Kuwait declares force majeure on oil shipments amid Hormuz blockade, Bloomberg News reports Kuwait has declared force majeure on ​shipments of crude oil ‌and refined products after a blockade of the ​Strait of Hormuz ​prevented some vessels from entering ⁠the Persian Gulf, ​hindering its abi...

Kuwait declares force majeure on oil shipments amid Hormuz blockade, Bloomberg News reports reut.rs/4vFA2ET

kinda says it all that this gets more scrutiny than killing tens of thousands of brown children

Mining China’s ‘Little Red Book’ for Open Source Gold - bellingcat Xiaohongshu, a female-focused lifestyle app, is a rare window into China for researchers outside the country.

Researching China isn’t easy. With many foreign sites blocked, journalists depend on domestic platforms. Even under tight controls, Chinese apps are the main window into the country. Chu Yang’s latest guide explains how to research Xiaohongshu (Rednote). www.bellingcat.com/resources/20...

U.S. Installs a Trump Loyalist to Lead ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Case Into Trump Foes

Worth adding that Russia did as a matter of fact intervene for Trump in 2016 and that the evidence is widely known, abundant, and collected in various forms (🧵 1/3)
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...

Iran Fires At Tankers In Strait Of Hormuz After Saying It Would Reimpose ‘Strict Control’ Over Waterway (Live Updates) Iran fired at a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday after reimposing restrictions on the waterway in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran fired at a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday after reimposing restrictions on the waterway in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports.

Ukraine Has Written Off the United States Zelensky has stopped pretending that Trump might be an ally.

Latest in @theatlantic.com The Ukrainians are now longer pretending that Donald Trump's USA is their friend. Their honesty is important as they seem to understand how much Trump is helping Putin and how important it is that Europe stick together. Gift Link. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

This automatic machine gun turret just shot down jet-powered Shahed drone in Kharkiv tonight.

Sky Sentinel, remember that name. Good development!

Company backed by Trump sons looks to sell drone interceptors to Gulf states being attacked by Iran A drone maker backed by President Donald Trump’s two oldest sons is trying to win contracts with Gulf countries under threat by Iran and protected by the U.S. military led by their father.

Let’s be clear about what’s happening here.

President Trump launched an unauthorized war against Iran. Gulf countries are now under attack and desperate for protection. And Trump’s sons just signed a deal with a drone company actively trying to sell weapons to those countries.

This bullshit is going in my living room wall.

🇳🇱🇺🇦 The Netherlands has allocated 248 million € for the procurement of both Dutch- and Ukrainian-made drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieu...

Spoofed Tankers Are Flooding the Strait of Hormuz. These Analysts Are Tracking Them Marine insurers and oil traders want to know what’s going on in one of the world’s most critical waterways. As the volume of disappearing ships in the area increases, analysts are getting creative.

Marine insurers and oil traders want to know what’s going on in one of the world’s most critical waterways. As the volume of disappearing ships in the area increases, analysts are getting creative. www.wired.com/story/spoofe...

Romania says another Russian drone probably hit the country.

The MoD in Bucharest says radar contact with the UAV was lost in an uninhabited area and they are searching for it.

Maybe this is too niche but he reminds me so much of the friendliest guy you'd meet at the local Food Not Bombs group who knew all these delicious vegan baking recipes and would go to the potlucks after in the friend group.

When I go back inshallah in the summer I can't go near there. I have so many good memories of seeing wonderful performances there (including Hadestown and Moulin Rouge), getting drinks on the rooftop and chatting with colleagues and friends and just really respecting the institution.

Yeah I don't get all the upset tbh. I've been a vegetarian for nearly half my life (now a self proclaimed opportunistic vegan) but for most of history until very recently eating red meat every day was really only for the rich and an oddity.

🇺🇦 🇳🇱 Ukraine and the Netherlands have officially launched cooperation in the defense industry, in particular in the production of K4 DeepStrike drones and Baton medium strike aircraft.

Hot take: I don't really think ruck marching (as in on-foot moves over distance with bags larger than assault packs) should be practiced by militaries as anything but a team-building physical exercise with the exception of very particular mountain / light reconnaissance / special forces troops.

BREAKING: The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine just issued a formal statement defending Pope Leo XIV's teaching authority on just war doctrine — less than twelve hours after JD Vance told a Turning Point USA crowd the pope should “be careful” talking theology.

This is a serious escalation.

With, Without, Against Washington: Redefining Europe’s Relations With the United States The Pax Americana, which guaranteed the security of Germany and Europe after the Second World War, is coming to an end. Europe can no longer...

The era of the Pax Americana is coming to an end. Europe can no longer rely on its partnership with the United States – even beyond the presidency of Donald Trump. A study edited by Barbara Lippert and Stefan Mair outlines ways to reduce dependence on Washington. www.swp-berlin.org/en/publicati...

Taiwan Market Cap Tops $4 Trillion on AI Boom, Overtaking UK Taiwan overtook the UK in stock market value as the island’s tech firms regained favor amid hopes for further de-escalation in the Iran war.

Bloomberg: Taiwan overtook the UK in stock market value as the island’s tech firms regained favour amid hopes for further de-escalation in the Iran war – ‘making it the world’s seventh largest’

The Myths of McMasterism The Limits and Politics of Professional Protest

Why has no general resigned over illegal boat strikes, the operation in Venezuela, the Iran War, or an impeding operation against Cuba (apparently)? I think HR McMaster and Dereliction of Duty, a book that supposedly demands it, actually lets them off the hook, offers one explanation. My latest⬇️

Ukraine Says Russians are Surrendering to Robots Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pitching his country as a global leader in robots for war and defense. Will the world listen?

Ukraine is telling the world that Russians are surrendering to ground robots

War *is* a 'matter of morality'.

All Catholic thought rejects this division. You find its contrary in the traddiest of trad authorities - Pius IX or X - or in Gaudium et Spes, which proclaims (§76) the church's 'true freedom' to 'teach her social doctrine' & 'pass moral judgment'.

Fuck. I didn't realize it was this bad. I was on ghost but I can't pay for the subscription currently. Is leaflet any good?

One of my favorite posts—

Unemployed-in-Oahu Or how I was DOGED' and dealt with it by ending up on a Lana Del Rey-Esque adventure in Hawaii

I'm part of the group of people at State who got canned due to DOGE and friends. Way more talented and important folks than me got canned but I can at least spell "Secretary" and check for typos most of the time.

My story here... 👇🏻
open.substack.com/pub/daggeran...

War is the continuation of sports betting by other means

Ok all the imposter syndrome I've had for real is dead. Truly embarrassing.

The Swiss Guard doesn’t even have a nuke. Weak!

image: the Buddha, with thought bubble asking, "Wait - am I weak on crime?"