Rumors abound: US-Israel restarting war on Iran

2nd stage of Gaza flotilla getting closer

• Fars News: US has given Iran five conditions in response to Iran’s proposal: No war compensation from US; Give up 400kg of Highly Enriched Uranium to US; Iran can only have one nuclear facility to remain active; Not more than 25% of frozen assets to be unfrozen (sanctions remain); Halting war on all fronts depends on negotiations. In other words the US-Israel want the war to continue.
• Netanyahu: I will speak today with President Trump about his impressions of Iran, and we are ready for all options. 
• The Wall Street Journal reports that more than 100 American embassies do not have ambassadors.  Trump does not want ambassadors.  He is dictatorial and prefers to work with his own special envoys or lapdogs one could call it.  The WSJ is correct for once, saying that this will reduce America’s ability to exert political and diplomatic influence.  Of course, but is that not a good thing? 
• Footage of Israeli demolition operations in an area of the Gaza Strip. 

• This is a part of why Pepe Escobar says BRICS is sadly dead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cemented a new strategic defence partnership with the UAE – including technology sharing, innovation, and regional security cooperation. Strategic defence partnership framework expected to boost technolog y sharing and innovation. Energy & infrastructure agreements – strategic petroleum reserves, LPG supplies, and a ship‑repair cluster in western India. UAE commits $5 billion in investment to India. Modi strongly condemned Iranian attacks on the UAE during the recent conflict. (India, Iran and UAE are members of BRICS. So there is serious internal friction underway.)
• Julian Assange Prophecy: Warning for Humanity. Digital archives lets them erase history with one click. The next: "Page not found." The next: "It never happened." Don't trust the cloud. Paraphrasing Orwell, Assange explains that he who controls today's internet servers controls the intellectual record of mankind. He warns us that Western governments, large corporations, and certain wealthy individuals are increasingly able and increasingly trying to remove material permanently from the historical record using sophisticated methods.

• New York Times: Israel has occupied a second military base in the Iraqi desert for more than a full year. The base was entirely secret.

• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky): US lawmakers are terrified of defying the Zionist lobby. Though many politicians privately agree with his political stance, they fear that aligning with him would lead to their political 'death', since Trump is out to take down Massie and anyone who would dare support him. This is 'the' House race to watch in the next election.  

• The military operations in Ukraine remain an economically profitable venture for Western corporations, which also cause significant damage to the Russian economy simply by the fact of the colossal war spending. All parties understand that an end to the conflict is impossible in the near future, so there is a further militarization of the economy in Europe and a search for new technological solutions to change the situation, which has long resembled the positional battles of the First World War. The summer period will be characterized by an intensification of military operations on both sides and a constant increase in the number of drones behind each other's lines.

• During his visit to Cuba, John Ratcliffe (CIA director), carried a message from Trump announcing the United States' readiness to open negotiations with Havana on economic and security files, but this is conditional on Cuba undertaking "radical reforms." The core condition revolves around closing what is alleged to be espionage stations run by Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies on Cuban territory, which US officials claim are staffed to infiltrate and intercept American communications. The reports indicated that Ratcliffe presented this file as the core condition that must be met for relations with Washington to proceed. 

• Korea expert Tim Shorrock captures the issue well in the context of Korea’s predicament: “Nobody in the US media, left or right, talks about the enormous US military base structure in Japan and South Korea that would form the front line in any war with China over Taiwan. South Korea is under virtual assault from the Trump administration and MAGA supporters, who believe South Korean President Lee is too close to China and is uncomfortable with the US using its bases in Korea as an attack platform for any future war. As Simone Chun writes in her Substack, Lee’s refusal to turn South Korea into a pawn in a US-led proxy war in East Asia has intensified tensions, prompting a series of aggressive retaliations from Washington.”

• A painful scene documenting a zionist illegal invader terrorist running over sheep and attacking the farmer in Khirbet al-Twail near the town of Aqraba, south of Nablus in the West Bank. These zionist are pure evil and truly insane.  

• A family sleeps (below) in front of a closed office building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, next to posters calling for a general strike against President Javier Milei’s cuts and privatizations. 

• Argentina’s primary trade union federation on Thursday held another nationwide general strike, the second called since President Javier Milei, a far-right economist, took office in December and began pursuing sweeping austerity and deregulation. The South American nation’s unions organized the strike “in defense of democracy, labor rights, and the living wage,” according to a statement from the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the Argentine Workers’ Central Union (CTA), and the Autonomous CTA. “It is a day of resistance and demand,” the groups said, blasting the Milei government’s “brutal” attacks on labor rights, social security, public health, education, science, and “our cultural identity.” The policies of austerity, say opponents, have disproportionately impacted working people and retirees. The labor groups called out the government for promoting “dangerous policies for the privatization of public enterprises” and pushing for “a phenomenal transfer of resources to the most concentrated and privileged sectors of the economy.”

Sunday song

Spring gives us a chance

The spring is now 

in full blossom 

here in Maine. 

New life springs forward. 

To shine, to inspire, to create love 

and affection.

Spring is time of hope, 
for family
and global healing.

We do what we can
to put our best spirits
into the mystical swirl.

Desire for peace
is held closely
in our hearts and
our actions,
especially now

as we witness

genocide, fascism

and earthly degradation.

We are lost souls

detached from the rhythms

and rhymes of our 

Mother Earth's writhing body.

Mother screams 

as her children put

money and power

before life.

We are disconnected.

We are disjointed.

We are disrespecting

life itself.

We've lost our connection

to spirit.

Let this spring

get our attention

before it is

too late.

The ever twirling

wheel of fortune 

is as old 

as the Earth

itself.

Bruce  

Trump home - no big deals made in China trip - US trying to kidnap Evo Morales in Bolivia

• A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that the resumption of fighting is imminent, adding that Israel is preparing for the possibility of days or even weeks of combat as negotiations appear to have reached a dead end. According to the official, the Americans also understand that the talks are not making meaningful progress, while Israeli officials in Jerusalem are awaiting Trump’s decision regarding the next phase. Israeli assessments indicate that the overall picture is expected to become clearer within the next 24 hours.
• The judge Benny Sagi who presided over Netanyahu's corruption case has been found DEAD in a suspicious “accident.” He accidentally shot himself in the back of the head and then jumped off a balcony. 

• A journalist asks the Saudi ambassador in Lebanon what you want from the Lebanese government. The ambassador said, "We want Hezbollah's weapons to be in the hands of the state, and it is not permissible to use them except with its approval." So the journalist said, "And do the American bases you have there are not permissible to use except with your approval?" The ambassador replied, "It seems you are not a journalist and that you are from Hezbollah." So the journalist replied, "And it seems you are an ambassador for America and not an ambassador for Saudi Arabia."

• While Trump was in China some 30 Chinese ships moved through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian authorities. Given that Trump was in China the U.S. blockaders near Hormuz did not dare to make attempts to stop those ships. This has thus has set a precedence which will allow continues Chinese shipping. For China the Strait is open.

• Republican Attorney Adam Hoffman sexually abused a young boy for years. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton gave him a 60-day sentence. (Paxton is running for the US Senate seat in Texas.) This is crazy.  60 days for sexual abuse of a 6-9 year old.  Pedophilia has basically become legal if you have connections.
• Hebrew Channel 15: The Israeli occupying army has begun distributing nets to forces in Lebanon to protect against Hezbollah drones. So far, around 158,000 square meters of nets have been distributed, while procurement is underway for an additional 188,000 square meters to arrive later. 

• Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister: “Germany is once again leading the movement in support of Nazism in Europe. President Zelensky has now been appointed to the role of Führer.”
• The U.S. Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper fleet has fallen to roughly 135 aircraft as combat attrition from Operation Epic Fury cuts into the service’s most heavily used remotely piloted asset, the deputy chief of staff for plans and programs told senators Tuesday. A drop from 189 to 135 would represent a 29% loss of the entire fleet—whether this is all from Epic Fury, or also includes losses to the Houthis in recent times, it’s an unquestionably massive wipeout of one of the US’s key ISR fleets in fairly short order. And should we even mention each Reaper costs tens of millions? 

• Bloomberg: During the recent war, UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed personally called the leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, proposing to form an Arab coalition against Iran, but every country refused.
• Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov: "Russia is outraged by US cynicism towards Cuba, tightening the blockade, while also calling for ‘dialogue’. Russia stands shoulder to shoulder with Cuba and will not abandon its principled line of support for Havana’."
• EU's Ursula Von der Leyen: "Ukraine has clearly demonstrated that it wants to live within the framework of European values ​​and standards." 

• The recent Ukrainian drone flights that crashed in the Baltics seems to have the odor of something concealed beneath the surface. Perhaps the Baltics are simply trying to distance themselves from Ukrainian activities in order to give the appearance that they are not involved in the willful allowance of Ukrainian drones transiting their airspace. Or perhaps there is true elite conflict in the upper echelons, which would explain Latvia’s governmental collapse: there are likely many patriots there who do not agree with Brussels’ mandate for war against Russia, and have therefore put tremendous pressure on their political figures to end covert participation in Ukraine’s provocations, which they know will lead to wide-scale European war. 

• Sputnik: The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress in the negotiations, US State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said on Friday. "On May 14 and 15, the US hosted two days of highly-productive talks between Israel and Lebanon. The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress," Pigott said on X. It's likely another Israeli public relations gimmick. They never abide by any ceasefires. Just ask the people in Gaza - or Lebanon.
• Soros was instrumental in establishing the Ukrainian Nazi regime. In 2015, George Soros and World Economic Forum 'Young Global Leader' Chrystia Freeland, who now serves as an unpaid economic adviser to Zelensky, openly admitted that Ukraine's leadership was bought and paid for by George Soros. Soros funded scholarships and civil society for decades. 25 years later, those same people run the country. Soros poured over $230 million into Ukraine since 1990. 

• Israel stabs the UAE in the back for a second time, now revealing that not only Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi, but also the IDF Chief of Staff, the head of Mossad, and the head of Shin Bet. Israel’s arrogance and their need to brag is destroying the very relationship they are so proud of. Emirati officials are reportedly ‘outraged’ with the new revelation. Israel is showing its backside to the entire world - repeatedly!
• Russia and Ukraine exchanged bodies of fallen soldiers. Kiev received 526 bodies, Moscow received 41. We hear alot of US politicians and NATO mouthpieces say that Russia loses more troops than Ukraine. These numbers have been consistently showing us the actual truth. The graveyards in Ukraine are over flowing.

• Official Summary of the Statement by Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi (Yemen): The statement affirms that the repeated Jewish insults to the Holy Quran are part of a hostile Zionist campaign led by America and Israel, targeting Islam and Muslims. The statement warns of a satanic scheme aimed at enslaving and corrupting humanity, citing the "Epstein" documents and the Island of Satan as evidence of Zionist criminality. Sayyid al-Qaid calls on the Yemeni people to take to the streets and hold protests in support of the Quran, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestine, and Lebanon, and to affirm readiness for any American-Israeli escalation. And peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
• In Bangladesh, a real lookalike of Donald Trump has appeared - a huge pink albino buffalo weighing about 700 kilograms. The animal with a bright red "hairstyle" on its head quickly became a celebrity. The buffalo is kept on the Rabeya Agro Farm in the city of Narayanganj. Thanks to its light skin and characteristic golden-red fur on its head, it strikingly resembles the American president. Local residents immediately gave it a fitting nickname. Many now specifically come to the farm to take photos with it.

• Sputnik: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Monday that her team will conduct an investigation into more than 120 US-funded biological laboratories located abroad, including in Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly stated that the US has been funding the development of biological weapons and has placed dozens of its biological laboratories in Ukraine in violation of international agreements.
• The US is sending a 2,300-person paramilitary force to kidnap/murder Bolivia’s couped president, Evo Morales. The US ordered the government of Rodrigo Paz to carry out the military operation, with the support of the DEA and the U.S. Southern Command. This comes just a few years after Elon Musk threatened to coup whoever he wants, directed toward the indigenous president. Thousands of union workers have surrounded Evo Morales' rural residence to protect him.  The documents (below) acknowledge this and confirm that the US will launch the armed assault regardless, they're already referring to protesters as "human shields". 

Sachs: 'Our government is in a state of collapse'

This is a top notch discussion between Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Judge Andrew Napolitano.  

They review the recent Trump visit to China where little of any substance occurred.

China comes away looking like a world class economy and government.    

Xi was even publicly admired by Trump.

Let's hope Trump grew up a bit in the presence of a true leader. Watch Taiwan, Iran and Cuba policy by the US in coming days. It will give us an inkling of what Trump might have learned - if anything.                        

the funnies

Bolivia protests to oust corrupt leader

 

Demonstrators, led by miners and rural unions, have clashed with law enforcement in Bolivia as tensions simmer over the country’s economic crisis, the worst in decades. 

The unrest follows weeks of road blockades, as miners, farmers, teachers and rural workers express frustration over the country’s ongoing economic turmoil.

Bolivia used to be a major exporter of natural gas, but in recent years, its reserves began to shrivel, and its production has plummeted. Now, rather than being a fuel exporter, it has become a net importer, reliant on oil and natural gas from abroad.

The collapse of the natural gas industry has been coupled with dwindling supplies of foreign currency in the country. The result has been soaring inflation, supply shortages and higher prices.

Bolivians have experienced long lines for fuel, and hospitals have reported a lack of basic supplies like oxygen and medication.

Centre-right leader Rodrigo Paz was elected in October last year in part on a promise to address the economic tailspin.

His victory marked a political sea change in Bolivia. For much of the past two decades, except for a brief period in 2019, the country has been governed by the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS). 

May 15: Nakba Day and its significance to Palestinians

May 15 is Nakba Day, an annual day of commemoration that continues to hold additional meaning this year as Palestinians endure mass displacement, occupation and crippling hunger. Here, we look at the origins and significance of the day. 

What is Nakba Day?

Nakba Day is commemorated annually on May 15. It marks the beginning of the destruction of the Palestinian homeland, and the mass displacement in 1948 of the majority of the Palestinian population. 

Nakba means ‘catastrophe’ in Arabic and is the word used by Palestinians and others to refer to this historic moment. For some, the term is also used to describe the subsequent and ongoing persecution of Palestinians and their loss of territory.   

In 1998, Nakba Day was officially inaugurated by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, though the date had been marked since 1949. Since 2023 it has been formally commemorated at the UN General Assembly.

What happened in May 1948?

May 1948 saw the start of a mass displacement in which over 700,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes.  

Over the course of the 1948 Palestine War, which lasted until January 1949, Israeli forces destroyed more than 530 Palestinian villages and carried out several massacres, killing some 15,000 people, according to researcher Salman Abu Sitta.

78% of Palestine’s historic territory was captured and used to establish what is now Israel. The remaining land was divided into today’s Occupied Palestinian Territory – the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. 

Following Israeli victory in the war, abandoned homes were given to new settlers. The descendants of many of the Palestinians who fled in 1948 remain displaced to this day, both within Palestine and around the world. There are now more than 6 million Palestine refugees worldwide, according to the United Nations (UN).

What led up to the Nakba?

From 1920 until May 1948, the United Kingdom ruled over a territory called Mandatory Palestine under an agreement by the League of Nations – a precursor to the UN. 

Following the end of World War II and the horror of the Holocaust, the British announced their intention to end the mandate, and the newly created UN began seeking to redraw the boundaries of Palestine to allow for the creation of a Jewish state.  

None of the various partition plans suggested received support from the Palestinians or The Arab League (a body established after World War II to foster political, economic and social ties between Arab nations in the Middle East and North Africa). However, when the mandate ended, the establishment of the state of Israel was declared, triggering the 1948 Palestine War, also known as the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. 

What happened after the Nakba?

In the 78 years since the Nakba, the Israeli state has continued to encroach into Palestinian territory, displacing families and violating international law in the process.  

Among the major instances of this was the Six Day War of 1967, which saw Israeli forces occupy all of historic Palestine, including Gaza and the West Bank, expelling 300,000 people from their homes. 

In the decades since, tensions in the region have remained high, with frequent flare ups. However, the scale of the escalation that began in October 2023 is truly unprecedented. In Gaza over 72,700 people have been killed; and many more forced from their homes, often repeatedly. Among the displaced are Palestinians who moved to Gaza from elsewhere in Palestine after the Nakba, and their descendants.

What are the long-term consequences of the Nakba?

The Nakba resulted in the world’s longest running unresolved refugee crisis, with over 6 million Palestine refugees worldwide at present. Most live in neighbouring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In some cases, Palestinian refugees in the Middle East have endured war and further displacement in their host countries.  

Global news round-up: Some bad news, some humor and some hopeful trends

• In China: Xi talked about global turbulence, cooperation, and the future of humanity. Trump was basically saying: “It’s an honor to be your friend.” “You are a great leader.” “I only say the truth.” “The children were beautiful.”

• Marco Rubio seems to be very impressed by the ceiling and the lights inside the large hall where Trump and Xi met. On the other hand Hegseth appears to be quite subdued and nervous. My guess he has just realized that his 'USA Über alles' ideas will never work against this ancient civilization - much like in the case of Iran. 

• Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif: “President Trump seems to have an insatiable need to be the center of attention. International relations are serious business; they concern people’s lives and the stability of entire regions. Sometimes it feels as though the whole world is being forced to participate in a multi-billion-dollar therapy session to compensate for the attention it may not have received in its childhood.”
• Things are happening behind the curtains, interesting things. Amidst all the news, suddenly Saudi Arabia has reportedly proposed a non-aggression pact with Iran. Nothing like the impending collapse of the US imperial military. Best not to bet on a loser.

• Ba-boom: Rep. Ed Case (Democrat, Hawaii) explicitly confirms the Pentagon has lost a staggering 39 aircraft in the disastrous war against Iran, exposing the unprecedented destruction of very expensive American military assets. 

• Quote from Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: ‘In the modern world, words mean little, my American colleagues prove that’. 
• Pentagon drone deals line Trump’s pockets: The Pentagon is funneling massive contracts to drone companies personally owned by Donald Trump’s sons, Max Blumenthal has exposed, adding that one of these firms, an Israeli company, is producing tech for the controversial Iran war. 

• It is all connected. Billionaires are building the data centers to power the artificial intelligence that will replace our jobs and the US government is doing it for mass surveillance and war. Oh, and they’re building the data centers over farmland to reduce our food supply, since their AI robots won’t need food. Are you awake yet? Their plan is to replace millions of us with robots to usher in their AI techno-capitalist dystopia. The best way for us to stop it is to stop the data centers that will power it all.

• Kiev showing once more its “European values” and “freedom and democracy”. Zelensky's military body snatchers (recruiters) continue to serve up death sentences as they grab men off the streets and send these “Ukrainian patriots” to the front lines to die within days. For what? NATO's regime change war on Russia.

• BlackRock CEO Larry Fink declares a pre-emptive war against American citizens who fight back against his precious AI data centers, warning that people could use inexpensive drones. He admits that BlackRock will control nearly all of the AI data centers being built across the US because the government cannot afford to fund them on its own. “We have to relook at all forms of security. Could it be domestic terrorism using a $3,000 drone? Many more things will have to be underground.” Appears BlackRock knows something we don't about the near future. Nuclear war, climate crisis and/or crashing economy? The rich moving to an underground society? They will need lots of power too.
• Heartbreaking moments as members of the Lebanese Civil Defense receive the news that two of their fellow rescuers have been killed by terrorist Israel. These are the men who spend their days pulling others from beneath the rubble, racing toward fire while everyone else runs away, carrying the wounded, searching for survivors, and trying to preserve what little humanity remains amid destruction. 

• Welt Media (Germany): EU imports of Russian LNG have reached record levels since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. "The EU really wants to give up Russian gas, but reality says the opposite.” The largest importer of Russian gas is France, followed by Spain and Belgium. Earlier, the EU planned to give up imports of Russian energy carriers by 2027.
• Politico: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte proposed that allies enshrine mandatory spending on aid to Ukraine at the level of 0.25% of GDP. The initiative was discussed at the end of April at a closed meeting of alliance ambassadors. The idea is to make support for Kiev stable and predictable, but within NATO it is already causing fierce resistance. France and Britain, in particular, are opposed. Diplomats believe that in its current form, the proposal has almost no chance of implementation. According to calculations, if approved, the scheme could increase annual aid flows to Ukraine to approximately $143 billion. For comparison: in 2025, NATO countries provided about $45 billion in military aid — from weapons deliveries to investments in the Ukrainian defense sector and procurement of weapons through allied mechanisms.

• Israeli journalist Itay Blumental complains that his work has become almost impossible due to the severe censorship. He says most journalists in Israel spend the majority of their time navigating the censorship laws.
• The Hill: A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing sanctions against Francesa Albanese, a United Nations human rights investigator whose recent work has focused on the Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

• Finland please be normal dance-a-thon challenge…

France's brutal history in Northern Africa

France gathered 400 Muslim scholars and beheaded them in 1917, during the occupation of Chad. In 1852, when France entered the city of Laghouat in Algeria, it killed two-thirds of its population in a single night and burned them alive.

France occupied Algeria for 132 years. In the first seven years after their arrival, the French eliminated one million Muslims, and in the last seven years before their departure, they killed 1.5 million more Muslims. The French historian Jacques Gorky estimated that the total number of Muslims killed in Algeria from France's arrival in 1830 to its departure in 1962 was 10 million.

France occupied Tunisia for 75 years, Algeria for 132 years, Morocco for 44 years, and Mauritania for 60 years.

When France entered Egypt during its famous campaign, French soldiers on horseback entered mosques and raped free women in front of their families. They drank wine in the mosques and turned them into stables for their horses.

It is strange to see some people boasting about and defending French civilization, forgetting all its dark history. This is France - remind them of its history.

🔻 When France entered the city of Aghwat (Laghouat) in Algeria in 1852, it burned two-thirds of its inhabitants to death in just one night. 

🔻 France conducted 17 nuclear tests in Algeria between 1960 and 1966, resulting in an unknown number of deaths  estimated between 27,000 and 100,000  and the effects persist to this day.

🔻 When France left Algeria in 1962, it left behind 11 million landmines more than the total population of Algeria at the time.

🔻 France occupied Algeria for 132 years. In just the first seven years of their occupation, they massacred one million Muslims, and in the last seven years, they martyred another 1.5 million Muslims.

🔻 France is the fourth largest holder of gold reserves in the world, with 2,436 tons of gold stored at the Bank of France, even though France has no active gold mines.

🔻 In contrast, Mali one of the world's largest gold producers with 14 official gold mines has no gold reserves of its own.

🔻 Similarly, the Republic of Congo, which ranks seventh among gold-producing countries, also has no gold reserves in its central bank.

Where does UAE gold come from?