Aletho News

Gaza genocide: 1,022 infants among more than 21,500 children killed by Israel in 1,000 days

Over 11,000 children have suffered “life-changing” injuries, including up to 4,000 cases of limb amputations.

Press TV – July 4, 2026

Israeli forces have killed 1,022 infants among more than 21,500 Palestinian children killed during the Zionist regime’s ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which entered its 1,001st day on Saturday.

According to official figures released on Friday by Gaza’s Government Media Office, more than 21,500 children, including 1,022 infants, have been killed since Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023.

According to the figures, the total number of Palestinians killed has reached 73,066, while 173,514 others have been injured.

Also, some 9,500 Palestinians remain unaccounted for and have gone missing since the war started. … continue

Rights center documents 83 Israeli attacks on Christians in 3 months, mostly in occupied Jerusalem

MEMO | July 3, 2026

This April to June saw 83 Israeli attacks on Christians in Israel or Israeli-occupied territories in 76 incidents, most of them in Jerusalem, according to a report released Friday, Anadolu reports.

The report was issued by Israel’s Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC) and the its Hotline for Documenting Harassment against Christians in Israel, a nongovernmental center specializing in documenting attacks related to freedom of worship.

According to the report, 68 incidents took place inside Jerusalem, a city also revered by Christians. Two incidents were recorded in Haifa and the Galilee in northern Israel, one in the Sea of Galilee area, one in the West Bank, one in Beit Shemesh west of Jerusalem, and two in Mevaseret Zion west of Jerusalem. The report did not give the location of the remaining incident.

Of the 68 incidents recorded in Jerusalem, 46 took place in the Old City, 13 in West Jerusalem and nine on Mount Zion, a historic hill southwest of the Old City, the report said.

“As in previous reports, the high number of spitting incidents remains particularly striking. During this quarter, 47 incidents involved spitting, accounting for 56% of all recorded forms of harassment,” the RFDC said.

“In recent years, these acts have increasingly taken place openly, in broad daylight, and at times in a deliberately demonstrative manner. In several cases, perpetrators even explained to Hotline volunteers—and on camera—why they believed such behavior was justified,” it added.

The center said reported incidents included Israeli parents spitting and directing insults in front of their children, and encouraging them to do the same. … continue

Explainer: Which foreign delegations attended the funeral of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution?

Press TV – July 4, 2026

The funeral ceremony for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, brought together one of the largest gatherings of foreign dignitaries in Iran in recent decades, with representatives from across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and major international organizations attending the event in Tehran.

The delegations included presidents, prime ministers, parliamentary speakers, foreign ministers, senior government officials, political leaders, and representatives of religious organizations and resistance movements, underscoring the broad international participation in the ceremony. … continue

House Vote on NDAA Blocked after Republican Members Rebel

By Adam Dick | Ron Paul Institute | July 3, 2026

Typically, all the members of the majority party in the House of Representatives vote for the rule to bring legislation to the House floor for debate, even if some of those members plan to vote against the legislation after the floor debate. Meanwhile, minority party House members typically all vote against the rule. But, on occasion, some majority party members think there is something wrong enough with legislation or the process by which leadership is seeking to bring the legislation to the House floor that they rebel, voting “no” on the rule.

Such rebellious votes can make a point. They seldom, though, prevent a bill from reaching the House floor. But, when the majority party’s margin is small, a few rebellious members in the majority party joining the minority party’s unanimous opposition to a rule can prevent a bill from reaching the floor. That is what happened Tuesday when several Republican members, for various reasons, voted “no” on the rule for consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA rule vote having failed, no House final vote can take place on this bill concerning military policy and spending unless a rule for the bill is first approved after the House returns from recess on July 13. In a Tuesday Kucinich Report article, former House member Dennis Kucinich — a Ron Paul Institute Advisory Board member — along with his coauthor wife Elizabeth Kucinich provided an explanation of how a Republican members rebellion stopped the vote this week on the NDAA. The NDAA, they further wrote, would, among other things, make a mammoth increase in the US government’s military spending and merge the US and Israel militaries. Read their article here.

UK and Israel criticized for persecuting anti-genocide advocates

Press TV – July 4, 2026

Protesters gathered outside the General Medical Council’s headquarters in London to slam the council’s attempt to silence those speaking out about the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Protesters describe the surgeon as one of the world’s leading war doctors and argue that the regulator’s actions amount to an attempt to silence those who speak publicly about the realities of war… continue

UK Police Warn Man Over Pub Tweets

By Cam Wakefield | Reclaim The Net | July 3, 20265 

Two Metropolitan Police officers walked into a Chiswick pub on the evening of July 2nd, found a man having a drink with a friend, and asked him to step outside. He had broken no law, a point the officers themselves conceded on camera. His “offense,” such as it was, came down to a handful of tweets about a local councillor. In Britain, which is in the midst of a dark censorship nightmare, that now counts as reason enough to send two constables to your table on a warm London evening.

The man is Alastair Hilton, a photographer who lives on a narrowboat and, until this week, an anonymous Chiswick regular. The councillor is Rick Rowe, a Green who took the Chiswick Riverside ward in May and lives, by Hilton’s account, close enough to the riverside pubs to complain about them almost daily. Between them sits one of the more absurd local rows Britain has produced this year, and one of the more telling.

The dispute itself is almost sweet in its pettiness. Three pubs on Strand-on-the-Green, the City Barge, the Bell & Crown, and the Bull’s Head, have set tables beside the Thames for decades. Labour-run Hounslow Council told them to clear the furniture off the pavement, citing licensing and the Highways Act. Hilton, watching a corner of the neighborhood empty itself out on a sunny afternoon, reached for his phone.

“This is the City Barge pub in Chiswick right now. What do you notice? It’s 3pm and they’re open,” he wrote on X. “It’s a sunny day. Yes, that’s right; they have had to remove all of the tables and chairs outside. They have had to destroy their own business.”

The reason, as he saw it, ran like this. “Because Rick Rowe, a Green Party councillor on Hounslow council, who lives very, very, very close to this pub and complains about it almost daily, has banned all three pubs here on strand on the Green Chiswick, from having outside tables.”

Strong words and a strong opinion, the sort of thing pubs and their regulars have shouted about since licensing began. No threat, no protest, no crime. But two officers turned up at his table. … Full article

Australia’s Top Censor Wants Power Over The “Ratio”

By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | July 3, 20265 

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner wants legal power to order social media companies to shield favored users from criticism and to suspend everyone piling on against them. Julie Inman Grant made the pitch on July 2, testifying to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, the government probe set up after the Bondi Beach terror attack.

She calls the tool a “notification power.” What it does is let her office tell a platform that a particular Australian account is under heavy criticism and demand that the platform punish the accounts responsible.

Her own description of the trigger runs to “insulting” and “ugly” comments stacking up beneath someone’s posts. “If there’s a pile-on, if there’s a brigade, if it’s meant to be an avalanche of online hate, we put the onus back on the platform to say, this Australian is being targeted,” she told the commission.

“We expect you to protect their account and take action against all of those people that you can see… whether it’s you just suspend them or you take them away.” […]

The fix she wants hands platforms a standing order to police disapproval on her behalf.

Grant does not think of this as censorship, of course. Asked about companies that frame their resistance as free speech, she said “it’s easy to slip a censorship label on just about anything,” and offered a softer account of her own work. “What we’re trying to do is minimize harm. Encourage as much speech as possible, but when it veers into the lane of hurting individuals, hurting communities, hurting society and undermining democracy, I think we all need to band together and take more of a stand.”

The regulator asking for authority to suspend users in bulk says her goal is more speech.

Who defines the harm that flips speech from protected to punishable? She does. Phrases like “hurting communities” and “undermining democracy” stretch far enough to cover most heated political argument, and the office reaching for them writes the definition. … Full article

Motion Asks Judge to Force FBI Disclosure of Potential Twitter Censorship Payments

By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | July 3, 20265 

The New Civil Liberties Alliance wants to know whether the FBI spent tax dollars getting platforms to bury Americans’ speech. On June 30 it asked a federal judge to force an answer.

NCLA filed a motion for summary judgment in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the latest move in its case against the FBI and the Justice Department.

The request itself is narrow, covering records responsive to a FOIA filing NCLA made in January 2023 about money the Bureau reportedly routed to social media companies, media outlets, and other private groups.

Beyond the paperwork are the questions the FBI won’t touch. Did it pay platforms to honor its takedown requests? Did it pay them to rewrite moderation rules or retune algorithms so that what people saw lined up with what the government wanted them to see?

Nobody outside the Bureau knows because the FBI decided nobody should. It didn’t search for a single document or redact a line. It rejected the request wholesale and reached for a FOIA exemption built for records “compiled for law enforcement purposes” that would expose investigative techniques and help someone evade the law.

On that footing, it claimed it could neither confirm nor deny that any responsive records exist at all.

That claim falls apart against the FBI’s own paper trail. For years the Bureau has said openly that it reimburses X, formerly Twitter, and other providers for the cost of responding to legal process because a statute tells it to. Having already admitted the payments exist, it now insists that admitting the payments exist is too sensitive to hand over.

Reimbursing a company for pulling subpoena records is ordinary housekeeping. Paying a company to reshape what millions of people are allowed to post is a different animal, and that gap is the whole case. The government writes the definition of “misinformation.” If it also cut checks to the platforms enforcing that label, then a federal agency bought private censorship and sent the public the bill. … Full article

Israeli spyware used against ex-Greek MEP during probe of illegal surveillance: Report

MEMO | July 3, 2026

Israeli spyware was used to hack the phone of a former Greek member of the European Parliament while he was serving on a committee investigating spyware abuses in Europe, according to a report by Citizen Lab published on Friday, Anadolu reports.

The University of Toronto-based research group said that forensic analysis found Stelios Kouloglou’s iPhone was successfully infected with Pegasus spyware, developed by Israeli company NSO Group, in October 2022 and again the next March.

Kouloglou, a journalist and former MEP, was at the time a substitute member of the European Parliament’s PEGA committee, which was established to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware in EU member states.

Citizen Lab said the infections took place during key periods of PEGA committee activity and could have exposed non-public information, confidential documents, and internal committee deliberations. … continue

US warned countries over Sayyed Khamenei funeral attendance: Tasnim

Al Mayadeen | July 3, 2026

The United States has launched a broad diplomatic campaign in recent days aimed at discouraging countries from participating in memorial ceremonies for the martyred Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Tasnim News Agency reported, citing a senior source.

According to the report, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed all American embassies and missions to use available resources to persuade host country officials not to attend the funeral ceremonies. He also directed diplomatic missions to inform governments that participation would be considered an “unfriendly act” from Washington’s perspective.

The agency added that, according to Arab diplomats, Rubio has personally raised the issue with his counterparts in at least five Arab countries.

Tasnim further reported that US ambassadors in African states were warned that participation in the ceremonies could lead to reductions in American aid to those countries.

According to the same source, a major North African country reportedly reduced its level of participation in the ceremonies due to concerns over potential repercussions in its relations with the United States.

The report also claimed that 13 countries, including three from Eastern Europe, five African states, two Gulf countries, and two East Asian countries, have withdrawn from participation in the funeral ceremonies.

Tasnim added that some of the countries that reportedly stepped back under US pressure have sought to justify their absence through diplomatic channels or intermediaries. … Full article

Forget the Vietnam war ‘gap’ we have a real credibility chasm today

Leadership has spun, misled, and kept the populace in the dark through many wars during the country’s 250-year history. This may be the worst.

By Gregory Daddis | Responsible Statecraft | July 3, 2026

When it comes to war, the Trump administration faces a credibility problem. According to CNN, between late March and early June, the president claimed he was on the verge of reaching a peace deal with Iran at least 38 times. Such fabrications came nearly a full year after Trump declared that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been “obliterated” and suffered “monumental damage.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been equally sanguine these past months, bragging at one April Pentagon press conference that Operation Epic Fury, the campaign against Iran launched on February 28, had been “a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a capital-V military victory.” And yet the war continued on.

Now, a tenuous “memorandum of understanding” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift Iranian sanctions, while raising alarm among some members of Congress, has been painted by Trump as a major win thanks to a “record high” stock market and “tumbling” oil prices.

Such optimistic yet fallacious progress reports elicit memories of another American war in which credibility became contested ground, both at home and abroad. … continue

Trump Claims Iran Agreed During Negotiations on Almost Everything US Wanted

Sputnik – 03.07.2026

US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran had agreed on almost everything the United States wanted during the negotiations.

“We totally defeated them militarily. They have some missiles left. We could wipe them out too. I think they’ve agreed to just about everything we need,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC. … Full article

‘Unprecedented corruption,’ crypto ventures help Trump net $2.2bn in profits since return to office

The Cradle | July 3, 2026

US President Donald Trump’s income last year soared to more than $2.2 billion, largely due to cryptocurrency holdings and related ventures he himself was able to regulate, according to financial disclosure forms released on 3 July.

In contrast, during his first term in office, the president’s income was primarily derived from his real estate businesses, including hotels, golf courses, and other properties, such as Mar-a-Lago. In 2024, before returning to the White House, he reported making over $600 million.

Last week, Trump claimed his skyrocketing wealth was due to the stock market’s rise. “You know why I’m profiting, because the stock market’s going up,” he told reporters last week.

However, the president’s financial disclosures indicate most of his new wealth has resulted from cryptocurrency and related ventures, which he has helped enable by relaxing rules on crypto markets. … continue

France, Italy to form new international force for southern Lebanon

MEMO | July 3, 2026

France’s Foreign Ministry has announced ongoing preparations with Italy to form new international coalition forces to be deployed in southern Lebanon after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends.

Speaking to Saudi broadcaster Al Hadath, the ministry said the multinational force would be deployed in southern Lebanon with US backing and the participation of several European countries.

It said the force would be deployed at the request of the Lebanese authorities to support the Lebanese army in carrying out its duties and to strengthen stability.

The ministry added that consultations with partners are continuing to finalise the force’s deployment mechanism, amid security arrangements linked to the recent framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

Israeli drone strikes injure 2 in southern Lebanon despite framework agreement

MEMO | July 3, 2026

Two people were injured Friday in Israeli drone strikes targeting a vehicle in Lebanon’s southern Tyre district, in what Lebanese authorities described as another violation of the framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

The strikes targeted the vehicle overnight in the town of Siddiqin, injuring two people, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported.

In a separate incident, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade in the town of Safad al-Battikh in Bint Jbeil district, with no injuries reported.

Another Israeli drone also dropped a stun grenade in the town of Mansouri in Tyre district, NNA said. … Full article

Palestinians and foreign activists injured in settler attacks northeast of Ramallah

Palestinian Information Center – July 3, 2026

RAMALLAH – A number of Palestinians and foreign solidarity activists were injured on Friday when Israeli settlers attacked residents of Turmus Ayya and Abu Falah towns, northeast of Ramallah, as they attempted to reach their farmland.

Local sources said the assault took place in the Al-Badud area after residents of the two towns organized a march, joined by foreign activists, to help landowners access property threatened with seizure.

The settlers intercepted the participants on the road connecting Turmus Ayya and Abu Falah and prevented them from reaching their land.

According to the sources, the attackers beat participants and sprayed Palestinians and foreign activists with pepper spray, injuring an elderly man and several solidarity activists.

In a separate incident, settlers protected by Israeli occupation forces entered the vicinity of Palestinian homes in Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah.

They assaulted residents and solidarity activists and sprayed them with pepper spray, injuring several people. … Full article

Israel Kills Palestinian Goalkeeper as World Cup Fans Rally for Palestine

Palestine Chronicle | July 2, 2026

Palestinian goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar was killed in Gaza as fans across the FIFA World Cup continued displaying solidarity with Palestine.

• The Palestinian Football Association said goalkeeper Saleem Al-Ashqar was killed by Israeli army fire in Gaza.
• The association said more than 1,000 Palestinian athletes have been killed since October 2023.
• Palestinian flags and “Free Palestine” messages have appeared throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Fans and football clubs have also renewed calls to “Show Israel the Red Card” over the war on Gaza.

Full article

UN, MSM: Israel Is Deliberately and Genocidally Murdering Children

By Kevin Barrett – American Free Press – July 3, 2026

American mass media have historically demonized Palestinians and downplayed or covered up Israel’s crimes. But on June 24, Americans woke up to a CNN headline that must have made more than a few of them choke on their kosher coffee. That headline put it plainly: “Israel deliberately targeting children in ongoing genocide against Palestinians, UN commission finds.”

CNN’s headline included two assertions that have been true for decades: 1) Israel deliberately murders children, not accidentally as so-called collateral damage, but deliberately as part of a de facto national policy; and 2) Israel is committing “an ongoing genocide against Palestinians.” And while it is shocking that any government is pursuing such unbelievably evil policies, and even more shocking that American taxpayers are paying for it, the most shocking thing of all is that American mainstream media are finally admitting the truth after 78 years of systematic Israeli child-killing and genocide. … continue

Iran, Oman finalize Hormuz navigation deal; no role for US: Ghalibaf

Al Mayadeen | July 3, 2026

Iran and Oman have worked out a mechanism to manage navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced on Friday, making clear that Washington would have no part in it.

The agreement with Muscat, based on Article Five of the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding, is now moving into the implementation phase, Ghalibaf revealed, adding that Tehran would coordinate with other Gulf states bordering the strait as the plan rolls out.

Ghalibaf also aimed at the Israeli regime, accusing it of trying to torpedo the MoU altogether. Still, he expressed confidence that Iran’s regional deterrent posture would be enough to head off another war.

His comments came the same day Iran’s acting defense minister, Brigadier General Majid Ebn al-Reza, warned that any breach of the ceasefire would be dealt with immediately. Iran trusts its allies, he said, but not its enemies, and its forces remain ready to act.

“There is no doubt that we will take the appropriate and necessary measures in the event of any violation of the ceasefire provisions,” Ebn al-Reza said, warning against any attempt by non-regional powers to exploit the strait.

What is Article 5?

An excerpt of Article 5 of the MoU states that the Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, in discussion with other Gulf littoral states, in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of littoral states of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and Oman had earlier reached a consensus to establish the joint committee as part of their ongoing follow-up to the MoU. … Full article

India to collect voice samples of arrested Ukrainian and US mercenaries

RT | July 3, 2026

India will collect the voice samples of six mercenaries – five Ukrainians and a US national – who were arrested in March by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), New Delhi’s anti-terror agency.

Together with another Ukrainian, they were arrested in March; all have been charged with aiding insurgent groups in neighboring Myanmar and providing them with weaponry.

The six were presented before a Delhi court on Friday amid heavy security, and were told they would remain in custody until August 1. … continue

Latin American media, businessman rebut US’ claim of China ‘taking over’ Panama Canal

By Tang Luyi and Tao Mingyang – Global Times – July 3, 2026

The US’ latest claim that China is trying to take control over Panama Canal has drawn rebuttals from Spanish-language media outlets, while a Chinese businessman based in Panama told the Global Times that the canal’s core operations rest entirely in the hands of the Panamanian authorities, making the claim of the so-called Chinese pursuit of control of the canal completely groundless.

US President Donald Trump claimed ⁠on Wednesday that the US will not let ‌China ⁠take over the Panama Canal, Reuters reported. In delivering remarks at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Trump claimed “China is trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we’re not going to let that happen,” according to the NBC.

The remarks quickly drew criticism from Spanish-language media. Colombian news magazine Semana cited a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Panama, which said that China has never participated in the management or operation of the Panama Canal, nor has it ever interfered in the canal’s affairs. The embassy said China has always respected Panama’s sovereignty over the canal and recognizes it as a permanently neutral international waterway. … continue

At least five killed in Ukrainian strike on Russian market – governor

RT | July 3, 2026

A Ukrainian drone strike on a market in Tokmak, Zaporozhye Region has left at least five residents dead and another 18 injured on Friday, Governor Evgeny Balitsky has reported.

The Russian official stressed that the casualty count is preliminary, as local rescue services continue to respond to the emergency.

His initial report said victims were being rushed to a local hospital amid an ongoing Ukrainian raid.

Balitsky said Ukrainian forces deliberately struck people who were buying groceries and fit a pattern of attacks against civilian locations.

A series of Ukrainian overnight attacks on the region have killed three people and injured several others, Balitsky previously said. One of the fatalities was the driver of a truck hit by a drone, according to the official. The two others were an elderly couple, whose bodies were recovered from a destroyed rural home.

Zaporozhye Region is among former Ukrainian territories that Kiev claims sovereignty over and seeks to retake through continued hostilities. It joined Russia following a referendum in late 2022, which the Ukrainian government branded a “sham.” Parts of the region remain under control of Ukrainian forces.

Earlier in the day, the acting governor of Russia’s Belgorod Region, Aleksandr Shuvaev, reported that an overnight missile strike killed a woman and left another one injured.

‘Germ Games’: NIH emails reveal the military strategy behind pandemic planning

New emails show how pandemic preparedness was reframed through a military lens at Davos in 2016, with senior NIH officials drawn in.

By Maryanne Demasi, PhD | MD REPORTS | June 28, 2026

Behind closed doors at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2016, senior figures from the Gates Foundation and the World Bank proposed a new approach to pandemic preparedness: large-scale simulations modelled on military war games.

Newly obtained internal emails show how the idea — referred to as “Germ Games” — gained rapid momentum and drew in the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

On January 10, 2016, as then-NIH Director Francis Collins prepared to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, he emailed an advance copy of his schedule to Anthony Fauci, one of his closest advisers.

One session, in particular, caught his attention.

“This Davos session sounds like a potential land mine,” Collins wrote.

The meeting, titled “Vaccine Innovation for Pandemic Preparedness,” brought together executives from GSK, Merck and Johnson & Johnson, along with representatives from the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. … continue

Can You See The Climate Scare Slowly Fading Away?

By Francis Menton | Manhattan Contrarian | June 16, 2026

I have often noted that the climate scam and the associated forced energy transition would of necessity go away at some point because the proposals being advocated to “save the planet” could never possibly work. But the open question has always been, when that happens, what will it look like? Would all the big enviro groups like the Environmental Defense Fund and the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club all go on national TV one night and admit that the whole thing was a fake scare from the beginning? In the real world, that’s not how these things happen. People who have staked out absurd positions somehow need to save face. So there would have to be some sort of gradual process of backing down.

And thus we come to the key role of the New York Times for the Left, which is to mold and convey the official talking points to the team’s candidates and influencers. How about sharing some instruction on how to quietly back away from the Green New Deal?

Today on page A-12 of the print edition there is a piece with the headline “Democrats Once Vowed to Stop Oil and Gas. Now They’re Not So Sure.” The subheadline is “As the midterm elections approach, many leading Democrats are rethinking their approach to climate change.” The online version indicates that the piece first appeared there five days ago, June 11. They held it for the print edition until today, and then buried it deeply on page A-12. The casual reader may not get that far, but the person who will see it is the party apparatchik who needs direction from central headquarters. Excerpt:

With voters worried about spiking gas prices and inflation, some [Democratic Party] leaders argue that they should stop trying to throttle oil and gas, which heat the planet when burned. It’s a rejection of the approach taken during the Biden administration, which treated climate change as an existential threat and tried to stop new drilling and pipelines. . . . The result could be a less ambitious climate agenda if the party returns to power in Washington. . . . Now many Democrats argue that the path back to power means abandoning some of their most aggressive stances on climate change.

The piece is filled with useful pointers in how to tone down the catastrophism. … Full article

Canada unveils new pipeline plan to cut US oil dependence

Al Mayadeen | July 3, 2026

Canada has moved forward with plans for a major new oil pipeline aimed at reducing its reliance on the United States and positioning itself as a supplier to Asian energy markets.

Alberta has formally submitted proposals to the federal Major Projects Office for a pipeline exceeding 1,000 kilometers, intended to carry as much as one million barrels of crude per day to the British Columbia coast, with construction slated to begin by September 2027. … continue

Mother of Twins Who Died 8 Days After Vaccinations Charged With Murder

By Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. | The Defender | July 1, 2026

A 23-year-old mother charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her twin toddlers was set to be arraigned later today, after an Idaho grand jury indicted her late Monday, the Payette Police Department said in a press release.

Police arrested Andrea Shaw on Tuesday afternoon, more than a year after her two children — fraternal twins Dallas and Tyson Shaw — were found dead at their home in Payette on May 1, 2025, eight days after receiving their 18-month vaccines.

The Payette Police Department said the arrest follows “a lengthy and thorough investigation” and said it would have no further comment regarding evidence in the case. “Future information will be presented through the judicial process,” officials said.

Shaw alleges that her twins’ deaths were caused by the vaccines they received at a routine doctor’s appointment. She is one of five plaintiffs — along with two other mothers, two physicians and Children’s Health Defense (CHD) — in a lawsuit against the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

The lawsuit accuses the AAP of running a decades-long racketeering scheme to defraud American families about the safety of the childhood vaccine schedule.

Attorney Rick Jaffe, counsel of record for Shaw on two civil matters related to the deaths of her children, including the AAP lawsuit, said he believes “the criminal investigation and now the indictment is the natural consequence of the institutional vaccine program that refuses to admit vaccination carries any risk to infants.” … continue

Sen. Ron Johnson Demands Journal Turn Over Records Related to SIDs and Vaccines Study

By Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D. | The Defender | June 30, 2026

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is demanding to know why a 2021 peer-reviewed paper that presented data suggesting a possible link between vaccination and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was recently removed from the Toxicology Reports website.

In a letter dated June 29 and made public today, Johnson called on the editor-in-chief of Toxicology Reports and the CEO of Elsevier, which owns the journal, to release all records related to the decision to remove vaccine researcher Neil Z. Miller’s analysis: “Vaccines and sudden infant death: An analysis of the VAERS database 1990-2019 and review of the medical literature.”

The analysis showed that from 1990 to 2019, many more SIDS reports were filed in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) in the first few days after vaccination compared to later on after vaccination.

The paper also included a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on vaccines and SIDS, including documentation of large increases in SIDS rates following the rollout of national immunization campaigns and numerous case reports of SIDS in babies who were recently vaccinated.

Toxicology Reports published Miller’s analysis in June 2021 after it passed the peer-review process.

Johnson, who recently held a hearing about attacks on published science, noted that Miller’s paper had been criticized on PubPeer, a platform critics have nicknamed “PubSmear.” … continue

EU court backs criminal prosecution for sharing RT videos

RT | July 2, 2026

The EU’s top court has ruled that private individuals can face criminal prosecution for posting RT videos on public websites, widening the bloc’s crackdown on Russian media.

The Court of Justice of the European Union issued the ruling on Thursday in a case from Germany, where three people are being prosecuted for publishing RT DE videos on a freely accessible website.

The site did not charge readers and was financed only through voluntary donations. The CJEU, however, said that made no difference and ruled that all persons who are “directly or indirectly” responsible for making banned content available to the public can be treated as “operators” under EU sanctions rules.

The judges argued it was irrelevant if the individuals were running a business, how long the content was available, or how widely it was spread.

Under the German law cited in the ruling, violations of EU sanctions-based media bans can carry up to five years in prison.

The ruling effectively pushes the EU ban on RT beyond broadcasters, platforms or media companies, allowing for the criminal prosecution of any individuals accused of making RT content publicly available online. … continue

Army Demolishes Homes, Agricultural Structures Across West Bank

IMEMC | July 2, 2026

Israeli occupation forces carried out a wide series of demolitions across the occupied West Bank on Thursday, targeting homes, agricultural structures, livestock shelters, and residential facilities in multiple districts, including Salfit, Nablus, Bethlehem, and the northern Jordan Valley.

The violations followed the familiar pattern of sudden military incursions, area closures, and actions that directly support the expansion of illegal colonial outposts.

In Salfit, in central West Bank, the army demolished two agricultural structures in Khallet al‑Haramiya west of Kafr ed‑Deek, detaining five Palestinian citizens for more than two hours while bulldozers leveled the 600‑square‑meter structures.

Soldiers also seized four privately owned vehicles… Full article

Israel Normalizes Torture Through Public Abuse Videos

IMEMC | July 2, 2026

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said Thursday that the Israeli occupation has entrenched a systematic policy of documenting and publicly circulating scenes of torture and abuse against Palestinian detainees, turning torture into a tool of humiliation and spectacle across the occupied system.

PPS stated that Israel continues to publish photos and video clips showing severe beatings, degrading treatment, and violent abuse of prisoners, including footage that amounts to crimes against humanity.

The latest example was an image of a detainee from the Gaza Strip shown naked and brutally bound, a scene the organization described as a shocking display of extreme humiliation added to a long record of violations accompanying the ongoing genocide.

According to PPS, Israeli soldiers themselves are the primary source of many of these recordings, documenting torture and abuse inside prisons, military facilities, and holding sites.

Despite Israeli claims that such incidents are “isolated,” testimonies from detainees and field evidence confirm that these practices form part of an integrated institutional policy carried out across all levels of the occupation.

The organization said videos published by Israel’s far‑right National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir exemplify the normalization of torture, reinforcing a culture of impunity and encouraging public documentation of abuse as an accepted practice within Israel’s repressive apparatus. … Full article

Monsters playing victims: Danny Danon’s twisted war on the truth

By Ramzy Baroud | MEMO | July 2, 2026

Whether Israelis will ever comprehend the irreparable damage inflicted upon their country’s reputation by their UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, is a moot point. The damage Israel has done to itself through its barbaric practices in occupied Palestine is simply impossible to overcome.

Danon, however, utilises a peculiar approach to defending Israel within international institutions: he relies on bullying, intimidation, and an overt attempt to silence anyone who dares to challenge the official Israeli narrative—particularly women leaders.

Yet, what makes his behaviour most outrageous is his deployment of these abrasive tactics to suppress an issue that demands the utmost sensitivity: the systemic use of sexual violence and human rights abuses against Palestinians.

The confrontation took place during a UN General Assembly session convened to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Senior UN officials were presenting harrowing findings documenting sexual violence against Palestinian detainees.

True to form, Danon refused to engage with the substance of the reports. For Israeli diplomacy, the enemy is never merely the armed adversary; it is the judge, the independent human rights observer, and the UN investigator whose sole mandate is to document violations of international law.

The immediate target of Danon’s wrath was Pramila Patten, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Instead of reflecting on the grim findings, Danon demanded Patten’s resignation. He accused her and the broader international community of harbouring an “obsession” with targeting Israel.

When Vanessa Frazier, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, attempted to intervene on a point of order per established protocol, Danon unleashed a vitriolic verbal assault. Refusing to yield, he shouted over her, ordering her to “be quiet” and drowning out the chamber with his outbursts. “Shame on you. You are part of this obsession,” Danon bellowed. … continue

EU hides secret Gaza files as UN says Israel is committing genocide

MEMO | July 2, 2026

The European Commission is refusing to release 17 secret reports on EU-funded infrastructure in Gaza, which could reveal further evidence of Israel’s destruction of European-backed civilian projects and increase pressure on Brussels to confront whether its continued partnership with Israel violates the human rights obligations underpinning EU-Israel relations.

The refusal came on the same day that a UN inquiry said Israel continues to commit genocide in Gaza by deliberately targeting Palestinian children, raising questions over whether the EU is concealing evidence that could strengthen calls to suspend or review its agreements with Israel.

According to EUobserver journalist Nikolaj Nielsen, the refusal was signed on 23 June by Michael Karnitschnig, acting head of the Commission department dealing with the Middle East. Nielsen had requested the documents under freedom of information rules in February, seeking reports covering EU-funded infrastructure projects in Gaza from 2020 to the end of 2023.

“We have examined whether there could be an overriding public interest in disclosure, but we have not been able to identify such an interest,” Karnitschnig wrote, according to EUobserver.

The claim is likely to provoke outrage. The documents relate to EU-funded infrastructure in Gaza, including solar panels, water desalination projects, renewable energy schemes and potentially other civilian facilities such as hospitals and schools. Many of these projects are believed to have been destroyed during Israel’s military assault on the besieged enclave.

Their disclosure could reveal not only the financial cost to European taxpayers but also the extent to which Israel has targeted or destroyed civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Such findings would increase pressure on Brussels to act under the human rights clauses which form the basis of EU cooperation with Israel, including the EU-Israel Association Agreement. … continue

Iravani at UNSC: US betrayed diplomacy; Americans dying for Israel

Al Mayadeen | July 2, 2026

The UN Security Council convened the emergency session at the request of Bahrain and Jordan as the US-Iran ceasefire faced renewed pressure following US aggression against Iran and its repercussions on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

During the session, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused Bahrain of facilitating aggression against Iran and defended Tehran’s military response during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, where member states debated renewed tensions despite a fragile ceasefire.

Iravani said the US representative had presented false information and was speaking on behalf of a country that, alongside “Israel”, had carried out unlawful aggression against Iran in violation of international law.

He said the United States and “Israel” had targeted schools and hospitals and had publicly boasted, through statements by the US president and senior aides, about the killing of thousands of Iranian civilians. … continue

The assassination of Iran’s supreme leader: America’s strategic miscalculation under the shadow of Israeli narratives

By Timothy Hopper | MEMO | July 2, 2026

As Iran prepares for the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, the scale of anticipated public participation indicates that they are set to become one of the most significant mass gatherings in contemporary Iranian history. Reports indicate that vast crowds are expected to arrive from across the country, alongside official delegations from numerous states. This moment offers a clear opportunity to assess the U.S. and Israeli decision to assassinate him in February 2026. The operation rested on a flawed assessment of Khamenei’s real role and standing within Iran’s social and political structure. In this regard, the United States was shaped largely by Israeli media narratives and intelligence assessments—accounts that substantially underestimated Ayatollah Khamenei’s popularity, institutional influence, and capacity for social mobilization. The preparations already underway and the expected scale of the turnout make this analytical failure harder to ignore. They show how far American policymakers relied on an incomplete and one-sided picture of Iranian reality. … continue

Senator Claims Iran was “Stacking” Missiles and Drones to Bomb Europe

John Kennedy forgets to mention Iran’s ballistic missiles can’t reach London or Paris

By Kurt Nimmo | Another Day in the Empire | July 2, 2026

Senator John Kennedy, the Democrat turned Republican from Louisiana, came up with a whopper during an interview with a comedian slash podcaster. It is a take on Netanyahu’s perennial claim Iran is five minutes away from having nuclear weapons that maniacal mullahs will use to bomb New York, London, Berlin, Brussels, in addition to all Arabs and Muslims in West Asia.

Kennedy told Theodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III, aka Theo Von, US intelligence informed him Iran is “stacking ballistic missiles and killer drones like never before” and will rain them down on London, Paris, and Germany. The culprit here is Iran’s Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers, said to be derived from the North Korean Musudan (BM-25) missile. London is over 5,000 kilometers from Iran, while Paris is over 4,000 kilometers, and Berlin 3,000 kilometers.

Trump to the rescue, according to Kennedy. The president faced a “nightmare decision: Let them arm up until they could rain fire on our allies and threaten the homeland… or strike first and save the world? He chose to bomb their nuclear sites and stop the madness.” … continue

US Lost Access to Quarter of Oil Reserve Over Equipment Failure – Documents

Sputnik – 02.07.2026

A quarter of the oil stored in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has become inaccessible because of aging infrastructure, caused by large-scale oil withdrawals during the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, an analysis of data from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) by Sputnik shows.

According to the documents reviewed by Sputnik, more than 25% of the reserve’s oil cannot currently be brought to the surface due to equipment failures and deformation of underground storage caverns.

In addition, ongoing equipment failures and maintenance work have reduced the reserve’s actual oil withdrawal and injection capacity to 61% and 56% of their designed capacities, respectively.

The United States now requires approximately $230 million to repair the damaged infrastructure.

According to the documents, the critical deterioration of the SPR infrastructure resulted from the largest emergency oil release in US history, carried out in 2022 in response to the conflict in Ukraine. During that operation, the reserve was reduced by 31% (180 million barrels) over a short period. Emergency repairs to damaged equipment also delayed a broader modernization program for the reserve’s infrastructure.

The situation reportedly worsened in March 2026, when Washington authorized another emergency release of 172 million barrels of oil to stabilize prices amid the conflict with Iran.

As of the week ending June 26, the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve had fallen to 325.655 million barrels, its lowest level since May 1983. If the planned releases are carried out in full, the reserve could decline to below 250 million barrels, marking the lowest level since records began in August 1982.

Ukrainian drone strikes Belarusian tourist bus

RT | July 2, 2026

Three people have been injured after a Ukrainian drone struck a tourist bus traveling from Belarus to Russia’s Black Sea coast, officials from both countries said on Thursday.

The bus, carrying 19 passengers from the Belarusian capital Minsk to the resort city of Anapa, was hit near the Krasny Kamen border crossing in Russia’s Bryansk Region.

Acting Bryansk Region Governor Egor Kovalchuk said that the “Ukrainian terrorists” used an aircraft-type drone in what he described as a “targeted strike on civilians.”

The two Belarusian drivers suffered shrapnel wounds, while the Belarusian Health Ministry later reported that one passenger had also been injured. … Full article

Bombed Ukrainian oligarch could expose Kiev’s corruption – former French spy

RT | July 1, 2026

The Ukrainian multimillionaire sanctioned by Vladimir Zelensky and suspected of links to organized crime had become a growing nuisance to Kiev, former French intelligence agent Claude Moniquet has told Nice-Matin.

Vadim Ermolaev, a Ukrainian-born businessman who now holds Cypriot citizenship, was seriously wounded on Monday evening when an explosive device hidden in a backpack detonated at the entrance to a residential building in Monaco. His partner and 13-year-old son were also injured in the blast.

Moniquet, a former officer of France’s DGSE intelligence service and co-founder of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center, told Nice-Matin that Ermolaev had in recent weeks been “planning to give a presentation at the European Parliament to expose corruption in Ukraine.”

“It is possible that this was taken as a provocation,” Moniquet said, while describing it as one of several possible explanations for the bombing, including a potential hit ordered by shady business rivals. French media have also pointed to Ermolaev’s “business conflicts” and the alleged involvement of his eldest son in a major fraudulent call-center scheme as possible lines of inquiry.

Le Figaro reported earlier this week, citing several sources close to the case, that investigators were focusing on the possibility that the attack was orchestrated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

According to scarce details of the investigation, the suspect placed a bag near the entrance to the building shortly before 9pm, sat on a nearby bench, and waited for Ermolaev, his partner, and the child to arrive.

The man then reportedly fled up a nearby street toward the French border, with the explosion triggered moments later. … Full article

The Flamingo Revolution: Foreign Capital and the Battle for Albania’s Coast

By Adrian Korczyński | New Eastern Outlook | July 2, 2026

… Over recent years, Prime Minister Edi Rama has cultivated exceptionally close relations with Israel. During his address to the Knesset in January 2026, he praised the depth of Albanian-Israeli relations and issued a broad invitation to Israeli citizens and investors to engage with Albania, including in the fields of business and long-term cooperation.

Taken in isolation, such remarks might have attracted little attention. In the context of the Sazan project, however, they have acquired greater significance.

At a time when Albania continues to lose large numbers of young citizens to emigration, the government’s enthusiasm for attracting wealthy foreign investors and potential new residents has fuelled uncomfortable questions about whose interests are being prioritised. Many protesters view the Sazan development not simply as a business venture but as part of a broader pattern in which foreign capital enjoys greater political access than ordinary Albanians. … Read full article

Albania protesters face police crackdown over Trump-linked project

Al Mayadeen | July 2, 2026

… For the second time this week, large groups of demonstrators assembled outside the parliament building in an effort to confront lawmakers and prevent access to the premises.

Hundreds of protesters were met by lines of riot police who pushed them back from the building, resulting in clashes and multiple arrests, according to AFP journalists at the scene.

Police deployed pepper spray and a water cannon in an attempt to disperse the crowd after some demonstrators tried to break through police lines. […]

The latest unrest followed the arrest of six protesters on Tuesday after demonstrators threw eggs at lawmakers’ vehicles. … Full article

Masters of the sea: How the West tramples international law while posing as the defender against a “shadow threat”

By Mohammed ibn Faisal al-Rashid | New Eastern Outlook | July 2, 2026

Operation Irini has morphed from an instrument for arms control in Libya into a tool for geopolitical pressure on Russia, offering the world a glaring example of double standards.

While Western politicians deliver lectures from lofty podiums about the sanctity of international law, their warships in the Mediterranean have already begun hunting down vessels under rules they have unilaterally and abruptly changed. … continue

Does the Pentagon even know who its boat strikes are killing?

By Adam Isacson | Responsible Statecraft | July 1, 2026

The numbers are stomach-turning. In less than 10 months, U.S. forces acting on orders from the Trump administration have killed 215 people in 63 aerial attacks on small boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific.

Since the first attack on September 2, the Trump administration has told us that they are killing drug traffickers. But drug trafficking, especially being a low-level courier, is not a crime punishable by the death penalty, and, even if it were, the U.S. legal system assumes innocence and guarantees a day in court. Skipping that step makes this murder under U.S. law: the equivalent of a cop shooting a fleeing suspect in the back.

The administration is attempting to get around this by claiming that every one of the dead is a “narco-terrorist,” a member or “affiliate” of a profit-seeking criminal group recently added, with no outside review, to a secret Defense Department list of “Designated Terror Organizations,” or DTOs. Because the United States is in a “non-international armed conflict” with the DTOs, a secret Justice Department memo argues, our military is permitted to kill them on sight, even with no self-defense justification.

Yet the administration has still not presented any evidence that a bombed vessel was even carrying drugs, much less that its deceased crew was affiliated with a criminal or “designated terrorist” organization. … continue

Peru’s Election: The Old Fujimori Machine Has New Israeli Wiring

By Freddie Ponton | 21st Century Wire | July 2, 2026

On the night of June 17, 2026, something happened in Peru that was not supposed to be mathematically possible. Leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez Cerón led Keiko Fujimori by more than forty thousand votes after every domestic ballot had been counted. The race was, by any sober reading of the numbers, over. Then the overseas vote came in, and inside ninety minutes, Fujimori had flipped the entire deficit and won by fifty thousand votes in the other direction. A ninety-thousand-vote reversal. In a single tranche of ballots. From a diaspora that represents less than three per cent of registered voters.

The National Office of Electoral Processes, or ONPE, later put Fujimori ahead by 49,641 votes, but the result still had to be formally proclaimed by the National Elections Board, or JNE.

Before that overseas count was even published, a man named Carlos Díaz-Rosillo had already appeared on Peruvian national radio, and told the audience, with calm precision, exactly what was about to happen. He knew the margin. He knew the direction. But above all, he knew, as he put it, that the overseas vote would “reverse” Sánchez’s domestic lead and hand Fujimori the presidency, and he was right to the decimal.

Díaz-Rosillo is not a Peruvian. He has never run in a Peruvian election. He is a Cuban-American who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Western Hemisphere affairs inside Donald Trump’s first White House, and who went on to found and direct the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom at Florida International University, a state-funded institution in Miami that, according to a months-long investigation by WLRN Public Media and the Miami Herald, has received $39 million in Florida taxpayer dollars since 2020, spent less than half of it, and is now openly described by its own director as a “hub” for conservative Latin American politics. Throughout the Peruvian campaign, he was presented on Peruvian television as an independent analyst. He was, in fact, Keiko Fujimori’s primary strategic advisor. Fujimori had been a paid “Global Fellow” at his institution, compensated with $45,000 for a year of work, as Díaz-Rosillo confirmed to Peruvian media.

She flew to Miami, gave lectures, took the credential, and came home with the blessing of a machine that runs from Trump’s Doral golf resort to DeSantis’s statehouse to the Heritage Foundation to the Israeli defense industry, and that has been quietly building the infrastructure for exactly this kind of result for years. … continue