SOTT (News) FULL 1062 by newskids Is Trump using the "Nuclear Talks" as a pretext for war with Iran?On 17, April 2025Here's what the media is not telling you about last Saturday's nuclear negotiations with Iran: There were no negotiations. Not in the conventional sense of the word, at least. What actually took place was more akin to a late-night comedy skit than a gathering of diplomats hammering out a deal on nuclear enrichment. At no point, were the members of the Iranian team in the same room as the members of the American team. The delegates from the US sat in one room while the delegates from Iran sat in another shuttling handwritten messages back-and-forth as they might have done in the 19th century before electronic communications. And they did not debate the nuclear issue either. No, the confab was convened merely to settle issues related to the nature of the negotiations themselves and the "form… Read moreJWST discovers most distant and earliest Milky Way 'twin' ever seen: Meet dragon-galaxy ZhúlóngOn 17, April 2025Astronomers have discovered the most distant and thus earliest spiral galaxy ever seen, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This "twin" of the Milky Way existed just 1 billion years after the Big Bang, challenging our theories of galactic evolution. Previously, it was believed that galaxies like ours would take billions of years to form distinct features like spiral arms, vast star-forming disks, and central bulges of densely packed stars. Yet, rather than being the expected chaotic galactic blob, those well-ordered features appear to be present in this galaxy, which is so distant that its light has taken 12.8 billion years to reach us. "We named this galaxy Zhúlóng, meaning 'Torch Dragon' in Chinese mythology. In the myth, Zhúlóng is a powerful red solar dragon that creates day a… Read moreStarmer told UK must repeal hate speech laws to protect LGBT+ people or lose Trump trade dealOn 17, April 2025Sir Keir Starmer must embrace Donald Trump's agenda by repealing hate speech laws in order to get a trade deal over the line, a Washington source has told The Independent. The warning came after the US vice-president suggested a UK-US agreement may be close, with the White House "working very hard" on it. He told UnHerd: "I think there's a good chance that, yes, we'll come to a great agreement that's in the best interest of both countries."… Read moreUK Catholics set to exceed Anglicans for first time since Reformation due to younger churchgoersOn 17, April 2025Catholics are on course to outnumber Anglicans in Britain, with the growth spearheaded by younger churchgoers who outnumber their Anglican brethren by more than two to one, a report by the Bible Society reveals. A "quiet revival" in UK Catholicism appears to be occurring, especially among those age groups referred to as Generation Z and younger Millennials, reports The Times of London, while noting that Catholics are rapidly catching up with Anglican numbers across all age groups. It means that Catholicism could soon overtake Anglicanism to become the country's largest denomination of worshippers for the first time since the English Reformation initiated by King Henry VIII in 1527. Anglicans could even slip into third place behind Pentecostals among churchgoers aged under 35 years of age.… Read moreUS military poised to slash troops in Syria, officials sayOn 17, April 2025The U.S. military is set to consolidate its presence in Syria over the coming weeks and months, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday, in a move that could reduce the number of troops it has in the country by half. The U.S. military has about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria across a number of bases, mostly in the northeast. The troops are working with local forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria but was later pushed back. One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that consolidation could reduce the number of troops in Syria to about 1,000. Another U.S. official confirmed the plan for a reduction, but said there was no certainty on numbers and was skeptical of a decrease of that scale at a time when Presiden… Read moreInsider accounts detail how diamond-formation drone swarm evaded detection, triggering Wright-Patterson airspace shutdownOn 17, April 2025Liberation Times has obtained witness statements from personnel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, revealing that 'drones' flying in a diamond formation — while evading counter-drone detection systems — prompted the closure of the base's airspace in December 2024. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the United States Air Force (USAF) released two witness statements and one incident report to Liberation Times from base personnel and 88th Security Forces Squadron members, responsible for guarding Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. The incident report, which lists seven members of the 88th Security Forces Squadron, one Major General and one Brigadier General, shows how events unfolded on the night of 13 December 2024.… Read moreLavrov: More people are seeing Russia as guardian of true moral valuesOn 17, April 2025Foreigners rejecting the neoliberal perspective in their home nations have the option of relocating to the country, according to the foreign minister An increasing number of people worldwide, particularly in the West, view Russia as a defender of traditional values, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. The top diplomat called for creating favorable conditions for the relocation of citizens from countries where "destructive neoliberal ideologies are being aggressively imposed...causing serious damage" to their "moral health." Moscow has repeatedly accused Western nations of eroding longstanding traditions by promoting a moral framework they consider more progressive and aligned with modern society. During a meeting with regional representatives at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, Fore… Read moreWhile the Anthonys get to go home to their ankle-braceleted son, the Metcalf family is mourning the loss of their beloved son and brother.On 17, April 2025There once was a time when bringing a deadly weapon to a school-sanctioned event would get a kid and maybe even his parents charged and convicted for failing to prevent or stop such recklessness. The parents of 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, who brought a knife to a multi-school track meet in Frisco, Texas, and allegedly used it to fatally stab another student, however, aren't on the hook for his actions. Far from it. Instead, Anthony's family successfully fundraised hundreds of thousands of dollars off of his alleged crime and the claim that "the narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful." Texas law prohibits knives with blades more than 5 1/2 inches long at high school or UIL events. It's unclear exactly what type of knife Anthony allegedly used to stab Austin Metcalf. The blade… Read moreA chihuahua that thinks it's a lion: The decline of BritainOn 17, April 2025London's global influence is dead - only the bluster remains. There are only two countries in the world that have exercised full autonomy over major political decisions for more than 500 years: Russia and Britain. No others come close. That alone makes Moscow and London natural rivals. But now, we can say with confidence that our historical adversary is no longer what it once was. Britain is losing its foreign policy clout and has been reduced to what we might call "Singapore on the Atlantic": an island trading power, out of sync with the broader trajectory of world affairs. The fall from global relevance is not without irony. For centuries, Britain caused nothing but harm to the international system. It played France and Germany off one another, betrayed its own allies in Eastern Europe,… Read moreAstronomer finds the universe could be spinningOn 17, April 2025A new study in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society by researchers including István Szapudi of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Institute for Astronomy suggests the universe may rotate — just extremely slowly. The finding could help solve one of astronomy's biggest puzzles. "To paraphrase the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus, who famously said 'Panta Rhei' — everything moves, we thought that perhaps Panta Kykloutai — everything turns," said Szapudi. Current models say the universe expands evenly in all directions, with no sign of rotation. This idea fits most of what astronomers observe. But it doesn't explain the so-called "Hubble tension" — a long-standing disagreement between two ways of measuring how fast the universe is expanding.… Read moreUK researchers announce possible signs of extraterrestrial lifeOn 17, April 2025A Cambridge-led team has found Earth-like gasses in the atmosphere of a planet 124 light-years away UK researchers have claimed to have found a possible sign of life on a faraway planet. Scientists from the University of Cambridge have announced the detection of a gas that on Earth is only made by living organisms. The discovery, which was made using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, could be the strongest hint yet of life beyond Earth. The team studied K2-18 b, a planet about 124 light-years away in the Leo constellation. It is known as a "hycean" planet, meaning it may have a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and liquid water oceans. Such conditions make it a promising candidate for life.… Read moreBaqueira Beret ski resort in Spain records 40 cms (15.7 inches) of mid-April snowOn 17, April 2025The ski resort of Baqueira Beret, in one of the northwestern points in Catalonia, has recorded almost 40 centimeters of snow before the start of the Easter holidays. The resort management recorded unexpected snowstorms between Tuesday evening and Wednesday early morning, just a couple of days before Catalonia starts celebrating Easter and takes some days off. The amount of snow was completely a surprise for everyone, as "not even the most optimistic weather forecasts" forecast such a snow, the managing team of the site in the Vall d'Aran and the Pallars' counties said.… Read moreBEST OF THE WEB: Massive mid-April snowfall in the Alps - up to 4 FEET in 24 hoursOn 17, April 2025A huge snowfall is underway in the Alps, by far the biggest of the 24-25 season. Unfortunately, about 80% of ski areas have already ended their seasons. For those still open the storm is also so heavy that it has closed slopes, access roads and set the avalanche danger of a rare maximum 5 on the scale to 5 in parts of the Western Alps. There is also a fear of flooding in some areas with torrential rain on lower slopes and lower snowpack at times. Few resorts have been able to publish snowfall measurements to far but Verbier reports from its snow stake that its had almost a metre (40") of snowfall so far, later publishing an official stat of 75cm (30").… Read moreTornado whirls past cruise ship as lightning strikes in the Bay of Palma, SpainOn 17, April 2025A waterspout tornado was captured on video (April 16) whirling past a cruise ship in the Bay of Palma. There are two types of tornado that form at sea. The first is tornadic waterspouts that form from thunderstorms, like this one, which saw lightning ripping through through the heavens off the coast of Spain. There's also fair-weather waterspouts which are typically smaller and less powerful.… Read moreIslamabad, Pakistan lashed by freak hailstorm, city life disruptedOn 17, April 2025A sudden and intense hailstorm swept across the capital city yesterday causing significant damage to vehicles, trees, and infrastructure while transforming the city's landscape into an unexpected icy spectacle. By mid-afternoon, thick clouds had gathered over the city, bringing with them high winds and a storm system that blanketed several sectors — including F-6, G-10, I-8 and Blue Area — in marble-sized hailstones. Within minutes, streets and rooftops were layered in ice, and visibility dropped drastically. Moreover, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a renewed alert, warning that similar weather conditions could return in the coming days as seasonal patterns shift sharply. Heavy hail, triggered by a sudden drop in temperature after an intense heatwave, fell across Islam… Read moreMount Semeru in Indonesia erupts multiple times, spewing ash column up to 1 kilometerOn 17, April 2025Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, experienced six eruptions between early Thursday and noon, April 17, 2025, with the highest volcanic ash column reaching 1,000 meters above the summit during the 9:17 AM local time eruption. "The ash column was observed to be white to gray, thick, and drifting east and southeast," reported Sigit Rian Alfian, an officer at the Mount Semeru Volcano Observation Post in Mount Sawur, Lumajang Regency, in his written report on Thursday. Sigit noted that the 9:17 AM eruption registered on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and lasted approximately 1 minute and 57 seconds. Over the preceding 24 hours, seismic data recorded 61 eruption tremors (10-22 mm amplitude, 51-154 second duration), 9 gust tremors (3-8 mm amplitude, 27-64 second duration), 1… Read moreMount Lewotobi in Indonesia erupts, prompting aviation warning - ash column 3,500 metres highOn 17, April 2025Mount Lewotobi, located in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Wednesday, triggering a flight warning and safety advisories, the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre said. The eruption released a column of ash up to 3,500 metres into the sky, and the thick gray cloud moved westward and northwestward of the crater. To mitigate risks posed by the volcanic ash, a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation has been issued at the orange level, the second-highest warning, banning planes from flying below 5,000 metres in the vicinity of Mount Lewotobi. Aircraft should also exercise caution regarding the presence of volcanic ash, which can disturb their flights. To protect the residents living on the slope of the volcano from the risks of hot clouds and volcanic mater… Read moreTurkish admiral says NATO has become a reckless "zombie alliance" and that the EU wants Turkiye on its kneesOn 16, April 2025Cem Gurdeniz, the strategist behind Turkiye's Blue Homeland doctrine, warns that NATO is collapsing and the EU is seeking to exploit Turkiye's strategic position as it faces internal decline and military irrelevance. He calls for a sovereign, Eurasian-aligned future - on Turkiye's terms. In the second decade of the 21st century, seismic geopolitical shifts pushed global powers to reassess the importance of Turkiye's position within Eurasia. This growing focus from Washington to Moscow, Brussels to Beijing - has only intensified as the western bloc reels from a string of strategic defeats, particularly in Ukraine. For over two decades, the geopolitical orientation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has remained the subject of heated debate, both domestically and abroad.… Read moreLatest sandstorm brings Iraq to standstillOn 16, April 2025A thick cloud of dust blankets the Iraqi capital Baghdad as the eighth sandstorm since mid-April, 2022 paralysed activity across the country. Another sandstorm that descended Monday on Iraq sent at least 2,000 people to hospital with breathing problems and led to the closure of airports, schools and public offices across the country. It is the eighth duststorm since mid-April to hit Iraq, which has been battered by soil degradation, intense droughts and low rainfall linked to climate change. The last one earlier this month led to the death of one person while 5,000 others had to be hospitalised for respiratory problems.… Read moreJK Rowling celebrates after UK Supreme Court rules that trans women are not legally womenOn 16, April 2025"Harry Potter" author JK Rowling cheered the United Kingdom's supreme court ruling that found transgender women are not legally women — posting pictures of champagne glasses in celebration and praising the women who championed the case. "Think I might be having a cigar later," Rowling, 59, wrote on X Wednesday, hours after the ruling was handed down. "It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, they've protected the rights of women and girls across the UK," Rowling wrote. "I'm so proud to know you." The ruling found that the terms "woman" and "sex" included in the nation's 2010 Equality Act "refer to a biological woman and biological sex" — and not to the social definition of gender, which can b… Read moreWhite House readies plan for Congress to ax taxpayer funding for NPR, PBSOn 16, April 2025The Trump administration took its first step Monday toward ending federal funding of National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) — informing key members of Congress that it's asking for them to eliminate "all" such spending while also codifying foreign aid cuts identified by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. The requests are contained in a "rescissions" plan, obtained and first reported by The Post, that pitches a clawback of $1.1 billion already appropriated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and $8.3 billion from USAID. A memo drafted by White House budget director Russ Vought — and requested by GOP congressional leaders — accuses CPB of a "lengthy history of anti-conservative bias" and cites "waste, fraud, and abuse" at USAID. Form… Read morePolice chief says he wants to 'discriminate against white job applicants' so he can hire more ethnic minority officersOn 16, April 2025A police chief has said he wants to discriminate against white job applicants and hire more ethnic minority officers. Chief Constable John Robins of West Yorkshire Police has consistently pushed to reform laws across the country in order to boost the number of ethnic minorities in his force. Mr Robins, who has been an officer for West Yorkshire Police since 1990, was appointed as its chief in 2019 and has overseen the dramatic new changes to its recruitment policy in recent years. The force, which is currently putting applications from white Brits on hold, said it is accepting them 'all year round' from 'under-represented groups' such as black and Asian candidates. One whistleblower who revealed the change in the hiring process said candidates from different backgrounds were being split in… Read moreDonald Trump's Projects, Part 1On 16, April 2025President Donald Trump is acting faster than other political leaders of his generation. In a dozen weeks, he has already overturned "American imperialism" in favor of his "exceptionalism." This is still not the end of the problem, but it represents a considerable step forward for both the United States and the rest of the world. Simultaneously, he has cut federal bureaucracy by eliminating agencies that did not fall under his jurisdiction and laying off 230,000 federal employees. Donald Trump has been in office for no more than three months. He has issued a staggering number of executive orders of all kinds, giving the impression of a confused personality. However, despite the short time he had, his first results are beginning to appear. Decolonizing the "American Empire" He initially soug… Read moreThe Sumy missile strike: War, propaganda and hypocrisyOn 16, April 2025Russia's attack on a gathering of Ukrainian servicemen has become immediate fodder for the information offensive against Moscow. On April 13, Russia launched an attack on a target in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. All reports -Western, Ukrainian, and Russian - agree on some basic facts: The attack consisted of two ballistic missiles; substantial numbers of people were killed (over 60, according to the Russian Defense Ministry; over 20 in Western and Ukrainian reports) and injured (over 110, per Ukrainian reports). Beyond that, however, a thick fog of war has descended. Or rather, a fog of propaganda. Western media and politicians have denounced the Russian strike as, in essence, an atrocity or war crime. The New York Times, for instance, presented it as slamming "into a bustling city… Read moreEurope cannot be 'permanent security vassal' of US - VanceOn 16, April 2025The continent radically underinvests in security, and that has to change, the vice president has said. Europe cannot remain a "permanent security vassal" of the US, Vice President J.D. Vance has said, stressing that this arrangement is not beneficial for either side. His comments come at time of geopolitical tensions between the US and Europe on a number of issues, including the Ukraine conflict, while the administration of US President Donald Trump demands that other NATO members drastically increase their defense spending. In an interview with UnHerd on Monday, Vance voiced frustration over Europe's approach to security, arguing that the topic has long been a blind spot for the region: "The reality is - it's blunt to say it, but it's also true - that Europe's entire security infrastructu… Read moreOn Palm Sunday, Israel bombs the only Christian hospital in GazaOn 16, April 2025Claiming it held a "command and control center used by Hamas," Israel chose Palm Sunday to bomb the only Christian hospital in war-shattered Gaza. It was also the last fully-functioning hospital in Gaza City. No casualties from the bombing per se were reported by Gaza's civil emergency service. However, a child who'd been hospitalized for a head wound died from "the rushed evacuation process," said the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which runs the al Ahli Arab Hospital. The diocese is part of the Anglican Church. Citing Gaza Civil Defense, Middle East Eye reports that the bombs resulted in "the destruction of the surgery building and the oxygen generation station for the intensive care units." St. Philip's Church was one of multiple nearby buildings that also suffered damage. The IDF attr… Read moreFlash floods hit Penang, Malaysia following 4 hour overnight downpourOn 16, April 2025Several parts of Penang were struck by flash floods last night after a prolonged period of heavy rain, with floodwaters entering homes and disrupting traffic across both the island and mainland. Among the worst-affected areas were Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Thean Teik, Kampung Masjid, Green Garden, and Taman Siakap, where water levels rose quickly during a downpour that began around 11pm and lasted approximately four hours. According to the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) for the Northeast District, the volume of rainfall over a short period led to severe water overflow, resulting in the flooding of key roads and residential properties. "Initial assessments indicate that water overflowed due to the exceptionally high rainfall within a brief timeframe. At around 1.40am, the floodwaters bega… Read morePhuket in Thailand hit by flash floods after overnight downpourOn 16, April 2025Flash floods hit Phuket after heavy overnight rain, flooding key areas like Koh Sirey and Karon. Authorities warn of landslides and more rain ahead. Several areas of the popular island province were hit by flash floods on Wednesday morning following heavy overnight rainfall, causing widespread disruption and prompting weather warnings across southern Thailand. According to local officials, the worst-affected areas were Koh Sirey, a small island connected to Phuket's mainland by a bridge, and Tambon Karon. Both locations fall within the Mueang District, which has experienced severe flooding in recent months. Numerous roads across these areas became inundated, raising concerns about potential mudslides on nearby hillsides. Authorities are actively monitoring risk zones and urging residents t… Read moreNothing says 'Safe and Effective' like destroying all the data from Australia's giant abandoned vaccine studyOn 16, April 2025"Follow the science" they say, right up until they destroy it In August 2021, as the masses were being coerced and cajoled into vaccinations, the government announced a gigantic long term study with 10,000 Australians that would run for five years. They promised they would include the vaccinated and unvaccinated, and generate 100,000 samples, and 11 million datapoints. No stone would be left unturned to make sure the vaccines were safe and effective. "The Science" was being used to reassure the people. Less than two years later the data must have looked terrible, because they suddenly stopped the study. They muttered something about archiving the data until more funding was available. (Sure, sure). Now, they want to quietly destroy the data and make sure no one can ever use it, or find out… Read moreMid-April snow falls in Ireland as weather warnings in place for 10 countiesOn 16, April 2025Snow fell in a number of counties on Wednesday morning as rain warnings remain in effect until Wednesday afternoon After the warmest weather of the year last week, conditions have turned full circle in Ireland within days with some counties experiencing snow on Wednesday morning. Weather expert Alan O'Reilly of Carlow Weather relayed reports of snow in Wexford and Wicklow on X on Wednesday morning after a cold and wet start to the day, particularly in the east of the country. The rare arrival of snow in mid-April comes as weather warnings remain in place for 10 counties in Ireland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday. A Status Yellow rain warning issued by Met Éireann for Dublin, Louth, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow came into effect at 9pm on Tuesday night and will remain in place until 2pm this… Read more'Euro-Nazism' is being revived - MoscowOn 16, April 2025Russia has slammed the EU for warning candidate states against attending WWII celebrations on May 9. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that the EU's attempts to pressure candidate states not to attend the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II in Moscow are tantamount to a revival of Nazism. On Monday, the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned the leaders of EU members and candidate states against taking part in the event in the Russian capital on May 9. British daily The Telegraph later wrote that candidate states such as Serbia could be barred from joining the bloc if their leaders attend the Victory Day celebrations. "If this is true, then Euro-Nazism is being reborn before our eyes," Zakharova wrote on Telegram, citing the article. "Th… Read moreHeavy spring snow whitens Mahneshan, IranOn 16, April 2025The Spring snowfall has whitened Mahneshan County in Iran's Zanjan province.… Read moreUnstable weather triggers flooding in parts of Azerbaijan - 3 killed (UPDATE)On 16, April 2025Since yesterday, the ongoing unstable and rainy weather conditions across Azerbaijan have led to a number of complications, including flooding in several areas, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement, APA reports. In response to the heavy rainfall, the Ministry has deployed its forces to carry out water drainage operations in flooded areas of Baku and Ganja, as well as in Khirdalan, Absheron district, evacuating citizens in need of assistance, and implementing other necessary safety measures At present, operations are continuing at several locations with the involvement of the Ministry's State Fire Protection Service, Special Risky Rescue Service, and the Baku Regional Center.… Read moreWHO rehearses deadly 'mammothpox' outbreak - TelegraphOn 16, April 2025An exercise by the UN agency earlier this month simulated an outbreak of a "fictional" virus spreading across the world The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently rehearsed a scenario in which an ancient virus lying dormant in the remains of a woolly mammoth caused a deadly global outbreak of "mammothpox," The Telegraph has reported, citing documents about the exercise it had obtained. The press release by the global health authority stated that earlier this month more than 15 countries took part in Exercise Polaris, which "simulated an outbreak of a fictional virus spreading across the world," aiming to test readiness for a new pandemic.… Read moreIntense hailstorm hits Vacaria, BrazilOn 16, April 2025Residents face disruption as hailstorm blankets streets and roofs in white after unexpected weather event. On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the municipality of Vacaria, located in the Serra Gaúcha region of Rio Grande do Sul, experienced an unexpected and intense hailstorm. The storm, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, began around 2:30 PM and affected several neighborhoods, including Kms 4 and 5, Franciosi, Altos da Glória, Vitória, Jardim dos Pampas, Jardim América, Glória, Cohaab, and Municipal. According to the local Civil Defense, this unusual weather phenomenon, referred to as a "saraivada de granizo," was characterized by a significant volume of small hailstones. Although the individual stones were small, the sheer quantity that fell was astonishing, leading to streets and yards bein… Read moreFreak hailstorm hits the island of Mallorca, Spain leaving 2 inch covering of iceOn 16, April 2025An unexpected hailstorm hit the Mallorca village of Puigpunyent in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The municipality in the Serra de Tramuntana has been affected by the unstable weather in the days leading up to Easter. The village woke up to find streets covered in white, with up to two inches of ice, as reported by the Meteo de les illes met. office on its WhatsApp channel and social networks. The Guardia Civil and emergency services are working to control traffic and remove the ice from the road. The freak storm in Puigpunyent this morning has left several roads closed. The local council has asked residents to avoid travelling until the safety of the affected sections has been improved. According to information from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), heavy rain has fallen in… Read moreShallow magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes remote area of the South Indian OceanOn 16, April 2025A magnitude 6.6 earthquake has struck the South Indian Ocean, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). No tsunami warnings or advisories have been issued. The quake occurred at 9:43 p.m. ET, with its epicenter located on the southeast Indian Ridge. It struck at a preliminary depth of approximately 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), according to USGS data. The location was remote, far from any populated areas. The nearest settlement was Augusta, in Western Australia, more than 1,200 miles (1,966 km) away. The USGS data showed that no population was expected to have felt the tremor. No tsunami advisories or warnings were issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), which is also responsible for issuing alerts for tsunami threats in the Indian Ocean.… Read moreOnly six Western states willing to deploy troops to Ukraine - AFPOn 16, April 2025Kiev's backers remain split on a proposed "reassurance force" that could potentially be deployed to Ukraine Only six Western nations have pledged to send troops to Ukraine after the hostilities between Kiev and Moscow end, AFP has reported. Most of Ukraine's supporters are reluctant to make any promises, according to the agency.… Read moreSOTT FOCUS: SOTT Earth Changes Summary - March 2025: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor FireballsOn 16, April 2025A shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar near Mandalay, killing more than 5,350 people, injuring nearly 8,000, and destroying thousands of buildings, including Mandalay's royal palace and the Ava Bridge, with the damage exacerbated by the country's ongoing civil war and compromised infrastructure. International aid from neighbouring countries such as China, India and Thailand poured into Myanmar to help with the relief effort. In Thailand, the earthquake was felt in 77 provinces, prompting evacuations and causing temporary disruption to transport and services. The low-frequency seismic waves caused a 33-storey high-rise building under construction in Bangkok to collapse, killing 51 people and leaving dozens missing. The tremor was felt in eastern India, particularly in Kol… Read more'It's 2025, not 1939' - Fico challenges EU's warning against Moscow tripOn 16, April 2025Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has firmly rejected recent warnings by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to European leaders against attending Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, asserting that "the year is 2025, not 1939." Kallas stated on Monday that any participation by EU leaders in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Russian capital "will not be taken lightly" by Brussels. "WARNING AND THREAT BY MS. KALLAS ARE DISRESPECTFUL AND I STRONGLY OBJECT TO THEM," Fico wrote on X on Tuesday. The Slovak leader confirmed his intention to participate in the commemorations, stating, "I will go to Moscow on May 9th."… Read moreColonial borders fuel instability in Africa - LavrovOn 16, April 2025The legacy of colonialism remains a key driver of instability across Africa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Kommersant published on Monday. He attributed much of the continent's turmoil to borders drawn by departing colonial powers without regard for ethnic, cultural, and historical realities. Lavrov argued that colonial map-making practices resulted in the fragmentation of ethnic groups across newly formed national borders. This led to "chaos," he said, explaining that the colonial authorities drew maps "with a ruler" throughout the continent, dividing entire communities. He cited the Tuareg people, who are now split between Algeria and Mali, as well as other groups such as the Tutsi and Hutu in Rwanda. Despite the destabilizing impact of these borders, L… Read moreThe Democrat-concocted 'Maryland Man' hoax is aiming to demonize border securityOn 15, April 2025The propaganda press's latest manufactured sob story isn't just another hit piece targeting President Donald Trump — it's part of a manufactured, strategic campaign to guilt Americans out of supporting immigration enforcement and delegitimize the very concept of national borders. Last month the Trump administration deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien and alleged MS-13 gang member from El Salvador — to a prison in El Salvador. Abrego Garcia crossed the border illegally in 2011 and was detained in March of 2019. He was charged with removability and was later denied bond when an immigration judge concluded that evidence "show[ed] [Abrego Garcia] is a verified member of MS-13" and found that he failed to prove "that his release from custody would not pose a danger to others." As ex… Read moreDOGE warning has Social Security Administration launching anti-fraud measuresOn 15, April 2025Social Security Administration will conduct identity verification for all in-person claims, too The Social Security Administration (SSA) implemented anti-fraud tools to protect customers who file claims over the phone following Elon Musk's warning that fraudsters were targeting the agency's call-in lines to steal benefits. The agency launched measures that will "identify suspicious activity in telephone claims by analyzing patterns and anomalies within a person's account," effective immediately, according to the SSA. The agency said if the technology detects irregularities, the individual will be required "to complete in-person identity proofing to continue processing their claim." The agency will still conduct identity verification for all in-person claims, too.… Read moreZionist supremacism and the murder of innocentsOn 15, April 2025The brutal murder of eight Red Cross paramedics and five aid workers in Southern Gaza on March 23rd 2025 - each shot more than 20 times and then buried in a sandpit along with their vehicles - should be 'an event too far' for Israeli soldiers. The brave precedent for saying 'no' already having been set by colleagues refusing to follow the commands of the Israeli war cabinet. This vile atrocity must have crossed the red line for these recruits, as well as seasoned soldiers of the Israeli army, if they are still to be considered human beings. It has already been reported that a small but growing number of Israeli military have refused to engage against Palestinians in Gaza, demanding that Netanyahu stands by the terms of the hostage exchange negotiated with Hamas. But this hostage exchange '… Read moreDeclassified Cold War-era CIA files detail Soviet clash with aliens, witnesses say soldiers were turned to stoneOn 15, April 2025A declassified Cold War-era file from the CIA has gone viral over its coverage of a supposed clash between Soviet soldiers and a UFO, passengers of which reportedly turned the troops to stone before blasting off. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the CIA acquired a 250-page KGB report recounting the events that transpired after a platoon fired at a flying saucer over Ukraine. The report included eyewitness accounts and pictures of the aftermath, which one American agent described as "a horrific picture of revenge on the part of extraterrestrial creatures, a picture that makes one's blood freeze."… Read moreBEST OF THE WEB: The Road to HellOn 15, April 2025Gather 'round, young 'uns, and hear tell of the days of yore. When I tell younger people that I didn't start using the internet until I was out of high school (c. 1999), I'm usually met with the look they reserve for great grandpa's story about trading in his horse-drawn cart for a rootin' tootin' Henry Ford Model T. The internet was a different place back then. Most people were still offline, and the early adopters were not exactly a neutral cross-section of the world's English-speaking peoples. The user base skewed young and male compared to the general population. Social media didn't exist yet, so the vast majority of users were set to read-only. They didn't blog, post, comment, or DM, they read articles, looked up information, occasionally bought something, and that was about it. The u… Read moreNYC woman forced to keep pit bulls to defend herself as unhinged career criminal keeps breaking into her homeOn 15, April 2025But courts won't lock him up A terrorized Bronx woman has armed herself with a pair of pit bulls in a desperate effort to defend herself from an unhinged career criminal who keeps breaking into her home — but remains on the streets. Beauty salon owner Itesha Hairston said she's petrified that 33-year-old Jarrell Coburn is stalking her after the vagrant broke into her home three times in under 10 days last month, but keeps getting a slap on the wrist due to a soft-on-crime court system that won't lock him up. In fact, Coburn, who has at least nine unsealed busts on his rap sheet, tried to bust in again on April 9 — just nine days after he was last nabbed inside her Longwood ground-floor apartment.… Read moreThe end of NATO as we know it - The case for a European nuclear deterrentOn 15, April 2025It is frighteningly easy to picture a situation in which President Trump steps off a plane and declares: "I have in my hands a paper signed by Mister Putin, there will be peace for our time." When Neville Chamberlain declared "peace for our time" on 30 September 1938, holding up the Munich Agreement which condoned the German Annexation of the Sudetenland, the world was at war only one year later. 87 years later, about one kilometre away from the venue of the Munich Conference 1938, US Vice-President James David Vance made it abundantly clear at the Munich Security Conference 2025, that the USA expect Europe to "step up in a big way to provide for its own defence." Should Russia, against this background, choose to test the true value of Article 5 NATO-Treaty, for example by attacking the pe… Read moreIs "De-Dollerization" on the table? BRICS summit approaches as trade war simmersOn 15, April 2025For many years now I have been talking about the growing global economic divide between East and West. This volatile opposition between the BRICS nations and the US is not a product of the Trump era. It has been decades in the making with a myriad of complex working parts and numerous US trading partners have been preparing for the fallout as far back as 2008. At the same time behind the scenes there have been malicious influences at play: Special interests within the Davos community have been working diligently to undermine the US economy and the dollar. But what is the ultimate aim of this agenda? In 2018 I published an article titled 'World War III Will Be An Economic War' - In it I outlined the basic mechanics of the East vs West paradigm and how banking institutions like the IMF and B… Read moreEU 'working for war' - KremlinOn 15, April 2025Brussels is pushing military aid for Kiev as Moscow and Washington try to achieve peace in the Ukraine conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "The EU is working to prolong the Ukraine conflict while Russia and the US are attempting to end it through their "intense" diplomatic contacts." Western European defense chiefs met last week to discuss the idea of sending a so-called "reassurance" force to Ukraine, which is being actively pushed by the UK and France despite escalation warnings from Moscow. In March, the European Commission proposed an $840 billion rearmament plan for the bloc, supposedly to deter Russia and to continue military aid to Kiev.… Read more
