Randomised trial that should’ve been done decades ago finds more deaths among critically ill flu patients given Tamiflu than those given no antiviral
By Maryanne Demasi, PhD | MD REPORTS | August 27, 2026
For more than two decades, Tamiflu has been a cornerstone of global pandemic planning.
Governments spent billions stockpiling it, the WHO placed it on its Essential Medicines List, and doctors routinely prescribed it to severely ill flu patients on the assumption that it could prevent complications and save lives.
But until now, no randomised trial had compared Tamiflu with no antiviral in critically ill patients.
The international REMAP-CAP trial has now put that assumption to the test—and found no benefit.
Among 442 critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza assigned to receive Tamiflu for five days, ten days, or no antiviral, the results were clear.
About 20% of patients given Tamiflu had died by 90 days, compared with about 14% of those who received no antiviral.
In other words, more patients died when they were given the drug.
The authors concluded that Tamiflu was “ineffective and highly likely to increase 90-day mortality” and should no longer routinely be administered to critically ill patients with seasonal influenza.
The new findings are the latest chapter in Tamiflu’s troubled history. … Full article
By Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. | The Defender | September 4, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court today declined for a second time to take up a case brought by New York healthcare workers who lost their jobs after the state denied their requests for religious accommodations from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, SCOTUSblog reported.
The justices rejected a petition asking them to reconsider their June decision not to hear Does 1-2 v. Hochul, the lawsuit healthcare workers brought against the state. The court denied the request without asking New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to respond.
“This ruling is definitely a sad day for the workers who stood up and said no,” said Michael Kane, Children’s Health Defense (CHD) director of advocacy and member of New York’s Teachers for Choice, which also challenged New York’s vaccine mandate in the courts.
Kane said he was “not surprised” by the decision.
The plaintiffs represented a handful of healthcare workers, he said. “But over 30,000 were fired in New York state because of this horrendous policy from Gov. Hochul. The policy didn’t allow for any religious exemption from vaccination. On its face, it is illegal. It is unconstitutional, but the politics of the thing seems to be playing out instead.”
The workers filed their lawsuit in 2021, challenging a now-repealed New York state law mandating that workers in some healthcare-related positions get the COVID-19 vaccine. … Full article
By Glenn Greenwald | September 4, 2026
Alexandre de Moraes spent months denying corrupt profits from a collapsed bank. The proof is now overwhelming, and his desperate moves to survive may imperil Lula’s re-election and Brazil’s democracy.
Exactly one month before Brazil holds its presidential election, the country is drowning in a corruption scandal and institutional civil war, the gravity of which is impossible to overstate. At the center of it is Brazil’s authoritarian and increasingly unhinged Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who was sanctioned by the U.S. as a human rights abuser in 2025 after he banned X from Brazil for one month over its refusal to censor at his behest, then ordered money removed from Starlink’s accounts to pay for X’s fines.
While polls all year have shown that the incumbent left-wing president, 80-year-old Lula da Silva, has a modest lead to win his fourth term, more recent polls have shown him tied with his primary adversary, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, now imprisoned for 28 years by Judge Moraes on charges of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula.
Despite once being affiliated with the center-right, Moraes has become Lula’s closest and most important ally, and the left’s most beloved hero. For that reason, Moraes’ exploding scandal can only further weaken Lula heading into the election. Other than Uruguay, Brazil is the last country in South America still governed by a left-wing or center-left government, with one country after another electing leaders on the right: Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, etc. … continue
Press TV – September 4, 2026
Calls for a boycott of Adidas are growing after the sportswear company featured an Israeli trooper in a global campaign.
The campaign has prompted criticism from pro-Palestine organizations and activists because of the trooper Shaliv Biton’s participation in the Israeli regime’s bloodletting in Gaza.
The campaign has been rolled out in Adidas stores, including its outlets in the occupied territories.
Biton took part in an Israeli assault in Gaza in 2021 that claimed the lives of more than 200 Palestinians and destroyed numerous buildings.
Critics have reminded Biton’s military background and his social media activity. He has shared photographs and videos of himself and other Israeli forces in Gaza, including footage of troops singing and dancing, while his profile also contains images of him carrying weapons.
Sports journalist Leyla Hamed criticized Adidas’ choice of campaign representative, arguing that the company chose to bank on Biton’s having lost a leg, while it should have considered the wider context of limb loss in Gaza. … Full article
By Eman Abusidu | MEMO | September 4, 2026
The United States’ decision to impose counterterrorism sanctions on Palestinian activist Rawa Alsagheer and the Masar Badil movement has triggered expressions of solidarity across Brazil and Latin America, with activists condemning the measure as an attempt to criminalise Palestinian political organising and solidarity work.
The US Treasury Department announced on August 26 that Masar Badil, also known as the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, had been added to its sanctions list under Executive Order 13224, Washington’s main legal framework for imposing counterterrorism-related financial restrictions.
Alsagheer, a Palestinian activist based in Brazil, and Germany-based Zaid Abdulnasser were also designated on the grounds that they are leaders or officials of Masar Badil. The Treasury described Masar Badil as being linked to and acting on behalf of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which Washington previously sanctioned in 2024. … Full article
RT | September 4, 2026
The EU- and US-funded press watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has called for tighter controls on AI-based search technology, after discovering that chatbots bypass European censorship laws and present Russian media sources banned by in Western Europe to users.
The Paris-based RSF, which lists EU and the US National Endowment for Democracy among its backers, found that popular AI services can provide RT articles, links, excerpts, and news summaries to web users. “Public chatbots can access these websites and redistribute their content,” a statement by the organisation claimed on Wednesday. … continue
Israeli soldiers opened fire during a peaceful demonstration in the occupied West Bank
MEMO | September 4, 2026
The husband of Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, killed by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank two years ago, criticized Friday the lack of progress in the US legal process over her death, Anadolu reports.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency at Eygi’s graveside in the Didim district of Turkiye’s southwestern Aydin province, Hamid Mazhar Ali said: “The legal process in the US is at exactly the same point as the day she was killed.”
“There has been absolutely no progress,” he said during a memorial ceremony marking the second anniversary of her death.
“Despite our persistent requests over the past two years, no investigation has been launched.”
Ali said the pain of losing his wife remains as intense as it was when she died. […]
Eygi was a human rights activist and volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, which supports Palestinians through peaceful and civilian means against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. … Full article
Press TV – September 4, 2026
Israel’s so-called security minister has unveiled a controversial plan for ethnically cleansing all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in seven years and forcibly expelling them from their homeland to other countries.
Itamar Ben-Gvir presented the scheme called “Disengagement 710” on Thursday, claiming that there were countries “ready” to take in Palestinians from Gaza, without naming them.
He added that the plan seeks the expulsion of 250,000 Gazans in its first year, 1.11 million within three years and 1.86 million within seven from the besieged Palestinian territory.
“Instead of illusions of peace now, we need actions of emigration now,” the extremist Israeli minister said. “Instead of [Gazans] digging tunnels, it’s time to pack suitcases.”
Ben-Gvir said that his far-right Otzma Yehudit party would demand a ministry in charge of what he called “voluntary emigration” from Gaza during the formation of the next Israeli cabinet. … Full article
Palestinian Information Center – September 4, 2026
GAZA – Two Palestinians were killed and several others injured on Friday as Israeli forces continued attacks across the Gaza Strip, including airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire, amid ongoing violations of the ceasefire.
An ambulance and emergency services source said one Palestinian was killed and others were injured in an Israeli drone strike west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, announced that one of its fighters, Fadi Ali Saeed Al-Abadla, a member of the Al-Qarara Battalion in the Khan Yunis Brigade, was killed.
Providing details of the incident, the Brigades said that at around 3:30 a.m. Friday, a force belonging to what it described as “collaborator militias,” backed by Israeli drones, advanced towards Al-Jumeiza Street in the Al-Qarara area north of Khan Yunis in an attempt to abduct one of its fighters.
The Al-Quds Brigades said its fighters detected the infiltrating force during the attempted abduction and engaged it at point-blank range with grenades and medium weapons, saying that several members of the force were killed or wounded.
The Brigades said Israeli drones then intervened to provide cover for the force’s withdrawal. It added that members of the force shot and killed Al-Abadla, leaving his body at the scene before withdrawing with their dead and wounded.
Three Palestinians, including a girl, were also injured by Israeli fire near Hamad City, north of Khan Younis. … continue
Press TV – September 4, 2026
US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out authorizing the CIA to arm elements inside Iran to fuel a violent uprising, as Washington has failed to achieve its war aims more than six months after launching it.
Trump made the remarks on Wednesday while taking unscheduled questions in the Oval Office, one day after his attempt at inciting Iranians to “rise up and fight” against their government.
“Will you send the CIA in to arm Iranians?” a reporter asked. “I’d love to tell you that, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to say,” Trump responded.
The renewed talk of intervention comes against the backdrop of foreign-backed riots that erupted in Iran earlier this year. … Full article
The designation forms part of Washington’s drive to asphyxiate Iran economically after failing to achieve its military objectives
The Cradle | September 4, 2026
The US Treasury announced sanctions on 4 September on a Turkiye-based bank and two of its subsidiaries, accusing them of moving tens of millions of dollars on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and facilitating Tehran’s movement of funds across the international banking system. […]
Bessent told Reuters on 30 August that fresh secondary sanctions would follow every week, with banks first in line. … Full article
Press TV – September 4, 2026
An independent analysis of video and images from the scene of a US airstrike on a family wedding in southern Iran has concluded the explosion was likely caused by a direct hit from an American munition, not a ricochet or an Iranian interceptor, according to a report published by Reuters.
The finding comes as US Vice President JD Vance admitted Washington is investigating the Tuesday night massacre in Kuhestak, Sirik County, Hormozgan Province, that Iranian officials have condemned as a blatant war crime.
A fifth victim, a 22-year-old woman, died in hospital, bringing the death toll to five, with nearly 70 civilians wounded, the majority of them women and children.
The martyrs included four-year-old Amir-Mohammad Karimi and 16-year-old Mohammad Malahi.
On Thursday, mourners in Kuhestak tossed petals over flag-draped coffins as a reporter identified one as “Martyr Amir-Mohammad Karimi, a 4-year-old child who was martyred in an attack on the country’s south by the criminal American regime.”
A local resident told Tasnim : “If it was a military location, it wouldn’t be so painful. This was a wedding ceremony, but they turned people’s joy into mourning.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the strike as the “true face of the war crime,” stating that a wedding ceremony was “brutally bombed as part of America’s desperate struggle to conceal its failure.”
He contrasted the attack with the Islamic Republic’s adherence to moral and humanitarian principles even under the most distressing circumstances of unprovoked aggression. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | September 4, 2026
A day meant to celebrate a couple’s new beginning instead turned into devastation, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez said in a post on X, as she accused the United States of killing innocent women and children with its bombs in Palestine and Iran.
“From Palestine to Iran, our bombs are killing innocent women and children,” Ramirez wrote.
Ramirez referred to a US aggression on the small town of Kuhestak on Tuesday that killed five people and injured at least 70 others. The harrowing massacre has renewed concerns over civilian casualties in the US war on Iran and is the most significant such case since a missile struck an Iranian primary school in February, killing scores of children and teachers.
Ramirez said Congress could no longer “turn a blind eye” to war crimes by President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
“The time to hold warmongers accountable is now,” she wrote, calling on Congress to pass the Block the Bombs Act, reclaim its power, and “put an end to this endless war.”
Ramirez’s call for Congress to challenge the administration’s wars comes as concerns grow over the potential consequences of further escalation with Iran. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has separately warned in late August of the risk of a nuclear strike, calling for Trump to be removed immediately. … Full article
Press TV – September 3, 2026
A former senior Pentagon official has said that the United States is deliberately killing civilians in Iran after a US missile strike hit a wedding ceremony in Hormozgan Province, which led to the martyrdom of five civilians, including a four-year-old child, and injured more than 70 others.
Wes J. Bryant, who served as the Pentagon’s chief of civilian harm assessments and now works as a war crimes analyst, told Al Jazeera on Thursday that the attack on the wedding in Kouhestak, Sirik County, exposes the real moral and legal standards of the War Department and the Trump administration.
“Is the US intentionally targeting civilians in Iran? It is,” Bryant said. He rejected US Central Command’s claim that American forces never attack civilians, arguing that Washington is “recklessly and negligently endangering and killing civilians” in its war against the Islamic Republic.
Bryant said every target location is recorded at multiple levels of the chain of command. Comparing Tuesday’s wedding massacre with the February US strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, he said the US military would have been able “to report within hours” whether a school or a wedding had been hit. Washington has still not produced a transparent accounting of the Minab slaughter. … continue
By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | September 3, 2026
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced today that the European Union has “officially joined” the American sanctions campaign against Iran — Operation Economic Outcast — and framed Tehran’s choice in the usual absolutes: complete global isolation and a subsistence economy, or a path back to normalcy. It made a commanding headline. It is a hollow one. You cannot embargo a trading partner you have already stopped trading with, and in economic substance that is precisely what Europe did years ago. Today it merely issued a press release about it. … continue
RT | September 4, 2026
Six Ukrainians and an American currently in prison in India were allegedly involved in a drone attack on a civilian aircraft in neighboring Myanmar, India’s anti-terrorism agency told a Delhi court.
The seven, described as mercenaries, were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in March from different cities in India while trying to fly out of the country.
The Indian government “has received credible information indicating the involvement of certain Ukrainian and US nationals in a drone attack on a civilian aircraft in Myanmar,” the agency told a Delhi court on August 19 while seeking to interrogate two from the group – Ukrainian Viktor Kaminskyi and American Matthew VanDyke – in prison. … continue
RT | September 4, 2026
Kiev’s Western backers cannot guarantee that Ukrainian terrorist attacks will not endanger their own citizens, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned.
Moscow has long accused the Ukrainian government of employing terrorist tactics and deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. President Vladimir Putin has described Vladimir Zelensky’s recent threat against foreign airlines operating in Russia as “state terrorism.”
“They (Western nations) have created a monster, and we always said that this monster will go rogue, as did all the monsters they created before,” Zakharova told Izvestia on Friday.
“What guarantee do they have that Zelensky won’t strike their own citizens when carrying out those terrorist attacks?” she added. “Nobody could ever guarantee that.” … continue
RT | September 3, 2026
Kiev has demanded that the UN aviation watchdog effectively shut Russian airspace to civilian traffic after Vladimir Zelensky threatened that Ukraine’s expanding long-range drone campaign would make flying over the country increasingly dangerous.
Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli reported on Wednesday that Infrastructure Minister Nikolay Kalashnik had sent a letter to Juan Carlos Salazar, secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), calling for action against flights through Russian airspace.
The letter urged the watchdog to “encourage aviation authorities, air navigation service providers and airlines” operating in Russia to take measures to “protect” civilian aircraft, including a complete ban on flights through Russian airspace by carriers from ICAO member states.
“The presence of civilian aircraft in Russian airspace may entail particularly high risks,” Kalashnik reportedly wrote in the letter obtained by the outlet.
Who is Zelensky threatening in Russian skies?
ICAO later issued a general statement on aviation safety but mentioned neither Russia nor Ukraine and did not directly address Kiev’s demand. Instead, it appealed to all member states to “assess the safety of airspace controlled by them and take all appropriate measures.”
Kiev’s demand followed an explicit threat from Zelensky to foreign airlines, insurers and governments on Tuesday that continued Ukrainian drone attacks would put civilian aviation in Russia at risk.
“The safe days in Russia’s skies are over,” he said, urging carriers to reconsider flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian destinations. … Full article
It wouldn’t be another day in the United States without the government putting the interests of Israel ahead of American citizens. Despite seeming as if it has already exhausted every avenue at its disposal to submit to its masters in Tel Aviv, Congress managed to find another way to show the American people who is actually in charge of their country. Members of the United States House of Representatives leaving Washington, D.C., to head back to their respective districts for a work period running until September 13th, 2026, used their last legislative day on Capitol Hill to pass a piece of legislation that once again shows the American people where their government’s priorities truly lie.
The House passed H.R. 4795: The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act (“PEAFA”) by a 237-169 vote. The legislation is designed to undermine the boycott, divest, and sanctions (“BDS”) movement by barring colleges and universities across the U.S. from receiving federal funding if they participate in boycotts against Israel. … Full article
MEMO | September 3, 2026
Organisers of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced on Wednesday plans for a new maritime mission seeking to reach the Gaza Strip in October.
According to the organisers, participating vessels will make stops in Spain, Portugal and Italy before continuing toward Gaza.
The coalition said the mission was intended to challenge Israel’s restrictions on maritime access to Gaza and build international pressure for changes in Israeli policy toward the enclave.
Previous coalition voyages have included the Handala II, which sailed through Scandinavia in June and July and stopped at ports in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Another vessel, the Kite, departed Bristol in the United Kingdom and made stops in Ireland, Germany and France as part of the coalition’s campaigning activities.
Organisers said they planned to work with local groups at each port to press governments to take measures against Israel, including ending arms and energy supplies, reducing diplomatic and military cooperation and imposing sanctions.
The coalition said the European stops were also intended to mobilize public support ahead of its planned attempt to reach Gaza in October 2026.
“The Freedom Flotilla is setting sail again because our governments continue to fail in their duties,” said Zohar Chamberlain-Regev, a member of the coalition’s steering committee.
“At every port, we will carry the demand for Palestinians to be granted the freedom to live in dignity,” she added.
MEMO | September 3, 2026
The Israeli army raided several areas of the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem on Wednesday, while Israeli settlers destroyed water pipes supplying a Palestinian community in Tubas governorate.
The Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement that an Israeli army force raided the town of al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, and the town of Anata, north-east of the city. No injuries or arrests were reported.
An Israeli army force also raided the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank and patrolled several of its streets and neighbourhoods, according to local sources cited by Anadolu.
In the northern West Bank’s Tubas governorate, Israeli settlers attacked water pipes supplying residents of the northern Yarza community, north-east of Tubas city, cutting off the water supply, the sources said.
The sources said the settlers had attacked the water lines supplying the community several times in recent weeks.
The West Bank has seen daily Israeli army raids, including house searches and arrests of Palestinians, alongside attacks by Israeli settlers.
MEMO | September 3, 2026
Israel has forcibly displaced residents of Khirbet al-Taban in the southern occupied West Bank, making it the 66th Palestinian village to be completely emptied of its residents since October 2023, Israeli rights group B’Tselem said Wednesday.
The group said in a statement that Israeli forces raided the village, south of Hebron, Wednesday morning and demolished the homes of all its residents within hours.
Khirbet al-Taban is home to 12 families totaling about 70 people, including 28 children, it said.
“The forces did not leave a single home standing,” B’Tselem said.
Israeli forces also demolished sheep pens, water tanks and storage facilities and destroyed caves in the area, according to the group. … Full article
Press TV – September 3, 2026
Prominent Palestinian physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, who has been in Israeli custody since 2024, has disclosed distressing information regarding the conditions of his confinement and the mistreatment he purportedly endured in Israeli jails.
Dr. Abu Safiya reported that he has experienced multiple instances of intense beatings on various parts of his body, including sensitive parts, noting that the severe assaults were inflicted by hands, feet, and batons.
He stated that the assaults are consistently carried out as a means of punishment right after meetings with his attorneys, amid severe detention conditions.
The abducted physician also stated that he was intentionally denied sleep due to persistent noise and the use of loudspeakers throughout the night.
Dr. Abu Safiya reported that he has been subjected to continuous threats and warnings that discourage him from discussing the treatment he endures in detention with his lawyer. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | September 3, 2026
Repressive Israeli forces serving under the prison administration raided three rooms in Ganot Prison on August 30, in Section 4 of the facility, and assaulted detainees abducted from the Gaza Strip, leaving several injured by rubber bullets, according to the Prisoners’ Media Office (ASRA).
Palestinian detainees from Gaza at the facility are repeatedly subjected to beatings, repression, humiliation, and abuse. According to the office, the Janot Prison administration imposes collective punishment on detainees, including denying them access to showers, prayer, and food if a sound is heard inside their cells.
Occupation prison guards, it was revealed, threaten detainees with execution and hanging, telling them repeatedly that they “will never see the light of day.” … Full article
MEMO | September 3, 2026
The Israeli army killed three Palestinians and wounded others in separate attacks on Gaza Strip on Thursday despite an ongoing ceasefire, a medical source told Anadolu Agency.
One Palestinian was killed and two others were injured in a drone strike targeting a group of civilians in central Gaza City, according to a medical source.
A medical source at Al-Shifa Hospital told Anadolu that the body of the deceased victim arrived at the facility heavily disfigured.
The strike on Al-Thawra Street also injured two other Palestinians, according to preliminary medical reports.
An Anadolu correspondent on the ground confirmed that the Israeli drone targeted a gathering of civilians.
In an earlier attack, a medical source said Israeli gunfire killed one Palestinian and wounded others in Beit Lahia.
A second Palestinian was later killed when Israeli forces opened fire on tents housing displaced Palestinians and homes in the area, the source added.
In a statement, the Israeli army acknowledged killing a Palestinian in northern Gaza, claiming that its forces had spotted an “armed individual who crossed the Yellow Line and approached the forces in a way that posed an immediate threat.”
It was not immediately clear whether the Palestinian killed in the army’s account was one of the two people whose deaths were reported by the medical source in Beit Lahia.
In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, a medical source at Nasser Hospital said a Palestinian was wounded by Israeli army gunfire inside a camp for displaced people in the Hamad residential area, north of the city. … Full article
By Ramona Wadi | MEMO | September 3, 2026
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the military would not withdraw from the territory it occupied in Gaza, Defence Minister Israel Katz asserted that the plan for forced displacement was merely frozen.
Speaking at a conference hosted by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronot themed “Decision Time: Democracy and Society”, Katz spoke of forced transfer under the euphemism of emigration as the only solution for Gaza. However, he said, the plan required US support which is currently not forthcoming. According to Katz, Arab countries pressured the US to halt the forced transfer plan in return for agreeing with disarming Hamas. Egypt, Katz said, is refusing to cooperate in the plan.
According to Katz, although no sources were reported, 80 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza want to emigrate but Hamas and the international community are placing obstacles in their way. “There are no countries in the world willing to take them in,” he said. “What is delaying this is that the countries willing to take them in want US support.” … continue
MEMO | September 3, 2026
The debt of Americans should be exploited to force them to fight in wars against Israel’s enemies, a Jerusalem Post commentator has argued, proposing that indebted young Americans be offered full debt forgiveness in exchange for military service.
Writing in the Israeli newspaper, security analyst AJ Jaff said a “federally administered debt-forgiveness enlistment program” that discharges Americans’ student loan, credit card and other debts after 24 or 36 months of service “would produce voluntary enlistment at scale”.
Jaff, described by the paper as “a senior strategic security strategist and analyst with 20 years of experience across corporate security, military, and geopolitical intelligence”, wrote that “the war with Iran will not be won through airstrikes” and that a ground invasion would require between 750,000 and 1.5 million American troops, against a current active US Army of 452,000.
The article proposed debt relief as the way to fill that gap. “The economics of the indebted American 20- and 30-something make this the most efficient conversion mechanism available,” said Jaff while explaining that “states generate the soldiers they need through the incentives that work on the population they have”. … continue
The Cradle | September 3, 2026
Iran has warned the US that an Israeli escalation of operations aimed at capturing the strategic Ali al-Taher Hill in south Lebanon will be met with a “forceful response” from the Islamic Republic, sources told Reuters on 3 September.
The message was delivered to Washington last month, according to the report.
“Tehran threatened that any full-fledged Israeli offensive on the ridge would be met with a large-scale Iranian attack,” the report went on to say. […]
The hill is a highly strategic location overlooking the city of Nabatieh. Occupation forces have, for months, been bombing and shelling it while attempting to advance toward the site.
According to sources cited by Al Mayadeen on 2 September, Hezbollah targeted and “destroyed” an Israeli military vehicle advancing toward the hill early on Wednesday. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | September 3, 2026
The IRGC has accused the United States of a long-standing “dark record” of attacks on wedding gatherings, demanding that US leaders answer to the international public for repeated aggression against civilians, IRIB reported. […]
- July 1, 2002: More than 100 people were killed in the bombardment of a wedding in Kakrak village, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.
- September 18, 2003: More than five people were killed or wounded in the bombardment of a wedding in Fallujah, Iraq.
- May 19, 2004: 42 people were killed in the bombardment of a wedding in Bakar al-Dhib village, Anbar Province, Iraq.
- October 8, 2004: 13 people, including the groom, were killed in the bombardment of a wedding in Fallujah, Iraq.
- July 6, 2008: 47 people, including the bride, were killed in the bombardment of a wedding in Deh Bala, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.
- November 2008: 37 people, including 23 children, were killed in the bombardment of a wedding in Waj Baghatu, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
- June 2012: 18 people, including nine children, were killed in the bombardment of a wedding in Logar Province, Afghanistan.
- September 28, 2015: 131 women and children were killed in the bombardment of a wedding in Wahijah, Taiz, Yemen, by the US-backed coalition.
- September 1, 2026: 70 people were killed or wounded in the bombardment of a wedding in Kuhestak, Sirik, Hormozgan Province, Iran.
Full article
Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on US military facilities across the region after the latest bombardment
RT | September 3, 2026
US President Donald Trump has congratulated Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over the latest American strikes on Iran, despite one of the attacks hitting a wedding and killing several civilians.
Iranian authorities said two women and two children aged four and 16 were killed when a US munition hit a home hosting a wedding in Kuhestak, Hormozgan Province, on Tuesday. At least 67 others were wounded, many of them women and children. … Full article
The Cradle | September 3, 2026
Nearly half of US citizens believe the wars waged by Washington in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond after the 11 September 2001 attacks have been “worth it,” a YouGov poll published on 2 August shows.
The poll was commissioned ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which the US government used as a pretext to launch the so-called “War on Terror” that led to the deaths of nearly 5 million people.
Respondents were asked if fighting “against the threat of terrorism through military operations abroad” and introducing “increased security and surveillance inside of the United States … have been worth the cost.”
Forty-eight percent responded yes, while another 27 percent said they weren’t sure. The remaining 25 percent said no. … continue
Press TV – September 3, 2026
An Iraqi resistance group has vowed to launch strikes on the positions and military facilities of American troops in Iraq should the forces fail to honor the September 30 deadline, when the US-led coalition is scheduled to end its military mission in the country and complete the withdrawal of its soldiers.
“We are closely monitoring circumstances in the lead-up to September 30, and are prepared to wage a decisive battle against the occupation forces if they renege on their commitment to withdraw completely from the Iraqi soil and airspace,” Secretary General of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Sheikh Akram al-Ka’abi, said in a statement on Wednesday. … continue
The Cradle | September 3, 2026
Europe is heading into winter with dangerously low natural gas reserves, Bloomberg reported on 3 September, amid high prices driven by the US-Israeli war on Iran and rising competition for supply in the global market.
According to the European Commission’s most recent update, gas storage levels in the EU are at 65 percent.
To meet its lowest storage target of 75 percent, Europe will need to purchase 100 terawatt-hours of gas before the end of the year, Bloomberg calculations show.
Such purchases would cost more than $8 billion at current prices, making stockpiling uneconomical.
Governments and utilities across Europe have delayed natural gas purchases in hopes that additional supply becomes available and prices fall in time to refill before winter.
Gas prices have doubled since February due to the US-Israeli war on Iran as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut, disrupting exports of gas from Qatar, a major international supplier. … continue
RT | September 3, 2026
The central bank of the Netherlands has become the latest country to move gold holdings out of the United States, announcing on Wednesday that it had transferred 86 tons of bullion to London. The bank described the move as “crisis preparedness” during a time of “increasing geopolitical unrest.”
The transfer was carried out between March and August. The bulk of the gold was moved from New York, with the rest coming from Canada. Only about 27 tons were physically transported across the Atlantic, while the remainder was accomplished through sales in the Americas and repurchases in London. Prior to the transfer, the Dutch central bank (DNB) had held 313 tons in North America. … continue
RT | September 3, 2026
Western media are using unverified claims that Beijing censored footage of the deadly Nepal-Tibet floods to promote “false narratives” about China, Hong Kong-based author Nori Vitachi has told RT.
Speaking on Thursday, Vitachi said Western outlets frequently cite Tibetan advocacy groups without adequately disclosing their funding and location, while shaping reporting that portrays Beijing in an overwhelmingly negative light.
“The Western media pick up these groups and they deliberately hide the funding,” he said, arguing that readers consequently get a “very distorted view.”
Vitachi singled out organizations supported by the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED), accusing them of “weaponizing human rights against China.” He argued that negative coverage of China ultimately serves a broader effort to “manufacture consent for a war on China.”
The comments come as Western outlets including the BBC and Telegraph have accused Beijing of suppressing footage of the catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border. The BBC claimed images of the disaster had spread around the world while being heavily restricted inside China.
However, footage aired by the BBC itself included material obtained from China’s state broadcaster CCTV, showing floodwaters engulfing the border crossing at Gyirong. … Video report
RT | September 3, 2026
Norwegian authorities have seized a Russian research vessel in Svalbard at the request of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz, amid growing tensions between Moscow and NATO states over access to and control of the Arctic.
The Professor Molchanov was detained on Wednesday while docked in Barentsburg, a Russian settlement on the Norwegian-administered archipelago. The Governor of Svalbard said the move followed an August 31 order by the Nord-Troms and Senja District Court granting Naftogaz the right to seize the ship. The vessel has been barred from leaving Barentsburg until further notice. … continue
NATO is pushing deeper into Asia and looking for new justifications to preserve itself, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
The alliance should have dissolved itself alongside the Warsaw Pact after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but instead kept searching for new missions.
After NATO’s campaign in Afghanistan “ended badly” and its forces fled, the alliance replaced the Soviet threat with an invented “Russian threat,” Lavrov said.
NATO is now seeking to establish its infrastructure in Asia, while the US Congress has considered the concept of an Indo-Pacific treaty organization.
Lavrov warned that such plans would reproduce “NATO ideology” and “NATO mentality” in the Asia-Pacific region.
By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | September 2, 2026
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation closed its 26th heads-of-state summit in Bishkek on September 1 with a joint statement — the Bishkek Declaration — timed to the bloc’s 25th anniversary and signed by the leaders of all ten member states: Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and the host, Kyrgyzstan. It is a long anniversary text, adopted alongside some 28 other outcome documents and amendments to the SCO Charter, and its language on the war in Iran is unambiguous. But the single most consequential fact about the declaration is not what it says. It is whose signature sits on it. Narendra Modi’s India — a Quad member, a US strategic partner, and a country the same declaration implicitly defends against Washington’s tariffs — put its name to a text condemning American and Israeli military action, mourning a dead Iranian supreme leader, and rejecting the sanctions architecture the United States has built. That signature is the story. … continue
RT | September 3, 2026
Western countries are trying to draw India into a confrontation with China by pushing a more military role for the Quad grouping, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok.
Lavrov said India feels “very uncomfortable” in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) grouping, arguing that the US and Japan have sought to add a military component to it.
“They are conducting maritime security exercises and are keen to draw our Indian friends into games against another great friend of ours – the People’s Republic of China,” Lavrov said.
The Quad grouping of India, the US, Japan, and Australia focuses on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Its activities cover areas ranging from trade and critical technologies to maritime security, with the four countries also taking part in the annual Malabar naval exercise. … continue
A New York Times investigation reveals that the US Navy’s problem in West Asia is no longer just about remaining missile stockpiles or the threat of Iranian strikes, but rather its ability to keep about 20 ships and 20,000 sailors and Marines in the region without a nearby and secure supply network.
According to the NYT, Iranian strikes have dismantled the Navy’s regional supply chain, putting pressure on the aircraft carriers, destroyers, and amphibious ships Washington has kept in the region indefinitely since launching its war on Iran.
Two carriers, the USS George HW Bush and the USS George Washington, are currently stationed in the region alongside 12 destroyers carrying about 3,700 personnel, together enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports. An amphibious ready group of three additional warships, carrying 5,000 Marines, rounds out the force to roughly 20 ships and 20,000 sailors and Marines total.
Feeding and fueling that many ships is a demanding task on its own, the NYT reports. The fleet needs more than 420,000 meals and around eight million gallons of fuel every week. A single carrier carries 5,000 crew members who eat up to four times a day, and although the carriers run on nuclear power, the aircraft and helicopters launching from them burn through millions of gallons of fuel weekly. … continue
Al Mayadeen| September 2, 2026
Hezbollah’s Media Relations Office has categorically denied any connection to a security cell reportedly arrested on suspicion of seeking to destabilize Lebanon and Syria, dismissing the accusations as entirely baseless.
In a statement released Wednesday, the office stressed that Hezbollah has no connection whatsoever, direct or indirect, to any such cell or group. It said certain media outlets, which it accused of a pattern of leveling false accusations against the Resistance, had circulated the claims linking Hezbollah to the alleged cell.
The office said attempts by these outlets to implicate Hezbollah in security-related cases, relying on unnamed sources, are part of a disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing the group’s image, sowing discord, and undermining security and stability in Lebanon.
It asserted that the reports are part of a broader effort to malign the Resistance through unverified claims attributed to anonymous sources. … continue
Palestinian Information Center – September 3, 2026
RAMALLAH – Two young Palestinians were killed on Wednesday evening by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers during a raid on the village of al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah, amid an Israeli military escalation and attacks targeting Palestinian homes.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its crews treated one Palestinian who was shot with live ammunition in the neck and another who was shot in the back during the attack by Israeli settlers and Israeli forces on the village. Both were taken to a hospital.
Amin Abu Alia, head of the al-Mughayyir Village Council, identified the two Palestinians killed as Omar Mohammad Naasan and Khalil Abu Alia, both 19, saying they died from their critical injuries.
Abu Alia said Israeli settlers, accompanied by IOF troops, stormed the center of the village near the Grand Mosque and attacked two homes before stealing sheep from them.
He added that Israeli military snipers positioned themselves on buildings in the center of the village and opened live fire on residents who attempted to confront the settlers as they stole the sheep. … Full article
Press TV – September 2, 2026
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has been tasked by a body set up by US President Donald Trump to approach the Palestinian Authority (PA) and propose removing the term “Palestine” from school textbooks, replacing it with the Jewish name “Samaria.”
Jeremy Greenstock, who served as Britain’s ambassador to the UN from 1998 to 2003, said on Wednesday that Blair sought to influence the Palestinian Authority.
He stated that if the PA wished to be recognized by the so-called Board of Peace as a legitimate partner capable of negotiating a resolution with Israel to conclude the genocidal war in Gaza, the term “Palestine” should be removed from educational materials.
Greenstock said in an extensive interview on the David Hearst Podcast that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected the request. … continue
IMEMC | September 2, 2026
Israeli occupation forces demolished an inhabited Palestinian home on Wednesday morning in the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
Na’im Fannoun, head of the Nahalin Municipality, said Israeli soldiers invaded the town in the early morning, accompanied by military vehicles and bulldozers.
They then proceeded to the Wadi Salem area, where they demolished the home of Palestinian resident Mo’taz Hasan Najajra.
Fannoun stated that the approximately 200-square-meter home had been inhabited for more than 15 years. … Full article
By Kathryn Shihadah | If Americans Knew | September 2, 2026
… Israel has hundreds of pieces of heavy engineering machinery, and is spending a fortune demolishing what is left in the roughly 70% of Gaza under its control. Ha’aretz reports that a single piece of equipment may be rented for $1,500 a day; the operator may collect $400 a day. Nearly $1 million a day is spent on fuel.
But while part of Gaza is being demolished with massive quantities of equipment, at unprecedented speed and cost, the rest is moving slowly with primitive tools. Only a handful of excavators in Gaza are working at all – the rest were targeted by Israel, or in some cases simply wore out – Israel has blocked the entrance of spare parts. Fuel costs are prohibitive anyway.
Palestinians work long hours with shovels, wheelbarrows, and their hands to dig out the remains of their loved ones, or clear debris from what is left of the roads or their homes as legions of bulldozers demolish neighborhoods nearby. … Read full article
IMEMC | September 2, 2026
For the 328th consecutive day, Israeli forces continued violating the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing two Palestinians, including a child, while a woman succumbed to serious wounds sustained a day earlier.
Medical sources said an Israeli airstrike killed 16-year-old Ahmad Ismael in the Al-Hoja area of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
The sources added that Israeli soldiers fatally shot Hazem Hatem Marshoud, a Palestinian from the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, at the Halawa displacement camp east of Jabalia.
Israeli forces also fired artillery and tank shells, along with barrages of live ammunition, at areas east and west of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
In related news, medical sources said that 51-year-old Amna Al-Hissi succumbed on Wednesday to serious wounds sustained a day earlier. She was the mother of Israa Al-Hissy, who was killed in the same bombing.
The killings occurred as Israel’s blockade continued to restrict the entry of food, fuel, medicine, and other essential supplies. … Full article
By Robert Inlakesh | Palestine Chronicle | August 30, 2026
Gaza’s resistance factions recently agreed to a US-backed disarmament roadmap. Despite having consistently demanded this step be taken over the course of nearly three years, as a prerequisite to ending its invasion, Israel flatly rejected the proposal. In order to properly understand this renewed disarmament campaign, it is essential to consider the historic context that makes true disarmament impossible.
“If Hamas just gave up its weapons…” and “Hamas cannot control Gaza after their attacks on Israel…” have been popular arguments featured in the English-language media, not only since the beginning of the Gaza genocide, but for decades now. On July 6, Hamas declared that it had agreed to hand over control of Gaza’s civil administration to a technocratic governing committee and by July 30 the movement had pledged to implement a disarmament plan. Both of these agreements, reached through the US’s Board of Peace (BoP), provoked nothing more than pledges of further violence from the Israeli authorities.
The reason for this is that Israel will accept only a disarmament process that leaves the Palestinian people completely defenseless and at the full mercy of their occupying army. Therefore, the Hamas movement and its armed allies, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), have stressed that a disarmament plan must be sequential, not a surrender agreement as the Israelis are demanding. … continue
Press TV – September 2, 2026
A senior Badr Organization official has rejected calls for disarming Iraqi armed factions under a US-backed government plan, stressing that resistance groups will not relinquish their weapons as long as American forces remain on Iraqi soil.
Salam Hussein, a leader of the Badr Organization, warned on Wednesday that surrendering weapons in light of the continued deployment of American troops entails a grave risk.
He stressed that the issue of Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups and their weapons is a national sovereign decision, not a decision dictated by US President Donald Trump and others.
“Expulsion of occupation forces and an end to their presence on Iraqi soil are essential prerequisites for Iraqi factions to disarm,” the senior Badr Organization official pointed out.
Hussein stated that the continued deployment of US military forces and potential anti-Iraq threats underscore that handing over weapons constitutes a substantial risk, especially as the incumbent US administration does not honor its commitments and blatantly violates international treaties and agreements. … Full article
Press TV – September 2, 2026
Iran’s Army has launched dozens of explosive-drone strikes against US radar systems and troop positions at the Al Dhafra and Al Minhad bases in the UAE, as well as the Sheikh Isa base in Bahrain.
In a statement on Wednesday, Iran’s Army announced the attacks were carried out as part of the 30th phase of Operation Thunder.
Dozens of Army-operated explosive drones struck radar systems and locations where US forces were stationed at the Al Dhafra and Al Minhad bases in the UAE, according to the statement.
The statement added that radar facilities and gathering points for US forces at Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base were again hit in heavy attacks carried out by Arash explosive drones.
The Army described Al Dhafra as one of the main US operational centers in the region, saying the base is used for air operations, intelligence, surveillance and logistical support. … Full article
MEMO | September 2, 2026
A Spanish police intelligence report alleges that Moroccan security forces helped plan and direct the mass crossing of migrants into Ceuta in late July, Spanish media reported Wednesday.
The report, concerning the arrival of more than 70,000 migrants, challenges the Spanish government’s public account of the border crisis.
The police report said Moroccan gendarmes, some in uniform and others in plain clothes, guided migrants toward the Spanish enclave in successive waves aimed at overwhelming border controls, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported Wednesday.
The document, submitted to Spain’s National Court, describes the July 30-31 crossings, when around 72,000 people entered the Spanish enclave in North Africa, as a planned operation rather than a spontaneous movement driven by smugglers or social media calls.
The report also said police issued an alert on July 29 warning of an “extreme risk” of coordinated attempts to enter Ceuta and Melilla the following day by swimming or crossing border fences.
The findings have put the government under pressure over its previous account of the crisis. On Tuesday, Migration Minister Elma Saiz said Tuesday there were no indications of Moroccan involvement in the mass crossings. … Full article
MEMO | September 2, 2026
Germany approved nearly €800 million ($930 million) worth of military equipment exports to Israel in the first half of this year amid its ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, local media reported Wednesday.
The Economy and Energy Ministry disclosed the figure in its response to a parliamentary inquiry by the opposition Left Party, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel.
Export licenses issued between January and June exceeded four times the total value approved for Israel throughout 2025, the report said. … Full article
MEMO | September 2, 2026
Israel announced on Tuesday evening that the Navy submarine Drakon is en route from Germany to the country, marking the conclusion of the joint planning and construction phase between the two nations and the start of its voyage to the country.
In a joint statement, the Israeli military and Defence Ministry said the submarine was the sixth to be delivered to Israel. They said the Israeli navy commander, senior Defence Ministry officials, Israel’s ambassador to Berlin and the German navy commander attended a ceremony marking the start of the submarine’s voyage from the German shipbuilder TKMS’s shipyard in the German city of Kiel.
The statement said the Drakon was the third and final submarine in the Dolphin-class (AIP) series under a deal concluded by the Defence Ministry for the navy. It said the submarine “includes advanced and modern technologies that place Israel at the forefront of global military technology and strengthen the navy’s operational flexibility for many years to come”. … Full article
Sputnik – 02.09.2026
The German government’s escalation of tensions with Russia is unreasonable and potentially dangerous, Alexander King, co-chairman of the Berlin branch of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), told Sputnik after Berlin announced plans to close Russia’s consulate general in Bonn and terminate an agreement related to the Russian House in Berlin.
“Yes, the federal government is fueling escalation. This is unreasonable and, in the worst case, even dangerous,” King said.
The dispute follows a drone incident at Leipzig Airport, after which Germany blamed Russia without providing public evidence.
Moscow called the accusations a provocation, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said Berlin lacked proof and linked the claims to Germany’s domestic political situation.
Remix News | September 2, 2026
Dire economic news continues to roll in as Germany faces deepening deindustrialization and an economic downturn under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Reports today say Volkswagen’s management board is proposing to wind down production at four major German plants and shift much of that work abroad.
Just days before, Merz warned that investors would shun an AfD-governed federal state in the future.
“I cannot imagine international investors showing up for a groundbreaking ceremony with an AfD state premier to establish new plants or set up new businesses in Saxony-Anhalt,” said Merz during an ARD summer interview on Aug. 30.
He added that if a right-wing populist party won an absolute majority in the coming election, international investors would think twice about whether to invest in Saxony-Anhalt.
However, VW’s management board has now recommended closing four German production sites. The AfD has seized on the reports.
“In four VW plants, the group board is turning off the lights. The energy transition and electric planned economy are pulling the plug on the German automotive industry. With an AfD government, the economic turnaround will return to reason,” wrote AfD co-chair Alice Weidel.
The plan was unanimously adopted by the VW management board and will be presented to the Supervisory Board on Sept. 3. While not an immediate shutdown, it would end production in the early 2030s in Emden, Zwickau, Hanover, and Neckarsulm, with production transferred to Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Germany’s anemic growth is almost entirely debt-fueled and focused on public sector and defense. Its once world-class industrial base is meanwhile rapidly eroding, with Normura reporting that investors are increasingly receptive to right-wing victories, as ZeroHedge reported.
The AfD is using Merz’s economic record to argue that investors would welcome an AfD victory in the state.
AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund told Welt TV that “exactly the opposite” would happen and that an AfD government would instead encourage firms to launch projects in Saxony-Anhalt.
Conservative-governed states abroad would see “a competitive advantage if we finally have long-term planning security again, if we have no climate targets, no quota targets,” argued Siegmund.
“[Merz’s] current economic policy speaks for itself here. We are currently experiencing deindustrialization in this country. Businesses are closing, businesses are leaving this country. That means reality speaks a clear language here,” he said. … Full article
A Cuban official said that there are no ongoing negotiations with the US. President Donald Trump has threatened to conduct a regime change in Havana after the US concludes its war against Iran.
“The channel for dialogue is at a complete standstill,” Lianys Torres Rivera, Cuba’s Ambassador to the US, said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday. The two sides are unable to even settle on a basic agenda, she added. “There are no negotiations.”
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has stepped up economic warfare on Cuba and threatened the government in Havana. The tightening of the US embargo on Cuba has resulted in repeated blackouts, but has not resulted in an uprising against the government.
Last month, Washington announced a new round of sanctions against Havana and deployed additional intelligence assets to Cuba. A source told Politico that the White House had recently sent additional spies and intelligence assets to Cuba. The outlet notes, “Such intelligence moves could portend actions ranging from a US military operation in Cuba to stepped up efforts to turn Cuban officials or ordinary citizens against the regime.”
Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio is a long-time advocate of replacing the government in Havana with one chosen by Washington. One source told the outlet Cuba is a “huge priority of Rubio’s.”
Trump has posted images on Truth Social naming himself and Rubio as the leaders of Cuba.
RT | September 2, 2026
Belgium has rejected an attempt by Sweden, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands to resurrect the EU’s plan to seize frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine.
“This is non-negotiable,” Defense Minister Theo Francken told VRT on the weekend. “That door is closed.”
Kiev’s Western backers froze around $300 billion in Russian central bank assets following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, around $240 billion of which is held at Belgium-based Euroclear. The EU has already redirected profits generated by the funds to Kiev but has stopped short of confiscating the underlying assets.
Ukraine has warned of a €30 billion hole in its defense budget, despite receiving the first tranche of a €90 billion loan from Brussels.
Sweden, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands urged the European Commission last week to once again explore ways of using the frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, while spreading the legal and financial risks among EU member states.
Belgium, which would bear much of the fallout because Euroclear holds the bulk of the assets, opposes confiscation. Francken said Prime Minister Bart De Wever will not change course and warned other EU members, particularly the Baltic states, against repeatedly putting Belgium “in a corner.” … continue
- Moscow dismisses ‘fabricated’ German drone incident claims
- Zelensky threatens ‘every airline’ in Russian airspace
- New US ‘precision’ missiles responsible for multiple civilian deaths in Iran – report
- Shrapnel from US strike hits wedding reception in southern Iran, martyring five, including a child
- Iran vows ‘crushing’ retaliation following latest US airstrikes on southern provinces
- Belgium’s Leuven mayor refuses to host Europa League match against Israeli club
- Vance seeks support from pro-‘Israel’ voters, donors: Politico
- WFP halves food aid to occupied West Bank as funding for UN agency collapses
- All Christian schools in Jerusalem shut after Israel refuses entry to Palestinian teachers
- Israeli occupiers attempt to set fire to mosque in northern West Bank
- Gaza interior ministry says IOF abducted officer in al-Katiba raid
- Israeli warplanes, artillery bomb multiple southern Lebanon towns
- Israel’s ‘pilot zones’ become a cover for permanent occupation
- Turkish Foreign Minister: Netanyahu is a threat to humanity and the international order
- SCO leaders sign Bishkek Declaration against ‘western unilateralism’
- EU surrenders sovereignty to US coercion, becomes accessory to economic terrorism: Iran FM spokesman
- Washington sanctions regime reaches its breaking point
- Economy will withstand US sanctions, Iran Central Bank governor says
- Ukrainians turn anger on Kiev for storing explosives near their homes
- India’s anti-terror agency to question jailed Ukrainian mercenary
- Trump Censorship Machine Loses Again in Court
- EU targets ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox under censorship law
- YouTube’s Account Enforcement Practices Face Possible FTC Lawsuit
- The Israeli Blueprint That Put an Italian Mail Server on America’s Terror List
- Greece inks $3.5bn arms deal with Israel for ‘multi-layered’ air defenses
- Why Israel Can Brag About Murdering Western Aid Workers
- The exodus Israel cannot afford
- Israeli rabbi calls for Palestinians’ expulsion from occupied West Bank
- IOF razes several homes, seizes over 37 dunums of land in West Bank
- West Bank: While Protecting Colonizers, Army Shoots Four Palestinians
- Five Gaza fishermen injured in Israeli attacks
- Five Palestinians killed, others wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- Araghchi accuses Netanyahu of deceiving US over war on Iran
- Over 1,000 Israeli soldiers killed in Iran’s retaliatory strikes: Armed Forces spokesman
- Iran’s Kharg Island oil operations continue despite bombing, NIOC says
- Trump threatens to take action against South Korea for refusing to take part in war on Iran
- Iranian Army targets US base in UAE in response to Larak attack
- Bessent Threatens ‘Financial Violence’ as US Plans New Iran Sanctions
- Arab states call US sanctions on Iran unrealistic: Report
- Ex-Pakistani envoy: Trump’s economic war on Iran to ‘backfire like his bombing campaign’
- NATO creating new Arctic front against Russia – Lavrov
- Hydrocarbon Reserves in Russia’s Far East Comparable to World’s Largest Basins – Rosnedra
- Excess Winter Deaths Cover Up
- IRGC strikes two US airbases in Jordan over Larak aggression
- Iraq committed to full US withdrawal deadline – media
- Finland’s Nuclear Moves Will Bring ‘Commensurate’ Response – Russian MFA
- Finland’s opposition condemns government’s military pact with Israel as ‘historic shame’
- Trump’s Stolen Venezuelan Crude Oil Sent to Israel
- No Matter Who Is In Power, Israel Will Stay Genocidal.
- Masked Israeli occupiers attack Palestinian woman, NBC News crew in occupied West Bank
- Israeli troops ‘stood by and watched’ as settlers carried out new West Bank pogrom
- Israeli terrorism is getting worse because Western leaders are cowards, hypocrites
- Israel provides covert intelligence, security assistance to Sudan’s RSF militia: Report
- Araghchi urges Japanese to hold government accountable over US actions
- No Ship Passes Hormuz Without Iran’s Permission — Foreign Ministry
- Funding crisis forces UNRWA to shut schools, sparking alarm in Lebanon
- From Nabatieh to Mansouri: Israel’s Artillery and Warplanes Pound Southern Lebanon
- Hezbollah’s Options in Resisting and Why It Decided to Stop Responding
- Iraqi Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada sets conditions to put weapons under state control
- Why the Iran War is about to Escalate over The Coming Months
- German establishment figures call for ban on country’s most popular party
- New York Social Media Law Survives X Lawsuit
- US designates Palestinian refugee in Germany ‘terrorist’ over human rights activism
- Trump’s push to deport Pro-Palestinian activists faces court defeat
- Up to 3,000 people forcibly disappeared in Gaza during Israeli war: Rights group
- Three Gazans killed, others wounded in fresh Israeli attacks
- UNIFIL records 1,030 projectiles fired by ‘Israel’ in southern Lebanon
- Maariv: ‘Israel’ Fears Iranian Retaliation Over Attack on Ali Al-Taher in Southern Lebanon
- China’s opposition to illegal unilateral sanctions is consistent and unequivocal: FM on possible US sanctions on Chinese banks over Iran ties
- The Coalition of Willing wants a continental war
- France seeks to cash in on weapons for Ukraine
- Finland Gives Ukraine 25 Satellite Recon Images per Day — Expert
- How Ukraine Weaponizes Drones to Terrorize Russian Civilians
- Ratcliffe’s Moscow Trip: A Visit Before the Storm
- Diplomatic Scandal: Why Did the U.S. Recall Its Ambassador to Turkey?
- Anti-AfD German police union VP resigns amid allegations he tortured a man during Cold War
- German Left Party opposes Volkswagen’s planned defense deal with Israeli firm
- Israeli Army Executes Three Palestinians in Jenin
- Gaza Health Ministry reports more than 6,000 amputations amid prosthetics shortage
- Israeli ceasefire violations in Gaza escalate with five Palestinians killed in fresh attacks
- Israeli commander that ordered strike on WCK convoy defends killing of aid workers
- Israeli forces raid, search home in southwestern Syria’s Quneitra province: State media
- US cuts Banque Misr UAE from financial system over Iran sanctions
- Made in America. Hidden in Berkshire. Dropped on Iran.
- Former British PM Johnson admits US aggression against Iran was a ‘mistake’
- Iranian business still active in UAE despite US ‘Economic D-Day’: WSJ
- ‘Ideological cover for war’: Anti-imperialist scholars condemn Guardian open letter over Iran
- Coroner Dismantles Shapiro’s “Two Measles Deaths” Claim
- Coroner Contradicts Pennsylvania Health Officials, Says Measles Didn’t Cause Newborn’s Death
- Denmark to compensate Greenlandic women over forced contraception
- Seymour Hersh: Jeffrey Epstein May Have Been A Mossad And FBI Asset
- Three Palestinians killed, others injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- Israeli occupation refuses return of Palestinians to West Bank camps
- Israel steals thousands of acres of Palestinian land in latest West Bank land grab
- Israeli court exonerates Jewish settler caught on video assaulting Jerusalem nun
- 14-year-old girl among three wounded, at least 12 abducted in West Bank
- Two Palestinians wounded by Israeli gunfire in Jerusalem
- Newlywed woman martyred in Israeli aggression on Arabsalim, South Lebanon
- US Envoy’s Logic: Asking ‘Israel’ to Stop Bombing South Lebanon Is Asking It to “Do Everything”
- Saudi Arabia reaffirms no normalisation with Israel without Palestinian state
- Iran blocks IAEA inspections of attacked nuclear sites until new protocol established
- Russia pledges joint efforts with Iran to counter US sanctions
- Pakistan rejects unilateral US sanctions against Iran, pledges continued trade with Tehran
- US Looks to Revive ‘Prize Courts’ to Seize Iranian Oil Tankers — Reports
- Iran vows response if US moves to seize its oil at sea
- US accuses China of hacking NASA, Fed and critical infrastructure
- US statement lacks factual evidence and turns facts on their head: China rejects US allegations of cyberattack
- Is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s using measles scare to push Covid-era public health regulations?
- The Measles Message Was Ready Before the Deaths Were Announced
- What We Know About the Two “Measles Deaths” in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Scientists turn plastic bottles into protein-rich cookies
- The cult of Fauci cult shows no signs of cooling down
- More Military Murders on the High Seas
- Ukraine strikes Donetsk with Storm Shadow missiles – governor
- Nine killed in Ukrainian attack on passenger bus in Donbass
- Ukraine’s Western-Supplied Tanks Useless Against Russian Drones – Report
- Pro-‘Israel’ Dems win key panel posts, influence over West Asia policy
- US sanctions Palestine Action, designates group as ‘terrorist organization’
- Millions in Israeli military funding flow to US universities: Report
- Israel exports 6 times more arms per capita than US, 19 times more than Russia
- ‘Israel’ forcibly evicts UNRWA center in occupied al-Quds
- Israeli settlers attack AFP crew in occupied West Bank
- Gaza aid group says nutritional supplies destroyed in Israeli strike
- Strait of Hormuz won’t reopen unless US accepts Iran’s conditions: IRGC
- Netanyahu Claims Reaching Agreement With Iran Impossible
- Iran inflicted billions in damage to American intelligence sites during US-Israeli aggression: Report
- Former CDC Scientist Whose Studies Were Used to ‘Debunk’ Vaccine-Autism Link Will Plead Guilty
- Lockerbie: Is the Masud case just merely a whitewash for CIA terrorism?
- Blame Churchill for World War 2. Not Hitler
- Ukraine Mobilizes Only UOC Priests, Other Confessions Left Untouched – Russian Foreign Ministry
- Jordanian police arrest Drop Site correspondent for ‘sedition’ over online post
- Israeli airstrike destroys water desalination plant in northern Gaza
- Eight Killed, Including Children, in Israeli Bombings in Gaza
- Israel launches new incursion into south Syria days after Mossad chief meets HTS diplomat
- Israel will not leave Mount Hermon, Syrian buffer zone: Defense minister
- Iran, Oman discuss ‘phased framework’ for reopening Strait of Hormuz
- Qatar Reaffirms Diplomatic Push, Criticizes US Sanctions on Iran
- Iran Channels Demands on MoU and Strait of Hormuz to US Through Pakistan
- After 6 months of war, why aren’t oil prices even higher?
- Sanctioning the Dollar Iran Already Left: Why Bessent’s “Economic D-Day” Is Toothless
- Newsom Signs Content Takedown Law Following Nick Shirley Investigations
- Net zero grid upgrade costs spiraling out of control
- CEO of One of UK’s Oldest Energy Companies Calls UK ‘Uninvestable’
- Andy Burnham faces pressure to sack ‘climate tsar’ who has racked up enough air miles to get to the Moon
- Dozens of ex-lawmakers, staff landed at military firms since 2015
- AIPAC brand turns toxic as pro-Israel Republican asks lobby to stay out of Michigan race
- American actor dismisses Paramount’s ‘antisemitic tropes’ after exposing Gaza genocide complicity
- Israel subjecting Russian historian to brutal interrogation – lawyer
- Israel blocks 2 Swedish European parliamentarians from entering country
- Israel seizes 1,152 more dunums as West Bank villages are turned into closed military zones
- Gaza survivors recount executions and abuse in militia-controlled areas east of Yellow Line
- Israeli army orders evacuation of Gaza City residential area housing displaced Palestinians
- Seven Palestinians killed, others injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- US envoy Tom Barrack walks back on comment that Syria’s Golan is occupied
- US unveils ‘economic onslaught’ against Iran
- Iran warns of strikes on US bases in Europe if nations join aggression
- IRGC rejects US claims, says Iran retains surveillance edge in Hormuz
- Iran invite to join regional defense pact raises alarm in ‘Israel’
- EU unlocks new tranche of €90 billion loan to Ukraine for weapons
- NATO wages hybrid war on Russia as Europe prepares for wider conflict
- NATO Allied Drills With 12,000 Troops to Start in Latvia in September – Reports
- Japan rejects Ukraine’s missile plea
- Russia’s Zakharova Accuses Finland of Complicity in International Terrorism
- Monk stabbed to death at Ukrainian monastery
- Two children killed in Ukrainian drone strike on childcare center – governor
- A response to The Guardian’s open letter: Opposing the war on Iran means rejecting war propaganda
- Questions About The Shady Anti-Iran Letter Appearing In The Guardian
- The Jewish Matchmakers Who Reshaped American Romance
- ‘Israel’ turns Gaza wedding into tragedy, kills groom, amid aggression
- Israeli strikes in Gaza kill three Palestinians, including 4-year-old
- Israeli chief rabbi denies Palestinians’ existence, rights in ‘hate-filled’ rhetoric
- West Bank: Colonizers Assault Four Palestinians, Ram a Citizen’s Vehicle
- “Who Are You to Tell Me to Bend Over?”: Interview with Hammam Khazem
- Israeli incursion into Daraa and military checkpoints in Quneitra, southern Syria
- Iran announces discovery of major gas field in southern Fars province
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- ICE arrested the ‘worst of the worst.’ Washington made sure he walked free
- Georgia refuses to adopt EU sanctions on Iran citing ‘national interests’
- China will not play along with the US’ ‘reckless games’ on the Iran issue
- Israeli forces, settlers injure and besiege Palestinians in West Bank
- Gaza: Israeli Drone Strike Kills a Palestinian, Injures Others
- Israel’s New War in Syria: Why Türkiye Is Now in the Crosshairs
- Israeli military conducts new ground incursion in Syria’s Quneitra, ransacks house
- One Injured in Israeli Strike on Southern Syria
- Israel strikes multiple areas in southern Lebanon with phosphorus shells
- Families of 11 journalists killed in Lebanon demand Israeli authorities’ trial before ICC
- Marrakesh erupts in protest against Israeli minister’s visit
- UK judge bars sentencing of Palestine Action activists for ‘terrorism’
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- Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes managers, reporter for exposing Abraham Lincoln scandal
- US journalist says he was interrogated over criticism of Ben-Gvir
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- Palestinians ‘starving’ as Israeli settlers maintain siege on West Bank town
- Israeli Occupation Kills Father of Palestinian Martyr in Jenin, Intensifies West Bank Oppressive Raids
- Palestinian teen killed in settler attack on al-Khalil village
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- Palestinian killed by Israeli gunfire in Khan Yunis
- Child killed, others injured as Israel continues Gaza ceasefire violations
- BBC cancelled interview on Israel’s killing of Hind Rajab
- ‘Flashing Red Warning Sign’ for Lawmakers: Poll Shows Voters Reject US-Israel Military Integration
- US senator slams Israeli minister’s call for nightly mass killings in Gaza as ‘abhorrent’
- US senator demands Trump end ‘disastrous’ aggression against Iran
- All Anti-Iranian US Sanctions Failed – Iran’s Foreign Minister
- US approves $4.5 billion Qatar tanker deal, raising questions over its purpose
- Russian Rail Corridor to Indian Ocean Could Outpace Suez Canal, Pakistani Senator Says
- China rejects US call to sever economic ties with Iran, says sanctions will not resolve war
- Comparison Of Two German Weather Forecasts: From 25 Years Ago And From Today
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- The violent annexation of the West Bank: From the siege of Qusra to de facto sovereign control
- Army Demolishes Three Homes in Occupied Jerusalem
- Five Palestinians injured in settler attack northeast of Ramallah
- Israeli occupiers set Palestinian home in occupied West Bank on fire with mother, daughter inside
- Australia calls Israel’s closure of aid workers killing probe an “insult”
- Israel Lies again about Hind Rajab Killing in a Public Relations Whitewash Maneuver
- Israeli attacks in Gaza leave dozens of casualties as Netanyahu rejects ISF entry
- Hamas rejects Israeli account of Gaza city police station strike
- Yemeni Armed Forces Declare Two Successful Drone Operations Targeting Saudi Arabia’s Najran
- Israel’s war minister threatens Turkey as Apache squadron moves north
- Turkey denies military presence at Syrian base bombed by ‘Israel’
- EU Aiding Terrorism by Transferring Income From Frozen Russian Assets to Ukraine – Russian MFA
- Zelensky’s senior aide fired amid Ukraine corruption crisis
- Some Shattering Illusions of Our Declining Empire
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- Global mRNA Shot Push Signals Start of Hostile Market Takeover
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- Jewish State Senator Jeremy Moss Faces Backlash over Hot Mic Comments
- AIPAC pours millions into California race after Michigan defeat
- Mossad Officially Enters the US Military Supply Chain
- War on Iran pushes US debt toward $40 trillion as borrowing costs surge
- Israel arrests 30 Palestinians in occupied West Bank, including journalist
- Israeli Forces Critically Injure a Palestinian in Al-Am’ari Camp
- 9 Palestinians killed, 15 injured by Israeli strike on Gaza police station
- Israel risks ceasing ‘to exist as a state,’ senior Russian general says
- Senior Iranian MP warns France over ‘constant betrayals’ after Tehran expels diplomats
- War on Iran and refinery outages in Russia drive global fuel market toward supply crisis
- Terrorist With Years of Experience: Meet Ukraine’s New Defense Minister
- NATO whines it cannot fight simultaneous wars against Russia, China and Iran
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- Soldiers Shoot, Critically Injure Palestinians, Abduct Several Across West Bank
- 47 Palestinian families face imminent displacement in West Bank as Israel cuts water supplies: Report
- Israel spent over $140bn over three years to finance genocide of Palestinians in Gaza
- Israeli drone strike on crowded Gaza cafe kills 6 Palestinians
- US-led Board of Peace considers ‘wholesale’ Hamas disarmament deal to satisfy Israel: Report
- US sanctions International Criminal Court’s president, official
- The impunity granted to Israel is as shocking as its violence
- Israel bombs Syrian military base as US praises Damascus’s ‘de-escalatory’ policy toward Tel Aviv
- Iraqi Kata’ib Hezbollah sets conditions to place weapons under state control
- Burning America’s Cards One by One: What is Iran’s Strategy?
- Iran warns shipping companies against supporting US military operations: Report
- Iran war marks end of US Middle East order: Foreign Affairs
- Pentagon weighs leaving Persian Gulf after Iran ‘exposed vulnerabilities’: Report
- DoD Missile Shopping Spree Designed to Spread Superprofits, ‘Not Win Wars’: Karen Kwiatkowski
- US Navy destroyer was left without power for four days in South China Sea
- Europe’s Looming Winter Preparations Just Got 1.5X Costlier
- Ukraine Derails IAEA Chief’s Visit to Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant
- Ukrainian Military Deliberately Targets Russian Hospitals and Ambulances – Russian Diplomat
- Latvia wants EU billions for its anti-Russia policies
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- How “Israelism” Has Replaced Christianity as the American Civic Religion
- Israel detains Palestinians, Qusra siege in West Bank continues for day 9
- Scabies infects ten women prisoners in Damon Prison amid harsh conditions
- Child Dies of Injuries as Israeli Attacks Continue in Gaza
- UNIFIL Reports Sharp Rise in Israeli ‘Military Activity’ in Southern Lebanon
- Saudi school curricula undergo major changes to references to Jerusalem and Israel
- Yemeni armed forces strike Saudi landing ship, naval boats in Red Sea
- The empire below deck
- Drone attack on Iraqi Kurdistan’s PM office a ‘false flag’ operation: Report
- Trump renews threat to bomb Oman ‘if it gets in the way’ of US war on Iran
- FBI covered up Biden crime family dealings in Ukraine as ‘Russian disinformation’
- Russia warns UK will ‘pay the price’ over drones used in Ukrainian strikes
- Ukrainian drone strike in Russian region kills married couple – governor
- Ukrainian missile strike kills six in Russian border region – officials
- West Plans to Accuse Russia of Alleged Arms Supply to Drug Cartels – Russian Foreign Intel
- Israel creates fake think tank in likely attempt to dupe AI chatbots
- ‘Do what Israel tells you’: US troops revolt over Iran war decision
- Iran spokesman slams Canada’s participation in war on Iran despite Trump’s hostility
- Washington discussing nuclear strike on Iran – MTG
- Wolves in White Coats: How Doctors and Hospitals Pushed and Profited from the Fraud of “Gender Medicine”
- US mulls copying Russia’s air defense tech – Military Watch
- Catz Boasts Oracle is providing “scary” secret technology to the Israeli military
- Israeli attacks kill Palestinian, injure several others in Gaza despite ceasefire
- Palestinians shot, beaten and forced from homes as Israeli raids sweep West Bank
- Ben-Gvir pushes for killing 30-40 Palestinians every night
- Why you are being lied to about Yemen and the implications of its liberation
- CENTCOM Map Shows Gaza and West Bank as Part of Israel
- Iran’s “Art of the Deal”
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