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. Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:09:19 +0000 https://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net https://www.sott.net https://www.sott.net/article/507686-Trump-taps-veterans-to-fix-illegal-alien-trucking-problem-plaguing-US-roadways The program expands CDL eligibility for veterans while removing over 24,000 licenses under English proficiency rules President Donald Trump will launch the White House's new Freedom Haulers initiative Thursday, Fox News Digital has exclusively learned, opening new pathways for military veterans to become commercial truck drivers while intensifying the administration's crackdown on illegal immigrant and non-English-speaking truckers. "President Trump's administration has made our roads safer by taking illegal alien, non-English-speaking truck drivers off America's highways. Now, through the Freedom Haulers initiative, the president is expanding opportunities for our veterans by making it easier to obtain commercial driver's licenses once they conclude their service," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. https://www.sott.net/article/507686-Trump-taps-veterans-to-fix-illegal-alien-trucking-problem-plaguing-US-roadways Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:09:17 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507685-Spanish-enclave-in-Africa-asks-for-emergency-to-be-declared-after-migrants-surge-over-border Spanish government to send support to North African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of migrants force their way into the Spanish town Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez responded to this request Thursday morning, saying that the Spanish government "is fully committed to providing an immediate response to the situation in Ceuta." "We are mobilizing all necessary resources, working with Moroccan and international authorities, and preparing the necessary measures to restore normalcy as soon as possible," Sanchez wrote in a statement on Twitter. This is the latest in a recent history of such border surges in Ceuta, with a similar incident occurring in May of 2021, where, in the span of just two days, more than 8,000 migrants crossed over the border into the Spanish enclave. https://www.sott.net/article/507685-Spanish-enclave-in-Africa-asks-for-emergency-to-be-declared-after-migrants-surge-over-border Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:39:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507684-Rare-tick-borne-Bourbon-virus-confirmed-in-New-York-for-the-first-time A mysterious tick-borne virus may already be spreading unnoticed in the Northeast. Researchers have confirmed New York State's first case of Bourbon virus, a rare and potentially severe infection carried by lone star ticks. The discovery on Long Island raises concerns that additional cases may have been mistaken for more familiar tick-borne illnesses, especially because the symptoms overlap and no widely available diagnostic test exists. The findings, led by Stony Brook Medicine and published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, suggest that the virus could be more established in the region than current case numbers indicate. Bourbon virus was first identified in Bourbon County, Kansas, in 2014. Since then, only a small number of infections have been documented, primarily in the central United States. However, the lone star tick has expanded into much of the Northeast, creating new opportunities for the virus to spread. https://www.sott.net/article/507684-Rare-tick-borne-Bourbon-virus-confirmed-in-New-York-for-the-first-time Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:11:01 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507683-Fugitive-colonel-is-finally-jailed-in-Chilean-Victor-Jaras-murder-case-decades-after-the-crime Chilean police have arrested a retired military colonel for the killing of singer-songwriter Víctor Jara over 50 years ago. More than half a century passed before some measure of justice was served over the weekend for the murder of popular Chilean singer-songwriter Víctor Jara. Chilean police on Saturday arrested a retired military colonel who had been a fugitive for three years after being convicted of kidnapping and murdering Jara during Chile's military dictatorship and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Despite the arrest, the musician's family says they are not completely satisfied. "We learned that retired Colonel Nelson Haase Mazzei, who had been a fugitive from justice since 2023, was found and imprisoned. We appreciate this news," said Jara's daughter, Amanda Jara, in a letter published Sunday night. However, she added, "it is difficult to consider this justice." https://www.sott.net/article/507683-Fugitive-colonel-is-finally-jailed-in-Chilean-Victor-Jaras-murder-case-decades-after-the-crime Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:03:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507682-The-wolf-In-New-York-City-mayors-clothing Zohran Mamdani may be the most effective and dangerous wolf in sheep's clothing American politics has produced in years. Beneath the polished charm and social-media-friendly persona is a grotesque combination of noxious policy ideas, delivered with snake like charm and layered with what feels like an outright hatred for success, individual liberty, free enterprise, private property, and many of the principles that helped make this country prosperous in the first place. Mayor BigBrain™ was in the news twice this week. First, he came under fire after "effectively doxxing thousands of wealthy New Yorkers", according to the New York Post when the city published a database identifying hundreds of thousands of property owners who could potentially be subject to his proposed pied-à-terre tax. Why would anyone be "thrilled" to announce a tax? https://www.sott.net/article/507682-The-wolf-In-New-York-City-mayors-clothing Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:37:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507681-Israeli-spyware-firms-are-fueling-the-global-surveillance-state The Pegasus hacking tool was just the beginning. A new survey of spyware firms reveals Israeli companies are being used by agencies in Western nations to build perfect dictatorships under democratic guise. 31 Aug 2025 - Last week another batch of peaceful pro-Palestine protestors were arrested by British police on suspicion of terrorism offenses, including a disabled man in a wheelchair, as the UK continues its descent into authoritarianism on behalf of Israel. If any of these protestors had their phones on them at the time of arrest, the police will most likely have scraped them for data using sophisticated spy tech software. Protestors not arrested will have been caught on mobile cameras that sit atop police vans in the UK, and their faces, perhaps even their voices, will have been captured, analyzed and cross referenced against a police database. And in a perverse twist, this spyware technology - technology which now underpins the insidious and growing capabilities of the modern... https://www.sott.net/article/507681-Israeli-spyware-firms-are-fueling-the-global-surveillance-state Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:28:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507680-A-U-turn-for-the-US-in-its-250th-birthday America's claim to singularity rested on plentiful resources, cheap labour, govt largesse and military edge. With all of the factors fraying, it needs a hard look at the mirror. As the United States of America celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence, it is useful to reflect on the nation's ascent. History and geography foremost. A virgin territory for European colonisers provided a fresh start escaping the encumbrances, distinctions, hatreds and internecine wars of the Old World. It is a continent protected by two, as President Donald Trump puts it, "beautiful" oceans. Other than the revolution for independence, war of 1812, the civil war and the Mexican-American war, it has largely avoided major warfare on the mainland. Today, it happens to be the third-largest continent blessed with fertile soil, plentiful freshwater, forests and mineral deposits including iron ore, coal and oil — most of it obtained cheaply by forcibly dispossessing and exterminating indigenous... https://www.sott.net/article/507680-A-U-turn-for-the-US-in-its-250th-birthday Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:28:02 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507679-GOP-senators-see-path-for-Fauci-prosecution-through-IRS-officials-similar-Fifth-Amendment-flub Wednesday's Senate Homeland Security Committee inquisition of former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, about his suspected role in the origin of COVID-19 and allegations that he tried to cover his tracks, similarly displayed elements of both tedious romp and last-minute shocker. The alternate celebrity and villain of the COVID-19 policy response repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right to refuse answering even mundane questions, such as the color of the hearing room's carpet, following publication of over 1,100 pages of diary-like notes that have raised even more questions about the veracity of his COVID-era public statements. Committee Republicans repeatedly argued Fauci could not opt out of answering questions due to President Biden's sweeping preemptive pardon, the validity of which has been questioned because it was signed by autopen amid Biden's cognitive decline. Legal analysts explained Wednesday how Fauci could still be... https://www.sott.net/article/507679-GOP-senators-see-path-for-Fauci-prosecution-through-IRS-officials-similar-Fifth-Amendment-flub Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:27:29 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507678-As-all-powers-fail-them-Gulf-States-turn-to-self-help In the emerging West Asian security order, the Saudis are proposing a regional non-aggression compact including Iran. The US's endorsement of the kingdom's nuclear quest has wider consequences. What is the ultimate objective, if there ever was one, behind the most pervasive use of US air power since 1991's Operation Desert Storm and 2003's erroneously-labelled Operation Iraqi Freedom that Iran had to endure recently? Was the purpose of Operation Epic Fury the comprehensive disarmament of Iran, the decapitation of its clerical regime, or the establishment of a new maritime order in the waters of West Asia? If the answer to any of the above is affirmative, then what remains of the undergirding of the region's security architecture that has existed since January 23, 1980, when President Jimmy Carter told the US Congress that any outside power's attempt to seize control of the Persian Gulf would be repelled "by any means necessary, including military force"? The security guarantor has... https://www.sott.net/article/507678-As-all-powers-fail-them-Gulf-States-turn-to-self-help Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:26:45 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507677-Tech-bros-run-the-Marxist-playbook Can Marxism offer a framework for understanding artificial intelligence (AI) and the tech bros behind it? This is not to suggest that Marxism is a viable economic system or a practical alternative to capitalism. It's not. But Karl Marx was a heterodox economist before he became an ideologue, and some of his ideas are powerful tools for understanding economics, even if his overall program was a failure. Let's use some of those tools to understand the rise of AI oligarchs and the future of AI. We begin with Marx's main idea: the abolition of private property. How do tech bros feel about private property? They steal it. If you can simply take private property, then it's not private. Marx would approve. The AI gang does this by scraping vast amounts of internet content for use in training their large language models (LLMs). That material includes copyrighted books, magazine articles, academic papers, images, music and countless other forms of intellectual property (IP). Do tech bros... https://www.sott.net/article/507677-Tech-bros-run-the-Marxist-playbook Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:23:03 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507676-Bidens-auto-pen-pardon-cant-protect-Fauci-from-legal-consequences Dr. Anthony Fauci may have believed his Fifth Amendment marathon at the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday would shield him from prosecution, but he miscalculated. Before he refused to answer questions from the committee, Fauci did deliver an opening statement, during which he attacked Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and explained his decision not to answer any questions. "Given Senator Paul's obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution, his repeated slanderous comments about me, and, recently, his publicly releasing my unredacted personal diary aimed at embarrassing and intimidating me, the only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something - anything - that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, 'behind bars,'" Fauci said. "Therefore, although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative... https://www.sott.net/article/507676-Bidens-auto-pen-pardon-cant-protect-Fauci-from-legal-consequences Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:13:52 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507675-Ukraine-strike-on-Iran-a-cynical-Zelensky-sales-pitch The deadly Ukrainian strike on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea conforms with a well-worn pattern as a provocation to boost a sales pitch. The drone attack on July 25, which killed one Iranian mariner and injured several others, was hailed by Ukraine's puppet president Vladimir Zelensky as "very good" and a blow to Iran-Russia war shipments, even though Western media reported that a civilian cargo vessel was hit. Three days later, on July 28, Zelensky was warmly received in the White House by U.S. President Donald Trump, following the funeral for war hawk Senator Lindsey Graham. That funeral, by the way, was less a Christian service than a Satanic ritual of ghouls bidding their farewells to a fellow war-pervert and believer in blood sacrifice of innocents. Zelensky and Israeli genocider Netanyahu surrounded by Washington's war criminals and Epstein associates was chilling in brazen evil presence. Zelensky was attending the vampire's ball with an offering to master Trump -... https://www.sott.net/article/507675-Ukraine-strike-on-Iran-a-cynical-Zelensky-sales-pitch Fri, 31 Jul 2026 20:03:44 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507674-Yemen-an-Islamic-betrayal-and-the-expanding-battlefield The divided lands of Islam never cease to amaze - and deceive - when it comes to their serial stark betrayal of the principles of Islam. The House of Saud has launched a "coalition" against Yemen - under the pretext of protecting shipping in the Red Sea. Only shipping from Saudi Arabia is blockaded in the Red Sea by Yemen's Ansarallah. That's "a siege against a siege": Sana'a after all is under an illegal Saudi blockade for over 11 years. The Bab al-Mandab is not blockaded: only for Saudis. And if you are a Saudi tanker shipping oil to China, you're free to go. The Saudi-led "coalition" is as pathetic as it comes. Several participant Arab nations don't even have a navy - such as GCC members Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, plus Jordan. The Three Heavyweights are Pakistan, Turkiye and Egypt. NATO is out. So for all practical purposes this "coalition" of Islamic, mostly Arab petro-sheikhs/comprador elites/vassals is tasked to do the Epstein Syndicate dirty work. All across the lands of... https://www.sott.net/article/507674-Yemen-an-Islamic-betrayal-and-the-expanding-battlefield Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:56:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507673-The-Journey-After-Death-Gentle-Guidance-for-the-Souls-Transition Through years of research and open discussion on the Cassiopaea Forum, drawing from studies, deep metaphysical writings, and many personal accounts of profound experiences, it becomes harder and harder to deny that consciousness continues after the body dies. There truly seems to be a place, a realm, that the soul moves into. Of course, one short video can't capture everything about the afterlife and the soul's journey. Still, there are some essential understandings that can make a real difference. In this video, we share core insights that appear again and again in afterlife literature, along with gentle affirmations you can use to help those you love cross over with greater peace, clarity, and love. https://www.sott.net/article/507673-The-Journey-After-Death-Gentle-Guidance-for-the-Souls-Transition Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:23:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507672-Iran-FM-accuses-Israel-of-false-flag-after-mystery-drone-strike-on-Egyptian-port Iran is suggesting that Wednesday's unprecedented drone attack on a US-owned gas-processing vessel moored at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta was a false flag. Even within hours of the incident first being reported by Egyptian authorities, which merely described an industrial fire of unknown cause, the incident was shrouded in mystery and contradictory reports. Some reports pointed to the Iranians, while others alleged the Houthis may have attacked the Mediterranean port. Reuters had described, "The drone hit floating storage tanker Energos Winter, causing a fire that then spread to another vessel, Gaslog Salem, ⁠three trading sources familiar with the incident said. Two separate security sources said the cause ⁠of the blast was a drone strike." It detailed: "The crew was evacuated, and the fire had ⁠been brought under control, Ambrey said, adding that no party ⁠had claimed responsibility." https://www.sott.net/article/507672-Iran-FM-accuses-Israel-of-false-flag-after-mystery-drone-strike-on-Egyptian-port Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:58:46 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507671-The-last-breath-of-a-dying-continent-Europes-freedom-is-ending They are killing us slowly. Not with bullets or blades, but with spreadsheets and algorithms, with policies drafted in climate-controlled rooms by people whose children will never shiver through a winter night without heat, whose pantries will never echo empty, whose futures remain secured behind gates we cannot approach. In 2026, 333 million Europeans — more than the entire population of the United States — have fallen into energy poverty, a euphemism that cannot conceal the raw human suffering it describes, a bureaucratic term that sanitizes the screams of families watching their lives dismantled piece by piece. Since 2021, utility costs have surged 47%, while wages stagnate in a cruel arithmetic that reduces families to penury. The numbers do not lie, even when governments do. Behind every percentage point stands a human being with a name, with memories, with children who ask why the heat does not work. Behind every data point lies a tragedy that statistics cannot capture — the... https://www.sott.net/article/507671-The-last-breath-of-a-dying-continent-Europes-freedom-is-ending Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:26:59 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507670-Snow-buries-vehicles-traps-over-100-tourists-in-Argentinas-Andes Argentina's National Gendarmerie released footage on Wednesday (July 29) showing vehicles buried in snow near Fiambala, Catamarca, following a rescue operation that began Tuesday evening to reach more than 100 tourists trapped by a snowstorm on the road to the Balcon del Pissis lookout. https://www.sott.net/article/507670-Snow-buries-vehicles-traps-over-100-tourists-in-Argentinas-Andes Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:53:33 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507669-Japan-1600-meter-smoke-plume-rises-as-Sakurajima-explodes-in-powerful-eruption-on-July-29 Video shows Osaka, Japan - July 29, 2026 Sakurajima produced an explosive eruption on July 29, 2026, sending a smoke plume 1,600 meters above the crater. The eruption occurred at 8:59 p.m. and marked the 15th explosive eruption recorded at Sakurajima in 2026. The volcanic activity sent a towering column of smoke above the crater as the eruption unfolded. https://www.sott.net/article/507669-Japan-1600-meter-smoke-plume-rises-as-Sakurajima-explodes-in-powerful-eruption-on-July-29 Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:41:22 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507668-Elderly-man-killed-in-gaur-Indian-bison-attack-in-Kerala-India A 68-year-old man was killed by a gaur in Kulathupuzha early Thursday morning, sparking panic across the eastern forest fringes of Kollam. Basheer, a headload worker, met a gruesome death after being attacked by a gaur on the Kulathupuzha main road. The wild animal, which had strayed into the human settlement from the nearby forest, gored Basheer while he was on his way to a tea shop in the morning, inflicting fatal injuries to his chest and head. The incident has ignited fresh outrage among locals who have long warned of the escalating wild gaur menace in their backyards. The tragic death highlights a rapidly worsening wildlife crisis in the Kulathupuzha region. Last year, the town was thrown into panic as herds of up to twenty bisons began invading residential areas, culminating in a harrowing incident where a student playing football was gored and severely injured. Though the town briefly found relief after forest authorities dug protective trenches, the animals have once again... https://www.sott.net/article/507668-Elderly-man-killed-in-gaur-Indian-bison-attack-in-Kerala-India Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:28:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507641-Shallow-6-8-earthquake-kills-at-least-34-as-rescuers-race-to-find-survivors-in-Japan-UPDATE The death toll from a powerful earthquake in south-west Japan has risen to 13, as rescue workers race to find more survivors from underneath the rubble. The magnitude 6.8 quake struck Kumamoto prefecture late on Tuesday, damaging roads and buildings, shutting rail networks, and forcing thousands to evacuate to shelters. Three of the fatalities are from the Aeon Mall in Kashima, where a portion of the second floor collapsed, the fire department said. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gave her condolences to those who had died and thanked emergency services for their continued efforts. "It's a race against time," Takaichi said in an update on Wednesday morning. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) measured the earthquake magnitude at 7.1 and the US Geological Survey later placed it at 6.8. Quake magnitude figures are often updated as seismologists obtain and analyse new data. https://www.sott.net/article/507641-Shallow-6-8-earthquake-kills-at-least-34-as-rescuers-race-to-find-survivors-in-Japan-UPDATE Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:21:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507667-Snow-storm-warning-in-the-middle-of-summer-Alaskas-mountain-highway-buried-under-6-inches-of-snow-ice-11-degree-wind-chills-and-powerful-winds A snow storm warning in the middle of summer sounds unbelievable, but that's exactly what unfolded in northern Alaska, where a powerful burst of Arctic weather transformed a normally accessible highway into a dangerous stretch of ice, snow and freezing winds. While much of the United States is dealing with summer heat, Alaska's Atigun Pass and parts of the Dalton Highway experienced conditions that looked more like January than late July. Forecasters warned of accumulating snow, icy roads and bitter wind chills, creating hazardous travel conditions in one of the state's most remote regions. Snow storm warning brings rare July snowfall The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Central Brooks Range, covering Atigun Pass, Anaktuvuk Pass, Galbraith Lake and the Dalton Highway between mile posts 232 and 322. Forecasters expected 2 to 6 inches of snow, with the heaviest accumulation at higher elevations. Along with the snowfall came a light glaze of ice and... https://www.sott.net/article/507667-Snow-storm-warning-in-the-middle-of-summer-Alaskas-mountain-highway-buried-under-6-inches-of-snow-ice-11-degree-wind-chills-and-powerful-winds Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:48:40 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507666-Watch-Terrifying-footage-captures-shark-attacking-spearfisher-off-Fiji-on-July-19 A spearfisher's first dive trip took a terrifying turn this month when he was attacked by a shark off the coast of Fiji. On July 19, New Zealand diver Henry Gibbs had been exploring a reef for a couple of hours before moving into clearer water to hunt for a larger catch. "We'd missed a few shots on other fish, and there were a handful of grey reef sharks around, with this one hanging around us longer than the others," Gibbs recounted in an Instagram post regarding the incident. The shark then began making semicircles beneath him and became riled. Captured entirely on camera, Gibbs' POV footage reveals the exact moment the shark suddenly surged forward and attacked his calf, leaving him with significant injuries. According to Gibbs, after four surgeries and a skin graft, he's expected to make a full recovery, which he is "hugely grateful for." https://www.sott.net/article/507666-Watch-Terrifying-footage-captures-shark-attacking-spearfisher-off-Fiji-on-July-19 Fri, 31 Jul 2026 10:09:44 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507665-The-synthesis-of-regional-conflicts-into-WWIII-has-begun With Iran's missiles now targeting UK bases, regional wars are synthesizing into one nuclear-risky world war. There are many people who only believe in or write about what they like. Their opinions are not so much derived from facts but are an expression of what they want to see happen. I say this because I want to be clear that the merging of the wars in Iran and Ukraine is neither 'cool' nor something I desire, but as they say 'here we are' and things will surely only get worse. Over the last two weeks we have seen news headlines demonstrating an interweaving of the conflicts into one. This is more so than just presumed (or in the case of the EU and Ukraine overt) proxy support. One can only speculate as to why, but Zelensky with great glee has claimed responsibility for targeting an Iranian cargo vessel. There is a presumption that this was done to appease Trump or somehow win favor or attention from Washington. Trump has shown bitter disdain for Zelensky, especially after their... https://www.sott.net/article/507665-The-synthesis-of-regional-conflicts-into-WWIII-has-begun Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:27:24 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507664-Eastern-Mediterranean-A-new-military-axis-against-Turkey The evidence is no longer circumstantial: Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are building a military architecture aimed squarely at containing Turkey, and Ankara would be reckless not to respond. From Energy Rivalry to Military Bloc For years, Eastern Mediterranean tensions were mostly about who owned the gas beneath the seabed. That framing no longer fits. What began as a trilateral platform between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus for coordinating on energy and connectivity has hardened into a genuine security bloc. More importantly, it is built without Turkey at the table and, by its own members' design, directed against Turkish interests. The shift became explicit at a December 22 trilateral summit in Jerusalem, where Cypriot, Greek, and Israeli leaders stopped short of a formal defense pact but publicly committed to deepening joint defense and counterterrorism cooperation. Since then, the cooperation has moved from communiqué to hardware. Framework agreements now include a trilateral Joint... https://www.sott.net/article/507664-Eastern-Mediterranean-A-new-military-axis-against-Turkey Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:26:39 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507663-Diplomacy-without-de-escalation-The-Manila-Talks-and-Ukraines-escalation-strategy On July 23, 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. The meeting lasted thirty-seven minutes, making it the fourth bilateral encounter between the two since September 2025. The United States initiated the contact, and both sides acknowledged the need to end the war in Ukraine. On paper, this was a diplomatic gesture. In practice, it exposed a growing contradiction within the Western approach to the war: diplomatic channels remain open, while military strategies based on continued pressure and escalation are increasingly narrowing the space for compromise. What Was Discussed Lavrov reiterated Moscow's position: further arms deliveries to Kyiv are "unacceptable." He also criticised what he called the destabilising policy of European states aimed at inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia. At the same time, he confirmed Russia's readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement,... https://www.sott.net/article/507663-Diplomacy-without-de-escalation-The-Manila-Talks-and-Ukraines-escalation-strategy Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:26:05 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507662-Burnham-dances-right-on-cue-as-warmonger-puppet-PM Britain is being run by a puppet regime whose purpose is to sell war. One week after becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham delivered on his assigned role to ramp up Britain's militarism and support for Ukraine in the NATO proxy war against Russia. Burnham hosted Ukrainian so-called president, Vladimir Zelensky, at Britain's top naval base in Portsmouth on board the aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. "It's no accident that we meet here," Burnham told Zelensky with British and Ukrainian troops in the background. He went on to say that Britain has Ukraine's back "one hundred per cent" and that the meeting was a signal to Russia that London was "not backing down" in its support for the Kiev regime. In those words, "it's no accident", Burnham let it slip. This was indeed a calculated show of deeper British military involvement in the four-year proxy NATO war against Russia. Note that Zelensky was not received at Downing Street, which would have been strange enough. No, he was... https://www.sott.net/article/507662-Burnham-dances-right-on-cue-as-warmonger-puppet-PM Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:25:24 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507661-Is-Pavel-Durov-a-free-speech-champion-or-an-unaccountable-tech-baron Russia's terrorism case against the Telegram founder is the latest test of how far platforms can distance themselves from crimes committed by their users. Russia's Federal Security Service has brought terrorism-related charges against Pavel Durov, the Russian-born billionaire behind popular messaging app Telegram, once again placing the entrepreneur at the center of a dispute over whether technology platforms should be held responsible for crimes organized through their services. The case stems from an alleged Ukrainian recruitment operation targeting young Russians through a Telegram dating chatbot. According to the FSB, victims were manipulated or coerced into committing arson, sabotage and other crimes. On Thursday, Russia's financial watchdog, Rosfinmonitoring, added Durov to its register of extremists and terrorists. Under Russian law, those on the register face a range of legal and financial restrictions. FSB argues that as the owner of Telegram, Durov should be held... https://www.sott.net/article/507661-Is-Pavel-Durov-a-free-speech-champion-or-an-unaccountable-tech-baron Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:24:08 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507660-The-deaf-dumb-and-blind-Empire-of-Piracy The ways Iran is dismantling the entire American military ecosystem across West Asia with an extremely disciplined strategy are something to behold. The whole CENTCOM support infrastructure is (devastating) fair game: from costly early warning radars to full air defense systems; from hangars to logistics hubs; from fuel and ammunition storages to forward operating bases; from naval and maritime surveillance assets to intel collection and communications nodes. There's already a Greatest Hits playing all across the spectrum. Featuring, for instance, Tower 22 - which supports ops in al-Tanf; Muwaffaq Salti Air Base - which hosts U.S. aircraft for multiple ops; Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, which supports intel and special ops; Bahrain, which as everyone knows hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet HQ; Kuwait - a massive logistics and staging area; Qatar - which hosts the forward HQ of CENTCOM and the largest U.S. air base in West Asia. Hits on all these nodes relentlessly undermine the myth of... https://www.sott.net/article/507660-The-deaf-dumb-and-blind-Empire-of-Piracy Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:18:15 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507659-Black-Hole-blast-reaches-300000-light-years A team of researchers has discovered that the winds generated by supermassive black holes are 100 times more powerful than previously thought, carrying energy across distances of approximately 300,000 light-years. The discovery demonstrates that these explosive winds impact the vast expanse of space beyond the galaxies they inhabit. "Black holes are largely known for sucking matter in, but they also eject gas in the form of powerful winds," says Satoshi Yamada, Assistant Professor at Tohoku University's Frontier Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS). "These winds were thought to be contained within the galaxy, but our study revealed that the force is immensely more powerful than previously understood." Yamada and his team, comprising colleagues from Kanazawa University and Tokyo Metropolitan University among others, harnessed the X-ray astronomy satellite XRISM to observe the activity of the quasar H1821+643, which is located in the constellation of Draco, approximately... https://www.sott.net/article/507659-Black-Hole-blast-reaches-300000-light-years Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:48:51 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507658-Meteor-Alert-Three-streams-at-once Don't be surprised if you see a meteor tonight. Three streams of comet debris are intersecting Earth's orbit this week, with a peak in activity expected on July 30-31. Stream #1 is the most interesting. It's the Alpha Capricornid stream. Parent comet: 169P/NEAT. Here is a typical "alpha Cap" observed by Brad Goldpaint in the Sierra backcountry near Independence, CA: "The meteor explosion was so bright it briefly illuminated the entire landscape," says Goldpaint. "You can see the persistent train in this time-lapse." The Alpha Capricornids are famously rich in fireballs. But that's not why they're so interesting. This meteor shower is going to turn into a storm. Researchers Peter Jenniskens (SETI Institute) and Jeremie Vaubaillon (Paris Observatory) have studied the alpha Cap debris stream. They believe it resulted from a major fragmentation event ~5000 years ago when as much as half of the original comet disintegrated. Since then, the debris has been drifting toward Earth. When it... https://www.sott.net/article/507658-Meteor-Alert-Three-streams-at-once Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:36:13 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507657-Grocery-grift-New-York-Mayor-Mamdani-sells-taxpayers-a-bill-of-goods-on-city-run-stores Last week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's short stint as a faux president ended with an embarrassing acknowledgment that he could not, as promised during his campaign, arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. So, this week, Mamdani the Grocer made a reappearance, with details on the five city-run grocery stores that he will open. But rather than deliver discount groceries, Mamdani is selling New Yorkers a bill of goods that will cost them millions. What Mamdani described was a discount food bank dressed up as a grocery. Standing in front of blackboards saying "REDUCED 30%," Mamdani sounded like a bodega hawker: "Once a month, our five city-run grocery stores will set prices for this core set of goods at 30% below typical retail prices. No exceptions, no gimmicks" Here's the most delicious part: the presser was a gimmick from beginning to end. The mayor promised that "The savings will last for the entire month. That means no weekly fluctuations or sticker shock at the checkout line... https://www.sott.net/article/507657-Grocery-grift-New-York-Mayor-Mamdani-sells-taxpayers-a-bill-of-goods-on-city-run-stores Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:08:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507656-FDA-panel-backs-wider-access-to-six-peptide-pherapies-Cites-grey-market-concerns A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has voted to recommend expanding legal access to six popular peptide compounds. Supporters say could pull patients out of the unregulated grey market that has flourished under years of federal inaction. The FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee reviewed seven peptides during a two-day hearing in Maryland last week, weighing whether each should be added to the agency's Section 503A Bulks List. Reuters reported the panel voted in favor of moving six forward: BPC-157 for ulcerative colitis, TB-500 and KPV for wound healing, MOTS-c for obesity and osteoporosis, Semax for cerebral ischemia, migraine and trigeminal neuralgia, and Epitalon for insomnia. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that help regulate metabolism, growth and tissue repair, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Some, including insulin and GLP-1 weight loss drugs, are already FDA approved, while others have remained in regulatory limbo even as demand... https://www.sott.net/article/507656-FDA-panel-backs-wider-access-to-six-peptide-pherapies-Cites-grey-market-concerns Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:59:46 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507655-The-Wars-Back-is-Broken The U.S. ultimately will have to capitulate, with the result that Iran becomes a regional power. Trump ordered the US military not to carry out new strikes on Iran Friday night, despite approving earlier a "Gates of Hell massive attack" on Iran. The US has now requested a new temporary ceasefire with Iran and is seeking a return to the collapsed and suspended MoU, with discussions to include Yemen, and with Trump seeking to make AnsarAllah a party to the negotiations. Clearly Trump is angry, and fears that that the war is consuming his Presidency (and his legacy). Iran comprehensively rejected all negotiations throughout this last week and confirmed it will not start negotiations under any circumstances. Put simply, why would Iran consent to give the US time to regroup and rearm before launching another round of strikes on Iran when it has the US "on the run." A return to the MoU whose credibility Trump repeatedly has shredded? Unlikely. https://www.sott.net/article/507655-The-Wars-Back-is-Broken Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:20:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507654-West-pushing-ultimatum-on-Russia-over-Ukraine-Lavrov Moscow will not accept a truce that preserves the Kiev regime and allows foreign troops into Ukraine, the top diplomat has said. The West is trying to force Russia to accept an "ultimatum" on the Ukraine conflict by demanding a ceasefire before peace talks, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. In an interview with TASS news agency on Wednesday, Russia's top diplomat argued that Western countries first want Moscow and Kiev to agree to a ceasefire, after which a multinational force led by France and the UK would be deployed before real negotiations begin. "What does this mean? It is an ultimatum," Lavrov said. According to the minister, such a scenario would effectively freeze the conflict while leaving "the Nazi regime" in power in Kiev, with Western countries refusing to recognize the former Ukrainian territories that voted to join Russia in referendums. Lavrov said Russia would not accept such conditions, adding that the country has not abandoned its principles, despite... https://www.sott.net/article/507654-West-pushing-ultimatum-on-Russia-over-Ukraine-Lavrov Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:39:44 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507653-What-victory-looks-like The era of the "limited war" is a Western fantasy. Faced with an existential proxy assault, Russia cannot afford half-measures. Before you read what follows, let's strip away the diplomatic fiction. I have spent decades tracking the patterns of power, and the pattern here is undeniable. The West is playing a deadly game of managed escalation, wrapping total war in the antiseptic language of "containment" and "strategic signaling." But the recent strikes on economic and civilian nodes inside Russia are not the rogue contrivances of a fractured command. They are a calibrated escalation by European elites, executed with Washington's tacit approval. The thesis of what you are about to read is simple and uncompromising: the era of the "limited war" is a Western fantasy. If Moscow is to survive this existential proxy assault, it cannot respond with half-measures or symmetrical restraint. The only rational, historically grounded response is total mobilization and the systematic,... https://www.sott.net/article/507653-What-victory-looks-like Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:39:13 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507652-Netanyahu-ahead-of-Trump-meeting-Iran-war-will-end-only-with-regime-collapse-or-nuclear-halt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed from Israel on Monday afternoon for the United States, where he will be hosted in the Oval Office on Tuesday. "This is my eighth meeting with him since he was elected President, more than any other international leader," Netanyahu told reporters ahead of the Trump meeting. He acknowledged that Iran will be top of the agenda. Mentioning the Abraham Accords, Netanyahu said: "I am setting out on this mission with one clear goal: to ensure the security, strength, and future of our dear State of Israel. "From my experience as prime minister, during these complex times we must act with both great determination and great wisdom, Our joint efforts have brought about a tremendous victory over our common enemy - Iran. "We have already transformed the face of the Middle East beyond recognition, and we now have the opportunity and the ability to change it even further and bring a great future to the State of Israel, the people of Israel, and the... https://www.sott.net/article/507652-Netanyahu-ahead-of-Trump-meeting-Iran-war-will-end-only-with-regime-collapse-or-nuclear-halt Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:38:28 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507651-The-NSA-Tucker-Carlson-and-Me-Surveillance-State-Deception If you communicate with people overseas - friends, family, coworkers - the federal government will likely never acknowledge it collected your communications. Unless, perhaps, you have a large cable TV audience and politicians willing to demand answers. That at least is the lesson to be drawn from records obtained by the Cato Institute through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation against National Security Agency (NSA). Those records illuminate two very different cases. My own experience illustrates the first case. In 2019, I filed a Privacy Act request asking the NSA whether it possessed records mentioning me. Years earlier, while serving as a congressional staffer, I had worked to help free an American constituent detained by Ethiopian authorities and communicated extensively with U.S. officials in East Africa. I wanted to know whether those communications had ever found their way into NSA databases - and specifically the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section... https://www.sott.net/article/507651-The-NSA-Tucker-Carlson-and-Me-Surveillance-State-Deception Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:37:22 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507650-Colonel-Doug-Macgregor-Sleepwalking-into-World-War-III Excerpts from this interview with Colonel Douglas Macgregor offers a most necessary and timely opportunity for self-reflection that the US and Europe so desperately need at this critical moment. Colonel Douglas Macgregor holds up a mirror to the West and uses his deep historical knowledge and personal experience of previous conflicts to clearly demonstrate the parallels, the motivations and the dynamics that are still in place and dictate policy to this day. On the Ukraine war, he offers a scathing critique of Western leadership and "strategy," specifically targeting the political elite in London, Paris, and Washington for operating under the assumption that prolonged conflict will somehow trigger an internal rebellion against President Putin that the West could then take advantage of. "That's all nonsense," he argues. "Russian society is cohesive and durable. It's the West that has a society, or societies, that are not cohesive, that are not durable. So you would have to say that... https://www.sott.net/article/507650-Colonel-Doug-Macgregor-Sleepwalking-into-World-War-III Wed, 29 Jul 2026 19:36:24 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507649-Trump-critic-Massie-joins-Democrats-in-unprecedented-bid-to-sue-White-House-over-Iran-war A lone House Republican is joining Democrats in an effort to get President Donald Trump sued over the Iran war. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is one of the co-sponsors of a new resolution aimed at compelling House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to sue the Trump administration over allegations the president is violating federal law with the U.S. conflict in the Middle East. The bill is also being led by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Reps. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Gabe Amo, D-R.I., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif. https://www.sott.net/article/507649-Trump-critic-Massie-joins-Democrats-in-unprecedented-bid-to-sue-White-House-over-Iran-war Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:41:08 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507648-Meteor-fireball-lights-up-sky-over-North-Island-New-Zealand-on-July-28 Residents across the North Island have reported seeing a fireball flash through the sky and hearing thunderous booms late last night. Footage provided to the Herald showed several large flashes of light before a bright ball of light fell and disappeared into the night sky. The bright light explosions illuminated almost the entire sky in a video taken around 10.30pm in Wellington. Meteor monitoring organisation Fireballs Aotearoa said it received multiple reports of a bright fireball meteor over the lower North Island. Social media users in Wellington, Kāpiti, Manawatū and Palmerston North reported hearing and seeing the "orange flash". The astronomical event stretched across the North Island, with people seeing it in Auckland and Bay of Plenty. https://www.sott.net/article/507648-Meteor-fireball-lights-up-sky-over-North-Island-New-Zealand-on-July-28 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:19:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507647-Waterspout-spotted-off-coast-of-south-Chinas-Hainan A dramatic waterspout formed on Monday over the sea near Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province. The towering rotating column connected dark storm clouds to the ocean surface. It lasted for about two minutes and then moved ashore without causing any damage or casualties. Meteorologists identified it as a classic waterspout - a tornado that develops over warm water. While visually stunning, waterspouts can be as dangerous as tornadoes. Authorities advise people heading to coastal or open areas to monitor weather conditions and seek shelter immediately if thunderstorms, strong winds or rotating cloud columns appear. https://www.sott.net/article/507647-Waterspout-spotted-off-coast-of-south-Chinas-Hainan Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:33:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507646-Orca-attack-sinks-yacht-off-coast-in-north-west-Spain-4-attacks-on-boats-on-the-same-day-in-same-area Another yacht has been crippled by orcas in a new attack off Spain's north-west coast. On Thursday the mammals sank a boat,left another adrift after attacking its rudder and caused damage to two others. On Friday a pod of the killer whales left another sailing vessel inoperative by ramming it off the same coast of A Coruña in Galicia. This time they targeted a 14-metre Swedish-flagged vessel called Vai whose two occupants had to send a Mayday after their rudder was smashed. The alarm was raised following the latest incident just after 1.15pm on Friday when the boat was around 20 kilometres to the northwest of Punta Candelaria, a lighthouse near the fishing town of Celeiro. https://www.sott.net/article/507646-Orca-attack-sinks-yacht-off-coast-in-north-west-Spain-4-attacks-on-boats-on-the-same-day-in-same-area Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:15:01 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507645-EF-3-tornado-that-hit-Appleton-area-is-fourth-severe-level-tornado-in-Wisconsin-this-year The EF-3 tornado that touched down in the Appleton area on Monday was the fourth "severe" level tornado that has hit Wisconsin so far this year. More than 1,500 tornadoes have touched down in Wisconsin from 1950 to 2025. Amanda Latham, a climate outreach specialist with the Wisconsin State Climatology Office, said EF-3 level or stronger tornadoes are "relatively uncommon" in the state. Before this year, Wisconsin hadn't seen an EF-3 tornado since 2021. Latham said fewer than 5 percent of tornadoes in Wisconsin are above an EF-2 level. "And an EF-2 is still plenty strong, but when we get into EF-3 or greater territory, that's when we see this unfortunate, really widespread, devastating damage, where we see significant damage to homes, some buildings, and homes completely flattened," Latham said. https://www.sott.net/article/507645-EF-3-tornado-that-hit-Appleton-area-is-fourth-severe-level-tornado-in-Wisconsin-this-year Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:37:24 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507644-Patagonia-in-Argentina-plunges-to-20C-as-rare-snow-buries-El-Bolson A renewed Antarctic outbreak is driving temperatures toward -20C (-4F) across southern Patagonia. Argentina's weather service has maintained its highest-level "red cold alert" across large areas, including Santa Cruz. Provincial Civil Protection expects lows down to -18C (0F) through Thursday, with isolated readings below -20C. The latest pulse follows several days of severe cold. El Calafate, Río Turbio and Gobernador Gregores all fell to around -17C (1F), while Río Gallegos reached -14.5C (6F), with a wind chill of -20.3C (-5F). A reported minimum of -16C (3F) circulated for Gobernador Gregores on July 27. https://www.sott.net/article/507644-Patagonia-in-Argentina-plunges-to-20C-as-rare-snow-buries-El-Bolson Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:16:43 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507643-Like-nothing-I-have-experienced-Lightning-strike-kills-10-cows-at-Oregon-farm Over the course of their careers, Jensen Mini Farm owners Jeff and Lory Jensen have seen a lot, but the couple admitted that they were both at a loss after finding 10 of their cows dead on June 28. "It was raining so much that day that everything was just hunkered under trees and things, and we didn't think much of anything," Jeff Jensen told Tualatin Life about the couple's cows on the night of the incident. "The next morning we're getting up and getting ready for farmer's markets and the landlord there was like 'Hey, the cows are being a little louder than normal.'" The Jensens lease a pasture in West Linn and Jeff Jensen explained that on June 28, the day after the storm, he drove out to the acreage and found five of his cows and five calves lying dead underneath a tree that had been hit by lightning. "He called me and said, 'Not gonna make it to the market, there's a bit of a mess,'" Lory Jensen recounted. https://www.sott.net/article/507643-Like-nothing-I-have-experienced-Lightning-strike-kills-10-cows-at-Oregon-farm Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:02:30 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507642-Lightning-strike-in-Colorado-kills-teenage-hiker-injures-4-others On Sunday afternoon, lightning struck Colorado's 14,264-foot Mount Blue Sky fourteener, killing one teenager, causing serious injuries in a second minor, and injuring three more adults. Clear Creek County emergency responders, Denver Mountain Parks, Alpine Rescue Team, Clear Creek EMS, the Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. The Forest Service all responded to the incident after receiving a call at 1:22 p.m. amidst rapidly building thunderstorms. In a Facebook message on Tuesday, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office identified the deceased hiker as 15-year-old Levi Strobel, and said his injured brother was transported to a hospital in unknown condition. https://www.sott.net/article/507642-Lightning-strike-in-Colorado-kills-teenage-hiker-injures-4-others Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:53:58 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507640-Meteor-fireball-over-South-Island-New-Zealand-on-July-27 A fireball that streaked across the skies of the South Island just before sunset on Sunday likely plunged into the sea, experts say. The meteor was seen across the Mainland at 5.51pm on Sunday and appeared to crash beneath the waves of Canterbury's East Coast, Steve Wyn-Harris from Fireballs Aotearoa said. Jas Mina was driving her Tesla along Old West Coast Rd, heading into Christchurch, when her cameras captured the object. https://www.sott.net/article/507640-Meteor-fireball-over-South-Island-New-Zealand-on-July-27 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:03:59 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507639-Meteor-fireball-over-Cyprus-on-July-27 We received 9 reports about a fireball seen over Ammochostos, Famagusta, Larnaka, Lefkosia, Limassol, Nicosia and Paphos on Monday, July 27th 2026 around 18:29 UT. For this event, we received one video and one photo. https://www.sott.net/article/507639-Meteor-fireball-over-Cyprus-on-July-27 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:46:58 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507638-Houthi-threats-force-Saudi-crude-tanker-onto-Suez-route-to-Asia The Houthi threats to shipping in the Red Sea and its chokepoint, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, have forced at least one oil tanker carrying Saudi crude to Asia to choose the much longer route through the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean, and around Africa. The supertanker Olympic Luck, partially laden with Saudi crude at Yanbu on the Red Sea, transited the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean late on Sunday, according to shipping data monitored by Bloomberg. The U-turn from Bab el-Mandeb indicates that some tanker owners aren't willing to risk crossing southward into the Arabian Sea on the much shorter route to Asia, as the Iran-aligned Houthis have threatened - and struck - Saudi tankers in the Red Sea in recent days. https://www.sott.net/article/507638-Houthi-threats-force-Saudi-crude-tanker-onto-Suez-route-to-Asia Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:05:41 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/507637-The-Ukrainian-conflicts-southern-front-is-heating-up The heightened stakes associated with this latest phase of the conflict suggest that an even greater escalation might be inevitable, but it's still possible that this could be delayed, if not outright averted. The most recent phase of the Ukrainian Conflict has been characterized by the "war of attrition" that the US has been waging against Russia through Ukraine after Trump decided to "escalate to de-escalate". This has thus far taken the form of drone strikes against energy infrastructure, online retailers, and maritime shipping in the Black, Azov, and now even the Caspian Seas. It's this last-mentioned aspect that forms the basis of the present analysis following Ukraine's weekend strikes on targets in the Caspian. According to Ukrainian sources, their forces struck an offshore oil extraction platform, a cargo ship and cargo vessel that were sanctioned for their alleged role in the Russian-Iranian arms trade, and a missile boat. If confirmed, then this represents the most... https://www.sott.net/article/507637-The-Ukrainian-conflicts-southern-front-is-heating-up Tue, 28 Jul 2026 20:49:27 +0000