Egyik 19

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Gaza
(19 April 2025)  Israel’s continuous blockade of Gaza has been disastrous for all areas of life in the Strip. (Video/) /Source: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - Headquarters New York, U.S. Geneva, Switzerland/
by Whittall - an official with UN OCHA -  from Rafah, in southern Gaza.

Iran
(Sunday), April 20 2025  On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio urged European countries to decide whether to trigger the snapback mechanism under the 2015 agreement, which would automatically reinstate UN sanctions on Iran over its non-compliance. The option to trigger the mechanism expires in October. Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit in the deal but still below the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material. On Friday U.S. ally Israel affirmed its commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, saying it had a clear course of action to do so - a stance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated yesterday. ’I will not give up on this, I will not let go of it, and I will not retreat from it - not even by a millimetre,’ he said. Iran’s FM Araghchi said yesterday the U.S. side had not raised any issues unrelated to the nuclear topic so far. The United States and Iran made progress in a second round of high-stakes talks on Tehran's nuclear programme yesterday and agreed to meet again next week, both sides said. The Oman-mediated talks in Rome lasted about four hours. After yesterday's talks, Oman's foreign ministry said Araghchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Witkoff had agreed to keep negotiating. The talks, it said, "aim to seal a fair, enduring and binding deal which will ensure Iran (is) completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions, and maintaining its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy". Oman said the third round would be (on April 26) in Muscat, returning to the site of the first talks a week ago. (Source: Huriyet Daily News - Turkey)

4/19/2025  President Trump is calling for Iran to “go fast” to secure a new nuclear accord. U.S. Special Envoy Witkoff has said the Trump administration’s red line is to prevent Iran from being able to produce a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Grossi said this week the Iranians 'aren’t far away' from being able to do it. Grossi called on Iran to step up cooperation to show its nuclear program is peaceful. There are critical gaps in the world’s understanding of Iran’s nuclear inventory. Tehran in recent years has restricted United Nations atomic agency oversight of its nuclear activities - a key requirement under the 2015 accord, and stifled an agency probe into undeclared nuclear material found in the country. At various points, it has removed cameras intended to monitor key parts of its nuclear infrastructure and effectively banned inspectors from those sites. Iran has stopped the agency from inspecting nonnuclear sites since 2021, curtailing the IAEA’s insight into Iran’s ability to build a bomb. The IAEA has since September 2023 said that it no longer has fully updated information about a range of Iran’s nuclear work and can’t confirm Tehran’s claim that its program is purely for peaceful purposes. U.S. intelligence officials said last month they don’t believe Iran has made a decision to build a nuclear weapon but U.S. officials think it would only take a few months for Tehran to build one. U.S. and Iranian officials convened in Rome for a second round of discussions today, after meeting in Muscat last weekend. This weekend’s talks are expected to include discussion on a timeline for negotiations and potentially a general framework for a new deal, U.S. and Iranian officials have indicated. “Trump’s given a two-month deadline to get a deal done,” said Albright, a former weapons inspector who heads the Institute for Science and International Security think tank. “Iran needs to start cooperating more fully with the IAEA in order to develop confidence that any deal is water-tight.” The U.S. and European powers have repeatedly called on Iran to step up its cooperation with the agency in recent years. They have censured Iran for not doing so at the IAEA three times since November 2022. The critical gap in IAEA knowledge of Iran’s nuclear program is Iran’s inventory of centrifuges, machines that spin uranium into higher levels of enrichment. In 2021, three years after the Trump administration quit the nuclear deal, Iran stopped handing over to the agency footage and measurements from the cameras installed at the facilities. Later that year, following an attack on its Karaj centrifuge site, which Tehran blamed on Israel, Iran went several months without cameras monitoring its centrifuge production. Iran removed cameras monitoring its centrifuge sites again in June 2022. It only started to replace some a year later. The IAEA still has frequent access to Iran’s two enrichment sites and is confident Iran hasn’t diverted fissile material from them. However, the agency said in February that it has 'lost continuity of knowledge' of Iran’s production and inventory of centrifuges and their key parts: rotors and bellows. Would it retain a critical component of its ability to produce weapons-grade enriched uranium? The agency can carry out a range of inspections which could take as much as six months, and it is unlikely to get a complete picture. Trump has warned he would hit Iran militarily if it refuses a deal. On Thursday he denied he had waved off an Israeli attack to strike Iran’s nuclear plants but said he is “not in a rush to do it.” Iran must settle another issue before a deal can be implemented: resolving ’an IAEA probe into undeclared nuclear material’ found in Iran, likely originated in past nuclear weapons work Iran did in the 1990s and 2000s. Tehran has repeatedly denied it has ever conducted such work. ’Without detailing why it has the material and where it is now’, Iran may not be able to close down the probe. (Source: MSN / The Wall Street Journal = U. S.)

(Thursday), April 17, 2025  The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). warned yesterday that Iran was not far from possessing a nuclear bomb, shortly before he arrived in Tehran for talks. “It’s like a puzzle. They have the pieces, and one day they could eventually put them together,” Grossi told yesterday. He arrived yesterday in Tehran and met Foreign Minister. Araghch and Eslami, who heads Iran’s nuclear energy agency. Grossi’s visit comes ahead of a second round of talks between Iran and the United States on Saturday. Earlier, Araghchi said Iran’s enrichment of uranium under its nuclear programme was non-negotiable after US Middle East envoy Witkoff called for it to end. “We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable.' His remarks came after Witkoff said on Tuesday that Iran must stop and eliminate enriching uranium as part of any nuclear deal. The day before, Witkoff had urged only that Iran return to the 3.67% enrichment ceiling set by its 2015 accord with major powers. In its latest report, the IAEA said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilos of uranium enriched to up to 60%. That level still falls short of the 90% threshold required for a nuclear warhead. Ahead of Saturday’s new round of talks, Araghchi condemned what he called the Trump administration’s contradictory and conflicting positions. He said he hoped to start negotiations on the framework of a possible agreement, but that this required constructive positions from the United States. Yesterday, Iranian state media said Saturday’s talks would be held in Rome with Omani mediation, as an Italian spokesman also confirmed the location. However, US and Iranian officials have not officially confirmed the venue. (Source: Gulf Times - Qatar)

Apr 12, 2025  “The current focus of the talks will be de-escalating regional tensions, prisoner exchanges and limited agreements to ease sanctions (against Iran) in exchange for controlling Iran’s nuclear programme,” an Omani source told. Iran and the US held talks in Oman today and agreed to reconvene next week, the Iranian side said. “After the end of more than 2½ hours of indirect talks, the heads of the Iranian and American delegations spoke for a few minutes in the presence of the Omani foreign minister as they left the talks, it said. Failure would aggravate fears of a wider conflagration across a region that exports much of the world’s oil. Iran has ruled out negotiating its defence capabilities such as its missile programme. (Source: The Straits Times - Singapore )

Apr 12, 2025  The Iranian negotiating team consists of the top Iranian diplomat, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ravanchi, and Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Gharibabadi. Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Baghaei, is also accompanying the negotiating delegation. The Iranian delegation arrived in Muscat, the capital of Oman, today morning. In 2018 and during his first term in office, US President Trump withdrew the United States from a previous agreement on Iran’s nuclear program – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – and launched a maximum pressure campaign against the country. Trump restored that policy after returning to the White House for a second term in January, but he has since signaled a willingness to make a new deal to replace the JCPOA. Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the US under pressure and threats but says indirect talks remain an option. (Source: MEHR News - Iran)

2025-04-12  Iranian officials said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has given Foreign Minister Araghchi full authority to lead the negotiations, while US Middle East envoy Witkoff is set to lead the American side. National Security Council senior official Trager and nuclear experts from the US State Department will also participate in the discussions. Witkoff has conveyed that the US seeks a diplomatic resolution while ensuring Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons. He told that Washington’s red line remains to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb and that dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program is a key demand. Tehran insists its nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes, but Western nations argue that its uranium enrichment has exceeded civilian needs - enrichment levels have reached 60%, approaching weapons-grade material. Israel, a close US ally, continues to view Iran’s nuclear ambitions as an existential threat and has warned it would act militarily if diplomacy fails. Iran enters the talks under pressure, with its regional influence diminished in recent months. It’s military capabilities and its warnings to US bases in the region could strengthen its negotiating position. (Source: Shafaq News - Iraq)

April 12, 2025  US special envoy Witkoff is set for talks today with an Iranian delegation in Oman. Iranian state media said Iran would be represented by Foreign Minister Araqchi, with Omani Foreign Minister Busaidi as intermediary. Ahead of talks today between US and Iranian delegations. Trump in February restored his 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran, which includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero, in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said earlier this week that if the talks are unsuccessful, 'Iran is going to be in great danger.' Yesterday, White House press secretary Leavitt said Trump's "ultimate objective is to ensure that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon" and that Trump believes in diplomacy, but that 'all options are on the table' if diplomatic efforts fail. „You can agree to President Trump's demand, or there will be all hell to pay, and that's how the president feels’, Leavitt said. (Source: AsiaOne - Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)

Syria
April 17, 2025  Operation Assad. As his enemies closed in on Damascus, Assad used a private jet to spirit away cash, valuables and confidential documents mapping the corporate web behind his wealth. Ibrahim, who ran the economic and financial office of the presidency arranged the leasing of the plane to transport Assad's treasured assets, relatives, aides and presidential palace personnel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aboard four flights. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet made the four back-to-back trips to Syria in the 48 hours before the regime's fall. The plane, which has the tail number C5-SKY, is registered in Gambia. The fourth flight departed on Dec 8 from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military air base, near Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast. Assad fled to Russia on the same day from the same base. The jet carried unmarked black bags of cash holding at least US$500,000 as well as documents, laptops and hard drives with key intelligence about "The Group", the codename Assad and Ibrahim's associates used for the intricate network of entities spanning telecoms, banking, real estate, energy and other activities. Assad’s whereabouts was kept secret from even close family members in the last frantic days of his regime. On Dec 6, as rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched towards the capital, the 13-seater Embraer jet approached Damascus International Airport. More than a dozen staff in the camouflage uniforms of Syria's Air Force Intelligence, mobilised to guard the Hall of Ceremonies, the airport's VIP section, and its access route. A handful of civilian cars with tinted windows approached the area. The cars belonged to the elite Republican Guard, tasked to protect Assad and the Presidential Palace. The guard answered only to its commander, Assad's cousin General Makhlouf, or Assad himself. The head of airport security, Brigadier-General Ali, told airport staff that Air Force Intelligence personnel would handle the aircraft. "You have not seen this plane." Ali, a senior Air Force Intelligence officer, took orders directly from the Presidential Palace. The C5-SKY plane flew each time to Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport, used by dignitaries and known for its strict privacy, Flightradar24 data show. At first, the jet left Dubai on Dec 6 and landed in Damascus around noon. It then flew to Al Bateen airport and was back in Damascus just after 10pm. Each time it landed, cars rushed towards the plane, staying for a short time. Ali told Air Force Intelligence staff that Presidential Palace personnel and relatives of Assad - including teenagers - were due to board the first two flights that left Damascus on Dec 6, which also carried cash. The second flight from Damascus also transported paintings and some small sculptures. On Dec 7, the jet was back in Damascus around 4pm and left for Al Bateen for a third time over an hour later, this time loaded with bags of cash as well as hard drives and electronic devices containing information about Assad's corporate network. The stored information included financial records, minutes of meetings, ownership of companies, real estate and partnerships, as well as details of cash transfers and offshore companies and accounts. This time, vehicles belonging to the UAE embassy in Damascus approached the VIP airport area before the jet took off. Early on Dec 8, rebel fighters reached Damascus, prompting Assad to flee for his coastal stronghold of Latakia, in coordination with Russian forces. Damascus airport stopped operating. Shortly after midnight that day, the C5-SKY jet left Al Bateen one last time. After passing over the city of Homs, north of Damascus, at around 3am local time, the plane dropped off flight tracking coverage for about six hours before reappearing over Homs, headed back to Abu Dhabi, data from Flightradar24 show. During that window, it landed at the Hmeimim base in the Latakia province. A satellite image taken at 9.11am by Planet Labs captured the plane on the runway at Hmeimim. The jet was the only private plane flying in and out of Syria between Dec 6 and Dec 8, flight tracking data show. Aboard the flight from Hmeimim was Khalil, a close associate of Ibrahim active inside Assad's network. Khalil is under Western sanctions for supporting the former regime by operating and controlling several businesses in Syria. He had reached the Russian base in an Emirati embassy armoured car and was carrying $500,000 in cash. Khalil had withdrawn the money two days earlier from an account with the Syria International Islamic Bank (SIIB). The account belongs to Damascus-based Al-Burj Investments. The company is 50 per cent owned by Ibrahim. The Embraer jet was operating under a 'dry lease', in which the owner provides the aircraft, but no crew, pilot, maintenance, ground operations or insurance. Ibrahim reached Abu Dhabi on Dec 11. Ibrahim leased the jet from Lebanese businessman Wehbe. In the WhatsApp conversation the jet was described by one of Ibrahim's associates as the Lebanese plane. (Source: AsiaOne – Singapore / Reuters - United Kingdom)

Turkey
April 15, 2025  Turkey’s interior minister Yerlikaya announced today a massive operation into organized crime in five countries that led to over 200 arrests, primarily in Turkey. “This morning, a total of 234 high-level members of an organized crime group were detained, nine of whom were abroad and 225 were at home,” he told. Simultaneous raids were carried out in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Turkey. Officials shared documents and intelligence with a number of countries, including France and Britain. Some 21.2 tons of drugs were confiscated, the minister said. Turkish authorities targeted four international organized crime groups as part of the operation. “These criminal organizations were seeking to ship cocaine to our country and Europe by sea and land from South American countries and heroin from Iran and Afghanistan, skunk cannabis through the Balkans and ecstasy through Europe,” Yerlikaya said. (Source: Turkish Minute - Turkey / Agence France-Presse)

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United States
Apr 20, 2025  The Trump administration attempts to choke off exports of strategically important computer chips to China. Silicon Valley semiconductor star Nvidia is one of the most important pieces in this (US) chess game with China. Nvidia and its US rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) expect big financial hits from new US licensing requirements for semiconductors exported to China, they notified US Securities and Exchange Commission this week. Nvidia expects the new rules to cost it US$5.5 billion, while AMD has forecast they could sap as much as US$800 million from the company’s bottom line, according to filings. Administration officials told Nvidia it must obtain licences to export its H20 chips to China because of concerns they may be used in supercomputers there, the company said. The United States has already restricted exports to China, the world’s biggest buyer of chips, of Nvidia’s most sophisticated graphics processing units (GPUs), designed to power top-end artificial intelligence models. Nvidia essentially developed the H20 chip for the Chinese market. The new licensing requirements pose a roadblock. For AMD, the new US export control measure applies to its MI308 GPUs, which are designed for high-performance applications like gaming and artificial intelligence, it said in a filing. It noted that there is no guarantee licences for sales to China will be granted. Independent tech analyst Enderle predicted Chinese chip makers – likely led by tech behemoth Huawei – will ramp up efforts to snatch the lead in the market. (Source: The Straits Times - Singapore)

04/18/25  President Trump’s top economic adviser Hassett, chair of the White House National Economic Council, told yesterday the White House is exploring how to fire Federal Reserve Chair Powell despite the legal guardrails on his position. Hassett served as the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers during Trump’s first term. A 90-year-old Supreme Court precedent likely protects Powell from being fired by the president for anything other than misconduct or severe neglect of office. The Fed chief is a lifelong Republican whom Trump himself appointed to the job in February 2018 and presided over four rate hikes, three of which were reversed the following year. (Source: The Hill - U.S.)

April 18, 2025  President Trump’s meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. /Video/ (Source: Fox News - U.S.)

Friday, 18 April 2025  Trump said the US is considering backing out of the peace process, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him. It follows comments by US Secretary of State Rubio, who said earlier today, following talks in Paris among US, Ukrainian and European officials that the US may be ready to move on from efforts to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine if progress is not made within the coming days. Rubio issued the same warning in a phone call today with NATO Secretary-General Rutte, telling him that if a clear path to peace does not emerge soon, the United States will step back from efforts to broker peace. Another meeting is expected next week in London, and Rubio suggested it could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration continues its involvement. Trump told reporters today that he backed Rubio's remarks but that he remained "hopeful" that a peace deal could be reached. “Now, if for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say you’re foolish. You are fools, you horrible people,” he said. “And we’re going to just take a pass. But hopefully, we won’t have to do that”. When asked about Rubio’s comments today, Kremlin spokesman Peskov told reporters that fairly complex negotiations are ongoing between Russia and the US. He said no direct talks between Trump and Putin are scheduled in the coming days. Trump said “Marco is right” that the dynamic of the negotiations must change, but stopped short of saying he's ready to walk away from peace negotiations. “Well, I don’t want to say that,” Trump said. “But we want to see it end.” (Source: ITV – United Kingdom)

16 April 2025  „Trump puts nuclear weapons on the agenda. The world should listen”. The US President has again stated his decades-long-held belief that he could strike a deal to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Trump has a dim view not only of the threat posed by the possession of nuclear weapons, but also the waste involved in keeping them. “We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully, much more productive,” he said in February, soon after returning to office. Trump failed during his first term to seriously engage with Russia on a nuclear control treaty (New START expires in 2026), or to influence his “friend” North Korean leader Kim whose arsenal has grown exponentially. Neither did Trump find an alternative to Obama’s Iran nuclear deal. But the point is that he took a personal interest in each. Trump may try again. But he would do so in the face of a belligerent Putin ’who has threatened to drop a nuclear bomb on Ukraine’ – the likes of which had not been heard since the Cuban missile crisis. In addition, by 2035, China may have 1500 nuclear warheads with world-class delivery systems – missiles, bomber aircraft and submarines – according to US estimates. American nuclear expert Gottemoeller recently outlined during a visit to Australia and in a speech at the Lowy Institute, a window of opportunity may open amid the global trauma. The nuclear triumvirate of the United States, Russia and China could work on parallel tracks to advance nuclear reductions (US and Russia) and secure measures of nuclear control (China). The US and Russia would publicly assure the world they will continue to abide by New START’s deployed nuclear warhead cap of around 1,550 each, and 800 delivery vehicles each. Meanwhile over the decade – such negotiations will take years – China’s total arsenal could be within reach of 1500 nuclear warheads, deployed and not deployed. The three would thus be closer to parity, although US and Russian arsenals, comprising deployed and non-deployed warheads and delivery vehicles, would be greater – thus continuing to provide the strategic equilibrium achieved under successive bilateral arms limitation treaties since the height of the Cold War when their stockpiles measured over 32,000 for the US and 46,000 for Russia. Russia and the United States have led global verification work for decades but confidence among other allies and partners increases with transparency in this meticulous process. The accounting, reductions and limitations of warheads and delivery systems must entail verification that the countries concerned have done what they have promised. Russia and the United States have led global verification work for decades but confidence among other allies and partners increases with transparency in this meticulous process. Although others are unlikely to invited to join in, the actions of Russia and the US could generate conditions for China – with state media previously asserting that its nuclear silos visible from space were in fact windmills – to deduce that the time has arrived to be more transparent and reiterate its adherence to adequate controls. Talks on a New START replacement treaty could also be possible after in parallel with a process to halt the war in Ukraine. Achieving these steps would send an electric current through the world of nuclear watchers. Commentary in Europe, Japan and South Korea is growing along lines previously unthinkable – that their countries should build their own nuclear weapons to fill any void opening in the US extended nuclear deterrent guarantee to its allies. The triumvirate would put paid to murmurings by other countries with nuclear weapons that they need to further build their arsenals. A tough appraisal of each of the three countries’ fundamental interests: The critical point is that the US, Russia and China all adhere to the belief that nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity. /Source: The United States Studies Centre (USSC) - Australia/
by Hardy, a former Australian senior career diplomat and Australian Government official. Over three decades, she served in seven Australian embassies in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States and Europe, four at ambassador level.

April 15, 2025  Zelensky told CBS's 60 Minutes program that he believes 'Russian narratives are prevailing in the U.S.' and that he understood Vance to be 'somehow justifying [Russian President] Putin's actions' by presenting Ukraine as an aggressor, too. "I've also tried to apply strategic recognition that if you want to end the conflict, you have to try to understand where both the Russians and the Ukrainians see their strategic objectives," Vance told an interview with UnHerd published today morning. "That doesn't mean you morally support the Russian cause, or that you support the full-scale invasion, but you do have to try to understand what are their strategic red lines, in the same way that you have to try to understand what the Ukrainians are trying to get out of the conflict." He added: "I think it's sort of absurd for Zelensky to tell the [American] government, which is currently keeping his entire government and war effort together, that we are somehow on the side of the Russians." Vance said Zelensky's rhetoric "is certainly not productive". (Source: Miami Herald - U.S.)

(15 April, 2025)  Trump administration freezes $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts Harvard funding, for refusal to curb campus activism, combating antisemitism, reforming university governance, admissions and hiring practices. (Source: Scroll - India)

Tue 15 Apr 2025  ’The Silicon Six’ American tech firms - Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, Netflix, Apple and Microsoft - generated $11tn of revenue and $2.5tn of profits in the past decade. They have been accused of avoiding almost $278bn in US corporation income taxes over 10 years. (Source: The Guardian - United Kingdom)

Apr 15, 2025  The Federal Reserve is resisting pressure from the White House and Washington to spur big banks to buy more Treasury bonds. Still, the Fed isn’t accelerating regulatory changes that would encourage banks to load up on government debt, even though Treasury Secretary Bessent and JPMorgan CEO Dimon both support the idea. Wild swings in Treasury prices forced President Trump to reverse course on his sweeping tariffs, and investors remain spooked even after his backtrack. (Source: Semafor – website; it’s organization based in New York City, U.S.)

Apr 14, 2025  On March 21, Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that U.S. shell companies and their owners can once again conceal their identities. Critics warn the move could weaken national security and spur illicit financial activity that puts the American public at risk. Treasury’s initial beneficial ownership information (BOI) disclosure requirement for all companies with less than 20 employees garnered bipartisan support and Trump’s approval during his first administration. But it was short-lived. American beneficial owners of foreign shell companies that register in the U.S. have been granted anonymity. Arms traffickers are one of the many malicious actors who have used U.S.-based shell companies to their benefit. Bout, a former Soviet intelligence officer turned 'merchant of death' is the kingpin of examples. Extradited to the United States in 2010 to stand trial on terrorism charges, Bout utilized a global network of shell companies, including 12 companies incorporated in Delaware, Florida, and Texas, to facilitate weapons trafficking to armed groups in Africa, Colombia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and elsewhere. 'Bout may be the poster boy for U.S. shell companies engaged in black market arms sales, but he is only the tip of the iceberg', explained Austin, Executive Director of the Conflict Awareness Project. From a U.S. company in Maine tied to a Mauritius arms trafficking operation, to the convicted arms traffickers Soghanalian and Acelor who facilitated weapons air drops to the FARC rebels in Colombia, the shell game is what they were banking on - however unsuccessful in these instances - to hide from investigators’ eyes. And hide they do. U.S. shell companies have been successfully used as cover for illegal arms sales for decades. Asked during his confirmation process in January if anonymous shell companies pose threats to national security and public safety, in the final ruling, Secretary Bessent cited President Trump’s Executive Order 14192, entitled “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation” and the administration’s policy to significantly reduce the private expenditures required to comply with Federal regulations to secure America's economic prosperity and national security as the reasoning behind the ruling. The original BOI requirements enjoyed widespread public approval. Now with only foreign nationals forced to register BOI, U.S. citizens may be used as legal fronts for international entities looking to benefit from the U.S.’s financial system and it wouldn't be the first time. According to investigations conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, some Pentagon suppliers have used U.S. front companies to win manufacturing bids. The contractors have obscured the fact that they were making U.S. military equipment abroad, risking equipment quality as well as national security while defrauding the U.S. out of millions of dollars. In one case, a contractor who used a U.S. shell company was secretly manufacturing safety gear for F-15 fighter jets in India while illegally exporting 'technical drawings for aircraft parts, nuclear submarine torpedo systems and attack helicopters.' Financial secrecy facilitates illicit activities, including defrauding the U.S. government. 'America’s retreat from leading efforts to uncover these shadowy financial networks is an unforced error that enriches and empowers our worst enemies,' warned Sibley, fellow and director of Hudson Institute’s Kleptocracy Initiative. „Treasury Secretary Bessent should reverse this interim ruling so that the American public and the U.S. financial system can enjoy more thorough protection against criminal actors who seek to hide their activities behind opaque American shell companies”. (Source: Responsible Statecraft - U.S.)
by Gate, a Research Intern with the Democratizing Foreign Policy program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft who holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from City University Law School, London. Her research focuses on the nexus between international law and U.S. foreign policy.

April 14, 2025  You cannot defend the United States from Texas or North Carolina or Florida only, former Commanding General of US Army Europe (2014–2017) Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Hodges said when asked about the role of US military bases on the continent. US forces are not in Europe to protect Europeans, he says. You have to have forward presence and forward capability to project air, sea, and land power, not just in Europe, the Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe, but into Africa, the Middle East, and the Arctic. Which US bases in Europe does he consider most critical for military operations on and beyond the continent? „It should be based on a strategic analysis that says: here’s our priorities, here’s our resources, here’s what we need”. But you still should be thinking about what risk you are taking and what you would lose. „We have such a small footprint in Europe, and we only have one of everything”. ’We had almost 300,000 troops during the Cold War, mostly in West Germany, Italy, and Turkey. We don’t need that anymore. Almost all of those bases have been turned over”. There are different arrangements on who pays for what. „We can’t just assume that we’re going to put a naval base in Italy or Greece and that they have to accept it. These are sovereign nations”. You need trust. Intelligence sharing is also a big factor. The intelligence capabilities are not just based on American satellites, but on ground stations inside European countries, strong intelligence sharing and bilateral agreements with countries like Germany and Poland. And, of course, you need headquarters to manage everything. „You could forget dominating the Mediterranean or being able to project power into Africa if you don’t have the access that we get from Italy, Spain, Greece, and Turkey. Most of the US Navy in Europe is based in Rota, Spain. The headquarters is in Naples. And we have Crete. That’s an important part of the Navy’s ability to protect our interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. The distances, maintenance, fuel, and all the stuff required to do what they do are based on having these airports and seaports. If you want to have sea power in the Mediterranean to help protect our interests, you have to have a presence”. This is huge money, and you have to have existing contracts and the maintenance when the ship pulls in. And what is the importance of the Eastern flank for overall US security? ’The ability to get there for deterrence’. If the missile defense systems in Poland and Romania were to close, what global threats would become more challenging for the US to counter? ’We brought back the Army Preposition Stock, in Europe, equipment for an armored division stored in Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Mihail Kogălniceanu (MK) Airbase, for example, in Romania, has developed over the last 10 years as a power projection platform into the Black Sea because of the airfield there, but also the troops that are there, the headquarters, the maintenance, the contracts, all of that. That’s the best place on the Black Sea for the United States. It’s also where NATO’s Black Sea air police mission flies from. It would leave a huge hole for the United States if we left MK. Now, of course, it’s a Romanian base. We are a tenant there. The French or the Brits could be there. I don’t know how that helps advance America’s interest, but the capabilities could eventually be replaced by another ally. In Poland, of course - where it sits on the map - being there with our Polish allies, right in the middle of where, if there was going to be a Russian attack somewhere, US forces could respond, be based at the V Corps headquarters in Poznan. It’s there to provide the leadership, command, and control for all the US forces on the Eastern flank. If you close that down, then you’ve got to come up with another way to provide that”. „Going back to President Obama, they wanted to shift out to the Pacific more. And then, of course, Russia had different plans. Russia invaded Ukraine, and we had to stop. It’s interesting to me that all the stuff that Russia has done happened after the US downsized, handed over bases, sent all the tanks home, and reduced our ability to deter and defend because we thought we’d never have to do this again. We thought it was over. But we don’t have unlimited resources. If the administration makes the strategic decision to prioritize the Indo-Pacific region, which is legitimate and is the prerogative of any administration to do that, then they have to start looking at, okay, what do they cut? My guess is that what gets cut first will be the rotational forces because that’s a lot of money. They use assets that already exist in Poland, Germany, and Lithuania. So if they’re cut, we’d lose capability, but you wouldn’t necessarily have to get rid of bases. If the Army as a whole, as I think it is going to happen, is going to take a major cut, then for sure, US Army Europe will be a billpayer. But because there’s only one of everything, one signal brigade, one artillery brigade, one air defense battalion, one combat striker unit, one airborne, one aviation, if you get rid of any of those, that’s a capability that’s gone. But I’d have to say that everything is on the table here”. Russia and China would watch to see US-based closure and troop withdrawals from Europe whether Europe could fill that gap, or if the US does something to mitigate that risk. Keeping in mind that US forces are not in Europe to protect Europeans. „They’re there for our strategic interests”. „As our presence in Europe gets smaller, the language from the administration downplays the importance of our European allies. Less people appreciate the benefit of forward presence in Europe and how we benefit from intelligence sharing and access. There’s always talk about the Arctic. There are several NATO allies in the Arctic, and you can’t replace that by seizing Greenland. It’s having the presence that the UK allows us to have, Iceland allows us to have, or Norway. There’s not much that we have in Europe that are needed in the Pacific from the army. „So, the administration would have to be asking Europe to protect our interests”. /Source: Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) – with offices in Washington, D.C., U.S. and Warsaw, Poland/.

April 12, 2025  Witkoff travelled to Russia yesterday to meet Putin and is expected in the Middle East for talks with Iran today, effectively leading yet another top priority national security assignment. Witkoff and Trump still maintain a strong personal relationship, according to multiple people familiar with their relationship. (Source: AsiaOne - Singapore)

Friday, April 11, 2025  Illegal production and distribution of deadly fentanyl netted traffickers an estimated $1.4 billion in 2024, most of which was funneled through U.S. banks, according to the report by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). It said the estimate is based on 1,246 bank secrecy reports about suspected fentanyl-related activity. 57% of the suspicious bank reports on fentanyl trafficking originated from U.S. banks, savings and loan associations, or credit unions. A total of 32% came from check cashing, money orders, or similar services. “Mexico and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the top two foreign countries identified in subject address fields of [Bank Secrecy Act] reports analyzed, play key roles in the production of fentanyl and subsequent money laundering activity,” the report, made public on Wednesday, said. The 1970 Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions to report suspicious activity and transactions over $10,000. The operations of the fentanyl trade involve chemical brokers using front companies, money mules and U.S.-based intermediaries who buy fentanyl precursor chemicals from Chinese suppliers. Chinese chemical suppliers use e-commerce platforms to market fentanyl precursor chemicals. Payments were traced to bank wire transfers and online electronic funds transfers. The traffickers mainly deal in cash and peer-to-peer transfers. Other drug deals bitcoin payments, including suspected Darknet marketplace drug sales. Some of the money laundering of fentanyl proceeds took place through professional Chinese money laundering organizations that potentially facilitated the movement of illicit fentanyl proceeds on behalf of the cartels. Chinese groups rely on underground banking that allows Chinese nationals to acquire dollars in the U.S. while evading official curbs on acquiring foreign funds. The report identified the main cartels involved in the fentanyl trade as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, both labeled as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. The two cartels largely control the fentanyl supply chain in Mexico and use precursor chemicals and manufacturing equipment from China The activities by the cartels are mainly carried out in Sinaloa and Jalisco. The drug is produced in clandestine laboratories, the report said. In addition to Mexico and China, other foreign nations involved in the fentanyl trade include Canada, the Dominican Republic, and India. Those nations have been linked to alternative sources of supply for precursor chemicals and fentanyl and through illegal online pharmacies. China remains 'the primary source country for fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill press machinery,' with nearly 50% of the chemicals traced to the fentanyl trade located in Guangdong, Zhejiang and Hebei provinces in eastern China, the report said. The cities of Wuhan and Shijiazhuang were linked to the most banking reports for fentanyl precursor sales. In the United States, states playing a key role in the fentanyl trade include California, Florida and New York. The areas served as collection points for illicit proceeds. FinCEN analysis also noted a substantial number of subjects in southwest border counties in California and Arizona. Treasury Secretary Bessent said in a statement that the data “ultimately aids in the effort to save American lives.” Last week the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Mexican national Beltran Guzman, a leader of the Beltran Leyva Organization, known as BLO, for his alleged role in trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine into the U.S., ranking among the largest suppliers of cocaine for the past two decades, operating with violent impunity, threatening communities, and targeting key officials, all while profiting from their criminal schemes. The BLO has been linked by authorities to shootouts, murders, kidnappings, torture, and the violent collection of drug debts. Beltran Guzman is the nephew of Guzman Loera, the U.S.-imprisoned leader of the Sinaloa Cartel known as El Chapo. In December, Mexican police made the largest seizure of fentanyl in the nation’s history in Sinaloa, netting over a thousand kilos of the drug. That is calculated to amount to 20 million doses of fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration said 70% of the 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2023 were the result of abuse of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. China’s continuing role in providing precursor chemicals to Mexican drug cartels involved in the fentanyl trade was a major reason President Trump imposed heavy tariffs on Beijing in what is now a full-fledged trade war. (Source: The Washington Times - U.S.)

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NATO

April 14, 2025  Asked about the most critical US bases in Europe, retired lieutenant general Twitty, a distinguished fellow at CEPA and former Deputy Commander of US European Command said that all of them are 'pretty doggone' essential, provide a strategic depth, ’in terms of influence, deterrence, logistics, and because the US doesn’t fight wars on its homeland, but away from it’. ’If the US is in Europe, it is deterring our adversaries such as Russia, China, Iran, and others’. ’Whether you look at bases such as in Vicenza, Italy, which houses our 173rd Airborne Division, or in Vilseck, which houses our cavalry regiment, or Ramstein Air Base, which brings in strategic airlift and support. They’re critical.’ The Sixth Fleet, for example, in Spain or down in Naples, are critical ports and airports „where we have long-term basing relationships that are available for US contingencies because of agreements with the host community”. ’These are critical facilities that allow us to deploy at a moment’s notice, we don’t have to wait for permission’ to have access. ’By being stationed in Europe, it provides the gateway into other areas where we may need to operate. Case in point: When we invaded Iraq, we used many of our European bases as a stepping off point to conduct that invasion and to support logistics and maintenance into the Middle East theater. It was easier to use our Europe bases instead of our US bases to do that type of work’. „Another case in point: Landstuhl hospital. When our soldiers go into combat, the fastest way to get them to a level of care necessary is to fly them to Landstuhl, not the US”. ’These bases provide reassurance to our allies and partners over in Europe’. How would Russia and China interpret US Base closure and troop withdrawal from Europe? Over 600,000 Americans were killed as a result of World War II. They made a terrible sacrifice. „We can never forget that. And we have got to stay strong in Europe, in my mind, as a result of it’, he said. 'Our European partners will be the folks who we’ll be counting on to help us, just as they helped us after 9/11', Twitty added. „They did not have to do that, but NATO voted on Article 5, and they jumped in behind us in both Afghanistan and Iraq. We can never forget that'. „We drew down from 200,000 soldiers to between 60,000 to 100,000 soldiers in Europe today”. Now, there’s a significant disruption and ’there’s a threat to stability in Europe from Russia’. ’We still have some naysayers who think that this war is just a regional war, and it really does not impact Europe. So why do we need all that military capability there? Because in the big scheme of things, when folks look at it, Ukraine’s not part of NATO. Why do we care? Why should we get involved? On and on and on. And so, I think you have those things that are playing against our bases, against our military capability in Europe, and how important both are”. Pulling away from that now „we’re going to walk away from everything we stand for in terms of what we put in place in the Marshall Plan.” ’Our European bases provide us the geopolitical wasta [influence]’. We want to fight our wars not here on the homeland, but away. We want to play an away game. Our European bases allow us to do that’. /Source: Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) – with offices in Washington, D.C., U.S. and Warsaw, Poland/.

Global

April 14, 2025  Maintaining a robust US presence in Europe is essential to defending American interests, said retired from the U.S. Army as a Major General, " Skip" Davis, a non-resident senior fellow at CEPA, former deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and director of operations at US European Command. European basing offers distinct strategic advantages. US bases - particularly in countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Italy, and Romania - ’deter aggression, especially from Russia’. They reassure allies under NATO’s Article 5 and enable rapid response via land, air, or sea due to geographic proximity to potential crises. Their presence supports diplomacy, enhances influence in institutions like NATO and the EU. The US presence contributes to stability in tense regions like the Balkans, the Aegean, and the Black Sea. Europe hosts the most developed US alliance network, with shared command and logistics structures. This strengthens NATO, supports Israel, and bolsters regional partners’ defenses. ’Several European nations host US nuclear weapons and provide dual-capable aircraft, reinforcing nuclear deterrence under NATO’. Europe’s location  -  at the intersection of Africa, the Middle East, 'and Central Asia' - makes it ideal for rapid deployment in all directions. US Army stocks and Navy sustainment capabilities in Spain, Italy, and Greece lower the time and cost of mobilization, air bases like Ramstein (Germany), Aviano and Sigonella (Italy), and Mihail Kogălniceanu (Romania) support rapid ’global response’. ’Globally’, the strategic objectives of US bases in Europe serve as launch points for operations. The bases support ’global’ logistics, airlift, and refueling, many house critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, essential for ’global awareness’. They also offer joint and multinational training that boosts coalition interoperability - ’a necessity for global missions’. Beyond defending Europe, US forces in Europe directly support homeland security - enable early warning and reduce the distance between emerging threats and the US ISR capabilities based in Europe. Bases also serve as hubs for missions targeting transnational terrorist threats that could impact the US directly. Davis cautions that a large-scale withdrawal – „drawdown” - could embolden Russia and China, ’it would make US power projection slower, costlier, and less effective. ’It would diminish US credibility, hinder crisis prevention. 'Russia would likely view it as a weakening of US commitment to NATO and a chance to expand its influence in Central and Eastern Europe. This could embolden Russia to increase military pressure on vulnerable NATO members or non-members like Moldova or Georgia. 'It could build up forces near NATO’s borders or in Kaliningrad and increase naval activity in the Atlantic or Mediterranean. China would exploit the perceived power vacuum to present itself as a stable, alternative global partner, using tools like foreign investment, technology, and trade - especially in Southern and Eastern Europe, targeting economically vulnerable nations. /Source: Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) – with offices in Washington, D.C., U.S. and Warsaw, Poland/.

Space

Sunday, 20 April 2025  A Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft carrying American Pettit and Russians Ovchinin and Wagner landed in Kazakhstan today. It was the fourth time in space for Mr Pettit and Mr Ovchinin, while it was Mr Vagner's second spaceflight. The crew's seven-month science mission started on 11 September 2024. They orbited the Earth 3,520 times over 220 days in space. Mr Pettit, who returns from space on 70th birthday, had been conducting research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitisation technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions and investigate fire behaviour in microgravity, according to NASA. It was the fourth time in space for Mr Pettit and Mr Ovchinin, while it was Mr Vagner's second spaceflight. (Source: Sky News - United Kingdom)

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Europe

France
April 9, 2025  French Industry Minister Ferracci warned Wednesday that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s upcoming trip to meet U.S. President Trump threatens to undermine European unity against American tariffs. (Source: Politico - U.S.)

Poland
10.04.2025  Above all, we should be ready for the EU to fall apart, Confederation MP Wawer told Polish broadcaster Radio ZET on Wednesday, as support for Poland’s ’far-right’ Confederation party rises ahead of May’s presidential election. A few years ago, we even prepared a document called ‘PolExit – Safe Emergency Exit’. A situation may arise in which Poland wants or must leave the EU, and we should focus on preparing for it at the moment, he said. Wawer also criticized what he called the EU’s incompetent response to US-imposed tariffs. “It looks like the race between the tortoise and the hare, and America is already about three laps ahead of the EU,” he said. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

9 April 2025  Poland has downplayed the significance of a US decision to pull its troops out of the key Polish base Rzeszów-Jasionka, south-eastern Poland, supplying military aid to Ukraine. The move to redeploy of US personnel from was “the result of plans adopted after the NATO summit in Washington in 2024″, said a post on X from the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces yesterday. US troops remain in Poland!, Kosiniak-Kamysz, defence minister and deputy prime minister in Donald Tusk’s government, wrote on X: They would be “in different locations”, while now the mission in Jasionka involves mainly Norwegian, German, British and Polish troops, he added. US army newspaper Stars and Stripes reported: “The “US forces’ exit from Polish city key to arming Ukraine is [the] latest shift of burden to Europe.” The American’s removal from the Jasionka complex showed “real signs of an end to US financial aid for Ukraine”, wrote Polish MEP Buczek on X. (Source: Brussels Signal - Belgium)

April 9, 2025  General Donahue, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, has announced the relocation of American troops and equipment from a temporary base in Jasionka, Poland, established in 2022 about 30 miles from the Ukrainian border. He said the move was driven by budgetary concerns. Poland had already developed permanent infrastructure at the site. The base which has served as a key hub for the delivery of military assistance to Ukraine, will remain in use by Polish forces and NATO troops. Facilitating military aid to Ukraine via Jasionka will continue under Polish and NATO leadership, supported by a streamlined U.S. military footprint, read a press release from U.S. Army Europe and Africa. (Source: Meduza – based in Riga, Latvia)

European Commission
April 10, 2025  The European Union has announced it is pausing the retaliatory measures against the United States for 90 days, following President Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that he is temporarily halting reciprocal tariffs. 'If negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in', European Commission President der Leyen wrote on X. (Source: Greek Reporter - Greece)

April 10, 2025 Yesterday, the European Commission has disbursed an additional €1 billion tranche of its exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loan to Ukraine, to be repaid with proceeds from immobilised Russian State assets in the EU. This payment brings the total MFA disbursements to Ukraine to €5 billion. The EU’s €18.1 billion MFA forms part of the G7-led Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative, which aims to provide around €45 billion in support to Ukraine. Also, the Commission announced that this week it will receive €2.1 billion due in windfall profits generated from immobilised assets of the Russian Central Bank, held by the Central Securities Depositories. The proceeds from this tranche will be channelled via the European Peace Facility (EPF) and the Ukraine Facility’ to help strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities’ and contribute to the country’s recovery and reconstruction. Three finance contracts worth €300 million were signed yesterday between the European Investment Bank and Ukraine. The funding will empower local actors to swiftly rebuild essential infrastructure such as water systems and energy-efficient facilities, alleviating pressure on government administration while ensuring effective delivery. A major business summit co-hosted by the European Commission, the Ukrainian government, the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, and Italy, is taking place today and tomorrow. It aims to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and reform efforts, with over 700 stakeholders attending. On this occasion, European Commissioner Kos and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will launch a new EU-Ukraine Business Partnership to deepen economic ties between the EU and Ukraine and supporting its path to EU accession and integration into the EU Single Market. (Source: EUNeighbours east - under the guidance of the European Commission)

April 9, 2025 6:10  All member countries of the European Union except Hungary voted Wednesday in favor of proposals that would impose tariffs on specific U.S. products sold into Europe, starting next week. The proposals were first published on Monday by the European Commission. (Source: NPR - U.S.)

Moldova
09/04/2025  Moldovan court places  Gutul, leader of autonomous Gagauzia region under house arrest for 30 days. Gagauzia is an autonomous region in Moldova with a population of approximately 120,000 Gagauz people – an Orthodox Christian, Turkic community that speaks Gagauz Turkish. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Ukraine
April 10, 2025  The Ukrainian soldiers clambered from the ruined house at gunpoint - one with arms raised in surrender to the Russian troops - and lay face-down in the early spring grass. Two videos. Two stories. In one, the prisoners appear to live. In the other, they die. (Source: AP - U.S.)

April 09, 2025  A Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kramatorsk late yesterday wounded more than two dozen people. (Source: RFE/RL - U.S.)

09/04/2025  Ukraine says at least 155 Chinese nationals - mercenaries allegedly recruited by Moscow - fighting for Russia, claims Beijing is aware. (Source: France 24 "with AFP = France, AP" - U.S.)

United Kingdom
10 Apr 2025  Artificial intelligence programs could manipulate markets by creating intentional crises in order to boost profits, according to new information from the Bank of England. Robot rogue traders could rule world and make bankers even richer, a report by the bank’s financial policy committee said. "Models might learn that stress events increase their opportunity to make profit and so take actions actively to increase the likelihood of such events.' (Source: Daily Star – United Kingdom)

Asia

China
April 9, 2025  China retaliates against Trump with total 84 percent tariff on US goods. (Source: Politico - U.S.)

Iran
April 10, 2025 3:55 AM  Iran showcased new nuclear achievements just days ahead of talks with the United States on its nuclear program. It announced advancements in uranium enrichment, progress on nuclear plant projects at Bushehr and Karoun, and applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry, according to Iranian news reports. (Source: Miami Herald / Newsweek = U.S.)

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Hungary
(April 8, 2025)  Trump tariffs: Hungary is in the process of negotiating an agreement on a bilateral cooperation framework with the US, Foreign Minister Szijjártó says. “We are on very good terms with the Trump administration,” Szijjártó  explains in an interview on Bloomberg Television, adding that the discussed bilateral framework includes “economic elements.” He also defends Hungary's ties with China and Russia. /Video/ (Source: YouTube / Bloomberg Television = U.S.)
Since 8 April, 2025: 15 218 views

04.04.2025  Europe hates Trump, would like to see his peace efforts fail, claims Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán. He told public broadcaster MTI that Hungary has worked out a peace plan, while Western Europe has drafted a war plan aimed at keeping the Ukrainian army engaged in a prolonged conflict with Russia. Reiterating his support for US President Trump’s peace plan and negotiations, Orbán said: “If there’s anyone who can achieve peace, it’s him. And since we want peace, our job isn’t to hinder, criticize, or obstruct him, but to support him.” He claimed that Trump’s efforts had already ensured the war would not spread to other parts of Europe. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

April 3, 2025  Hungary exits International Criminal Court (ICC) as Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for state visit. The United States, Russia, China and Israel are among dozens of countries that are not signatories to the Rome Statute establishing the ICC and do not recognize its jurisdiction. (Source: UPI - U.S.)

02.04.2025  The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Hungary to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the country. Hungary should deny entry to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or arrest him if he enters the country, the New York-based rights group said yesterday. At the time arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Orbán said he will invite Netanyahu to visit, and will guarantee him that if he comes, the warrant will no effect in Hungary. He called the warrants cynical political interference in the ongoing Middle East conflict under the pretext of law. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

April 1, 2025  Parliament, dominated by Orbán's Fidesz party, passed a law last month to ban the Pride march on the grounds that it could be harmful to children. The law says police can use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend the event, and impose fines on participants. Thousands protested in Budapest today, against a law that aims to ban the annual Pride march by LGBTQ+ groups. Orbán has said the fact that rallies such as the one today could take place meant there was no threat to democracy, calling opposition protests against the new law "provocation." A group of embassies in Budapest, including European states but not the United States, has also expressed concern over the changes. (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)
by "Szakacs'

Germany
1 Apr 2025  Germany has launched its first deployment abroad since World War II. The country's parliament said troops will be sent to eastern Lithuania, which is NATO's eastern flank. The unit is to be fully operational by 2027. (Source: Mirror - United Kingdom)

Italy
(5 April 2025)  On March 28, Italy curtailed who could obtain citizenship through jure sanguinis, citing concerns that people with tenuous ties to the country have been taking advantage of the process to reap the benefits of an Italian passport. Previously, the law permitted those who could prove they had ancestors born in Italy after March 17, 1861 - when the Kingdom of Italy was founded - to apply for citizenship. Now, eligibility is restricted to individuals who have at least one parent or grandparent born in Italy. From 2014 to 2024, the number of Italian citizens living abroad rose from around 4.6 million to 6.4 million, according to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The ministry estimates that if jure sanguinis continues without generational limits, 60 million to 80 million people would be eligible to apply for citizenship. (Source: The Washington Post - U.S.)

Poland
08.04.2025  An NBC News report signaled a possible US withdrawal of up to half of the 20,000 troops that the Biden administration stationed in Eastern Europe in 2022. The report said talks on reducing US troop levels in Romania and Poland are taking place as President Trump seeks to persuade Russian President Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. 'Defense minister says US troops to stay in Poland after talk of withdrawal from Eastern Europe. Troops to be relocated from Jasionka Airport to elsewhere in Poland, according to Polish Defense Ministry.' (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Romania
Apr 6, 2025  The Netherlands is engaged in discreet negotiations to permanently transfer a fleet of F-16 fighter jets to Romania by the end of the year. Transferring these jets to Romania sheds maintenance costs while reinforcing a NATO partner - a win-win on paper. This move aligns with the Netherlands’ broader military expansion, aiming to grow its armed forces from 74,000 to 200,000 by 2030. Freeing up resources for F-35 integration could accelerate that shift, while Romania inherits a proven, if aging, platform. This development, if finalized, could see Romania’s air force swell to nearly 70 F-16s. The transfer includes at least 18 Dutch F-16s currently involved in a training program for Ukrainian pilots at Romania’s 86th Air Base in Borcea. The Dutch F-16s in question are likely the Block 20 Mid-Life Update [MLU] versions, which underwent significant upgrades in the 1990s and 2000s. Romania’s current fleet includes aircraft acquired from Portugal - primarily the Block 15 variant, an early model from the 1980s - and a purchase of advanced Block 70 jets from Norway approved by the U.S. in 2022, expected to arrive later this year. The technical implications of managing nearly 70 F-16s are daunting. Romania’s existing Block 15 jets, while reliable, lack the advanced sensors and weapons integration of the Block 20 MLU and Block 70 variants. Maintenance crews must juggle distinct spare parts inventories, software updates, and training protocols, a task that could stretch Romania’s resources thin. Romania’s defense budget pegged at 2.5% of GDP in 2025 per NATO commitments, supports a range of priorities, from Patriot missile systems to naval upgrades. (Source: Bulgarianmilitary - Bulgaria)

European Parliament
April 5, 2025 6:24pm EDT  Eight people have been charged with corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization following a probe into suspected bribery at the European Parliament, Belgium's public prosecutor said in a statement today. Prosecutors have said the alleged bribery is said to have benefited Huawei. (Source: Fox News - U.S.)

Russia
April 10, 2025  At the start of the Ukraine War, SpaceX head Musk granted Kyiv access to his Starlink satellite network sending the Kremlin, and the world a clear wake-up call about the immense value of satellites in war. Ukraine’s un-jammable communications access seriously complicated Russia’s invasion plans. The Russians have spent the last several years perfecting methods for disabling Starlink. Having already spent the better part of the last decade developing a robust arsenal of counterspace weapons specifically designed to stunt U.S. military power projection from space, Moscow may have just created an entirely new set of systems that can drastically degrade a capability that the rest of the U.S. military was investing heavily in. Russia’s Kalinka and Tobol advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems developed to disrupt satellite communications and navigation, are reflecting Russia’s significant and ongoing investment in counterspace capabilities. The actual “Starlink Killer” is the Kalinka system, which can detect and disrupt signals to and from Starlink satellites - aiming to interfere with Ukrainian military communications and drone operations. What’s more, the Kalinka is supposedly able to disrupt the functioning of Starlink’s sister constellation, the system that SpaceX specifically designed for the United States military to use, Starshield. Designated as 14Ts227, the Tobol system is a stationary EW platform originally designed to protect Russian satellites from jamming by monitoring and countering interference. It has been repurposed for offensive operations, targeting satellite signals such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Starlink. Tobol operates by jamming signals, either through downlink jamming (disrupting signals from satellites to ground receivers) or uplink jamming (interfering with signals sent to satellites). There are believed to be only seven Tobol stations across Russia, according to a 2024 report. One of the most prominent locations is in Kaliningrad. The Tobol system has been linked to widespread GPS jamming in the Baltic region, affecting thousands of flights and ships since at least 2023. It is such a threat that Finnair suspended flights to certain airports in the Baltic region in 2024 to avoid any life-threatening disruptions to their civilian flight operations. In Ukraine, meanwhile, this system is believed to have targeted Starlink nodes, disrupting synchronization between satellites and ground terminals. The Tobol’s range and power even allow it to create an electromagnetic shield, potentially protecting Russian assets from satellite-guided munitions. While Tobol disrupts broader GPS signals, Kalinka’s precision targeting could pose a more direct threat to specific military operations - although, of course, its full effectiveness remains unconfirmed in open sources. Unlike Tobol, which broadly jams satellite navigation, Kalinka reportedly has the ability to identify and target specific terminals, including those with enhanced security features. It could undermine critical battlefield connectivity among the Ukrainian Armed Forces spread across a brittle frontline with Russia. If Russia really does have a Starlink and Starshield killer, then they have caught up to the United States in a very real, disturbing way. And that means, it is now time to go back to the drawing board. If Russia has overcome these new satellite capabilities, then the Chinese certainly can as well - and all the money spent on reforming the satellite constellations by making them survivable will have to be spent enhancing their survivability once more. (Source: The National Interest - U.S.)
by Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine.

Apr 6, 2025  According to posts on X by AMK Mapping, an unofficial source tracking the conflict using open-source intelligence, Russia fired eight Iskander-M missiles - mobile short-range ballistic missile systems designed to strike with devastating accuracy with a circular error probable of just 16 to 23 feet when fully optimized - at targets in Kyiv, with claims that none were intercepted. Iskander-M boasts a range of up to 310 miles with a speed exceeding 2 kilometers per second and ability to maneuver during flight releasing decoys to confuse air defenses. It can carry a payload of nearly 1,800 pounds, including conventional warheads like high-explosive fragmentation or cluster munitions. In this assault, the combination of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles suggests a deliberate attempt to saturate Ukraine’s defenses, potentially signaling Russia’s confidence in its ability to penetrate even advanced Western defenses. Estimated in November 2023, Russia manufactured 30 Iskander-M missiles monthly, per the Institute for the Study of War. The cost is roughly $3 million per missile. (Source: Bulgarianmilitary - Bulgaria)
by Nikolov
See also: Russian 9K720 ISKANDER-M tactical missile: Load launch impact /Video/ (Source: YouTube)
Since September 19, 2019: 8 229 305 views

(1 April 2025)  President Putin has called up 160,000 men aged 18-30, Russia's highest number of conscripts since 2011. Russia calls up conscripts in the spring and autumn. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)

Ukraine
(5/4/2025)  'Concerns persist about Ukraine becoming a significant source of illicit firearms and ammunition … in the short to medium term' - Ukraine ‘risks becoming global arms trafficking hub’ after war ends, Europol, the EU’s law enforcement wing warns. Stockpiles of military-grade weapons, drones and ammunition left behind on battlefields risk being exploited by organised crime groups when the hostilities cease, according to a 100 page Europol report titled 'The changing DNA of serious and organised crime'. The US, the largest single donor of military aid to Ukraine, said in March it had provided $66.58bn (€60.44bn) in military assistance to the country since Russia invaded in February 2022. This includes 500 million rounds of small arms ammunition and more than 50,000 grenade launchers. The ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine is a source of ever new threats to our internal security', Siemoniak, Poland’s interior minister, said. “Aware of this fact, we must identify and monitor these threats on an ongoing basis, reacting quickly and adequately". Spanish police have already uncovered evidence of drug gangs arming themselves with weapons donated by Nato members to Ukrainian forces. The arms are believed to have been advertised for sale and purchased on the dark web. (Source: MSN - U.S. / Irish Independent - Ireland)
The report (Source: Europol)

Thursday 03 April 2025  Ukraine has branched out into a new treatment for its traumatised and damaged troops – ketamine. Ukrainian medics are treating veterans with PTSD at the Lisova Polyana psychiatric hospital. Up to 80 per cent of the troops who come through Lisova Polyana end up back in the army. Ukraine’s pioneer in psychedelic therapy Dr Metranitsy says that he is seeing successful treatment of about 70 per cent of PTSD patients. (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)

United Kingdom
Saturday, 05 April 2025  British and French military chiefs have met their counterparts in Ukraine to discuss how Stramer’s ’coalition of the willing’ can build on the capabilities of the Ukrainian army. Admiral Radakin, the chief of the UK defence staff, was in Kyiv this week for talks on the structure, size and make-up of the Ukraine force, in the event of a peace deal between Zelensky and Putin. Defence secretary Healey will host counterparts in a 30-strong ’coalition of the willing’ meeting in Brussels next week. ’We will continue to ramp up our military planning, exploring the air, sea and land forces that could support a lasting peace in Ukraine’. ’However, we will not jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war.’ (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)

Saturday 05 April 2025  Former MI6 boss says Britain ’must get ready for war’, it needs to rearm and build reserves through a form of national service. The threat from Russia – and its closeness to the US – is real, Younger said. “We have, for many years, been completely free of any form of existential threat. ’We’ve unforgivably… launched a set of wars of choice, which have imposed sacrifice needlessly on young people and there’s great cynicism about this idea of collective effort to defend your’ country. He gave a distinctly British establishment response to the question of whether or not, after backing Putin so publicly, ’Trump could be working for Russia’, an allegation which has been made against the US president in the past, without any evidence. ’I personally don’t think he’s a Russian agent. I went out of my way not to find out because why would you want to know? So I don’t know’. „The point is he agrees with Putin”. He agrees that big countries get additional rights over small countries, particularly in their own backyard.” He said Britain had fallen behind other European nations in its ability, and willingness, to defend itself. “I think the UK is quite conflicted as well. We’ve got this astonishing history, which makes people readier to conceive of Britain playing a much more active role, but I think here too, there’s real concern about being asked to actually do stuff.” The longstanding issue of trust is now being undermined by the US, both in terms of military doctrine, as shown by Nato’s Article 5, and in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing system between the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It has been badly damaged by the recent Signal messaging group scandal, Younger said. Dr Ellehuus, now director general of the Royal United Services Institute, Britain’s leading security think tank, laid out the threat that has intensified following the sudden change in strategic ideology in Washington under Trump. She said that while the threat posed by the Kremlin had been persistent, it has been the dramatic shift in Washington that has been the greatest strategic shock. “President Putin is trying to redraw the map. Some of the changes that were made at the end of the Cold War that left Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as not part of the Soviet Union but neither part of Nato or the European Union, left them in a kind of limbo. [It] created an opportunity for him to chip away at the margins of those countries and create pockets of instability or insecurity that would prevent them from fully integrating into Nato or the EU. He is going to test the boundaries of what we call Article 5, which is the commitment that an attack against one Nato ally is an attack against all of them. He’s already been pushing the boundaries of that through below-the-threshold activities that aren’t conventional attacks.” (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)
A comment:
' ’We have, for many years, been completely free of any form of existential threat. ’We've unforgivably… launched a set of wars of choice, which have imposed sacrifice needlessly on young people and there's great cynicism about this idea of collective effort to defend your country." He's right on that, but we got there by listening to the exact same people like Mr Younger’.

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Cambodia
April 5, 2025  The completion of China-funded facilities at the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia was celebrated by the two countries today. The completed facilities include a new 650-meter-long deep-water pier, a dry dock with a capacity of 5,000 tons, a warehouse and a number of other buildings. Prime Minister Hun Manet affirmed that the facilities can be used by all friendly countries in the wake of concerns that the Chinese military will establish a presence at the base in southwestern Cambodia. (Source: Mainichi / Kyodo = Japan)

China
April 9, 2025  China is expanding its military reach and presence within and beyond the western Pacific Ocean with the largest navy in the world by hull count-which has more than 370 vessels, including 12 nuclear-powered submarines. Last summer, three Chinese research vessels were tracked operating in the Indian Ocean for suspected survey missions, which could be used to aid in China's submarine warfare. The mother ship of two types of submersibles, a Chinese vessel is suspected of mapping the seafloor around U.S. allies Australia and New Zealand to support submarine deployments. Its voyage comes after China sent a flotilla for an unprecedented circumnavigation of Australia and the deployment of an American nuclear-powered submarine to Australia. Operated by the state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, all observed activities conducted by the ship, Tan Suo Yi Hao, - "Discovery One" in English - "appear to be in accordance with international law," the Australian Defense Department told. A map shows the Chinese ship was outside the Australian 200-nautical-mile (230-mile) exclusive economic zone (EEZ). It previously transited the Great Australian Bight off Australia's southern coastline and the country's EEZ after leaving New Zealand. The Chinese vessel did not take the most direct route back to China, where it is expected to arrive on April 30. The "dual-purpose" ship, which is reportedly capable of gathering intelligence, has another objective: surveying the Diamantina Trench, which has a depth of 8,047 meters. This could indicate the deployment of submersibles, which can reach 10,000 meters below sea level, according to its operator. Prior to its voyage near Australia, the Chinese vessel conducted a joint research expedition from January to March with scientists from New Zealand at the Puysegur Trench's deepest point, located 6,208 meters below sea level and to the southwest of New Zealand. The most obvious reason for China to carry out deep-sea research off Australia and New Zealand would be to facilitate its submarine force deployments, including submarines that are armed with nuclear missiles, at "strategic deep-sea locations," analyst Powell, the director of the Stanford University-affiliated SeaLight maritime analysis organization concluded. (Source: Miami Herald / Newsweek = U.S.)

09 April, 2025  The first WTO complaint against the new set of US tariffs was brought by China in response to President Trump’s Executive Order (effective 4 February), imposing a 10% tariff on all Chinese goods. This 10% tariff is additional to any other tariffs that the US already imposes on goods from China, as well as any fees and applicable charges on the same goods. In addition to imposing retaliatory tariffs, on 4 February China requested WTO consultations with the US. Consultations take 60 days, and if they fail, the next step will be for China to request a WTO panel. In its request, China argues that the US’s tariffs violate GATT rules. On 14 February, the US responded to China’s request for consultations. The US’s longstanding position is that security measures are “political matters not susceptible of review or capable of resolution by WTO dispute settlement”. On 4 March President Trump increased the tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 20%, again claiming that China had not taken adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crisis. China then lodged a second request for consultations. The US responded on 18 March, again citing a national security rationale. On 4 April, China requested WTO consultations with the US in respect of the tariffs President Trump announced on ‘Liberation Day’. In addition to raising the same GATT legal arguments included in its previous requests, China also claimed that the tariffs breach Article X:3(a) claiming that the US “does not administer the measures at issue in a uniform, impartial, and reasonable manner.” China also announced that it would be imposing additional tariffs of 34% on US imports. In response, the Trump administration will impose an additional 50% tariff on China effective from 9 April. China has responded by increasing tariffs on US goods to 84% and filing another consultation request with the US at the WTO. President Trump announced that the tariff on China would be immediately increased to 125%. The ‘reciprocal’ tariff rates announced on 2 April will be paused for 90-days for all countries other than China. /(Source: Freshfields LLP (formerly Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) - Headquarters London, United Kingdom/

09-Apr-2025  China's State Council Information Office today released a white paper titled "China's Position on Some Issues Concerning China-U.S. Economic and Trade Relations" (April 2025) /Source: CGTN - China/
The full text of the paper.

08-Apr-2025  The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed today that China, Iran, and Russia will hold trilateral consultations on the Iranian nuclear issue in Moscow from April 7 to 8. (Source: CGTN - China)

Apr 04, 2025  China's additional tariffs of 34% on all US goods will come into effect from April 10. Beijing also announced controls on exports of medium and heavy rare earths. The latest tariffs bring average US tariffs on all Chinese products to as high as 65%, according to Bloomberg. That rate includes existing tariffs from the first Trump term that were maintained by the previous Biden administration. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)

(2 April 2025)  China's military conducted a live-fire exercise codenamed Strait Thunder in the Taiwan Strait to simulate strikes on key ports and energy facilities, it said today. A video by the PLA, titled 'Subdue demons and vanquish evils', likened the military's capabilities to the magical powers of the Monkey King, a mythical Chinese character. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)

01-Apr-2025  Today morning, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command began joint exercises around Taiwan Island, organizing its army, navy, air and rocket forces to close in on Taiwan Island from multiple directions, according to Senior Colonel Shi, spokesperson for the theater command. Military exercises by the PLA around Taiwan Island serve as a resolute punishment for Lai authorities' blatant Taiwan secession provocations, and are a necessary action to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhu, Chinese mainland spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council stated today. 'She warned that Taiwan secession means war'. (Source: CGTN - China)

Gaza
03.04.2025  Hamas urged the Hungarian government to 'immediately rescind this biased and shameful decision, fulfill its legal obligations, and hand over the war criminal Netanyahu to the ICC to hold him accountable for his crimes and receive just punishment for the massacres and genocide he committed against our Palestinian people,' the Palestinian resistance group Hamas said in a statement. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

Iran
(Wednesday), April 9, 2025  Trump has recently pushed for a new agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi says that Tehran is "ready to engage in earnest and with a view to seal a deal," in upcoming nuclear talks but stressed they will be indirect due to a deep wall of mistrust with Washington. As tensions escalate and with Trump threatening military action, the outcome of the Oman talks could reshape the geopolitical balance in the Middle East and beyond. Araghchi said removing the threat of force is essential for talks to succeed. Addressing long-standing allegations about Iran's nuclear ambitions, Araghchi reiterated that Tehran's program is peaceful. He quoted language from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) also known as the Iran nuclear deal (2015), affirming Iran's pledge never to pursue nuclear weapons. He pointed to recent congressional testimony from intelligence chief Gabbard, who said the Iranian leadership has not authorized a return to nuclear weapons development since suspending the program in 2003. U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Witkoff will represent Washington in the negotiations. Talks are scheduled to begin on Saturday in Oman. (Source: Miami Herald / Newsweek = U.S.)

(Monday), Apr 7 2025  Tehran was slapped with a chilling deadline to either hold direct talks and sign a new nuclear agreement or potentially face military action. Khamenei strongly refused to agree to Trump's demands, saying that Iran will not engage in any direct negotiations and strike up a new nuclear deal with the US. Iran wants to continue indirect negotiations through Oman - a longtime channel for messages between the rival states. Trump vows ‘there'll be bombing’ if Iran doesn’t fall in line as US masses B2 jets. Meanwhile, Khamenei ordered Iran's armed forces to abandon Houthi terrorists and leave Yemen. Tehran wants to focus more on the threat from Trump rather than spending its resources on its proxy network. Ayatollah braces for looming Trump onslaught. Iran's ally Russia said on Thursday that any US threats of military strikes against it were unacceptable, before ’desperately’ calling for restraint on Friday. Iran has placed its military troops on full alert amid looming threats of a devastating strike attack from the US. Moscow's commitment to its ally depends on the dynamics of the relationship between Trump and Putin. It comes just days after The Sun exclusively revealed how the US and Israel are planning to blitz in an attack which was "long overdue". The US amassed at least five B-2 strategic bombers on the British island of Diego Garcia. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei responded to Trump's threat. 'They threaten to attack us, which we don't think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow. Iran sent a chilling strike threat to neighbouring countries, warning that any support for a US attack on Iran would be seen as an act of hostility using their air space or territory by the US military during a potential attack. Senior Israeli diplomatic sources say Iran is closer than ever to developing nukes. Iran is believed to have accelerated its nuclear weapons development and is building nuclear warheads for solid-fuel missiles with a range exceeding 3,000km. They are being developed at two sites in Shahrud and Semnan, which were previously pinned as rocket or space satellite launch sites. A third site, Sorkheh Hesar, is also said to be carrying out projects, including research on nuclear power and underground explosions. Nukes are being created under the watchful eye of the regime's nuclear weaponization entity, the Organization for Advanced Defense Research (SPND). Bosses are developing nuclear warheads for the solid-fuel Ghaem-100 missiles, which are equipped with mobile launch platforms at the Shahrud site. Iran's rocket designers have used North Korea's missiles as a guide to develop the Ghaem-100 missile, which was in a very early testing stage in 2011, when dozens of missile experts were killed at the Modarres site in Tehran. Personnel vehicles are banned from entering the Shahrud site and are forced to park at a checkpoint before people are transported in. They are using the liquid fuel missile Simorgh to develop nuclear warheads in Semnan. Iran has staged three successful Ghaem-100 missile launches over the past two years, enhancing the regime's capability to deploy nuclear weapons. Iran is said to be readying itself by setting up missiles with the capability to strike US positions. A significant number of these weapons are located in underground facilities scattered across the country, designed to withstand airstrikes. The US amassed at least five B-2 strategic bombers on the British island of Diego Garcia - all aimed at Iran. Iran is over 2,300 miles from where the bombers are stationed - but the B-2s have a massive 6,900-mile range. The heavy bombers can obliterate targets with their huge 25-tonne bomb payload per jet. Amid the potential strike threat, Kayhan - a hardline Iranian official propaganda newspaper managed by Khamenei's representative - issued a column calling to assassinate Trump. The chilling threat was written in retaliation to the 2020 killing of IRGC's Soleimani by US airstrikes. President Trump has given his team strict instructions to obliterate Iran if the country ever assassinates him. (Source: The U.S. Sun)

03.04.25  Iran considers pre-emptive strike on Diego Garcia as US bombers mobilise. The Shahid Mahdavi and an Iranian Navy corvette visited Port Klang in Malaysia in February before sailing off the coasts of Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. The flotilla reportedly came within 1,300km of Diego Garcia near the equator. (Source: The Telegraph - India)

Kazakhstan
April 8, (2025)  A Russian spacecraft safely delivered an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station (ISS) today, a flight hailed by Moscow as an example of fruitful Russia-U.S. space cooperation. (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)

Syria
April 10, 2025  A week after Israel increased air strikes in Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new government in Damascus and accusing Turkey of trying to turn the country into a protectorate, Turkey and Israel have held technical talks yesterday in Azerbaijan, to avoid military misunderstandings that could start a conflict in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan and Israeli officials confirmed. “While we are conducting certain operations in Syria, there needs to be a non-conflict mechanism with Israel, which flies aircraft in that region, similar to mechanisms we have with the US and Russia,” Mr Fidan told. “There are technical contacts to prevent combat elements from misunderstanding each other.” Turkey could set up a military base in Syria's desert city of Palmyra and is studying the possible use of a Turkish-produced air defence system known as Hisar, a senior Syrian military commander told last week. The Turkish Defence Ministry official said Ankara was looking to set up bases for training purposes in Syria and was providing support to increase Damascus's defence capacities in line with the demands of the new government in the Syrian capital. A delegation led by the Chief of the National Security Staff, Hanegbi, along with senior representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the security branches, met last night with a parallel Turkish delegation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office also confirmed the talks. Israeli officials are now concerned that Turkey's newfound weight in Syria could be used against it as Ankara builds influence in the country, where Israel has also expanded military operations into a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights. Mr Fidan said Ankara's military activities in Syria were aimed at avoiding instability that could impact Turkey. (Source: The National – United Arab Emirates)

Turkey
April 10, 2025  Over the course of the last 22 years, President Erdoğan of Turkey has fought and endured a great deal in order to remain in power. Through it all, he has grown more powerful. The events of the last month may prove to be among the most decisive moments of Erdoğan’s era. In the middle of March, an Istanbul court ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the city’s mayor, Imamoğlu. With Imamoğlu’s removal from office, many assume that Erdoğan may run against a weaker opposition candidate in his pursuit of a third presidential term after 2028. Other events appear to favor Erdoğan’s plans for stronger, more regionally powerful Turkey which had helped protect Sharaa’s rebel stronghold in Idlib for much of the civil war. Turkish commentators agreed: The victory in Syria belonged to both Ankara and Sharaa. News reports circulated that Turkish troops would remain in Syria and assist the government in Damascus in reconstituting its military. An end to the fighting likely meant that millions of Syrian refugees residing in Turkey could soon return home and relieve the country of large number of unwanted immigrants. Economic opportunities appeared to accompany the war’s conclusion, with U.N. officials estimating Syria’s reconstruction costs topping $400 billion. Other issues remained. The Netanyahu government has remained steadfast in its contention that Turkey has provided critical aid to Hamas. In January the Knesset’s defense and budget committee issued a scathing report on Turkey’s influence in Syria. Among the committee’s findings is the assertion that Israel "must be prepared for war” with Turkey over its support for Sunni militants in Syria and its potential desire “to restore the Ottoman Empire to its former glory.” Turkish senior officials have countered that Israel intends to undermine Turkish security by establishing ties with Syria’s Kurdish militias - belief crystalized around the theory that Tel Aviv intends to occupy and partition Syria by linking Kurdish-held areas with the Golan Heights. The realization of this “David’s Corridor,” as it is termed in the Turkish press, is believed to be a part of a broader Israeli agenda to redraw the map of the Middle East. Damascus signed an agreement in February with the largest Kurdish-dominated faction, the Syrian Democratic Forces, aimed amalgamating it into the regular Syrian army. In February, reports circulated that Sharaa and Erdoğan were seeking a joint defense pact. Elements of this agreement would see Turkey establish new air bases in Syria, use Syrian airspace for military purposes, and take a lead role in training troops in Syria’s new army, leading to further speculation that the Turkish navy would take over Russia’s basing rights on the Syrian coast. Recent Israeli airstrikes against military installations in central Syria raise the possibility that a shooting war between Israel and Turkey is not idle talk. For Turkey, a costly war with Israel is only one hazard that lies ahead in Syria. Recent waves of sectarian violence in the country have underscored the fragility of the peace the Sharaa government has forged. To date, no state in the region, including the wealthy Gulf monarchies, have followed through on promises to aid Sharaa in rebuilding the country. It appears likely that much of Turkey’s Syrian diaspora will not return home. Turkey may end up owning a thoroughly broken situation in Syria. These revelations followed increasing signs that Turkey’s greatest security threat, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, was at the threshold of disbanding. With the prospect of ending the 40-year insurgency within reach, pro-government have rejoiced. Erdoğan publicly voiced his hope that a “Turkey without terror” was just on the horizon. The government allowed a series of official meetings between representatives of the Peoples’ Democratic Party - an opposition party, which chiefly represents the interests of Kurdish civil rights movement - and the imprisoned founder and leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, Öcalan. In late February, he was issuing a page-and-a-half written statement outlining his desire for his fighters to lay down their arms. How perceives Erdoğan’s administration the implications of Öcalan’s historical statement? After a “wait-and-see” period lasting several months, a “democratization” process would proceed within Turkey’s Grand National Assembly. Among the aims of this process, would be the reformation of the country’s constitution and one likely item to be a constitutional amendment allowing Erdoğan the option to stand again for election in three years’ time. To ensure passage of such an amendment, Erdoğan’s coalition requires the support of one of the assembly’s main opposition parties. Giving concessions to the Peoples’ Democratic Party may secure Erdoğan the votes he needs. The chief victim is Turkey’s largest opposition party, the Republican Peoples’ Party. The arrested Istanbul mayor Imamoğlu is both more popular than Erdoğan and more likely to win in a head-to-head matchup for the presidency in 2028. Peoples’ Democratic Party leaders have voiced support for the protests and have called for Imamoğlu’s release. Republican Peoples’ Party chairman Özel has now called for early elections. Added to these dates are concerns that the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party may not be so certain. Neither the Syrian Democratic Forces nor other Kurdish factions have official acknowledged Öcalan’s calls for dissolution. May have Turkey arrived at some kind of moment of reckoning? Establishing a firm foothold in Syria while neutralizing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party likely will have a dramatic effect upon Turkey’s regional influence. Success in Syria also may further whet Turkey’s appetite for adventurism. Demobilizing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and resolving its problems with Kurdish militants in Syria may incentivize Erdoğan to resume his aggressive behavior towards Athens. The road to success in Syria is potentially fraught with danger. Should Sharaa’s government stumble or fall, Turkey again may be saddled with an unstable neighbor and a tidal wave of new refugees in need of care. Successfully insisting upon a permanent military presence in Syria may also spur a war against Israel. Unlike Ankara’s recent conflicts in Libya, Syria, or Armenia, the Turkish armed forces may struggle against a far more capable opponent. Erdoğan’s dual efforts to strengthen his hold on power, while boosting Turkey’s influence in the Middle East, may precipitate far more severe crises. At this stage, given global conditions, it seems easier to imagine Turkey growing more unpredictable. (Source: War on the Rocks - U.S.)
by Gingeras, a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School, an expert on Turkish, Balkan, and Middle East history, the author of seven books, including the forthcoming Mafia: A Global History and Sorrowful Shores: Violence, Ethnicity, and the End of the Ottoman Empire

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Asia

Yemen
09:43-9 April 2025  The Iran-backed Houthis are in disarray over escalating American strikes targeting military and security sites, as well as weapons depots belonging to them, Yemeni Minister of Information Eryani said, revealing that the group has lost nearly 30% of its military capabilities. Al-Eryani told that the recent strikes have directly hit "the military capabilities of the Houthi group, targeting mainly infrastructure related to ballistic missiles and drones, which were used to threaten international maritime navigation in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden." US President Trump had ordered the start of the military campaign against the Houthis on March 15. In the past four weeks, the Houthis have been hit by 365 air and naval strikes, especially in the group's strongholds in the governorates of Saada, Sanaa, Amran, and Hodeidah. (Source: Asharq Al-Awsat – Headquarters London, United Kingdom, owned by a member of Saudi royal family.)

Caribbean

Dominican Republic
Thursday 10 April 2025  Death toll hits 184 two days after the roof came crashing down on some 300 people enjoying a live music show at the Jet Set nightclub. The nightclub was packed with musicians, retired Major League Baseball players and government officials for a concert by Pérez, known as the “loudest voice in merengue”, on Tuesday night, when the entire roof collapsed. 145 people had been rescued. Search and rescue work would now transition to recovery of the bodies as any hopes of finding survivors had faded, exhausted. "All rescue agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly. Our prayers are with the affected families”, President Abinader said on X. (Source: Independent – United Kingdom)

North America

Canada
09 April, 2025  On 1 February, President Trump issued an Executive Order imposing a 10% tariff on Canadian energy products and a 25% tariff on all other Canadian products. These tariffs were set to take effect on 4 February. After reaching an agreement with Canada on border enforcement, President Trump announced that the tariffs would be suspended for 30 days. Canada committed to implementing a $1.3 billion border security plan and launching a Canada-US Joint Strike Force on organised crime, among other measures. On 4 March, the suspension ended and the tariffs came into force. On the same day, Canada imposed an additional 25% tariff on $30 billion worth of US goods. Canada also lodged a request for consultations with the US before the WTO. Canada raised the same Article I:1 and II:1(a) and (b) GATT legal arguments as China but also alleged that President Trump’s measures fail to “provide, to the extent possible, for a de minimis shipment value or dutiable amount for which customs duties and taxes will not be collected”. Canada additionally claims that the measures breach Article V:3 GATT as the measures “at issue apply a customs duty to goods in transit.” Canada also claims that its request is a matter of urgency on the basis that the tariffs apply to agricultural “perishable goods.” In such cases, a WTO panel is required to issue its report within three months, instead of the usual six months. Prompted by concerns raised by US car manufacturers whose supply chains stretch across North America, on 6 March, the US exempted products that satisfy the ‘rules of origin’ requirements under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), covering a significant proportion of Canadian imports. This did not affect Canada’s retaliatory measures, nor its WTO action. On 14 March, the US responded to Canada’s request for consultations on the same basis as its response to China. On 12 March the US imposed a 25% tariff on aluminium and steel products from all sources. Canada was lodging another request for consultations, repeating the same arguments in its other request. On 20 March, the EU submitted a request to join Canada’s consultations, citing its “substantial trade interest” in the dispute given that the US steel and aluminium tariffs also affect a total of €26 billion of EU exports. In its response, the US reiterated the claim that the measures taken relate to issues of national security. As of 9 April, the US has yet to respond to the EU’s consultation request. A 25% tariff on imports of automobiles came into effect on 2 April (and will come into effect on certain automobile parts no later than 3 May). These tariffs are additional to the current tariffs that the US already charges on imports of automobiles and automobile parts - the US’ most-favoured nation tariff on automobiles is 2.5%. The tariffs that Trump separately announced on China, Canada and Mexico in February and March are payable in addition to this tariff. The Section 301 tariffs that were announced under the Biden administration on electric vehicles and lithium-ion vehicle batteries from China will also need to be added on top of this additional 25% tariff. These tariffs are origin-neutral, and the basis for these tariffs is that protecting the US automobile industry is vital to national security. On 3 April Canada requested WTO consultations with the US, raising the same Article I:1 and II:1(a) and (b) GATT legal arguments included in its previous requests. In addition, Canada alleges that the tariffs are inconsistent with Article VIII:3 GATT as the measures “impose substantial penalties for minor breaches of customs regulations or procedural requirements.” /Source: Freshfields LLP (formerly Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) - Headquarters London, United Kingdom/

United States
April 10, 2025  Speaking in the Oval Office yesterday, U.S. President Trump said was not concerned about the economic conflict with China escalating further, calling Chinese President Xi "one of the very smart people of the world." He has dismissed concerns of his trade war with China escalating beyond the exchange of ’eye-watering tariffs’. I don't think he would allow that to happen, Trump said. The U.S. is far more powerful than people understand, he added. ’We have weaponry that nobody has any idea what it is and it is the most powerful weapons in the world that we have.’ So nobody is going to do that, Trump told reporters. (Source: Miami Herald - U.S.)

April 9, 2025  The military use of space is evolving quickly, necessitating not only new capabilities but also creating entirely new missions, securing greater funding. The chief of space operations (CSO) noted in April 2025 that “overly restrictive space policy and outdated ways of thinking” are holding back U.S. military space power. The Space Force has proposed establishing a new command, called Space Futures Command, to assess the long-term capabilities required to maintain the U.S. edge in space. New capabilities are important, but so are new missions. The military use of space is in such an early stage that no one has perhaps quite figured out all the military space missions and functions themselves. During congressional testimony on April 3, 2025, the CSO directly spoke about this, suggesting there might be a need for a “process by which we will evaluate new missions”. There are already several new missions on the horizon. The Golden Dome initiative, specifically missile intercept from space, is one such mission. Space sensing will play a critical role in Golden Dome, as it does today in the U.S. early warning architecture, with satellites used to detect and track missile launches. But Golden Dome is a paradigm shift because it includes the deployment of space-based missile interceptors, potentially orbiting Earth somewhere between 300 kilometers and 500 kilometers in altitude, designed to counter ballistic missiles during the boost phase of their trajectories when they pass through space, opening the door to a new chapter in how the U.S. military uses space for space control. Space-based missile interceptors can perform both space control roles: the counterspace mission, stopping adversaries from using space for their own operations. and the counter-counterspace mission, to defeat counterspace weapons employed by an adversary, protecting and defending U.S. space assets. Space mobility and orbital global strike would also be two other entirely new military space missions, not just new capabilities. For years, U.S. Transportation Command, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and the Defense Innovation Unit have been working on developments that would fit into a space mobility mission. Since 2022, AFRL has been budgeted to pursue the rocket cargo program, which aims to move goods and material from one point on Earth to another using suborbital rocket flights. Commercial reusable rockets, including Blue Origin’s New Shepard and SpaceX’s Falcon 9, testify to the feasibility of this concept. The ability to deliver cargo (or possibly in the future soldiers) anywhere in the world in less than 90 minutes, it would have value when speed is key. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission, SpaceX’s Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner capsules, and Varda’s return vehicle, among others, offer recent examples of existing capabilities that lay the groundwork for another variation of space mobility, one involving orbital flight and reentry through Earth’s atmosphere. Supplies in orbit for later delivery (i.e., warehousing in space), could reduce delivery times still further than what is possible using rocket cargo. Since March 2023, the Air Force has funded work at four companies to look at this concept, which has been called orbital cargo drop. ’A vehicle in orbit that is capable of surviving reentry could deliver weapons’. This was most recently tested by China in 2021, designed to deliver a warhead to its target using low Earth orbit. This is a type of system the U.S. military has not pursued. Orbital global strike, a space-to-Earth fires concept of a capability based on satellite constellation, with each satellite having some type of space-to-Earth weapon. Today, an intercontinental ballistic missile is on average the fastest way to deliver a munition to the other side of the globe, capable of reaching its target in about 30 minutes. For a weapon of an orbital global strike, the time to reach the target could be as fast as a projectile falling from orbit to the ground at Mach 10, a time measured in mere minutes. Weapons launched from satellites in orbit could include solid projectiles) or drones or air-breathing missiles that deploy from reentry vehicles. ’Orbital global strike could be used for strategic purposes, meaning to target an adversary’s war-making and other infrastructure, or tactical purposes in direct support to armed forces in combat’.’Creating an orbital global strike mission would be akin to the evolution of air power from mainly a tool of reconnaissance to one oriented around long-range bombardment’. The same technology that produced commercial satellite constellations hints at the possibility of ’an orbital global strike network consisting of a similar number of satellites’.  (Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies - U.S.)
by Swope, the deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project and a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the CSIS.

April 9, 2025  Might someone have stolen the gold reserves from Fort Knox, Kentucky, the fortress that holds the government’s gold bars? At least a dozen times since mid-February, President Trump and his billionaire adviser Musk keep fanning flames of Fort Knox gold conspiracy theory - rumor about America’s gold reserves - that the Fort Knox gold might be gone. In 2017, Trump’s treasury secretary at the time, Mnuchin, visited the Kentucky fortress and came away satisfied. Trump’s current treasury secretary, Bessent, told in February: “All the gold is present and accounted for.” No visit has materialized in the nearly two months since then, and it’s not clear why. ’The gold theft rumors have come in several varieties, all without evidence, among them that European bankers took the gold or that the Rockefeller banking family did’. The U.S. Mint says Fort Knox holds about 147.3 million ounces of gold currently, or about half the Treasury’s total gold reserves. That’s worth about $450 billion at the current market price. Formally known as the U.S. Bullion Depository, the gold reserve site is next to the Army base Fort Knox. It was built in 1936, and President Roosevelt was the only visitor until the tour for media and members of Congress in 1974. The gold reserve used to have a practical purpose: to allow foreign governments to swap their dollars for gold. But President Nixon ended the practice in 1971. Now, its value is mainly symbolic of U.S. wealth, and other countries, such as China, have recently sought to build up their own reserves. The Treasury Department’s nonpartisan inspector general audits the gold every year, said Thorson, a former inspector general who’s now retired. He said that he sent teams of about three people every year and that he went personally once in 2011. On Feb. 15, Zero Hedge posted a suggestion on X and tagged Musk directly. “It would be great if @elonmusk could take a look inside Fort Knox just to make sure the 4,580 tons of US gold is there. Last time anyone looked was 50 years ago in 1974,” the account posted. It had 3.3 million views as of Friday. “Surely it’s reviewed at least every year?” Musk responded to the post. X’s owner, Musk, has 218 million listed followers. Google Trends data shows that after the interaction, web searches for the term “Fort Knox” hit their highest level since Google began collecting data in 2004 and kept rising for several days. On Feb. 17, Musk posted on X about the gold: “Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s not.” He spoke about it on Rogan’s podcast and at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, often mixing the conspiracy theory with attempts at humor. Musk reiterated his intention to inspect the goal as recently as March 30 at a town hall-style event in Wisconsin. “We’re actually going to Fort Knox to see if the gold is there, because maybe somebody stole the gold, tons of gold,” Trump said. ’There is no evidence that any gold is missing, and there’s no indication that Musk or Trump has taken any concrete steps toward visiting Fort Knox’. Questioning the gold as having been ‘lost’ or ‘stolen’ is part of a series of actions that undermine confidence in America, said Klein, who served in the Obama Treasury Department. Paul, the former congressman wants Trump and Musk to perform lab tests known as assays to determine the exact composition of the gold bars. The price of gold soared to record highs in recent days amid concerns about Trump’s trade wars before they fell again along with other asset prices since last week’s tariff announcement. And the longer the visit doesn’t happen, the more useful the rumors become for anyone who benefits from them. “If the intent is to undermine the financial system, you don’t actually want anyone to go there and look,” said Schafer, of the German Marshall Fund. (Source: NBC News - U.S.)

09 April, 2025  On 2 April, President Trump announced a global baseline 10% tariff on all imports into the US (effective from 5 April) and a range of additional ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on numerous countries and the EU (effective from 9 April). These reciprocal tariffs – which will be payable in addition to tariffs that the US currently levies – range from 10% (the minimum baseline) to 73%. According to the administration, these tariffs are calculated by reference to the size of that country’s trade deficit with the US. All countries will face steeper tariff rates, including China which was hit with a 34% tariff (but the total tariff rate on China has since risen to 125%), while the EU will face an additional 20% tariff on top of the tariffs the US already imposes on the EU. These reciprocal tariffs have been paused for 90-days for all countries, other than China. The 10% baseline tariff will continue to apply to most countries during the 90-day period. No additional tariffs were announced on Mexico and Canada. The ‘reciprocal’ tariffs apply to all products, but exclusions exist for certain medical items (including pharmaceuticals), as well as agricultural and technology items (including semiconductor chips) and certain raw materials. President Trump has indicated that the US will soon impose tariffs on semiconductor chips and pharmaceuticals. The ‘reciprocal’ tariffs also do not apply to automobiles and automobile parts, as well as steel and aluminium products, which remain subject to the specific tariff rates for these products. /Source: Freshfields LLP (formerly Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) - Headquarters London, United Kingdom/

4/9/2025  FBI Director Patel was removed as the Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an arm of the U.S. Justice Department, and replaced by U.S. Army Secretary Driscol, who will continue to serve as Army Secretary while he also oversees the ATF. Patel was sworn in as ATF's acting director in late February, just a few days after he was also sworn in as FBI Director. Senior Justice Department officials are weighing whether to merge the ATF with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an effort to cut costs. (Source: MSN - U.S. / Reuters - United Kingdom)

8 April 2025  The Trump administration is finding justifications to revoke student visas. Students at over 50 universities across the US reported that their student visas were canceled around April 4. They were impacted at several major institutions in California - UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, Stanford – and at Arizona State University, Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Tennessee, among others. Some students report having their visa revoked over a speeding ticket. This recent wave of visa revocations has also renewed alarm about the State Department's "Catch and Revoke" program. The approach uses AI to scour the social media of visa holders, determining whether they show support for US-designated terrorist groups such as Hamas. Last month, FM Rubio said at a press conference that he had revoked the visas of over 300 international students, specifically for pro-Palestine protest activity. „Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa," Rubio said in Guyana on March 27. (Source: allAfrica - a website which operates from offices in Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Monrovia, Nairobi and Washington, D.C.)

April 8, 2025  The Trump administration plans to fine migrants under deportation orders up to $998 a day if they fail to leave the United States and to seize their property if they do not pay. The Trump administration plans to apply the penalties retroactively for up to five years. Trump turns to rarely used 1996 law that was enforced for the first time in 2018, to fine and potentially seize migrant assets. Immigrants in the U.S. illegally should use a mobile app formerly known as CBP One - rebranded as CBP Home under Trump - to "self deport and leave the country now." The White House has pressed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to handle the issue of penalties, property seizures for migrants who don't pay, and the sale of their assets. The Department of Justice’s civil asset forfeiture division could be another option for the seizures. The planned fines target the roughly 1.4 million migrants who have been ordered removed by an immigration judge. The immigration advocacy group FWD.us estimates that some 10 million migrants with no legal status or temporary protections are living with U.S. citizens or permanent residents in what are known as 'mixed status households.' (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)

Apr 08, 2025  In Silicon Valley, tech giants rely heavily on H1B visas to employ thousands of workers and immigrant tech community is confronting growing challenges. Amazon tops the list of big tech companies in terms of H1B approvals, followed by Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple. Tesla, under CEO Musk’s leadership, approved 1,767 H1B visas in the fiscal year ending September 2024. Each year, around 65,000 H1B visas are granted through a lottery system, with India leading the list of recipients, followed by China and Canada. The debate over H1B visas has brought to light a growing division within Trump’s coalition, with tech leaders pushing for more immigrant talent while others advocate for stricter immigration measures. Experts warn that limiting visas for immigrant tech workers could undermine the industry's ability to compete with China. Amidst the Trump administration’s stricter immigration policies, leading tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are advising their H-1B and green card visa holders to refrain from international travel. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)

(Tuesday), 08 April, 2025  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his second visit to Washington in the first 10 weeks of Trump's second term. On the agenda was Netanyahu's determination to reverse Trump's newly imposed tariffs, and discussions on Iran's nuclear ambitions, Gaza, and Syria. Trump said that he would be meeting with the Iranians on Saturday and dealing with them directly, possibly a major step following years of cautious indirect talks. "Maybe a deal is going to be made. That would be great," Trump told reporters. "Don't forget, we help Israel a lot. You know, we give Israel $4 billion a year. That's a lot," Trump said. Trump repeatedly said that Israel should have never "given up" Gaza in its land-for-peace deal. He suggested a post-war plan of beachside resorts administered by the US. He then invited Netanyahu to answer a reporter's question about an "immigration plan" to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. His answer seemed to differ from Trump's plan for beachfront development, suggesting that Palestinians in Gaza would return after a period of post-war reconstruction. (Source: The New Arab - based in London, United Kingdom, owned ba a Qatari company)

Apr 07, 2025  The Trump administration has placed the staff of the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman on a 60-day administrative leave. The office, which was known for its independence from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), assisted around 30,000 people annually. The March 21 move by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could be a step toward dismantling the independent immigration oversight body. The move also affected the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties - which is required to exist by law - and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman. The removal of the neutral watchdog could lead to unchecked administrative power over immigration matters. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)

Saturday 05 April 2025  The U.S. Agency for Global Media ended RFE/RL satellite contracts on Thursday, possibly impeding the broadcasting of Russian-language programs. Around 40 stations in Europe that broadcast RFE’s live Russian programs use satellites. 'RFE/RL reports in almost 30 languages and reaches about 47 million people weekly in 23 countries, such as Russia, Hungary, and Afghanistan.' (Source: Independent - United Kingdom)

Fri, Apr 4 2025  President Trump says Fed Chair Powell should cut interest rates and ‘stop playing politics’. (Source: CNBC - U.S.)

4 April 2025  The Trump administration has fired General Haugh, the head of both the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, after a meeting between President Trump and ’far-right’ activist Loomer yesterday. She posted on X that Gen Haugh and his deputy, Noble, 'have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired." At least three other officials at the White House National Security Council (NSC) were fired: Walsh, a director for intelligence; Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs; and Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security. (Source: BBC - United Kingdom)

Apr 04, 2025  Yesterday the US President levied a 26% tariff on India, 34% on China, 46% on Vietnam, and 10% on the UK. The EU has been slapped with a 20% tariff, while 49% has been levied on Cambodia. Imports from South Korea will attract 25% tariffs. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)

NATO

03.04.2025  At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, US underlined 'NATO members should spend up to 5% of GDP on defense'. 'Ground war in the heart of Europe is a reminder that hard power is still necessary as deterrent,' said Secretary of State Rubio. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)

United Nations

05 April 2025  New thinking is needed on disarmament. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) race needs to slow down and IT firms should instead be focusing on the bigger picture to ensure that the technology is not misused on the battlefield, UN disarmament experts and leaders of ‘big tech’ companies have insisted, speaking at the recent Global Conference on AI Security and Ethics hosted by UNIDIR in Geneva. AI has already created a security dilemma for governments and militaries around the world. The dual-use nature of AI technologies – where they can be used in civilian and military settings alike – means that developers could lose touch with the realities of battlefield conditions, where their programming could cost lives, warned Valli, Head of Public Affairs at Comand AI. The tools are still in their infancy but have long fuelled fears that they could be used to make life-or-death decisions in a war setting, removing the need for human decision-making and responsibility. Hence the growing calls for regulation, to ensure that mistakes are avoided that could lead to disastrous consequences. “We see these systems fail all the time,” said Sully, CEO of the London-based company Advai, adding that the technologies remain “very unrobust”. “So, making them go wrong is not as difficult as people sometimes think,” he noted. (Source: The United Nations Office at Geneva)

Global

09 April, 2025  China, Canada, and the EU have responded to the tariffs which President Trump has imposed by commencing dispute settlement proceedings before the World Trade Organization (WTO). For other WTO members, the WTO remains an important part of the international architecture for free trade. The US’s commitment to WTO rules and the WTO as an institution is not what it once was. The US has even stopped paying into the WTO budget. The future? After 60 days of WTO consultations, complainant countries can request a WTO panel. These dates fall on 6 April – for China in respect of the 20% tariff on Chinese goods; 3 May – for Canada in respect of the 25% tariffs on Canadian goods (and 10% on Canadian energy goods and potash); 12 May – for Canada in respect of the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium products; 3 June – for Canada in respect of the 25% tariffs on automobiles and automobile parts; 4 June – for China in respect of the ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on Chinese goods. "It is to be expected that the US will avoid a negative WTO panel ruling being formally adopted, which it can do by ‘appealing into the void’. This is now possible because there are currently no Appellate Body members, due to the US having blocked all appointments since 2019. However, some WTO Members, including the EU, have adopted legislation permitting them to retaliate against unsuccessful respondent WTO members in such circumstances. It would further be expected that the EU, at least, would retaliate against the US should it be successful in any WTO proceedings. This is not however necessarily the case for other WTO members, including China and Canada". /Source: Freshfields LLP (formerly Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer) - Headquarters London, United Kingdom/

April 9, 2025 10:10 AM CET U.S.  President Trump said overnight that global leaders are willing to do anything to make a trade deal with him as American tariffs come into force. “They are dying to make a deal. 'Please, please sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything sir,' he imitated a begging foreign leader during a speech at the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner in Washington. Tariffs announced by Trump on April 2 which took effect today morning include massive 104 percent duties on Chinese goods, while dozens of other nations, plus the European Union, will face tariffs ranging from 11 percent to 50 percent. Asian stocks collapsed today morning as the new tariffs kicked in with key markets already open. In Japan, the Nikkei index dropped over 5 percent, while the broader TOPIX index fell by 4.6 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 4.3 percent and Taiwan's market plunged more than 5.7 percent. Speaking at the event yesterday night, Trump also announced plans for additional tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. We’re going to tariff our pharmaceuticals and once we do that they’re going to come rushing back into our country because we’re the big market, he said. (Source: Politico - U.S.)

April 8, 2025 11:59 PM GMT+2  The United States said today that 104% duties on imports from China will take effect shortly after midnight in response to countertariffs Beijing announced last week. China has vowed to fight to the end. U.S. stocks dropped today for a fourth straight trading day since Trump's tariffs announcement last week. S&P 500 companies have lost $5.8 trillion in stock market value since Trump's tariff announcement last Wednesday, the deepest four-day loss since the benchmark was created in the 1950s. "We've had talks with many, many countries, over 70, they all want to come in. Our problem is, can't see that many that fast," Trump said at a White House event, where he signed executive orders aimed at boosting coal production. "Right now, we've received the instruction to prioritize our allies and our trading partners like Japan and Korea and others," White House economic adviser Hassett said. Trump's tailor-made approach to negotiations with individual countries could take into account foreign and military aid as well as economic factors, White House spokeswoman Leavitt said. Trump's lead trade negotiator, Greer, told Congress that his office is trying to work quickly but is not facing a particular deadline. Global oil prices steadied after falling to four-year lows. European pharma companies, fearful of the tariff fallout, warned the president of the European Commission, der Leyen, in a meeting that Trump's tariffs would expedite the industry's shift away from Europe and toward the United States. (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)

07/04/2025 - 09:09 US  President Trump refused to back down on sweeping tariffs. China retaliated. Many fear the escalating trade war could spark a global recession.    Stock markets:    Asia:    China hammered the United States with its own hefty tariffs, ramping up a trade war that many fear could spark a recession. Equities collapsed. Wave of selling as investors fled to the hills. Hong Kong's loss of 12 percent its worst in more than 16 years; Taipei tanked more than nine percent; Tokyo more than seven percent.    Europe:    European shares plunge to 16-month low. Frankfurt slumping as much as 10 percent; Paris diving more than six percent; London sliding nearly six percent; Amsterdam and Oslo: losses of more than five percent; Milan down over three percent. (Source: France 24)

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Europe

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

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

European Union

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

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

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

Asia

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

North America

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

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Europe

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

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

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

Asia

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

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

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

North America

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

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

Oceania

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

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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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Europe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Asia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

North America

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

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

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

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Europe

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

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

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

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

Asia

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

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Europe

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

Asia

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

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

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

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

5 3 22 .19:51

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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)

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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)

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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)