Witnessing Madness.
Vance intends to depart Tuesday to Pakistan, though still unclear whether Iranians will join - Pakistanis say yes, but timeline is fluid. Trump warns "nobody's playing games" & "lots of bombs will go off" if no deal (PBS)
Xi to Saudi crown prince important phone call: "the first time the Chinese leader had called for the reopening of the strategically vital waterway." https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-says-no-plans-talks-after-us-seizure-cargo-ship-pakistanis-contradict-oil-prices
Xi to Saudi crown prince important phone call: "the first time the Chinese leader had called for the reopening of the strategically vital waterway." https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-says-no-plans-talks-after-us-seizure-cargo-ship-pakistanis-contradict-oil-prices
Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the US military will also target 'dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil' https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-says-it-will-pursue-ships-pacific-ocean-supporting-iran
An empty ship heading towards the Strait from the Gulf of Oman: A US destroyer on Sunday fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a US naval blockade, President Donald Trump and the US military said Sunday.
Trump posted on Truth Social that after the Iranian vessel, Touska, ignored warnings to stop, the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom."
"Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel," the US president added, "and are seeing what's on board!" https://www.spacewar.com/afp/260419220859.63l4gkyd.html
Trump posted on Truth Social that after the Iranian vessel, Touska, ignored warnings to stop, the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance "stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom."
"Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel," the US president added, "and are seeing what's on board!" https://www.spacewar.com/afp/260419220859.63l4gkyd.html
Iran’s military deliver drone strikes on US warships in response to its vessel’s seizure
According to the news agency, Iran's military intended to continue responding to "piracy" policy and attacks on behalf of the US side https://tass.com/world/2119379
According to the news agency, Iran's military intended to continue responding to "piracy" policy and attacks on behalf of the US side https://tass.com/world/2119379
The ship had "a gift from China" which "wasn’t very nice," Trump told CNBC. "I was a little surprised," he said, adding that he believed he had an "understanding" with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He had asserted: "We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice, a gift from China." https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-cryptically-references-us-intercepted-chinese-gift-iran
He had asserted: "We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice, a gift from China." https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-cryptically-references-us-intercepted-chinese-gift-iran
Gold & Geopolitics identifies the "gift from China" cargo: Daily digest: 2026-04-21
USS Spruance fires on and seizes Iranian vessel Touska. US Marines boarded the Iranian-flagged cargo ship after it defied 6 hours of warnings en route to Bandar Abbas. CENTCOM says 27 vessels turned back; zero evasions since April 13. Ship reportedly carried dual-use chemicals from China linked to ballistic missile manufacturing - potentially explosive for the May 14 Trump-Xi summit.....Ceasefire expires Wednesday evening Washington time. Trump says "highly unlikely" he extends it and "lots of bombs will start going off" without a deal. Iran initially refused second round of talks; signals later emerged that Iran's delegation received a "green light" from Mojtaba Khamenei to proceed to Islamabad per Axios...
..Pakistan's army chief told Trump the Hormuz blockade is a hurdle; Pakistan asked both sides to extend ceasefire two weeks Trump won't take off blockade until deal signed; Iran won't negotiate while blockade continues
Ghalibaf warns Iran has prepared new "cards" on the battlefield...
..UAE warns it will shift to Chinese yuan for oil sales if US doesn't provide dollar swap lines - per WSJ, citing Emirati officials. White House downplayed: Hassett says swap "probably won't be necessary"...
..NYMEX systems crashed on Sunday open. JustDario documented the exchange failing to broadcast official quotes for 6+ hours after Globex trading resumed. HFT flood at open suspected as cause. May 26 oil futures open interest crashed below 20k - unprecedented - suggesting sellers refuse to deliver physical at paper prices, mirroring the silver squeeze in March...
..ECB's Lagarde warns of possible food rationing due to fertilizer disruptions through Hormuz...
..Tariff Refunds & Lutnick Scandal - US government began refunding up to $166B in tariffs ruled unlawful by SCOTUS
Cantor Fitzgerald (run by Commerce Secretary Lutnick's sons) was buying refund rights at 20-30 cents on the dollar while Lutnick publicly championed the tariffs - per Aaron Day citing Wired, Wyden-Warren letters, Raskin investigation.
Cantor Fitzgerald (run by Commerce Secretary Lutnick's sons) was buying refund rights at 20-30 cents on the dollar while Lutnick publicly championed the tariffs - per Aaron Day citing Wired, Wyden-Warren letters, Raskin investigation.
Companies expected to pocket refunds without passing savings to consumers...
*..Trump reportedly tried to "use the nuclear codes" https://x.com/i/status/2046224644479524939 on Iran during emergency Saturday meeting per retired CIA analyst Larry Johnson, stopped by General Caine. Extraordinary claim, single source. Confidence: LOW https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-04-21
‘We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!’ the president wrote on Truth Social https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-negotiations-infrastructure-bridges-b2960588.html
U.S. Constitutional U.S. lawyer, Robert Barnes (who is a friend of Vance), reports in an interview that:
*“Trump began exhibiting signs of early dementia in September 2025 … He frequently confabulates, he routinely loses his temper and unleashes screaming rants and he is incapable of doing critical thinking. And – according to Barnes, in this state – Trump genuinely believes that the U.S. has vanquished Iran and does not comprehend the massive economic damage that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is doing to the global economy”.
In short, Barnes says that Trump’s delirium that Iran is at the point of capitulation reflects his impaired mental state — an impairment of understanding ‘reality’ (a panglossian interpretation that Secretary Pete Hegseth does his best to reinforce).
Like Netanyahu, Trump likely believes too, that pressure and more pressure on Iran could yield the triumphant Victory trophy of (figuratively) waving aloft 430 Kg of enriched uranium — either compelled to be given up by economic pressure, or alternatively dramatically seized on the ground by U.S. forces. https://strategic-culture.su/news/2026/04/20/markets-prematurely-may-celebrate-but-the-next-phase-likely-will-be-more-bigger-war/
Iran demands US lift maritime blockade for talks https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/iran-demands-us-lift-maritime-blockade-for-talks/ar-AA21fkwe
*“Trump began exhibiting signs of early dementia in September 2025 … He frequently confabulates, he routinely loses his temper and unleashes screaming rants and he is incapable of doing critical thinking. And – according to Barnes, in this state – Trump genuinely believes that the U.S. has vanquished Iran and does not comprehend the massive economic damage that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is doing to the global economy”.
In short, Barnes says that Trump’s delirium that Iran is at the point of capitulation reflects his impaired mental state — an impairment of understanding ‘reality’ (a panglossian interpretation that Secretary Pete Hegseth does his best to reinforce).
Like Netanyahu, Trump likely believes too, that pressure and more pressure on Iran could yield the triumphant Victory trophy of (figuratively) waving aloft 430 Kg of enriched uranium — either compelled to be given up by economic pressure, or alternatively dramatically seized on the ground by U.S. forces. https://strategic-culture.su/news/2026/04/20/markets-prematurely-may-celebrate-but-the-next-phase-likely-will-be-more-bigger-war/
Trump Demands Iran 'Release These Women' As World Tensely Awaits 2nd Pakistan Talks, US Navy Boards Another Vessel
Neither side wants to appear 'weak' by flying to Pakistan first without the other side having already clearly committed.
Trump warns: 'Expect...bombs' & urges Tehran "release women" said to be on death row.
Iran has informed Pakistan it is sending a delegation, but still no sign or confirmation that the delegation is en route.
Overnight, US forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani in Indo-Pac region: CENTCOM
As just 12 ships have gone through Hormuz Strait in last 24 hours, Iran claims one of its own made it past the US naval blockade. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pakistan-tensely-awaits-next-round-talks-ceasefire-deadline-looms-us-navy-boards
USS Spruance fires on and seizes Iranian cargo ship Touska. After a 6-hour standoff, the destroyer disabled the vessel's propulsion with 5-inch gun rounds, Marines boarded and took custody. Iran's military command promised retaliation and subsequently launched drones at US warships...
An Israeli soldier smashing the head of a Jesus Christ statue during operations in southern Lebanon. https://x.com/i/status/2045851392527458672
“My Daughter Went Out to Learn, Not to Fight”: Gaza Grieves More Children Killed by Israel
Three-year-old Yahya Al-Malahi lay on a metal table in the morgue of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Family members wept as they caressed his small body and stroked his cheek. A large hole, the size of an orange, was missing from the back of his head.
Yahya was among five Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a police vehicle on Al-Nafaq street, a crowded civilian area in the middle of Gaza City on Tuesday.
“I wish it had been me instead of you,” Yahya’s father Mukhlis Al-Malahi said as he sobbed over his son’s body. His sweater was soaked with his son’s blood....
Palestinian Prisoners’ Day marked by surge in detentions, torture, and deaths in custody https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/04/17/361479/
'All changed with the genocide': Palestinian women and girls face brutal abuse in Israeli jails
Tucker Carlson, America Enables Israel’s Crimes
“I Felt Like a Monster”: Israeli Soldiers Break Silence on Gaza—and the System Behind It
Number of Palestinian Prisoners Rises By 83% Since October 2023 https://israelpalestinenews.org/number-of-palestinian-prisoners-rises-by-83-since-october-2023/
Over 23,000 Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank since outbreak of war on Gaza https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/169569?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
UN: Average of 47 Women and Girls Killed Daily During Gaza War https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5263578-un-average-47-women-and-girls-killed-daily-during-gaza-war
GAZA CITY: The UN children’s agency UNICEF said it was “outraged” after two truck drivers it contracted to deliver clean water to families in the Gaza Strip were killed by Israeli fire.
The UN agency said in a statement the incident occurred during routine water trucking on Friday morning at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza, which supplies Gaza City.
Two others were injured in the attack.
Fields Turn to Kill Zones: How Israeli Fire Crushes Gaza Farming – Report https://www.palestinechronicle.com/fields-turn-to-kill-zones-how-israeli-fire-crushes-gaza-farming-report/
Under IOF protection, settlers burn vehicle and attack West Bank villages https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/04/18/361499/
Israeli gunfire and artillery shelling rock east Gaza https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/04/18/361539/
JERICHO, April 17, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli colonists on Friday attacked the displaced Arab Al-Mleihat Bedouin community in the Al-Balqaa area, north of Jericho, according to a watchdog organization.
Al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights said that colonists broke into the dwellings of the community and chased livestock herders. It added that colonists systematically assaulted and terrorized the civilian community. https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/169522?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Colonists steal 150 sheep in attack on Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/169561?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
RAMALLAH, April 18, 2026 (WAFA) – Colonists set fire on Friday night to an agricultural room in the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, according to local sources.
Sources said that several colonists stormed the village from its northern entrance and set fire to an agricultural room belonging to a local Palestinian citizen.
In a later development, the occupation forces stormed the area and opened fire on citizens who rushed to extinguish the fire and confront the colonists’ attack.
The site targeted by the colonists is adjacent to an illegal colonial outpost that was re-established on Thursday. https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/169535?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Israeli army reports striking Lebanon as it accuses `terrorists’ of violating ceasefire - The IDF did not specify their affiliation https://tass.com/world/2119127
Colonists steal 150 sheep in attack on Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/169561?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Israeli forces on Saturday carried out demolitions in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, the scene of intense fighting with Hezbollah prior to the recently agreed 10-day truce, Lebanese state media reported.
"The Israeli enemy is repeating its house detonating operations in the town of Bint Jbeil," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, also reporting demolitions in other border towns where Israeli troops are present.
Bint Jbeil, located around five kilometres north of the Israeli border, had been the scene of heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah for days before the truce went into force at midnight on Thursday. https://www.spacewar.com/afp/260418200136.f3qvgods.html
Returning to your home in a kill-zone: Israel army says established 'Yellow Line' in Lebanon, as in Gaza
Israel's military said Saturday it had established a "Yellow Line" demarcation in southern Lebanon, similar to one separating its forces from Hamas-held areas in Gaza, adding it had hit a "terrorist cell" operating near its troops along the line.
"Over the past 24 hours, IDF forces operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat," it said, referring to such a line for the first time since a ceasefire came into effect.
"In order to eliminate the threat... forces attacked the terrorists in several areas," it said, noting that the military was authorised to act against threats.
"Actions taken in self-defence and to remove immediate threats are not restricted by the ceasefire," it said. https://www.spacewar.com/afp/260418162104.2hthkuer.html
Concerns Grow That Israel Plans New Military Base in Syria as Troops Bring Prefab Units With Them
Growing number of checkpoints, detentions in Quneitra Governorate https://news.antiwar.com/2026/04/19/concerns-grow-that-israel-plans-new-military-base-in-syria-as-troops-bring-prefab-units-with-them/
Rada deputy: Mobilization in Ukraine will continue for a long time https://en.topwar.ru/281207-deputat-rady-mobilizacija-na-ukraine-budet-prodolzhatsja-esche-dolgo.html
In the Sumy region, a forcibly conscripted Ukrainian shot and killed his group's commander so he could surrender to Russian forces without hindrance. This was reported by servicemen of the "North" group. They noted that the shooter and his commander were the only survivors after the group was routed by Russian armed forces. https://en.topcor.ru/70470-boevik-vsu-zastrelil-komandira-chtoby-sdatsja-v-plen-vs-rf.html
The EU disqualified his prior election: Populism Is Not Dead Yet: Bulgaria's Pro-Russia Ex-President Radev Wins In Landslide Victory
Firstly, Victor Orban was defeated in the Hungarian elections to great fanfare from the anti-Russian axis. Unfortunately for them, it turns out that the new PM of Hungary Peter Magyar is hardly any “better” than his predecessor.
Upon winning, he has stated that he would talk to Putin and appears to also be quite “un-supportive” of Ukrainian initiatives relative to expectations. He’s demanded for Ukraine to reopen the Druzhba pipeline, now according to reports even making threats towards Zelensky.
Iran has informed Pakistan it is sending a delegation, but still no sign or confirmation that the delegation is en route.
Overnight, US forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani in Indo-Pac region: CENTCOM
As just 12 ships have gone through Hormuz Strait in last 24 hours, Iran claims one of its own made it past the US naval blockade. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pakistan-tensely-awaits-next-round-talks-ceasefire-deadline-looms-us-navy-boards
Gold & Geopolitics, Daily digest: 2026-04-20
..Iran rejects second round of negotiations. Iran's Foreign Ministry declared "no plans for further talks" and accused the US of "unfaithfulness and violations"...The ceasefire expires approximately April 22...
..Drop Site News obtained detailed interview with senior Iranian official: if war resumes, Iran will cut all diplomatic channels and impose "significantly greater costs"....Strait of Hormuz fully shut again — zero tankers transiting Sunday...
..IDF soldier destroys Jesus statue in Lebanon — international backlash
Footage surfaced of an Israeli soldier smashing a Jesus Christ statue with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon
IDF confirmed the photo is real and called it "wholly inconsistent with values"
Spain's PM Sanchez called for EU to break association agreement with Israel
37 Israeli soldiers killed and wounded in Lebanon in 24 hours per Elijah Magnier; Hezbollah reported first attack since ceasefire...
..Insider trading pattern around Trump announcements ... Kobeissi documented $760 million in oil shorts placed exactly 21 minutes before Iran's April 17 Hormuz "reopening" announcement, plus $325M in simultaneous S&P longs at the same timestamp
Anas Alhajji confirms suspicions: "unusual spikes in oil futures, stocks, and prediction markets occurred minutes before key statements"...
Not just drones: Exclusive: IRGC Locked 16 Cruise Missiles on US Warships in Strait of Hormuz Before They Retreated https://www.globalresearch.ca/irgc-locked-16-cruise-missiles-us-warships-strait-hormuz/5922878
USS Ford Carrier Returns To Mideast After Extensive Fire Repairs
Footage surfaced of an Israeli soldier smashing a Jesus Christ statue with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon
IDF confirmed the photo is real and called it "wholly inconsistent with values"
Spain's PM Sanchez called for EU to break association agreement with Israel
37 Israeli soldiers killed and wounded in Lebanon in 24 hours per Elijah Magnier; Hezbollah reported first attack since ceasefire...
..Insider trading pattern around Trump announcements ... Kobeissi documented $760 million in oil shorts placed exactly 21 minutes before Iran's April 17 Hormuz "reopening" announcement, plus $325M in simultaneous S&P longs at the same timestamp
Anas Alhajji confirms suspicions: "unusual spikes in oil futures, stocks, and prediction markets occurred minutes before key statements"...
..Hormuz: Paper vs Physical — the gap is a chasm...Saudi Finance Minister Al Jadaan reportedly stated physical oil is trading at $120-160 while screens show $90 ... Art Berman bluntly states "Prices already are at or near $200 on the cash market"...
..Europe's energy crisis deepening.....Bulgaria election — Radev wins potential outright majority
Former president Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party projected at 44% with 60% counted — potentially 134+ seats in 240-seat parliament
Radev opposes Ukraine aid and calls for improved relations with Moscow. https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-04-20
Former president Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria party projected at 44% with 60% counted — potentially 134+ seats in 240-seat parliament
Radev opposes Ukraine aid and calls for improved relations with Moscow. https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-04-20
Maybe, maybe not, but he makes some points: From Leverage To Liability: The Hormuz Strait Is Now Iran's Biggest Weakness https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/leverage-liability-hormuz-strait-now-irans-biggest-weakness
Not resupplied yet: U.S. Navy’s Sole Supercarrier Near Iran Endures Severe Food Shortages as Logistics Disrupted https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/us-navy-supercarrier-food-shortages
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group has belatedly redeployed to the Middle East after a month in port for repairs following a fire aboard the ship.
The world's largest aircraft carrier returned to operations after what's been officially described as a blaze in its laundry area, which headlines have presented as accidental. The incident injured sailors and forced significant maintenance work, and ever since it happened on March 12, there's been an avalanche of public speculation that Iranian forces my have hit it in a missile or drone attack...
The world's largest aircraft carrier returned to operations after what's been officially described as a blaze in its laundry area, which headlines have presented as accidental. The incident injured sailors and forced significant maintenance work, and ever since it happened on March 12, there's been an avalanche of public speculation that Iranian forces my have hit it in a missile or drone attack...
..The carrier is rejoining an expanding US military buildup in the region - with the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group already deployed, and the USS George H.W. Bush expected to soon join, which would bring the number of US carriers in the Middle East to three.
By comparison, the 2003 US invasion of Iraq was supported by a total of five US Navy aircraft carriers, with some in the Persian Gulf and some in the Mediterranean. https://www.zerohedge.com/military/uss-ford-carrier-returns-mideast-after-extensive-fire-damage-repairs
By comparison, the 2003 US invasion of Iraq was supported by a total of five US Navy aircraft carriers, with some in the Persian Gulf and some in the Mediterranean. https://www.zerohedge.com/military/uss-ford-carrier-returns-mideast-after-extensive-fire-damage-repairs
Thanks Jan: GORDON DUFF Comes Back on VT: “The Brothel that Bombs Tehran: How CHILD SACRIFICE Became American Foreign Policy”
Gordon: “I have worked at the pinnacle of America's security apparatus for decades. At times, directly for presidents. We always knew about Epstein. https://vtforeignpolicy.com/2026/04/gordon-duff-comes-back-on-vt-the-brothel-that-bombs-tehran-how-child-sacrifice-became-american-foreign-policy/Three-year-old Yahya Al-Malahi lay on a metal table in the morgue of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Family members wept as they caressed his small body and stroked his cheek. A large hole, the size of an orange, was missing from the back of his head.
Yahya was among five Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a police vehicle on Al-Nafaq street, a crowded civilian area in the middle of Gaza City on Tuesday.
“I wish it had been me instead of you,” Yahya’s father Mukhlis Al-Malahi said as he sobbed over his son’s body. His sweater was soaked with his son’s blood....
..Among the Israeli attacks that rippled through northern Gaza last week was the killing of Ritaj Rihan, a 9-year-old girl who was shot dead while attending class in a school tent in Beit Lahia. The Abu Ubaida Ibn Al-Jarrah School, a series of tents held up by wooden frames and lined with simple benches and desks, is located two kilometers from the yellow line, according to multiple witnesses, where Israeli troops are stationed.
“The girl was in a classroom, among her classmates. We were suddenly shocked by gunfire from the Zionist enemy. She was wounded with a bullet through her mouth, and she was martyred instantly,” Ayman Rihan, 45, a teacher at the school, told Drop Site as he stood beside Ritaj’s body in the morgue of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Thursday. Her body was covered with a piece of blue cloth and her bloodied jacket and sweater placed on her torso. Her long auburn hair draped out from under the cloth over the edge of the table and her bare arms stretched out to the side. The bullet that struck her had been placed on the table beside her head. Ayman, who is the cousin of Ritaj’s father’s, carried Ritaj to Al-Shifa and called her parents to tell them she was dead. https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-children-killed-israel-genocide
“The girl was in a classroom, among her classmates. We were suddenly shocked by gunfire from the Zionist enemy. She was wounded with a bullet through her mouth, and she was martyred instantly,” Ayman Rihan, 45, a teacher at the school, told Drop Site as he stood beside Ritaj’s body in the morgue of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Thursday. Her body was covered with a piece of blue cloth and her bloodied jacket and sweater placed on her torso. Her long auburn hair draped out from under the cloth over the edge of the table and her bare arms stretched out to the side. The bullet that struck her had been placed on the table beside her head. Ayman, who is the cousin of Ritaj’s father’s, carried Ritaj to Al-Shifa and called her parents to tell them she was dead. https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-children-killed-israel-genocide
More than 700 have been arrested since the Gaza genocide began, enduring brutal conditions of starvation, isolation and humiliation https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/we-failed-prisoners-palestinian-women-suffer-israeli-jails
Israel portrays itself as a beacon of morality; the only source of light in the otherwise dark and barbaric Middle East. But is the country really that righteous?
A new report from Middle East Eye, titled “‘I Wished for Death’: Sexual Violence in Israel’s Prisons Is an ‘Organized State Policy’,” suggests the answer is an emphatic no. The piece highlights testimonies alleging that Israel’s highest “political, military, and judicial authorities” approve sexual torture, including rape using objects and trained military dogs, against non-Jewish inmates. The details, pasted below directly from the article, will make you gasp. Emphasis is ours.
“One former detainee, a 42-year-old woman from north Gaza… said she was bound naked to a metal table and repeatedly raped by two masked soldiers… She recalled that she was left shackled, naked and bleeding throughout the night before the soldiers returned the next day to continue raping her… Throughout her ordeal, she was filmed.”...
..“Another former prisoner… recounted being shackled to a metal bed and repeatedly raped by soldiers and a trained dog… ‘Every time I screamed, I was beaten. This continued for several minutes, while soldiers filmed and mocked me,’ [he] said… Later, another soldier forced his penis into the victim’s mouth and urinated on him.” https://israelpalestinenews.org/tcn-america-enables-israels-crimes/ “One former detainee, a 42-year-old woman from north Gaza… said she was bound naked to a metal table and repeatedly raped by two masked soldiers… She recalled that she was left shackled, naked and bleeding throughout the night before the soldiers returned the next day to continue raping her… Throughout her ordeal, she was filmed.”...
The official narrative isn’t just cracking—it’s being dismantled by the very people who carried it out.
In a devastating investigation, Israeli soldiers are now speaking in their own words about what they did, what they witnessed, and what their commanders allowed in Gaza. These are not secondhand accusations or political attacks. They are confessions—raw, detailed, and impossible to dismiss.
They describe opening fire on unarmed civilians identified only as “targets” on a drone feed. They describe prisoners humiliated, abused, and discarded. They describe executions—men surrendering with hands raised, only to be shot and later labeled “terrorists.” And they describe something just as revealing as the violence itself: a system where none of this leads to accountability.
What emerges is not chaos. It is structure. https://scheerpost.com/2026/04/18/i-felt-like-a-monster-israeli-soldiers-break-silence-on-gaza-and-the-system-behind-it/
In a devastating investigation, Israeli soldiers are now speaking in their own words about what they did, what they witnessed, and what their commanders allowed in Gaza. These are not secondhand accusations or political attacks. They are confessions—raw, detailed, and impossible to dismiss.
They describe opening fire on unarmed civilians identified only as “targets” on a drone feed. They describe prisoners humiliated, abused, and discarded. They describe executions—men surrendering with hands raised, only to be shot and later labeled “terrorists.” And they describe something just as revealing as the violence itself: a system where none of this leads to accountability.
What emerges is not chaos. It is structure. https://scheerpost.com/2026/04/18/i-felt-like-a-monster-israeli-soldiers-break-silence-on-gaza-and-the-system-behind-it/
The UN agency said in a statement the incident occurred during routine water trucking on Friday morning at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza, which supplies Gaza City.
Two others were injured in the attack.
Number of Palestinian fatalities since the ceasefire on Oct. 11 surges to 773 as Israeli violations continue https://www.arabnews.com/node/2640314/middle-east
Al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights said that colonists broke into the dwellings of the community and chased livestock herders. It added that colonists systematically assaulted and terrorized the civilian community. https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/169522?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Sources said that several colonists stormed the village from its northern entrance and set fire to an agricultural room belonging to a local Palestinian citizen.
In a later development, the occupation forces stormed the area and opened fire on citizens who rushed to extinguish the fire and confront the colonists’ attack.
The site targeted by the colonists is adjacent to an illegal colonial outpost that was re-established on Thursday. https://english-wafa-ps.translate.goog/Pages/Details/169535?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Lebanon: Israel relegates another population to life in tents https://israelpalestinenews.org/israel-relegates-another-population-to-life-in-tents-daily-update/
"The Israeli enemy is repeating its house detonating operations in the town of Bint Jbeil," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, also reporting demolitions in other border towns where Israeli troops are present.
Bint Jbeil, located around five kilometres north of the Israeli border, had been the scene of heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah for days before the truce went into force at midnight on Thursday. https://www.spacewar.com/afp/260418200136.f3qvgods.html
Israel's military said Saturday it had established a "Yellow Line" demarcation in southern Lebanon, similar to one separating its forces from Hamas-held areas in Gaza, adding it had hit a "terrorist cell" operating near its troops along the line.
"Over the past 24 hours, IDF forces operating south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon identified terrorists who violated the ceasefire understandings and approached the forces from north of the Yellow Line in a manner that posed an immediate threat," it said, referring to such a line for the first time since a ceasefire came into effect.
"In order to eliminate the threat... forces attacked the terrorists in several areas," it said, noting that the military was authorised to act against threats.
"Actions taken in self-defence and to remove immediate threats are not restricted by the ceasefire," it said. https://www.spacewar.com/afp/260418162104.2hthkuer.html
Growing number of checkpoints, detentions in Quneitra Governorate https://news.antiwar.com/2026/04/19/concerns-grow-that-israel-plans-new-military-base-in-syria-as-troops-bring-prefab-units-with-them/
Ireland, Germany and France look at repatriating Ukrainian men to be sent to the meat grinder. ‘Generous’ package to encourage Ukrainians to go home
Colm Brophy, the migration minister, said the government would move to terminate the remaining contracts under which about 16,000 people were accommodated https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/ukraine-refugees-immigration-package-ireland-qk5ns56wj A Ukrainian militant shot his commander to death in order to surrender to the Russian Armed Forces.
Despite Orban's loss in Hungary earlier this month, Europe's populist right is not dead by a longshot. Official results released Monday show former President Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria coalition capturing roughly 44.6-44.7% of the vote in Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections, delivering an absolute majority of approximately 130-135 seats in the 240-seat parliament. It marks the first time since 1997 that a single political force in Bulgaria will be able to govern without coalition horse-trading. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bulgarias-former-pro-russian-president-set-landsllde-election-win
Simplicius, Power Again Rebalanced in Europe Amidst Political Shake-Ups
Upon winning, he has stated that he would talk to Putin and appears to also be quite “un-supportive” of Ukrainian initiatives relative to expectations. He’s demanded for Ukraine to reopen the Druzhba pipeline, now according to reports even making threats towards Zelensky.
Magyar threatened to arrest Netanyahu if he comes to Hungary (unlike Orban, who openly welcomed Netanyahu and considered him an “ally”). Also, Magyar appeared to support a new policy blocking non-EU guest workers which some believe is targeted at Ukrainians, in order to keep them from coming to Hungary as refugees.
On the topic of the €90B loan to Ukraine, Magyar was only slightly more agreeable than Orban, stating he will not directly block the loan as Orban was doing, but that he will maintain Hungary’s “opting out” of contributing financially to the loan...
On the topic of the €90B loan to Ukraine, Magyar was only slightly more agreeable than Orban, stating he will not directly block the loan as Orban was doing, but that he will maintain Hungary’s “opting out” of contributing financially to the loan...
..In fact, Magyar even oddly floated Orban as replacement for Ursula as head of the EU in a new interview, indicating that Magyar considers himself closer ideologically to Orban than he does to the corrupt and tyrannical EU politburo...
..While the sun was setting on Orban, a “pro-Russian” Rumen Radev won Bulgaria’s election... In reality, he’s not so much “pro-Russian” as he is “anti-globalist”. But either way much of his views on the Ukraine war do not align with the EU, as he does not want to fund Ukraine and seeks to establish better relations with Russia, so his victory can be considered a major boon for the Russian side...
..At the same time, the top naval-tracking account on X has spotted Russian warships again “regaining a foothold” in Tartus, Syria this week. This only a day after American forces were reportedly seen handing over their last Syrian base and leaving the country after 11 long years. Weeks ago US handed over the notorious al-Tanf base, and now the US appears to be out of Syria for good—only a small security detail remaining for the Damascus embassy...
..Buzz came today from a UAE expert who even suggested that the UAE no longer needs the US after the Iran war debacle, and that the US should leave the country...
..WSJ reports that Germany is “rewiring” its manufacturing base purely into weapons production, as every other industry blows out.....Across Germany’s industrial belt, factory lines that once powered the country’s export miracle are being rewired into the machinery of Europe’s rearmament.
The government is on board. Berlin’s approach isn’t to revive the old economy, but to replace it. Idle factory floors and a growing pool of laid-off skilled workers are being redirected into the only sector still expanding at scale...
..Brussels has nothing left but war to keep its stagnant ideological vision chugging along, and its faithful servants are doing their part.
Now WSJ reports that the US is doing the same thing, with the Pentagon seeking to turn civilian automakers into weapons manufacturers.....As the previous system of “international law” and global architectures of security complete their collapse, the world’s nations are seeking ways to hedge the risk and prepare themselves for all out conflict. Of course, this is not in reference to the US, which itself is the driver of all this risk and conflict, and is seeking to maximize its gains from the chaos it has created by dominating everyone else...
..It’s clear from the recent statements we’ve seen out of the Russian MOD, Medvedev, and Security Council via Shoigu, Russian elites are increasingly discussing the possibility of real action against Baltic states. Of course, Putin has the ultimate say and most would agree that it’s unlikely for him to cross the Rubicon in such a way...
..Russia has good reason to seek vengeance: a recent “never before seen” video of Palantir’s infamous Project Maven has been released, which shed an interesting light on the West’s involvement in Ukraine...
..Viewers reportedly caught the following screen-grabs from the longer version... It appears to show the tracking of Russian assets in Ukraine from the very get-go of 2-24-2022. It confirms that the US and the West have been pouring all their resources, particularly of the AI-variety, into destroying Russia from the opening moments of the Ukrainian conflict. As such, Russia’s weariness of the West’s provocations, seen boiling over now with the latest Baltics-related incidents, becomes clearly justified. https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/power-again-rebalanced-in-europe
They’re telling the truth.
Sometimes they share it with governments. Sometimes they sell it to data brokers. Sometimes it gets subpoenaed. And sometimes it just leaks.
→ And sometimes it gets you killed...
Well, that's odd... U.S. and Mexican Police Officials Killed in Highway Crash in Mexico After Meth Lab Raids https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/04/19/u-s-and-mexican-police-officials-killed-in-highway-crash-after-lab-raids/
70% Of US Farmers Say That They Won't Be Able To Buy All The Fertilizer They Need In 2026 https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/70-us-farmers-say-they-wont-be-able-buy-all-fertilizer-they-need-2026
..Russia has good reason to seek vengeance: a recent “never before seen” video of Palantir’s infamous Project Maven has been released, which shed an interesting light on the West’s involvement in Ukraine...
..Viewers reportedly caught the following screen-grabs from the longer version... It appears to show the tracking of Russian assets in Ukraine from the very get-go of 2-24-2022. It confirms that the US and the West have been pouring all their resources, particularly of the AI-variety, into destroying Russia from the opening moments of the Ukrainian conflict. As such, Russia’s weariness of the West’s provocations, seen boiling over now with the latest Baltics-related incidents, becomes clearly justified. https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/power-again-rebalanced-in-europe
Didn't the "Saudis" get investigated for 9/11, too? ‘Financial Pawn of the Saudi Monarchy’: House Judiciary Opens Probe Into Jared Kushner https://scheerpost.com/2026/04/17/financial-pawn-of-the-saudi-monarchy-house-judiciary-opens-probe-into-jared-kushner/
Gold & Geopolitics, Loss of privacy could be loss of life - Physically AND metaphorically...
WhatsApp promises end-to-end encryption. Signal promises it. iMessage promises it. And you know what? They’re telling the truth.
What you say is private. The actual content of your messages - scrambled into mathematical gibberish that only you and your recipient can decode. Military-grade encryption. Unbreakable. No one can read your words. Not Meta. Not Signal. Not Apple. Not the government. Not hackers. The technology works exactly as advertised.
Except.
There’s this thing attached to every message. It’s called “metadata”.
It’s who you messaged. When you messaged them. How often. How long the conversation lasted. Your location when you sent it. Their location when they received it. The device you used. Your IP address. Which WiFi network you were on. What groups you belong to. Who else is in those groups. The patterns of your communications - do you message more in the morning or evening? Do you talk to this person daily or weekly? Did your messaging pattern change recently?...
..All that metadata gets transmitted to the company. Meta gets every WhatsApp breadcrumb. Apple gets iMessage trails. Google gets everything that touches Gmail or Android. They store it. They analyze it. And of course, they monetize it. Except.
There’s this thing attached to every message. It’s called “metadata”.
It’s who you messaged. When you messaged them. How often. How long the conversation lasted. Your location when you sent it. Their location when they received it. The device you used. Your IP address. Which WiFi network you were on. What groups you belong to. Who else is in those groups. The patterns of your communications - do you message more in the morning or evening? Do you talk to this person daily or weekly? Did your messaging pattern change recently?...
Sometimes they share it with governments. Sometimes they sell it to data brokers. Sometimes it gets subpoenaed. And sometimes it just leaks.
→ And sometimes it gets you killed...
..Israel developed an AI system called Lavender. It processed 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, assigning each one a score based on their likelihood of being affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. One of the key inputs feeding this targeting algorithm? WhatsApp metadata.
More specifically, which WhatsApp groups you’re in.
If you’re in a group with someone that Israel considers a militant, Lavender flags you. That’s it. That’s the algorithm. https://no01.substack.com/p/loss-of-privacy-could-be-loss-of
More specifically, which WhatsApp groups you’re in.
If you’re in a group with someone that Israel considers a militant, Lavender flags you. That’s it. That’s the algorithm. https://no01.substack.com/p/loss-of-privacy-could-be-loss-of
Professor Ugo Bardi has a rhetorical question: Population: Can Collapse be Predicted? A New Paper by Ugo Bardi on the Validity of Demographic Models https://senecaeffect.substack.com/p/population-can-collapse-be-predicted
Wheat Spread Blows Out As Drought Chaos Plagues America's Breadbasket
Hard red winter wheat (HRW) futures widened to their largest premium over soft red wheat (SRW) in more than two years as severe drought intensified across key breadbasket regions in the Great Plains and Midwest. This means traders are pricing in weather impacts and tightening expectations for higher-protein wheat supplies.
It is important to note that HRW is a more valuable protein and is primarily used in bread, rolls, and all-purpose flour. It is grown in the U.S. Plains (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas), while SRW is used in cakes, cookies, crackers, and pastries, and is grown in the Eastern U.S. (Ohio Valley, Midwest, Southeast). https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/wheat-spread-blows-out-drought-chaos-plagues-americas-breadbasket
[Philosophy? History? Music? Anthropology? English?] Trump Admin To Stop Taxpayer Funding Of Worthless College Degrees
Brazil Quietly Shifts Away from the Dollar to Gold
Then came COVID, and it completely changed how I saw my health. I began questioning what I had been told and discovered that much of it simply wasn’t true. With surprisingly simple lifestyle changes — eating real, unprocessed food, incorporating intermittent fasting, and losing weight — I reversed my diabetes. Today, my HbA1C is 4.9%.
My name is Paul, and this is my story. It could just as easily be yours. https://substack.com/home/post/p-192452330
Vaccine Skepticism in U.S. Is Widespread, Politico Poll Reveals
Nearly half of U.S. adults think the science on vaccines remains up for debate and that vaccine mandates are damaging, while only 39% think that the science on vaccines is clear and it is damaging to challenge it, according to a Politico poll conducted last month. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaccine-skepticism-in-us-is-widespread-politico-poll-reveals/
("Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices") RFK Jr. Overhauls ACIP Rules to Focus More on Vaccine Injuries
Federal health officials have renewed and revised the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee charter, broadening membership criteria and increasing focus on vaccine safety and injury. The changes come amid ongoing legal disputes and scrutiny over the committee’s structure and direction. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/rfk-jr-overhauls-acip-rules-focus-vaccine-injuries/
Addiction, depression & PTSD: President Trump Signs Executive Order Authorizing FDA to Fast-Track Psychedelics to Treat Mental Illness https://www.themahareport.com/p/breaking-news-president-trump-signs
It is important to note that HRW is a more valuable protein and is primarily used in bread, rolls, and all-purpose flour. It is grown in the U.S. Plains (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas), while SRW is used in cakes, cookies, crackers, and pastries, and is grown in the Eastern U.S. (Ohio Valley, Midwest, Southeast). https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/wheat-spread-blows-out-drought-chaos-plagues-americas-breadbasket
Under new proposed rulemaking from the Education Department, if schools want to offer degrees that bury students in debt while giving them poor job prospects, the institutions will have to fund those programs themselves. https://thefederalist.com/2026/04/17/trump-admin-to-stop-taxpayer-funding-of-worthless-college-degrees/
The Banco Central do Brasil has raised gold’s share of reserves from 3.55% to 7.19% in just one year, effectively doubling its exposure and making gold the second-largest reserve asset after the US dollar, while total reserves stand at approximately $358.23 billion and the dollar’s share has declined to about 72%, marking a record low. This is not a marginal adjustment or routine diversification, it is a structural repositioning that reflects a growing unease with sovereign debt markets.
When a central bank reduces dollar exposure while increasing gold holdings, it is not acting randomly but responding to a shift in confidence. https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/markets-by-sector/precious-metals/gold/brazil-quietly-shifts-away-from-the-dollar-to-gold/
When a central bank reduces dollar exposure while increasing gold holdings, it is not acting randomly but responding to a shift in confidence. https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/markets-by-sector/precious-metals/gold/brazil-quietly-shifts-away-from-the-dollar-to-gold/
Paul Marik MD presents life-wisdom: Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and the Metabolic Syndrome - A Unifying Framework for Modern Chronic Disease and Its Reversal
I used to be a type II diabetic. My HbA1C hovered around 8%, even while taking metformin and Jardiance. Every doctor told me the same thing: type II diabetes is progressive, lifelong, and inevitably leads to complications. I accepted it — I exercised, took my medications, and tried to make peace with that prognosis. Then came COVID, and it completely changed how I saw my health. I began questioning what I had been told and discovered that much of it simply wasn’t true. With surprisingly simple lifestyle changes — eating real, unprocessed food, incorporating intermittent fasting, and losing weight — I reversed my diabetes. Today, my HbA1C is 4.9%.
My name is Paul, and this is my story. It could just as easily be yours. https://substack.com/home/post/p-192452330
More from Dr. Marik, Why Diet Is the Foundation of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer - Why diet is critical—not optional
The dietary foundation is not an “adjunct” to the metabolic protocol—it is the central pillar that determines whether the rest of the strategy works or fails. https://substack.com/home/post/p-194114287 (It's VACCINES) Sasha Latypova, How to Reliably Cause Cancer in Mice, or What Really Drives the Chronic Disease Epidemic?
Recording of my talk from the Health and Wellness Summit in Rochester, NY, 2026. https://sashalatypova.substack.com/p/how-to-reliably-cause-cancer-in-mice Nearly half of U.S. adults think the science on vaccines remains up for debate and that vaccine mandates are damaging, while only 39% think that the science on vaccines is clear and it is damaging to challenge it, according to a Politico poll conducted last month. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaccine-skepticism-in-us-is-widespread-politico-poll-reveals/
Federal health officials have renewed and revised the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee charter, broadening membership criteria and increasing focus on vaccine safety and injury. The changes come amid ongoing legal disputes and scrutiny over the committee’s structure and direction. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/rfk-jr-overhauls-acip-rules-focus-vaccine-injuries/
Modern shamanism might be a good thing: 2022, The Emerging Field of Psychedelic Psychotherapy https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9553847/
Kyle Young on fostering life in soil and growing your food respectfully: Mycelium - Farming Earths Neural Network https://secularheretic.substack.com/p/mycelium-farming-earths-neural-network
Biotic-Pump Theory co-originator, Physicist Anastassia Makarieva, China at an Ecohydrological Crossroads. Part I
What We Do and Do Not Know About Re-Greening Impacts on the Water Cycle What happens to the water cycle when vegetation is added or removed? Are different components of the cycle affected in different ways? And how do these effects scale up? These are complex questions to which no universal answers exist, yet we depend on them critically. We need both water and vegetation to survive.
China, which has added vegetation to its land on a massive scale in recent decades, provides a unique setting in which to study these questions.
Leading scientists openly discuss injecting 10-20 million tons of aluminum nanoparticles into the stratosphere every single year to reflect sunlight and supposedly "cool" the planet.
China, which has added vegetation to its land on a massive scale in recent decades, provides a unique setting in which to study these questions.
They admit no long-term safety testing on humans, animals, soil, or ecosystems. Zero. Nada.
Some farmers found a 5% increases of Aluminum in their soil in just a span of a few months!
Aluminum nanoparticles are ultra-fine, easily inhaled, and can cross the blood-brain barrier. Links to rising rates of Alzheimer's, dementia, osteoporosis, respiratory issues, and neurological damage. Persistent "trails" in the sky that don't dissipate like normal contrails, spreading across the atmosphere and raining down on us all.
Questions about who's really behind it, why it's happening without public consent, and what the cumulative effects will be on our food, water, and future generations are NOT being answered.
We know DARPA and Bill Gates are involved, but there are many more, and agendas go beyond global fabricated concerns.
Whether you've been noticing those long, lingering white lines crisscrossing the sky for years or you're just waking up to the geoengineering debate. It's not just theory, it's a wake-up call about playing God with our atmosphere without a single independent study on the health fallout and it's heavily effecting everything and needs to be stopped at all costs. https://x.com/TheSCIF/status/2045194837838962881
Like after Iran, but before Cuba? Trump Says First Releases Of UFO Documents Will Begin 'Very, Very Soon' https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-says-first-releases-ufo-documents-will-begin-very-very-soonTerrestrial Environmentalist (took this picture of Jenny with first ripe tomatoes of 2026)
