GM Crops Now Banned in 39 Countries Worldwide

GM Crops

Sustainable Pulse

Following the recent green wave of genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation bans across the European Union, Sustainable Pulse decided to research which countries have decided to officially ban the cultivation of GM crops around the Globe.

This research has led to the discovery that there is a growing swell of government level support worldwide for bans on GM crop cultivation for both health and environmental reasons.

Thirty nine (39) countries worldwide have officially banned the cultivation of GM crops and only 28 actually grow GM crops (most of which grow under 500 thousand hectares). The picture painted by the Biotech industry and the U.S. government that GM crops have been accepted by the majority of countries worldwide is therefore quite obviously wrong.

In fact many countries have recently started to put in place regulations to protect their population and environment from the environmental and health damage caused by GM crops.

Sustainable Pulse welcomes additions or edits to the list below from readers / experts from around the Globe – Please contact info@sustainablepulse.com .

Official GM crop cultivation bans:

Africa (2)

The picture on GM cultivation bans across Africa is not clear due to the current pressure being put on many African governments by the Biotech industry and the Gates Foundation to lift long-standing bans on the import of unmilled GMO seeds or unmilled GMO food aid, however two countries do still have full legal bans on GM crop cultivation:

Algeria (since 2000)

Madagascar (since 2002)

Asia (4)

Turkey,

Kyrgyzstan

Bhutan

Saudi Arabia

Americas (4)

Belize

Peru

Ecuador

Venezuela

Europe (28)

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Germany

France

The Netherlands

Malta

Cyprus

Greece

Bulgaria

Russia

Serbia

Croatia

Italy

Denmark

Hungary

Moldova

Latvia

Lithuania

Austria

Poland

Slovenia

Azerbaijan

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Luxembourg

Ukraine (although there is massive GM contamination in the country)

Norway

Switzerland

[…]

Via https://sustainablepulse.com/2015/10/22/gm-crops-now-banned-in-36-countries-worldwide-sustainable-pulse-research/

US States Rejoining the WHO

https://thehighwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/WHO.jpg

While the majority of Americans have undoubtedly grown weary of unelected global authorities wielding unchecked tyrannical power in the name of “health,” California Governor Gavin Newsom has just rolled out the red carpet for more of the same. In a move that would be laughable if it weren’t so brazenly dangerous, Newsom just announced that California has become the first state (not country, mind you, but state) to formally join the World Health Organization’s (WHO) international disease platform to coordinate international response to emerging public health threats known as the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, or

The January 23rd press release from Newsom’s office could just as easily have come straight from WHO headquarters. After personally meeting with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva to finalize the deal, California sealed its role as a “subnational leader” in global health collaboration. As expected, notably absent was any mention of voter input, legislative debate, or accountability. Why? Because in Newsom’s California, sovereignty is not something he tends to consult his people about. Instead, he effortlessly trades it in Davos.

While the Trump administration formally withdrew the United States from the WHO in January 2026—finally ending 78 years of membership and substantial financial contribution—apparently, Newsom couldn’t wait to get to the front of the line. Why? Maybe because He has long aspired to be more than just a governor. Indeed, he wants a global portfolio, and what better way than to outsource California’s health autonomy to the very same shady group behind the lockdowns, massive censorship, mask mandates, and unprecedented compliance coercion of an experimental, untested gene-therapy “vaccine”? Make no mistake. None of these decisions were founded on protecting public health.

Despite pushback from nations like the United States, the WHO is working feverishly to finalize a new set of international health regulations and a pandemic accord that would give it sweeping control over the response to future crises. And not just during pandemics. Instead, these overlord rules would apply to anything it deems to be a “public health emergency.” Such as climate change, misinformation, disobedient states, and so on. Essentially, a choose-your-own-emergency standard of governance that, instead of resisting, Newsom is volunteering California to participate.

Again, at a time when countries like Hungary, Slovakia, and even members of the African Union are pushing back against WHO overreach, one of the most powerful states in our nation is diving headfirst into a globalist experiment with no democratic oversight. In no way is this leadership by Newsom. It is obedience in disguise.

And who exactly is orchestrating this dutiful allegiance? Undoubtedly, Newsom’s friend Sir Jeremy Farrar played a role. For years, Farrar and Newsom have often joined forces on significant issues that the WHO has used to support its dictatorship. Now the WHO’s Chief Scientist, Farrar, played a starring role during COVID in pushing the lockdown narrative while also downplaying lab-leak concerns and dissenting scientific voices. Following the pandemic, Farrar and his cadre moved on to warn of future pandemics. Undoubtedly, they’re not just preparing; they are also rehearsing.

To that point, the WHO proudly announced in December 2025 that it is actively “getting ready for the next pandemic,” complete with simulation exercises, new frameworks, and tighter coordination. Their efforts follow years of tabletop exercises, including the Bill Gates’ funded Event 201, which took place just months before the COVID-19 pandemic. In hindsight, Event 201 was a chilling rehearsal that eerily mirrored much of the real-world tyranny-based responses forced upon society, right down to the censorship of so-called “mis-information.”

Of course, the WHO sees all of its efforts as success. In fact, in its February 2026 statement, the organization declared that, thanks to them, the world is “better prepared” for the next pandemic. What they mean, of course, is that framework for lockdowns, mandates, global messaging control, and its centralized command—despite no partnership with the United States on the federal level—are now synced and ready for action.

Meanwhile, California, under Newsom’s iron-fisted pandemic rule, endured some of the harshest lockdowns in the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state kept schools closed longer than most of Europe, criminalized those not falling in line, and drained its already suffering small-business economy dry, all while Newsom did as he pleased. Today, California is suffering, with homelessness soaring and mental health in crisis. But rather than tend to those very real situations, Newsom has chosen to virtue-signal across the globe.

But hold on. Again, despite the US cutting ties with the WHO on the federal level, Newsom is not alone in his allegiance to the NGO. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remains a long-standing founding partner of the WHO’s GOARN network. While the US stepped back from other WHO commitments, the CDC never left its place as a “crucial partner” at GOARN. In fact, the agency has personnel and surveillance operations embedded within GOARN. The CDC also participates in real-time global event tracking and the coordination of public health responses.

While the CDC’s continued involvement with its partnerships in global health protection, including GOARN, is obvious on its Global Health Protection webpage, what’s less clear is how much US taxpayer money is quietly flowing into this and other collaborations. Unsettlingly, GOARN spending is not easily found in CDC budget documents, and the agency’s roughly $11.6 billion annual budget continues to fund global programs with limited transparency.

And now, following in Newsom’s footsteps, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the New York City Department of Health have also joined GOARN. As the first municipal health department in the US to join this UN-led worldwide network, New York City’s acting Health Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer, Michelle Morse, said in a statement:

“New York City is a global city with 8.5 million residents and more than 12 million international visitors every year. To best prevent disease outbreaks and public health emergencies and to protect New Yorkers and visitors from them, the NYC Health Department is joining hundreds of public health institutions worldwide that share critical public health information to support life-saving prevention and response efforts.”

The decisions by California, Illinois, and New York City, which were not made by public vote but rather by executive directive, reflect an unsettling trend post-pandemic. Indeed, blue-state and city health departments are bypassing national sovereignty to pledge loyalty to deep-state-tied international governance health structures. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker praised the allegiance as a way to “remain connected to global intelligence.” Yet, behind each of these decisions, the same pattern exists. Unelected or unaccountable health bureaucrats partnering with an unelected and globally deceptive institution.

Of course, this pattern fits perfectly with the WHO’s preference for technocratic rule over democratic process. As detailed by Joseph Mercola, the WHO is increasingly influenced by wealthy private foundations, NGOs, and corporate sponsors – many of whom had more to gain (and billions to make) from the mass vaccination and perpetual emergency declarations unveiled during the COVID-19 pandemic than they did from siding with what’s actually best for public health. So, as we survey the landscape and take note thus far of those who have joined the other team, let’s connect the dots of where we stand:

-California joins an international WHO project that the U.S. intentionally hasn’t signed onto.

-In a crisis (which could be any number of things) hat project could override local decisions in favor of coordinated and tyrannical measures.

-The WHO’s track record is contaminated by its blatant use of censorship, politicization, and corporate capture.

-The CDC remains an embedded partner with GOARN, quietly funneling U.S. expertise and untallied funding into the corrupt global mission.

-Illinois and New York City have followed suit, bypassing voters to lock in global health alignment.

-Newsom, who governed California like a feudal lord during COVID, is now offering up the state to the very machine that fueled that response.

The decision by Newsom, and now Illinois and NYC, is not just bad policy. In reality, it is a test balloon for future governance by international decree.

[…]

Via https://thehighwire.com/editorial/beneath-the-headline-us-states-are-rejoining-the-who/

Israel Wants ISIS-Linked Militias to Control Rafah Crossing

 

After rejecting the deployment of Palestinian Authority security forces, Israel has instead backed armed proxy groups — some linked to extremist Salafist networks. (Photos: Wikimedia, Video grab. Design: Palestine Chronicle)

By Robert Inlakesh

As the Gaza ceasefire moves through its early stages, the partial reopening of the Rafah Crossing has triggered a struggle over who will control Gaza’s border administration. After rejecting the deployment of Palestinian Authority security forces, Israel has instead backed armed proxy groups — some linked to extremist Salafist networks — assigning them security roles in the border area, where reports of abuse have already begun to surface.

Key Takeaways

  • Israel rejected Palestinian Authority forces at Rafah and instead supported alternative armed militias.
  • Several Israeli-backed militias reportedly emerged from criminal networks and extremist factions inside Gaza.
  • Members of these groups have been deployed near the Rafah Crossing, where abuse allegations have been reported.
  • International actors monitoring the crossing are now considering escorts for civilians due to safety concerns.
  • The developments raise questions about the composition of future Gaza security structures under international plans.

Control of Rafah Crossing

After rejecting the notion of allowing professionally trained Palestinian Authority security forces to patrol the Rafah Crossing, between Egypt and Gaza, Israel is now using its ISIS-linked death squads to patrol the border area. As expected, rights abuses are already being reported.

The notion that Israel was backing ISIS-linked militias was once dubbed a fringe conspiracy theory. Today, Israel is not only overtly backing ISIS and Al-Qaeda linked militants, but it directly created and controls five such militant organizations.

Amid daily Israeli violations of the agreement, the Gaza ceasefire slowly progresses between its first two loosely defined phases; one such progression has been the partial opening of the Rafah Crossing. Under this opening, the border zone – that is still occupied by the Israeli military – has been the site of a limited passing of civilians in and out of the Gaza Strip.

There have therefore been discussions about who precisely will be deployed on the Palestinian side of the crossing to perform checks on those passing through the crossing. Initially, the Palestinian Authority (PA) – based in Ramallah – attempted to propose that its well-trained security forces handle this task and that they even deploy to Gaza in order to lead through a transitional phase.

Tel Aviv has flatly rejected any role being played in Gaza by the Palestinian Authority, fearing that this could strengthen the case for Palestinian statehood. Instead, the Israelis have poured millions into backing an alternative “security force”.

Formation of Proxy Militias

Israel’s five proxy militias are composed of criminals who escaped from Gaza’s jails after Israel bombed the entrances in late 2023, in addition to opportunist thugs and longtime members of hardline Salafist movements that were long repressed by the Hamas-led authority.

Starting with the militia, led by the now deceased Yasser Abu Shabab, calling itself the “Popular Forces” – despite being perhaps the most unpopular Palestinian group to have ever existed – did not begin as the anti-Hamas militant group they present themselves as today.

They were first empowered by the Israelis after they invaded and occupied the Rafah Crossing area, working under Tel Aviv’s order to seize humanitarian aid trucks and hoard the goods they stole from the people of Gaza. Then, Abu Shabab’s men, at a time when the people of Gaza were being starved, drip-fed these donated goods onto the black market to be sold at exorbitant prices.

Only toward the end of 2024 did the Israelis begin giving Abu Shabab’s aid looters a facelift and using their contact with Western mainstream media to whitewash the crimes of these groups, selling them instead as an organic force fighting against Hamas. Corporate media outlets collaborated with the Israelis in presenting these gangsters as representing the opinions of the silent majority of Gazans.

In reality, these groups were infamous among Palestinians who saw them for what they truly were. These militias were collaborating with the Israeli military and intelligence to steal aid, helping to create societal strains amidst a coordinated and deliberate campaign of mass starvation.

These militants are not only extremist terrorists, whom Hamas had long cracked down upon, some belonging to groups that had carried out suicide bombings and other deadly attacks on Palestinians civilians, they are also convicted drug traffickers, murderers, and some stand accused of sexual violence.

In other words, Israel sought out the most despicable and criminal elements of Gaza’s population, pouring millions of dollars and weapons into terrorist militias. Many of them subscribe to a hardline Salafist doctrine, which justifies their criminal actions by allowing them to make Takfir (to declare they are non-Muslim) against the majority of Gaza’s population and even accuse them of Shirk (idol worship).

For example, leading figures within the Israeli-backed militias have attacked Hamas for siding with Iran, as the Salafists deem the Islamic Republic to be non-Muslim due to its Shia faith.

Deployment and Reported Abuses

Last Monday, the head of the ISIS-linked “Popular Forces” Ghassan Duhine announced through the Hebrew media that his Israeli-backed forces would be playing “an important security role regarding entry and exit through the Rafah crossing”.

Days later, reports that these death squads had been deployed at Israeli-controlled checkpoints emerged, alongside accounts of abuse. One woman, whose identity was concealed, informed the BBC that the collaborator militants told her that they could help her travel to Europe if she collaborated with them.

The woman’s hands were then bound, as the ISIS-linked militants insulted and physically assaulted her. In addition to this, she testified to having been tripsearched alongside three other women.

As a result of such reports, the European Union, which has its own monitors who are active at the Rafah Crossing, later stated it would consider sending its own people to escort Palestinians to the Israeli checkpoint in order to avoid such cases in the future.

Other reports emerged, some of which were also covered by the BBC, which suggested that the personal items of Palestinian travelers were confiscated by the EU’s officials. A woman named Rabia remarked that “They took perfumes, accessories, make-up, cigarettes, headphones – everything, they didn’t leave anything with us”.

International Oversight

All of this is being carried out under the watchful eye of the International Community, as are the daily Israeli ceasefire violations that have led to the mass murder of nearly 600 Palestinians in Gaza since October 10, 2025, when the ceasefire began. The Civil Military Coordination Center (CMCC), led by the US and Israeli militaries, is made up of over 20 different countries, which watch on as Israel demolishes civilian homes, funnels millions into ISIS-linked militias, and murders civilians.

There are also now questions about the future planned “Palestinian security forces” that are vaguely mentioned in the US’s plans for Gaza, with some speculating that the five Israeli-backed groups will make up a significant portion of that planned force.

In other words, the international community is permitting ISIS-linked militants with a diverse array of criminal convictions – who have a history of committing torture, executions, armed robbery, and raids on hospitals, all under Israel’s guidance – to play “security roles” in Gaza, all so that Palestinians are robbed of any sign of future statehood.

[…]

Via https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-wants-isis-linked-militias-to-control-rafah-crossing-the-new-order-in-gaza/

UK court rules Palestine Action ban illegal

UK Palestine Action ban unlawful – court

 

RT

The UK High Court has ruled that the government’s decision to ban the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful.

The ruling, delivered on Friday, found the proscription of the group “disproportionate” and in breach of rights to freedom of expression and assembly, and is being seen as a blow to London’s counterterrorism policy.

The ban took effect in July 2025 after Palestine Action activists broke into the RAF’s Brize Norton base and damaged two aircraft in protest against British military support for Israel’s war in Gaza. The designation placed the group alongside Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, making membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Even displaying the group’s name on clothing or placards became a criminal offense carrying a six-month sentence.

The proscription followed a relentless pressure campaign launched by pro-Israel groups such as We Believe in Israel, the Israeli Embassy in London, as well as lobbyists from Israel’s largest private arms manufacture Elbit Systems, according to internal government documents.

Since the ban, more than 2,700 people have been arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations, according to campaign group Defend Our Juries. Those detained included pensioners, a former magistrate, and retired doctors, with hundreds subsequently charged under terrorism legislation.

The crackdown also prompted the largest coordinated prison hunger strike in the UK in decades, with activists refusing food for up to 73 days to protest the terrorism designation and their prolonged detention.

The legal challenge was brought by Huda Ammori, one of the group’s co-founders. Her lawyers argued the ban was unprecedented and disproportionately targeted peaceful protest. In a 46-page judgment, Dame Victoria and fellow justices concluded that “the nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activities falling within the definition of terrorism had not yet reached the level, scale and persistence to warrant proscription.”

The ban, however, will remain in force pending a government appeal. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed disappointment with the ruling and confirmed the government intends to fight the judgment in the Court of Appeal.

[…]

Via https://www.rt.com/news/632437-uk-palestine-action-ban-unlawful/

US lawmakers accuse DOJ of ‘spying’ on Epstein file searches

US lawmakers accuse DOJ of ‘spying’ on Epstein file searches

RT

Lawmakers from both parties on Capitol Hill have demanded answers from the US Department of Justice over its monitoring of congressional investigators’ search activity while they reviewed sensitive, unredacted documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The controversy erupted after Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday with printed material listing specific files and queries that Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal had accessed.

The top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Representative Jamie Raskin, characterized the practice as a serious breach of trust and a potential violation of the constitutional separation of powers. He called for an investigation, saying the department was not only withholding records but also “spying on members of Congress conducting oversight in yet another blatant attempt to intrude into Congress’s oversight processes.”

“Bondi has enough time to spy on Members of Congress, but can’t find it in herself to apologize to the survivors of Epstein’s horrific abuse,” Jayapal posted on social media, calling the tracking “totally unacceptable” and promising that lawmakers would demand a full accounting of how the search history is being used.

To review unredacted portions of the files – made available in a secure Justice Department setting under the Epstein Files Transparency Act – lawmakers were required to use department-owned computers.

Some Republicans, including Representative Nancy Mace, said they believed the department was tagging and timestamping their activity. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer told Axios he was “going to ask and see if they did that.” Speaker Mike Johnson called any effort to monitor lawmakers “inappropriate.”

The Justice Department responded to questions about the allegations by saying it logs searches made on its systems to protect sensitive information, particularly the identities of victims, but did not directly address lawmakers’ concerns.

The dispute comes amid broader congressional frustration with the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files, which include millions of pages of documents, videos, and images related to long-running investigations into Epstein’s crimes and connections. Critics, including lawmakers from both parties, say the department has been slow to release information and overly aggressive in redacting material that could reveal the names of individuals linked to Epstein.
[…]

Breaking Research Decodes Mystery of Spike Protein Induced “Rubbery White Clots”

Embalmers report huge clots in corpses - Pandemic Timeline

NZDSOS

A landmark trilogy of scientific studies, just published on the preprints.org server, has for the first time comprehensively characterised the anomalous intravascular casts (AICs) commonly reported by embalmers worldwide as strange, rubbery white clots.

The research, significantly funded by New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out with Science (NZDSOS) and conducted by New Zealand-based researchers Drs Bruce Rapley and Matt Shelton, provides definitive analysis that these structures are a previously unrecognised and abnormal form of intravascular clotting.

Since 2021, global reports from embalmers and some clinicians have described the retrieval of long, elastic, white fibrous structures from blood vessels, distinct from ordinary post-mortem clots.

“NZDSOS has been at the forefront of raising concerns about these anomalous findings. This new three-part study using international labs on three continents describes their structure, elemental composition and protein makeup, concluding they represent a novel and persistent pathological entity”, said Dr Shelton.

Key Findings of the Trilogy:

1. Paper 1: Morphology & Histology – Established that AICs are not ordinary clots. They are elastic, lumen-conforming, branched structures that form under active blood flow (shown by partial “Lines of Zahn”), yet are strikingly devoid of intact red blood cells and platelets. Their rubber-like consistency and cohesive strength are incompatible with known pre- and post-mortem changes.

2. Paper 2: Elemental Analysis – Revealed the clots have a bizarre chemical fingerprint. They are depleted in sulphur (a key marker of protein) and enriched in phosphorus, a composition impossible for a normal, protein-dominant fibrin clot. This indicates a hybrid organic-inorganic matrix, not a simple blood clot.

3. Paper 3: Proteomic Analysis – Solved the protein puzzle. While the clots do contain fibrinogen, the building block of normal clots, the chains are in a very abnormal ratio (~1:7:3 for α:β:γ chains vs. the normal 1:1:1). Critically, they are almost completely lacking in plasminogen (the enzyme required to break down clots), explaining their stubborn persistence. The protein profile also shows signs of inflammatory and immune system involvement as well as red cell destruction.

Senior Researcher Dr Bruce Rapley states, “This is not just a big blood clot. This is a fundamentally different architecture. The profound deficiency in plasminogen is like building a structure impervious to future demolition – it’s designed to persist. The elemental data confirms it’s not just protein; it’s a hybrid material our bodies are forced to make but not equipped to clear.”

This holds a significant health implication. The researchers note that the formation of such persistent, obstructing material in blood vessels, particularly if in the microvasculature, will lead to chronic oxygen lack, organ damage, pain, exhaustion, and cascades of inflammatory pathology.

The study concludes that AICs “provide a mechanistically coherent explanation for persistent vascular obstruction, impaired tissue perfusion, inflammation, and a broad spectrum of acute and chronic organ dysfunction.”

A Call for Urgent Investigation:

The paper highlights the covid injections as a crucial research direction: If spike protein were demonstrated to provoke anomalous intravascular casts, this would raise serious implications not only for covid pathophysiology but also for genetic platforms that induce sustained host manufacture of spike protein, making it imperative that this potential association be rigorously investigated.”

“This analysis puts substance to the observations our organisation has been highlighting for 4 years now,” said Dr Shelton. “These are not ‘normal’ clots. This work adds to the scientific basis for the persistent symptoms and deaths since the rollouts and strengthens our many calls to halt the covid injections pending further investigation.

We thank supporters for enabling this work and urge the global medical community to take these findings seriously. Already these results are enabling rapid strides in showing how these harmful structures were predictable from first principles.”

The scientific papers are available on the preprint server and at www.nzdsos.com for review:

[…]

Via https://nzdsos.com/2026/02/04/breaking-research-decodes-the-mystery-of-the-rubbery-white-clots/

Russia preparing oil lifeline to Cuba – embassy

Russia preparing oil lifeline to Cuba – embassy

RT

The move comes as the US seeks to cut off the island from energy supplies

Russia is preparing to send a shipment of oil and petroleum products to Cuba, Moscow’s embassy in Havana has announced. The island is facing its worst energy crisis in years after the US doubled down on its campaign to cut off its energy supplies.

The fuel crisis intensified dramatically after US forces kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, severing oil supplies from Caracas, which had been one of Cuba’s main suppliers.

Washington subsequently threatened to impose tariffs on any country providing oil to Cuba, with Mexico later suspending crude shipments to the island. The US itself has maintained an economic embargo on the island since the 1960s.

The Russian Embassy in Cuba confirmed to Izvestia that the Caribbean island is facing “an acute shortage of oil and petroleum products,” adding that while the crisis has lasted for more than a year, the stop of supplies from Venezuela “has aggravated this situation.”

The embassy said it is planning to send oil and petroleum products to Cuba in the near future as “humanitarian aid,” though without specifying the timeframe or volumes.

The last major Russian oil delivery to Cuba occurred in February 2025, when Moscow sent 100,000 tons through a state credit worth $60 million approved by President Vladimir Putin. Cuba is estimated to consume 500 to 600 tons of fuel per day for its most critical needs, and requires over 8 million tons of fuel per year to function normally.

In addition, Russian officials reported that Moscow is assisting Cuba in developing its domestic oil reserves. While the island’s proven crude oil reserves are officially around 120 million barrels, the offshore zone of the North Cuba Basin is estimated to hold up to 20 billion barrels.

Moscow has condemned the US pressure campaign on Cuba as economic “strangulation” and “neocolonial practice” while reaffirming solidarity with the island.

US President Donald Trump suggested last month that the pressure campaign would force the Cuban leadership to “come to us and want to make a deal,” claiming that the island “would be free again.”

[…]

Via https://www.rt.com/russia/632349-russia-oil-lifeline-cuba/

Baghdad House of Wisdom: Interpreting and Defending the Quran

Al-Tafsir al-Kabir : 16 Vols, Arabic - £139.95 : Madani Bookstore, Your ...

Al-Tafsir al-Kabir : 16 Vols, Arabic

Episode 8 – Interpreting and Defending the Koran

Islamic Golden Age (2017)

By Eamon Gearon

Film Review

This lecture concerns the “tafsir” or “exigesis” of the Koran that occurred at Baghdad’s House of Wisdom between the 8th and 13th century AD. By definition “exegesis,” traditionally applied to Biblical works, is a critical explanation or interpretation of specific religious texts. The process helps religious communities establish the traditional beliefs and practices that define them.

Muslims believed the angel Gabriel revealed the Koran to Muhammed over a period of 22 years (610-632 AD). He shared the revelations with his associates, who memorized it and shared it orally until it preserved in writing by the first Islamic caliph (Muhammed’s successor) Abu Bakr in 650 AD.

Muhammed Ibn Jahir al-Tabari undertook the first and most important “tafsir” (official Koranic interpretation) between 839 and 923 AD. Born to a wealthy family in Tabaristan in modern day Iran, he memorized the Koran at age seven and left home at age 12 to continue his studies. In creating his tafsir, he compiled and recorded the commentaries of Koranic scholars he consulted in Baghdad, Syria and the Arabian peninsular. He completed, his Tafsir al-Tarbir, which includes commentaries he disagreed with, in 883 AD.

Tafsir al-Tarbir includes commentary on the Satanic Verses, an occasion on which Muhammad allegedly recited verses that praised pagan Meccan goddesses, which he later retracted, claiming they were inspired by Satan.*

Al-Tabari also wrote History of the Prophets and Kings, a history of the world based on a collection of commentaries on the Old Testament.


*In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa (which included a death sentence) against Salman Rushdie for writing a novel based on this controversy).

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/5756987/5757003

House rebukes Trump tariffs on Canada in rare GOP revolt

Kenya Times

President Donald Trump has suffered a rare political setback after the Republican-controlled House voted to block his tariffs on Canada.

A group of GOP lawmakers on Wednesday, February 11, joined Democrats in a symbolic rebuke of the administration’s trade policy.

The House approved the resolution in a 219-211 vote, targeting the national emergency Trump declared last year to justify imposing tariffs on Canadian imports.

Although the measure is unlikely to dismantle the tariffs ultimately, the vote underscored growing unease within Congress over the president’s use of emergency powers to reshape U.S. trade policy.

Six Republicans — Reps. Kevin Kiley of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, and Dan Newhouse of Washington — broke with their party to support the resolution. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to vote against it.

The measure now heads to the Senate, where bipartisan opposition to Trump’s tariff strategy has already surfaced.

The upper chamber has previously notably passed similar resolutions challenging the administration’s tariff actions.

Via https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/house-rebukes-trump-tariffs-on-canada-in-rare-gop-revolt/ar-AA1Waq65

Syria retakes strategic military base after American pullout

Syria retakes strategic military base after American pullout

RT

Syrian government forces have assumed control of a strategic military base in the country’s east following the withdrawal of American troops who had been illegally stationed there for nearly a decade, the Defense Ministry in Damascus has announced.

The Al-Tanf garrison, established in 2016, sits at the strategic junction of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq along the M2 Baghdad-Damascus Highway. The base served as a key hub for US-led operations against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists, who had controlled the nearby border crossing before their arrival. It was used to train opposition forces.

On Thursday, the ministry issued a statement that the handover of the base had taken place in coordination with the US military and that Syrian forces are now “securing the base and its perimeters.” Border Guard forces will deploy in the area in the coming days, it said.

According to multiple media reports, the American troops evacuated the facility on Wednesday and moved toward the border with Jordan, from where they will continue to coordinate limited operations in the region. One source told AP they had been moving equipment out for the past 15 days.

Washington’s ties with Damascus shifted after the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government in late 2024, who had consistently declared the US military presence in the country as an illegal occupation.

In November, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with US leader Donald Trump at the White House and agreed to join the anti-IS coalition. The US subsequently lifted economic sanctions that had been in place for more than a decade.

In January, al-Sharaa also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which focused on Syria’s reconstruction and bilateral cooperation, including Moscow’s military installations in the country.

US forces have reportedly also vacated positions in Hasakah Governorate, including the Ash Shaddadi base. Al-Tanf had been one of the last American-held positions in Syria.

Last month, the Syrian authorities also reached agreements with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate them into the government army. Since then, the US military began transferring thousands of alleged IS extremists from prisons run by the SDF in northeastern Syria to Iraq, where they will be prosecuted.

[…]

Via https://www.rt.com/news/632361-syria-military-base-us/