https://www.sott.net Signs of the Times: The World for People who Think. Featuring independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events. en-us Original content Copyright 2026 by Signs of the Times/Sott.net. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:04:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net https://www.sott.net https://www.sott.net/article/507994-Second-Ceuta-border-invasion-attempt-underway-Military-aged-migrants-mass-near-Spanish-enclave Weaponized Migrant Flows: Spain's Ceuta Border Under Attack (Again) Multiple open-source reports indicate that thousands of illegal aliens are massing near Spain's Ceuta border, raising the prospect of coordinated attempts to breach the enclave for the second time. If verified, the invasion attempt comes just weeks after the first round, in which more than 60,000 military-aged men attempted to breach the border. This only suggests that migrant flows are being deliberately weaponized to pressure the socialist government in Madrid, potentially marking a second phase of sustained border destabilization. Official reporting from news outlet France 24 says: Morocco has deployed heavy security around the border city of Fnideq after false social media rumours claimed the border to Spain's Ceuta enclave would open. Hundreds of migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, have gathered nearby, raising fears of another mass crossing just weeks after tens of thousands attempted to enter the... https://www.sott.net/article/507994-Second-Ceuta-border-invasion-attempt-underway-Military-aged-migrants-mass-near-Spanish-enclave Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:01:20 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507993-Kushner-US-will-back-Israeli-resumption-of-war-if-Hamas-fails-to-honor-disarmament-commitments Kushner said Hamas could surrender weapons and tunnels within 60 to 90 days, calling demilitarization a potential major security gain for Israel. Hamas must honor its commitments to disarm or face an IDF operation to "finish the job," US special envoy Jared Kushner told FOX News's Trey Yingst on Monday. Kushner's comments came after meetings with Hamas and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) in Cairo on Sunday, and respective meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on Monday. Kushner stated: "If they [Hamas] don't follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they're not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the US and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way. "Hamas affirmed its 'commitment' to Trump's 20-point peace plan, and the 15-point roadmap that we've been working on with them for the last four months, where they commit to giving up their... https://www.sott.net/article/507993-Kushner-US-will-back-Israeli-resumption-of-war-if-Hamas-fails-to-honor-disarmament-commitments Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:47:21 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507992-The-privateer-and-the-forced-hand Ukraine functions as a privateer vessel launched by a greater power to impose continuous costs on Russia. The campaign is deliberate, the alternatives are known to both sides, and the pace of events is designed to force Moscow into the very decisions it has most sought to avoid. The Privateering Design A privateer is not a sovereign navy fighting for its own survival. It is a vessel authorized, financed, directed, and continuously resupplied by a greater power to attack the strength, commerce, and cohesion of a rival. Ukraine has been placed in that role. Its territory, manpower, and remaining industrial capacity serve as the platform from which pressure is applied against the Russian state. This scheme is not primarily to restore Ukrainian borders as an independent end but to degrade Moscow's political system, economic reserves, and demographic depth. The objective is attrition that compounds over time until the opposing power is compelled to choose between prolonged erosion and... https://www.sott.net/article/507992-The-privateer-and-the-forced-hand Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:46:57 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507991-Senior-Israeli-official-calls-for-killing-of-30-to-40-people-in-Gaza-every-night-They-re-not-even-people Israel's far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in a podcast published over the weekend, called for "30 to 40" people to be killed per night in targeted assassinations in the Gaza Strip. Discussing Israel's response to the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza, and Israel's recent move to reduce the number of strikes being carried out in the decimated Palestinian territory, Ben-Gvir said: "It's no secret, I disagree with the prime minister ... I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat. There are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They're not even people." The security chief made the comment to Rom Braslavski, who was previously held as a hostage in Gaza, on his Sunday podcast. Israel once had a block of 21 settlements — known as Gush Katif — in the Gaza Strip, but the settlers and Israeli forces pulled out... https://www.sott.net/article/507991-Senior-Israeli-official-calls-for-killing-of-30-to-40-people-in-Gaza-every-night-They-re-not-even-people Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:46:32 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507990-Pentagon-weighs-moving-US-forces-away-from-vulnerable-Gulf-bases-after-Iran-strikes The Pentagon is examining whether to reduce or reposition U.S. forces at Persian Gulf installations after Iranian missile and drone attacks damaged or destroyed more than 200 American facilities and exposed the vulnerability of longstanding basing arrangements across the region. The Pentagon is considering a potentially significant reshaping of the U.S. military footprint in the Middle East, including moving personnel away from some Persian Gulf bases that have proven vulnerable to Iranian missile and drone attacks during the nearly six-month war. The review is being conducted by the Pentagon's policy office with participation from the Joint Staff and U.S. Central Command, according to The Washington Post. No formal force-posture review has been ordered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, but one senior Pentagon official described the effort as "prudent planning" intended to inform future decisions about which damaged facilities should be rebuilt and where American forces should be... https://www.sott.net/article/507990-Pentagon-weighs-moving-US-forces-away-from-vulnerable-Gulf-bases-after-Iran-strikes Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:45:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507989-The-seen-and-the-unseen-cost-of-Mamdanis-grocery-discount Henry Hazlitt built his entire case for sound economics on one lesson: judge a policy not by its immediate, visible effect on one group, but by its full effect over time on everyone it touches. Bad economics, he argued, sees only the seen. Good economics traces the unseen as well. New York Mayor Mamdani's proposed 30 percent discount on groceries is a textbook case of the seen. It is immediate, easy to picture, and politically appealing — shoppers checking out and paying less. But Hazlitt's lesson demands a harder question: where did the other 30 percent go? Costs do not vanish because the government owns the store. They simply become less visible, paid by someone, somewhere, who isn't standing at the register. The lower price at the register is the visible part of the policy — what every shopper sees, every time, at checkout. But Hazlitt's method requires looking past the immediate effect to the less obvious one. If a grocery store sells food below its true cost, someone else must... https://www.sott.net/article/507989-The-seen-and-the-unseen-cost-of-Mamdanis-grocery-discount Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:45:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507988-Flash-floods-inundate-Nan-province-in-Thailand-cutting-off-key-routes-and-bridges Heavy downpours triggered flash floods, river overflows and landslides across several districts of the northern Thai province of Nan early Wednesday morning, rendering multiple roads and bridges impassable and inundating homes. The Nan Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office reported that intense rainfall, starting around 4am, caused rapid runoff that submerged residential areas in Pua, Phu Phiang and Santi Suk districts. Pua was the hardest hit, with floodwaters rushing through multiple sub-districts, including Ouan, Woranakhon, Sila Laeng, Chai Watthana and Pua. Local authorities dispatched emergency crews to evacuate residents and perform initial damage assessments after a Cell Broadcast alert was issued at 6.18am, urging villagers in flood-risk areas to move their belongings to higher ground immediately and contact village headmen for evacuation support. https://www.sott.net/article/507988-Flash-floods-inundate-Nan-province-in-Thailand-cutting-off-key-routes-and-bridges Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:06:28 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507987-Why-Trumps-blockade-cannot-turn-Iran-into-an-island Iran so far has been running the clock. Now, Iran is speeding up the management of the clock. Even strategic patience has its limits. Tehran kept a nutcracker on the Strait of Hormuz for 5.5 months. The Empire of Piracy didn't back off. On the contrary: the reaction, piling up on Trump's blockade, focused on ruthless, terminal market manipulation keeping oil prices relatively low - using everything from depletion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) to DARPA employing AI tools to manipulate markets. Terrible costs are about to be paid in full - via a global depression; further rejection of Western "values" - and swindling schemes - all across the Global South; and an inevitable cleavage between two world systems. Iran cannot continue on the path of a slow Strait of Hormuz strangulation - as it runs the risk of reversing gains as time goes by. Iran is bound to weaken along with everybody else in a Global Great Depression. That's definitely not a long term solution for a proud,... https://www.sott.net/article/507987-Why-Trumps-blockade-cannot-turn-Iran-into-an-island Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:42:25 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507986-Gas-tanks-explode-at-Oklahoma-pipeline-facility-after-lightning-strike Emergency crews responded to a large gas fire in Oklahoma on Monday morning, after reports of an explosion at the Explorer Pipeline facility near Glenpool. Crews responded to the area near Highway 75 and W 126th Street just after 8:30 a.m., with emergency personnel reporting that two tanks had exploded. Explorer Pipeline later confirmed that one of its tanks had been struck by lightning, sparking the incident. "Earlier this morning, lightning struck a tank at the Explorer Pipeline Glenpool tank farm resulting in a fire," reads a statement Explorer Pipeline shared to Facebook shortly after 12 p.m. ET. "The local fire department and emergency response teams have responded and secured the site. Additional fire response resources are en route." The company went on to relay that several surrounding roads had been closed. https://www.sott.net/article/507986-Gas-tanks-explode-at-Oklahoma-pipeline-facility-after-lightning-strike Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:38:15 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507985-Lightning-strike-kills-3-women-in-Nigeria Three women, including a new mother, have reportedly been killed by a thunder strike in a settlement in Bauchi State. The incident reportedly occurred on Monday at Gambiri, a settlement in Bauchi Local Government Area of the state. It was gathered that the thunder strike was massive, piercing through the hut where the women were at about 5:30 pm on Monday, August 17, 2026, following a heavy downpour. According to reports, the three women were sisters from the same parents and had been preparing for the naming ceremony of a newborn baby. One of the victims, Hauwa Juli, had recently given birth to the baby, who was in the same hut when the lightning struck but was left unharmed. The naming ceremony had been scheduled for Tuesday, August 18. The other two victims were identified as Fatima, Hauwa Juli's pregnant daughter, and Habibah, Hauwa's sister, who was also reportedly pregnant. Instead of gathering for the naming ceremony at about 11 am on Tuesday, residents gathered to bury the... https://www.sott.net/article/507985-Lightning-strike-kills-3-women-in-Nigeria Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:24:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507983-Quick-Take-the-dead-professor-Ardays-Law Jason Arday was allegedly (we always need this qualifier these days), a Cambridge professor of sociology who recently resigned from his post following allegations of plagiarism in his work and intense media scrutiny of some his more outlandish biographical claims. Shortly after resigning, he - again allegedly killed himself. Those are the bare bones of the story. It's all you need to know. I'm not going to discuss the rest in detail, because that's just what they want. A dissection, adherence to a side, disputing the elusive minutiae. Plagiarism, racism, classism, and fantasism. It's a melange of topics guaranteeing heated debate, and it's all anyone one wants to talk about - from politicians to journalists to celebrities in every sphere. So much so it almost makes you question the essential 'organicness' of the situation entirely, especially with the dubious hallmark of the shockingly speedy GoFundMe. I'm not going to get into all of that now, or try to untangle the roots of the... https://www.sott.net/article/507983-Quick-Take-the-dead-professor-Ardays-Law Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:36:19 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507982-Burying-the-evidence-British-Medical-Journal-retracts-paper-linking-COVID-19-vaccines-to-deaths BMJ Public Health has retracted a paper some — including a witness at a recent U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing — have used to link COVID-19 vaccines to deaths. The action comes more than two years after a researcher cited in the work flagged issues with the study. Published May 6, 2024, the paper used the "Our World in Data" database and the World Mortality Dataset to look at COVID-19 related deaths during the height of the pandemic.1 News outlets covered it, from The Telegraph — "vaccines may have helped fuel rise in excess deaths" — to the New York Post, which quoted the paper's statements about reported "serious injuries and deaths following vaccination," a move it later corrected. An expression of concern, placed on the paper about a month after it was published, attempted to quell these claims, noting the study "does not establish any such link." The notice also announced an institutional investigation by the Princess Máxima Center in the Netherlands, where three of the four... https://www.sott.net/article/507982-Burying-the-evidence-British-Medical-Journal-retracts-paper-linking-COVID-19-vaccines-to-deaths Tue, 18 Aug 2026 22:05:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507981-Norman-Fentons-forensic-indictment-of-ideological-orthodoxy-in-the-capture-of-academia When Allan Bloom published the widely acclaimed the Closing of the American Mind in 1987, he offered an early and influential warning that leading universities had abandoned the pursuit of truth and the Western intellectual tradition in favour of moral relativism and identity politics. Almost four decades later, Professor Norman Fenton has delivered one of the most granular, blow-by-blow insider accounts yet written of that same Gramscian "long march through the institutions". His book, The Capture of Academia: How Universities Shape Power, Silence Dissent, and Influence Society, traces a 47-year career inside British universities with forensic precision. In the words of Kathy Gyngell, the veteran commentator and editor of TCW Defending Freedom, Fenton details "an ideological, illiberal transformation that is both 'anti-science' and 'anti-knowledge,' confuses activism with enquiry, that has exerted a terrible influence over politics and society". Fenton's account stands out... https://www.sott.net/article/507981-Norman-Fentons-forensic-indictment-of-ideological-orthodoxy-in-the-capture-of-academia Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:23:02 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507980-Saudi-Arabia-launches-maritime-coalition-amid-escalation-in-Yemen The group's attacks are threatening a Red Sea shipping route that has become increasingly important amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has announced the formal launch of a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at safeguarding shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, as escalating hostilities with Yemen's Houthis threaten one of the world's most important trade routes. Thirteen countries have completed the procedures required to formally join the alliance, while 15 have signed its joint statement, the Saudi Defense Ministry said on Thursday. Riyadh described the development as the "actual launch" of the coalition and the beginning of its institutional and operational activation. Saudi Arabia will provide its first commander, while Pakistan is expected to appoint the deputy commander. The alliance is expected to coordinate intelligence sharing, joint exercises and maritime operations aimed at protecting commercial navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of... https://www.sott.net/article/507980-Saudi-Arabia-launches-maritime-coalition-amid-escalation-in-Yemen Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:46:06 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507979-Post-Maduro-Venezuela-wants-its-4BN-in-gold-back-from-England Venezuela wants its gold back. And now with Maduro having been removed and Caracas being essentially a puppet of Washington influence and interests, it has a much better chance at this than ever before. Venezuela's government and opposition are teaming up to wrest back $4 billion in gold bullion currently locked in the Bank of England's vaults, according to a Friday report by the Financial Times. A freshly issued joint statement confirmed they are actively working "to recover Venezuela's international reserve assets held in the Bank of England." If successfully repatriated, the funds are slated in part for post-earthquake reconstruction efforts and to soften the blow of years of US sanctions, which still haven't actually been fully lifted. The funds have been the subject of a lengthy court battle, after since 2018 the United Kingdom has blocked access by denying recognition to Venezuela's revolutionary socialist government. https://www.sott.net/article/507979-Post-Maduro-Venezuela-wants-its-4BN-in-gold-back-from-England Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:45:41 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507978-Secondhand-booksellers-in-UK-and-Ireland-suspect-AI-firms-behind-strange-bulk-orders Development comes after Anthropic was found to have spent millions on books to scan for 'data acquisition' Secondhand booksellers in the UK and Ireland are reporting a flurry of bulk orders from mystery buyers, amid speculation AI companies are acquiring the tomes for their data. Bookshops contacted by the Guardian say they have been receiving orders from buyers in the US, Canada, continental Europe and the UK. The increase has been replicated around the world, with booksellers in the US, Australia and Europe also reporting unusual orders. Stuart Manley, the co-owner of Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland, said the orders, which began arriving three months ago, were unusual because they did not follow the typical pattern of being grouped into themes such as sport or motoring. "It's definitely a strange combination of books," said Manley. "Normally a book order is on a theme but this is all over the place." https://www.sott.net/article/507978-Secondhand-booksellers-in-UK-and-Ireland-suspect-AI-firms-behind-strange-bulk-orders Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:44:45 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507977-Do-what-Israel-tells-you-graffiti-on-USAF-jet-suggests-troops-think-war-isnt-for-America It only took two weeks of fighting for a majority of polled Americans to conclude that the war on Iran benefits Israel more than the United States. If comments from a prominent, former Navy SEAL and graffiti written in the dust of a US Air Force jet in the Middle East are any indication, many American service members are convinced their participation in the war only serves the agenda of the State of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. On Sunday, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft executive VP Trita Parsi posted a photo that he said was sent to him "from the field" showing temporary graffiti one or more service members had written in the dust of a military aircraft. Some messages on what looks like a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker satirically embrace the idea that American service members should be enthusiastic about serving Israel: "Be a good goy and do what Israel tells you to!!!" "I LOVE ISRAEL. I AM A GOOD GOYIM." "BiBi's Cucks" https://www.sott.net/article/507977-Do-what-Israel-tells-you-graffiti-on-USAF-jet-suggests-troops-think-war-isnt-for-America Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:43:23 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507976-Study-finds-major-AI-chatbots-lean-left-in-rejecting-right-wing-falsehoods-while-struggling-with-source-accuracy A new Just Facts analysis of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Grok found wide differences in how the leading AI systems handled politically charged falsehoods, while concluding that fewer than half of the 419 sources they supplied across 400 answers were valid. A new study testing four prominent artificial intelligence chatbots on politically contentious factual claims found that three were substantially more successful at rejecting falsehoods categorized by the researchers as coming from the political right than those classified as coming from the left. According to Fox News, the research also identified a separate problem that its author described as even more troubling: many of the references supplied by the AI systems either did not exist or failed to substantiate the answers for which they were cited. The nonprofit research institute Just Facts conducted the study using paid versions of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic's Claude and xAI's Grok. Researchers submitted 100 questions... https://www.sott.net/article/507976-Study-finds-major-AI-chatbots-lean-left-in-rejecting-right-wing-falsehoods-while-struggling-with-source-accuracy Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:42:21 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507975-The-Democrats-Hasan-Piker-problem-is-growing-worse The Democratic Party has so much going for it in the 2026 midterm election season, yet it looks like one man in particular might blow it for them. Hasan Piker, the 35-year-old left-wing influencer, is becoming a genuine electoral liability that could extend well beyond the races he's personally gotten involved in, and according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Democrats are trying to do something about it. In Michigan, Piker has been campaigning alongside Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed despite warnings from party operatives who would rather he didn't. The two have continued campaigning together even as Democratic officials worry the association could bleed into contests in Texas, Georgia, Wisconsin and Maine, states where Piker hasn't lifted a finger for any candidate. That's the nature of viral notoriety. A candidate doesn't need Piker in the room to become an issue because of him. https://www.sott.net/article/507975-The-Democrats-Hasan-Piker-problem-is-growing-worse Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:33:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507974-Women-are-fleeing-Ceuta-Spain-after-15-rapes-recorded-since-the-migrant-invasion-at-the-end-of-July 10-year-old sexually assaulted by 3 Moroccans The Spanish Civil Guard has now confirmed there have been 15 rapes in Ceuta since the mass migrant invasion at the end of July, which has continued to shake Europe. In response, women are now reportedly fleeing the city in greater numbers as sexual violence spreads and scenes from the city portray a government unable to contain the growing chaos on the beaches and streets. The latest rape reportedly occurred on Friday night on Lisboa Street, where three migrant brothers reportedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl. An investigation is ongoing regarding the incident. Remix News reported last week that five underage Moroccan girls had reportedly been raped in Ceuta since July 30, along with one underage boy. Since then, the number has risen to 15, according to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. Women in Ceuta are now reportedly looking for an exit. Two sisters, Yoli and María José, say they have left the city until the crisis ends due to... https://www.sott.net/article/507974-Women-are-fleeing-Ceuta-Spain-after-15-rapes-recorded-since-the-migrant-invasion-at-the-end-of-July Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:25:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507973-Torrential-rains-flood-homes-and-roads-across-Lima-and-southern-Peru Heavy rains have flooded homes and roads in southern Lima, while river overflows, landslides, and road closures continue to affect Peru's southern regions. In Lima, overwhelmed drainage systems have worsened the flooding as authorities warn that rains will intensify. https://www.sott.net/article/507973-Torrential-rains-flood-homes-and-roads-across-Lima-and-southern-Peru Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:01:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507972-Summer-shocker-Polish-city-plunged-into-icy-chaos-by-freak-August-hailstorm A Polish city was transformed into a bleak midwinter scene after a powerful hailstorm blanketed streets and pavements in white. Dramatic footage from Chorzów, viewed more than 600,000 times online, shows torrential rain and hail hammering the southern city, sending visibility plummeting as roads were rapidly buried beneath a thick layer of ice. The dramatic scenes prompted a wave of startled reactions online, with one local saying: "It felt like the windows were going to break; there was such a loud bang." Another social media user commented: "A person walking in sandals, and suddenly, winter hits." Yet another posted: "And please, someone tell me this is normal." https://www.sott.net/article/507972-Summer-shocker-Polish-city-plunged-into-icy-chaos-by-freak-August-hailstorm Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:43:43 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507971-Stunning-meteor-fireball-over-northern-Spain-Aug-18 This video shows a remarkable bolide recorded on August 18, at 0:49 local time (equivalent to 22:49 universal time). At the start of the video, the fireball has been sonified by for outreach purposes: its light was converted into sound by means of a new technique developed by Dr. Madiedo in the framework of the SMART survey. It was brighter than the full Moon. The fireball was observed by a wide number of casual eyewitnesses, who reported it on social networks. The event was generated by a rock (a meteoroid) from an asteroid that hit the atmosphere at about 72,000 km/h. The fireball overflew Cantabria (northern Spain). It began at an altitude of about 115 km over the locality of Barcenillas (province of Cantabria), moved southeast, and ended at a height of around 46 km over the locality of Los Llares (province of Cantabria). This bright meteor was recorded in the framework of the SMART project, operated by the Southwestern Europe Meteor Network (SWEMN) from the meteor-observing... https://www.sott.net/article/507971-Stunning-meteor-fireball-over-northern-Spain-Aug-18 Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:50:05 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507970-Damage-control-Top-Admiral-Visits-USS-Lincoln-Suggests-Reports-Of-Dire-Conditions-Are-Greatly-Exaggerated The top US military commander in the Middle East has personally visited the USS Lincoln carrier, which is currently patrolling the Middle East after having long been engaged in operations against Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief, Adm. Brad Cooper, directly inspected the ship amid widespread reports of low morale and extremely challenging conditions amid a record extended deployment. But Cooper came away with the opposite conclusions from what the headlines and some lawmakers are saying. After the Saturday visit, Cooper said the Lincoln has "among the lowest number of cases related to mental health" out of 11 active US aircraft carriers. Included in the litany of problems the ship has faced, reports have alleged that in some instances crew members tried to commit suicide by going overboard. https://www.sott.net/article/507970-Damage-control-Top-Admiral-Visits-USS-Lincoln-Suggests-Reports-Of-Dire-Conditions-Are-Greatly-Exaggerated Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:06:13 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507969-Rains-in-Caracas-Venezuela-leave-3-dead-and-destroy-tents-housing-earthquake-survivors At least three people died in Caracas as a result of torrential rains that fell between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday, which also caused flooding, brought down trees, cut power supplies and destroyed camps sheltering families left homeless by the double earthquake of June 24. The commander general of the Caracas Fire Department, Pablo Antonio Palacios Salazar, said two female minors were swept away by a current of water in the La Vega parish, in the southwest of the capital. By the time crews arrived, authorities were already securing both bodies. A 49-year-old woman also died in Libertador municipality. In Sucre municipality, at least thirty homes were flooded. The rainfall was caused by the passage of tropical wave number 37 over northern Venezuela, accompanied by lightning and wind gusts, according to the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology. Roads were flooded in La Candelaria, San Bernardino, Petare, Antímano and Caricuao, as well as on the... https://www.sott.net/article/507969-Rains-in-Caracas-Venezuela-leave-3-dead-and-destroy-tents-housing-earthquake-survivors Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:06:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507968-Lightning-kills-American-hiker-on-Italys-Mount-Etna An American tourist, 29, died after being struck by lightning while hiking alone in an active area of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italian officials said. The man was hit on Sunday evening as a severe thunderstorm moved across the volcano. He had been walking in the isolated Rocca Capra area, in the Valle del Bove—a large depression on Etna's eastern flank—at around 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above sea level. Authorities said he may have entered an area closed to the public due to Etna's recent volcanic activity. An emergency call was made shortly before 8:00 p.m. local time. A firefighter helicopter, identified as Drago 142, was dispatched to the scene, where rescuers attempted to resuscitate him before winching him aboard. He was flown to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, where he arrived in cardiac arrest. Doctors continued resuscitation efforts, but he was pronounced dead at around 9:30 p.m. His body was transferred to the hospital morgue, and no family members had been traced as of the... https://www.sott.net/article/507968-Lightning-kills-American-hiker-on-Italys-Mount-Etna Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:31:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507967-EXCLUSIVE-interview-with-top-IRGC-adviser-to-Irans-Supreme-Leader Rising oil prices, the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and other Middle East sticking points — all that and more was discussed in an exclusive interview with Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the IRGC's top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader. https://www.sott.net/article/507967-EXCLUSIVE-interview-with-top-IRGC-adviser-to-Irans-Supreme-Leader Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:10:26 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507966-NewsReal-Its-All-Going-Wrong-For-America 5 years after its ignominious departure from Afghanistan, 4 years after baiting Russia into Ukraine, and 3 years after 'partnering' with Israel's '7-front war', the United States finds itself in a quagmire. Brought into focus by its inability to enforce its will against Iran, the empire's usual methods for maintaining the 'exorbitant privilege' of the US dollar on the world stage are no longer working. Its rusty and fault-prone aircraft carriers find they no longer have safe harbor in the Middle East, its strategic oil reserves are running low, and other countries - vassals and foes alike - are adapting the 'new reality' the United States is inadvertently ushering in: a new world order without the US as 'global policeman'. Trump will go down as the architect of this demise. Despite the elderly president's formidable willpower to prevent it from happening, he is hemmed in on all sides by an Israel-CIA network that has him 'on the run' all the time - something clearly illustrated by... https://www.sott.net/article/507966-NewsReal-Its-All-Going-Wrong-For-America Tue, 18 Aug 2026 08:29:24 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507965-US-cardiologists-issue-new-guidelines-for-how-to-manage-cholesterol It's estimated that about one in four adults in the US has high LDL cholesterol, which can build up in your arteries over time, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. But 'bad' cholesterol isn't the only thing you need to look out for. Other kinds of lipids and lipoproteins can also build up in your blood to abnormal levels, called dyslipidemia, which in turn can lead to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the world's leading cause of death and morbidity. This year, experts in the US updated their official guidance on how to manage cholesterol and prevent dyslipidemia, overhauling the former 2018 guidelines. The new guidelines are still very much about managing cholesterol, but they also take a broader perspective, focusing on taking action earlier to address blood fats that can harm people's health. "We know 80 percent or more of cardiovascular disease is preventable and elevated LDL cholesterol, sometimes referred to as 'bad' cholesterol, is a major part of... https://www.sott.net/article/507965-US-cardiologists-issue-new-guidelines-for-how-to-manage-cholesterol Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:43:28 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507964-The-All-Seeing-Eye In an era where our every word, step, and glance can be archived, summarized, and replayed by sleek little discs pinned to our chests, the ancient archetype of the all-seeing eye has found its modern silicon incarnation. What was once the paranoid whisper of conspiracy has become the marketed convenience of 'life logging' — yet beneath the promise of perfect memory lies the total erasure of privacy, turning every shrew into a unwitting performer on the surveillance stage. (If you haven't read enough of my work to know what a "shrew" is, read this: Sheep and Shrew) During a recent three-hour ramble with my sister — one of those wide-ranging, idea-sparking talkathons we've shared for years — the little recording device I had just bought, attached to my phone, quietly drank it all in. Every tangent on culture, politics, family, and the state of the world was captured, summarized, and later served back as a tidy slideshow of "highlights." It auto-suggested calendar entries, pulled up... https://www.sott.net/article/507964-The-All-Seeing-Eye Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:27:54 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507963-JD-Vance-warns-his-own-party-to-stop-blaming-Gen-Z-for-the-rise-of-socialism-or-face-a-political-reckoning Deep economic anxieties. J.D. Vance just dropped a reality check on his own party, telling Republicans to stop pointing fingers at Gen Z for the rise of socialism and start fixing the economy instead. According to Fox News, the vice president didn't hold back during his appearance on The Will Cain Show, warning that if the GOP fails to address housing costs and middle-class jobs, they'll lose an entire generation to the left. It's a rare moment of self-reflection from a party that's spent years blaming young voters for everything from student debt to avocado toast prices. Vance didn't sugarcoat his message. He told Cain: "My warning to my fellow Republicans would be: If we don't get this right, don't blame young people for being sympathetic to socialism. We've got to blame ourselves." The vice president didn't dismiss socialism as a fringe ideology. He called it "dangerous and destructive" but he also didn't pretend it's gaining traction in a vacuum. The numbers back him up. The... https://www.sott.net/article/507963-JD-Vance-warns-his-own-party-to-stop-blaming-Gen-Z-for-the-rise-of-socialism-or-face-a-political-reckoning Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:27:31 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507962-Solidarity-is-not-enough-Why-the-world-must-force-accountability-on-Gaza-now It is now official: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has flatly rejected the core conditions of the Board of Peace framework, explicitly stating that Israel will neither adhere to a ceasefire nor withdraw its forces from Gaza. During a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu stated with unambiguous language: "Israel rejects the 15-point document published by the Board of Peace for Gaza". In a previous conversation with lead envoy Nickolay Mladenov, Netanyahu set conditions - such as demanding unilateral operational freedom for the Israeli military to strike inside Gaza at will - that render a genuine peace agreement structurally impossible. The Israeli army leadership, under Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, reinforced this posture by outlining three uncompromising "red lines" to the political establishment: Complete operational freedom to eliminate perceived threats anywhere in the Strip Strict control over all weapons entering or exiting Gaza Zero military withdrawal unless Hamas... https://www.sott.net/article/507962-Solidarity-is-not-enough-Why-the-world-must-force-accountability-on-Gaza-now Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:27:08 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507961-Delusional-Iran-fires-back-at-Trumps-Make-Hormuz-Strait-a-territory-of-the-US-ambitions Predictably, Iran has on Saturday issued a full-throated rejection of President Trump's Friday evening words related to the status on the conflict and energy transit in the region. In a speech on New York's Long Island, Trump introduced the idea of declaring the Strait of Hormuz a US territory. Trump told a crowd of law enforcement officers: "After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon, I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States. "Essentially, that's what it is. We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to." He claimed oil prices were coming "way down". Some pundits pointed to what seemed like classic hyperbole and his penchant for floating extreme scenarios in off-the-cuff fashion; however, Trump made the statement without any qualifiers other than it will happen when Iran is "badly defeated" by the United States. That seems to be the big if in the future scenario. https://www.sott.net/article/507961-Delusional-Iran-fires-back-at-Trumps-Make-Hormuz-Strait-a-territory-of-the-US-ambitions Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:26:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507960-CENTCOM-launches-multinational-drone-strike-force-to-expand-unmanned-warfare-across-Middle-East U.S. Central Command has created Task Force Falcon Strike, a multinational unit designed to integrate American and allied one-way attack drones and other unmanned systems into a coordinated regional deterrence network. U.S. Central Command is expanding the military's use of low-cost unmanned weapons in the Middle East with the creation of a new multinational task force that will combine American drone capabilities with those of regional partners. CENTCOM announced Thursday that Task Force Falcon Strike will bring together U.S. forces and allied militaries to operate one-way attack drones and other unmanned systems across multiple domains. The new organization is intended to build on lessons learned from recent U.S. combat operations while giving partner nations a larger role in developing and deploying unmanned strike capabilities, according to a CENTCOM announcement. The command oversees American military activity across the Middle East, Central Asia and portions of South Asia. https://www.sott.net/article/507960-CENTCOM-launches-multinational-drone-strike-force-to-expand-unmanned-warfare-across-Middle-East Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:25:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507959-Israel-threatens-return-of-Lebanon-war-after-unleashing-deadliest-airstrikes-since-ceasefire Despite a June ceasefire technically being in effect, new weekend Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon mark the deadliest escalation since fighting largely came to a halt earlier this year. The Saturday attack saw eleven Lebanese killed - among them three children - and 19 injured after Israeli warplanes bombed several areas. It's by far the biggest mass casualty event since the ceasefire took effect, also in terms of extent of destruction. The Guardian reported: "Israeli warplanes bombed a home on the outskirts of the village of Ansar, killing seven people and flattening the building early on Saturday morning. Rescue services were working at the site to try to find survivors and locate bodies. "Another airstrike hours later on a home in the town of Deir al-Zahrani killed two, wounded nine and covered the streets in rubble and smoke. An Israeli drone also targeted a motorcycle in the nearby city of Nabatieh, but it was unclear if the driver was killed." Lebanon's National News... https://www.sott.net/article/507959-Israel-threatens-return-of-Lebanon-war-after-unleashing-deadliest-airstrikes-since-ceasefire Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:24:21 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507958-A-Tour-of-Americas-Blue-Utopias Come for the Utopia. Stay because your car has been stolen. I lived in Massachusetts for a number of years and even at one time owned a home there. The home was in a town called Cotuit, on the Cape, a small, pretty town that recalled the atmosphere of the television show Lost or the novel Lord of the Flies. There was an equivalent feeling of desolation and desperation and the strange notion that cannibal zombies ran the town. We determined that it was not the place we wanted to spend our free time, even though I have to say that the clam strips were delicious. When I was a student, I lived in the Boston area, and that was a different feel, more of what we can find in our Blue American cities today. I have to say that Cambridge was ahead of its time. When I worked on the student janitorial crew, my boss, one of the wisest men in Boston — a dyed-in-the-wool Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots fan and Vietnam vet — comforted me one day as we sat together on the steps in Radcliffe Yard. Bob... https://www.sott.net/article/507958-A-Tour-of-Americas-Blue-Utopias Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:42:57 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507957-Severe-summer-storms-in-Spain-leave-3-dead-2-killed-in-landslide-triggered-by-heavy-rain-1-killed-by-lighting Three people died during storms and flash floods caused by freak summer weather in Spain. Two women lost their lives and two children were injured after being trapped in the basement of a home hit by a landslide caused by a heavy downpour in a village near Ponferrada in the north-west of the country. And a 54-year-old shepherd died after being struck by lightning in the foothills of the southern Spanish Pyrenees. He was killed on Friday afternoon as he worked in Aren in the Mountains of Sis area. A police mountain search and rescue team found him dead after being mobilised around 2pm. His body was taken to the nearby town of Benasque by helicopter before being transported by road to the northern Spanish city of Zaragoza for the autopsy. The tragedy involving the two women, aged 60 and 80, occurred yesterday evening in the village of Manzanedo de Valdueza in Ponferrada in northwestern Spain. They were among six relatives and friends caught up in a flash flood. A heavy downpour... https://www.sott.net/article/507957-Severe-summer-storms-in-Spain-leave-3-dead-2-killed-in-landslide-triggered-by-heavy-rain-1-killed-by-lighting Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:49:17 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507956-Why-the-Mecca-alliance-may-work-in-Russias-favor Russia has historically protected itself across several fronts by maintaining buffer states along the borders it shared with threatening powers. These states didn't necessarily have to like Russia, much less become its allies, but their usefulness lay in causing even greater problems for Russia's potential adversaries. For a long time, the Crimean Khanate played such a role by consuming Polish resources that might otherwise have been directed against Russia and Poland, in turn, helped shield Russia from the full weight of German pressure, while in the east, the Dzungar Khanate performed a similar function during the 17th and 18th centuries. Its horsemen sometimes burned Russian settlements in Siberia, but they were a much greater scourge for China. This remains a useful principle of Russian strategy because when Moscow lacks the resources to act decisively in a particular region, it can benefit from independent powers pursuing their own interests there, provided they cause Russia's... https://www.sott.net/article/507956-Why-the-Mecca-alliance-may-work-in-Russias-favor Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:34:04 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507955-Summer-storm-causes-extreme-flash-floods-in-southern-Greece-cars-carried-away-5-5-inches-of-rain-in-just-4-hours Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit the Mani peninsula in southern Greece on Saturday, causing flash flooding and dangerous conditions as torrents of water swept through roads and carried away cars. The worst conditions were reported in the area of Kokkala in Laconia prefecture, in the eastern half of Mani, where 141 millimeters of rain fell in about four hours, according to the National Observatory of Athens' network of weather stations and its Meteo.gr service. The rainfall was about 10 times the average monthly rainfall recorded in the prefecture capital of Sparta in August and was accompanied by intense lightning activity. Satellite images from Meteosat-12 at 5 p.m. showed the storm clouds over the area, while data from the satellite's Lightning Imager recorded more than 2,000 electrical discharges within a 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) radius of the Kokkala weather station between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. About half were recorded between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., when rainfall peaked at 68... https://www.sott.net/article/507955-Summer-storm-causes-extreme-flash-floods-in-southern-Greece-cars-carried-away-5-5-inches-of-rain-in-just-4-hours Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:09:33 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507954-Dog-involved-in-fatal-attack-on-toddler-still-in-pound-in-Christchurch-New-Zealand The dog involved in a fatal attack on a Christchurch toddler is still being held in the pound pending a police investigation. Sonny-Charles Watson, aged 1, sustained critical injuries at an address on Basingstoke St in Aranui around 4.45pm on Friday, and was taken to an ambulance. Later that night, police said he had died at the scene despite the efforts of first responders and a member of the household. The dog was known to the occupants of the address and lived at the property. On Monday, Christchurch City Council's Head of Regulatory Compliance Tracey Weston said the dog, described as a "crossbreed", was still being held pending the outcome of the police probe into the child's death. "The dog is registered and has not previously come to the council's attention. There had been no prior reason for council officers to visit the property," Weston said. https://www.sott.net/article/507954-Dog-involved-in-fatal-attack-on-toddler-still-in-pound-in-Christchurch-New-Zealand Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:34:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507927-Strong-shallow-7-7-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-eastern-Indonesia-killing-at-least-68-UPDATE A powerful 7.7-magnitude quake struck eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, killing at least 20 people, causing widespread panic and collapsing buildings and homes in a region prone to deadly earthquakes. Authorities had issued a tsunami warning, which has since been lifted, but there have been dozens of aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.1. Tsunami waves of ⁠less than one metre (three feet) were recorded in several areas. Indonesian geophysics agency BMKG recorded the first quake at 4.58 am local time at a depth of 15 ⁠km (9 miles) in Indonesia's Flores region. Rescuers around the port town of Maumere found 20 dead, six injured and two trapped under the rubble, said Fathur Rahman, head of the city's rescue agency. Maumere is the main town in Sikka Regency on Flores Island in the east of Indonesia's vast archipelago. https://www.sott.net/article/507927-Strong-shallow-7-7-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-eastern-Indonesia-killing-at-least-68-UPDATE Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:23:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507953-At-least-7-people-have-died-from-days-of-heavy-rain-and-record-setting-flooding-in-Indiana Days of storms and flooding in Indiana left at least seven people dead as floodwaters receded in Indianapolis' White River and rains eased in other parts of the state Sunday. Frank Gounder was among the Indianapolis residents assessing the damage Sunday, which also happened to be his 37th birthday. The furniture maker, who lives on the city's hard-hit northside, less than a mile from the White River, had been at home as floodwaters crept up his driveway until they were about 2 feet deep (0.61 meters) in the house and his workshop. Now Gounder is left to pick through waterlogged materials and handmade furniture in various stages of completion to see what, if anything, could be salvaged. "It's a lot. Before the water had actually gotten into my house and I saw that it was going to happen, I started freaking out, getting mad," he said. "But after you realize you can't do anything about it, you kind of just have to let go and just continue, or else you're just going to be miserable." https://www.sott.net/article/507953-At-least-7-people-have-died-from-days-of-heavy-rain-and-record-setting-flooding-in-Indiana Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:15:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507952-180000-people-left-without-power-in-Hawaii-amid-Hurricane-Lalas-fury-up-to-43-inches-of-rain-dumped-in-72-hours More than 183,000 people in the US state of Hawaii have been left without electricity following the strike of Hurricane Lala. Weather forecasts had indicated that Lala could be the first hurricane to make a direct landfall in Hawaii in 155 years of US history. However, the storm weakened into a tropical storm before hitting the archipelago. Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated on Sunday that at least one person died in a car accident caught in the storm. Additionally, reports indicate that over a hundred homes have been damaged. According to Reuters, citing power outage tracking data, 183,123 customers across Hawaii were without electricity as of 3:30 PM local time on Sunday. https://www.sott.net/article/507952-180000-people-left-without-power-in-Hawaii-amid-Hurricane-Lalas-fury-up-to-43-inches-of-rain-dumped-in-72-hours Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:25:03 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507951-Southeastern-Korea-hit-by-up-to-33-5-inches-of-rain-in-37-hours-floods-and-landslides Torrential rain topping 800 millimeters battered South Gyeongsang Province through Monday, triggering floods and landslides after weeks of drought. At least one person was killed, three others were injured, and around 150 residents were evacuated as the record rainfall inundated roads and triggered landslides across the region. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Geoje received 851.1 millimeters of rain from midnight Saturday through 1 p.m. Monday, while nearby Tongyeong recorded 704.8 mm. Sacheon received 380.5 mm, while 441 mm fell on Gadeokdo in Busan. Geoje recorded 124.5 mm of rain in a single hour from 1:32 a.m., the highest hourly rainfall ever recorded there. Tongyeong also set a record with 97.4 mm in one hour from 5:11 a.m. The three-day cumulative rainfall amounted to roughly 90 percent of the region's average precipitation for the entire June-August period. https://www.sott.net/article/507951-Southeastern-Korea-hit-by-up-to-33-5-inches-of-rain-in-37-hours-floods-and-landslides Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:57:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507950-Netanyahus-reprise-of-the-Iraq-WMD-deceit-re-launched-to-promote-war-on-Iran Trump's pivot to economic pressure as the key to Iranian capitulation is not a credible strategy. President Trump took Secretary of War Hegseth's military cheerleading ('U.S. military potency is awesome') at face value, only belatedly to discover that the U.S. is out of interceptors in a war that hinges on air defences. 'The restock mathematics is just as cold. Four years to refill the stocks (not four months), because components include rare earth materials that are controlled by China'. Hegseth, it seems, is now in the dog-house, whilst Treasury Secretary Bessent's star is ascendent. Reportedly, Bessent has continuously reassured Trump that the oil shortage triggered by the closure of the Hormuz Strait "is temporary and manageable" (it isn't), arguing too that energy-driven inflation also will ease once global tensions cool. He has bet his hat on it. And Trump seems to believe in the manipulation of oil and market futures. https://www.sott.net/article/507950-Netanyahus-reprise-of-the-Iraq-WMD-deceit-re-launched-to-promote-war-on-Iran Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:25:26 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507949-Irans-interests-and-the-Mecca-Defense-Pact Iran's future response will likely entail close monitoring of both the opportunities and threats posed by the Mecca Pact. Tehran is also expected to welcome any cooperative frameworks directed against Israeli and Western interests, as well as intra-Islamic collaboration. Following a year of intensive diplomatic consultations in Mecca, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan formally signed a trilateral joint defense agreement, dubbed the "Mecca Agreement," on August 7, 2026. This landmark pact unequivocally ranks as the most consequential defense and military development to have shaped the region in recent years. The cornerstone clause of the "Mecca Agreement" rests squarely on the principle of collective self-defense, explicitly dictating that an armed attack against any of the three state parties shall be construed as an attack on all parties to the accord. The pact was signed on the basis of a preliminary agreement reached between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September... https://www.sott.net/article/507949-Irans-interests-and-the-Mecca-Defense-Pact Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:24:53 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507948-Israel-wants-ChatGPT-to-push-its-Gaza-narrative-Politico The country has launched a campaign to shape how AI models answer questions about its war on Hamas and the IDF amid declining public support in the US. Israel has spent tens of millions of dollars to boost its image in the US by seeking to influence how AI platforms portray the country, Politico has reported. US public attitudes toward Israel have deteriorated in recent years, first over its response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and more recently over the US-Israeli war on Iran and its cost to taxpayers. Six in ten US adults now view Israel somewhat or very unfavorably, according to a June Pew Research Center poll, up from 53% last year and 42% in 2022. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is even less popular, with 65% expressing little or no confidence in his policies. In a report on Friday, Politico detailed a $100,000 Israeli campaign aimed at influencing how large-language models [LLMs} such as ChatGPT answer questions about Gaza and the Israel-Hamas war. The... https://www.sott.net/article/507948-Israel-wants-ChatGPT-to-push-its-Gaza-narrative-Politico Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:24:28 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507947-Wired-for-War-Why-is-the-UK-protecting-Israeli-election-meddlers London's refusal to investigate BlackCore suggests that the company is doing the bidding of the Israeli state. The British government is refusing to disclose information on how an Israeli "information warfare" firm targeted Scotland's pro-Palestine first minister. Nobody's saying who ordered the operation, but a trail of clues leads through Africa to Tel Aviv. The operation was revealed in June by Viginum, a division of France's DGSI domestic intelligence agency focused on combatting foreign interference. According to Viginum's report, an Israeli private "information warfare" firm called BlackCore interfered in mayoral elections in France, parliamentary elections in Scotland, and the mayoral election in New York City, all of which took place between March and June of this year. RT already covered the French plot in our 'Wired for War' series, and BlackCore's activity in Scotland followed a similar playbook. At least 256 accounts were created to spread disparaging information about... https://www.sott.net/article/507947-Wired-for-War-Why-is-the-UK-protecting-Israeli-election-meddlers Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:22:07 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507946-Jellyfish-force-shutdown-of-three-reactors-at-Frances-largest-nuclear-plant Three reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France were shut down late on Monday due to a massive ​swarm of jellyfish, triggering preventative measures put in place last year after the entire ⁠plant went offline, operator EDF said. Output at a fourth reactor was cut by half, leaving just one operating at full capacity. A sixth reactor was already offline for scheduled maintenance. "This situation has no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of personnel, or the environment," said EDF. France has seen nuclear power production disrupted by multiple heatwaves and droughts this year, with EDF shutting down several reactors in June and July because of extreme heat. https://www.sott.net/article/507946-Jellyfish-force-shutdown-of-three-reactors-at-Frances-largest-nuclear-plant Sun, 16 Aug 2026 20:21:39 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507945-Concentration-Camp-Ukraine-In-a-comedians-dictatorship-a-pop-singer-tells-the-truth A rare celebrity outburst has pierced Kiev's climate of fear, exposing forced abductions, repression and a regime terrified of truth. Except for the unfortunate victims of Western information blackouts and propaganda, it has long been obvious that Ukraine under its leader-beyond-elections Vladimir Zelensky is not a democracy, even by the real world's low standards. Zelensky's regime is extremely corrupt, authoritarian, and lethally vicious. Critics, for instance, are imprisoned and killed by a combination of torture and neglect, such as the late Gonzalo Lira, or locked away for 15 years for, in effect, the thought crime of calling for unity among Russian and Ukrainian workers, such as the socialist Bogdan Sirotyuk. Other targets of the regime are subject to assassination attempts, including abroad. Precisely because the Zelensky regime is so lawless, scary, and vicious, Ukrainians usually do not speak openly about just how terrible it is. That's why a recent YouTube interview with... https://www.sott.net/article/507945-Concentration-Camp-Ukraine-In-a-comedians-dictatorship-a-pop-singer-tells-the-truth Sun, 16 Aug 2026 17:19:37 +0000