We've been here before: The Roman Republic experienced globalization, dilution of culture, transformation into empire

On Date June 8, 2025 Victor Davis Hanson compares America's current historical moment to the period surrounding the life of Christ, when the Roman Republic transformed into the Roman Empire, during an interview with Bradley Devlin of The Daily Signal. "I think we're somewhere in that period between the Battle of Actium (31 BC) and the death of Octavian Augustus (14 AD)," Hanson said. "We're in a transitional period where globalization is the modern equivalent of an empire, because it is — if you think about it — run by the United States." "Everybody wears a suit and tie if they're a diplomat, jeans are everywhere, everybody's got a cell phone... Everybody emulates the United States. Every time I look at a Chinese airplane or a Chinese uniform, I just think that they stole it from us."

Iran says it obtained trove of documents on Israel's secret nuclear arms program

Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib is claiming Tehran has acquired a "treasure trove" of sensitive Israeli documents, including information on Israel's secret (but long not-so-secret) nuclear weapons program, as well as apparent evidence of US and European knowledge and support. "The transfer of this treasure trove was time-consuming and required security measures. Naturally, the transfer methods will remain confidential, but the documents should be unveiled soon," Khatib said. He vowed to make them public, at which point this could force either an Israeli or US official statement. Iranian state TV unveiled the alleged clandestine operation on Saturday, though no evidence was provided. Additionally, Israel has yet to acknowledge anything regarding theft of its files, which may have occurred through a cyber-breach.

Thousands rally in London demanding end to UK's anti-Russian militarization

The demonstrators have accused the Labour government of deepening poverty while ramping up military production Thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday to protest the UK government's deepening militarization at the expense of public welfare. The demonstration, organized by the People's Assembly, began at midday at Portland Place and moved toward Whitehall, with participants chanting and holding placards that read "Tax the Rich," "Nurses Not Nukes," and "Welfare Not Warfare."

'Korean Donald Trump' emerges from the chaos in Seoul

On June 3, 2025, a snap presidential election was held in the Republic of Korea in which Democratic candidate Lee Jae-myung won with over 49% of the vote. The election followed an attempt on December 3, 2024 to impose martial law in the country, which led the Constitutional Court to unanimously vote for the impeachment of then-President Yoon Suk-yeol. There were several candidates, but the main contest took place between the ruling conservative People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party.

How to fact-check techno-feudalism?

The Global Digital Forum last week in delightful Nizhny Novgorod represented a landmark in the quest for a more equitable media landscape across the whole Global South. Pride of place was taken by a new ambitious association, the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN). The last session of the forum was focused essentially on how to fight all the toxic declinations imposed by the post-truth anti-cultural ambiance - as in fact-checking an avalanche of fake news coming in most cases from states and official institutions. Guest of honor was superstar Russian Foreign Minister spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, relaxed, in great spirits, who went full Deng Xiaoping by urging everyone to "fight for the truth and seek out the facts". By a twist of fate, the timeline left me with only two minutes to somehow wrap up our quite enlightening discussion. So I went hardcore and quoted Nietzsche: "There are no facts, only interpretations". Later on, I was surprised at how that had struck a nerve especially...

"BritCard" - Inside Labour's 'Progressive' Digital ID

A new report from a British government think tank offers some clear insights into the Starmer administration's plan to introduce a universal digital ID. That digital ID - in one form or another - is a major part of the endgame is not any kind of revelation. We've known that was the plan for years, but the report tells us quite a lot about how it's going to be sold to the public. I guess we should go ahead and dive in. The Thinktank The report was published just this week by Labour Together - formerly "The Common Good" - a thinktank founded in "Labour's wilderness years" to help "make Labour electable again", according to their about page. Translation: They're centrist globalist Blairite shills who helped undermine and destroy the only vaguely genuine movement in the last 50 years of British "democracy" and now publish reports to push a globalist agenda. According to the Electoral Commission, they received over £ 9 million in donations last year (from only 234 donors), much of which...

Simplifying Putin's Ukrainian multi-dimensional matrix

Not only does the Western media have no connection to the truth but, outside of sport and weather forecasts, it is not meant to have any such link. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. - Ephesians 6:12 If Putin's Ukrainian issue was merely about dealing with Donald Rumsfeld unknown unknowns, Russia would have put paid to it years ago. But things are infinitely more complicated than that. Putin, which we use as a shorthand for Russia's High Command, must achieve his strategic objectives, which include but are not confined to eviscerating the Nazi hardliners and their MI6 handlers at the centre of power in Kiev, kicking NATO bag and baggage out of Russia's front yard, and securing regional stability to benefit the varying geopolitical and economic national interests of Russia and contiguous countries. Even that abbreviated web encompasses a...

RFK Jr. removes all members of CDC panel advising U.S. on vaccines

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday said he is "retiring" all 17 members of a crucial government panel of vaccine advisors, a shocking step that could help to sow doubts about immunizations in the U.S. "A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science," Kennedy said in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal on Monday. Kennedy is removing all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group reviews vaccine data and makes recommendations that determine who is eligible for shots and whether insurers should cover them, among other efforts.

NASA plans to build a giant radio telescope on the 'dark side' of the moon

A NASA-funded plan to build a large radio telescope on the moon's far side is nearing final approval and could become a reality by the 2030s, researchers say. The ambitious project will help safeguard astronomy from satellite "megaconstellations" — and help scientists unravel more of the radio spectrum. NASA scientists are currently working on plans to build a giant radio telescope in a nearly mile-wide crater on the "dark side" of the moon. If approved, it could be constructed as early as the 2030s and cost more than $2 billion, project scientists told Live Science. Astronomers want to build the first-of-its-kind dish, known as the Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (LCRT), to help unravel some of the universe's biggest mysteries — but also because they are concerned about growing levels of invisible radiation leaking from private satellite "megaconstellations," which could soon disrupt Earth-based radio astronomy.

Hurricanes never cross the equator. Here's why:

Here are four things about hurricanes that you may not know: One: They're the local name of a global phenomenon. Large tropical storms in the western part of the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons. In the Indian Ocean, they're called cyclones. In the North Atlantic or the eastern part of the Pacific, they're hurricanes. The term "tropical cyclones" is often used as a catch-all term. Occasionally, a storm will "cross over" and get two labels, as happened in 2006 with Ioke. Arising in the Central North Pacific as hurricane Ioke, the storm wandered into the Northwest Pacific, where it was known as typhoon Ioke.

India tests AI-based machine gun

The new weapon can autonomously identify and engage targets in complex mountainous terrain. The Indian Army has successfully tested an AI-enabled light machine gun at an altitude of 14,000 feet, military officials said on Monday. The weapon was developed by Indian defense firm BSS Material Ltd., and is based on the AI-powered Negev, a gun originally developed by Israel Weapon Industries. During trials, the gun successfully showcased its capability to autonomously identify and engage targets in complex mountainous terrain, a crucial feature for effective operations in India's rugged and challenging border regions. The weapon's core strength stems from a sophisticated multi-sensor AI module, which enables advanced capabilities such as automatic target detection, friend-foe classification, and real-time engagement, allowing for precise and effective operation, an India Today report said.

SOTT FOCUS: SOTT Earth Changes Summary - May 2025: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs

Since August 2024, solar cycle 25 has had an erratic intensity decrease, with a sudden peak in May, with up to 136 and 166 solar spots. A significant activity compared to the current official peak of 156.7 sunspots. The activity in May was highlighted by an X2.7 flare, the strongest of the year to date, multiple M-class flares, and a prominent coronal hole in the Sun's southern hemisphere. The flares caused radio blackouts across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and auroral displays at mid-latitudes, visible further south than usual. Right now, the general activity decrease data forecasts a possible solar minimum between 2029-2031. So far, the unusually cold temperatures and even snow in summer may continue or even extend further into the season.

Ukraine using terror tactics to disrupt peace talks - senior Russian diplomat

Bridge bombings in Bryansk and Kursk regions were designed to force Moscow to withdraw from negotiations, Rodion Miroshnik has told RT. Ukraine is using terrorist tactics at a state level to derail peace negotiations with Moscow, senior Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik has told RT. Recent acts of railway sabotage in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk regions have damaged passenger and freight trains, killing seven people and injuring 113. Russia's Investigative Committee has called the incidents "terrorist attacks" planned by Ukraine to inflict maximum civilian harm. The attacks were carried out the day before the second round of direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul on Monday. Miroshnik, an ambassador-at-large for the Russian Foreign Ministry, who is tasked with investigating the Ukrainian military's alleged war crimes, said in an interview on Wednesday that Kiev was orchestrating a series of violent acts aimed at undermining peace talks with Moscow, which are being facilitated by both...

Severe summer storm hits Bucharest, Romania causing floods and disrupting transport

A powerful storm swept through Bucharest on Monday afternoon, June 9, prompting a large-scale emergency response as torrential rain overwhelmed the city's infrastructure. Several streets and boulevards were flooded, with images shared on social media showing water entering buses and several cars left stranded in flooded roadways. The National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued successive orange code warnings for Bucharest and Ilfov, with downpours exceeding 50 liters per square meter in under an hour at the Filaret station and over 42 l/sqm in 30 minutes at Băneasa. In some parts of the city, rainfall temporarily surpassed 120 l/sqm - a level described by utility company Apa Nova as a "once-in-100-years" event, News.ro reported. Public transport was temporarily disrupted in several parts of the city, though most lines were cleared and restored shortly after the storm subsided.

BEST OF THE WEB: Rare snowfall blankets large parts of South Africa as cold front disrupts daily life - 300,000 properties without power

Parts of South Africa, Namibia, and Lesotho have seen serious snowfall as sweeping cold swept across the area. The cold front brought rare snowfall to parts of South Africa on Monday, coating rooftops, clogging roads, and prompting emergency responses across several provinces unaccustomed to such wintry conditions. It has been called the largest snow event in Lesotho's recent history by the Lesotho Tribune. The ski resort Afriski Mountain Resort in Lesotho advised visitors to delay travel until conditions improve. Emergency crews at the resort had to rescue 10 people bogged in snow at Mahlasela, in Butha-Buthe where it was snowing heavily. Truck drivers as well as 4WD vehicles without snow chains had gotten stuck on the snow covered roads. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a series of warnings as temperatures plunged overnight, leading to snowfall in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, and elevated areas of KwaZulu-Natal—regions where snow is either infrequent or typically...

Three giant deep-water oarfish wash up in one week across Australasia

Bad luck comes in threes, according to the saying. And this week three ethereal oarfish, nicknamed "the doomsday fish", have washed up on the shores of Australia and New Zealand. Two headless specimens were found near Dunedin and Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island, following the discovery of an oarfish on Tasmania's west coast on Monday. But scientists say there is no evidence of any link between oarfish sightings and imminent natural disaster. Earlier in the week, an oarfish was found near the small coastal settlement of Aramoana, north of Dunedin. Another, washed up on Thursday at a stony beach near Birdlings Flat, a 45-minute drive from Christchurch. Andrew Stewart, the curator of fishes at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, described the fish as "beautiful" and "otherworldly", with their "purply-blue, silver and crimson" colours. The museum had investigated collecting one of these "magnificent and ethereal-looking fish", but seagulls arrived first and...

Accidental discovery at a planetarium leads to revelation about structure of the Oort Cloud

Scientists have unlocked one of the solar system's many secrets from an unexpected source: a planetarium show opening to the public on Monday. At the American Museum of Natural History last fall, experts were hard at work preparing "Encounters in the Milky Way," a deep dive into our home galaxy shaped by the movements of stars and other celestial objects. They were fine-tuning a scene featuring what's known as the Oort Cloud, a region far beyond Pluto filled with icy relics from the solar system's formation. Comets can hurtle toward Earth from the cloud, but scientists have never glimpsed their true shape.

Coordinated and funded: Evidence points to organized backing behind LA's anti-ICE riots

Investigators link protests to government grants, radical nonprofits, and billionaire financiers What began as spontaneous demonstrations in Los Angeles following a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids has evolved into a complex investigation involving state-funded NGOs, radical activist groups, and billionaire-linked networks. According to independent researchers, including @DataRepublican, evidence suggests the violent protests were not organic but carefully planned and backed by substantial resources. Videos and documentation from the streets point to involvement from several nonprofit organizations and activist coalitions with clear political objectives. Protesters burned American flags, blocked roadways, and attacked federal officers during what were initially described as flash protests. However, detailed financial and operational links have now surfaced — exposing what appears to be an orchestrated effort.

Why is Gavin Newsom going full Jefferson Davis?

What triggered the American Civil War were state officials who refused to honor federal law and instead boasted of their open defiance of Washington. That precedent apparently is the incendiary model for the weird, but dangerous recent behavior of an increasingly unhinged California Governor Gavin Newsom. He is currently supporting the often-violent protestors in Los Angeles and their resistance to federal officials' enforcement of immigration laws. Newsom claimed that Trump's use of ICE to detain those here illegally in the U.S. was "reckless", "chaotic" and "eroding trust". Does he think that his own rhetoric is creating calm and building trust by opposing the lawful enforcement of federal statutes? Or is he following the baleful model of arch-Confederate rebel Jefferson Davis?

RFK Jr.: HHS analyst working to recover 'lost' vaccine safety data from CDC system

David Geier, long-time vaccine researcher, is helping rebuild access to CDC-linked datasets as critics question his credentials and past. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that David Geier, a senior data analyst at the agency, is leading efforts to recover missing datasets from a federal vaccine safety system. The project involves the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-run program used for analyzing adverse effects of vaccines. According to Kennedy's statement posted on social media platform X, Geier is working alongside other scientists to reassemble and depersonalize the so-called "lost" VSD data, which the CDC has acknowledged are missing or incomplete. Kennedy said the goal is to publish the data on a public-facing website to allow outside researchers access for replication and scrutiny.