Author: Neil Pitts

Moscow 26/1 – 42.86. The tension surrounding the new 100-year partnership between Ukraine and the U.K. is significant, especially given Russia’s strong opposition. The Azov Sea, a key strategic area for both economic and military reasons, is at the heart of the dispute. Russia has long claimed it as part of its internal waters, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and views any foreign military presence there as a direct challenge to its territorial claims. The timing of the agreement, announced during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Kyiv, underscores the ongoing military and political backing Ukraine…

Tel Aviv/Gaza. 19 January -50. After haggling with the terror organization HAMAS over 30 plus hostages are to be freed in a three-phase exchange. Donald Trump warned HAMAS make a deal or face the consequences. Delegation from Egypt, Qatar, Israel, the United States, and Europe worked hard on the deal. Trials and tribulations aside, even in the last moments of the settlement the anxiety ran high. Then the days of Freedom arrived. After 471 days in captivity Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher and Romi Gonen were set free. In a caldron of screaming HAMAS fanatics under heavy guard by some green…

It was bitter cold, but I don’t remember freezing or being cold. Hemingway wrote that the air was so cold when you took a breath it was like drinking water. We travelled by train, then we walked through the cold streets, no bus was running, we had to hustle to catch the last ride up the mountain, then it was up to the mountain, bundled up in two thick woolen blankets with the snow showering us. It was warm looking out of the peep hole I created, flying up the mountains sitting on the last ride of the day. The…

Washington 9 November (30). Whatever feelings about Trump, and you’re not alone in your view that he’s been a polarizing figure. Whether people support or oppose him, there’s no denying that he’s left a lasting imprint on American politics, often evoking comparisons to historical figures like Hitler but more like Mussolini, sometimes for his strongman persona and authoritarian rhetoric, rather than direct parallels to Hitler. This is a leftist narrative. From a policy standpoint, many critics, argue that Trump’s approach has often seemed shallow or reactionary, with an emphasis on rhetoric over substantive, long-term solutions. His style, which can be…

The Ukrainian project “I Want to Live” on Oct. 23 called on North Korean soldiers to surrender to Ukrainian forces in a new Korean-language video. Launched in September 2022 by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, the 24-hour “I Want to Live” hotline helps Russian soldiers willingly surrender themselves or their units to the Ukrainian army. The Russian military is promised that after surrender, they will be held in compliance with the Geneva Conventions. “You must not die senselessly in a foreign land. You must not repeat the fate of hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers who will never return home!” the…

Russian officials allege that Ukraine is gearing up for a chemical weapons attack, with backing from the US-led NATO military alliance. Meanwhile, the UK has imposed sanctions on Russian military units for their involvement in chemical warfare in Ukraine. This development has raised international concerns about the possibility of chemical terrorism in the region. Russian officials claim that Ukraine is preparing for a chemical weapons attack with active support from NATO. The Russian Embassy in Washington has called on the United States to cease backing what they term Kyiv’s “provocations” and to evaluate the risks of potential Ukrainian “chemical terrorism.”…

The Israeli strikes, both security and military-related, must be critically examined, particularly in light of their success in various regions and against multiple targets. These strikes eventually led to the assassination of Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, despite the stringent security measures in place to protect him. Since becoming a declared target for Israel, Nasrallah’s security detail has implemented extraordinary precautions. Individuals in his immediate surroundings were prohibited from using mobile phones or the Internet. Moreover, Nasrallah adopted a highly secretive lifestyle, frequently relocating between different apartments and never staying in one location for an extended period. In addition, tiny…

As Israel continues to pursue its long and bloody war in the Gaza Strip since a surprise attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, an Israeli-American Holocaust professor said there was “enough evidence” to suggest that war crimes have been committed during the campaign. “There is enough evidence to say that war crimes have been committed because of the disproportionality between the military goals and the number of civilians killed,” Omer Bartov, professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University, told Anadolu in a video interview. Bartov said the case was similar for allegations of crimes against humanity…

LAS VEGAS — A “cybersecurity issue” led to the shutdown of some casino and hotel computer systems at MGM Resorts International properties across the U.S., a company official reported Monday. The incident began Sunday and the extent of its effect on reservation systems and casino floors in Las Vegas and states including Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Ohio was not immediately known, company spokesman Brian Ahern said. “MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company’s systems,” the company said in a statement that pointed to an investigation involving external cybersecurity experts and notifications…

Copenhagen (14/11 – 40) The massive mobilization and sustained pressure jolted the Sri Lankan presidency of the previously all-powerful Gotabaya Rajapaksa, prompted mass resignations from the government at the time, and solidified existing spaces and created new spaces for dissent and discussions on much-needed reforms. Sri Lanka is facing an exceptional political and economic crisis that has sparked months-long protests across the country. The new leadership under President Ranil Wickremesinghe struggles with the economic situation and seemingly failed to uphold basic human rights and pursue accountability for grave crimes towards the people of Sri Lanka. Despite troubling trends of authoritarianism,…