year‑old Jude Tal‘at Dweik and injured two others in Beit Lahia. The child had been trying to obtain food from an aid center when the soldiers bombed the area.

In a separate attack, an Israeli drone dropped an explosive near the Halawa displacement camp in Jabalia, injuring at least one civilian.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian man in al‑Qarara, while another civilian was killed and several others injured when an Israeli quadcopter dropped an explosive device on a group of residents in the Beit Lahia project area.

Trump’s Gaza ‘peace’ board in turmoil as funding pledges fail to materialise

MEMO | May 21, 2026

Donald Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace” for Gaza has warned that a gap between pledged funds and money actually disbursed must be closed urgently, raising fresh doubts over the US-led scheme already widely viewed as the president’s vanity project rather than a serious plan to rebuild the besieged Palestinian enclave.

A report submitted to the United Nations Security Council said: “The gap between commitment and disbursement must be closed with urgency.” It warned that funds pledged but not transferred mark “the difference between a framework that exists on paper and one that delivers on the ground for the people of Gaza.”

Trump established the Board of Peace to oversee his plan to end Israel’s genocide on Gaza and rebuild the territory, large parts of which have been reduced to rubble after more than two years of bombing. The reconstruction effort is estimated to cost around $70 billion, while $17 billion has reportedly been pledged to the board so far. … continue

Palestinian Prisoners Club says Israel uses detention of solidarity activists to intimidate global supporters

MEMO | May 21, 2026

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said on Wednesday that Israel has turned the detention and abduction of international solidarity activists into a systematic policy aimed at intimidating supporters of the Palestinian cause worldwide.

In a statement, the organisation said Israeli authorities seek to send a message that anyone showing solidarity with the Palestinian people could face detention, abuse, arrest and torture.

The statement followed the circulation of videos released by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing the mistreatment of activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the “Global Solidarity Flotilla,” who were detained by Israeli forces while attempting to reach the Gaza Strip.

According to the Prisoners Club, Israeli authorities intercepted the activists in international waters and forcibly transferred them to the Port of Ashdod.

The organisation described the scenes shown in the videos as involving humiliation, mistreatment and abuse, arguing that they reflect treatment routinely experienced by Palestinian and Arab detainees in Israeli prisons.

The group further stated that the involvement of Ben-Gvir in the filmed incidents highlighted what it characterised as the broader policy of intimidation directed against international solidarity movements supporting Palestinians.

‘Unprecedented act of savagery’: How Israel’s new law places Palestinians on death row by default

By Zeynep Conkar | TRT World | May 19, 2026

Israel has become the first Western-aligned “democracy” to legislate a mandatory death penalty targeting a single ethnic group under military occupation, and this week, it put that law into force. … continue

Israeli soldiers say looting, destruction ‘primary mission’ in southern Lebanon

Press TV – May 21, 2026

Israeli soldiers occupying southern Lebanon have engaged in widespread looting of civilian homes and businesses alongside the systematic destruction of villages, with commanding officers turning a blind eye to the practice, according to testimonies published by Haaretz.

Five soldiers from different units described a battlefield culture resembling that of a “Viking army,” where discipline has given way to moral disintegration and a lawless environment prevails, the newspaper reported.

“For most of the senior commanders, it did not matter. Soldiers looted even when the brigade commander came to visit, and he turned a blind eye,” one soldier testified. … Full article

Naftali Bennett Is Running A Campaign To ‘Fix Israel’s Hasbara’

The Dissident | May 21, 2026

Naftali Bennett, the leader of the Israeli opposition challenging Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, shares the exact same genocidal, expansionist vision of greater Israel as Netanyahu, arguably in an even more extreme way. … continue

US Provided Most of Israel’s Missile Defense During Iran War

By Kyle Anzalone | The Libertarian Institute | May 21, 2026

The US fired hundreds of its most advanced interceptors to protect Israel from Iranian missiles during the first five weeks of the war.

According to a Department of War assessment described to The Washington Post, the US used 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and over 100 SM-3 and SM-6 missiles in defense of Israel. Israel only used 100 Arrow interceptors and 90 David’s Sling missiles.

Speaking about the imbalance, an administration official told The Post, “In total, the U.S. shot around 120 more interceptors and engaged twice as many Iranian missiles.” The official added that “The imbalance will likely be exacerbated if fighting restarts.”

The imbalance occurs because Washington and Tel Aviv developed a strategy for the defense of Israel, where the US advanced interceptors handled the bulk of the Iranian missiles. The official said that the policy resulted in a significant “drawdown” of the US interceptor stockpile. … continue

Boxed into a Corner: Iran Has Outsmarted Trump Every Step of The Way

By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | May 21, 2026

US President Donald Trump has boxed himself into a corner that his ego will not allow him to get out of. Instead of Tehran surrendering, it is Washington that has to accept defeat, or risk dragging this regional conflict into a much wider and bloody war. The bottom line– Iran is better at wars of attrition. … continue

Ukrainian drone could have caused mass casualties – Greek defense minister

RT | May 21, 2026

A Ukrainian naval drone found off a Greek island earlier this month could have sunk a civilian ship and led to mass casualties, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has said.

The unmanned surface vessel (USV) was reportedly a Ukrainian Magura V3 kamikaze drone, capable of carrying an explosive payload of up to 300kg. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and senior government officials were reportedly briefed on the matter last week, according to CNN.

Speaking at a conference on Wednesday, Dendias refused to divulge the details of the investigation, but stressed that the drone could have caused immense damage.

“It was obviously something extremely dangerous… there is not the slightest doubt – I repeat, the slightest doubt – that this is a Ukrainian sea drone,” he said, adding that if a cruise liner crossed paths with the USV, the ship would have been at “the bottom of the sea.”

How many dead would we have mourned? And how permissible is this thing in the Mediterranean? … continue

Germany at the Crossroads: Revanchism Versus Diplomacy

Sputnik – 21.05.2026

Amid the conflict in Ukraine, voices in the German establishment increasingly call for strengthening the armed forces to counter the perceived Russian menace.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to make the German army the strongest in Europe, while Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warns of a new military threat from Russia, which Europe has “forgotten over the last 20 to 30 years.”

An art installation in Berlin’s Thomas Schulte Gallery displayed the Ukrainian phrase “The best gift — dead Russians”, sparking debate over the anti-Russian provocation when the exhibition claims to condemn violence.

But not all politicians support militarization or war… continue

‘Energy tsunami’ to hit Europe – Putin envoy

RT | May 21, 2026

Europe is facing an “energy crisis tsunami” following a series of political earthquakes, Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev has warned. The forecast comes as energy shocks caused by the US‑Israeli war on Iran continue to destabilize supplies across the region. […]

Several officials across the EU have called for restoring energy ties with Russia to tackle the crisis. However, the European Commission has stated that there will be no return to Russian energy imports and it will continue to pursue a full phase-out of Russian fossil fuels by 2027.

Earlier this year, Dmitriev said that the EU would “inevitably beg” for Russian gas, as energy prices are projected to further increase. He has also stated that the bloc is the last in line among Russian energy consumers as Moscow expands projects with other countries. – Full article

Poles were supposed to have a referendum on the EU Green Deal but president’s proposal fails to pass Senate

Remix News | May 21, 2026

The Polish Senate has rejected President Karol Nawrocki’s proposal for a nationwide referendum on the European Union’s climate policy. Earlier this month, the president submitted a motion to allow Poles to express their opinion on the EU’s Green Deal.

“Are you in favour of implementing climate policy, which has led to an increase in the cost of living of citizens, energy prices and the cost of running a business and agricultural activity?” This was the question submitted that Nawrocki wanted Poles to answer.

Yesterday, 32 MPs voted in favor of the resolution, 62 voted against, and one abstained. … Full article

Canada’s Military Punished Whistleblowers Who Flagged Illegal COVID Speech Monitoring

Six years later, the legal vacuum that made domestic surveillance possible hasn’t moved an inch.

By Rick Findlay | Reclaim The Net | May 20, 2026

The Canadian Armed Forces reprimanded soldiers who warned that an order to spy on citizens during COVID-19 could violate intelligence-gathering rules. The soldiers were right. The military punished them anyway.

Internal records and emails obtained by CBC News show that on March 11, 2020, a team called Joint Operational Effects (JOE) was ordered to create anonymous social media accounts and scour the internet for information about Canadians. … continue

Google sued by ex-engineer for firing over protesting Israeli contacts

Al Mayadeen | May 20, 2026

Google is facing a legal challenge from an AI engineer who says he was unfairly dismissed after protesting against the company’s work for the Israeli government, in a case that highlights mounting concerns over the social and ethical implications of artificial intelligence.

The engineer, who is of Palestinian heritage and has requested anonymity, distributed flyers around Google DeepMind’s London offices reading: “Google provides military AI to forces committing genocide.”

He also asked colleagues: “Is your paycheck worth this?” In addition, he emailed colleagues about Google’s 2025 decision to drop a promise not to pursue weapons that harm people and surveillance that violates international norms, urging them to unionize.

According to a claim filed with the UK’s employment tribunal, the worker alleges that Google discriminated against his belief that no one should be complicit in war crimes. He maintains that by emailing and leafleting colleagues, he was acting as a whistleblower. He stated he was laid off in September following meetings with human resources, after which Google concluded he had resigned, a claim he denies. … Full article

Ghent University protests demand full Israeli academic boycott

Al Mayadeen | May 20, 2026

Pro-Palestine demonstrators occupied the rectorate building of Ghent University on Wednesday, demanding the institution completely end its academic and research relationships with Israeli entities, according to Belga News Agency.

The protest came after the university announced it would withdraw from five remaining projects linked to Israeli partners under the Horizon Europe framework. Activists argued the measure did not go far enough and accused the university of maintaining ongoing cooperation despite the decision.

The latest mobilization builds on a campaign that began in 2024, when pro-Palestine students established encampments and demonstrations at the university amid the Israeli war on Gaza. Following those protests, UGent severed ties with several Israeli institutions, including the Holon Institute of Technology, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, and the Volcani Center after the university concluded they no longer met its human rights standards. … Full article

Israeli forces burn several homes in Jenin refugee camp

MEMO | May 20, 2026

Israeli forces on Tuesday evening burned several homes in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank.

Local sources said Israeli forces set fire to a house in the Tal’at al-Ghabr area and another belonging to the Al-Rashid family. The sources said the Israeli army had been using the homes as military barracks for more than a year and a half.

The sources added that Israeli forces also burned another house in the camp later in the evening, although its ownership was not immediately known.

The Israeli army launched a large-scale military operation in the city of Jenin and its refugee camp on 21st January 2025, displacing all residents of the camp and surrounding areas, estimated at around 22,000 people.

Lebanon: 31 people killed, 61 injured in 24 hours

Palestinian Information Center – May 20, 2026

BEIRUT – The Lebanese health ministry announced today, Wednesday, that 31 people were killed and 61 others were injured in the past 24 hours.

According to the ministry, the death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression, which started on March 2, 2026, has climbed to 3,073 martyrs, while the total number of the wounded has increased to 9,362 people.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, according to the country’s health ministry and media.

12 of them, including three children and three women, were killed in a single attack that hit a house in the town of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The San Diego Shooting and the Effort to Silence Criticism of Zionism

By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | May 20, 2026

Not long after a couple kids shot up a mosque in San Diego, the Jewish American Security Act (JASA) was rolled out in the Senate by two uniparty “representatives,” Jacky Rosen (Democrat faction) and James Lankford (Republican faction). … continue

Iran blasts CENTCOM’s ‘shameless distortion’ on Minab school massacre

Press TV – May 20, 2026

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has rejected as totally “baseless” the US Central Command (CENTCOM)’s narrative regarding the missile strike on Minab’s Shajareh Tayyebeh school, saying the US is attempting to shun accountability for the massacre of more than 170 students and teachers.

In a post on his X account early Wednesday, Esmaeil Baghaei said that the “claim by US Central Command (CENTCOM) that the targeted #Shajareh_Tayyebeh Elementary School in #Minab was located within a ‘missile launch facility’ is a baseless fabrication and an appalling lie.”

On the very first day of the unprovoked war of aggression by a US-Israeli military coalition on February 28, US Tomahawk missiles struck Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School in Minab, in southern Iran, killing at least 175 people, most of them schoolgirls.

Baghaei’s remarks came after Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, claimed during a House committee hearing that the school was located near an active Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) cruise missile base. … continue

IRGC Navy says more ships transiting Strait of Hormuz under its coordination

Press TV – May 20, 2026

Iran reports increased ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz under new arrangements to facilitate transit via the key Persian Gulf waterway.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Wednesday that a total of 26 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.

The IRGC Navy’s command, which controls the Strait in cooperation with the Iranian Army, said in a statement that the ships that passed through the Strait during the period included “oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels”. … continue

Wrong, Sky News, Human-Caused Climate Change Isn’t to Blame for the Alaskan Megatsunami

By Linnea Lueken | Climate Realism | May 18, 2026

Sky News claims that a recent Alaskan tsunami was caused by a climate change-induced landslide. This claim is speculative at best, since it is difficult to say whether the particular tidewater glacier is retreating because of warming or other factors that impact glacial movement. Climate change and glacial retreat have always occurred, but media overuse of the former term conflates natural shifts with supposed human-caused change. This has made it difficult, if not impossible, to discuss natural hazards. … continue

In the UK, the classroom has become ground zero for woke ideology

By George Samuelson | Strategic Culture Foundation | May 20, 2026

In yet another chapter pulled straight from the pages of Orwell, educators across Wales are being trained to identify and report “racist incidents” by toddlers – yes, you read that right, toddlers – under new legislation endorsed by government ministers and funded by taxpayers.

The initiative turns daycare centers into miniature surveillance camps for the government’s “anti-racism” agenda.

The program has received over £1.3 million in taxpayer funding via the Welsh Government, and distributed to more than 300 nurseries, daycare centers and kindergartens.

Administrators are absurdly advised to determine whether a child’s interaction with other children could be considered a hate crime and, if so, contact police. … continue

Six Russians Jailed in Armenia on Flimsy Espionage Allegations

Sputnik – 20.05.2026

Armenia continues to hold six Russian citizens on espionage-related charges linked to alleged filming activities for Azerbaijan, despite what their supporters describe as weak evidence and the absence of any classified material, RT reports.

The individuals—Artem Makhmutov, Daniil Semenyuk, Viktor Tikhomirov, Emirkhan Emirkhanov, Said Aliyev, and Vladislav Yeliseyev—were detained between June 2024 and March 2026. Three of them grew up together in a Moscow orphanage.

According to the defense, they were hired to film a documentary about Azerbaijani cultural heritage sites in Armenia, including mosques, cemeteries, and churches. None of the locations were restricted or classified. Daniil Semenyuk was arrested at the airport before entering the country.

The producer who commissioned the project, a Russian national from the film industry, has since disappeared and cannot be reached. Viktor Tikhomirov went to Armenia to investigate his friends’ detention and was subsequently arrested himself. … continue

Europe’s Irrationality & Inability to Discuss War

By Prof. Glenn Diesen | May 20, 2026

I argue that European states have made themselves legitimate targets by being participants in attacks on Russia. The emotional and often hysterical reactions this argument provokes reveal the extent of the radicalisation engulfing Europe.

Most countries avoid sending weapons to states engaged in war precisely because doing so risks making them participants in the conflict. Many Western leaders, from Boris Johnson to Marco Rubio, recognise that this is a proxy war. European states provide weapons, intelligence, targeting, planning, and contractors. European leaders openly speak about the need to bring the war to Russian territory and to destroy Russian refineries, while rapidly expanding the production of long-range weapons to support this objective. Attacks are now also being launched from the territory of the Baltic states. It is therefore difficult to deny that European states are directly involved in military actions against Russia. As this involvement escalates, Russia is under ever-greater pressure to retaliate and restore its deterrence. This should all be common sense, yet in Europe, recognising the march to war is considered a controversial observation. Why? … continue

Russia once again denounces Kiev’s crimes against the Orthodox Church

By Lucas Leiroz | Strategic Culture Foundation | May 20, 2026

The Ukrainian regime continues intensifying its persecution against the faith traditionally followed by the majority of the local population. In yet another episode exposing the worsening internal crisis in Kiev, a Russian human rights organization recently sent an official letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, denouncing what can be described as a systematic campaign of persecution against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The document, signed by Ivan Melnikov, vice-president of the International Movement Human Rights Defense Committee, described a series of violations allegedly committed by Ukrainian authorities and radical nationalist groups. According to the complaint, the Kiev regime has been promoting continuous repression against representatives of the Orthodox Church historically linked to the Moscow Patriarchate, while simultaneously favoring the so-called “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, considered politically aligned with the Ukrainian government.

According to the letter sent to the UN, the process of religious persecution has intensified proportionally to the escalation of the war. In recent years, hundreds of canonical Orthodox churches have been forcibly seized by radical activists and Ukrainian security forces. The purpose of these operations would be to transfer the temples to religious structures considered more loyal to Kiev’s current political project. … continue

Most popular German party disproportionally targeted by violent attacks

RT | May 20, 2026

Almost two out of three violent attacks against politicians in Germany in 2025 targeted members of Alternative for Germany (AfD), government data shows. An MP from the right-wing party blamed the development on what he called a years-long defamation campaign.

AfD politicians were targets in a total of 121 cases last year, almost twice as many as all other major German political parties combined, the federal government said in a response to a parliamentary inquiry by AfD MP Martin Hess. The party was also the most frequent target of non-violent politically motivated offenses, the data suggested. The total number of crimes committed against the AfD in 2025 surpassed 1,800.

Around 60% of violent politically-motivated crimes were committed by left-wing suspects, Nius media outlet reported, citing police data provided by the government. Only 11% of offenses were reportedly attributed to right-wing suspects. … Full article

If Thomas Massie Was President…

By Alan Mosley | The Libertarian Institute | May 20, 2026

If Thomas Massie were president, there would be no American involvement in the war in Iran. Rep. Massie (R-KY) introduced a bipartisan resolution barring “unauthorized hostilities” against Iran and said flatly that, “The ongoing war between Israel and Iran is not our war.” Massie respects the Constitution: Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war. A Massie presidency would not begin hostilities at the behest of a foreign nation and then pretend the War Powers Resolution clock never started when Iran didn’t turn out like Venezuela (which he also wouldn’t have started). … continue