[Daily Mail where America gets its news] A taxpayer-funded Texas waterpark has sparked backlash by organizing a Muslim-only day to celebrate Eid.
Epic Waters in Grand Prairie, Texas drew outrage this week as it released fliers for the June 1 event, which will demand a 'modest dress code' and serve only Halal-slaughtered meat.
Posters for the event say it will be 'for Muslims only' to create a 'family-friendly environment', with tickets starting at $55 each.
The waterpark's website notes that men and women will not be separated during the event, but attendees are told to 'uphold Islamic etiquette' by 'lowering the gaze' throughout the day.
'Please follow the event’s modest dress code, and practice ḥayāʾ (modesty) through respectful behavior,' the event says.
All attendees are 'expected to dress in accordance with Islamic values', and the waterpark says all swimwear must meet Muslim guidelines.
The event was criticized across social media, with many questioning if a taxpayer-funded space is allowed to exclude certain demographics from its events.
Conservative commentator and radio host Dana Loesch led the backlash, questioning: 'How is a taxpayer-funded, city-owned entity allowed to discriminate against non-Muslims at a public water park?'
Loesch added: 'There would be literal riots if Muslims were similarly excluded and we all know that’s 100% accurate.'
Conservative influencer Sara Gonzalez also said she was intent on calling the city of Grand Prairie 'with my questions' as she questioned the legality of the event.
Epic Waters, which is funded by an additional sales tax on Grand Prairie residents, included on the event a list of suggested swimwear for women.
'Explore our recommendations and get ready to make a stylish - and modest - splash!' the website says.
The suggested swimwear included full head-to-toe coverings with bathing suit material, alongside full body coverings for children.
The site also includes testimonials from past attendees praising the event, including one from Ahmed S who said: 'I loved the modesty and the Anasheed.'
So this isn’t the first time. How long have they been doing this under the radar, and why are people noticing now?
Epic Waters, an 80,000-square-foot space, opened in 2017 as a city-owned events park for Grand Prairie residents.
The waterpark cost taxpayers $88 million, and was funded by a quarter-cent sales tax on Grand Prairie residents, which was approved by voters in 2014, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The Muslim-only event in June is being organized and run by the East Plano Islamic Center.
Oh. Them again. The EPIC City/The Meadow people, among other little projects.
The Daily Mail has contacted Epic Waters and the East Plano Islamic Center for comment on the reaction to its Muslim-only event.
#12
Proco, the weather in Texas is drought with a chance of hurricanes and flash floods.
Whatever it is, you get a double helping.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
05/04/2026 17:44 Comments ||
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#13
Pondering the subject some more in the light of day:
In Cincinnati we have a Six Flags amusement park: Kings Island. They have days during the seasons and between seasons that are blocked out for regular customers because some group or other has hired the entire park for the day — mostly the larger corporations in the area (P&G, GE, Toyota), but it makes sense that other groups, like a large church or mosque, might do so, too. It’s the dress code and order to avert one’s gaze that are odd.
The Epic Waterpark website doesn’t say anything about it, but I imagine that’s a matter for a private phone call.
[ToloNews] Long lines of cargo trucks stretch along the Torkham route,
a Pakistani town in Khyber District, that is the location of the Torkham Border Crossing with Afghanistan just to the west of the historic Khyber Pass
carrying the belongings of a lifetime, as families wait for permission to move.
Caught between leaving and staying, families have been waiting for days for the crossing to reopen.
In Landi Kotal, temporary camps are hosting hundreds of families who have gathered to register.
Saleha Bibi, a returnee, said: "When a person leaves a place where they have lived, it feels like being separated from parents. I am happy to return to my country, but I worry about my children."
Among the tents, an injured child is brought into the camp, while families move their belongings using handcarts.
Some have even brought their pets with them, a sign of a hurried and forced departure.
Since 2023, Pakistain has intensified the deportation of Afghan migrants colonists, sending back millions, many of whom belong to generations that have never seen Afghanistan.
In Jamrud, men sit beside trucks loaded with belongings, enduring days of waiting in the heat and uncertainty.
Another returnee, Noor Ali, said: "We have been stuck by the roadside for ten days. If the crossing closes again, it will create a big problem for us."
Fears among these migrants colonists have grown over the possible closure of the crossing amid ongoing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.
Sardar Wali, another returnee, said: "We fear that if conflict breaks out, the crossing will remain closed and we will be stranded here. We want to return as soon as possible."
Since 2023, Pakistain has intensified the deportation of Afghan migrants colonists, sending back millions, many of whom belong to generations that have never seen Afghanistan.
As tensions continue, the future of these families remains uncertain. Yet for many, returning, though difficult, appears to be the only option.
[ToloNews] I first came to Afghanistan in the early 2000s. In Herat ...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns... , I worked with UNHCR alongside families returning from Iran, men and women determined to rebuild after years of war. There was fragile optimism then, a hope that the country might finally turn a corner.
More than twenty years on, millions of Afghans are again on the move and again returning. So far this year, 2.7 million people have crossed back from Pakistain and Iran.
At Torkham, one of the main entry points back into Afghanistan, the scene I saw last week was stark. Under hot, dusty skies, families arrived after days on the road.
Children clung to parents. Men and women dragged sacks of clothes and belongings.
The de facto authorities, the UN and partners are doing what they can, but the sheer scale of returns, some 10,000 people a day is overwhelming. These returns from Pakistain must be voluntary, gradual and dignified, otherwise, they risk compounding hardship rather than ending it. And with winter fast approaching, the difficulties will only grow.
Afghanistan has unfortunately known this cycle for generations. Conflict erupts, people flee. The violence subsides, they return. UNHCR has walked alongside Afghans through each of these turns, trying to make returns sustainable not just a journey home, but the start of a life with dignity.
One woman I met at the border had left as a child, grown up in Pakistain, and was now returning with children of her own. "This is my home," she told me, "but it is not a home I know." Her story is not unique. For many, Afghanistan is a place remembered only through parents’ memories or seen for the first time with anxious eyes.
The reality they face is harsh. Afghanistan may be quieter than in years of open conflict, but peace has not yet brought prosperity. The economy is struggling. Nearly 50% of the population relies on some form of humanitarian aid. Jobs are scarce, healthcare fragile, schools under strain. The situation is even more challenging for women and girls.
UNHCR has supported Afghan women and girls for nearly four decades. Our female colleagues have been vital in reaching Afghans in need with assistance. As one Afghan female staff member told me this week, "We support not only our own families, but entire communities."
Yet today, these women are not permitted to work in UN offices. The result is stark: without them, our assistance centers, lifelines that since the early 2000s have supported nearly six million Afghans cannot function. Three in ten families who seek our help are headed by women, and the vast majority are women and kiddies. Without Afghan women in the response, many of those most in need will simply go without.
Afghanistan’s future will depend on the resilience and contributions of all its people. Afghans are resilient. But resilience alone is not enough. If these returns are to succeed, families need more than a bus ticket across the border and the hypothetical Duran Line and some small cash. They need livelihood programs, shelters, schools, clinics, and a way to earn a living. They need time and the chance to stand on their own feet. We are doing and can do support this work, but resources are already stretched to the maximum.
Afghanistan’s stability matters to us all. The choice is clear: invest now in reintegration, or risk watching hope collapse at the border, and the unintended consequences that may follow.
FoxNews] Armed men hijacked an oil tanker off Shabwa and steered it toward the Gulf of Aden, Yemen's coast guard reported
A surge in Somali piracy is fueling fears of a Red Sea "security vacuum" across the region as analysts warn of a revived maritime crime playbook, now linked to Iran-backed Houthis.
The warning follows a May 2 report from Yemen’s coast guard that armed men hijacked an oil tanker off Shabwa and steered it toward the Gulf of Aden, and the vessel has since been located with recovery efforts underway, Reuters reported.
"There is a fundamental shift in the maritime center of gravity amid a new phase of maritime instability in the region," Ido Shalev, chief operating officer at RTCOM Defense, told Fox News Digital.
"Somali and Houthi-linked groups are teaming up — using skiffs and new tech to strike ships with coordination not seen in a decade — while Saudi crude rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz has created a ‘target-rich environment for them,’" he added.
"There is an opportunistic alignment, with the Houthis providing geopolitical cover and advanced GPS and surveillance, and Somali groups providing the boots on the ground or skiffs on the water," Shalev said.
With the MT Eureka taken off Shabwa, Shalev, a former Israeli naval officer, suggested what he called the "Somali model" had returned "with a vengeance."
"This is a transactional collaboration, and in the exact area where the Houthis are active and would like to cause damage and support their IRGC sponsor," he said before describing how pirates would hijack the entire ship and cargo, taking them to a secure anchorage "like Qandala or Garacad."
"They then demand a ransom for the entire package: the vessel, the tens of millions of dollars in oil, and the crew," he said.
The surge in regional risk is also exacerbated, Shalev said, by the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz. As Iranian-backed threats persist in the Persian Gulf, global energy flows are shifting.
"Due to the closure and instability of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels of crude per day through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu," the former Israeli naval officer said.
"This creates a target-rich environment in a sector that was previously a backbound route. With Brent Crude prices surging — peaking near $115/bbl this quarter — the prize for a successful hijacking has never been higher."
The risk level in waters off Somalia was recently upgraded to "substantial" following a wave of hijackings and attempted attacks that began April 21, according to Windward AI and alerts from the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
At least three vessels were hijacked within days: a Somali-flagged fishing boat on April 21, followed by the Palau-flagged tanker Honour 25 (IMO 1099735), and, by April 26, a general cargo ship seized and redirected to Garacad.
Shalev, who served as the lead architect for Nigeria’s "Falcon Eye" project — a surveillance system that successfully reduced piracy in those waters to 0% — warned that the distraction of global warships is being exploited.
"Because international naval forces are preoccupied with missile threats, a ‘security vacuum’ has now opened in the region, so pirates can travel vast distances in skiffs to board vulnerable commercial vessels," he said.
"Somali piracy, which had been suppressed for years, has seen this sharp resurgence that also correlates perfectly with the Houthi crisis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," Shalev said.
The Red Sea carries 12% to 15% of global trade and about 30% of container traffic, moving over $1 trillion in goods annually, including oil and LNG, according to reports.
"The current crisis proves that you cannot ‘patrol’ your way out of this; you have to see the threat before it ever reaches the ship," Shalev said.
UAE BLOWS UP SECRET AMMO NETWORK LINKED TO SUDAN’S ARMY
According to Reuters, the UAE has referred Sudan’s army chief of staff and 12 other defendants, along with 6 companies, to State Security Court.
Key details:
• Authorities say millions of rounds of ammunition were intercepted in 2025
• The shipment was allegedly intended for the Sudanese army
• It was stopped before transfer via private aircraft
• Charges include illicit arms trafficking, forgery, and money laundering
Prosecutors also linked the procurement arrangements to a committee associated with Sudan’s military leadership.
The Sudanese army has previously rejected these claims.
Context:
This comes amid ongoing tensions between the UAE and Sudan, with mutual accusations over involvement in the country’s civil war.
Posted by: badanov ||
05/04/2026 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1773 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan
[IsraelTimes] Two US service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, says the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
The US, Morocco and other countries participating in the African Lion exercise have launched a search and rescue operation, AFRICOM says.
“The incident remains under investigation and the search is on-going,” it says in a statement.
The incident happened yesterday near the Cap Draa Training Area near Tan Tan, close to the Atlantic Ocean. The war games exercise started in April and runs across four countries, including Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. It is scheduled to end in early May.
African Lion, which has been running since 2004, is the largest US annual joint military exercise on the continent and usually features high-ranking military officials from the US and its top African allies.
The service members are U.S. Army soldiers who went missing while on a hike, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the issue.
“They were not actively taking part in any training. The day’s exercises had concluded, and, from our understanding, they were out on a recreational hike,” the official said.
#4
@1 Likely not. If training was done for the day, they would have been free to do what they wanted. Depending on the housing arrangements they might not have been missed until that night if there was bed check. If no bed check they would have been missed at morning formation.
[Reuters] The United Arab Emirates owes it to its investment partners to produce what global oil markets require without restrictions, while cooperating with other crude producers, its energy minister said on Monday after the Gulf state left OPEC.
The UAE, one of OPEC's biggest producers, exited the group on May 1, widening a rift with its neighbour Saudi Arabia, effectively the leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and the wider OPEC+ group.
"We owe it to partners investing in UAE to produce what the world requires without restrictions with collaboration with all other producers," Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei said at an annual UAE industrial conference in Dubai.
Once firm allies, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have developed a simmering rivalry, clashing on issues from oil policy and regional geopolitics to the race for foreign talent and capital.
Mazrouei and state energy group ADNOC's CEO said the UAE left OPEC and OPEC+ on good terms and the decision was not directed against anyone.
"I am confident we will be working with so many nations, including members of OPEC and OPEC+... We left on good terms," Mazrouei said at the "Make It In The Emirates" conference.
Asked about OPEC and Saudi Arabia's lack of public response to the decision, Mazrouei said: "The group has been relatively calm about the decision. Everyone realises it is a sovereign decision and everyone realises that UAE will be a responsible producer."
LONG-TERM STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
The UAE move was widely seen by energy analysts as weakening OPEC's clout over oil markets which could initiate a race to boost output leading to a sharp fall in crude prices.
"We will gauge our engagements based on requirements of the market as well as what we need to produce for our local industries," Mazrouei said.
ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber said the move to leave OPEC served the UAE's long-term strategic objectives, giving it greater ability to accelerate investment, expand and create value, while remaining a trusted and responsible partner in global energy markets.
"The United Arab Emirates' sovereign decision to reposition itself within the global energy landscape, and to exit OPEC and OPEC+, is not a decision directed against anyone," he told the conference.
Their homegrown Shomrim guards are no longer enough — it’s time to pay for some pros. A golem or two would no doubt come in handy…
[IsraelTimes] Sunday Times says organizations, including CST security group, hiring former members of Royal Marines and Parachute Regiment; institutions dipping into own funds to help cover cost.
If you pay for your own security, you can ensure that you are secured. Governments, however well meaning at the start, always have other needs for both funds and skilled people.
#1
Wanna bet that the veterans who take the job will be, suddenly, accused of war crimes in Afghanistan - like that Australian fellow, Ben Roberts-Smith?
#3
Two-tier Starmer at his best.
One level of security for commoners, a better level for society's preferred people.
At least they're not rape gangs this time.
[Reuters] - When potential providers and financiers for Venezuela's electric industry, including Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE), opens new tab and GE Vernova (GEV.N), opens new tab, held meetings with officials in Caracas in April, questions of how they might get paid to shore up the country's deteriorated grid were top of mind, two sources involved in the talks said.
Those executives came away hesitant, the sources said, as the nation tries to jumpstart a $100 billion reconstruction plan pushed by Washington.
Securing stable electricity is among interim President Delcy Rodriguez's top priorities since she replaced deposed President Nicolas Maduro in January, but the cash-strapped country has so far failed to guarantee timely payments to suppliers that would help key industries - like its oil-and-gas sector - recover.
MEXICO CITY, May 3 (Reuters) - Mexico's ruling morena party on Sunday named Ariadna Montiel Reyes as its new party president after her predecessor Luisa Maria Alcalde stepped down from the role to join the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum as the cabinet's legal advisor.
Montiel was serving as minister of welfare under President Sheinbaum, a role she also held under the previous president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The new leader of Sheinbaum’s party said her leadership will maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption.
“If we are certain that someone has committed an act of corruption, even if they won the (party’s) primaries, they will not be candidates,” Montiel said after assuming the party’s presidency.
“This leadership will not tolerate corruption in any morena government,” she added.
Montiel takes over the party presidency just days after the morena governor of Mexico's Sinaloa state, Ruben Rocha, temporarily stepped down from his role after being accused by the United States of aiding one of the country's most powerful drug cartels.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics
[ColonelCassad] Panic is setting in in the US.
It is? I must have missed it while taking my afternoon nap.
It wasn't even a couple of days after Bloomberg's triumphant reports that the country's crude oil exports had reached a record high, when someone smart realized that the Americans were literally selling off their strategic oil reserves.
Apparently we are, but we’re also selling more oil pumped out of the ground than before, making the strategic reserve considerably less important, it seems to me. I searched the Bloomberg site for articles on the US Strategic Oil Reserve, and in my lack of sensitivity and shallow understanding of things financial I notice no panicking at all. But look for yourself, dear Reader: Link
Bloomberg also reports: The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell by 7.12 million barrels last week—the largest weekly decline since October 2022.
Commercial crude oil inventories fell by 6.23 million barrels in a week—the largest drop since early February. Gasoline and distillate inventories also fell sharply—by 6.08 million and 4.49 million barrels, respectively, bringing overall gasoline inventories to their lowest seasonal level since 2014.
The most ironic thing is that the sell-off of oil and petroleum products from the United States to foreign markets is occurring against a backdrop of record-high fuel prices at the pump within the country. Prices have risen by a third since February and will continue to rise as reserves are depleted. And the closer the fall elections get, the more acute the fuel issue becomes for the United States.
Rumors have circulated that Trump may impose export restrictions: "Trump may restrict US exports to contain prices at home before the elections," writes The Economist.
He might. He also might encourage increased production and the building of more refineries to handle the flow.
And all this American vacillation stands in stark contrast to the behavior of the Chinese Communist Party and its companies. The Chinese leadership had been preparing for conflict in the Middle East for months, buying up all the available (and, at the time, very cheap) oil.
Vacillation. That’s a new definition of the word that I was not familiar with.
China has accumulated enormous oil reserves and is now using them extremely sparingly; together with Iran, it is prepared to tolerate the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for many months. Meanwhile, for the Americans, it is counting in weeks. And this is a perfect example of how strategy beats tactics.
1. In fact, Trump simply has no other choice, since before the election he must somehow maintain gasoline prices in the US. Even at the cost of selling off reserves. 2. At the same time, it will no longer be possible to return prices to pre-war levels, as reported by the US government, indicating that in 2026 prices "as before" will not return.
Before, as in under the Biden-Harris Politburo? I should hope not.
3. The globalist press is sad that the plan to deprive Russia of oil revenues and cause a budget crisis (due to strikes on refineries) failed because Trump attacked Iran.
4. In the future, the US will have serious problems replenishing strategic reserves, since they will have to buy oil at new market prices.
That’s certainly one perspective on the situation.
5. Attempts to force Venezuela to double oil production and the UAE's withdrawal from OPEC+ only partially solve the problem, due to production and export restrictions in these countries.
And, not or — adding a bunch of smaller efforts results in something much bigger…
6. Against this backdrop, Kuwait reported that for the first time since World War I, the country's oil exports had fallen to zero due to the consequences of Iran's attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Let us all together look to see what the future brings in the near future. It’ll be an adventure!
[IsraelTimes] Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other OPEC+ countries increase their oil production quota in an expected move aimed at demonstrating continuity at the cartel after the shock withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates.
The seven major producers will add “188,000 barrels per day” to their total production quota for June, as part of “their collective commitment to support oil market stability,” according to a statement published by OPEC+. The statement makes no mention of the United Arab Emirates, which quit the body this week.
Oil market analysts had widely expected the increase of 188,000 barrels, which is similar to the 206,000-barrel daily increases OPEC+ announced in both March and April, subtracting the portion allotted to the UAE.
But raising the quota on paper may not have much impact on actual production, which is already short of the limit.
Untapped OPEC+ reserves are mainly located in the Gulf region, and exports there are trapped by the blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz, imposed by Iran in response to the US-Israeli strikes that started the war on February 28.
#1
Interesting version of math.
The production levels in the Permian basin are such that yesterday natural gas prices actually went negative for a while. They can't move it fast enough.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
05/04/2026 15:24 Comments ||
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[KhaamaPress] Austria plans to deport Afghan asylum seekers via Uzbekistan under a new deal, raising concerns over growing restrictions on refugees in Europe.
Austria plans to deport Afghan asylum seekers via Uzbekistan under a new deal, reflecting tougher European migration policies and rising concerns among refugees.
Austria is preparing to deport Afghan asylum seekers through Uzbekistan under a new bilateral agreement aimed at facilitating returns to Afghanistan, according to local media reports. The deal is expected to be signed during a planned visit by Austria’s foreign and interior ministers to Tashkent on May 7.
Officials say the agreement is designed to streamline the transfer of Afghan migrants colonists to Uzbekistan before onward deportation to Afghanistan. The move signals a shift in Austria’s approach, as it seeks alternative routes for removals amid logistical and political challenges.
Austrian authorities stated that the plan would allow individuals facing deportation to be transported via Afghanistan’s northern neighbor, marking a departure from previous practices. Until now, deportations from Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... were often carried out through transit hubs such as Istanbul in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... European countries have increasingly tightened migration policies in recent years, particularly concerning Afghan asylum seekers who arrived after the Taliban ...Arabic for students... ’s return to power in 2021. Many applicants remain in legal uncertainty, facing stricter asylum reviews and growing pressure of removal.
Humanitarian organizations have raised concerns about the safety and legality of deportations to Afghanistan, citing ongoing security risks and humanitarian challenges in the country. Advocacy groups argue that forced returns could expose individuals to serious harm.
The International Rescue Committee has also warned of a rising trend in deportations of Afghan migrants colonists globally, urging governments to reconsider policies that could endanger vulnerable populations. The group highlighted the need for protection mechanisms and humane migration frameworks.
The proposed agreement with Uzbekistan reflects broader efforts by European states to externalize migration management by cooperating with third countries. Such arrangements aim to control migration flows but have sparked debate over responsibility-sharing and human rights ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedom at the convenience of the state... standards.
The development underscores growing anxiety among Afghan refugees in Europe, many of whom fear forced return despite uncertain conditions in their home country. The outcome of the agreement may set a precedent for similar policies across the region.
[IsraelTimes] The Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court approved a two-day extension to the detention of two foreign activists from a 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... -bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for questioning, a rights group representing them told AFP on Sunday.
The activists, Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila, were among more than 170 detained by Israel last week when the flotilla was intercepted by the Israeli Navy in international waters. The remainder were all freed on Friday in Greece, while Abu Keshek and Avila were brought to Israel on suspicion of ties to a group the US says acts on behalf of the terror group Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... "The court extended their detention by two days," said Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the rights group Adalah, of Abu Keshek and Avila.
Israeli authorities had asked to extend their detention by four days, Azem said earlier.
In a separate statement, Adalah said the state attorney had presented a list of suspected offenses committed by the pair, including "assisting the enemy during wartime" and "membership in and providing services to a terrorist organization."
Adalah challenged the state’s jurisdiction, arguing that the activists were seized in international waters.
The group’s lawyers told the court that Avila and Abu Keshek had testified to "severe physical abuse amounting to torture, including being beaten and held in isolation and blindfolded for days at sea."
No formal charges were filed against the two, it said.
"Both activists are continuing their hunger strike in protest of their unlawful detention and ill-treatment," the group added.
Adalah said Saturday that its lawyers had met the two detained activists at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon.
Ready for the lies dear Reader? Here goes:
Avila told the lawyers he had been "subjected to extreme brutality" when the vessels were seized, and that he was "dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice."
Adalah said that since arriving in Israel, Avila said he had been "kept in isolation and blindfolded."
Abu Keshek was also "hand-tied and blindfolded... and forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure" until reaching Israel, the group said.
Israel said that Keshek and Avila are affiliated with the Popular Conference for Paleostinians Abroad (PCPA), which has been accused by the US Treasury of "clandestinely acting on behalf of" Hamas.
The Foreign Ministry said Abu Keshek was a leading PCPA member and that Avila was also linked to the organization and "suspected of illegal activity."
They are both members of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee, which is behind the repeated attempts to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
Spain has rejected the Israeli accusation against Abu Keshek.
The latest attempt to reach Gaza comes less than a year after Israeli authorities foiled the previous effort by the group. Participants, including Swedish climate activist Greta "Pippi" Thunberg ...an autistic sixteen year old Swedish expert on climate change, though I guess she's older now... , detained on those flotillas were questioned in Israel before later being deported.
Israeli officials repeatedly denounced the flotillas as publicity stunts, saying they brought insignificant amounts of aid.
[IsraelTimes] The Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reports that Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... members in the 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... Strip have completed voting in internal elections and have elected Khaled Mashaal as overall leader of the movement — also known as head of its political bureau.
Khalil al-Hayya was elected Hamas leader in Gaza and Zaher Jabareen was picked the group’s head in the West Bank, the report says.
Al-Hayya and Jabareen were already serving in those roles without elections being held — they assumed the positions in the wake of Israel’s assassinations of Yahya Sinwar and Saleh al-Arouri, respectively.
However,
denial ain't just a river in Egypt... the report by the pro-Hezbollah daily notes that the results only reflect the Gaza vote.
It does not mention whether voting has already taken place in the other arenas that are also part of the overall decision-making process —- the West Bank and abroad.
The terror group has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
Hamas generally holds leadership elections every four years, but the latest vote, initially scheduled for 2025, was delayed by the war sparked by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, massacre. During the war, Israel assassinated most of the group’s senior political and military commanders.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The Israeli Ministry of Defense has approved the purchase of a large batch of F-35 and F-15IA fighter jets from the United States. This was reported by the ministry's press service on May 3.
According to the agency, the contracts are valued at tens of billions of shekels, although the exact number of aircraft being purchased and the final cost of the deal have not yet been disclosed.
The Israeli Air Force will receive its fourth squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters and a second squadron of Boeing F-15IA multirole fighters.
The Ministry of Defense explained that the agreements encompass not only the delivery of equipment but also the deep integration of the vehicles into existing digital troop command and control systems. Furthermore, comprehensive maintenance, uninterrupted supply of spare parts, and full logistical support are provided.
"The purchase of the F-35 and F-15IA is central to the Israel Shield plan, which is designed to provide the IDF with long-term qualitative superiority," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Katz emphasized that the aviation sector is awaiting significant technological modernization, including the introduction of autonomous flight solutions and the latest generation of defense systems. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the IDF's dominance in space to carry out both defensive and offensive missions.
On April 17, Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen demanded an end to arms sales to Israel. He claimed that the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facilitated the attack on Iran. Tel Aviv launched an offensive in Lebanon and continues to harm civilians in the West Bank and Gaza, Hollen noted.
The aircraft would eventually bring the Israeli Air Force’s F-35I fleet to 100 and F-15IA — the Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX — fleet to 50 in the coming years.
Currently, Israel has 48 F-35I jets, following an initial order of 50. Another 25 F-35s were ordered in 2023, which are expected to be delivered starting in 2028. Israel ordered 25 F-15IA jets in 2024, and the first are expected to be delivered starting in 2031.
SHIPMENTS FROM US CARRYING 6,500 TONS OF MILITARY GEAR ARRIVE IN ISRAEL
Last week, two cargo ships and several planes carrying 6,500 tons of military equipment from the United States, including thousands of munitions and light armored utility vehicles, arrived in Israel, the Defense Ministry said.
The ships, which docked at the Haifa and Ashdod ports, were carrying "thousands of air munitions, ground munitions, military trucks, JLTV combat mobility vehicles, and additional equipment," the ministry said.
The 6,500 tons of equipment were loaded onto trucks and taken to various military bases across the country.
Baram said the procurement operation "will continue and intensify in the coming weeks."
The ministry said that since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, more than 115,600 tons of military equipment have arrived in Israel on 403 flights and 10 ships.
Katz said the ministry’s goal is "to ensure that the IDF receives all the necessary means so that it can return to operating at full strength against our enemies at any time and in any place required."
#Iran / #Israel / #USA 🇮🇷🇮🇱🇺🇸: A “Kurdistan Freedom Party” (#PAK) cell released a video from #Tehran and announced its readiness to carry out attacks.
The militant cell is seemingly has at least one #Romania-made 🇷🇴 PM md. 65 assault rifle fitted with Hungarian AK furnitures. pic.twitter.com/ZO9GV9uZsT
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.
...Arabic for 
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
on February 28, more than 115,600 tons of military equipment have arrived in Israel on 403 flights and 10 ships.
