Iran has targeted an airbase in Bahrain in the latest resumption of strikes since September, prompting public warnings and sirens to ring out in the Gulf kingdom this morning.

https://x.com/realdonaldtrump/status/365927944356507648

This is my first attempt at making bread, a test run before a bake-off at work. Man, it was a lot of work. I don’t have a stand or hand mixer, so it was all by hand.

My work is having a Christmas bake-off, which I did not participate in last year, but want to this year. The only thing that comes to mind for “Christmas” for me is cookies, which is what most people brought last year. So I thought to myself, how about something we’d enjoy at Grandma’s during Hanukkah?

My first thought was macaroons, but wanted to go a little extra.

My notes from this first attempt:

• Needed about 5 more minutes in the oven. It came out good, but just a little soft inside. Although, some may find that desirable.
• The streusel was way too dense. The recipe called for mini chocolate chips, but all I had were reg sized. So I chopped some and put it in with the streusel ingredients, which made more of a solid mass than crumbly goodness.
• Not enough layers. I’ve never made anything like this before, so it was hard to tell if my roll was not tight enough.

All in all, it tastes great, and looks pretty good. I followed the New York Times recipe.

I’ll post the bake-off entry in a few weeks, wish me luck, and any feedback is appreciated!

www.pixiv.net/artworks/137191233

Gearmaxxing - This large tent takes lots of space, how can I carry more gear with it? How to get more ridiculous? Coworker to the rescue. "Can you get some side bags?" Can I?... Yeah yeah I guess I can. We're in the middle of a record breaking rain and cloud streak in Tokyo, so finding this window I was so lucky. With the side bags, I can fit a ton of stuff!

New stuff:

• Side bags
• Cutlery set
• 3 of the non-self inflating mattress that store tiny
• Ground sheets for all tents

I got better at setting this behemoth up! Still a lot of work, but standing is nice.

Why multiple sleeping mats? Why not. It fits, they lock together and let me twist and turn! Their footprint is tiny!

This is the life. I brought the cot back, slap a mat on it And it's chill city. This was the moment I decided "This took so much effort to set up, let's stay another night."

This campsite (https://maps.app.goo.gl/rQzJy6YVocam1nzB8) was kinda goated, nicely situated, lots of space, staff at the shop I can yap with. A friend of the owner apparently is a blacksmith so I got a unique paperweight to support them (didn't wanna haul back a whole cast-iton pan lol).

Unfortunately the second day would not be kind to me. For one, I accidentally plopped down onto the chair too hard and it ripped... Second, during a fire in the morning a spark flew straight into the inflatable mattress on the cot... I tried saving it/patching it, but it would just not... Still, the weather kept being great, and the next day (Monday going back to Tokyo I got sunburn because why the fuck did I think going in to Tokyo on a Monday morning commute time was a good idea...

Gearmaxxing done, the next thing on my mind was... I wanna camp for longer.

Bonus pics:

Die Katzen natürlich auch. Alle Tierchen sind wunderbar!

Hello Hexbear please take a look at my new hexbear OC, this is Lima Beanis here are some facts about them

Lima Beanis is:

-nonbinary

-often mistaken for the capital of Peru

-8ft tall

-allowed to perform weddings by every religious organization, but cannot vote

-very cool, yet also very flammable

-a notorious tax evader, but not as much as the turnip, you know the one

-a very distant relative of the original Beanis, they still see each other at the family reunions but don't hold eye contact for very long

yup okay that was about it thanks everyone

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The United Arab Emirates laundered 591 tonnes of illicit gold worth $74 billion in 2024, according to a study published by the Swiss development cooperation organization SWISSAID.

The document identifies the UAE as one of the nerve centers for the illegal trade in the precious metal, a dynamic that persists despite regulations aimed at curbing money laundering, said Marc Ummel, co-author of the research.

RELATED: Iran Starts New Wave of Response to “U.S. Aggression” in Bahrain Attack

According to the study, gold smuggled from African nations accounted for about 453 tonnes of the total recorded in 2024, with an estimated value of $56.7 billion. The metal entered through smuggling from Africa and countries devastated by armed conflict, the study said.

The UAE remains by far the main destination for gold linked to armed conflicts in Africa, according to Swissaid.

It also continues to be a major destination for gold exports from countries subject to international sanctionshttps://t.co/FKDnbNDTnA

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) November 14, 2026

The publication also denounced that the UAE remains an important destination for gold exports from countries subject to international sanctions.

More than 40 tonnes of gold laundered through the UAE originated in Sudan, according to SWISSAID, which says a network of Emirati-based companies facilitates the transfer to Dubai of minerals extracted in Darfur, a region controlled by the RSF paramilitary group backed by the UAE.

The Emirati government has used illegal mining to sustain the RSF, which has its own gold trading company and has accumulated considerable wealth through illicit trafficking to the Emirati market.

Sudan’s armed conflict began in April 2023 over disputes between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), triggering a severe humanitarian crisis across the territory.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.