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Signs of the Times: The World for People who Think. Featuring independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events.
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Washington and London digging their grave as they drive catastrophic war in the Middle East
The American and British leaders are fully backing Israel to escalate its criminal aggression in the Middle East. In so doing, Washington and London are being exposed for the arch-criminal regimes that they are. An all-out war against Iran is on the brink. The consequences will be abysmal, yet the U.S. and British rulers are shameless, reckless - and ultimately stupid - in their complicity. In a few days, on October 7, the Israeli regime will have conducted 12 months of non-stop genocidal destruction of Gaza. There is no sign of that monstrous war of extermination coming to an end. The Israeli regime is completely out of control, acting with impunity and shocking violation of all laws and moral norms. More than 41,000 Palestinian people have been killed. Some estimates put the real death toll at over 100,000 and even as high as 200,000. This slaughter of women and children is supposed to be justified by the incursion of Palestinian militants on October 7 last year in which some... -
The Intraspecies Predator
The predatory and exploitative attributes of the PPP Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here and Part 4 here -
All red lines crossed: Is Israel ready for the wrath of the Islamic revolution?
The assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, has significantly heightened the risk of a large-scale military conflict in the Middle East - one that could be disastrous for the region and even for the world at large. The tensions, which have already reached a critical level, may now erupt into a full-blown war which will affect not only Lebanon and Israel but possibly other regional powers like Iran and Turkey. With Hezbollah - Iran's primary military and political asset in the region - now practically decapitated, a pressing question arises: How will Tehran respond? Or will it respond at all? Nasrallah's death could trigger a series of retaliatory strikes and large-scale military operations, which would further destabilize the situation in the region and pose a threat to global energy markets and international security. Considering the recent assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and one of Hezbollah's founders, Fuad Shukr, in... -
America is falling apart: Our national priorities are in dire need of restructuring
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." — Bob Dylan A water main breaks every two minutes somewhere in the U.S., resulting in contaminated drinking supplies and boil water notices. One out of three bridges in the U.S. needs repair, endangering hundreds of millions of commuters. More than 42,000 bridges across the country, carrying about 167 million vehicles each day, are in disrepair. It is estimated that 300 million people could face power outages across the United States between 2024 and 2028, due in large part to widespread power grid failures. No wonder U.S. infrastructure received a C- on the Infrastructure Report Card. America is falling apart. -
Israel declares UN chief 'persona non grata'
Foreign Minister Israel Katz has banned Antonio Guterres from entering the country for his failure to condemn Iran. Israel has declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata after he called for a ceasefire following Iran's attack on the Jewish state and condemned the widening of the conflict in the Middle East. On Tuesday, Tehran launched several salvos of missiles in what the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) called a response to the recent Israeli killings of the heads of Hamas and Hezbollah, and of an Iranian general who was in Lebanon. In a statement on X on Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that Guterres is no longer allowed to enter the country, and accused the UN chief of failing to denounce Iran's "abhorrent attack." "Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil. Guterres also has yet to denounce the... -
Famine in Europe: The real goal of anti-Russian policies
Irresponsible policies disguised as "support for Ukraine" could lead Europe to social collapse in the long term. The controversy over Ukrainian agricultural products continues. Ukrainian food products have simply invaded the European market and are driving thousands of farmers out of business. Despite the protests and political pressure, no EU decision-maker seems interested in changing this tragic scenario. However, the crisis seems to have even deeper dimensions and could be a real time bomb for the entire European society. The Bulgarian government recently asked the European Commission to pass a resolution banning the import of Ukrainian chicken eggs. According to the Bulgarian authorities, the large amount of cheap Ukrainian eggs on the European market is hurting Bulgarian producers, who rely on egg sales as a vital part of their business. Thousands of Bulgarian farmers are going bankrupt, and the crisis is only expected to get worse in the near future. The problem is not... -
'A self-feeding circle': How a web of NGOs enabled by Biden-Harris is fueling the migrant crisis
A web of NGOs is collaborating with government agencies to facilitate the resettlement of refugees - and Biden-Harris policies have only exacerbated the migrant crisis, sources told the Caller. Immigration was thrust into the public spotlight as towns in America were overwhelmed with migrants, from Springfield, Ohio to Aurora, Colorado. Bureaucracies and non-profits often work in tandem to resettle refugees, and NGOs have only grown in influence under the Biden-Harris administration, experts said. Capital Research Center's Parker Thayer told the Caller in a statement: "It's undeniable that the Biden Administration's border policy has benefited the network of immigration NGOs that receive massive government contracts and grants to deal with the logistical and humanitarian problems that mass illegal immigration has caused." While it's difficult to quantify precisely how much NGOs have benefited, Thayer pointed to a USA Spending database. It shows that since 2020, federal spending on... -
October Surprise
"Normally, Western politics gives us actors who are trying to play the role of politicians. Walz is like an actor who is trying to play the role of an actor trying to play the role of a politician. Almost everything about him is just a few degrees off-centre. He's like what would happen if you endowed Chat GPT with a human body and sent it off to campaign for political office." — Eugyppius on Substack Tuesday night's veep palaver could be the last time you see the frightened animal known as Tim Walz for the duration of the campaign. He's famous for his wild body language — jumping around on stage, flapping his arms — but this time the action was all concentrated in his face. You saw his eyes bug out, dart left and right, as if something fierce was coming at him (it was), and more than a few times, his head jerked around sideways so hard you wondered if it might do a whole three-sixty. His mouth, a pain-inflected frown in repose, turned down so deeply it looked like he had... -
Diddy accused of abusing 9yo boy and spiking drinks with horse tranquilizer as 120 victims come forward with shocking claims
In bombshell allegations, an additional 120 victims have come forward to accuse rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs of sex abuse over a span of 25 years, with several underage victims, including a 9-year-old, among them. The claims where made by Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee who announced he's representing 120 new victims who he believes have legitimate cases against the rapper turned media mogul. Of the 120 new victims, 25 were underage when the alleged abuse happened between 1991 and as recently as this year, Buzbee revealed. The youngest victims were 9, 14, 15 when they were victimized, the high-profile lawyer announced at a press conference in Houston Tuesday. 'This individual, who was 9 years old at the time, was taken to an audition in New York City with Bad Boy Records,' the attorney disclosed. -
Gaza death toll tops 41,638 after 51 killed in past day
Israeli forces have killed at least 51 Palestinians and wounded 165 in the past day, according to the Palestinian health ministry. This brings the Palestinian death toll in Gaza since 7 October 2023 to 41,689, with more than 96,625 wounded and an estimated 10,000 uncounted for and presumed dead. The death toll includes at least 16,800 children, 11,400 women, nearly 1,000 health workers, 174 journalists and 220 UN workers. -
They lie. They cheat. They steal. They bomb. And they spin
A case could be made that Iran's Ballistic Retaliation Night, a measured response to Israel's serial provocations, is less consequential when it comes to the efficacy of the Axis of Resistance than the decapitation of Hezbollah's leadership. Still, the message was enough to send the Talmudic psychopathologicals into a frenzy; for all their hysterical denials and massive spin, Iron Toilet Paper and the Arrow system were de facto rendered useless. The IRGC made it known that the volley of missiles was inaugurated by a single hypersonic Fatteh 2 which took out the Arrow 3 air defense system's radar - capable of intercepting missiles in the atmosphere. And well-informed Iranian military sources stated that hackers went on heavy cyberattack mode to disrupt the Iron Dome system just before the start of the operation. The IRGC finally confirmed that just about 90% of the intended targets were hit; the implication was that each target was supposed to be visited by several missiles, with... -
Houthis send email alert to Red Sea ships: Prepare for attack, with best regards
In a concerning development, the Houthi rebels in Yemen have been sending a series of threatening emails to Greek shipping companies operating vessels in the Red Sea. The messages warn that ships traveling through the region face the risk of attack if they have any connections to Israel. The email campaign began in May, with the first message arriving in the personal inbox of a senior executive at a Greek shipping firm. The email, written in English, was sent by the Yemen-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) - a body established in February to liaise between Houthi forces and commercial shipping. The message warned that one of the company's vessels had violated a Houthi-imposed transit ban by docking at an Israeli port, and would be "directly targeted by the Yemeni Armed Forces in any area they deem appropriate." The email went on to say the company would face "sanctions" if the ship continued to enter ports affiliated with "the usurping Israeli entity." -
BEST OF THE WEB: The reprehensible audacity Of FEMA being broke
We don't even have the decency to fake as though we care about our own citizens anymore. Part of what I love about having this blog is that it is cathartic for me when I want to be heard, understood, or otherwise just bitch and moan about things in the world of finance, the economy, and politics that I find askew. From the jump, one of the things I have written about is how dead wrong both sides of the political aisle have our fiscal and monetary policy. With monetary policy, both parties have quietly fallen in line under the mutated breed of Keynesian economics our Federal Reserve implements, which rests on the sole idea of printing money and praying that either hyperinflation doesn't occur or the economy doesn't collapse. Republicans occasionally criticize the Federal Reserve and pepper in objections here and there about our abuse of the dollar, but when all is said and done, they fall in line behind monetary policy as it stands today. Democrats have gone full non sequitur and,... -
Hurricane Helene victims in NC are fending for themselves, pathetic response from Biden-Harris' FEMA
Relief groups using planes, mules to deliver aid in North Carolina Desperate residents of Hurricane Helene-ravaged western North Carolina are relying on homegrown rescue efforts instead of waiting for the Biden-Harris administration's financially depleted FEMA to get its act together. Not content to hold out hope for help that some fear might not arrive in time, a handful of grassroots rescue operations have sprung up to render assistance by air, land and even on four legs. With hundreds more missing in the remote, unforgiving terrain and communication services damaged or nonexistent, the search for survivors grows more dire with each passing hour. -
Former Mesa, CO Clerk and Gold Star mother Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years in latest political persecution
In yet another blatant display of political persecution, former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters, 68 — a gold star mother — has been sentenced to 9 years in prison. After bravely raising questions about election irregularities, Peters was relentlessly pursued by local and federal authorities, culminating in charges that were politically motivated from the outset. Peters' crime? Exposing the truth about what happened in the 2020 election. Last month, Tina Peters was found guilty on seven of ten charges for preserving critical election data. The Gateway Pundit's Brian Lupo attended the trial. Tina Peters is the Election Clerk from Mesa County, Colorado. She made a copy of her machines' information before performing the action requested by Griswald, who demanded that all voting machines's election data should be erased (which is against the law) after the 2020 election. Ms. Peters was attacked for her actions. -
Austria - Another right-wing election winner is sidelined in the EU
'Populist' these days simply means listening to what the people want, yet the Austrian leaders and media are trying to make it look borderline Nazi. Another right-wing anti-establishment party has just won the popular vote in yet another European nation, this time the Austrian parliamentary elections. But as long as the establishment elites can still figure out how to keep themselves in power by clinging to one another despite their nominal ideological differences, they really don't care. It sounds like a brilliant strategy. Let's see where it goes, shall we? The elites in Austria, like elsewhere in Europe, see it as their duty to defend democracy by ensuring that the party that gets the most votes gets completely sidelined. Why? Because, Hitler. Duh. According to the Associated Press, Austria's Freedom Party secured the "first far-right national election win since World War 2." And we all know which famous Austrian is synonymous with the Second World War. How subtle. "EU rocked as... -
Buried WWII-era bomb explosion forces airport shutdown in Japan
A World War II-era U.S. bomb exploded Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan. The explosion created a large crater on a taxiway and forced the cancellation of over 80 flights. No injuries were reported. Japanese officials confirmed that the 500-pound U.S. bomb had been buried for decades before its sudden detonation. Videos recorded by a nearby aviation school and broadcast on Japanese television showed debris flying through the air and a crater approximately 23 feet wide and 3 feet deep. -
UK regulators rebuke Moderna after children offered £1,500 cash to test Covid vaccine
Moderna has been rebuked by regulators after offering children £1,500 cash to test the Covid vaccine. The Telegraph has more. The pharmaceutical company was ordered to pay £14,000 after it emerged that a representative had sent a WhatsApp message offering £1,500 to children to take part in Covid booster trials. The U.K. Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) ruled that the offer amounted to "inappropriate financial inducement" and found the company had brought "discredit upon the pharmaceutical industry". The offer was made by a paediatrician from an unnamed NHS trust, inviting those aged between 12 and 18 years old to enrol in the NextCove trial, which was examining the efficacy of Moderna's booster jab. The inducement was made even though a research ethics committee had warned about the "large amount of money" that Moderna was offering participants, and voiced concern it was "much higher than would be considered a reasonable reimbursement". Moderna later... -
Over 5 million people in 16 African countries impacted by floods: UN
More than 5 million people in 16 countries in Africa have been impacted by floods so far this year. In Africa, floods have reached catastrophic levels, with Chad, Niger and Nigeria among the hardest hit countries accounting for more than 80 per cent of people affected, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday. More than 1,000 people have been killed, and at least 740,000 people have been displaced, the office said. In addition, hundreds of thousands of homes, more than 100 schools, and dozens of health facilities have been damaged. Nearly 500,000 acres of farmland have been affected, Xinhua news agency reported. OCHA said that without sufficient support, the floods threaten to hinder the reopening of schools, with the new school year set to begin this month. The floods could also aggravate existing food insecurity, particularly in Chad and Niger. -
Dunedin, New Zealand, records its wettest day in a century as flooding cuts the city off by road
The New Zealand city of Dunedin was cut off by road due to flooding Friday after recording its wettest day in more than a century. Local authorities in the South Island city said more than 80 people who lived in low-lying areas spent the night in emergency shelters after the rain began Thursday. There have been no deaths and no one is unaccounted for. But the city of 135,000 people was effectively cut off when the main highways leading into and out of Dunedin were closed due to flooding. They were expected to remain closed until Saturday, the City Council said on its website. Other roads were closed due to landslides. Conditions were unpredictable said local government spokesperson Chris Henderson, who urged residents not to drive unless it was "extremely essential." A local state of emergency remains in place for the city, which is due to be battered by rain until late Friday. -
3 million stranded as flood hits eight districts of Bangladesh - at least 8 killed
The overall flood situation in Feni, Noakhali, Cumilla and Noakhali worsened yesterday due to downpours and swelling of many rivers. A pregnant woman in Brahmanbaria's Akhaura upazila died after being swept away as floodwater rushed into her home. Vast tracts of land in Habiganj and Moulvibazar and parts of Brahmanbaria and Chattogram have gone under water. The flooding in the eight districts has left over three million people stranded. Feni and Noakhali are the worst-affected districts. In Feni, Parshuram, Fulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya upazilas have been badly affected. Besides, large areas under four unions of Feni Sadar and Daganbhuiyan upazilas have been inundated due to rise in the water level of the Chhota Feni river. Many areas of the district have been without electricity since Tuesday night. The Feni-Parshuram regional road became impassable as floodwater submerged it. One person was reportedly missing in Parshuram. -
Rainstorms and heavy floods hit large parts of Bosnia, killing at least 14 people
A severe rainstorm struck Bosnia overnight Friday, killing at least 14 people and flooding several towns and villages in central and southern parts of the country. Rescue services in the south of the country reported several people missing and called on volunteers and the army to assist as roads were closed and houses left without electricity. Darko Jukan, a spokesman for the local administration in the southern town of Jablanica, said at least 14 people had died. Defense Minister Zukan Helez told N1 regional television that troops have been engaged to help and that the casualties were reported. -
BEST OF THE WEB: Heavy rain triggers floods, landslides in Nepal: 241 dead, 29 missing - foot of rainfall in 24 hours (UPDATES)
Floods and landslides triggered by heavy downpours in Nepal killed at least 59 people across the Himalayan country, with rescue teams searching for 44 missing, police said Saturday. "So far, there are 59 dead, 36 wounded and 44 missing," Nepal police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP. Earlier in the day, reports suggested that the majority of the fatalities occurred in the Kathmandu Valley, home to four million people and the nation's capital. In some areas of Kathmandu, up to 322.2 mm of rain fell in the past 24 hours, stranding residents on rooftops and elevated areas. -
Early snow in north China as southeast braces for typhoon
The city of Datong in North China's Shanxi province received its first snowfall of the season on Tuesday, the start of the weeklong National Day holiday. While the snow caught residents by surprise and travelers off guard, milder conditions can be expected for the remainder of the break, forecasters said. "The snow was unexpected! I was stunned when I captured the beautiful view with my camera," said Yu Zhandong, a photographer and native of Datong, who added that the city usually sees its first snowfall around November. The city, which saw the mercury plummet to 0.3 C on Tuesday morning, has been a sought-after tourism destination for the National Day holiday, which runs until Oct 7. Datong can be found in several scenes of the recently released and hugely popular video game Black Myth: Wukong, which is based on the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. The city's cultural atmosphere with its Buddhist and Taoist sites has made it an in vogue destination. -
VP debate - J.D. Vance has done something Trump cannot
By being reasonable, polite, and focused on policy issues, the Republican vice presidential nominee won his debate hands down. Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance handed in a bravura performance in his debate with his Democrat counterpart Tim Walz this week. The debate was full of surprises - including the fact that the confrontation between the two politicians amounted to something approaching a genuine political debate. Even more surprisingly, it was an extremely civil and polite exchange. In the Trump era this is an unexpected and rare occurrence. Trump is incapable of seriously debating policy issues - instead he simply abuses and insults his political opponents. But Vance and Walz managed to engage in a policy debate of sorts and neither candidate stooped to crude personal attacks. The most surprising aspect of the debate was that a radically new version of J.D. Vance appeared on stage - and the transformation was quite extraordinary. -
FEMA reports they spent all the taxpayer funding on a sweet PowerPoint presentation about racial equity
ASHEVILLE, NC — Official sources within the Federal Emergency Management Agency were disappointed to inform victims of Hurricane Helene that the government agency was unable to offer them any taxpayer funding, as it had spent it all on a PowerPoint presentation about racial equity. According to FEMA spokesperson Gayle Kane, the agency would have loved to help out North Carolina residents affected by the storm but was simply unable to do so as it had blown the remainder of its budget having an intern with purple hair put together the presentation. -
Biden-Harris DHS Sec Mayorkas admits FEMA funds won't last through hurricane season after diverting $641 MILLION for 'noncitizen migrants'
"FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season." Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has admitted that funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will not last through the hurricane season this year. This comes after the DHS diverted over $640 million for "non-citizen migrants," the latest term for illegal immigrants, for shelters in 2023. This diversion of funding was in April 2024, prior to the disaster that struck the Southeast with Hurricane Helene. Mayorkas made the admission to reporters on Wednesday, per the Associated Press. "We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting," Mayorkas told the press. "FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season." Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, however most of the storms occur in September and October. FEMA is currently being stretched for cash as it has been working to assist with the... -
America last: After spending $640 million on migrants and billions abroad, FEMA suddenly 'broke'
The Biden-Harris administration's 'America Last' policies have left the country vulnerable. Between draining the strategic petroleum reserve, sending hundreds of billions in cash and equipment to Ukraine (such as electrical transformers that are now needed for Hurricane Helene), and FEMA spending $640 million to help migrants, the agency tasked with emergency preparedness is now 'broke,' and doesn't have enough money to get through hurricane season which typically lasts through November. According to AP, The agency is being stretched as it works with states to assess damage from Hurricane Helene and delivers meals, water, generators and other critical supplies. The storm struck Florida last week, then plowed through several states in the Southeast, flooding towns and killing more than 160 people. Mayorkas was not specific about how much additional money the agency may need, but his remarks on Air Force One underscored concerns voiced by President Joe Biden and some lawmakers... -
Enough already: Stop provoking Russia
Like many people, I eagerly await Scott Horton's upcoming book, Provoked, which will explain in detail the US provocations that led to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But will it come too late? Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, the Biden administration, in collaboration with the Ukrainian government and much of Europe, has continued incessantly provoking Putin toward a wider conflict with the West. One can recognize the dangerous path we tread without justifying any of Russia's responses to these provocations. The US and Europe have armed Ukraine to the teeth. The West has funded Ukraine's military effort — and a great deal of corruption — to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. Supposedly this is good for the US because it aids the US military-industrial complex, but this will be cold comfort in the event of war with Russia. -
On the unjust and ridiculous conviction of C.J. Hopkins for likening Covid totalitarianism to Nazi Germany
Twice in August 2022 the American playwright, satirist and longtime Berlin resident C.J. Hopkins tweeted cover art from his book on The Rise of the New Normal Reich. This art featured an image of a Covid-era medical mask with a barely-visible white swastika superimposed upon it. In his first tweet, Hopkins wrote that "Masks are symbols of ideological conformity. That's all that they are, and that's all they ever were. Stop pretending that they were ever anything else or get used to wearing them." In his second tweet, Hopkins simply quoted Health Minister Karl Lauterbach's notorious statement that "Masks always send a signal". -
Helicopter pilot threatened with arrest for flying rescue missions in flood-ravaged NC
A South Carolina pilot who flew stranded Hurricane Helene victims in flood-ravaged North Carolina to safety claims he was told he would be arrested if he continued the rescue missions. Jordan Seidhom was flying victims out of the devastation over the weekend when local leaders told him there was a flight restriction on the area and that they would have to arrest him if he continued making flights. "There were other victims. As we were flying out leaving the area, we spotted within 300, 400 yards of their location [people] were waving for help as my son and I were leaving," Seidhom told Queen City News. -
Vance's baby blues may have just flipped the left's most loyal demographic
As a group, gay people may overwhelmingly hate Donald Trump. But they couldn't help but fall in love with JD Vance on the debate stage Tuesday night. In the words of Gay America, he came out looking snatched. Now, these poll numbers might be made up, but they're making fun of a very real phenomenon: Gay Twitter absolutely lost their minds for Vance last night. Some said he'd make a "hot AF VP" while others said he's "[g]iving the gays everything we want." Some speculated the "pink tie" was sending a signal, wink wink. What that signal is, I can't share here — but the consensus was overwhelmingly suggestive. As noted conservative activist (and gay man) Andy Ngo noted, "I was not expecting gay X responses to the VP debate to be so XXX." -
BEST OF THE WEB: The FBI entraps another fake assassin
Two attempts on the life of a former president, less than two months apart, is unprecedented in American history. And yet it's not entirely surprising given that the country's most powerful institutions and industries have spent the last eight years weaponizing the most suggestible and mentally ill of our citizenry to target Donald Trump and his supporters. Now it seems the FBI may be recruiting from abroad as well. According to the Trump campaign, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently briefed the Republican candidate on "real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States." The Secret Service was alerted to the threat before the July 13 attempt on Trump's life and reportedly increased his security because of it. But that was not enough to stop Thomas Matthew Crooks from shooting Trump in the face, killing Corey Comperatore, and wounding two other attendees. There's little doubt the Iranians... -
Liberation of the Kursk Region or nuclear armageddon
Alexander Dugin argues that the decision has been made. Yesterday's session of the permanent meeting of the Russian Security Council, during which Vladimir Putin announced amendments to our country's nuclear doctrine ("Fundamentals of State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence"), is an extremely important event. The most significant aspect here is the following innovation introduced into the nuclear doctrine: participation in aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, if supported by a nuclear state, will be considered a joint attack on the Russian Federation. This is a fundamental point, according to which our President, as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, now not only retains the right to use nuclear weapons. In the event that our country is attacked by a non-nuclear state with the support of a nuclear state, he is not only entitled to respond according to the full logic of nuclear deterrence but is obligated to do so. -
True Promise II: Did Iran 'restore deterrence' after its latest strikes against Israel?
All that can be assessed thus far in the absence of any Israeli retaliation at the time of writing is that both sides are very concerned about their reputations. Iran launched several hundred ballistic missiles against Israel on the evening of 1 October in retaliation for the self-professed Jewish State's assassination of top Resistance Axis figures and its latest war in Lebanon. Both sides are spinning this to their advantage: Iran claims that "True Promise II" destroyed several of its enemy's military bases while Israel insists that it was a mostly harmless demonstration. Even so, Israel still promised to retaliate at a time and place of its choosing, keeping the world on edge. The timing of Iran's retaliation coincides with the start of the latest Israeli-Lebanese War's ground phase and might thus have been partially meant to deter a large-scale operation that could lead to Gaza-like levels of destruction. It also followed some of its supporters angrily speculating that... -
Chaos as cover
If you're looking toward this election as anything other than a trigger event, you're missing the point. It doesn't even matter who wins in respect to your preparedness. Contact with the enemy is ensured either way. There is no peaceful path other than total and complete compliance; abandoning any hope for the future of the republic and human rights. As LTC Steven Murray put it in a recent video, this vote is not like any other, it is the last act of a civilized man participating in a civilized act simply to erase the last vestige of responsibility before becoming absolutely ungovernable. The goal is to make the communists exert every effort to overcome the popularity and vote count to arrive at a Kamala win. The harder they have to work the more careless they become and the more eyes open as to the real status of the coup. Where Trump would have to be inaugurated before implementing any of his policies, Kamala could start immediately, bypassing the ordinary transition, because all... -
Harris a threat to US democracy - Vance
Democratic nominee Kamala Harris wants to silence those she accuses of "misinformation," the Republican VP candidate has said. Limits on free speech have become the biggest threat to US democracy, Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance claimed during a televised debate on Tuesday. Donald Trump's running mate for the November election faced off with his Democratic opponent, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, on CBS News. Vance claimed: "Rather than debating and persuading fellow Americans, (Democratic nominee) Kamala Harris would like to censor people who engage in misinformation. "Harris is engaged in censorship on an industrial scale. She has done it over a number of issues. That's a bigger threat to democracy than what Donald Trump said when he said protesters should peacefully protest on January 6." -
Newsom outlaws voter ID rules in California
California governor Gavin Newsom has just signed a new law banning local governments from requiring residents to present identification to vote in elections. The legislation - introduced by Sen. Dave Min (D-Orange County) - is a direct response to a ballot measure approved this year by voters in Huntington Beach which required people to show photo identification at the polls. The Republican-led city, whose leaders often tussle with Sacramento Democrats, has maintained that its status as a charter city gives it home rule over elections administration. But Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber aren't buying it: The officials sued Huntington Beach in April to invalidate the law, arguing it interferes with state voting rights protections. - Politico California is one of 14 states that does not require voter ID at the polls - so, if a person wants to operate a car, hop on a plane, or rent an apartment in California - you need ID. Voting? Not so much. -
Typhoon Krathon continues to batter parts of Taiwan
Typhoon Krathon brings with it heavy rainfall and gusts of wind, killing two and injuring over hundreds in its wake. It is being dubbed as a 'weird' typhoon due to its hovering off the coast before reaching the land and its rare storm route. Authorities have declared high alert and asked residents to take shelter. Schools and businesses are closed for the second consecutive day and all domestic and international flights stand cancelled. -
BEST OF THE WEB: Hurricane Helene slams Florida, Georgia and other states with flooding, power outages - at least 200 dead, 600 missing (UPDATES)
A tornado killed two people in the US state of Georgia, the governor said, as Hurricane Helene churned into the state after causing one death in the neighbouring state of Florida, where it barrelled ashore in the southeastern United States. Helene weakened to a Category 1 hurricane early on Friday with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), but it left a deadly trail of destruction in both states. More than 55 million people in the US have been placed under some form of weather alert. As of Friday morning, broadcaster ABC reported two deaths in Georgia's Wheeler County, while Florida confirmed one death, after a sign fell on a car on a highway in Tampa City. The hurricane made landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned that the enormous system could create a "nightmare" storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern US. -
Five-mile asteroid impact crater below Atlantic captured in 'exquisite' detail by seismic data
New images of an asteroid impact crater buried deep below the floor of the Atlantic Ocean have been published today by researchers at Heriot-Watt University. The images confirm the 9km Nadir Crater, located 300m under the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, was caused by an asteroid smashing into Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period around 66 million years ago. That's the same age as the dinosaur-killing 200 km wide, Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico. There are around 20 confirmed marine craters worldwide, and none of them has been captured in anything close to this level of detail. Dr Uisdean Nicholson The images have helped the researchers determine what happened in the minutes following impact: the formation of an initial bowl-shaped crater, rocks turned to a fluid-like state and flowing upwards to the crater floor, the creation of a damage zone covering thousands of square kilometres beyond the crater, and an 800-metre-plus high tsunami that would have travelled across the... -
White Helmets are back! RT investigates what jihadi-linked Oscar winners are up to
The self-proclaimed NGO is allegedly working on another false-flag chemical attack in Syria. The White Helmets, a self-proclaimed civil defense group formed a decade ago in Syria at the height of the civil war, is back in the spotlight, after the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service accused it this week of preparing to stage another chemical weapons attack. RT's Saskia Taylor looks back at the shady origins of the group, which was generously sponsored by Western governments and lionized by Western press. She explores its unsavory coziness with jihadist forces, and extensive evidence that at least some of its media content was fraudulent. -
BEST OF THE WEB: Russian MPs to back groundbreaking smoking ban that would eliminate it entirely
Comment: Yes, it's still fascism, even when Russia does it. The proposed law would prohibit the sale of nicotine and vaping products to teens in a bid to curb new addictions. The head of Russia's parliament announced on Wednesday he expects MPs to support a bill to outlaw smoking and vaping for the next generation. It would mean that those born after 2009 will never be legally able to buy tobacco, to vape or use hookahs. The draft law would make it illegal to sell cigarettes, vapes and similar goods to anyone born after December 31, 2009. The New People faction in the parliament, which penned the legislation, sent it to the cabinet on Wednesday. State Duma Chair Vyacheslav Volodin backed the draft law during a parliament session later in the day. "You say some people want to boost the budget [by taxing tobacco]. Trust me, nobody does. Everyone in this chamber will vote for and support your initiative," he promised. The legislation tabled by the left-leaning New People faction means... -
This is why the working class doesn't trust Western leftists anymore
Summary UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the perfect example of the greed that has corrupted parties that are supposed to represent the common voter The scandal that has recently engulfed UK Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not just about political corruption. There have always been corrupt politicians - even amongst the leaders of social democratic parties - although it is impossible to imagine Jeremy Corbyn or Harold Wilson accepting tens of thousands of pounds' worth of designer label clothing, gifts and free luxury accommodation from a billionaire businessman. There is something very contemporary about Starmer's rapacious greed, and it reveals a fundamental truth about modern social democratic parties in the West - namely that these parties have long ceased to represent the interests of the working class and ordinary citizens, and today simply do the bidding of the global elites that rule and control most Western countries. That being the case, it is hardly surprising... -
UN takeover with chaos & crisis
Award-winning journalist Alex Newman, author of the popular book "Deep State" and the new best-selling book called "Indoctrinating Our Children to Death," has been warning of plans by the United Nations for total tyrannical control of your life. This past weekend at UN headquarters in New York City, all countries sealed the deal to hand over your freedoms to these demonic monsters. Newman explains, "This is probably the most important story of the decade. Every world leader was there. Joe Biden was there. Almost every world leader on the planet was there. Every president, king and dictator were all there, and they are all signing what the UN calls the "Pact for the Future." This, in their own words, is going to morph the United Nations into the "UN 2.0." When you read the text of this agreement that was adopted by every government on earth. . . . every government agreed to this, and they said they are going to strengthen the UN. -
The most precarious place in the world to be a child: Israel's year of war on children
Israel's onslaught against the Palestinian people has systematically targeted children in both Gaza and the West Bank. The result is a war against an entire generation. A year into the genocide in Gaza and the intensifying military and settler onslaught in the West Bank, children have been the most consistently targeted group by Israel in all of historic Palestine. Every year at around this time, the new school year is well underway in the Gaza Strip and university students are starting their first semesters. But since October of last year, not only is there no more school, but all education in the Gaza Strip has been decimated. This is to say nothing of the systematic killing of children throughout the war — UN chief Antonio Guterres said Gaza had become a "graveyard for children" only a month into the genocidal war. Added to that are the long-term mental and health effects children will experience as a result of exposure to disease, chronic malnutrition, and relentless violence. -
Putin just announced Russia's own Monroe Doctrine
The president has cleared up any ambiguity about how Moscow will respond to any new threats in its backyard. On September 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced updates to the Foundations of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Area of Nuclear Deterrence. The revised document implies that under certain conditions, Moscow may consider a proxy war against itself as justification for using nuclear weapons. Salami tactics Traditional nuclear deterrence doctrines date back to the Cold War and were developed with major world powers and military alliances in mind. The underlying assumption is that large states are unlikely to attack a nuclear power, since they risk facing a massive retaliatory strike. However, the conflict in Ukraine has created a new and unprecedented reality: The West is waging war against Russia through a proxy state that shows little regard for its own self-preservation. At least under the grip of its current leadership. -
The Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale war
All the major players are poking each other, but there is no desire to cross the Rubicon. One year after Hamas' infamous attack on Israel, the Middle East seems to have returned to its eternal state: a hotbed of acute conflict, with waves of tension. Outside observers can only look on in horror, while experts shrug their shoulders. That's how it was, that's how it will be. How is the current crisis different from previous ones in the region, you might ask? Well, without pretending to have a deep understanding, let us note what is striking from the outside. Patron-client relationships are changing, both between regional powers and major external actors. The most obvious is the status of the United States. The current White House administration does not have a clear and consistent line; it's just plugging holes and putting out new fires. The US does not need high-profile events in the Middle East right now, its priorities are different. Contacts with key players are inconsistent, and... -
Russia could ban export of vital resources to West
The sanctions could affect the supply of commodities in high demand globally, Aleksandr Novak has said. Russia could shut off the flow of strategically important resources to countries it deems unfriendly, according to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak, as the government contemplates countermeasures to Western sanctions. The ban could include a "large list of products that are in high demand on global markets," Novak told reporters on the sidelines of Russian Energy Week on Thursday. While the minister did not specify the exact products, it is widely expected that a list would include so-called transition metals, in particular uranium, nickel, and titanium. According to the deputy PM, the Russian government is analyzing the feasibility of the restrictions to ensure domestic industries would not be hit by limiting the supply and will continue to develop. "There is a specific analysis of the situation on world markets and Russia's opportunities. Relevant proposals will be... -
Washington pushes China into Russia's arms, pushes Iran into Russia's arms
All discussion in the Washington foreign policy establishment on how the Ukrainian war has pushed Russia into China's arms and made it a 'junior partner' is utter nonsense. My contention is that a hubristic U.S. foreign policy that pays no attention to what adversaries are saying because that is 'disinformation' has pushed China into Russia's arms. This took time to achieve: two years plus of the Special Military Operation, to be precise. And this is not due just to blunders of the incompetents manning the top posts in the National Security Council and the State Department. No, the bipartisan majority in Congress has also enabled the incoming disaster for U.S. global standing by its full-voiced approval of punitive sanctions on Chinese goods and approval of what constitute kinetic war plans against Beijing as well as the formation of a military alliance directed against China in its neighborhood. The handwriting is on the wall. Beijing must support the new robust nuclear doctrine...
