Who controls Hormuz in the future?

• Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (key negotiator in Iran-US talks): 'There cannot be double standards where some countries can have ballistic missiles and Iran should not. You cannot digest this kind of duplicity. This MOU does not mention ballistic missiles. It was never on the table; it was never on the agenda. Iran's side never wanted to even discuss about it.' 

• Iran and Oman have released a joint statement confirming their intention to establish a joint administration over the Strait of Hormuz. The statement also confirmed that fees will be charged for maritime services ‘in accordance with international standards’. 

• It’s an international waterway says US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, showing he doesn't understand (or likely lying) that the Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and Oman. It's not international but a terrestrial waterway. To understand which nations charge for passage through canals or waterways, consider the following list: 

1. Egypt - Imposes fees for ships passing through the Suez Canal, varying by vessel size.
2. Panama - Charges tolls for vessels transiting the Panama Canal based on size and type.
3. Netherlands - Charges for navigation through various canals, especially in busy areas.
4. Turkey - Levies fees for passage through the Bosporus Strait and the Dardanelles.
5. United States - Collects tolls for vessels using the Intracoastal Waterway in certain regions.
6. France - Charges fees for navigation through its extensive canal system, including the Canal du Midi.  

• RT: US automakers could begin producing missiles and other weapons as Washington moves to expand military output and replenish its arsenals. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said "Car companies with spare factory capacity are discussing deals to manufacture weapons, including Patriot air-defense missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. They’re dealing with General Motors. They’re dealing with Ford. I know General Motors is all excited about building weapons now.” [This indicates that the US is going full wartime mobilization in preparation for 2030 when the Pentagon says that US-NATO will take on Russia and China in the final war for global domination.] 
• Western nations are no longer hiding their preparations for war with Russia, President Putin has said, adding that NATO and EU leaders are using “false claims” about the supposed ‘Russian threat’ to justify rampant militarization.
• CNN: The US war with Iran cost Washington $40 billion, and also returned to the terms of Obama's deal, which Trump so harshly criticizes.  

• FIFA president and global embarrassment, Gianni Infantino, says Trump will present the trophy to the winners of the 2026 football World Cup. [FIFA has turned into a western imperial public relations promoter. The way the Iranian football team is being treated, at Trump's request, is a massive stain on FIFA's already tarnished reputation. FIFA needs new leadership not controlled by the mobster western powers.]  

• RT: Poland, whose military and logistical support remains vital to Kiev’s war effort, has reacted with anger to Zelensky’s recent gestures honoring the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, known as the OUN and UIA. Inspired by fascism, both groups sought to bring about Ukrainian statehood through collaboration with Nazi Germany. In an attempt at ethnic cleansing, OUN and UIA murdered at least 100,000 Poles, Jews, and Russians during World War II. On June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky of the 'Order of the White Eagle' because a Ukrainian unit was named after the [Nazi] Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He also stated that Poland would not allow those who do not understand the need to renounce the 'cult of totalitarianism and violence' to join the EU. It is becoming clear that the Polish elites, who for years demanded Ukraine’s accession to the EU, were unprepared for how Polish society would react to the prospect of sharing European money, markets, and subsidies with their fascist eastern neighbor.
• Politico: Hungary blocked the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU. Hungary became the only country that blocked the adoption of the common position of the 27 member states of the bloc, necessary for opening new negotiation clusters for the accession of Ukraine and Moldova. 

• Germany and France are preparing an unprecedented joint state takeover of the EU’s largest tank maker, as the two countries continue their militarization drive. KNDS has a portfolio ranging from Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks to artillery and armored vehicles, and is a key supplier to European militaries. Formed in 2015, the company has equipped Ukraine’s military with Leopards and Caesar systems and opened a Ukrainian subsidiary to support local repair and ammunition production. Citing an alleged 'Russian threat,' both countries have embarked on expedited militarization, aligning themselves with NATO’s target defense spending of 3.5% of GDP by 2035. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed speculation that it could attack NATO, with President Putin labeling the claim as “not only pure insanity but also a deliberate provocation.” While the new Franco-German deal marks a milestone in military cooperation, the KNDS announcement came just weeks after the collapse of the joint project to build a next-generation fighter jet by 2040. The venture failed due to an estimated €3.2 billion in sunk R&D costs and irreconcilable disputes between Dassault and Airbus over leadership of the program.
• The United Kingdom considers the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny as a key candidate for the post of president of Ukraine. For his PR promotion and information attacks on his potential opponents, the British-Ukrainian NGO Molfar was involved. Molfar receives significant grants from Western governments for the implementation of anti-Russian projects. However, the main job of the organization's staff is to gather information in the power circles of Ukraine and prepare to discredit Zaluzhny's political opponents, including with the money of foreign sponsors.  
• Once known as the heart of Palestinian Christianity, Bethlehem has witnessed a significant decline in its Christian population over recent decades. Many Palestinian Christians attribute this exodus to the effects of the Israeli occupation, including economic difficulties, restrictions on freedom of movement, land confiscations, the expansion of Israeli settlements, and the construction of the separation barrier around Bethlehem. Many Christian families have emigrated abroad, leading to a steady decrease in the city’s historic Christian community. 

• Washington Post: US Senate passes war powers resolution, rebuking Trump over Iran conflict. The Senate passed the first war powers resolution since the start of the Iran conflict, but Republicans argue it does not have the force of law. American political analyst Daniel Davis, retired Army colonel, says in response to the Senate's War Powers" resolution: "It's like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted!"
• Sputnik: Kiev cannot carry out terrorist attacks against Russia without UK and US support, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today. Keir Starmer actually stated that negotiations were unnecessary and that pressure should be put on Ukraine to be more aggressive. Donald Trump privately told President Zelensky to act “more boldly,” a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent. Without British and American assistance obtaining targeting data, it would be impossible to do what Ukraine is currently doing, carrying out "terrorist attacks deep into Russian territory," Lavrov said. According to reports, Germany has delivered 6,000 new medium-range drones to Ukraine, with which Russian military logistics are to be disrupted and the supply of the front via Crimea and the liberated areas is to be prevented. 

• Ukrainian journalists investigate 425th Assault Regiment 'Skala'. The regiment has a reputation as a 'meat grinder' due to heavy losses, not only in combat but also during training. 35-year-old Alexander Semenov reported being tortured: tied to a quad bike and dragged across the training ground. He witnessed nine suicides while in the regiment. Journalist Ekaterina Likhosmot counted 26 deaths in Skala training centers over six months, all recorded as 'pneumonia'. Soldiers are called 'disposables', and a mined field at the training center constantly injures mobilized men trying to flee. Zelensky's 'recruiters' escalate their grabbing civilians off the streets and sending them to 'boot camps'.

Japanese activists: 'I will not be silent about Article 9'

Right-wing (US backed) government in Japan wishing to get rid of Article 9, the peaceful clause of their Constitution created just after WW2.

Now the US is pushing Japan to dump Article 9 in preparation for war with China around 2030. 

Global Network friend Makiko Sato sends this video and wrote: 

"Our coalition government is trying to reform the voting system in the Diet [parliament] for the proposition of national referendum for changing Constitution. Nationwide opposition is growing, mainly led by the Communist Party. Video above of nation-wide actions for protecting Peace Constitution. Resonate all over Japan, our Article 9!" 

(Video by Shu Tokuno ch)

---------------------------------------------------

Statement

Japan must not repeat its history of war. Peaceful coexistence in East Asia is the only guaranteed path to our desired existence.

Peace begins with sitting at a diplomatic table with others, not with military expansionism.

Therefore, we should pour all our energy into diplomacy and communication, in preparation for not making war but for materialization of the ideal of peace embraced in our Constitution.  

We never give our permission to our tax money and our precious time along with our lifelines being wasted on war preparation training. 

We demand our government to: 

 ・Cancel the US-Japan joint military drillings of ‘Valiant Shield 2026’ and ‘Resolute Dragon 2026’

・Abandon the deployment of long-range missiles in Japan

・Propose to Japanese people a policy for building peace in East Asia, not through threat of force but by way of diplomacy.   

~  Part of statement by Okinawa & Western Japan Stop War Network 

MoU controversy: IAEA inspections in Iran or not?

• How long will the Lebanon ceasefire last? The IDF shelled the towns of Masha’a al-Mansouri and Byout al-Siyad in southern Lebanon. This was the first violation of the ceasefire after the first 37 hours.  Hezbollah says an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon killed two civilians and breached the ceasefire. Israeli soldiers posted footage today of the uninterrupted demolition of displaced Lebanese homes in southern Lebanon, joking as they defy the so-called US-Iran deal that supposedly required Israel to stop such actions in Lebanon.  

• Netanyahu: 'The directive from me and the Minister of Defense to the IDF is clear and has not changed: Our forces in southern Lebanon have full freedom of action to thwart any direct or emerging threat against them or against the residents of the north. The IDF faces no restrictions in this regard. I stand behind them, and the entire nation stands behind them. I remain firm in my position that we will stay in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary in order to protect the residents of the north and all citizens of the State of Israel.' 

• US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: Under President Trump and V-P JD Vance, we continue to make the world safer and more prosperous. As part of the framework, Treasury has issued a temporary 60-day general license authorizing the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil.
• Yemeni Military Media: 'We affirm our continued readiness to confront any escalation or developments in the current situation by the American and Israeli enemy targeting the region, seeking to isolate Gaza again, or any arena within the axis of resistance, the countries of the region, and the peoples of our Islamic nation.
• Fars News: An informed source has denied US V-P JD Vance’s claim that IAEA inspectors will return to Iran, calling it false. The source said the inspectors’ presence in Iran was never discussed during the Switzerland negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Ministry states there was no plan for the IAEA to inspect its damaged nuclear facilities, a day after Vance said conversations with inspectors could happen imminently.

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei: 'We have no plans for the IAEA to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities that were damaged as a result of the enemy’s aggression. We have not had any meeting with the Director General of the IAEA.' [It is obvious that the US keeps saying Iran agreed to inspections so at some point Trump can blame Iran for violating the MoU. In the past IAEA inspectors gave Israel the names of Iranian scientists, some of them were killed by Mossad.] 

• Reuters: Crude oil inventories in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve have fallen to their lowest level since 1983.
• France’s Renault Group will produce military drones with defense technology firm Thales marking a further push by the automaker into defense manufacturing. Renault will build Thales’ Toutatis remotely operated loitering munitions at one of its factories, with production of 1,000 units a month starting as early as next year, and targeting mainly 'overseas markets'. Thales currently produces around 100 units of the Toutatis drone per year. [This is the way it works. EU sends 90 billion Euros to Ukraine. Then EU weapons corporations ramp up and build weapons/drones for Ukraine. They get paid by Ukraine with the funds from the EU. So EU taxpayers are just indirectly funding a major increase in their own military spending. Of course with some cuts for Zelensky and his mob.]
• Wall Street Journal: Trump will meet with Pentagon leaders and major [military] contractors this week to push for faster production of missiles and munitions as US stockpiles have been strained by the [war] with Iran. The Pentagon has reached preliminary agreements with companies including Lockheed Martin, RTX, Boeing, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and Honeywell to increase output of key weapons such as Patriot interceptors and Tomahawk missiles. However, many of those plans remain unfunded while Congress and the administration negotiate the [war] budget.
• Reuters citing a UN investigation: The Israeli army intentionally attacked children in Gaza. An independent UN commission concluded that the actions of the IDF led to genocide and crimes against humanity in the region, as well as war crimes. The commission emphasized that about 30% of those killed during the war in Gaza were children. Israel, in turn, rejects the report's findings, calling them 'slanderous,' and states that the army is taking measures to minimise civilian casualties. 

• Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov’s statements: 'At the G7 summit in Evian, the West did everything it could to bury the spirit of Anchorage and prolong the war until the last Ukrainian; The summit also marked a reshuffling of roles among Western nations in the Ukrainian drama they continue to orchestrate; The global majority, including Russia, will have to continue navigating the confrontation between an emerging multipolar world and the so-called 'rules-based order'; Russia welcomes the ceasefire between the US and Iran and hopes their talks will lead to meaningful results; Russia’s proposals on nuclear issues aimed at resolving tensions surrounding Iran remain on the table.'

• Surveillance in US about to get a whole lot worse. A military contractor is selling technology that enables license plate reading cameras to also sense driver and passenger phones, laptops, and even pet microchips as you drive past. Police and others can now purchase them. SignalTrace clips onto those same cameras already installed across the country. When your car passes one, it does not just photograph your plate. It sweeps every radio frequency signal in range: your phone's Bluetooth identifier, your laptop's Wi-Fi signature, your fitness tracker, your smartwatch, your car's tire pressure sensors and info-tainment system. Your pet's microchip, a small chip under the skin that sends out a radio signal, gets logged too. All of it is timestamped, linked to your plate, and stored in Leonardo's database for future searches. 
• The Intercept: Company records show that Israel petitioned Meta to take down Facebook and Instagram posts expressing support for Iran, opposition to Israel, and even depictions of Iranian missile impacts. The government flagged a variety of materials related to the war, including posts mourning the death of Ayatollah Khamenei following his assassination by the US and Israel on the opening day of the conflict, content supportive of Iran’s retaliatory attacks, and Iranian accounts that shared military analysis and propaganda sympathetic to the Iranian regime’s perspective. When asked how many Iran-related takedown requests had been granted to date since the war began, the company did not answer.

• DefenseOne: The US Space Force should prepare to put active-duty troops on the moon and on space stations to counter China’s lunar and military ambitions, a new research paper argues. The Mitchell Institute’s paper calls for the Space Force to prioritize the creation of a 'human spaceflight' program and redefine federal, active-duty Title 10 orders to compete against China’s military-focused space initiatives—such as the reported goal of putting its Taikonauts on the moon by 2030. Although Chinese officials as recently as last month have said the country believes in the 'peaceful use' of space, the paper claims future 'competition for control of lunar resources and territory will likely reach a tipping point' and the US military must be prepared. The 22-page policy report calls for blurring the long-standing boundaries between space exploration and militarized operations by allowing Title 10 active-duty federal orders to include 'space and lunar habitation' and 'warfighting authorities and a national defense mindset in the advancement of human spaceflight.' The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which the US and China are parties to, calls for the governments to use the moon and other planets for 'peaceful purposes' and forbids military bases, testing, and maneuvers. Kyle Pumroy, a retired Space Force colonel and the paper’s author, called for pushing back against those norms.

These two pages from this book, a congressional study from 1989, spell out the strategy connected to the Mitchell Institute report above. On the bottom left last sentence "Armed forces might lie in wait at that location to hijack rival shipments on return.' Then on the other page at the top the last 2 sentences read "Nature reserves decisive advantage for L4 and L5, two allegedly stable libration points that theoretically could dominate Earth and moon, because they look down both gravity wells. No other location is equally commanding." So the US Space Force is now calling for the control and domination of access 'on and off' the planet as mining the sky becomes possible in the years to come. Capitalism is moving into the heavens and the US intends to be the 'Master of Space'.

Now you know....

Many US Civil War southern Confederate supporters loaded up their bags and moved to Cuba and Brasil after the Union states won the war.

Slavery was still legal in Cuba and Brasil so these plantation owners often even took their slaves with them as they fled further south. 

TikTok now works for Israel's agenda

Lowkey exposes Netanyahu’s terrifying $14 billion plan to control your mind.

Follow the money to see how they are engineering TikTok to promote the zionist IDF agenda.

They are doing classified work to advance Israeli interests.

U.S. & Israel go back and forth, back and forth with Iran

• Israel Army Radio: ‘The Iranian pressure has succeeded; Trump instructed Netanyahu to order a partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon’.
• Netanyahu: 'We will remain in southern Lebanon as long as necessary.'

• Tasnim News Agency, citing an informed source: Yesterday the Iranian delegation refused to shake hands or participate in a photo opportunity with the American delegation. Notice the very uncomfortable V-P J. D. Vance in below video.

• Trump to Fox News: 'If the Iranians close the Strait of Hormuz, their country will be wiped out. We might take control of the Strait of Hormuz if we have to. If we don’t reach a deal with Iran, we will impose transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz. If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian negotiators won’t be able to return to their country.'

• Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Ghalibaf, in reaction to Trump’s threats: 'Do they not think to themselves that if their threats had achieved anything, they would not have reached today’s desperation? We do not take American threats seriously. They had better be careful with their statements. Our armed forces are ready to respond to them in a different way. No matter how much they talk, we are the ones who act.'

• Tasnim News Agency: Iran says all US-Iran talks will stop unless Israel fully withdraws from Lebanon and the war ends on all fronts. If Israel's actions continue, Iran warns it will move to a much harsher response. Tehran also suspects Washington is using negotiations to buy time for Israel.
• CNN, citing a diplomat: 'Implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington is back on track, and the Strait of Hormuz remains open to maritime navigation. The President of Iran was informed during the trilateral US-Qatari-American meeting that the Lebanese file is still considered part of the US-Iran negotiations.''

• Stars and Stripes: Finland this week took a step toward lifting its ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory, a move that puts the country in sync with NATO’s deterrent mission. The country’s parliament voted Wednesday to lift the ban, advancing the measure to President Alexander Stubb for a decision on approval. The decision paves the way for Finland to allow nuclear weapons to be positioned in the country should they be required for 'defense purposes'. The alliance’s nuclear deterrence posture relies on forward-deployed US nuclear weapons in Europe. The US does not publicly discuss where its tactical bombs are stored in Europe, but watchdog groups have reported that roughly 100 of those weapons are stored at six bases in NATO member countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, UK and Turkey. 

• The Morning Star: Over 2,500 activists from around the world gathered at Westminster’s Central Hall on Saturday for an international conference against war organised by the Stop the War Coalition. The London conference was backed by 11 trade unions drawing attendees from 23 countries. Chairing the opening session, ex-president of transport union RMT Alex Gordon said: “The gathering is part of a movement against the militarisation of Europe.” Ulrike Eifler of the German union IG Metall said there was a mass industrial crisis in her country with huge numbers of job losses; the answer of the German government was to expand the military. Rearmament is not the way to rebuild industry,” she said. The UCU union’s Sean Vernell pointed out how the strikes of workers in France, Italy and Greece had set a benchmark for the kind of action needed to stop the war machine. He said: “When Trump tried to wage gangster imperialism in the Middle East, he lost. Despite their massive military power, they’re not in a situation they can win." Palestinian physician and leader of the Palestine National Initiative Dr. Mustafa Barghouti told the conference that it was time to “translate your solidarity into concrete action” by supporting actions that press a “total comprehensive boycott and sanctions against Israel.”

• Russian troops advancing in Ukraine discover the skeletal remains of an entire Ukrainian infantry section killed a year before by a Russian airstrike. This reality is repeated daily. Ukraine intentionally leaves its dead in the field to avoid payments to families. Zelensky claims the dead troops are 'missing in action' and thus not eligible for family benefits. The money then gets pocketed by unit commanders.

• The diplomatic crisis over Ukrainian President Zelensky’s promotion of anti-Polish Nazi collaborationist forces during World War II is stripping away the political lies in which the NATO imperialist powers have shrouded their proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. The NATO-backed regime in Ukraine is not a defender of democracy and national independence but a tool of imperialism resting upon far-right forces.  https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/06/22/wzgt-j22.html
• More than 70 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight while flying toward Moscow, local officials have said. The barrage comes as Russia marks the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported no casualties or damage on the ground during the raid, which took place from Sunday night into Monday morning. Several airports serving the Russian capital temporarily halted operations in response to the Ukrainian drone threat. Kiev has continued to launch EU-funded kamikaze drones against Russian energy infrastructure. If such an attack on Russia had happened during the Cold War it would have gone to nuclear war in a hot flash.

Speech by Sahra Wagenknecht at the BSW 'Away with Merz' rally

The Merz government is driving Germany into decline. More and more industrial companies are relocating or going bankrupt, and hundreds of thousands of well-paid jobs are being destroyed. While shortages are rampant and the lives of citizens are steadily deteriorating, the federal government is seriously discussing where else it can cut spending. There's unlimited money available just to prolong the senseless war in Ukraine and finance the corrupt Zelenskyy government.

Enough is enough!

East Germans can stop Merz and his disastrous policies in September. Anyone who votes for the BSW (Citizens' Initiative for East Germany) to oust the CDU and SPD state premiers in the East and elect a non-partisan premier will also send Merz into retirement!

Speech by Sahra Wagenknecht at the BSW launch rally of the "Away with Merz" campaign in Magdeburg on June 13, 2026.

Trump stuck in zionist mud - it's about Lebanon

• Israel Hayom, long owned by the Adelsons, published an article calling Trump a traitor, an embarrassment, and a failure to the Israelis. "You could have been the greatest president of all, but you failed. Mr. President, you have gravely harmed the human interests of the enlightened world, and you may be remembered forever as the president who brought about America's humiliation. You betrayed us, the Israelis. And in a single moment, the contempt you once faced suddenly seems so justified and logical."  

• The criminals Netanyahu and Katz are instructing the Zionist army to cease fire in Lebanon without withdrawing from the areas it has seized.
• Iran: 'We announce that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to all vessels. It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy's breach of promise [over Lebanon], and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to fulfill its obligations.’ The Strait of Hormuz is closed but Iranian ships transit.  Iran holds the key to a major portion of our planetary power generation and as Medvedev states, this is their nuclear weapon.

• Iranians from Esfahan last night, in the presence of professor at Iran’s University of Applied Sciences & Technology and journalist, Seyed Mostafa Khoshcheshm, chant: “President of Iran, go to the aid of Lebanon.” 
• Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett: 'Iran continues its nuclear program, continues its ballistic missile program, continues its regional terrorism, and the regime still exists. The campaign against Iran will take years. In the end, this is a battle between Israel's national strength and the national strength of the Iranian regime. And we are stronger.'
• Former Israeli Chief of Staff, Benny Gantz, looses it on live TV and says Bibi must go home. He says he’s responsible for what has happened here, “Removing Netanyahu is only the first step. Israel now needs a Zionist national unity government that can pull the country back from the brink.” 

• Channel 15  Yossi Yehoshua: 'Israel tried to separate Lebanon from Iran but failed. On the other hand, Iran is trying, and succeeding, in cutting Israel off from the United States.'
• IRIB Reporter to J.D. Vance: ‘Why don’t you stop the Israeli genocide in Lebanon?’ J.D. Vance: ‘President Trump has done more to stop the war in Lebanon than anyone else.' 

• Fox News: Trump threatens to take over the Strait of Hormuz in the future if we have to and collect tolls. This is the US being the 'guardian angel' of the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East. This would also involve the US taking 20% of the oil that passes through the Strait.

• Beni Sabti was born in Tehran and fled to Israel with his family 8 years after the Iranian revolution. Today, he is one of the most important researchers and commentators in Israel on the subject of modern Iran and its policy. Beni served for 31 years in various security services, particularly in the field of consulting on the culture of decision-making in Iran. He is currently a member of the Institute for National Security Studies. 

• US Senators introduce bipartisan bill to use (aka STEAL) Russian frozen assets to buy weapons for Kiev. The SABER Act aims to ‘force Putin to foot the bill for arming Ukraine’. Just a days ago, Trump said that they took money from Iran and they have to pay it back, else nobody will use the dollar again. Why does that logic not apply to Russia's money in US banks?

Tens of thousands of Albanians have gathered for the 21st day in a row to protest plans to build a luxury resort on Albania’s southern coast, a development linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Protesters held signs that read ‘Albania is not for sale’ and chanted for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. 

• The German military may be forced to order soldiers to serve near Russia’s borders after struggling to find enough volunteers, despite a major promotional campaign touting financial benefits. Berlin has been building up the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania as a flagship project of its militarization drive, which Moscow has repeatedly criticized as reflecting nostalgia for Germany’s Nazi past. The unit is expected to reach full operational readiness by the end of 2027 and eventually include around 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian staff. However, according to Die Welt, only around 1,800 personnel are currently stationed there. 
• The Observer: Lame duck UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer may announce his resignation as early as Monday. British senior officials told the publication that Starmer has concluded that his continued tenure is becoming increasingly unrealistic. 

• Drawing on years of reporting, interviews with military insiders, extremist veterans, and whistleblowers, UK journalist Matt Kennard examines how recruitment policies during the War on Terror opened the door to neo-Nazis, white supremacists, gang members, and convicted criminals entering the ranks of the US military. One can see a repeated pattern, something that similarly happened years later in Ukraine with the mobilisation of all kinds of Nazis, hooligans and foreign mercenaries by the CIA for the Maidan 'revolution' which took control in Kiev in 2014. 

Sunday song

Sailing aid to Cuba - a touching video

Sampson Boat Company navigates the complex process of legally delivering food and medical aid to local Cuban charities.

Beyond the logistics of this humanitarian mission, the journey offers a rare, firsthand glimpse into the daily lives, economic challenges, and resilient culture of the people in Santiago de Cuba. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excellent and moving video. Would have been appropriate to mention the US economic blockade of Cuba for so many years that is the primary cause of Cuba's difficulties today....

Good idea to go to Santiago which is on the opposite side of the island from Havana. Back in the 1990's, while coordinating the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice, I organized three study tours to Cuba with about 30 Floridians each time.

On each trip we visited different parts of Cuba, including Santiago which is known as an arts city and proved to be true upon our arrival there.

I loved my visits to Cuba. Once upon returning back to Miami and walking out of the airport, seeing the huge city all lit up at night, I broke down crying.

Inside Cuba I'd never witnessed such loving concern for the people - amongst the people themselves.

Just one tiny example but illustrative I think. While in Havana on one tour we were on our bus and stopped because of an accident along the street. People came pouring out onto the accident scene from all over. They quickly stopped the nearest car and packed the injured person into it for a rush to the hospital. They were swarming like ants, yelling and moving as one. My heart was forever touched.

Another vivid memory was a visit to a dance program in Havana held out-of-doors with a white man (Spanish heritage) and a black woman (African heritage). They incorporated both styles of dance (Spanish & African) into their act. I'd never seen anything so touching before. For me it so beautifully represented the integration of both cultures in Cuba. All were embraced. We saw it over and over again during our visits.

I thought about the US while watching the dance. Slavery in the US for so long followed by Jim Crow racism. The African culture largely rejected - even violently repressed. No melding of the dominate white people with the African culture and Native Americans. Change in the US has come slowly with, as we are experiencing now, many backward steps.

Washington often declares that the now 250 year old US is the 'shining city on the hill'. The 'greatest nation in the world'. All bullshit.

The US is an arrogant nation now at war with Iran which has a history and culture of more than 2,500 years. One can hope that the US will soon emerge from this war presently aimed at Iran for Israel's cold-hearted benefit. It's time for US citizens to learn some humility.

These kind of scenes are what made me cry as I reached Miami. The return to dog-eat-dog, everyone for themselves, worship the dollar bill, chewing up the environment for endless development, ugly and stupid culture.

Capitalism and white supremacy are the poisons that now contaminate the veins of our nation.

I hope more people will help fight to end the brutal blockade of Cuba. At the same time leave all of Latin America in peace in order that they decide their own fate rather than the current trajectory of the US war machine suppressing the entire region.

Bruce

PS Just yesterday I saw some photos of Zelensky meeting with the president of Honduras. Ukraine is being turned into an international 'state of terrorism' that is being used to act as a proxy for US-NATO. Be warned.