Egyik 19

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Europe

Italy
20 Jul 2024 The sea has taken everything'. Farmers and residents of the Po River delta are struggling as landmarks are lost to the water and crops are poisoned by salt. The Po River flows into the Adriatic Sea off the coast of northern Italy. Subsidence - the slow and progressive sinking of the ground over time - is a phenomenon which has become very familiar to the inhabitants of the Po Delta region. It has caused the complete submergence of entire stretches of coast over the past 50 years. The Isola Bonelli Levante in Porto Tolle is among the most striking examples of segments of land which have slipped into the sea. A large rice farm, which was in use from the 1970s, has sunk almost 3 metres below sea level and was abandoned in the 1990s. The vanishing "Isola Batteria" along the Po della Pila, one of the smaller channels. Once a German military fortification built during World War II on the island which took its name, today it is mostly a lagoon, nearly completely submerged, and can only be reached with difficulty by boat. Just a few buildings remain, reduced to skeletons and semi-submerged ruins. The murky waters covering the seabed here are shallow. Of the old banks of the river, only a few shy reeds break through the surface of the water, showing where until not many years ago you could walk, sow rice or go fishing for hake. At the mouth of the Po River, where the river meets the Adriatic Sea, saltwater infiltration is reaching worrying levels. In 2022, which had a particularly dry summer, this salt wedge extended more than 40km inland from the Adriatic Sea. Last year, when there was more rain, the salt wedge spread for 17km. The primary consequence of the saltwater intrusion in coastal agricultural areas is the salinisation of the soil, which prevents crop growth. The delta area of the Po River extends for 140 square kilometres. Approximately 70 percent of the territory is made up of agricultural land. The area was heavily mined for methane gas from 1938 to 1961, when the Italian government halted operations because of subsidence, dozens of times higher than natural levels. The areas damaged by salt seeping into the soil are clearly visible. It has been caused by both direct irrigation with brackish water and by saltwater rising from the subsoil. In the Po Delta, the problem is particularly bad because the fields are below sea level - a consequence of centuries of farming, which has slowly lowered the ground level by reclaiming terrain from the sea. The limit on salinity for distributing water is one gramme per litre. The regulating body carries out hydraulic defence, irrigation and environmental protection works. It oversees the embankments protecting against flooding, the irrigation network systems, the delta lagoons and the outlets merging into the sea and the canals and facilities serving the fishing valleys. Approximately 70 percent of the Po Delta region is agricultural - mainly represented by arable land. Rice is a typical crop in the Po Delta that has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. The rice fields cover approximately 9,000 hectares of delta territory, and the European Union has listed the rice produced here as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) brand to validate its flavour and important nutritional qualities. To protect agricultural and industrial areas in Volta Vaccari, in the municipality of Porto Tolle, the Consorzio Bonifica Delta del Po has installed a dam capable of collecting freshwater in a dead branch of the river. It guarantees one million cubic metres of freshwater for local farms during the most critical periods. The barriers have worked well in the past, but today they run into an insurmountable obstacle: they were calibrated with the minimum flow values of the Po at the time - 450 cubic metres per second - in mind. Today, lower rainfall means the flow of the river has slowed to around 113 cubic metres per second. This has caused the barriers to be much less efficient - and less able to counteract the incoming flow of seawater. (Source: aljazeera)

Slovakia
July 20, 2024  Slovakia and Hungary said this week they had stopped receiving oil from LUKoil after Ukraine imposed a ban last month on the transit of LUKoil resources via its territory. For Slovakia, that meant a loss in some supplies for its Slovnaft refinery, which is owned by Hungarian oil and gas group MOL. Slovakia will not be a 'hostage' to Ukraine-Russia relations, Prime Minister Robert Fico told his Ukrainian counterpart in a call today, after Kyiv placed Russia’s LUKoil on a sanctions list. Slovakia's government office said that Fico spoke by telephone with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. (Source: rferl* / Reuters)
* Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

European Commision
July 19, 2024  Why a von der Leyen’s second mandate is not a good news? Von der Leyen won a second mandate at the head of the European Commission. According to many observers and decision makers the political outcome is a good news for Europe, and under von der Leyen’s mandate ’unprecedented achievements’ have been registered. For the fist time ever, common debt has been issued in order to finance the post-pandemic recovery of the European economies. The RRF and the eurobond are one of the 'greatest' von der Leyen’s achievements. Furthermore, with a European Union called to face the health crisis posed by COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has started to build up a European Union for Health, something totally new and unexpected given the national competence on the matter. A huge amount of money is needed to translate into practice the European Green Deal, as well as raw material. The EU lacks of both element, resulting squeezed between the US rich in money and the PRC rich in natural resources. Going forward with the Green Deal, something promised by von der Leyen in order to be re-elected for her post, means to play a risky geopolitical game in time of geopolitical tensions. Under her leading role, the EU has been shifting from an inclusive mode to an uncompromising one, from a peace-building vision to an aggressive one. Migration policy made clear how the newly appointed president of the EU Commission is there to serve the Member States. At the same time, the 'wolf scandal'. When one of von der Leyen’s ponies was found dead by a wolf attack (so was it alleged and then confirmed), the same von der Leyen immediately tabled a proposal to reduce safeguard and protection requirements for wolves. She went on despite MEPs warned her about a decision taken without the necessary case studies. Looking at foreign affairs, the European Commission was more then quick in imposing sanctions against Iran because of his role in supporting Russia in the Russian-Ukrainian war, but the same didn’t happen in the Middle East crisis. Despite the Israeli violation of international law, no restrictive measures have been proposed by the Commission. The von der Leyen’s commission finished to adapt a double standard approach, in contradiction with the call of respecting law. Is that the idea of democracy we have in Europe? Are these the values von der Leyen talks about? EU leaders started to ask for military assistance and a new era for the European defense industry. Von der Leyen, once again, decided to re-write the European narrative: peace means defense. Orwell wrote once: 'War is peace'. She supported the nomination of Kallas for the role of the next High Representative for Foreign policy. We talk about the former prime minister of Estonia, who has constantly been stressing the need of inundating Ukraine of tanks, fighter jets, ammunition. In her plenary speech von der Leyen announced the creation of both 'a Commissioner whose responsibilities will include housing', and «a first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan». A good and smart move to get the socialists onboard. Here the EU commission can do little, since housing is a national competence, linked to other national competences. Labor market reform can recommended by the European Commission, but it’s up to the Member States to act there. So, there are social intentions from von der Leyen which can generate expectations difficult to fulfill, providing the anti-EU forces extra arguments to go against the European project. No, von der Leyen’s re-election is not a good news, at all. The agenda is actually the point - a more aggressive and less inclusive Union, led by a president of the European Commission in love with herself. Always a tweet, always a picture, always the need to put her face on anybody file or meeting. Welcome to the von der Leyen’s ego-system, enriched by new risky commitments. (Source: euelectionsitaly)

North America

United States
July 20, 20245:40 AM  When the political satire Veep premiered on HBO in 2012, it was viewed by those outside of government as a show too absurd to be a true commentary on the vagaries of American political power. By the time the show ended in 2019, two and a half years after Trump had been sworn in as the president, Veep’s absurdism was starting to feel like a black mirror to reality. There are the vanity-obsessed lawmakers, the slobbering cronies, unethical lobbyists, and the now-predictable incompetence and selfishness that we recognize as holding us all hostage in a political system that feels far from representative. Central to all of that in Veep’s universe is Vice President Selina, an ineffectual, sharp-elbowed politician who’s routinely shunted to the side in President Hughes’ administration. In early seasons of the show, VP Meyer’s sole political power is in being trotted out for photo ops with “the people” while rarely getting invitations to official briefings. Most of the show’s jokes stem from her barely repressed fury at being ignored by her own party; she struggles so much to get any face time with the president that the audience never sees his face either. You’re probably already thinking about her real-life analogue: the veep herself, Kamala. It’s been a long time since the Democrats have had anyone who was ha-ha funny and not does-he-have-dementia funny. America spent years turning the vice president Harris into a joke. On social media, you can find countless side-by-side comparisons of Harris’ real statements and Meyer’s scripted ones; both share a penchant for long-winded, nonsensical speeches, folksy interactions with the public that come off as clueless, and klutzy answers to even the simplest questions. A favorite Harris-as-Meyer moment took place on Barrymore’s daytime talk show in April. Barrymore, taking the vice president’s hands delivers a plea: We all need a mom. We all need a tremendous hug in the world now, but in our country, we need you to be Momala of the country. A great protector. What … the hell is she talking about? Momala. Has any vice president been talked to so condescendingly, and with no real recourse available to her? Of course not: No one would ever ask Cheney to take over the reins as Papa America and bring us comfort during the Iraq War. Harris, meanwhile, has the distinct expression of someone who’s just been spit on in public but is forced to grin and bear it. This kind of bizarro-world moment is one of a hundred for Harris, who has spent much of her first term as vice president known less for her accomplishments than for being a living meme. There was Harris dancing with a marching band made up of children, Harris laughing maniacally with her whole body, Harris mimicking a senator’s voice while swearing him in, Harris talking about coconut trees. Since she joined Biden’s ticket in 2020, Harris has been sidelined by her party, defanged in quips made by pundits and in TikTok memes, and largely forgotten by voters in a fate befitting that of the first woman of color in her position. How funny, then, that Harris is now being bandied about as one of democracy’s last hopes as the presidential election draws nearer like the promise of death itself - the only person who might be able to save us is the very person we’ve been dutifully ignoring this whole time. Veep couldn’t have scripted it any better. A viable candidate in 2019, she had the right backstory: a biracial woman of color, a first-generation American raised by a scientist mother from India and an economist father from Jamaica, who came of age at Civil Rights protests at Berkeley in the 1960s. Once elected as vice president, Harris quickly receded from view, perhaps in an effort to downplay reports that Harris was mistreating staff members - how very Veep indeed! - or perhaps to mollify complaints coming from both ends of the political spectrum. Republicans hated her: She wanted to open the jails and make everyone gay! Progressives hated her, too: She built her career on holding up many of the very systems her more radical parents protested against in the ’60s. Between those anxieties and the rumors that, as a boss, she was cruel, or ineffectual, or disorganized, or egomaniacal, no wonder the White House chose to simply defang her instead. Shut out of any meaningful positions of power within the administration, Harris has been dispatched to do the kind of low-stakes posturing that Selina was always so pissed off about. In 2021, Biden appointed Harris to handle migration issues at the southern border, a job that already felt a little fake, but felt even more ludicrous once Republicans dubbed the gig “border czar.” Classic: A flimsy, impossible task handed to Harris, warped into a job title for the scary biracial woman here to ruin America with Soviet-style socialism. For the past few months, Harris has been spending much of her time engaged in the soft sciences of campaigning: Pride events where she’s wiggling around in a bedazzled denim jacket, reproductive rights events where she talks about what she and Biden will do after the election to bring back Roe v. Wade, outreach events with different ethnic groups in an attempt to bring Biden their (exhausted, indifferent) vote. We rarely heard from Harris when it comes to the economy, war, national debt, or climate change. Mostly, she’s been trotted out as token woman (when it comes to abortion or reproductive rights) or Black woman (Juneteenth) or Indian woman (Diwali only, steering clear of most discussion around India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party). Harris; in all her attempts to appear approachable and relatable, comes across like an OpenAI-generated image that’s too shiny and has too many extra fingers to be legitimate. No wonder we’re all laughing at her singing “The Wheels on the Bus” - she looks like she’s never heard a song before in her life. The internet can’t resist such a strange spectacle, of course, especially as this election is shaping up to be our most dystopian thus far. Harris’ funny repeated aphorisms, her signature cackle, her mom-at-a-wedding dancing - all make her social-media catnip. Lately, the memes have increased tenfold as everyone has collectively lost their minds, leaning into the absurdity of our political reality - coconut trees and all. We’re stuck between a septuagenarian convicted felon and an octogenarian who accidentally referred to himself as “the first black woman to serve with a black president.' So yes, the coconut tree memes are all we have. The grand twist of Harris being made into a joke is that her name is now being floated as our last true hope in this election cycle. ’Whether she’s capable or not, she might be our last best hope’. Memes do not necessarily a presidential successor make. The Biden administration wanted a more palatable, less visible Harris, one they could trot out at reproductive rights rallies, and not one that spooked people leery of biracial radicals or of hard-ass prosecutors. They got it: a version of Harris whose first-term record and public perception among left-leaning voters are more akin to that of a goofy auntie than of the second most powerful person in the country. Meanwhile, the right is still treating her like a radical who’s prone to destroying the economy and enforcing communism. Either too silly or too dangerous, Harris is caught between two poles of absurdity, just as she has been this entire time. Most of the support around her comes from a few media figures and weirdos on the internet intersplicing footage of her dancing to the tune of the new Charli XCX record. While big-time Democratic supporter Clooney is writing op-eds for the New York Times about possible replacements, he’s not even listing Harris first on his own list of possible candidates. There’s nothing more Veep than that. Biden is weaker than ever, even worse than after his disastrous debate performance against Trump. With Vance now formally on the GOP ticket, ’a brutalist, even more unflinchingly anti-woman’ Republican Party is fully formed and still very likely to take the presidency this fall. Trump, having survived an assassination attempt, is more popular than ever, armed now with a shield of martyrdom and a direct line to Reagan and Jesus comparisons. It would take a lot to beat this team. What we need is an adult. At a campaign stop in North Carolina earlier this week, she spoke fiercely about Project 2025, about the plan to restrict abortion rights across the country, about the Trumpian attempts to overturn the last election. She’s not fucking around. She’s not falling out of a coconut tree. Harris’ expression is the soft, simmering irritation of a woman who does not want to have to mother anyone. What she wants - what she has clearly always wanted - is to be trusted with the job. In the end, she might get the last laugh. (Source: slate)

July 20(, 2024)  Former president Trump spoke by phone with President Zelensky, discussing an end to Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia. Trump said the two leaders had a "very good phone call" Friday. ’We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting,’ Zelensky said. 'I appreciate President Zelenskyy for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families," Trump said following the call. "Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity." Zelensky recently met with newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and addressed the country's Cabinet, where he called for a reduction of weapon use restrictions on arms supplied by Western countries for use in Ukraine's war with Russia. (Source: upi* )
* United Press International

Globalization

20/07/2024 - 07:54  The new normal of information chaos after a major world event. Airlines, banks, TV channels and financial institutions were engulfed in turmoil after the crash, one of the biggest in recent years that was the result of a faulty software update to an antivirus program operating on Microsoft Windows. The global outage sent US stocks falling was linked to a bug in an update from American cybersecurity group CrowdStrike. From fearmongering about a looming 'World War III' to narratives linking a cabal of global elite to a cyberattack, a torrent of online conspiracy theories took off Friday after the major IT crash. The outage gave way to a swirl of evidence-free posts on X: The world was under attack by a nefarious force. The IT crash stirred up a theory that the World Economic Forum (WEF) had plotted a global cyberattack. The WEF has long been a target for conspiracy theorists pushing the idea of a shadowy cabal of elites working for private gain under the garb of solving global issues. To make that theory appear credible, many posts linked an old WEF video that warned about the possibility of a "cyberattack with Covid-like characteristics." The video, available on the WEF's website, had cautioned that the only way to stop the exponential spread of the cyber threat would be to disconnect millions of vulnerable devices from each other and the internet. Also gaining rapid traction online were conspiratorial posts using the hashtag "cyber polygon," a reference to a global training event aimed at preparing for potential future attacks. What is unique to events like these is how social media platforms, forums, and messaging apps facilitate the rapid dissemination of content, allowing theories to gain traction quickly and reach a global audience. The trend demonstrates the ability of falsehoods to mutate into viral narratives on tech platforms. During fast-developing news events, confusion now often reigns on major tech platforms, with users scrambling to obtain accurate information. (Source: france24 / AFP)

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Europe

Germany
10:18 BST, 19 July 2024  Former Chancellor Angela Merkel's open border migration policy allowed one million 'refugees' enter Germany in 2015. According to the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act in Germany, if community service is refused without reason, the right to benefits is limited. Just a week after Federal Justice Minister Buschmann said he was in favor of cutting social benefits for asylum seekers who enter Germany via another EU country, the state of Saxony-Anhalt has cut the benefits of asylum seekers who refused to pick up debris following heavy flooding in east Germany. 64 migrants had been written to by local authorities demanding they help clear rubbish and erect dykes for a wage of just 80 cents per hour after devastating floods in the area at the end of last year which saw hundreds of residents in parts of Germany forced to evacuate. 39 people agreed to help, while the rest, who are said to be from Syria, Afghanistan, Niger, Mali and Albania, failed to turn up. 15 asylum seekers who had no excuse to take part in the clean-up will have their asylum benefits cut in half to €232 a month for three months. These benefits are meant to cover basic necessities, such as food, accommodation, personal hygiene and clothing. (Source: dailymail)

Russia
Jul 19, 2024 at 8:47 AM EDT  The Rostov nuclear power plant supplies power to Russia's entire Southern Federal District. On Tuesday, one of the nuclear power plant's four power units was shut down due to a malfunction of the turbine generator, Russia's state-owned energy group Rosatom said. This resulted in millions of Russians in the south of the country experiencing power outages. Rolling power outages this week affected residents of Russia's Krasnodar Territory, Rostov region, and Crimea. A number of social media users and Telegram channels spread the rumor on Friday that the nuclear power plant released ’radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere.’ ’Radiation emergency at the Rostov nuclear power plant. The radiation cloud is moving deep into the Russian Federation’ Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, said on Telegram. "The Rostov nuclear power plant is operating normally, the background radiation is normal, the messages that have appeared about the emergency are fake," Russian state nuclear company Rosenergoatom told. Radiation monitors indicated normal radiation levels in the Rostov region. Power was restored to Russia's southern regions on Wednesday. Russia's Energy Ministry said in a statement that it "continues to monitor the energy supply situation in regions experiencing abnormally high temperatures." (Source: newsweek)

Europe
19/07/2024 - 1:13 GMT+2  Orbán reiterated upon arriving at the 4th European Political Community Summit in the United Kingdom that he had represented only himself, and not the EU, during his trips to the Russian and Chinese capitals. "That's called political leadership," he said. The Hungarian government insisted the trips were done on a purely bilateral basis and that Orbán did not represent the bloc, but his use of the Hungarian EU presidency logo left some ambiguity. Speaking at the opening of the summit, Zelenskyy warned the other 46 European leaders in attendance that Russian President Putin 'may approach you' in a bid 'to tempt or pressure you, to blackmail you, so that one of you betrays the rest'.'If someone in Europe tries to resolve issues behind others’ backs or even at the expense of someone else, if someone wants to make some trips to the capital of war, to talk and perhaps promise something against our common interests or at the expense of Ukraine or other countries, then why should we consider such a person?' Asked about the condemnation he has received, Orbán said other European countries "are more pro-war' than his own. 'They believe that they can destroy militarily the Russians. I don't think so, because I think that there is no solution of this conflict on the battlefield. They hope so, but I don't believe at all because I know the Russians, I know the Soviet Union, I know the Ukrainians, I'm belonging to a neighbouring country. (The) solution is not on the battlefield. (The) solution is a negotiation table. Ceasefire negotiation table. But that's what I try to convince them. But, you know, it takes time." The summit in the UK comes two weeks after Orbán, then just days into his six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, travelled to Moscow for talks with Putin about the war in Ukraine. He then 'jetted' to Beijing for similar talks with President Xi. The trips, which Orbán declared a "peace mission", drew strong condemnation from other EU leaders, none of whom have met with Putin since April 2022. (Source: euronews)

Asia

Turkey
July 19, 2024, 10:19 PM GMT+2  President Erdogan submitted a motion to the Turkish parliament seeking authorisation for the deployment of Turkish military to Somalia including the country's territorial waters, a day after the Turkish energy ministry announced that Turkey will send an exploration vessel off the coast of Somalia later this year to search for oil and gas. Earlier this year, Turkey and Somalia signed a defence and economic cooperation agreement. Ankara has built schools, hospitals and infrastructure and provided scholarships for Somalis to study in Turkey. In 2017, Turkey opened its biggest overseas military base in Mogadishu. Turkey also provides training to Somali military and police. (Source: Reuters - United Kingom)

North America

United States
7/19/24 12:00 PM  The US is about to deploy a new ground-based jammer designed to blunt Chinese or Russian satellites from transmitting information about US forces during a conflict. The Space Force branch tested the system for the first time earlier this year at two different locations, with control of the system at a third. The devices responsibly counter adversary satellite communications capabilities that enable attacks. The first 11 of 24 Remote Modular Terminal jammers will be deployed in several months, and all of them could be in place by Dec. 31 at undisclosed locations. The terminals are small, transportable and low-cost satellite communications jammers that can be deployed in austere environments to protect. The new terminals augment a much larger jamming weapon called the Counter Communications System that’s already deployed and a mid-sized one called Meadowlands by providing the ability to have a proliferated, remotely controlled and relatively relocatable capability. The Meadowlands system has encountered technical challenges that have delayed its delivery until at least October, about two years later than planned. China has “hundreds and hundreds of satellites on orbit designed to find, fix, track, target and yes, potentially engage, US and allied forces across the Indo-Pacific,” General Whiting, head of US Space Command, said Wednesday at the annual Aspen Security Forum. That is an offensive counterspace capability Samson, the chief director of space security and stability at the Secure World Foundation, which produces an annual report on counterspace weapons. (Source: msn / Bloomberg)

Fri, 07/19/2024 - 3:29pm  'Four key decisions needed to prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine from sanctuaries.' Russia has exploited sanctuaries with the crews of the bombers and ships beyond Ukraine's reach to launch devastating attacks for the duration of the war. ’Instead of providing weapons that might be able to shoot down the inbound missiles, we must provide weapons to deter the Russian bombers and fleet by going directly at them with weapons that can reach them'. Allowing Russia these sanctuaries must end and can be ended. Arming Ukraine with weapons to fight back against these attacks 'is not escalation’. Arming Ukraine with offensive weapons to be directly used against the bombers and fleet ’should be a moral imperative.’ 'The West' provide these weapons. ’Western nations have already approved artillery strikes and HIMARS cluster rocket (M-26) strikes into Russia to defend against attacks launched from these sanctuaries into Ukraine’. HIMARS are now firing into Russia, which was finally approved’, and is incredibly effective. These HIMARS cluster rockets have a range of 60km and can target anti-aircraft systems, artillery and multiple launch rocket systems firing into Ukraine, large troop formations, command and control, and transportation nodes. ’Now that the threshold has been crossed of Ukraine firing rockets into Russia, we simply need longer range missiles to go after the sanctuaries that are firing the cruise missiles’. ’There are four simple decisions that can make a significant impact on the battlefield in a short period of time and can easily be implemented:     Decision #1: ’Approve ATACMS missiles to be fired into Russia at any firing site firing into Ukraine. Notify Russia that it is Ukraine’s right to defend against any attacks after September 1st.’ This will give notice, and hopefully reduce or eliminate attacks from Russia into Ukraine within range of ATACMS (300km range for MGM-140 ATACMs and 180 km for M-39 cluster missiles).     Decision #2: ’Provide MQ-9 Reapers armed with AMRAAM air-To-Air missiles such as AMRAAM with 300 km range. The fleet of MQ-9 Reapers will augment the limited number of new F-16s arriving shortly. The MQ-9 with AMRAAM would push the bombers past standoff range. These unmanned UAVs can loiter for 40 hours and remain behind Ukrainian lines and fire at the bombers launching over 100 glide bombs per day that need to get within 40 km. If any Reapers are shot down the technology will fall within Ukrainian controlled areas, thus eliminating or mitigating the objection due to survivability and technology loss.     Decision #3: ’Provide Tomahawk missiles with a range of 2,400 kilometers, for use within all areas of occupied Ukraine and within the Black Sea; additional approve the new use of Tomahawks against Russian air base sanctuaries from which the bombers fly from after September 1, 2024.’ Tomahawks would only be fired at bases in Russia or the Black Sea Fleet against any bases or ships that fire cruise missiles into Ukraine after September 1, 2024. ’Of course, Ukraine would prefer to use them to launch at many military targets.’ Normally the Tomahawk is a sea-based either on ships or submarines. But the U.S. Army has ground based launchers capable of firing Tomahawks. The U.S. military fired over 800 Tomahawks into Iraq during the 2003 ’liberation of Iraq’ and it is a standard weapon fired by the U.S. military in combat operations. The United States, United Kingdom and Japan all possess Tomahawks. Tomahawks are now being deployed to NATO to deter a Russian invasion.     Decision #4: ’Approve SM-6 missiles with a range of 400 km, capable of hitting cruise missiles at long range like the KH-101s that were fired from Tu-95 and Tu-160 and flew from the Caspian Sea. These can be fired as ground to air, or ground to ship/ground.     ’Even a small number’ of Reapers with AMRAAM, and Tomahawks and SM-6s might be enough deterrent to stop the Russia air campaign against ’civilian targets from sanctuaries in Russia and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. No matter what happens in the ground war, the air attacks on ’civilian’ targets must be stopped. ’By providing ATACMs, MQ-9 Reapers, Tomahawks, and SM-6 missiles, we can help’ Ukraine defend itself more effectively and force Russia to reconsider its brutal tactics. 'The West' must act decisively, not just to save Ukrainian lives, but to uphold the principles of sovereignty and international law. ’The decisions we make today will echo far beyond this war, influencing global security for generations to come.’ (Source: smallwarsjournal *)
* Small Wars Journal, an online magazine focusing on 'intrastate conflict', published by Small Wars Foundation.
by Rice, President of the American University Kyiv powered by Arizona State University. He is a 1988 graduate - B.S., National Security - of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who served his commitment as an Airborne-Ranger qualified Field Artillery officer. In 2004, he voluntarily re-commissioned in the Infantry to serve in Iraq for 13 months. He has been awarded the Purple Heart, Ranger Tab, Airborne Badge. Since 2010 he is Co-President of Thayer Leadership with the mission of bringing the world to West Point and bringing West Point leadership to the world. In 2013, he published and co-authored the book „West Point Leadership: Profiles of Courage”, which features 200 of West Point graduates, including the authorized biographies of over 100 living graduates. The book received 3 literary awards plus an award from the Military Society Writers of America. In the private sector he served as Chief Marketing Officer for a $500 million medical device manufacturer; Managing Director of a $10 billion investment firm; Co-Founder of a private equity firm in Iraq, and Co-Founder of a solar hybrid company in Afghanistan. He has been traveling between Washington, D.C. and Kyiv throughout this war as the Special Advisor to the Commander in Chief Ukraine Armed Forces General Zaluzhnyi.
Note: A leaky plan? Advocacy for another group of generals preparing to join the executive boards of arms manufacturers in preparation for their retirement? Towards space ... - is that all that's left?

July 19, 2024 at 12:20 a.m.  The Republican National Convention has culminated Thursday with former President Trump‘s acceptance of the party’s presidential nomination. (Source: thestar *)
* Toronto Star

July 19 (2024)  A 12-hour timelapse shows American Airlines, Delta, and United plane traffic after what was likely the biggest IT outage in history today forced a nationwide ground stop of the three airlines. /video/ (Source: instagram): https://tinyurl.com/2jt3bcrj

Globalization
Friday 19 July 2024 16:02 BST  Vulnerability of worldwide dependence on software that comes from only a handful of providers. Much of the world faced online disarray Friday as a widespread technology outage affected companies and services across industries - grounding flights, knocking banks and hospital systems offline and media outlets off air. At the heart of the massive disruption is CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that provides software to scores of companies worldwide. The company says the problem occurred when it deployed a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows, and that the issue behind the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack. Mac and Linux hosts were not impacted. Disarray continued hours after the problem was first detected. Hospitals had problems with their appointment systems, while officials in some U.S. states warned of 911 problems in their areas. Aairlines, payment platforms and online shopping websites across the world were affected. Long lines formed at airports in the U.S., Europe and Asia as airlines lost access to check-in and booking services. Banks in South Africa and New Zealand reported outages impacting payments and online services. The Austin, Texas company CrowdStrike is a U.S. cybersecurity company that provides software to companies around the world and across industries and bills itself as being the globe's most advanced cloud-based security technology provider. CrowdStrike has a partnership with Amazon Web Services and its “Falcon for Defender” security technology is designed to supplement Microsoft Defender to prevent attacks. (Source: independent.uk)

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Europe

Germany
00:27, 18-Jul-2024  Berlin will halve its direct financial contributions to Kyiv as part of the 2025 German Federal Budget, which the German cabinet agreed on Wednesday. German governments have to operate under a self-imposed rule on government borrowing called the 'debt brake". This rule limits government borrowing to 0.35 percent of GDP and is designed to stop the spiraling national debt. There is also a $18.55 billion gap between what is earmarked for spending and what is included in the plan. The budget laid out on Wednesday provides $4.38 billion in financial aid to Ukraine in 2025, down from $8.75 billion this year. The 2025 financial plan includes $85.35 billion in investments, $47.93 billion in net borrowing and a total budget of $526.30 billion. Despite this move, Finance Minister Lindner told the media that Ukraine's financing is secured "for the foreseeable future" thanks to $50 billion in loans that the G7 agreed can be taken from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets. Germany is currently a little over a year away from a federal election. All sides involved in the current cabinet have their eyes on that election, with little intention of coming together again in the same form. (Source: cgtn *)
* China Global Television Network

European Commission
July 18., 2024  von der Leyen re-elected for second term. (Source: riskandcompliance.freshfields *): https://tinyurl.com/5y4d63zb
* Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

European Parliament
07/18/2024  The European Parliament gave its approval for von der Leyen to preside over the European Commission for another term. Of the 707 votes cast, she received a majority of 401 votes in favor - well ahead of the necessary threshold of 360. This was also a win for 'pro-EU, pro-Ukraine, pro-rule of law political forces, she said. Her next steps in office 'will also be influenced by the party factions that supported her. She had managed to secure the backing of four centrist political groups, including her own dominant center-right European People's Party (EPP), the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and despite poor showings in June's parliamentary elections, two other smaller centrist groups - pro-business Renew and the environmentalist Greens. For months, von der Leyen had made overtures to the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which has 'far-right' Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as its president. Meloni's Brothers of Italy party members voted against von der Leyen. The new 'far-right' Patriots for Europe group, now the third-largest in the EU legislature and home to France's National Rally party, also withheld support for her. She was roundly rejected by the Left group, which accused her of neglecting rampant poverty in the EU, cozying up to multinationals, and complicity in bloodshed in Gaza. In a speech to the European Parliament, with an apparent eye to S&D, the former German defense minister announced that one of the novel European Commissioner appointments would be dedicated to housing. Another, likely intended as an offering to Meloni, would be tasked with tackling migration in the Mediterranean. She would propose a ’New Clean Industrial Deal’ in her first 100 days in office, ’prosperity and competitiveness, increase of number of European coast and border guards to 30,000, deals to remove unsuccessful asylum seekers to nearby non-EU countries.'EU leaders put forward her name to serve another term last month. Confirmation from the EU's only directly elected body was a necessary hurdle to clear to stay in office'. (Source: dw *)
* Deutsche Welle

Russia
July 18, 2024  The first U.S.-made F-16 Fighting Falcons are expected to arrive in Ukraine this summer and could be operational by year-end. The F-16 is a mainstay of the U.S. Air Force since the 1970s. Denmark, the Netherlands, and Greece have pledged to send F-16s to Ukraine. Denmark and the Netherlands have pledged to send more than three dozen F-16s to Ukraine. This week, NATO ally Greece also announced that it will decommission as many as 32 of its Block 30 Fighting Falcons, which could be sold back to the U.S. and then sent to aid Kyiv's war efforts. Russia has vowed to quickly shoot down the aircraft or destroy them on the ground. Russian companies are offering cash bounties for downing them. "The reward for the first will be 15 million rubles," - approximately $170,000 - Potanin, director of the Russian oil firm FORES, said. Last year it offered five million rubles (around $56,000) for the first destroyed German-made Leopard 2 or American M1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs), and two million ($22,500) for the second, as well as 500,000 rubles ($5,600) for each subsequent tank taken out of service. The Russian rock band Zemlyany also offered a bounty of up to a million rubles (around $11,400 ) for the destruction of a Leopard 2 last year. In June 2023, a Russian soldier was given one million rubles by a private foundation for destroying the first German-made Leopard 2 in Ukraine. It was last November that a Russian anti-tank unit was awarded 700,000 rubles for destroying the first Leopard 1A5. (Source: nationalinterest)

7:21 AM · 2024. aug. 18.  Ukraine's offensive derails secret efforts for partial ceasefire with Russia. The warring countries were set to hold indirect talks in Qatar on an agreement to halt strikes on energy and power infrastructure. (Source: x / The Washington Post)

18.07.2024  Addressing reporters at the UN's New York headquarters, Lavrov condemned the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel, maintaining the Kremlin has consistently done so since the raid occurred. But he maintained that Israel's retaliatory war has crossed the line and is now a form of 'collective punishment' on the territory's 2.3 million Palestinians. "When it comes to collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law, one cannot fight against one form of violation through other violations. It's the same principle here," he said. More than nine months into Israel's onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins with nearly all of its population in a state of internal displacement amid a crippling blockade on food, clean water and medicine. The official death toll has surpassed 38,800, with over 89,100 people injured, according to local health authorities. Fears have mounted that the true death toll could be significantly higher. "Neither Hezbollah, nor the government of Lebanon, nor Iran want a full-blown war, and as a suspicion that some circles in Israel are trying to achieve just that, to provoke a full-blown war, trying to engage the US, trying to make the mind," he said. "I think it's terrible if some groups are trying to prioritize their personal interest rather than the interests of their own nation." (Source: aa *)
* Anadolu Agency

Ukraine
6:05 PM CEST, July 18, 2024  Ukraine has tried to take the fight to Russia through long-range strikes on rear areas. Ukrainian forces are being pushed back in some places along the front line by the bigger and better equipped Kremlin army. Kyiv is employing a bend-but-don’t-break strategy to buy time until it can get more Western weapons and ammunition to the front. Ukraine’s army has pulled out from the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, surrendering another front-line position as Russian forces blast Ukrainian defenses in a relentless onslaught. (Source: apnews)

Europe
(18 08 2024)  European State of the Climate 2023, compiled by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).    Europe;    Arctic;    Globe.    (Source: climate.copernicus): https://tinyurl.com/228pbuvx

Europe
19/07/2024 - 1:13 GMT+2  Orbán reiterated upon arriving at the 4th European Political Community Summit in the UK summit that he had represented only himself, and not the EU, during his trips to the Russian and Chinese capitals. "That's called political leadership," he said. The Hungarian government insisted the trips were done on a purely bilateral basis and that Orbán did not represent the bloc, but his use of the Hungarian EU presidency logo left some ambiguity. Speaking at the opening of the summit, Zelenskyy warned the other 46 European leaders in attendance that Russian President Putin 'may approach you' in a bid 'to tempt or pressure you, to blackmail you, so that one of you betrays the rest'.'If someone in Europe tries to resolve issues behind others’ backs or even at the expense of someone else, if someone wants to make some trips to the capital of war, to talk and perhaps promise something against our common interests or at the expense of Ukraine or other countries, then why should we consider such a person?' Asked about the condemnation he has received, Orbán said other European countries "are more pro-war' than his own. 'They believe that they can destroy militarily the Russians. I don't think so, because I think that there is no solution of this conflict on the battlefield. They hope so, but I don't believe at all because I know the Russians, I know the Soviet Union, I know the Ukrainians, I'm belonging to a neighbouring country. (The) solution is not on the battlefield. (The) solution is a negotiation table. Ceasefire negotiation table. But that's what I try to convince them. But, you know, it takes time." The summit in the UK comes two weeks after Orbán, then just days into his six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, travelled to Moscow for talks with Putin about the war in Ukraine. He then 'jetted' to Beijing for similar talks with President Xi. The trips, which Orbán declared a "peace mission", drew strong condemnation from other EU leaders, none of whom have met with Putin since April 2022. (Source: euronews)

18. 07. 2024  European leaders gathered at the 4th European Political Community Summit in the UK, topics defence, migration and democracy. Forty-seven heads of state and government gathered today at the fourth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). The leaders discussed continued support to Ukraine, as well as shared challenges such of energy and connectivity, security, democracy, and migration. The European Political Community, established in 2022, aims to foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interests, and strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent. This platform for political coordination, as was pointed out on multiple occasions, does not replace any existing organisation, structure or process, and does not aim to create new ones at this stage.     So far, the European Political Community has met three times.     At the first summit in Prague, in October 2022, leaders mainly discussed peace and security issues, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the energy crisis.     In Moldova, in June 2023, they discussed joint efforts for peace and security, energy resilience and connectivity and mobility in Europe.     In Granada, in October 2023, leaders discussed how to make Europe more resilient, prosperous and geostrategic.     During the plenary session, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer saluted President Zelensky. According to him, the threat from Russia reached right across Europe. Starmer stressed that under his leadership, the UK will be a friend and partner to Europe, ready to work with European countries. President Zelensky thanked those who support Ukraine in its path to membership in the EU. He urged Europe’s leaders to show the collective will to take steps to help stop Russia’s aggression. One of the two roundtables, focused on defending and securing democracy, was co-chaired by President Michel and Montenegrin President JMilatović. This roundtable discussed how to address threats targeting European democracies, including disinformation and foreign information manipulation. For the first time, representatives from NATO, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe attended the summit. The next European Political Community meeting will take place in Hungary, current holder of the Presidency of the EU, on 7 November 2024. (Source: europeanwesternbalcans)

Asia

China
(18 July 2024)  China's Xi has a peace plan. In February 2023, following several meetings between Chinese and Russian officials, a 12-point paper titled, "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis," was released by China's foreign ministry. It covered basic points such as respecting the sovereignty of all countries, resuming peace talks after ceasing hostilities, protecting civilians and prisoners of war, and promoting post-conflict reconstruction. Moreover, it opposed the threat or proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The document also called on "abandoning the Cold War mentality," urging countries to "oppose the pursuit of one's own security at the cost of others' security, prevent bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian Continent." It encouraged the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed by Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the UN, to ensure food security, and discouraged unilateral sanctions that would disrupt "international cooperation in energy, finance, food trade and transportation and undermine the global economic recovery." Soon after the paper was published, President Zelenskyy welcomed China's efforts - he added that there were some points in the plan he didn’t agree with, ’but it's something.’ Already endorsed by Russian allies, the plan now needs support among European countries who favour Ukraine. In May, Hungarian PM Orbán endorsed President Xi's 12-point peace plan during the latter's visit to Budapest. "Today, Europe is on the side of war,' Orbán said during his joint press conference with Xi. "The only exception is Hungary, which calls for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations and supports all international efforts that point towards peace ... „We also support the Chinese peace initiative presented by Xi, he added. According to Chinese media, Xi told Orbán that "the international community should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two sides and provide assistance." „It is in the interests of all parties to seek a political solution through an early ceasefire," he added. Earlier this month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Moscow and Beijing on a "peace mission" to find a solution to the war in Ukraine. Orbán said he was seeking the quickest path to peace in Ukraine and portrayed himself as uniquely positioned to communicate with both warring parties. Several European (Union) member states are wary of Orbán's close ties to Russian President Putin and China's Xi. The Hungarian premier has been critical of Western military aid to Ukraine, putting him at odds with several EU members, as well as the European Commission, who said their top officials will boycott informal meetings in Hungary and send civil servants instead. European Commission President von der Leyen referred to Orbán's recent visit to Moscow, in particular, as an ’appeasement mission." For the next six months, Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the European Union Council. (Source: trtworld *)
* TRT World, a Turkish public broadcaster

Israel
July 18, 2024 10:38 AM  On Thursday, the Israeli parliament voted to oppose a Palestinian state as an "existential threat." The 120-member Knesset late Wednesday voted 68-9 to pass a resolution that said a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel would "perpetuate the Israel-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region." "The Knesset firmly opposes the creation of a Palestinian state [on land] west of Jordan," said the resolution, referring to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. "The creation of a Palestinian state in the heart of the land of Israel would constitute an existential danger for the state of Israel and its citizens, would perpetuate the Israel-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region." It predicted that Hamas would take over the state and turn it into 'a radical Islamic terrorist base' seeking to destroy Israel. The resolution said "promoting" a Palestinian state was "a reward for terrorism and would only encourage Hamas and its supporters" after the October 7 attacks. (Source: voanews 'by Agence France-Presse')

4 7 19 22:03 /.4 8 23 09:43

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Europe

Greece
July 17, 2024  Greece is close to purchasing up to twenty F-35s, with deliveries starting in 2028 for training purposes. The $3.47-billion deal would include initial technical support, pilot and engineer training on the Lightning II, and simulators for ongoing training. 'Lockheed Martin expects the NATO members and other partners in Europe to have about 500 F-35s by the decade’s end'. (Source: nationalinterest)

Romania
July 17, 2024  Putin will freak: New F-35 fighters are headed to closer to Russia's doorstep. 'Lockheed Martin expects the NATO members and other partners in Europe to have' about 500 F-35s by the decade’s end. NATO member Romania is reported to be close to signing a government-to-government agreement with the United States. Bucharest has expressed interest in acquiring thirty-two F-35s in a deal worth $6.5 billion, which also includes logistics and training services, as well as flight simulators and ordnance for the aircraft. The first delivery is expected by 2030. Meanwhile, Romania has procured thirty-two second-hand F-16s from Norway, which will join seventeen it previously acquired from Portugal in 2016. Last month Bucharest indicated that it would donate a U.S.-made MIM-104 Patriot air defense system to Kyiv. It is one of five such anti-aircraft platforms that have been pledged by NATO members. (Source: nationalinterest)
by Suciu, a Michigan-based writer with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism.

European Parliament
July 17, 2024 4:31 pm CET  In a vote Wednesday, members of the European Parliament condemned Viktor Orbán’s visit to Russia at the beginning of July - as part of what he called a “peace mission” to discuss with Putin conditions that could bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine - passing a resolution that provided a commitment by the Parliament to maintain its support for Ukraine. Some 495 MEPs voted in favor of the pro-Ukraine resolution, with 137 voting against. Orbán’s main opponent in Hungary, Magyar, along with fellow EU lawmakers from his Respect and Freedom Party, voted against the resolution. He called the decision a punishment against Hungary in a Facebook post. Magyar, who sits as an MEP in the European People’s Party, added that his party also opposes the cordon sanitaire against Orbán’s newly formed far-right Patriots for Europe group. According to his post, he informed the head of the EPP Weber of his positions, which Weber apparently took note of. (Source: politico)

Dombass
July 17, 2024, 12:51 PM  Western media only started to have a substantial presence in Ukraine in December 2021, on the eve of the full-scale invasion. Before that, much of the reporting was done by correspondents based in Moscow, who usually spoke only Russian and were heavily exposed to Russian narratives. The Washington Post did not open a Kyiv bureau until May 2022 - and sent its former Moscow correspondent to report on Ukraine. Similarly, the New York Times only opened an office in Ukraine in July 2022, headed by the paper’s veteran Moscow correspondent, Kramer, whose coverage of the war since 2014 had outraged Ukrainians. The newspaper’s reference to Russia’s hybrid attack as a “civil war” (later corrected) and Kramer referring to Russian-occupied territories as “separatist zones” echoed Kremlin language, reminding some Ukrainians of the Times’ sordid history of misreporting genocides and Soviet atrocities. Another widespread adoption of Kremlin talking points on Ukraine was the Western media’s myopic fixation on right-wing extremism that was supposedly out of control in Ukraine - a claim that has been solidly 'debunked' but that would be used by Russian President Putin to justify his full-scale attack in 2022. Western willful ignorance was particularly evident concerning the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic. From their creation in 2014 to their end in September 2022, these were Russian proxy regimes. Yet many in the West - including governments, diplomats, academics, and journalists - treated them as statelets set up by supposed eastern Ukrainian “insurgents.” Only in January 2023 did the European Court on Human Rights put an official end to this pretense, establishing that Russia had effective control over these fake republics since the day they were created. (Source: foreignpolicy)
by Kazdobina, a senior fellow in the security studies program at Ukrainian Prism; Hedenskog and Umland, analysts at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs’ Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies.
A comment: "It is entirely true that the secession of the DPR and LPR was armed and managed by the Russians, but there was broad support among the population outraged by the violent overthrow of Yanukovich. This is almost a mirror image of Maidan -- a movement built on billions of dollars of U.S. funding and CIA planning and at least manipulated (Nuland-Pyatt phone call) if not managed by the U.S. - which doesn't mean there wasn't broad support for that in the West of Ukraine and in Kyiv - there was. The conflict was created by outside powers on both sides for their own purposes, using Ukrainians as instruments. That's the reality of this ugly war. It is pure propaganda (or deluded consumption of propaganda narratives) to believe that the Russians were doing it, but we were not. It's a standard Cold War playbook".

Russia
Jul 17, 2024  Detachment of Russia's Pacific Fleet warships has successfully navigated the Suez Canal, transitioning from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Starting on January 22 of this year, the Pacific Fleet embarked on a long-range mission engaging in various combat drills and managing daily operational tasks at sea. During this period, the fleet made port calls in India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Qatar, and Eritrea. Leading this mission is the Varyag missile cruiser, the flagship of Russia’s Pacific Fleet. Also part of the Pacific Fleet is the “Marshal Shaposhnikov,” a frigate that has been modernized to carry Kalibr missiles - a family of Russian cruise missiles developed by the design bureau Novator, JSC Concern VKO Almaz-Antey. (Source: bulgarianmilitary)

North America

United States
July 17, 2024, 9:04 a.m. ET  Some attendees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee are sporting makeshift ear bandages in support of almost-assassinated former President Trump - with one calling it “the newest fashion trend.” /photo/ (Source: nypost)

4 7 18 10:43 /.4 8 15

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Europe

Hungary
(Tuesday), 16 July 2024 20:38  Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán sent a letter to the European Council president, dated 12 July. The letter was divided into 10 points. Orbán said that one of the conclusions of his self-declared "peace mission" to Ukraine, Russia, China, Turkey and US presidential candidate Trump was that the EU should seek to restore diplomatic relations with Russia. “The chance for peace is diminished by the fact that diplomatic channels are blocked and there is no direct dialogue between the parties who have a leading role to play in creating the conditions for peace,” Orbán wrote. Orbán also wrote that he believed a ceasefire and peace talks were still achievable but added that “in the next two months, we will see more dramatic losses and military developments on the frontlines than ever before' if the war did not stop immediately. The Hungarian prime minister also stressed that Europe should take the lead in trying to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine, as the US becomes increasingly distracted as its presidential election approaches in November. “Political leadership provided by the United States is limited, due to the ongoing election campaign,” Orbán wrote. “Therefore we can expect no such proposal coming from the US in the coming months. We should consider - in the spirit of European strategic autonomy - launching a European initiative,” he added. Other Hungarian proposals included a “political offensive” in the Global South and possible talks with China – which has put forward its own peace proposal for the war in Ukraine and snubbed a high-level peace conference in Switzerland in June – on a possible “peace conference” attended by both Russia and Ukraine.   European Council President Michel issued a reply to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán today on his 'rogue' diplomacy over Ukraine. In his reply to Orbán, Michel said he had “taken note of your insights and suggestions” but wanted to 'set the record straight' on five key points. 'I cannot accept your claim that we have led a ‘pro-war policy,’ Michel wrote in the letter. 'We, the EU, reiterated our unwavering commitment to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed,' Michel wrote, stressing that the bloc’s position on Ukraine is agreed upon by consensus among all 27 EU member states. Michel said the EU’s rotating presidency has “no role in representing the Union on the international stage and received no European Council mandate to engage on behalf of the Union”. “I made this clear even prior to your visit to Moscow and this was subsequently reiterated by High Representative Borrell in his statement of 5 July,' Michel wrote. He also stressed the EU’s key policy line that 'no discussion about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine” and that the bloc has 'spared no effort to reach out to all partners in this regard, including China.” 'Lastly, the most direct way to peace is for Russia to withdraw all of its forces from Ukraine and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the UN Charter,' he concluded. Michel had shared the letter with all EU member states and would inform his Ukrainian counterparts of the exchange of letters. Michel’s letter comes a day before EU ambassadors are expected to raise the issue informally tomorrow as part of preparations for next week’s meeting of EU foreign ministers. It also comes after the European Commission said yesterday that it would boycott informal ministerial meetings organised by the Hungarian EU presidency in response to the widely condemned solo diplomatic efforts. The Council’s legal service told EU envoys last week that Budapest’s actions could constitute a breach of the bloc’s treaties. So far, however, EU countries have failed to come up with concrete options for curbing Budapest’s actions beyond public displays of anger. But most EU member states are now ready to join a boycott of the Hungarian EU presidency led by Eastern and Northern European member states. (Source: euractiv)

France
16/07/2024 - 20:20  French President Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal today. Attal will lead a caretaker government with restricted powers until a new government is named. (Source: rfi)

European Parliament
July 16, 2024 7:59 PM GMT+2  The European Parliament's organising body will discuss how the institution will engage with Hungary while it holds the EU's rotating presidency, the head of the bloc's legislature said today. Metsola, president of the EU Parliament, said the legislature's conference of presidents - the body that oversees relations with member countries - had already discussed how to interact with Hungary in the wake of the EU criticism, and would do so again. A group of 63 European lawmakers, said today Orbán had deliberately implied he was acting on behalf of the entire EU when he visited Moscow and Beijing. "Attacks from pro-war European politicians only strengthen Hungary's resolve for its peace mission, emphasizing that peace, not war, is key to a great Europe," Hungary's Foreign Minister Szijártó said in a statement posted on X today by Orbán's spokesperson. (Source: reuters)

16/07/2024 19:49  ’Far-right’ candidates bidding to become vice-president of the European Parliament were voted down on Tuesday as part of centrist parties’ coordinated efforts to build a firewall against the radical right-wing. 'The hard-right' European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did manage to secure two vice-presidents - one more than in the previous mandate. The two newly-formed radical ’right-wing’ groupings were blocked - neither Patriots for Europe, led by the French National Rally's Bardella, or the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) of Alternative for Germany (AfD) will be represented in the European Parliament's bureau, which shapes the parliament's rules and budget. Patriots for Europe had fielded two candidates, former Frontex chief Leggeri from National Rally and Dostálová of Czechia’s ANO party, formerly part of the liberal Renew Europe group. The Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), had presented Polish lawmaker Zajączkowska, who hails from the Confederation party. "The fact of going against the will of the Europeans, a will democratically expressed by millions of European voters, represents a huge assumption of responsibility, as well as a lack of respect,"  Borchia, a Patriots MEP hailing from Italy's League, told. Fourteen vice-presidencies up for grabs.  (Source: euronews)
See also: 16 July 2024 "Parliament’s new Vice-Presidents elected" (Source: europarl)

Tuesday 16/07/2024  The European Parliament overwhelmingly re-elected Maltese conservative Metsola as speaker on Tuesday, in the first crunch vote on the EU’s top jobs after elections in June. "Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has outraged his EU counterparts by visiting Russia and China, was due to address the parliament but his speech was postponed, officially because of a busy voting schedule'. Current speaker Metsola (EPP) won another two-and-a-half-year mandate after receiving 562 votes out of the 699 MEPs who took part. The refusal of some MEPs to cooperate with the 'far-right' and von der Leyen’s fate are closely linked. A new group known as Patriots for Europe, created by Orbán and including France’s 'far-right' National Rally, is now parliament’s third-biggest faction, vying for two vice-president spots as well. That group includes controversial figures such as Italian general Vannacci, author of a book 'featuring homophobic, misogynistic and anti-migrant' remarks. Patriots MEPs could be excluded from leading parliamentary committees next week. Patriots spokesman, de Mendoza, argued that a 'cordon sanitaire' employed by mainstream political parties to block the 'far-right' was “undemocratic.” (Source: thearabweekly)

Russia
16.07.2024  "It will be impossible to resolve the conflicts that are multiplying and without getting to the root causes and restoring faith in our ability to join forces for the common good and justice for all," Lavrov said during a UN Security Council debate on "the parameters of a just world order." Lavrov accused the US of long "declaring its own exceptionalism" before adding: "This also applies to Washington's attitude towards its allies, from whom it demands unquestioning obedience, even to the detriment of their national interests." The Russian diplomat said the West is "aggressively dismantling" the global system that was originally built based on its models to contain Russia, China and other countries whose independent policies are seen as a challenge to its hegemony. "Washington has done everything to blow up, including literally, by organizing terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, the foundations of mutually beneficial energy cooperation between Russia, Germany and Europe," he added. The foreign minister also accused the US of holding "the entire West at gunpoint" and expanding its trade and economic war against those it deems undesirable. He claimed it "unleashed an unprecedented campaign of unilateral, coercive measures that are hitting Europe first and are leading to a fragmentation of the world economy." (Source: aa)

Ukraine
July 16, 2024  As Ukraine and its Western allies formulate a strategy to end the war, leaders should remember what matters most in Ukraine: sovereignty. The top priority for Ukraine and its allies should be achieving terms that minimize risks to Ukraine’s sovereignty by creating a durable, sustainable peace: long-term military aid and multilateral security guarantees, Ukrainian military neutrality, and a rebuilding effort alongside economic integration with the West. 'First, long-term military aid offers the best protection for Ukrainian sovereignty. Western aid and training after the 2014 invasion were enough to prepare Ukraine to deliver a shocking failure to Russia in its 2022 assault on Kyiv. The United States and its European allies should enshrine consistent aid to Ukraine in domestic legislation.' The bilateral security deals Ukraine has negotiated with at least thirteen countries, including the recent one with the United States and the European Union’s (EU) multi-year Ukraine aid fund, are steps in the right direction. The United States should also fund Ukraine through annual appropriations, such as Foreign Military Financing and longer-term funds like the EU’s. More regularized funding at a lower “peacetime level” will also reduce domestic political disputes. Finally, the West should offer Ukraine security guarantees that are stronger than the “assurances” offered in the Budapest Memorandum. As part of that, the United States could commit to surge aid in the event of renewed Russian aggression. The United States’s existing agreement is a framework that can be built upon for a more robust set of protections. Second, Ukraine should reinstate its former neutrality. For their part, Western leaders should publicly recognize Ukraine’s neutral stance. Slow progress toward NATO membership, described as Putin’s “brightest of all red lines” by CIA Director Burns, likely has more risk than benefit for Ukrainian sovereignty. Third, Ukraine must be rebuilt. Economic prosperity will harden Ukraine against further incursions and, therefore, protect Ukrainian sovereignty post-war. Ukraine currently controls most of its major metropolitan areas and maintains access to the Black Sea, where it has resumed agricultural shipping at near pre-war levels. The fundamental ingredients to rebuilding a thriving, prosperous society are still present. A robust economy will not only enable Ukraine to build a domestic defense industry and fund a strong military but also ensure that peace is sustainable for the Ukrainian people. This will be a major reconstruction effort, potentially financed in part through investment proceeds generated from frozen Russian assets. Ukraine should also begin integrating with Western Europe, leading to eventual EU membership. Given the choice to prioritize territorial concessions or multilateral security guarantees in peace negotiations, Ukraine would be best served by making itself as strong and steady as possible. (Source: nationalinterest)
by Davidson, Piliero, and Gaber - researchers with the Applied History Project at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. They are also the authors of a recently released research paper on the history of conflict resolution and its implications for the Russia-Ukraine War.

North America

United States
July 16, 2024 6:08 pm  “We can expect no peace initiative coming from [Trump] until the elections. I can however surely state that shortly after his election victory, he will not wait until his inauguration, but will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately,” Hungarian PM Orbán wrote in his letter that was sent to European Council president Michel and other EU leaders. “He has detailed and well-founded plans for this.” A Trump-style peace deal is expected to call on Ukraine to concede much of its invaded territory to Moscow, something Kyiv and most Western capitals bitterly oppose. According to Menon, a professor of European politics at King’s College London: “It is very hard to see what the Europeans can do if Trump gets in and says to Zelensky, ‘sign this deal or I’ll stop US aid’. Ukraine could refuse to sign. But how long would it last without US support? And he could say to Putin: ‘Sign up or we’ll double the amount of weapons we send to Ukraine.’ There is a visceral reluctance among Mr Trump’s wing of the Republican Party to give any US taxpayer money to Ukraine. Fears that America’s support for Kyiv will wither if Mr Trump is elected have been heightened by the announcement Ohio Senator Vance will be his running mate. He is a staunch proponent of Trump’s “America First” vision and generally suspicious of US intervention in foreign affairs. Soon after Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Vance declared: “I gotta be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.” Mr Vance led the ultimately unsuccessful attempts among the Maga section of the GOP in Congress to kill off President Biden’s latest $60bn US aid package to Ukraine. (Source: inews)

July 16, 2024, 7:44 a.m. ET  Would-be Trump assassin was spotted by cops twice 26 minutes before he rained bullets on the Pennsylvania rally crowd and wounded ex-prez. A clear picture is emerging of the exact timeline of staggering failures that enabled an armed 20-year-old man with no military training to scale a building loaded with counter-sniper team cops in broad daylight and come within a hair’s breadth of killing former President Trump. The Beaver County Emergency Services Unit - which traveled to the Butler County, Pennsylvania, Trump rally from the neighboring Pittsburgh suburb - noticed Cooks on the roof, took a picture of him and reported it around 5:45 p.m. Not only did Crooks manage to avoid being confronted despite sticking out like a sore thumb, he secured his rooftop perch right under the noses of a local police sniper team stationed inside the AGR International Inc. factory next to the Butler County Farm Fair grounds which was being used by local police as a “watch post” for snipers to scan for threats as the former president spoke onstage only 130 yards away. Cops were inside, but not on the roof, during the shooting. Crooks was able to scale the building unchallenged before firing off up to eight shots with an AR-style assault rifle, grazing Trump in the ear, killing one Trump supporter ex-fire chief and wounding two others. Law enforcement sources said it was not clear as of Monday night whether any of the local officers - who were tasked with securing the perimeter outside the rally - were able to warn Secret Service agents about the gunman. Chilling video captured at the rally illustrates the botched security operation. This includes approximately two minutes of footage that could go down in history as a low point for the Secret Service in the agency’s more than 100-year history of protecting US presidents. A multi-feed video montage assembled by MilkBarTV, which has been viewed more than 3.5 million times on X, shows the attempted assassination play out in real time using clips from several vantage points. In it, more than 120 excruciating seconds pass between rallygoers first spotting Crooks on the roof and the moment he fires his rifle. Perhaps most disturbingly, the people who saw the would-be assassin repeatedly tried to alert law enforcement patrolling nearby. In the video, the two-minute timer the videographer suddenly verbally acknowledges a nearby commotion, apparently sparked by several rally attendees noticing Crooks on the roof. “Look, they’re all pointing,” he says of the crowd’s reaction to the unusual and troubling sight. Seconds later, the camera pans and captures what appears to be a uniformed police officer making his way around the front of the plant building where the 20-year-old gunman was hiding. At this point, more onlookers are crowding around to gawk, chatting about what they saw. “Yeah, someone’s on top of the roof, look! There he is right there, see him? He’s laying down, see him?” the videographer asks. “Yeah, he’s lying down,” a woman says in response. Just before the 17-second mark, Crooks comes into frame for the first time, appearing to be lying on his right side. By 22 seconds in, the crowd nearby is becoming more interested and is gathering closer to take a look, and the scene grows noticeably more tense. Ten seconds later, the videographer points out Crooks to another male bystander, and at the 34-second mark, Crooks can be seen very clearly altering his position to rest on his stomach. At this moment, with Crooks still visible in the frame and still adjusting his position, a male voice calls out, “Officer!” An anxious-sounding woman starts giving play-by-play of what she’s witnessing, seemingly while calling out to law enforcement. “Come over here, he’s on the roof! He’s flat! Right here, he’s flat on the roof! He’s standing up now, he went flat on the roof again.” At this point, other members of the crowd can be heard calling out as well, but their voices are indistinguishable. At the 52-second mark, the montage shifts perspective to a single image of Trump, who is still speaking on stage. The video is barely one minute away from the shooting. When the timer reaches 1 minute, 15 seconds, the view switches to a split-screen, both showing Trump in real time, who calls for a chart to boast about the low illegal immigration numbers under his administration compared to President Biden’s. At a minute, 49 seconds, the camera splits into four simultaneous views - two of Trump head-on, one from behind his back, and another view of the original cameraman who noticed Crooks on the roof. A second later, a man in what appears to be an Army uniform complete with green helmet steps into frame and appears to wave at the crowd before disappearing out of frame, walking in the opposite direction of the manufacturing plant building. At the 1 minute, 55 second mark, a man screams, “He’s got a gun!” The camera grows increasingly unsteady, but it captures what appears to be a uniformed police officer walking toward the building where Crooks is lying. At 2 minutes and 1 second, three distinct shots ring out and the scene erupts into chaos. As Trump hits the deck and the Secret Service swarms him, a chorus of blood-curdling screams erupts from the crowd. At 2 minutes and 8 seconds, a series of rapid gunshots can be heard as the audience continues screaming. Then a few seconds later, a man’s voice warns, “He’s turning this way, be careful!” and a woman shrieks before one final gunshot rings out. The camera’s focus shifts back to the roof, showing Crooks, lying motionless, his body blurred out. The gunman is dead. The surreal footage echoes what several witnesses told reporters after the shooting: Some rally attendees were aware of Crooks’ presence well before he fired. One local cop from the Butler Township police did manage to get hoisted onto the roof, and came face to face with the gunman, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The Butler County sheriff defended his failure to stop Crooks, saying the cop was still pulling himself up and had to let go when faced with the weapon. Law enforcement sources who have served on presidential protection details told that Secret Service field offices where events are taking place routinely engage in a budgetary tug-of-war with purse string holders back in Washington. The field offices usually get 'a fraction' of what they ask for, the sources said. This means the agency has to depend on local law enforcement to supplement its resources, and small municipalities typically lack the resources of major cities like New York. It was “absolutely a miracle” that Trump survived the attempt on his life, which was thanks in no small part to Crooks’ poor marksmanship. /video/ (Source: nypost): https://tinyurl.com/22njc9vd

July 16, 2024 10:02 PM GMT+2  The United States received intelligence in recent weeks about an Iranian plot to assassinate former President Trump, CNN said today. The White House said there were no indications that the suspected shooter in Saturday's attempted assassination of Trump had any foreign or domestic accomplices. CNN reported that the intelligence about the Iranian plot was passed on by a human source. "These accusations are unsubstantiated and malicious.' "From the perspective of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of General Soleimani. Iran has chosen the legal path to bring him to justice," Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York said in a statement. (Source: reuters)

July 16, 2024  The foreign-born population was estimated to be 46.2 million, or almost 14% of the U.S. total, in 2022, according to the Census Bureau, including about 11 million in the country illegally. Hardly a month passes without at least one in the country illegally getting charged with a high-profile, horrific crime. ’Peer-reviewed academic studies have generally found no link between immigration and violent crime’, though conclusions vary based on the data examined. A review of academic studies from 1994 to 2014 in the Annual Review of Criminology found that the most common conclusion was “a null or nonsignificant association between immigration and crime.” A study published by the National Academy of Sciences, based on Texas Department of Public Safety data from 2012 to 2018, found people in the country illegally had “substantially lower crime rates than native-born citizens and legal immigrants across a range of felony offenses.' Texas is the only state to track crimes by immigration status. “There’s a lot of research on immigration and crime, there’s far less on undocumented immigration and crime,” said Light, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and co-author of the study on Texas data. The perception that immigration breeds crime “continues to falter under the weight of the evidence,’ according to a review of academic literature last year in the Annual Review of Criminology. Trump has reached the greatest political heights while linking immigration to violent crime, ’portraying the foreign-born as criminals’ - claims that immigrants are more responsible for crime than native-born Americans. “This is not coming from nowhere, says Bon Tempo, an immigration historian and associate professor at University at Albany. To the lowest month of Biden’s presidency, arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico plunged 29% in June - impact of a new rule to temporarily suspend asylum. Historians trace the ’unfounded’ narrative linking immigration to violent crime to at least the 1850s with the populist Know Nothing movement, also known as the American Party. (Members were required to say “I know nothing” when asked about the party.) In the 1850s German and Irish immigrants were targeted as degenerate thieves. In the 1880s the Knights of Labor reached its peak influence by associating immigrants with crime as part of an agenda for workers’ rights. Fear of crime helped produce laws in the 1880s against Chinese immigration. The undercurrent of popular belief that immigrants breed crime persisted through the 20th century and into the 21st. The high-level Dillingham Commission produced a 41-volume report in 1911 that found the government wasn’t doing enough to keep out criminal immigrants, reflecting views that other countries were sending America their worst. Johnson, a Republican newspaper editor who represented a Washington state congressional district, authored a 1924 law that severely restricted arrivals from outside Western Europe for four decades amid deep public anxiety about immigration. In 1929, Livingston Blease, a Democratic governor and U.S. senator from South Carolina who advocated lynching Blacks, spearheaded a law that made illegal entry a misdemeanor crime. The Wickersham Commission government report in 1931 noted the theory that immigration fuels crime is “almost as old as the colonies planted by Englishmen on the New England coast.” Crime has been an underlying fear even as Republican presidential candidate Buchanan spoke of an “illegal invasion” when focused on cultural issues in the 1990s. California Gov. Wilson, a Republican, dwelled on the idea that American citizens were being robbed of social services when he campaigned for a 1994 ballot measure to prohibit education and health care for people in the county illegally, which was approved by voters but largely thrown out in court. Tancredo led efforts against illegal immigration as a Republican congressman from Colorado in the 2000s, highlighting that federal prisons housed many who entered the country illegally. “They’re coming here to kill you, and you, and me, and my grandchildren,’ he said at a 2005 rally in New Hampshire. Trump launched his presidential bid in 2015 by saying Mexico is “sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” Trump elevated the profile of MS-13, a criminal gang with roots among Salvadoran immigrants, and of “angel families” whose loved ones were killed by people in the country illegally. “For years, their pain was met with silence; their plight was met with indifference’” he told a group of victims’ families at the White House in 2018. Trump and his allies describe violent crimes committed by people in the country illegally as preventable acts, especially when an assailant had previous encounters with police in the United States. A poll in March shows the share of Americans who say that there’s a major risk that legal immigrants will commit crimes in the U.S. has increased to 32% from 19% in 2017. At last month’s presidential debate Trump was saying that “millions” from prisons, jails and mental health institutions entered the country under Biden’s watch. (Source: thestar * / The Associated Press)
* Toronto Star
by Spagat

4 7 17 17:50 / .4 8 14

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Europe

Hungary
July 15, 2024 2:47 PM  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a letter to the heads of other European Union countries briefing them on a recent set of foreign visits he made. Orbán's unannounced meetings, which included a visit with former U.S. President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate last week, have led some governments to consider boycotting or limiting participation in a series of upcoming informal meetings in Budapest related to the rotating EU presidency. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said last week that ministers from his country, along with Finland and the Baltic countries, would not participate in such meetings this summer, while other reports suggest a planned summit of foreign ministers in Budapest in late August could be disrupted by an EU-wide boycott. (Source: voanews *)
* Voice of America, the international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. Headquarters Washington, D.C., United States

Estonia
July 15, 2024  Estonian PM Kallas resigned as Estonia's prime minister today. The former Estonian PM is ’determined’ to drive the bloc's Russia policy - but does she lack vision on other issues? Kallas had been considered for the post of NATO secretary general until a few months ago. She has suggested joint borrowing by the EU to fund the expansion of defense capabilities. Reports suggest Kallas may have raised it in February in Hamburg with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. While France's President Macron has backed the idea, it will be harder for she to convince fiscally prudent states like Germany. Kallas was a lead candidate in the race to replace Stoltenberg. There were concerns that handing the top security job to a Baltic leader was too strong a message for Russian President Putin. Kallas’ reputation as a Russia hawk scuttled her chances. The possibility of a change in US leadership and calculations over who could best deal with Trump should he win the November presidential election was also an issue. Kallas endorsed Mark Rutte as the next NATO boss. The outgoing Dutch PM took the job. Observers suspected Kallas’ nonchalant exit was part of an agreement that paved the way for her for position of the EU high representative for foreign policy. She was nominated 'at a post-election EU summit' in June. Kallas personally hasn't been vocal about foreign policy questions other than Russia, Arjakas, a fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security, a think tank in Tallinn, Estonia, said. Her top priority as the EU's chief diplomat ’will be’ ensuring that Europeans are prepared to prevent future Russian advances. Kallas comes from a small state, so it's very natural 'for her to lay strong emphasis on a rules-based order where international agreements are valid and norms respected'. While that approach may work in the context of the threat Russia poses to smaller Baltic states, her bigger challenge 'will be' defining her foreign policy’s controversial when it comes to conflicts in other areas, such as dealing with Iran, China, and the Middle East. There are already concerns over potential turf wars within the bloc and whether Kallas’ focus on Russia might steal the thunder of incoming NATO chief Rutte. In May, Estonia voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution upgrading Palestinian status from that of an observer to full membership. Little was known about Kallas in Tel Aviv. Estonia's vote had been noted. Among feminists, there is a debate about whether a feminist foreign policy merely encourages the inclusion of women in positions of power, fights for their rights through diplomatic tools and pushes for allocation of more resources or goes beyond that to fundamentally prioritize human security over national security. Towns, professor of political science at Sweden's University of Gothenburg, said many feminists reject the idea that "there is inherent tension between feminist foreign policy and security policy," adding: ’Kallas would fall in that same tradition.’ (Source: dw *)
* Deutsche Welle, the German public, state-owned international broadcaster, headquartered in Bonn

Finland
15 July 2024  Finnish Customs seize major cocaine shipment when Customs officials stopped a vehicle with foreign plates at the Port of Naantali. The 15-kilogram haul, discovered in the car arriving on a ferry from Sweden driven by a Denmark resident, has an estimated street value exceeding 2.25 million euros. "This is one of the largest narcotics seizures at the Turku area ports," Customs’ lead investigator Kaunisto stated. Preliminary investigations suggest the cocaine was concealed in the vehicle elsewhere in Europe before being transported through Denmark and Sweden to Finland.  A Romanian national has been detained and remains in custody as the investigation continues. (Source: helsinktimes *)
* Helsinki Times, English-language daily online newspaper in Finland. Headquarters Helsinki

European Commission
15/07/2024 20:40  Budapest insists both trips, which Orbán advertised as chapters of a so-called "peace mission," were strictly done under bilateral diplomacy. But the timing of the international tour, the selection of countries and the use of the Hungarian presidency's official logo fuelled harsh accusations of abuse of power and disloyalty. Separately, Orbán participated in an informal summit of the Organisation of Turkic States, which includes the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" that only Turkey recognises, prompting fresh condemnation. Speculation about a coordinated boycott has been rife in Brussels since then, with one diplomat telling the plan was to 'make Orbán less visible.' The Commission's decision, taken by President von der Leyen, confirms the rumours: Brussels will not engage at the highest level in the many events that Budapest plans to host until the end of the year. The boycott comes as a group of 63 MEPs, led by Estonia's Terras, send a letter demanding Hungary be stripped of its voting rights under the Article 7 procedure as retaliation for Orbán's 'abuses of power.' "This kind of behavior amounts to usurping the powers and prerogatives of the EU Member States in the field of foreign policy,' the lawmakers write in the letter, addressed to Presidents von der Leyen, Michel and Metsola. (Source: euronews *)
* Euronews, a European television news network. Headquartered in Lyon, France

(15 July 2024) 20:35  Formal meetings, which take normally place in Brussels and Luxembourg, will not be affected as their organisation does not depend on the rotating presidency. The traditional European Commission College visit to the country would be cancelled, Mamer said. The step also follows a decision by Sweden, Finland, Poland, and three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – to skip the informal meetings during Hungary’s presidency. The only response so far has been EU member states downgrading their ministerial representation at some of the informal ministerials that have taken place over the course of the past week. An industrial policy meeting hosted in Budapest saw only seven ministers from EU countries showing up and no Commissioner responsible for the file attended. The plans have been floated informally among several EU member states, including France and Germany. The European Commission “cannot cherry-pick institutions [and member states] it wants to cooperate with,” Hungary’s European affairs minister Bóka said. “Are all Commission decisions now based on political considerations?” he asked. (Source: euractiv *)
* Euractiv, a European news website. Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

July 15, 2024 7:43 PM CET  The European Commission has asked its commissioners not to attend informal ministers’ meetings during the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency from Belgium in June. Since then, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has undertaken self-declared “peace missions” to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Washington and 'claimed, without authorization, to be representing the European Union'. The Council’s legal service has told EU ambassadors this breaches EU treaties. EU leaders have been fuming about Hungary’s 'rogue' presidency;) One of their responses is to send lower ranking civil servants instead of ministers to the informal ministers’ meetings Hungary is organizing in Budapest. For example, 'the bloc’s foreign affairs ministers are set to snub Hungary by organizing their own foreign affairs summit' in August instead of traveling to Budapest for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s event. The European Commission is now set to follow a similar route. Mamer, "the chief spokesperson of the European Commission, confirmed the decision to only send senior civil servants to Hungary’s meetings'. (Source: politico - U.S.)

Europe
July 15, 2024 7:07 PM CET  ’Europe’s populists’ use Trump shooting to slam the left from Spain to Serbia. Belgian 'far-right' leader Van Grieken accused the media of “dehumanizing” and “demonizing” Trump, and seemed to draw a parallel between Trump and murdered 'far-right' Dutch politician Fortuyn. France’s ’far-right’ leader Le Pen, who last week compared the left-wing New Popular Front alliance to the Jan. 6 rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington in 2021, said the attempted assassination was “a warning for all of us,” adding that “France is not safe from this violence.” In Italy, Deputy Prime Minister Salvini blamed the shooting on “certain violent tones of the left.” “It happened in the USA, it also happened in Italy against Berlusconi,” he said, referring to an assault on former Italian Prime Minister in 2009 that left him bloodied. The Netherlands’ Wilders, who leads the Dutch ruling-coalition 'far-right' Freedom Party, said “the hate rhetoric from many leftish politicians and media, who label right-wing politicians as racists and Nazis, ”amounts to “playing with fire.” Some European political figures alluded to a malevolent global plot, casting the media and left-wing parties as co-conspirators. Elsewhere, the shooting was turned into a rallying cry. Serbian President Vučić described Trump’s survival as a “miracle” and called for “the libertarian forces of the world to rise up.” “This is all the madness of the demonization that they carry out every day in which there is only one acceptable truth and no one has the right to a different opinion,” he told yesterday. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Vulin said the shooting was “an expression of permitted and encouraged hatred” and warned that Vučić’s life was also at risk. Hours after the deadly incident, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico - who survived an attempt on his own life in May - hit out at Trump’s “political opponents” for fomenting hatred against him. The former American leader’s critics “are trying to shut him down and when they don’t succeed, they piss off the public so much that some loser picks up a gun,” Fico wrote in a post. Reform UK leader Farage said he was “upset” but “not shocked” by the attack. “The narrative that is put out there about Trump by these liberals that oppose him is so nasty, so unpleasant, and I think it almost encourages this type of behavior,” he said. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the attack within hours of its occurrence. The leader of Spain’s 'far-right' Vox party, the third-largest force in the country’s parliament, said the attempt on Trump’s life had been orchestrated by “the globalist left that is spreading hatred, ruin and war.” Abascal accused Spain’s left-wing coalition government of being allied with that same globalist cabal, adding that Spain’s leaders were likely “regretting that the murderer has failed.”  (Source: politico  - U.S.)

Asia

China
July 15, 2024 11:44 AM PT  T-shirts with image of Trump raising his fist after assassination attempt on sale in China for as little as $4 on China’s e-commerce platforms. (Source: latimes *)
* Los Angeles Times, a regional American daily newspaper. Headquarters El Segundo, California

North America

United States
July 15, 2024, 12:44 p.m. ET  Biden finally grants Secret Service protection to RFK Jr after Trump assassination attempt, months of resistance. Hours earlier, former President Trump demanded that Kennedy receive Secret Service protection, calling it the “right thing to do.” “In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection - immediately,” the 78-year-old former president wrote on Truth Social. “Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” he added. The Secret Service is authorized to protect major presidential and vice presidential candidates, identified as such by the secretary of Homeland Security, within 120 days of a presidential election. (Source: nypost *)
* New York Post, an American daily newspaper. Headquarters New York City, United States

07/15/2024, 3:59PM ET  Former President Trump met this morning in Milwaukee with Kennedy Jr. to discuss the possibility of the independent candidate endorsing the Republican nomine. Kennedy denied that he plans to drop out of the race. (Source: politico *)
* Politico, an American political digital newspaper. Headquarters Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.

22:10 BST, 15 July 2024  Trump picks Ohio senator Vance as running mate opting for a MAGA favorite in last-minute decision. Trump made his announcement on Truth Social, dropping it just as delegates were rubber stamping his nomination as presidential candidate at their convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The former venture capitalist and U.S. Marine had initially been critical of Trump. Since then he become personally close with the former president and his son Trump Jr. His feisty appearances on Fox News impressed Trump, as has his recent weight loss. Insiders said the two other 'finalists' were Sen. Rubio of Florida and Gov. Burgum of North Dakota. After the announcement, Don Jr. paid tribute to 'incredible patriots' Burgum and Rubio. 'Biden is stuck with the worst VP in the history of our nation,' he posted on X. 'President Trump has one of the most dynamic, young leaders in the country in JD Vance. (Source: dailymail *)
* The Daily Mail, a British daily, middle-market tabloid newspaper. Headquarters London, United Kingdom

NATO

15 July 2024, 4:00pm  Sober analysis of the Washington summit’s positives and shortcomings was overshadowed by feverish discussion on whether Biden is mentally fit to stand for re-election. The return of Trump is no longer unimaginable. Although the summit took steps to try to mollify Trump by spelling out European budget contributions, burden-sharing arrangements for Ukraine, and appointing a new secretary general with solid personal relations with the former president, Trump’s campaign rhetoric has made clear that he still sees Nato as a financial burden on the US rather than a net positive for US national security. In 1948, Labour foreign secretary Bevin set out his vision for a new trans-Atlantic alliance to protect against the Russian threat and bind the US to the defence of Europe. It has been assumed ever since that the United States will always ensure that Europe remains whole and free. The rise of China, a steady US drift away from Europe over the last 30 years, and Americans questioning why 750 million Europeans rely so heavily on a country of 330 million for their protection all challenge this assumption. Trump exemplifies this drift but is not its progenitor; President Obama also spoke of freeloaders and led the US pivot to Asia. Biden’s Atlanticism is out of sync with mainstream political thought in Washington. Although Trump is unlikely to leave Nato, those around him have been sketching out a ‘radical reorientation" in which Washington takes a back seat to Europe – and cuts a deal with Putin over Ukraine, severely weakening European security. At this time of potential turbulence, European leaders must ‘stop moaning and whining and nagging about Trump’ as the new Secretary General Rutte put it in February, and get cracking. 'First, all should ensure national defence spending meets at least 2 per cent of GDP to meet their Nato obligation. Sweden has shown what is possible when there is political will, moving from 1.3 per cent to 2 per cent in two years. Work to strengthen the European pillar of Nato should also be defined and accelerated. This was encouraged at Washington but words must be turned into action. Labour’s proposed but still vague UK-EU defence and security pact can be a crucial part of this. Lastly, in the face of the Russian threat and possible return of Trump, Starmer should show the same strategic grip as Bevin and set out a clear timeline for the UK spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence now, and not meekly hide behind the bureaucratic process of his Strategic Defence Review, which will come at some stage next year. This increase in defence spending will demonstrate UK leadership within Europe, encourage European laggards to display similar political solidarity, and address US rancour about freeloaders'. (Source: spectator *)
* United Kingdom

Globalization

13:33 ET, Mon, Jul 15, 2024  Speaking at VivaTech in Paris, France a worldwide summit for technological start-ups, Musk was asked by an event host if he was an alien. The 52-year-old entrepreneur laughed and responded: "I am an alien yes, I keep telling people I'm an alien. But nobody believes me." Musk also issued a warning about artificial intelligence (AI), stating it posed a more immediate problem than extraterrestrials for humans. He predicted that AI would eventually replace all jobs on Earth, making employment optional and transforming jobs into hobbies as AI and robots would provide all necessary goods and services. He cautioned that these AI systems need to be carefully trained to prioritize honesty over political correctness to prevent the spread of misinformation. He mused that human probes might one day discover "remains of long-dead alien civilisations". He noted that none of SpaceX's missions to low Earth orbit, which have launched 6,000 satellites, have encountered any signs of extraterrestrial life or unidentified flying objects. (Source: express *)
* The Daily Express, a national daily newspaper. Headquarters London, United Kingdom

 4 7 16 21:00

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United States
July 14, 2024 at 8:02 a.m.; July 13, 2024  Reporters covering the rally heard five or six shots ring out and many ducked for cover, hiding under tables. After the first two or three bangs, people in the crowd looked startled, but not panicked. An AP reporter at the scene reported the noise sounded like firecrackers at first or perhaps a car backfiring. Two firefighters from nearby Steubenville, Ohio, who were at the rally told the AP that they helped people who appeared injured and heard bullets hitting broadcast speakers. “The bullets rattled around the grandstand, one hit the speaker tower and then chaos broke, Takach said. “The first thing I heard is a couple of cracks,” Sullivan said. Sullivan said he saw one of the speakers get hit and bullets rattling and, “we hit the deck.” He said once Secret Service and other authorities converged on Trump, he and Takach assisted two people who may have been shot in the grandstand and cleared a path to get them out of the way. Sullivan recalled that fluid sprayed from a mechanical line on the stage before a speaker tower started to fall. “Then we heard another shot that, you could hear, you knew something was, it was bullets. It wasn’t firecrackers,” he said. Trump flew to New Jersey after visiting a local Pennsylvania hospital, landing shortly after midnight at Newark Liberty International Airport. Video posted by an aide showed the former president deplaning his private jet flanked by U.S. Secret Service agents and heavily armed members of the agency’s counter assault team, an unusually visible show of force by his protective detail. (Source: thestar *)
* Toronto Star, a Canadian English-language daily newspaper. Headquarters Toronto, Ontario

Jul 14, 2024, 5:29 AM CEST The picture, taken by Associated Press photographer Vucci, shows a blood-covered Trump holding up his fist against a backdrop of the American flag while being shielded by Secret Service agents. Trump Jr. posted the image on X with the caption, "He'll never stop fighting to Save America." His brother, Eric, followed up by posting the same image with the caption, "This is the fighter America needs!" /photo/ (Source: businessinsider *)
* Business Insider, a multinational financial and business news website. Headquarters New York City, U.S.

Sunday 14 July 2024 at 7:12am  Conspiracy theories about the event have emerged online. (Source: itw  - United Kingdom)

Jul 14, 2024, 9:34 AM  Biden reacts to possible attempted assassination of Trump after a gunman and rally attendee are dead, and Trump was whisked away by Secret Service. “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.” Biden said he has reached out to Trump but has not talked yet, but hopes to later Saturday night. (Source: mehrnews - Iran)

Jul 14, 2024 11:32 IST  The rally began at 6:02 PM (local time) with Trump taking the stage at the Butler Farm Show grounds to the strains of “God Bless the USA. He waved at the cheering crowd and began his speech under the scorching midsummer sun. Just a few minutes later, Trump was criticising the Biden administration's handling of the southern border with Mexico, pointing to a projection of a chart showing a spike in illegal migrant crossings. “That chart’s a couple of months old,” Trump told the crowd. “And if you want to see something really sad -” At that moment, gunshots rang out. Trump clutched his ear as Secret Service agents, dressed in dark suits, dashed toward him. He dropped to the ground as the agents yelled, “Get down!” After about a minute, an agent yelled that the shooter was down. Crooks had positioned himself on the roof of a building about 120 metres from the stage. The building was outside the rally's security perimeter. /photo */ (Source: indiatoday *)
* India Today, a weekly Indian English-language news magazine, based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Sunday 14 July 2024 07:00, UK  Hours after the attempt on his life, he was seen giving a brief wave as he left his plane in Newark, New Jersey. (Source: skynews)

14/07/2024 - 07:54  Law enforcement officers said they had tentatively identified a suspected shooter but did not disclose details. (Source: france24 *)
* France 24, French international news television network based in Paris, owned by the French government

Jul 14, 2024, 9:19 AM  Moments of Trump assassination attempt. Footage shows the moment when Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally on Saturday. Video/ (Source: mehr *)
* The Mehr News Agency, a semi-official news agency of the government of Iran. Headquartered in Tehran

July 14, 2024 10:29 IST  Chilling photo shows bullet flying past ex-president's head after piercing his ear. The FBI said it was unaware of the suspect on the roof until the shots were fired. Ghanbari: 'A remarkable photo captured by my former White House Press Corps colleague Mills. Zoom in right above President Trump’s shoulder and you’ll see a bullet flying in the air to the right of President Trump’s head following an attempted assassination'. (Source: theweek *)
* The Week, the largest circulated English news magazine in India, based in Kochi
(/photo /  Source: x *)
* X, its former name Twitter - a social networking service, one of the world's largest social media websites
(Jul 14, 2024) 2:19 AM  10,1 M views

14.07.24, 08:02 AM  The shooting was captured live on news channels, happened. As the bullet hit his ears, the former president was seen ducking with the secret service surrounding him. He could be heard making a few comments on an audio feed from the stage. Trump said, “Let me get my shoes,” as he was escorted to the safe place. He was seen pumping his fist to the public. The shocking incident happened two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump will formally become the party’s nominee. “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening. God bless America!” Trump said. According to Guglielmi, spokesperson of the US Secret Service, the incident happened around 6:15 pm local time when the suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. “US Secret Service personnel neutralised the shooter, who is now deceased. The US Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and Former President Trump is safe. One spectator was killed, and two spectators were critically injured,” he said Eyewitness McEvoy (50) said he thought he heard eight to 10 shots. “I saw Trump go down, but then I saw him get up and he raised his hand that he was OK,” McEvoy told. (Source: telegraphindia *)
* The Telegraph, an Indian English daily newspaper. Headquarters Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Sunday 14 July 2024 01:44, UK  Gunshots reportedly fired at Trump rally - as former president rushed off stage. Trump was giving a speech in Pennsylvania when he fell to the ground. /(/video/ (Source: news.sky *)
* Sky News, a British television news channel. Headquarters London, United Kingdom

Sun 14 Jul 2024 at 9:05am; Sun 14 Jul 2024 at 12:21am  Trump has survived a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, in western Pennsylvania, saying afterwards a bullet pierced his ear before Secret Service agents rushed him offstage. Screams tore through the crowd and Mr Trump grabbed at the side of his face and ducked behind a riser during the shooting. An attendee was killed and two others were critically injured. The shooter, who was on the roof of a nearby building, who the FBI named as 20-year-old Crooks was also killed. Mr Trump was taken away, with his fist in the air and blood on his face, during the incident. Trump has thanked Secret Service agents who rushed him off stage during a shooting at a campaign rally. "I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of law enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realised then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!" The Trump campaign released a statement shortly after the shooting that said he was 'fine". There was no reason to believe there was any ongoing threat, Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel Bivens said. "We are absolutely not taking for granted that this was a lone wolf attack," he said. Earlier, the local county district attorney, Goldinger, told America's ABC News the shooter had been on the roof of an adjacent venue, so did not go through security screening. In an earlier statement, the Secret Service said 'multiple shots were fired from an elevated position outside of the rally venue'. "US Secret Service personnel neutralised the shooter, who is now dead," it said. Republican congressman Jackson said his nephew was wounded at the rally. 'He was grazed in the neck. A bullet crossed his neck, cut his neck and he was bleeding,' he told Fox News. "I was behind the former president, so I didn't see what happened", Mr Brzozowski described the scene. He said he saw police and paramedics attending to a man, dressed in a shirt displaying an American flag, who was lying on the ground. "I don't know if it was a shooter or somebody who got shot," he said. "All I saw was he was holding his stomach when the other two paramedics or cops were attending to him." Republican congressman Scalise, who survived a shooting in 2017, blamed Democrat leaders for 'fuelling ludicrous hysteria that Trump winning re-election would be the end of democracy in America'. Australia's ambassador to the US, Rudd, said it was a relief Mr Trump was safe. "All Australians are shocked by the attack on former president Trump at his campaign rally this evening in Pennsylvania," he said. Mr Trump is due to be endorsed as the Republicans' presidential candidate at the party's national convention in Milwaukee, which begins on Monday. The rally in Butler was the last one scheduled before the convention. The convention will go ahead as planned. /photo/ (Source: abc.net *)
* The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the national broadcaster of Australia. Headquarters Sydney
by Hosier in Butler, Pennsylvani

July 14, 2024, Sunday // 01:59  "And then the worst president in the history of our country took over. And look what happened to our country. Probably 20 million people [came in illegally]. And, you know, that's a little bit old, that chart... that chart's a couple of months old. And if you want to really see something that sad, take a look at what happened over..." Trump said before the gunfire erupted. The former president had just started energizing the crowd when up to five shots were fired, causing him to go down, immediately surrounded by Secret Service agents. (Source: novinite *)
* Novinite (Sofia News Agency), Bulgaria's largest English-language news provider through its news website.

July 14, 2024 07:40 JST; Updated on July 14, 2024 20:20 JST  Secret Service spokesperson Guglielmi released a statement saying that the case is an active investigation. He said that at about 6:15 p.m., 'a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.' At least two initial shots can be heard on audio of the incident. In the video footage, Trump holds his ear and crouches under the podium on his own volition. Secret Service members are heard shouting "duck, duck, duck, duck." Trump is heard saying to the Secret Service, "Let me get my shoes." Trump is leading in all seven of the most contested battleground states, according to the poll average compiled by political website Real Clear Politics. Incumbent President Biden has struggled to convince fellow Democrats that he is the best candidate to beat Trump, after a poor performance at the June 27 presidential debate. About an hour and a half after the incident, Biden released a statement. Tesla CEO Musk gave his endorsement to Trump shortly after the shooting, writing on X. World leaders - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Philippine President Marcos Jr., South Korean President Yeol condemned the shooting with statements on social media. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said China was "following the incident" and that Chinese President Xi had "expressed his sympathies." (Source: asia.nikkei *)
* The Nikkei, a national daily newspapers in Japan, the world's largest financial newspaper. Headquarters Tokyo, Japan.

14 Jul, 2024 10:34 am  A GoFundMe page for donations to support those wounded or the families of those killed in the rally has raised more than USD$170,000. The page was organized by the Trump campaign's national finance direct O'Rourke. "President Trump as authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt. "All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation." More than 2000 donations have been made since it was set up.      The Federal Aviation Administration has said the airspace over Bethel Park, where the shooter was from, was closed "effective immediately" for security reasons. The three spectators who were shot, including the one who was killed and two who were critically injured, were adult men. There were no police hit by gunfire. Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Shapiro said that he was also briefed on the situation and that state police were at the site. 'The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,' Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.' Representative Collins (R-Ga.) went further: “Biden sent the orders,' he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. There is no evidence that Biden was behind the attack. (Source: nzherald *)
* The New Zealand Herald, a daily newspaper of record for New Zealand. Headquarters Auckland

4 7 17 16:27

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Europe

Russia
14.07.2024  Russia 'strongly' condemns assassination attempt on former US President Trump. Peskov argued that the current administration in the US tends to resolve all issues, especially global matters, through the use of force. "No one is trying to seek a compromise. This includes economic pressure, sanctions that the US administration is very fond of, political pressure, or direct use of force, including military power,' he alleged. Referring to the attempted assassination of Trump, Peskov emphasized that violence is now being directed inward within the country. Peskov emphasized that they do not believe the current administration orchestrated the assassination attempt on Trump. He did, however, claim that the political climate created by the administration fueled such violence. "After numerous attempts to politically discredit and undermine candidate Trump using legal means, courts, and prosecutors, it is clear to all external observers that Trump's life is now in danger," he said. "We offer our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this attack and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," he added. (Source: aa *)
* Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency headquartered in Ankara, Turkey.

15:31, Sun, Jul 14, 2024  Russia today accused the US of bankrolling a bid to assassinate Putin. There were loyalist calls for the dictator to halt foreign trips because of a supposed risk to him from the security services of America, Britain and Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry bluntly alleged Ukraine was working on plots to strike Putin funded by the US. This followed quotes from the head of Kyiv’s military intelligence agency - the GRU - that there had indeed been unspecified failed attempts to assassinate Putin. 'They [assassination attempts] were made, but, as you can see, they were unsuccessful so far,' said Lt-Gen Budanov. Zakharova took this as evidence Kyiv was directly working on the assassination of 71-year-old Putin This was “prepared” with “American money” which had also funded the Ukrainian government and intelligence services, she said. Meanwhile, there are claims that a hushed-up explosion on March 13, 2024, in Moscow may have been linked to an attempt on Putin’s life. Telegram channel VChK-OGPU alleged that Chilikov - far from being a victim as was first believed - was a 'saboteur' who built an explosive device which detonated because he wrongly handled it. Chilikova was seriously wounded with limbs torn off. He had been due to have access to a major economic forum in St Petersburg attended by Putin, said the channel. (Source: express *)
* The Daily Express, a national daily newspaper. Headquarters London, United Kingdom

Asia

China
July 14, 2024 1:15 PM  China and Russia's naval forces kicked off a joint exercise Sunday at a military port in southern China. The exercise, which began in Guangdong province Sunday and is expected to last until mid-July, aimed to demonstrate the capabilities of the navies in addressing security threats (Source: voanews * "by Associated Press))
* Voice of America, the international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. Headquarters Washington, D.C., United States

Gaza
July 14, 2024 | 08:37 AM  An Israeli air strike killed at least 91 Palestinians and 300 injured in the designated humanitarian zone Al Mawasi in Gaza yesterday. It is a designated humanitarian area that the Israeli army has repeatedly urged Palestinians to head to after issuing evacuation orders from other areas. Many of those wounded in the strike were taken to the nearby Nasser Hospital, which hospital officials said had been overwhelmed and was 'no longer able to function' due to the intensity of the Israeli offensive and an acute shortage of medical supplies. The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hamas military chief Deif and Salama, the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade. The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said Israeli claims it had targeted leaders of the group were false and aimed at justifying the attack, which was the deadliest Israeli attack in Gaza in weeks. Separately, at least 20 Palestinians were killed yesterday in an Israeli attack on a prayer hall at a Gaza camp for displaced people in west Gaza City. (Source: gulf-times *)
* Gulf Times, one of three English language newspapers in the country. Headquarters Doha, Qatar

North America

United States
July 14, 2024  The attempted assassination of former President Trump has heightened concerns in Congress about member security, with some lawmakers even cancelling events and closing their offices in response. House Republicans are set to receive a security briefing from the House-sergeant-at-arms today afternoon. House Democrats will receive their own briefing tomorrow afternoon. Senior Democratic congressional staff will also receive a security briefing today. (Source: axios *)
* Axios, an American news website based in Arlington, Virginia.

Jul 14, 2024  Media reports said the shooter had fired as many as eight shots, while a photograph by The New York Times’ Mills appeared to show the streak of a bullet cutting through the air near Trump’s head - an indication of just how close of a call this was for the former president. At the news conference, the Secret Service was conspicuously absent, leaving the FBI and Pennsylvania police to brief reporters. Secret Service Director Cheatle's whereabouts were not immediately clear. The shooting came just over two years after Japan was rocked by the shocking assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and more than a year after a pipe bomb was thrown at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who escaped without injury. Kishida condemned the Trump rally shooting in a post on X. “We must stand firm against any form of violence that challenges democracy,” he wrote. “I pray for former President Trump’s speedy recovery." (Source: japantimes)

July 14, 2024  Conspiracy theories began doing rounds on social media. Netizens were pushing unverified or unsupported claims on X. "Staged” became the second-highest trending topic with over 228,000 posts on the platform using the word. Posts suggesting that the shooting was staged were viewed several millions of times on X, while the same sentiments were echoed in Meta's Instagram and Threads, though to much smaller audiences. Another topic that went trending on X was "Antifa" after social media posts misidentified the gunman responsible for today’s shooting. The posts blamed a 'prominent Antifa activist' Violets for the shooting. One account went overboard with a photo of a man in sunglasses and a black hat from a video posted to YouTube before the attack in which the man claimed "justice was coming." The man, Violi, was actually an Italian YouTuber who vlogs about football. Violi had to clarify that the news was fake. "I am in Italy, I am in Rome and I had no idea what happened". (Source: theweek)

July 14, 2024  Just moments after being grazed in the ear by a bullet at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump was on his feet again, blood streaming down the side of his face, pumping his fist and urging his supporters to “fight!” The photo of that moment is already an icon of our time. And experts say that surviving the assassination attempt in such a dramatic fashion can only help Trump in the election, by drawing a stark contrast with the visibly aging Biden, and complicating the Democrats’ case that Trumphimself is a unique threat to American democracy.    Former president Roosevelt was shot in the chest while campaigning for an unprecedented third term in the 1912 election. A delusional German immigrant named Schrank had pulled the trigger, he said, to avenge the ghost of former president McKinley, whose own assassination had paved the way for Roosevelt, McKinley’s veep, to first take the top job ten years earlier. The bullet was slowed down by Roosevelt’s eyeglasses case and a copy of his speech, which he continued to give. “I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot,” he said to the stunned crowd, “but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose!” Roosevelt managed to win more votes than sitting president Taft – their rivalry had in fact split the Republican party in two – they were both bested by the Democrats’ Wilson.    In March 1981, President Reagan was shot by Hinckley Jr. after leaving a speech in Washington, DC. Reagan survived and was back on the job within two weeks. Hinckley was mentally ill and wanted simply to catch the attention of famous actress Foster. Reagan's approval ratings did surge by eight points to nearly 70% in the aftermath of the shooting. But economic gloom would pull them down by more than 40 points later in the year. Still, he had more than three full years to bounce back ahead of the 1984 election, which he won in a landslide.    Will Trump be better able to parlay a failed assassination into a successful re-election? Unlike Reagan, he faces voters in less than four months, meaning that any sympathy bump he gets could last long enough to help on election day. Unlike Roosevelt, he has his entire party behind him - against an opponent whose own candidacy remains in doubt. But much will depend on what we learn about the identity and motivations of the shooter. And of course, four months is still an eternity in today’s news cycle. Before long, the “fight!” that Trump is in could still look very different. /photo/ (Source: gzeromedia *)
* GZERO Media, the digital media company launched by "Eurasia Group"

July 14, 2024  An Associated Press (AP) analysis of more than a dozen videos and photos from the scene of the Trump rally, as well as satellite imagery of the site, shows the shooter was able to get astonishingly close to the stage where the former president was speaking. A video posted to social media and geolocated by the AP shows the body of a person wearing gray camouflage lying motionless on the roof of a building at AGR International Inc., a manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump’s rally was held. The roof where the person lay was less than 150 meters from where Trump was speaking, a distance from which a decent marksman could reasonably hit a human-sized target. For reference, 150 meters is a distance at which U.S. Army recruits must hit a scaled human-sized silhouette to qualify with the M-16 rifle. The AR-15, like the shooter at the Trump rally had, is the semi-automatic civilian version of the military M-16. Trump was showing off a chart of border crossing numbers when the gunfire began after 6:10 p.m. Witnesses heard multiple gunshots and ducked for cover. As the first pop rang out, Trump said, “Oh,” and the raised his hand to his right ear and looked at it, before quickly crouching to the ground behind his lectern. The people in the stands behind him also crouched down as screams rang through the crowd. Reporters covering the rally heard five or six shots ring out and many ducked for cover, hiding under tables. After the first two or three bangs, people in the crowd looked startled, but not panicked. The attack drew new attention to concerns about political violence in a deeply polarized U.S. less than four months before the presidential election. And it could alter the tenor and security posture at the Republican National Convention, which will begin Monday in Milwaukee. Organizers said the convention would proceed as planned. Trump flew to New Jersey after visiting a local Pennsylvania hospital, landing shortly after midnight at Newark Liberty International Airport. Video posted by an aide showed the former president deplaning his private jet flanked by U.S. Secret Service agents and heavily armed members of the agency’s counter assault team - an unusually visible show of force by his protective detail. President Biden, who is running against Trump, was briefed on the incident and spoke to Trump several hours after the shooting, the White House said. Many Republicans quickly blamed the violence on Biden and his allies, arguing that sustained attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy have created a toxic environment. They pointed in particular to a comment Biden made to donors on July 8, saying “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.” /video/ (Source: africanews * "with AP **"): https://tinyurl.com/mpvz3dec
* Africanews, a pan-African news network located in Lyon, France
.** Associated Press, an American news agency headquartered in New York City, U.S.

14 July 2024  The Secret Service is facing questions after former US President Trump was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump was quickly bundled off stage and into a waiting vehicle after shots were fired just a few minutes into his speech at 18:11 local time on Saturday. Trump is now "doing well". One bystander was killed in the shooting, and the two others critically injured, were all male. Their identities have not been released. The Director of the Secret Service, Cheatle, has been summoned to testify before the US House of Representatives on 22 July by the Oversight Committee - the main investigative board of the US House of Representatives. At a news conference on Sunday, FBI special agent Rojek said it was "surprising" that the shooter, who has been named as 20-year-old Crooks, was able to open fire before the Secret Service killed him. An investigation into the attempted assassination, which is already under way, involves the FBI, the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Crooks had been armed with "an AR-style rifle' and 'had fired from a building a few hundred metres from the venue'. At here are questions about how prepared the Secret Service was. Bystanders who spoke to the BBC suggested the gunshots may have come from a one-storey building to the right of the stage where Trump was speaking. One witness - Greg - told that he had spotted a suspicious-looking person "bear crawling" on the roof of the building about five minutes after Trump took to the stage. He said he pointed the person out to police. "He had a rifle, we could clearly see him with a rifle," he said. "We’re pointing at him, the police are down there running around on the ground – we’re like ‘hey man there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle’ and the police did not know what was going on." "Certainly Trump needs more protection - there’s a lot of inquiry now about whether the Secret Service was totally prepared," Mr Moore, senior adviser to Trump's campaign said. However, FBI spokesperson, Mr Guglielmi says there is an "untrue assertion" circulating that someone on Trump's security team had requested extra security "resources" and that request was "rebuffed". "This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources and technology and capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo," Mr Guglielmi said. Warren and Debbie were at the venue and told the BBC they heard at least four gunshots. Republican Congressman Jackson told the BBC that his nephew was injured in the shooting. He sustained a minor wound to his neck and was treated at the scene, Mr Jackson said in a statement. Some had speculated that Trump had been set to reveal his running mate at the Butler rally. Senator Vance, who is thought to be on the shortlist to become Trump’s vice-presidential candidate, said the rhetoric from the Biden campaign had led directly to this incident. Collins - a Republican congressman - accused the president of “inciting an assassination”. (Source: bbc *)
* British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the oldest and largest local and global British public service broadcaster, founded in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company. Headquartered in London, England.

July 14, 2024  AP photographer Vucci recounts the moment shots were fired, his experience from the rally with Trump. /video; photo/ (Source: youtube */ Associated Press): https://tinyurl.com/4rrhwy25
* YouTube, an American online video sharing platform owned by Google. Headquarters San Bruno, California, United States
9 128 views; 66 comments on July 14, 2024

Jul 14, 2024  Just before the shots rang out, some in the crowd said, it seemed as if law enforcement snipers who were perched atop a barn had noticed movement nearby. The snipers seemed to be focusing on something off to the side of the grandstand in the direction of a building and a water tower just outside the farm show grounds. "I saw them with their binoculars,” said Cyrus, 54, who had come over from New Castle, Pennsylvania. "Then they got their guns.” Once the shooting broke out, he said, the snipers returned fire. Miller, the commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, who had come to the rally to cheer on Trump, said he turned and saw a person behind him bleeding profusely, their white clothes reddening as people gathered around to help. Others saw a man directly behind Trump, who appeared to be bleeding from the head. Several at the rally said they would later see a couple of people being carried out, limp and covered in blood. According to the Secret Service, one person who attended the rally was killed, along with the suspect, and two spectators were seriously injured. The FBI identified the suspect as Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. And authorities recovered an AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle at the scene Trump returned to his feet. He had a little blood on his forehead. But he seemed not to have been badly injured. He raised his fist in the air. The crowd cheered "USA! USA!” though the cheers were not quite as robust as they had been just a few minutes earlier. Trump was ushered into an SUV by law enforcement officers. Later, on Truth Social, Trump said that he had been "shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear,” and Secret Service officials said he was safe. Other officers then told everyone to leave. (Source: japantimes  */ The New York Times **)
* The Japan Times, Japan's largest English-language daily newspaper. Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
** The New York Times, an American daily newspaper. Headquarters New York City, U.S.

14 July 2024  Not long before shots rang out, rally goers noticed a man climbing to the top of a roof of a nearby building and warned local law enforcement, according to two law enforcement officials. One officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder and Crooks quickly took a shot toward former President Trump, and that’s when the US Secret Service counter snipers shot him, said the officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. He used an AR-15-type, semi-automatic rifle in the attack, according to law enforcement. On Sunday, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that the AR-15 found next to Crooks’s body had been purchased legally by his father. Investigators later recovered a cache of explosives from Crooks’s car, according to reports. A witness, identified only as Greg, said that he tried to alert Secret Service agents to a rifle-wielding man he spotted “bear crawling” onto the roof of a nearby building before gunshots rang through the crowd. “We’re pointing at the guy crawling up the roof. We could clearly see him with a rifle,” he told. (Source: independent *)
* The Independent, a British online newspaper. Headquarters London, United Kingdom

14 July, 2024  The spectator who was fatally injured - who has not been publicly named - appeared to have been caught in the crossfire, a witness told NBC. "It seemed like the man was in the way of the shots between whoever was shooting the gun and the president," he told the outlet. "The man who was hit, it seemed like he was in the crossfire." The witness, who gave his name as Joseph, said the man was shot from behind between benches as people fled the scene. A doctor attending the rally said the man was shot in the head. 'Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it,” Biden said. Mr Biden later said that he had spoken with Trump. Senator Hawley called the incident an assassination attempt and called for a congressional investigation. “The nation needs to know who did this. And why. And we need a full, public investigation by Congress into how it happened,” he wrote on X. (Source: thenationalnews *)
* The National, a United Arab Emirates state-owned English-language daily newspaper. Headquarters Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

(Jul. 14, 2024)  Sounds of multiple shots were heard at Trump's rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, with the Republican presidential candidate raising a fist as he was escorted to a vehicle by the U.S. Secret Service, video footage from event showed. /video/ (Source: reuters *): https://tinyurl.com/3vkxsjnk
* Reuters, News agency. Headquarters London, England
33 092 views

July 14, 2024 Former President Trump was rushed off stage after loud bangs were heard and he fell to the ground at the start of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday night. /video/ (cnn *)
* Cable News Network (CNN), a multinational news channel and website. Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
1 726 056 megtekintés

Globalization

July 14, 2024 By 2054  Bosnia’s population is expected to decline by over 26%, according to the median scenario from the UN, while the populations of Albania, Lithuania and Moldova will fall by 23%, 24% and 25% respectively. Other countries set to lose more than a fifth of their populations include Belarus, Bulgaria, Latvia and Serbia. By the end of the century, the decline will be even steeper. Across the Emerging Europe region, the deepest decline is forecast to be in Ukraine, at 60%. Albania, Bosnia, Belarus, Latvia, Moldova and Poland are also expected to lose more than half of their populations. Population declines of more than 40% are projected by 2100 in Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia. These countries are among 63 countries and territories worldwide where populations peaked before 2024, a group that also includes major nations such as China, Germany, Japan, and Russia. Globally report indicates that the number of people living in these areas is projected to shrink by 14% by 2054. In countries with already low fertility levels, emigration further exacerbates population decline. In 62% of these regions, emigration is expected to continue reducing population size through 2054. The populations of 126 countries, including populous nations such as India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the US, are likely to continue growing through 2054 and beyond. (Source: intellinews *)
* bne IntelliNews, a news wire agency and media company. Headquarters Berlin, Germany

4 7 15 20:51 = .4 8 1

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Europe

Germany
July 13, 2024  The U.S. and Germany have reportedly thwarted a Russian plot to kill Papperger, the CEO of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, which has been producing shells and tanks for Ukraine, 'according to five U.S. and Western officials who spoke anonymously to CNN'. (Source: theweek *)
* The Week, a weekly news magazine, based in New York City, United States; London, United Kingdom

Belarus
(Saturday), 13/07/2024   For years, Belarus' second-largest trading partner after Russia was the European Union (EU). Sanctions against Belarus have caused the nation's economy to shrink. The EU market and access to ports is closed to them. The economy has had to adapt to this new reality. The country must resort to using Russian and Chinese infrastructure, and pursuing trade with the third world. At first, state officials turned toward Russia but now they are looking for other markets. Belarus was seeking to replace its European market with Asian partners, especially in China. About 70% of Belarusian trade is with to Russia, and about 10% goes to China. Belarus has relied on Chinese machinery, cars and consumer goods while Belarus exports potassium fertilizer -  formerly this was sent mostly to Western countries - and food products to China. Earlier this month Belarus joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a Eurasian political, economic and defense organization led by Russia and China. Belarus had ties with China and India even before joining the SCO. The country has become the 10th member of the SCO, which originally consisted of the founders China and Russia, as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Since the organization's founding, India, Pakistan and Iran have also joined it. At first, the SCO was intended to address border disputes between the first members. Being an SCO member could increase Belarus‘ chances of joining BRICS. Currently comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, the BRICS group wants to be seen as a challenger to the West's G7 bloc. SCO member states regularly take part in joint anti-terrorism exercises. Belarus and China first cooperated on military exercises in 2018 in China's northeastern Jinan. On Monday, July 8, Belarus and China began a joint anti-terrorism military drill. Dubbed Eagle Assault 2024, the 11-day exercise will see troops practice night landings, overcome water obstacles and undetake urban combat drills. This is all happening within Moscow's sphere of influence. The countries are working together in Belarus' southwestern Brest, just 2.8 kilometers from the Polish border and 28 kilometers from Ukraine. These kinds of drills lead to tensions with neighboring countries. Previously, from 2016 to 2020, Minsk had maintained a dialogue with NATO and even invited observers to its maneuvers. (Source: dw *)
* Deutsche Welle, the German public, state-owned international broadcaster, headquartered in Bonn

Russia
(Saturday), 07/13/2024  The White House announced Wednesday during the NATO summit that it would station long-range weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, in Germany on a regular basis starting in 2026 as a deterrent. The Kremlin warned that the deployment of US missiles in Germany could make European capitals targets for Russian missiles in a repeat of Cold War-style confrontation, Kremlin spokesman warns. Peskov spoke of the "paradox' in which 'Europe is a target for our missiles, our country is a target for US missiles in Europe.' "We have enough capacity to contain these missiles, but the potential victims are the capitals of these countries,' he said, suggesting that such a confrontation could undermine Europe as a whole. Peskov noted that during the Cold War, American missiles were aimed at Russia, while Russian missiles were aimed at Europe, making the continent's countries the main victims of any potential conflict. (Source: dw *)
* Deutsche Welle, the German public, state-owned international broadcaster. Headquarters in Bonn, Germany

Ukraine
July 13, 2024 12:01 am ET   ’A recent poll by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that 58% supported further mobilization compared with 35% against’. A wartime law bans men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving Ukraine. Still, tens of thousands have fled the country illegally and many are lying low to avoid conscription. On the main road leading to the western Transcarpathia region, a sign at a checkpoint exhorts men not to leave. “We are strong,' it reads. Once a tourist destination, the mountainous region’s borders with four countries -, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - have made it a hub for illegal crossings. At least 44,000 Ukrainians have left the country illegally since Russia invaded, according to data provided by border authorities in Moldova, Romania and Slovakia. That doesn’t include men who crossed the border officially using documents exempting them from military service issued in exchange for bribes. Number of Ukrainian citizens who have crossed into select neighboring countries illegally, 2021–24: Moldova 29,728; Romania 13,861; Slovakia 1,642. More than two dozen men have drowned in the River Tysa since Russia invaded, many of them fugitives from a military draft. The number of men fleeing Ukraine illegally has increased in recent months, with some of the more desperate attempts ridiculed on social media. 41 men were trying to escape in the back of a grain truck last month. Many of the men who initially mobilized to repel Russia’s invasion are dead, missing or wounded - and the rest are worn out from more than two years of brutal combat. The delay in mustering fresh troops has increased the strain on soldiers serving with no prospect of demobilization other than through injury or death. Military contracts became indefinite when martial law was introduced in the early days of the war. Recruitment numbers have improved since Zelensky signed a law lowering the age of conscription to 25, to replenish threadbare ranks. But the conscription campaign inflamed tensions in society. Across the country, men are hiding from draft officers, who have been filmed snatching potential conscripts off the street. Plainclothes officers are posted at train stations and monitor hotels for fugitive men. Many Ukrainians head for the mountains, undeterred by warnings about wildcats and bears. Rescue services sometimes receive calls from men who have lost their way in the rugged terrain. Smugglers now cater to booming demand from men trying to flee the country, charging from $4,000 to $15,000 for their services. It is more lucrative than their traditional trade in counterfeit and contraband cigarettes, of which Ukraine is a top source for Europe. Many of the smugglers are locals with knowledge of the area. Some accompany their clients to the border or send children to guide them. Others provide directions remotely. One smuggler recently detained by the police was equipped with a bug detector he used to ensure clients weren’t informants recording his activities. Men caught trying to cross the border illegally face a fine of up to $360 and 15 days in prison, though it isn’t a criminal offense. The bigger risk is of being fast-tracked to the front line. Ukraine's border with Romania is patrolled by border guards who catch dozens of men daily. As winter thawed, the Tysa swelled and the current grew stronger. In late April, rescuers recovered the bodies of two men beached on an islet in the river. Soon afterward, a fisherman spotted the body of another man in the water. Two more were pulled out the same day - one of them just 20 years old. In mid-May, Romanian border guards found the corpse of another man floating in the river. He appeared to have been dead in the water for some time and wasn’t carrying any documents. It was the 30th body recovered from the river since Russia’s invasion. As Ukraine tightened conscription, 25-year-old Minikhinov decided to flee across the river to Romania with the aid of a smuggler he paid $4,000. A day after he vanished, about 25 miles downriver from Velykiy Bychkiv, rescuers recovered his body in mid-February. An autopsy found Minikhinov’s heart had failed. The family waited nearly a week before going to the police. His mom blames the government for Minikhinov’s death: “They’re destroying our kids,” she said. (Source: wsj *)
* The Wall Street Journal, an American newspaper. Headquarters New York City, U.S.

Asia

China
2024-07-13 16:37 - 39  At a symposium held today, members of the Committee of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) slammed the signing into law of the so-called "Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act" as full of 'extremely erroneous views and provocative remarks", adding that it was blatant interference in China's internal affairs under the guise of "ethnicity," "religion" and "human rights". China's top political advisory body, the CPPCC National Committee today expressed strong indignation at and firm opposition to the United States on its signing into law of act. The act 'grossly interferes in China's internal affairs and severely undermines China's interests", sending a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces seeking "Tibet independence," the statement of China's National People's Congress (NPC) said, Xinhua * informs. (Source: english.news)
* Xinhua News Agency, the official state news agency of the People's Republic of China

North Korea
13.07.2024  North Korea today denounced a NATO summit declaration that condemned its weapons exports to Russia, calling it "illegal' and warned of strong "strategic counteraction,' after a NATO summit in Washington concluded where leaders of the 32-member alliance and four Indo-Pacific partners - South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand - discussed concerns about growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The spokesperson said the declaration incites a new Cold War and military confrontation and the situation requires a new strategy to counter US attempts to expand its military alliances. (Source: anadoluagency *)
* Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency headquartered in Ankara, Turkey.

North America

United States
Sat, 13 Jul, 2024 - 23:36  Trump has been rushed off the stage at a rally in Pennsylvania after apparent gunshots rang through the crowd. His motorcade has left the venue. His condition was not immediately known. Leaving Mass in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, President Biden responded 'no', when asked if he had been briefed about the incident. (Source: irishexaminer */ Associated Press reporter)
* Irish Examiner, an Irish national daily newspaper, headquartered in Cork, Republic of Ireland.

July 13, 2024 3:26 PM PT  Former President Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt Saturday at a Pennsylvania rally, days before he was to accept the Republican nomination for a third time. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was showing off a chart of border crossing numbers during his last rally before the Republican National Convention opens Monday. As Trump was talking, a popping sound was heard, and the former president put his right hand up to his right ear, as people in the stands behind him appeared to be shocked. As the first pop rang out, Trump said, “Oh,” and grabbed his ear as two more pops could be heard and he crouched down. More shots are heard then. Someone could be heard saying near the microphone at Trump’s lectern, “Get down, get down, get down, get down!” as agents tackled the former president. They piled atop him to shield him with their bodies, as is their training protocol, as other agents took up positions on stage to search for the threat. Screams were heard in the crowd of several thousand people. A woman is heard screaming louder than the rest. Afterward, voices were heard saying “shooter’s down” several times, before someone asks “Are we good to move?” and “Are we clear?” Then, someone ordered, “Let’s move.” Trump got to his feet moments later and could be seen reaching with his right hand toward his face. There appeared to be blood on his face. He then pumped his fist in the air and appeared to mouth the word “Fight” twice to his crowd of supporters, prompting loud cheers and then chants of “USA. USA. USA.” The barrage of gunfire set off panic, and the bloodied Trump, who said he was shot in the ear, was surrounded by Secret Service and hurried to his SUV as he pumped his fist in a show of defiance. It took two minutes from the moment of the first shot for Trump to be placed in a waiting SUV. His motorcade left the venue moments later. Trump’s campaign said the presumptive GOP nominee was doing “fine” after the shooting, which he said pierced the upper part of his right ear. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place,” he wrote on his social media site. In the memo obtained Trump’s senior campaign advisers said staff in Washington and West Palm Beach, Florida, should stay away from the office as they assess those locations. The memo also says they’re enhancing the armed security presence on-site. The memo also tells staff not to comment publicly on the apparent assassination attempt against Trump and that dangerous rhetoric on social media won’t be tolerated. The officials said the shooter was engaged by members of the Secret Service counterassault team. The heavily armed tactical team travels everywhere with the president and major party nominees and is meant to confront any active threats while other agents focus on safeguarding and evacuating the person at the center of protection. The roof where the person lay was less than 150 meters from where Trump was speaking. Biden was briefed on the incident and spoke to Trump several hours later, the White House said. He received an updated briefing from Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, and White House homeland security adviser Sherwood-Randall. Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro, a Democrat, said in a statement on X that he had been briefed on the situation and Pennsylvania state police were on hand at the rally site. “I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” Trump said in his Sunday morning social media post. /photo/ (Source: latimes *)
* Los Angeles Times, a regional American daily newspaper. Headquarters El Segundo, California

July 12, 2024  Today, President Biden have signed into law S. 138, the “Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act”. He shares the Congress’s bipartisan commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans and supporting efforts to preserve their distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage. The Administration will continue to call on the People’s Republic of China to resume direct dialogue, without preconditions, with the Dalai Lama, or his representatives, to seek a settlement that resolves differences and leads to a negotiated agreement on Tibet. The Act does not change longstanding bipartisan United States policy to recognize the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China as part of the People’s Republic of China, White House informs. Reported to Senate at 05/07/2024, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act bill addresses issues relating to Tibet, including by establishing a statutory definition of Tibet that includes areas in Chinese provinces outside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). "For the purposes of U.S. policies and activities relating to Tibet, this bill defines Tibet to include the TAR and the Tibetan areas of the Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces. (Generally, when China's government refers to Tibet, it means only the TAR, but it recognizes the areas included in this bill's definition as Tibetan. China's government formally established the TAR in 1965.) Furthermore, the duties of the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues shall include working with relevant bureaus in the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to ensure that U.S. government statements and documents counter, as appropriate, disinformation about Tibet by China's government and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about Tibet's history and institutions," congress.gov tells. (Sources: whitehouse *; congress **)
* The White House, the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States, located in Washington, D.C.
** The United States Congress, the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States in Washington, D.C.

13/07/2024 13:00   When told Hunter she was pregnant, Ms Roberts, who has been described as the Markle of the Bidens claims he promised to support her, but he shortly stopped returning her phone calls and cut her out of his company’s insurance. She met Hunter in late 2016 when she and a friend were invited to an after party at his Rosemont Seneca office in the Swedish Embassy. The First Son was smoking crack in a pair of boxers covered in parrots. The pair embarked on a yearlong entanglement during which Ms Roberts claims they both professed their love to one another, although she says now he may not have meant it. He fiercely denied he was Navy’s father until he was forced to take a 2019 paternity test. It showed he was an even closer DNA match to Navy, this little blue-eyed girl with soft blonde curls from rural Arkansas than her mother. Child support was set at $20,000-a-month in 2020. They reached a settlement last year to reduce the fees to $5,000-a-month on the condition Hunter start building a relationship with his daughter. While the Bidens frequently talk about the importance of family, Ms Roberts has been devastated by how they have excluded their own flesh and blood. "Let me meet my grandpa": Joe’s secret grandchild makes heartfelt plea. Navy chose a headshot of the smiling US president to keep in a birdhouse in her bedroom. The book Out of the Shadows: My Life Inside the Wild World of Hunter by Ms Roberts will be released on Aug 20. The US president continued to insist he only had six grandchildren. Last year he finally acknowledged his seventh grandchild, but he has stopped short of communicating with her. Ms Roberts armoury includes two shotguns behind the headboard, a rifle behind the door, a glock in each nightstand and a third under the mattress - Navy is the only first grandchild without secret service protection. Jill dedicated her children’s book Joey to all her grandchildren – naming each one apart from Navy. Christmas stockings hung in the White House for each grandchild – and even the dog – but not Navy. /photo/ (Source: msn * / The Telegraph **)
* MSN (Microsoft Network), an American web portal;
** The Daily Telegraph, a British daily newspaper. Headquarters London, England, United Kingdom

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 9:00:56 WAT  Meta said yesterday it was lifting restrictions on US presidential candidate Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, ending measures put in place after his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in 2021. Trump’s accounts were suspended indefinitely a day after January 6, 2021, and it was determined he had praised people engaged in violence on social media. His accounts were reinstated in February 2023 but with a threat of penalties for future breaches – an additional restriction that Meta lifted yesterday. Trump was also banned from Twitter and YouTube. While those restrictions were later lifted last year, Trump now mainly communicates on his own social media platform, Truth Social. (Source: dailytrust *)
*  Daily Trust, newspaper, headquarters Abuja, Nigeria

July 13, 2024 11:54 IST  Tech mogul Musk has donated a "sizeable" amount to America PAC working for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign against US President Biden. In April, Musk posted on X that Biden "barely knows what's going on' and is just "a tragic front" for a far left political machine. Meanwhile, the Tesla CEO defended Trump, calling him a victim of media bias. When he bought Twitter in 2022, one of his first major moves was to restore Trump's X account. In February, Musk posted on X, slamming Biden's immigration policies. "Biden’s strategy is very simple: 1. Get as many illegals in the country as possible. 2. Legalize them to create a permanent majority – a one-party state. That is why they are encouraging so much illegal immigration. Simple, yet effective.' In 2022, the SpaceX CEO said he was a centrist and a "reluctant Democrat' who voted for Biden hesitantly in 2020. Since then, Musk did not donate money to any of the national campaigns until now to the America PAC. He has also supported right-wing politicians across the globe like Brazil's Bolsonaro and Argentina's Milei. (Source: theweek *)
* The Week, an Indian news magazine based in Kochi, India

.4 7 13 23:41

.

Europe

Georgia
July 12, 2024  Reduced language devoted to Georgia, near-exclusion from NATO Declaration emerged from this week's NATO summit in Washington. "The main issue regarding Georgia is that Georgia is no longer on the Euro-Atlantic agenda and that there has been a democratic backsliding in Georgia, which may bring irreparable consequences,’ Kutelia, a former Georgian defense minister and a former Georgian ambassador to the United States have lamented, regarding the perceived NATO snub. NATO allies controversially pledged in the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration that Georgia would eventually become a member, providing it fulfilled requirements. That decision was reconfirmed in the wake of Russia's five-day war with Georgia in August 2008 and Russia's ongoing occupation of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. A 2022 NATO summit in Madrid approved specific "support measures" for Georgia as a partner, after President Putin ordered troops to invade Ukraine months earlier. Whereas former declarations have mentioned Georgian cooperation with the transatlantic defense alliance, this week the declaration neither repeated the record of the Bucharest summit, nor talk about the NATO-Georgia program, nor mention the essential package of the Wales summit. NATO members limited the text to a single reference urging Russia to completely withdraw its troops from Moldova and Georgia. Prime Minister and Georgian Dream leader Kobakhidze, in May accused a former U.S. ambassador of supporting two attempted revolutions in Georgia. The United States has undertaken a 'comprehensive review' of relations with Tbilisi since the so-called "foreign agent" law was passed in May over pro-European President Zurabishvili's veto. Kobakhidze responded to Washington's review by calling for a review of relations with the United States. 'EU officials have checked the momentum of Georgia's candidacy'. Pursuit of EU and NATO membership remains embedded in the post-Soviet Caucasus nation's constitution, but the current Georgian government's passage of the perceived Russian-style law to curb media and NGOs has dealt a blow to both efforts. The U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation calling for increased scrutiny of the Georgian government's actions and its ties to Russia and other authoritarian regimes like China. The so-called Megobari Act passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday. The act, which takes its name from the word that in Georgian means "friend', mandates several reports, including an assessment of Russian intelligence's penetration of Georgia and Tbilisi's cooperation with China. The bill is expected to come to a vote in the full House before Congress adjourns for summer break in August, to become law ahead of Georgian elections in October. (Source: rferl *)
* Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an American government-funded international media organization. Headquarters Prague Broadcast Center, Czech Republic

Asia

China
July 12, 2024 9:06 PM  China and Russia announced today that they are conducting joint naval exercises in the waters and airspace near Zhanjiang city in the south of China. Zhanjiang city, located in China’s southern Guangdong province, faces the South China Sea, a contentious waterway where China holds multiple territorial disputes with neighboring countries, including the Philippines. "The ongoing exercise is to demonstrate the resolve and capabilities of the two sides in jointly addressing maritime security threats and preserving global and regional peace and stability," said Zhang, spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry. Guided missile destroyers, guided missile frigates and suppliers have assembled on China’s Southern coast to participate in the exercise, according to Chinese state-run media CGTN. The exercises, titled Joint Sea-2024, began in early July and will last until the middle of the month, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry. Joint Sea-2024 is part of the regular defense collaboration agreed upon between the two nations, according to the ministry. This new round of naval exercises “will further deepen China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era," Zhang said. The naval exercises were announced following the NATO summit in Washington, where countries cited the deepening strategic relationship between China and Russia and the two states’ attempts to "undercut and reshape the rules-based international order" as "a cause for profound concern.’ China said NATO’s statement was "filled with Cold War mentality and belligerent rhetoric.’ A spokesperson for China’s mission to the European Union said in a statement yesterday that the NATO statement was "provocative" and filled with "obvious lies and smears.’ China is also hosting bilateral military exercises with Russian-ally Belarus on the border with Poland, which will last until July 19. (Source: voanews *)
* Voice of America, the international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. Headquarters Washington, D.C., United States

North America

United States
(Friday), July 12, 2024 04:29 JST  The North Atlantic Council met with leaders of the Indo-Pacific and European Union during NATO's 75th anniversary summit in Washington yesterday. The meeting came a day after U.S. national security adviser Sullivan announced four new joint projects between the Indo-Pacific countries and NATO members that focus on Ukraine, artificial intelligence, disinformation and cybersecurity. The leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand met with NATO members yesterday for the third consecutive year. It also came a day after NATO issued the Washington Summit Declaration, which strengthened language against China, calling it a "decisive enabler" of Russia's war in Ukraine and directly categorizing Beijing as part of the threat facing the Euro-Atlantic region. Against the accusation, the English-language newspaper China Daily said today the declaration's language is provocative and is based on the "false proposition" that China bears responsibility for the prolonged conflict. "China has remained a neutral party and it is NATO that has been continually fanning the flames of the hostilities," it said, echoing Moscow's argument that it was the expansion of NATO that is the root cause of the conflict. China skipped a Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland last month on the grounds that a meeting without Russia's participation lacked balance. Since the war began in February 2022, China has supported Russia's defense industrial base and become its major trading partner, while also trying to maintain stable economic relations with Western countries. On Monday, Xi met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Beijing, who briefed the Chinese leader on his recent visits to both Kyiv and Moscow. Hungary just took over the European Union's rotating presidency in July and Xi is eager to collaborate with Orbán for a diplomatic win. Today, U.S. President Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korea President Yoon, New Zealand Prime Minister Luxon and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Marles on the sidelines of NATO events. The leaders "strongly condemned' arms transfers from North Korea to Russia and also discussed ’shared concerns" over China's support to Russia's military industrial base. NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners are signaling to China that Beijing's current path is unacceptable, and that united messaging from all parties could put pressure on Chinese President Xi. The key is for NATO leaders and Indo-Pacific partners to voice concerns directly to the Chinese president, Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said. "If this complaint comes from Washington, it will easily be dismissed. But if European countries and U.S. allies in East Asia can speak out more directly and explicitly to the Chinese leadership, that will have a greater chance of being persuasive because these countries are now the major target of Chinese diplomatic engagement.' (Source: nikkei *)
* The Nikkei, a national daily newspapers in Japan, the world's largest financial newspaper. Headquarters Tokyo, Japan.

(Friday), July 12, 2024 6:03 am  Another step in an arms race. The White House announced on Wednesday, July 10, that it would begin deployments of non-nuclear ’long-range fires capabilities’ for a US force stationed in Germany in 2026. That will, when fully developed, include the SM-6 and Tomahawk missile systems, and ’developmental hypersonic weapons’. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) signed by the US and Russia in 1987, prohibited both sides from possessing, producing, or testing land-based cruise or ballistic missiles with a range between 500-5,500km. Former president Trump withdrew from the treaty in 2019. Moscow says it has observed a “voluntary moratorium” on the deployment of missiles previously covered by the treaty. The US’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) programme, dubbed ’Dark Eagle’, is said to use missiles capable of reaching speeds of Mach 17 with a range of up to 3,000km. Both the Dark Eagle and Tomahawk systems are capable of reaching targets across Russia. 'This will almost certainly lead to Russia declaring a formal end to its moratorium on the deployment of INF-range systems,' Podvig, a senior researcher in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research told. 'I think we should expect that Russia will deploy its systems in response’. “I don’t know how anyone in the US or Nato believes that this will lead to a more secure environment in Europe,” he added. President Putin warned on 4 July: 'If medium and shorter-range missiles of American manufacture appear somewhere, then we reserve the right to act in a mirror manner.” 'The necessary work on preparing compensating countermeasures by Russian specialised agencies was started in advance and is being carried out on a systematic basis,' Russia’s foreign ministry said yesterday. Stefanovich, a security analyst at Russian think-tank, the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations, said the Kremlin would see the US deployments as a direct threat and respond in kind. 'Given the clearly strategic nature of the US and allied INF-range weapons vis-à-vis Russian targets, I believe that our guys will not bother much with matching European/Asian deployments and go straight after [the US],' he wrote on X. Wolfstahl, director of global risk at the Federation of American Scientists, warned: 'We have recreated one of the most dangerous components of the Cold War in Europe and things will only get worse from here.' So far, the US has announced plans to deploy missile systems in Germany. The weapons will be under US rather than Nato command. (Source: inews *)
* The i, a British national newspaper published in London, United Kingdom.

12 Jul 2024  Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has met with former US President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida for ‘peace mission 5.0’. They discussed the “possibilities of peace”, the latest stop in the prime minister’s solo run to secure a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. “It was an honour to visit President [Trump] at Mar-a-Lago today. We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it!,” Orbán said on X. Trump has said he would quickly end the war, and advisers to the former president are reported to have presented him with a plan to end the conflict by, in part, making future US aid to Kyiv conditional on Ukraine joining peace talks. Orbán was in the United States this week to attend a NATO summit hosted by President Biden. Orbán has visited Ukraine, Russia and China in the past two weeks on a self-styled “peace mission”. He had travelled to Kyiv before visiting Moscow, meeting last week with Putin. President Zelenskyy said he was not informed by Orbán of his onward trip to Russia. The Kremlin said today that Orbán did not tell Putin of his plans to meet Trump, and the Russian president did not convey any message to Trump via Orbán. NATO allies were frustrated with Orbán’s actions around the summit in Washington, but he had not blocked the alliance from taking action on Ukraine. Some NATO members said the trip handed legitimacy to the Russian leader when the West wants to isolate him over his invasion of Ukraine. Meeting in Beijing on Tuesday, July 9, with Chinese President Xi for “peace mission 3.0”, Orbán said China was key to ’creating the conditions for peace" between Ukraine and Russia. Hungary does not want NATO to become an 'anti-China' bloc, and will not support it doing so, the country’s foreign minister Szijjártó said yesterday. (Source: aljazeera *)
* Al Jazeera Media Network, a media conglomerate headquartered at Doha. Qatar

July 12, 2024  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with former US President Trump in the United States on July 11 to discuss a peace deal in Ukraine, and said he would “fix this problem." Trump, expressing gratitude, emphasized the urgency of peace. "Thank you, Viktor. There must be PEACE, and as soon as possible. Too many people have died in a war that should never have started!" Trump wrote on TruthSocial. His meeting with Trump follows Orbán's first trip to Kyiv on July 2 since Hungary assumed the presidency of the EU Council to meet with President Zelenskiy who flatly refused to start talks with Russia. Orbán then put the cat amongst the pigeon by travelling to Moscow, to meet Russian President Putin, who repeated earlier offers to restart talks on the basis of the Istanbul peace deal agreed in 2022. Orbán shared a photo on social media from the Vnukovo government terminal in Moscow, highlighting his Hungarian EU presidency. Under EU rules the presidency does not grant Hungary the authority to act independently in foreign policy matters. Orbán vowed to “Make Europe Great Again” after taking over the presidency on July 1, in an echo to Trump’s famous MAGA phrase. Orbán's follow up with a visit to Azerbaijan for the Organization of Turkic States summit and a meeting in China with President Xi, who also called for a dialogue to begin. (Source: dw *)
* Deutsche Welle, the German public, state-owned international broadcaster, headquartered in Bonn

July 12, 2024  "Trump’s "going to solve" Russia-Ukraine war, says Orbán". 'Peaceniks unite' at Mar-a-Lago summit in Florida. Since Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union at the start of July, Orbán announced he is using the presidency to take steps toward peace in Russia’s war against Ukraine - despite the fact that Budapest's role affords him no special diplomatic status. Trump, who leads incumbent President Biden in polling in several critical swing states for November's election, has also said several times that he would end the war quickly - even before he takes over the presidency. ('by Melkozerova'). (Source: politico *)
* Politico, an American political digital newspaper. Headquarters Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.

12 July 2024  Members of Biden’s cabinet crestfallen, dismayed in silent dejection, anxious embarrassment. Secretary of State Blinken, Defense Secretary Austin and National Security Adviser Sullivan were sat in the audience and react to president calling his deputy Harris ‘vice president Trump.’ 'Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump, to be vice president, if I think she’s not qualified to be president,” Biden said, without correcting himself. Earlier in the day Biden confused President Zelensky with his Russian counterpart Putin, introducing him as "President Putin'. That time, Biden returned to the podium to correct himself: 'President Putin? He’s going to beat President Putin. President Zelensky. I’m so focused on beating Putin.' Asked whether he can reassure Americans that he won’t have further bad nights like his admittedly stupid mistake of a debate performance, Biden said there is “no indication” that his work is slowing down. "None.” /photo, video/ (Source: independent *): https://tinyurl.com/3nwn2zjz
* The Independent, a British online newspaper. Headquarters London, United Kingdom

United States
July 12, 2024  Today, President Biden have signed into law S. 138, the “Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act”. He shares the Congress’s bipartisan commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans and supporting efforts to preserve their distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage. The Administration will continue to call on the People’s Republic of China to resume direct dialogue, without preconditions, with the Dalai Lama, or his representatives, to seek a settlement that resolves differences and leads to a negotiated agreement on Tibet. The Act does not change longstanding bipartisan United States policy to recognize the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China as part of the People’s Republic of China, White House informs. Reported to Senate at 05/07/2024, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act bill addresses issues relating to Tibet, including by establishing a statutory definition of Tibet that includes areas in Chinese provinces outside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). "For the purposes of U.S. policies and activities relating to Tibet, this bill defines Tibet to include the TAR and the Tibetan areas of the Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces. (Generally, when China's government refers to Tibet, it means only the TAR, but it recognizes the areas included in this bill's definition as Tibetan. China's government formally established the TAR in 1965.) Furthermore, the duties of the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues shall include working with relevant bureaus in the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development to ensure that U.S. government statements and documents counter, as appropriate, disinformation about Tibet by China's government and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about Tibet's history and institutions," congress.gov tells. (Sources: whitehouse *; congress **)
* The White House, the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States, located in Washington, D.C.
** The United States Congress, the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States in Washington, D.C.

NATO

(Friday), 2024. júl. 12.  The military alliance was changing its stance. For the past two years, NATO has refused to be involved in anything related to providing lethal support to Ukraine. ’The fact that the war is ongoing and that support must be sustained has changed this attitude’. The transfer of oversight of military supplies, training and reform of Ukraine’s armed forces into NATO hands is to be completed 'in the coming months' as 'alliance leaders rush to protect the country’s support from governments that may criticise it in the future'. On Wednesday, NATO members endorsed the Alliance’s role in coordinating training and supplies to Ukraine. “This will not make NATO party to the conflict, but it will enhance Ukraine’s self-defence,’ Stoltenberg insisted ahead of the summit. They created a platform called NATO Security Assistance and Training to Ukraine (NSATU), which will be put in place 'over the next several months, in a way that has no disruption over the efforts.' Until then, the coordination of assistance will remain in the hands of the SAGU (Security Assistance Group for Ukraine) and its International Board of Coordination Center (IBCC), which are linked to the so-called Ramstein format, where more than 50 countries meet regularly. A reason is the need to insulate support for Ukraine from any future governments that might challenge it. NSATU’s tasks currently lie in the hands of ad hoc structures set up by the US in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine. ’This conflict is not likely to be over any time soon,’ said a senior NATO official. The decision to create NSATU was taken by 31 allies – with Hungary opting out – and any further decision to change its mandate will require the consensus of all 31 allies. Bilateral or multilateral training missions for the Ukrainian armed forces are now in the hands of the countries, such as the British-led Interflex, the EU military assistance mission (EUMAM), and the Dutch-led fighter jet pilot training for F-16s. The NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR) will lead the transition from the ephemeral formation to the NSATU coordination platform. A three-star general will lead NSATU and report to SACEUR. NATO will coordinate with donor governments what equipment to send Ukraine based on their needs, and deliveries will be made to hubs on the eastern flank in Poland, Slovakia and Romania. As a second task, NSATU will also coordinate training activities. A third task is the future development of the Ukrainian armed forces. This means that, as part of its coordination work, NATO staff will take into account ’the needs of the future Ukrainian Army as it modernises and joins the Alliance, making its forces more interoperable and able to work with the armies of NATO members’. “We work more closely with the Ukrainian armed forces, including to a new NATO-Ukraine joint analysis, training and education centre in Poland and by deepening our cooperation on innovation and defence industrial production,’ the Secretary-General Stoltenberg said yesterday. "NATO will not deploy forces in Ukraine, move equipment into Ukraine, track its movement across the border or get involved in procurement', a NATO official said. (Source: euractiv *)
* Euractiv, a European news website. Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

 4 7 12 18:03

.

Europe

Poland
July 11, 2024 11:39 Ukraine’s silence about the WWII Volhynia massacre underscores one-sided alliance as Zelensky visits Poland. The anniversary of the WWII massacre passes and the silence from president Zelensky and Polish leaders is not just a missed diplomatic gesture but a profound failure in addressing historical wounds that continue to mar the relationship. July 11 marks the 81st anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the most tragic episode of the Ukrainian-perpetrated genocide of Poles in Volhynia, which was a Polish territory before the Second World War in the “borderland” region, but is now part of Ukraine. On this day, tens of thousands of people were slaughtered in 99 villages. These victims have yet to be exhumed and given a dignified burial, a process continuously blocked by Ukrainian authorities, including the current administration. Last year, on the 80th anniversary of this horrific crime, Poland received not a single word from the Ukrainian president. Tragically, the steadfast guardian of this cause, Rev. Isakowicz-Zaleski, is no longer. On July 11, 1943. Ukrainian nationalists murdered over 50,000 Poles. This year, just three days before the anniversary, Zelensky visited Poland. His visits, typically center on what more Poland can offer Ukraine. The leader did not mention the impending anniversary. It is reflective of a ’Kyiv standard.’ Cessation of cult of UPA murderers is last issue to be settled. It is scandalous that this omission was mirrored by every Polish politician he met. Both the left-liberal Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the conservative President Duda seem to prefer that the Volhynia issue be forgotten, wishing away the unburied dead. Simultaneously, Poland signed an agreement with Ukraine on defense commitments. The document is not formally an international treaty, thus it does not require legislative approval for ratification. If it were a treaty, such approval would be necessary given it involves a military alliance - a detail highlighted by the content of the agreement. The choice of agreement format also conveniently avoids parliamentary debate, which would likely raise uncomfortable questions about the benefits Poland receives from the arrangement and what it demands in return. In this “bilateral’ deal, Kyiv is practically the sole beneficiary. The entirety of the 24-page document is a litany of Polish obligations to Ukraine, underpinned by a tally of what it have already done. The document does not address a single issue where Polish and Ukrainian interests might conflict, such as in agricultural production. In Poland, based on this agreement, a Ukrainian legion is to be formed, which the Polish are of course expected to equip. No one has clarified how this will affect security, especially given that Ukrainian soldiers will effectively be entering combat from Polish territory. Tucked away at the very end of the agreement, on page 14, there is a vague mention of “enhancing cooperation in conducting searches, exhumations, and other activities aimed at the dignified burial of victims of conflicts, repression, and crimes.” Exactly which “conflicts, repressions, and crimes' are referred to remains unclear. (Source: brusselssignal *)
* Brussels Signal, published by Remedia Europe SRL, Brussels, Belgium

July 11, 2024  The Polish government will train a unit of Ukrainian exiles to be deployed in their home country, Foreign Minister Sikorski said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington. The Polish move comes only a few days after Warsaw and Kyiv signed a bilateral security agreement; one of the provisions called for training Ukrainians for war. Earlier this year Ukraine adopted a law increasing the pace of mobilization, as it desperately needs new troops. Under the new law, Kyiv obliged Ukrainian men living abroad to renew their military draft information online and encouraged them to return to Ukraine and join the fight. 'In Poland, we are beginning to train the first Ukrainian brigade composed of volunteers from inside Poland. We have up to a million Ukrainians of both genders, and several thousands of them have already registered for the draft,’  FM Sikorski said during a NATO Public Forum today. They will be available to the Ukrainian government as a unit with the right to return to Poland after their rotation, he said. He encouraged other European countries also hosting male Ukrainian refugees or with significant Ukrainian minorities to do the same. (Source: politico *)
* Politico, an American political digital newspaper. Headquarters Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.

11 July 2024  Poland angry as Hungary blocks €2 billion ‘peace facility’ payments. Poland has reacted with frustration after Hungary blocked a payment of around €2 billion in European Union funds intended to compensate Warsaw for its military aid to Ukraine over the war with Russia. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government is blocking the payment from the European Peace Facility, an off-budget EU instrument designed to reimburse governments that send military aid to Kyiv. The Hungarians have consistently opposed military aid to Kyiv and Orbán has maintained high-level relations with Russian President Putin. Orbán has recently visited both tKyiv and the Russian capital in an effort to facilitate negotiations to end the war. That was criticised by other EU leaders who argued that the Hungarian government was effectively giving succour to the Russians. The Hungarians countered that channels must remain open to both nations if a peace agreement is to be reached. Yesterday, at a NATO summit in Washington, Polish foreign minister Sikorski told reporters that 'Hungary is abusing our trust’ and called the Hungarian stance 'unfriendly and hostile’. He confirmed that the money blocked by the country was intended to fund the modernisation of Poland’s armed forces. Poland is not the only country affected by the blockage of the funds. The arrears to be paid out by the EU to all countries supporting Ukraine amount to about €9 billion. In June, the foreign ministers of 26 EU countries decided to by-pass Hungary’s veto on proposed aid to Ukraine, enabling them to grant Kyiv up to €1.4 billion for ammunition and air defences. Still, that only involves frozen Russian financial assets and does not resolve the problem of the Hungarian blockage of other EU funds. (Source: rmx *)
* Remix, published in Budapest, Hungary. Offers news and commentary from Central Europe, the Visegrád countries

July 11, 2024  Poland borrows another $2B from US to buy F-35s. The US State Department has approved a second foreign military loan to Poland to clear the way for its planned procurement of an undisclosed number of F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin on top of Patriot air defense missiles and Abrams main battle tanks. Valued at $2 billion, the loan agreement is part of Warsaw’s ongoing military modernization effort to address ’rising threats in the region’. Poland received its first military loan from the US, signed in September 2023, also for $2 billion. It was clearly stipulated that the money should only be spent on US-made weapons. The country said it earmarked roughly half of the borrowed amount for the purchase of four aerostat-based early warning radar systems. ’Poland is a leader in NATO,’ the department wrote. ’[It is] currently spending four percent of GDP on defense, the highest in the alliance. Poland hosts thousands of US and allied forces.’ Warsaw has so far sent more than $8.6 billion in military aid to the war-torn nation and accepted the largest number of Ukrainian refugees. At a recent press conference, Polish Army Chief of Staff General Kukula said the country needs to prepare its soldiers for an all-out conflict amid the increasing tension in the region, adding that this will allow ’us to find a good balance between the border mission and maintaining the intensity of training in the army.’ Earlier this year, a startling German intelligence report claimed that 'Moscow may launch an attack on a NATO member state by 2026'. ’Poland is considered a likely target’. (Source: thedefensepost *)
* The Defense Post, a security and defense news publication. Headquarters Washington D.C., U.S.

July 11, 2024  NATO officials have agreed at a summit in Washington taking over the coordination of training and weapons deliveries from the United States. NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg announced on July 10 the launch of a centralized command in Germany and the establishment of a training and analysis center in Poland. Stoltenberg said NATO’s plans to establish these two support facilities are within the elements of the robust security support package agreed during the summit along with providing Ukraine with $43 billion in military aid for next year, bilateral agreements, and more equipment, including air-defense systems. The operation in Poland will be known as a joint training and analysis center (JTAC), which will focus on improving NATO interoperability with Ukraine and studying the way the Ukraine war has changed warfare. Speaking at a panel discussion on the sidelines of the summit, Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski said the JTAC will be built in his hometown of Bydgoszcz. He envisions it becoming a state-of-the-art war analysis center that examines how drone warfare is changing the battlefield and other modern aspects of the Ukrainian war. And he predicted that Ukrainians eventually will take on major roles at the JTAC - the Ukrainians will be teaching them. 'We are not doing this because we want to prolong the war. We are doing this because we want to end the war as soon as possible’;) Stoltenberg said. (Source: rferl *)
* Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an American government-funded international media organization. Headquarters Prague Broadcast Center, Czech Republic

European Council
11 July 2024  EU ambassadors yesterday blasted Hungary for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s solo diplomatic initiative on Ukraine in a two-hour meeting. They sought more clarity on the aims and results of Hungary’s recent visits ’to speak with Russian President Putin and then Chinese President Xi', initiatives Budapest had described as "peace mission" to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine. EU leaders and officials had been unanimous in recent days in condemning the surprise visit 'to Moscow", insisting that Budapest was not acting on behalf of the bloc as a whole. The bloc’s envoys were stressing that Orbán’s push 'was incompatible with the country currently holding the bloc’s rotating EU presidency". In total, 25 EU member states, with the exception of Slovakia, which did not take part in the discussion, ’expressed wide dissatisfaction or anger at how the Hungarian presidency is unrolling, according to several’ EU diplomats. Hungary’s envoy to the EU used the meeting to present his country’s case for the trip. “Hungary tried to argue that the visits were strictly bilateral, only to scope out the feasibility and conditions for a ceasefire,” one EU diplomat said. That argument ’was not credible, given the timing and sequencing of the meetings", use of presidency hashtags, and the reaction of Putin, the diplomats said. Budapest had created ambiguity by using the Hungarian EU presidency logo and hashtags, while Putin had approached Orbán in the expectation that he would represent the bloc’s position. However, EU member states did not discuss options on how to deal with the issue or, as some had previously called for, to ‘rein in’ Hungary’s actions, including Poland, which had originally put the issue on the agenda for yesterday’s meeting. “No one raised the issue of ending or shortening the presidency. No concrete measures were presented or adopted,” a second EU diplomat said. 'Some EU member states have already shown signs of carrying out diplomatic snubs by sending more junior officials than expected to informal meetings' organised by the Hungarians. Hungarian officials were keen to play down concerns about possible shunning of EU presidency meetings. (Source: euractiv *)
* Euractiv, a European news website. Its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

European Union
11/7/2024  Jews in EU member states are in the grip of a ’rising tide of anti-Semitism’, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), that conducted the survey said. The vast majority of the survey’s data had been collected prior to the October 7 Hamas massacre. The agency’s study, which compiled data from 12 Jewish organisations, found that 96 per cent of European Jews had encountered anti-Semitism in 2023. Three-quarters of Jewish people in Europe hide their identities ’at least occasionally’ as they fear being harassed or attacked by anti-Semites. And 34 per cent said they took care to avoid Jewish events or places as they did not feel “safe” there,  Rautio, the agency’s director said. “FRA’s consultation with national and European Jewish umbrella organisations in early 2024 shows a dramatic surge [in anti-Semitic attacks],' Ms Rautio said. Jews are 'more frightened than ever before’ and growing anti-Semitism was also at risk of disrupting the EU’s first-ever strategy for addressing the issue, she said, as she blamed increased tensions over the war in Gaza. Of particular concern was France, where 74 per cent of respondents said they felt the ongoing Gaza war affected their sense of security. Eighty per cent of respondents said they felt that negative stereotypes or conspiracy theories about Jews were a growing concern, such as claims they were “holding power and control over finance, media, politics or [the] economy”. Others encountered Europeans who denied Israel’s right to exist. Four per cent said they had been the victims of physical anti-Semitic attacks in 2023, a twofold increase from a previous 2018 study by the same agency. A further 60 per cent said they were unhappy with the way their national government was dealing with anti-Semitism. The survey covered 13 EU member states which account for 96 per cent of the EU’s Jewish population: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden. Similar surveys were carried out in 2013 and 2018. (Source: telegraph *)
* The Daily Telegraph, a British daily newspaper. Headquarters London, England, United Kingdom

Russia
July 11, 2024   Russia Today published an article by Russian academic Lukyanov titled "This is the only way to end confrontation between Russia and the West," on June 22, 2024. „Judging by Moscow's statements, the confrontation may only come to an end when the principles on which European security is based are fundamentally reconsidered," he wrote. Russia's then-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kozyrev signed up to NATO's Partnership for Peace program in Brussels on June 22, 1994. This marked the beginning of official relations between the Russian Federation and the US-led bloc (prior to that, the USSR and NATO were involved in political dialogue within the framework of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, but it was established only several days before the dissolution of the Soviet Union). The Partnership for Peace program originally served a double goal: it was an alternative to NATO membership, but also a preparatory step for joining the organization (at least for some countries). When the program was launched, a final decision on the expansion of NATO had not yet been made. "Russia opposed the idea, but was not consistent. Kozyrev warned about the consequences of expansion, but repeatedly said NATO was not Russia's enemy. Russian President Yeltsin dissuaded Western leaders from growing the bloc, but at the same time told Polish President Walesa that Moscow was not against Warsaw's accession. However, two years later, NATO finally announced that it would admit the first group of former communist countries. "Currently, the prevailing view in Russia is that, following the dissolution of the USSR, the US and its allies embarked on a course of a military and political takeover of the former Soviet sphere of influence, and NATO became the main instrument in achieving this. "The concept adopted at the end of the Cold War stated that NATO ensured European security, and a bigger NATO meant a more secure continent. As a first step towards this, everyone (including Moscow) agreed that a reunited Germany would remain a member of the bloc instead of receiving neutral status, as some had suggested earlier. Further, it was implied that each country had the right to choose whether or not to join any alliances. Theoretically, that is what sovereignty implies. But in practice, the geopolitical balance of power had always imposed restrictions that forced alliances to consider the reaction of non-member countries. However, the triumphalism that reigned in the West following the Cold War significantly reduced the willingness to take such reactions into account - NATO felt like it could do anything and no reply would follow. The West's easy and unexpected success in the Cold War created a feeling of unconditional victory – a political and economic success, but most importantly, a moral one. "The West felt that it, as the winning side, had the right to determine the structure of Europe and knew exactly how to go about it. This was not simply a display of conscious arrogance, but rather of joyful euphoria. "In fact, there never was a real chance to establish a true partnership between Russia and NATO, although at some point there were certain illusions regarding this. "The situation could have changed dramatically if Russia had considered the possibility of joining NATO, and if the bloc itself had considered such a scenario. Then the principle of the indivisibility of security, proclaimed in the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, would have been respected within the framework of the bloc. However, it was impossible for Russia to join NATO, since, even at its weakest, Russia remained one of the world's largest military powers and possessed the largest nuclear arsenal. The hypothetical accession of such a state to NATO would mean the emergence of a second force within the club that would be on a par with the US, and therefore, would not obey it on the same level as other allies. This would change the very essence of the organization, and alter its principles of Atlanticism (simply because of Russia's geographical location). No one was prepared for this. The qualitative transformation of NATO was never on the agenda. "As a result, NATO's expansion, which in a sense became automated, pushed Russia further and further to the east. Moscow's attempts to regulate this process – first through participation in joint institutions (such as the NATO-Russia Council of 2002, which was an expansion of the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997) and then through growing opposition (starting with Putin's Munich Speech in 2007) – did not bring the desired results. In addition to the inertia of the West's initial approach (which implied that the bloc's very existence is security in itself), the West believed that Moscow didn't have the right to set conditions and must only follow the rules set by the stronger and more successful Western community. This is how the EU eventually got involved in the current Ukraine war. "Could relations between NATO and Russia have developed in a different way? The West believes that the persistence of Russia, which continued to consider NATO a threat to its security, led to the current military crisis. And, in fact, this became a self-fulfilling prophecy. But even assuming that this was true, the speed and ease with which NATO returned to a strong confrontation with Russia shows that it had been prepared for this. "Russia's memorandum of December 2021 and the 2022 military operation in Ukraine were designed to put an end to the idea of NATO's uncontested expansion as the only means of ensuring European security. Two-and-a-half years later, we see that the scale of the conflict has exceeded all initial expectations. Judging by Moscow's statements, the confrontation may only come to an end when the principles on which European security is based are fundamentally reconsidered. "This is not a territorial conflict, but a conflict which may only end when NATO abandons its main goal and function. So far, there is no compromise on the horizon. The Western side is not willing to agree that the results of the Cold War must be reconsidered, and the Russian side is not ready to retreat without this assurance. Thirty years after the signing of the Partnership for Peace program, there's still no partnership or peace between Russia and NATO. And neither is there a clear understanding of why the two sides were unable to achieve it."
(Source: memri *)
* Middle East Media and Research Institute, an American press monitoring and analysis organization. It publishes and distributes copies of media reports translated into English. Headquarters Washington, D.C., United States
by Lukyanov, the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs; research professor at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs of Moscow Higher School of Economics; chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy; research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

July 11, 2024  American allies in Europe caught in between. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signing in 1987 by President Reagan and the Soviet leader, Gorbachev. West Germany at the time was on the front lines of the Cold War. The agreement was prohibiting nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,500 kilometers and removed the Soviet-type SS-20s or Pioneers mobile, intermediate-range, nuclear-armed ballistic missiles and the American nuclear-capable Pershing II ballistic missiles as well as nuclear-capable Ground-Launch Cruise Missiles from Europe. The treaty remained in force until the Trump administration pulled out of it in 2019, citing violations by Russia with the development of a new cruise missile, the 9M729, also known as the SSC-8. Washington said that the missile could fly at ranges in violation of the agreement. Moscow said that the missile’s range was shorter and denied violating the pact. The dissolution of the Cold War-era agreement signaled the possibility of a renewed arms race, including competing missile deployments in Europe. For years, President Putin of Russia has cited the American deployment of missile infrastructure in Europe as an aggressive move aimed at containing Moscow’s capabilities. At the end of June, Mr. Putin said at a meeting with security officials that Russia should relaunch production of ground-based nuclear-capable missiles of shorter and intermediate range. Russia is preparing military countermeasures in response to the planned American deployment of longer-range missiles in Germany, ’to this new game,’ the Russian deputy foreign minister Ryabkov said today, adding that the U.S. move was “destructive to regional safety and strategic stability.’ In a separate comment published by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Mr. Ryabkov said that Moscow had anticipated the decision and that Russia had started preparing ’compensating countermeasures’ in advance. The news about the coming missile deployments in Germany was made during the NATO summit in Washington. Ultimately, the weapons will include nonnuclear SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles and developmental hypersonic weapons. The alliance also announced that an American missile defense base in Poland capable of intercepting ballistic missiles was 'mission ready' after years of development. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Peskov, said today that tensions were ’escalating on the European continent.’ Moscow saw the deployment of NATO infrastructure closer to its border as “a very serious threat.’ (Source: dnyuz */ New York Times **)
*
** The New York Times, an American daily newspaper. Headquarters New York City, U.S.

Asia

South Korea
July 11, 2024, 3:33 PM   South Korea will become the first country in the world to deploy and operate laser weapons. It announced today that it will deploy laser weapons by the end of this year, to be produced by Hanwha Aerospace, to target North Korean drones. The low-cost system burns engines or other electronic equipment with beams of light. Each shot fired only costs about $1.50 and is extremely difficult to detect before impact. It’s a weapons system capable of countering even aircraft and ballistic missiles if they enhance the generated power, Seoul’s key arms agency said. (Source: foreignpolicy).

North America

United States
July 11, 2024, 3:33 PM  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with former U.S. President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida today. Orbán took over the six-month presidency of the European Union’s Council of Ministers on July 1, and since then, he has met with Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi as part of a self-described “peace mission”- meetings that have angered his fellow NATO members. Orbán and Trump were expected to discuss Russia’s war with Ukraine. Orbán is not the only one worrying fellow NATO members. Yesterday, Trump said he would not pull the United States out of the alliance; however, he reiterated that he wants other NATO nations to pay more. Trump is considering reducing the United States’ intelligence-sharing with NATO members if he is reelected in November. (Source: foreignpolicy *)
* 'Foreign Policy, an American news publication based in Washington, D.C., U.S., with daily content' on its website.

NATO

July 11, 2024 10:23 PM  West preparing for arms race with Russia, its backers - intent on confronting a nascent arms race with global implications. Some Western officials say NATO must prepare to outspend, outpace and outproduce the fledgling alliance that has kept the Russian military on the move - the growing defense cooperation among Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. Officials have repeatedly accused China of playing a critical role in sustaining Russia's military by sending Moscow raw materials and so-called dual-use components needed to produce advanced weapons and weapons systems. In April and May, the United States and Britain levied new sanctions against Iranian companies and officials involved in the production of drones for the Russian military. Declassified U.S. intelligence has noted Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles. South Korean officials said earlier this year that Pyongyang has so far sent Russia at least 6,700 containers that could contain more than 3 million artillery shells. U.S. President Biden said a strategy to disrupt their efforts is being put into place. 'We talked about how both the European Union as well as NATO has to be able to begin to build their own ammunition capacity, has to be able to generate their own capacity to provide for weapons,’ Biden said today. The West is going to become the industrial base for it, Biden added. "We will have the ability to have all the defensive weapons that we need." The U.S., Germany, Spain and others have already begun to produce interceptors for Patriot air defense batteries in Europe. The U.S. and Turkey have embarked on an effort to produce 155 millimeter artillery shells in the southern U.S. state of Texas. The U.S. president said some European allies are also preparing to impose costs on China and disengage economically for as long as Beijing provides Moscow with the components and materiel it needs to continue its war against Ukraine. Already some U.S. officials have taken to calling Russia, China, North Korea and Iran a new ’axis of evil.’ They're 100% aligned all the time, every day, on the strategic capabilities that they're building in partnership, Goldberg, a U.S. National Security Council official under former President Trump, told. "Our response has to view them as an axis, not individual parts." "There are still significant tension points between the four countries that prevent the formation of a more cohesive alliance," said Grisé, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. "Within the Russia-Iran relationship, for example, friction points include competition for energy markets and for influence in the Caucasus, as well as - at least historically - divergent approaches to Israel," Grisé told. The Russia-China-North Korea-Iran axis "to form a more cohesive alliance, they'll have to translate their shared opposition to the Western-led international order into a coherent, shared vision for the future, which I expect they'll struggle to do,’ she said. (Source: voanews *)
* Voice of America, the international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. Headquarters Washington, D.C., United States

4 7 12 .09:17 / 4 7 28 23:26

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Europe

France
(31 March 2025 13:14 CEST)  French court today barred Le Pen from seeking public office for five years, with immediate effect, for ’embezzlement’. Although she can appeal the verdict, such a move won’t suspend her ineligibility - which could rule her out of the 2027 presidential race. As the judge went into greater detail with the verdict, saying Le Pen’s party had illegally used European Parliament money for its own benefit, “Incredible,” she whispered at one point. The judge said Le Pen and other co-defendants didn't enrich themselves personally. Le Pen and 24 other officials from the National Rally were accused of having used money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc’s regulations. The judge also handed down guilty verdicts to eight other current or former members of her party who, like her, previously served as European Parliament lawmakers. Le Pen and her co-defendants face up to 10 years in prison. They can appeal, which would lead to another trial. The court also convicted 12 other people who served as parliamentary aides for Le Pen and what is now the National Rally party, formerly the National Front. Le Pen, 56, was runner-up to President Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and her party’s electoral support has grown in recent years. Prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence and a five-year period of ineligibility for Le Pen. She said she felt they were only interested in preventing her from running for president. “There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent. So tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people would see themselves deprived of their candidate in the election,” she told the panel of three judges. (Source: Africanews, located in Lyon, France)

(Monday), 31/03/2025 - 04:20 CEST  French ’far-right’ leader Le Pen faces a pivotal moment today as a court decides her fate in an embezzlement case, potentially barring her from the 2027 presidential race. Le Pen, head of the ’far-right’ National Rally (RN), her party and two dozen party figures are accused of diverting over 3 million euros of European Parliament funds to pay France-based staff. The defendants say the money was used legitimately and the allegations define too narrowly what a parliamentary assistant does. Prosecutors have asked that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, regardless of any appeal process, using a so-called provisional execution measure. Judges can adopt, modify or ignore the prosecutors' request. The party has called the trial a witch hunt. The leader transformed the RN into the biggest single party in France's parliament. Le Pen, 56, a three-time presidential contender is a front-runner in polls ahead of the 2027 vote. Her political fate is in court's hands. Le Pen’s removal from the race would intensify debate about how judges police politics. The National Rally, which sees her as a leading contender, has denounced the trial as politically motivated, since Le Pen, the main opposition leader would be prevented from running by the judges. Le Pen accuses prosecutors of seeking her political death, alleging a plot to keep the RN from power. "With provisional execution, the judges have the power of life or death over our movement," Le Pen said in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, published on Saturday. Senior RN figures do not expect Le Pen to be barred. Her protege, 29-year-old party president Bardella, will take her place if she is, they say. Prosecutors and a judge involved in the trial have received online death threats, part of a growing international backlash against judges seeking to rein in political wrongdoing. ’Far-right’ expert and political scientist Camus said a five-year ban could anger Le Pen's supporters. RN voters are quite prone to thinking they are victims of the 'elite', he said. "An immediate ineligibility verdict could reinforce this sentiment of being ostracised." (Source: France 24 "with Reuters" - United Kingdom)

European Union

March  31, 2025  EU received 4.3 million immigrants in 2023 from non-EU countries. This figure does not include asylum seekers and/or refugees from Ukraine under temporary protection. Additionally, 1.5 million people migrated between EU countries. Compared with 2022, the number of people who immigrated to the EU decreased by 17.9%, down from 5.3 million. The number of people migrating between EU countries remained stable at 1.5 million. There was an estimated 10 immigrants from non-EU countries per 1,000 residents in the EU in 2023. Relative to the size of the resident population, Malta recorded the highest rate of immigration from EU and non-EU countries in 2023 (76 immigrants per 1,000 residents), followed by Cyprus (43) and Luxembourg (40). By contrast, Slovakia registered the lowest rate of immigration, with 1 immigrant per 1,000 residents, followed by France (6) and Italy (7). The highest proportions of immigrants from countries outside the EU were recorded in Czechia (89.2%), Lithuania (88.9%) and Ireland (87.2%). (Source: EU Reporter, based in Brussels, Belgium)

See also: Statistics Explained article on Migration to and from the EU - Data extracted in March 2025 (Source:Eurostat):

Russia
(31 March 2025)  Russia’s next spring conscription campaign begins on April 1. Based on open sources, Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] and BBC News Russian, together with volunteers, have verified the names of 100,001 Russian fighters killed in Ukraine, including 11,628 mobilized soldiers. (Source: Conflict Intelligence Team – Headquarters Tbilisi, Georgia)

Asia

Israel
March 31, 2025  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his corruption trial abruptly today to give evidence in a separate investigation into possible ties between his aides and Qatar. Two suspects in the investigation, dubbed "Qatar-gate" in Israel, had been arrested earlier today. Israel's public broadcaster Kan said Netanyahu was not a suspect and would provide testimony at his office in Jerusalem. Netanyahu, who is on trial over a separate series of corruption charges which he denies, has rejected the accusations regarding his aides and Qatar as "fake news" and a politically motivated campaign against him. A Qatari official also dismissed the accusations as part of a "smear campaign" against Qatar. Qatar is not defined by Israel as an enemy state but is home to some Hamas leaders. Along with Egypt, it has been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group for a ceasefire in Gaza. According to recent investigations by Kan and the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, the aides are suspected of having orchestrated or been involved in a campaign to improve Qatar's image abroad. They deny any wrongdoing. Earlier today, Netanyahu named a new chief to take over Israel's domestic intelligence agency after a bitter standoff with the current head who has been presiding over the Qatar investigation, together with police. Netanyahu tapped a former commander of Israel's navy, Sharvit, to replace Shin Bet head Bar, who remains in office pending a Supreme Court decision over legal challenges to his dismissal. Government moves to dismiss Bar, have provoked street protests in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Netanyahu said he had lost his confidence in Bar over the October 7, 2023, security failure. The Supreme Court has frozen Bar's dismissal and is due to hear petitions against it on April 8. Netanyahu's Likud party said today that the investigation, today's arrests, were part of a plot to halt Bar's dismissal and oust the prime minister. (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)

North America

United States
(Monday), March 31, 2025  U.S. President Trump said yesterday that Zelensky is trying to back out of a minerals deal with the United States. On Friday, Zelensky said that Ukraine would not accept any minerals deal that threatens its future accession to the European Union. “He's trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. He added that Zelensky ’wants Ukraine to be a member of NATO, but he's never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.” Publicly, Trump has only referred to rare earth metals when discussing the deal. Media reports last week indicated that he has been pushing for an agreement that would give Washington vast control over Kyiv’s critical energy and mineral resources via a joint investment fund. During the same exchange with reporters, Trump addressed a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, saying there is a psychological deadline for Moscow to reach an agreement. For now, he said he believes Russian President Putin "wants to make a deal." (Source: Meduza - based in Riga, Latvia / Reuters - United Kingdom)

.5 3 31 11:57

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Europe

Greenland
(Sunday, March 30, 2025)  On Thursday, four of the five parties elected to Greenland's parliament earlier this month have agreed to form a coalition that will have 23 of 31 seats in the legislature. The following day, Danish King Frederik X posted on Facebook: " There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact." Hundreds of protesters demonstrated yesterday outside the U.S. Embassy in the Danish capital Copenhagen. Usha, the vice president's wife, who was originally scheduled to attend the Greenland's national dogsled race opted out when her husband decided to join the trip and visit the military base instead, reducing the likelihood that they would cross paths with Greenlanders. Danish FM Rasmussen, in his video, reminded viewers of the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States. Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations on the island, he said, to the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest with some 200 soldiers today. The 1951 agreement "offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland," he said. "If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it." Rasmussen added that Denmark has increased its own investment into Arctic defense. In January, Denmark announced 14.6 billion Danish kroner (US$2.1 billion) in financial commitments for Arctic security covering three new naval vessels, long-range drones and satellites. (Source: NPR – U.S.)

Russia
30 March 2025  A ceasefire in Ukraine may not come into effect this year, top Kremlin official Karasin, a former ambassador to the UK, who led Russia's negotiating team with the US earlier this month, has warned. He said that the talks had not led to "any radical breakthrough yet, but the opportunities are there". (Source: LBC - United Kingdom)

Ukraine
30.03.25  Zelensky predicted that Russia could experience a decisive setback in the war. 'Putin will die soon,' calling it a 'fact' as per a report by the Mirror. Zelensky went on to add, ‘…it will come to an end,' while pleading with the United States to stay strong and continue the pressure on Moscow to stop its aggression. (Source: The Telegraph - India)

Asia

Iran
(Sunday), March 30, 2025  Iran's president said today that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehran's first response to a letter President Trump sent to the country's supreme leader. Trump's letter came as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels of 60% purity - something only done by atomic-armed nations. Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb. A report in February, by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium. Pezeshkian had left open talks up until Iran's 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei came down hard on Trump in February and warned talks ’are not intelligent, wise or honorable’ with his administration. The Iranian president then immediately toughened his own remarks on the U.S. The last time Trump tried to send a letter to Khamenei, through the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2019, the supreme leader mocked the effort. Trump's letter arrived in Tehran on March 12. He offered little detail on what he exactly told the supreme leader. Iran's reluctance to deal with Trump likely also takes root in his ordering the attack that killed Iranian Gen. Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020. The U.S. has said Iran plotted to assassinate Trump over that prior to his election this November, something Tehran denied though officials have threatened him. Now, as the U.S. conducts intense airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen, the risk of military action targeting Iran's nuclear program remains on the table. President Pezeshkian said Iran's response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. Such talks have made no progress since Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. Trump said before Pezeshkian's comments he was considering military action and secondary tariffs if Iran does not agree to a nuclear deal. Press TV, the English-language arm of Iranian state television, published an article last week that included listing U.S. bases in the Middle East as possible targets of attack. The list included Camp Thunder Cove on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where the U.S. is basing stealth B-2 bombers likely being used in Yemen. The Americans themselves know how vulnerable they are, warned Iranian parliament speaker Qalibaf on Friday. ’If they violate Iran's sovereignty, it will be like a spark in a gunpowder depot, setting the entire region ablaze. In such a scenario, their bases and their allies will not be safe.’ Tehran's two recent direct attacks on Israel with ballistic missiles and drones caused negligible damage, while Israel responded by destroying Iranian air defense systems. (Source: NPR / The Associated Press = U.S.)

Israel
30 March, 2025  As Israel resumed its war on the Gaza Strip, scores of brigade and battalion commanders said they were seeing an increased number of reservists saying they would not serve, due to Israel shattering the ceasefire deal with Gaza and failing to free captives held in the enclave. The army has also noted a marked decrease in reservists’ motivation, while scores of commanders and soldiers are reportedly exhausted after having to serve for hundreds of days in the past year. There was also a rise in ’gray refusals’, due to health, financial or family reasons, but in fact the decision stems from moral or political reasons. Some of the reasons include fear of the government ignoring rulings of the High Court of Justice, the government’s decision to oust Shin Bet chief Bar and the intention to remove the attorney general. Reserve units are now being forced to take reservists from other units not currently engaged in combat. (Source: The New Arab - based in London, United Kingdom, owned by a Qatari company)

Yemen
2025-03-30  Today, Yemen’s Houthi group's military spokesperson reported that a Dhu al-Fiqar ballistic missile had successfully targeted Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. In a separate attack, Houthi forces reportedly engaged US warships in the Red Sea, striking the USS Harry S. Truman three times within 24 hours using ballistic missiles, drones, and naval units. Yesterday, Houthi-affiliated media reported 13 US airstrikes on northern Yemen’s Saada province. Houthi officials estimate that at least 60 people have been killed since the US-led military campaign began on March 15. (Source: Shafaq News - Iraq)

North America

United States
Mar 30 2025  A confidential Pentagon document - a leaked memo from Defense Secretary Hegseth - focuses on deterring China's seizure of Taiwan and bolstering defense measures on U.S. soil. The interim guidance spans nine pages and bears striking resemblances to a more extensive report set for 2024 by the Heritage Foundation, involved with Project 2025, with several sections appearing almost verbatim when compared by The Washington Post. In the document, Trump insists that U.S. forces must be "ready to defend American interests wherever they might be threatened in our hemisphere, from Greenland, to the Panama Canal, to Cape Horn." The document underscores the importance of increased defense contributions from European nations, stating that this "will also ensure NATO can reliably deter or defeat Russian aggression even if deterrence fails and the United States is already engaged in, or must withhold forces to deter, a primary conflict in another region.' The United States, the guidance suggests, will provide nuclear deterrence against Russia but will only commit forces that are not essential for homeland security or missions related to China. (Source: The Mirror - United Kingdom)

March 30, 2025  'In Trump’s dragnet'. On March 14 the Republican-led Congress approved a $9.9 billion budget for immigration enforcement, an increase of about $500 million. Over the past two months, the president has been doing just what he promised during his campaign: assaulting every aspect of the US immigration system. (Source: The New York Review of Books - U.S.)

Oceania

Tonga
(Sunday), 30 March 2025 6:48 pm  In the early hours of Monday (local time) a 7.1-magnitude earthquake occurred about 100 kilometres northeast of Tonga’s main island. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert, warning that hazardous waves could affect coastlines within 300 kilometres of the epicentre. (Source: Outlook - India)

.5 3 30 17:58

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Europe

France
29/03/2025  The American embassy in Paris asked French companies holding US government contracts to guarantee their compliance with an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programmes. The letters included an attached questionnaire asking firms to certify that they "do not practice programmes to promote diversity, equity and inclusion", or DEI. The questionnaire added that such programmes "infringe on applicable federal anti-discrimination laws" in the United States, where Trump signed an order banning federal DEI programmes the day he returned to office for his second term as president. "We inform you that Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-based Opportunities, signed by President Trump, applies to all suppliers and service providers of the US Government, regardless of their nationality and the country in which they operate," reads the letter. As published in the press, the letter was not on a US embassy letterhead. In that format, it's not an official communication, much less a diplomatic one. Economy Minister Lombard's office said the letter reflects the values of the new US government. 'They are not ours,' it said and the minister will remind his US counterparts of that. (Source: France 24 "with AFP - France and Reuters" - United Kingdom)

Greenland
(29 March 2025)  "We need to wake up from a failed, 40-year consensus that said that we could ignore the encroachment of powerful countries as they expand their ambitions," Vance told US troops at America's Pituffik military base. "We can't just bury our head in the sand - or, in Greenland, bury our head in the snow - and pretend that the Chinese are not interested in this very large landmass." On his visit, Vance mentioned Greenland's aspirations for independence, and implied that America's real intention was not a sudden annexation of the island, but something far more patient and long-term. "Our message is very simple, yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination. We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we're the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security." Under its new government, and with overwhelming public support, Greenland is beginning a slow, very cautious move towards full independence from Denmark. A recent poll showed just 6% of the population support the idea of being part of the US. Washington was cancelling a planned cultural tour by Vance's wife, Usha, to Nuuk and another town in the face of planned local protests. There are still large reserves of goodwill towards the US here, and a keen interest in doing more business with American companies. A slower, more respectful, behind-the-scenes sort of engagement would, surely, make more sense. On the security front, a 74-year-old treaty with Denmark permitting the US to increase its military presence in Greenland at any time – from new bases to submarine harbours - should surely take care of Washington's concerns about countering the threat from China, just as it did during the Cold War years. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)

29.03.2025  US President Trump posted a documentary-style video on X yesterday, calling for renewed unity between the US and the island amid what he described as rising threats from Russia and China. The video, which came alongside US Vice Vance’s visit to Greenland, narrated over historical footage, cited World War II cooperation. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Russia
03/29/2025  United States and Russia in search of paradise lost. Russians love to mirror themselves directly in the Americans. (Source: AsiaNews, an official press agency of the Catholic Church's Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). Headquarters Rome, Italy)
by Caprio

Asia

Myanmar
March 29, 2025  The aftermath of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand
/Photo(s)/ (Source: NPR - U.S.)

Pakistan
Saturday, 29 March 2025  'The World Has Failed' Pakistani Christians
(Source: Newsmax - U.S.)

North America

United States
Sat 29 Mar 2025  The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and promise to carry out mass deportations has already led to a surge in the detention population. The network of remote immigration detention centres stretch between Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, known as “Detention Alley” – where 14 of the country’s 20 largest detention centres are clustered. Louisiana now holds the second largest number of detained immigrants, behind only Texas. Almost 7,000 people were held as of February 2025 at nine facilities in Louisiana, all operated by private companies. Almost 50% of immigrants currently detained by Ice had no criminal record. (Source: The Guardian - United Kingdom)

.5 3 29 23:50

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Europe

Hungary
28/03/2025  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was the first national leader to react to the EU Commission's advice for people to prepare a 72-hour survival kit for emergency situations. The EU wants every member state to develop a 72-hour survival kit for citizens to face any new crisis that might emerge. Viktor Orbán denounced those plans in his weekly address on national radio. He said he does not think that Europe is threatened by war from outside, as no one would attack a NATO country. Orbán added that if someone is making war preparations, that means they are preparing for war actions. „I see that Brussels is preparing for war’, he said. Brussels wants to continue the current war by supporting Ukraine. According to Orbán, the emergency kits proposal is preparation for a deeper involvement in the war. He recalled that Hungary did not deliver any weapons to Ukraine and will not send any troops in the future. "Now this seems funny, that Brussels then sends a message to all European families to keep enough food with them for 72 hours, but if you look behind it, you are rather horrified to see what is on these people's minds’. (Source: Euronews - based in Lyon, France)

Germany
28.03.2025  According to German intelligence agency BND, Russia 'could develop capacity to wage large-scale conventional warfare by end of this decade', public broadcasters report According to financial data in the assessment, Russia's military spending would reach approximately €120 billion ($130 billion) by 2025, 'with plans to recruit up to 1.5 million additional soldiers by 2026'. The report's leak to the media coincides with NATO discussions about increasing defense budgets and military aid commitments to Ukraine. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Russia
(28 March 2025)  Putin has suggested that Ukraine should temporarily be placed under UN control to elect what he called a more "competent" government. Moscow says the current Ukrainian authorities are illegitimate as Zelensky has stayed in power beyond the end of his term and is therefore not a valid negotiating partner. Putin said that this proposal was only one of many options, but pointed out that there were international precedents for UN control such as East Timor and parts of the former Yugoslavia. At the same meeting, the Russian leader said that Moscow had the "strategic initiative" all along the front line in the war and "there are reasons to believe that we can finish off" Ukrainian forces. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)

28 March 2025  Putin, aboard a new nuclear submarine during a visit to an Arctic naval base, yesterday claimed Russian forces have the "strategic initiative" along the Ukrainian front line and had reason to believe his army would "finish them off". He previously issued a stark warning to Nato countries, declaring that Russia is ready to protect its land in the arctic if Trump goes ahead with his plan to purchase Greenland. "It would be a grave mistake to think that this is just some eccentric talk of the new American administration, nothing of the kind," Putin said. He added that the US had previously drawn up plans to take Greenland in the nineteenth century, but these were abandoned. "As for Greenland, I think that this is an issue that concerns two states and has nothing to do with us". "However, we are concerned by the fact that the Nato countries increasingly identify the far north as a foothold for possible conflicts." (Source: LBC - United Kingdom)

28.03.25 Russian President Putin suggested Ukraine be placed under temporary administration to allow for new elections and the signature of key accords to reach a settlement in the war. "In principle, of course, a temporary administration could be introduced in Ukraine under the auspices of the U.N, the United States, European countries and our partners," he was quoted as saying in talks with seamen at the port, during a visit to the northern port of Murmansk. "Throughout the entire line of military contact, our troops are holding the strategic initiative," Putin said. "We are gradually - perhaps not as quickly as some might like - but still persistently and with confidence moving towards achieving the goals set out at the beginning of this operation," the agencies quoted him as saying. Putin praised the efforts in seeking a solution from the BRICS grouping it promotes as an alternative to traditional alliances - singling out China and India for praise. He said Russia was ready to cooperate with many countries, including North Korea, to help end the war. "In my opinion, the newly elected president of the United States sincerely wants an end to the conflict for a number of reasons," the agencies quoted Putin as saying. Trump has said a minerals deal will help secure a peace agreement by giving the United States a financial stake in Ukraine's future. The Trump administration has proposed a new, more expansive minerals deal with Ukraine. France and Britain tried to expand support for a foreign "reassurance force" in the event of a truce with Russia, although Moscow rejects any presence of foreign troops in Ukraine. Putin said Russia was also ready to work with Europe, but adding that Europe "conducts itself in inconsistent fashion". „I hope that we won't make any mistakes based on excessive trust in our so-called partners", he said. (Source: Telegraph India / Reuters - United Kingdom)

Friday 28 March 2025   Russian President Putin, speaking to the crew of a Russian nuclear submarine in televised remarks broadcast early today, suggests putting Ukraine under U.N.-sponsored external governance as part of efforts to reach a peaceful settlement. “Under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends, we could discuss the possibility of introduction of temporary governance in Ukraine,” he said, adding that it would allow the country to “hold democratic elections, to bring to power a viable government that enjoys the trust of the people, and then begin negotiations with them on a peace treaty.” Putin reaffirmed his claim that Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal. He added that such external governance is just “one of the options.” (Source: Independent - United Kingdom / The Associated Press - U.S.)

Ukraine
Friday 28 March 2025  Trump’s new mineral deal forces Ukraine to choose between becoming a US or Russian colony. The latest US offer to trade Ukraine’s minerals for back pay is nothing short of a colonial protection racket. On top of that it demands that the US, under Delaware law, controls most of Ukraine’s industrial output and much of its transport and communications system. Ukrainian parliamentarians told it would stand no chance of ratification by Ukraine’s legislature. It completely ignores international law and the Ukrainian constitution and Ukrainian law, said Morezkho, chairman of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee. He said that he hoped the Trump scheme was a negotiating tactic and did not reflect an ultimatum to withhold military and intelligence aid, as the US has threatened, if Kyiv does not sign the contract. Ukraine’s mineral and agricultural wealth have been seen by Russian colonialists as an essential part of Russian regional dominance. The Trump administration clearly now sees vast rewards for American business if it can trade the commanding heights of the Ukrainian economy for back payment on war donations and a long-term non-military US presence. The minerals deal takes the form of a business contract under US law which has no jurisdiction in Ukraine. It sets out that Ukraine and the US would split the royalties from oil, gas, and all minerals. The profits would be paid to the US, in dollars, and put into a joint investment fund which would be run by Americans holding three of five seats on the governing board. It further demands that the US contribution to Ukraine’s war effort be paid back immediately. The truth is closer to $130bn’. The US deal covers all infrastructure used for the exploitation of mineral products – trains, roads, airports, ports, pipelines, processing plants and refineries - and gives America veto power over the sale of resources to other nations or entities. Recent estimates by the Kiel Institute suggest that the US supplies about 30 per cent of Ukraine’s military equipment and ammunition. Intelligence support from the US has been, and will continue to be, critical. It’s a near hopeless effort for Ukrainian politicians to avoid antagonising Trump’s administration. Ukraine has signed up to a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the Black Sea, and on attacks against energy sectors in Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin has refused the proposal and demanded the lifting of some banking sanctions – which the European Union has refused. The demand to give the US control over Ukraine’s economy, forever, without even security guarantees, reveals ’how little the Trump administration understands the country’, said Yasko, another member of the Ukrainian parliament. She said the American deal was certain to be rejected because it conjured up memories of the Holodomor, when the Kremlin ordered the expropriation of grain from Ukraine to Russia, killing and starving more than three million Ukrainians to death in the early 1930s. We shouldn’t ever allow anyone to have full control over our soil, she warned. (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)
(by Kiley)

United Kingdom
28.03.2025  Confidential military documents found scattered on a city street in Newcastle, spilling out of a black bin bag on March 16. They contained details such as soldiers’ ranks, email addresses, shift patterns, weapon issue information, material related to accessing weapons storage and an intruder detection system, linked to British Army regiments and barracks at Catterick Garrison. A document, marked “official – sensitive,” contained details that, according to government guidelines, could pose a ’threat to life’ if exposed. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Asia

India
28 March 2025  On March 17, India’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the western state of Gujarat said it had arrested two people linked to Surat-based pharmaceutical companies for allegedly exporting illicit fentanyl precursors to Mexico and Guatemala. India has been identified as an emerging player in the illicit fentanyl trade, according to a new U.S. intelligence report. Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine, is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S. (Source: Outlook - India)

Lebanon
28/03/2025  The Israeli military said today it was striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, hours after missiles were fired from Lebanese territory into Israel. Shortly before the strike, Israel's army issued an evacuation order to residents of Hadath in Beirut's southern suburbs. The military told them to leave the area around 'Hezbollah facilities' immediately. The order came as Lebanese President Aoun - making his first trip to a Western nation - began talks in Paris on Friday with French President Macron to discuss economic reforms and efforts to stabilise the country. (Source: France 24 "with" Reuters - United Kingdom, AFP - France and AP - U.S. )

Myanmar
March 28, 2025 / 7:34 AM  The main tremor, which occurred at around 12:20 local time, struck close to the Irrawaddy River in Sagaing Region, just west of Mandalay, a city of more than 1.7 million, followed 11 minutes later by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock 20 miles away to the south in Mandalay Region. Two further 4.6 shocks were recorded minutes apart an hour later. All the quakes were along the Sagaing Fault, a major 750-mile north-south fault that runs virtually the entire length of Myanmar, of a population of 57 million. The office of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said in a post on X that airports, hospitals, and transport had been placed on standby. The quake also rocked China's Yunan Province. The main shock registered at a magnitude of 7.9, according to their instruments. (Source: UPI - U.S.)

(March 28, 2025) 17:25  The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit north-west of the city of Sagaing, Myanmar. At the 1,000-bed Naypyitaw hospital – a ‘mass casualty area’ - the wounded are being treated in the street outside. /Photo(s)/ (Source: The Straits Times – Singapore -/ Reuters – United Kingdom)

Mar 28, 2025 17:08 IST  1,000-bed Myanmar hospital sees rows of injured lay outside after earthquake. /Photo(s)/ (Source: India Today / Agence France-Presse)

(March 28, 2025 12:19 CET)  7.7 magnitude earthquake jolts Myanmar, struck near central Myanmar’s Mandalay city today morning at 11.50 am local time. An aftershock, measuring 6.4 struck, at 12.02 pm. The devastating quake destroyed the major Naypyidaw hospital, lot of heritage sites including Mandalay Royal Palace and many other historical landmarks, homes, apartment buildings, airport, Sagaing Ava Bridge. /Video *, photo(s) **/ (Source: Scroll - India / X - U.S.)
* 1 100 000 views
** 192 views; 119 100 views.

Nepal
Mar 28, 2025  Curfew was imposed in Kathmandu after pro-monarchy protests demanding restoration of Hindu kingdom turned violent, leading to arson and clashes with police. Security forces used tear gas. Nepal abolished its 240-year-old monarchy in 2008 through a parliamentary declaration, transitioning into a secular, federal democratic republic. However, monarchists have been demanding its restoration, especially after former King Gyanendra called for public support in a video message on Democracy Day (February 19). On March 9, pro-monarchy activists held a rally in support of Gyanendra, who had returned to Kathmandu after visiting religious sites. Meanwhile, thousands of anti-monarchy protesters, led by the Socialist Front, gathered at Bhrikutimandap, chanting slogans like 'Long live the republic,' "Punish the corrupt," and 'Down with monarchy.' Political parties such as the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and CPN-Unified Socialist backed the demonstration. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)

Thailand
(March 28, 2025) 17:25  Quake - the under-construction 30-storey skyscraper building collapsing in the Chatuchak district, Bangkok, Thailand. /Video * / (Source: The Straits Times – Singapore -/ X – U.S.); Photo(s) / (The Straits Times – Singapore -/ AFP - France, Reuters - United Kingdom, …)
* 6 200 000 views /

(March 28, 2025 12:19 CET)  A 30-storey under-construction skyscraper collapses * and a roooftop infinity pool turns into a waterfall ** in Bangkok, about 1,000 km away from Mandalay, Myanmar where a 7.7 magnitude earthquake jolted. /Video(s)/ (Source: Scroll - India / X - U.S.)
* 928 000 views
** 95 500 views

North America

United States
03-28-2025  White House Press Secretary Leavitt says "spiritual warfare" is real and has seen ’evil forces’ at work against President Trump. At the age of 27, White House Press Secretary Leavitt approaches the podium with confidence and a smile. She has proved to be unflappable, her approach is no-nonsense and fearless. How she draws that strength immediately before each briefing? "I think that team prayer before is just a moment to be silent and still and ask God for confidence and the ability to articulate my words, knowledge, prayer, protection, and it is a nice moment to reset. It's the last thing I do before I go out there, and then it just gives me the confidence to do a briefing," she says. Growing up in New Hampshire, "I think that value of hard work and determination and drive was instilled in me in a very young age, just by watching my parents work so hard to earn a living," Leavitt says. Catholic education instilled discipline and shaped who she is today. „It could be difficult for someone who doesn't have faith but with faith, all things are possible." Sports played a role as well. She excelled on her high school softball team and received a scholarship from Saint Anselm college in Manchester. She ran for Congress in 2022 and lost the general election. „So God knew what He was doing, I believe, and you just have to trust the process and trust that he's working in your life, and stay grounded in your faith throughout the way." "The game of softball in sports prepared me for the game of politics, no doubt about it," Leavitt says. "Discipline, hard work, teamwork and also competing against yourself to be the best that you can in athletics, I think, has prepared me especially for this job now. Every day is a new game in this job." Leavitt pulls one off each day in her high-level role that includes being a full-time mom to an eight-month-old baby boy. "It's certainly challenging. I think every working mother understands the demands. And no matter where you are, what you're doing, there is a sense of guilt," she says. "But I spend every second that I possibly can with my son when I'm home on weekends and evenings. I try to make it home for bedtime as much as I can throughout the week." Which doesn't leave too much time for sleep. "Actually, it's usually about five to six hours a night is what I'm doing, which is all we need. As President Trump says, when you love your job and you love your life, you don't need to sleep much." How does Karoline define Karoline? "I hope people just view me as a hard worker who wants to get the job done and a good mother, and good at my job”. She leans on that faith inside the briefing room as questions come fast and furious from all directions. Leavitt says she's ready for what's coming. "Oftentimes, the questions are predictable." With liberal reporters everywhere in the press briefing room, it begs the question: Is political journalism dead in America today? "I think there are true journalists out there that still exist," she says. "They are few and far between. I think many people in the briefing room here are trying out for their next big show...so I think the media has had to take a look in the mirror, especially after President Trump's resounding victory on November 5th, and the American public sent a very strong message to the anti-Trump media that we don't listen to you." Legacy media often still push back. New York Times Reporter Baker has complained that outlets are losing direct access to the president if they print something the White House doesn't like. "That is utter fallacy and completely ridiculous,” Leavitt says. “We have expanded the pool to new voices, independent journalists, podcasters, social media content creators, while continuing to invite legacy media outlets like the one Baker works for". In the middle of these ongoing battles, this administration is also facing rogue judges it sees as trying to stop the Trump agenda. Leavitt labels them part of the ’resistance movement.’ "Almost every single one of them is a registered Democrat, has been involved in Democrat campaigns or causes, have donated to Democrat candidates. Some of them have even put their anti-Trump bias on social media. They have not been shy about their hatred for this president and his policies, and they are abusing their judicial power." She also sees a much larger fight taking place: the one between good and evil. "I certainly believe in spiritual warfare. And I think I saw it firsthand, especially throughout the campaign trail with President Trump. And I think there certainly were evil forces. And I think that the president was saved by the grace of God on July 13th in Butler, Pennsylvania, and he's in this moment for a reason." /Source: Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) - U.S./
By Brody, an Emmy Award-winning news journalist with more than two decades of experience, the Chief Political Analyst for CBN News.

Friday 28 March 2025  In his executive order, President Trump said the Smithsonian used to be seen as "a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement". But in recent years, it said, it has 'come under the influence of a divisive, race-centred ideology'. He accused it of advancing narratives that portray American and Western values as 'inherently harmful and oppressive'. Vice President Vance will be in charge of removing 'improper ideology' from all areas of the institution, which receives 62% of its funding from the federal government. Mr Trump recently had himself installed as chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and replaced board members with political loyalists. The Smithsonian describes itself on its website as "the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums, 14 education and research centres", established in 1846 by the US Congress. It also manages the National Zoo in Washington. (Source: Sky News – United Kingdom)

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Russia
24.03.2025  The Kremlin today said that both Russia and the US want to reach a settlement about the Ukraine war, as delegations from Moscow and Washington are holding a new round of bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia. Kremlin spokesman Peskov noted that the agenda of the talks is the issue of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, as well as all other topics related to the grain deal’s revival was proposed by US President Trump and that Putin gave his consent to this. He also said that Putin has not changed his order for Russian forces not to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities. The grain deal, signed in July 2022 in Istanbul by Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports halted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. On July 17, 2023, Russia withdrew from the deal, saying that the Russian part of the agreement had not been implemented. It sought the loosening of banking restrictions and the ability to ship its fertilizer before returning to the agreement. (Source: Anadolu Agency – Turkey)

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Europe

Germany
Sun March 23, 2025  Europeans, for the first time in decades, are focusing on their own military might. As the Trump administration continues to pursue a deal to end the war in Ukraine, Germany is unlocking billions to supercharge its military. The Bundeswehr have been the victim of years of underinvestment – but that is set to change. Germany has just passed a major reform to its constitutional debt brake, unlocking billions of euros in funding. "Over a 10-year period", with Germany spending 3.5% of GDP, it could amount to €600 billion ($652 billion). In Berlin, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 kickstarted the period known in German as the Zeitenwende (turning point). In effect, it was the beginning of the effort to step up military spending once again. Only as recently as 2024 did Germany meet the NATO threshold of 2% spending on defense - marking the first time in more than 30 years. Olaf Scholz, the now-outgoing chancellor, established a one-off €100 billion fund for “comprehensive investment” into the Bundeswehr. To do so, Scholz had to amend the Basic Law – essentially, the country’s constitution. The change could unlock hundreds of billions of dollars of debt just on military spending. The implementation of the policy has been lackluster. A report released last week by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Högl, suggested the work to be done was significant. It outlined that the Bundeswehr didn’t meet recruitment targets, had an aging fighting force, with barracks and basic infrastructure lacking. In 2018, Germany committed to boosting its standing forces to 203,000 by 2025. The target date that was later revised to 2031. Since the mid-1960s, Germany’s standing army size has declined dramatically to over 500,000 to just over 180,000 in 2024. Högl said that the current Bundeswehr fighting force is 181,174 personnel. Germany officially put conscription into abeyance in 2011. I think some kind of obligatory service has to be in place to increase the numbers in the way we want to see it, German Brig. Gen. Hammerstein said. The Högl report also highlighted the serving age of the army, saying servicemen and women are getting older and older. The average age in 2019 was 32.4, but has now increased to 34. A bill attached said €67 billion were required for infrastructure projects, and described barracks and properties as still in a disastrous state. There is a shift in the national psyche towards the Bundeswehr. A survey conducted by German public broadcaster ARD in March found 66% of respondents believe it’s right to increase spending on defense and the Bundeswehr, while 31% said spending should remain the same or be cut further. 59% of those surveyed ’agreed that Germany should significantly increase its debt’ in order to cope with upcoming tasks, especially in defense and infrastructure. (Source: CNN - U.S.)  

Ireland
23 Mar 2025  As a result, the proposed 25% tariffs imposed on the EU by the US from early April could cost Ireland up to 80,000 jobs, in the worst case scenario, over the next four to five years - an impact of between two and 4% on its GDP, Finance Minister Donohoe has warned. Trump has threatened to impose 200% tariffs on alcohol from the EU. The Irish Whiskey Association is outlining that the export value of Irish drinks to the United States is over €800 million a year. US Secretary of Commerce Lutnick said that Ireland is his favourite ’tax scam’, which had “all our great tech companies and great pharma companies” because of its low rate of corporation tax, and said “that’s got to end”. (Source: The Journal - Ireland)

European Commission
23/03/2025  Speaking in Cairo where she was attending a meeting of the Arab-Islamic Committee on Gaza, with representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the European Union's foreign affairs chief Kallas, today announced plans to visit Israel 'and raise questions' about the return to war in the Gaza Strip. (Source: Euronews - based in Lyon, France)

United Kingdom
(Sunday), Mar 23, 2025  The prime minister is the only person in the United Kingdom authorized to order a nuclear strike. The Vanguard must be maneuvered to the right depth to launch its Trident missiles. Prowling silently in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, for nearly 30 years, ’it is designed to deter a nuclear conflict with Russia’ (at least one of the four Vanguard-class submarines is always on patrol). Starmer said these mighty boats were an ironclad symbol of Britain’s commitment to NATO. He now finds himself ’fighting to avert a rupture’ of the post-World War II alliance between Europe and the United States. The immediate question is whether Britain and Europe will play a meaningful role in Trump’s negotiations with Russian President Putin. Starmer ’is trying to assemble a multinational military force that he calls a coalition of the willing’. ’The goal, he says, is to keep Ukraine’s skies, ports and borders secure after any peace settlement’. Behind Starmer’s even more elusive goal: persuading Trump of the value of NATO, that the president disparages as a club of free riders, sheltering under a U.S. security umbrella but failing to pay their fair share. Britain? It faces hurdles on every front. Russia has rejected the idea of a NATO peacekeeping force; Trump has yet to offer security guarantees; Aside from Britain and France, no other European country has done so. Senior British military and defense officials said they expected that ultimately, multiple countries would contribute planes, ships or troops to the effort. Starmer said ’he felt he had little choice but to get ahead of the pack’. Unlike French President Macron or Germany’s incoming chancellor, Merz, Starmer has not called for Europe to chart an independent course from the United States on security. He insists that the special relationship is unshakable and that, in any case, British and U.S. forces are deeply intertwined. (The United States supplies the Trident missiles on British submarines.) Two men could hardly be less alike: Starmer with leftwing political roots, Trump, with habits and instincts that shade into the regal. Trump occasionally calls him on his cellphone, to discuss favorite topics such as Trump’s golf resorts in Scotland. ’I understand what he’s trying to achieve’ Starmer said of Trump. The president - from imposing a 25% tariff on British steel to berating Zelenskyy - had generated ’quite a degree of disorientation’, he said. The right response, was not to get provoked by it. In offering himself as a bridge, Starmer said, that after a period in which Britain had been disinterested and absent from the world stage, ’we’re back, if you like.’ But there are limits to Britain’s role in a post-Brexit world. The EU said it would exclude British weapons manufacturers from a defense fund worth €150 billion ($162 billion), unless 'Britain signs a security partnership agreement with Brussels'. Britain, analysts say, will find it harder to act as a bridge if Trump spares it from more sweeping tariffs that he has vowed to impose on the EU. Dogged by a torpid economy, Starmer said the crisis ’had injected an urgency’ into his government. Domestic woes keep piling up, events can temporarily swamp a government’s agenda. Starmer has faced a backlash over decisions such as cutting payments to help retirees with winter heating costs. Even the fire at an electrical substation in London on Friday, which shut down Heathrow Airport is a reminder. Painful trade-offs loom, further down the road. Starmer has pledged to increase military spending to 2.5% of Britain’s gross domestic product by 2027, financed with a cut to overseas development aid. It is not clear how Britain will pay for a promised further increase to 3% of GDP within a decade. PM Starmer is noting that Europe is moving into a darker era. I don’t want to veer into scaremongering, he said, but he added, ’We need to think about defense and security in a more immediate way.’ A new fleet of ballistic missile submarines are being built at a shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, in northwest England. Four Dreadnought-class vessels, each almost the length of St. Paul’s Cathedral, are scheduled to go into service in the early 2030s, at an estimated cost of 41 billion pounds ($53 billion). The Vanguard-class submarines being replaced by the Dreadnoughts are nearly 30 years old, which necessitates prolonged maintenance periods. That has extended the patrols for the other vessels in the fleet and put acute pressure on their roughly 130-person crews. The Vanguard set a Royal Navy record for longest patrol, seven months at sea. Sailors said the food, excellent at first, deteriorated as the submarine’s provisions dwindled. This has doubled my resolve to ensure we go further and faster in our capabilities, the PM said, "to make sure they are not put in that position again.” (Source: The Japan Times / The New York Times - U.S.)

Asia

Gaza
(Sunday), 23.03.2025  Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved the formation of a directorate for voluntary departure of Palestinians from Gaza Strip. The head of the new directorate will be selected by the defense minister soon. /Photo/ (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

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Europe

European Union
(22 March 2025)  EU lender shifts strategy toward defence and critical minerals. The European Investment Bank (EIB) ’has taken steps to begin financing Europe’s security and defence industry’ and infrastructure, the Luxembourg headquartered lender announced yesterday evening. Until now, EU rules did not allow the EIB to finance production of military equipment. ’The EIB’s eligibility criteria have now been expanded to ensure that excluded activities are as limited as possible in scope, the bank said. The move will allow the EIB to finance security and defence projects in areas like barracks and storage facilities, land and aerial vehicles, drones and helicopters, radars and satellites, advanced avionics, military mobility, cyber security, etc. ’The bank yesterday also announced its intention to double its investment for security and defence projects this year’. ’The message of European leaders is clear: we must strengthen Europe’s security and defence capabilities. Today’s decisions show that the EIB is part of the solution,’ said EIB Group President Calviño. ’It follows calls from EU leaders at a special European Council on 6 March for stronger financial backing of Europe’s defence industrial base’. In parallel, the bank launched a new strategic initiative on critical raw materials (CRM), a vital input for semiconductors, defence and aerospace. The initiative includes a €2 billion financing package for 2025, a new task force, and a one-stop-shop to help project developers access funding and technical support. The bank also approved a total of €8.9 billion in new financing across transport, energy, education, water and small and medium enterprises (SME) sectors. These include rail investments in Germany, Czechia and Spain, port upgrades in Estonia. (Source: Luxembourg Times)

Asia

China
Mar 22, 2025  US Senator Daines, a strong supporter of President Trump, met China’s Vice-Premier He, today, marking the first visit by a US politician to Beijing since Mr Trump returned to the White House. Mr Daines was to meet with Premier Li tomorrow, coinciding with the start of the annual China Development Forum in Beijing that is expected to be attended by dozens of foreign executives, including representatives from US companies. Ahead of his visit, Mr Daines told on Fox News he would be talking with Chinese leaders about “what they can do” on fentanyl. Mr Daines also said he was planning to talk about the trade deficit the United States has with China, and what can be done to change “trade practices”. (Source: The Straits Times - Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)

Turkey
22/03/2025  The detained opposition politician, the 53-year-old Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu faces questioning over allegations of corruption and terror links. The arrest of the major has sparked consecutive nights of protests across Turkey. Imamoglu's arrest came just days before he was to have been formally named as the main opposition CHP's candidate in the 2028 presidential race. He is widely seen as the only politician capable of challenging Erdogan. Police have arrested 343 people since the start of the protests. (Source: France 24)

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Germany
21/03/2025  Speaking at the annual Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) Congress, Germany's likely next chancellor, Merz, pledged continued robust financial support and weapons deliveries to Ukraine. 'There is some good news. This afternoon, immediately after the Bundesrat (upper house of parliament) decision, parliament's budget committee will meet and release €3 billion ($3.25 billion) for Ukraine'. This funding has been requested since last year September but was held up due to the budget situation, he said. Earlier today, the Bundesrat approved constitutional changes that will enable the incoming government 'to significantly boost defense spending' and infrastructure investments. 'Under these changes, Germany's strict fiscal rules will be eased, allowing borrowing for critical defense spending', intelligence service enhancement, IT system protection, and aid to states attacked in violation of international law. With this latest injection, Germany's total military assistance to Ukraine will reach €7 billion in 2025. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

United Kingdom
(Friday), 04:09 GMT; 14:05 GMT, 21 March 2025  A blaze broke out at the nearby substation at 8pm on Thursday, the fire caused a major power outage. Flights forced to return to India, the Caribbean and the US as Heathrow shutdown at around 3am today triggered worldwide travel chaos with more than 200,000 passengers left stranded in airports. Dozens of flights have been diverted to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Lyon and other European cities. The airport is handling around 1,300 landings and take-offs each day. The cause of the fire remains unknown. (Map, photo/ (Source: Daily Mail – United Kingdom)

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