Egyik 19

.

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

.

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

.

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

.

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

.

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

.

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)

.5 3 28 14:32

.

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

.

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

.

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)

.5 3 24 16:32

.

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)

.5 3 23 14:29

.

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)

.5 3 22 17:12

.

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)

5 3 22 .19:51

.

European Council
Thursday, March 20, 2025  All European Union nations but Hungary signed a joint statement today backing Ukraine. Conclusions ’reaffirming the EU’s continued and unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity were firmly supported’ by 26 out of 27 leaders. The second time in a month, Budapest was the bloc’s sole member to decline to sign such a statement of support. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is unable to hold up real EU assistance to Ukraine. As a matter of principle, the 27 EU member nations strive for unanimity on big decisions. When it comes to sensitive foreign affairs questions, it is often a legal necessity. Hungary’s European partners are coming up with workarounds to avoid any veto. Under Orbán, Hungary has drifted ever further from the EU fold over the war in Ukraine, repeatedly holding up the passage of multibillion-euro aid packages and sanctions. Two weeks ago, Hungary already refused to put its name to a joint EU statement that referred to Ukraine achieving ’peace through strength’ by counting on continued European military and financial support. At that emergency summit, European Council President Costa described Hungary as ’isolated’. “We respect Hungary’s position,” he said. “But it’s one out of 27, and 26 are more than one.’ Earlier this week, Hungary’s European Affairs Minister Bóka indicated that Budapest would refuse to sign the joint statement. “The part on Ukraine in several points is against the strategic interests and the strategic vision of Hungary on how to create the new European security architecture,” Bóka said Monday. Ahead of the summit today, EU officials and diplomats from other countries made clear they wouldn’t spend time being drawn into hours-long debates with Budapest when agreement on Ukraine was impossible. At the same time, Orbán is the closest to Russian President Putin of all EU leaders, and is backing U.S. President Trump’s peace talks with Moscow, which have largely sidestepped Kyiv and the EU. Orbán is emboldened by U.S. President Trump, who is pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump has blamed Ukraine for Russia’s unprovoked invasion, all while accusing Kyiv of unnecessarily prolonging the biggest land war in Europe since World War II. Hungary can take the symbolic step of blocking joint statements and holding up proceedings. The rest of the bloc 'is growing more inclined to proceed without it'. Two courses of action that will directly benefit Ukraine - a major EU defense loan package and countries spending more on their military budgets – can not be blocked by it. With talks on the future of Ukraine unfolding day by day, the rest of the EU is looking for ways to signal support for Kyiv. Ministers and representatives from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all of which are close to or share borders with Russia, called for “concrete proposals on how to decisively advance Ukraine’s accession process” in a letter. Kyiv got the green light to open membership negotiations last year, after Hungary dropped a veto, but the talks are yet to start. Sweden’s European Affairs Minister Rosencrantz told that supporting Ukraine’s journey to EU membership was ’an investment in the security of our entire continent.’ Joining the EU typically takes years or even decades of difficult reforms, though ’European Commission President der Leyen has suggested Kyiv could possibly join by the end of the decade’. In Hungary, Orbán has threatened to block Ukraine’s membership, and he is planning to hold a public opinion survey on whether the country should be allowed in. Enlargement decisions require unanimity, which has seen other EU membership bids, notably Turkey’s, grind to a halt. At a gathering of ’far-right’ EU politicians on the eve of the summit, Orbán said he does not support giving money to keep Ukraine fighting. “In our understanding, there is one simple mission to be done by the European Union: to support Trump, President Trump’s efforts to make peace,” he said. While EU leaders ponder long-term measures to back Kyiv, it is the United States that is shaping the course of the conflict. Future U.S. support for Kyiv is far from certain following a bust-up between Trump and Zelenskyy. Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after Trump spoke to both presidents, though it remains to be seen when and how it might take effect. (Source: The Washington Times / The Associated Press = U.S.)

Russia
„Thursday, March 20, 2025  Ukraine and Russia have agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after President Trump spoke with both countries’ leaders this week. The tentative deal to partly rein in the grinding war came after Russian President Putin rebuffed Mr Trump’s push for a full 30-day ceasefire. After an hour-long call with President Trump yesterday that both leaders said went well, President Zelensky told reporters that “technical” talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend would seek to resolve what types of infrastructure would be protected under the agreement. But it was immediately clear that the three parties had different views about what the pact entailed, with the White House saying “energy and infrastructure” would be covered, the Kremlin saying the agreement referred more narrowly to “energy infrastructure” and President Zelensky saying he’d also like railways and ports to be protected. ’One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure,’ Mr Zelensky said on social media following his call with Trump, which came a day after the US president held similar talks with President Putin. ’I supported this step and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it.’ During their call, President Trump suggested that Zelensky should consider giving the US ownership of Ukraine’s power plants, supposedly to ensure their long-term security, according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Rubio and National Security Adviser Waltz. Mr Trump told President Zelensky that the US could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” the statement said. President Trump suggested “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure,” according to White House officials. The idea was floated even as the Trump administration looks to finalise an agreement to gain access to Ukraine’s critical minerals, under the guise of repayment for US support for Ukraine during the war. (Source: Morning Star – United Kingdom)

.5 3 22 20:52

.

Europe

Hungary
Mar 19, 2025  Hungary has passed a law banning Pride parades. The new law allows authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify and punish participants after the fact. PM Viktor Orbán's government promotes itself as a supporter of traditional family values and defender of Christian civilization against what it calls 'gender madness.' It is claiming the regulations are intended to safeguard children. The new law is making it a crime to organize or join events that violate the country's child protection law. The law forbids any depiction or promotion of homosexuality to minors. Attending a Pride parade in Hungary could now lead to a fine of 200,000 Hungarian forints (roughly $550). After the law's passage, several thousand protesters gathered outside Hungary's parliament chanting anti-government slogans and later blocked traffic on Margaret Bridge over the Danube River. (Source: NewsBytes – India)

Italy
19.03.2025  Italy's deputy premier criticizes European Commission's ReArm Europe plan, calling it absurd amid the peace talks between the US and Russia to end the Ukraine war. "While the US and Russia talk about peace, does it seem normal to you that some people in Brussels want to spend money on war?' speaking to reporters in Brussels, Salvini said. "The EU was created to guarantee peace, not to fuel new wars,' he added. Salvini also noted that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had a mandate to "defend the Italian national interest" and that the European Commission's President der Leyen's plan did not fall within this. "The goal is to stop the weapons that are killing right now, both on the Ukrainian front and on the Russian front," he said. 'The €800 billion ($868 billion) worth ReArm plan, announced by der Leyen, seeks to strengthen Europe’s military capabilities by boosting defense spending, focusing on joint defense production, investing in the defense industry, and reducing dependence on non-EU suppliers. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

19 March 2025  Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says trying to make ReArm plan more sustainable:'Only based on debt, better guarantees on private investments”. Meloni said today the government is trying to make European Commission President der Leyen's ReArm Europe plan more sustainable as it is nearly entirely based on the national debt of States, addressing the Lower House after a debate on her communications ahead of this week's EU Council. We are making other proposals, because it helps us deduct expenses, while on the other hand a priority must be to favour private investments on this issue. she said. "With Economy Minister Giorgetti we have drafted a proposal that follows Invest EU, with European guarantees for private investments and we try to make this plan more sustainable”, noted the premier. (Source: ANSA - Italy)

European Commission
19.03.2025  "450 million European Union citizens should not have to depend on 340 million Americans to defend ourselves against 140 million Russians who cannot defeat 38 million Ukrainians", says Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defense and Space in a press conference in Brussels. 'If Europe wants to avoid war, Europe must get ready for war', he added. The European Commission today announced a comprehensive set of proposals, known as a white paper. Central to the plan is the creation of a more integrated European defense market. 'The European Commission will raise up to €150 billion on the capital markets', providing long-maturity loans to EU member states for strategic defense investments. 'A key element of the white paper is its recognition of Ukraine’s importance in Europe’s defense strategy'. 'The plan includes additional support to Ukraine, such as ammunition, air defense systems, and military training'. 'One of the aspects of the new defense proposals is the commitment to increasing defense spending among EU member states'. 'EU members are encouraged to aim for 3.5% of GDP for defense expenditure'. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Russia
19/03/2025  Russia and Ukraine today announced they had each swapped 175 prisoners of war. Russia's Defence Ministry said earlier today it had released an additional 22 severely wounded Ukraine captives “as a goodwill gesture". Since the start of the Russian invasion, more than 4,000 Ukrainian captives, including civilians and foreigners, have been released. (Source: France 24 "with AP")

March 19, 2025  Russia launched a series of drone strikes that struck civilian areas overnight and damaged a hospital in Ukraine following a phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin during which the Russian leader refused to back a full 30-day ceasefire. Mr. Trump had said that Putin agreed during the call to immediately halt attacks on all energy and infrastructure in Ukraine. According to the Russian government's readout of the leaders' phone call, Putin reiterated that for a full ceasefire, Moscow would require a complete cutoff of all military and intelligence support for Kyiv from the U.S. and its Western partners. Those terms were not mentioned by the White House yesterday. Shortly after Mr. Trump and Putin wrapped up their lengthy phone call, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv, followed by explosions. Several strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including a direct drone strike on a hospital in Sumy and attacks on cities in Donetsk region. Emergency services did not report any casualties. Russian drones were also reported over Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy regions. The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier today that its air defenses had intercepted 57 Ukrainian drones over the Azov Sea and several Russian regions - the border provinces of Kursk and Bryansk and the nearby regions of Oryol and Tula. Authorities in the Krasnodar region bordering the Crimean Peninsula reported that a drone attack there had started a fire at an oil depot. Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy spoke by phone for roughly an hour today morning, with the U.S. leader describing the call as very good. "Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs. We are very much on track," he said in a statement on Truth Social. (Source: CBS News / AP = U.S.)

United Kingdom
March 19, 2025  ' 'Britain’s former ambassador to Russia on how Trump can avoid ’falling into the Kremlin’s trap’. There is no prospect of peeling Russia off from China. ’Russia fully respecting a cease-fire are effectively nil, and there is no prospect of Putin’s fundamental aims changing’. An angry, bitter, malevolent Russian leadership is waiting for its chance to redraw the post-Cold War settlement in Europe. Putin’s earlier response to Trump’s proposal of a temporary 30-day cease-fire was that any agreement would need to address the “underlying causes” of the conflict. According to Putin, the conflict is about his belief that Ukraine is not a country but an 'anti-Russian project' of the West. This is about Putin’s idea of Russia itself: an imperial Great Power, of which Ukraine is a part. In his view, Ukraine must be prevented from becoming a Western-leaning democracy. The conflict is about calling a halt to NATO enlargement. This is about correcting a consequence of the end of the Cold War: the freedom of nations in Central and Eastern Europe to choose their own destinies. Russian officials mean that Russia has a veto over other countries’ security arrangements, while others have no such veto over Russia. Another, overarching factor: geopolitical rivalry with the United States, and resentment of Russia’s diminished standing after the Cold War. Putin’s diatribe at the 2007 Munich Security Conference was against U.S. unilateralism. In 2018, during Trump’s first presidency, his anger was directed at the U.S. withdrawal 16 years earlier from the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty and the prospect of growing U.S. strategic advantage. In 2021, just before the invasion of Ukraine, Putin demanded that NATO should withdraw forces to where they stood in 1997, and that Washington should withdraw its nuclear weapons from Europe. So, what is at stake in a negotiation in 2025? The key negotiations are between the United States and Russia; the United States and Ukraine; and within the NATO alliance over how to support Ukraine and how to assure its own security. There is no evidence that any of Putin’s goals have changed. He wants to declare victory in his “special military operation”; to decouple the United States from Europe; to assert hegemony over Central and Eastern Europe; to reclaim Russia’s Great Power status; to remove sanctions; to regain legitimacy; and to cut the United States down to size. Both Trump and Putin prefer bilateral deal making over the heads of lesser powers. It is not entirely clear what Trump wants to achieve. To end a conflict in Europe? To transfer costs and risks to the Europeans? To normalize relations with Russia? To peel Russia and China apart? There is no prospect of Russia changing its fundamental aims; no prospect of Russia agreeing to meaningful Western security guarantees for Ukraine; and no basis for trusting any undertakings from Moscow. ' 'Ukraine’s security relies on deterring Russia, not cooperating with it; so does Europe’s security' '. The choice is whether to deter further Russian aggression, at high cost and risk, or deal with the consequences of failing to do so, at much higher cost and risk. The central idea of Trump’s approach is that Ukraine should trade land for peace. Without security guarantees, it will simply buy time for Russia to rearm. That leaves some big questions for NATO. The U.K., Europe, and Canada will need to develop their own defense capabilities, including autonomous capabilities that are not reliant on the United States. Putin’s response to Trump’s proposed cease-fire demonstrates that Putin thinks he’s negotiating from a position of strength. Putin is almost certainly counting on Trump’s impatience for a deal - and his impatience with both Ukraine and his NATO allies  -  working to Russia’s advantage. Putin’s position has been greatly strengthened by ’two grave mistakes’ by Trump. The first is the heavy pressure the United States has applied to President Zelensky without putting corresponding pressure on Putin. The second is Trump’s willingness to take steps toward normalization of U.S. relations with Russia, without requiring Putin to address the causes of the breakdown in relations. This is exactly what Putin wants: to demonstrate that Russia’s interests must be taken into account and that Russia cannot be isolated. Trump’s approach to negotiating with Putin is an open invitation to Putin to put forward maximalist demands and wait for others to meet them. Putin has already obtained major concessions in particular, statements by the Trump administration taking NATO membership and restoration of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders off the table, and questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy. What would put Russia under real pressure and increase the chances of a lasting cease-fire? ' 'It requires creating conditions in which Russia’s position inevitably weakens over time: strengthening Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself; increasing economic pressure on Russia (bearing down on Russian oil sales receipts and tightening sanctions implementation, for example); and a concerted NATO response to the threat Russia presents to its security. Russia will only contemplate a genuine cease-fire if all the alternatives are worse - and will worsen further over time' '. Don’t let the Kremlin control the timing or substance of negotiations. Don’t let the Kremlin change the subject, set its own agenda, or create false equivalence. Don’t agree to measures that have the purpose of destabilizing Ukraine. Don’t let ambition to do deals with a strongman damage the alliances that are democracies’ greatest asset in containing threats to our interests. Do plan for what happens after a cease-fire: Russia will certainly seek to undermine Ukraine’s stability, decouple it from its allies, and evade any obligations Russia has taken on ' '. (Source: Foreign Policy - U.S.)
by Bristow, the president of Hughes Hall college at Cambridge University. He was the U.K. ambassador to Russia from 2016 to 2020 and to Afghanistan from June to November 2021

Africa

South Africa
19 March 2025  President of the SA Chamber of Commerce in the US, Diamond says the US embassy in Pretoria has been handed 67,042 registrations of interest lodged mostly by Afrikaners who shown interest in relocating to the US, taking up US President Trump's refugee offer. Trump's executive order was issued on February 7. The inquiries were particularly from those who identified as Afrikaners between the ages of 25 and 45 and with an average of two to three dependents. Many of them cited concerns over land 'reform' and their perceived treatment in the country. (Source: TimesLive - South Africa)

North America

United States
Mar 19, 2025  President Trump and President Zelenskyy said today that they had a constructive call about moving toward a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, with the White House suggesting that the U.S. take control of Ukrainian power plants to ensure their security. Trump told Zelenskyy that the U.S could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise.” according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Rubio and national security adviser Waltz that described the call as “fantastic.” Trump added that “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure.” During the call, Zelenskyy requested additional Patriot defense missile systems. Rubio and Waltz said Trump “agreed to work with him to find what was available, particularly in Europe.” Zelenskyy’s call with Trump comes as Trump has made clear that quickly ending the war is a top priority for the start of his new administration. Trump has repeatedly complained about the cost of the conflict - the U.S. has sent Ukraine more than $180 billion in military and economic aid since the start of the war. The call between Trump and Zelenskyy came a day after the U.S. leader held similar talks with Russian counterpart Putin. According to the Kremlin, Putin made clear to Trump during that call that there must be a cessation of foreign military aide and intelligence sharing as part of any deal. Waltz said on social media that he and his Russian counterpart, Ushakov, agreed today that their teams would meet soon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, “to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia.” It was not immediately clear who would be part of the delegations. /Source: The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), a television network based in Arlington, Virginia / The Associated Press = U.S./

March 19, 2025  Trump is the 'ultimate' dealmaker - U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Ret. Lt. Gen. Kellogg weighs in on President Trump's peace talks for the Russia-Ukraine war. /Video/ (Source: Fox News)

Mar 19, 2025  Will the Dollar continue to fall? Late last year, following Trump’s election victory, the US dollar was steadily rising, reflecting widespread expectations of relatively robust US economic growth, additional fiscal stimulus, and new or somewhat higher tariffs that supposedly would strengthen the dollar further. Instead, the dollar has been declining sharply. Warning signs in the US economy are flashing red. Most other countries are urgently looking for ways to reduce their economies’ dependence on Trump’s America. Many forecasters saw tariffs as pro-dollar and unlikely to be overly disruptive to the US economy, despite being a net negative for US consumers. Some of Trump’s closest economic advisers have spoken openly about the need for other currencies to be stronger. That is why they have been pushing some new version of the famous 1985 Plaza Accord, whereby Japan and Germany agreed to strengthen their own currencies against the dollar to placate the United States. The so-called Mar-a-Lago Accord is supposed to do the same. The Trump administration is focused on US manufacturing and its own definition of competitiveness, neither of which offers much basis for expecting a persistently strengthening dollar. The usual counter-argument is that tariffs are needed because the dollar’s strengthening cannot be stopped. America boasts deep, liquid financial markets and cutting-edge technology, it is preeminent in security matters and superior to its peers in terms of overall growth. If the dollar’s relative weakness in 2025 is merely a price correction, these fashionable arguments will likely re-appear and carry it upward again. And yet, there are cyclical, structural, and even systemic factors that may make continued dollar weakening more likely. On the cyclical front, recent high-frequency data point to a near-term softening of the US economy, with the closely watched Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s GDPNow tracker forecasting negative growth for the first quarter of this year. The latest business and consumer confidence surveys also give cause for concern. Even people outside of the financial industry are becoming more unsettled about future inflation. The latest University of Michigan five-year inflation expectations survey shows a rise to 3.9% – the highest in more than 30 years. (The actual calculation is somehow more biased toward Democrats). Other countries are not simply standing still. Policymakers in many countries – especially in Europe, but also in China – recognize that they must make changes to reduce their economies’ dependence on the US. All these developments in the US and globally can account for the dollar’s recent decline. If Trump persists with tariffs and they do raise US inflation and create knock-on effects in the real economy, the longer-term equilibrium value of the dollar is likely to be less than it might have been. This, too, would warrant an adjustment in the price of the greenback – and perhaps a rather large one, if Trump keeps doubling down on his current approach. That brings us to the systemic dimension. Why the dollar’s strength has persisted for so long? Some are arguing that its value goes hand in hand with US power as a security guarantor and the dominant player in the post-World War II multilateral institutions. If the US is now abandoning these roles, others will be forced to stand up for themselves, and the dollar’s unquestioned dominance could finally come to an end. (Source: Project Syndicate, website – Headquarters Prague, Czech Republic)
by O’Neill, a former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and a former UK Treasury minister.

19/03/2025  US State Department confirms program tracking abducted Ukrainian children halted. President Trump promised today to help Ukraine get back thousands of children allegedly abducted to Russia. (Source: France 24)

March 19, 2025  President Trump was signing an executive order directing the National Archives to publish files related to the assassinations of JFK, Senator Kennedy and civil rights icon King Jr. Kennedy was shot dead while riding in a presidential motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Over 63,000 pages of what has been dubbed as "JFK files" has been released. Reports suggest that the Chicago mob bosses saw it necessary to 'take care of Kennedy'. Another document showed that the mafia bosses possibly conspired with CIA agents and Cubans who were opposed to Castro and Kennedy. A CIA memo is showing one official, Joannides funnelling $25,000 to Cuban rebels fighting the Castro regime. This Cuban group was linked to Oswald who shot Kennedy. Ballistic reports and witness testimonies point at the possibility of a second shooter in the grassy knoll ahead of Kennedy's motorcade. A clique within the CIA facilitated the JFK assassination. Underhill, a CIA agent, was found dead months after he alleged that the spy agency was responsible for Kennedy's killing. (Source: The Week - India)

.5 3 19 23:48

.

Europe

European Commission
March 18, 2025  'Yesterday, the Council of the EU approved a third payment of non-repayable grants and loans to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility. Ukraine will soon receive approximately €3.5 billion. The Ukraine Facility, which entered into force on 1 March 2024, provides up to €50 billion of stable financing, in grants and loans, to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation for the period 2024 to 2027. 'With this third disbursement, Ukraine will have received close to €20 billion under the Ukraine Facility since its entry into force a year ago. 'The Foreign Affairs Council also discussed defence support to Ukraine'. 'EU High Representative Kallas told after the meeting that there was a 'broad political support' for [the] defence initiative of [€]40 billion'. (Source: Eu Neighbours east, 'under the guidance' of European Commission, headquarters Brussels, Belgium)

18 March 2025  Donors at a European Union-led conference yesterday pledged €5.8bn to help Syria's new authorities 'as they struggle with humanitarian and security problems' after the fall of Assad. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that toppled Assad, is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN. 'But EU officials want to engage with the new rulers as long as they stick to pledges to make the transition inclusive' and peaceful. 'This is a time of dire needs and challenges for Syria, as tragically evidenced by the recent wave of violence in coastal areas,' EU foreign policy chief Kallas said. European Commission President der Leyen said at the meeting that the EU was increasing its pledge to Syrians in the country and the region to almost €2.5bn for 2025 and 2026 - an increase of about €160m to its previous pledge for this year. (Source: TimesLive - South Africa)

18/03/2025  Czech Republic has hosted Radio Free Europe for 25 years. During Monday's gathering of foreign ministers in Brussels, Czech Foreign Minister Lipavský has urged the EU to step up and support RFE/RL. The outlet has provided critical coverage in Ukraine. Two projects of RFE/RL - Crimea Realities and Donbas Realities  have also provided sources of information 'about the Russian-occupied territories'. EU foreign policy chief Kallas, recalled the influence the network had on her as she was growing up in Estonia, which was part of the Soviet Union when she was a child. 'It is sad to hear that US is withdrawing its funding,' she told, after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers. 'There was really a push from the foreign ministers to discuss this and find the way', she added. "Coming up with funding may prove difficult". (Source: Euronews, based in Lyon, France)

Russia
(18 March 2025)  Russian President Putin agreed today to a proposal by U.S. President Trump that Russia and Ukraine cease attacking each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days, the Kremlin said following a lengthy phone discussion between the leaders. Trump and Putin discussed the Ukraine war today which Washington hoped would convince Moscow to accept a 30-day ceasefire and move towards a permanent peace deal. Kremlin spokesman Peskov said before the call that Trump and Putin would discuss settling the conflict in Ukraine and normalising relations between Russia and the United States. "The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace," the White House readout said. Peskov said there was already a "certain understanding" between the two leaders, based on a phone call they held on February 12 and on subsequent high-level contacts between the two countries. Putin said last week he supported in principle Washington's proposal for a truce but that his forces would fight on until several crucial conditions were worked out. The two countries plan to begin negotiations "immediately" in the Middle East, according to a readout from the White House. Dmitriev, Putin's international cooperation envoy, said that under the leadership of Trump and Putin the world had become a much safer place. Trump hopes also to secure progress towards a longer-term peace plan, which he has hinted could include territorial concessions by Kyiv and control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Putin has said Russia must keep control of Ukrainian territory it has seized, that Western sanctions should be eased and Kyiv must stage a presidential election. ’European Commission der Leyen warned today that Russia had massively expanded its military-industrial production capacity in preparation for ’future confrontation with European democracies.’ Zelenskiy, elected in 2019, rules under martial law he imposed. Putin said he sent troops into Ukraine because NATO's creeping expansion threatened Russia's security. He has demanded Ukraine drop its ambition of joining the Western military alliance. (Source: Independent - Ireland)

Tue, March 18, 2025  Russian leader Putin has demanded that all Western arms supplies to Ukraine be halted. The news agency sources in Moscow said that during the visit of Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East Witkoff to the Russian capital, Putin called this condition mandatory for the signing of a ceasefire agreement. Bloomberg sources added that Russia wants to stop all arms supplies to Ukraine, but its minimum goal is to cut off US aid. The Russian sources also insist that Putin's request to suspend arms supplies will be temporary. Arms deliveries will allegedly resume after a peace agreement is concluded, in which Ukraine agrees to limit its military potential. Earlier, the agency wrote that Putin allegedly generally supports the US proposal for a "truce", but insists that a number of conditions must be met before Russia agrees. An unnamed European official said it was unlikely that Europe would agree to Russia's demand that its allies block arms supplies to Ukraine during any "truce". He stressed that this could lead to a situation where Russia would be able to rearm during the cessation of hostilities, while Ukraine would not have such an opportunity. The White House says that the US president is "determined" to conclude an agreement to end Russia's war against Ukraine and that the world is close to such a peace. (Source: Yahoo / Ukrainska Pravda ’with reference to Bloomberg')

Serbia
(Tuesday), Mar 18 2025  A protest movement formed after 15 people were killed in a railway station roof collapse in the city of Novi Sad in November 2024, following massive government-backed renovations on the facility. Between 100,000 and 300,000 people are estimated to have taken part in one of the largest anti-corruption demonstrations in Belgrade on Saturday, in the biggest turn-out yet in the national movement. At one point the crowd stretched for nearly two kilometres, with people filling the streets in and around the parliament and the capital's main pedestrian square. Suddenly, a deafening roar ripped through the place. A whooshing sound was heard across triggering panic and a brief stampede. Screaming protesters scrambled for cover, leaving the middle of the downtown street almost empty as they fell over each other. It is claimed riot police deployed a military-grade sonic cannon to disperse peaceful protesters. 'Many people who were victims of the alleged attack complained on social media about strong headaches, nausea and disorientation'. Experts say that sonic cannons can emit up to 160 decibels, roughly equivalent to standing next to a rocket launch or a shotgun blast. Human ears have a pain threshold of 120-130 decibels and anything above that is painful. Sonic weapons are used by military and law enforcement agencies for crowd control, deterrence, or psychological warfare. One example is the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), which emits concentrated sound waves at high decibel levels. LRADs are frequently deployed to disperse crowds or deter threats, such as pirates at sea. Calls are now mounting in Serbia for an independent investigation into reports that security forces used the prohibited sonic weapon. Often designed to be non-lethal, the sonic weapon remains banned in Serbia. Serbian officials insist that it was not used during Saturday's rally. Serbia's President Vucic denied that the crowd-control device was deployed, calling it a "wicked lie" aimed at destroying Serbia. He said he would soon invite the investigations agencies including the FBI and Russia's FSB to investigate the claims. Vucic added: "It is important for history to see how they lied”. (Source: The U.S. Sun)

18.03.2025  The Serbian Foreign Ministry said today that it will send an urgent request to Albania and Croatia, seeking clarification on a trilateral defense cooperation agreement with Kosovo. The agreement that was signed in Tirana focuses on strengthening defense capacities, advancing military technology and improving regional interoperability through joint training and exercises. It reaffirms Albania and Croatia’s support for Kosovo’s full integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, a move Serbia firmly opposes. The trilateral cooperation reflects the growing strategic partnership among the three countries. Serbia warned that forming a military alliance without consulting Belgrade is concerning, particularly given the involvement of Kosovo, which Serbia does not recognize as an independent state. The development adds to tensions in the Balkans. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Africa

South Africa
March 18, 2025  EU Commission President der Leyen and Council President Costa have been at the EU-South Africa Summit in Cape Town to strengthen Europe’s strategic partnership with the country. 'She announced a Global Gateway Investment Package worth €4.7 billion. The biggest bulk of the package – €4.4bn – will be invested in projects supporting 'a clean and just energy transition in the country'. (Source: EU Reporter, headquarters Brussels, Belgium)

Asia

Gaza
18 Mar 2025  Hundreds killed as Israel launches air strikes across Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the attacks due to a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire and secure the release of remaining captives taken by Hamas in October 2023. Hamas warned that Israel had breached the ceasefire and put the fate of the captives still held in jeopardy. The White House said it had been consulted and it voiced support for Israel’s actions. /Photo/ (Source: Al Jazeera - Qatar)

(March 18, 2025)  Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early today, killing at least 326 Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials. Hundreds more were wounded. The surprise bombardment shattered a ceasefire in place since January. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Hughes said the militant group "could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.” An Israeli official said Israel was striking Hamas' military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. Israel's defense minister Katz said the 'gates of hell will open in Gaza' if the hostages aren't released. “We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,” he said. Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled. The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire. But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead. (Source: Burnaby Now - Canada / The Associated Press - U.S.)

Pakistan
(Tuesday), Mar 18, 2025  'China may deploy troops in Pak amid attacks by Baloch insurgents'. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has intensified its insurgency in Pakistan, targeting both the military and Chinese interests. On Sunday, the group ambushed Pakistani troops in Balochistan, blowing up a military bus and claiming at least 90 casualties. Pakistan is deeply worried about the potential fallout of these attacks on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar initiative that is a key part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The persistent threat has led to intelligence reports suggesting that China may soon deploy its own troops in Pakistan, a move that would mark a major shift in Beijing's security presence in the region. Beijing has stepped up its involvement in Pakistan's security. China has signed a private security and military contract to protect its engineers and workers engaged in various CPEC projects. Under this arrangement, three private Chinese security firms - Dewe Security Frontier Service Group, China Overseas Security Group, and Huaxin Zhongshan Security Service - will now play a role in safeguarding Chinese nationals in Pakistan. The Baloch rebels, apart from demanding independence from Pakistan, have been vocal in their opposition to Chinese projects in the region. They accuse China of exploiting Balochistan's rich natural resources-such as natural gas, coal, copper, and other minerals - in collaboration with Pakistan, leaving the local population marginalised. (Source: India Today)

North America

United States
18 March 2025 US  President Trump yesterday revoked secret service protection for former president Biden's children Hunter and Ashley. He has had secret service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the US taxpayer Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Please be advised that, effective immediately, Hunter will no longer receive secret service protection. Likewise, Ashley, who has 13 agents, will be taken off the list, Trump added. (Source: TimesLive - South Africa)
Note: See also on X - U.S.
Since March 18, 2025 6:54 a.m.: 33 600 views

March 18, 2025  Trump said that some provisions of a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine had already been agreed upon with Russian President Putin. Trump made the statement on his social network Truth Social late yesterday, ahead of a scheduled phone call with Putin. (Source: Meduza, based in Riga, Latvia)

Space

Tue, Mar 18 2025  Boeing Starliner astronauts complete return to Earth in SpaceX Dragon capsule. Wilmore and Williams are back on Earth after about nine months at the International Space Station. The pair - both veteran astronauts and retired Navy test pilots - arrived at the ISS in June on a troubled Boeing Starliner capsule “Calypso” that returned empty without them. They and two other crew members - Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Gorbunov - splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, at 5:57 p.m. ET today. The astronauts will now head to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for several days of routine health checks before they can go home. Boeing has lost more than $2 billion on its Starliner spacecraft. NASA officials reiterated that Starliner needs to undergo more testing and left the option open that its next flight could be uncrewed. (Source: CNBC - U.S.)

18 March 2025  Williams, Wilmore undock from Space Station; Journey to Earth begins after 9 long months. US President Trump earlier in March spoke about the possibility of personally launching a rescue team into orbit to help bring astronauts Wilmore and Williams back to Earth - and blasted former President Biden for their eight-day mission stretching to nine months and counting. He also had some words of appreciation for NASA’s Indian-origin astronaut Williams' hair as he told a pair of stranded astronauts aboard the International Space Station that "we're coming up to get you." “We have two astronauts that are stuck in space. I have asked Elon I said, ‘Do me a favour. Can you get them out?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He is preparing to go up, I think in two weeks.” /Video/ (Source: Outlook India)

.

Európa    Europe

Magyarország
2025. március 18.  Nemet mondott az Országgyűlés a fegyverkezési célú új közös Európai Uniós hitelfelvételre. A parlament politikai nyilatkozatot fogadott el a „Fegyverezzük újra fel Európát" (’REARM Europe’) új EU-s finanszírozási eszköz hitelfelvételi eleme tárgyában, 138 nem, 29 igen szavazattal és egy tartózkodás mellett utasítva el a közös európai hitelfelvételt. Az Európai Bizottság elnökének javaslata szerint a ’REARM Europe’ terv a tagállamoknak hiteleket biztosítana, amelyeket az EU költségvetése szavatolna. A nagymértékű, 150 milliárd euro-s eszközzel az Európai Bizottság célja, hogy hozzájáruljon az európai védelmi képességek növeléséhez. A nyilatkozat szerint az Országgyűlés az Európai Bizottság tervezett új EU-s finanszírozási eszközével kapcsolatban megállapítja, hogy Magyarország egyetért az európai védelmi képességek fejlesztésével és „e célkitűzés megvalósítását nemzeti hatáskörnek tekinti”. Magyarország támogatja, hogy a kapcsolódó nemzeti finanszírozási igények biztosításához az Európai Unió is járuljon hozzá. Ugyanakkor „Magyarország az Alaptörvény értelmében az EU olyan hitelfelvételéhez, amely miatt Magyarországnak fizetési kötelezettsége keletkezik, az országgyűlési képviselők kétharmadának szavazatával, a kormány egyedi döntése alapján járulhat hozzá”. Döntöttek: „Az Országgyűlés az európai adósságközösséggel szembeni elvi fenntartásai miatt, okulva a korábbi hitelfelvétel gyakorlati tapasztalataiból, ellenezi az Európai Bizottság elnöke által javasolt, nagymérvű, 150 milliárd euro-s eszközhöz szükséges közös európai hitelfelvételt”. (Forrás: Origo - Magyarország)

Poland
18.03.2025  Poland, Lituania, Latvia and Estonia today recommended withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, the international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines, 'in light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia's aggression and its ongoing threat to the Euro-Atlantic community,' the defense ministers said in a joint statement. The international treaty was signed in 1997 and aims to ban landmines that target humans. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

European Commission
8/03/2025  'A joint Task Force is planned to coordinate the EU’s and member states increasing military support to Ukraine, Der Leyen told the cadets at the Royal Danish Military Academy in Copenhagen'. 'But Ukraine can support us too. In fact, there is a lot that we can learn from the transformation of Ukraine’s defence industry,' she added. Der Leyen was calling 'for Ukraine's integration in the European defence equipment market to be sped up'. 'We will set up a European Military Sales Mechanism,' she announced. And ' 'the Commission will convene a strategic dialogue with the defence industry' '. Der Leyen already unveiled a 'ReArm Europe proposal two weeks ago 'to help member states boost defence spending that includes a new instrument to raise money on the capital markets' to then loan it to member states for defence projects, 'as well as the use of the national escape clause in the Stability and Growth Pact to allow governments to deviate from stringent EU fiscal rules for defence spending'. 'EU leaders gave their political backing to the proposal at an extraordinary summit last week'. But no decisions are expected at this meeting with leaders instead set to wait until a summit in late June that will come immediately after a gathering of NATO heads of state. 'Europe is more united than ever', she said. The bloc is also 'fully committed' to working with NATO and the United States and is working with the UK and other partners, including Canada and Norway, Der Leyen said. Recent comments from President Trump and other top officials in his administration have raised concerns about Washington's continued commitment to European defence. Another area of contention with the US is Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark. To all the people of Greenland – and of Denmark as a whole – I want to be clear that Europe will always stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity, von der Leyen told the cadets. (Source: Euronews, based in Lyon, France)

Russia
2025-03-18  Russian forces have seized Sudzha and surrounding villages. Several tens of square kilometres of Russian territory including two settlements remain under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and fighting is ongoing over two others. The Russians continue to try to physically cut off the enemy’s logistics by attacking in the border region of Sumy. Particularly fierce battles are being fought over Basivka, located on the Ukrainian side 2.5 km from the Sumy-Kursk road. Its seizure would allow the Russians to go to the rear of the Ukrainian forces and force their final withdrawal from the Russian territory. Today, day 1119 of the war, Ukrainian forces entered Russian territory in the Belgorod region, 30 km south of Sudzha, presumably to draw back some of the Russian forces attacking on the Kursk and Sumy oblasts’ border. There are no reports that this diversion was successful. (Source: Center for Eastern Sudies, headquarters Warsaw, Poland)

Ukraine
2025-03-18  Western military support:    On 13 March Finland’s Defence Minister Häkkänen announced that has earmarked €200 million in military support for Ukraine, 'The country’s 28th aid package is to include artillery ammunition'. On the same day, Häkkänen and his Ukrainian counterpart Umerov signed a memorandum on defence cooperation.     On 15 March, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported that Ukraine had used up all the Aster-30 missiles for the two SAMP-T air defence systems given to them. France and Italy are said to be holding off the decision to send more due to their own stocks running low.    'On 17 March, the German government updated the inventory of military aid supplied to Ukraine. 'The new deliveries included three Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and 10,000 pieces of ammunition for them, missiles for IRIS-T air defence systems, 24 MRAP armoured vehicles, artillery ammunition (5,000 155 mm calibre shells, 2,000 122 mm and 8,000 mortar grenades, ammunition for Leopard tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 50 Vector reconnaissance drones and 30 Gereon RCS tracked platform robots'.     'On 13 March, Kyiv’s 18th military support package, worth €271 million, was announced by the Swedish government. It provides for the purchase of 18 howitzers on the Archer vehicle chassis and five Arthur counter-battery radars, deliveries of which will begin in 2026 and 2025 respectively. Part of the funds will go to support the Ukrainian arms industry (including the development of the Bohdana howitzers), as well as to contribute to the ‘artillery coalition’, which Stockholm plans to join'.    Washington’s suspension of military support to Ukraine took place on 3 March and did not have time to visibly affect the situation on the frontline. 'On 11 March, the US resumed the supply of arms and military equipment to Ukraine and the transfer of intelligence to it.  On 17 March, the move was officially confirmed by the Pentagon. (Source: Center for Eastern Sudies, headquarters Warsaw, Poland)

North America

United States
March 18, 2025  In accordance with President Trump’s directive of March 17, 2025, all records previously withheld for classification that are part of the President Kennedy Assassination Records Collection are released, showing 2 182 entries. (Source: National Archives - U.S.)

.

.

Europe

France
Sunday), March 16, 2025  French President Macron wants to lead a charm offensive to convince EU countries to stop buying U.S. defense equipment and buy French and European instead. ’Those who buy Patriot should be offered the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T. Those who buy the F-35, should be offered the Rafale. That's the way to increase the rate of production, he said. yesterday in an interview with several French media. Macron's comments come as European NATO members ’have become even more dependent on U.S. weapons’. This month, the Netherlands and Belgium confirmed they would still buy American-made F-35 fighter jets. Portugal is wobbling about replacing its U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets with more modern F-35s because of the recent position of the United States, in the context of NATO. The French president also clarified what a possible deployment of European troops 'to help' Ukraine could look like. The goal is to ’deploy a few thousand men per nation’, at key points, ’to carry out training programs’ and ’show our support over the long term,’ he said. (Source: Politico - Headquarters U.S., owned by a German company)

Germany
17.03.2025  The German Foreign Ministry announced ahead of the 9th international conference in support of Syria, hosted by the EU, that Berlin will allocate €300 million ($326 million) for social and reconstruction projects in Syria and humanitarian assistance for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. The ministry emphasized that all measures will be implemented solely through UN aid agencies and non-governmental organizations. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

European Commission
17/03/2025  On Wednesday, 19 March, the European Commission presents ’its White Paper on the Future of European Defence, along with a closely linked communication on the Savings and Investments Union’. ’The defence paper will outline ways to boost production and readiness, while the investment plan is indispensable to der Leyen's Rearm Europe initiative’. 'We need to ensure that the billions of savings from Europeans' are invested in markets inside the EU, the Commission president wrote to member states earlier this month. European households save €1.4 trillion annually compared to €800 billion in the US - yet €300 billion of those European savings flow into non-EU markets each year. ’The Savings and Investments Union aims to improve the channelling of these savings into productive investments, unlocking the full potential of the bloc's capital markets’. ’According to a draft, the plan targets areas such as encouraging retail investor participation, growing the supplementary pension sector, promoting equity and venture capital investment, and enhancing market integration across the EU’. ’As for defence, the white paper will urge member states to spend more’, spend better, and spend European. 'The latest draft outlines five strategic priorities: securing critical industrial inputs and reducing dependencies, promoting defence skills and expertise, strengthening industrial capacities across the EU, cutting red tape, and removing barriers to the circulation of defence products. Then on Thursday, 20 March - and likely Friday - EU leaders will gather in Brussels to hash out these proposals, set priorities for the next long-term budget (2028-34), and tackle competitiveness, which tops the agenda. ’Defence continues to dominate discussion across the bloc and within its various institutions’. The proposal for a ’Rearm Europe plan’, presented by President der Leyen, raised concerns among MEPs who feel sidelined by the executive’s plans. ’Weber, the German leader of the EPP, criticised Commission der Leyen for bypassing the European Parliament in shaping the defence initiative, arguing that excluding MEPs undermines democratic accountability”. 'The new financial instrument, worth €150 billion in loans, was presented directly to the Council, with the justification that the ’emergency situation’ warrants proceeding without consulting Parliament'. (Source: Euronews - based in Lyon, France)

European Parliament
17 March 2025  'Renew Europe' calls upon the European Union 'to take immediate action to support Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and similar organisations'. 'This support could involve direct funding, facilitating partnerships, or integrating these entities into existing EU frameworks dedicated to promoting media pluralism and freedom'. (Source: Renew Europe Group)

Russia
(17 March 2025)  By March of this year retreat from Kursk in full swing. Ukrainian soldiers fighting in Russia's Kursk region have described scenes "like a horror movie" as they retreated from the front lines. They recount a "catastrophic" withdrawal in the face of heavy fire, columns of military equipment destroyed and constant attacks from swarms of Russian drones as Ukraine lost Sudzha, the largest town it held. On 9 March in Sudzha was "panic and collapse of the front". Ukrainian troops were trying to leave - columns of troops and equipment. Some of them are burned by Russian drones on the road. It is impossible to leave during the day. Movement of men, logistics and equipment had been reliant on one major route between Sudzha and Ukraine's Sumy region. By 9 March it was all under the fire control. Before Russia retook Sudzha, Ukrainian forces were being pressed from three sides. By 11 March, Ukrainian forces were battling to prevent the road being cut. A few days earlier, they received an order to leave the defence lines in an organised retreat. Russia had amassed a significant force to retake the town. Military experts estimate Russia had amassed a force of up to 70,000 troops to retake Kursk – including about 12,000 North Koreans. Russia had also sent its best drone units to the front. It was using kamikaze and first-person-view (FPV) variants to take fire control of the main logistics routes. They included drones linked to operators by fibre-optic wires - which are impossible to jam with electronic counter-measures. They managed to destroy dozens of units of equipment, and twrecks had created congestion on supply routes. On 11 March Russia had an advantage with more accurate air strikes and a greater number of troops. Western officials estimate that Ukraine's Kursk offensive involved about 12,000 troops. Their ogistics no longer work – organised deliveries of weapons, ammunition, food and water are no longer possible. They were some of their best-trained soldiers, equipped with Western-supplied weapons including tanks and armoured vehicles. Russian bloggers published videos showing some of that equipment being destroyed or captured. On 13 March, Russia said the situation in Kursk was "fully under our control" and that Ukraine had "abandoned" much of its material. "The roads are littered with hundreds of destroyed cars, armoured vehicles and ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles). There are a lot of wounded and dead. Vehicles were often hunted by multiple drones. Many Ukrainians retreated on foot, walking 15km to 20km. 14 March. „Everything is finished in the Kursk region... the operation was not successful." Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers had died since the first crossing into Russia in August. Last week, Zelensky said he believed the Kursk operation had ’accomplished its task’ by forcing Russia to pull troops from the east and relieve pressure on Pokrovsk. But it is not yet clear at what cost. Any 'hopes' that Ukraine would be able to trade Kursk territory for some of its own have significantly diminished. Ukraine's top general, Syrskyi, insists that Ukrainian forces have pulled back to ’more favourable positions’, remain in Kursk, and would do so ’for as long as it is expedient and necessary’. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)

March 17, 2025  Russia seeks Nato exclusion in Ukraine's peace treaty. In a broad-ranging interview with the Russian media outlet Izvestia that made no reference to the ceasefire proposal, Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko said that any long-lasting peace treaty on Ukraine must meet Moscow's demands. "We will demand that ironclad security guarantees become part of this agreement," Izvestia cited Grushko as saying. "Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of Nato countries to accept it into the alliance." Moscow is categorically against the deployment of Nato observers to Ukraine, Grushko also reiterated the Kremlin's position. "It does not matter under what label Nato contingents were to be deployed on Ukrainian territory: be it the European Union, Nato, or in a national capacity," Grushko said. "If they appear there, it means that they are deployed in the conflict zone with all the consequences for these contingents as parties to the conflict." Grushko said that a deployment of unarmed post-conflict observers can be discussed only once a peace agreement is worked out. Grushko said that European allies of Kyiv should understand that only the exclusion of Ukraine's membership in Nato and the elimination of the possibility of deploying foreign military contingents on its territory will work for the region. "Then the security of Ukraine and the entire region in a broader sense will be ensured, since one of the root causes of the conflict will be eliminated," Grushko said. Britain and France both have said that they were willing to send a peacekeeping force to monitor any ceasefire in Ukraine. Australian Prime Minister Albanese said his country was also open to requests. French President Macron said in remarks published yesterday that the stationing of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine is a question for Kyiv to decide and not Moscow. US President Trump is trying to win President Putin's support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week and which Putin says needs to meet crucial conditions to be acceptable. Trump is expected to speak with Putin this week on ways to end the three-year war in Ukraine, US envoy Witkoff told yesterday after returning from what he described as a "positive" meeting with Putin in Moscow. (Source: AsiaOne - Singapore)

Asia

Syria
Monday 17 March 2025  Hundreds of Syrian civilians killed in attacks. /Video/ (Source: Sky News - United Kingdom)

North America

United States
Mar 17 2025  President Trump said the U.S. would hold Iran responsible for any future attacks by the Houthis who have launched repeated attacks on shipping passing through the Red Sea and on Israel. The militant group is allied with the Islamic Republic and Hamas. U.S. crude oil futures rose 0.6%, to $67.58 per barrel. Global benchmark Brent traded higher by 0.62%, at $71.02 per barrel. Trump has reimposed a maximum pressure campaign against Iran 'with the goal of driving down the Islamic Republic’s oil exports'. Treasury Secretary Bessent recently said 'the Trump administration’s goal is to collapse Iran’s economy'. The White House believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, an allegation the Islamic Republic denies. Trump’s national security advisor, Waltz, said yesterday that all options are on the table to ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear bomb. “We cannot have a situation that would result in an arms race across the Middle East in terms of nuclear proliferation,” Waltz said. Trump has said he wants to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran. (Source: CNBC - U.S.)

(Monday), March 17, 2025  The National Nuclear Security Administration - one relatively small outpost in a federal work force - has lost a huge cadre of scientists, engineers, safety experts, project officers, accountants and lawyers. The nuclear agency not only manages the nation’s 3,748 nuclear bombs and warheads, it is modernizing that arsenal  - a $20-billion-a-year effort that will arm a new fleet of nuclear submarines, bomber jets and land-based missiles. Though it was still hundreds of employees short of what it had said it needed, it had edged up to about 2,000 workers by January. Now: retraction. More than 130 employees took the government’s offer of a payout to resign. Those departures, together with those of about 27 workers who were caught up in a mass firing and not rehired, wiped out most of the recent staffing gains. Engaged in top-secret work, tucked away in the Energy Department, the agency typically stays below the public radar. But the Trump administration’s cuts, touted as a cure-all for supposed government extravagance and corruption, are threatening the muscle and bone of operations that involve national security. The exodus is going to make the job more difficult because what you lost were some of your most valuable leaders. The agency lost not only officials deeply steeped in the weapons modernization program, but also a noted arms control expert at a time when President Trump has said he hopes to restart talks with Russia and China about limiting nuclear arsenals. “Contrary to news reports, the Energy Department’s nuclear weapons production plants and nuclear laboratories are operated by federal contractors and have been exempt” from cuts, Dietderich, the Department of Energy’s chief spokesman said. But the loss of staff would hobble the agency’s ability to monitor the more than 60,000 contract employees who carry out much of the agency’s work. The federal oversight is vital. (Source: Dnyuz - Armenia ? / The New York Times - U.S.)

Mar 17, 2025  President Trump today declared all the pardons issued by his predecessor Biden as void, claiming that they had been executed without Biden's approval. "The 'Pardons' that Sleepy Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Biden, he added. In final hours in office of Biden were issued a series of preemptive pardons to several individuals, including his family members - brothers James and Francis, sister Valerie, and their spouses. Biden stated that his family had been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt him - 'the worst kind of partisan politics'. Additionally, there were granted pardons to figures such as Dr Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; retired General Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and members of the House committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol. These preemptive pardons were intended to protect individuals from potential politically motivated prosecutions by the incoming administration. The specific application of the autopen for presidential pardons has not been extensively tested in courts, leaving room for legal debate. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)

.5 3 17 10:52

.

Europe

Romania
March 16, 2025  On Sunday, the government barred a popular candidate, Georgescu, from running in the country’s upcoming May presidential election. This action was preceded by Georgescu, an independent right-wing candidate who is skeptical of NATO, the EU, and support for Ukraine, winning the first round of the presidential election. His background reveals a man well-versed in human rights and sustainability and whose name has been floated for political leadership long before 2024. It is not his background but his ideas that have struck fear into the NATO and EU establishments. Actions against Georgescu were undertaken following U.S.-backed allegations of Russian interference in the election despite the fact that the then-president of Romania, who has since resigned in the fallout from this scandal, admitted that these allegations were “nearly impossible” to prove. The Trump administration has taken notice. In a blunt speech at the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Vance chided Eurocrats for their glee over Romania’s canceled election. Likewise, Director of National Intelligence Gabbard cited Romania’s canceled election as just one example of European allies acting in an undemocratic manner. American leaders should be more ambitious and view the situation in Romania as an opportunity to reset the U.S. relationship with Europe. Romania could prove the perfect proving ground for the new normal. After he won the first round of Romania’s presidential election, news reports described Georgescu as an 'unknown' who achieved a shock victory thanks to a successful TikTok campaign. A closer look shows that while he is an outsider to the NATO and EU establishments, the reality of Georgescu is starkly different from the portrayal of him as Putin’s puppet. He is a soil scientist who has worked for the UN as a Special Rapporteur and his 2012 report on the long-term deleterious effect of American nuclear bomb testing in the Marshall Islands remains on the UN website today. Following his work with the UN, he worked on sustainability issues with the Club of Rome. Georgescu was discussed as a potential candidate for prime minister as far back as 2010; he was formally proposed as prime minister in 2020 and 2021. Romania is home to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, the easternmost NATO base in Europe. The Biden administration invested heavily in this base near Ukraine and facing Crimea, planning to turn it into one of the largest in Europe, surpassing the Ramstein base in Germany. Georgescu’s campaign included a skeptical attitude toward the continued presence of U.S. troops in Romania. Meanwhile, President Trump challenges the conventional view of NATO, is seeking to tamp down tensions with Russia, end the war in Ukraine, and has attempted to withdraw troops from Europe in the past. It’s not hard to see how these facts could combine into a recipe for a U.S. drawdown and shifting the burden of Romania’s defense onto Romania. This pragmatic vision diverges from the status quo and the emerging transactional model. Biden’s description of the alliance as a 'sacred obligation' encompasses the status quo. Hungary exemplifies the more transactional model wherein the United States signals a greater defense commitment, including an enlarged troop presence, for countries that spend more on their defense. Georgescu’s model represents a third way which would permit and encourage NATO allies to make their own sovereign defense decisions, emphasizing self-reliance instead of taking the U.S. security guarantee as a given or acting to curry favor with Washington through increased defense spending. This model makes sense for many reasons. As much as we are accustomed to talking about NATO and Europe, these coalitions refer to groups of countries that have very different interests and security needs, making any blanket approach to policymaking unwieldy. An alliance should not and need not attempt to level these differences. Of course, Georgescu being barred from running presents a hurdle to implementing this vision. Nonetheless, his ideas and influence could continue to have an impact on how Romanians think about defense and foreign policy. That said, Washington can and should pursue a reset in Romania regardless of who runs or wins in the upcoming presidential election. Canceling elections and barring candidates from running are decisions most Americans are uncomfortable with. And if Trump is serious about diplomacy with Russia and pivoting to Asia, a troop drawdown in Romania and a cancellation of the plans to expand the airbase would serve both purposes. Doing so would align with American interests, incentivizing our allies throughout Europe to do more for their own defense needs, and simply highlight that the indefinite deployment of U.S. troops can’t be taken for granted. Withdrawing troops from Romania would rattle NATO, yes, but it would demonstrate American resolve and encourage Europeans to do more than just talk about strategic autonomy. This action could even be used as a bargaining chip to incentivize Russia to cease fighting in Ukraine as Moscow has long complained of NATO troops moving ever eastward. If the Biden administration’s plans to expand the airbase and U.S. troop presence in Romania are seen through by the Trump administration, this would keep Washington more committed to tensions with Moscow and tied to an increasingly undemocratic government in Bucharest. It is hard to see that as a mission vital to American interests. It is preferable to maintain good relations with Bucharest and Europe absent the deployment of U.S. troops. However, the American interest in drawing down in Europe and finding a modus vivendi with the only other nuclear superpower remains regardless of how much we like or dislike the governments in Europe. (Source: The National Interest, U.S.)
by Hall, the Communications Manager of Defense Priorities.

North Macedonia
(Sunday, 16 March 2025)  Today a massive fire began at about 2:3o a.m. local time in a nightclub in North Macedonia’s eastern town of Kocani, killing 59 people and injuring 155. (Source: Irish Independent - Ireland)

 Asia

Pakistan
Mar 16, 2025  Baloch insurgents release first visuals of attack on Pakistan military convoy comprising eight buses in Balochistan's Noshki. One of the buses was hit by a vehicle loaded with IEDs, possibly a suicide attack, while another was targeted by Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs), said a Pakistani official. The BLA, which has been seeking the separation of the mineral-rich region from Pakistan and had hijacked a Peshawar-bound train last week, claimed that they killed all 214 military hostages. (Source: India Today)

Syria
16 March, 2025  Ankara, allied with Syria's new rulers who ousted president Assad and took power in December, has called on the European Union to unconditionally lift all sanctions on war-torn Syria ahead of an international aid conference in Brussels tomorrow, to which the country's new authorities have been invited. The European bloc on February 24 already announced an easing of sanctions on Syria's energy, transport and banking sectors. ’The sanctions must be lifted unconditionally and for an indeterminate period,’ Turkey's ministry said. EU foreign ministers have warned that the sanctions they eased could be reimposed if Syria's new leaders break promises to respect the rights of minorities and move towards democracy. Turkey, which hosts nearly three million Syrian refugees, urged reconstruction of Syria to encourage returns, adding that economic opportunities and jobs need to be created. Turkish deputy foreign minister Yilmaz will attend the Brussels conference. (Source: The New Arab, based in London, United Kingdom, owned by a Qatari company)

North America

United States
(Sunday), 16/03/2025  The administration of US President Trump has launched a broad cutback of Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other government programmes. On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed the latest funding bill, Trump instructed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. These included the U.S. Global Media Agency, a budget-funded government organisation to which the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia, and Radio Marti, which broadcasts Spanish-language news to Cuba, all report. Together, the networks reached about 427 million people. They date back to the Cold War and are part of a network of government-funded organisations trying to expand US influence. These organisations include USAID, another agency that Trump has opposed. Voice of America’s director Abramowitz said that virtually the entire staff of 1,300 people has been placed on administrative leave. Yesterday morning, Lake, whom Trump appointed as a senior adviser to the U.S. Global Media Agency, wrote on website X that employees should check their emails. In another post she described the U.S. Global Media Agency as "the most corrupt agency in Washington DC." The video released by Lake was filmed in a building leased by Voice of America, which Lake called a waste of money. "We're doing everything we can to cancel contracts that can be cancelled, save money, reduce staffing and make sure your dollars are not misused," she said. The letter instructs employees not to use the Global Media Agency's facilities and to return equipment such as phones and computers. 'In a post on X the Czech Republic's foreign minister Lipavský said he would raise the cuts with the Council of Europe' tomorrow. ’Radio Free Europe is one of the few credible sources in dictatorships like Iran, Belarus, and Afghanistan’, he said. 'Reporters Without Borders, an international non-governmental organisation, said it calls on the US government to reinstate Voice of America and calls on Congress and the international community' to take action. The cuts are a sharp blow to a key element of the post-Cold War order. Trump's downsizing order also includes several other lesser-known government agencies such as the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, the US Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (a nonpartisan think tank). /Source: Euronews, based in Lyon, France/
See also Lake's announcement: (Source:X): 'Massive national security violations, including spies and terrorist symphatizers and/or supporters infiltrating the agency'; '§100s-of-millions being spent on fake news companies'; "This agency is not salvageable".
March 16, 2025 7:42 a.m.: 146 700 views

Space

(Sunday), 16/03/2025  A SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station today, delivering the replacements for NASA’s two stuck astronauts. The four newcomers  - representing the U.S., Japan and Russia  -  will spend the next few days learning the station’s ins and outs from Wilmore and Williams. Then the two will strap into their own SpaceX capsule later this week, one that has been up there since last year, to close out an unexpected extended mission that began last June. (Source: Euronews, based in Lyon, France)
See also: /Video/ (Source: X)
March 16, 2025 6:51 a.m.: 30 500 000 views

.5 3 16 22:14