We’re no Trojan horses, say Muda, Urimai on IPR-PN claims

FMT:

We’re no Trojan horses, say Muda, Urimai on IPR-PN claims

2 hours ago
Elill Easwaran

Muda's Leben Siddharth says IPR is a cross-ideological reform platform, while Urimai's P Ramasamy insists 

that IPR parties are not seeking entry into PN

Leben Siddharth said Muda will work with any party that benefits the people, while P Ramasamy said Urimai will stay in IPR and back its reform goals.

PETALING JAYA: Muda and Urimai have brushed off claims that the loose Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) alliance is being used to divide and weaken Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Muda vice-president Leben Siddharth said parties in IPR were not Trojan horses, as IPR served as a platform for cross-ideological cooperation on public issues.

“If anything, that strengthens democratic participation, not weakens it,” he told FMT.


“It exists independently, with a specific purpose: to push for reforms and solutions on issues impacting Malaysians.

“This is not political manoeuvring. Muda will work with anyone – government or opposition – as long as it benefits the rakyat.”



Leben added that IPR was never intended to be absorbed into an existing coalition.

“It allows engagement beyond fixed alliances, enabling collaboration with groups, civil society, and parties that may not sit in PN but that share common goals on specific issues,” he said.

Lumut MP Nordin Ahmad Ismail previously claimed that the loose, opposition-aligned IPR framework could be used to split and weaken PN.

Nordin, aligned with former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, said he expected internal pressure in Bersatu to push PAS, which currently chairs PN, to accept IPR-linked parties whose ideologies differ from those of the Islamist party.


He cited parties such as Urimai and the Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP), led by P Ramasamy and P Waytha Moorthy, describing them as Trojan horses that would “continue to cause trouble in PN until the goal of weakening and dividing PN is achieved”.

Ramasamy said IPR parties like Urimai and MAP were not “dying” to join PN, pointing to ideological differences.

“As long as PAS continues its uncompromising stand on the rights of the non-Malays, it will be difficult for some IPR component parties to compromise with PAS,” he said in a statement.

However, he said Urimai intended to stay in IPR to support the political objectives of the leadership provided by Muhyiddin.


IPR, launched in October last year, brought together leaders from Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, Pejuang, Putra, Berjasa, Muda, MAP, the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party, and Urimai.

Muhyiddin previously suggested that IPR be incorporated into PN or that both entities form an electoral pact for the next general election.

However, PAS representatives were absent from two recent IPR meetings, one chaired by Muhyiddin in January and another by Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali earlier this month.

Khairy not a good fit for Kedah, say analysts

FMT:

Khairy not a good fit for Kedah, say analysts

3 HOURS AGO
Chia Wan Rou

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri says that placing a high-profile figure in a constituency that does not align with his image and political approach is a weak strategy

Khairy Jamaluddin, a former health minister, served as MP for Rembau from 2008 to 2022.

PETALING JAYA: A proposal to field former minister Khairy Jamaluddin as a candidate in Kedah for the 16th general election could backfire, an analyst has warned, urging the party not to repeat the mistake made in the previous nationwide polls (GE15).

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri said Khairy’s loss in Sungai Buloh in GE15 should serve as a lesson: placing a high-profile figure in a constituency that does not align with his image and political approach is a weak strategy.

The Global Asia Consulting analyst noted that Kedah is not an urban political arena that embraces reformist discourse or intellectual rhetoric. Instead, it is more attuned to approachable, “kopitiam-style” leadership.

“Khairy, with his populist-intellectual image and metropolitan style, is better suited to urban or semi-urban constituencies — not rural Malay-majority battlegrounds, where voters tend to be more sceptical of his progressive leanings.

“Bringing him to Kedah would only highlight a cultural mismatch in political expectations. It is not merely about personality, but about what the electorate values, which is familiarity over global vision,” he told FMT.

On Tuesday, Kedah Umno Youth information chief Safwan Jaafar was reported as saying that the state Barisan Nasional (BN) needs a figure like Khairy to ignite its political resurgence.

He said the former health minister’s ideology and thinking could help reshape the mindset of Kedah voters.

Khairy served as MP for Rembau from 2008 to 2022. In GE15, Umno fielded him in the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat, where he lost to Pakatan Harapan candidate R Ramanan.

Meanwhile, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said states in the “SG4” bloc, including Kedah, have a strong sense of state identity that influences voter acceptance of candidates.

He described Khairy as a “universal candidate” better positioned to attract younger voters in urban and suburban areas, without being weighed down by strong state-based sentiments.

“It wouldn’t be suitable to field Khairy in Kedah. In fact, even if he were fielded in Kepala Batas, Penang, it would still be a mismatch — despite his strong family ties there (as the son-in-law of the late former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi).

“A figure like him should be placed in more open constituencies, where voters are less bound by state-centric preferences,” he said.

Last week, Khairy dismissed rumours that he would be fielded in Kepala Batas, a constituency represented by Abdullah for seven consecutive terms from 1978 to 2013.

He said Abdullah had previously told him and Reezal Merican Naina Merican, to “let Reezal take care of Kepala Batas”. Reezal was Abdullah’s political protégé.

Abdullah was succeeded by Reezal, who held the seat for two terms before losing it to PAS’s Siti Mastura Muhammad in the 2022 general election.

US-Indonesia overflight talks risk undermining Asean neutrality and human rights principles – APHR

Proposed arrangements granting US military “blanket overflight access” in Indonesian airspace signal a material shift away from Asean’s long-standing commitment to neutrality.— Pexels pic, April 15, 2026


US-Indonesia overflight talks risk undermining Asean neutrality and human rights principles – APHR


Rights group cautions opaque deal could erode Indonesia’s control over its airspace and deepen regional divisions amid rising US–China rivalry


Updated 2 days ago
15 April, 2026
1:47 PM MYT

PROPOSED arrangements granting US military “blanket overflight access” in Indonesian airspace signal a material shift away from Asean’s long-standing commitment to neutrality.

Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) warns that, without clear limits and transparency, the deal risks drawing Southeast Asia deeper into major power competition and weakening an already fragile regional order.

“Expanding military access without transparency risks turning our region into a silent partner in conflicts we neither control nor consent to. Sovereignty must not be reduced to a procedural formality, but anchored in human rights and accountability to the people,” said APHR Co-Chairperson and Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Mercy Chriesty Barends.

At the centre of the proposal is an unresolved question: whether Indonesia will retain meaningful authority to approve, restrict, or veto specific US military missions using its airspace. While the arrangement is reportedly framed around contingency operations, crisis response, and mutually agreed exercises, these categories remain broad and open to interpretation.

This potential shift comes as Asean faces growing internal divergence over security alignments. Some member states are deepening cooperation with the United States, while others are strengthening ties with China.

This trend risks fragmenting Asean’s longstanding principle of non-alignment and weakening its collective ability to manage external pressures. Indonesia has historically played a key role in anchoring this principle, making any recalibration of its posture regionally significant.

“These concerns are compounded by Asean’s limited response to ongoing regional crises. In Myanmar, the military junta continues to commit widespread and systematic human rights violations with impunity, while Asean mechanisms have failed to deliver meaningful accountability or protection. Against this backdrop, expanding military arrangements without robust safeguards risks further exposing the gap between Asean’s stated commitments and its practice,” said APHR Co-Chairperson and former Malaysian MP Charles Santiago.

APHR reiterates that preserving ASEAN’s relevance requires more than rhetorical commitment to neutrality. It demands transparency in security agreements, effective democratic oversight, and firm adherence to human rights and international law.

Without these safeguards, Southeast Asia risks becoming not a zone of cooperation, but a contested space shaped by external military competition.— April 15, 2026

APHR is a coalition of current and former parliamentarians from Southeast Asia who use their unique position to advance human rights and democracy in the region

Cuba ‘ready’ for possible US attack, says president

FMT:

Cuba ‘ready’ for possible US attack, says president

Washington and Havana have held talks on de-escalating tensions but the discussions have failed to make significant headway

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said they do not seek confrontation but must be prepared to avoid or win it if necessary. (EPA Images pic)

HAVANA: Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Thursday his country was “ready” for a possible US attack on the communist island following months of mounting pressure from President Donald Trump.

“We don’t want that (confrontation) but it is our duty to be ready to avoid it and, if it were unavoidable, to win it,” Diaz-Canel told thousands of people attending a rally in Havana to mark the 65th anniversary of the failed US invasion of the island at the Bay of Pigs.

Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack following repeated warnings from Trump that Cuba is “next” after he toppled Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and went to war against Iran.

Washington and Havana have held talks on de-escalating tensions but the discussions between the arch-foes have failed to make significant headway, according to US media reports.

Mariela Castro, daughter of late president Raul Castro, said Cubans “want dialogue” with Washington but “without putting our political system up for debate”.

She said her 94-year-old father – who oversaw a historic 2015 rapprochement with the US under Barack Obama that Trump later reversed – was indirectly involved in the talks.

Raul’s grandson Raul Rodriguez Castro, a colonel, is reportedly among the negotiators.

Diaz-Canel admitted that the current moment was “very grave” but stressed Cuba’s “socialist” nature, as proclaimed by Fidel Castro on April 16, 1961.

The 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion was launched two years after Castro’s revolutionaries took control of the island and began nationalising US-owned properties and businesses.

Between April 15 and 19, around 1,400 anti-Castro Cuban exiles in Miami, trained and financed by the CIA, landed at the Bay of Pigs, about 250km (155 miles) south of Havana.

Cuban forces repelled the invaders, inflicting a humiliating defeat on the Americans.

Six decades later, Washington now has Cuba again in its sights.

After Maduro’s capture in Caracas, Trump imposed an oil blockade of Cuba, aggravating the impoverished island’s worst economic and energy crisis in decades.

Diaz-Canel rejected what he referred to as a US portrayal of Cuba as a “failed state”.

Havana largely blames its woes on a US trade embargo imposed shortly after Castro’s arrival to power, still in place today, and the more recent oil blockade.

“Cuba is not a failed state, it’s a besieged state,” he said.

Maria Reguiero, an 82-year-old attending the rally, said that like in 1961, Cubans were “ready to defend their sovereignty, whatever the price”.

How some Malaysians are coping with price hikes as the West Asia conflict grips global energy supply

How some Malaysians are coping with price hikes as the West Asia conflict grips global energy supply



As the West Asia conflict continues to drive global oil prices, some Malaysians are already bracing themselves for the looming economic ripple effect. — Picture by Farhan Najib

Friday, 17 Apr 2026 7:00 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — The West Asia conflict has brought the world into an energy crisis with several sectors in Malaysia already feeling the impact, particularly the agricultural and logistics sectors.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim previously said that despite Malaysia remaining in a relatively stable economic position, the prolonged conflict is expected to require a lengthy recovery period.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail recently reminded Malaysians to prepare for possible economic and supply disruptions if the ongoing geopolitical conflict in West Asia continues.

As the conflict continues to drive global oil prices, with diesel prices now at RM5.97 per litre, some Malaysians are already bracing themselves for the looming economic ripple effect that could result in price hikes on household items and goods.



Fifty-four-year-old Rodzita Muyup and her daughter at their recently opened Ice Cream Goreng stall in Subang Bestari. — Picture by Arif Zikri


Fifty-four-year-old ice cream seller Rodzita Muyup has been providing homemade ice-cream catering services for 10 years and just opened her own Ice Cream Goreng (Fried Ice Cream) stall in Subang Bestari, Shah Alam earlier this year as a means to diversify her family’s income.

Although she hasn’t experienced any price hikes on any of her ice cream supplies and ingredients so far, her concern about impending price hikes remains.

“I usually buy my ingredients in bulk and I’m concerned because most of these ingredients are supplied using lorries which use diesel.

“And whenever there’s a rise in fuel prices, usually prices for other goods would get affected too and which is why we have to be on standby mode now,” Rodzita said.

Even if the cost of ingredients for her ice cream does go up in the future, and if it’s within the RM3 to RM5 margin, the mother of four said she would still maintain her current pricing as she is still able to cope despite getting less profit in return.

Besides that, looking at the current global situation, Rodzita and her family have begun taking proactive steps by cutting down on dining out at fancy restaurants for the time being.

Rodzita noted that the current climate mirrors the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the Movement Control Order halted her business.

However, the pandemic also instilled a disciplined savings habit that she now relies on to endure the current economic shifts.



Retired teacher from Klang, Nor'Ihsan Mohd Sharif has weathered several economic storms, including the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. — Picture by Arif Zikri


Meanwhile, Nor’Ihsan Mohd Sharif, a 64-year-old retired teacher from Klang, has weathered several economic storms, including the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

He noted that the current situation feels far more “drastic” than those of the past.

“In previous crises, fuel prices were high, but the spikes weren’t as sudden as what we see now, where prices can jump practically overnight,” Nor’Ihsan said.

The father of three would usually drive his 11-seater diesel multipurpose vehicle (MPV) every once in a while – mostly to bring his eldest son who is afflicted with Transverse Myelitis, an inflammatory neurological disorder that affects the spinal cord, to his medical appointments.

He noted that prior to the energy crisis, he normally spent around RM150 on diesel for his MPV every month and now, with prices more than doubling, he spends nearly RM450 for the same amount of diesel.

“Even when it comes to grocery shopping, we are strictly buying basic necessities, whereas we used to be able to afford a few extras.

“We can no longer spend like we used to. In the past, a trip to the market meant we could buy shrimp, fish, and chicken; now, we can only afford the chicken.

“We are spending only on what we need to endure this situation. Everything else has to be put on KIV for now,” he said.



Data management executive Ahmad Baihaqi and his wife. — Picture by Arif Zikri


Nor’Ihsan’s second son, 32-year-old Ahmad Baihaqi, has always been vigilant about his spending, especially after getting married two years ago.

“We would often opt for lower priced brands and usually spend only on what we need.

“In reality, I’m also quite frugal when it comes to picking brands — as long as it suits the purpose, I don’t mind what brand it is,” said the data management executive who is currently living in Setia Alam with his wife.

On a positive note, Baihaqi said that the recent Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) reduction to 2.75 per cent which was set by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in July last year is looking more and more like a win nowadays for homeowners like himself.

“When they (BNM) reduced the OPR rate from 3 per cent last year, it helped in taking some burdens off our shoulders.

“I don’t think they would raise it again in the future but who knows right?

“That’s the thing with this current situation, regardless of what’s happening, everything seems uncertain,” Baihaqi said.



Since the global energy crisis began, Linda D'cruz said her family has started spending more conservatively, emphasising the importance of an emergency fund. — Picture by Choo Choy May


Meanwhile, 42-year-old Linda D’cruz, who has lived in Canada with her husband and children for the past 15 years, noted that travelling is becoming increasingly difficult.

The mother of two, originally from Terengganu, recently returned to Malaysia to visit her mother, who had broken her ankle in a fall.

D’cruz found this trip significantly more challenging than previous ones.

“Luckily, I wasn’t among those stranded at the airport due to cancellations and delays. We managed to avoid the Middle East by flying with Philippine Airlines, which took a different route,” she said.

D’cruz noted that a one-way ticket from Canada to Malaysia costs around RM1,800 last December; however, a recent check on the Malaysia Airlines website showed that a one-way flight to Toronto has nearly doubled to RM3,617 now.

Addressing the current energy crisis, D’cruz said her family has started spending more conservatively, emphasising the importance of an emergency fund.

“It’s obvious we have to be more economical with all these economic uncertainties. Job security is also a concern; anything can happen.

“We don’t travel much unless it’s to visit family because we have to tighten our belts — especially for unexpected medical expenses.

“My mother is getting older, and we need to save for future emergencies,” she said, adding that her mother is recovering well.

Joanne Shum, a 56-year-old shopkeeper in SS2, Petaling Jaya, doesn’t usually follow geopolitics in West Asia.

However, she admits the current crisis has her deeply concerned about looming price hikes.

Surprisingly, Shum fears the rising cost of daily essentials more than she feared the Covid-19 pandemic. To her, the lockdown era was almost a period of self-improvement.

“Covid-19 was nothing (in terms of stress),” she recalled.

“I actually lost weight because I was at home with nothing to do but exercise.

“Now that I’m back at work, I’ve actually been gaining weight.”

She noted that the lockdown was quiet for her household.

“My husband and I aren’t very tech-savvy, so during the pandemic, we just spent our time at home together without much internet to distract us,” she said.

While she hasn’t experienced any direct price spikes yet, Shum is already bracing for the worst.

She is prepared to cut back on spending and, if the situation deteriorates further, she is even ready to begin rationing food in her household.



Cempedak goreng hawker, Calvin Soong, has stopped using the air-conditioner in his van as a means to save up on fuel usage. — Picture by Choo Choy May


Meanwhile, it is a very concerning time for 61-year-old cempedak goreng hawker, Calvin Soong, who not only has to face the high diesel price but also the increase in plastic packaging prices which has gone up by between 15 per cent and 40 per cent recently.

Despite having to face these hikes, Soong is still hesitant in raising the price of his cempedak goreng.

“I wish I could (raise the price).

“Cempedak goreng is just like a dessert or a snack, so for most people, it doesn’t matter to them whether they buy it or not — it’s not a must buy product such as rice or vegetables.

“So if I raise my price, I’m worried that people will just stop buying,” he said.

Soong who has been selling cempedak goreng at pasar malam around Klang Valley for 20 years now also shared that since the recent diesel price hike announcement, he has been driving his van without turning on its air-conditioning (AC) as a means to save up on fuel usage.

A full tank for his van which would cost him around RM500 to RM600 now, could last around two weeks maximum if he drives it without turning on the AC.

“I’m really feeling the pain now.

“Nowadays, every time my fuel meter dropped slightly, I would go to the petrol station and fill it up again, you know why? Because the price would appear cheaper (compared to filling up a full tank).

“So seeing a small figure at the petrol pump helps in distracting my mind from the reality a bit,” he said.

Despite his predicament, Soong remained resilient and would continue his day-to-day operations adding that “like it or not, this is something that we must now face”.

***

All the above thanks to Satanyahu and his moronic lapdog Clown.

Another 'Kerbau' from you-know-who???

Trump says Iran agrees to hand over enriched uranium as US nears peace deal



US President Donald Trump has insisted that any deal with Iran must permanently bar the Islamic Republic from acquiring a nuclear weapon. — AFP pic
.
Friday, 17 Apr 2026 8:32 AM MYT


WASHINGTON, April 17 — US President Donald Trump said yesterday that Iran has agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium and that the two sides were “close” to a peace deal to end the war that has engulfed the Middle East.

The United States had earlier threatened to resume airstrikes on the Islamic Republic and maintain a naval blockade of its ports if Tehran refused to accept a deal to solve the conflict that broke out on February 28.

At the same time, on another front in the conflict, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day truce starting on Thursday and said he expected the two countries’ leaders at the White House in “four or five days”.


Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim al-Moussawi told AFP the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group—which has been fighting Israel since early March—would respect the ceasefire if Israeli attacks on the militants stopped.


The Lebanese and Israeli prime ministers welcomed the ceasefire, which came days after the US and Iran agreed a separate truce and as Pakistan pursued diplomatic efforts to arrange a new round of talks between foes Washington and Tehran.

Iranian state television on Thursday showed Pakistan’s powerful army chief Asim Munir meeting Iran’s speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation at the first round of talks last week, which ended without a deal.


The Iranian ambassador to the UN later said Tehran was “cautiously optimistic” about its negotiations on ending hostilities with the US and expressed hope for a “meaningful outcome”.

US Defense Secretary Hegseth had said Thursday: “If Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.”

Trump later told reporters that “there’s a very good chance we’re going to make a deal” with Tehran, adding that he would consider going to Pakistan to sign an agreement.

“They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” he said, using his name for the enriched uranium stockpile that the United States says could be used to build nuclear weapons.


No nuclear weapons

Trump has insisted that any deal with Iran must permanently bar the Islamic republic from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

He launched the war claiming that Tehran was rushing to complete an atomic bomb, an assertion not backed by the UN nuclear watchdog.

Washington has reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, while Tehran has proposed suspending nuclear activity for five years—an offer US officials rejected.

Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.

Its foreign ministry said Wednesday that Iran’s right to enrich uranium was “indisputable”, although the level of enrichment was “negotiable”.

Also yesterday, the US House of Representatives rejected a Democratic effort to curb Trump’s authority to wage war in Iran.

The vote came as unease over the six-week conflict continued to spread on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers wary of rising costs, an unclear endgame and the risk of a wider war.


‘Historic crossroads’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had told reporters on Wednesday that further talks between the US and Iran “would very likely” be in the Pakistani capital.

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said no date had been set for the next round of talks.

US Vice President JD Vance, who led the first round, has said Iran is being offered a “grand bargain” to end the war and address the decades-old dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said: “Iran is standing at a historic crossroads: one path is renouncing the ways of terror and nuclear armament... in line with the US proposal, the other leads to an abyss.

“If the Iranian regime chooses the second path, it will quickly discover there are even more painful targets than those we have already struck.”

Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s crude oil normally flows, has been disrupted by Iranian forces since the US-Israeli offensive began and is now the focus of the US blockade.

Washington has sought to turn the screws on Tehran with a blockade of its ports, with US Central Command claiming to have “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea”.

Centcom said it had already turned back 13 vessels that tried to sail out of Iranian ports.

Keeping up the pressure, the United States slapped fresh sanctions on Iran’s oil industry on Wednesday, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said targeted “regime elites”.

Unless Washington relents, Iran’s armed forces “will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea,” said the head of the Iranian military’s central command center Ali Abdollahi.

The military advisor to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei also warned that Iran would sink American ships in the strait if the United States decides to “police” the key shipping channel. — AFP

***

Shailoks can only boast of "even more painful targets than those we have already struck" regarding Iran because of the finance, logistic, intel and munitions provided by the wanks. By itself it's just a nobody, but an insidious leech, a parasite feeding rapaciously on the idiotic wanks.

Iraq Seeks Partnership With Saudi Arabia For Pipeline

Iraq Seeks Partnership With Saudi Arabia For Pipeline

 

Iraq is seeking to revive a long-idled oil export pipeline through Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea, providing an alternative route for crude shipments outside the Persian Gulf. The pipeline – historically known as the Iraq–Saudi Pipeline (IPSA) – has been inactive for decades, largely due to political tensions following the Gulf War and strained Iraq–Saudi relations.

The proposed route would allow Iraqi oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical and vulnerable energy chokepoints. Iraqi officials are exploring the project as part of a broader effort to diversify export infrastructure and reduce dependence on Gulf shipping lanes, particularly amid rising regional instability.

The move aligns with wider regional energy strategy trends, where Middle Eastern producers are seeking redundant export routes to mitigate disruption risks tied to conflict with Iran.

GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: This is one of those stories that is not just a positive sign of forthcoming Golden Age, it is the full-circle moment of a redemption arc for the Saudis and the Middle East.

The Saudis (the evil twin, at least) were involved in the funding and proliferation of Al Qaeda and later ISIS, which was born out of Salafi madras in [mainly] Saudi and other parts of the Middle East.

Obama used to call ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) ISIL (Islamic State in the Levant) because he thought it made him second smart.

ISIS was created to topple the Iraqi and Syrian governments. Now we are seeing a triumvirate form, where Iraq runs oil from the Persian Gulf (Basra, Iraq) to the Mediterranean via Syrian and Saudi Arabia.

All of this distracts from Israel’s attempt to become the region’s hegemony by suggesting that all oil be run to Israel instead of pipelines?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmon has been widely accused of funding the rise of Syrian President Al Jolani, who is widely accused of being a terrorist due to these connections to Jolani and others.

It is also important to remember that this new Iraqi government (which was elected via popular vote in February) is aligned with both Shia Islam and Iran. We were told that this meant that the Middle East was about to plunged into this new sandbox. And yet, this government in Iraq is being used to execute these deals that are ultimately going to result in a public reconciliation between the Arabs and the Persians.

 

Trump says Israel and Lebanon to begin 10-day ceasefire within hours

Summary

• US President Donald Trump says the Israeli and Lebanese leaders have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, beginning at 17:00 EST (22:00 BST)

• Lebanon's Prime Minister Joseph Aoun has welcomed the agreement, while Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu says it presents a "historic" opportunity for peace

• Trump says Iran-backed Hezbollah - which has been fighting with Israel in Lebanon - is included in the ceasefire

• Netanyahu says Israeli troops will remain in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) "security zone" in southern Lebanon - which goes against Hezbollah's demand for them to withdraw

• For Trump, a ceasefire in Lebanon removes a major hurdle to the broader peace talks with Iran, writes our North America editor

1. Trump says Iran has agreed not to have nuclear weaponspublished at 04:32

   04:32Breaking

   Donald Trump says that Iran has agreed to not have nuclear weapons for more than 20 years.

   "It's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran and it's going to be a good deal, it's going to be a deal with no nuclear weapons...

   "We have a very powerful statement, beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons," he says. "Let's be honest, there's no 20 year limit."

   We have not heard an immediate official response from Iran.

2. US and Iran very close to a deal, Trump sayspublished at 04:27

   04:27

   Image source,Reuters

   Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump says that the US and Iran are very close to a deal, with Tehran agreeing to nearly all of the US's demands.

   He adds that Iran is willing to "do things" today that they previously were not.

   We'll bring you more from the US president shortly.

Chance for 'historic' agreement, says Netanyahu - but troops to remain in parts of southern Lebanonpublished at 04:22

04:22Breaking

Image source,Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire with Lebanon is an “opportunity to make a historic peace agreement”.

He says the disarmament of Hezbollah is one of the fundamental demands Israel will have in further talks with the Lebanese government.

Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon, he says, in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) “security zone”, adding “we are there, and we are not leaving”.

He says this will allow Israeli forces to “block the danger of invasion” and prevent fire into Israeli communities across the border.

However, he says “there are still problems”, such as the missiles Hezbollah still possesses, which he says “will have to be dealt with” as part of the agreement.

He adds that US President Trump has told him that he is determined to dismantle “whatever is left” of Iran’s nuclear capability.

Live Reporting

Edited by Emily Atkinson and Rorey Bosotti, with reporting from BBC Persian and teams across the Middle East

1. Trump says Iran has agreed not to have nuclear weaponspublished at 04:32

   04:32Breaking

   Donald Trump says that Iran has agreed to not have nuclear weapons for more than 20 years.

   "It's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran and it's going to be a good deal, it's going to be a deal with no nuclear weapons...

   "We have a very powerful statement, beyond 20 years, that they will not have nuclear weapons," he says. "Let's be honest, there's no 20 year limit."

   We have not heard an immediate official response from Iran.

2. US and Iran very close to a deal, Trump sayspublished at 04:27

   04:27

   Image source,Reuters

   Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump says that the US and Iran are very close to a deal, with Tehran agreeing to nearly all of the US's demands.

   He adds that Iran is willing to "do things" today that they previously were not.

   We'll bring you more from the US president shortly.

3. Chance for 'historic' agreement, says Netanyahu - but troops to remain in parts of southern Lebanonpublished at 04:22

   04:22Breaking

   Image source,Getty Images

   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire with Lebanon is an “opportunity to make a historic peace agreement”.

   He says the disarmament of Hezbollah is one of the fundamental demands Israel will have in further talks with the Lebanese government.

   Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon, he says, in a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) “security zone”, adding “we are there, and we are not leaving”.

   He says this will allow Israeli forces to “block the danger of invasion” and prevent fire into Israeli communities across the border.

   However, he says “there are still problems”, such as the missiles Hezbollah still possesses, which he says “will have to be dealt with” as part of the agreement.

   He adds that US President Trump has told him that he is determined to dismantle “whatever is left” of Iran’s nuclear capability.

4. Police in Pakistan already preparing for unconfirmed US-Iran talkspublished at 03:57

   03:57

   Caroline Davis
   Pakistan correspondent

   Meanwhile, police in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad are already preparing for a visit by foreign delegations, although as yet no second round of talks has been confirmed.

   The city’s traffic police have announced that they will close all transport terminals in the city and neighbouring Rawalpindi for 10 days from 23:00 tonight until 26 April.

   Public transport from Rawalpindi and Islamabad to other districts will remain suspended. Islamabad Traffic Police have also banned heavy traffic from entering Islamabad from 18 April.

   Earlier today, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said they had no official announcement on a second round of talks.
5. 

   For Trump, a ceasefire in Lebanon ties into broader talks with Iranpublished at 03:45

   03:45

   Sarah Smith
   North America editor, in Washington

   The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran was being imperilled by the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon. So it was important to President Trump to broker a ceasefire between these two nations before the fighting derailed his own efforts to secure a deal with Iran

   The announcement, which Trump said he hoped would achieve a lasting peace, came hours after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was urging Iran to choose its next steps wisely.

   There is less than a week left before the agreed pause in the fighting between Iran and the US runs out.

   President Trump has said that he thinks his war with Iran is close to being over and that he is confident a deal can be agreed - without offering any evidence for his upbeat assessment.

   A ceasefire in Lebanon offers some good news for him to celebrate and removes a major hurdle to the broader peace talks with Iran.