[SudanTribune] A high-ranking defector from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has recovered a multi-story property in Khartoum North’s upscale Kafouri district, security sources told Sudan Tribune.
Major General Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as “Al-Qubba,” took possession of the building last week. The property had been held by the General Intelligence Service’s Operations Department since the Sudanese army consolidated control over the capital in March 2025.
Sources indicated that the return of the property and the unfreezing of bank accounts are part of an agreement reached when Al-Qubba abandoned the RSF. Upon his defection in April, Al-Qubba, formerly considered the RSF’s “third man,” was received by Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who reportedly returned the general’s private vehicle at that time.
More at the link
Posted by: badanov ||
05/06/2026 00:00 ||
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[1753 views]
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[SudanTribune] Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia of orchestrating a drone strike on Khartoum International Airport, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday, marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions.
The accusations follow a series of aerial attacks on Monday that targeted the capital’s main airport, residential districts, and several military installations, including the Signal Corps base in Khartoum North and the al-Markhiyat training centre in Omdurman.
During a joint press conference in the early hours of Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem and military spokesperson Asim Awad Abd al-Wahab stated they had “conclusive evidence” that the drones involved in the operation were launched from Bahir Dar airport in Ethiopia.
“We formally announce the involvement of the UAE and Ethiopia in the bombing of Khartoum airport,” the officials said in a statement carried by the state news agency. They added that the government reserves the right to respond “at a time and place of its choosing.”
Sudan says it is ready for an "open confrontation" with Ethiopia after accusing Ethiopia of launching drone strikes against Khartoum from northern Ethiopia.
Sudan says it is ready for an "open confrontation" with Ethiopia after accusing Ethiopia of launching drone strikes against Khartoum from northern Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, fighter jets flew over Tigray for the first time since 2022 today after the Tigray council fully sidelined the interim administration and elected TPLF head Debretsion as regional president. The Pretoria agreement is very dead.
Neither Sudan nor Ethiopia has the capacity to juggle two separate fronts right now. But that doesn't mean that hubris, miscalculation, or external backing couldn't lead to the worst.
[IsraelTimes] Jurors in retrial also find one defendant guilty of striking police officer with a sledgehammer and fracturing her spine during break-in at Elbit’s Bristol factory
[IsraelTimes] Minor damage caused to gates of building in east of capital, no injuries reported; officers looking at potential links to other incidents targeting Jewish community
It sounds great, but this is the country whose police forces have protected the grooming gangs and persecuted the groomed for over a generation. And in these troubled times there's always the question how long funds will be available… Cynicism seems a necessary response.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Andrey Bulkin
[REGNUM] Recently, an attack on members of the Jewish community occurred in London, resulting in two injuries. The perpetrator was arrested.
The crime was quickly labelled as a terrorist attack and attempts were made to shift the blame onto Iran, while in fact the episode, which was just one of many similar ones in recent times, reveals serious problems in British society.
Both can be true, since Iranian agents hired locals to commit the attacks.
IN SEARCH OF A SCAPEGOAT
The morning of April 29th in Golders Green, northwest London, one of the main centers of the British Jewish community, began like a typical weekday. At 11:15 a.m., CCTV cameras on Highfield Avenue captured a man with a backpack jogging along the sidewalk.
Within seconds, he attacked a passerby and chased him, disappearing from view. The next video, captured by a car's dashcam, showed the same man pursuing the fleeing man along a busy street. And at 11:20 a.m., a camera near a bus stop captured him stabbing a man wearing a traditional Jewish yarmulke, then pushing the victim into the street.
Fortunately, the victims survived. 76-year-old Moshe Schein remains in the hospital. 34-year-old Shlomo Rand, who was discharged from the hospital the following day, told the BBC that the attacker "simply stabbed him in the chest" as he walked down the street, unaware of any danger.
Footage released by Scotland Yard showed officers using a Taser, being forced to literally knock a knife out of the hands of the still-resisting attacker. He turned out to be 45-year-old Somali native Esse Suleiman, who moved to Britain in the 1990s and legally obtained citizenship. Despite initial allegations of a terrorist attack, he has not yet been charged with terrorism-related offenses.
"We have authorised the bringing of two charges of attempted murder and one charge of possession of a bladed weapon against Esse Suleiman," said Crown Prosecution Service spokesman Frank Ferguson.
The authorities unsuccessfully attempted to attribute the incident to Tehran's machinations. Police said they were investigating the "Iranian theory," Reuters reports. However, the attempt to find a scapegoat proved rather clumsy. It's hard to imagine Iran, which has endured a brutal month of war and is embroiled in a complex negotiating process with the United States, wasting resources on orchestrating high-profile assassinations in London.
But they aren’t orchestrating high profile assassinations, merely molotov cocktails against buildings and knife attacks against random passers by of a certain type. Both of which Moslem colonists, among others, commit every day.
After all, such assassinations could only bring further international isolation and further problems.
The real reasons are much deeper, and that's why they're being so diligently covered up. "People are scared, and this is taking things to a whole new level," said Shlomo Rand, one of the victims.
"COMPLACENCY AND COWARDICE"
This is far from the first such attack. And responsibility lies not only with the perpetrator himself, but also with the British government and political establishment, which for years cultivated a permissive attitude that eventually escalated into open aggression.
Also true, to Britain’s shame.
In just the past two years, several similar crimes have been committed. In March 2024, a British man, motivated by anti-Semitism, set fire to a house in London where a Jewish family lived, injuring several people. That same month, unknown assailants carried out a series of attacks on members of the Jewish community in the UK's capital. In October 2025, two people were killed in a car crash and subsequent massacre outside a synagogue in Manchester.
And these are only the most high-profile cases; smaller incidents occur far more frequently: a Molotov cocktail is thrown through a synagogue window at night, or the cars of a Jewish charity are set on fire. "It's shocking to hear and see such things, but it doesn't come as a surprise," said a London resident, commenting on the increasing incidence of hate crimes.
These statements are convincingly confirmed by statistics. Since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Palestine in 2023, the number of anti-Semitic attacks in the UK has increased significantly. According to the British charity Community Security Trust, 1,662 incidents were recorded in 2022, and 4,298 in 2023. In 2024, the number of incidents decreased to 3,556, and in 2025, it rose again to 3,700 attacks.
According to The Guardian, a study conducted last year found that approximately 32% of British Jews had personally experienced acts of antisemitism, and 35% said they did not feel safe. Immediately after the attack on October 7, 2023, which killed over a thousand people in Israel, mass protests erupted on the streets of British cities.
Not just British cities.
As The Telegraph notes, these were veritable "carnivals of hatred": just a few hours after the events began, jubilant crowds with Palestinian flags took to the streets of the capital.
Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the situation as a "fatal combination of complacency and cowardice," which left politicians, including the Prime Minister and mayors, "panicked to the point of offending certain communities." Former Housing, Communities, and Local Government Secretary Michael Gove agreed. He said one would have to be "a fool" to fail to notice how numerous aggressive marches were creating an unhealthy atmosphere in society.
It is curious, of course, that such statements are being made by two ministers who were directly responsible for what happened, but that is British policy, and it is really difficult to argue with them here.
Since October 2023, more than 3,500 people have been detained at pro-Palestinian marches in London alone, but only a handful have been charged with inciting hatred or justifying terrorism, the BBC notes. Meanwhile, according to the Henry Jackson Society, anti-Semitic views are widespread among Muslims in the UK, about half of whom were born in the UK.
Forty-six percent of British Muslims believe that Jews have excessive influence on government policy, compared to only 16% of the British public overall. Additionally, 41% of Muslims surveyed believe that Jews are overly influential in the media industry, and 39% believe that Jews exert significant influence in the financial system. And instead of taking firm action to curb the radicalization of a segment of the population, the government has opted for a vague mixture of appeasement and non-interference.
In this regard, another recollection from the former Home Secretary is very revealing. Braverman recounted how London Police Chief Mark Rowley, speaking about anti-Jewish protests in the capital, compared police actions during demonstrations to maintaining order at football matches.
"We don't allow Liverpool fans near Everton fans, as that's a recipe for disaster. We're diverting the first group one way, and the second group the other," he said. "This is more serious than a football match," the minister retorted, but it fell on deaf ears—the police continued to turn a blind eye to calls for murder and assault.
As a result, this approach eventually backfired with a wave of violence that swept Britain. The "see no evil" tactic created a sense of complete impunity among those who decided to move from words to knives and Molotov cocktails.
COMPLIANCE OF "GOOD PEOPLE"
Life in the new British reality is eloquently described in a BBC report published just days before the recent attack. One of its subjects, 47-year-old Amanda from a quiet London suburb, who has worn a Star of David pendant for years, is now afraid to wear it openly for fear of becoming another victim. She's already been spat at in the street and called a "child killer."
Jews have faced hostility before, but now the issue is no longer about attitude, but about safety. According to Amanda, in a group on one of her messaging apps, which includes about 20 of her Jewish friends, many of whom are the children or grandchildren of refugees from Germany who once saw Britain as a refuge from Nazism, instead of the typical neighborhood topics, they now discuss options for moving to other countries. "I don't know a single Jew who doesn't have plans to leave," she says.
History shows what happens to countries that drive out their Jews. Spain, for instance used to be one of the richest countries in the world. Now? They do still have delicious food, but they have not been thriving in a very long time.
Statistics show that this is not a private phobia. According to the Israeli government, the number of immigrants from the kingdom will double in 2025 compared to 2023. Meanwhile, the British Institute for Jewish Policy Research reported that one in five British Jews considers moving.
What threat does this pose to the country? Former Foreign Office official Nick Fishwick bluntly states that anti-Semitism is a "threat to Britain's national security, " as the escalating crisis not only threatens the Jewish community but also undermines the foundations of statehood, demonstrating the impotence of a leadership incapable of protecting one group of the population.
Not to mention that the same people who threaten Jews gleefully go after Christians, local girls, schoolchildren, the elderly… It is never just the Jews.
According to politician and publicist Paul Goodman, the country risks repeating the path of the Weimar Republic. "This happened because good people sat back and thought the worst wouldn't happen—but sometimes the worst does," he said, referring to the government's complicity, which for years refused to acknowledge the problem, fearing accusations of Islamophobia.
This timidity has already set a sad precedent: the UK's national terror threat level has been raised to "serious" – level four out of five possible – not only because of Islamists, but also because of the rise of right-wing extremism, fuelled by that same impunity.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to root out the hatred that fueled the attacks, but he's no longer trusted. When he arrived at the scene in Golders Green, he was greeted with signs reading "Kier Starmer, Jew Harmer." This means that trust in the government, already low in Britain, continues to erode.
Endless words of condolence and pat promises no longer provide comfort.
Indeed.
Attempts to ensure social unity amid decades-long migration have failed, and now radicals feel like they own the city streets. The acquiescence of "good people" is gradually opening the gates to the impenetrable darkness into which the country risks plunging in the foreseeable future.
#1
Seems like it is easier to describe the group of people that don’t despise Starmer because they are a diminishing group of Euro commies and grooming gang members.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/06/2026 5:55 Comments ||
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#2
Charles III can dissolve Parliament and call for new elections. His mother did it once. He won't.
#3
History shows what happens to countries that drive out their Jews.
Isabella and Ferdinand financed their final reconquesta on borrowed funds. They chose the expulsion as a way of eliminating that debt with a little left over to fund an Italian adventurer to sail west looking for a different route to China.
#4
Starmer approval rating has been between 10% and 20% for the past few weeks.
Then again the US Congress rating is actually worse.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
05/06/2026 9:32 Comments ||
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#5
Continuing on #3 - It was Cromwell who invited the Jews of the Netherlands to immigrate to England. He recognized the economic value they gave the Dutch and wanted England to be 'Great'.
#6
Some people are good at creating economic value and others are good at making trouble. Prudent government leaders would be careful which ones they allow into their country.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/06/2026 12:22 Comments ||
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#7
The evicted Spanish Jews who found refuge in Holland supported their new home in its war against Spain.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/06/2026 14:32 Comments ||
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#10
Mostly young folks from Israel.
The Netherlands is becoming ever more hostile to Jews, if the articles I’ve posted on the subject are to be believed — even if they don’t return home, they may well decide that moving on is more desirable than pot shops every few blocks. And Wikipedia adds:
The number of Israeli Jews living in the Netherlands (concentrated in Amsterdam) runs in the thousands (estimates run from 5,000 to 7,000 Israeli expatriates in the Netherlands, although some claims go as high as 12,000).[70] A relatively small number of these Israeli Jews is connected to one of the religious Jewish institutions in the Netherlands. In the 21st century, some 10,000 Dutch Jews have emigrated to Israel.
A subject to revisit in about a decade, to see which way thetrends ended up.
[Breitbart] Hundreds of people are planning a major celebration in the Mexican city of Culiacan, Sinaloa, over the resignation of the state’s cartel-connected governor, who is now a fugitive wanted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The celebration is set to take place this week outside of the Governor’s Office, where organizers are asking citizens to be respectful, bring their grills to share a meal, and ask for a better state. The celebration comes soon after Sinaloa’s cartel-connected Governor Ruben Rocha Moya announced he was stepping down from his post to deal with a series of federal charges filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which accused him of having aligned himself with the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for money and political power.
As Breitbart Texas reported, the charges are part of a large criminal indictment linking Rocha Moya and 9 of his closest associates with organized crime. The issue is expected to grow to eventually include more Mexican politicians, particularly from the ruling party MORENA.
Rather than work with U.S. authorities, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has denounced the case against Rocha Moya, claiming that they have no evidence of him having done any wrongdoing, Breitbart Texas reported. Her response, hidden in legalize, has aligned her with the Morena party rather than working with the Trump Administration to eradicate cartels.
Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa, had become highly disliked during his term due to the raging violence that had fallen over his state under the reign of terror of his alleged masters, the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. As Breitbart Texas has reported, that faction has been waging a fierce turf war with their former allies, the Mayiza faction, since the summer of 2024, when the leaders of Los Chapitos kidnapped Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and turned him over to U.S. authorities.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] With the military conflict in the Middle East blocking the planet's main oil artery, the world is once again waiting in anticipation of a price shock for gasoline and crude oil, which promises enormous windfall profits for some and multi-billion dollar losses for others.
However, behind this obvious plot, an even more complex drama unfolds, in which the fates of continental trade routes, air corridors, investment strategies, and real estate markets are intertwined.
The aggression against Iran and the subsequent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz provoked tectonic shifts in the non-energy economy of the entire Greater Middle East, the aftershocks of which spread around the world like ripples in water, with losses and gains distributed extremely unevenly and sometimes even unclearly.
Before turning to specific sectors, it's important to acknowledge a key fact. The conflict is not so much maritime in nature, but primarily air and land-based, temporarily paralyzing several key land transport corridors that served not hydrocarbons but industrial goods, food, equipment, and consumer imports.
LAND CORRIDORS: CLOSURE, CONGESTION, AND A FRAGILE "POST-TRUCE"
The main land arteries that came under attack were the eastern and western branches of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), as well as links serving Central Asia and Afghanistan.
The eastern branch of the INSTC traditionally serves for the transshipment of goods from India to the Iranian port of Chabahar
…a favourite of us all…
by sea and then across Iran, through Turkmenistan, to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The western branch runs through Azerbaijan and also crosses Iranian territory.
In parallel, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) operates, connecting China with Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Georgia, and Turkey, essentially bypassing Iran. Finally, the Chabahar-Zaranj-Delaram corridor, as well as routes through Pakistan, are vital for Afghanistan.
During the acute phase of the conflict, the eastern branch of the INSTC was effectively severed. Maritime access to Chabahar became impossible due to mine threats, attacks by US and Israeli air forces, and the resulting revocation of insurance coverage. Meanwhile, Iranian rail and road routes leading to the Turkmen border were subject to missile strikes and suffered catastrophic disruptions.
The western branch also came to a standstill, as the Iranian section of the route was located in the zone of the most active combat operations of the Israeli Air Force over Western Iran.
Thus, cargo traffic that previously flowed through Iran to Indian Ocean ports flooded into the Middle Corridor, instantly overloading its infrastructure. Container freight rates on this route jumped to fifteen to sixteen thousand dollars, and delivery times increased by two to three weeks.
Moreover, the TRIPP project, which was supposed to connect Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan and then with Turkey, bypassing Iran, was frozen by investors for an indefinite period due to a general increase in country risks.
Following the ceasefire, the situation remained tense. Shipping companies are returning to the Gulf of Oman with extreme caution, as insurance companies are reluctant to reinstate coverage for voyages to Iranian ports amid the US blockade.
The INSTC's eastern branch is formally open, but cargo traffic is only a fraction of its pre-war level: damaged infrastructure requires restoration, and logistics operators fear a resumption of hostilities.
The western line through Azerbaijan is showing relative stability, but it also operates with limitations.
The Middle Corridor continues to experience increased traffic, leading to increased transit costs for all shippers from China and Central Asia.
Thus, the armistice did not restore the pre-war logistical picture; it merely consolidated its new, more expensive and less predictable configuration.
LANDLOCKED: THE AFGHAN DEADLOCK AND CENTRAL ASIAN TRANSIT
The countries most vulnerable to the blockade of Iranian ports are those without their own access to the open ocean. In the Middle East and its immediate vicinity, these states include Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan (although the latter has a Caspian coastline).
However, critical dependence on Iranian port infrastructure is characteristic primarily of Afghanistan and, to some extent, Uzbekistan.
For Afghanistan, the port of Chabahar has been the main sea gateway in recent years, especially after relations with Pakistan soured and transit through Karachi became politically unreliable. Grain, flour, sugar, medicine, and humanitarian aid entered Afghanistan through Chabahar.
At the time of the blockade, this channel was almost completely blocked, which led to a sharp rise in food prices in an already very needy country and threatened to disrupt the international food aid program.
The alternative route through Pakistan was blocked due to the conflict between Kabul and Islamabad. But even after the gradual reopening of Pakistani transit, the inability of Pakistani logistics to immediately replace the Iranian flow is evident.
Uzbekistan also has complex logistical links with Iran, despite not bordering it and not directly using its ports. However, in reality, Uzbekistan's foreign trade dependence on Iranian transit is colossal.
Uzbekistan actively used the eastern branch of the INSTC to export textiles, fruits and vegetables, and automobiles, and to import industrial equipment, components, and consumer goods.
The route was structured as follows: cargo from Uzbekistan traveled through Turkmenistan to Iran and then to the port of Bandar Abbas, from where it was shipped by sea to markets in South Asia and the Middle East. Containers carrying Indian and South Korean goods traveled in the opposite direction.
According to available estimates, Uzbekistan's share of the total volume of transit cargo passing through Iranian ports before the war reached approximately 19%, making the republic the largest non-Iranian beneficiary of this route after India.
This is why the blockade of Bandar Abbas and the damage to Iranian highways dealt a blow to Uzbek logistics comparable to the direct closure of its own borders.
Exporters were forced to seek alternative routes—through Kazakhstan and then along the Middle Corridor—which greatly increased transportation distances and production costs. Industrial imports became more expensive, and some contracts were suspended entirely.
Thus, Uzbekistan's economy found itself squeezed between the overloaded Middle Corridor and paralyzed Iranian transit, while its own remoteness from the open sea reduced its room for maneuver.
COLLAPSE OF AIR TRAVEL AND A PROTRACTED RECOVERY IN TOURISM
The disruption of land logistics was accompanied by an equally large-scale crisis in the air.
The closure of airspace over the conflict zone, which covers nearly three million square kilometers, forced air carriers to route through narrow bypass corridors, dramatically increasing flight times and fuel consumption.
At the same time, the main problem was the acute shortage of aviation kerosene. Up to a third of the finished jet fuel consumed in Europe was imported from Middle Eastern countries, whose refining capacity was cut off from the market.
In response, the world's largest airlines announced mass flight cancellations. Lufthansa canceled thousands of flights, Air France introduced a fifty-euro surcharge on each ticket, and the total number of canceled flights worldwide exceeded twelve thousand.
In addition, Dubai and Doha international airports, which served as global hubs, were forced to temporarily suspend operations.
The region's tourism sector also suffered colossal losses. Sharply rising airfares and the general instability led to a precipitous decline in tourist traffic not only to the Gulf countries but also to remote countries like Sri Lanka, which received a significant portion of its visitors via Middle Eastern hubs.
Tens of millions of people's holiday plans are at risk, with hotel businesses from Dubai to Male facing a wave of cancellations.
Following the ceasefire, the aviation industry began a slow and uneven recovery. The formal reopening of air corridors alone has not restored confidence: insurers maintain elevated premiums for flights over the region, and airlines, battered by losses, are resuming routes with extreme caution.
The jet fuel shortage is gradually fading as supplies are rerouted, but fuel prices remain significantly higher than pre-crisis levels.
Tourist flow to the Gulf countries, primarily Oman, and surrounding areas is recovering, but extremely slowly: travelers and tour operators remember the shock they experienced and are factoring additional risks into their plans.
Moreover, during the crisis, many air carriers reoriented their fleets to other destinations, and now a rapid restoration of the previous flight schedule to the region is limited by both logistical and financial considerations.
Airfare prices remain elevated, continuing to hinder the tourism revival in the Middle East and related regions.
INVESTOR EXODUS AND REAL ESTATE MARKET COLLAPSE
The war and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz instantly dashed the Gulf states' years-long efforts to create an image of a stable and safe investment haven.
Shipping companies faced a massive revocation of insurance coverage for voyages in the danger zone, making any maritime transport in the region economically unprofitable. Investors began urgently reviewing their portfolios.
The most visible and dramatic consequence was the collapse of the Dubai real estate market.
Beginning with a 30% drop in leading developers' shares, the crisis quickly spread to the real estate sector. If the conflict were to continue, experts predicted a 50-70% price decline by the summer of 2026.
Around a third of Russian investors, traditionally active in the Dubai market, have frozen planned deals in anticipation of significant discounts.
It could be said that capital, previously settling in Emirati mansions and commercial real estate, has begun to move towards more conservative jurisdictions geographically removed from the conflict.
In particular, some funds have already flowed to European markets, and some to countries in Southeast Asia, which has become an additional factor of pressure on the economy of the Middle East region.
HIDDEN BENEFICIARIES: PAKISTAN, OMAN, AND A CHANCE FOR SYRIA
While most countries in the region suffered colossal losses, some states managed to extract strategic and material benefits from the crisis.
Thus, Pakistan, acting as the main mediator between Iran and the United States, converted diplomatic efforts into economic dividends.
The acute energy shortage that Pakistani industry was facing due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz was alleviated during the negotiation process: Islamabad secured guarantees from Tehran to resume tanker passage for the country's needs and to restore cross-border barter trade in rice, cement, and textiles in exchange for Iranian goods.
However, the role of Pakistani ports proved far more significant. Karachi and Gwadar, not directly affected by the blockade, became transit points for cargo bound for Iran and onward to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Transit fees and container handling contracts brought Pakistan's economy significant foreign exchange earnings during the height of the crisis, and Islamabad itself cemented its status as an indispensable logistical and political player at the crossroads of South and West Asia.
Oman, whose coastline lies outside the Strait of Hormuz, benefited most directly. The ports of Salalah and Duqm, capable of handling large-capacity vessels, became natural transhipment points for goods that previously traveled directly through the Persian Gulf.
Fearing the risks of transiting the strait, shipowners rerouted their cargo en masse to Omani hubs, from where it was transported by land to Gulf countries or transshipped in small batches onto smaller vessels for careful delivery to its destinations.
Omani ports' revenues have increased, and the sultanate itself, not being involved in the conflict on either side, has cemented its reputation as a reliable and predictable logistics hub for the entire Arabian Peninsula. This transit boom is likely to continue even after a full settlement, as businesses prefer stability.
Furthermore, Syria could potentially become another unobvious beneficiary. Relative stabilization in the country and the restoration of control over key transport routes open the possibility of creating a transit corridor linking Turkey and the Mediterranean with Iraq, Iran, and the Persian Gulf countries, giving them access to Mediterranean ports.
Damascus and Ankara are already discussing plans to revive the Hejaz Railway, the legendary route that once connected Damascus with Medina. In the current context, restoring this line (primarily the Damascus-Amman-northern Saudi Arabia section) would create an additional land route bypassing the unstable straits and vulnerable maritime shipping routes.
Such a corridor would strengthen Syria's logistical role, giving a boost to its devastated economy, while offering Gulf countries an alternative route for the export and import of non-energy goods both to Mediterranean ports and directly to Europe via Turkey.
While these plans are still far from being realized, the very fact that they have been intensified during and after the crisis indicates a tectonic shift in perceptions of future trade routes in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Syria is already taking advantage of its position by increasing the transit of goods by road from the Persian Gulf countries through its territory.
CHINA: THE WORLD'S FACTORY IS VULNERABLE AND EXPORTS ARE HIT HARD.
While the war opened a window of opportunity for Pakistan and Oman, it became a major stress test for China, exposing the vulnerability of its export-led model.
The first blow was dealt to energy imports: in March 2026, China recorded a decline in crude oil imports of almost 3%, and natural gas imports of 11%.
While Beijing's strategic reserves could cushion the shortage for several months, the very fact of the outages has raised alarm bells.
The second, less noticeable but no less painful blow hit industrial exports. The Middle East was China's second-largest market for metal products, accounting for approximately 16% of all Chinese steel exports. The blockade and military action paralyzed supplies, leading to the accumulation of excess steel stocks in China and putting pressure on domestic prices.
Other low-margin goods, for which sea shipping via Hormuz was the only viable option, were also stuck in warehouses. This posed a threat to the entire industrial production chain, which relies on external demand.
RUSSIA: BENEFITS BEYOND THE OIL MARKET
Russia has emerged as one of the main beneficiaries of the conflict, but the nature of this benefit goes far beyond rising oil prices.
The disruption of supplies from the Persian Gulf affected not only hydrocarbons, but also significant volumes of aluminum from Qatar and Bahrain, as well as a wide range of chemical products.
Russia, one of the world's largest aluminum producers, immediately began replacing the lost Middle Eastern supply on global markets. A similar situation developed in the fertilizer and other chemicals market, where the global shortage drove up prices, allowing Russian exporters to increase revenue.
The helium market, a critical element in microchip production, deserves special mention. The Persian Gulf blockade disrupted its supply chains, and Russia, which had already imposed restrictions on helium exports outside the EAEU, gained additional leverage in high-tech sectors.
Moreover, the crisis has given a powerful impetus to the development of overland routes bypassing the unstable region. Some cargo flows that previously went through Iran have been redirected to Kazakhstan and Russia, while Iranian exports and imports themselves, amid the blockade, are increasingly relying on Russian routes, strengthening the transit potential of the Eurasian region.
Combined with the substitution effect of the dwindling Middle Eastern goods, this provided Russia not only with short-term profits, but also with long-term strengthening of its position in several strategic markets simultaneously.
Posted by: badanov ||
05/06/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1841 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#6
I do understand that these parks routinely have special days for corporations and organizations. Astroworld in Houston generally had 3-4 a year, generally 'Sunday in the Park' kinda thing for whatever company ponied up, with the attendant feral yoots hollering "why ain't they lettin me in, that's discrimination!"
I get that part.
The prob is a gov funded operation having an exclusive deal with any religous group.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
05/06/2026 8:46 Comments ||
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#7
Taxpayer Funded Texas Water Park
Found the issue.
Libtards just can't pass up an opportunity for spending other people's money on shit no one wants.
#10
"A water park day for the Mahdist!
Oh, sorry, I meant to say modest."
Of Modesty's friends
As the darkness descends,
Black Mohammedans must be the oddest.
”Intifada, revolution!” Now we need no longer assume what they’ll do on should they get back in power, nor wonder what they’ll try to do in the meantime..
[IsraelTimes] Letter, which is expected to be ignored, claims US ‘cannot develop a coherent nonproliferation policy’ for Mideast without disclosing details on alleged Israeli atomic arsenal.
A group of 30 House Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... has demanded that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... disclose details of Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons arsenal.
"We cannot develop a coherent nonproliferation policy for the Middle East," they wrote in a letter dated Monday, "including with respect to Iran’s civil nuclear program and 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... ’s civil nuclear ambitions, while maintaining a policy of official silence about the nuclear weapons capabilities of one party central to the ongoing conflict in which the United States is a direct participant."
"We ask that you hold Israel to the same standard of transparency that the United States expects from any other country that may be pursuing or retaining nuclear weapons capability," said the group, led by Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro.
San Antonio since 2013, so they’re satisfied with his service.
Israel does not confirm or deny having atomic weapons, maintaining a policy of official ambiguity on the issue, as both Democratic and Republican American presidents have also done over the decades. Monday’s letter is expected to be ignored.
The Democratic representatives argued in the letter that Congress "has a constitutional responsibility to be fully informed about the nuclear balance in the Middle East, the risk of escalation by any party to this conflict, and the administration’s planning and contingencies for such scenarios. We do not believe we have received that information."
They asked for details on Israeli warheads and launchers, enrichment capabilities, and what the US has been told about Israeli doctrine and red lines, as well as what is produced at the Dimona nuclear reactor.
They asked for details on Israeli warheads and launchers, enrichment capabilities, and what the US has been told about Israeli doctrine and red lines, as well as what is produced at the Dimona nuclear reactor. The facility at Dimona, a southern city targeted by 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... in the recent war, is said to be the home of Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons program.
"The United States openly acknowledges the nuclear weapons programs of the United Kingdom, La Belle France, India, Pakistain, Russia, China and 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... ," they wrote. "We ask that Israel be held to the same standard as any other foreign country, and that the United States government speaks candidly about its potential nuclear weapons capabilities, whatever they may be."
[IsraelTimes] Prize committee praises Saher Alghorra’s ‘haunting, sensitive’ work; his front-page NYT photo of emaciated child who had preexisting medical issue sparked scrutiny of famine claims
#2
I'm curious of the camera and medium, settings and lighting setup, which was able to capture a low light interior close frame shot with no motion blur, color and detail in background framing, and still maintain that color palette, with painter's wash texture even.
#3
Introduction to Camera Guru Camera Guru is a specialized AI designed to provide detailed analysis of photographs, focusing on technical aspects such as camera settings, photography style, and equipment recommendations. It's built to serve as an expert advisor, offering insights into how a photo was captured and suggesting improvements or alternative techniques for better results. For instance, given a photograph, Camera Guru can deduce the camera's ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings used during the shot. It can also identify the photography style, such as portrait, landscape, or macro, and provide tailored advice on suitable cameras, lenses, and shooting techniques that could enhance similar future shots.
#5
Previously they won Putlitzer prizes for COOVERING UP genocides.
NYT still has Walter Duranty's prize, when Bolsheviks genocided TEN MILLION Christians in Ukraine.
Nobody has ever heard the name Yagoda, chief of the NKVD that commanded it.
But everyone knows Reinhard Heydrich, chief of the Reich Security Ministry.
#7
And of course the Paleo photographer never captured any images from that Hamas raid into southern Israel.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/06/2026 12:16 Comments ||
Top||
#8
My other question was about manipulation of the picture
Allowed Edits: Minor adjustments like cropping, dodging, burning, and color correction are generally acceptable, provided they do not change the image's content or meaning.
My point, I'd like to see the original, unedited picture.
Palestine Action Security Council resolution co-sponsored by US, Gulf nations comes amid American effort to escort ships through waterway blocked by Iran; if passed, it could be enforced militarily
Will it be Russia or China that vetoes it, or both?
Or the French
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/06/2026 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1752 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Won't change a thing one way or another other than proving the uselessness of the UN.
[IsraelTimes] Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila have second hearing at Ashkelon Magistrate’s court; legal representative for Avila claims he never planned to break Gaza blockade
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Turkey's first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Yıldırımhan, with a range of up to 6,000 km, was unveiled at the SAHA EXPO 2026 exhibition in Istanbul.
The new missile was designed by the Research and Development Center of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.
"We now have the country's first liquid-fueled hypersonic missile, Yıldırımhan, which has the longest range of any we've ever developed. We proudly present it to you. If we have to use our weapons, no one should doubt that we will do so without hesitation, but we will do so effectively," said Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler at the exhibition.
Testing and test firing of the new missile at the test site are planned for the near future.
The Yıldırımhan missile, powered by four nitrogen tetroxide engines, is capable of reaching speeds between Mach 9 and Mach 25 and carrying a warhead weighing up to three tons.
In late 2025, the Turkish Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned aerial vehicle became the world's first drone to destroy a supersonic aerial target beyond visual range using an air-to-air missile. The test took place over a test range near Sinop. The KIZILELMA drone detected the target using its onboard radar and successfully launched a long-range missile, directly striking a simulated fighter jet. Five Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jets, flying alongside the KIZILELMA, participated in the test, and the missile launch was recorded by another Turkish drone, the Bayraktar AKINCI.
Posted by: badanov ||
05/06/2026 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1766 views]
Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
[FoxNews] ARAM Express proposal envisions pipelines to the Red Sea, Mediterranean and Arabian Sea with European and Asian investment
A new U.S.-backed proposal to build a network of overland energy pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is gaining attention as tensions in the region expose a critical vulnerability in the global energy system.
A policy memo reviewed by Fox News Digital outlines the concept, known as "ARAM Express," a proposed consortium between the United States and Gulf partners to develop a multidirectional overland network for oil, gas and petrochemicals, originating with Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The plan envisions pipelines extending westward to the Red Sea and Mediterranean, as well as southern routes toward the Arabian Sea, creating multiple export pathways that would reduce reliance on the strait, through which roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil currently flows.
The proposal would rely on broad international participation, with European and Asian buyers investing in infrastructure and securing long-term supply agreements.
"European buyers are desperate for long-term supply resilience, and Asian customers are equally exposed," Goldberg said. "Even China cannot tolerate the risk of a sustained disruption."
The push comes as Iran’s threats to commercial shipping and ongoing U.S. efforts to secure the waterway under President Donald Trump’s "Project Freedom" highlight the risks posed by a single chokepoint to global energy flows.
Roughly one-third of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the narrow waterway, making it a critical artery for global markets. With Iran threatening shipping and U.S. forces now guiding vessels through the strait under President Donald Trump’s "Project Freedom," the White House is framing the crisis in global terms.
"The President will not allow Iran to hold the global economy hostage and undermine the free flow of energy," said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, describing the launch of "Project Freedom" as a humanitarian effort to restore navigation through the strait.
That framing aligns with a growing view among U.S. officials and analysts that the risk is not only immediate but also structural.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz signaled that Washington’s partners are already looking beyond the strait itself.
"I know our Gulf partners and allies are seriously thinking through that," Waltz told Fox News Digital when asked about long-term alternatives during a conference call with reporters Monday.
"I know they’re looking at additional alternatives to frankly diversify their pathways and diversify their economies," he added.
A VULNERABILITY YEARS IN THE MAKING
The idea that Hormuz represents a structural weakness is not new. But until now, it has largely been tolerated, with global markets relying on stability in the Gulf to keep energy flowing.
That assumption is now under strain.
Even with U.S. naval power deployed to secure the waterway, the current crisis has highlighted how quickly disruption, or even the threat of it, can ripple through global supply chains.
"This isn’t just a long-term idea anymore," said Rich Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. "There is a real threat to the Strait of Hormuz that isn’t going away so long as the regime in Tehran remains."
Posted by: Skidmark ||
05/06/2026 02:35 ||
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Link ||
[1817 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Any of the pipeline to defang Iran plans don’t factor in Iran’s likelihood of making a terrorist attack against the new infrastructure.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/06/2026 5:52 Comments ||
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#2
Imho, they're going to take hostages.
With plausible deniability.
Children.
Videotape.
Etc.
They don't need to attack any pipes or buildings, just some elementary schools, etc.
This heinous attack will resemble October 7th, 2023, and it will occur immediately following a publicly celebrated ceasefire agreement signing ceremony.
#3
^ Pick a nym and stick with it "Paco"/Father Thyme/...
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/06/2026 13:28 Comments ||
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#4
Imho, they're going to take hostages.
Attacking their neighbor's infrastructure *is* a form of hostage taking, a traditional Middle Eastern custom. Rather like that National Lampoon cover where they threaten to shoot the dog if you don't buy the magazine.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Iranian authorities announced the launch of a new mechanism to regulate maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported on May 5 by Press TV.
There’s the small question of whether Iran can enforce their mechanism — or any mechanism — at this stage of the proceedings…
"Under the new system, all vessels intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz will receive an email from an official address outlining the rules and regulations for passage," the publication says. Straight to the Spam folder
After familiarizing themselves with the new rules, all vessels must adjust their schedules and obtain permission to transit the strait.
Related from regnum.ru The Russian and Qatari foreign ministers discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held a telephone conversation on the evening of May 5 regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by the Russian Foreign Ministry press service.
During the conversation, the heads of the foreign policy departments expressed a common opinion on the need to abandon attempts to resolve the crisis through force and to unite the efforts of all interested parties to facilitate the achievement of a sustainable, long-term settlement, including agreements on measures to ensure the legitimate security interests of all Gulf countries, as well as the principles of freedom of navigation.
Also on May 5, Lavrov held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two officials compared notes on the current state of international affairs and relations between Moscow and Washington, and discussed the schedule of bilateral contacts. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the conversation between Lavrov and Rubio was constructive and businesslike.
On May 4, Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelathi, discussed the situation in the Middle East. The ministers emphasized the need to resume negotiations to reach an agreement on a long-term, sustainable resolution to the crisis in the Persian Gulf.
According to him, Israel is currently coordinating its actions with the US in preparation for the strikes. Their goal is to conduct a short-term campaign to put pressure on the Islamic Republic and obtain further concessions in negotiations.
The source also clarified that the decision to make the appropriate decision rests with US President Donald Trump, who, although disappointed by the lack of progress in the negotiation process with Tehran, does not yet intend to resume large-scale military action.
Posted by: badanov ||
05/06/2026 00:00 ||
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[1765 views]
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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.
...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...
