Friday, 29 May 2026

Justin Castro

 https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15855345/Fidel-Castro-daughter-answer-Justin-Trudeau-father-rumors-Cuba.html

The daughter of the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro gave a surprising answer when asked if she is the half-sister of former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau

Theories that the Cuban communist revolutionary fathered Justin have circulated since Castro died in 2016, with some pointing to physical similarities between the two.

The rumors resurfaced several times in the years since, particularly as his mother admitted to having a relationship with Castro, and after Castro's eldest son left a suicide note referring to Justin as his half-brother.

Castro's daughter, Alina Fernandez, may have just reignited the rumors once again after she refused to deny the rumors in a recent interview with NewsNation.

During the interview, host Katie Pavlich asked, 'For years, we've heard rumors that Justin Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada, could be your half-brother. What do you think of that?'

With a wry smile, Fernandez replied: 'The only thing I can say is that his mother used to visit the country very often.' 

Pavlich then said, 'Well, that may be a tell then. I guess that's a half answer. Do you plan to call him and maybe find out?'

Rumors have swirled since 2016 that Justin Trudeau is the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's son due to similarities in the two men's appearance
A young Fidel Castro. Many say he bore a striking resemblance to Justin when he was young

Rumors have swirled since 2016 that former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, left, is late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro's son due to similarities in the two men's appearance

Trudeau with his mother, Margaret Trudeau, who admitted to having several high-profile lovers

Trudeau with his mother, Margaret Trudeau, who admitted to having several high-profile lovers

Castro's daughter, Alina Fernandez, refused to deny the rumors in a recent interview

Castro's daughter, Alina Fernandez, refused to deny the rumors in a recent interview

Fernandez answered, 'No, no, I won't do it. If he wants, he's gonna be welcome, but I won't. I won't. I think he keeps that to himself, and you have to respect that.'

Fernandez's responses will surely become another piece of circumstantial evidence that conspiracists latch onto.

Justin is the son of Canada's late former prime minister Pierre Trudeau and activist Margaret Sinclair, who took her husband's name. He was born in 1971, and his parents divorced 13 years later during his father's last months in office.

Margaret would later admit - in her 1982 book Consequences - that she had had affairs with actors Jack Nicholson and Ryan O'Neal and singer Lou Rawls, as the relationship broke down.

And through her public persona, she said she became associated with members of the Rolling Stones, top US government officials - and even Cuban revolutionary leader Castro. 

The latter of those relationships has led to speculation over the past decade, including by President Donald Trump, that Pierre is not truly Justin's father.

The rumors began in 2016 and exploded two years later when Castro's eldest son, Fidelito, died by suicide in 2018 and several outlets reported he had left a note referring to Justin as his half-brother.

Photos have emerged of Fidel Castro hosting Justin in 1976 as the Canadian prime minister and his wife landed in Havana in a historic visit, becoming the first NATO leader to set foot in Castro's Cuba. 

Margaret smiles as Cuban President Fidel Castro holds her youngest son Michel after the Trudeaus arrived in Havana, Cuba, in 1976

Margaret smiles as Cuban President Fidel Castro holds her youngest son Michel after the Trudeaus arrived in Havana, Cuba, in 1976

Margaret (above with Pierre and their kids in 1975) admitted to having affairs after becoming estranged from her husband in the late 1970s

Margaret (above with Pierre and their kids in 1975) admitted to having affairs after becoming estranged from her husband in the late 1970s

President Trump entertained the rumors in his 2024 book, Save America. 'His mother was beautiful and wild. In the 1970s, she would go "clubbing" with the Rolling Stones, but she was also somehow associated with Fidel Castro,' he wrote. 

'She said he was "the sexiest man I've ever met," and a lot of people say that Justin is his son. He swears that he isn't, but how the hell would he know!

'Castro had good hair, the "father" didn't, Justin has good hair, and has become a Communist just like Castro.'

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15855345/Fidel-Castro-daughter-answer-Justin-Trudeau-father-rumors-Cuba.html


Thursday, 28 May 2026

Elbit Systems secures $1.4b. European defense contract

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-897409

Elbit Systems secures $1.4b. European defense contract as backlog passes $30b.

The multi-domain package includes autonomous unmanned vehicles, ground-based electronic warfare solutions, precision-guided artillery, and advanced reconnaissance systems.



Elbit Systems Ltd. announced on Tuesday that it secured an approximately $1.4 billion defense contract from an unnamed European nation to supply a comprehensive suite of military modernization systems over the next five years. 

The multi-domain package includes autonomous unmanned vehicles, ground-based electronic warfare solutions, precision-guided artillery, and advanced reconnaissance systems.

These platforms will be coupled with electro-optical designating and reconnaissance systems, with all components networked together via Elbit's software-defined radios. 

The massive contract win was revealed alongside the Haifa-based company's first-quarter 2026 financial results, which showed a 15.5% jump in quarterly revenue to $2.19 billion, pushing Elbit's total order backlog past $30 billion for the first time.

According to management, the company is actively scaling up its production capacity to manage the record backlog.

Elbit management added that it plans to increase its deployment of automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence within its manufacturing facilities to accelerate order execution while maintaining operational margins.

Autonomous vehicles, electronic warfare solutions, precision-guided artillery

At the same time, the company is expanding its internal investments in research and development to shape its next-generation defense offerings, according to Elbit's President and CEO Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis.

"This contract reflects the breadth and attractiveness of Elbit Systems' defense portfolio, as well as our ability to deliver both highly capable, best-in-class systems and comprehensive, integrated solutions tailored to evolving operational needs," said Machlis.

"It reinforces our positioning as a trusted strategic partner to customers worldwide, supporting their long-term defense challenges and modernization efforts," he continued.

On the company's website, Elbit Systems describes itself as a "leading global defense technology company, delivering advanced solutions for a secure and safer world," and as one that "develops, manufactures, integrates and sustains a range of next-generation solutions across multiple domains."

The Israeli arms company has been one of the primary global targets for pro-Palestinian protests, boycotts, and targeted diplomatic and commercial restrictions in Europe.

Elbit's European revenue stream remains resilient

France barred Israeli defense firms, including Elbit, from participating in major global arms expos like Euronaval and Eurosatory in 2024, according to the Defense Ministry.

In particular, the ministry noted an incident at the 2025 Paris Air Show in which organizers completely blocked off Israeli exhibition booths behind massive black screens.

In September 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared an arms embargo and a partial import ban on Israeli defense products according to Spain's Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and 2030 Agenda Ministry, with the country canceling several active defense procurement contracts with Elbit Systems following the directive.

Despite these obstacles, Elbit's broader European revenue stream remains highly resilient amid global instability and rising defense concerns, according to a March 17 Reuters report.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-897409


Wednesday, 27 May 2026

New Leader of Hamas Military Wing Eliminated

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427647

     Mohammed Odeh

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed Tuesday evening that the Israel Defense Forces carried out a strike in the Gaza Strip targeting Mohammed Odeh, the new leader of the military wing of Hamas.

Odeh had reportedly replaced Izz ad-Din Haddad, who served as commander of Hamas’s military wing.

An Israeli security source stated about two hours after the strike that Israel had received confirmation that Odeh was successfully eliminated.

Earlier, Arab sources reported powerful explosions in western Gaza City as a result of what was described as an IDF “fire belt" operation in the area. According to some reports, Israeli forces carried out three strikes near the Shaafout restaurant located along Salah al-Din Road in Gaza.

According to a joint statement from Netanyahu’s and Katz’s offices, Odeh was considered one of the architects of the October 7 massacre and served as Hamas’s intelligence chief during the attack. He was reportedly appointed about a week ago as the successor to Haddad, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza approximately two weeks earlier.

“Oudeh was responsible for the murder, abduction, and injury of many Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers," the statement said.

The two leaders also praised the Israeli military and intelligence services, stating: “Congratulations to the IDF and the Shin Bet for their ongoing efforts to eliminate our enemies. We will continue to pursue everyone who took part in the October 7 massacre. Sooner or later, Israel will reach them all."

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427647

Israel has created a list of all Palestinians who took part in the October 7 attack and is working to kill or arrest each one.

The list includes all Gazans who were identified as having crossed the border on October 7, as well as all Hamas leaders involved in orchestrating the massacre.

     former residence
     emergency crews arrive at the scene
     inspecting the rubble




Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Flotilla troublemakers encounter the Basque Police


Basque Police beat Gaza flotilla activists

Gaza flotilla activists clash with Basque police after blocking other passengers from exiting plane at the Bilbao airport.


Basque police at the Bilbao airport violently clashed with activists from the most recent Gaza flotilla over the weekend. The incident began when the activists stopped at the exit from the plane for a photo op, blocking the other passengers from exiting, and then refused to move when told to do so to allow the other passengers to safely disembark.

Footage showed police striking the activists with batons and dragging them across the floor.

Four activists were arrested upon their return to Spain on a flight from Turkey after being expelled from Israel. Police said that the activists were arrested for serious disobedience, resisting arrest, and assaulting law enforcement officers.

The Basque regional police force, the Ertzaintza, are an autonomous organization not part of the national Spanish Police.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427493

The Ertzaintza is the autonomous police force for the Basque Country, the main law enforcement and security force in the Basque Country. 

Basque police officers detain a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla upon their arrival at Bilbao airport

Basque police officers detain a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla upon their arrival at Bilbao airport

A Basque police officer beats a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla with a baton upon their arrival at Bilbao airport

A Basque police officer beats a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla with a baton upon their arrival at Bilbao airport

Basque police officers detain members of the Global Sumud Flotilla upon their arrival at Bilbao airport

Basque police officers detain members of the Global Sumud Flotilla upon their arrival at Bilbao airport

Police give Gaza flotilla activists a beating at airport days after their government condemned Israel's Ben Gvir

Police give Gaza flotilla activists a beating at airport days after their government condemned Israel's Ben Gvir

Relatives react to the arrest of several activists by members of the Ertzaintza at Bilbao airport

Arrest of several activists by members of the Ertzaintza at Bilbao airport

Activists appeared to have blocked the exit for other passengers and police tried to move them

Activists blocked the exit for other passengers and police tried to move them

When a relative of one of the activists tried to approach them, a police officer forcefully prevented him from doing so

When a relative of one of the activists tried to approach them, a police officer forcefully prevented him from doing so

Amnesty International condemned what it described as the 'excessive use of force' by Basque police officers

Use of force by Basque police officers

Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, has called for those responsible for events at Bilbao airport to be held responsible

Bilbao airport


Monday, 25 May 2026

New Slovenian PM is friendly to Israel

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427495

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-897143



New Slovenian PM: 'I congratulate the residents of Judea and Samaria'

After a government change in Slovenia, Prime Minister-elect Janez Janša, a supporter of Israel, sent blessings to the residents of Judea and Samaria. Governor of Samaria Yossi Dagan: 'You are choosing the right side of history.'


Slovenia, formerly considered one of the EU countries most hostile to Israel alongside Spain and Ireland, elected a new prime minister over the weekend: Janez Janša.

Janša, who a supporter of the communities in Judea and Samaria, recently expressed his backing during a meeting held several days ago. In a joint video message with Governor of Samaria Yossi Dagan, he sent greetings to the residents of Judea and Samaria, explicitly using the term “JUDEA AND SAMARIA."

Dagan and Janša first met more than a year ago during Janša’s visit to Israel and have maintained ongoing contact ever since. As negotiations advanced to form Slovenia’s new government, the two held a recent “below-the-radar" meeting in Ljubljana, where they discussed future cooperation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two recorded an official video in which Slovenia’s prime minister-designate delivered a warm message to the residents of Samaria, saying: “I send greetings to the residents of Judea and Samaria. I wish you all the best, a happy life, peace, and growth."

Dagan congratulated Janša on the cooperation and told him: “I would like to congratulate you on behalf of all the residents of Judea and Samaria and on behalf of all the citizens of Israel, because you are choosing the right side of history."

The Samaria council head also emphasized what he described as the strategic importance of Janša’s election for the free world: “We pray for your success, because your success is the success of all of Europe. I promise you that we stand together, and we will win together."

The relationship between Slovenia and Israel, particularly regarding Judea and Samaria, is viewed as highly significant. Following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s election defeat, Hungary - long seen as Israel’s main defender within the European Union - is no longer in a position to block sanctions. The EU recently approved sanctions against bodies and organizations in Judea and Samaria, a move that had previously been prevented by Hungary’s veto. Against that backdrop, ties with Slovenia’s incoming prime minister and his support for Israel are seen as strategically important for Israel and for the communities in Judea and Samaria.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/427495

Slovenia votes in strongly pro-Israel Jansa as new PM after years of hostility towards Jewish State

Janša is a long-time supporter of Israel. He condemned his predecessor's recognition of Palestine as a state, calling it "illegal."



Slovenia has voted in a strongly pro-Israel prime minister, marking a striking political shift after Slovenia’s recent hostility towards the Jewish state.

Janez Jansa was re-elected on May 22. This is his fourth time in the role, having previously served from 2004-2008, 2012-2013, and 2020-2022. Jansa leads the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party.

Under Jansa’s predecessor, Robert Golob, Slovenia became one of the most hostile countries towards Israel, alongside Ireland and Spain. In May 2024, Slovenia announced its recognition of a Palestinian state, and in July 2025, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were also sanctioned under his government.

Slovenia then imposed a travel ban on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also imposed an arms embargo on Israel and boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna due to Israel’s participation.

Jansa’s success – securing 51 votes in the 90-seat parliament – therefore marks a significant change in Slovenia’s political landscape.

Jansa is a long-time supporter of Israel. He condemned Golob’s recognition of Palestine as a state, calling it “illegal.” He has repeatedly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, making statements such as “Israel has the unequivocal right to defend itself against Hamas’s attacks. We stand with Israel.”

Pro-Israel Janez Janša sworn in as Slovenian PM 

He has strongly condemned each and every one of Iran’s attacks on Israel and its civilian population.

In October 2024, he said, “We regret that the rockets falling on Israel were also paid for with the help of money ($2 billion) that the Iranian regime laundered in the largest Slovenian state bank, NLB, during the reign of the Tanja Fajon party.”

He has also repeatedly called out antisemitism and terror support within the Slovenian Left and wider society.

Following the antisemitic terrorist attack against the Jewish community in Sydney during a 2025 Hanukkah celebration, Jansa said, “Antisemitism has no place anywhere in the world. Our hearts are with the families of the victims, the global Chabad family, and with the Jewish community in Australia and all over the world.”

Jansa recently wished “Chag Pesach Sameach” to the Jewish community in Slovenia and around the world this Passover.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, is a friend of Jansa, and the two recorded a joint video in recent weeks where the new Slovenian leader said: “I send greetings to the residents of Judea and Samaria.”

Jansa has previously said he would move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

While not yet clear, it has been hypothesized that Slovenia may withdraw its recognition of Palestinian independence.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-897143



Sunday, 24 May 2026

Obama's Giant Trash Can

 https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15843543/diehard-Democrats-turning-against-Obama-giant-trash.html


Even diehard Democrats are turning against Obama over the $850million giant trash can they say is just a monument to his rampant egotism

It looms over the poverty-stricken South Side of Chicago like a vast meteorite that has just plunged to Earth and embedded itself in the Windy City. 

Comparisons have included a mausoleum, a 'giant trash can' and even the Death Star, the grim and deadly giant space station from the Star Wars films. And with a final cost of $850million, it has a price tag to match.

The granite-clad eyesore has sparked a furious row with locals who dismiss it as no more than a monument to a US President's overweening ego and arrogance.  

The statesman in question, however, is Barack Obama.

Next month will see the 'grand opening' of the Obama Presidential Center – dubbed the 'Obamalisk' by critics – his defining legacy to the American people.

The party is due to be attended by wife Michelle as she breaks off from her seemingly endless cycle of wildly lucrative speaking engagements and gives Barack the increasingly rare honour of joining him at a public event.

She was born in Chicago's predominantly black South Side and he started his political career there as a local community worker.

Opponents accused him of commandeering the area's gritty, blue collar and non-white identity, papering over his rather more rarefied roots in Hawaii on his path to becoming the first "black" US President. The Obamas haven't lived in the city since he won the 2008 election.

The Obamalisk's critics say it is already fuelling rapid gentrification by making local taxes and rents soar, so threatening to displace long-time, working class residents.

The brutalist style of the 225ft tall carbuncle has appalled architects and historians in a city that has some of the oldest and most distinctive skyscrapers ever built.

Locals are also enraged by the centre occupying 19 acres of much-loved Jackson Park, created by the landscapers who designed New York's Central Park.

Taxpayers in the state of Illinois – which sold the land to the Obama Foundation for $10 – have to stump up $199million (£148million) to pay for surrounding street and transport improvements.

Obama's Presidential Center, which will house a museum, a replica of Obama's Oval Office, a basketball court, music studio and even a toboggan run – is by far the most expensive ever built.

At the building's summit, 5ft-tall concrete letters spell out 103 words of a speech delivered by Obama in 2015.

The perception that the vast edifice is a monument to one man's rampant egotism has been fuelled by revelations from the building's architects that Obama drove them to make it ever bigger, repeatedly demanding changes as the budget soared way beyond the original $330million (£245million).

Even Democrats have started to resent the post-presidency Obamas.



For the 64-year-old and his wife, 62, who famously promised 'change' for ordinary Americans, have proved all too similar to grifters when it comes to milking a White House legacy – earning vast sums on the speaking circuit and in eye-popping media deals, which they've spent on a string of luxurious homes.

The $65million (£48million) joint book deal he and Michelle signed with Penguin Random House in March 2017 was just the start.

There have since been equally lucrative contracts with internet giants Netflix (that one alone reportedly an eight-figure sum), Spotify and Audible for TV programmes, films and podcasts.

In 2023, Michelle was reportedly paid $741,000 (£551,000) for a single, hour-long speech at a Munich conference on – somewhat ironically – 'diversity and inclusion'. Her husband was paid almost as much for two speeches in Australia that year.

Now he is out of office, the Obamas no longer have to make tax returns public but their earnings are reliably estimated to total nine figures – at least $100million (£75million) – over the nine years since they left the White House.

And they've been buying one multi-million dollar home after another. The collection now includes their $8million mansion in Washington DC, a $15million sprawling beachfront mansion on the billionaires' getaway island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts and an $18million beachfront house on the idyllic Hawaiian island of Oahu. They also still own their family house in Chicago.

When they're not poring over estate agent catalogues in their leisure hours, they're taking glitzy holidays with rich and famous friends – kitesurfing off Sir Richard Branson's private island in the Caribbean, sailing on music mogul David Geffen's yacht with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks in Tahiti, or on Steven Spielberg's yacht in the Italian Riviera.

Kite surfing off Richard Branson's island

Barack Obama married the former Michelle Robinson in 1992 after they met as young lawyers

Barack Obama married the former Michelle Robinson in 1992 after they met as young lawyers

Michelle proudly told the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 2024 that her parents 'didn't aspire to be wealthy – in fact, they were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed'.

He admits that his wife 'hated' him for ten years when their children were young.

His frequent absences caused domestic friction.

Not that Mrs Obama is sitting at home – or one of their homes – waiting for the sound of him at the front door. 

Her 2018 memoir Becoming sold 11.5 million copies in a year. Last week she was in Australia on yet another sell-out speaking tour promoting yet another book (her fourth), The Light We Carry.

She tells her audiences how they can find strength, purpose and hope in uncertain times. Platinum tickets cost £475 and include a photo opportunity with her.

Malia Obama, now 27, was just ten when her father took office as US president

Malia Obama, now 27, was just ten when her father took office as US president

It helps their relationship that their children have left home and the Obamas are, she acknowledged, 'back to just me and him'.

Those daughters, Malia and Sasha, were two of the youngest children to grow up in the White House – aged ten and seven when their father took office.

Malia graduated from Harvard five years ago with a degree in visual and environmental studies and is now pursuing a career in writing for TV.

Sasha graduated from University of Southern California in May 2023 with a sociology degree. 

She, too, has gone into TV.

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15843543/diehard-Democrats-turning-against-Obama-giant-trash.html