Saturday, April 18, 2026

 

Can you spot an audio deepfake? Take the quizz https://newsguard-reality-check.github.io/newsguard-quiz/index2.html

On Sunday night, Rachel Goldberg-Polin will be interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CBS’s “60 Minutes” ahead of the release on Tuesday of her new book, When We See You Again, about grieving the death of her son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in Hamas captivity.
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EUROPE
EmojiOn Holocaust Remembrance Day. Polish MP Konrad Berkowicz compares Israel’s defensive war to the Third Reich and displays an Israeli flag with a swastika. 
EmojiA war crimes complaint has been filed at the International Criminal Court in The Hague against the Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez. At the origin of this initiative is Shurat HaDin, which accuses Spain of indirectly supporting Tehran through the supply of dual-use components. https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/israeli-law-ngo-moves-icc-against-spanish-pm-s%C3%A1nchez-over-exports-related-to-explosives-to-iran/ar-AA20Vcuh

IRAQ
U.S. offers $10M reward for Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades leader* - The United States has revealed the identity of Ahmed al-Hamidawi, leader of the Iran-backed Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, placing a $10 million reward for information leading to him.

LEBANON
EmojiIDF reservist killed and 3 wounded by Hezbollah bomb in southern Lebanon after ceasefire 
https://worldisraelnews.com/idf-reservist-killed-and-3-wounded-by-hezbollah-bomb-in-southern-lebanon-after-ceasefire/
EmojiLebanon shouldn't require Israel to do its dirty work  
EmojiHezbollah Emerged from Iran’s Revolution, Not “Resistance” to Israel
EmojiHezbollah disguised army bases in southern Lebanon as civilian towns https://idfclub.org/hezbollah-disguised-army-bases-in-southern-lebanon-as-civilian-towns/

PALESTINIANS/HAMAS/PA
EmojiHamas Signals No Retreat: The US Fantasy of Disarmament and Peace
EmojiU.S. officials, led by Aryeh Lightstone, have joined disarmament talks with Hamas in Cairo. https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/us-officials-join-direct-talks-with-hamas-in-cairo-cnn
EmojiKill an Israeli, become a Fatah leader – Fatah's new terror policy https://palwatch.org/page/42066 
EmojiThe Palestinian Authority extradited to France a man accused of coordinating a deadly 1982 terror attack on a Jewish restaurant in Paris’ Le Marais district

Saudi Arabia 
Saudi Arabia is reinforcing its geopolitical alliances by providing Pakistan with $3 billion in fresh financing and extending a separate $5 billion deposit, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-15/pakistan-secures-3-billion-in-saudi-funding-to-bolster-reserves

UN
EmojiUN reports child marriages surge in Gaza. Activist slammed objecting to calling it marriage when girls in Gaza are being sold into sexual slavery https://www.un.org/unispal/document/unfpa-child-marriages-surge-in-gaza-as-war-tightens-grip-on-girls-futures/
EmojiThe World Bank has removed Francesca Albanese's pro-Hamas husband, Massimiliano Cali, from a senior position after UN Watch exposed his litany of social media posts that legitimize Hamas terrorism, promote Holocaust inversion, and incite hatred against America, the West, and Jews. https://unwatch.org/world-bank-economist-husband-of-uns-francesca-albanese-says-israel-invents-terror-attacks/

USA
EmojiFLORIDA watch this race --Bilzerian registered this week to run in the Republican primary against the Jewish far-right anti-Islamic firebrand Rep. Randy Fine in Florida’s sixth district. Bilzerian hates Jews, supports murdering all Israelis (and Jews), and promotes conspiracy theories. https://www.timesofisrael.com/dan-bilzerian-who-says-judaism-is-terrible-and-wants-to-kill-israelis-runs-for-congress/ see also. https://x.com/i/status/2044923123418431942
EmojiNEW YORK NAVI K-12 Extremism Tracker, "NYC Educators for Palestine Plan 2nd Children's Teach-In," April 18, 2026: https://navik12tracker.substack.com/p/nyc-educators-for-palestine-plan
EmojiSupporters of Shia Army that Killed Hundreds of U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Distribute Food in Nation’s Capital https://www.meforum.org/fwi/fwi-opinion-interview/supporters-of-shia-army-that-killed-hundreds-of-u-s-soldiers-in-iraq-distribute-food-in-nations-capital
EmojiSEIU pulls endorsement from candidate,  Amir Makled, over “new information.” The new information was antisemitism and support for Hezbollah. Makled opened El-Sayed and Hasan Piker's rally at the University of Michigan last week
EmojiZohran Mamdani’s video chief lauded Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar 
EmojiOn Sunday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is slated to campaign with Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who earlier this week was revealed to have praised a deadly 2014 Hamas attack on an Israeli military base.

ON CAMPUS
EmojiSwarthmore College in Pennsylvania: Students at anti-American/pro-Palestine demonstration at the campus chanted, "Iran, Iran, you make us proud! Take another soldier out! Hezbollah, you make us proud! Take another soldier out!". 
EmojiAt Yale University, anti American antisemite Hasan Piker who said America deserved 9/11 was welcomed at the Yale political Union with a roaring cheer.

MEDIA
EmojiMSNOWNews claims “more than 80% of markets are no longer functioning” across all of Lebanon. Reuters makes clear that figure applies only to southern Lebanon. This is how facts get distorted and narratives get built.
EmojiAnthropic's AI, Claude, Is Citing Iranian State Media. It Doesn't Know Why. 
EmojiSky News admits error on Lebanon death toll, but won’t correct on-air https://www.camera.org/article/sky-news-admits-error-on-lebanon-death-toll-but-wont-correct-on-air/
EmojiPhoto Bias: World Press Photo contest does more than recognize powerful images. It also plays a role in shaping how those images are understood. https://honestreporting.com/from-description-to-declaration-how-world-press-photo-frames-gaza-differently/
EmojiBBC distortions: 
>Hezbollah is firing at Israeli cities, towns and villages. Why are you calling them "settlements"? Is Haifa a settlement to you now? 
>BBC Radio 4 Today interviewed both Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and and the Spokesman for the Israeli Embassy. The Iranian was lobbed softball questions. The Israeli was villified. 
https://www.camera.org/article/bbcs-today-program-uses-framing-to-lay-blame/
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Saturday, April 11, 2026

LEBANON
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 committed Lebanon to withdraw Hezbollah north of the Litani River in 2006. Historically a defense based on border fortifications has failed to keep Israel secure. Israel’s new policy of buffer zones along its borders combined with preemptive attacks on threats beyond those borders is eminently sensible if one considers history and military doctrines. Europeans are demanding "peace in Lebanon" (ie protecting the Hezbollah terror proxy) which is all about oil and appeasing Iran. For example, German Chancellor Merz did not mention in his statement on Lebanon that Hezbollah attacked Israel. More precisely, he did not mention Hezbollah at all and only called on Israel to cease attacks in Lebanon. No mention of attacks on Israel from Lebanon nor the thousands of Israeli civilians that have been forced to flee their homes because of Hezbollah’s missiles.
EmojiA Hezbollah official declares that the group will not accept any direct Lebanon-Israel negotiations. What’s the point of negotiating with Lebanon? The Government of Lebanon has proven again and again that it will not, or cannot, follow through on its commitments to disarm Hezbollah.
EmojiThe Lebanese government has instructed the Lebanese Armed Forces to demilitarize Beirut and ensure weapons only go to legitimate state forces, not terrorist groups like Hezbollah.
EmojiLebanese Minister Camille Chamoun Commends the IDF 
EmojiIn a total of 10 minutes - Israel reduced 100 Hezbollah operational centers across all of Lebanon. Did Israel prevent a coup by Hezbollah to topple the government of Joseph Aoun and seize complete control of Lebanon? 184 Hezbollah terrorists killed. FYI Hezbollah released footage of them launching missiles from civilian homes inside Lebanon. 
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COSTA RICA
Costa Rica designated Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis & IRGC as terrorist groups. Costa Rica joins Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Ecuador, the EU, Israel, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Ukraine, the USA, Iceland, Moldova, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, N. Macedonia, and Liechtenstein in designating the IRGC in full or in part. https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/04/10/costa-rica-designates-irgc-and-iranian-proxies-as-terrorist-groups/

IRAN
EmojiMohseni Ejei, head of the Islamic regime’s judiciary, orders faster executions of more than 50k protesters in Iran including many doctors who treated the protestors. https://courthousenews.com/iran-judiciary-urges-courts-to-speed-up-execution-verdicts/
EmojiWhy Iranian Kurdish groups are drawing new attention in Iran - Five major Iranian Kurdish groups have united
ISRAEL
EmojiIsrael upset that US kept Netanyahu out of Iran ceasefire talks  - Yair Lapid said Netanyahu “failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set.Israel wasn’t even part of the discussions when decisions were made concerning our national security,” 
EmojiIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement backing the ceasefire, saying, "Israel supports President Trump's decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the U.S., Israel and countries in the region."

OMAN
Oman has signed agreements guaranteeing FREE passage of the Strait of Hormuz without any charges. This directly contradicts recent Iranian proposals or demands to impose transit fees on vessels.

S.Korea
The remarks by the President of Korea, Lee Jae Myung, including the trivialization of the massacre of Jews on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel, are unacceptable and warrant strong condemnation. - Israel Foreign Ministry says after President of Korea cites 2024 fake account on X

UK
Anti-Israel bias in civil service betrays national interest, warns Foreign Office whistleblower https://www.thejc.com/news/anti-israel-bias-in-civil-service-betrays-national-interest-warns-foreign-office-whistleblower-f5jxg83z

UN
EmojiUN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan to their Committee on NGOs, which oversees the work of human rights groups at the U.N. and decides which to accredit. https://www.democracywithoutborders.org/42377/repressive-states-secure-most-seats-on-uns-ngo-committee/
EmojiThe  Islamic Republic of Iran was nominated to the U.N. Committee for Program and Coordination (CPC), a subsidiary body (committee) that reports to ECOSOC and shapes policy on women's rights, human rights, disarmament, and terrorism prevention.https://caliber.az/en/post/iran-elected-to-un-committee-for-programme-coordination

US
EmojiUniversity of Michigan regent hopeful deleted posts praising Hezbollah leaders. This is the same state where U.S. Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed was campaigning with Hasan Piker
EmojiOhio University: On March 26, 2026, Myron Gaines walked onto the campus, raised his arm in a Nazi salute, and told students that Jews control America. He denied the Holocaust. He silenced a Jewish student with a slur. The administration’s response? Five days of silence — then a statement about “diversity of perspectives.” 
EmojiGeorgetown Prof Jonathan Brown Who Justified Slavery and Rape Now Tells UK Rape Victims to 'Get Over it.' No action has been taken against the professor who says it’s fine to rape non Muslims.  

MEDIA
CNN fired freelancer Abdel Qader Sabbah's ties to Hamas, now he works for Drop Site https://www.fischfiles.com/p/drop-site-news-terror-tied-reporter-roster-abdel-qader-sabbah

Please see these excellent CAMERA posts on how the media is normalizing extremism. NPR, ABC, The Guardian, it seems there are no exceptions. I urge you to contact editors to complain.
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Thursday, April 9, 2026

"Epic Fury" - War with Iran - Where are we now?
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. After President Trump declared a ceasefire had been reached, the IRGC fired upon Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. The Iran-backed Houthis fired upon Israel. President Trump stopped Israel from responding to Iran, but not Iran-backed Hezbollah.

CRITICS:
EmojiNo regime change has occurred in Iran. Pezeshkian is still the president, Ejei is still calling shots for the judiciary, and Ghalibaf still controls the parliament.  
EmojiMohseni Ejei, head of the Islamic regime’s judiciary, orders faster executions of more than 50k protesters in Iran.
EmojiThere is no solid basis for claiming Iran has been completely disarmed. US intelligence can only reliably confirm that about a third of Iran’s missile arsenal has been destroyed.
EmojiPresident Trump has always been a hawk on Iran. He didn't need to be convinced to launch an attack. The Trump administration's incompetence included not planning for the closing of Strait of Hormuz. People with experience and knowledge have been purged and the US now lacks knowledge on how to deal with certain challenges.https://www.vickywardinvestigates.com/p/will-we-be-talking-about-renewed

SUPPORTERS
In every speech, briefing, and official statement from President Trump, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, Secretary of State Rubio, the Joint Chiefs, and the White House, the objectives of Operation Epic Fury have been: 
 1. Destroy Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity
 2. Annihilate its navy 
 3. Ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon
 4. End the regime’s ability to arm, fund, and direct terrorist proxies 
EmojiFrom Sia Kordistani
Objectives achieved *so far*:
1) Iran's nuclear program decimated.
2) Missile production and drone production factories mostly destroyed.
3) Iran's defense industrial base, including applied sciences sites, wrecked.
4) Iran's steel production and precious petrochemical industry mostly destroyed, making it difficult to reconstitute some of the above capabilities, and making the regime poorer.
5) Iran's Navy and Airforce nearly totally obliterated.
6) Justice delivered to the mass murderers of the Iranian people. 
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NATO Allies Lobbied Obama to Intervene in Libya, But the Press Applies a Different Standard to Israel’s Persuasion of Trump -“Sneeky Europeans tricked Obama” does not work quite as well as “Manipulative Jews are Trump’s puppeteers.” 

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