BRICS Flexes With China-Led Joint Naval Drills

BRICS Flexes With China-Led Joint Naval Drills Soon After Maduro Ousting

TYLER DURDEN

The multi-national "Will for Peace 2026" naval exercises began Saturday off the coast of Cape Town, hosted by South Africa, and is set to run for one week. It is widely being described as a BRICS and "BRICS+" naval drill and saw a Russian warship arrive off South Africa's primary naval base on Friday.

The Russians joined Chinese and Iranian vessels for the drills, along with other BRICS members Indonesia, Ethiopia and Brazil - which participated as observers. 

The nation heading up the drill is China, and it's being seen as an attempt of BRICS and Global South countries to flex their collective military might in the wake of the Trump-ordered ousting of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro. The other members of the bloc - India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia - are not represented at the drills.

Naturally it is especially Iran which could be a ripe target for the next Trump regime change action, as it's not yet gone nuclear. But Tehran wants to showcase its much more powerful nuclear-armed friends China and Russia, which have defense and economic cooperation agreements with the Islamic Republic.

South Africa's defense force has described that the exercises will allow participating navies "to exchange best practices and improve joint operational capabilities, which contributes to the safety of shipping routes and overall regional maritime stability."

This will make already somewhat strained relations with Washington even more delicate for Pretoria. With this US relationship in mind, a separate statement emphasized that the drills were organized and agreed to significantly before last weekend's US strikes on Venezuela.

But tensions have ratcheted particularly after Washington expelled South Africa's ambassador last year and slapped the country with 30% trade tariffs. The Trump administration has also long complained about violent persecution against South Africa's minority White farmer population.

Report: Israel on high alert as US could intervene in Iran protests

Report: Israel on high alert as US could intervene in Iran protests

i24NEWS

Israeli security officials described to Reuters a climate of caution driven by uncertainty over how events inside Iran or decisions in Washington, could escalate

Israel has moved into a heightened state of readiness as unrest spreads across Iran and speculation grows that Washington could become directly involved, reports Reuters.

The developments come as Iran faces its most serious wave of anti-government demonstrations in years, prompting sharp warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Over the past several days, Trump has openly criticized Iran’s leadership and suggested the United States could take steps to support demonstrators.

Israeli officials said security leaders convened over the weekend to evaluate potential consequences of U.S. involvement, particularly given the fragile state of regional stability following last month’s brief but violent confrontation between Israel and Iran. 

While Israel has not publicly outlined any new military or defensive steps, Israeli security officials described to Reuters a climate of caution driven by uncertainty over how events inside Iran or decisions in Washington, could escalate.

High-level diplomatic engagement has continued alongside the security assessments. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Saturday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, an Israeli official said. A U.S. official confirmed the call took place but declined to comment on its content.

Despite the unrest, Israeli leaders have avoided suggesting any intention to intervene directly in Iran’s internal affairs. Instead, officials continue to emphasize long-standing concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and missile development, which they view as the primary strategic threats.

In comments published Friday, Netanyahu warned that Iran would face severe repercussions if it were to attack Israel, while noting that internal developments inside Iran were still unfolding.

Iran to Attack Israel, US Facilities in Middle East in Event of Aggression - Parliament Speaker

Iran to Attack Israel, US Facilities in Middle East in Event of Aggression - Parliament Speaker

Sputnik

Israel and US facilities in the Middle East will become legitimate targets for Iran in the event of armed aggression, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday amid reports of a potential US strike on Iran. 

The New York Times has reported, citing officials, that US President Donald Trump has been briefed on possible attack options against Iran amid the protests in the Islamic Republic. Trump is reported to be seriously considering approving strikes.

"In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territories [Israel] and all US military centers, bases, and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets," Ghalibaf was quoted as saying by the IRIB news agency.

Taking into account Trump's admission of his intention to launch a military attack against Tehran, Iran "will not consider itself limited in [its means] to respond to the action taken [against it] within the framework of legitimate defense," Ghalibaf said. 

Russians told to prepare for 'end of the world' in chilling nuclear apocalypse warning

Russians told to prepare for 'end of the world' in chilling nuclear apocalypse warning

Will Stewart

Vladimir Putin’s chief ideologue has urged Russians to prepare for the end of the world — in comments widely read as a thinly veiled reference to the growing threat of nuclear war between Moscow and its enemies, including the UK.

Alexander Dugin, 64, an ultra-nationalist philosopher often described as the spiritual architect of the Kremlin’s worldview, warned of eternity arriving imminently, claiming the moment of free choice could soon vanish forever.

In an apocalyptic online post, Dugin called on all unbaptised Russians to be baptised immediately and urged those who do not attend church to start doing so without delay to prepare for paradise in the afterlife.

“We can’t be sure that eternity won’t arrive soon, and then it will be too late,” he wrote.

“One day, eternity will arrive, and the moment of free choice will disappear.

“Everything will disappear, but the decision to undergo holy baptism and the church sacraments will remain.”

While Dugin did not explicitly mention nuclear weapons, his doom-laden language closely mirrors the way Kremlin-aligned ideologues have long framed the prospect of nuclear escalation — as an irreversible civilisational rupture after which only faith, not politics or choice, remains.

His remarks come against the backdrop of Russia’s fourth year of war in Ukraine, renewed nuclear signalling by Moscow, and demonstrative missile launches including the Oreshnik system which Putin unleashed on Ukraine on Friday, just 40 miles from NATO territory in Poland.

The 8,000 mph nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon - touted by Russian officials as a strategic deterrent - was tracked by Polish air defences but alliance fighters were not scrambled.

Dugin added ominously: “This moment of freedom will likely be with us for only a very short time.

“Our faith is in the Saviour. No one can save us except Him. It is to Him that we must go. Without delay.”

Russian Orthodox-nationalist thinkers have frequently portrayed nuclear war not simply as destruction, but as a metaphysical dividing line — a point beyond which history, choice and compromise cease to exist.

Dugin has long argued that Russia is engaged in a civilisational struggle with the West, and that catastrophic sacrifice may be justified if it secures what he calls Russia’s historic mission.

Critics believe his latest message appears designed to prepare Russian society psychologically for extreme escalation, dressing the prospect of mass destruction in religious and moral language.

One said:“When Dugin talks about eternity arriving soon, he isn’t preaching theology — he’s translating nuclear war into something Russians are meant to accept.”

Whether intended as prophecy, warning or ideological conditioning, the message is stark: time is running out.

Pestilence: ‘Mystery virus’ ravages Cuba leaving hospitals on verge of COLLAPSE

‘Mystery virus’ ravages Cuba leaving hospitals on verge of COLLAPSE as death toll ‘covered up’ and medics silenced

Claudia Lee

CUBA has been overwhelmed by a disease known as “the virus” – leaving hospitals on the verge of collapse as the Communist regime faces accusations of a cover-up. 

High fevers, red spots, peeling skin, swollen joints, vomiting and diarrhoea are among symptoms crippling the island’s population – but Cubans have no idea what they are suffering from.

This week the Canadian government announced health screenings and quarantine of up to seven days for those coming back from the country.

And in December, Spain told its citizens to stay away from Cuba due to a “serious epidemic”. 

Known just as “the virus” to many, reports suggest one third of the Cuba’s population has been infected – and the British Medical Journal described the “surge” as the country’s most serious crisis in recent decades.

Cuba reported 52 deaths from the virus as of December 17, most of which were children, and officials recently reported more than 38,000 suspected cases of the diseases.

But many Cubans say the true numbers are far higher than the state will admit.

Manuel Cuesta Morúa, a prominent human rights activist in Havana, said the outbreak started in Matanzas about five months ago where sudden deaths began to occur.

But, he said, the government hid the figures by issuing death certificates that failed to mention the virus. 

He told The Sun: “These deaths were never officially recognised as resulting from the virus and were instead presented as ‘natural causes’.

“It was in the provincial hospital of Matanzas that a nurse, later expelled from her job and silenced, raised the alarm about the unusually high number of deaths being recorded.”

As the virus spread, the regime stayed silent. 

By late October, health officials said there had been 13,000 new fever cases across the country in a week. 

In areas like Camagüey and Holguín, cemeteries have reportedly been overwhelmed. 

Three months after the disease spread across the island, the Cuban government recognised the crisis as an epidemic.

But the regime still refused to declare a national health emergency. 

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