Don’t call these invaders “refugees.” As an actual refugee, I fled from these Islamofascists, who destroyed the Middle East and North Africa with their sick imperialism and Islamic fascism, and are now destroying Europe. Spain should be excluded from the Schengen area ASAP.

People argue landlocked Europe can easily be invaded. Well this is Canada, not an easy place to get to in order to start a brand-new life - these people have been deliberately imported by the millions - same with the Islands of UK & Australia - the trajectory is clear - Canadians will become a minority. Just like Brits, Australians & Europeans. ‘They’ have spent Trillions orchestrating this. It doesn’t end well.

If you go visit Kibbutz Degania Alef south of the Sea of Galilee, you will see an old Syrian tank at the center of the Kibbutz. Thank tank isn't a modern art exhibit or a strange imprort, it is a tank the Syrian army used to invade Israel in 1948. 8 miles inside Israel is how far the Syrian army reached when it tried to annihilate the the young Jewish state. The world has forgotten what 1948 is all about and what the true Nakba that took place was.

Europe's dependence on American gas has never been greater: The US now accounts for ~60% of Europe's total LNG imports, near an all-time high. This figure peaked at ~64% in April following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which cut off supplies from Qatar and the UAE. This percentage has risen +20 points since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, forcing Europe to replace Russian pipeline gas with LNG shipped from the US. Furthermore, the US accounts for 26% of total EU gas imports, including LNG and pipeline gas, second only to Norway. Europe also needs US gas to refill storage tanks ahead of winter, meaning this dependence is set to deepen further in the coming months. Europe’s energy security is now tied directly to the US.

🇺🇸 U.S. diesel just hit an all-time record of $6.50 a gallon, and the rest of the world is about to feel it. It's jumped more than 80 cents in September alone, blowing past the 2022 record set after Russia invaded Ukraine. Fighting around Hormuz is choking shipments by sea, and Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries have knocked out a chunk of exports, right as trucking and harvest season pick up. Diesel moves the trucks, ships and tractors that carry food and goods everywhere, so freight costs, import prices and inflation are next in line well beyond the U.S. When even the world’s biggest oil producer is paying record prices at the pump, countries that import every drop are looking at a rough few months ahead. Source: @Barchart / Writer: Daniyal

Okinawa was a kingdom long before it became part of modern Japan. That history is easy to miss if all you know about Okinawa is beaches, coral reefs and warm weather. The islands spent centuries developing their own culture, political system and traditions, and you still feel that difference today. The Ryukyu Kingdom was established in 1429 and lasted until 1879. Its location between Japan, China and Southeast Asia made it an important trading center, and those connections shaped the architecture, food, music and customs of the islands. Shuri Castle was the center of the kingdom. It sits above Naha and looks very different from the castles most people associate with Japan. The red walls and curved stone fortifications reflect the mix of influences that reached Okinawa over the centuries. In 1609, forces from Japan’s Satsuma domain invaded the Ryukyus. The kingdom survived, but under Satsuma control while continuing its relationship with China. That arrangement lasted until Japan formally abolished the kingdom in 1879 and created Okinawa Prefecture. You can still find remains of that older world around the main island. Okinawa has hundreds of gusuku sites, the stone-walled castles and fortified settlements built by local rulers. Nakijin Castle and Katsuren Castle are two of the best-known examples. Shuri Castle has had a much harder time surviving. It was heavily damaged during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, rebuilt decades later and destroyed again by fire in 2019. Reconstruction has been underway since. Okinawa also happens to be the birthplace of karate. The exact origins are complicated, but it grew out of local fighting traditions mixed with influences from China and elsewhere in Asia. From Okinawa it spread to mainland Japan and eventually around the world. The islands sound different too. The sanshin, a three-stringed instrument traditionally covered with snakeskin, is closely tied to Okinawan music. Shisa statues sit on rooftops and beside gates all over the islands, and the food has its own character as well. Pork is more common than many first-time visitors expect. Goya champuru, made with bitter melon and tofu, is one of the best-known local dishes, and awamori has been made here for centuries. The landscape changes quickly once you leave Naha. Northern Okinawa is covered in subtropical forest, especially around Yanbaru. Farther out, islands like Ishigaki and Iriomote have coral reefs, mangroves and a slower pace than the main island. The beaches are a big reason people come here, but the war history is just as important. The Battle of Okinawa in 1945 lasted about three months and killed more than 200,000 people, including a huge number of Okinawan civilians. Towns and cultural sites were destroyed across the island. The Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park are worth visiting if you want to understand what the battle meant for the people who lived here. After the war, Okinawa remained under U.S. administration until 1972, when it was returned to Japanese control. That period still shapes parts of modern Okinawa. So I wouldn’t think of Okinawa as just Japan’s beach destination. Spend time in Naha. Walk around Shuri. Visit one of the old gusuku sites. Eat Okinawan food. Listen to the sanshin. Learn a little about karate where it began. Go north into Yanbaru. Spend some time by the water. And make room for the harder parts of the history too. Okinawa has been a kingdom, a trading center, a battlefield, a U.S.-administered territory and part of modern Japan. Once you know that, the islands make a lot more sense. That’s the kind of place I write about in my newsletter. Somewhere that looks interesting at first and gets better once you know the story behind it. If you like travel with some history behind it, subscribe to the Timeless Traveler.

Today is the anniversary known as “Okinawa Memorial Day” — a day to remember and pray for everyone who died because of the war in Okinawa during WWII. The Japanese Empire anticipated its defeat in WWII, but chose to wage a ground battle in Okinawa in order to delay the invasion of mainland Japan. The US military invaded Okinawa, and ordinary people there — who had been taught to fight against the US and die for the Japanese Empire — were drawn into the war by the Japanese military itself. The Battle of Okinawa lasted only about three months, yet the death toll reached over 200,000 people. When I think of Gaza since October 2023, where more than 70,000 people have died, it’s hard to even begin to imagine the scale of devastation that has taken place there. (Of course, the real point is the imperial violence that kills a person — not the number itself.) For 27 years after the end of WWII, Okinawa was forced to live under US military control. Even after its reintegration with Japan, Okinawa has been unfairly burdened with hosting US military bases at a far higher rate than mainland Japan. So many incidents have occurred — for example, sexual assaults committed by soldiers against people in Okinawa that unjustly ended without prosecution. Now, the Japanese government is expanding military power around Okinawa, and is even planning to force ordinary people living on the remote islands of Okinawa to evacuate their own land if war breaks out. One of the most essential responsibilities of politicians is to refrain from war — not to profit from it. This photo was taken at the shoreline where so many ordinary people in Okinawa were pushed back and killed during the Battle of Okinawa.

Iraqi "asylum seeker" who raped girls as young as 12 after plying them with drink and drugs at mini-mart before raping them is jailed for 29 years. Bawan Harwe, 28 met the girls in 2024 in Hexthorpe Mini Mart in Doncaster, south Yorkshire, where he worked. He then abused them in his nearby flat. The was assisted by co-worker Sharam Muhamadi, who he met in 2022 after they worked near each other and lived in the same house. Under fake names, Harwe, known as 'Karo', and Muhamadi, under 'Jack', the men messaged girls across South Yorkshire through social media. Harwe, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of eight counts of rape, two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, two counts of false imprisonment, and six counts of arranging and facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation. Invaders are destroying the lives of our children. Get them all out!

🚨 The Houthis have crossed the one line that could bring Pakistan directly into their war. By launching ballistic missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia itself, striking around Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, the Houthis have created the first serious test of the month-old Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has already warned that unprovoked spillover onto Saudi territory could make the agreement operational, saying Pakistan would honor its commitments if required. And this red line predates the new pact. 🛡️ In 2015, Pakistan refused to enter the Yemen war but explicitly drew the line at attacks on Saudi territory. The Houthis have now crossed precisely that threshold. 🛡️ Pakistani forces are already stationed in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan would not need to invade Yemen. Additional air defenses, intelligence support, drones or limited strikes against Houthi launch sites in northern Yemen could constitute meaningful involvement. 🛡️ Saudi Arabia is economically critical to Pakistan, through deposits, oil arrangements and billions in remittances. Signing a defense agreement and then doing nothing after Saudi territory is attacked would carry its own political and strategic cost. 🛡️ Pakistan also has major maritime and energy interests at stake. Continued Houthi escalation around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb directly threatens shipping and energy routes important to Pakistan. This could prove to be a major strategic miscalculation by the Houthis. They are already facing renewed advances by Yemeni government forces on multiple fronts. Adding Pakistan’s large, nuclear-armed military to the forces opposing them would dramatically widen the pressure they are facing. It would also create a serious problem for the Islamic Republic. Pakistan has spent considerable effort balancing relations with Iran against its deep security and economic relationship with Saudi Arabia. An Iranian proxy attacking Saudi territory forces Pakistan toward a choice the Islamic Republic would rather it never have to make. And if Pakistan does nothing, the alternative is damaging in a completely different way. The Mecca Pact risks being exposed as paper during its first major test. The Houthis have therefore turned another missile attack into something much bigger. Either they help drag Pakistan into the war against them, or they expose one of the region’s newest mutual-defense agreements as hollow. They may have fired at Saudi Arabia, but the consequences could reach far beyond it.

Why Does America Hate Iran? The Real Story Behind the Conflict The hostility between the United States and Iran did not begin with the recent conflicts in the Middle East. It goes back decades and is deeply connected to oil, politics, foreign intervention, revolution, and the struggle for regional influence. It all goes back to oil Iran has some of the world's largest energy reserves, with more than 200 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and around 34 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. That makes Iran far more than just another Middle Eastern country. Its energy resources and its location near the Persian Gulf have given it enormous strategic importance for decades. But the story really begins in the early 1950s. The 1953 Coup Until the early 1950s, Britain's influence over Iran's oil industry was enormous, while Iran received only a small share of the profits. Then Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh decided to nationalize the country's oil industry. For Iran, it was about taking control of its own resources. For Britain and the United States, however, it was seen as a serious threat to Western interests. In 1953, the CIA and Britain's MI6 helped organize a covert operation, known as Operation Ajax, which led to Mosaddegh being removed from power. The Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was subsequently strengthened as Iran's ruler. For many Iranians, this became a symbol of Western interference in their country's politics. The resentment created by the episode never completely disappeared. The 1979 Revolution Changed Everything The Shah modernized Iran and maintained close relations with the United States, but his government was also accused of suppressing political opposition. Eventually, public anger exploded. In 1979, the Iranian Revolution overthrew the Shah and brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power. Later that year, Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. They remained in captivity for 444 days. That crisis completely transformed the relationship between the two countries. What had once been a close partnership turned into decades of confrontation. Then Came the Iran-Iraq War In 1980, Saddam Hussein's Iraq invaded Iran. The war lasted almost eight years and devastated both countries. Iran also felt increasingly isolated, particularly because the United States supported Iraq during the conflict. For Iran, the lesson was clear: it needed to become strong enough to defend itself without depending on other countries. This thinking eventually contributed to Iran's pursuit of a nuclear program and its efforts to build influence through allies and armed groups across the Middle East. Why Are America and Iran Still Enemies? The conflict today is not about a single issue. The United States is concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions, its regional influence and its support for groups hostile to Israel and US interests. Iran, meanwhile, sees American sanctions, military deployments and political pressure as attempts to weaken or contain the country. And underneath all of this is a history of mistrust that goes back to 1953. So, saying that America simply "hates" Iran oversimplifies the story. The US-Iran conflict is really the result of decades of political interference, energy interests, revolution, security fears, regional power struggles and deep mutual distrust. And because Iran remains one of the world's most important energy-rich countries and occupies a strategically crucial position in the Middle East, this rivalry continues to have consequences far beyond the two countries themselves.