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China's Great Wall & Egypt's Pyramids

BANGKOK, Thailand -- It's a long way from China's Great Wall to Egypt's pyramids, but for the first time Chinese and Egyptian warplanes are conducting a joint military exercise above the Nile River, extending Beijing's reach into the African continent.

Chinese fighter jets, Airborne Early Warning and Control planes, aerial refueling tankers, and helicopter gunships have been roaring across the sky alongside Egyptian Air Force warplanes, after taking off from Egypt's Wadi Abu Rish Air Base in the desert.

The China-Egypt Eagles of Civilization 2025 joint air force exercise began on April 19 and ends in early May, and is expected to strengthen Beijing's links with Africa's strongest military and a strategic U.S. ally.

China maintains an East African naval base in Djibouti on the Red Sea.

Cairo, hoping to diversify, is now welcoming Beijing's interest and possible Chinese weapons sales.

Italy is Muslim-friendly, but its Prime Minister is not!

Italy is predominantly Catholic, and it respects religious freedom and welcomes Muslim visitors. According to the latest information, major cities like Rome, Milan, and Venice have mosques and Islamic centers. Some tourist attractions offer prayer rooms, and many Italians are open-minded towards different cultures and religions. Italy Muslim-friendly but its Prime Minister is not. Islam in Italy has a long history dating back to the 9th century when Muslim forces occupied parts of southern Italy. Today, Islam is the second-largest religion in Italy after Christianity. The Muslim population in Italy is estimated to be around 2 million, making up about 3.5% of the total population. Most Muslims in Italy are immigrants or children of immigrants from countries like Morocco, Albania, Tunisia, and Bangladesh. There are also a growing number of Italian converts to Islam. Italy is a welcoming country for Muslim visitors, offering safety and respect for religious practices. While traditional Italian cuisine isn’t entirely halal, halal food options are available, especially in larger cities.

More Exciting News from the White House

I know that those who read my articles will be interested to learn that President Donald Trump has appointed Martin Marks to be his administration’s liaison to the American Jewish community with the title Special Assistant to the President and Director of Jewish Engagement in the White House Faith Office. Marks, whose mother handbag designer Lana Marks served as US ambassador to South Africa in Trump’s first term, appears to be well qualified for the position as “Before turning to politics, [he] was a writer and owned a yoga studio in Palm Beach.”

Will We See Mushroom Clouds Over Kashmir?

One of the world’s, oldest and most dangerous conflicts went critical this past week as nuclear armed India and Pakistan traded threats of war. The Kashmir conflict is the oldest one before the UN.In my book `War at the Top of the World’ I warned that the confrontation over Kashmir, the beautiful mountain state claimed by both Islamabad and Delhi, could unleash a nuclear war that could kill millions and pollute the planet. After three wars and many clashes, it seemed the two bad neighbors had allowed the Kashmir dispute to fade into the background as their relations slightly improved. Then came the murder last week of 26 Indian tourists at Pahalgam, a Kashmir beauty spot, by Muslim insurgents. Kashmir was roughly divided between India and Pakistan in 1947. The larger part of Kashmir was annexed by Indian troops as the entire region was scourged by massacres and rapine. As a result, India’s portion of Kashmir became the only Muslim majority state in India. Kashmiri Muslims have waged a bloody struggle since the 1980’s to leave India or join Pakistan.

Will the Trump Administration Stop Medical Conflicts of Interest in the Military?

Robert Kennedy, Jr. (RFK), the new Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Marty Makary, the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner have pledged to remove industry conflicts of interest (COIs) from government agencies. But little has been released so far about their plans for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reportedly rife with industry influences.

Profits for Trump and the rich amidst an economy in growing distress

Trump’s self image
-Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer quotes Trump: “I run the country and the
world” (https://theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/04/trump-second-term-
comback/682573
Trump’s enrichment
New York Time’s journalist Steve Rattner writes on April 27, 2025, how Trump is
the biggest beneficiary of his own chaotic economic policies
(https://stevenrattner.com/article/new-york-times-trumps-biggest-benefic…-
himself). He’s worth citing at length.
“No presidential administration is completely free from questionable ethics
practices, but Donald Trump has pushed us to a new low. He has accomplished that
by breaking every norm of good government, often while enriching himself,
whether by pardoning a felon who, together with his wife, donated $1.8 million to
the Trump campaign; promoting Teslas on the White House driveway; or holding a
private dinner for speculators who purchase his new cryptocurrency.”
Rattner delves into Trump’s motivation.

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