[IsraelTimes] ‘State of the Arts’ platform ranks art museums, outlines experiences of authors and offers guidelines to cultural institutions to better accommodate Jews
BRUSSELS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Group of Seven countries agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves and pledged to refrain from energy export restrictions after pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The US led a pressure campaign on the European Union to draw down emergency diesel inventories, with the Trump administration warning that failure to act could lead to a US ban on diesel exports. Such a ban could sharply reduce supplies to Europe, which has become increasingly reliant on US diesel, and potentially inflict high economic costs on the bloc.
Trump is seeking to cool surging fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for Alabama that the US would not impose a diesel export ban. He said the plan was never really on the table, even though in the past two weeks he said several times that such a ban was under consideration, and that he supported the idea.
"Europe has a lot of diesel, and they're going to be making a major world contribution, and so are we. And we're not going to be doing the export ban. We're going to be doing what we're supposed to do," Trump said.
The Iran war sparked the biggest emergency stock release ever of 400 million barrels in March, coordinated by the International Energy Agency.
"Taking into account commitments that have already been fulfilled, we will implement our commitments with a coordinated release through the IEA of 100 million barrels," the G7 said in a joint statement.
It was uncertain how much of the petroleum in the new agreement would come from what remains from the March pact. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said this week that members had released about two-thirds of the 400-million-barrel agreement.
The release will begin immediately and last four months, with a substantial amount of diesel to be released within 20 days by G7 members and partners, the statement said.
It did not provide a breakdown of the volumes of crude, diesel and other products to be released or say which countries would participate.
"We will convene in the context of the IEA in the coming days to discuss the possibility of additional diesel releases as necessary," the statement added.
"Europe has just agreed to release a massive amount of their heavily stocked Diesel Oil. The process will begin immediately," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
#1
I suspect that a very quiet discussion was had about the US natural gas exports to Europe.
Per AI United States exports 75.6 bcm (≈ 26.2%) to Europe. U.S. LNG exports to Europe tripled between 2021 and 2025.
Europe may be starting to realize that annoying Trump is not in their best interests.
[KhaamaPress] The U.S. State Department has rejected a $25 million funding request from the American University of Afghanistan for the next two years and plans to end remaining funding for the institution by the end of 2026, according to The New York Times
...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... The decision could put the future of the university at risk and further limit higher-education opportunities for Afghanistan’s women, many of whom can currently access university education inside Afghanistan only through online programs.
The university has about 980 students, with roughly three-quarters women and nearly 90 percent living inside Afghanistan, according to figures cited in the report. All current students study online after the university shifted away from in-person education following the Taliban ...mindless ferocity in a turban... ’s return to power in 2021.
David Edwards, the university’s acting president, said continued operations were now closely tied to finding alternative funding and maintaining a partnership with the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan. He said the Kyrgyz university does not currently offer a comparable distance-learning program for students inside Afghanistan.
Edwards said the university had become a critical educational option for a generation of Afghans and warned that the loss of U.S. support could leave students, particularly women, with few alternatives. He has travelled to universities in Britannia and Germany in recent months in an effort to secure alternative funding.
The State Department said it would stop funding the university by the end of the year, citing what it described as a repeated lack of accountability over millions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer funds. The department also described the university as a private institution and said the United States remains committed to supporting education for Afghan girls and women through distance-learning programs, while seeking organizations capable of administering such programs.
The funding dispute revives longstanding concerns over financial oversight at the university. U.S. oversight authorities previously identified management and accountability problems involving the heavily U.S.-funded institution. A 2019 SIGAR report said the university had entered an agreement with USAID to address longstanding management and accountability issues identified by oversight agencies.
Edwards, who became acting president in March, said the university had addressed its earlier problems and that its audits since 2021 had been completed without major issues. The university has also reduced its operations amid financial pressure, including staff cuts and a reduction in new student admissions.
The potential closure has caused concern among students who say the university remains one of the few viable avenues for higher education available to Afghan women. Students cited by The New York Times described the institution as essential to their education and future employment prospects, particularly because other online programs can be financially out of reach.
The American University of Afghanistan was established in Kabul in 2006 with the aim of developing a new generation of Afghan leaders. After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, foreign staff left the country and some students were relocated abroad, while others remained in Afghanistan and continued their studies remotely.
The university’s Kabul campus was subsequently taken over by the Taliban and renamed the Afghanistan International Islamic University. The fate of the American University of Afghanistan now depends on whether it can secure alternative financial support before its current funding arrangements end.
[IsraelTimes] In letter to lawmakers, Rubio cites Cairo’s ‘helpful role’ during Iran war, says the money will go toward programs ‘important to the national security interest of the US’
#2
Egypt Demands ‘Fairness’ for Global South at U.N. General Assembly Madbouly’s lengthy speech broadly outlined various problems but rarely explained exactly who, or what, he was talking about. His solutions were equally vague, but invariably involved some sort of U.N.-managed multilateral framework that would not require equal contributions or sacrifices from all parties. He was consistently elusive about who would be paying the bills to achieve “fairness” in technology, economics, and global influence.
Madbouly said President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza was the ideal road map for resolving the current crisis, but he accused Israel of “daily violations” that had to be ended. He also accused the Israelis of plotting to displace the entire Palestinian population and said Egypt was “categorically opposed” to any such operation.
“The international community as a whole bears a clear responsibility to stop systematic Israeli violations of international law. Peace cannot be built on uprooting a people from their land, believing that stability can be achieved in the region while ignoring the suffering of the Palestinian people, and merely managing the occupation rather than ending it is nothing but an illusion,” he said.
[Breitbart] U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued the injunction in El Paso after local residents and preservation advocates sued to stop the project. The order blocks construction and related work throughout the Big Bend sector, including Big Bend National Park, while the lawsuit proceeds.
The federal government “shall not build border barrier or related infrastructure, or engage in any construction or ground disturbing activities, in the Big Bend sector,” Cardone wrote in her two-page order, which she read aloud in court.
The judge also barred the government from relying on waivers of environmental and other laws it had issued to speed construction. She said the government “must comply with all applicable laws” and found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on at least one of their claims.
The plaintiffs include Billy Miller, a river guide from Terlingua, Texas, and a church preservation group. Their lawsuit followed months of opposition and repeated stops and starts in construction.
Opponents argue that the region’s remote, rugged terrain already discourages illegal crossings and that barriers would damage the landscape. The Big Bend sector records substantially fewer crossings than other sectors along the Texas-Mexico border.
Could that be because there are fewer observers, rather than that there is less to observe?
River guides and environmental advocates celebrated outside the El Paso courthouse after Cardone announced her decision.
No doubt this is funded by the usual suspects…
“We dodged a bullet today,” Miller said. “It means that we can continue to introduce people to the wildness. Their plan was going to ruin the experience of anybody going out there.”
#4
The ironic thing, is there are no real plans for physical barriers there. Just monitoring equipment so the border patrol can pick them up at the exits.
But that is the lie the left is spouting that a huge wall is going to be built across rugged terrain that few people cross.
#5
It's a game now. The judge knows her decision will be overturned. The judges are stalling for time and for them, hopefully a Democrat in the White House.
For stuff like this, there will never be enough votes to impeach & remove the judge.
[KhaamaPress] An Afghan citizen has been sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to visa fraud involving applications for a U.S. Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Dilbar Gul Dilbar, also known as Dilbar Gul Taj Ali Khan, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. to visa fraud and was sentenced to six months in prison, according to the Justice Department.
According to court records and prosecutors, Dilbar paid another person in November 2017 to prepare and submit an Afghan SIV application on his behalf. He knew that a false approval letter purportedly issued by the Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul had been included in the application, but nevertheless affirmed that the submitted evidence was accurate.
In October 2021, Dilbar paid another individual to prepare and submit a second SIV application. Prosecutors said he again certified the information as accurate despite knowing there was a high probability that at least one representation in the application was false.
The fraudulent representations resulted in Dilbar receiving an SIV in April 2024, entering the United States and later obtaining lawful permanent resident status. The original federal case was filed in 2025 after Sherlocks alleged that his applications contained fraudulent immigration documents.
Reports identified Dilbar as a former Afghan interpreter who had worked with U.S. forces during the war. He brought his family to Rochester after entering the United States in 2024, and reporting based on court documents says he now faces possible removal following his conviction.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, according to the Justice Department.
The case highlights the scrutiny surrounding Afghanistan’s Special Immigrant Visa program, which provides a limited number of visas to eligible Afghans who assisted the U.S. government or military and faced threats because of that work.
[KhaamaPress] The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General has found at least one vetting or documentation error in 40 percent of a sample of asylum files involving Afghans who entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Inspector General reviewed 678 files selected from 13,682 adjudicated asylum applications involving Afghan evacuees. The review identified 303 missed aliases, 23 files without required security-check results, 45 unresolved records and 115 other documentation errors.
According to the report, the pattern of errors created a risk that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services could miss opportunities to connect names provided by applicants with potentially adverse information in government databases. The report identified two cases involving potential terrorism-related inadmissibility issues in which required documentation or approval records were incomplete.
However, the report did not conclude that 40 percent of applicants were inadequately vetted or that any person was granted asylum because derogatory information had been missed. The Inspector General said it did not reassess asylum officers’ decisions or determine the actual effect of the identified errors. USCIS also said its quality-assurance reviews found that missed aliases did not change the outcome of cases in its own samples.
The review was partly prompted by concerns from USCIS employees that a September 2023 settlement in DHS, which required faster processing of Operation Allies Welcome asylum cases, could weaken the quality of vetting. The Inspector General, however, found no statistically significant increase in errors after the settlement.
The report said errors occurred across four areas: aliases, security checks, resolution of potential matches and documentation. Some errors involved missing paperwork or records that were available elsewhere in government systems, while others involved incomplete documentation of required screening steps.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow agreed with the Inspector General’s recommendations and said the errors occurred alongside broader screening and security safeguards. USCIS has since introduced or strengthened measures including additional vetting checks, guidance on identifying aliases and training for personnel responsible for security screening.
The findings come amid renewed scrutiny of the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program, which brought tens of thousands of Afghans to the United States after the 2021 withdrawal. The program came under intensified political scrutiny after Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States through OAW, was accused in November 2025 of shooting two National Guard members near the White House, killing one and seriously injuring another.
Following the shooting, the Trump administration temporarily halted asylum decisions and paused immigration processing involving Afghan nationals while it reviewed security and vetting procedures. The move triggered debate over the effectiveness of Afghan screening and its impact on thousands of Afghans who entered the United States after the withdrawal.
The Inspector General’s latest report focuses specifically on asylum adjudication files and should not be interpreted as an assessment of the entire vetting process used before Afghan evacuees entered the United States. Its recommendations are aimed at improving recordkeeping, screening procedures and supervisory controls within USCIS.
[Regnum] The US deployment to Iraq in 2003 triggered decades of instability in the Middle East. This was stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on October 2, amid the withdrawal of American troops from Iraqi territory.
"It (the presence of foreign troops in Iraq – Ed.) has essentially continued since 2003 – since the American invasion under a completely trumped-up pretext, which provoked decades of instability throughout the surrounding region," Zakharova said in a commentary on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.
The diplomat also noted that Russia welcomes the withdrawal of US and allied troops from Iraq. She added that Iraqi authorities are capable of effectively combating terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (IS, an organization banned in Russia) and other similar organizations.
On September 30, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced that the US and coalition allies had officially concluded Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. He added that the primary responsibility for addressing Iraq's remaining security challenges, including the remnants of ISIS, now rests with the Iraqi government. The US will continue to provide targeted training and intelligence support and cooperate with Iraq to prevent an ISIS resurgence.
US President Donald Trump confirmed the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and called Operation Inherent Resolve " a very expensive excursion into hell." He stated that the campaign's conclusion was in accordance with the joint US-Iraqi statement of September 2024.
#1
Bush II was told - by both Israeli PM AND Saudi king to replace Saddam with a Sunni general. But he preferred to play at "Nation building" - turning Iran's only natural enemy into Iranian Province.
#2
Through the lens of a Russian looking glass, is always someone else's fault. The dividends of helping the Bear and the Lend-Lease give-away, will they never end ?
Of Roosevelt's greatest blunders, this must surely be the greatest.
#3
@2 The numbers depend on the source, but AI estimates the Soviet Union lost 13.5% of their ENTIRE population during WWII. That's 1 in 7 of everyone you know dying during the roughly 4 years of war.
The help we gave the Soviet Union kept them in the war and the Soviets tied up a lot of the German army. However much of the combat equipment (tanks, planes, some ships) that the US & British gave them were obsolete or nearly so. The Soviets did appreciate the trucks and radios. So from the Russian perspective, we only did enough to keep them in the war and not enough to relieve the pressure. More plainly, we let them get slaughtered while we were in North Africa, Sicily & Italy.
Russia in all of its forms is certainly not innocent, but looking back at all the countries that have invaded them, I understand why they are paranoid about invasions.
[IsraelTimes] Army’s online database lists Palestinians who worked for major international media outlets, which it slams for ‘repeatedly accusing Israel… of deliberately harming journalists’
[IsraelTimes] New military school provides ‘infantry-oriented’ training for soldiers from medical, logistics, maintenance, comms, HR, and even rabbinate units, citing lessons from Hamas massacre.
[Jpost] The US and its partners said they would strengthen intelligence sharing to prevent Iran from acquiring or transferring technology linked to the development of weapons of mass destruction.
The United States and countries participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) pledged on Friday to step up efforts to prevent the transfer of weapons, materials, equipment, and technologies to and from Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... that could support the development of weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
The countries issued a joint statement marking one year since the reinstatement of six UN Security Council resolutions imposing restrictions on Iran under the snapback mechanism.
Among the measures announced were closer intelligence-sharing between participating countries, streamlined procedures for transferring information, and interdiction and prevention measures targeting Iranian proliferation activity.
The statement also expressed support for the US sanctions campaign Operation Economic Outcast and called on all UN member states to implement the reinstated resolutions.
"We call on Iran to return to fulfilling its nonproliferation commitments and to cooperate fully with the ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency," the statement said.
TRUMP: ’VERY SOON, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THINGS HAPPENING’
The declaration of increased cooperation followed remarks by US President Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... this week that "things will happen in Iran very soon," as he claimed Tehran’s military and economic capabilities had been severely damaged during six months of war.
"Very soon, you’re going to see things happening," Trump said, later declaring that the United States would "win this war very quickly, one way or another."
"In Iran, we’ve been there for six months, with 18 dead. By the way, even one is too many, but they lost 4,500," Trump said. "We lost 18, and very soon you’re going to see things happening, very soon," he continued. "But you have a country there that’s been almost completely destroyed. Their economy is in bad shape. They have inflation of more than 300%."
TRUMP CLAIMS NEAR-TOTAL CONTROL OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Trump later addressed developments in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that Washington had achieved near-total control of the area.
"Over the last week in the Strait of Hormuz, where we have almost total control, I would say total control, but every once in a while they put a mine there and disrupt things a little," he said. "But we have, in effect, almost total control of the Strait of Hormuz."
Trump also claimed that the volume of oil passing through the strait over the previous three days had reached unprecedented levels.
"And in fact, over the last three days, more oil has come out of the Strait of Hormuz than at any other point in history," he said. "I’m not just talking about the period since the war. I’m saying at any point in history. There was pent-up demand that had accumulated."
[KhaamaPress] The United States has imposed new sanctions on Iran’s automotive and rail sectors, as well as international companies accused of supplying parts and other support to the industries.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced the measures on Thursday, October 1, as part of its "Operation Economic Outcast," a broader campaign aimed at cutting off financial and industrial channels that Washington says support Iran’s war effort, missile development, cyber activities and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to Rooters, the latest sanctions target major Iranian companies including Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... Khodro Company, SAIPA and several rail operators. The measures also cover foreign suppliers and controllers in countries including Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... member, but not the most reliable... and Hong Kong.
The Treasury said Iran’s rail sector has become increasingly important to the country’s economy and logistics amid a U.S. maritime blockade that has sharply reduced Iranian oil exports. Washington said the automotive and rail industries represent important remaining sources of revenue and logistical capacity for Tehran.
[IsraelTimes] Treasury Department sanctions 3 people along with 2 France-based charities accused of funneling over $2 million in donations to terror group; alleged Gaza-based ringleader indicted
The United States said Friday that it was dismantling a Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... financing network that raised more than $2 million for the terror group, imposing sanctions on three individuals and two La Belle France-based charities and indicting the alleged ringleader.
"These designations expose a sophisticated, multi‑year financing architecture that moved more than $2 million to Hamas through deceptive charitable fronts and cryptocurrency channels, demonstrating the organization’s persistent ability to adapt its fundraising mechanisms to evade detection," the US Treasury said of the sanctions in a statement.
Those sanctioned include Saleem Abdallah Saleem al-Zaq, identified as a Hamas member who oversees the financial network and works with the group’s media office.
As part of the same case, the US Justice Department issued an indictment against the Hamas commander.
The indictment against al-Zaq followed a recent related arrest in Florida and two other arrests in Louisiana.
Al-Zaq does not appear to be in US custody, however. Court filings have said he resides in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , and authorities have not announced an arrest.
"The close cooperation of law enforcement and prosecutors’ offices to dismantle al-Zaq’s alleged Hamas financing network demonstrates our commitment to depriving Hamas of the funding it relies on," said SS Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York.
The Department of Justice said al-Zaq collected more than $1.7 million through charity fronts and transferred the money to Hamas.
Also sanctioned were Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid, linked to the La Belle France-based charities Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux. Both charities were also named in Friday’s action.
"Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid operate from La Belle France, where they run purported charities ostensibly to raise money for humanitarian purposes to aid Gazook civilians," the US Treasury said.
It said the network had raised more than $2 million from 2020 to 2026, of which $1.5 million was raised after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
The ensuing war between Israel and Hamas has killed over 74,040 people in Gaza, including more than 1,400 since the October 2025 ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave, although the toll does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement a broader plan by US President Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... to end the Gaza conflict, which also includes Israeli withdrawals and Hamas disarmament. However,
there's more than one way to skin a cat... the terror group has refused to completely give up its weapons or disarm at all until Israel withdraws.
Saleem Alzaq, a battalion deputy in Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades and propaganda photographer, was accused of operating a fundraising network that used social media campaigns to collect donations for allegedly charitable purposes.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...mindless ferocity in a turban....jpg)
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
..always the voice of sweet reason...
BREAKING: Israel says pilot tried to hijack flydubai flight to Tel Aviv that diverted, landed in Saudi Arabia
