Summary

Rubio: The "ultimate deal" is the denuclearization of Iran, while Omani talks focus on reopening Hormuz.

Stalemate persists: Iran refuses nuclear negotiations until the conflict ends, leaving both sides far apart.

Deal optimism sees oil slide: Brent fell below $80 on reports of progress in Oman-mediated Hormuz talks.

Bessent claims a Hormuz agreement could come "today or tomorrow".

Major doubts remain given Iran denies formal talks, security risks persist and the reported Oman plan could leave Tehran with broad control over Hormuz traffic.

Laura Loomer is fighting a losing war against reality itself

Her attack on multipolarity mistakes a shift in global power for a plot, confusing structural change with hostile intent

Laura Loomer’s recent condemnation of multipolarity marks one of the clearest attempts within the American Right to define the emerging new international order as an existential threat rather than an inevitable transformation. Her arguments deserve careful examination, not because they are unique, but because they reflect assumptions that have become increasingly common in debates about the future of global power.

Loomer presents her first argument in the simplest possible terms. She claims that multipolarity exists to destroy American supremacy. According to her, Russia promotes the doctrine because it seeks the decline of the United States, while China, Iran, and other governments adopt the same language for the same reason. In her account, multipolarity is not a description of the international system but a political weapon aimed directly at Washington. The disappearance of American predominance therefore becomes the central objective of every state that speaks of a multipolar world.

This argument mistakes consequence for intention. Multipolarity does not begin with hostility towards America. It begins with the observation that the distribution of power has already changed. China possesses industrial capacity on a scale unseen in modern history. India has become a continental power with global ambitions. Russia remains one of the world’s foremost military powers despite unprecedented sanctions. Regional actors such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Indonesia, and others increasingly pursue independent policies rather than automatic alignment with Washington. These developments did not emerge because someone wrote books about multipolarity. The books appeared because the balance of power was already shifting. The decline of unipolarity is therefore not a revolutionary program but a recognition of political reality. No empire has remained permanently dominant. History moves through changing distributions of power, and every generation mistakes its own arrangements for permanent truths until events prove otherwise.

Loomer’s second argument portrays multipolarity as an alliance between Russia, China, Iran, Islamist movements, and other governments united by hatred of the West. She presents these actors as members of a single ideological front whose common purpose is the destruction of Western civilization. Under this interpretation, every state that speaks of multipolarity belongs to the same hostile camp regardless of its own interests or historical experience.

This confuses coincidence with unity. The countries commonly associated with multipolarity frequently disagree on questions of territory, economics, religion, and regional influence. India maintains strategic rivalry with China while participating in organizations that include Beijing. Turkey remains a NATO member while purchasing Russian military equipment. Saudi Arabia cooperates with Washington while simultaneously expanding relations with Moscow and Beijing. Iran and Russia share interests in some regions but not in every sphere. Brazil follows its own priorities, while Indonesia pursues another course entirely. There exists no single ideological headquarters directing these governments towards one objective. What unites them is not identical beliefs but the desire to preserve greater freedom of action. Multipolarity does not require permanent friendship among its participants. It merely assumes that several independent centers of power exist simultaneously.

Loomer’s third argument claims that multipolarity functions primarily as Russian propaganda. According to her, Moscow employs information campaigns, media personalities, and sympathetic commentators to persuade Western audiences that American leadership should end. The doctrine therefore appears as little more than a sophisticated psychological operation.

https://www.rt.com/news/643834-laura-loomer-war-reality/

Apple Demands Forensics, Injunction On OpenAI - Which Fired Back Hours Later

Apple went to a federal judge on Monday with a sweeping demand in its case against OpenAI - in which two former Apple employees stand accused of funneling confidential information to the ChatGPT maker.

Apple wants an order barring OpenAI, io Products, Chang Liu, and Tang Yew Tan from touching its alleged trade secrets, plus forensic imaging of OpenAI's devices, cloud storage, email, and Slack, including anything that "previously contained" Apple data. The motion landed before Judge Edward J. Davila - yes, the Theranos judge - in the Northern District of California.

OpenAI fired back Monday night in a blog post titled "Apple is getting this wrong," calling the suit "careless, aggressive and oddly personal" and publishing email chains and iMessage screenshots to back it. Both sides have now put their evidence on the table, and the two accounts are irreconcilable.

"Apple is one of the greatest companies of all time, and built a reputation for obsessing over the smallest details. This careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit sadly doesn't live up to that reputation," the company posted.

As we reported last month, Apple sued on July 10, accusing OpenAI hardware chief Tan - a 24-year Apple veteran and former VP of product design for iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch - and former senior electrical engineer Liu of running a scheme to funnel confidential hardware information to OpenAI. The complaint says more than 400 former Apple employees now work there. It was randomly assigned to a magistrate judge before Apple declined to consent, sending it to Davila. Apple's statement then: significant evidence had emerged that OpenAI employees wrongfully took its secret information on unreleased technologies. Monday's motion is the escalation, and it is far more specific than the complaint was.

After suing, Apple sent OpenAI a letter offering to stand down on injunctive relief if OpenAI would agree to five things:

No future access, acquisition, use, disclosure, or solicitation of Apple trade secret information

Halt any ongoing access or use

Preserve relevant evidence

"Permit Apple's counsel and third-party forensic analysts to inspect, image, and analyze all devices, storage drives, and accounts in OpenAI's possession, custody, or control that contain, or previously contained, any of Apple's confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information"

"Search any OpenAI network location where any Apple proprietary and trade secret information may have been transferred or stored"

Per the motion, "OpenAI initially responded that it would be willing to agree to the first three items." Then, over more than two weeks of negotiations between the companies and their outside counsel, talks on items four and five went nowhere: "they could not reach agreement."

Translation: OpenAI would promise not to use Apple's secrets. It would not let Apple's lawyers image its machines. So Apple is now asking a federal judge to order it.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/apple-demands-forensics-injunction-openai-which-fired-back-hours-later

Musk-Backed Farage Rival Rupert Lowe Admits to Working With Establishment ‘Conservative’ Party.

Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore Britain party, denied claims by Nigel Farage that he has fallen out with the establishment Conservative Party, inadvertently confirming ongoing cooperation.

Rupert Lowe, leader of the Elon Musk-backed Restore Britain party, has denied claims by Nigel Farage of a falling out with the establishment Conservative (Tory) Party, confirming that he has been in contact with anti-populist Tory leader Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke “Kemi” Badenoch, and that there is “no issue” between them.

“[There was] some extraordinary comment from Nigel [Farage] about me falling out with the Tories… I have been in touch with Kemi, and as far as I’m aware and she’s aware, there’s no issue there,” Lowe told Dan Wootton during a YouTube interview on Monday.

Lowe also confirmed the Tories have been boosting him since he was ousted from Farage’s Reform party after an independent investigation found there were “credible” allegations he and his team were bullying female staff. “I mean, the reason I set up a movement [Restore Britain] was to try and unite the right, initially, and it served its purpose in that the Tories put me on the Public Accounts Committee, which is arguably the most powerful committee in Parliament,” he boasted.

Lowe’s comments will undermine his efforts to present himself and Restore as a more right-wing offering than Farage and Reform, given the Tories’ responsibility for the unprecedented “Boriswave” of mass migration prior to losing office to the incumbent Labour Party in 2024. Badenoch, who was raised in Nigeria and describes herself as a “first-generation immigrant,” was a government minister when the Tories were opening the country’s borders, actively lobbying to remove caps on the annual influx of migrant workers and foreign students, and publicly thanking the government for doing so in Parliament.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/08/04/musk-backed-farage-rival-rupert-lowe-admits-to-working-with-establishment-conservative-party/

https://www.antiwar.com/

Board of Peace appears to shift terms for IDF pullback after meeting PM; Gaza airstrike reported

Days after Mladenov said withdrawal must move ‘in lockstep’ with Hamas laying down weapons, Board of Peace now says pullback beyond Yellow Line will only occur after disarmament

The US-backed Board of Peace appeared to change its conditions for the IDF to withdraw from Gaza after its top officials held a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, shortly before a fresh Israeli airstrike was reported in the enclave.

“Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons and the tunnels alike,” the Board of Peace, meant to oversee postwar Gaza, said in a statement confirming a Jerusalem meeting between its high representative Nickolay Mladenov, its senior adviser Aryeh Lightstone and Netanyahu.

The Yellow Line is the border demarcated in the October 2025 ceasefire, which roughly split Gaza between zones of Israeli and Hamas control. Since then, the IDF has taken more territory and now controls more than 60% of Gaza.

Israel was expected to initially pull back to the Yellow Line under the terms of a deal to disarm Hamas that was announced last week, a Board of Peace official told The Times of Israel last week, though Monday’s statement does not specify that.

An earlier version of the Board of Peace statement spoke of the “full withdrawal of the IDF.” That suggested that some IDF pullbacks beyond the Yellow Line could take place before the entire disarmament process is complete — as was specified in the Board of Peace’s proposal last week.

But “full” was removed from the Monday Board of Peace statement minutes after it was published.

Regardless, both versions appeared to contradict what Mladenov said last week, when he asserted that “Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.”

The apparent shift appeared to be part of the Board of Peace’s efforts to get Israel on board with its disarmament plan, after officials in Jerusalem insisted that no IDF withdrawals would take place until after the full disarmament of Hamas was complete, taking issue with the plan’s envisioning of a phased disarmament and withdrawal process.

But the apparent change to the disarmament terms risks losing Hamas, which only agreed to the original sequencing.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/board-of-peace-appears-to-shift-terms-for-idf-pullback-after-meeting-pm-gaza-airstrike-reported/

Lancet study claims USAID saved 92 million lives. Basic math shows it is nonsense

Lancet paper from 2025 said USAID stopped nearly 92 million deaths over 20 years.

• It also projected more than 14 million extra deaths by 2030 if funding stayed cut, including 4.5 million children.

• NPR BBC AP NBC New Yorker Washington Post all ran with the numbers.

• Ro Khanna cited the 4.5 million kids figure and said Musk possibly sentenced them to death.

• Global death rate fell a lot from 2001 to 2021. If the old rate held, about 79 million extra people would have died.

• Study claims USAID saved more than the entire drop plus another 13 million.

• China alone drove most of the mortality decline and got almost no USAID money.

• Least developed countries that got the most USAID per person saw death rates rise.

• Authors used dummy variables to erase years when mortality went up and funding did not.

• They dropped over 100 countries from the data.

• Critics say it is pure correlation dressed up as impact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4eQZdxlPCU

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/lancet-study-claims-usaid-saved-92-million-lives-basic-math-shows-it-is-nonsense/

Huge Uptick In Israeli Airstrikes On Gaza Since Trump Hailed 'Historic' Hamas Deal

Middle East regional media has reported a huge uptick in Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip since President Trump announced a "historic" agreement which Hamas finally signed on to.

The agreement would result in a phased complete disarmament of Hamas and the handing over of governance to newly proposed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) - a body designed to replace both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

However, fighting has persisted, with Al Jazeera reporting that at least 19 Palestinians killed on Saturday in Israeli attacks and that the total deal toll from the weekend is now 26 people, including women and children.

Israel continues to express skepticism in the face of Washington's recent optimism:

Despite Hamas agreeing to a phased disarmament, Israel’s government says it has “serious security concerns” about the plan, and there has been strong resistance from Israeli politicians to the deal.

The continued bombardment of Gaza, contributing to Israel’s continued breaches of October’s “ceasefire” agreement, will likely threaten Trump’s peace plan and exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation for Palestinians in the enclave.

Reuters had on Sunday reported an entire day of fresh IDF bombardment on Gaza.

"Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least 18 Palestinians, medics said, ​despite U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year's ceasefire agreement," Reuters wrote.

"From dawn, Israeli warplanes hit Gaza City in the north, the central city of Deir ‌al-Balah and the southern area of Khan Younis, causing the biggest daily death toll in weeks, according to Palestinian health officials," it added.

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen issued the Netanyahu government's view on Sunday: "In the deal we signed with the United States, our stance is that Hamas must be dismantled. This is the first thing ⁠that must happen."

Cohen expressed that Israeli is "very skeptical" that Hamas would actually disarm. And PM Netanyahu's office said: "The most important concern for Israel is that nothing can happen ​before Hamas completely and truly disarms."c

So while the US and regional leaders are busy celebrating and hailing the plan, the proverbial devil will be in the details and in the process - and needless to say a lot could go wrong.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/huge-uptick-israeli-airstrikes-gaza-trump-hailed-historic-hamas-deal

India steps up arms supplies to Israel, sent almost 3,000 arms consignments since October 7

India ranks second in the world's defense importers after Ukraine, and the subcontinent is the most prominent customer of Israel's defense industries

The focus on the defense relationship between Israel and India is usually on Israeli exports. However, a new report by Amnesty International reveals a new angle, showing that no fewer than 2,596 shipments of weapons, ammunition, parts and components were transferred from India to Israel between October 7, 2023 and November 30, 2025.

The roots of these supplies lie in the activities of Israeli defense companies, led by Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael, which have adapted to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Made in India" policy. This policy is intended to increase local independence, and in recent years India has even tightened the self-reliance requirements and set a threshold of at least 50% local production.

This situation has not affected India's position as the most prominent customer of Israel's defense industries. Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that about 29% of Israel's defense exports in 2021-2025 were to India, which remained Israel's number one defense export destination despite the huge deal to sell the Arrow 3 system to Germany for $3.5 billion. 21% of Israel's defense exports between 2021-2025 were to Germany, SIPRI reports.

SIBAT (International Defense Cooperation Directorate) at the Ministry of Defense data show that Israeli defense exports in those years totaled $71 billion.

From India to the Mediterranean

The Israeli seen as the central figure leading the defense relationship with India is Ministry of Defense director general Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram. Last June, he paid a working visit to India, where he met with the Minister of Defense, the Secretary of Defense, and other senior officials. About a week later, at the Herzliya conference, he explained, "The war has sharpened the cost of Iranian empowerment for all parties in the region. It has created an identity of interests to form a broader alliance — from India, through the UAE to Greece and Cyprus."

In some cases, Amnesty has been able to locate the Israeli customers of shipments from India, most notably Elbit, which received 155mm shells and warheads for the Skystriker — a loitering munition it manufactures that the IDF uses extensively.

What the countries mentioned by Baram have in common is a staunch defense relationship with Israel. Thus, among other things, during the war with Iran earlier this year, Israel sent Iron Dome systems to the UAE. Cyprus operates Israeli-made systems such as IAI's Barak MX and Greece recently decided to procure air defense systems from Israel for around euro3.5 billion.

The shipments continue

As far as India is concerned, an analysis conducted by Amnesty based on official records from New Delhi shows that India has shipped to Israel 390,516 small arms parts, 564,970 explosive ammunition components — such as warheads for drones and artillery shell casings — and 298 military vehicle parts. The analysis of the data did not include shipments for civilian use, or components and ammunition for air defense systems.

Amnesty identified Indian arms and ammunition exports to Israel, including parts and accessories, using international item classifications known as HS codes 93 and 8710. Code 93 includes a wide range of weapons and ammunition, while code 8710 includes armored vehicles, tracked vehicles and related parts. As part of Amnesty's traditional critical tone towards Israel, the report accuses India of having "critical structural failures" in its compliance with international standards, including "Lack of an explicit requirement for human rights due diligence."

Amnesty notes that India abstained from voting on the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty in 2013, and has not joined it since. India's motive lies in its desire to maintain versatility, as also reflected in SIPRI data. India ranks second in the world's defense importers after Ukraine, and the breakdown of Indian imports in 2021-2025 illustrates the diversity of its interests, with Russia at the top of the list of suppliers with 40%, France with 29%, and Israel with 15%.

Amnesty also notes that despite embargo measures taken by various countries against Israel, it continued to benefit from arms shipments from countries such as the US and Germany. Surprisingly, arms shipments in some cases also passed through countries like Slovenia and France, even though President Emmanuel Macron is pursuing an aggressive policy against Israel's defense industries.

https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-904501

Trump just posted again saying the U.S. and Iran are currently negotiating. Iran said no. Pakistan said no. US officials said no.

Trump said talks with Iran “are going on right now” and that negotiations would begin Monday after he called off a planned massive attack. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said no negotiations with the United States are taking place and none are scheduled. The only talks Iran confirms are with Oman about the Strait of Hormuz. US officials told CBS News there are no new or novel negotiations planned, only existing mediated channels. Trump later called Iranian leaders “unbelievably duplicitous.”

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/trump-just-posted-again-saying-the-u-s-and-iran-are-currently-negotiating-iran-said-no-pakistan-said-no-us-officials-said-no/

CBS News live updates — Aug 3 2026

No new negotiations planned, US officials say

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-donald-trump-us-denies-negotiations-begin-strikes-called-off/

Call Off the Iran War. Just Walk Away!

by Ron Paul

After several days of increasing threats against Iran, including social media posts like “FINISH THE JOB!” and “Take the oil. No mercy!,” President Trump has over the weekend called off a planned major escalation in the Middle East. For now.

“The U.S.A. is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II,” he wrote on his social media account. “Despite this, we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to,” he added.

Iran denies any communication with the US and has threatened retaliation against energy infrastructure in the region if its energy infrastructure is attacked. Such destruction could plunge the world into an economic depression.

Iranian retaliation – including against critical water desalination plants – could also depopulate US allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and others. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman personally called President Trump to request he not escalate against Iran.

According to various media articles, the US is running dangerously low on missiles, especially interceptor missiles such as the Patriot system. Our ability to protect our military bases in the Middle East appears to be gone.

Reportedly, President Trump was warned by his top military advisors that a ground operation against Iran would result in a high level of US casualties and would have no guarantee of success. Already the official totals are 18 US service members killed and more than 700 injured in the operation.

Over the weekend the US military completed its evacuation of a major military base in the Kurdish region of Iraq. This follows similar evacuations of virtually every US base in the region, including the home of the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain and “safe” US bases in Jordan.

The entirety of US military power in the region appears to have been relocated to Israel.

The war which was supposed to last a couple of weeks and “pay for itself” is entering into its sixth month and the price tag so far is above $100 billion. A war that was started to thwart an Iranian nuclear threat that according to US Intelligence didn’t exist has become a war to open a waterway – the Hormuz Strait – that was open before the war started.

Things are so bad that, according to the Washington Post, the US general in charge of the US European Command sent a message to senior Pentagon officials “saying that without another Navy destroyer he will be forced to choose defense of the United States ‘homeland’ over that of Israel.” How is defending a foreign country over our own country even a choice?

The US attack on Iran is the most unpopular major US military operation in history and is becoming more unpopular by the day. President Trump’s polling numbers have been dragged down to the low 30s by the conflict. Midterm elections are three months away.

President Trump is rapidly running out of options in his war of choice against Iran. There is no path to victory in the war. It is now only about how to manage defeat. That’s why the Constitution does not allow presidents to start wars on their own.

Get out now. Completely out. The foolish war on Iran must end!

https://original.antiwar.com/paul/2026/08/03/call-off-the-iran-war-just-walk-away/

Dov Hikind tells Israeli TV he spent a 1/2 hour talking with the DOJ's Harmeet Dhillon about launching an investigation into Mayor Mamdani for illegal "incitement" against Jews (through his Israel-critical speech).

He's claiming on X that the DOJ is "on the same page with us."

https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2084607211263631580

Mark Levin flies into a rage over the Trump administration not funneling arms to Iranian protesters.

"They need to be armed! ARM THEM! ARM THEM!!!"

https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2084635968523645078

>>24902815

One Nation's new Victorian leader promoted '15-minute city' conspiracy theory

The new state One Nation leader warned of a debunked "globalist" plot to control Australians.

One Nation's new Victorian leader has promoted a conspiracy theory that the "15-minute city" urban planning model is part of a sinister effort to control how Australians live and move.

Warren Pickering, who has been tapped by Pauline Hanson to head the party's state team, once warned Victorians the "noose is tightening" around every aspect of their lives under a plot led by "unelected globalist bureaucrats" to restrict city movement.

Mr Pickering was this week announced as One Nation's candidate in the seat of Pakenham for the November state election but was the party's Victorian state president when he made the claims about the widely debunked conspiracy theory in Facebook post shared in September 2024.

In the previously unreported comments, Mr Pickering argued the construction of big public transport hubs and high-rise apartment buildings in Melbourne's "sleepy suburbs" were part of a government conspiracy to "control all aspects of your life".

"Under the pretence of 'sustainability,' the powers that be would love to see our populations consolidated into manageable 15-minute zones," he said.

Conspiracy theory experts have warned prominent politicians espousing conspiracy theories could attract disillusioned voters and it was important to clearly debunk myths in that situation.

'Fight of our lives', claims One Nation Victorian leader

Mr Pickering shared several screenshots, including media reports about the livability of cities with shorter commutes, as apparent proof of a "concerted effort" by the United Nations and World Economic Forum to "dictate" social and economic policy.

"The noose is tightening in all aspects of our lives to divide our collective attention efforts," he said.

Mr Pickering claimed Australians were in the "fight of our lives", labelling the impending cashless economy and digital IDs the "ultimate tools of control".

He said the Victorian government's role as a major employer meant people would not be able to "push back" against the "increasingly tyrannical dictatorship" as they depended on the state for food and shelter.

Mr Pickering was contacted for comment.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-05/one-nation-victorian-leader-promoted-conspiracy/106997026

>>24902827

'They want to make us leave': Israel destroys West Bank wells serving Palestinian herders

As first light reaches the scattered tents and animal pens of Ras al-Ahmar in the northern Jordan Valley, the silence is broken only by the cries of thirsty livestock waiting for water that no longer comes.

Days after Israeli forces destroyed three of the Palestinian community's main water wells, residents are scrambling to secure enough water for their families, crops and animals in one of the occupied West Bank's driest regions.

For 60-year-old Ali Bani Odeh, the destruction of the wells was more than merely the loss of infrastructure. A father of four and grandfather of 14, he has spent decades farming and raising livestock to support his family in Ras al-Ahmar.

Now, like dozens of other families, he is uncertain how long they can continue living on the land without a reliable water supply.

"Water is everything for us," Ali told Middle East Eye.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/they-want-make-us-leave-israel-destroys-west-bank-wells-serving-palestinian-herders