Special Forces Officer Blocked 1,585 Afghans From UK

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A UK Special Forces officer personally rejected 1,585 resettlement applications from Afghans with credible links to special forces, newly released documents say.

The files, disclosed by the Ministry of Defence in court on Thursday, show the unnamed UKSF officer rejected every application referred to him in the summer of 2023, in what was described as a “sprint”.

The MoD told the court that the officer may have been connected to matters under examination by the ongoing inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by the SAS.

The admission comes after the BBC revealed last week that the UKSF officer – who previously served in Afghanistan – rejected applications from Afghans who may have witnessed the alleged crimes.

Afghan commandos, known as the Triples, supported the SAS and SBS for years in Afghanistan and were in danger of reprisal after the Taliban seized back the country in 2021. (Read more from “Special Forces Officer Blocked 1,585 Afghans From UK” HERE)

Egypt Closes World’s Oldest Continuously Functioning Christian Monastery Founded 15 Centuries Ago: ‘Unprecedented and Unacceptable!’

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Egypt has ordered the closure of the world’s oldest continuously functioning Christian monastery, much to the fury of Christian groups.

The Egyptian government has decided to shut down Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sina and expel the 20 Greek Orthodox monks serving there.

The monastery was founded by Byzantine Emperor Justinian 15 centuries ago and has been described as “the world’s oldest Orthodox Christian monument”.

Despite surviving numerous historical upheavals throughout its existence, the sacred site now faces what Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos II called “a period of great trial—one that evokes memories of darker times in history”.

The decision has been characterised as “unprecedented and unacceptable” by religious leaders. (Read more from “Egypt Closes World’s Oldest Continuously Functioning Christian Monastery Founded 15 Centuries Ago: ‘Unprecedented and Unacceptable!’” HERE)

Putin Escaped ‘Massive’ Ukraine Drone Assault on His Helicopter, Moscow Claims

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Moscow has claimed that that a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack targeted Vladimir Putin’s helicopter as the Russian leader visited the embattled Kursk region earlier this week.

Russian air defence officer Yury Dashkin said on Sunday that Putin’s helicopter was at the “epicentre of an operation to repel a massive drone attack” on Tuesday, state media RT reports.

The alleged attack came as the Russian leader visited the Kursk region, which saw the most significant incursion into Russian territory since the Second World War after Ukraine’s forces launched a daring counterinvasion last summer.

During his first visit to the Russian region after expelling the Ukrainians, Putin’s helicopter became embroiled in an “unprecedented” drone attack comprised of dozens of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Dashkin claimed.

“I would like to stress the fact that the intensity of the attacks during the flight of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s aircraft over the territory of Kursk Region increased significantly,” he said. (Read more from “Putin Escaped ‘Massive’ Ukraine Drone Assault on His Helicopter, Moscow Claims” HERE)

Leftists Cry ‘Islamophobia’ as France Looks to Ban Veiling of Girls Over Muslim Brotherhood Sharia Plot

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French President Emmanuel Macron’s political party has called for a ban on young girls wearing Islamic veils in public and a new law against “Islamist entryism” after a bombshell government report found that the Muslim Brotherhood has waged a multi-generational campaign to infiltrate institutions and control Islamic communities in service of instituing Sharia law to the West.

Former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who leads President Macron’s Renaissance party in the National Assembly, proposed on Wednesday that the ban on wearing veils in public be extended to girls under the age of 15. France became the first European country to impose such a ban for adults in 2011.

However, Attal argued that the government must go further in the wake of the publication of a government report, which found that the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood has sought for at least seven decades to subvert France and other European nations through clandestinely entering institutions and taking control over various facets of Muslim communities to promote Sharia practices to Islamise the West.

According to the report, the movement has seized upon supposed social justice campaigns through its various Muslim association proxies against “Islamophobia” — a term coined by the Muslim Brotherhood — and the veil ban to create a veneer of legitimacy in public discourse and to rally Muslim communities to their cause.

Meanwhile, local arms of the Brotherhood, in which trained Islamist activists are installed as managers at community shops, sports groups, private education, financial services, dating sites and elsewhere, have been established to control all aspects of life within Islamic communities and enforce strict Muslim practices, such as forcing the veil on women and girls. (Read more from “Leftists Cry ‘Islamophobia’ as France Looks to Ban Veiling of Girls Over Muslim Brotherhood Sharia Plot” HERE)

How Chinese Operatives Are Laundering Mexican Drug Money In Broad Daylight

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Mexican drug cartels are partnering with Chinese money laundering networks to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds to Chinese nationals in the United States, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

The Sinaloa Cartel — formerly headed by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán — is allegedly working with Chinese groups based in the U.S. to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars in cartel cash through American banks and ultimately into the hands of Chinese nationals living in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The scheme often begins in Mexico, where cartels make billions of dollars selling cheap drugs into the United States.

Chinese nationals in the U.S. travel to Mexico to pick up large amounts of cash directly from the cartels. They then deposit the cash into a network of accounts held at major American banks before selling it to wealthy Chinese clients who pay using Chinese yuan, according to the Journal. The money laundering groups then purchase low-cost goods from China, which are shipped to Mexico, and sold under the cover of legitimate trade. The proceeds — in pesos — are returned to the cartels.

Chinese laundering groups in the U.S. have grown in prominence in recent years, partly due to financial restrictions imposed by the Chinese government, added the Journal’s report. Beijing prohibits individuals from moving more than $50,000 out of the country in foreign currency, and many wealthy Chinese nationals also face sanctions, creating strong incentives to bypass legal channels. To purchase homes in America or pay for their child’s tuition at an American university, wealthy Chinese buyers have to find cash somewhere else. (Read more from “How Chinese Operatives Are Laundering Mexican Drug Money In Broad Daylight” HERE)

Paris Issues Denial of Macron Cocaine Bag on Ukraine Train

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President Emmanuel Macron’s office decried “disinformation” after footage showed him self-consciously snatching a small white object from a conference table while sitting with Britain’s Sir Keir Starmer and Germany’s Friedrich Merz.

The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany made a then-secret trip to Ukraine on Friday evening for joint events on Saturday, travelling from Poland to Kyiv by overnight train provided by the Ukrainian government. In the now-familiar travelling conference room used by dozens of world leaders on their trips to Ukraine during wartime while air warfare makes executive jet travel impossible, the three men met for a brief photo-call with their attendant journalists.

After these images and the trip were made public, footage of President Macron himself sitting at the head of the conference table before noticing a small white object on the table and snatching it to his pocket spread on social media along with claims that it had, in fact, been a bag of cocaine.

The assertion gained sufficient traction that the Élysée palace itself, the private office and residence of the French President, felt forced to deny the claims. Sharing high-resolution images of the interior of the railway carriage, the palace said, with apparent contempt: “this is a tissue. For blowing your nose”. (Read more from “Paris Issues Denial of Macron Cocaine Bag on Ukraine Train” HERE)

New Secret Nuclear Site in Iran Revealed

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The major Iranian opposition group known as the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, or PMOI/MEK, on May 8 exposed a secret nuclear facility in Semnan Province. Known as “Ranginkaman” (Rainbow), the site operates under the guise of Diba Energy Sina, a company claiming to produce chemicals for the oil and petrochemical industries. In truth, however, it is part of the SPND – an Iranian organization tasked with building nuclear weapons.

The facility’s primary objective is to design warheads for missiles with a range exceeding 3,000 kilometers. Its use of tritium, a radioactive isotope, raises serious concerns for global security. . .

Recent reports in regime-aligned media suggest Iran and the U.S. may be exploring nuclear cooperation, including joint uranium enrichment in a third-party country. Some sources even speculate about a potential meeting between Iran’s president and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Regardless of their accuracy, these rumors must be approached with skepticism. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly violated its nuclear commitments – such as breaching the 3.67% enrichment cap set by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA (the “Iran nuclear deal”) and enriching uranium to 60%.

The revelation of yet another hidden nuclear site serves as a clear warning: Complacency in confronting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions could once again plunge the region into crisis, as history has already shown. (Read more from “New Secret Nuclear Site in Iran Revealed” HERE)

Zelensky Willing to ‘Personally’ Meet With Putin in Istanbul, but Demands Ceasefire Before Talks

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Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to “personally” meet with Vladimir Putin for peace talks in Istanbul next week, but he continued to demand that a ceasefire be established before negotiations begin.

Following meetings with the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom in Kyiv to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, President Zelensky and his European counterparts called for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” starting on Monday for 30 days.

In a counter-proposal, Russia’s Vladimir Putin proposed direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv for the first time since 2022. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he would be willing to host the parties again in Istanbul next week for a potential redo of failed talks held there in the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion.

Responding to the proposal on Sunday, Zelensky wrote on X that he would be willing to meet with Putin in Istanbul but demanded that a ceasefire begin on Monday as a prerequisite for such talks.

“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.” (Read more from “Zelensky Willing to ‘Personally’ Meet With Putin in Istanbul, but Demands Ceasefire Before Talks” HERE)

White House Says Trade Deal Struck With China

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The White House announced Sunday that the United States had reached a trade deal with China but said details wouldn’t be released until Monday.

The breakthrough was announced after two days of talks between U.S. and Chinese negotiators in Geneva.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emerged from the talks saying “substantial progress” had been made toward de-escalating an all-out trade war between the two economic superpowers.

“The United States has a massive $1.2 billion trade deficit. So the president declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs,” Mr. Greer said. “We are confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to work toward resolving that national emergency.”

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng told reporters that negotiators had agreed to establish a “trade consultation mechanism.” He said the two sides “have taken important steps to resolve differences through equal dialogue and consultation,” according to state news agency Xinhua. (Read more from “White House Says Trade Deal Struck With China” HERE)

Foreign Spy Agency Finds Way To Surveil Right-Wingers Even Harder

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Germany’s domestic intelligence agency labeled the country’s popular right-wing party as an “extremist” organization in a statement released Friday, opening the door for the government to ramp up efforts to surveil the right, according to multiple reports.

The Verfassungschutz, or Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), claimed in the statement that Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) is a right-wing extremist party, paving the way for the government to double down on its surveillance of the organization’s activities, according to The New York Times. AfD came in second place in the February federal elections as its platform proved popular among voters tired of runaway immigration and ceding sovereignty to the European Union.

“The ethnicity and ancestry-based understanding of the people prevailing within the party is incompatible with the free democratic order,” the BfV said in the statement, according to a BBC translation.

BfV’s designation has drawn a sharp response from AfD, which characterized the move as being purely predicated on politics.

“This decision by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is complete nonsense in terms of substance, has nothing to do with law and justice, and is purely political in the fight between the cartel parties against the AfD,” Stephan Brandner, an AfD leader, said regarding the designation, according to the NYT. (Read more from “Foreign Spy Agency Finds Way To Surveil Right-Wingers Even Harder” HERE)