[Jpost] Macklemore claimed nine major US arenas, including Madison Square Garden, refused to book his "Free Palestine" tour, while MSG countered that the rapper is "not an arena-level act."
American rapper Macklemore, an outspoken critic of the war 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... , said on Friday that major US concert venues, including New York's Madison Square Garden, refused to book his Free Paleostine tour, which had just concluded three dates in Europe.
The "Thrift Shop" performer launched the effort after he was removed as the opening act on musician Ed Sheeran's concert tour in August. Macklemore said at the time that stadium owners had objected to him saying "Free Paleostine" on stage.
Since then, nine US venues have declined to allow him to book available dates through the end of the year, Macklemore said on social media. The venues included Madison Square Garden and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
"The shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues," he said in a post. "In over 20 years of touring, I've never experienced anything like this."
'NOT AN ARENA-LEVEL ACT'
A spokesperson for MSG Entertainment, which operates Madison Square Garden and other venues, said its properties are among "the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability" and that Macklemore is "not an arena-level act."
Representatives for the Kia Forum did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Macklemore played Free Paleostine shows in Dublin, Gay Paree, and London to raise funds for organizations that support the Paleostinian people. The musician said he would work with other artists and organizers to do more performances for the cause.
"We live in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech," he wrote. "Yet we've reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which causes are acceptable, which voices are welcome and which human lives are worth defending."
Paleostinian authorities say more than 74,000 Gazooks have been killed in the war, launched after Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... killed nearly 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
#1
"We live in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech," he wrote. "Yet we've reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which causes are acceptable, which voices are welcome and which human lives are worth defending."
Speak all you want.
I and mine are not mandated to listen, nor fund your cause.
[GaroweOnline] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... has deployed two naval warships to escort a Ottoman Turkish fishing vessel to Somalia, expanding its maritime activities as the Horn of Africa nation faces deepening political divisions, armed confrontations and disputes over the legitimacy of the federal government.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry said the frigates TCG Gökceada and TCG Yildirim were heading to Mogadishu to protect Mustafa Korkmaz A, a Ottoman Turkish fishing vessel expected to conduct exploratory and trial fishing operations in Somalia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The ministry did not disclose details of the vessel’s fishing licence, the duration of its operations or the commercial arrangements governing the mission.
The deployment follows a 2024 defence and economic cooperation agreement between Ankara and Mogadishu, alongside expanding Ottoman Turkish interests in Somalia’s fisheries, offshore energy resources and military infrastructure.
However,
Switzerland makes more than cheese... Somali opposition figures have criticised Turkey’s growing involvement, arguing that some activities are being pursued without sufficient national consultation or transparency and appear increasingly one-sided.
Critics accuse Ankara of prioritising its strategic, military and economic interests while overlooking Somalia’s constitutional and political disputes. The Ottoman Turkish government maintains that its cooperation supports Somalia’s illusory sovereignty, security and economic development.
The deployment comes as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud faces mounting opposition over constitutional amendments and the extension of presidential terms. Opposition leaders maintain that his original four-year mandate has expired and have demanded elections, while the federal government defends the revised constitutional framework.
Political tensions have also escalated in South West State, where armed confrontations involving federal forces and opposition-aligned groups have been reported.
In Hirshabelle, disputes over a contested regional election have triggered unrest, with Macawiisley clan fighters taking control of positions in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiiraan region.
The instability has unfolded alongside continuing threats from al-Shabaab ... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them... , which has maintained links with elements of local clan networks, complicating security operations and political reconciliation.
Somalia’s constitutional confrontation intensified further after Mohamud announced the dismissal of Supreme Court Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed, prompting a judicial challenge to the president’s authority.
The chief justice has challenged the dismissal amid a wider dispute over the president’s constitutional mandate and demands for elections.
Turkey’s latest maritime operation is expected to attract further scrutiny over the management of Somalia’s fisheries and offshore resources, particularly as the country struggles with political fragmentation and questions over federal authority.
The Ottoman Turkish Defence Ministry has not publicly detailed the specific economic benefits Somalia would receive from the planned fishing operation.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
11/07/2026 00:00 ||
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#1
The ministry did not disclose details of the vessel’s fishing licence, the duration of its operations or the commercial arrangements governing the mission.
[KhaamaPress] Syria has sent dozens of military personnel to Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... to provide military advice and training as the kingdom faces renewed attacks by Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... ’s Iran-aligned Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... movement, according to two Syrian military sources and a senior US official cited by Rooters on Friday.
The Syrian teams are helping train Saudi and Yemeni forces inside the kingdom to improve their combat capabilities. The Syrian sources said the personnel had arrived in recent weeks and that their mission could extend beyond training and advisory work, although its full scope remains unclear.
Damascus has not confirmed the reported deployment. A senior Syrian diplomat described suggestions of a troop deployment as premature but confirmed that a defence cooperation agreement signed during President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Riyadh on Wednesday includes military advice, training and the exchange of expertise. A Saudi official said joint training exercises were underway, with further security and defence cooperation planned.
Washington has urged Syria to proceed cautiously, warning that involvement in Yemen could draw the country into a wider regional conflict. Saudi Arabia has sought support from several allies as Houthi forces intensify missile attacks on its airports and oil facilities, while Riyadh has carried out Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s in support of allied Yemeni forces.
The agreement marks a further step in closer ties between Saudi Arabia and Syria following the overthrow of Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Scourge of Qusayr... in 2024. It could also open the way for broader defence cooperation, potentially involving the Saudi-Pak-Ottoman Turkish security partnership signed in Mecca. Separately, Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide Syria with more than $403 million in concessional development loans.
The latest development follows a Rooters report in October that Syria was considering providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia, including defensive support against Houthi attacks and a possible deployment of Syrian forces to support Saudi-backed Yemeni troops in offensive operations. The extent of the proposed cooperation, however, remains unclear.
The renewed conflict in Yemen has heightened regional security concerns, with the Houthis expanding their influence in some areas while government forces have made limited advances elsewhere. Although the current arrangement is officially described as cooperation in military training and expertise, Syrian military sources cited by Rooters have not ruled out a broader operational role.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
11/07/2026 00:00 ||
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#1
The Syrian teams
Recommend deep background vetting on these guys.
Also hostage taking for performance surety bond.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government says 21 foreign specialists, including 14 from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and seven from Lebanon’s Hezbollah, are working with the Houthis. In a Ministry of Interior @moiyemen statement, Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Haidan @EbrahimHaidan alleged that their role extends beyond training and weapons support to direct involvement in planning, command and control, and managing military operations.
The ministry listed eight specialists in Hodeidah, four in Sana’a, four in Saada, two in Hajjah, two in Amran and one in al-Khawkhah. Their alleged responsibilities include ballistic missiles, drones, radar, communications, electronic warfare and weapons smuggling, alongside selecting commercial shipping targets, developing explosive boats and unmanned underwater vehicles, and training fighters in mine warfare, siege tactics and urban combat.
“This is not a training mission, but a complete general staff,” Haidan said. He also alleged that an IRGC officer presenting himself publicly as an ambassador heads the network, without naming him [Ali Mohammad Rezaei is Iran's envoy to the Houthis in Sana'a] in the statement. Linking the specialists to the siege of Taiz and threats to Red Sea shipping, Haidan said, “The decision is written in Tehran, announced in Sana’a, and paid for in Taiz, Hodeidah and the other embattled governorates.”
(1) Ali Mohammed Ramadani, alias Rezaei, Sana’a.
(2) Abd al-Reza Shahlai, alias Al-Hajj Abu Yusuf, Sana’a.
(3) Ali Hussein Nejati, Sana’a.
(4) Haitham Fouad Murtada, alias Abu Turab, Sana’a.
(5) Hamed Reza Goudarzi, alias Al-Hajj Dhu al-Fiqar, Saada.
(6) Faramarz Kianzad, alias Abu Haitham, Saada.
(7) Khosrow Masoud Dahan, alias Abu Kifah, Saada.
(8) Mohammed Reza Zarei, alias Abu Haidar, Saada.
(9) Siavash Arsham Hemmati, alias Abu Hadi, Amran.
(10) Bilal Ahmed Mcheik, alias Abu Mustafa, Amran.
(11) Kaveh Mehranpour, alias Abu Sajjad, Hodeidah.
(12) Behrouz Ali Reza Fallah, alias Abu Jawad, Hodeidah.
(13) Esfandiar Jamshid Khosravi, alias Abu Baqir, Hodeidah.
(14) Gholam Hussein Rahimi, alias Abu Reza, Hodeidah.
(15) Jihad Qassem Sweidan, alias Abu Zain al-Abidin, Hodeidah.
(16) Mustafa Kamal Bazzi, alias Abu al-Hassan, Hodeidah.
(17) Hadi Hussein Shas, alias Abu Fadl, Hodeidah.
(18) Khalil Ibrahim Hammoud, alias Abu Ahmed, Hodeidah.
(19) Mojtaba Sirus Salehi, alias Abu Mahdi, Hajjah.
(20) Fariborz Nasser Mahdavi, alias Abu Taha, Hajjah.
(21) Abbas Ali Haidar, alias Sajid, al-Khawkhah, Hodeidah governorate.
Text:
Yemen’s internationally recognized government says 21 foreign specialists, including 14 from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and seven from Lebanon’s Hezbollah, are working with the Houthis. In a Ministry of Interior
@moiyemen statement, Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Haidan
@EbrahimHaidan alleged that their role extends beyond training and weapons support to direct involvement in planning, command and control, and managing military operations.
The ministry listed eight specialists in Hodeidah, four in Sana’a, four in Saada, two in Hajjah, two in Amran and one in al-Khawkhah. Their alleged responsibilities include ballistic missiles, drones, radar, communications, electronic warfare and weapons smuggling, alongside selecting commercial shipping targets, developing explosive boats and unmanned underwater vehicles, and training fighters in mine warfare, siege tactics and urban combat.
“This is not a training mission, but a complete general staff,” Haidan said. He also alleged that an IRGC officer presenting himself publicly as an ambassador heads the network, without naming him [Ali Mohammad Rezaei is Iran's envoy to the Houthis in Sana'a] in the statement. Linking the specialists to the siege of Taiz and threats to Red Sea shipping, Haidan said, “The decision is written in Tehran, announced in Sana’a, and paid for in Taiz, Hodeidah and the other embattled governorates.”
(1) Ali Mohammed Ramadani, alias Rezaei, Sana’a.
(2) Abd al-Reza Shahlai, alias Al-Hajj Abu Yusuf, Sana’a.
(3) Ali Hussein Nejati, Sana’a.
(4) Haitham Fouad Murtada, alias Abu Turab, Sana’a.
(5) Hamed Reza Goudarzi, alias Al-Hajj Dhu al-Fiqar, Saada.
(6) Faramarz Kianzad, alias Abu Haitham, Saada.
(7) Khosrow Masoud Dahan, alias Abu Kifah, Saada.
(8) Mohammed Reza Zarei, alias Abu Haidar, Saada.
(9) Siavash Arsham Hemmati, alias Abu Hadi, Amran.
(10) Bilal Ahmed Mcheik, alias Abu Mustafa, Amran.
(11) Kaveh Mehranpour, alias Abu Sajjad, Hodeidah.
(12) Behrouz Ali Reza Fallah, alias Abu Jawad, Hodeidah.
(13) Esfandiar Jamshid Khosravi, alias Abu Baqir, Hodeidah.
(14) Gholam Hussein Rahimi, alias Abu Reza, Hodeidah.
(15) Jihad Qassem Sweidan, alias Abu Zain al-Abidin, Hodeidah.
(16) Mustafa Kamal Bazzi, alias Abu al-Hassan, Hodeidah.
(17) Hadi Hussein Shas, alias Abu Fadl, Hodeidah.
(18) Khalil Ibrahim Hammoud, alias Abu Ahmed, Hodeidah.
(19) Mojtaba Sirus Salehi, alias Abu Mahdi, Hajjah.
(20) Fariborz Nasser Mahdavi, alias Abu Taha, Hajjah.
(21) Abbas Ali Haidar, alias Sajid, al-Khawkhah, Hodeidah governorate.
Posted by: badanov ||
11/07/2026 00:00 ||
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[17 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies
[Jpost] Amersfoort's mayor pledged to help restore a canceled exhibition honoring the city's historic synagogue, warning that the decision had caused considerable pain within the Jewish community.
Amersfoort Mayor Lucas Bolsius has intervened to reverse a last-minute decision by Museum Amersfoort to cancel an exhibition marking the 300th anniversary of the Dutch city's historic synagogue, The Algemeiner reported Wednesday.
My mother was taken in by a nice young family in Amersfoort during the war, where she lived under a false identity as a little Catholic housemaid until the Nazis were defeated. We visited them when we went back with Mama in 2010. I had no idea there’d been a Jewish community there.
Dating back to 1727, the Amersfoort Synagogue is the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in Western Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... still in active use, preserving a religious tradition rooted in the Jewish communities of Central and Eastern Europe.
The museum announced the cancellation on Tuesday, citing security concerns related to the war 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 broader regional tensions.
The exhibition, titled "300 Years Amersfoort Shul," had been in planning for five years and was scheduled to open ahead of the synagogue's 300th anniversary in February.
Paul Baltus, director of the nonprofit organization that operates the museum, told the Dutch newspaper AD that organizers "find the tension that this brings with it difficult."
"As a small, vulnerable organization, I do not want to subject my people to that. Of course, you can deploy security guards or install cameras, but the fact remains that our volunteers have to deal with all kinds of possible reactions," Baltus said.
The decision was made despite the absence of any specific security threat.
MAYOR INTERVENES FOLLOWING BACKLASH OVER CANCELLATION
Bolsius assured the local Jewish community on Wednesday that the exhibition would proceed as planned, saying he had not been consulted about the cancellation and that there was no evidence of a security threat to the museum or its staff.
"I am deeply saddened by this decision. Jewish history is an integral part of our city’s heritage and must receive the attention and recognition it warrants," Bolsius said during a meeting at City Hall. "The cancellation has caused considerable pain within the Jewish community, particularly by reinforcing the feeling that its members are not welcome or even allowed to exist."
"We want to ensure that the community and the city get to see the exhibition they have been looking forward to for years," Bolsius continued. "We are therefore entering into discussions with all parties involved to find a way to resolve the situation and make sure the exhibition can proceed."
Alexander van Dijkhuizen, chairman of the Jewish Community of Amersfoort, strongly criticized the cancellation, arguing that it reflected a broader tendency within the cultural sector to conflate Jewish identity with the actions of the Israeli government.
"Apparently, many struggle to distinguish between Jewish identity and Israel. The reflex to cancel performances in situations like this is becoming increasingly common across the cultural sector," Dijkhuizen said in a statement.
"It is essential not only to reflect on the past, but also to acknowledge the difficult circumstances facing the Jewish community today. Its population continues to dwindle," he added.
JEWISH EVENTS FACE CANCELLATIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS
The controversy follows several boycotts and attempted cancellations involving Jewish and Israeli events in the Netherlands.
In May, a retirement home canceled a concert by Dutch-Jewish singer and Eurovision winner Lenny Kuhr following anti-Israel protests at one of her earlier performances.
Last year, Amsterdam's Royal Concert Hall canceled a Chanukah concert because one of the performers was an IDF reservist, before reversing the decision amid the threat of legal action.
#1
"My mother was taken in by a nice young family in Amersfoort during the war, where she lived under a false identity as a little Catholic housemaid until the Nazis were defeated. We visited them when we went back with Mama in 2010. I had no idea there’d been a Jewish community there." I'm glad to know such people existed. A couple of years ago I drove to the Detroit area to visit a Holocaust museum there. I arrived 45 minutes before it opened and waited in my car for the rest to show up. A man was walking around the parking lot when I arrived. He came up to me & checked me out. I figured he was a security guard, though that never came up in our conversation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Ilya Maximov
[Regnum] The largest mass protests and strikes since the beginning of autumn took place yesterday in France. The government assures that it has heard the protesters and is ready for dialogue, but talk alone will not solve the accumulated problems.
According to official figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, approximately 575,000 people took to the streets; some media outlets, citing authorities, reported more than 600,000. The CGT trade union, one of the organizers of the nationwide strike that accompanied the demonstration, insisted that the total number of participants was approximately 1.6 million.
Discrepancies in figures between official and unofficial sources are common, but even the government estimate was higher than the figures for October 17, when street protests degenerated into pogroms and looting. Given their experience and the scale of the events, the authorities deployed approximately 70,000 police officers across the country to maintain law and order, as well as armored vehicles, drones, and helicopters.
The participants were extremely diverse: students and schoolchildren, teachers, railway workers, postal workers, medical workers, energy workers, pensioners, and many others. Students in their 20s, young professionals, older workers, and pensioners protested side by side.
Their demands are varied: higher wages and pensions, increased spending on education and social services in general, and the creation of additional places at universities. At the same time, everyone, without exception, complains about the rising cost of living and that the government is not listening to them.
In general terms, the main reasons for discontent are fairly simple: the impoverishment of the population amid soaring prices and a sense of injustice. The official reason was the draft 2027 budget, which calls for a freeze on social spending and public sector optimization, which would entail job cuts.
"Everything is growing except wages and pensions. The anger is great," said a joint statement from the CGT, CNT, and UNEF trade unions, whose support played a significant role in the record-breaking turnout set yesterday.
A student participating in the demonstration explained his reasoning to Al Jazeera: "People are protesting because they feel their future is under threat." A historian from Lille put the reason even more bluntly: "There is money in society, but it's in the hands of a small group, and we must fight to change that."
"It's hard to make ends meet on a salary that hasn't been properly reviewed for years," a Parisian nurse told The Guardian.
The general strike didn't completely paralyze the country, but it did hit sensitive areas. Transportation, industry, and various public institutions and tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, were disrupted.
Overall, the day was calmer than October 17, but serious clashes with the police were still not avoided. After all, what's a source of discontent for some is an excuse for others to start more street fights, to loot shop windows or simply to get nervous.
In Paris, Lyon, Orleans, Pau, Rennes, and several other cities, police were pelted with whatever they could find, including metal pétanque balls. A school burned down near Toulouse, and firefighters received at least 86 calls in connection with the unrest.
As a result, 448 people were detained, and 53 police officers were injured. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, whose resignation the French president refused to accept, stated that law enforcement officers "acted with courage and determination."
Meanwhile, the very deployment of tens of thousands of law enforcement officers sparked strong opposition from protesters. France's oldest nongovernmental human rights organization, the Human Rights League, declared an "authoritarian shift" aimed at "suppressing any dissent."
At the same time, most protesters were concerned with much more mundane issues. "The police are everywhere, but where is the funding for other public services?" asked a social worker from a Paris suburb who spoke to The Guardian.
Meanwhile, the authorities are persistently trying to pretend that they are ready to accommodate the protesters.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a special conference on November 9 to discuss the demands put forward by the protesters. Macron also acknowledged the validity of many of the protesters' concerns, proposing to address them in a "democratic debate."
But promises, conferences, and roundtables are unlikely to help here. And finding budgetary funds to even partially fulfill existing wishes will be very difficult.
Record-high public debt, which continues to grow amid declining GDP, has already caused a significant deficit in the state treasury. The cost of servicing government loans already stands at a record €79.2 billion and could rise to €91 billion next year, forcing further cuts to other spending.
For example, the authorities are currently considering raising the minimum wage, which is being demanded by demonstrators, but with a budget deficit growing year after year, there is no way to meet other expectations: raising pensions, ending cuts to social spending, lifting caps on public sector wage growth, and so on.
Moreover, the current approach to the unrest sweeping the republic doesn't satisfy another segment of society—the affluent French, who, unlike the protesters, have something to lose. They criticize both the protesters and the government, but try to remain muted, mindful of how brutal the French Revolution can be.
"Today we deplore the government's inaction on the one hand, and the support of these protests by some trade unions and politicians in order to secure votes on the other," the owner of a ransacked Parisian bakery, which opened just two weeks before the mass demonstrations began, told the NYT.
This opinion is shared by Alexandre Bompard, chairman of the board of directors of the French retail chain Carrefour, one of Europe's largest retailers. "The Republic must protect its traders!" he said in a comment to Business Insider.
The government's attempts to pander to the protesters' aspirations amid widespread economic problems have also drawn sharp criticism. "Under the pretext of buying social peace on the streets, we will create chaos in the workplace," Patrick Martin, president of MEDEF (France's largest employers' association), told BFMTV.
The government finds itself caught between two fires: if it concedes on raising the minimum wage and social spending, businesses warn of the threat of bankruptcy and investor flight; if it refuses, trade unions, students, and the "yellow vests" will continue their strikes, and the opposition will gain ground.
However, as practice shows, even partially meeting the protesters halfway does not guarantee an end to their actions.
For example, students at the schools where the autumn wave of protests began were promised around 3,000 additional teachers to fill the staffing shortage. They also promised a reduction in class sizes, a further increase in staffing levels next year, and the allocation of €4 billion in loans for the reconstruction of educational institutions.
Under the current circumstances, finding funds to meet the needs of schoolchildren, their parents, and teachers was likely difficult. Ultimately, however, it was to no avail, as the ranks of protesters continue to grow, and the protests themselves become more widespread.
The protest organizers and participants themselves seem to understand perfectly well that even with the best will in the world, the authorities will be unable to satisfy most of their demands. In response to the president's call for discussion, they denounce the authorities and declare that what's happening now is just the beginning.
"This is just the beginning. If the government and employers don't respond to our demands, we will obviously continue," CGT union leader Sophie Binet threatened in an interview with The New York Times.
The fact that such large-scale protests are taking place six months before the presidential election only adds to the urgency of the situation. Politicians involved in the presidential race are trying to exploit the crisis—and with some success.
National Rally leader Marine Le Pen continues to lead the polls, promising to find a political response to the social crisis. Apparently, this refers to her plans to reduce France's share of the EU budget, which would, if not halt, then at least slow the economic decline.
The second-most popular candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the parliamentary faction "France Insoumise," also spoke in defense of the protesters. He called the situation a "crisis of the regime" and, as befits a far-left politician, described the unrest as "a part of the life of any society."
However, there are no longer any simple ways out of the situation in which the country has found itself at the behest of Macron and his henchmen.
"Whoever wins the presidential election will have a lot of problems to deal with," political scientist Paul Smith, an associate professor at the University of Nottingham, told the AP.
Therefore, for any candidate, a coveted victory could turn into a headache that will quickly make them forget their success. Such is the difficult legacy of Macronism.
#1
In general terms, the main reasons for discontent are fairly simple: the impoverishment of the population amid soaring prices and a sense of injustice. The official reason was the draft 2027 budget, which calls for a freeze on social spending and public sector optimization, which would entail job cuts.
[FOX] The Democratic mayor of America's fourth-largest city is reversing course on cooperation with federal immigration authorities despite an executive order from defeated Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that threatened the loss of millions in state funding for noncompliance.
The Lone Star State swung blue for the first time since its new senator-elect, James Talarico, was born, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire wasted no time Friday announcing new restrictions on cooperation with ICE.
Whitmire told The New York Times that city police are not permitted to notify ICE if they encounter an illegal immigrant in "nonviolent contacts" like traffic stops or minor offenses.
"If they’re charged with a new crime, we’ll let ICE know as we get them to the jailhouse," he told the paper Friday.
Abbott lost his bid for a fourth term Tuesday, and Talarico flipped one of the state’s Senate seats blue for the first time since Clinton Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen won his final re-election bid in 1988 — seven months before the current senator-elect was born.
Texas’ most recent Democratic governor, Ann Richards, the mother of former longtime Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, was elected shortly thereafter in 1990.
Whitmire did not respond to a request for comment but signaled to the Times that he made the decision at least in part because Abbott’s order requiring DHS contact caused "anxiety" among Houstonians.
In a statement put out Friday afternoon, Whitmire said, "I have signed an executive order directing HPD to no longer contact ICE for nonviolent offenses, helping reduce fear in our communities. Thank you to Chief Diaz, our state and local leaders for their collaboration. A step toward building a stronger Houston. Let’s Go to Work."
He also acknowledged Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa won’t take office until January but characterized his decision as "responsible" and "more effective policy."
A DHS spokesperson responded to Whitmire's move in comments to Fox News Digital.
"We remain disappointed that sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE, as our law enforcement are simply fulfilling their sworn duties to serve and protect our communities," the spokesperson said.
"Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country. Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities.
[MSN] The Council on American-Islamic Relations, also known as CAIR, has suspended its operations in Florida after a federal judge rejected an emergency request to block the state from designating the organization and its Florida chapter as domestic terrorist organizations.
CAIR sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, claiming the designation violates the First Amendment and federal due process protections.
[Rudaw] Amnesty International on Thursday said they welcome the landmark ruling by a US federal court in Florida allowing the advancement of a lawsuit filed by three Iranian torture survivors against Parviz Sabeti, a former bigwig in Iran’s intelligence agency during the Shah era.
The statement came a day after a Florida court ruled that a case filed by three Iranian torture survivors against Sabeti - an alleged former senior SAVAK official - "can move forward to [the] merits phase." The "US federal court found the deadline to file their complaint was extended because their fear of reprisal was legitimate and ongoing," the the Socialist paradise of San Francisco ...where God struck dead Anton LaVey, home of the Sydney Ducks, ruled by Vigilance Committee from 1859 through 1867, reliably and volubly Democrat since 1964... -based Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) reported on Wednesday.
"This ruling offers hope to torture survivors in 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... under both the Shah & the Islamic Theocratic Republic and sends a powerful message that decades of repression & fear cannot stand in the way of justice & that courts can still ensure that accountability for victims remains w/in reach," read Amnesty’s statement on X.
By rejecting the defendant’s argument in the November ruling that the claim was filed too late, "the court acknowledged the broader context of a continuous crisis of repression and impunity in Iran, which has left victims of torture under both the Shah and the Islamic Theocratic Republic without access to justice," Amnesty said.
The lawsuit was filed under the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) by three Iranian torture survivors in February 2025, who are proceeding under "John Doe" pseudonyms to protect their safety, according to the CJA, who represents and seeks redress for survivors from around the world of torture, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in US and Spanish courts.
The plaintiffs allege that during the 1970s, they were detained and tortured under a system of political repression designed, authorized, and overseen by Sabeti from 1973 to 1978 in his capacity as Deputy Director of SAVAK.
An earlier October ruling denied requests from Sabeti, who himself has lived under assumed names, to strip the plaintiffs of their right to proceed under pseudonyms and rejected his arguments stating that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations within the ten-year time frame in the Torture Victim Protection Act on grounds of having "feared for their safety" and that Sabeti had hid his location and whereabouts until 2023.
"Considering that Iran has never engaged in a democratic reckoning of crimes [the] Defendant is accused of... Plaintiff’s fear of reprisal from a myriad of dangers — coupled with [the] Defendant’s concealment — clearly establish the extraordinary circumstances required to support equitable tolling," the Florida US district court said in Doe I versus Sabeti on October 6.
The court cited substantial evidence that SAVAK was repurposed by the Islamic Theocratic Republic into SAVAMA, the Islamic Theocratic Republic's intelligence structures, forming "a continuous chain of repression" with "a similar structure and some of the same staff," read the CJA briefing on Thursday.
The ruling described a notorious detention and interrogation facilities known as Komiteh Moshtarak as having a notorious reputation as "a den of torture and brutality." The court ruling stated that "activists, intellectuals, artists, and other dissidents were imprisoned, abused, and tortured by SAVAK and the [Joint Anti-Sabotage] Committee during the early 1970s," and that there was "no way to challenge SAVAK torture in the Shah’s courts," read the briefing.
The court further ruled that "the plaintiffs’ fear of reprisal was legitimate, and it continues today" and found that "the plaintiffs have had good reason to fear for their safety from the Islamic Theocratic Republic, which has a record of targeting critics abroad; from Sabeti himself; and from Sabeti’s supporters and other hostile elements within the diaspora," the briefing stated.
The case is set to move to the "mertis" stage where both sides collect and share evidence about the plaintiffs’ allegations of torture and to prepare for trial. The plaintiffs will need to prove their claims, and Sabeti will have the chance to respond.
Amnesty has long documented the systemic use of torture under the Shah and the ’drastic’ deterioration of human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. after the 1979 Revolution.
A 1976 Amnesty report details the systemic use of torture, arbitrary detention, and lack of due process against political dissidents, including members of Iran's Kurdish minority, carried out by SAVAK.
Amnesty International also published a landmark global report in 1984 titled Torture in the Eighties, exposing systemic state-sponsored torture across dozens of countries.
[KhaamaPress] Benazir Noorzad, an Afghan asylum seeker and former Fulbright scholar detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at bankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit ... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang... Metropolitan Airport last month, has been released from immigration custody, her attorney said.
Russell Abrutyn told Khaama Press that Noorzad was released earlier this week and placed on an order of supervision with ICE. He said her asylum application remains pending and that no hearing or interview has yet been scheduled on her claim. He described her release as an "immense relief" to Noorzad, her family and the community that supported her.
Noorzad, 32, was detained on October 22 as she prepared to board a flight to Virginia, and was held at the Calhoun County Correctional Center in Battle Creek, Michigan.
ICE said she was admitted to the United States lawfully in 2021 but failed to leave when her lawful status ended, adding that applying for an immigration benefit does not in itself grant legal status. Officials in Genesee County, where she works as a human resources representative, said she was in the country lawfully while her asylum application was being processed.
Her coworkers launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover her legal fees and bond, which had raised more than $28,000 as of November 5. The Hazara ...a grouping of Dari-speaking people of Sino-Tibetan descent inhabiting Afghanistan and Pakistain. They are predominantly Shia Moslems and not particularly warlike, which makes them favored targets... Diaspora Network, an international alliance of Hazara organizations, also issued a statement identifying Noorzad as an ethnic Hazara and urging U.S. authorities to fully assess the risks she could face if returned to Afghanistan.
Noorzad came to the United States in 2021 as a Fulbright scholar and earned a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University. She applied for asylum after the Taliban ...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan... returned to power in August 2021.
Her detention came amid tighter U.S. immigration measures affecting Afghans, introduced after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington in November 2025. In Afghanistan, the Taliban have barred women and girls from secondary and higher education and most forms of employment.
[Dawn] Pakistain and the United Kingdom on Friday agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of counterterrorism, anti-narcotics, cybercrime and immigration, according to the interior ministry.
The understanding was reached during delegation-level talks between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and visiting British Minister of State for Security Dan Jarvis at the Ministry of Interior. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry also attended the meeting.
According to the interior ministry, the two sides decided to finalise at the earliest a memorandum of understanding on anti-narcotics cooperation, which would fully operationalise cooperation between the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).
Naqvi told the British minister that Pakistain had foiled 330 cases involving narcotics smuggling to the UK over the past few years.
The two sides also agreed to soon convene a meeting of the working group established between the interior ministries of the two countries.
Jarvis appreciated the performance of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in curbing illegal immigration and acknowledged Pakistain’s sacrifices and efforts in the war against terrorism.
He said cybercrime was an international challenge and all countries would have to work together to effectively address it. He added that Pakistain and the UK enjoyed excellent cooperation in various fields, which both sides wanted to further expand.
Naqvi appreciated the progress made under the UK-Pakistain Serious Crime and Law Enforcement Project, a bilateral law enforcement and security initiative, saying it was proving extremely important in enhancing the capacity of Pak institutions.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and relevant British officials attended the meeting.
Jarvis is currently on his first visit to Pakistain to discuss regional stability, counter-terrorism, serious organised crime, illegal migration and visa fraud with senior Pak officials.
He met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Naqvi on Thursday.
Prior to that, Pakistain and the UK expressed concern at terrorism emanating from Afghanistan during their annual bilateral counter-terrorism dialogue in Islamabad.
[Jpost] The sanctions effectively cut the firms off from the dollar-based financial system, blocking any assets that the firms may have in the United States.
The US Treasury said on Friday that it had imposed financial sanctions on eight money services firms based in Canada that it alleges have facilitated transactions with sanctioned Iranian entities. Like Macklemore concerts?
US State Department front man Tommy Piggot announced that the US and Canada "sanctioned eight digital asset service providers that help the Iranian regime use digital assets to evade sanctions and fund terrorism."
CUTTING IRAN-LINKED FIRMS OFF FROM DOLLAR-BASED SYSTEM
The sanctions effectively cut the firms off from the dollar-based financial system, blocking any assets that the firms may have in the United States and prohibiting any transactions with US persons or entities.
The actions are the latest in a series of Treasury moves against firms outside the United States that it says help 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... get around US sanctions, as Washington keeps up pressure on Tehran.
"Canada cannot be a safe haven for illicit financial controllers that provide sanctions evasion services to the Iranian regime and its proxies," said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. "Treasury will pursue and disrupt the Iranian regime’s financial channels anywhere in the world."
The Treasury identified the designated businesses in Ontario and British Columbia as Diverse Trade Inc doing business as Million Exchange, 1380079 BC Limited, Top PC Technician Inc, NIA Nations Currency Ltd, 2397639 Ontario Ltd doing business as Farah Exchange, CCC Inc and B Galaxy Inc and Darvish Exchange.
Separately, the Treasury said its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network division issued an order that also cuts off virtual currency exchange MEXC Global from the US financial system over transactions that it says are linked to sanctions evasion by Iran, North Korea ...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche... and Russia.
FinCEN, the Treasury's anti-money laundering unit, said that the order prevents US financial institutions from processing fund transfers involving Seychelles-incorporated MEXC Global, which it says has facilitated at least $16 billion in illicit transactions linked to Iran, North Korea and Russia as well as transactions with other sanctioned actors.
🇮🇷🇹🇷🇸🇾 Iran's Kurdish rebels have guns, a new coalition and Washington's attention. What they don't have is Kurds willing to die for them.
So if Iran is bombed again, why would a Kurdish revolt still fail?
Rebels outside, the regime inside
→ They haven't held a single town in Iran since the early 1980s. They live in camps in Iraq, while Tehran runs Sanandaj, Saqqez and Baneh.
→ Iran even hunts them in exile: missiles and drones in 2022, in 2026, again on 4 November.
If you can't protect your own headquarters, you can't protect a province.
Every failed attack came back to the villages: arrests, executions, collective punishment, even for families who never backed the rebels.
Turkey
They dug trenches, Kurdish population didn't follow them and left
→ In 2015 the PKK's youth dug trenches and declared self-rule in Cizre, Nusaybin and Diyarbakır.
→ They expected the Kurdish street to rise with them. Instead, families packed up and fled.
→ Tanks and months-long curfews followed. The UN counted up to 500,000 displaced and about 2,000 dead. What Kurds got: their homes in ruins.
Syria
Rojava, then abandoned by the US
From 2012 the PKK's Syrian sister party ran Rojava on Öcalan's doctrine, born in Marxism-Leninism, his portrait on the office walls. It ruled hard: Human Rights Watch documented arrests, torture and assasination of Kurdish rivals, kurdish protesters shot in Amuda and child soldiers. Rival parties saw their offices shut.
They lived under it rather than with it.
Then the ending.
→ Syria's Kurds lost thousands of fighters beating ISIS for America. When Assad fell, they expected a federal Syria. Washington picked Damascus.
→ US envoy Tom Barrack, America's Kurdish partner had, in his words, "largely expired."
Today
Iraq 1991. Kirkuk 2017. Syria 2019. Syria 2026. Every Kurd knows this list by heart.
The pitch, ten months later
Now sell a revolt to a kurdish family in Iran: rise up, America has your back.
→ They just watched that promise die in Syria. Washington wants missiles, Hormuz and a short war. Kurdish rights aren't on the list.
→ And if it works? Reza Pahlavi reportedly greeted the Kurdish coalition by warning against "separatist groups."
→ The deal: your town becomes a front line, you may bury a son, and the new Tehran ran by Pahlavis.
The majority of the kurdish population in Iran, want dignity, not war.
The rebels don't lack courage or guns. They lack a sale.
People who've seen Cizre, Raqqa and Kobani can do the math.
Watch whether they can hold a single town if the bombs fall. Until then, it's a movement in exile.
🇮🇷🇹🇷🇸🇾 Iran's Kurdish rebels have guns, a new coalition and Washington's attention. What they don't have is Kurds willing to die for them.
So if Iran is bombed again, why would a Kurdish revolt still fail?
Rebels outside, the regime inside
→ They haven't held a single town in Iran since the early 1980s. They live in camps in Iraq, while Tehran runs Sanandaj, Saqqez and Baneh.
→ Iran even hunts them in exile: missiles and drones in 2022, in 2026, again on 4 November.
If you can't protect your own headquarters, you can't protect a province.
Every failed attack came back to the villages: arrests, executions, collective punishment, even for families who never backed the rebels.
Turkey
They dug trenches, Kurdish population didn't follow them and left
→ In 2015 the PKK's youth dug trenches and declared self-rule in Cizre, Nusaybin and Diyarbakır.
→ They expected the Kurdish street to rise with them. Instead, families packed up and fled.
→ Tanks and months-long curfews followed. The UN counted up to 500,000 displaced and about 2,000 dead. What Kurds got: their homes in ruins.
Syria
Rojava, then abandoned by the US
From 2012 the PKK's Syrian sister party ran Rojava on Öcalan's doctrine, born in Marxism-Leninism, his portrait on the office walls. It ruled hard: Human Rights Watch documented arrests, torture and assasination of Kurdish rivals, kurdish protesters shot in Amuda and child soldiers. Rival parties saw their offices shut.
They lived under it rather than with it.
Then the ending.
→ Syria's Kurds lost thousands of fighters beating ISIS for America. When Assad fell, they expected a federal Syria. Washington picked Damascus.
→ US envoy Tom Barrack, America's Kurdish partner had, in his words, "largely expired."
Today
Iraq 1991. Kirkuk 2017. Syria 2019. Syria 2026. Every Kurd knows this list by heart.
The pitch, ten months later
Now sell a revolt to a kurdish family in Iran: rise up, America has your back.
→ They just watched that promise die in Syria. Washington wants missiles, Hormuz and a short war. Kurdish rights aren't on the list.
→ And if it works? Reza Pahlavi reportedly greeted the Kurdish coalition by warning against "separatist groups."
→ The deal: your town becomes a front line, you may bury a son, and the new Tehran ran by Pahlavis.
The majority of the kurdish population in Iran, want dignity, not war.
The rebels don't lack courage or guns. They lack a sale.
People who've seen Cizre, Raqqa and Kobani can do the math.
Watch whether they can hold a single town if the bombs fall. Until then, it's a movement in exile.
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.
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
...where God struck dead Anton LaVey, home of the Sydney Ducks, ruled by Vigilance Committee from 1859 through 1867, reliably and volubly Democrat since 1964...
...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan...
...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 
