Ayatollah Breaks Silence: Blames US For Instigating "Vandals & Saboteurs" As Cities Burn

Iran's supreme leader has just taken to X where he for the first time explicitly called out the United States for instigating ongoing unrest in the Islamic Republic, where raging economic protests have taken root in more that one hundred cities and towns - with in some instances rioters torching buildings and cars.

"Today like the past, the US is wrong in its calculations about Iran," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote. Importantly he added context to this assertion in a Friday speech - his first since protests began in a Tehran market 13 days ago - that authorities will "not back down" as Tehran officials have charged that the unrest has a foreign hand behind it.

The Ayatollah denounced the protesters as "vandals" and "saboteurs" and called out their alleged foreign agendas, amid increased images of city sectors burning, ongoing clashes with police, and reports of some limited exchanges of gunfire.

Protesters are now "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy… because he said he would come to their aid" - in reference to President Trump, after the US leader has warned at least twice that there could be American military intervention if Iran starts killing protesters.

Trump also claimed in a FOX interview, but without citing specific intel or any evidence that the Ayatollah is "looking to go somewhere. It’s getting very bad." The claim is based on anonymously sourced reports that he could flee to Moscow if things got bad enough.

To be expected, Israel is also cheering this on, and had even last week issued brazen statements - including that Mossad stands 'with' the protesters and is even helping them (a statement full of the usual ambiguity and psychological warfare). Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo has stated the same.

Below is an example of some of the worst and most simplistic propaganda which has no basis in any presentable evidence, and by 'anon' sources which don't tend to have any understanding of the internal dynamics of the country and people:

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ayatollah-breaks-silence-blames-us-instigating-vandals-saboteurs-raging-protests

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Laura Ingraham SCORES BIG TIME as Leftist Protester Accidentally Admits She’s “Getting Paid Right Now” After Being Asked If She Has a Job

While the mainstream media usually frames these demonstrators as “concerned citizens,” the mask completely slipped during a hilarious confrontation caught on camera.

While Ingraham was reporting from the scene, a leftist protester repeatedly shouted “shame” at her.

Ingraham calmly asked a simple question that every hard-working American wants to ask these people: “Do you have a job?”

The protester’s response? It wasn’t “Yes, I’m a teacher” or “I’m on my lunch break.”

Without thinking, the leftist inadvertently spilled the beans: “I’m getting paid right now!”

Ingraham’s reaction to the admission was priceless. She simply smiled and gave the protesters a thumbs-up.

Ingraham later posted the clip on Instagram, captioning it with brutal clarity:

“ICE protesters in front of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal building near Minneapolis today. BREAKING NEWS: they are paid!!”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/caught-camera-laura-ingraham-scores-big-time-as/

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Bodyguard Arrested on Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

Vivek Ramaswamy’s bodyguard hit with federal drug trafficking charges over fentanyl and meth dealing allegations https://trib.al/NEvW3vI

https://x.com/nypost/status/2009472506160173186

My motion to subpoena Neville Singham PASSED unanimously, supported by both Democrats and Republicans.

Neville Singham is a corrupt billionaire with direct ties to the CCP as a unregistered foreign agent, and financial ties to countless NGO’s linked to nationwide No Kings protests, violent ICE riots, even Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and is responsible for sowing discord among Americans with only the Chinese benefitting.

Billionaires have to play by the same rules as everyone else.

https://x.com/i/status/2009042072544981493

Kiev mayor urges residents to evacuate

Half of the apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital have been left without heating, Vitaly Klitschko has said

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has urged the city’s residents to evacuate, stating that some 6,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital have been left without central heating.

Klitschko blamed the “extremely difficult situation” in the city on overnight Russian strikes. Moscow has said it targeted drone production facilities, energy infrastructure, and other military-related facilities across Ukraine in response to an attempted “terrorist attack by the Kiev regime” on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in late December.

“I appeal to residents of the capital who have the opportunity to temporarily leave the city, where there are alternative sources of power and heat, to do so,” Klitschko wrote on his Telegram channel, stating the overnight attack became the most “painful” for the city of three million amid the Ukraine conflict.

According to the mayor, nearly half of Kiev’s residential buildings ended up without central heating after the strikes. An unspecified number of buildings have also been hit by water supply disruptions. He said that the city’s authorities “hope” to restore central heating for “some” of the affected buildings by the evening. The situation in the city is further aggravated by heavy snowfall and low temperatures.

In a follow-up post, Klitschko urged those residents who still have access to amenities to help less fortunate citizens and “invite them to warm up or cook food.” The mayor also reminded the residents that the capital has some 1,200 heating stations, so-called “points of unbreakability,” where people can warm up, get hot food, and charge their electronic devices.

Russia has ramped up its long-range strikes campaign against Ukraine’s military and dual-use infrastructure in recent months. According to Moscow, the ongoing wave of strikes comes in response to the continuous effort of the Ukrainian military to attack Russia’s energy infrastructure, as well as to indiscriminate strikes on civilians.

In Russia’s Belgorod Region, over half a million people were left without power after overnight Ukrainian airstrikes, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, with temperatures near freezing. In addition, over half a million were left without heat and over 200,000 were let without water and sanitation services. The city of Oryol reportedly also faced heavy blackouts.

https://www.rt.com/russia/630764-kiev-mayor-residents-evacuation/

Asian country targets YouTube over unskippable ads

A new Vietnamese law allows users to switch off advertisement after just five seconds

Vietnam has introduced legislation that bans unskippable ads on YouTube and other online platforms. The changes, which take effect on February 15, are aimed at tightening controls on online advertising in the Southeast Asian country to protect the public from screen fatigue and illegal promotional content.

Users in numerous countries have increasingly complained in recent weeks about lengthy unskippable ads on YouTube, with some saying they were forced to watch clips lasting an hour or more.

The new amendments to Vietnamese advertising law state that the waiting time before users can skip a video advertisement must not exceed five seconds, while static ads must be immediately cancellable.

It also requires platforms to provide clear, straightforward options for closing ads with a single click and bans misleading or vague close symbols intended to confuse users.

Platforms have also been ordered to provide consumers with easily accessible means to report ads that violate the law, according to the amendments.

Additionally, the legislation places tighter regulations on ads for 11 groups of goods and services that directly impact the environment and human health. They include cosmetics, food, alcoholic drinks, pharmaceuticals, and others.

When addressed by the media on the issue of increasing complaints over lengthy unskippable ads, YouTube owner Google said it limits them to a maximum of 15 seconds on mobile and 60 seconds on TV. The company blamed extremely long advertising clips on viewers using ad blocking software that under-performs and distorts playback experience.

https://www.rt.com/news/630761-youtube-ads-vietnam-unskippable/

Government Regulator May Ban X Within Days.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government will support the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which regulates broadcasting, telecommunications, the mail, and the Internet in Britain, taking action against Elon Musk’s platform X if it fails to comply with the censorious Online Safety Act. This comes amid complaints that X users have been using Grok, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool owned by Musk’s xAI, to alter images of people to put them in bikinis, which the platform’s enemies are characterizing as creating non-consensual sexualized deepfakes. Liz Kendall, the British Technology Secretary, emphasized that Ofcom has the authority to block services that fail to comply with British law. “If Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support,” she said. Ofcom has already set a deadline for X to respond to its demands and is now conducting an expedited assessment. Critics argue that X has failed to act swiftly enough against images generated by Grok, some of which are humorous—with Prime Minister Starmer among those who have been depicted in a bikini—while others are legally questionable, involving girls below the age of majority. Starmer’s spokesman declared, “It is abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now.” Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament (MPs) have called for Ofcom to restrict access to X while its investigation is underway, potentially cutting off millions of users, including paid content creators who earn a living from the platform. Grok’s defenders have noted that it is merely a tool, and that holding X and xAI legally accountable for offensive images resulting from user prompts is akin to holding Adobe legally responsible for users using Photoshop to create offensive images. They further note that other AIs can also be used to generate images of people in bikinis, suggesting that the fact that X has been singled out is evidence that the government has a political axe to grind against Musk.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/01/09/government-regulator-may-ban-x-within-days/

James Comer Says Pam Bondi Letting Criminal Referrals Collect Dust Despite House Oversight Probes

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer expressed disappointment with what he described as a lack of follow-through by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on criminal referrals stemming from his committee’s investigations during a Thursday interview on “Straight to the Point.”

The Oversight Committee’s X account posted on Dec. 26 that in 2025 the panel held 54 hearings, passed 38 bills, sent over 200 letters, and conducted 26 transcribed interviews, nine depositions and eight markups, host Catherine Herridge noted during the interview. She asked Comer whether any arrests, prosecutions or convictions resulted from the committee’s probes.

“We had a lot of resignations. We had resignations of people from the D.C., police chief to the head of Secret Service to many different bureaucrats and agency heads,” Comer said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve been disappointed in some of the criminal referrals that are collecting dust on Attorney General [Pam] Bondi’s desk.”

“I’ve made that very clear with the White House,” he continued. “I’m hopeful that we’ll see some action soon on the criminal referrals that range everywhere from Dr. [Anthony] Fauci to the [former President Joe] Biden family influence peddling scheme.”

Comer also expressed confidence that the DOJ would make arrests and bring criminal charges against individuals tied to alleged fraud in Minnesota in 2026.

“Has the Justice Department done enough?” Herridge asked.

“Well, I would like to see more. I’m an optimistic person. And I believe that they’re working very hard. And I know the president has a lot of confidence in Pam Bondi,” Comer responded. “So hopefully they will be more successful in prosecuting some of these people that we’ve provided congressional evidence that have broken the law.”

Herridge showed Comer a widely circulated chart that noted the lack of arrests connected to various scandals that Republicans have focused on, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russiagate.

“Is that what accountability looks like?” she asked.

“That’s the biggest complaint of every Republican on the House Oversight Committee is there haven’t been enough arrests,” Comer said. “Now, some of those issues I don’t know. It’s going to be hard to arrest people.”

Comer also highlighted the committee’s investigation into the Biden administration’s use of an autopen, which concluded that pardons and executive orders signed during the former president’s final year in office should be deemed null and void. While President Donald Trump asserted the documents were “terminated” in a Truth Social post following the investigation and Bondi announced a probe into the issue on X, Comer said further legal action was required.

“I don’t believe the paperwork’s ever been done. And you’re still going to have to go to court for that. But our congressional investigation will serve as basis to uphold the declaration of those pardons and executive orders being declared null and void,” Comer said. “Someone from the Department of Justice just has to take it to court.”

He added that the lack of action was “very frustrating.”

Herridge posted a DOJ spokesperson’s response to Comer’s disappointment on X on Thursday.

“We appreciate Chairman Comer’s leadership and oversight. Unfortunately, longstanding federal law Rule 6(e) governing grand jury secrecy prohibits the Department from discussing the existence or details of pending criminal investigations,” the spokesperson wrote.

“What would materially help the Department carry out its mission is swift action by the Senate to confirm the President’s nominees. More than a year into this administration, critical DOJ positions remain unfilled,” the spokesperson added. “We also urge Congress to address the growing problem of activist judges who are undermining the President’s lawful agenda.”

https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/09/james-comer-says-pam-bondi-letting-criminal-referrals-collect-dust-despite-house-oversight-probes/

National Party Deputy Gladis Aurora Lopez Calderon of the Honduran Congress was seriously wounded when a grenade detonated near her head at the National Congress Thursday, multiple outlets reported.

“We’re arriving at the emergency room, I’m in a lot of pain. I’m deaf in one ear, I think the cameras captured me being pushed out. I have to ask Human Rights to protect me,” Lopez said after the attack.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2009381307759861898

Note they don't mention they're Jewish when they're committing crimes!

Soros-Linked Philadelphia District Attorney Threatens ICE Agents: ‘I Will Charge You with Those Crimes’

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania District Attorney Larry Krasner (D), linked to billionaire George and Alex Soros’s left-wing donor network, is threatening Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with arrest and conviction if they “come to Philly to commit crimes.”

“If any law enforcement agent, any ICE agent, is going to come to Philly to commit crimes, they need to get the eff out of here,” Krasner said during a press conference. “Because if you do that here, I will charge you with those crimes, you will be arrested, you will stand trial, you will be convicted, whether it’s in state or federal court.”

He continued:

And you will do your time because Donald Trump cannot pardon you for a state court conviction. Do you hear me, ICE agents? Do you hear me, National Guard? Do you hear me, military? You’re going to jail if you commit crimes in the city of Philadelphia. You will be accountable. The law applies to all of you. And I know that there are honest, decent, moral law enforcement out there by the bushel, including at ICE. This is not for you. This is for any one of your colleagues who thinks they are above the law. [Emphasis added]

https://twitter.com/i/status/2009388323328987621

Israeli Forces Kill 15 Palestinians, Including Five Children, in Attacks Across Gaza

One victim was an 11-year-old girl who was shot in the head in Jabalia

Israeli forces on Thursday significantly ramped up attacks across Gaza in violation of the US-backed ceasefire deal, killing at least 15 Palestinians, including five children, the Palestinian news agency WAFA has reported.

Israeli attacks on Thursday included the bombing of a tent in the al-Mawasi camp in southern Gaza near Khan Younis, killing at least four people, including children, whose bodies were burned by the attack.

WAFA reported that a separate Israeli strike hit Khan Younis, killing one person, and another tent was bombed by Israeli forces near Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. In Jabalia, northern Gaza, Israeli forces bombed a school-turned-shelter, killing at least one Palestinian, and an 11-year-old girl, Hamsa Hosou, was shot in the head during an assault by IDF troops.

“Israeli troops combed the area, and heavy shooting [began],” Hosou’s uncle told Al Jazeera. “I began to run to the floor where Hamsa, my niece, lives. I saw Hamsa lying on the floor and the blood coming out of her nose and mouth. I knew a gunshot hit her head.”

On Thursday night, more Israeli strikes hit the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza and the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, killing six more people.

The IDF claimed on Thursday that one of the strikes it launched targeted what it said was the site of a failed rocket launch, but it provided no evidence for its assertion. The IDF also said that the alleged failed rocket launch was a “ceasefire violation,” but it has been conducting daily ceasefire violations.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that since the ceasefire deal was signed, the IDF has killed at least 425 Palestinians and wounded 1,206. If the deaths reported by WAFA are confirmed by the ministry, which counts bodies that are brought to hospitals and morgues, the death toll will climb to 434.

https://news.antiwar.com/2026/01/08/israeli-forces-kill-nine-palestinians-including-five-children-in-attacks-across-gaza/

>>24097870

An Introduction to Fifth Generation Warfare

What is 5GW?

William Lind’s generations of warfare model goes something like this:

The concept of Fifth Generation Warfare itself is controversial, with Lind arguing against it saying that

4GW “had yet to fully materialize”. We argue that what is happening in modern conflict today is

so radically different from the 4th generation framework that it’s time to enter the fifth

generation. (We were so convinced that we had to write the Wikipedia article on it ourselves,

despite it now being heavily redacted. Many of the key elements we have added here.)

Our favourite definition of Fifth Generation Warfare is featured in Abbot’s “Handbook of 5GW”,

2010, stating that “The very nature of Fifth Generation Warfare is that it is difficult to define.”

Besides the fact that defining a subject based on it being difficult to define is counterintuitive, Abbot

adds that 5GW is a war of “information and perception”.

5GW is a war of information and perception.

We at Radio Research have evolved the definition, stating that Fifth Generation Warfare is defined

by data-driven, non-kinetic military action designed to take advantage of existing cognitive

biases and create new cognitive biases. Or as Abbott and Rees/Herring describe, “the deliberate

manipulation of an observer’s context in order to achieve a desired outcome.”

Fifth-generation warfare technologies have advanced to the point that when applied correctly, their

very use has been concealed. As we will describe further below in the Attribution Problem, in many

cases simply understanding who is behind a 5GW attack is impossible.

This means that a Fifth Generation Warfare conflict can be fought and won without a single bullet being fired, or even most of the population knowing that a war is taking place. The following technologies and

techniques are often associated with 5GW. What’s important to note is that these technologies may

be used to heavily influence, or completely remove the need for kinetic combat:

Misinformation (Data Driven)

Deepfakes

Cyberattacks

Honeypots

Social engineering

Social media manipulation (Data Driven)

Decentralized and highly non attributable psychological warfare (memes, fake news)

Mass surveillance

Open-source intelligence

Commercially available Social media analytics

Open source and grey market Data Sets

Commercially available Satellite / SA imagery

Commercially available Electromagnetic intelligence

Cryptographic backdoors

Electronic warfare, with the rapid reduction in cost and availability thereof

Open source encryption/ DeFi / Community technology

Low cost Radios / SDRs

Quantum computers? (unclear if being used yet at scale)

Abbot finished his description of 5GW quite elegantly, quoting Clarke’s third law; “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

In Summary 5GW:

Is a war of information and perception

Targets existing cognitive biases of individuals and organizations

Creates new cognitive biases (social engineering)

Is different from classical warfare for the following reasons:

Focuses on the individual observer / decision maker

Is difficult or impossible to attribute

Nature of the attack is concealed

Below we will describe where current frameworks for warfare begin to unravel, and what we can do next.

Origins

The origins of 5GW as mentioned before are hotly contested, as data driven warfare combined with

propaganda date back at least to the end of WWII. Some of the best work in the space happened

around this time.

For our analysis, we focus on how networked mobile computing and big data analytics are being

used to drive decision making on a societal scale. While the “Handbook of 5GW” alludes to early

examples, the book was published before one of the most disruptive societal events had happened

since 9/11.

More

https://greydynamics.com/an-introduction-to-fifth-generation-warfare/

The Shift: Activists launching anti-AIPAC ads ahead of midterms

Gaza. The Israel Lobby. U.S. support for occupation, apartheid, and genocide. These subjects will play a significant role in the midterm elections, and groups like AIPAC are already adapting to a reality where most voters view them as a problem.

Gaza. The Israel Lobby. U.S. support for occupation, apartheid, and genocide.

These subjects, and related ones, will undoubtedly play a significant role in the midterm elections like never before.

Groups like AIPAC are already adapting to a reality where most voters view them as a problem.

“They are fully aware their brand is in the toilet,” former Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL) recently told The Intercept.

“AIPAC is thought of toxically across the nation,” she continued. “On doors, when you knock and go to canvasses and go to speaking engagements here, standard rank-and-file centrist Dems are like, ‘No, no more AIPAC and no more corporate PACs.’”

As reporter Akela Lacy notes in that piece, AIPAC is taking a quieter approach and strategically adapting so that it can influence the upcoming elections without getting its fingerprints everywhere.

On the other side of the issue, AIPAC detractors have no reason to conceal their intentions.

The New Arab reports that Corey Archibald and Casey Kennedy, the individuals behind the popular Track AIPAC Twitter account, the Track AIPAC website, and co-founders of the group Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption, are launching a series of street ads to expose AIPAC funding ahead of the midterms.

The Track AIPAC website calls on candidates to reject AIPAC money, for Democrats to disqualify super PAC spending in their primary elections, for the DOJ to enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which would require AIPAC to register as a foreign agent, and for Congress to approve a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United ruling.

AIPAC enters this new era with a new spokesperson, as Marshall Wittmann just retired after 13 years on the job. The lobbying group has given the position to Deryn Sousa, who has worked at the organization for a decade.

In a 2016 Times of Israel blog post, Sousa reflected on a university trip to Israel for non-Jewish students:

I was sitting in the Jewish homeland, at the Christian site of Jesus’ burial, with the faint sound of the Muslim call to prayer in the background. My three worlds came together at this exact moment: my Christian faith, my pro-Israel work for the Jewish cause, and my passion for my Arabic studies. In that moment, all three religions coexisted.

In Israel there is never truly peace. Threats of terrorism are everywhere and tensions do exist, but Israel still makes it work. The people are making it work – living side-by-side, ensuring that another Yad Vashem will never need to be built again. Not for Jews, not for Christians, and not for Arabs.

I am truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to experience the miracle of Israel, and develop my own personal connection to it.

Dan Goldman

New York’s 10th congressional district is one race where Israel is already coming up.

Rep. Dan Goldman faces a primary challenge from Brad Lander, whose support for Mamdani helped boost him to a mayoral victory.

In his first campaign ad Lander declared he wouldn’t “do AIPAC’s bidding,” an obvious reference to Goldman’s ardent support for Israel.

Goldman is currently trying to thread the needle, by publicly supporting the country while criticizing Netanyahu.

“My stance has been and continues to be that we need to find a pathway for a two-state solution, so that both Israelis and Palestinians can live with self-determination, security, and prosperity,” he told a reporter during an event kicking off his reelection campaign.

“I have a very strong support for the State of Israel and its right to exist as a Jewish state, the only Jewish state in the world,” he added. “But I have voiced my serious opposition to the Israeli government.”

When asked directly whether Israel was committing a genocide in Gaza, Goldman said the question was an open one.

“We just don’t know enough,” he told a reporter. “From my perspective, I think there were some horrific things done in Gaza. What you call it is more of a legal matter, in my view.”

In a recent piece in the New York Times, Goldman concedes that his support for Israel could hurt him in the election, as Israel’s brand has clearly soured among Democratic voters. However, he told the paper that he has done “what I genuinely thought was best for the state of Israel, the people of Israel, Palestinian civilians and the future state of Palestine.”

AIPAC was Goldman’s top contributor during his last campaign.

https://mondoweiss.net/2026/01/the-shift-activists-launching-anti-aipac-ads-ahead-of-midterms/

Somaliland could host Israeli military base, says official

Hargeisa foreign ministry tells Israeli media that military base is being discussed, days after official denials of such a move

A Somaliland official has reportedly said that the breakaway region could host an Israeli military base, despite a previous denial that it would make such a move.

Last month, Israel became the first country to officially recognise Somaliland as a state.

Following the decision, Somaliland authorities officially denied an accusation by Somalia that their state would accept Palestinians forcibly displaced from Gaza, or that it would host an Israeli military base on its soil.

However, Israeli media reported on Thursday that a base was being discussed.

Israel's Channel 12 news cited Deqa Qasim, an official in Hargeisa’s foreign ministry, as saying that a military base was being spoken about, though it would depend upon the content of an agreement between both sides, following the opening of mutual embassies.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/somaliland-could-host-israeli-military-base-says-official

"Appalling" Debanking Explodes To Record High In Britain

An estimated 453,230 accounts were shut down in the United Kingdom in the last year, a stunning figure that has drawn outrage from the country’s leading conservative lawmaker

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the shocking figure “appalling” and slammed European rules that he believes "makes it cheaper for banks to close accounts over unusual transactions.” Farage, who was elected to the British Parliament in 2024 and leads the conservative populist Reform Party, is no stranger to debanking, having had his accounts closed by Coutts in 2023.

So what’s the banks' excuse? “Financial crime reasons,” they said, according to documents obtained by The Telegraph under Freedom of Information rules.

The Telegraph reports:

It comes ahead of the introduction of new rules which will force lenders to give customers longer before they close accounts – at least 90 days’ notice – as well as offer clearer explanations of why they shut the accounts.

But the requirements will only apply to accounts opened after April 28 this year and will be subject to exemptions to allow banks to comply with financial crime rules.Financial institutions are allowed to close accounts for commercial reasons, and if they suspect criminal activity. There is no legal right to a bank account in the UK, unlike in countries such as France and Belgium.

Banks have faced criticism over their failure to explain to customers exactly why accounts have been closed. This is often blamed on anti-money laundering and other financial crime rules which lenders must follow.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/appalling-debanking-explodes-record-high

Huckabee: Israel will 'coordinate with US,' but make its own decision on renewed Iran airstrikes

Israel will make its own decision regarding airstrikes on Iran, with coordination between leaders but independent choices based on each nation's interests, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee told KAN News.

Israel will make its own decision whether or not to renew airstrikes on Iran, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee told KAN News on Thursday.

“I think this is something that was certainly part of the discussions between [US President Donald] Trump and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, and they will act in coordination, through dialogue and consultation with one another,” Huckabee said, referring to the leaders’ meeting at Mar-a-Lago last week.

“What they will do, what the United States will do, and what Israel will do will be decisions that each nation makes independently, and they will be made for the benefit of each one’s interests, in Israel’s case for Israel, and in the United States’ case for the United States,” he added.

A discussion regarding a possible Israeli strike came after the Islamic Republic had been recently shaken by civil protests, which threatened the regime's stability.

“When you think about the number of terrible things that have happened to human beings around the globe, what was felt especially here in Israel after October 7, and that the central planning for it came from Iran, then let’s hope this will be the year in which the Iranian people say: ‘We’ve had enough,’” Huckabee affirmed.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-882829

34 arrests in Spain during action against the ‘Black Axe’ criminal organisation

Criminal network engaged in a multitude of criminal activities and present in dozens of countries

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), in close cooperation with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and with the support of Europol, has conducted an operation against the international criminal organisation ‘Black Axe’. The action resulted in 34 arrests and significant disruptions to the group's activities. Black Axe is a highly structured, hierarchical group with its origins in Nigeria and a global presence in dozens of countries. The core group of arrested suspects consists of 10 individuals of Nigerian nationality.

The criminal network is known for its involvement in a wide range of criminal activities, including cyber-enabled fraud, drug trafficking, human trafficking and prostitution, kidnapping, armed robbery and fraudulent spiritual practices. The group's annual criminal proceeds are estimated to be in the billions of euros, generated through many small-scale operations that collectively have a significant impact.

Arrests and further investigations

A total of 34 people were arrested in Spain, with 28 arrests carried out in Seville, as well as 3 in Madrid, 2 in Málaga and 1 in Barcelona. Investigators believe that the criminal network is responsible for fraud resulting in damages exceeding EUR 5.93 million. Over the course of the operation, authorities have frozen EUR 119 352 in bank accounts and seized EUR 66 403 in cash during house searches.

The cross-border collaboration between Germany and Spain included Spanish investigators receiving analytical support, the exchange of intelligence, and the deployment of two German officers on-site during the action day. The operation targeted the core group of the organised crime network, which recruits money mules in impoverished areas with high unemployment rates. Most of these vulnerable individuals are of Spanish nationality and are exploited to facilitate the network’s criminal activities.

This operation was supported by Europol through a range of services, including information analysis, a data sprint held in Madrid, and on-the-spot support. Europol has been instrumental in mapping the group's structure across countries, centralising information, sharing relevant intelligence packages, and supporting coordinated national investigations. This strategy aims to disrupt the group’s operations and seize assets, addressing the challenges posed by the group's dispersed small cases, cross-border activity, and the blurring of crimes into ‘ordinary’ local offences.

Background on Black Axe

Black Axe, formally linked to the Neo-Black Movement of Africa, is a highly structured, hierarchical group with a global presence. It divides its territory into approximately 60 zones in Nigeria and 35 abroad, with about 200 members per zone. In total, the organisation has roughly 30 000 registered members, and countless affiliated individuals such as money mules and facilitators. The group enforces strict codes of conduct, violent and ritualistic initiations, and spiritual practices.

https://youtu.be/9IVJkjOv5UE

Seattle Judge Blocks Health Department From Rejecting Head Start Grants With DEI Terms

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must stop requiring that grant applications not include terms related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including the term “pregnant people,” under a new order from a federal judge.

They are also enjoined from firing any more Office of Head Start employees and closing regional offices.

HHS has said it does not comment on litigation.

The decision “ensures that Head Start providers can provide early education to children from diverse communities and backgrounds without the constant threat of being punished simply for following the requirements of the law,” Jennie Mauer, executive director of the Wisconsin Head Start Association, said in a statement.

Head Start is a federally funded program that provides care across some 17,711 centers to about 750,000 children from low-income families.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union over several actions taken by HHS in response to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025, executive order banning “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility“ and the “indoctrination of gender ideology.”

HHS, in an updated policy on grants, required applicants to certify they would not operate programs that advance DEI or discriminatory ideology.

According to court filings, HHS later returned applications with instructions to remove certain terms, including the terms “pregnant people,” “chestfeeding,” and “diversity.”

HHS also said that a Head Start center on an American Indian reservation in Washington state should remove eligibility criteria, which prioritized children from Indian families.

“Based on these instructions from the Office of Head Start, the program does not know what criteria it is supposed to use to determine enrollment for the program going forward,” Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start and Early Childhood Assistance and Education Program, said in a filing.

The defendants told Martinez that they withdrew the certification requirement, making that challenge moot, and that plaintiffs had not shown the requirement, the mandated removal of DEI terms, and layoffs at the Office of Head Start caused the plaintiffs harm.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/seattle-judge-blocks-health-department-rejecting-head-start-grants-dei-terms

‘Emerging integrity issues’: Home Affairs tightens visa scrutiny for India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan

Australia has quietly launched a crackdown on international students from several countries after a “concerning” rise in fraudulent applications.

International students from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan will face heightened visa scrutiny after the federal government quietly moved the South Asian nations into the highest-risk category on Thursday citing “emerging integrity issues”.

The four countries, which together accounted for nearly one third of all international student enrolments last year, have been moved from Evidence Level 2 to Evidence Level 3 in a “highly unusual” out-of-cycle change, said former Immigration Department deputy secretary Dr Abul Rizvi.

A Home Affairs spokesman confirmed that “on January 8, 2026, Evidence Levels (EL) of several countries in South Asia were altered”.

“This change will assist with the effective management of emerging integrity issues, while continuing to facilitate genuine students seeking a quality education in Australia,” he said.

“The Australian government wants all students to have a positive study experience during their stay in Australia and receive a high-quality education. It is important that Australia’s international education system and Student Visa Program has the right settings to provide international students with confidence they are investing in the best possible education.”

The change comes after Julian Hill, Assistant Minister for International Education, met with Home Affairs officials on the ground during a trip to India last month.

Under the Australia’s Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), countries and providers are assigned an EL based on a number of factors including rate of refusals due to fraud or other reasons, rate of visa cancellations, rate of student visa holders becoming unlawful non-citizens, and rate of subsequent refugee applications.

An EL3 rating means visa applicants and providers must show comprehensive documentation on financial capacity and academic history.

“Essentially the higher the Evidence Level, the more the visa processing officer relies on the word of the provider [to vouch for the applicant],” Dr Rizvi said.

“As you move to higher risk levels more documentation is required, there is more manual input into looking at the documentation and behind the documentation. They will ring institutions to check transcripts, they might contact the bank to [verify financial statements].”

Ratings are typically revised around the middle of the year based on the prior year’s data.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/emerging-integrity-issues-home-affairs-tightens-visa-scrutiny-for-india-nepal-bangladesh-and-bhutan/news-story/dac0730bac1a1479dc58e1f7ac01c7f1