The decision of the Italian cultural exhibition’s organizers to invite Russia has incensed Rome and Brussels The entire international jury of the Venice Biennale has tendered their resignations amid pressure caused by the Italian cultural exhibition’s decision to allow Russia and Israel to participate. In early March, the Venice Biennale Foundation unveiled the line-up of the 2026 art fair, which runs from May 9 through November 22. Russia was included in the list for the first time since 2022, with its “The tree is rooted in the sky” exhibition. The event organizers noted, however, that the display would be strictly closed to the general public. Nevertheless, the decision to allow Russia to participate has provoked harsh criticism from the Italian government and EU officials. According to a press release published on Thursday, jury president Solange Farkas, as well as Zoe Butt, Elvira ...
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“Time to say goodbye,” the message by the late US convicted sex offender allegedly concluded, according to the paper’s source Late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s purported suicide note has remained locked up at a courthouse for years, out of reach of investigators, the New York Times has reported. The message was allegedly discovered by Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, in July 2019 after the disgraced US financier had been found unresponsive with a strip of cloth around his neck at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, the paper said in an article on Thursday. Epstein survived that incident, but was found dead in his cell on August 10 the same year. The convicted sex offender apparently hanged himself with his bedsheets, but skeptics continue to insist that he was murdered to cover up for the powerful individuals supposedly implicated in the case. Tartaglion...
The first of eight submarines launched as tensions with India persist Pakistan has launched the first of eight Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines, expanding its undersea fleet, as Islamabad deepens defense cooperation with Beijing. The move follows the induction of Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets, which Pakistan says were used in combat for the first time during its 2025 conflict with India. President Asif Ali Zardari attended the commissioning ceremony in the southern Chinese port city of Sanya, alongside Pakistani Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and other senior officials from both countries. Zardari, who is on an official visit to China, described the induction as a “historic milestone” for the navy. The Hangor-class is based on China’s Type 039A submarine design and is a diesel-electric platform with air-independent propulsion. It can carry a crew of up to 38 and is equipped wit...
West Jerusalem must be prepared to resume attacks on Iran if necessary, Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned The US has delivered 6,500 tons of munitions and equipment to Israel within 24 hours, West Jerusalem has said. The announcement coincided with media reports claiming that the head of US Central Command, Brad Cooper, has briefed US President Donald Trump on a plan for the potential renewal of military action against Iran in a bid to pressure it to consent to a more favorable peace deal. According to Fox News, what Cooper described as the “final blow” against Tehran could include a “short and powerful wave of strikes” targeting Iran’s “remaining military assets, leadership and infrastructure.” The ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran was announced on April 8 after more than a month of fighting, but attempts by Washington and Tehran to reach a dip...
The loosely defined initiative will reportedly be pitched to foreign governments by the State Department The US is set to pitch foreign governments on a new initiative for controlling the Strait of Hormuz, with participation explicitly excluding “adversaries” Russia and China, according to media reports. The proposal was outlined in a cable sent on Tuesday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to US embassies, which were instructed to present the plan to host governments. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the cable, with Reuters later confirming its contents. The initiative, known as the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), would be jointly managed by the State Department – serving as a “diplomatic operations hub” – and the Pentagon through its regional command, CENTCOM. “Your participation will strengthen our collective ability to restore freedom of navigation and protect the global economy,” the message to prospective partners states. “Collective action is essential to demons...
Pete Hegseth has dismissed US lawmakers’ “quagmire” talk, even as data shows broad opposition to the conflict US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has stated that Americans support the US operation against Iran, a claim that stands at odds with multiple national surveys showing most adults in the nation oppose the conflict. The war, which began with a US-Israeli bombing campaign in February and was initially expected to last several weeks, has dragged on at a cost of $25 billion, leaving more than 1,300 civilians dead and triggering a global energy crunch after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with no clear US gains. Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday in his first major public appearance since the war began, Hegseth lashed out at Democrats and some Republican lawmakers who criticized the conflict and accused them of “handing propaganda to our enemies.” He accused Democrats of being “reckless, feckless, and defeatist” and questioned their loyalty. “W...