Written by  Whitney Webb ; Originally appeared at  MintPress Saudi interest in developing nuclear weapons dates back to the 1970s, when the kingdom learned of major steps taken by both Israel and India in the development of nuclear armaments. The Israeli government  has begun selling  the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia information on how to develop nuclear weapons, according to a senior official at the Israeli military organization iHLS (Israel’s Homeland Security). Ami Dor-on, a senior nuclear commentator at the organization — which is  partially funded  by U.S. weapons-giant Raytheon – came forward because of his concern over the emerging nuclear arms race in the region. The cooperation between the two countries in helping the Saudis to develop a nuclear weapons program is just the latest sign of their warming relationship, with Israel  recently calling  the Saudi crown prince “a partner of Israel.” Israel has been  a nuclear power  for decades, though its nuclear arsenal is undecl

A U.S. defense official Monday told  CNN’s Washington bureau  that  two nuclear-capable U.S. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew very close to the heavily contested and militarized Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The aggressive flybys come days after Secretary of Defense James Mattis warned of “ consequences ” if Beijing continues weaponizing the South China Sea, further accusing China of “intimidation and coercion” in the Indo-Pacific region, which he specifically made clear that Washington has zero plans on leaving the heavily disputed area. His speech, well, it promoted an angry Chinese response during IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, a civilian and military defense summit in Singapore, where Lieutenant General He Lei told reporters, “Any irresponsible comments from other countries cannot be accepted.” As we explained on Saturday during the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue,” The United States and China appear to be headed for a military collision in the Southeast Asia region

AFP By Daniel Edgar The following is a translation of a recent article by a Mexican journalist who travelled to Venezuela to investigate the atmosphere in the country during the presidential elections. For those who are interested, at the end of the article are some links to a couple of other articles in English on economic and political developments in Venezuela by academics and journalists with many years’ experience in the country and the Latin American region. They are older but remain as relevant now as when they were written. (For those who prefer to receive all their information from the New York Times, CNN, Fox ‘News’, etc, (or shills?) and find other points of view disturbing, you may as well go straight to the comments section and note your complaints and insults…) *** “Venezuela: Chronicle of a Triumph and an Announced Attack” By Gerardo Szalkowicz (28 May 2018) “Mrs Carmen arrives slowly, hobbling, to Manuel Fajardo College in the crowded and mythical ne