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Europe
France
29/03/2025 The American embassy in Paris asked French companies holding US government contracts to guarantee their compliance with an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programmes. The letters included an attached questionnaire asking firms to certify that they "do not practice programmes to promote diversity, equity and inclusion", or DEI. The questionnaire added that such programmes "infringe on applicable federal anti-discrimination laws" in the United States, where Trump signed an order banning federal DEI programmes the day he returned to office for his second term as president. "We inform you that Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-based Opportunities, signed by President Trump, applies to all suppliers and service providers of the US Government, regardless of their nationality and the country in which they operate," reads the letter. As published in the press, the letter was not on a US embassy letterhead. In that format, it's not an official communication, much less a diplomatic one. Economy Minister Lombard's office said the letter reflects the values of the new US government. 'They are not ours,' it said and the minister will remind his US counterparts of that. (Source: France 24 "with AFP - France and Reuters" - United Kingdom)
Greenland
(29 March 2025) "We need to wake up from a failed, 40-year consensus that said that we could ignore the encroachment of powerful countries as they expand their ambitions," Vance told US troops at America's Pituffik military base. "We can't just bury our head in the sand - or, in Greenland, bury our head in the snow - and pretend that the Chinese are not interested in this very large landmass." On his visit, Vance mentioned Greenland's aspirations for independence, and implied that America's real intention was not a sudden annexation of the island, but something far more patient and long-term. "Our message is very simple, yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination. We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we're the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security." Under its new government, and with overwhelming public support, Greenland is beginning a slow, very cautious move towards full independence from Denmark. A recent poll showed just 6% of the population support the idea of being part of the US. Washington was cancelling a planned cultural tour by Vance's wife, Usha, to Nuuk and another town in the face of planned local protests. There are still large reserves of goodwill towards the US here, and a keen interest in doing more business with American companies. A slower, more respectful, behind-the-scenes sort of engagement would, surely, make more sense. On the security front, a 74-year-old treaty with Denmark permitting the US to increase its military presence in Greenland at any time – from new bases to submarine harbours - should surely take care of Washington's concerns about countering the threat from China, just as it did during the Cold War years. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)
29.03.2025 US President Trump posted a documentary-style video on X yesterday, calling for renewed unity between the US and the island amid what he described as rising threats from Russia and China. The video, which came alongside US Vice Vance’s visit to Greenland, narrated over historical footage, cited World War II cooperation. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Russia
03/29/2025 United States and Russia in search of paradise lost. Russians love to mirror themselves directly in the Americans. (Source: AsiaNews, an official press agency of the Catholic Church's Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). Headquarters Rome, Italy)
by Caprio
Asia
Myanmar
March 29, 2025 The aftermath of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand
/Photo(s)/ (Source: NPR - U.S.)
Pakistan
Saturday, 29 March 2025 'The World Has Failed' Pakistani Christians
(Source: Newsmax - U.S.)
North America
United States
Sat 29 Mar 2025 The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and promise to carry out mass deportations has already led to a surge in the detention population. The network of remote immigration detention centres stretch between Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, known as “Detention Alley” – where 14 of the country’s 20 largest detention centres are clustered. Louisiana now holds the second largest number of detained immigrants, behind only Texas. Almost 7,000 people were held as of February 2025 at nine facilities in Louisiana, all operated by private companies. Almost 50% of immigrants currently detained by Ice had no criminal record. (Source: The Guardian - United Kingdom)
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