China will continue to stage live fire drills and test new weapons to protect its national security, the Defense Ministry says. It comes after the deployment of the US THAAD anti-missile system to South Korea, to which Beijing is "resolutely opposed."

"The deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea damages the regional strategic balance and stability. The Chinese side is resolutely opposed to this," Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told reporters on Thursday, when asked about the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

"China's military will continue to carry out live-fire military exercises and test new military equipment in order to firmly safeguard national security and regional peace and stability," he said, as quoted by Reuters.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called allegations he wants to close a university funded by US billionaire George Soros unfounded, as the EU opened a legal case against Hungary over a controversial new higher education law.

Orban appeared before the European Parliament on Wednesday to address critics who claim the new law tightens restrictions on foreign-backed institutions and is aimed at closing the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest which is bankrolled by Soros.

"This accusation is unfounded," Orban said, as cited by Blikk. "The situation is like when someone is accused of murder and convicted of the murder while the victim is still alive, and pointing to the defendant."

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron was heckled by workers in front of the Whirlpool plant in his hometown of Amiens. While some whistled and booed, others chanted support of his opponent Marine Le Pen who had visited the strikers shortly before.

Wednesday's collision happened outside the Whirlpool tumble dryer factory that employs some 300 workers in Macron's home city of Amiens. Le Pen made a surprise visit to the plant as Macron was meeting with union representatives in the Chamber of Commerce.

Hijacking the moment by showing up unannounced, Le Pen vowed to keep the factory open, despite Whirlpool's decision to outsource the labor to Poland.

The Syrian Republican Guard has repelled another ISIS offensive in Deir Ezzor. The fighting took place near the Deir Ezzor Airbase, the Tamin Brigade base and in the cemetery area. Earlier this month, ISIS allegedly transferred its self-proclaimed capital from Raqqah to Deir Ezzor amid the continued US-backed advance on Raqqah. If true, the terrorist group will increase attempts to capture the government-held area in the city.

On April 25, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies launched a counter-attack in northern Hama, aiming government forces in Masasanah and near Zilaqiat. In Masasanah, militants used a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to break Syrian army defenses and entered the village. In Zilaqiat, HTS-led forces engaged government troops in a series of firefights. By April 26, government forces have re-entered Zilaqiat and repelled militant advance in Masasanah, according to pro-government sources. However, clashes are still ongoing in the area and will continue until HTS-led forces don't burn their tactical reserves in the area once again. This is expected soon.


On April 25, the Turkish Air Force bombed the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) General Command HQ in the Mount Karachok near the town of Al-Malikiyah, according to a statement released by the YPG General Command. Airstrikes also hit "a media center, a local radio station [Voice of Rojava FM], communication headquarters and some military institutions." The YPG Central Command also confirmed causalities among YPG members and civilians. According to pro-Kurdish sources, about 20 persons were killed in the airstrikes. The YPG is a core of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces operating in Syria.

In turn, the Turkish military released a statement saying that Turkish warplanes had bombed members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Syria and in northern Iraq. Ankara sees the YPG as a branch of the PKK in Syria and describes it as a terrorist group. According to the statement, some 70 PKK members were killed in the air raids [30 - in Syria, 40 - in Iraq] and the targets were hit to prevent the PKK from sending "terrorists, arms, ammunition and explosives to Turkey." The Turkish statement clearly dismissed speculations that Ankara forces hit US-backed fighters in Syria by mistake.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan said the US and Russia were informed of the attacks. However, the Pentagon said, "These airstrikes were not approved by the Counter ISIS Coalition and led to the unfortunate loss of life of our partner forces."

In the same statement, Erdogan argued that Moscow is softening support for the Assad government referring to an alleged conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, the Turkish artillery started shelling of YPG/SDF positions near Tell Rifat in northern Aleppo.

Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has accidently acknowledged that Israel has an open communications channel with the ISIS terrorist group, or at least its part operating in the Syrian Golan Heights. Speaking about Israel's neutrality in the Syrian war on Satuday, Ya'alon said that the terrorist group apologized for opening fire on Israeli Defense Forces soldiers in the occupied Golan Heights. "There was one case recently where Daesh [ISIS] opened fire and apologized," the Times of Israel quoted Ya'alon as saying. The statement was likely a reference to a clash that took place near the Syrian border last November, in which IDF troops exchanged fire with ISIS members.

After weeks of threats of unilateral military action, joint statement by US Secretary of State Tillerson and US Defense Mattis appears to call that option off.

Following weeks of threats and bombast, with wild talk of the US fleet closing in on North Korea, of the US taking 'unilateral action' to stop North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes, and after the entire US Senate was called for a briefing in the White House - which in the event produced precisely nothing and which lasted all of 14 minutes - the US today after the briefing announced a policy of more of the same: of trying to stop the North Korean nuclear weapons programme through "sanctions and diplomatic pressure".

Everyone observing politics seems to agree on two things about a president's first 100 days in office:

1. 100 days is a meaningless, arbitrary marker for a president's performance that is likely to be more misleading than useful.

and...

2. Let's treat it like it is important! Reeeeeeee!

The thing that fascinates me the most about this situation is that the so-called "pro-science" people are giving Trump low grades for his first 100 days.

Allow me to connect some dots.

Whilst talk of ISIS relocating from Raqqa to Deir Ezzor may be intended to prepare Syria's partition that looks unrealisable and unrealistic.

Recent US media reports - obviously sourced from the US military - that ISIS has been relocating its 'bureaucrats' from Raqqa to Al-Madayin, a town in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province, actually replicate information the US military was already circulating back in February.

This information is almost certainly true. Raqqa is a provincial capital, but it is a relatively small place of no intrinsic significance, which only became ISIS's 'capital' by chance because it has been under Jihadi control for a long time.

There is no inherent reason why ISIS should fight to the death for it, as opposed to relocating its 'capital' to Deir Ezzor. Indeed there is a longstanding view that Deir Ezzor - relatively isolated from the rest of Syria and inherently more defendable - is a more logical location for ISIS's 'capital' than Raqqa.

A major Japanese newspaper has accused Moscow of undermining the international community's efforts to pressure Pyongyang into rejecting its nuclear and missile programs. Russian observers responded, saying that while Moscow will not facilitate the development of North Korean WMDs, it won't support efforts that harm ordinary North Koreans, either.

Sankei Shimbun, one of Japan's largest daily newspapers, has issued a scathing attack on Russia's position vis-à-vis North Korea, suggesting that Moscow isn't doing enough to support the international community's efforts to force Pyongyang to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. According to the newspaper, Russia is strengthening its economic cooperation with its neighbor, thereby undermining the international sanctions regime.

As proof of its case, Sankei Shimbun pointed to the fact that starting next month, the Mangyongbong-92, a 9,600-ton North Korean cargo-passenger ship which can carry up to 200 passengers and 1,500 tons of cargo, will begin regular ferry service to Russia. Prohibited from entering Japanese waters, the ship will connect Russia's Vladivostok with the Rason Special Economic Zone, located in northeastern North Korea. The ship is expected to cruise back and forth between the two countries up to six times a month.

Are you freaking kidding me? Thirteen-term Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Beltway barnacle permanently affixed to USS Government, is now the fresh-faced "rock star" of the Democratic Party.

"Auntie Maxine" is stoking the resistance, inspiring millenials, combating hate, crusading against corruption and invoking the counterinsurgent cry to "stay woke!"

I do not have enough guffaws to give.

This new spokesmodel for civility and clean government has stoked division and exploited taxpayers for decades.

Change agent? She has served on the Democratic National Committee since 1980 -- when the Atari 2600 was cutting-edge, Kim Kardashian was a newborn, and Al Franken was hamming it up on "Saturday Night Live."

Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia — Ahmad Al Shamri is a young man in his early 20's with his entire life ahead of him. However, he will not get to live that life because questioning religion in his country is punishable by death. Al Shamri lives in Saudi Arabia.

In April of 2014, Ahmad was arrested on charges of atheism and blasphemy. He was convicted by a local court and sentenced to death in February 2015. This week, his appeal to keep his life for having different religious beliefs than the state was denied by the Saudi Appeals and Supreme Courts.

Disgustingly enough, many Saudis took to Twitter in support of his execution.