https://www.sott.net/category/16-Puppet-Masters 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. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 02:55:43 +0000 https://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net https://www.sott.net https://www.sott.net/article/505812-The-Consequences-of-Incompetence The US lost the first round of the war with Iran decisively. If Trump decides to go a second round, the results will be disastrous for American and its allies. For nearly 40 days, Israel and the United States carried out an extensive aerial campaign against Iran designed to topple the government and suppress Iran's ability to defend itself. This campaign failed to achieve any of its stated objectives. Instead, it devolved into a numbers game where inflated outcomes were sold to an unquestioning public by military professionals and politicians alike. The Iranian government not only withstood the efforts at decapitation-induced regime change, but actually strengthened its hold on power when the people of Iran, instead of turning on the Islamic Republic, rallied to its cause. Moreover, rather than suppressing Iran's ability to launch ballistic missiles and drones against US military bases, critical infrastructure in the Gulf Arab States, and Israel, Iran not only sustained its ability... https://www.sott.net/article/505812-The-Consequences-of-Incompetence Sun, 19 Apr 2026 02:55:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505808-The-EUs-digital-gulag-is-apparently-ready-to-roll "It is for parents to raise their children, and not the platforms." Those were the words of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday as she announced the readiness of the EU's online age verification, ahem, platform. As we've been warning since November 2024, these platforms are ultimately a Trojan Horse for digital identity systems, which are in turn intended to serve as the cornerstone for the digital gulags being quickly assembled around the world. What gets rarely mentioned in the public debate, including in Von der Leyen's 11-minute speech below, is the fact that online age verification inevitably traps everyone, not just minors, in its web. "Protecting the children", however, is always a seductive pretext for launching otherwise socially unpalatable policies. And there are few more socially unpalatable policies than the controlled death of online privacy and anonymity. https://www.sott.net/article/505808-The-EUs-digital-gulag-is-apparently-ready-to-roll Sat, 18 Apr 2026 20:58:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505807-Europe-the-peace-project-mutates-into-a-warmongering-dictatorship European nations are being destroyed by war and militarism, and adding to the madness, their political class and media are driving the process with ever-increasing speed. The fate of the continent could hardly be more tragic, given that it emerged from the ashes of World War II with the hope of being a model for international peace. Hungary's divisive elections this week, which saw the government of Viktor Orban ousted from power, were dominated by political and financial pressures exerted by the EU leadership on Budapest owing to Orban's steadfast rejection of Brussels' warmongering towards Russia. Hungarians cast their vote amid turmoil caused by Brussels and the energy blackmail of the NATO-backed Kiev regime. There are concerns that other EU nations, such as Slovakia, will face a similar assault on their democratic process if they do not conform to the elite agenda of making everything about an existential confrontation with Russia. European citizens are enduring an economic... https://www.sott.net/article/505807-Europe-the-peace-project-mutates-into-a-warmongering-dictatorship Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:20:30 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505805-Iran-war-and-the-new-world-order Trump's war on Iran hasn't just redrawn battle lines; it has fractured the very architecture of the post-Second World War global order: a transatlantic alliance pushed beyond limits and internally too fractured to be repaired, a rapidly remade Middle East, shifting rules of global oil transit, and a stark exposure of the limits of US power, leaving strategic space that China and Russia will be keen to fill in both geopolitical and geoeconomic ways. The Fracturing of the Western Alliance System The most immediate and consequential rupture has occurred within the Western alliance system itself. NATO — long considered the institutional backbone of transatlantic security — has been pushed to the brink by Washington's unilateral prosecution of the war. European allies not only refused to participate militarily, but in several cases actively restricted US operational access, underscoring the depth of strategic divergence. This is not merely a tactical disagreement; it signals a... https://www.sott.net/article/505805-Iran-war-and-the-new-world-order Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:36:58 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505804-Iran-War-Sleepwalking-into-Starvation Famine may occur in two months or less if Israel's war continues. Now that Iran has established a blockade and tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz in response to the United States and Israel attacking the country, large amounts of urea, ammonia, phosphates, and sulfur, critical components for fertilizer, are locked out of agricultural supply chains. While the blockade is not an issue for Russia, the world's largest exporter of urea, it is a significant issue for Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, Persian Gulf states currently prevented from exporting urea to market. India, Brazil, and the US are dependent on urea from the Gulf, while China, India, and the US depend on sulfur and ammonia exports from the region. "The timing of the disruption makes the situation especially acute," explains the Kiel Institute, a European research institute for global economic affairs: "March and April are peak months for fertilizer application in the Northern Hemisphere planting season. Although some... https://www.sott.net/article/505804-Iran-War-Sleepwalking-into-Starvation Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:34:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505798-Hormuz-re-closure-sparks-maritime-chaos-Iranian-gunboats-open-fire-on-tanker Iranian Forces Open Fire On Tanker The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports that a tanker was "approached by 2 IRGC gunboats, with no VHF challenge, and then fired upon." UKMTO did not provide any further details about the two Iranian vessels that fired on the tanker or the type of weapons used in the maritime incident, which was reported to have occurred 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. Assume that President Trump is about to become absolutely furious on Truth Social. One can also assume that backchanneling and behind-the-scenes talks are not going well if an incident like this occurred ahead of the U.S.-Iran weekend negotiations. https://www.sott.net/article/505798-Hormuz-re-closure-sparks-maritime-chaos-Iranian-gunboats-open-fire-on-tanker Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:03:59 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505796-Tanker-armada-racing-for-Hormuz-after-Iran-says-strait-is-open An armada of at least eight oil tankers set off toward the Strait of Hormuz immediately after Iran's foreign minister said the vital waterway was fully open to shipping. Five of the carriers, which had been anchored north of Dubai, were moving into the waterway on Friday afternoon, soon after Iran's foreign minister said it was completely open, vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. Three more, which were waiting about 70 miles west, have also begun moving in the direction of the strait. The tankers moved despite reports in Iranian media that suggested the country was still seeking to impose restrictions. Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that ships and cargoes linked to "hostile" countries would not be allowed through (in other words, no change from before). Passage via Strait of Hormuz will be closed if US naval blockade continues as it will be considered a violation of the ceasefire, the country's Fars news agency reported. At the same time, Trump said that... https://www.sott.net/article/505796-Tanker-armada-racing-for-Hormuz-after-Iran-says-strait-is-open Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:17:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505795-Friends-helping-friends-Russia-vows-to-fill-Chinas-energy-resource-gap-amid-Hormuz-crisis The promise was made by Lavrov in meeting with Xi April 15, 2026 At a moment it remains a serious open question over just how vulnerable China is to the Hormuz Strait crisis, and now with the US-imposed US naval blockade of the vital oil transit waterway, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Beijing pledging energy support to China. Lavrov met with President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, during which Xi urged China and Russia to "give full play to the advantages of geographic proximity and complementarity, deepen all-round cooperation and raise the resilience of each other's development." Russia remains China's top energy supplier. "Both sides should maintain strategic focus, trust each other, support each other, develop together," Xi continued, according to a Chinese state media readout. https://www.sott.net/article/505795-Friends-helping-friends-Russia-vows-to-fill-Chinas-energy-resource-gap-amid-Hormuz-crisis Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:58:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505792-Mr-Biden-lives-abroad-Hunter-skips-US-as-former-lawyers-seek-millions-in-unpaid-fees "Mr. Biden lives abroad." Those four words in a filing from Barry Coburn confirmed what had long been rumored about his client: Hunter Biden has left the country as his former lawyers and creditors seek millions in unpaid debts. He added, "He cannot pay his current lawyers." As I wrote about years ago, Biden's art grift would dry up as soon as he could no longer deliver influence and access to power. Reportedly unable to move art, Hunter has moved out of the reach of many creditors. He is rumored to be in South Africa, where his wife, Melissa Cohen, was born and raised. Hunter is the Blanche DuBois of American politics. He has always relied on the kindness (and greed) of strangers when he could allegedly offer influence or access to his father, Joe Biden. Hunter told a South African podcast in November that "We're trying to be between Cape Town and the States, go back and forth." He added, "I've fallen madly in love with Cape Town. You guys do not know how good you have it here.... https://www.sott.net/article/505792-Mr-Biden-lives-abroad-Hunter-skips-US-as-former-lawyers-seek-millions-in-unpaid-fees Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:20:35 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505790-Fun-With-AI-4-Trillions-Into-the-Void-The-Black-Budget-Black-Hole-Thats-Hiding-in-Plain-Sight What if the real conspiracy isn't secret plots — but the openly insane way "democracy" funnels taxpayer money into unaccountable black projects? Just a reminder of the premise of this little series of articles: AI cannot inject its own "ideas". It can only recombine what's in existing texts through predefined language patterns. To some extent, that can provide insights that look "new" (but hey, maybe they just look new to you because you haven't seen them before - doesn't mean that nobody has - the AI was trained on more texts than any of us can ever read), but it's not on the same level as what humans can come up with. There is clear limitation: the source material. Any AI output has to be based on that. Human thinking can go beyond that. So how "new" anything from AI is is basically a matter of semantics. The more important metric, IMO, is whether it's useful. And I'd say it certainly can be. Many of the answers are brilliant and capture the inner workings of the system we live... https://www.sott.net/article/505790-Fun-With-AI-4-Trillions-Into-the-Void-The-Black-Budget-Black-Hole-Thats-Hiding-in-Plain-Sight Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:58:05 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505789-Popes-have-spoken-out-on-politics-before-but-with-Trump-and-Pope-Leo-its-different The ongoing war of words between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV is unparalleled in modern history. It's not new for popes to speak out on political issues, historians of religion say, but Trump's insults toward the pope are without precedent. The direct nature of Pope Leo's responses as well as being the first American pope are also playing a role in how the exchange is being interpreted by the public. The recent back and forth started with Leo's calling for peace in response to the war in Iran, and continued with him warning of the "delusion of omnipotence" and writing that "God does not bless any conflict." It escalated this past weekend when Trump accused Leo of being "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," a potential response to Catholic leaders' calling for more humanity in the Trump administration's immigration policies. Trump also claimed Leo was in favor of Iran having nuclear weapons. Trump continued his attacks Tuesday night with another social media post,... https://www.sott.net/article/505789-Popes-have-spoken-out-on-politics-before-but-with-Trump-and-Pope-Leo-its-different Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:42:22 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505788-Gabbard-sends-criminal-referrals-for-2019-Trump-impeachment-whistleblower-IG-coverup On Monday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the House Intelligence Committee released declassified transcripts revealing the whistleblower, whose complaint about Trump and Zelensky's 'perfect call', as an extreme partisan who had a "prior professional relationship with one of the Democratic Presidential candidates," and despite those facts, former-Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) Michael Atkinson claimed: "I did not find the complainant (whistleblower) was biased." Well, tonight they are the recipients of two criminal referrals. Gabbard on Wednesday referred who is believed to be former CIA analyst Eric Ciaramella - along with ICIG Michael Atkinson who fast-tracked it - for potential criminal investigation. https://www.sott.net/article/505788-Gabbard-sends-criminal-referrals-for-2019-Trump-impeachment-whistleblower-IG-coverup Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:41:49 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505787-The-collapse-of-multilateral-law-and-the-confusion-of-the-battlefields The United States behaved like barbarians during the Israeli war against Iran. Its president, Donald Trump, claimed responsibility for attacking civilians, even though just a month earlier he had asserted his desire to liberate them. He went so far as to threaten to eradicate Iranian civilization, despite his ambition to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. By acting in this way, Washington not only violated the UN Charter, but also forced some of its allies to discover that it was not their protector, but rather, that it was dragging them into a war they had not chosen. The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, initially stated that "the total destruction of areas and the certain death of groups of people which, until now, had not been considered as possible targets" were being "seriously considered" (S/2026/141). He then publicly and explicitly threatened to annihilate Iranian civilization on April 7, 2026 [ 1 ] , in violation of Article 2.4 of the Charter of the... https://www.sott.net/article/505787-The-collapse-of-multilateral-law-and-the-confusion-of-the-battlefields Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:41:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505786-Why-Viktor-Orbans-defeat-in-Hungary-wont-impact-European-policy-toward-Israel Despite the media narrative that Netanyahu "lost" an ally in Europe, Péter Magyar's decisive win in Hungary will not shift EU policy on Israel, because it is not being set by neofascists like Viktor Orbán but by Europe's liberal core. Europe's authoritarian slide slowed slightly this week with Péter Magyar's decisive win in Hungary, ending 16 years of Viktor Orbán's illiberal rule. Yet in celebrating his electoral defeat, Europe's ruling class seems to have been too distracted by the sound of the collective sigh of relief to notice — or care about — Orbán's more lasting victory. European democracies these days are looking a lot more like his Christian civilizational vision than any cosmopolitan opposition to it. You know the Overton Window is broken when simply sounding less like a Nazi than Orbán gets you VIP treatment in the European Union — the post-WWII "peace project." Magyar may have, for now, stopped the patient's bleeding, but the ailing body politic of European democracy... https://www.sott.net/article/505786-Why-Viktor-Orbans-defeat-in-Hungary-wont-impact-European-policy-toward-Israel Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:40:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505782-Collapsing-Empire-Hezbollah-crushes-Greater-Israel On April 8th, the Zionist entity struck a demonic blow to the heart of Beirut, dropping 1,000 pound bombs in densely packed residential areas, killing untold civilians and injuring many more. One of Lebanon's most dire mass-killings since the end of the 1990 civil war, it marked the resumption of Israel's avowedly genocidal invasion. With bombs raining down apace even as rare in-person talks between the pair near, Zionist Occupation Force-backed settlers are moving quickly to establish a permanent presence in the country's south. Whatever abrupt pause in the war on the Islamic Republic can be sustained by duelling Iranian and US blockades of the Strait Of Hormuz must be viewed in the context of the Zionist entity's longstanding determination to annex Lebanese territory, in service of 'Greater Israel'. Tel Aviv's criminal incursion ignited March 16th, Orwellianly dubbed by officials a "targeted ground operation against key targets." It was not until 10 days later that major news... https://www.sott.net/article/505782-Collapsing-Empire-Hezbollah-crushes-Greater-Israel Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:09:42 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505780-US-Navy-Spy-Drone-Circles-Cuba-As-Report-Says-Pentagon-Weighing-Possible-Military-Ops With President Trump signaling on Thursday that a deal with Tehran could be close, and indicating that another round of talks may take place this weekend, the focus is already beginning to shift beyond the Gulf region and back toward the Gulf of America, where reports earlier this week suggested the U.S. military was preparing for some form of intervention against the communist regime in Cuba. USA Today reported on Wednesday that the Department of War is preparing for a possible operation in Cuba. The report was based on two sources. The DoW responded to the outlet, saying it plans for a range of contingencies and remains prepared to execute the president's orders as directed. By early Friday, X user OSINTdefender reported that a U.S. Navy high-altitude, long-endurance maritime surveillance drone "flew an over-12-hour mission off the coast of Cuba." https://www.sott.net/article/505780-US-Navy-Spy-Drone-Circles-Cuba-As-Report-Says-Pentagon-Weighing-Possible-Military-Ops Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:31:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505772-New-Hungarian-Prime-Minister-says-borders-will-remain-shut-to-immigrants In the wake of Viktor Orbán's election defeat, one of the greatest fears among conservatives in the region is an unconstrained EU able to take action on foreign policy, health, and immigration without the threat of a veto. It is widely assumed that the incoming prime minister of Hungary, Péter Magyar, will seek a fast resolution of Brussels' key issues with Hungary in order to unlock some €35 billion in funding. His election win was heralded as a substantial victory for the global left wing, from EU globalists to Democrats in the US. Their assumption is that with Orbán's veto power out of play, they will be able to do they want in Ukraine and in Hungary. However, the new Prime Minster may not be as cooperative as they initially believed. Magyar has stated that he will not try to block a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine which Orbán originally vetoed, but he also stated that Hungary will not be contributing to such loans and that the government will not support any attempt to induct... https://www.sott.net/article/505772-New-Hungarian-Prime-Minister-says-borders-will-remain-shut-to-immigrants Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:25:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505768-Russia-backs-Irans-inalienable-right-to-uranium-enrichment-Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has defended Iran's inalienable right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, saying that Russia accepts any decision that suits the Iranian side. Speaking at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lavrov asserted that Moscow is prepared to assist in resolving issues surrounding Iran's nuclear program. He was echoing the stance that "every country has the right to enrich uranium exclusively for peaceful purposes," a right he affirmed extends to the Islamic Republic. "Russia will accept any decision that suits the Iranian side" within these "legitimate rights," Lavrov stated, highlighting Moscow's readiness to play a role in any potential resolution concerning enriched uranium. He outlined possible contributions, including reprocessing highly enriched uranium into fuel for nuclear power plants or transferring specified amounts to Russia for storage, all while respecting Iran's right to... https://www.sott.net/article/505768-Russia-backs-Irans-inalienable-right-to-uranium-enrichment-Lavrov Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:29:33 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505767-Magyars-pragmatic-conservatism-Hungarys-return-to-Europe-on-its-own-terms A post‑Orbán reset is coming, but Péter Magyar's nationalism tempers his pro‑EU signals; expect cooperation on Ukraine and security, and resistance on cultural and sovereignty issues. The Hungarian vote mattered far beyond Budapest: it would reshape EU unity on sanctions, funding, and enlargement; decide whether a NATO member remained a reliably cooperative partner; and influence Kyiv's lifeline amid war. Washington watched for the future of transatlantic cohesion; Kyiv for the fate of crucial EU aid and diplomatic backing; Brussels for a more aligned, rule‑of‑law‑compliant member; and Moscow for keeping a reliable Western partner. A single ballot thus carried outsized geopolitical weight, testing whether Hungary would stay an unpredictable outlier or return to the European fold. Who Hungary's New Prime Minister Is Péter Magyar's sudden ascent in Hungary has reset expectations in Brussels and Kyiv, but whether Hungary will become a reliable partner again depends on a simple,... https://www.sott.net/article/505767-Magyars-pragmatic-conservatism-Hungarys-return-to-Europe-on-its-own-terms Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:28:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505766-Blockading-the-blockade President Trump was presented with a great opportunity on Saturday to take the off-ramp from his war on Iran. After threatening Iran that "a whole civilization will die tonight," Trump managed to get a two week pause in the war with the intervention of the Pakistani government. A window opened to end this illegal war. Vice President Vance traveled to Pakistan to negotiate with a high-level Iranian delegation and from press reporting progress was made on many issues. Unfortunately, after a month and a half of war, where tens of billions of dollars have been spent, every US base in the region is either damaged or destroyed, and dozens of military aircraft have been lost, President Trump did not take the off-ramp. He hit the accelerator. After 21 hours of negotiations, the talks blew up, reportedly because the US side again insisted that Iran turn over its enriched uranium, destroy its nuclear facilities, and never enrich uranium again. This may be the "maximalist" approach favored by... https://www.sott.net/article/505766-Blockading-the-blockade Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:25:46 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505761-The-EU-just-admitted-it-Age-verification-was-never-about-kids-Its-the-Orwellian-digital-identity-wallet-endgame Ursula von der Leyen just crowed that the EU's age verification app is "technically ready" and will be shoved down our throats any day now. Ireland is one of the "frontrunners" already building a digital wallet that verifies your age using your PPS number (that's your Irish social security ID folks). They want you to download their app, feed it your passport or national ID, and then "prove your age" every time you hit an online platform. Just like buying booze in a shop, says the EU President. "No more excuses" for platforms. But here's the punchline they're ramming down with their jackhammer: the app "respects the highest privacy standards in the world," is "completely anonymous," and based on open source code so even non-EU countries can copy the surveillance model. Bullshit. This is the same EU that wrote GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), their precious data-protection bible and then immediately violates every core principle in it. Data minimisation? Gone. They're... https://www.sott.net/article/505761-The-EU-just-admitted-it-Age-verification-was-never-about-kids-Its-the-Orwellian-digital-identity-wallet-endgame Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:35:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505757-DOJ-Petitions-Court-To-Toss-Convictions-Of-Unpardoned-Jan-6-Defendants The Justice Department is petitioning an appeals court to throw out the convictions of unpardoned defendants who were charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021. "The United States has determined ... that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice," read a motion filed April 14 in the case of Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, and Jessica Watkins. All four defendants belonged to the Oath Keepers, a group that says its members are mostly former military, police, and medics who are dedicated to upholding Constitutional rights. Rhodes, the group's founder, had been one of the most high-profile Jan. 6 defendants; he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges. In their motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, federal prosecutors said they would file separate motions-to-vacate in "similar" Jan. 6 cases. https://www.sott.net/article/505757-DOJ-Petitions-Court-To-Toss-Convictions-Of-Unpardoned-Jan-6-Defendants Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:35:31 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505752-Netanyahu-Says-the-Trump-Administration-Gives-Him-Reports-on-Iran-Talks-Every-Day The Israeli prime minister said US Vice President JD Vance spoke with him after the Pakistan talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he spoke with Vice President JD Vance after the US-Iran talks in Pakistan and described the call as part of a daily report the Trump administration provides him. "I spoke yesterday with Vice President J.D. Vance. He called me from his plane on his way back from Islamabad. He reported to me in detail, as this administration does every day, about the development of the negotiations," Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid. The comments from Netanyahu highlight the close coordination between the US and Israel on Iran. Ravid reported in early March that US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has known Netanyahu since he was a child, were speaking to Netanyahu and other Israeli officials nearly every day. Witkoff and Kushner led the negotiations with... https://www.sott.net/article/505752-Netanyahu-Says-the-Trump-Administration-Gives-Him-Reports-on-Iran-Talks-Every-Day Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:02:08 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505749-US-Navy-admits-it-lost-a-240-million-spy-drone-during-the-Iran-war The US Navy has confirmed the loss of an expensive spy drone amid the Iran war, its first known loss of this particular uncrewed aircraft. Naval Safety Command revealed in a new aviation mishaps report that an MQ-4C Triton crashed on April 9, with no injury to personnel. The document did not specify where the drone went down, citing operational security. Last week, an MQ-4C out of Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy was flying a mission over the Persian Gulf when it suddenly and rapidly descended and disappeared from flight-tracking sites, leading to speculation that it had crashed in the Middle East. The Navy report listed the MQ-4C under "Class A" mishaps, meaning the incident caused more than $2.5 million in damage and/or destroyed the aircraft. The designation is also used to indicate that an accident caused a fatality or permanent total disability, though that doesn't appear to apply in this case. https://www.sott.net/article/505749-US-Navy-admits-it-lost-a-240-million-spy-drone-during-the-Iran-war Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:46:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505748-Foggy-Foggy-War With US stocks up, the Nasdaq with its longest winning streak since 2021, and screen oil down for a second day in a row, markets continue to price the starkly binary physical outcomes smack in front of us on the side that's full of stardust. The IMF just warned of a potential world recession ahead if Hormuz stays shut. Its latest three global growth scenarios are 'weaker', 'worse' and 'severe' - "because markets", and politics, the Fund chose the most benign as its base case, even as "downside risks are clearly very elevated." That's as Spain, for example, just released 4 of their 90 days of strategic oil reserves, with another 8 to follow. While that leaves 78, even if Hormuz reopened tomorrow, it would take at least 60 and possibly as many as 150 days before normal oil flows could be restored, according to IEA. Imagine driving home in a convoy through a blazing desert in an air-conditioned car knowing you all have 50 miles of fuel in the tank, and the next station is 30 miles... https://www.sott.net/article/505748-Foggy-Foggy-War Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:41:25 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505745-Intel-IG-admitted-under-oath-to-changing-whistleblower-rules-for-anti-Trump-Ukraine-op-in-2019-The-timing-is-suspicious Atkinson's own 2019 testimony, now public, confirms the ICIG did change the rules and that Davis and The Federalist weren't 'conspiracy theorists,' but rather, the only real journalists around. Former Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) Michael Atkinson admitted under oath that he personally ordered a secret rewrite of the whistleblower complaint form in August 2019 that was used as the basis for a phony impeachment operation against President Donald Trump, going so far as to admit changing the form looked "suspicious." Newly unveiled testimony from October of 2019 shows that Atkinson conceded the change he ordered to the whistleblower complaint form "looks suspicious" but said the timing was merely "unfortunate." "So the timing is unfortunate. It looks suspicious, I get that," Atkinson testified. Atkinson said that after several media inquiries highlighted that the then-current form required first-hand knowledge of wrongdoing in order for a complaint to meet the... https://www.sott.net/article/505745-Intel-IG-admitted-under-oath-to-changing-whistleblower-rules-for-anti-Trump-Ukraine-op-in-2019-The-timing-is-suspicious Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:20:41 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505744-Irans-President-Massoud-Pezeshkians-letter-to-the-American-people In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful To the people of the United States of America, and to all those who, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life: Iran — by this very name, character, and identity — is one of the oldest continuous civilisations in human history. Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers — and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbours — Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have attacked it. The Iranian people harbour no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighbouring countries. Even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures throughout... https://www.sott.net/article/505744-Irans-President-Massoud-Pezeshkians-letter-to-the-American-people Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:13:31 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505743-NATOs-slow-fracture-How-Trumps-Iran-War-exposed-the-instrument-of-hegemony NATO survives as a bureaucratic structure, but the instrument of American hegemony — the mechanism through which Washington coerced compliance — is no longer operational. The Alliance as Billing Arrangement The myth was always more durable than the machinery. NATO presented itself as a collective security architecture; in practice, it functioned as a billing arrangement for American imperial overhead, in which European governments paid in treasure, territory, and political will for the privilege of hosting Washington's forward operating positions. The Iran war has not broken the alliance. It has simply made the arrangement too expensive to maintain the fiction. When Spain closed its airspace to U.S. flights on 31 March 2026, and Italy denied Sigonella to transiting bombers, it was not a minor rift or hesitation. It was the first visible moment in decades in which the instrument of European subordination refused to execute commands. NATO, as a mechanism of American coercion, has... https://www.sott.net/article/505743-NATOs-slow-fracture-How-Trumps-Iran-War-exposed-the-instrument-of-hegemony Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:12:53 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505742-Kremlin-reacts-to-Orbans-defeat-in-Hungarian-election Moscow hopes to establish dialogue with the next prime minister, Dmitry Peskov has said. Russia expects to maintain "pragmatic" relations with Hungary after Peter Magyar's Tisza party defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz in the general election. Magyar's center-right opposition Tisza party secured over 53% of the vote in Sunday's vote, which gives it a qualified majority in the country's 199-seat parliament. Orban, who conceded defeat, had charted an independent course, ruffling more than a few feathers in Brussels. During his time in office, he consistently opposed the EU's sanctions against Russia and military aid to Ukraine, vetoing the bloc's planned €90 billion loan package for Kiev. His government had advocated pragmatic relations with Moscow, especially in terms of energy supplies. Fidesz also strongly opposed EU-imposed policies regarding migration and LGBTQ rights. https://www.sott.net/article/505742-Kremlin-reacts-to-Orbans-defeat-in-Hungarian-election Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:11:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505737-After-Swalwell-and-Gonzales-resignations-whos-next Two members of the House of Representatives announced their resignations on Monday as they faced the threat of expulsion for allegations of sexual misconduct. But rather than putting an end to Congress' internal drama, the resignations may be the beginning of a slew of expulsion battles on the House floor. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who had been a front-runner to become governor of California, announced his plan to resign on Monday afternoon, saying in a statement that "false" allegations of sexual misconduct had "distracted" from his duties. An hour later, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who has admitted to an affair with an aide who later committed suicide by self-immolation, also announced his resignation. Some in the House say they want these forced departures to serve as a template going forward. https://www.sott.net/article/505737-After-Swalwell-and-Gonzales-resignations-whos-next Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:35:32 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505735-Empire-of-Piracy-blockades-Iran-and-China All hail the almighty return of Pirates of the Caribbean, now upgraded to Pirates of the Persian Gulf. The spectacular collapse of the Islamabad diktats - Barbaria came to dictate, never to negotiate - has been followed by a coercion psy ops on steroids: Jesus! (literally, as he posted it on Truth Social) threatening every single ship now paying the Strait of Hormuz toll booth. As every grain of sand from the Gobi to the Sahara already knows, this is all about China. So the question needs to be posed again. CENTCOM has now merged into INDOPACOM, a new pyrate hydra. Will INDOPACOM have the balls to harass a Chinese supertanker which sailed through the Strait of Hormuz after paying the toolbooth in yuan? In his trademark delusional supremacy mode, US Treasury Secretary Bessent said that China will no longer be able to get oil from Iran. This Baboon of Barbaria gimmick in fact translates as economic warfare against not only China but an array of mostly Asian nations, disturbing global... https://www.sott.net/article/505735-Empire-of-Piracy-blockades-Iran-and-China Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:28:24 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505726-Appeals-Court-rules-Boasberg-abused-discretion-in-Trump-deportation-fight The Trump administration won a court victory in an immigration case Tuesday when an appeals court found U.S. District Judge James Boasberg engaged in a "clear abuse of discretion" last year. The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit comes more than a year after Boasberg first held the Trump administration in criminal contempt. Boasberg held the Trump administration in contempt when it did not comply with his order to turn around planes carrying deported illegal aliens from Venezuela. The planes were going to El Salvador. https://www.sott.net/article/505726-Appeals-Court-rules-Boasberg-abused-discretion-in-Trump-deportation-fight Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:39:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505725-The-Blitzkrieg-Failure-Why-the-US-Israeli-aggression-against-Iran-is-doomed-and-how-Trump-can-save-face What was presented in Washington and Tel Aviv in late February 2026 as a "limited operation" to destroy Iran's nuclear infrastructure had, by early April, turned into a full-blown regional catastrophe. The aggression of the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic — which U.S. President Donald Trump promised would be a "blitzkrieg" — has resulted in a strategic fiasco for the war's initiators. Instead of Tehran's rapid capitulation, the world is witnessing the opposite process: not only has Iran withstood the bombings, but it has seized the initiative, striking key assets of U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf and Israel itself. This article analyzes the reasons for the crushing failure of the U.S.-Israeli adventure, critiques Trump's shortsighted policies, and forecasts how the White House occupant can now extract himself from the "escalation trap" he has set for himself. https://www.sott.net/article/505725-The-Blitzkrieg-Failure-Why-the-US-Israeli-aggression-against-Iran-is-doomed-and-how-Trump-can-save-face Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:19:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505724-The-world-names-it-the-gravest-crime-Why-dont-NATO-and-the-EU To understand the horror of the slavery is to challenge the core of the modern Western world. On March 25, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proposed by Ghana declaring the transatlantic slave trade the "gravest crime against humanity," despite opposition from Western states. The measure secured support from 123 countries, including Russia and China, while the US, Israel, and Argentina voted against it, and 52 nations - among them the UK and EU members - abstained. Why do the US, Israel, and Argentina stand against the recognition of the absolute horror of the enslavement of Africans? In fact, acknowledging this crime would expose them to the collapse of their own historical narratives. The US, in voting against, is rejecting its own indictment, built on the paradox of a proclaimed freedom resting atop an enslaving system it never truly reconciled with. To recognize this injustice is to open the door to reparations, and a reconfiguration of the social contract -... https://www.sott.net/article/505724-The-world-names-it-the-gravest-crime-Why-dont-NATO-and-the-EU Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:18:17 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505723-All-wars-are-bankers-wars-Iran-and-the-bankers-endgame "The powers of financial capitalism had another far reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole." — Prof. Caroll Quigley, Georgetown University, Tragedy and Hope (1966) In February 2026, the United States and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iran. The officially proffered reasons — preventing Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapon and forestalling its aggression — have not held up under scrutiny. As James Corbett documented in recent Corbett Report episodes, the nuclear pretext appears to be recycled propaganda, and the scale and timing of the strikes raise deeper questions about motive. The thesis that "All Wars Are Bankers' Wars" was popularized by Michael Rivero in a 2013 documentary by that name. His accompanying article begins with a quote from Aristotle (384-322 BCE): "The most hated sort [of moneymaking], and with the greatest... https://www.sott.net/article/505723-All-wars-are-bankers-wars-Iran-and-the-bankers-endgame Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:16:55 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505721-China-blockades-the-American-blockade-of-Iran The whole planet is asking the same question: Will CENTCOM dare to go to war against China? This is not a wild hypothetical anymore. According to MarineTraffic data, the Chinese-owned Rich Starry tanker, sailing under the Malawi flag, linked to Shanghai Xianrun, and departing from Sharjah in the UAE carrying roughly 250,000 barrels of metanol, crossed the Strait of Hormuz this Tuesday, displaying the message "China Owner & Crew." So the Rich Starry was the first tanker to transit and exit the Strait of Hormuz, on the way to China, since the Trump blockade-to-unblock-the-Strait is in effect. In an unusually non-understated manner, what Beijing is signaling is that a desperate Trump Administration won't be able to play Pirates of the Caribbean - remixed as Pirates of Hormuz - on China. CENTCOM did mention that the blockade is against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports. The Rich Starry came from Sharjah - so technically it was not targetable. The real test of the blockade... https://www.sott.net/article/505721-China-blockades-the-American-blockade-of-Iran Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:29:02 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505715-Pelosis-monster-The-creation-and-destruction-of-Eric-Swalwell In Mary Shelley's famous work, Dr. Frankenstein is asked, "Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?" This week, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D. Calif.), the leading Democratic candidate for California governor, may wish he could ask that of former Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). After sexual assault allegations were raised by former staff members, Pelosi, Sen. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), and even his close friend (and former campaign chair) Sen. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) have withdrawn their endorsements. The fact, however, is that (regardless of the merits of these latest allegations), Swalwell was always a notorious figure in Washington who was constructed by Pelosi and others to serve their interests. As Pelosi and his other allies now seek to destroy him, they cannot escape their hand in his creation. https://www.sott.net/article/505715-Pelosis-monster-The-creation-and-destruction-of-Eric-Swalwell Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:06:59 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505714-Buried-for-7-years-Declassified-transcripts-blow-up-Trump-impeachment-story In a long-awaited release that sent ripples through Washington on Monday, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) has declassified closed-door 2019 transcripts from briefings with then-Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) Michael Atkinson. The documents, withheld from the public for over seven years, reveal critical details about the anonymous "whistleblower" whose complaint about President Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky triggered Trump's first impeachment - details that directly contradict the narrative of a neutral, non-partisan civil servant acting in good faith. The revelations come via investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, who broke the story on X with direct screenshots from the transcripts and statements from key officials involved in the declassification. https://www.sott.net/article/505714-Buried-for-7-years-Declassified-transcripts-blow-up-Trump-impeachment-story Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:31:26 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505710-Trumps-dilemma-Rigging-or-cancelling-the-US-midterm-elections Against the backdrop of the war with Iran, a deteriorating economic situation, and a growing political crisis in the United States, an increasingly pressing question is emerging: will the administration of Donald Trump be able to retain power in the face of a potential defeat in the midterm elections? With all that is going on in the world and its impact, especially on the US economy, it begs the question, "How will Trump and team manage to 'cancel or rig' the US midterm elections?" As things look now, with the job market contracting, with workers hours reduced and pay cuts, only a fool would vote Republican. However, Democrats are not any better; both sides of the house are owned by the Zionists! There's no difference between them on that front — as shown by their talking points and their dismal pro-Israeli voting records. The motivations of many are not so obvious, and few are taking the time to dig deeper. The US Treasury Department has declared the US insolvent, which means... https://www.sott.net/article/505710-Trumps-dilemma-Rigging-or-cancelling-the-US-midterm-elections Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:00:58 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505709-Global-scholars-ex-officials-support-Irans-terms-for-ending-aggression A broad international coalition of academics, former officials, diplomats, and public figures from multiple countries has released an open letter, voicing support for the terms set out by Iran for bringing about a conclusive end to aggression against the country. The letter, titled "A Declaration to the Conscience of Humanity," that was released on Saturday, was presented as a collective appeal signed by more than 170 individuals from 30 countries. Those included the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, China, India, Iran, and several other nations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. The document came more than 40 days after the United States and the Israeli regime began their latest round of unprovoked aggression against the country, targeting its military and civilian infrastructure alike with numerous deadly and destructive strikes. https://www.sott.net/article/505709-Global-scholars-ex-officials-support-Irans-terms-for-ending-aggression Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:59:38 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505708-Weekly-Briefing-Israel-is-losing-its-grip-on-US-politics We've been covering the shift in American politics on Israel for years. Donald Trump's disastrously failed war on Iran has accelerated it. For years, conventional wisdom held that support for Israel was a third rail in U.S. politics. Phil Weiss has written a library of analysis and coverage on that here at Mondoweiss over the past 20 years. Uncritical support for Israel was toxic for politicians to touch, impossible to oppose, and self-reinforcing across both parties through the combined pressure of donor money, media consensus, and institutional loyalty. That consensus is broken forever. It didn't break because of a sudden moral awakening in Washington. That will never happen, on virtually any issue. If you need any more proof of that, just look at the way the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein are being treated, or refer to the fact that even massacres of schoolchildren haven't moved Congress to do something about guns in the country. The consensus across the political elite on Israel... https://www.sott.net/article/505708-Weekly-Briefing-Israel-is-losing-its-grip-on-US-politics Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:53:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505703-Orban-They-called-him-a-dictator-until-he-lost-Then-they-called-it-democracy Viktor Orbán has conceded defeat in Hungary's parliamentary election after 16 years in power, calling Peter Magyar to congratulate Tisza on its victory. With 52% to 39% of the vote and a record 77.8% turnout, the highest in Hungarian electoral history. And Brussels is delighted. Which is precisely why you should be paying attention to how this happened, not just that it happened. Let's be clear about what the European Union spent years telling us. Orbán was a dictator. A puppet of Putin, which is ludicrous. An authoritarian who had captured the courts, the media and the institutions. A man who could never be removed through a fair democratic process because he had rigged the system beyond repair. Then he lost a free election. By thirteen points. So which is it, was Hungary an authoritarian state, or a functional democracy that just voted out its government? You cannot claim both when convenient and discard the one that doesn't serve the narrative. What you can do, and what nobody... https://www.sott.net/article/505703-Orban-They-called-him-a-dictator-until-he-lost-Then-they-called-it-democracy Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:29:37 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505702-Magyar-beats-Orban-in-battle-for-Hungary-What-happens-now Peter Magyar's decisive win will reshape Hungary's relations with both East and West. Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar has pulled off a stunning victory in the country's parliamentary election, with his Tisza party beating Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz by more than 16 points. The result is set to dramatically change Hungary's relations with the EU, Russia, and Ukraine. Just over an hour after polls closed on Sunday, Orban called Magyar to congratulate him on his win. With 92% of the ballots counted on Sunday night, Tisza was leading with 53.72% of the vote, ahead of Fidesz with 37.67% - a result in line with opposition-friendly pre-election polls. Magyar campaigned on ending corruption, funding public services, and restoring ties with the EU. Orban promised to continue his program of tax breaks for citizens and levies on corporations, all while pledging to keep Hungary out of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His campaign cast Magyar as a tool of the EU, who would cut off... https://www.sott.net/article/505702-Magyar-beats-Orban-in-battle-for-Hungary-What-happens-now Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:12:45 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505700-NewsReal-Trump-Card-US-Blockades-Irans-Blockade-to-Unblock-Strait-of-Hormuz If you were writing this for a Hollywood script, it would be rejected for being unrealistic. Trump's latest scheme to 'unblock the Strait of Hormuz' is almost certainly not going to work, but more importantly, what is the likelihood that hostilities will recommence between the US and Iran? Also, what really happened during that so-called 'rescue mission' south of Isfahan last week? And should we have sympathy for Trump? He seems to be at the mercy of forces he can neither placate nor out-maneuver... Running Time: 01:49:21 Download: MP3 — 100 MB https://www.sott.net/article/505700-NewsReal-Trump-Card-US-Blockades-Irans-Blockade-to-Unblock-Strait-of-Hormuz Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:48:35 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505697-Iran-US-end-third-round-of-Pakistan-mediated-talks Iran and the United States have ended the third round of Pakistan-mediated ceasefire talks in Islamabad, with the two sides engaging in fresh exchange of written texts aimed at reaching a framework on the topics in discussion. Sources have confirmed that Iranian Parliament Speaker and delegation head Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Deputy Head of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri-Kani participated in the third round. After two previous rounds, the latest round appeared to be a final attempt to secure agreement on Iran's 10-point proposal to end unprovoked aggression against the Islamic Republic, knowledgeable sources told Press TV. Prior to the third round, the two sides had similarly exchanged written texts towards arriving at the framework and ensuring that there was no room for ambiguity in the draft proposals. The Iranian delegation participated in the talks following a decision by the United States to release frozen Iranian assets... https://www.sott.net/article/505697-Iran-US-end-third-round-of-Pakistan-mediated-talks Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:16:35 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505696-Israelis-are-finally-revolting-against-Netanyahu-for-agreeing-to-the-US-ceasefire-with-Iran The entire Israeli political spectrum is united in blasting Netanyahu for not continuing to attack Iran, and Israeli society agrees. The reason, to put it simply, is that Israelis are war junkies. "Donald, you wimped out like a duck," wrote Israeli coalition member and chair of the National Security Committee, Zvika Fogel, on X earlier this week, lambasting U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a two-week halt to the war on Iran. Although Fogel is aligned with the far-right Jewish Power Party, headed by hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, his position reflects a near-consensus across the Israeli political spectrum. That consensus is: give war a chance. It was probably inconvenient for a politician aligned with Israel's ruling coalition to insult the American President so stridently (the post has since been deleted), but opposition leader Yair Lapid didn't hold back when heaping the blame on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu, Lapid said on... https://www.sott.net/article/505696-Israelis-are-finally-revolting-against-Netanyahu-for-agreeing-to-the-US-ceasefire-with-Iran Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:15:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505695-Whos-afraid-of-Emmanuel-Macron-Europes-weak-leaders-make-Europe-weak French President Emmanuel Macron is doing that peculiar French thing again...acting tough while looking weak. He gave a speech last Friday at Yonsei University in Seoul during which he demanded that nations not become "vassals" of China or the United States. Macron wants South Korea to join Canada, Australia, and the European Union in forming what he calls a "coalition of independence" (because "coalition of the willing" was taken) united by shared love for "international order," "democracy," and wasting money on "climate change." What a tool. I understand that "the powers that be" have so successfully co-opted the West's political systems that they regularly install absolute nincompoops as nominal leaders (Biden, Starmer, Carney, Merz, and European Queen Ursula, just to name a few) and call it "democracy," but Macron is such a doofus that his "leadership" is laughable. Remember when the little Rothschild banker came to power a few months after President Trump had taken office and... https://www.sott.net/article/505695-Whos-afraid-of-Emmanuel-Macron-Europes-weak-leaders-make-Europe-weak Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:14:47 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505694-Trump-threatens-to-jail-journalist-over-Iran-rescue-raid-leak The US president did not name the outlet or the reporter he called "a sick person" President Donald Trump threatened to jail a journalist as part of an administration hunt for the source who leaked details and "complicated" the rescue mission for the crew members of the US F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran last week. Speaking at a White House press conference alongside top defense officials, Trump said that the pilot was recovered within hours on Friday, while the weapons systems officer - badly injured and hiding in a mountain crevice - was rescued early Sunday after a complex mission involving more than 150 aircraft. https://www.sott.net/article/505694-Trump-threatens-to-jail-journalist-over-Iran-rescue-raid-leak Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:13:33 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505693-Hungary-PM-Orban-warning-We-could-now-lose-everything Sunday's Hungarian elections have profound implications for Europe As Hungarians head to the polls on Sunday, April 12, 2026, the country stands at a historic inflection point. For the first time since Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party swept back into power in 2010, a credible challenger - Péter Magyar and his Tisza party - has a genuine shot at ending 16 years of what Orbán proudly calls his "illiberal laboratory." In a final campaign rally, Orbán warned supporters they are choosing "not just a government, but the fate of the country" and could "now lose everything we have built together." Bluntly put the election is a referendum on the durability of nationalist populism in Europe, the future of EU integration, energy security amid the Ukraine war, transatlantic conservative alliances under Trump 2.0, and even the fate of billions in Chinese investment that have reshaped Hungarian industry. Right now, it looks like Magyar has it in the bag, so read on for the implications: https://www.sott.net/article/505693-Hungary-PM-Orban-warning-We-could-now-lose-everything Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:00:23 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/505682-Chinas-quiet-flex-Xi-hosts-Taiwan-opposition-leader-in-rare-meeting Nationalist Party Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun says 'We will not become a chessboard for external intervention' All eyes remain fixated on the impending US-Iran talks in Islamabad, but big things are also happening Friday in Beijing, and they have direct impact on another potential global flashpoint: Taiwan. While Washington potentially gets bogged down in another Middle East quagmire (if talks don't go well and there's no offramp), Chinese leader Xi Jinping has welcomed the leader of Taiwan's main opposition party for a rare direct meeting in the Chinese capital. The symbolism of the timing can't be missed, as Xi invited Nationalist Party Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun to China ahead of the planned big mid-May summit with President Trump in which the Chinese leader could continue a push to dilute Washington's support for Taiwan. https://www.sott.net/article/505682-Chinas-quiet-flex-Xi-hosts-Taiwan-opposition-leader-in-rare-meeting Sat, 11 Apr 2026 20:45:30 +0000