Authored by Armstrong Williams via The Epoch Times,

What is unfolding across parts of Europe, particularly in the UK under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, should serve as a warning to every Western democracy wrestling with questions of immigration, national identity, social cohesion, and the limits of political tolerance.

A nation can be compassionate without becoming careless. It can welcome newcomers while still expecting assimilation, civic responsibility, and respect for the laws and traditions that hold a society together. But when governments become so consumed with appearing morally virtuous that they neglect order, border enforcement, public safety, and cultural confidence, the social fabric eventually begins to fray.

Across Europe, many citizens increasingly feel that they are watching this happen in real time.

Businesses struggle under layers of regulation and insecurity. Historic neighborhoods in cities such as London, Paris, Brussels, and parts of Germany face growing tensions between communities living side by side but not necessarily living together. In too many places, political leaders have become hesitant to speak honestly about integration failures for fear of being labeled intolerant or divisive. Yet avoiding difficult conversations does not eliminate problems; it merely delays them until frustration hardens into anger.

This is why political movements once considered fringe are now gaining traction throughout Europe. Voters are not simply reacting to economics. They are reacting to a deeper fear that their nations are losing coherence, confidence, and cultural continuity. People want safe streets. They want functioning schools. They want borders that mean something. They want governments willing to defend the rule of law consistently and unapologetically.

And Americans should understand clearly why this debate resonates so strongly at home.

Many believe that the United States would have headed down a similar path had Vice President Kamala Harris been elected president and continued the policies of the previous administration. Whether one agrees with that assessment or not, the concern itself reflects a growing anxiety felt across the Western world: that governments have become more focused on symbolic compassion than sustainable governance.

But this conversation must be approached with moral clarity and balance.

Immigration itself is not the enemy. In fact, immigration has been one of the great strengths of both America and many European nations for centuries. The United States remains history’s greatest example of people from vastly different backgrounds building a common national identity rooted in shared civic values rather than bloodlines or ethnicity.

However, the key word is assimilation.

Successful societies require more than diversity. They require unity of purpose. They require a shared language of civic responsibility, mutual respect, constitutional order, and national loyalty. People can absolutely preserve the beauty of their cultural traditions, religious practices, cuisine, music, and family customs while still embracing the values and identity of the country they are joining.

America succeeded for generations because millions of immigrants came not merely seeking economic opportunity but seeking to become Americans.

That distinction matters enormously.

Previous generations of immigrants often viewed assimilation as a source of pride rather than oppression. Italian, Irish, Jewish, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, Nigerian, Cuban, and countless other communities maintained elements of their heritage while simultaneously embracing the broader American civic culture. Their children attended U.S. schools, learned English, served in the military, opened businesses, participated in civic life, and gradually became woven into the national fabric.

And importantly, this process continues to endure successfully in many places today.

One can look across countless immigrant communities throughout the United States where assimilation and cultural pride coexist beautifully. Indian American families dominating medicine, engineering, and entrepreneurship while maintaining strong family traditions. Nigerian immigrants excelling academically and professionally while contributing deeply to churches, local businesses, and civic institutions. Hispanic immigrants serving in law enforcement, the armed forces, and small-business ownership while maintaining rich linguistic and cultural traditions. Asian American communities revitalizing neighborhoods, building thriving schools, and producing some of the highest educational outcomes in the country.

These examples remind us that assimilation does not require cultural erasure. It requires civic alignment.

The problem emerges when political leaders encourage fragmentation over integration when multiculturalism evolves into parallel societies separated by language, values, expectations, and allegiance. A nation cannot endure indefinitely if large groups increasingly identify more with grievance, tribalism, or foreign conflicts than with the country they now call home.

Europe is confronting this tension directly.

In parts of the UK, France, Belgium, and Sweden, leaders are now facing difficult questions about whether integration policies failed to create a strong enough shared national identity. Rising crime, anti-Semitism, extremist ideologies, gang violence, and social unrest have intensified concerns among ordinary citizens who feel dismissed whenever they raise legitimate worries about assimilation, public safety, or cultural cohesion.

Yet this issue must never become an excuse for hatred or blanket condemnation of immigrants themselves. That would betray the very values Western civilization claims to defend. The overwhelming majority of immigrants come seeking peace, opportunity, safety, and dignity for their families. Most are hardworking, law-abiding, and deeply patriotic toward the nations that welcomed them.

But nations also have the right—indeed, the obligation—to expect those entering legally to respect the law, contribute productively, learn the culture, and embrace the civic values of their adopted homeland.

Without that expectation, societies eventually lose the trust and shared identity necessary for democracy itself to function.

History repeatedly teaches the same lesson. Civilizations rarely collapse overnight from external invasion alone. More often, they weaken gradually from within through cultural uncertainty, institutional decay, leadership paralysis, declining civic confidence, and an unwillingness to defend the principles that created stability in the first place.

The challenge facing the West today is not whether immigration should exist. Immigration will always exist. The real question is whether leaders still possess the wisdom and courage to preserve social cohesion while remaining humane, lawful, and fair.

Because compassion without order eventually produces chaos.

And order without compassion eventually produces cruelty.

Great nations require the discipline and maturity to uphold both simultaneously.

Solar stocks are showing a clear technical shift, breaking above a well-defined downtrend after more than five years of sustained pressure.

UBS analyst Catherine Gordon is attributing the surge in solar stocks to falling yields and renewed policy momentum. A potential Section 232 tariff announcement in mid-to-late June is adding fuel to the rally, with First Solar leading the charge.

The UBS Solar basket (UBXXSOL) is now up 40% year-to-date.

Gordon provided more context on what’s powering UBXXSOL higher:

Clean tech names are outperforming again on Tuesday, with solar leading higher alongside more speculative growth baskets as yields move lower. The backdrop has been broadly supportive, with the UBS Solar basket (UBXXSOL) now up 33% MTD.

First Solar is the standout mover, with the stock trading around $268 and continuing to rally in anticipation of a potential Section 232 tariff announcement in the near term. Earlier today, Windham hosted Toyo Solar on a call, where the company indicated that mid‑ to late‑June could be the timing for Section 232, with measures potentially including a minimum import price alongside tariffs. There is also scope for domestic manufacturing investments to be used as an offset to tariff liability.

The prevailing dynamic has been “buy the rumor and buy the news,” with momentum building into the expected policy update. Beyond S232, the next key catalyst for First Solar (FSLR) is likely to be order commentary on 2Q earnings calls.

Elsewhere, sentiment remains constructive across parts of the solar complex, with Nextracker (NXT) still viewed as a core holding. On the residential side, there have been questions around the sharp moves in SolarEdge (SEDG) and Enphase Energy (ENPH). Enphase’s recent announcement around a solid‑state transformer appears to have driven a short squeeze. However, this is not viewed as a differentiated development, with multiple electrical equipment players — including Schneider Electric and ABB — already pursuing similar technologies. Against that backdrop, the residential rally looks vulnerable to fading.

Last month, Goldman analyst Brian Lee told clients that “Utility-scale demand remains resilient amid pricing volatility, while residential stays challenged but with cleaner channel conditions.” Professional subscribers can read the full GS note here at our new Marketdesk.ai portal.

Via The Cradle

The US is moving forward with a “fundamental restructuring” of its commitments to European security, transitioning from the traditional “burden sharing” strategy to that of “burden shifting,” according to a Der Spiegel report published on May 26.

Under the new vision dubbed “NATO 3.0,” Washington expects European allies to assume responsibility for the continent’s entire conventional defense.

In this new framework, the US will primarily provide a nuclear deterrent rather than the broad military support it has historically guaranteed.

This transition, which the report notes has blindsided European officials, involves drastic reductions in US military assets previously committed to the “NATO Force Model.”

Alexander Velez-Green, an envoy to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, recently informed allies that Washington intends to cut its contribution of fighter jets by one-third and significantly reduce the number of strategic bombers, navy destroyers, and aerial refueling aircraft. 

The report notes that the US plans to stop providing submarines to the NATO pool entirely and expects Europeans to supply their own reconnaissance and armed drones.

The primary driver for this withdrawal is the US military’s pivot toward the Asia-Pacific, though officials also cited the need for flexibility to commit assets to military campaigns in West Asia and the Western Hemisphere. 

Washington reportedly seeks to prepare for a potential “two-front conflict,” noting that US intelligence identifies 2027 as the “key date” when China may be capable of launching an offensive against Taiwan.

Given the possibility, the US no longer wishes to have its key assets “tied up” by fixed NATO commitments.

The report highlights an intensely fast-paced transition, with the US demanding that European allies present specific offers to fill these newly created military gaps by early June, aiming to formalize the new model at the July summit in Ankara.

While NATO leadership officially portrays the move as a way to reduce “over-dependence” on the US, European diplomats find the requirements far more severe than anticipated, with European leaders reportedly stunned by the scale and speed of the requirements. In secret meetings, some representatives even interpreted the US insistence on rapid compliance as an “indirect threat” toward those who fail to act quickly.

In line with the new “burden shifting,” US President Donald Trump announced on May 22 that he would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland – a move reportedly driven by his personal relationship with and endorsement of Polish President Karol Nawrocki. 

❗️Reuters reports NATO is forming 3 divisions with 60,000 troops and strengthening rapid deployment systems on its eastern flank. The plan focuses on reinforcing the Baltic region, including Estonia and Latvia, while raising readiness for rapid response to potential threats from…

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) May 26, 2026

This decision has “stirred confusion” within the Pentagon, as it contradicts earlier orders to reduce the US military presence in Europe, such as the planned withdrawal of over 5,000 soldiers from Germany.

While Polish leadership welcomed the surge, US defense officials and diplomats have criticized the shift as impulsive, noting that it creates a sense of strategic inconsistency just as the US prepares to brief NATO allies on its future military footprint. 

For years, workplace culture has revolved around one thing: drinks after work. But Gen Z in the UK is starting to push back — and companies are beginning to notice, according to a new study from Diamond Interiors.

The study says that a growing number of younger employees say they would rather skip alcohol-focused work socials altogether. In a recent survey of Gen Z office workers, half said they preferred social events that don’t centre around drinking. It’s a small detail on the surface, but it reflects a much wider shift in how the next generation views work and workplace culture.

Don’t tell the banking industry in London, that’s for sure…

For previous generations, bonding with colleagues often meant pub trips, networking over cocktails, or team nights out that stretched late into the evening. Gen Z workers, however, are drinking less overall and are more likely to prioritise wellness, mental health, fitness, and financial stability. For many, alcohol simply isn’t as central to social life as it once was.

There’s also a stronger focus on inclusivity. Younger workers are more aware that not everyone wants — or can afford — to participate in drinking culture. A work social built around alcohol can feel limiting rather than welcoming.

That doesn’t mean Gen Z is rejecting workplace friendships. In fact, many still value strong team relationships. They just prefer different environments: coffee catchups, team lunches, fitness classes, volunteering events, or activities that don’t come with pressure to drink.

The change fits into a broader pattern across the workforce. Gen Z employees are questioning long-standing workplace norms, from strict office hours to rigid management styles. Many are less interested in “office culture” for the sake of appearances and more focused on balance, comfort, and genuine connection.

For employers, the message is clear. The old model of workplace bonding won’t disappear overnight, but it no longer works for everyone. Companies that rethink social culture — and offer more flexible, inclusive ways for employees to connect — may find it easier to attract and keep younger talent.

In other words, Gen Z isn’t ending workplace socializing in the UK. They’re just redefining what it looks like.

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

Germany’s leading airline Lufthansa is closing its regional subsidiary CityLine, while low-cost carrier Ryanair is scaling back its Germany operations. Airport locations are under increasing pressure, with tens of thousands of jobs at stake. And how does politics respond to this veritable crisis? Naturally, with further levies.

In this case, it was the EU Commission that came forward with the proposal to extend the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to international flights departing from Europe. Another new charge, wonderful. And this in the midst of the most severe recession since the post-war period.

The regulation could take effect from 1 January 2027, should the relevant institutions and national legislators adopt it. The motivation to push this process forward efficiently and with minimal bureaucracy is clearly present, as at least €11 billion, and possibly up to €13 billion, in tax revenue is at stake. What is rarely discussed: a small portion of this additional revenue is expected to remain in Brussels – another covert step by the EU Commission under Ursula von der Leyen toward fiscal autonomy.

From the perspective of Brussels and Berlin policymakers, there is a positive side effect: alongside the fiscal dimension, they would also move closer to their ideological goal of gradually immobilising European citizens – a key component of the economic “death agenda” of the Green Deal.

As a European taxpayer, one has become accustomed to absorbing such measures. Few now expect anything other than new taxes and increasingly granular regulation from the labyrinthine EU apparatus. Brussels no longer makes any secret of its shift toward implementing degrowth ideology through an unprecedented tax drive. This occurs at a time when hundreds of thousands in Germany alone lose their jobs every year – while politicians beyond the so-called firewall are thriving on taxation policy.

So far, media camouflage has worked: politics floods the public sphere with a pseudo-debate about relief for citizens, only to simultaneously increase the tax burden elsewhere. The best example is the so-called fuel discount – a temporary reduction of a levy financed by permanent increases elsewhere, as it is often phrased. It is perverse: politics now treats taxpayers’ money as self-evident, as mere disposable mass for the political class. This smells of feudalism and has little to do with the idea of the sovereign citizen.

Consequently, travel itself is increasingly seen in these circles as objectionable, as an act of presumptuous freedom. The citizen’s scope for action must be restricted, their existence in an eco-dystopia effectively managed. It is therefore logical that travel is to become significantly more expensive. An extension of the CO₂ regime to international flight tickets would increase prices by up to 15 percent in the first year. Combined with annual price increases due to the shrinking supply of CO₂ certificates, foreign travel would soon become a luxury.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is one of the few well-known executives openly resisting European degrowth policy. His company has reduced its presence in Germany by around 40–50 percent in recent years and cut numerous routes – affecting airports such as Frankfurt-Hahn, Weeze, Berlin, and Hamburg. Too expensive, too heavily regulated, and increasingly hostile to business – O’Leary is saying what virtually every company leader, CEO, and SME operator not dependent on green subsidies would say daily.

German policy in particular extracts a significant share of domestic air travel costs, up to around 60 percent of ticket prices. Whether VAT, CO₂ charges, or airport fees – operations are becoming increasingly unprofitable, and passengers are being pushed toward rail as an alternative. This policy has consequences: since the lockdown shock six years ago, domestic air traffic has not recovered and remains about 50 percent below 2019 levels. Numerous airport locations have come under pressure and thousands of jobs have been cut.

It is difficult to estimate precisely, but direct and indirect job losses in Germany’s aviation sector since 2019 likely amount to up to 50,000 positions. Lufthansa alone has cut more than 10,000, Airbus over 5,000 jobs in Germany.

The campaign by German policymakers against successful airlines like Ryanair, which are being systematically pushed abroad, fits into the broader pattern of the current governing coalition. A hostile, ideologically charged regulatory and tax policy is a continuation of the strategy of the “traffic light” coalition, intensified by the economic hammer of CO₂ taxation, increasingly used to eliminate undesirable industrial sectors.

We should not fool ourselves: the relentless struggle of eco-socialists against the free economy – and thus above all against industry, which must be understood as the indispensable productive foundation of our society – is now becoming visible, as EU climate policy becomes increasingly isolated globally.

Ironically, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) itself has dismantled the apocalyptic narrative of a burning planet that was persistently constructed over decades. This renders Brussels’ and Berlin’s nihilistic climate policy absurd – a fact largely drowned out in the overheated media noise. In the “Gaulish village” of German world-savers, an intellectual and ideological ice age still prevails.

* * *

About the author:  Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.

The event passed with little fanfare in the international media.  The European Union held its first ever event to honor laureates of the European Order of Merit, meant to honor influential political and social figures who made significant contributions to the “integration” of the EU experiment.  

Out of the 20 nominees, 13 laureates attended the ceremony in the Parliament’s hemicycle in Strasbourg and addressed the Chamber, following their acceptance of the award from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.  Among these attendees was former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Merkel wore the award with visible glee, then took to the podium to praise the European Union system.  She then called for further expansion of the EU bureaucracy’s efforts to silence dissent on mass immigration by “regulating” (censoring) social media.  

🇩🇪🇪🇺Accepting the European Order of Merit, Merkel urged EU leaders to regulate speech on social media as the only way to save democracy

Reminder: she allowed mass immigration in Germany that increased crime, terror attacks, and helped buckle the economypic.twitter.com/HILXk1XqVu https://t.co/M1hdSm4IvB

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 23, 2026

Anti-immigration movements in the UK and EU are fast becoming political juggernauts, largely due to the rising crime and cultural erasure caused by the invasion of millions of third-world asylum seekers, many of them from Islamic nations.  The ideological and religious beliefs of these migrants is completely contrary to western values, which is causing social strife among native Europeans.

Not surprisingly, millions of Europeans are no longer willing to tolerate the death of western civilization.  Movements for remigration are growing exponentially, and EU globalists are scrambling to stop them, largely through online censorship and “hate speech” laws. 

Merkel played an integral role in the destruction of Europe when, in 2015, her government triggered an open borders bonanza.  Using the war in Syria as a foil, Germany, the UK and a handful of other governments pushed for Europeans to embrace a flood of millions of third-world asylum seekers in 2015.  

Initially, officials like Merkel claimed the process would be temporary and that the migrants were coming from war-torn regions.  This was a lie.  Instead, migrants poured into Germany under the expectation that they were going to gain access to European wealth, and they did, to some extent. 

Around 60% of German welfare recipients are migrants or the children of migrants.  The asylum seekers dug in like ticks and never left Europe.  Under the EU’s border policies, once migrants entered one member nation they could then spread to any other member nation.  Germany demanded that the union share the burden of the millions of migrants seeking easy riches.  A large number of migrants were not from Syria, but exploited the asylum process anyway. 

Europeans were told that they were helping desperate families.  They were told that migrants were going to boost the EU economy and jump-start the labor pool.  They were told that migrants would integrate into western society and that multiculturalism was the future of the world. 

In reality, 55% to 65% of all migrants are single, military-age males.  Germany’s economy (and most of the EU) is in steep decline.  Third world migrants are tribal and view Europeans as a population to be conquered.  Islamic migrants see the open borders event as a once in a lifetime opportunity to finally subjugate the west from the inside in what they often refer to as “stealth jihad”.  Multiculturalism is now viewed as the bane of Europe as the region accelerates into collapse. 

Today, native Europeans are admonished as “xenophobic” for their opposition to open migration.  EU officials claim that the population flux is necessary to make up for colonialism, the wars in the Middle East, even man-made climate change (which does not exist).  In other words, Europeans are expected to feel shame for the success of the west. 

The celebration of leaders like Merkel is a celebration of sabotage.  It doesn’t make much sense until one understands that the entire goal of multiculturalism is the destruction of western societies and their principles.  In the eyes of globalists, Merkel is truly a hero.    

Authored by Dave Summers via DailySceptic.org,

Are you aware? Really aware? Or are you like me, struggling to keep up with the blizzard of social and political awareness events that bring a rich texture to our lives?

Do you worry that you can’t recall if Black History Month – that time when I approach my BAME colleagues with even more reverence than usual – is in June or July? Are you confused as to whether Pride Month and LGBT History Month are the same or distinct entities? Have you kept pace with the latest incarnation of their life-affirming, multicoloured flag? Does your wife frown at you because Menstrual Hygiene Day has passed you by? Have you forgotten World Alzheimer’s Day again?

Then worry no more – help is finally at hand, in the shape of the Awareness Calendar, your one-stop source of those important dates that can be handily pinned to your fridge door.

The calendar, stuffed tighter than a drag queen’s corset, is a golden treasury of opportunities to remind yourself of those burning issues that might otherwise have easily slipped away in the busy working week.

Are you that loser who still carries your butty box around in a holed plaggy Co-op bag rather than one of the several ‘Bags For Life’ you have crammed into a kitchen cupboard? Plastic Bag Free Day on July 3rd has got you covered. Still hyperventilating about CFCs’ part in the destruction of the planet? Then the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on September 16th is your thing. Or perhaps you are racked with guilt by your mindless mowing down of a squirrel on your journey into work? If so, Animal Road Accident Awareness Day on 10th October ought to assuage (or heighten) your remorse. Perhaps you’re tormented by the knowledge that you once slurped through a single-use straw in 2015? World Refill Day on 16th June has you in its sights. Or maybe you’ve let yourself down again with incorrect pronoun etiquette? International Pronouns Day on 21st October is waiting to correct you.

Schools, colleges and, I suspect, many large institutions love this endless parade of themed months, days and observances, each demanding veneration and performative allyship. Black History Month is huge in my school, with each department being tasked to create displays that look to “celebrate the achievements, history and contributions of Black people”. In my leafy shire, largely untouched by the ‘diversity’ of urban centres (unless you include the burgeoning numbers of Hong Kong Chinese), this is a task that feels entirely performative and strange. Consequently, English display boards are adorned with the stately Maya Angelou who gazes down imperiously on the bemused in every classroom. The occasional working-class writer might have more resonance to some of our kids, but good luck finding an image of a D.H. Lawrence or Shelagh Delaney.

The English department can, however, ace Pride Month – there’s never been a shortage of gay wordsmiths throughout history. But pity the poor maths students who will discover that a single omnipresent image of Alan Turing does an awful lot of heavy lifting in their discipline.

I console myself with the thought that all this virtuous bluster is altruistic in origin, shining a light on overlooked issues.

But in reality, it’s catnip for middle managers desperate for something – anything – to put on their annual appraisal under ‘Diversity and Inclusion’.

Consequently, in its smothering ubiquity, it ends up diluting anything good into mere background noise.

When every day is somebody’s awareness day, none stand out.

A quiz to finish: how many of the following awareness days are real and how many the product of my fevered imagination?

• Winnie the Pooh Day

• World Hand Hygiene Day

• Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month

• International Kissing Day

• World Town Planning Day

• International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Answer: They’re all real. Haharrrr, me hearties!

Summary

• Equity Futures Tumble, Oil Surges On Fresh Middle East Strikes 
• US forces carried out airstrikes on an Iranian military site and imposed new sanctions to prevent Tehran from profiting from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran targeted the American airbase from which the attack originated, according to a Tasnim report, which cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Kuwait also said it’s responding to hostile missile and drone threats
• New US strikes in Iran reported, after Iranian drone intercepts in Hormuz area.
• Trump red line (PBS): “No, no, not at all. Not sanctions relief, no” – unless Iran gives up its enriched uranium. “Iran negotiating on fumes,” Trump says in cabinet meeting.
• White House rejects ‘complete fabrication’ of Iranian TV reporting on MOU and draft deal status.
• IRGC keeping up the rhetoric: warns that Iran would “turn the area from Chabahar to Mahshahr into a graveyard for aggressors” if the ceasefire collapses.
• CENTCOM: “Clearly the Iranians are trying to hedge their bets here and put more pressure on the US.”
• Iranian president: “The main battleground today is the economic war.“
• Tabriz International Airport in northwestern Iran– which sustained heavy damage from airstrikes during the peak of the aerial bombings – is officially operational again, bringing restored airports to 20 reopened.

Equity Futures Tumble, Oil Surges On Fresh Middle East Strikes

Stocks and bonds fell while oil surged after fresh attacks in the Middle East returned amid conflicting signals from the US and Iran on a deal to end the war.  The MSCI All Country World Index, the broadest measure of global equities, retreated from a record high and dropped 0.4%. A gauge of Asian shares slumped 1.7%. Futures for the S&P 500 slumped 0.5%, and the Nasdaq 100 retreated 0.8%, while contracts for European stocks also pointed to a weaker open. Brent surged to $98 while WTI also traded almost $3 higher above $92 on the news.

The escalation started after US forces carried out airstrikes on an Iranian military site and imposed new sanctions to prevent Tehran from profiting from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In response, Iran targeted the American airbase from which the attack originated, according to a Tasnim report, which cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

Adding to the tensions, Kuwait said it was responding to hostile missile and drone threats. The nation’s army said in a social media post that “any explosions that may be heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile targets.”

An American official described the attacks as defensive, saying the US intends to maintain the ceasefire that began last month. The official said US Central Command forces had shot down a quartet of one-way Iranian attack drones that were fired at a commercial ship and also struck another Iranian drone-launching unit in Bandar Abbas, near the strait.

The dollar strengthened for a third consecutive day, while gold fell 1.5% to below $4,400 an ounce. Treasuries dropped as higher oil prices stoked inflation concerns, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year climbing four basis points to about 4.53%. 

Earlier, the US Treasury said it took action against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, accusing it of launching a new attempt “to monetize its campaign of state-sponsored terror by extorting vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

*  *  *

Fresh US Strikes on Iran amid Deal Stalemate

There are reports of new late night/early morning (local time) military strikes by the US over Iran. The US military carried out new strikes inside Iran after intercepting multiple Iranian drones, according to Reuters. An American official said the targeted Iranian military site was assessed to pose a threat to both American forces and commercial shipping operating near the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters further reported that the intercepted drones had been launched from Iran, marking another escalation in tensions as Washington moves to counter perceived threats to regional maritime traffic and its military presence.

Just prior to this confirmation, CNN described mystery explosions along Iran’s coast:

Three explosions were heard to the east of Bandar Abbas, a strategic Iranian port city and naval base near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported in the early hours of Thursday.

The blasts were reported at around 1:30 a.m. local time and caused the air defense systems of Bandar Abbas to be briefly activated, according to Fars, a media outlet with links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

This suggests things could return to full-blown military conflict once again, though the rhetoric from either side has been restrained, and at times even optimistic that a final deal could still be achieved.

More from Trump Cabinet Meeting

The president has said that under a framework deal, the Straight of Hormuz would open immediately; however, the Iranians are now insisting the IRGC has control of the vital oil transit waterway. Below is a short round-up of some of the more interesting latest statements from Trump, during a televised cabinet meeting at the White House.

• TRUMP: STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL BE OPEN TO EVERYBODY
• TRUMP: WE’LL WATCH OVER STRAIT OF HORMUZ
• TRUMP: OMAN WILL BEHAVE OR WE’LL HAVE TO BLOW THEM UP
• TRUMP ON IRAN: WHEN THEY BEHAVE WE’LL LET THEM HAVE THEIR MONEY

Trump Red Line

President Trump has reasserted his ‘red line’ for negotiations, centered on enriched uranium and the nuclear issue:

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran would not get sanctions relief in exchange for giving up their highly enriched uranium. His comments come as the United States and Iran try to strike a deal to end the conflict that has engulfed the Middle East for the last three months.

“No, no, not at all. Not sanctions relief, no,” Trump told PBS News during a short phone call when asked if the current deal would mean that Iran would give up their highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump also in a televised Wednesday afternoon cabinet meeting said Iran is “intent on a deal” but that “Iran is negotiating on fumes.“

White House Rejects ‘Complete Fabrication’ Of Iran TV MOU Contents

The Trump administration has denied the morning Iranian state media reports on the contents of a current ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MOU) – which curiously had left out any reference whatsoever to the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium…

• WHITE HOUSE: NOBODY SHOULD BELIEVE IRAN STATE MEDIA REPORTING
• WHITE HOUSE CALLS REPORTED IRAN MOU A ‘COMPLETE FABRICATION’

An official underscored that it is a “complete fabrication” – and so it seems we are yet again back at square one, as Tehran has also said it is only engaged in ‘indirect’ contact with Washington at this point. There are further reports in US media that the Pentagon has drawn up a new target list, and has acknowledged that the Iranians have been able to better hide their missile launch sites. 

Also emerging are ambiguous reports of some kind of potential explosion incident at a petrochemical complex at Asaluyeh, in Iran’s Bushehr province.

US side denounces Iranian state media reporting on current MOU draft and status:

This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they “released” is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER. https://t.co/agpTnBSgKu

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 27, 2026

Oil Dumps on MOU Headlines

As for the status of talks, the below headlines present the latest (and noticeably absent is the enriched uranium question, or release of Iranian funds). Bloomberg summarizes: “An unofficial draft of a US-Iran interim peace deal says maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz can return to normal within a month of the agreement being finalized, according to Iranian state television.
It’s unclear how recent the draft, reported by IRIB News, is or whether the US has agreed to the terms.”

• Iran’s state TV says it has a draft of the initial unofficial framework for MOU with US
• According to draft MOU US military forces will withdraw from vicinity of Iran and lift naval blockade
• Iran’s state TV says in return, Iran has committed to restoring the number of commercial transit ships through Hormuz Strait to pre-war levels within one month
• Iran’s state TV says military vessels are not included in this draft agreement
• Iran’s state TV: A final agreement will be approved as a binding UN Security Council resolution if reached in 60 days.
• The Islamabad memorandum framework is still in progress, stating no action will be taken by Iran without “tangible verification.”
• If a final deal is reached within 60 days, this agreement will be approved in the form of a binding UN Security Council resolution.
• The management and route of ship traffic through Strait of Hormuz will be handled by Iran in cooperation with Oman.

Oil dumping on the headlines:

As usual, there remains a basis for skepticism:

White House (more or less) denies accuracy of reported draft MOU with Iran.

We all should be far more skeptical of any alleged deal details disclosed. https://t.co/Umrpm3iKE6

— Caitlin Doornbos (@CaitlinDoornbos) May 27, 2026

Iran Vows ‘Graveyard For Aggressors’ amid ‘Indirect’ US Contacts

Tehran is keeping the war rhetoric cranked to a maximum, but is also conceding that a return to full-scale war with the United States and Israel is ‘unlikely’ at this stage. The Islamic Republic says at this moment only ‘indirect’ contact with Washington is happening, as cited in Bloomberg.

The IRGC is seeking to dismantle any assumption that Iran is entering peace talks from a position of tactical submission. Speaking to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Mohammad Akbarzadeh – the political deputy of the IRGC Navy – warned that any resumption of US kinetic activity would result in catastrophic casualties for Western forces.

Akbarzadeh touted that the armed forces remain at a level of total readiness, threatening that Iran would “turn the area from Chabahar to Mahshahr into a graveyard for aggressors” if the ceasefire collapses. “Our fighters today carry in their chests the urge for hand-to-hand battle with the enemy,” Akbarzadeh declared, writing off the prospect of a renewed Western assault due to what he assessed as the “weakness” of the American-led coalition.

Pentagon: Iran ‘Hedging its Bets’ in Hormuz Strait

The Pentagon has acknowledged that Iran is ‘hedging its bets’ amid Hormuz tensions:

Former CENTCOM Commander Gen. Joseph Votel said Iran’s reported effort to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz suggests Tehran is “hedging its bets” and attempting to ramp up pressure on the U.S. amid ongoing negotiations.

“Clearly the Iranians are trying to hedge their bets here and put more pressure on the U.S., and what we saw here was CENTCOM detecting that and then taking military action to address it very, very quickly,” Votel said during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News’ “America Reports.”

Iranian source to DropSite:

“If the U.S. cannot give the money that belongs to Iran back to Iran, and the U.S. cannot put a leash on Netanyahu and stop him from going on a rampage in Lebanon, then it shows that this conflict has not ended,” Izadi says. “This is a test for Iran to see what’s going on with the other side.”

🎥 NEW: Jeremy Scahill reported this morning that Iranian officials say the U.S. has accepted Iran’s red lines in the latest revisions to the ceasefire declaration, but is asking for time to “manage domestic public opinion” before formally announcing acceptance of the interim… pic.twitter.com/Pmovw5sEKk

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) May 27, 2026

Enriched Uranium Not on the Agenda

And all the while Iranian leaders have continued to make clear they will not bow to the central Trump administration demand of transferring Iran’s highly enriched uranium out of the country – though there were prior unconfirmed reports that China could be an acceptable destination for some Iranian officials.

Speaking from the sidelines of an international security conference in Moscow, Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, bluntly told Fars news agency: “This issue is not on the agenda of the negotiations.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in fresh remarks is signaling that the conflict has simply migrated from an air and sea war to the global financial system.

Pezeshkian: Main Battleground Now the Economic War

Meeting with the Tehran Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Pezeshkian urged a structural overhaul of the country’s domestic market, calling for an immediate expansion of the private sector to act as an economic shield.

“The main battleground today is the economic war,” Pezeshkian stated, according to Tasnim. “We believe the more capable, agile, and active the private sector is, the stronger the country’s economic foundation will become, and the greater our national power will be in the face of external pressures and threats.”

Pezeshkian framed the Western shift toward sanctions and capital starvation as an admission of military failure by Washington and its Israeli ally. “After failing to achieve its objectives on the military front, the enemy has focused on damaging the country’s economic resilience and disrupting the livelihoods of the people,” the president added.

Indeed this is obviously what the US naval blockade on Iranian ports aims to accomplish, which Washington continuing to bet on some kind of mass anti-regime uprising, which has yet to materialize since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

20 Damaged Airports Across Country Reopened

To demonstrate its resolve and resiliency even while Washington tries to keep the economic chokehold on, Iranian civic workers continue to rebuild logistical infrastructure at rapid pace.

As the latest example, on Wednesday the Civil Aviation Organization announced that Tabriz International Airport in northwestern Iran- which sustained heavy damage from airstrikes during the peak of the aerial bombings – is officially operational again.

“The gateway to northwest Iran”…

According to public broadcaster IRIB, domestic technical teams managed to bypass supply chain bottlenecks to restore the facility to full service. “Tabriz Airport, which was attacked during the recent war, has now been restored to activity by Iranian specialists and will reopen on Wednesday,” a spokesperson confirmed.

Tabriz joins a growing list of critical transit hubs rushing to normalize operations, according to Al Jazeera, while state media reports state that the total number of reopened airports across the country has now reached 20. 

In what may be the most bizarre story of the week, if not all of 2026, the NYTimes reports that a senior CIA official was arrested last week after investigators found hundreds of gold bars worth over $40 million stashed in his Virginia residence, a non-fiat fortune that he apparently brought home from work, according to court papers.

The CIA official, David Rush, is being held in jail while he awaits a detention hearing in the coming days on charges of stealing public money by filling out fraudulent time sheets. But, as the NYT admits, the charging documents filed in Alexandria, Va., still leave a lot unanswered about his recent conduct.

The only formal charge lodged against Rush is that he inflated his academic credentials and obtained military leave pay worth tens of thousands of dollars. The authorities say he falsely claimed to be a member of the Navy Reserve when he was discharged.

In a 2009 application for a government position for which he was subsequently hired, Rush allegedly lied about obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, according to the affidavit. The investigation revealed that Rush never attended or obtained a degree from either institution, according to the affidavit. 

The court papers describe Rush as a “former senior executive service-level employee at a United States government agency.” According to NYT sources, he until very recently held a senior position at the CIA.

In a joint statement, the CIA and FBI said the arrest occurred on May 19, after the agency alerted the bureau.

“After a C.I.A. internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the F.B.I. for a law enforcement investigation,” the statement said.

From last November to March, the court papers say, Rush asked for, and received, “a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses.”

When the CIA conducted a review of where the gold and currency were stashed, the agency was “unable to locate the gold bars or significant amounts of the foreign currency,” according to court papers.

On May 18, FBI agents searched Rush’s home and found “approximately 303 gold bars, each of which weighed approximately one kilogram,” according to an affidavit. Based on the price of gold, the affidavit said, the estimated value of the gold exceeded $40 million. Investigators also seized nearly three dozen luxury watches, many of them Rolexes.

The affidavit also claims that Rush lied about his military credentials while applying to enter the senior executive service level ranks and committed “timecard fraud” regarding military leave. He allegedly claimed 744 hours of military leave, resulting in $77,000 in compensation, since being honorably discharged from the Navy in 2015, according to the affidavit.

The biggest question of all remains unanswered: the court papers do not indicate why Rush appears to have kept so much gold, and $2 million in U.S. currency, not to mention 35 Rolexes in his home, or what work project would have required him to amass such wealth.

Below is the full charging affidavit from the criminal case (1:2026mj00177 USA vs Rush, Virginia Eastern Court).

David Rush Affidavit by Zerohedge

Authored by Iain Davis via Off-Guardian.org,

BRICS-based multipolarity will save us from The Technocratic Dark State by making the rollout of an oppressive global surveillance state much better.

This will be the result of “improving global governance.”

At least, that is according to the BRICS Outcome Document published by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs after the latest riveting meeting of BRICS foreign ministers.

Centralised global dictatorship will be a happier, fluffier kind of new world order tyranny under the BRICS’ multipolar model because it will be “more just, equitable, agile, effective, efficient, responsive, representative, legitimate, democratic and accountable.” Fantastic news, doubtless welcomed by those Hrvoje Morić refers to as the “Multipolaristas.”

Though the BRICS’ document reads like the worst kind of globalese dross imaginable, it is important to remember that the BRICS are offering us the promise of a “beautiful multi-polar world order defined by win-win cooperation.” Presumably, this is because humanity must have some sort of centralised, oligarch-led global dictatorship enslaving it for any of us to have a chance to “win.”

By all means, feel free to wade through the BRICS’ turgid propaganda (link above), but hopefully I’ve saved you the time.

The quotes I’m about to share really were collectively published by the BRICS foreign ministers—I haven’t made it up, though you may wish I had.

The BRICS are going to strengthen “multipolarity” by upholding the “Purposes and Principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) in their entirety.” The entire purpose the UN Charter is to centralise global political authority, primarily in the hands of the UN Security Council, over all nation states.

The brainchild of oligarchs, the UN is a public-private partnership where national governments are reduced to mere enabling partners whose task it is to enable multinational corporations to get whatever they want. Apparently, the imminent multipolar global dictatorship will be nicer when the BRICS “play a greater role” in telling everyone else what to do through the UN Security Council. Sounds enticing, I have to say.

The BRICS are fully committed to global technocracy—sorry, I mean sustainable development—but are a bit worried that “current global challenges are complex and interlinked” and that this globally interlinked complexity might “impede economic growth and sustainable development.”

The solution to this is, of course, to recognise the “contemporary realities of the multipolar world” and push ahead with more “equitable global governance.” This must be true because that’s exactly what the World Economic Forum wants, and who could argue with the WEF? Certainly not the BRICS’ foreign ministers, that’s for sure.

The BRICS ministers are also fretting about “peace and security.” Seeing as Iran is a BRICS member state that was just attacked by the US and Israeli governments for no immediately apparent reason, you might think that this war crime would be resoundingly condemned by our multipolar BRICS saviours. However, as recently reported by Edward Slavsquat, internal BRICS politics meant actually speaking out against warmongering tyrants was a bit tricky. So the BRICS delegates decided not to mention Iran by name to avoid any embarrassment.

Instead, the foreign ministers “expressed deep concern on the recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region” and noted the “differing views among some members.”

Though there was no specific mention of the attack on Iran—for diplomatic reasons you understand—Cuba, Syria, Sudan, and Lebanon all got honourable mentions. The BRICS foreign ministers emphasised the need for “peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue,” “UN peacekeeping missions,” and “post-conflict reconstruction and development”—like in Gaza, for example.

With regard to genocide in Gaza, collectively, the BRICS ministers expressed their “grave concern.” Though they stressed that some BRICS member states “had reservation” about Palestinian statehood.

Fiercely opposing genocide slightly, The BRICS politicians “called for the implementation of the relevant UNGA and UNSC Resolutions.” This, they observed, includes UNSC 2803 which welcomes and endorses both the 29th September 2025 “Comprehensive Plan” for peace in Gaza and the subsequent 13th October “Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity.” This is the UN resolutions the Trump administration is using to turn Gaza’s child graveyard into a deregulated Special Economic Zone playground for multinationals and billionaires.

Supporting the technocratic “post-conflict reconstruction” of Gaza, the BRICS foreign ministers ultimately settled on trotting out the same platitudes that every other government—other than Israeli government—trots out. BRICS ministers advocated a return to a “State of Palestine within the internationally recognized 1967 borders.” Well, kind of, at any rate.

Yeah! That’s sticking it to ‘em.

BRICS foreign ministers meeting 2026. Source: https://diplomacybeyond.com/brics-foreign-ministers-meeting-2026/

The UN’s dystopian “Pact for the Future,” including its “Global Digital Compact and the Declaration of Future Generations,” shouldn’t just ruin the lives of people living in developed nations.

No, no, according to the BRICS, populations in “Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs), as well as Least Developed Countries (LDCs), especially from Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean” must also be walled up inside the digital Panopticon. What’s the point of global governance unless everyone is controlled by it?

This, of course, is why the transnational capitalist oligarch crowd invented multipolarity in the first place. But I digress.

Like the US, Israeli, and UK governments—and just like all the other EU, Five Eyes, and Commonwealth member states—the BRICS governments are equally agreed that “Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)” are the key drivers for “socio-economic growth.”

Therefore, the global “digital transformation” must surge ahead. Again, the WEF and its partners—such as the UN—must be cock-a-hoop that the BRICS enthusiastically endorse the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

The BRICS are offering beautiful multipolarity, not the awful authoritarian technological control grid currently being served up by ugly Western governments and their corporate sponsors. So the snappy Schwabian acronym “4IR” is not in the BRICS’ lexicon. The 4IR is called “Industry 4.0,” lest there be any confusion.

In BRICS globalese, the entirely separate and distinct “Industry 4.0” digital transformation necessitates establishing a vibrant technology company “start-up ecosystem.” This is also completely different from the Silicon Valley oligarchs’ Dark Enlightenment inspired accelerationism because reasons.

You can tell it’s not the same because “digital public infrastructure, leveraging emerging technologies” will “aim at accelerating innovation-led economic growth,” you see.

It’s important to understand that BRICS-led multipolarity has arrived to save us all from the insidious schemes of the transnational capitalist oligarchs. It is not simply the next logical and long-planned step on the path toward the envisaged “new world order.” And anyway, even if it is, many Multipolaristas say that the Rhodes/Milner “new world order” model doesn’t mean anything, other than serving as a general term for global governance. . . . Oh, and that global governance is necessary.

Multipolarity is regional not global.

The multipolar world order is about delivering fairness and healthy regional competition, promoting peace, and stimulating innovation and better international trade relations. Multipolarity is good, and anyone who says otherwise is merely shilling for “Western Empire” and is probably a conspiracy theorist who thinks they’re all in it together.

The BRICS governments say the “ICT environment” they are building will be “interoperable.” The multipolar Industry 4.0 digital transformation will be “more inclusive, accessible, sustainable and interoperable” than the 4IR digital gulag on offer from the Western Empire. This is because, say the BRICS foreign ministers, their digital Panopticon will be based upon “globally interoperable common rules and standards.”

Globally interoperable rules and standards? Interoperable with what?

IBM—reportedly the largest industrial research organisation in the world—stresses why “interoperability,” especially between ICT systems, matters:

Interoperability is made possible by using common standards that define how data is formatted and exchanged between systems. [. . .] Interoperability is important because it optimizes data sharing between separate information systems, which helps prevent data silos, [. . .] so disconnected datasets can be easily accessed to achieve a common objective.

“Globally interoperable” means global, not regional.

You can call it “multipolar” if you want, but exerting global governance over that unified, interoperable digital system, to achieve “common objectives,” is the centralised control of a global system. In a world where everything, from the information we share, to the management of global supply chains and the control of the international financial and monetary system is digital and interoperable, all “multipolarity” suggests is global dictatorship.

Multipolarity is a sales gimmick. The Multipolaristas have created a fake dialectic, seemingly on behalf of transnational capitalist oligarchs. They suggest that one model of global dictatorship is better than another. They’re inviting people the world over to embrace their own enslavement within a global, digital surveillance state. They are seriously arguing that multipolar dictatorship is preferable. But then, the Multipolaristas would say that I’m just a Western imperialist analysing everything from my western perspective, guilty of binary thinking and failing to see the potential beauty of multipolar win-win cooperation.

Highlighting where I have gone so awry, the BRICS foreign ministers add that “strengthening digital financial security” is essential for better multipolar global governance. This can be achieved by enhancing “cross-border cooperation among customs authorities, financial intelligence units, law enforcement agencies, tax authorities and supervisory bodies.” To this end, the BRICS governments are ready to step up and take “leadership of the IMF and the WB [World Bank].”

Luckily, the multipolar world order will “enhance the legitimacy of the World Bank Group, as a better, bigger, and more effective development finance institution.” So that’s an end to global debt trap diplomacy, apart from expanding it and centralising control over it even further.

The BRICS governments are particularly looking forward to deepening their “cooperation in global health initiatives, including within the World Health Organization (WHO).” The BRICS seem quite keen on the “WHO Pandemic Agreement” and hope the “BRICS R&D Vaccine Center” can contribute effectively to the next global public-private pandemic.

It comes as a relief, then, that all of this oppressive, global technocratic tyranny will “ensure the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.” This is because, unlike Western governments that peddle exactly the same propagandist crap, the multipolar BRICS-led new world order places “humanity and people at the centre.” This leaves humanity—notably led by the Multipolaristas at the moment—the freedom to big-up the multipolar new world order. Or, as the BRICS foreign ministers put it, “people to people contacts” can amplify “the voice for greater BRICS representation in global governance.”

There are a few people around the world who aren’t yet entirely convinced that the beautiful multipolar world order is that attractive. Indeed, some go so far as to publicly question why we need any kind of oligarch-led world order at all. Fear not! The BRICS governments can stamp that nonsense out.

Worried that “promoting BRICS cooperation” might face some opposition, the BRICS ministers say that “the challenges stemming from and within the digital realm” can be overcome. By adopting “a comprehensive, balanced, and objective approach” to information “security,” and by deploying “globally interoperable common rules and standards,” BRICS governments are confident they can tackle the scourge of whatever they determine to be “misinformation, hate-speech, [and] disinformation.”

Phew, better global censorship at last! Perhaps the beautiful multipolar new world order is alluring after all.

What do you reckon?