September 26, 2026

x01 Archives

Uncertainty on Iranians’ minds as Trump fluctuates on war and talk | US-Israel war on Iran News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Uncertainty on Iranians’ minds as Trump fluctuates on war and talk | US-Israel war on Iran News– www.aljazeera.com
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EXCERPT:

Tehran, Iran – For months now, US President Donald Trump has been making nearly daily proclamations about the war on Iran – from threats of extensive bombing to claims of renewed negotiations. But Faezeh, a financial firm employee in Iran’s capital, says she has long stopped paying attention.

“His words certainly impact our lives, but I try to escape this toxic environment of uncertainty by focusing on what I can control and protecting myself and my loved ones,” the 27-year-old told Al Jazeera.

She is not the only one to do so.

As the war approaches its six-month mark, a number of Iranians are opting against chasing the non-stop headlines in an effort to protect their mental health. This week, as the threat of large-scale US military action once again loomed large, the level of expectation and concern among Iranians appeared to be much lower than on April 7, when the US president warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight”, only to announce a ceasefire shortly afterwards.

“The US used to have presidents who talked less and did more,” asserted Roham, a colleague of Faezeh at the financial company in central Tehran. “But now with the role of social media and other outlets in which Mr Trump is well-versed, he talks more and doesn’t have to do as much,” he told Al Jazeera.

Japan, US confirm joint yen-buying intervention, signal more action– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Japan, US confirm joint yen-buying intervention, signal more action– www.channelnewsasia.com
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EXCERPT:

Japan has been struggling to curb a relentless drop in the yen that pushes up import prices and stokes broader inflation, hitting households’ wallets and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s public approval ratings.

Tokyo’s solo intervention conducted between late April and early May caused only a brief yen rebound. The BOJ’s June rate hike to a 31-year high of 1 per cent also gave the struggling currency little lasting boost.

Friday’s joint intervention followed Tokyo’s solo intervention worth up to US$58.97 billion in New York markets a day earlier.

In a sign of further Japan-US coordination, Bessent said the United States would consider increasing in coming months the size of the Federal Reserve’s repurchase facility providing temporary dollar liquidity, calling the tool an “important backstop”.

Trump poses ultimatum on Blanche, will push for "anti-weaponization fund" if AG not confirmed – CBS News– news.google.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Trump poses ultimatum on Blanche, will push for “anti-weaponization fund” if AG not confirmed – CBS News– news.google.com
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EXCERPT:

  1. Trump poses ultimatum on Blanche, will push for “anti-weaponization fund” if AG not confirmed  CBS News
  2. Tillis says Blanche won’t be confirmed as AG amid Trump fund fight  Axios
  3. Why senators fear Trump’s DOJ payout fund isn’t dead, despite Blanche’s promises  The Washington Post
  4. Todd Blanche’s Loyalty to Trump Is Putting His Attorney General Confirmation at Risk  The New York Times
  5. Blanche vote is rescheduled , but there’s no deal  Politico

 

Would-Be SCOTUS Assassin Moved To Prison For Trans Inmates– thefederalist.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Would-Be SCOTUS Assassin Moved To Prison For Trans Inmates– thefederalist.com
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EXCERPT:

Nicholas Roske, the would-be assassin of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh who now identifies as a woman, has been assigned to Federal Medical Center (FMC) Fort Worth, a detention center the Biden administration turned into a “transgender” medical intervention facility, offering inmates taxpayer-funded “gender reassignment” surgeries.

Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee, shirked the federal guidelines for sentencing Roske, who now goes by “Sophie.” Those recommend 30 years to life in prison. Instead, Boardman gave him only eight years.

Boardman persistently referred to Roske, a male, with female pronouns. She added, “I take into consideration the conditions of pre-trial confinement and the fact that she [sic] is a transgender woman and will be sent to a male-only [Bureau of Prisons] facility.”

How to Stop China from Freeriding on American AI– warontherocks.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

How to Stop China from Freeriding on American AI– warontherocks.com
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EXCERPT:

The release of the Chinese open-weight AI model Kimi K3 has compressed a year’s worth of unresolved AI policy debate into a single news cycle. On July 21, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened sanctions against Chinese labs found to have built their models on “theft,” reporting that the government is “finding watermarks of our U.S. large language models on many of the Chinese models.” The following day, White House science advisor Michael Kratsios clarified that the Chinese AI lab behind K3, Moonshot AI, had built a sophisticated platform to copy Anthropic’s Fable model while evading detection.

Industry has been vocal about its own views, with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang declaring that American companies should “absolutely” use Chinese models that outcompete American counterparts on price. In the Washington Post, investor Bill Gurley argued that treating open models as a danger to be licensed and contained runs afoul of the free-market principles that have long powered American innovation.

Israel says it has serious concerns with Hamas disarmament deal– abcnews.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Israel says it has serious concerns with Hamas disarmament deal– abcnews.com
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TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with the White House regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official said as Israeli strikes overnight and into Sunday evening killed at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza.

The remarks by Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, were some of the first public comments since U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement.

Spielman told The Associated Press that Israel’s intelligence assessment is that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military rather than genuinely demilitarizing. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza — where it controls more than 60% of the territory — before Hamas disarms.

Iran furiously hits back at Donald Trump claim with ‘US aggression’ warning | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Iran furiously hits back at Donald Trump claim with ‘US aggression’ warning | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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EXCERPT:

Iran has furiously hit back at earlier claims from Donald Trump that new talks are imminent over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign Minister, Esmaeil Baghaei said the regime was merely holding talks with Oman in order to establish a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz.

He stated that there were no plans either to receive a delegation or to send one. He also noted that an agreement with Oman, despite its location along the strategic waterway, would not by itself be sufficient to facilitate the waterway’s reopening. Earlier, Donald Trump asserted that talks with Iran were scheduled to take place that day and claimed that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that Iran has largely restricted since the outbreak of the conflict.

Speaking on board Air Force One on Sunday, he said Iran “knew the extent of the attack because they saw it forming”, adding: “We are talking to them in the form of a negotiation. It begins tomorrow afternoon.”

Blanche withdraws Trump fund plan in writing, ahead of AG confirmation vote– www.bbc.co.uk

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Blanche withdraws Trump fund plan in writing, ahead of AG confirmation vote– www.bbc.co.uk
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EXCERPT:

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally withdrawn President Donald Trump’s plan for a fund that could have been used to compensate people prosecuted over the US Capitol riot by Trump’s supporters in 2021.

The move clears the way for Blanche to be confirmed by US senators to his job on a permanent basis.

Trump’s Republican Party previously lacked the votes for this to happen because a pair of senators were not sufficiently satisfied by verbal assurances from Blanche that the planned fund was dead.

In a post on X late on Sunday, Blanche said he had “met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions”.

Burnham brings members of Socialist Campaign Group into government | Andy Burnham– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Burnham brings members of Socialist Campaign Group into government | Andy Burnham– www.theguardian.com
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EXCERPT:

Andy Burnham has appointed three new ministerial aides from Labour’s most leftwing faction, the first time members of the Socialist Campaign Group have been part of the government.

The new chief whip, Anneliese Midgley, has also promised MPs that the government will beef up the role of ministerial aides – known as parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) – who traditionally go under the radar, allowing them to do more media appearances, take on parliamentary roles and contribute more directly to policy direction.

Burnham has said he wanted to end the Labour factionalism that divided the party under both Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer – and would seek to make appointments from the party’s left and centrist wings.

Though Burnham has returned several soft left ministers to key positions in the cabinet – such as Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Angela Rayner – there were no ministerial appointments from the party’s most leftwing caucus, the Socialist Campaign Group, which was the group affiliated with Corbyn.

Graphics card prices jump by up to 20% in China as shops stockpile Nvidia and AMD GPUs– www.techspot.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Graphics card prices jump by up to 20% in China as shops stockpile Nvidia and AMD GPUs– www.techspot.com
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EXCERPT:

Ripple effect: Just when it seemed like graphics card prices couldn’t get much worse, the memory crisis has delivered another unpleasant surprise. Nvidia and AMD GPU prices have surged in China, with some models rising by as much as 20% in a single week and premium cards now selling for almost 60% above their official MSRPs.

Distributor lists from MSI and Colorful reveal the increases. MSI raised the RTX 5080 Shadow 3X OC and Ventus from 9,999 yuan ($1,477) to 11,999 yuan ($1,773), a 20% jump in seven days. Its RTX 5070 Ti Shadow 3X OC rose 19.5%, while the RTX 5090D V2 increased 13%. What’s worse is that these cards were already well above their suggested prices before the latest adjustment.

Comparing the new figures with Nvidia’s Chinese MSRPs makes the situation look even worse. MSI’s RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC is now 54% above the base MSRP, while the RTX 5080 Gaming Trio models are around 57% higher. Colorful’s RTX 5080 Vulcan W OC is priced at 13,199 yuan ($1,949), 59% above MSRP, and its RTX 5070 Ti Vulcan W OC carries a similar 58.7% premium.

The increases aren’t just limited to Nvidia. A market snapshot showed Radeon cards climbing across Chinese retailers, with some RX 9000 models seeing double-digit increases. AMD reportedly warned Asus, XFX, Sapphire, and other partners earlier this month that its GPU-and-memory bundles would become 10% more expensive.

The culprit is, of course, the continuing rise in GDDR6 and GDDR7 costs, combined with more expensive PCBs, coolers, and packaging. Nvidia supplies board partners with GPU and memory kits, so higher VRAM costs are passed directly to manufacturers. Reports claim the latest adjustment adds around 600 yuan ($89) to 8GB cards, 900 yuan ($133) to 12GB models, and 1,200 yuan ($177) to 16GB products.

Zelensky’s Political Storm Starts to Clear– warontherocks.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Zelensky’s Political Storm Starts to Clear– warontherocks.com
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EXCERPT:

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war.

AI Capability Races Ahead of the Business Payoff | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

AI Capability Races Ahead of the Business Payoff | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org
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EXCERPT:

The state of the AI revolution can be confusing. At times, it can seem as if the latest artificial intelligence models are showing huge capability increases. One example is when two OpenAI models broke out of the lab, accessed the internet, and broke into another AI company. Or, as a Wall Street Journal headline put it, “The Day the Bots Broke Loose.”

But then you might come across another headline from the Wall Street Journal: “Big Companies Are Starting to Hire Again, Defying Predictions of AI Wipeout.” And from that piece:

The push to expand head count, at least modestly, is a reversal from the prevailing corporate messaging during much of the AI era. Major employers largely held back on adding people due to economic uncertainties or a belief that artificial intelligence could shoulder more tasks on the job. But some executives say the costs and limitations of AI now demand that more people be added; others want to hire people back following layoffs.

UK report exposes sexual abuse of at least 250k girls that authorities, media ignored– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

UK report exposes sexual abuse of at least 250k girls that authorities, media ignored– www.lifesitenews.com
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EXCERPT:


While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.

~The Stolen Child, by W.B. Yeats

(Elizabeth Yore) — In 2025, Independent MP Rupert Lowe initiated this independent, survivor focused, public crowdfunded investigation to examine systemic failures of UK police, and authorities into the sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs. The report entitled Rape Gang Inquiry Report was issued last month on June 16 with the critical involvement of Rotherham survivor, Sammy Woodhouse. The inquiry was crowdfunded with funding from over 20,000 UK citizens in the amount of 764,000 pounds, with a public hearing featuring testimony from survivors, whistleblowers, experts, and investigators. The 219-page document details decades of systemic child sexual exploitation of at least 250,000 girls across the United Kingdom who were subjected to gang rape, trafficking, and forced conversions by Pakistani grooming rape gangs.

Although the first grooming gang scandal was exposed in 2003, little was done for years to meaningfully address the child exploitation scandal until the 2014 Jay Report, which investigated child sexual exploitation in the city of Rotherham in north-central England and found that 1,400 children were sexually abused between 1997 and 2013 by Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs.

Venezuela Quake Toll Passes 5,500, Operation Blessing Provides 70,000+ Meals and More– www.cbn.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Venezuela Quake Toll Passes 5,500, Operation Blessing Provides 70,000+ Meals and More– www.cbn.com
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EXCERPT:

It’s been just over a month since the June 24 earthquakes devastated Venezuela. The death toll is now above 5,500 as teams removing debris continue to find bodies.

The government is estimating the total damage at $19.6 billion so far. That includes $9 billion in destroyed or severely damaged homes.

More than 23,000 people are living in temporary locations. CBN’s Operation Blessing is on hand to help those who’ve lost their homes.

Theiris Dellimore was living on the street after the quake. Authorities told her the home was too dangerous to live in, that parts of it could collapse.

The Operation Blessing team provided Theiris and her family with a tent, mattresses, food, and hygiene supplies. Now, she says, they’re safe from the rain and the cold at night.

“Gracias. First of all, thank you. May God continue to bless you so that you can continue to bless Venezuela so that you can continue to help us. We’re just getting started. We still have a long way to go. Don’t forget about us,” she said.

The First Waves of Amphibious Assault Will Be Unmanned– warontherocks.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

The First Waves of Amphibious Assault Will Be Unmanned– warontherocks.com
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EXCERPT:

In the Pacific War, the U.S. Navy’s underwater demolition teams prepared the way for U.S. and allied amphibious landings on enemy-held islands. Through beach reconnaissance, obstacle breaching, mine clearance, and other missions, these teams paved paths for the first waves of amphibious assaults conducted by naval task forces and subsequent landings by marines and soldiers throughout the island hopping campaign.  

These critical first steps of an amphibious operation were incredibly risky in World War II. And the underwater demolition teams, which were the predecessors of the Navy SEALs, were understandably proud of their work. The Marine Corps prided itself on being first to hit the beach. And when marines did hit the beach, they often arrived to find signs left by the underwater demolitions team saying, “Welcome Marines.” 

Precision strike weapons make such operations more perilous than ever. There may never be an American servicemember preparing or landing with the first wave of an opposed amphibious assault again. And it may be robots welcoming marines and soldiers to the beach in these future fights.  

US, Gulf Allies Launch Strikes On Iranian Proxies Following ‘Surprise’ Attack On US Base– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

US, Gulf Allies Launch Strikes On Iranian Proxies Following ‘Surprise’ Attack On US Base– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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EXCERPT:

The United States and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening conducted joint precision airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias in Eastern Iraq. The strikes follow a “surprise” missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan earlier in the day.

According to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple logistics and weapons sites. CENTCOM described the targets as belonging to Iran-aligned groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had directed to carry out attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

Tuesday’s operation was launched in response to more than 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks over the preceding 72 hours. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory that targeted petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions.

Saudi Arabia’s statement framed the strikes as precise and targeted actions against objectives linked to those attacks, conducted in coordination with CENTCOM, and emphasized the kingdom’s right to self-defense while stating it does not seek escalation.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization that includes Iran-backed groups integrated into Iraq’s security structure, reported that the strikes hit headquarters and facilities in multiple locations, including Baghdad and sites in other provinces. The PMF said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded, with damage to buildings and facilities.

Firefighters in France hold back vast wildfire as heat returns to test their grip– abcnews.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Firefighters in France hold back vast wildfire as heat returns to test their grip– abcnews.com
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EXCERPT:

Firefighters have kept a vast wildfire in southwest France from advancing overnight, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes before returning heat and drier air threatens to test their hold on the blaze

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — Firefighters kept a vast wildfire in southwest France from advancing overnight Tuesday, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes before returning heat and drier air threatened to test their hold on the blaze.

The fire remained stabilized at 6 a.m. after a calm night and the burned area was unchanged at 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), the Gironde prefecture said.

Several flare-ups were detected overnight north of Le Porge and in dune land north of Cap Ferret but were brought under control by firefighters, authorities said.

The areas lie along the Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux, where crews have battled the blaze since it erupted near Saumos last week.

Hundreds of Ukrainian Drones Target Moscow in Overnight Blitz– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Hundreds of Ukrainian Drones Target Moscow in Overnight Blitz– www.themoscowtimes.com
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EXCERPT:

Nearly 400 Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and the surrounding region overnight, local authorities said Tuesday morning, as a separate strike in the southwestern Belgorod region injured at least 19 people, according to officials.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 390 drones had been tracked in the skies above the wider Moscow region since Monday night, noting that “most” of them were intercepted. He did not report any damage or injuries.

Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said an apartment building in the town of Chekhov, located around 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the Russian capital, was hit in a drone attack. Local authorities said the building’s facade and two apartment units were damaged, but added that there were no casualties.

Air defense systems downed “a few dozen” Ukrainian drones elsewhere in the Moscow region, including in Podolsk, Domodedovo and Kolomna, Vorobyov said.

‘Cockroach Movement’ Forces Out India’s Education Minister– time.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

‘Cockroach Movement’ Forces Out India’s Education Minister– time.com
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Joshi addressed the exam leak in May, saying, “The reforms are needed, we are bringing them, but they cannot be done within a year. By next year, technology-driven examination will be there.”

CJP Spokesperson Saurav Das said in an interview with local media ANI following the president’s announcement that the party members will be meeting the new education minister “very soon.”

“Whoever becomes the Education Minister should know that the youth are watching. They will demand accountability,” Das said. “So, when the time comes, work in the interest of the youth. Stop paper leaks.”

Anti-Catholic Vandal Strikes Catholic Holy Site of Medjugorje– townhall.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Anti-Catholic Vandal Strikes Catholic Holy Site of Medjugorje– townhall.com
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A man is in custody following an anti-Catholic act of vandalism at Medjugorje, a town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has been a place of Catholic pilgrimage since the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared on Apparition Hill in 1981. Video shows the man setting fire around the altar.

The suspect also sprayed black spray paint on several statues, including one of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The graffiti read “Devil in a skirt” and “1242.”

Saudi Arabia Establishes New Defense Alliance For Crucial Sea Lane– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser August 4, 2026 0

Saudi Arabia Establishes New Defense Alliance For Crucial Sea Lane– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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EXCERPT:

Saudi Arabia has announced the establishment of the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance, a framework for collective maritime defense cooperation focused on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. The announcement follows years of insecurity in the vital sea lane due to threats from the Iran-backed Houthi militant group.

The announcement followed a meeting hosted in Riyadh by the Saudi Ministry of Defense, attended by chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries along with a European Union delegation. Of the 51 countries and organizations invited, these participants discussed the proposed alliance’s draft charter, organizational structure, command-and-control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and next steps.

As part of the agreement, 14 countries issued a joint declaration supporting the alliance as founding members. This includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. The United Arab Emirates and Oman were notably not among those listed in the initial joint statement.