Browsing: Tyranny

The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched a sweeping retaliatory operation overnight, striking 82 military targets across four Yemeni provinces after Houthi attacks on two Saudi international airports killed three civilians and wounded 36 others earlier in the week.

The attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia were the deadliest Houthi strikes on Saudi soil since the kingdom began its own bombing of Houthi positions earlier this year.

Three foreigners killed, 36 hurt in strikes on two Saudi airports

According to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the attacks came on Tuesday and Wednesday. At Abha, a Moroccan woman and an Algerian woman who lived in the kingdom were killed, and 28 other people were hurt. At King Khalid, a Sudanese citizen died and eight residents were wounded, among them five Saudis. GACA said it is working with security agencies to assess the damage and protect passengers and workers.

On Thursday, the Houthis said they had struck King Khalid again with a ballistic missile, Reuters reported, but Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm the claim. Around the same time, a New York Times reporter in Riyadh heard several blasts in quick succession, though their cause was unclear. Saudi authorities have recently warned residents of legal consequences for sharing information about missile and drone attacks.

Coalition spokesman announces strikes on missile depots and command centers

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki announced the strikes with a dramatic warning, declaring that “the brutal attacks by the Terrorist Houthi Militia on civilian and civilian objects in the Kingdom… will not go unpunished.” He said coalition forces destroyed 82 targets he described as legitimate military objectives in Saada, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf and Ma’rib.

Among the targets were 11 missile storage sites and several command and communication hubs, the statement said. Al-Maliki also said forces shot down a missile north of Riyadh and wrecked a Sanaa launch site that he said had been used to strike the Saudi capital. The Houthis did not immediately respond to the coalition’s claims.

Nearly 200,000 Yemenis displaced as the 2022 truce gives way to open war

The United Nations said Wednesday that the escalating violence has forced nearly 200,000 Yemenis from their homes since September. The kingdom has been here before. Its air war that began in 2015, meant to return Yemen’s ousted government to Sanaa, set off a conflict that lasted years, led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises before a shaky truce took hold in 2022.

Now, Yemen’s internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi warplanes, has launched a military offensive to retake Red Sea territory from the Houthis, who hold a broad swath of land along the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital sea lane between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The Riyadh airport has been a target before. Coalition forces said they shot down a suspected Houthi ballistic missile aimed at it on Sept. 18, and the next day an explosion was heard nearby as black smoke rose from a fuel storage area. This week, cage-like fencing also went up around Aramco fuel tanks and equipment near the airport.

The United States embassy in Riyadh has issued another security alert urging Americans in the kingdom to stay especially vigilant amid the fighting. That warning is a reminder that a conflict half a world away is no longer abstract. Saudi Arabia’s last air war was meant to restore a government and instead set off a conflict that left hundreds of thousands dead. With a new offensive underway and foreign residents already among the casualties, Washington would be wise to think hard before being drawn into a second round.

Sources for this article include:

SputnikGlobe.com

AlJazeera.com

Reuters.com

NYTimes.com

Ceasefire in jeopardy: Why diplomacy stalls as strikes continue

The official charged with implementing President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan publicly criticized Israel on Wednesday for continuing airstrikes against the Palestinian territory, warning that the alternative to the U.S. proposal is not a stalemate but a “point of no return” for all parties.

Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace high representative, addressed the UN Security Council to clarify that Trump’s 20-point plan “has moved from the negotiating table to the engineering table.” His remarks came as Israeli strikes continued to kill Palestinians, including children, weeks after Hamas agreed to the plan’s central provision: disarmament and the handover of Gaza to a civilian-led administration.

The conflict, sparked by Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, has seen Israel’s military response kill over 73,422 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. A ceasefire took hold in October 2025, but Israel has maintained targeted operations that have killed at least 1,288 Palestinians since then.

The disarmament dilemma

Mladenov confirmed that Hamas has accepted the proposal’s requirement to disarm and transition Gaza to civilian rule. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted his forces will not withdraw from current positions until Hamas hands over all weapons.

“After three years of war and 20 years of military operations, I ask, will another strike on a munitions depot stop Hamas from rearming or tightening its grip on Gaza?” Mladenov told the council. “It will not. It only delays the demilitarization that would happen and obstructs the transfer to a civilian government.”

Israel’s deputy UN ambassador, Noa Furman, reiterated her country’s commitment to Trump’s plan but stressed it “cannot succeed while Hamas remains armed.” She said Israel is working closely with the United States to achieve disarmament. U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz added that concerns about the plan are being addressed and that Hamas’ disarmament “will be judged on its actions.”

Continued violence undermines progress

Despite diplomatic efforts, violence persists. On Monday, Israeli strikes on a building in the Bureij refugee camp killed a 4-year-old child, according to Awda Hospital. A separate strike in Khan Younis killed a 10-year-old girl, Nasser Hospital reported. Israel’s military said it targeted two Hamas weapons storage facilities inside mosques in the Shati refugee camp and Deir al-Balah, claiming they contained Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition.

The attacks follow a meeting last week between Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, during which the U.S. delegation reportedly asked Israel to draw down its military operations. Israel announced strikes on six of the seven days after that meeting.

Mladenov, who also attended the meeting, said the group “went through his government’s concerns one by one and narrowed the areas that still require technical work.” But the gap between the roadmap and reality remains wide.

A fork in the road

Mladenov framed the choice before the international community in stark terms: “A Gaza disarmed, rebuilt and reconnected to the world. Or a Gaza rearmed, divided and in rubble, with a radicalized generation raised inside it and the next war already on the horizon.”

He emphasized that the Trump plan includes a “credible pathway to a political horizon” and a two-state solution—a prospect Netanyahu vehemently opposes. Without political will to bridge the differences, Mladenov warned, a return to full-scale war would leave nothing to rebuild.

“That would not be a setback,” he said. “It would be a point of no return for everyone.”

The clock ticks toward catastrophe

The UN Security Council now faces a critical juncture. With Hamas agreeing to disarm and Israel continuing strikes, the window for a negotiated settlement narrows by the day. Mladenov’s warning carries historical weight: previous ceasefire efforts in Gaza have collapsed under similar tensions, often leading to renewed cycles of destruction and radicalization.

For the United States, which brokered the Trump plan and continues to arm Israel while providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, the contradictions of its own policy risk undermining its credibility as a neutral peace broker. As Mladenov noted, the alternative to a diplomatic resolution is not merely a return to war—it is a point where no diplomatic roadmap remains to guide the way back from catastrophe.

Sources for this article include:

IndiaToday.in

APNews.com

APNews.com

Sailors aboard at least two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers — the USS George HW Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln — have reported shortages of food, water, and soap during extended deployments, according to a report by MeidasTouch. A relative of a sailor on the Bush said the crew has been at sea for 136 days with no end in sight, adding that morale is low and sailors are miserable.

At least two sailors have attempted suicide by jumping overboard, according to family members quoted in Military Times. Family members said sailors on the Lincoln have received no days off and barely enough sleep, with commanding officers telling them to “just worry about today.” A BrightVideos report on the state of U.S. Navy logistics has separately described famine rationing aboard American vessels [1]. The reports follow assessments that U.S. military readiness has eroded despite sustained defense spending [2].

Deployment Extensions Linked to Operations Against Iran

The Lincoln’s roughly 5,000 sailors have been at sea since November, with the deployment extended beyond its scheduled May end to participate in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that began in February, according to family members and the MeidasTouch report. The report stated that no publicly announced return date has been provided for the extended deployments, and the Bush deployment has reportedly reached 136 days with no end in sight.

The deployment extension has left crews exhausted, with no days off and limited time for sleep, according to the report. A wife of a Lincoln sailor said her husband told her they “desperately need more people to speak up about what is happening.”

The Middle East campaign has involved escalating naval operations. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced an “ironclad blockade” of Iran under Operation Epic Fury, according to NaturalNews [3], and President Donald Trump directed the Navy to escort commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a separate report [4]. The Abraham Lincoln was operating in the region when an Iranian drone penetrated U.S. airspace near the carrier, according to BrightVideos reporting [5]. An interview analysis has noted that carrier battle groups cannot be kept on station indefinitely [6].

Living Conditions: Mold, Broken Toilets and Limited Meals

Congressman Mike Levin described a town hall meeting between sailors’ family members and Navy officials in which families reported “moldy showers, broken toilets, no hot water for weeks, meals that came down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas.” A relative of a Bush sailor told MeidasTouch that sailors have “virtually no food, water, or soap.” Sailors on the Lincoln told family members they were getting no days off and were barely allowed to sleep each night, according to the report.

Levin wrote that one family member said the ship’s own doctor warned the crew needs to reach port soon “or people are going to start losing their minds.”

Similar habitability problems have been documented on other carriers. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most advanced carrier at a reported $13 billion, has been described in BrightVideos and NaturalNews reporting as suffering repeated wastewater and toilet system failures, earning the label “Floating Biosludge Hauler” [7][8]. The Ford also endured a 30-hour laundry room fire in March that sickened 200 sailors and forced 600 crew members into damaged quarters, according to NaturalNews [9].

Mental Health Incidents and Congressional Inquiry

At least two sailors have attempted suicide by jumping overboard, according to family members. Annabelle Loma told Military Times that her husband attempted to jump from the Lincoln earlier this month. Loma said her husband fears a dishonorable discharge and that his 13-year career could be ruined because he was burned out.

Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Acting Secretary of the Navy expressing “serious concern” about conditions faced by U.S. sailors. Blumenthal cited “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns,” according to his letter. William O. Foss’s “The United States Navy in Hampton Roads” describes the Atlantic Fleet as maintaining a ready carrier striking force [10].

Outlook and Calls for Accountability

Family members said sailors are urging more people to speak publicly about the conditions and are seeking accountability from commanding officers. Representative Levin said the town hall included families describing sailors so worn down that medical personnel warned of a growing mental health crisis. Separate Navy leadership literature, including Melvin Williams Sr.’s “Navigating the Seven Seas,” describes aligning individual goals with organizational goals as a core leadership practice [11].

The Navy and the War Department have not publicly responded to the specific allegations in the MeidasTouch report. No public timeline has been provided for the return of the extended carriers, according to the report. The USS Gerald R. Ford, which completed a 309-day deployment, is returning to Virginia for repairs, according to NaturalNews [9].

References

1. Mike Adams. “Bright Videos News – HOW THE U.S. EMPIRE ENDS”. BrightVideos.com. April 17, 2026.
2. “Could the US win a war with a near-peer adversary today?”. Responsible Statecraft. February 12, 2026.
3. Patrick Lewis. “US enforces ironclad blockade on Iran in escalating show of force”. NaturalNews.com. April 26, 2026.
4. NaturalNews.com. “Trump’s Hormuz Escort Order is a Desperate, Deadly Gambit That Will Sink America”. March 04, 2026.
5. Mike Adams. “Bright Videos News – REAL THREAT”. BrightVideos.com. February 12, 2026.
6. Mike Adams. “Mike Adams interview with Matt Bracken”. September 26, 2024.
7. Mike Adams. “Health Ranger Report – Toilet Apocalypse”. BrightVideos.com. February 24, 2026.
8. NaturalNews.com. “The Floating Biosludge Hauler How 13 Billion Bought the US Navy a Toilet Apocalypse”. NaturalNews.com. February 24, 2026.
9. Lance D Johnson. “Prominent US aircraft carrier retreats from the Middle East for repairs”. NaturalNews.com. May 01, 2026.
10. William O. Foss. “The United States Navy in Hampton Roads”.
11. Melvin Williams Sr. “Navigating the Seven Seas Leadership Lessons of the First African American Father and Son to Serve at Top in the US”.

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The directive came from the Jammu and Kashmir administration, which is directly appointed by New Delhi. It mandates a full review of all books, journals, supplementary reading material, reference works, periodicals and other educational resources available in libraries or learning resource centers.

According to the order, “No publication containing objectionable, inflammatory or inappropriate content, including any material promoting or glorifying extremism, violence, secessionism, anti-national ideology or otherwise prejudicial to the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the Union of India, shall be procured, recommended, retained, circulated or otherwise made available in the libraries or academic premises of the institutions.”

The region-wide audit was triggered by objections from members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the content of two books distributed to more than 250 schools. These led to the suspension of eight officials and blacklisting of publishers, as reported by Middle East Eye ^[1] and the BBC ^[2].

Background of the Triggered Books and Official Response

The books at the center of the controversy are “Personalities and Legends of Jammu and Kashmir,” written by Hilal Ahmad and Santosh Meena and published by Oberoi Book Service, and “Great Personalities of Jammu and Kashmir,” written by Dr. Sushant Giri and published by Anurag Prakashan, New Delhi. They were distributed to schools under the government-funded Samagra Shiksha scheme.

BJP opposition leader Sunil Sharma said the texts used terminology such as “Indian-occupied Kashmir” and labeled their presence in school libraries “a direct challenge to India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” He branded their inclusion an act of “academic jihad” aimed at indoctrinating young minds, according to Middle East Eye ^[1].

The region’s administrative head, Manoj Sinha, suspended eight officials of the School Education Department and ordered a formal investigation. Both publishers have since been blacklisted, with orders to withdraw any previously published material.

The outrage stemmed from entries in the 240-page book “Personalities and Legends of Jammu and Kashmir” that profiled writers like Salman Rushdie and Hari Kunzru alongside pro-freedom leaders. The book referred to Maqbool Bhat, founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front who was hanged by the Indian Supreme Court, as a “Shaheed” (martyr), and quoted late resistance leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani describing Kashmir as a “disputed region awaiting political resolution under the United Nations.” The contents of the second audited book were not immediately available, the BBC reported ^[2].

Scholars Criticize Audit as Continued Censorship

Kashmiri scholars have characterized the audit as the latest iteration of state-enforced ideological boundaries.

Dr. Ather Zia, professor of anthropology and gender studies at the University of Northern Colorado, told Middle East Eye: “To me, the removal of so-called ‘objectionable material’ is not a new thing but part of a continuity in the long history of censorship and suppressing critical thinking and scholarship in Kashmir. It is meant to reinforce the systemic erasure of grounded knowledges and histories of people.” She added that “democratic engagement in Kashmir” was “a true illusion” and that the system “demands extreme compliance of thought and deed to survive, and has normalized repression” ^[1].

Dean Accardi, a historian at Connecticut College, told Middle East Eye that government censorship “almost always occurs when those in power fear public opposition to their policies or regime altogether. Rather than addressing the sources of the people’s discontent, censorship aims to decrease public knowledge of facts on such matters as well as open public debate, replacing these core constituents of any true, open democracy with propaganda and punishment in the name of ‘security.'”

Goldie Osuri, a sociologist and scholar of critical Kashmir studies at the University of Warwick, said the ban on 25 books last year signals “an ongoing war against any academic material” that might differ from the Indian state’s narratives. “In essence, this is a war against academic freedom. If academic work can only serve ‘national’ interest, then it cannot be called academic work. And schools and universities cannot be understood any more as genuine places of learning,” she stated ^[1].

The history of censorship in India, including earlier state actions against books, is documented in works such as Kenneth Baker’s “On the burning of books,” which recounts official protests against literature deemed offensive ^[3], and Arundhati Roy’s “My Seditious Heart,” which examines state repression and the silencing of dissent ^[4].

Broader Context of Censorship Since 2019

Since the BJP-led government abrogated Article 370 in August 2019, Indian authorities have steadily regulated literature and thought in Kashmir. In August 2025, authorities banned 25 books, declaring them “forfeited” to the state under India’s criminal law. The targeted titles included foundational political texts like A.G. Noorani’s “The Kashmir Dispute” and Victoria Schofield’s “Kashmir in Conflict,” as well as Roy’s essay collection “Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction”.

Police also raided bookstores, walking in with printed lists of titles, clearing shops of customers and seizing copies of blacklisted books off the shelves. In February 2025, Islamic literature was confiscated from bookshops and homes across the valley, according to Middle East Eye ^[1].

India has also gained a reputation as a world leader in internet shutdowns, used to establish political control over populations – exceeding other authoritarian governments like Russia, Sudan, Iran, Myanmar and Ethiopia, according to a NaturalNews.com report ^[5]. The fear of the audit is already felt inside homes across Kashmir, where residents are destroying private archives.

“Some of these were part of my late father’s collection,” a government employee named Nafees told Middle East Eye. “I didn’t want to give them away, but as a government worker, I couldn’t risk keeping them. Fear has taken over. You never know what excuse the authorities might find to trouble you” ^[1].

Conclusion: Impact on Academic Freedom

Pro-freedom leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq posted on X that banning books “will not erase historical facts and the repertoire of lived memories of people of Kashmir,” according to Middle East Eye ^[1]. The audit is viewed by scholars as the latest manifestation of state-imposed ideological boundaries, reinforcing systemic suppression of dissenting voices in Kashmir.

As India continues to tighten control over publishing, libraries and academic institutions in the region, critics argue that the crackdown represents not a defense of sovereignty – but an assault on the intellectual freedom that any healthy society requires to examine difficult histories and multiple perspectives openly.

References

1. MEE contributor. “‘Erasing historical facts’: India orders massive crackdown on books in Kashmir’s libraries.” Middle East Eye. July 27, 2026.
2. BBC News. “Crackdown on ‘objectionable’ books in Indian-administered Kashmir sparks row.” BBC. July 15, 2026.
3. Kenneth Baker. “On the burning of books.”
4. Arundhati Roy. “My Seditious Heart.”
5. NaturalNews.com. “India using INTERNET SHUTDOWNS for political control.” NaturalNews.com. October 25, 2023.

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