“Earlier this year a number of participants announced their withdrawal from Australia’s Adelaide Festival’s ‘Writer’s Week’ following the disinviting of Australian-Palestinian author, Randa Abdel-Fattah. The event was subsequently cancelled. This made me think of United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese’s words, delivered in her Nelson Mandela Lecture: ‘The occupation of Palestine must be understood as part of a broader project of domination. This is not merely about the physical borders of historical Palestine. It is a systematic assertion of permanent supremacy that knows no border …’ Indeed, the impact of the ongoing genocide and occupation not only echo far beyond Palestine, because of our shared humanity, but also because of the impact it is having on freedoms across the globe. The censorship of Abdel-Fattah is yet another example of this, and it is not only happening in Australia.” (05/20/26)
“Scientists have spotted two humpback whales that made separate, record-breaking crossings between Australia and Brazil. The whales were identified by their distinctive tail markings at the two locations about 9,000 miles (14,500 kilometers) apart. They traveled in opposite directions and journeyed farther than any humpback known so far. ‘It’s a very rare event, but it is a really wonderful demonstration of just how wide-ranging these animals are,’ said Phillip Clapham, former head of a NOAA whale research program who was not involved with the new findings. Humpback whales are known for roaming long distances across major oceans in predictable patterns, typically following migration routes learned from their mothers.” (05/20/26)
“They try so hard to convince people how ‘wonderful’ and ‘loving’ they are. And, frankly, countless millions fall for it. You see, folks, it’s ‘loving’ to let a mother murder her unborn child. Or to let a child be mutilated for life. Or to keep people enslaved under government welfare with little hope of ever getting out of it. It’s a wonderful thing to let people sleep on the streets, or to turn criminals loose so they can prey on innocent citizens, or to open the borders of America so that countless people can illegally come to America, live off the hard-earned money of American taxpayers, or take American jobs, or kill and rape American citizens. These are all ‘wonderful,’ ‘loving’ things, aren’t they..” (05/20/26)
“Samsung Electronics’ labor union said Wednesday it’ll hold off on launching a planned strike and put a tentative wage deal with management to a vote, alleviating immediate concerns about the operation of the world’s largest memory chip maker. The announcement was made after a last-minute government-mediated negotiation with management over how much bonus payouts must be provided to employees to reflect soaring profits fueled by the global boom in artificial intelligence. Union leader Choi Seung-ho told a televised briefing that the union agreed not to go ahead with an 18-day strike that he earlier said would start from Thursday. He said union members will vote on the tentative agreement from May 22-27.” (05/20/26)
“James Roscoe, the deputy to Britain’s ambassador in Washington, has abruptly left his role. Foreign Office officials declined to give any explanation for why Roscoe had, as they put it, ‘left his post.’ Until his sudden departure, Roscoe held one of the most senior, high-profile roles in the British diplomatic service, as second-in-command at the British Embassy in Washington. He had also stood in for Lord Peter Mandelson for several months after he was sacked last year. Roscoe was one of those tipped to take over the role, which ultimately went to another official, Sir Christian Turner. He played a key role in President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK and in King Charles III’s recent visit to the US. The British Embassy declined to comment further about his departure. Roscoe could not be reached for comment.” (05/20/26)
“SpaceX is planning a monster initial public offering (IPO). Elon Musk is reportedly seeking to raise some $75 billion, at a valuation of $1.75 trillion, next month. It will be both his birthday and a moment when Venus and Jupiter will be in alignment. It would be the biggest IPO in history by far, utterly dwarfing Saudi Aramco’s $29 billion figure back in 2019. Musk might sell those shares, too. One reason why, despite the ludicrous valuation, is that stock indices are changing their rules to allow SpaceX to join almost right away and with fewer conditions, thus forcing investors who follow a passive strategy, like index funds and many pension funds, to buy the company’s shares.” (05/20/26)
“U.S. Marines test fired a dozen rockets from a mobile launcher on Wednesday at a range in the foothills of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, in an exercise to keep sharp on weapon that is a growingly important component of the American military’s arsenal. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a launcher mounted on the back of a military truck that can be rapidly brought out from concealment, fire its rockets, then move quickly to a new location to avoid counter-battery fire. The so-called ‘shoot and scoot’ tactics are becoming increasingly important with the proliferation of drones over the battlefield, which make static positions more vulnerable. The system has been used by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and most recently U.S. Central Command said it was employed in the opening attack on Iran where it launched a new precision-guided rocket that could reach targets hundreds of miles away.” (05/20/26)
“President Trump is facing a moment of maximum peril in his handling of Iran — one that will shape his legacy, America’s stature and perhaps the course of history itself. We are entering the sixth week of a two-week cease-fire that was agreed to on the pre-condition that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened immediately. Yet it never opened, and Iran continues to attack our Arab allies — while it dithers and strings out talks. What gives? The prez’s big risk: Political pressure over the midterms and the buzzing of isolationists in Trump’s own camp might nudge him to take any deal that lets him declare victory, save face and bug out of Iran. This would be a catastrophic mistake, comparable almost to Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler at Munich in 1938. It would burn his legacy on the bonfire of political expediency.” (05/19/26)
“A Norwegian journalist’s question to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sparked a controversy in his country. Modi was on a two-day official visit to Oslo this week. As he walked away after a joint press appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, journalist Helle Lyng called out to him, asking why he does not take questions, but got no response. Later in a press conference by Indian diplomats, Lyng asked, ‘Why should we trust you (India)? Can you try to stop the human rights violations that goes on in your country?’ India has rejected the allegations, highlighting its ‘commitment to justice and freedom.’ Lyng later told BBC Hindi that it was her ‘duty to ask’ the questions. Modi has not held a traditional solo press conference since taking office in 2014, and has rarely answered questions from journalists on his trips abroad.” (05/20/26)
“One unexpected result from last week’s China-U.S. summit was that Chinese leader Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump that he ‘would consider’ releasing the country’s most prominent Christian pastor, Ezra Jin Mingri, from detention. Whether the release happens or not, the mere fact that Mr. Xi had to respond favorably to the U.S. leader’s request confirmed an obvious point to the country’s religious faithful: The Chinese Communist Party does not control the narrative of what their persecution means. God does. Last October, when police rounded up Mr. Jin and more than 20 other pastors in a major crackdown, his Beijing Zion Church issued this statement: ‘The Church belongs to God, not to any political power’. Such conviction might help explain why, by some estimates, the number of Christians in China remains close to the party’s total membership despite decades of repression, frequently raising curiosity among many Chinese about Christianity.” (05/19/26)
