US families accuse Palestinian-American billionaire of facilitating Hamas attacks

American families of victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel filed a lawsuit on Monday against a prominent Palestinian-American businessman, Bashar Masri, charging that he provided assistance in constructing infrastructure that allowed Hamas militants to carry out their cross-border rampage.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., is thought to be the first case of a U.S. citizen being accused of providing major support for the attacks that triggered a wider Middle East conflict and upended the region.

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Masri's office called the lawsuit "baseless."

According to a statement announcing the lawsuit, properties Masri owned, developed and controlled, including two luxury hotels and the leading industrial zone in Gaza – the Gaza Industrial Estate - "concealed tunnels underneath them, and had tunnel entrances accessible from within the properties, which Hamas used in terrorist operations before, on and after October 7th."

"Defendants facilitated the construction and concealment of those tunnels and even built above-ground solar panel installations that they then used to supply Hamas with electricity to the tunnels," it said.

The October 7 attacks killed some 1,200 Israelis, including more than 40 Americans, and prompted Israeli retaliation against Gaza that has since killed more than 50,000 Palestinians.

The lawsuit, which targets Masri and his companies, was filed on behalf of nearly 200 American plaintiffs, including survivors and relatives of victims.

"Our goal is to expose those who have aided and abetted Hamas and to try and bring accountability to individuals and companies that have presented a legitimate and moderate image to the Western world but have actively and knowingly helped Hamas," Lee Wolosky of the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP law firm, lead attorney representing the plaintiffs, said in the statement.

It said GIE was originally established with the help of U.S. taxpayer funding via the U.S. Agency for International Development to promote economic growth in the region.

It said of that "as a result of defendants’ deception," Hamas' tunnel network was built with the help of infrastructure and energy projects financed by international institutions, including the World Bank's International Finance Corporation.

Masri's office called the allegations against him and his businesses false and said he would seek their dismissal in court. It said Masri had been involved in development and humanitarian work for the past decades and "unequivocally opposes violence of any kind."

"Neither he nor those entities have ever engaged in unlawful activity or provided support for violence and militancy," it said in a statement.

Doing any big projects in Gaza prior to the war would have required tacit approval by, and some level of cooperation with, the Hamas authorities. The group built its extensive tunnel network across practically the entire territory, including under private homes and businesses.

A March 10 article in the Jerusalem Post cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that Masri had served as a close adviser to Adam Boehler, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy seeking release of hostages held in Gaza, and had flown on Boehler’s private jet as he shuttled across the region.

It called Masri "a seasoned entrepreneur" who "shares a business-minded approach with Trump, making him a natural fit in the administration’s economic vision for the region."

The State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment when asked about the newspaper report.

In a Reuters interview in October 2020, when he was 59, Masri spoke in favor of Gulf Arab ties with Israel, condemned by Palestinian leaders, saying they could be an opportunity to apply fresh pressure to halt Jewish settlement in occupied land.

When speaking to Reuters in 2020, Masri said Palestinians must not give up hope. "Our enemies want us to give up hope. If we give up hope, they have exactly what they want, and there will be no Palestine, and no Palestinian people," he said.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Chinese nationals captured fighting for Russia in Ukraine, Zelenskiy says

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had captured two Chinese men fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine, potentially threatening a fragile peace effort in the three-year-old war.

Beijing is a close diplomatic ally of Moscow but is not publicly known to have directly aided in the Kremlin's full-scale invasion, which U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to swiftly end.

Writing on X, where he posted a video of one of the alleged men, Zelenskiy said Kyiv has "information suggesting that there are many more Chinese citizens" fighting. He did not say whether Ukraine believed the men were acting on Beijing's orders.

"Russia's involvement of China, along with other countries, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything but end the war," he wrote, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on what would be the first publicly announced case of Chinese nationals captured fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Reuters could not independently verify the claims.

Writing on social media, Andriy Kovalenko, a member of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, called the captured fighters mercenaries but offered no other details.

Russia has used Iranian drones as well as North Korean missiles and artillery shells since its February 2022 invasion.

Kyiv also says Pyongyang's troops have been deployed to fight Ukrainian forces in parts of Russia's western Kursk region, where Ukraine staged a lightning incursion last summer.

"But there is a difference: the North Koreans were fighting on the Kursk front against us," Zelenskiy said in a joint briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. "The Chinese are fighting on the territory of Ukraine."

Russia has not yet publicly commented on Zelenskiy's claim about Chinese fighters, nor has it explicitly confirmed using North Korean troops in its Kursk region.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the reports of Chinese nationals captured in Ukraine were disturbing but did not say whether Washington has verified the claim.

China's supply of dual-use items to Russia makes it a major enabler of Russia's war effort, Bruce told reporters, adding that cooperation between Moscow and Beijing contributes to global instability.

TOUGHER STANCE

Zelenskiy, who said the men were carrying documents confirming their identities, told reporters he hoped their capture would prompt the U.S. to take a tougher stance on Russia during a peace process to end the fighting.

U.S. and Russian officials have in recent weeks engaged in bilateral talks, drawing criticism from Ukraine which is suspicious of the Trump administration's conciliatory stance toward the Kremlin.

"I think the U.S. needs to pay more attention to what's happening today," Zelenskiy said. He added that Ukrainian forces had engaged six Chinese fighters in total.

"We really hope that after this situation, Americans will talk more with Ukrainians, and then with Russians."

In a separate statement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had summoned China's charge d'affaires in Ukraine "to condemn this fact and demand an explanation".

China, which declared a no-limits strategic partnership with Russia days before Moscow's invasion, has said it is ready to play a role in settling the war in Ukraine.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia to step up number of ground-based robots in army — top defense official

The Russian Armed Forces will receive significantly more ground-based robots this year, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said.

On April 8, the Russian Defense Ministry held a scientific and technical conference on the issues of use and development of ground-based robots taking into account the experience of the special military operation.

Belousov pointed out that last year, the defense industry and volunteer organizations delivered several hundred ground-based robots to the Russian military. "This year we plan to deliver many more," he said.

Reuters/Tass

Neil Patel

Seldom does success come easily in business. Not to be pessimistic, but most entrepreneurs who make it have inevitably faced a myriad of challenges along the way. That's just the way it is.

And what has stunted their growth and success along the way hasn't necessarily been major obstacles or turbulent storms. It's been the distractions they've allowed to invade their lives. These are often subtle distractions, so entrepreneurs may not even know there's a problem until one day they wake up to see that their efforts have been derailed.

The key to moving forward is being able to spot some of the most common distractions and eliminate them before they infiltrate any further. Here are some that I've personally experienced.

1. Listening to too many people

I've seen it time and time again. An otherwise intelligent, ambitious and driven entrepreneur with a seemingly infinite number of great ideas allows his or her vision to become clouded by listening to everyone else's opinion.

Don't get me wrong. It's important to get feedback. Connecting with the right mentors can be integral for finding success.

However, listening to too many people is a sure-fire way to become overwhelmed. It's often the catalyst for self-doubt. When you've got too many voices in your head telling you what's right and what's wrong, your own inner beacon of light can't properly shine.

All of a sudden you're second-guessing yourself, and your decision-making becomes hazy. That's why I recommend getting opinions and feedback from just a few select people whom you trust and know have your best interests in mind.

2. Mistaking busyness for productivity

Being productive and simply being busy are two very different things. Unfortunately, we humans are hard-wired to believe that as long we stay busy, we're being productive.

Research on this matter from the University of Chicago found that the "belief that being busy is a sign of success and hard work is so prevalent that we actually fear inactivity." The researchers actually invented the term "idleness aversion" to describe how people are drawn to being busy regardless of how this busyness can impact their productivity.

I know that I've fallen into this trap myself. Sometimes, I'll think that I'm accomplishing something great just because I've been working tirelessly for hours on end. But in hindsight, my productivity was only minimal.

Breaking this maladaptive mental habit is essential to the long-term health of your business.

3. Procrastinating on critical tasks

"I'll procrastinate tomorrow" is a humorous line that captures the essence of prolonging important tasks just because they don't seem very appealing at the moment. Procrastination, however, often creates a vicious cycle where it gets easier and easier to put off what you should being doing right now.

Without keeping this problem in check, you may develop a habit of laziness, which can doom your overall success.

One technique that I've found useful is to prioritize my tasks in order of importance and difficulty. I then tackle the biggest and baddest tasks early in the day when I have the most energy, and save the tasks that are lower on the totem pole for later.

Another reason why I believe that many people procrastinate is simply because they're overwhelmed or intimidated by certain tasks. However, this can usually be remedied by breaking larger tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps.

This approach might be compared to scoring a touchdown in football. If you simply focus on getting first downs, you'll eventually make it to the end zone.

4. Allowing politics to override logical decision-making

Allowing workplace politics to remain unchecked and get out of control almost guarantees a negative impact on a business' success.

This distraction is usually due to team members jockeying for power or one person's ego taking precedence over others', rather than keeping the focus on the common good. When this happens, things can quickly take a turn for the worse, and any semblance of professionalism can go out the window.

Unless you're a solopreneur, with complete control over your company, you're going to encounter different ideas within a company. The key to maintaining logical decision-making is to keep everyone's efforts coordinated and "focused on the ultimate good of the enterprise."

5. Saying "yes" to everything

Unless you're a real-life version of Jim Carrey's character in Yes Man,saying yes to every proposition or crazy idea is likely to get you into trouble. The bottom line in business is that you can't please everyone. Not every offer is going to be legitimately beneficial.

Getting into in the habit of excessive people-pleasing, in fact, can be a major distraction and can counteract much of the success you've already earned. Remember that you only have a finite amount of time and resources and that focusing on projects and relationships that are going to bring about tangible results is what's really important.

This should make it easier to say no from time to time and to ensure that you don't wind up in over your head or agreeing to something you'll later regret.

Conclusion

By recognizing some of the biggest distractions that plague entrepreneurs, you're less likely to fall victim to them. Instead, keep your eyes on prize and accomplish more with less wasted motion.

Entrepreneur

Some of Nigeria’s leading companies incurred a combined forex loss of N2.17 trillion in the financial year 2024, according to data collated by Nairametrics from published financial statements.

The sheer size and magnitude of the losses were so significant that they negatively impacted the bottom line for some firms.

These staggering losses were largely triggered by the devaluation of the naira, following the Tinubu administration’s foreign exchange unification policy launched in June 2023.

In context, the exchange rate opened 2023 at N461.5/$1, closed the year at N907.11/$1, and ended 2024 at N1,535/$1. This sharp devaluation led to massive FX losses for Nigerian businesses with dollar-denominated obligations, as these liabilities were revalued in naira terms.

The losses spanned multiple sectors, including consumer goods, telecommunications, and cement:

• Affected companies include MTN Nigeria, Dangote Cement, Nigerian Breweries, and BUA Foods—all giants in their industries.
• Foreign-owned multinationals such as Nestlé, Cadbury, and Lafarge Africawere also hit hard.
• Aradel Holdings, a key indigenous player in energy, also featured prominently.

Despite a 64.38% increase in combined revenue to N13.452 trillion, these firms recorded a 6.03% decline in aggregate pre-tax profits to N332.227 billion, due largely to FX pressures.

MTN Nigeria topped the list with a combined foreign exchange loss of N925.361 billion, representing 42.65% of the total FX losses recorded by the companies under review. This figure marks a 24.98% increase compared to 2023.

According to the company’s financial report:

• Realized FX losses accounted for 60.73% of the total, amounting to approximately N562 billion.
• The remaining 39.27% (N363 billion) was unrealized, resulting from the revaluation of foreign-denominated obligations.
• Both components were charged to the income statement, pushing MTN Nigeria’s pre-tax loss up by 209% to N550.326 billion in 2024.

Nestlé Nigeria also joined the list of companies heavily impacted by foreign exchange volatility, recording a 49% year-on-year increase in FX losses, which rose to N290.700 billion.

This figure accounts for 13.40% of the combined forex losses incurred by the ten companies under review.

Breaking it down: 

• Realized exchange loss: N57.598 billion 
• Unrealized FX loss: N233.102 billion 

As a result of these heavy forex losses, Nestlé Nigeria’s pre-tax loss surged by 113%, reaching N221.589 billion during the period.

The Dangote Group 

The Dangote Group’s cement and sugar operations incurred a combined N458.225 billion in FX losses:

• Dangote Cement: N249.322 billion 
• Dangote Sugar Refinery: N208.903 billion 

Dangote Cement, in its 2024 financial results, attributed the foreign exchange loss to widespread currency devaluation across its African markets. “In 2024, currency devaluation emerged as a significant factor shaping the economic landscape across Africa, with most currencies in our operational countries experiencing depreciation,” the company stated.

The high FX burden significantly impacted on the group’s overall profitability, despite posting strong top-line figures.

While Dangote Cement delivered a 34% growth in pre-tax profit toN732.537 billion, Dangote Sugar’s performance deteriorated sharply, with pre-tax losses worsening by 149% to N270.894 billion.

BUA Group: 

The BUA Group, comprising BUA Cement and BUA Foods, recorded a total FX loss of N265.399 billion, weakening the group’s bottom-line outlook:

• BUA Foods: N173.293 billion, up 112% YoY
• BUA Cement: N92.105 billion, up 32% YoY

Despite the FX loss, BUA Foods recorded one of the strongest profit margins among the companies under review, at 17%, second only to Aradel’s impressive 44%.

Nigerian Breweries: 

Nigerian Breweries reported foreign exchange losses of N157.597 billionin 2024, marking a 2.78% year-on-year increase.

• While the growth is modest, the absolute figure remains a significant drag on the company’s financials. The losses were largely attributed to the devaluation of the Naira.
• To mitigate future currency risks, the company implemented several strategies, including utilizing proceeds from its Rights Issue to reduce FX exposure.
• As a result of these efforts, operating profit surged by 145%, while net finance costs dropped by 75%, leading to a return to profitability in Q4 2024 the first time in two years.

Nevertheless, the company still recorded a pre-tax loss of N182.419 billion, representing a 26.08% increase year-on-year, highlighting that currency pressure continues to weigh heavily on overall performance.

Cadbury Nigeria: 

Cadbury Nigeria saw some relief in 2024, recording a total FX loss of N28.311 billion; a 24.6% decline from the N37.558 billion posted in 2023.

The company’s realized FX losses dropped to N26.051 billion from N30.072 billion, while unrealized losses fell by nearly 70% to N2.261 billion from N7.486 billion.

This reduction in FX losses helped cushion the company’s earnings, with pre-tax loss declining by 12% to N28.326 billion. 

WAPCO: 

WAPCO experienced a significant surge in realized FX losses, which rose to N24.871 billion in 2024, up from N6.134 billion in 2023.

However, the company recorded an unrealized FX gain of N600.174 million, a notable reversal from the N14.911 billion unrealized loss reported in the previous year.

Despite this partial offset, WAPCO’s net FX loss widened to N24.271 billion, reflecting a 15.3% increase from the N21.045 billion recorded in 2023.

Aradel Holdings: 

Aradel Holdings, on the other hand, posted a net FX loss of N19.616 billionin 2024, composed of a realized FX loss of N28.966 billion, partially offset by a realized FX gain of N9.350 billion.

This marked a 133% increase compared to the N8.386 billion FX loss recorded in 2023; the highest year-on-year growth in FX-related losses among the companies reviewed.

• Overall, the N2.17 trillion forex losses incurred by Nigeria’s top companies in 2024 highlight the severe impact of naira devaluation following the unification policy.
• While companies like MTN, Nestlé, and Dangote Cement saw revenue growth, the currency losses significantly affected their bottom lines, leading to substantial pre-tax losses.

Despite efforts to reduce FX exposure, the volatile naira continues to challenge profitability.

The outlook still depends on currency stability and broader economic conditions.

Nairametrics

Security forces on Monday violently dispersed protesters across Nigeria as the Take-It-Back Movement staged nationwide demonstrations against the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, the alleged misuse of the Cyber Crime Act, and worsening economic hardship.

The crackdown, which saw police firing tear gas, deploying helicopters for aerial surveillance, and arresting activists, drew sharp condemnation from rights groups, including Amnesty International.

In Abuja, armed officers disrupted the protest early in the morning, arresting at least two demonstrators—identified as Flagboy and Abosede — while journalists and bystanders were caught in the chaos. Prominent activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore joined the rally, resisting police attempts to shut it down.

A similar confrontation unfolded in Lagos, where police, backed by soldiers and civil defense operatives, blocked protesters from delivering a petition to the state assembly. Juwon Sanyaolu, national coordinator of the movement, accused authorities of violating constitutional rights to peaceful assembly.

“They are impeding our rights to movement and protest. This is a warning action—if the government fails to listen, we will return in August with a protest that shakes the nation,” Sanyaolu declared.

Police Deny Violence, Claim Protesters Were "Miscreants"

The Rivers State Police Command denied allegations of brutality, insisting officers only dispersed “miscreants” stealing from the public. However, eyewitnesses reported security forces firing live bullets and tear gas, injuring a protester and briefly detaining journalists.

Solomon Menu, a civil society leader in Rivers, vowed that protests would continue despite the repression. “Freedom is not free. They used brute force today, but we will regroup,” he said.

Mixed Responses Across States

While protests were suppressed in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, demonstrations proceeded peacefully in Osogbo, Ibadan, and Benin, where activists condemned the Cyber Crime Act as a tool to suppress dissent.

In Jos, a low turnout was attributed to intimidation, with coordinator Jonah Onah stating, “People are scared, but even if I’m alone, I’ll protest. Our leaders have failed us.”

Police Accuse Protesters of Sabotaging "National Police Day"

The Nigeria Police Force had earlier warned against the protests, accusing organizers of deliberately undermining National Police Day — a government-designated event celebrating security forces.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, police spokesperson, called the demonstrations “ill-timed and mischievous,” urging activists to engage in dialogue instead.

Rights Groups Condemn Crackdown

Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the police response as a “serious violation of human rights.” Country Director Isa Sanusi stated, “The government is not willing to listen. Nigerians cannot tolerate this assault anymore.”

Musa Rafsanjani of the *Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre criticized the police for attacking peaceful protesters, contrasting Nigeria’s approach with global standards where security forces protect demonstrators.

Government Defends Restrictions

The Lagos State government cited a recent court order restricting protests to Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park and Peace Park, warning that violators would be held liable for damages.

Despite the crackdown, activists vowed to continue mobilizing, demanding an end to emergency rule in Rivers, the repeal of the Cyber Crime Act, and accountability for human rights abuses.

"Enough is enough," declared Sanusi. "We are documenting these violations, and the world is watching."

Sixteen people were killed during a clash between local security forces and suspected Lakurawa insurgents who had raided villages in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kebbi, police and residents said on Monday.

The Islamist Lakurawa group emerged from herding communities along the Nigeria-Niger border after the July 2023 coup in Niger.

Nigeria has also been grappling with a long-running insurgency in its northeast, primarily driven by the Islamist armed group Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province.

Kebbi police spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar said the attack occurred on Saturday evening when the gunmen attacked the villages of Tungan Taura and Tungan Ladan.

"The assailants reportedly rustled an unspecified number of cattle, and during a confrontation as they attempted to flee, 16 individuals were killed," Abubakar said in a statement.

The police have deployed additional tactical units "to track down and apprehend the perpetrators," he said.

One Kebbi resident, Abubakar Augie, said Lakurawa had raided villages in the area and stolen an unspecified number of cattle. The group opened fire at villagers who came out in large numbers to try to stop the assailants, he said.

A Nigerian federal court in January declared the Lakurawa group a terrorist organisation, a designation that allows the military to use maximum force against it.

Reuters

What to know about tensions between Iran and the US before their talks this weekend

Iran and the United States will hold talks in the sultanate of Oman on Saturday in an attempt to jump-start negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.

Even before the talks, however, there was a dispute over just how the negotiations would go. President Donald Trump insists they’ll be direct negotiations. However, Iran’s foreign minister said they’ll be indirect talks through a mediator.

The difference may seem small, but it matters. Indirect talks have made no progress since Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

Trump has imposed new sanctions on Iran as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign targeting the country. He has again suggested military action against Iran remained a possibility, while emphasizing he still believed a new deal could be reached by writing a letter to Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei has warned Iran would respond to any attack with an attack of its own.

Here’s what to know about the letter, Iran’s nuclear program and the tensions that have stalked relations between Tehran and Washington since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Why did Trump write the letter?

Trump dispatched the letter to Khamenei on March 5, then gave a television interview the next day in which he acknowledged sending it. He said: “I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing.’”

Since returning to the White House, the president has been pushing for talks while ratcheting up sanctions and suggesting a military strike by Israel or the U.S. could target Iranian nuclear sites.

A previous letter from Trump during his first term drew an angry retort from the supreme leader.

But Trump’s letters to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term led to face-to-face meetings, though no deals to limit Pyongyang’s atomic bombs and a missile program capable of reaching the continental U.S.

How has Iran reacted?

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected direct negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.

“We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far,” Pezeshkian said in televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting. “They must prove that they can build trust.”

Khamenei seemingly reacted to comments by Trump renewing his threat of military action.

“They threaten to commit acts of mischief, but we are not entirely certain that such actions will take place,” the supreme leader said. “We do not consider it highly likely that trouble will come from the outside. However, if it does, they will undoubtedly face a strong retaliatory strike.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei went further.

“An open threat of ‘bombing’ by a Head of State against Iran is a shocking affront to the very essence of International Peace and Security,” he wrote on the social platform X. “Violence breeds violence, peace begets peace. The US can choose the course...; and concede to CONSEQUENCES.”

The state-owned Tehran Times newspaper, without citing a source, claimed that Iran had “readied missiles with the capability to strike U.S.-related positions.” That’s as the U.S. has stationed stealth B-2 bombers in Diego Garciawithin striking distance of both Iran and Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, which America has been bombing intensely since March 15.

Why does Iran’s nuclear program worry the West?

Iran has insisted for decades that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60%, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so.

Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67% purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s program put its stockpile at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds) as it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity.

U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.”

Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, has warned in a televised interview that his country has the capability to build nuclear weapons, but it is not pursuing it and has no problem with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspections. However, he said if the U.S. or Israel were to attack Iran over the issue, the country would have no choice but to move toward nuclear weapon development.

“If you make a mistake regarding Iran’s nuclear issue, you will force Iran to take that path, because it must defend itself,” he said.

Why are relations so bad between Iran and the U.S.?

Iran was once one of the U.S.'s top allies in the Mideast under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who purchased American military weapons and allowed CIA technicians to run secret listening posts monitoring the neighboring Soviet Union. The CIA had fomented a 1953 coup that cemented the shah’s rule.

But in January 1979, the shah, fatally ill with cancer, fled Iran as mass demonstrations swelled against his rule. The Islamic Revolution followed, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and created Iran’s theocratic government.

Later that year, university students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seeking the shah’s extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage crisis that saw diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. severed. The Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s saw the U.S. back Saddam Hussein. The “Tanker War”during that conflict saw the U.S. launch a one-day assault that crippled Iran at sea, while the U.S. later shot down an Iranian commercial airliner.

Iran and the U.S. have see-sawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy in the years since, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. But Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, sparking tensions in the Mideast that persist today.

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskiy confirms for first time that Ukrainian troops active in Russia's Belgorod region

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed for the first time on Monday that Ukrainian troops have been active in Russia's Belgorod region as they seek to protect Ukrainian towns near the border.

Ukrainian troops remain in parts of the neighbouring Russian region of Kursk eight months after a cross-border incursion, though Russian forces have recaptured much lost territory.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, had presented a report "on the front line, our presence in the Kursk region and our presence in the Belgorod region."

"We continue active operations in the enemy's border areas and this is absolutely justified. The war must return to where it came from.

"Our main objective remains the same: to protect our land and our communities in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions from Russian occupiers."

He later referred to operations in the area by Ukraine's 225th Assault Regiment and congratulated the unit for its performance.

Zelenskiy repeated Kyiv's long-held contention that despite Russia's recapture of areas of Kursk in recent weeks, the operation was successful in that it drew Russian forces away from the war's main front line in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

"Due to the entire Kursk operation, we have managed to reduce pressure on other frontline sectors, particularly in Donetsk region," he said.

The president last month referred obliquely to "certain steps" undertaken by Ukraine's military in Russia "a little below the Kursk region", implicitly suggesting a presence in Belgorod region.

Russian military bloggers had reported battles in Belgorod region between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

On Sunday, Russia said its troops had seized the village of Basivka in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region -- opposite Kursk -- and were battering Ukrainian forces in different settlements.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly suggested that Russian forces carve out a buffer zone along the border.

A Ukrainian military spokesperson issued a new denial on Monday that Basivka was in Russian hands.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian troops liberate Katerinovka community in Donetsk region over past day

Russian troops liberated the community of Katerinovka in the Donetsk region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

"Battlegroup West units liberated the settlement of Katerinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic through decisive operations," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 85 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 85 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Belgorod direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Miropolskoye, Prokhody, Veliky Prikol and Osoyevka in the Sumy Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 85 personnel, an armored combat vehicle and two motor vehicles in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts 215 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 215 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup West units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Kondrashovka, Kupyansk and Shiykovka in the Kharkov Region, Novoye and Kirovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 215 personnel, three artillery guns and an electronic warfare station in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 300 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 300 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of seven mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Seversk, Minkovka, Chasov Yar, Konstantinovka, Artyom, Kalinovo and Tarasovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 300 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, 22 motor vehicles and an electronic warfare station in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two ammunition and two materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 440 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 440 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and three armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units gained better lines and positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of three mechanized and two infantry brigades, an airborne brigade, an assault brigade, an unmanned systems brigade, an assault regiment, an unmanned aircraft systems regiment of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Yelizavetovka, Dimitrov, Krasnoarmeysk, Zverevo, Kotlino, Udachnoye, Lenina, Novosergeyevka, Kotlyarovka and Bogdanovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 440 personnel, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, including a US-made MaxxPro armored vehicle and seven motor vehicles, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed three field artillery guns and an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 140 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 140 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units continued advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses among manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Poddubnoye, Komar, Burlatskoye and Volnoye Pole in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 140 personnel, an armored combat vehicle, two motor vehicles and three field artillery guns, including a Polish-manufactured 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system and a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Reuters/Tass

Elon Musk was recently asked what kept him up at night. His greatest fear was the possible collapse of the United States. In Musk own worlds, "I worry generally about the strength of America. America is the central column that holds up all of Western civilization... If that column fails, it's all over. You can't run off to New Zealand or some other place. It's over. So either we strengthen that column and make sure America is strong, and we'll be strong for a long time, or that roof’s coming down."

Musk is a hard-headed, data-driven businessman, so his pessimism cannot be ignored. Is his apprehension justified?

Musk’s worry is about western civilization, and the political arrangement undergirding it. This civilization requires a liberal (classically understood) democracy where disputes are settled by the rule of law, not violence, with an open, election-based political system that guarantees such rights as freedom of speech and limited government, all the while promoting free enterprise.

Conceivably, Musk’s own experience of living in South Africa that virtually overnight was transformed from a peaceful, prosperous nation to a violent, Third World nation shapes his pessimism. It was not that the apartheid-era South Africa was an America-like paradise. Hardly -- it brutally suppressed blacks. Rather, South Africa’s collapse demonstrated that no political and economic status quo is forever.

Musk probably knows that Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Italy existed only briefly as civilized, liberal democracies during the World War 1 and World II interim. Meanwhile, our efforts to create “America-like” nations abroad illustrate the difficulty of building and then sustaining western civilization. We have sent hundreds of billions in foreign aid to countless Third World nations to help them “become more like America” with scant results. Ironically, this aid often propped up tyrants imposing socialism.

These failures reveal that while America may epitomize western civilization, our understanding of how to achieve it is limited. If we better understood its underlying mechanics, we could improve it at home and even export our “secret sauce,” and, clearly, we cannot. Musk wants to preserve something that nobody fully understands, hardly an easy task.

Public opinion data paints a bleak picture. One poll recently announced, “Americans with extreme national pride hovers near record low.” Specifically, between 2001 and 2022, the percent saying that they were “very” or “extremely” proud of being an American dropped from 54% to 41%. This decline even occurred among Republicans, who generally exhibit the most national pride.

The problem, however, may be deeper. In the context of history, American and the civilization that it embodies may run counter to human nature, and given changing circumstances, human nature may reassert itself. After all, countless sophisticated societies have vanished without a trace.

Humans have existed and evolved for eons, so it is bizarre to suggest that contemporary America is evolution’s final destination. Judged by societies worldwide, America is an outlier, not what automatically happens when humans gather to create nations. Our democratic government and civilization may only be a thin veneer. The bestselling 1954 novel Lord of the Flies fictionally recounts a group of civilized British pre-adolescent schoolboys suddenly stranded on an uninhabited island, lacking any adult guidance. Initial efforts to create a civil society failed and the group quickly deteriorates into brutal savagery.

“De-evolution” likewise occurs among domesticated animals who escape into the wild. This transformation is particularly noticeable for pigs where the absence of human-provided food and shelter activates “stealth genes” helping them to function autonomously. Now, armed with longer and sharper tusks and coarser hair, these wild boars aggressively forage for food, defend themselves against predators, kill other animals, and otherwise live a totally different life than those raised on farms.

Americans are hardly immune to “de-evolution.” Recall the hundreds of urban riots of the 1960sand, more recently, the widespread 2020 “George Floyd” riots. This re-emergence of primitive instincts is hardly unexpected. Such barbaric behavior was normal for over 95% + of our existence and remains in our genome despite today’s more civil society.

Musk’s South African background may make him especially sensitive to the early warning signs of an impending collapse. Unfortunately, such tremors -- to use the language from earthquakes -- now abound. While few are explicit -- no organization exists named “Down with western civilization.” there are myriad groups and individuals who want, perhaps unconsciously, this destruction. Consider the following subversive trends:

The fracturing of American public education and its transformation into a radical ideological crusade. Beginning in the late 19th century American public education was a unifying forcein response to massive immigration. It included daily flag salutes, holidays honoring national heroes and otherwise stressed “Americanism.” Today, by contrast, education is increasingly fractured along ethnic lines with entire school curriculums (e.g. 1619 Project) built on celebrating ethnic separatism, not national unity. Meanwhile millions of families are abandoning the common school experience via private schools, publicly funded charters, and home schooling. Our shared political culture is dissolving.

At the same time higher education often forsakes transmitting knowledge in favor of propagating a multitude of grievances and contempt for the status quo. This is especially common in fields such as Gender Studies, the social sciences, and the humanities but has now spread to the hard sciences. The upshot is an anti-American elite that often abhors its own society despite its privileged position. Today’s undergraduates are thus easy prey for anti-Americanism. Who would have predicted violent demonstrations at Ivy League schools supporting Muslim terrorism?

Much of higher education also demonizes merit in favor of group politics. The very idea of “truth” is under attack while “merit” is condemned as unearned privilege. White males are especially demonized. Many Americans now tacitly celebrate incompetence.

Then there’s the weaponization of law to destroy one’s political opponents -- think the prosecution of Donald Trump. Less obvious is selective law enforcement law to punish entire classes of people. Examples include tolerating black-on-white crime (but not the reverse) under the guise of promoting anti-white “racial justice.” Politics thus become a never-ending low-level civil war.

The law is also used for “de-civilizing” society by permitting anti-social behavior, for example, public intoxication, drug dealing, and vandalism. This “tolerance” creates cities like today’s slum-ridden Detroit, a city once admired as the “Paris of the Midwest.” Rome was ransacked by barbarians; in today’s San Francisco, the culprits are shoplifters and drug dealers.

The “memory holing” of our national history. Here leftists rename schools and streets while delegitimizing once honored symbols like the Constitution. Traditional patriotic history instruction is replaced by commemorating obscure figures only notable for their race and gender, not their contribution of American life. National identity declines.

Add importing millions from Third World nations who are unlikely to assimilate while critics are intimidated into silence regarding Europe’s experience with these immigrants. With this influx has come a decline of English as the great unifier.

Finally, there is the decline of “civil” language and appearances. Vulgar, once socially forbidden, language is now mainstreamed in popular entertainment and ordinary conversations. Virtually every sexual preference, no matter how dangerous, has become “normal, if not celebrated. College students now adorn themselves with tattoos, piercings, and bizarre hairstyles once limited to primitive tribes. Flouting cultural norms has become “cool.”

No wonder Musk has a hard time sleeping.

American Thinker

Antibiotic resistance, a mounting crisis in global health, emerges when bacteria evolve to survive treatments meant to eliminate them. This makes once-manageable infections difficult — and sometimes impossible — to treat. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture have accelerated this evolution, allowing resistant strains to thrive, spread, and share their survival traits with other bacteria.

According to the World Health Organization, resistant pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa — which cause severe infections in vulnerable patients — are now among the most dangerous. In 2019 alone, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) claimed 1.27 million lives, with nearly 5 million deaths associated with drug-resistant infections.

"In exciting work led by our team, we've identified a novel antimicrobial — saccharin," Ronan McCarthy, lead researcher at Brunel University of London's Antimicrobial Innovations Center, told phys.org. "Saccharin breaks the walls of bacterial pathogens, causing them to distort and eventually burst, killing the bacteria. Crucially, this damage lets antibiotics slip inside, overwhelming their resistance systems."

The findings, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, show saccharin halts bacterial growth, disrupts DNA replication, and prevents the formation of protective biofilms that shield bacteria from antibiotics. Researchers even developed a saccharin-infused wound dressing that outperformed top silver-based dressings used in hospitals.

"This is very exciting," McCarthy added. "Normally it takes billions of dollars and decades to develop a new antibiotic. But here we have a compound that's already widely used, and it not only kills drug-resistant bacteria but also makes existing antibiotics more effective. Artificial sweeteners are found in many diet and sugar-free foods. We discovered that the same sweeteners you have with your coffee or in a 'sugar-free' drink could make some of the world's most dangerous bacteria easier to treat."

As global health leaders warn of a looming “post-antibiotic era,” this unexpected use of a century-old sweetener could be a pivotal step toward reclaiming ground in the battle against resistant infections.

Business Today