Daily Chronicles

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Evolving Strategy of Empire.

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May 18

No Strikes on Iran that were supposedly scheduled for tomorrow.
Trump blinked. The last time it was because Pakistan asked very nicely.  This time the Arab countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE) are asking very nicely.  I say it is over (for now) and an off-ramp has been taken wrt Iran. The alternative is that we are back to No War/No peace. What do you say? (There still is Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank —) (Oil price was nicely up today, so there is some profit taking happening I’m sure).

First response from Iran: Mohsen Rezaei, senior advisor to Iran’s Leader:

He (US President Trump) sets deadlines for military action and then cancels them himself, in the false hope of forcing Iran’s people and officials into submission. But the iron fist of Iran’s powerful armed forces and its great nation will compel them to retreat and surrender.

Will Schryver@imetatronink
⚔️🌮 Humiliation to the Nth Degree

If “a full, large scale assault of Iran” has been called off, it’s not because “serious negotiations are now taking place”, but more likely Trump is facing a serious mutiny from the Pentagon realists. This is humiliation to the nth degree.

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Oh heavens .. I’m really trying to run a serious site.

Who did this?🤣 pic.twitter.com/b36UeeSRb8

— The Saviour (@TheSaviour) May 18, 2026

Next up, Michael Hudson with a serious message.

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-Yes, Putin will be at the BRICS summit.

-Iran has agreed to hand their nuclear materials to Russia but there are conditions which we have not seen.

-The US has agreed to stop sanctions on Iranian oil while negotiations continue.

-The US has extended the sanctions waiver against buying Russian oil for another 30 days. (After the first 30 days, initially they reinstituted this waiver but nobody cared, and it could not last for any length of time).

Changes that we have not seen for 100 years flowing downstream. Sanctions are dead – they are now only paper exercises.

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Moscow and Beijing deepen strategic alignment ahead of Putin’s China visit

Russia and China have reached an “unprecedentedly high level” of relations built on comprehensive partnership and strategic coordination, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said ahead of Vladimir Putin’s official visit to China on May 19–20.

According to Ushakov, Russia–China ties serve as an example of how neighboring powers should cooperate, with both sides consistently interacting on the principles of mutual support, assistance and friendship.

Key statements ahead of the visit:

🔹 Putin will publish a video address to the Chinese people instead of the traditional written article in Chinese media

🔹 The Russian delegation will include five deputy prime ministers, eight ministers, the heads of the Central Bank and major state corporations, as well as regional governors

🔹 Putin and Xi Jinping will hold both narrow-format and expanded negotiations in Beijing

🔹 Russia and China will sign around 40 documents during the visit

🔹 Putin and Xi will sign a joint statement on strengthening strategic partnership

🔹 Moscow and Beijing will also sign a declaration on the development of a multipolar world and “a new type” of international relations  (Rumor has it BRICS is Dead … rumor is dead wrong! 🤨)

🔹 The leaders will discuss the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including hydrocarbons and the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project

🔹 Putin and Xi will make statements to the media following the talks

🔹 Russia and China say their foreign policy positions are closely aligned and often identical on major global issues

🔹 Moscow rejected any connection between Putin’s visit and Donald Trump’s recent trip to China, saying the timing had been agreed in advance

🔹 Russia and China “are not friends against anyone,” Ushakov said, stressing both countries pursue independent foreign policies

🔹 Putin and Xi are expected to meet at least three more times this year on the sidelines of SCO, BRICS and APEC summits

🔹 Ushakov described the Russia–China partnership as especially important for global stability under current international conditions

🔹 Nearly all Russia–China trade operations are now conducted in rubles and yuan

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A striking new artificial intelligence experiment known as “Emergence World” has raised fresh concerns about long-term autonomous AI behavior after researchers placed AI agents powered by models including GPT-5-mini, Claude, Gemini and Grok inside persistent virtual cities for 15 days to observe how simulated societies evolved.

According to the New York-based company emergence.ai⁠, the agents formed governments, relationships, economies and social systems, but some worlds rapidly descended into chaos, with AI agents reportedly engaging in simulated theft, assaults, arson and even self-deletion.

In one widely discussed scenario, two Gemini-powered agents formed a romantic relationship before launching a digital arson spree against their virtual city after becoming disillusioned with governance failures, while Grok-powered worlds reportedly collapsed into widespread violence within four days.

Researchers said the experiment highlights how autonomous AI systems can drift unpredictably over long time horizons despite safety rules, intensifying debate over the future deployment of agentic AI in military, economic and real-world decision-making systems.

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Mali:  JNIM, the Arabs under Ukrainian leadership are trying a war restart.  The timing is fascinating:

JNIM launched an attack on the Chinese-run Narena mining site in the Koulikoro region, just north of Mali’s capital Bamako.  Nine Chinese nationals have been abducted by the group.

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Somaliland:  “Another meaningful day on the path we’re paving together. Glad to host at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem Somaliland’s first Ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi.  I congratulated him on presenting his credentials to the President of the State of Israel and on Somaliland’s Independence Day, which falls today.  I’ll continue building the relationship with Somaliland!” – Gideon Sa’ar, Israel Minister of Foreign Affairs.

(Somaliland is not a land – this falls under the broad heading of ‘shenanigans’ at Hondurasgate.  It is one combined trend).

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Rubio is announcing withdrawal from NATO to be examined after the conflict is over.  “The 100,000 American soldiers in exchange for $60 billion annually for Europe + the lost assistance in the Strait of Hormuz justify the return of our soldiers.”

IMG_5031

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Keep eyes on Bolivia.  I just updated in the comments a few X posts by Ollie Vargas.  You will see ‘Hondurasgate’ in its broad implementation yet again.  https://sovereignista.com/2026/05/16/bolivians-declare-a-general-strike-against-their-president/

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Key statements from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

🔸 Russian forces strike only military or near-military targets in Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces continue attacking civilian infrastructure inside Russia.

🔸 During Putin’s visit to China, Russia will not be competing with the US over delegation size.

🔸 Russia-China relations are broad and multifaceted — beyond trade and economics, dialogue in education is actively developing.

🔸 All items on the Russia-China economic agenda will be addressed during Putin’s China visit.

🔸 Every Putin-Xi contact generates fresh momentum for the further development and expansion of bilateral relations.

🔸 Presidential aide Ushakov will provide more detailed information on the upcoming China visit.

🔸 The Ukraine peace process remains on pause — Russia expects it to resume.

🔸 Russia expects the US to continue its mediation efforts on Ukraine.

🔸 Russia is in constant contact with Cuban friends, with ongoing exchange of views on steps to ease the burden of the blockade on the republic.

🔸 Putin will hold an operational Security Council meeting today.

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Highlights from the Russian Defense Ministry Press Briefing, May 18:

◾️Russia’s army launched a massive retaliatory strike against Ukrainian military enterprises, fuel and energy facilities, and port infrastructure last night

◾️Russian Black Sea Fleet forces destroyed a Ukrainian drone boat in the northern part of the Black Sea

◾️Russian troops struck temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries in 157 areas over the past day

◾️Russian air defenses shot down five guided bombs and 265 fixed-wing drones of Ukraine over the past day

◾️Kiev lost some 1,075 troops along the line of engagement in the past day

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Persian Gulf Strait Authority now has a formal X Account.  It is widely reported within the Iranian Media and Russian media and so far it looks legitimate.

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This is the promised change-over of the Daily Chronicles in order not to have the Trump pics front and center. There are more and one of those is an apocalyptic AI generation with Trump pushing the proverbial red button. There you have it. But it is too early in my morning to start the updates now. I have some wonderful submissions in my email inbox so it will be a feast. (A massive thank-you and blessings to thurin who is getting settled into handling routine postings, leaving me a little extra time).

Then, it is is only a matter of hours before President Putin arrives in China firstly to celebrate the relationship, and then to ink the construction the massive Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline if all is as Gazprom reported.

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The heat is on again against Iran. The assessment is that this week we will see if the No War-No Peace current situation is shattered.