.
Europe
Hungary
June 27, 2025 Dozens of ’prominent’ European politicians - more than 70 members of the European Parliament - are heading to Hungary for Pride. Hungary is making clear the foreign dignitaries will be breaking the law. The country’s conservative government insists the parade is illegal. Brussels is attacking Hungary again: European Commission President der Leyen backed the celebrations in a video statement on Wednesday. ’To the LGBTIQ+ community in Hungary and beyond: I will always be your ally.’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hit back on social media and urged der Leyen “to refrain from interfering in the law enforcement affairs of member states.” In a letter addressed to several embassies this week, Justice Minister Tuzson insists the parade is banned. He reiterated that organizers could be imprisoned and that the celebrations are illegal. “Kindly ensure that your co-workers and colleagues are duly informed of these facts, in order to maintain clarity,” Tuzson wrote. “The legal situation is clear: The Pride parade is a legally banned assembly, organising or announcing which qualifies as a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for up to one year under Hungarian law … Those who take part in an event prohibited by the authorities commit an infraction.” The letter was prompted by a joint statement from dozens of Budapest-based ambassadors, mostly from EU countries, backing the event and its organizers. During a press briefing yesterday, Orbán said he was calling on people not to attend but noted the use of force was not planned. “Hungary is a civilized country. We do not hurt each other,” he added. Budapest mayor Karácsony - calling for the city council to organize the march - effectively freed event organizers from having to obtain a police permit - which they were always unlikely to get. Hungary, with its ’far-right’ government led by Fidesz, has led the charge against the continent’s liberal approach to sexual and gender freedoms. In recent years, Orbán has adopted rhetoric styled after the conservative MAGA movement in the U.S., becoming the European firebrand of a global charge against gender ideology and ’woke’ culture. Hungary,after Orbán came to power in 2010, banned same-sex marriage and adoption. In 2021 his government passed a child protection law that allowed authorities to ban content for children portraying or promoting homosexuality and gender reassignment. This past March, Orbán’s government passed legislation prohibiting public assemblies that promote or display the LGBTQ+ community, under the pretext of protecting children, effectively banning Pride celebrations nationwide. (Source: Politico – based in U.S., owned by a German company)
Denmark
Fri 27 Jun 2025 Denmark is to clamp down on the creation and dissemination of AI-generated deepfakes by changing copyright law to ensure that everybody has the right to their own body, facial features and voice. The department of culture plans to submit the amendment in the autumn. It defines a deepfake as a very realistic digital representation of a person, including their appearance and voice. “Human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes and I’m not willing to accept that,” the Danish culture minister, Engel-Schmidt, said. The changes to Danish copyright law will, once approved, theoretically give people in Denmark the right to demand that online platforms remove such content if it is shared without consent. Violation of the proposed rules could result in compensation for those affected. The government said the new rules would not affect parodies and satire, which would still be permitted. Engel-Schmidt plans to use Denmark’s forthcoming EU presidency to share its plans with his European counterparts. (Source: The Guardian - United Kingdom)
European Council
Fri Jun 27 2025 - 19:59 Splits have emerged between European governments over talks to avert crippling tariffs on trade. Ireland, Germany, Italy and others are keen to land a quick deal with the Trump administration, while the French government is concerned about the European Union giving too many concessions. Mr Trump has threatened to put tariffs of 50 per cent on imports sold into the US from the EU, unless the two sides agree a trade deal by July 9th. Near-blanket tariffs of 10 per cent have been charged on EU goods since early April, with cars and steel subject to higher 25 per cent duties. Germany and Italy want the commission to make sure it agrees some type of deal, or the broad strokes of an agreement that heads off steeper tariffs. French president Macron has said that if some US tariffs became permanent, the EU would have to consider putting similar duties on goods coming from the US. Negotiators from the European Commission, that leads on trade policy, have been putting more pressure on US counterparts, to get some form of tariff deal over the line before the July 9th deadline. European Commission president der Leyen briefed EU leaders at a summit in Brussels late yesterday about the ’progress’ of talks. Officials have largely accepted that any deal will not remove Mr Trump’s 10 per cent “liberation day” tariffs, which apply to nearly all trade except pharmaceutical products and computer chips, which he has promised to hit with separate levies. EU trade commissioner Šefčovič said he is continuing to work towards a negotiated solution, after a phone call with US trade representative Greer today afternoon. The commission is preparing a package of retaliatory tariffs as leverage to levy on US trade if negotiations stall. It has proposed targeting Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers. The EU’s retaliatory package would only affect €25 billion worth of US trade, rather than €95 billion, if the EU was to remove from the tariff list every product member states want off, the commission recently told diplomats in a closed-door meeting.automobile industry and a host of other US products and sectors. Dublin and other capitals are eager to land at least a preliminary agreement, rather than extend the US tariff deadline beyond July 9th. There is concern in Government that existing tariffs will become the new 'baseline'. Cementing tariffs at that rate would still have a significant economic impact, given the huge amount the Republic exports to the US. The Government has asked the commission to reconsider putting counter tariffs on aircraft, medical devices, bourbon and agricultural products, to shield Ryanair, Irish whiskey distillers and the medtech sector from US crossfire in the event of a full-blown trade war. (Source: The Irish Times Ireland)
27/06/2025 - 15:50 "European Union leaders considered new US trade proposals ahead of the July 9 deadline for US President Trump's tariffs at a Brussels summit yesterday. They also addressed the Mercosur trade agreement, Russia sanctions, and restructuring the World Trade Organization'. (Source: France 24)
Russia
(June 27, 2025) Putin signed a decree that reduces the scope of classified information accessible to government ministries. The decree removes the Ministry of Internal Affairs' access to information concerning operational activities around mobilization and individuals who confidentially cooperate with counter-terrorism agencies. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Development loses its access to data related to the quantity and combat readiness of troops, the import and export of armaments and military-technical assistance provided to other nations. (Source: Conflict Intelligence Team - Georgia)
(June 27, 2025) Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Medvedev announced that more than 800 participants in the war will represent the ruling United Russia [Putin’s ruling party] in elections at various levels on the country’s Single Voting Day. (Source: Conflict Intelligence Team - Georgia)
(June 27, 2025) Court in Perm region [Russia’s federal subject] sentenced photographer Skvortsov to 16 years in a maximum security penal colony on charges of treason. According to investigators, the photographer gave a book about Soviet bunkers titled "Secret Bunkers: Urban Special Fortifications of the 1930s–1960s" to an American journalist. The book is freely available for sale in stores. Skvortsov was arrested in November 2023. (Source: Conflict Intelligence Team - relocated to Georgia since 2022 )
Asia
Azerbaijan
June 27, 2025 Iran’s President Pezeshkian urged Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev during a call on June 26 to “investigate and verify” reports that Israeli drones, including micro-drones, may have entered Iranian air space via Azerbaijani territory. According to the official Iranian readout of the conversation, Aliyev denied the claims and insisted that his government would not allow Azerbaijan’s territory to be used against Iran. However, there is no mention of this exchange in the official Azerbaijani account of the call. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Israeli-made weapons constituted approximately 69 percent of all major conventional arms imported by Azerbaijan between 2016 and 2020. (Source: RFE/RL - U.S.)
China
June 27, 2025 China's top legislature has voted to remove senior military official Miao, 69, the former political ideology chief of the People's Liberation Army from the Central Military Commission, its highest-level military command body and suspended him from his post. He was also removed from China's national legislature on March 14, for "serious violations of discipline and law,’ according to a communique released by the legislature last month. Miao was put under investigation for "serious violations of discipline" in November. The move marks another stage in President Xi’s ongoing anti-corruption purge of China's military, in which over a dozen PLA generals and a handful of defence industry executives have been implicated. Miao was stationed in the coastal province of Fujian when Xi worked there as a local official. Xi personally elevated Miao to the Central Military Commission. Another senior military official, Vice Admiral Li, was stripped of his parliamentary delegate status today. He was chief of staff of the PLA Navy and its third-ranking officer. Another Central Military Commission member and China's second-ranking general, He, has not been seen in public since the March 11 closing ceremony of the annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing. He is the third-most powerful commander of the People's Liberation Army and is considered a close associate of President Xi, the army's commander-in-chief. Two former Chinese defence ministers have been removed from the Communist Party for corruption. One of them, Li, was suspected of corruption in military procurement. (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)
India
27.06.25 On the sidelines of the meeting of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Qingdao, Indian Defence Minister Singh told his Chinese counterpart Dong today, that the two countries should seek a "permanent solution" to their decades-old border dispute. Singh stressed on solving issues between the countries through a structured roadmap. Singh also stressed on border management and to have a permanent solution of border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue, the India's defence ministry statement said. Beijing says the border dispute should not affect the larger relationship and differences should be managed properly until a mutually acceptable solution is found through dialogue. The world's two most populous nations - both nuclear powers - share a 3,800 km, largely undemarcated and disputed border in the Himalayas and have gone to war over it in 2020, resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. The clash led to a four-year military standoff with both armies deploying tens of thousands of troops in the mountains until they reached a pact in October to step back. The defence ministers agreed to continue consultations to achieve progress on "disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual de-limitation", the statement added. Beijing and New Delhi said this month that they have agreed to expedite the resumption of direct air services, which were suspended after the 2020 clash, and step up communication. SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Their defence ministers' meeting was held as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders set for the autumn. The SCO defence ministers were unable to adopt a joint statement at the end of their meeting due to a lack of consensus on referring to ’terrorism’, India said yesterday. (Source: The Telegraph – India)
Asia
June 27, 2025 Iran war highlights Asia's vulnerability. According to our analysis, Asia would be the region most severely impacted if the strait were to be shut down. Roughly 80% of the crude oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz -- which narrows to just over 30 kilometers at its tightest point - is destined for Asia. Major economies like China and India are expected to face particularly severe consequences in the event of a disruption. Crude oil prices surged following the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. However, just a few days later, President Trump unilaterally declared a ceasefire between Israel and Iran via Truth Social. His statement sent oil prices tumbling and Asian stocks soaring. A shaky ceasefire has since taken hold. Whether this marks the end of the latest crisis remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Any conflict that spreads globally will have a profound impact on Asia. (Source: Nikkei /Jiji = Japan)
by Tanaka, Nikkei Asia's editor
North America
Canada
27 Jun 2025 Separatist sentiments have been energised in Alberta, the western Canadian province that is the largest foreign supplier of oil to the US and has always considered itself a little bit different than the rest of Canada. Its independence movement poses a threat to Prime Minister Carney’s push for national unity and his ability to respond to the economic threats unleashed by Trump, the US president. This turmoil has been amplified by premier Smith, the 54-year-old United Conservative party leader who regularly rails against Ottawa and has opened the door to an independence referendum. Smith said she was against separating from Canada or Trump’s idea of joining the US. The day after Carney won the national election in April, she introduced a law that lowers the threshold to hold a provincial vote on whether Alberta should breakaway from Canada. From next month, only 177,000 signatures are needed for a referendum petition, down from 600,000. Only 29 per cent of Albertans support the idea of Alberta becoming its own country, according to a May Leger public opinion survey(. The Angus Reid Institute reported that at least 36 per cent of Albertans wanted a vote to leave Canada while highlighting similar tensions exist in neighbouring Saskatchewan. On Monday, the separatist Republican Party of Alberta came third in a by-election dominated by Smith’s United Conservative party. Canada is no stranger to an identity crisis. French-speaking Quebec in the country’s east held unsuccessful votes for independence in 1980 and 1995. Now, it is the west that is voicing its frustration, particularly over how their abundant oil reserves pay for less prosperous provinces. But even if a “Yes” vote wins more than 50 per cent of the vote, independence could only happen after long negotiations with Ottawa and other provinces. It also has to contend with First Nations groups that are fiercely against the idea. Smith said the anger today is the result of a decade of Liberal party rule under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose climate-focused agenda, such as the carbon tax, was devastating to families and stifled industry. Smith met Trump in January at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in a bid to promote Alberta’s energy abundance. Smith was the first premier Carney visited after becoming prime minister. His election promise to make Canada an “energy superpower” with the “strongest economy in the G7” heavily relies on Alberta’s support. Smith’s inner circle includes figures such as chief of staff Anderson, an author of the Free Alberta Strategy, a manifesto urging the province “to assert its sovereignty, (and) offload the burden of Ottawa’s tyrannical economic policies”. (Source: Financial Times - United Kingdom)
United States
June 27, 2025 Parents with religious objections to storybooks with L.G.B.T.Q. themes may withdraw their children from public schools when the L.G.B.T.Q. Storybooks are discussed, the Supreme Court ruled on today. Maryland parents have a religious right to withdraw their children from classes on days that stories with gay and transgender themes are discussed, the court ruled. The logic of Justice Alito’s majority opinion in the 6-to-3 decision seemed to sweep quite broadly, allowing parents with religious objections to demand that their children not be instructed about gay and transgender themes but also about many other topics. Some legal scholars said the ruling would have broad consequences for the ability of public schools to manage their curriculums. Justice Sotomayor announced her written dissent. She wrote that public schools offer to children of all faiths and backgrounds an education and an opportunity to practice living ’in our multicultural society.’ ’That experience,’ she added, ’is critical to our nation’s civic vitality’. A lawyer for the parents, Baxter of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, welcomed the decision. “This is a historic victory for parental rights in Maryland and across America,” he said. “Kids shouldn’t be forced into conversations about drag queens, pride parades or gender transitions without their parents’ permission.” (Source: The New York Times - U.S.)
June 27, 2025 Since the late ’70s Hezbollah has maintained a well-documented presence in the U.S., mainly for terror fundraising, but these so-called sleeper units can instantly morph into violent and lethal operational cells. In Iran's 'forever war' against the US, Hezbollah is the most prolific and capable terrorist organization in the world. The misguided prioritization of the FBI during the Biden administration on "white supremacist' organizations diverted precious resources away from the greatest threat in its mission portfolio. The Biden administration’s reckless open-border policies created an unprecedented opportunity for a host of additional international terror cells and individual fanatics to infiltrate into the U.S. A June 2022 study by the George Washington University program on extremism identified 128 individual examples of Hezbollah activity in the US. Border Czar Homan reported that Biden’s policies resulted in the capture and release of over 1,272 Iranian nationals who have melted into this country unvetted and unmonitored. In addition, there were over 2 million got-aways. (Source: Fox News - U.S.)
by Swecker, who served 24 years in FBI as Special Agent. He retired from the Bureau as Assistant Director with responsibility over all FBI Criminal Investigations.
International Atomic Energy Agency
27.06.2025 UN nuclear watchdog says radiation levels in Gulf remain normal after Iran's nuke sites hit by Israel, US. Today, IAEA Director General Grossi said data from the International Radiation Monitoring System, which includes 48 countries, showed no significant radioactive release from Iran's nuclear facilities. “From a nuclear safety perspective, Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Tehran Research Reactor represented our main concern, as any strike affecting those facilities - including their off-site power lines - could have caused a radiological accident with potential consequences in Iran as well as beyond its borders in the case of the Bushehr plant. It did not happen, and the worst nuclear safety scenario was thereby avoided,” Grossi said. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
.5 6 28 11:32
