Eurovision controversy grows as Bulgaria wins amid an Israeli boycott

 

Bulgaria has won the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the dance track “Bangaranga” performed by Dana.

Israel finished second in a competition overshadowed by controversy over its participation during the war on Gaza. Five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia — boycotted this year’s contest in protest.

Demonstrators also marched through the streets of Vienna accusing Eurovision organizers of giving Israel a platform despite allegations of war crimes in Gaza.

Questions have also resurfaced over voting practices after Israel’s online campaigns encouraging supporters to vote multiple times for its act. Organizers had previously changed voting rules following similar accusations last year.

Despite political tensions and calls for disruption, the final went ahead without major incidents inside the arena.

US tech firm Cisco has deep ties with Israeli military, leaked documents show

 

Leaked documents have revealed the US tech firm Cisco Systems’ deep relationship with the Israeli regime in its continuous wars in West Asia, which the United States backs.

The papers leaked by Drop Site News on Friday reveal that Cisco has a deep illegal relationship with the Israeli regime and supported Tel Aviv forces in their atrocities against the people of Palestine, and beyond.

The Silicon Valley-based company, which produces hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology services used in networking, cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, provided support and infrastructure to Israel in its genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and also ran unlawful operations in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The leaked papers provided to Drop Site by whistleblowers show Cisco’s deep and growing collaboration with the Israeli military and intelligence communities for its genocide in Gaza and continued regional wars.

The San Jose-based networking giant, with a market capitalization in excess of $270 billion and annual revenue of $56.7 billion in 2025, manufactures the routers, switches, firewalls, and communications platforms that run the internet’s infrastructure, as well as many of its worldwide corporate, government, and military networks.  (more...)

US tech firm Cisco has deep ties with Israeli military, leaked documents show

Pezeshkian hails Pope’s ‘moral stance’ against US-Israeli war on Iran

 

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed gratitude for Pope Leo’s “moral stance” against the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, while urging the international community to adopt a realistic and fair approach to counter the “illegal demands and adventurous, dangerous policies” of the United States.

In a message addressed to the leader of the world’s Catholics, Pezeshkian stated that the “destructive approach” of the United States and Israel, along with their “illegitimate attacks,” are not directed solely against Iran.

He argued that they are an assault on the rule of law at the global level, international law, human values, and the teachings of divine religions, adding that the costs of this dangerous approach will inevitably be borne by the entire international community.

The criminal US-Israeli aggression against Iran began on February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated senior Iranian officials and commanders, including Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Iranian Armed Forces responded by launching daily missile and drone operations targeting locations in the Israeli-occupied territories as well as US military bases and assets across the region.

The president emphasized that Iran has consistently proven its commitment to diplomacy and peaceful solutions for resolving issues, including with the US government.  (more...)

Pezeshkian hails Pope’s ‘moral stance’ against US-Israeli war on Iran

You've got war memorials to the SS in Canada

 

The Babi Yar massacre was carried out by the very people you are defending, George tells caller Boris. You've hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian fa*cists who went to Canada. And your parliament honoured an SS veteran who fought against Russia in WW2.

Another U.S. refinery goes up in flames: 45 major refinery explosions/fires reported over the last month and a half

 

Trump, meanwhile, says he "doesn't even think about" Americans' increasing financial hardships as a result of his Iran war.

More than 45 oil and gas refineries have reported fires and explosions globally in the last month and a half, marking a significant increase over what’s considered “normal” in the way of industrial accidents.

The drastic uptick in explosions is being racked up to warfare in places like Russia and “accidents” in the United States, Mexico, Australia, Romania and India.

TRT World reports:

“Taken together, they point to an energy system operating under unusual pressure at a moment of global instability.”

On Monday, May 11, firefighters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, responded to a fire at the HF Sinclair refinery around 11 a.m., with dramatic video showing massive flames and thick black smoke rising from the facility. Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire, and no information has been released about possible injuries.  (more...)

Another U.S. refinery goes up in flames: 45 major refinery explosions/fires reported over the last month and a half

Hackers have breached tank readers at US gas stations; officials suspect Iran is responsible

 

U.S. officials suspect Iranian hackers are behind a series of breaches of systems that monitor the amount of fuel in storage tanks serving gas stations in multiple states, according to multiple sources briefed on the activity.

CNN was the first to report the suspected hackings and Iran's possible involvement.

The hackers responsible have exploited automatic tank gauge (ATG) systems that were sitting online and unprotected by passwords, allowing them in some cases to tinker with display readings on the tanks but not the actual levels of fuel in them, the sources said.

The cyber intrusions are not known to have caused physical damage or harm, but the breaches have raised safety concerns because gaining access to an ATG could, in theory, allow a hacker to make a gas leak go undetected, according to private experts and U.S. officials.

The sources briefed on the investigation said Iran’s history of targeting the gas tank systems is one reason the country is a top suspect. But, the sources cautioned, the U.S. government may not be able to definitively determine who was responsible because of a lack of forensic evidence left by the hackers.

CNN has requested comment on the ATG hack from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The FBI declined to comment.  (more...)

Hackers have breached tank readers at US gas stations; officials suspect Iran is responsible

From Primacy to Multipolarity

 

Experts now suggest we "retire" the term superpower as concentrated power is no longer available to any one nation. Welcome to the post-primacy world, where influence is contested and rules are in flux.