Amidst the whirlwind of horrible scandals and atrocious wars that is our world today, here is a v small but troubling manifestation of our crazy times. A day ago, my attention was drawn to a photograph posted on X that showed a local bookstore in Oslo, Norway where the staff had organized a display entitled ‘Epstein Island Guest List.’ I was horrified to see that one of my books was included. I have never been to Jeffrey Epstein’s island, never flown on his planes, never visited any of his properties, and—most crucially—never even met him or communicated with him. When alerted, the Norli Bokhandel immediately removed my book before any action was required and apologized in person and online for the libel and defamatory display. I would have never known about this if it had not been posted on social media but because we live in a lawless arena, a wild and irresponsible digital vortex, the picture has been seen by many people. As the great Mark Twain supposedly wrote: ‘a lie travels round the world before the truth can even get its boots on’ and these days, it seems that a lie can circumnavigate the planet if not the galaxy many times before we even realize it. For a terrifying moment, I was lightly touched by the poisonous tentacles of Epstein, for a second I sensed the passing of that sinister shadow. The origin of the libel was that I was listed in Ghislaine Maxwell’s address-book she supposedly shared with Epstein because I knew her from England decades ago - though I never met or communicated with him. Over the last few years, the fact that I was listed in this address-book has been used maliciously against me by Stalinists and other political extremists, the former being infuriated for arcane reasons by my Stalin biographies. Of course I don’t for a minute compare my storm in a teacup to the suffering of the victims and survivors. But it is still a frightening Kafka-esque experience because a certain amount of damage is done even when things are taken down. It just shows how easy it is for innocent people to have their names traduced. Even though the bookshop has asked many people to take down the libel, very few bother to correct online lies and falsehoods. There is little practical remedy - except of course one can sue for a clear and very defamatory libel. No one is immune to this: I know many of the people who retweeted this defamation were not malicious and it makes me realize that I myself and all of us need to be careful: it is a real danger for individuals and our societies and as AI delivers better, and more uncanny and diabolical deepfakery, the peril is only going to get worse. A lesson I have drawn from the last two days is that I myself spend too much time on social media and now I should just get back to writing books – which I hope one day will appear on the shelves of a certain Oslo bookshop…. And if you are interested, here is the apology from the bookshop and its display - before and after

UNRWA fires 70 Gaza staffers as it grapples with 'Hamas problem' trib.al/obKblAA

I love getting pictures like this of my books on sunny holidays Thks for sharing

Almost almost there….

HORRIFIC: Hamas militias are opening fire on civilians and kidnapping members of the Shuhaiber family in Tel Al-Hawa, Gaza — as women and children scream in the background. Hamas is a terrorist organization.

Look forward to reading this

As Palestinian political life has declined amid division, authoritarianism, and the absence of elections, a growing number of donor-funded NGOs have moved beyond their legitimate civil society role and increasingly act as political representatives without electoral legitimacy or public accountability. Many now participate in international conferences, influence political initiatives, and are presented to foreign governments as voices of Palestinian society, despite never being elected or authorized to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people. The issue is not foreign funding, civil society work, or international engagement. The issue is transparency and representation. Palestinians have the right to know how organizations are selected for international funding, how millions of euros are spent, who sets their priorities, and what mechanisms exist to hold them accountable. No NGO, regardless of its achievements, can replace political parties, national movements, or elected institutions. Democracy cannot be built through projects, representation cannot be granted through diplomatic invitations, and legitimacy cannot be issued by foreign embassies. Palestine does not need to replace one unelected elite with another. It needs free elections, modern political parties, accountable institutions, and a strong civil society that fulfills its proper role—not one that substitutes for politics itself. Politics should be shaped by representatives elected by the people, not by project managers. Legitimacy comes from voters, not donors. @expertisefrance @FranceJerusalem

A truthful man. Sir Richard Moore about the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service: “I mean, gosh, pound-for-pound they probably knock us into a cocked hat.”

A Russian MP has demanded that Vladimir Putin deliver a plan to end the war as he berated the Kremlin’s “ineffective leadership”. These are all the reasons Vyacheslav Markhayev mentioned 👇 telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2…

As Palestinian political life has declined amid division, authoritarianism, and the absence of elections, a growing number of donor-funded NGOs have moved beyond their legitimate civil society role and increasingly act as political representatives without electoral legitimacy or public accountability. Many now participate in international conferences, influence political initiatives, and are presented to foreign governments as voices of Palestinian society, despite never being elected or authorized to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people. The issue is not foreign funding, civil society work, or international engagement. The issue is transparency and representation. Palestinians have the right to know how organizations are selected for international funding, how millions of euros are spent, who sets their priorities, and what mechanisms exist to hold them accountable. No NGO, regardless of its achievements, can replace political parties, national movements, or elected institutions. Democracy cannot be built through projects, representation cannot be granted through diplomatic invitations, and legitimacy cannot be issued by foreign embassies. Palestine does not need to replace one unelected elite with another. It needs free elections, modern political parties, accountable institutions, and a strong civil society that fulfills its proper role—not one that substitutes for politics itself. Politics should be shaped by representatives elected by the people, not by project managers. Legitimacy comes from voters, not donors. @CanadaRepPA

🚨 BREAKING: Hamas militias are attacking the Shuhaiber family in Tel Al-Hawa, Gaza — opening fire on civilians and kidnapping several family members. Reports indicate the militias also confiscated vehicles belonging to the family. DOWN WITH HAMAS.

Ukraine is producing 7 million drones a year. UK has minimal@capacity. UK’s military unprepared for Russian threat on land, air and sea thetimes.com/article/a428da8…

Fascinating and alarming: the FBI catches Iraqi chief of Iranian terrorists, linked to Khamenei & Soleimani orchestrating attacks on Jewish targets across Europe. How net closed in on ‘mastermind behind UK arson attacks’ thetimes.com/article/4769185…

Gwyneth Paltrow has come under fire after starring in an advert for a luxury development in Israel. For @realzoestrimpel, the backlash says more about today's cultural climate than it does about the actress 👇 telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06…

“Tulsi Gabbard and her staff promulgated Russian intelligence products as American work.” Yes, and she did this before joining ODNI and again on her way out the door, which should probably tell you where she’ll wind up next. Senators who voted to confirm her should think on their sins.

To the Heads of State and leaders of the G7 Countries: The United States of America,  Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union In preparation for your upcoming summit meeting in Évian-les-Bains, France on June 15-17, 2026: Mr. President, Prime Ministers, Chancellors, distinguished leaders, I come before you not as a government official, but as an Israeli peace activist and negotiator, someone who has spent nearly fifty years working with Israelis and Palestinians, speaking with political leaders, peace activists, ordinary citizens, and, at times, even with those whom governments refuse to speak to. I am here to tell you something that many people no longer believe: Peace between Israelis and Palestinians is still possible. But it will not happen on its own. For decades, the international community has supported a two-state solution in words while allowing realities on the ground to move steadily further away from it. Today we are at the edge of a cliff. The decisions made in the next year may determine whether two states remain possible or whether Israelis and Palestinians are condemned to permanent conflict. The Gaza war has taught us a painful lesson. There is no military solution. Israel cannot bomb its way to security. Palestinians cannot fight their way to freedom. The alternative to a political solution is not victory for one side. The alternative is endless war. The G7 countries possess enormous political, economic and diplomatic leverage. It is time to use it. I also want to speak plainly about the role of the United States and of President Trump. The reality is that no international leader today possesses more influence over Israeli decision-making than President Trump. He has demonstrated repeatedly that when he chooses to make an issue a priority, Israeli leaders listen. He also has significant influence with key Arab partners whose participation will be essential to any lasting peace. If that influence is used not only to stop wars but to build peace, it could become one of the most important diplomatic achievements of our time. The G7 should work in partnership with the United States, helping to create a unified international framework that combines American leadership, European commitment, regional participation, and international guarantees. Only such a coalition has the weight necessary to move the parties beyond the failures of the past. I ask you to support five concrete steps. First, make it clear that the goal of international policy is the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state living in peace and security beside Israel. Not as a distant aspiration. Not as a slogan. As a real political objective with a timetable. Second, support the rebuilding of Gaza under a legitimate Palestinian governing authority that rejects armed militias and is capable of delivering security, services, accountability and hope. The people of Gaza deserve a future beyond war. At the same time, Gaza cannot be rebuilt while armed organizations continue to operate outside the authority of the state. There must be one legitimate governing authority, one security structure, and one monopoly on the use of force. Disarmament must be part of the political process, implemented in a way that provides confidence to both sides and is linked to the broader framework of peace, reconstruction, security, and statehood. Third, insist on security arrangements that guarantee that Gaza and the West Bank will never again be used as launching grounds for attacks against Israel. Israelis must know that peace means security. Palestinians must know that security will not be used as a permanent justification for occupation. Both peoples deserve safety, dignity, and freedom. Fourth, support democratic renewal. Neither Israelis nor Palestinians should be denied the opportunity to elect leaders capable of making peace. Too often, leaders have become prisoners of political survival rather than servants of their people’s future. If current leaders cannot deliver a political future, then new leaders must emerge through democratic means. Fifth, create an international implementation mechanism with real authority, resources, and accountability. We do not need another declaration. We need a process that survives changes of governments and political crises. The conflict has become internationalized. The solution must be internationally guaranteed. Ladies and gentlemen, The people I meet on both sides are exhausted. Israeli parents want their children to live without fear. Palestinian parents want their children to live with dignity and freedom. These are not contradictory aspirations. They are complementary aspirations. The future I believe in is simple: Israel as the democratic nation-state of the Jewish people with full equality for all of its citizens. Palestine as the democratic nation-state of the Palestinian people with full equality for all of its citizens. Mutual recognition of the historic connection of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and of the Palestinian people to the Land of Palestine. Open borders for cooperation. Strong borders for security. Regional integration. Economic partnership. And an end to the belief that one people can achieve its national aspirations by denying the aspirations of the other. History will not judge us by the speeches we give. History will judge us by whether we had the courage to act when action was still possible. The choice before us is clear: Two states, mutual recognition, security, and peace. Or perpetual war. I ask you to help make the right choice. The window for a two-state solution is not closed, but it is closing. Future generations of Israelis and Palestinians will ask whether we acted while there was still time. Let our answer be yes. Thank you, Dr. Gershon Baskin

This week the most advanced AI model on the planet got switched off by a foreign government. British researchers were studying it. British companies were testing it. British hospitals were piloting it. Not any more. This isn't an AI story. It's the story of every industry we used to lead. Britain has some of the best AI talent in the world. DeepMind was built here. Our AI Safety Institute writes the rules other countries follow. We have the researchers, the universities, the standards. What we don't have is the power stations to run the data centres, the planning system to build them, or the industrial base to make the chips. So the work happens here and the value lands somewhere else. We invent. Others build. Others decide. Then we read about it on Saturday morning. Same story as the kit our soldiers don't have. Same story as the factories we used to. I spent nine months in government making this argument inside the room. I'll make it louder from outside.

But sanctions relief is not what motivates this leadership in Iran. Removing U.S. influence from the region and eradicating Israel does. But those aims mean rebuilding Iran’s military industrial base not its economy—and that will increase the vulnerability of this regime.

If this was in a thriller you would just say it was not plausible as a plot

Incredible.

Wow. Russia Confiscates $7.6Bln in Assets in Largest Nationalization Yet themoscowtimes.com/2026/06/1…