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Secretary Rubio Criticizes China’s Bullying for Detaining DOZENS of Panama-Flagged Cargo Ships

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Rubio decries China’s bullying

Panama’s ships caught between the rock and a hard place.

While the Russia-Ukraine war brings danger to the Black Sea, the military conflicts in the Middle East brought about Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

But we’d do well not to forget about the vital Panama Canal and the geopolitical consequences of Donald J. Trump’s administration shutting China out of its infrastructure.

Last Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called out China’s ‘bullying’ for ‘detaining or holding up dozens of Panama-flagged ships’.

Even though the ships were held for a short period of time, it comes as a retaliation after Panama seized control of two ports on the Panama Canal from a Hong Kong-based company.

China denies the bullying allegations.

Associated Press reported:

“Panama has been caught in a broader rivalry between the United States and China after U.S. President Donald Trump accused Beijing last year of running the Panama Canal. The Trump administration sees the critical maritime trade route as strategically important, both commercially and militarily, and Trump has talked about retaking the Panama Canal since his campaign.

‘China’s decision to detain or otherwise impede Panama-flagged vessels engaged in lawful trade destabilizes supply chains, raises costs, and erodes confidence in the global trading system’, Rubio said on social media. ‘The United States stands with Panama against any retaliatory actions against its sovereignty and will always support our partners in the face of bullying’.”

No less than 75% of the ships detained for inspection in Chinese ports in March – 92 vessels – were Panama-flagged.

“The Panama-flagged ships were typically detained for a few days — as short as one day or as long as 10 days — before being released.

That is up drastically from the previous two months, when 19 out of 45 ships — or more than 40% — held in February were Panama-flagged, and 23 out of 71 — or over 30% — in January hung the Panama flag.”

Read more:

FBI Warns Congress of ‘Major’ Cyber Hack Involving China That Could Threaten National Security

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President Trump Fires 6 More Immigration Judges For Blocking Deportations

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April 13, 2026

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President Trump fired six more immigration judges for blocking deportations.

On Friday, the president fired four immigration judges and continued his spree of firings on Saturday and fired two more.

According to The New York Times, Trump fired two of the immigration judges on Saturday for blocking the deportations of two pro-Palestinian activists.

In December, President Trump fired eight immigration judges in New York City.

A fired immigration judge described the firings as a “Monday afternoon massacre.”

“The court has been eviscerated,” Olivia Cassin, another immigration judge who was fired in November told The New York Times. “It feels like a Monday afternoon massacre.”

More than 100 immigration judges have been fired or resigned since President Trump took office this year.

In July, 20 immigration judges were fired.

A few of the federal immigration judges recently fired by the Trump Administration over e-mail lashed out at Trump in an interview with CBS Evening News.

Three of the fired judges – George Pappas, Jennifer Peyton and Carla Espinoza – spoke to CBS about their terminations. The disgruntled judges claimed they were politically pressured by the Trump Administration to grant motions to dismiss cases.

“It was arbitrary, unfair,” George Pappas told CBS News of his abrupt firing. “And it’s an attack on the rule of law. It’s an attack on judges.”

“My email was three sentences,” Jennifer Peyton whined. “I had no cause. I had no explanation.”

“We as judges, were in fear, we were concerned,” Carla Espinoza said. “That makes it very difficult to be impartial. We were not succumbing to that pressure but it does feel like pressure.”

Payton whined that once the illegal alien left the courtroom, ICE would handcuff them and whisk them away.

WATCH:

The post President Trump Fires 6 More Immigration Judges For Blocking Deportations appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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JUST IN: Failing British PM Starmer Refuses To Help Enforce US Navy’s Strait of Hormuz Blockade

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April 13, 2026

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British PM and Labour Leader Keir Starmer

As Trump has said, Starmer ‘is no Winston Churchill’.

With the breakdown in peace negotiations between the US and Iran, President Donald J. Trump has determined that the US Navy will implement a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

And, to no one’s surprise, this announcement was followed by a reaction from failing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who refused to join the blockade.

Apart from being another instance in which the Labour party leader fails to live up to his duty to his main ally, the US, it is also a black eye on the British Royal Navy and its much-degraded capabilities.

Trump ordered tankers to be stopped from entering or leaving the key oil and gas shipping lane.

The Telegraph reported:

“However, The Telegraph understands that Britain will not play a role in enforcing the blockade.

[…] Downing Street said the UK was ‘urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation’.

Britain has mine-hunting systems in the region that could be used to help clear the strait of naval mines laid by Iran, Sir Keir said.”

Meanwhile, Trump continued his attacks on Starmer, comparing him to the infamous British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who chose appeasement of the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler in the 1930’s.

“Very disappointing – I mean, look at the United Kingdom. PM Starmer said ‘we’ll send the equipment after the war is over’. I said ‘you don’t need equipment when the war is over. You need the equipment before the war starts, or during the war’… He made a public statement that ‘we will send equipment after the war is over’, that’s a Neville Chamberlain statement.”

Read more:

‘U-Turn’ Starmer Pauses Plans To Hand Over Chagos Islands and the Diego Garcia Airbase Back to Mauritius After Trump Called It ‘An Act of Great Stupidity’

The post JUST IN: Failing British PM Starmer Refuses To Help Enforce US Navy’s Strait of Hormuz Blockade appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Massive Protests Over Fuel Prices Are Ongoing in Ireland Among Police and Army Crackdown on Roadblocks (VIDEOS)

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April 13, 2026

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Traffic congestion with trucks on a highway alongside a crowd of protesters holding flags at a public rally in Dublin.Traffic congestion with trucks on a highway alongside a crowd of protesters holding flags at a public rally in Dublin.Between road blockages and popular demonstrations, the protests keep growing

Ireland has awakened.

The massive fuel price protests began on April 7, 2026, and are now today (12) in their sixth day.

While it’s fair to say that the fuel spike we are witnessing is caused by the military conflict in Iran and the closure of the vital waterways of the Strait of Hormuz, that is not the entire story.

What we are seeing is the action of ordinary Irish truckers, farmers, transporters, taxi and bus drivers that are pushing back against suicidal ‘green’ policies implemented by the Irish government.

These policies, as they are, align with international climate commitments, including the EU’s net-zero agenda and carbon pricing mechanisms.

Protesters explicitly demand the suspension or removal of the carbon tax on fuels — especially agricultural diesel.

Protesters are also calling for resuming domestic oil exploration off Ireland’s west coast, whereas current policies restrict fossil fuel development in favor of ‘rapid decarbonization’.

The protests involve drivers blocking major roadways, fuel depots, ports, and even Ireland’s only oil refinery in Whitegate, Cork.

Today (12), Ireland’ Garda used pepper spray and made arrests to clear protesters blockading the refinery.

Deutsche Welle reported:

“Authorities moved in to disperse the protesters to restore supplies after five days of nationwide demonstrations over soaring fuel prices.

Law enforcers, supported by armed forces personnel, moved in to reopen the Whitegate refinery in County Cork and escort fuel trucks on Saturday.

After Ireland’s Defense Forces joined the police in clearing the protests, Irish police chief Justin Kelly said on Saturday that the fuel protesters’ actions were ‘endangering the state’.”

But despite the police action, Seven Irish motorways remain BLOCKED.

The Sun reported:

IRISH commuters are being warned to expect significant delays today – as the fuel protests continue for the sixth day. Public transport is also facing delays on its major services amid the fuel protests, including blockades and limited fuel supplies.

Dublin’s M50, the biggest motorway in the country, was cleared in the early hours of this morning as part of Garda operations to remove blockage and restore access to the public.”

Read more:

The Irish Are Done with Globalists and the World Is Behind Them

The post Massive Protests Over Fuel Prices Are Ongoing in Ireland Among Police and Army Crackdown on Roadblocks (VIDEOS) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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