News of the World
05-20-2026, 08:40 AM
MIDDLE EAST
Quote:Iran’s president admitted Monday that the Islamic republic has “suffered harm” from the joint US-Israeli attacks as he urged officials to “face reality” of the war — but vowed that his country would not surrender.
President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke before the Government Information Council and condemned popular talking points that Iran is thriving despite harsh economic blows dealt by the conflict.
“Officials should avoid any tone or remarks that create division, but we must also face reality: It is not the case that we have not suffered harm,” Pezeshkian said.
“Anyone in a position of leadership must speak honestly and transparently to their society and their people,” he added.
“Misleading information, false messaging, or portraying a reality in which ‘they are collapsing while we are prospering’ is unacceptable.
‘The truth is that both we and others face challenges,” the Iranian president concluded.
Before the war even broke out, Iran’s economy had been spiraling with the value of its rial currency plummeting and inflation at an all-time high.
With mass layoffs taking place and the price of basic food and goods continuing to soar, the Islamic regime has continued to fail to improve the situation, which has only gotten worse due to the war.
Despite the challenges, Pezeshkian said that Iran would not bow to the pressure as America’s naval blockade continues to stifle the country’s already ailing economy.
“We will not sacrifice our country’s dignity and honor for comfort or convenience,” he said. “We have valid reasons and clear justification, and we are fully capable of defending our nation’s rights with strength, backed by our people.”
Yeah, those guys wouldn't last long if they were working in the private sector.
Quote:Pakistan has deployed 8,000 soldiers, along with a squadron of jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia as part of their mutual defense pact in the face of ever-growing escalations with Iran, according to a new report.
The troops and aircraft were deployed in early April, including JF-17 fighter jets and the Chinese HQ-9 air defense system, which are meant to intercept any strikes against Saudi Arabia, officials told Reuters.
Under the mutual defense pact, Pakistan may send as many as 80,000 troops to defend the Saudi Kingdom, which had been targeted by Iranian attacks during the height of the war in March, security officials added.
The deployment further fortifies the thousands of Pakistani troops who were already stationed in Saudi Arabia amid the conflict.
The sheer scale of the deployment suggests that Pakistan is taking an active role to protect Saudi Arabia following Iran’s attack on Riyadh’s energy infrastructure, risking a wider war in the Middle East.
Along with the soldiers and aircraft, including drones, Pakistan also deployed warships as part of the security agreement, but it was not immediately clear if any vessel had reached Saudi Arabia yet.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s governments have yet to issue a statement on the latest, large-scale deployment operation.
The full details of the two nations’ mutual defense agreement, which was signed last year, remain unclear, but both sides have said that their countries are committed to defending each other in the face of an attack.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif implied at the time that the agreement effectively places the Saudi kingdom under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.
Pakistan has long provided the Saudis with military support and training, with Riyadh serving as a powerful economic ally that financed much of the equipment that has now been deployed to the kingdom.
Quote:A millionaire anti-war activist who organized the high-profile “humanitarian aid” convoy to Cuba in March has ties to Hamas and the Iranian regime.
The aid flotilla to Cuba attracted much attention as it included Ilhan Omar’s daughter Isra Hirsi and leftist streamer Hasan Piker — who both sung the praises of the ailing Communist ‘paradise’ after their trip.
It was organized by Medea Benjamin, president of the Arc of Justice Foundation, a charity with $51 million at its disposal.
Benjamin, 73, made at least seven trips to Gaza between 2009 and 2012 where she met with Hamas officials, including the group’s then-leader Ismail Haniyeh, publicly posted photos show. Hamas were designated a terror group by the US in 1997.
Both working for activist group CodePink, Benjamin and her friend and fellow activist Tighe Barry, 69, also met Hamas leaders, including foreign affairs minister Ahmed Yusef, who in 2009 handed them a letter to deliver to President Obama, according the group’s website.
Yusef, who has been described as “Hamas’s gate to the West,” was a senior advisor to then-Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who was later assassinated in Tehran in 2024.
Benjamin and Barry promptly delivered the Obama letter to the US Embassy in Cairo on June 4, 2009, during a time when the appointed US administration official was refusing to meet with Hamas.
“CodePink is open about being a conduit between Hamas and Obama, even met with Obama administration official Buffy Wicks at the White House after the letter was delivered,” said a report by Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), a New Jersey-based think tank that studies extremism.
“That’s a remarkable acknowledgment of the intermediary role.” Knowingly providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization is a violation of federal law, legal experts point out.
Benjamin was a co-founder of CodePink, the group started by China-based software entrepreneur and activist Neville Singham’s wife Jodie Evans, and she is still listed as treasurer, according to the latest available federal filings. Barry was spokesman for Code Pink for over a decade, according to public records.
Quote:President Trump said Tuesday that the high gas prices Americans are currently facing are “peanuts” compared to the goal of stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
With average US gas prices hitting $4.533 per gallon on Tuesday, Trump called on Americans to endure the pain at the pump “for a little while” while his administration works to end Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters outside the White House.
“You want to see the world exploded?
“This is peanuts, and I appreciate everybody putting up with it for a little while. It won’t be much longer,” he added.
Gas prices have remained stubbornly high and continue to increase after Tehran effectively shut down traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint that carries 20% of the world’s oil supply.
Gas prices are currently up by 50% since the US and Israel fired the first shots of the war on Feb. 28.
Trump acknowledged that he knew the war in Iran would have harsh economic consequences, but the president maintains that it beats the alternative.
“I thought the market would go down 25%, and I was OK with that to get rid of a nuclear potential holocaust,” Trump said.
“You can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and it won’t have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
The president’s comments come after the latest stall in peace talks between Iran and the US, with Trump repeatedly warning Tehran to get serious about negotiating or else the war would restart.
“We may have to give them another big hit. I’m not sure yet. You’ll know very soon,” Trump told reporters after revealing that he was only “an hour away” from launching fresh attacks on Tuesday.
Quote:World Cup fans are banned from bringing in pre-revolutionary Iran flags and apparel to stadiums this summer — while the controversial Palestinian flag will be allowed.
FIFA has ruled items with the symbolism will not be permitted at this year’s iteration of the globe’s most-famous soccer tournament, The Athletic reported on Tuesday.
FIFA says the flag violates their code of conduct, which states “banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature” will not be allowed at event venues.
The Palestinian flag is an “officially approved flag of a member association of FIFA,” The Athletic reported.
Emel Karsaz, an Iranian living in Los Angeles who describes herself as a Iranian-American advocate for freedom in Iran, told The California Post on Tuesday that she’s not expecting FIFA’s ban to change much.
She said she believes the Iranian soccer team “is basically representing IRGC” and “not representing people,” and she’s anticipating Iranians to show up to matches with the pre-revolutionary flags en masse.
“I’m sure it’s going to make everyone so angry that I’ll bet you anything there’s going to be a huge protest,” she said.
“The Iranians will do anything in their power to basically come and do the protest and tell the world that they are not our team.”
Iran and US policy expert Karim Sadjadpour, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, echoed Karsaz’s opinion during an interview with The Athletic.
“Trying to prohibit Iranians in LA from bringing the Lion and Sun flag into the stadium is like trying to prevent Americans from bringing the U.S. flag into an American stadium,” Sadjadpour said. “It would cause mass unrest.”
Pre-revolutionary Iran imagery contains a lion holding a sword and a sun over a green-, white- and red-striped background.
In 1980, following the Islamic Revolution, the country adopted a new national image, which features an Islamic emblem over the same green, white and red bars.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The US war on Iran has degraded Tehran’s ability to launch or direct another mass atrocity on Israel like the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, the top officer in charge of the US military in the Middle East testified Tuesday.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee that Operation Epic Fury, combined with the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure last year, set back Iran’s ability to wage war by more than four decades.
“Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have been cut off from the decades-long flow of military supplies, thus mitigating and eliminating any chance of a future Oct. 7,” he said.
Cooper also estimated the US had wiped out roughly 85% of Iran’s ability to produce more ballistic missiles and drones.
The war so far has aimed to wipe out Iran’s “three pillars of intimidation and coercion: their nuclear program, their ballistic missiles and drones, and their proxies — especially Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis,” all three of which have been addressed in different ways.
While nuclear is currently being handled through negotiations, Cooper said the military since Feb. 28 has “significantly degraded Iran’s ballistic missiles and drones, while destroying 90% of their defense industrial base, ensuring that Iran cannot reconstitute for years.”
“Iran spent decades and billions of dollars arming proxies. Today, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are cut off from Iran’s weapons supply and support,” he said. “Said a different way, America, American military action derailed Iran’s strategy that was 47 years in the making.”
His claim about the “significant” degradation to Iran’s weapons stockpile comes after the New York Times last week reported that about 70% of Iran’s pre-war missile stockpile and mobile launchers remained untouched despite the war, citing US intelligence.
But Cooper stated in his written testimony that the US had “damaged or destroyed over 85 percent of Iran’s ballistic missile, drone and naval defense industrial base.”
Quote:Iranian state TV anchors brandished assault rifles on live television as the regime ramped up wartime propaganda amid fears of renewed conflict with the US and Israel — with one unhinged presenter firing off some rounds.
In the startling broadcast on the state-run Ofogh channel, host Hossein Hosseini fired an AK-47 rifle inside the studio after receiving weapons training from a masked member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to multiple reports.
“I’ll aim at that,” he said as he pointed the rifle toward a United Arab Emirates flag displayed behind the anchor desk before pulling the trigger, according to South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo. He was then seen firing a second shot into the studio ceiling.
The bizarre segment aired as Tehran reportedly began offering civilians weapons instruction through public “gun kiosks” and mosque-based training sessions across several cities.
On another Iranian state-run channel, presenter Mobina Nasiri appeared on air clutching an assault rifle while declaring loyalty to the regime.
“They sent me a weapon from Vanak Square so that I, too, like all of you people, can learn how to use it,” he said during the live broadcast.
“Through this broadcast, I announce that I am ready to sacrifice my life for my country,” he grimly added.
Iranian state television reportedly described the drills as part of “public readiness to defend the country,” according to Al Jazeera.
The broadcasts have exploded online as tensions escalate across the Middle East.
The fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US-Israel alliance appeared to hold Tuesday — but both sides are openly preparing for a possible return to attacks.
President Trump said he halted a “scheduled” major strike on Iran after Gulf allies urged Washington to give diplomacy another chance.
Quote:The ruthless Iranian regime executed over 2,100 people in 2025, more than doubling the number of those put to death the year before — and pushing the total number of executions across the globe to a staggering 44-year high, a shocking new report said.
Iran carried out at least 2,159 of the approximately 2,707 executions recorded worldwide last year, blowing past its 2024 body count of at least 972 and accounting for nearly 80% of all documented executions in 2025, according to chilling new figures from Amnesty International.
The unprecedented death toll by Tehran marked the highest recorded since 1981, with the use of capital punishment increasingly linked to political repression and control, the report said.
Nearly half of the executions were linked to drug-related offenses, in violation of international human rights law and standards, according to Amnesty International.
The report revealed that Iran dramatically stepped up its killings after hostilities with Israel erupted in June 2025, recording 654 executions between January and June, and 1,505 between July and December.
Hangings served as the ruthless regime’s go-to method of death, as mandatory death sentences and public executions continued across the Middle Eastern country.
The report does not account for the slew of barbaric executions that have been ordered since January’s nationwide revolt and the start of the war with Israel and the US.
Amnesty International recorded a staggering 2,707 executions across 17 countries in 2025 – a 78% spike from the 1,519 confirmed deaths in 2024.
“Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally and has been campaigning globally for its abolition since 1977, when only 16 countries were abolitionist for all crimes,” the report said.
“By the end of 2025, that figure had risen to 113.”
Saudi Arabia exceeded its 2024 total with at least 356 executions, followed by Yemen with at least 51 and the United States with 47. Egypt put 23 people to death, while Somalia, Kuwait and Singapore each recorded 17 killings, according to the report.
Quote:The U.S. Treasury Department on May 19 announced a major expansion of its counterterrorism and Iran‑related sanctions, adding a wide network of individuals, companies, and vessels to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. The designations target operatives and facilitators tied to Hamas, HASM, and Iranian procurement networks, many of whom now face “secondary sanctions risk."
OFAC’s update, amid its Economic Fury campaign, includes more than a dozen individuals across Gaza, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, Jordan, and Iran. Those newly listed include alleged Hamas‑linked figures such as Marwan Muhammad Ayish Abu Ras and Muhammad Jamal Hassan Al‑Najjar, as well as individuals tied to groups like HASM—an Egypt-based offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood—and the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.
Several designees hold multiple passports or residency documents, underscoring the transnational nature of the networks that the Treasury says it supports.
Iranian Procurement Network Hit With Secondary Sanctions
A significant portion of the update targets an Iran‑based financial and logistics network centered around Ebrahimi and Associates Partnership Company.
OFAC designated multiple members of the Ebrahimi family, citing their roles in facilitating transactions and procurement activities for sanctioned Iranian entities. The Treasury said that these individuals and the companies linked to them are subject to secondary sanctions, increasing the risk for foreign firms that continue to engage with them.
More than two dozen companies spanning Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, the Marshall Islands, Panama, Liberia, Nevis, China, and the United Kingdom were added to the SDN list. Many operate in shipping, petrochemicals, wholesale trade, or logistics—industries that the Treasury says are frequently used to obscure Iranian oil sales and illicit financial flows. Entities such as Aquila Worldwide Marine Developments Corp., Great Sail Shipping Limited, and Starshine Petrochemical Corporation Limited are among those newly designated.
OFAC also sanctioned a fleet of vessels—including crude oil tankers, LPG carriers, and chemical tankers—linked to the newly designated companies. Ships such as the Bright Gold, Luna Luster, Midas, and Quantum Star were added to the SDN list, restricting their ability to operate internationally. The Treasury said these vessels have been used to transport Iranian oil or support sanctioned commercial networks.
Quote:Four Republican senators backed a resolution Tuesday that will force a War Powers Act debate on President Donald Trump's war in Iran.
Among those voting yes on the measure was Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, fresh off his primary loss to Trump-backed opponent Representative Julia Letlow. Cassidy's support was enough to tip the number of those in favor of the measure—which has seen multiple attempts—reach a majority.
"While I support the administration's efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the White House and Pentagon have left Congress in the dark on Operation Epic Fury," Cassidy wrote on X Tuesday evening. "In Louisiana, I’ve heard from people, including President Trump’s supporters, who are concerned about this war. Until the administration provides clarity, no congressional authorization or extension can be justified."
The 50-47 vote means the Senate will now look at whether it wants to force the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Iran, nearly three months into the conflict there, and after seven failed attempts.
Why This Matters Now
A war powers debate in the Senate would underscore a fundamental question at the heart of U.S. foreign policy: how much authority the president should have to use military force without explicit congressional approval.
While presidents have increasingly acted unilaterally in modern conflicts, such a debate could signal that lawmakers are seeking to reassert their constitutional role, and it could force the administration to publicly justify its strategy, legal rationale and objectives at a moment when public support for the war, and its effects, is low.
GOP Senators Vote Against Trump
Cassidy was not alone on his side of the aisle in voting in favor of the war powers debate.
Kentucky's Rand Paul, Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski have all voted yes in previous attempts, but their votes were not enough to force a debate.
Following his primary defeat, Cassidy said he was returning to Washington, D.C., to continue his work of upholding the Constitution, adding that he would carefully consider how he would vote on Trump administration priorities.
While only one extra vote, Cassidy's flip on the matter could reflect a growing unease among Republicans around the Iran war, which stretches on without a clear end, or deal, in sight.
All Democrats apart from one voted in favor of the debate. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who has shown strong support for Trump's efforts in the Middle East, voted against it.
NATO
Quote:The Trump administration plans to scale back the U.S. military forces that it would make available to NATO in a major crisis, three sources told Reuters, marking a significant shift in Washington’s commitment to the alliance.
The move, expected to be communicated to allies at a defense meeting in Brussels, would reduce the pool of U.S. capabilities designated for rapid deployment under NATO’s force planning system.
The decision underscores a broader push for European countries to assume primary responsibility for their own defense, potentially reshaping NATO’s crisis response and raising new concerns among allies about the reliability of U.S. support.
Sources said the Pentagon has decided to significantly reduce the U.S. share of those forces, though the exact scale and timeline of the reduction remain unclear.
Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon via email on Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Why Are US Troops Pulling Out of Europe?
The U.S. has long said it is looking at withdrawing a significant chunk of the roughly 80,000 American soldiers stationed in Europe, as Washington turns its gaze toward China's growing power in the Indo-Pacific and contends with the strain of two and a half months of war in the Middle East.
The move highlights a broader shift in American defense priorities and reinforces Trump’s long-standing view that allies should shoulder more of the burden for regional security.
“What we’re basically saying is, as the European pillar of the alliance gets stronger, this allows the U.S. to reduce its presence in Europe and limit itself to providing only those critical capabilities that allies cannot yet provide,” Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich said in a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday. “So we should expect there to be a redeployment of U.S. forces over time as allies build their capacity.”
The planned reduction comes as NATO faces mounting internal strain, with some European governments already concerned that the United States could further scale back its military posture in the region.
Cuts Made In Germany
Trump has already said he will cut 5,000 soldiers from the vast U.S. presence in Germany, and left the door open to slicing this further—although this is seen as largely a reaction to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizing the U.S.' war against Iran.
Rotation Halted to Poland
Last week, the U.S. also stopped a planned rotation of more than 4,000 American troops en route to Poland.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:China’s military secretly trained Russian troops who later returned to fight in Ukraine, according to a Reuters report citing European intelligence agencies and documents.
The revelation raises new questions about Beijing’s role in the war, potentially undermining its claims of neutrality. The findings could increase pressure on China and shape U.S. and allied responses as scrutiny grows over Moscow’s battlefield support.
Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon via email on Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Covert Training Program Revealed
Roughly 200 Russian military personnel were trained in China in late 2025 under a bilateral agreement signed by senior officers from both countries, according to documents reviewed as part of the Reuters report. Training took place at military facilities, including locations in Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing.
The program was conducted covertly, with provisions in the agreement limiting disclosure and preventing public awareness of the exercises, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The arrangement also included plans for reciprocal training, with Chinese personnel expected to receive instruction at Russian military facilities, highlighting a deepening two-way military relationship.
Intelligence officials said that around the number planned in the agreement ultimately underwent training, with some of those personnel later identified as having returned to participate in combat operations in Ukraine.
Focus on Drones and Modern Warfare Tactics
The training program reportedly concentrated on battlefield capabilities that have played a central role in the war, particularly drone operations and electronic warfare.
Additional areas of instruction included armored infantry tactics, demining operations and broader battlefield coordination, underscoring the operational nature of the training.
The emphasis on drones is especially significant given the role unmanned systems have played throughout the conflict, with both Ukrainian and Russian forces relying heavily on drones for reconnaissance, targeting and strikes.
Officials also warned in the Reuters report that some of the Russian trainees held instructor-level roles, raising concerns that the techniques learned in China could be passed along to a broader pool of Russian forces, potentially amplifying the program’s impact beyond the initial group.
Quote:A Russian drone struck a Chinese-owned cargo ship, the Ukrainian Navy said Monday, and it comes just one day before Vladimir Putin heads to China to meet Xi Jinping.
The KSL Deyang ship, which has a Chinese crew on board, came under fire near the Odessa region, the Ukrainian Navy wrote on Telegram.
“I wonder what moved the Russians when they decided to “Shaheed” tonight to patrol a Chinese merchant ship in our sea,” Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dymtro Pletenchuk scoffed on Facebook.
“There were no casualties but this is something new. A terrible mistake has occurred, comrades?”
The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel suffered minimal damage and its crew extinguished a fire, Turkiye Today reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike on the ship and he claimed, “The Russians could not have been unaware of what vessel was at sea.”
“Russia once again demonstrates that its attacks pose a threat not only to Ukraine, now they are a risk even to its closest partners, whose ships are in the Black Sea,” the Navy said.
Putin’s visit to Beijing will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.
Moscow has been heavily reliant on Beijing for trade after being shunned by the west following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
When Putin visited China in September 2025, Xi welcomed his counterpart as an “old friend.” Putin also addressed Xi as “dear friend.”
Putin is set to visit Shenzhen in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
His visit to China comes just four days after President Trump wrapped up his trip to Beijing.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would “exchange views” with Xi about the Trump visit.
Quote:Russia launched drones, airstrikes and shelling at Ukraine overnight, targeting cities such as Odesa in the south and Dnipro in the southeast, killing one person and injuring more than 30, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.
Drones hit residential buildings, a school and a kindergarten in the major Black Sea export port of Odesa, Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration, said on messaging app Telegram.
An 11-year-old boy and a 59-year-old man were injured in the attack, he added.
Russia hit the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro with missiles in a separate attack, injuring 18, among them two children, a girl of two and a boy of 10, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on Telegram.
In the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia three people were injured following the overnight attacks, the regional governor, Ivan Fedorov, added on Telegram.
Attacks in the southern region of Kherson killed one person and injured nine, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram.
In Russia, drones were downed overnight over regions such as Rostov and Belgorod in the south, the Interfax news agency said, citing the defense ministry.
At least four people died over the weekend, three of them in the Moscow region, after Ukraine launched its biggest overnight drone attack on the Russian capital in more than a year, officials said on Sunday.
Quote:China’s Xi Jinping told President Trump that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin might end up regretting his decision to invade Ukraine, according to a new report.
Xi, one of Putin’s top allies, made the frank remark during his summit with Trump in Beijing last week while the two world leaders discussed the ongoing stalemate in Ukraine, sources told the Financial Times.
The admission comes as Russia struggles to make gains along the front lines, and Kyiv’s ever-growing drone strike capability forced Putin to scale back his World War II Victory Day military parade in Moscow earlier this month.
The war, now in its fifth year, has seen Russia’s invasion slow to a crawl as Ukraine’s defenses take out thousands of Moscow troops a week, as new and cheaper technological advances allow Kyiv to hold the front lines.
Ukraine has proved it can now launch long distance drone attacks at the Russian capital — and elsewhere inside Russia.
Putin has reportedly been forced to go into hiding as a result.
Kyiv also claimed that their new capability is why Putin was forced to agree to a cease-fire around Moscow’s Victory Day parade on March 9, which was the smallest it has ever been.
Putin is also facing massive economic pain across Russia as a result of the war — with the Kremlin spiking its value-added tax [VAT] last year by 2% to 22% to raise some $7.4 billion from small and medium-sized businesses.
The Russian president has also reportedly gone hat-in-hand to the country’s oligarchs, asking them to donate to his war fund.
Beijing, which has declared a “no-limits” partnership with Moscow, denied that Xi made such comments, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed the denial.
A White House readout of Xi and Trump’s meeting did not include any conversations about Putin or the war in Ukraine.
Along with discussing Ukraine, Xi reportedly spoke to Trump about the International Criminal Court, which has a warrant out for Putin’s arrest for crimes against humanity committed during the war.
Quote:Ukraine has developed its first home-made guided aerial bomb, which is capable of striking deep into Russia and ready for combat use, Kyiv’s military chief said.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov debuted the Vyrivniuvach bomb on Monday with the country’s Brave1 defense platform, hailing the weapon as a Ukrainian innovation with a third of the cost of its American counterpart.
“Ukraine’s guided aerial bomb will soon be striking enemy targets,” Fedorov said in a statement. “We are scaling solutions that extend strike range, enhance precision, and change the rules of modern warfare.”
The guided aerial bomb (GAB) is essentially a bomb equipped with targeting and aerodynamic control systems that allow for long-range, accurate strikes while the firing aircraft remains safe away from enemy lines.
Russia has often used GABs to bombard Ukraine, with Kyiv engineers spending the last 17 months developing their own variant of the weapon in revenge for the Kremlin assaults, the defense ministry said.
The Ukrainian bombs are equipped with a 551-pound warhead and capable of reaching dozens of miles into Russia, with the military already ordering a batch for use in the war.
With pilots currently practicing combat scenarios with the weapon, the defense ministry said it won’t be long before the GABs are used.
The GABs can be used at any time of day, in any weather, with preparations to fire taking less than 30 minutes, according to Brave1 officials.
The development of the bombs is allegedly around a third of the cost of a single American Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) — which goes for about $66,000 — without sacrificing the range, Ukrainian officials said.
TAIWAN
Quote:Former CIA Director and Defense Secretary Robert Gates predicted Sunday that the chances of China invading Taiwan were “pretty low, particularly over the next several years,” despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s bellicose rhetoric toward the self-governing island.
“I don’t think they want to go in and attack Taiwan. They don’t want to destroy the very chip factories they want to take over,” Gates, now the chancellor of the College of William & Mary in Virginia, told CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” adding that he thought China would prefer to exercise control via “a Hong Kong-style transition over a period of time.”
Successive US administrations have named 2027 as the year when the People’s Republic of China would have built up enough military resources to potential launch a massive attack on Taiwan, and a Pentagon report released in December of last year found that Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army “continues to refine multiple military options to force Taiwan unification by brute force.”
“Those options include, most dangerously, an amphibious invasion, firepower strike, and possibly a maritime blockade.”
Gates said Sunday he was less sure of China’s military capabilities.
“There isn’t one single Chinese general or admiral today that has one day of combat experience,” he told host Margaret Brennan. “The last time these guys fought was 1979 and the North Vietnamese, the Vietnamese gave them a bloody nose. Xi has fired all these generals. There are now no generals left on the Central Military Commission, that kind of oversees the whole thing. He’s fired — and they’re slated for execution — his last two defense ministers.
“So this is not an outfit that I think he has enormous confidence in right now, and he’s been fighting against corruption in their military ever since he became president of China [in 2013]. So I’m not sure that he thinks his military is the greatest in the world.”
Despite his skepticism, Gates warned that China is an adversary unlike any the US has dealt with before.
“We have never faced a country, at least since the British Empire, that had greater manufacturing and industrial capacity than the United States,” he said. “We have not faced a country that was as technologically advanced as we are — ahead of us in a few areas, behind us in a few areas, pretty much even with us in a few others. So we face an adversary that is more powerful, and has more non-military instruments of power, than any adversary we’ve faced, certainly than the Soviet Union.”
China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since Chiang Kai-shek’s defeated Nationalists fled there following the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The US “One China” policy, in effect since the late 1970s, acknowledges, but takes no stance on, Beijing’s claims while avoiding advocacy of Taiwan’s independence.
USA
Missing article from last week...
And then you wonder why people think that therapists are crazy by default.
Dark history? I'll tell you what's part of the real dark history of the state of California: Newsom's economic boycott. Like the day when he decided his administration had to destroy hydroelectric dams in order to protect some non local fish species that now live there.
Quote:The Trump administration is probing more than 120 biological laboratories funded by U.S. taxpayers in 30-plus countries in a bid to end potentially dangerous experiments within gain-of-function research, federal officials confirmed Wednesday.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard ordered the investigation following a months-long review of U.S. holdings and files on the Washington-funded biolabs operating overseas, including to uncover specific locations as part of President Donald Trump's executive order in May 2025 to ban all federal funding for gain-of-function research in China or other nations without proper oversight.
"The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the catastrophic global impact research on dangerous pathogens in biolabs can have," Gabbard told Newsweek in a statement Wednesday. "Yet despite these obvious dangers, politicians, so-called health professionals, like Dr. Fauci, and entities within the Biden administration's national security team lied to the American people about the existence of these U.S.-funded and supported biolabs and threatened those who attempted to expose the truth."
Gabbard said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) will work "closely with partners across the government to identify where these labs are," as well as what pathogens they contain and details of ongoing research at the facilities, including some that could threaten the "health and wellbeing" of people worldwide.
Initial searches revealed that the United States has funded more than 120 biolabs in more than 30 countries, including Ukraine, which could be threatened because of its ongoing war with Russia. Clinical trials being conducted at the facilities raise "significant ethical, financial and security concerns," ODNI officials said.
Many of the Washington-funded biolabs have conducted research using "hazardous and highly contagious pathogens," according to ODNI, potentially including gain-of-function research that involves the modification of organisms to enhance their biological functions.
Quote:President Donald Trump’s administration is considering a proposal that could more than double the number of white South African refugees admitted to the United States, according to an emergency determination sent to Congress and obtained by CNN.
The determination sent to Congress outlines a plan to raise the refugee admissions ceiling for Afrikaners, a white minority group in South Africa, to as many as 17,500 for Fiscal Year 2026. The figure marks a sharp increase from the administration’s earlier limit of 7,500 total refugee admissions for the year, most of which had already been allocated to white South Africans.
The proposal would allow the admission of up to 10,000 additional Afrikaner refugees in the coming months, citing what officials describe as worsening conditions in South Africa.
"President Trump has been very clear that we are prioritizing the resettlement of Afrikaners in South Africa who are escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination," a State Department spokesperson told Newsweek. "Determinations on refugee admissions are up to the President."
Under U.S. law, the president sets the annual refugee admissions ceiling but must consult with Congress before finalizing the figure. The State Department estimates that resettling an additional 10,000 refugees would cost about $100 million.
The plan has already drawn scrutiny from refugee advocates, who argue that the policy disproportionately favors one group at the expense of others facing conflict or persecution globally. However, administration officials maintain that the decision is driven by humanitarian considerations and U.S. foreign policy interests.
The policy is rooted in Executive Order 14204, signed in February 2025, which directs U.S. agencies to prioritize the admission of Afrikaners through the refugee program. The order cites concerns about “government-sponsored race-based discrimination,” including property seizures and broader policies affecting the minority group.
The issue was raised during a contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa last year, when Trump played a video of a far-left politician chanting a song with the lyrics “kill the farmer.” Trump has repeatedly claimed that South Africa has failed to address what he describes as systematic violence against white farmers.
Quote:President Trump claimed his latest political scalp Tuesday night after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) lost his hotly contested House primary to the commander-in-chief’s hand-picked challenger, Ed Gallrein.
Gallrein, a Trump-backed farmer and retired Navy SEAL, triumphed over Massie by about 10 percentage points in the Bluegrass State’s Fourth Congressional District race, which will go down as the most expensive primary race in US history, with more than $32 million spent on political ads.
“For the same reason I entered as a Navy SEAL officer in 1983, because I had the audacity to think I could make a difference,” Gallrein said in a speech after winning. “I will serve this district, my party and my nation with that same audacity.”
Trump repeatedly urged his supporters to oust Massie, an MIT-educated, seven-term congressman, after he broke with the president on key votes and led the charge to release the files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Massie’s defeat came on the heels of Trump’s successful intervention in the Louisiana Republican Senate primary against Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who had voted to convict the 45th president following his impeachment for incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The president also successfully exacted revenge earlier this month against a slate of incumbent Republican state senators in Indiana, who torpedoed a redistricting push in the Hoosier state.
And Trump has already signaled that Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who had been stumping for Massie in Kentucky, could be next on his target list by the time the Centennial State holds its primary June 30.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), another Trump-endorsed candidate, emerged victorious in the race to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Quote:The Republican nominee for Georgia’s next governor will be settled in a runoff election next month in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson were the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s GOP primary, but both received less than 50% of the vote, triggering the June 16 runoff.
The winner of next month’s runoff will face off in November with former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who cruised to victory in the Democratic primary.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who infamously defied Trump when asked to “find” votes in the Peach State after the 2020 election, and state Attorney General Chris Carr came up short of making the GOP runoff.
Jackson went from virtual unknown to front-runner after spending $50 million of his own fortune to flood the Peach State in political ads.
The self-described “conservative outsider” has pledged to run Georgia like one of his businesses.
“Georgia’s at a crossroads. It’s going to take a conservative business leader to shake things up — and to stop Keisha Lance Bottoms from destroying our state,” Jackson wrote on X Monday morning.
“Career politicians make promises. I take action, and I’m going to deliver,” he pledged in a separate post.
Jackson has been endorsed by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, but faced questions on the campaign trail about his loyalty to President Trump — and even acknowledged being “late to the Trump Train.”
Trump endorsed Jones in the Republican primary, telling a tele-rally for the lieutenant governor last week: “He’s just an incredible guy who has my complete and total endorsement in the race.”
Quote:More than 100 days after Nancy Guthrie—mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie—vanished from her home in Tucson, Arizona, a retired FBI agent is challenging assumptions about the single strand of hair publicly linked to the case, arguing that it is almost certainly not the only forensic evidence collected.
In a wide‑ranging interview, former agent Steve Moore also criticized the early handling of the scene by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, questioned the meaning behind Sheriff Chris Nanos’ recent “we’re getting closer” remark, and outlined how leadership turmoil could either stall or accelerate the investigation depending on who is ultimately responsible for the breakdowns described by deputies.
In an interview with NewsNation's Miami Bureau Correspondent Brian Entin on his YouTube channel, Moore said that if investigators located even one hair inside the home, “there are probably 10 more” that have not been disclosed publicly. He added that evidence in major cases is often “invisible” to the naked eye and that trained technicians know where to look for fingerprints, skin cells and trace material.
Why It Matters
The hair may be just a fraction of the evidence. Moore said that finding one hair almost always means more exist, suggesting that investigators likely recovered additional trace material that has not been disclosed.
Early confusion may have compromised the scene. Sergeant Aaron Cross described the chaotic first hours, conflicting information from family members, and communication breakdowns between deputies and the FBI. Moore said confusion at a crime scene signals a failure of leadership and preparation.
Leadership questions could affect the investigation. With recall efforts and political pressure mounting on Nanos, Moore said removing a sheriff mid‑case can temporarily slow progress but could ultimately help if leadership was part of the problem.
Discovery of remains would reshape the case. Moore said that if Guthrie’s body were ever found, even months later, the location alone would provide “a treasure trove” of evidence, from tire tracks to environmental clues.
What to Know About the Hair Found at the Scene
Moore said the hair found inside Guthrie’s home is unlikely to be the only trace evidence collected, calling it “very possible” that investigators recovered far more than has been publicly disclosed.
“Imagine the odds of a person coming into a crime scene, losing only one hair, and you find it,” he said. “That’s not likely. If you find one hair, there are probably 10 others that you’ve missed.”
Moore also argued that the confusion described by Cross—who said deputies encountered conflicting information from family members and communication breakdowns within the department—signals a deeper problem.
“You’re not allowed to have confusion at a crime scene,” Moore said. “If there’s confusion, it means nobody’s in charge who knows what they’re doing.”
Quote:A fast-moving wildfire burning near Simi Valley continues to spread under gusty winds, with flames pushing toward Los Angeles County communities still under evacuation warnings as firefighters race to increase containment.
The Sandy Fire, fueled by dry conditions and shifting winds, has already scorched over 1,600 acres and prompted evacuation orders and warnings across parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Officials say the wind-driven blaze remains only minimally contained, raising concerns that its path could expand further into densely populated areas as crews struggle to gain control.
Winds spurred the flames after ignition, and winds were expected to remain strong until around noon Tuesday local time, according to an incident update video.
The threat posed by the Sandy Fire comes after a series of wind‑driven blazes across Southern California last year, including the Palisades and Eaton fires, which rapidly spread under strong offshore winds and low humidity. Those fires highlighted how quickly flames can move through dry brush when gusty conditions align, overwhelming containment efforts and forcing widespread evacuations. Officials have warned that similar weather patterns, especially gusty, shifting winds, can again accelerate fire growth, increasing the risk to communities in the fire’s path.
Containment Levels of Sandy Fire
As of the most recent update from the Ventura County Fire Department and Cal Fire, the Sandy Fire was 5 percent contained. Wind-driven fires can quickly explode out of control, making containment difficult. However, a low containment number doesn't mean firefighters aren't making progress.
Containment refers to how much of a wildfire’s perimeter has been surrounded by control lines, and firefighters are confident the fire won't keep spreading in these areas. For this reason, containment numbers typically move very slowly, Ventura County Fire Department Public Information Officer Andrew Dowd told Newsweek.
Simi Valley Evacuations: Latest Orders and Warnings
More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in Southern California as the fast-moving wildfire threatened homes in and around Simi Valley and Los Angeles County, the Associated Press reported. The fire has destroyed at least one home.
Quote:An Illinois park executive is facing backlash after she was accused of using a taxpayer-funded credit card to help pay for an $800 helicopter rental for her daughter’s prom photoshoot.
Quintina Brown, head of the Markham Park District outside Chicago, arranged for the helicopter to land at Roesner Park on May 8 so her 17-year-old daughter Quamyra could pose for pictures in front of it.
The helicopter company gave an invoice to city attorney Kelly Krauchun that included a credit card number linked to Brown, according to WPSD.
The invoice reportedly listed “Markham Parks” as the customer, used the park district fieldhouse address and included Brown’s signature.
Krauchun said at least the deposit was charged to a park district credit card funded by taxpayers.
“They told me that the deposit was charged to the card, and they have not been successful in getting the remaining $800 off the card, for whatever reason,” Krauchun said, referring to the helicopter company.
The invoice was reportedly for a minimum of $800 for one hour of service.
Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa said residents should be concerned if a park district credit card was used either to pay for or secure the booking.
Brown denied any misuse of public money, telling NBC 5: “There was no misuse of funds at all,” and insisting she used her own credit card.
“[My daughter] was graduating and this was going to be a memorable experience. I just wanted to be able to provide that for her,” Brown told WGN-TV.
“She wanted to do a prom photo shoot.”
Quote:Three beachgoers were stabbed while hundreds of teens took over packed New England beaches in separate incidents on Tuesday, sparking fights and forcing evacuations of the summer hotspot.
The suspected stabbing broke out just after 3 p.m. Tuesday at Narragansett Town Beach, a popular summer vacation retreat in southern Rhode Island, as temperatures reached into the 90s.
Responding officers located three victims suffering from minor stab wounds, Narragansett Police Chief Kyle Rekas said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Police have not identified a suspect or a motive behind the stabbings.
It was not known if the victims knew each other or if the stabbing was random.
The wounded victims were treated by first responders before being transported to local hospitals for minor injuries, Rekas said.
The commotion from the stabbings sent the crowded beach into a frenzy as hundreds of beachgoers raced to flee the area.
“Due to the chaos on scene with hundreds of people attempting to leave the beach at the same time, several other small disturbances broke out,” Rekas said.
Two adults were arrested on charges of simple assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice.
The two individuals, who were not identified, are not believed to be connected to the stabbings.
Roughly 20 miles away in Middletown, RI, about 1,200 teens overran the Second Beach on the Sachuest Bay, the Middletown Police said.
The large crowd began to swarm the area around 12:45 p.m. and was peaceful until one beachgoer started to harass a large group.
Quote:A “teen takeover” dissolved into a violent brawl inside a Washington, DC, restaurant, according to a viral video shared online mere days after federal prosecutors announced they would be charging parents of the miscreants involved in similar public disruptions.
A mob of teenagers descended on a Chipotle in Washington’s Navy Yard over the weekend and, at some point, started throwing punches — and furniture, according to jarring videos shared by witnesses.
People could be heard screaming in the background as the youths vaulted on top of one another, throwing punches at random and even using an abandoned highchair as a makeshift sledgehammer.
One teen ran up behind another and hit him over the head with the highchair while a little girl cowered off to the side in her father’s arms, according to witness videos shared online.
Some of the teenagers retreated when chairs started flying across the eatery.
The combatants largely concealed their faces with medical masks, and all wore similar all-black outfits.
While the boys wreaked havoc, a gaggle of girls watched outside the restaurant. Some shrieked when the boys started using furniture as weapons, while others laughed in apparent glee, the footage shows.
“Oh my f–king God, bro, damn!” one girl cackled.
Soon, flashing police lights and sirens reflected in the chain’s window.
“The police! Oh, we gotta go!” the same girl screeched while taking off on foot.
It’s unclear if any of the brawlers were arrested or the exact date of the fight.
On Friday, United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that her office will step in and prosecute parents of minors involved in the increasingly frequent “teen takeovers,” specifically citing similar instances of chaos in the city’s Navy Yard neighborhood.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The top Democrat in a southern Texas House race, sex therapist Maureen Galindo, has called for transforming an immigration facility into a “prison for American Zionists” equipped with a castration center.
Galindo’s campaign made a vile pledge that she will introduce legislation to that effect if she gets elected to Congress after baselessly alleging her Dem runoff foe was “being paid to put Jews and Mexicans in concentration camps via Zionist trafficking networks.”
“When Maureen gets into Congress, she’ll write legislation so that all Zionism and support of Zionism is undoubtedly Anti-Semitic, since it’s Zionism harming the Semites,” her campaign wrote on Instagram last week.
“She’ll turn Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking. (lt will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles which will probably be most of the Zionists).”
Karnes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center has long been subject to protest activity from the progressive left.
Oddly, Galindo’s campaign made the comments while trying to dispute her primary foe, Johnny Garcia’s claims that she wants to put Jews in warehouses.
Yet her remarks about dumping Zionists into an ICE facility sound a lot like putting Jews in warehouses.
“The standard that Democrats rightly apply to right-wing antisemites must apply equally to left-wing Jew-haters,” the watchdog group StopAntisemitism said in a statement. “Democratic leaders must clearly, publicly denounce these bigots infecting their party without hedging.
“They must decline to appear on platforms with Hasan Piker. They must stop winking at extremist voices and truly stand for the principles they claim to stand for.”
Galindo was the top Democrat in the March primary election, with 29.2% support to Garcia’s 27%. Since no one got a majority, the two advanced to a runoff election next Tuesday.
Thank you for calling it out, Jon!#TX35 residents are struggling to put gas in their tank and buy groceries. Instead of focusing on table-kitchen issues my opponent is pushing conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric.
That’s why Republicans are spending to boost her campaign. https://t.co/vy7YVKHXa1
— Johnny Garcia For Congress (@johnnygarciatx) May 19, 2026
They are vying for Texas District 35, which includes a slice of land from San Antonio to the suburbs of Austin. It is currently held by Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), but Republicans have reconfigured its borders with the goal of picking up the seat.
“Instead of focusing on table-kitchen issues my opponent is pushing conspiracy theories and hateful rhetoric. That’s why Republicans are spending to boost her campaign,” Garcia chided on X Tuesday.
His accusations about Republican subterfuge elevating Galindo revolve around the Lead Left PAC, a mysterious entity that has spent some $428,713 backing her, according to the latest data from Federal Election Commission filings.
And then you wonder why people think that therapists are crazy by default.
Quote:California could soon add another paid holiday for state employees as lawmakers push to formally recognize Native American Day, a move supporters say is tied directly to the state’s violent history toward Indigenous people and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2019 apology for what he called a “genocide.”
The proposal, authored by Assemblymember James Ramos, D-Highland, cleared a major hurdle last week when the Assembly Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the measure to make Native American Day a fully paid state holiday observed on the fourth Friday in September.
Ramos, the first Native American elected to California’s Legislature, said the bill is meant to confront the state’s dark past and honor California’s tribal communities.
“Most Californians know little about the bloody history that built this state,” Ramos said in a statement. “They picture romanticized missions, the Gold Rush, the Transcontinental Railroad, not the genocide, violence, enslavement, and dispossession of Native Americans.”
The push comes six years after Newsom issued a formal apology to Native Americans on behalf of California and signed an executive order establishing a Truth and Healing Council to examine the state’s historical treatment of tribal communities.
During remarks at the time, Newsom said the atrocities committed against Native Americans amounted to a “genocide.”
“California must reckon with our dark history,” Newsom said in 2019. “California Native American peoples suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by state government throughout its history.”
California is currently home to more than 100 federally recognized tribes.
Historians estimate the Native population in the region exceeded 300,000 before European settlement expanded through the state in the late 18th century.
Dark history? I'll tell you what's part of the real dark history of the state of California: Newsom's economic boycott. Like the day when he decided his administration had to destroy hydroelectric dams in order to protect some non local fish species that now live there.
CANADA
Quote:Canada’s public broadcaster is facing backlash over a satirical TV project that allegedly used fake identities and fabricated business ventures to lure conservative figures into filmed interviews about residential schools.
Commentator Lindsay Shepherd and academic Frances Widdowson, both critics of mainstream narratives surrounding Canada’s residential school system, say they were deceived into participating in what was later described as a satirical “social experiment.”
The controversy has sparked criticism from Conservative politicians and renewed scrutiny of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) public funding, with critics questioning whether taxpayer money should support productions allegedly using deceptive tactics.
In a statement to Newsweek, CBC said it is not involved in the production of the show and that "social experiments and satirical prank shows are a long-established television format used by broadcasters and streamers around the world, including many public broadcasters."
Newsweek has contacted the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) via the media contact form on its website for comment.
Canada's Residential Schools
Canada’s residential school system operated for more than a century as part of a government-backed effort to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian society. More than 150,000 Indigenous children attended the schools, which were run by both the government and religious organizations. The last facility closed in 1996.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded the system amounted to “a systematic, government-sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages.”
In 2021, a radar survey at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia identified what researchers described as the probable presence of 215 unmarked graves.
Both Widdowson and Shepherd have previously criticized aspects of the public discourse surrounding possible unmarked graves connected to residential schools.
Participants Accuse Producers of Deception
The program, Northland Tales, is being produced for the CBC and the APTN. According to the Indigenous Screen Office, the show is an unscripted satire series intended to confront “modern and historical injustices against Indigenous peoples..”
Shepherd said the group behind the interviews created what she described as a fake company, “Heritage Figures Canada,” complete with a website and consulting arrangement.
The commentator, author and former Conservative Party of British Columbia staffer described what she called an “elaborate scheme” in a post on X, alleging that producers operating under fake names approached her earlier this year for interviews related to her book A Day with Sir John A and discussions about Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.
“I found out recently that I was deceived by social activists in an elaborate scheme dating back to January,” Shepherd wrote.
CUBA
Quote:The Trump administration is expected to announce criminal charges against former Cuban president Raul Castro on Wednesday, in a move that would mark a step-up in Washington’s pressure campaign against the Caribbean island’s communist government.
The charges against Castro, 94, are expected to be based on a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down planes operated by a group of Cuban exiles, a US Justice Department official told Reuters last week on the condition of anonymity.
The Miami US Attorney’s office is planning to host an event starting at 1 p.m. EDT to honor victims of the incident. The Justice Department said on Tuesday it would make an announcement in conjunction with the ceremony, but did not provide details about the announcement.
President Donald Trump has been seeking regime change in Cuba, where communists have been in charge since Raul Castro’s late brother Fidel Castro led a revolution in 1959.
The US has effectively imposed a blockade on the island by threatening sanctions on countries supplying it with fuel, triggering power outages and delivering blows to its already fragile economy.
Cuba has yet to comment directly on the threat of indictment though Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez expressed defiance in public comments on May 15.
“Despite the (US) embargo, sanctions and threats of the use of force, Cuba continues on a path of sovereignty towards its socialist development,” Rodriguez said.
Born in 1931, Raul Castro was a key figure alongside his older brother in the guerrilla war that toppled US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.
He helped defeat the US-organized Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, and served as defense minister for decades. He succeeded his brother as president and remains a powerful behind-the-scenes figure in Cuban politics.
He was defense minister at the time of the 1996 incident.
The two small planes that were shot down were being flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a group of Miami-based Cuban exile pilots. All four men aboard were killed.
The group said its mission was to search the Florida Straits for Cuban rafters fleeing the island, and routinely flew near the Cuban coast.
AFRICA
Missing article from last week...
Quote:President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second-in-command of ISIS globally, was eliminated in Africa.
"Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield," Trump said in the post on his Truth Social platform.
"Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing," Trump added.
"He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished. Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation. GOD BLESS AMERICA! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
Trump did not provide details of the exact location of the operation.
But Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the operation and said Al-Minuki was killed alongside “several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.”
Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon via email for comment late Friday night.
The Context
Trump has previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest. Nigeria has denied discriminating against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
The Friday night operation was the latest instance in a string of covert missions abroad that Trump has announced this year, starting with the stunning overnight raid in January to capture and remove Venezuela’s then-leader Nicolás Maduro and whisk him to the U.S., followed nearly two months later by the launch of strikes that kicked off the war with Iran.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
![[Image: SP1-Scripter.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Scripter.png)
![[Image: SP1-Writer.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Writer.png)
![[Image: SP1-Poet.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-Poet.png)
![[Image: SP1-PixelArtist.png]](https://www.save-point.org/images/userbars/SP1-PixelArtist.png)
![[Image: SP1-Reporter.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/GmxWbHyL/SP1-Reporter.png)
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
