by RUWAIDA AMER

Hundreds of Palestinians are sheltering in a makeshift encampment in Khan Younis, surviving on limited provisions amid Israel’s ongoing assault.

In scenes eerily reminiscent of the conditions of Palestinian refugees following the Nakba of 1948, a tent city has sprung up in recent days in the western part of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. More than 100 UN tents have been set up in what used to be a city square, providing temporary shelter for around 800 people who were displaced from their homes amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. 

While everyone in Gaza is facing severe shortages of food, water, and electricity, those living in the tents are among the worst affected by Israel’s attacks and intensifying siege. Residents of the encampment are surviving on the limited aid provided by locals and a few civil society organizations.

It is not altogether clear how the tent city came into being. Salama Marouf, the head of Hamas’ media office, admitted in a press conference last week that Hamas was surprised when the encampment sprung up, which he criticized as an echo of the refugee camps of 1948. Taking aim at the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has handled the humanitarian affairs of Palestinian refugees throughout the region since the Nakba, Marouf declared: “UNRWA’s role is not to set up tents for those who are displaced inside Gaza in preparation for their displacement outside the strip.”

But while confirming that the tents are theirs, the UN agency has denied setting up a new refugee camp. “UNRWA has distributed the tents to displaced families in Khan Younis to protect them from the rain and provide dignity and privacy,” Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications, told +972. “We wish to confirm that UNRWA has not established any new camps in the Gaza Strip.” 

Fadwa Al-Najjar arrived at the encampment on Friday. Standing in front of her tent, close to some carts selling canned food and cooking utensils, the 40-year-old mother of seven recounted the horrors of her journey from the north of the strip to Khan Younis following Israel’s orders to evacuate.

Palestinians at a temporary tent camp set up for people who evacuated from their homes, on the grounds of an UNRWA school in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 19, 2023. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

Al-Najjar was displaced along with 90 of her relatives, all of whom lived together in one residential building in northern Gaza. The 30 kilometer journey south took 10 hours by foot. “We tried to rest on the way, but the bombing was intense, so we had to keep moving,” she recalled. “Israel bombed cars in front of us that were carrying displaced people. We saw bodies and limbs everywhere. It was like doomsday. We recited the Shahada because we were scared we’d be killed. I’ll never forget it.”

Sherine Al-Dabaa, 36, is living in a tent in the encampment with more than 15 family members, after they fled their home in Shujaiya, eastern Gaza City, on Oct. 15. “We couldn’t find a place to stay, so we gathered here,” she said. “This place is not safe, and the sounds of bombing day and night terrify the children. We feel like we could die at any moment.”

972Mag for more

by B. R. GOWANI

Mother Earth- we have only one. However, the capitalist fundamentalists are busy minting money at the expense of the environment; this is doing great damage to our planet at such speed and ferocity, that it will be difficult to reverse the course.

Of course, there are other planets about which billionaires like Elon Musk are thinking of making their home. That is a far away dream, and if it ever becomes a possibility, it will be for the extremely wealthy people. They’ll need some human workers to take care of their daily chores. But, that is doubtful, as they’ll probably take their robots there. The rest of the common folks will stay on this planet to produce luxury goods for the Martians and the dollar store items for Earthlings.

However, there have been conscientious people in the past and a few activists like Rachel Carson (called the Mother of the Environmentalist Movement), Wangari Maathai, Chico Menzes, Jane Goodall, John Muir, Paul Hawken, Bill McKibben, and some others who have succeeded to some extent in preventing or repairing some damage.

And there are amongst us today, many who are fighting to save our globe as Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (pronounced shoo-TEZ-kawt, which means Smoking Mirror in Nahuat), Ecaterina Lutisina, Greta Thunberg, Vandana Shiva, Fatou Jeng, David Attenborough, Ilyess El Kortbi, Robert D. Bullard (known as the “father of environmental justice”), Xiye Bastida, Heather McTeer Toney, Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti, Mikaela Loach, John Paul Jose, Hania Imran, and many others who are engaged at some level to preserve our planet.

All of the above have gained some recognition for their dedicated efforts to save our environment.

But then there is a group of people, I call them the silent minority, who may have helped the environment, inadvertently. These are leaders of countries. Mind you, it was not a conscious effort on part of these leaders but their actions did result in a bit of help in saving the environment.

The following is a small attempt to recognize some of these leaders’ contribution:

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Armenia’s Pashinyan in an address to his nation said:

“Peace has been established between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The contribution of US President Donald Trump and his administration has been crucial. For this reason, together with the President of Azerbaijan, we have decided to submit a joint application to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.”

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet‘s office issued the following statement to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize citing the decision taken as a result of Trump’s intervention in July 2025 asking both Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia’s Manet to stop border clashes:

“President Trump’s extraordinary statesmanship-marked by his commitment to resolving conflicts and preventing catastrophic wars through visionary and innovative diplomacy-was most recently demonstrated in his decisive role in brokering an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand.”

“This timely intervention, which averted a potentially devastating conflict, was vital in preventing great loss of lives and paved the way towards the restoration of peace between the two countries.”

Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema suggested Trump’s name for Nobel Peace Prize:

“He brought peace back to a region where that was never possible, He deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.”

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize. Interesting nomination, for the person most people consider a “genocidal maniac.” Netanyahu got tens of billions of dollars in aid and arms, to kill Palestinians.

“He’s [President Donald Trump] forging peace, as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other., so I [Benjamin Netanyahu] want to present to you, Mr President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee. It’s nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well deserved, and you should get it.”

Trump was wowed:

“Wow! Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful.”

Trump again:

“The biggest bombs that we’ve ever dropped on anybody, when you think non-nuclear.”

“I don’t want to say what it reminded me of [i.e., atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki], but if you go back a long time ago, it reminded people of a certain other event, and Harry Truman’s picture is now in the lobby.”

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s death on April 1, 1945 elevated his Vice President Harry Truman to the top post. Japan was ready to surrender bringing the Second World War to an end, but the US was not ready. Truman wanted to try the new weapon, the atom bomb, on Japanese people while giving a message to the world, particularly USSR’s Joseph Stalin, that the US is the new globo-cop because the previous cop Britain was finished. Between 150,000 to 246,000 Japanese were killed and many more died later, or suffered, and became disabled over long period of time due to the effects of radiation .

Pakistan’s “hybrid” military/civilian government nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize:

The Government of Pakistan has decided to formally recommend President Donald J. Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.

…

At a moment of heightened regional turbulence, President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi which de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation, ultimately securing a ceasefire and averting a broader conflict between the two nuclear states that would have had catastrophic consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond. This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue. The Government of Pakistan also acknowledges and greatly admires President Trump’s sincere offers to help resolve the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan—an issue that lies at the heart of regional instability. Durable peace in South Asia would remain elusive until the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Jammu and Kashmir. President Trump’s leadership during the 2025 Pakistan India crisis manifestly showcases the continuation of his legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building. Pakistan remains hopeful that his earnest efforts will continue to contribute towards regional and global stability, particularly in the context of ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating escalation involving Iran.

Rwanda’s foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told Breitbart News:

“This conflict in eastern DRC is one of the longest conflicts on the continent — 30 years. We have had a genocidal movement that has been destabilizing our country during this whole period. Anyone, including President Trump, who would help sizably to bring this conflict to an end deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Absolutely.”

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung bestowed Trump, who was visiting South Korea, with a replica of an ancient golden crown worn by Silla Kings whose rule lasted almost a millennium, from 57 BCE to 935 CE. Trump was informed that it was “the largest and most extravagant of the existing gold crowns” and symbolizes “the divine connection between heavenly and earthly leadership.” Trump was also awarded the Grand Order of Mugunghwa. Trump was gracious enough to try the crown right away rather than maybe having to return it back from the US, because of it being the wrong size.

Trump: “It’s a great honour. I’d like to wear it right now.”

Trump’s “known preference for gold decorations at the White House” was the reason behind presenting the replica, as per the S Koran presidential office.

Even some of the food items had a gold-theme, such as “gold-themed dessert” and “gold adorned brownie.”

The winner is/are …

Environment-Friendly Leader Award goes to Pakistan’s “hybrid” leaders:
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and first Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah and Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

Please watch and listen to Sharif’s entire speech in the above video and you’ll understand why he and Munir won the award.

How the environment was saved?

The White House announced that toilet paper order for one year was cancelled because the high praise words of these leaders eliminated the need for it for an entire year. The words of Pakistani leaders have saved toilet paper: much more than the words of all the leaders combined.

Note:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had always been nice, full of praise, and hugging buddy of Trump, except in 2025; he’s missing.

B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com

by IQBAL AKHTAR

By the time Zohran Mamdani became the next mayor-elect of New York City on Nov. 4, 2025, many Americans were familiar with his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his surname: Mamdani.

He takes the name from his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent academic who was raised in Uganda and whose work focuses on postcolonial Uganda. I studied the history of the Khoja community for my doctoral work and have helped develop Khoja studies as an academic discipline. The Mamdani surname tells a story of migration, resilience and community-building that spans centuries and continents.

The Khoja history

Mamdanis in Uganda belong to the Khoja community, a South Asian Muslim merchant caste, that shaped economic development across the western Indian Ocean for centuries.

The name originates from greater Sindh, a region in South Asia that today includes southeastern Pakistan and Kachchh in western India.

Its etymology is twofold. Mam is an honorific title in Kachchhi and Gujarati languages, meaning kindness, courage and pride. Mamado is a local version of the name Muhammad that often appeared in surnames in Hindu castes that converted to Islam, such as the Memons.

The Khoja were categorized by the British in the early 19th century as “Hindoo Mussalman” because their traditions spanned both religions.

Over time, the Khoja came to be identified only as Muslim and then primarily as Shiite Muslim. Today, the majority of Khoja are Ismaili: a branch of Shiite Islam that follows the Aga Khan as their living imam.

The Mamdani family, however, is part of the Twelver community of Khoja, whose Twelfth Imam is believed to be hidden from the world and only emerges in times of crisis. Twelvers believe he will help usher in an age of peace during end times.

Around the late 18th century, the Khoja helped export textiles, manufactured goods, spices and gems from the Indian subcontinent to Arabia and East Africa. Through this Western Indian Ocean trading network, they imported timber, ivory, minerals and cloves, among other goods.

Khoja family firms were built on kinship networks and trust. They built networks of shops, communal housing and warehouses, and extended credit for thousands of miles, from Zanzibar in Tanzania to Bombay – now Mumbai – on the western coast of India.

Cousins and brothers would send money and goods across the ocean with only a letter. The precarious nature of trade in this period meant that families also served as insurance for each other. In times of wealth, it was shared; in times of disaster, help was available.

Khoja contributions in Africa

The Khoja became instrumental in building the commercial infrastructure of eastern, central and southern Africa. But the Khoja contribution to the development of Africa extended far beyond trade.

In the absence of colonial investment in public infrastructure, they helped build institutions that formed the foundation of the modern nation-states that emerged after colonization. The institutions both facilitated trade and established permanent communities.

For example, the first dispensary and public school in Zanzibar were constructed by a Khoja magnate, Tharia Topan, who made his wealth through the ivory and clove trades. Topan eventually became so prominent that he was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1890 for his service to the British Empire in helping to end slavery in East Africa.

The Khoja community continues to invest in East Africa. The most famous example is the Aga Khan Development Network, whose hospitals and schools operate in 30 countries. In places such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, they are considered the best.

Khoja in Uganda

Like in other parts of Africa, the Khoja settled in Uganda as a liaison business community to develop a market to serve both African and European needs. The linguistic and cultural knowledge, developed over centuries, helped facilitate business despite the challenges of colonization.

The Conversation for more

by ALI RIDHA KHAN

Francesca Albanese’s visit to South Africa exposed a truth we prefer not to face: that our moral witness has hardened into ritual. We watch, we clap, we call it solidarity.

There is a particular theater to South African political life: we know how to gather, how to convene, how to fill auditoriums when history arrives clothed in urgency. We clap when we should clap. We nod with seriousness. We ask familiar questions with grave voices. And then we go home feeling as though participation is enough. Our gestures are precise, our cadences rehearsed. We have mastered the choreography of conscience.

On Sunday, October 26, as Francesca Albanese spoke, something in the room felt deeply familiar—a choreography of solidarity, ritualistic and almost liturgical. Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, had just delivered the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg before coming to Cape Town’s Groote Kerk, where around 1,000 people packed the pews and overflowed onto the streets outside to listen. She praised South Africa’s decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice but called on the country—and on individuals—to go further: to end trade with Israel, to suspend all military and diplomatic ties, to stop consuming products from companies complicit in occupation. “Are you still drinking Coke?” she asked the audience. “Stop drinking Coca-Cola first and then blame the government.”

The applause was thunderous. It had the atmosphere of a revival meeting—righteous, moved, rehearsed. People repeated what we already know: that BDS matters, that sanctions work, that we must “raise awareness.” The question that always arrives, as predictably as applause, was asked again: What can we do? There was earnestness in the room, yes, and a beating heart. But there was also performance—an economy of optics that governs public conscience like a currency traded at a premium.

South Africans have built an identity on moral memory. We invoke ’94 like scripture, rehearsing the vocabulary of liberation as if reciting a catechism. We remember Sharpeville and Soweto with disciplined reverence. Yet too often, the memory becomes a mask. It is easy to say “Not in our name” when the world already expects it. It is far harder to move from memory to material action, to recognize that being anti-apartheid in 2025 is not radical but merely the minimum entry requirement for dignity. We mistake repetition for conviction. We confuse moral nostalgia with moral duty.

Sitting in that room, listening to Albanese, I realized the questions rarely change, not because we lack information, but because we cling to the comfort of asking them. We have turned inquiry itself into ritual. To ask What can we do? is safer than doing; it preserves our innocence, our distance, our sense of virtue. This is the seduction of optics—solidarity as ritual, not responsibility.

Africa Is a Country or more

by CHARLOTTE TOUATI

On October 26, 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia took the city of El Fasher after an 18-month siege. The capital of North Darfur State and the economic heart of Darfur, El Fasher had served as a refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced people fleeing the fighting since April 2023. It was the last humanitarian access point for the UN until its fall. Under siege, the information reaching us consists mainly of videos of abuses filmed by the RSF militiamen themselves. Testimonies are beginning to emerge, reporting mass ethnic crimes against black populations by Arab militias.

The open conflict began on April 15, 2023, when the paramilitary RSF clashed with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) for political and military control of the country. The RSF is led by Mohamed Hamdan Dogolo, known as “Hemedti,” while the SAF answer to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and form the regular army. The two generals were allies for a time and were supposed to share power, but the breakup now raises fears of an east-west partition of Sudan.

Hemedti is originally from Darfur. Initially known as a “businessman,” he built an empire thanks to the gold mines in his native region. As an Arab, he rallied the Janjaweed, who were then armed by Omar al-Bashir to quell the rebellion in Darfur. From 2004 onwards, Hemedti led several hundred Janjaweed fighters and collaborated directly with the Sudanese intelligence services (the NISS) and the army. The Janjaweed are guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide according to the ICC, documented by the UN as mass murders, rape as a weapon of war, systematic destruction of villages, looting of property and livestock, burning of crops, poisoning of wells, and forced displacement.

In 2009, Hemedti created Al Junaid for gold mining in Darfur. But in 2013, under international pressure, the Sudanese government wanted to integrate the Janjaweed into the country’s security architecture. They became the famous RSF, with Al Junaid as their economic arm.

In April 2019, Sudan entered a decisive phase in its history. After several months of popular protests triggered by soaring prices and economic crisis, the unrest took a political turn and openly called for the departure of President Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power for 30 years. Faced with pressure from the streets and internal divisions within the regime, the army finally ousted al-Bashir on April 11, 2019. This overthrow ushered in a period of uncertainty: a Transitional Military Council initially took power, before a fragile compromise was reached with the civilian forces of the revolutionary movement. It was in this context that General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan became president of the Sovereign Council, while Hemedti became its vice-president. This alliance between the army, the paramilitaries, and some of the civilians was supposed to pave the way for democratic elections, but it quickly proved unstable: the competing ambitions of military leaders, the impunity of the RSF, and the difficulties faced by civilian institutions plunged the country back into a power struggle that would erupt into open war in 2023.

But external players must also be considered. Darfur’s strategic position and mineral wealth have placed it at the crossroads of trafficking routes, with Hemedti at its centre.

The Russian connection

Following the capture of Jebel Amer (North Darfur) in 2017, a mountainous area extremely rich in gold, the RSF gained real autonomy from Omar al-Bashir. This victory coincided with significant support from the late Evgeni Prigozhin, then leader of the Russian SMP Wagner. This can be explained by the type of business in which the two men are involved (gold, weapons, mercenaries) and the geographical position of Hemedti’s stronghold, Darfur. Darfur borders the Central African Republic (CAR), Wagner’s strongest bastion, which has been the praetorian guard of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra since 2017. According to its usual pattern, Wagner pays itself in mineral resources from the country. Convoys travel between the CAR and Sudan via Darfur.

African Arguments for more

by BEN COXWORTH

Although we’ve heard a lot about how 3D-printing concrete homes speeds up the construction process, you still have to wait up to 28 days for the concrete to sufficiently cure. A new printable substitute, however, is ready to go in just three days.

Concrete consists of three parts: water, an aggregate such as sand or gravel, and a cement which binds everything together. The cement is the part that typically takes about a month to cure after being poured. And a slow curing time isn’t cement’s only problem.

Traditional Portland-style cement is made by grinding up limestone and other raw materials, then heating the resulting powder to temperatures of up to 1,450 ºC (2,642 ºF). Unfortunately, the processes by which that heat is generated produce a lot of carbon dioxide.

What’s more, as the heated limestone forms into cement via a process known as calcination, it releases trapped carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The combination of that CO2 and the CO2 produced in the heat-generating process is estimated to be responsible for 5% to 8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

That’s where the new 3D-printable material comes in.

Created by Asst. Prof. Devin Roach, doctoral student Nicolas Gonsalves and colleagues at Oregon State University, it’s composed mainly of clay soil infused with hemp fibers, sand and biochar. The latter is a charcoal-like material produced via a process called pyrolysis, in which heat is used to decompose wood chips and other organic material in the absence of oxygen.

Importantly, instead of Portland cement, the new material utilizes a thermally-triggered acrylamide-based binding agent. In a chemical reaction known as frontal polymerization, that agent initiates the curing process as soon as the mixture is extruded from the printing nozzle. This makes it strong enough to be printed over unsupported gaps, such as the tops of window openings.

New Atlas for more

by BARBARA G. ELLIS

It’ll Reimburse Tax Revenue

The origin of federal subsidies—to businesses, industries, farmers, national infrastructure—began with our country’s first Congress (1789) approving startup financing that banks and other sources couldn’t or wouldn’t provide. The idea then (and now) was that if these investments were successful, they would trigger other enterprises. Subsequent jobs would follow, feeding consumer spending, and, ultimately, federal tax revenues to run this new government.

Subsidies did rapidly build our country and, eventually, make us a world power. As a 1958 Congressional report said:

America’s infant industry, without the aid of subsidy laws in the early years after the formation of this independent Nation, would have been slow to develop and the emergence of the United States as a world power could have been retarded for many years…. Subsidy has had a substantial and beneficial role in the Nation’s overall industrial development. It has been important in aiding the economy and the people—especially in times of depression. It has been essential in stimulating vital production in wartime. It has financed scientific development. It has been used in efforts to balance the economic positions of vast segments of our total society.

The report cited examples of initially subsidizing our merchant fleet, to build canals, make river improvements, create railroads, air travel and military aircraft, as well as underpin agriculture’s costs/prices to sustain food production.

However those early lawmakers could scarcely conceive of, say, a much-troubled 133-year-old company like General Electric receiving $1,658,411,718 in federal subsidies from 2000-2025. Worse, in 2010 alone, GE hid its $14.2 billion profits offshore to avoid federal taxes.

So it’s one thing for taxpayers to cover initial expenses of a company to thrive, but quite another for the recipient to be at the federal teat after profits show it can stand alone. There’s a strong case for limiting government subsidies to one year. Pioneers like my Minnesota ancestors got only two years to plant and improve their “free” government land. Newly subsidized railroads needed crop cargos to survive.

After that one-year trial period today, why not shift subsidies to regular loans with interest (currently 6.6 percent) so that the U.S. Treasury is reimbursed by business taxes thereafter for a successful company.

Now, collectively, recipients’ “gifts” from the U.S. Treasury add up to big-time sums..

This year’s total federal subsidies are $34.8 billion—plus the $4 billion in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to Oil Change International. That’s nearly $40 billion as hard times approach most Americans: significant unemployment (7.4 million), vast social services cuts (Medicaid/CHIP: $863.4 billion), rising costs of living (3% in September).

Further, we taxpayers are never told who gets subsidies, aside from farmers. For decades, the public anger has fallen upon them for taking its money forever and never giving it back.

(Somehow, producing the nation’s food supply apparently doesn’t count.) But what if Treasury snail-mailed an annual list of subsidy recipients and amounts to every taxpayer? For one thing, screening applicants might deny subsidies to those whose products are likely to cause death and destruction domestically and/or abroad. For another, political favoritism would be revealed. So would profitable subsidy “repeaters” crowding out s promising enterprises.

If that list had ever been done like online’s Subsidy Tracker, taxpayers would have learned that Boeing, for instance, has received 868 federal subsidies totaling $15,609,962,422 from 2000-2025. Its annual profits in those 25 years could easily do without continuing subsidies. Before its 2024 troubles, growing profits in 2022 were $3.53 billion; in 2023, $ 7.724 billion.

Perhaps the federal government should also prohibit subsidies and/or loans to companies whose products could cause death and destruction—like the top three gun and ammunition makers: Remington ($68.9 million), Sturm, Ruger ($12.6 million), Smith & Wesson ($105.1 million) up to 2019 .

Then, there’s the U.S. fossil-fuel industry polluting the air we breathe and being the principal cause of global warming. Our top four oil/gas corporations have been receiving significant annual federal subsidies during that 2000-25 period. Subsidies from 2000-25 and 2024 profits were:

Company 2000-25 Subsidies 2024 Profits

Shell $2,214,111,308 $23,700,000,000

Exxon Mobil 1,955,436,318 33,000,000,000

Chevron 619,839,444 17,700,000,000

Conoco Phillips 31,512,318 9,200,000,000

Interestingly, since President Trump’s inauguration, he has conducted an all-out war on wind and solar energy, issuing at least 23 actions —executive orders, agency rules, administration decisions— to strangle this cheaper, renewable, clean, non-harmful, and growing popular system. Ongoing projects have been cancelled, finances hobbled, starts prevented, farmlands restricted, and blocked Solar for All grants. Forget subsidies for the small, promising companies involved in this clean energy source, thousands of jobs scuttled, lower utility bills, and increase in public and business power needs.

Dozens of other firms are on the federal dole, according to Subsidy Tracker ‘s list of the first 100. To those started from scratch to become today’s billion-dollar corporations, subsidies are “chicken-feed,” yet income they count on year after year. Remington, the gun and ammunition maker, used its $68.9 million subsidy one year to move from its New York birthplace to Alabama, a much friendlier atmosphere.

Oil/gas interests are a monumental case in point. Their startup subsidies have led to demanding the government furnish financial and military support to seize reserves of countries like Iraq. That country played no role in the 9/11 attack on New York’s World Trade Center. But its immense oil reserves (2025:145 billion barrels ) provided an excuse for President George W. Bush’s administration to invade and especially to “secure” its oil fields.

Dissident Voice for more

While much of the recent interest in Jeffrey Epstein has focused on the late sexual predator’s relationship with President Donald Trump, his emails also reveal his close relationships with other powerful figures from the worlds of politics, finance, academia and beyond. The thousands of files released by the House Oversight Committee earlier this month include his correspondence from April 2011 through January 2019, after he was already a registered sex offender for abusing underage girls in Florida. The fact that so many prominent and influential people could ignore those crimes is indicative of their membership in a “borderless network of people who are more loyal to each other” than anything else, says journalist Anand Giridharadas. “He had chosen this particular kind of social network, this American power elite, because he could be sure that it would be able to look away.”

Giridharadas is author of Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World and recently wrote about the Epstein emails for The New York Times opinion section.

Youtube for more

by JASON GUTIERREZ

Palestine Foreign Minister notches diplomatic deal with Philippines on eve of Manila’s assumption of ASEAN’s rotating chair

MANILA – Palestine is on a diplomatic mission in the region and on Tuesday forged an agreement for regular consultations with the Philippines, the incoming chairman of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc.

Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin’s visit to Manila came a day after the UN Security Council passed a resolution drafted by the United States Monday that is seen to move the fragile ceasefire in Gaza towards more meaningful reconstruction in the ruined enclave.

Thirteen of the council’s 15 members voted in favor of the resolution, while China and Russia abstained, but did not veto the measure. While Palestine and Israel have already agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan in Gaza, this resolution is seen as a key to legitimizing a transitional government that could bring more stability.

“This high-level visit is reflective of our growing partnership and our mutual commitment to further strengthen our cooperation,” Filipino Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro told a joint news conference with Shahin after bilateral talks.

“We both agreed that it is high time for our countries to forge more robust and practical cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” Lazaro said. Shahin is the highest Palestinian Authority official to have visited the Philippines since diplomatic ties were forged  36 years ago.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a regular “structured bilateral mechanism of consultations,” Lazaro said.

“This will allow us to take stock of our bilateral relations, identify areas of cooperation and promote our common interests,” she said. “In connection with this, we hope to convene the inaugural political consultations next year.”

As incoming ASEAN chair, the Philippines will “continue to uphold international law,” Lazaro said, as she stressed the country’s “unwavering support to the two-state solution which the Philippines regards as the only viable path towards peace and stability in the Middle East.”

Asia Times for more