Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
EU says violence at Gaza food centres ‘untenable’ | |
2025-07-05 | |
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... criticised the situation surrounding the food distribution sites operated by the Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppressionand disproportionate response... Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Al Jazeera reported. ''What's happening around those distribution centres, the situation is 'untenable'. It should not be tolerated, and the violence should cease immediately,'' EU Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni told a briefing in Brussels. | |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
Iran rejects EU's call to negotiate termination of nuclear program | |
2025-07-04 | |
The statement came on Wednesday in response to comments made by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who on Tuesday urged Iran to engage in immediate negotiations to curb its nuclear activities. In a post on X, Araghchi on Wednesday stated that Kallas disregarded the principles enshrined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which explicitly affirms the right of all signatory states, including Iran, to develop, research, and utilize nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. He argued that the EU's call undermines Iran's sovereign rights under international law and fails to acknowledge the complexities of the existing nuclear agreements. Araghchi further criticized the EU's stance by referencing UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Araghchi rejected the involvement of the EU and the UK in any future negotiations, stating that their participation would be irrelevant and meaningless. He contended that the resolution and the JCPOA framework have been undermined by the withdrawal of key parties, particularly the United States in 2018, rendering mechanisms like the ''snapback'' sanctions process obsolete and legally baseless. Iran has intensified asserting its nuclear rights since the US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA under the Trump administration, reimposing stringent sanctions. The Islamic Republic has since scaled back its compliance with the deal, advancing its uranium enrichment activities while maintaining that its program is for peaceful purposes, such as energy production and medical research. | |
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Europe |
Austria set to deport man to Syria, marking first for EU since Assad’s fall |
2025-07-03 |
[IsraelTimes] Rights groups warn Vienna’s move could set a dangerous precedent, arguing that Syria remains officially unsafe for return under international law Austria is preparing to deport a Syrian man whose asylum status was revoked due to a criminal conviction, in what an EU official and rights groups say will be Europe’s first forced deportation to Syria since the fall of former president Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators... Rights groups are concerned that Austria’s plan could set a precedent, encouraging other European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... member states to follow suit amid rising anti-migration sentiment across the 27-nation bloc. The 32-year-old man, who was granted asylum in Austria in 2014, lost his refugee status in February 2019 because of his criminal record, his legal adviser Ruxandra Staicu said. She declined to specify the nature of his conviction. The Austrian Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Deportation to Syria was not possible during the country’s civil war as it was considered unsafe. The Austrian government argues that Assad’s fall means the situation has changed and it has begun proceedings to strip some refugees of their status, though rights groups say it is premature to do so. Austrian and Syrian authorities agreed for the man to be deported last week, but the closure of airspace across several countries in the region, including Syria, due to Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran ![]() spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word Iranis a cognate form of Aryan.The abbreviation IRGCis the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either Duceor Führeror maybe both. They hate delayed the process, Staicu and a Western diplomat said. Hundreds of flights were forced to turn back or reroute when the strikes began. The diplomat, who requested anonymity, added that the deportation would now go ahead once the airspace reopened. Since 2015, European countries have received around 1.68 million asylum applications from Syrian nationals. Some governments, most notably Germany, initially welcomed them warmly as civil war ravaged their homeland. But rising public concern over the scale of immigration has fueled support for far-right, anti-migrant parties. IS SYRIA STILL DANGEROUS? With the fall of Assad in December, many EU governments were quick to suspend the processing of Syrian asylum applications, and some have called for the security situation in Syria to be reassessed to enable deportations to resume. In Austria, former Chancellor Karl Nehammer, from the ruling Austrian People’s Party (OVP), is among those calling for such a reassessment, amid pressure from the far-right Freedom Party. Some rights groups and lawyers say it is still too dangerous to begin returning people to Syria. "There are attacks against people and we have no idea in which direction [Syria] will go," said Staicu, adding that her client’s deportation would violate the European Convention on Human Rights that prohibits torture and inhumane treatment. The United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... refugee agency (UNHCR) told Rooters: "Syrians... must not be forcibly returned from any country, including those in the European Union, to any part of Syria" due to the overall situation there. Rights groups cite attacks against minorities since Assad’s fall. Syria also remains in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis, with 90% of the population living below the poverty line, according to UN estimates. Staicu said her client had received a negative asylum decision in April. He has filed another asylum application and is awaiting a response. |
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Africa Horn |
Somalia Immigration Agency Launches U.S.-Supported Biometric System to Combat Crime and Terrorism |
2025-07-03 |
Working to get off President Trump’s Naughty list. [ShabelleMedia] Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency has rolled out a new biometric border control system aimed at combating human trafficking, reducing illegal migration, and strengthening national security against terrorism.The system, known as PISCES (Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System), was officially launched on June 30 at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, with technical support and training provided by the United States. PISCES collects biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images from travelers entering and exiting Somalia, enabling immigration officers to quickly verify identities and cross-check individuals against national and international security watchlists. The agency hopes the system will serve as a critical defense mechanism against terrorist threats and criminal networks operating across Somalia’s borders. The new biometric platform builds on earlier U.S.-supported initiatives that began in 2018 with the MIDAS program, which introduced fingerprint scanners at key ports of entry. PISCES also aligns with Somalia’s national digital ID program launched in 2023, which integrates biometric data across government agencies to improve security and public services. Mustafa Duhulow, Director General of the Immigration and Citizenship Agency, emphasized that the system is not only about technology but about protecting citizens and restoring public trust. A U.S. embassy official said such systems "save lives, prevent crime, and build confidence in government institutions." The PISCES system operates under Somalia’s 2023 Data Protection Act, which regulates the handling of personal and biometric data while balancing privacy rights with national security needs. Globally, biometric border controls are gaining momentum. The European Union ![]() plans to launch its Entry/Exit System in October 2025, and countries like Malaysia are adopting advanced facial recognition and biometric CCTV along their borders. Somalia’s adoption of PISCES highlights how biometric technology is becoming central to modern border security, reflecting broader regional and international efforts to combat transnational threats. |
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
Generous Trump lifted sanctions on Syria, but it won't help Russia | |
2025-07-03 | |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Leonid Tsukanov
![]() Among others, US President Donald Trump recently showed unprecedented generosity by ordering the lifting of US sanctions on Syria, a month after similar steps by the European Union. However, this was done rather in advance with the aim of turning Damascus into a new US diplomatic battering ram in the Middle East. UNPRECEDENTED SCOPE Trump's order suspended most of the restrictions on Syria that had been in place since the mid-1970s. The White House not only lifted foreign trade and financial restrictions, but also effectively nullified the “Caesar Act” adopted in 2020, which automatically imposed American sanctions against all public figures and companies who cooperated with the Syrian authorities. True, the sanctions were lifted with a caveat: only countries friendly to the US can freely interact with the “new Syria.” The restrictions on cooperation with Russia, China, and Iran remain the same as five years ago. In addition, the decree allows for a review of the status of people from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* (HTS*) group who, led by its former leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, have taken up leadership positions in the new Syrian government. At the same time, Trump emphasized that the United States reserves the right to reintroduce restrictions if the conditions for their lifting (democratization, normalization of relations in the region, economic openness) are violated. NEW "FRIEND" The main reason why the US has taken on Damascus in earnest is the desire to “make friends” between Syria and Israel, thereby achieving the expansion of the Abraham Accords. It is known that Damascus and Tel Aviv have already held several rounds of negotiations on the territory of third countries and are gradually moving towards normalizing relations. For Trump, as the main ideologist of the agreements, this is a question of image, since over the past four years the Israeli “group of friends” has failed to expand, and the Middle East has begun to doubt the viability of the initiative. Moreover, Syrian-Israeli normalization should, in theory, push the “doubting” players – Qatar and Saudi Arabia – to take similar steps. On the other hand, the idea of normalizing relations with Israel does not find understanding on the ground. The murmur is being caused by numerous leaks that claim Damascus is preparing to hand over the Golan Heights to Israel in exchange for normalizing relations and withdrawing the army from the so-called “David Corridor” – a buffer zone created in early January 2025 to protect Israeli regions from possible attacks from Syria. Revanchist sentiments are growing in light of the fact that the previous Syrian government was criticized, among other things, for its inability to fully restore control over the Golan Heights. The al-Sharaa cabinet is unable to explain in detail what exactly Syria will gain from a possible normalization of relations with Israel. Moreover, it is trying to avoid touching on this topic at all. Moreover, Israeli politicians, including, for example, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, directly say that Tel Aviv dictates the terms of the negotiations. NATIONAL QUESTION Another sore spot in Syria that Trump is trying to smooth over with generous gestures is the situation of minorities. Damascus has been unable to establish dialogue with representatives of religious and ethnic groups, as they remain afraid of persecution by the authorities. The cause for concern was given by the Syrian leaders themselves, who allowed a series of large-scale clashes with the Alawite (March 2025) and Druze (April-May 2025) communities. And although the leading role in the purges was played by various "gray" units, connected to Damascus only nominally, the responsibility for their implementation fell on the al-Sharaa cabinet. Especially since the authorities did not pursue the instigators of the clashes with due consistency and limited themselves to arresting only a couple of minor figures. In addition, the "national question" inevitably overlaps with the problem of countering the terrorist threat. Radicals seek to discredit Damascus by attacking minority areas and turning each attack into a "manifesto" of the new authorities' inability to protect the population. However, there are also positive developments. Thus, Damascus managed to establish a dialogue with the Kurds, who control part of the country's large oil-bearing regions, and to achieve their participation in the negotiation process on building a "new Syria." The leader of the Syrian Kurds, Mazlum Abdi, judging by his latest statements, looks at the situation optimistically and expects to soon achieve new constitutional rights for the Kurds. Although, in parallel, it maintains active involvement in the construction of a “united Kurdistan” on the territory of Syria and neighboring countries. However, as the Kurds themselves admit, “united Kurdistan” is more a symbol of the unity of communities from different countries than a real geopolitical project, and does not pose a threat to Syria’s national security. The self-dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in May 2025, whose fighters were active in Syrian territory, carrying out guerrilla raids against Turkish troops, also helped to increase trust between Damascus and Abdi's supporters. After the PKK was eliminated, both Syria and its ally Türkiye stopped seeing Kurdish communities as a “first-order threat,” which helped build bridges. But we are still far from full normalization. AMERICA IS IN A HURRY Trump is increasingly rushing Damascus. He demands that it distance itself from its “dictatorial past” as soon as possible, resolve problems with minorities, provide guarantees of internal stability, and achieve normalization of relations with its neighbors. The time that Washington is ready to give to new partners is measured in months at best. Thus, the American president wants the first visible progress by the end of September – by the summit of the UN General Assembly leaders, which will take place in New York. There is a reason for haste. Given the desire for a constant audit of the US presence in the Middle East, a solution to the “Syrian case” would give Trump serious advantages in the further reshuffling of military contingents. In addition, strengthening al-Sharaa's power and regional image will help attract attention to the previous ambitious military-political projects of the United States. For example, it will give a chance to revive the "Middle Eastern NATO", where Syria will become one of the links on an equal footing with Israel and the Arabian monarchies. And this will significantly strengthen Washington's position in the region. However, without resolving the problems inside Syria, moving forward will simply be impossible. And this will require much more time than Trump has given Damascus. | |
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Home Front: Politix | |
'The Basis of Ukrainian Defense.' Why Trump Stopped Arms Supplies to Kyiv | |
2025-07-03 | |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Gevorg Mirzayan [REGNUM] US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has suspended the delivery of weapons to the Kiev regime (artillery shells, Patriot missiles). The official reason: the Pentagon is conducting an audit of what remains in its arsenals. According to White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, the decision was made "based on the priority interests of the United States." ![]() Supporters of the Kiev regime in Washington are, of course, unhappy. “American air defense systems, including the Patriot, are the backbone of Ukraine’s defense. They work, saving lives every day,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, co-chair of the pro-Ukraine congressional caucus. According to her, refusing to supply weapons “will inevitably result in the deaths of many Ukrainian civilians and soldiers.” Kaptur and her supporters demand that supplies be restored immediately. Restoration is certainly possible, but its likelihood directly depends on the real reasons why supplies to Kyiv were suspended. And there are at least four of them. ZELENSKY'S SPANKING The first reason is the deep personal dislike that Donald Trump has for Volodymyr Zelensky. The dislike apparently intensified after their meeting in The Hague, at the NATO summit, where Zelensky probably did not listen to the demands of the American president. It is no secret that Trump wants to end the Ukrainian conflict as quickly as possible. Someone else's war, from which he receives no benefits - neither personally nor for the United States as a whole. And now it is time to get out of this adventure. And get out before it escalates into a third world war. Trump dreams of getting out by reaching a compromise between the parties (he also plans to receive a Nobel Prize for his mediation), but a compromise is not working out. Russia does not go for it, because it does not want to give up either its territories or the demands to turn the rest of Ukraine into a neutral state. And, finally, simply because it is winning on the battlefield. Trump does not want to pressure Moscow - he needs to do it in a way that does not spoil relations with Vladimir Putin, who could greatly complicate Washington's strategy in the Iranian and Chinese directions. Therefore, Zelensky needs to be pressured - which is what Trump is doing. However, the head of the Kyiv regime is stubborn. He hopes for European support and does not want to make concessions on territorial and other issues. Accordingly, he needs to be flogged for disobedience - which is what Trump did by suspending arms supplies. In this situation, the probability of resuming aid is there, but it is below average. Simply because Zelensky is unlikely to succumb to Trump's pressure. For him, rejecting Russian demands is a matter of his own survival. He can only make cosmetic concessions. The question is whether they will satisfy the owner of the White House. SALE INSTEAD OF DONATION The second reason is Trump's reluctance to make "Biden's war" his own. The American president emphasizes in every way that the war in Ukraine was started by his predecessor, and he must answer for all the consequences. But the problem is that the funds allocated under the Biden administration for supplying Ukraine are running out this fall. And if Trump now allocates a new package — gives even one cent, even one bullet to Zelensky — then it will be his war. For the consequences of which he will be responsible just as much as Biden. And if the president is guided by this very motive, then the probability of resuming deliveries, oddly enough, is quite high. If the problem is precisely Trump's unwillingness to give weapons to Kyiv, then he may well sell them. Zelensky has already said that he is ready to buy weapons - naturally, not with his own money, but with the money of the European Union. The EU is ready to pay and must ensure that this payment does not anger the Kremlin (for example, it does not come from income from Russian funds frozen in European banks). Or, for that matter, so that the payment does not go directly to Kyiv. For example, France first buys the weapons, and then transfers them to Ukraine. GAME WITH MOSCOW The third reason is the continuation of active negotiations between Russia and the United States on stabilizing bilateral relations. At stake is not only Ukraine, but also China, the Middle East, arms control, the non-proliferation regime, and serious economic projects. And Trump's decision to freeze arms supplies to Kyiv could create the necessary background for negotiations. Or become part of an already concluded deal. For example, a deal that implies Russia's refusal to supply weapons to any other country. And if this is really a deal, then Kyiv will most likely never see American ammunition again. ISRAEL NEEDS WEAPONS Finally, the fourth reason may be a banal shortage of weapons. Not only and not so much because there are none in the Pentagon warehouses, but because, within the framework of the “American interests above all” policy, they are needed elsewhere. For example, in Israel, which has depleted its stockpiles of anti-missiles in 12 days of war with Iran. And which need to be replenished urgently - especially considering that military actions can resume at any moment. After all, they stopped to move on to the diplomatic process, and there is already an obvious snag.
The nuclear program remains for them not only a legitimate right, but also a symbol of national pride and even, to some extent, identity. For them – and for the Iranian population, whose wrath they fear more than a new clash with Israel or the United States. Therefore, Washington needs not only to rearm Israel, but also to protect its own bases in the region. With the same air defense systems - after all, if the war resumes, the Iranians may not warn the US about a new strike, as was the case at the very end with the attack on the American base in Qatar. And in this case, Ukraine will not see Patriot systems. Because America is above all. | |
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Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
170 NGOs urge end to US-backed Gaza aid system; Israel: Hamas is firing at civilians | |
2025-07-02 | |
[IsraelTimes] NGOs’ call comes as 500 reported killed since May near aid sites; IDF says it has taken steps to reduce casualties; Foreign Ministry says Hamas shooting at civilians, falsifying death tolls A group of more than 170 aid organizations on Tuesday called for an end to a US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution system in Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppressionand disproportionate response... amid repeated reports of people being killed while seeking rations. Translation: “How dare those outsiders poach on our patch, cutting us out, when we share the boodle with Hamas?” According to Hamas![]() -linked authorities in Gaza, more than 500 people have been killed in mass shootings near aid distribution centers or transport routes guarded by Israeli forces since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operating in late May. The NGOs urged a return to the UN-led aid mechanism that existed in the war-torn territory until March, when Israel imposed a full blockade for several weeks on humanitarian assistance entering Gaza following a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. "Paleostinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families," the aid organizations said in a statement. The groups included Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Amnesty International. They urged action to "revert to the existing UN-led coordination mechanisms, and lift the Israeli government’s blockade on aid and commercial supplies."
The GHF added, "Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza." The statement was published as the IDF said it had taken new steps to limit civilian casualties near aid distribution sites. It also comes as US President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the 20-month war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House next week to discuss the war, in addition to other topics. Israel said it tasked GHF with distribution in Gaza to keep Hamas from controlling the flow of aid. The IDF acknowledged on Monday that Paleostinian civilians have been harmed at the aid distribution sites, saying that troops had been issued new instructions following what it called "lessons learned." According to the military, troops on the ground have only used live gunfire when a threat was posed to them, including when dozens of suspects approached forces outside of the designated routes to the aid sites operated by the GHF, or outside operating hours. On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry accused Hamas of shooting at civilians and publishing false corpse counts. Ah hah! It posted recordings to social media that, it said, show Gazooks describing how the terror group "fires at civilians at these humanitarian sites, spreads false claims blaming the IDF, inflates casualty numbers, and circulates fake footage — all to disrupt aid efforts and keep the people of Gaza away from much-needed aid."The GHF has been tasked with distributing aid in the Paleostinian territory since late May, following mounting international condemnation and warnings of imminent famine. GHF operations have since been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect rations in the territory, where the Israeli military is seeking to destroy Hamas. "Under the Israeli government’s new scheme, starved and weakened civilians are being forced to trek for hours through dangerous terrain and active conflict zones, only to face a Aid distribution in Gaza was traditionally coordinated through various NGOs and United Nations ...boodling on the grand scale... agencies, notably the UN agency for Paleostinian refugees, UNRWA, which had 13,000 staff in the coastal enclave before the war. Israel has accused UNRWA of collaborating with Hamas and taken steps to restrict its activity. At a presser in Vilnius on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel hoped to work with the European Union'>European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... to improve aid distribution. "We are open... we don’t want Hamas to use the humanitarian aid ![]() Related: Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: 2025-06-30 Terror in Gaza: Hamas offers bounties to kill US and local aid workers, group says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: 2025-06-30 IDF soldier killed in combat in northern Gaza Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: 2025-06-29 Israel says UN ‘aligning itself’ with Hamas over Gaza aid | |
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Europe |
'Revolution of Garbage Bins': Protesters Want to Send Serbia to the Dump |
2025-07-01 |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Oleg Khavich [REGNUM] Protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic have reached a fundamentally new level, paralyzing the country. Last Saturday, June 28, Serbia celebrated Vidovdan, the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, which is considered the beginning of the Turkish yoke. Serbian Tsar Lazar died in the battle, but Serbian knight Milos Obilic managed to kill Turkish Sultan Murad after the battle. It was Obilic's example that inspired Gavrilo Princip, who killed Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, which became the reason for the outbreak of World War I. As a result of two world wars, it seemed that the Serbs had received their own small empire – Yugoslavia, but in fact, in this state they found themselves in the role of Russians in the USSR. It was at the expense of Serbia that the rest of Yugoslavia was developed, and only in Serbia – the only one of all the Yugoslav republics – were autonomies created. At the same time, Kosovo, the core of the national myth of the Serbs, actually became Albanian. The leader of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, tried to change the situation by proclaiming the need for national emancipation of Serbs on all historical lands, including outside the artificial borders of the Federal Republic of Serbia, on the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo. In response, the elites of the other republics, with the support of the West, first destroyed Yugoslavia and then Serbia (Kosovo has been occupied by NATO troops since June 1999), and Milosevic himself was overthrown and extradited to The Hague on June 28, 2001, as a result of the first “color revolution.” Given the importance of Vidovdan for the Serbs, this year both the opposition, which has been holding mass protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic since November of last year, and Vucic himself, have been carefully preparing for June 28. Let us recall: On November 1, 2024, in the city of Novi Sad, the recently renovated canopy of the railway station, one of the key objects on the high-speed railway Belgrade-Budapest, collapsed. The opposition blamed Vučić personally, as well as China, whose companies are reconstructing this section of the Serbian railways. Since then, protests have been ongoing in the country and education has been completely blocked in all public and most private higher education institutions – it is the “protesting students” who are the main proxy force of the opposition, which relies on the support of Brussels. On the other hand, for several months now, in front of the building of the Serbian Assembly (parliament), there has been a tent city of “students who want to study”, openly supported by the authorities and personally by Vucic. It is clear that in the ranks of both there are not only students. At the same time, the Serbian "guardians" are habitually passive, while the "overthrowers of power" actively incite hatred towards their opponents, calling them "chatsi". This is a corrupted Serbian word "Gatsi" ("students") - approximately how to write "uchinEki" in Russian - which is supposed to emphasize the ignorance and backwardness of Vucic's supporters. On June 28, the opposition announced another “mass protest” in Belgrade, which was supposed to be “the last warning for Vucic.” True, the president did not sit idly by either: a few days before Vidovdan, all pro-government TV channels aired a “journalistic investigation” – recordings of discussions of the opposition’s real plans to block highways, bridges, and physically destroy the facilities of the EXPO-2027 World Exhibition, which are being built near Belgrade International Airport. The cynicism of the speakers was astounding: they directly calculated the possible losses to the Serbian budget from the blockade of transport routes and stated that Vucic would not last “more than two weeks” in such a regime. Some organizers directly said that "Murad must be killed," meaning the Serbian president, the authorities must be seized, and if that succeeds, mass civil disobedience must be carried out. Six conspirators were detained, and one of them was found to have a pistol with the serial number filed off. On the eve of Vidovdan, the “protesting students” announced their ultimatum to the president: to dissolve parliament by 21:00 on June 28 and call early parliamentary elections, as well as to remove the tent camp in front of the Assembly. Vucic immediately responded that Serbia does not accept ultimatums (referring to the ultimatum of Austria-Hungary in 1914), and the police will protect citizens and the constitutional order in the country from any encroachment. It is worth noting that on June 27, all passenger train traffic in Serbia was suspended for several hours due to reports of explosive devices being installed on all trains and tracks. The protest itself in Belgrade on the evening of June 28 was quite calm, there were no attempts to break through to the parliament building, key transport interchanges or EXPO-2027 sites. The police estimated the number of protesters at 36 thousand people, the organizers - at 140 thousand. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. The most interesting thing began after the end of the action, when its organizers announced that they were no longer responsible for the behavior of people on the streets - they say that now there are not students there, but ordinary citizens who will remain there until victory. True, citizens began to act as a well-oiled machine: some tried to seize traffic interchanges and bridges, and a larger group moved towards the Skupština building. Stones, flares and firecrackers were thrown at the police and gendarmes, who by that time had taken control of the center of Belgrade, and the first overturned garbage cans appeared on the streets. Several dozen hooligans were arrested, 48 police officers were injured. Protesters in Belgrade have called for the destruction of Serbia in a civil war, the speaker of the National Assembly and former Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic said on Sunday night. In turn, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that during the riots in Belgrade on Sunday night, “only by a miracle” there were no casualties. And although the situation in the Serbian capital had returned to normal by the morning of June 29, by mid-Sunday garbage bins and elements of street fences had already appeared on the streets of several dozen cities. Moreover, sometimes the footage from them was painfully reminiscent of Kyiv-2013: the participation of actors and famous people, jumping to the chant "Who does not jump, that chatsi" and so on. For now, the situation in Serbia resembles a game of cat and mouse. By the morning of Monday, June 30, police had unblocked traffic in all cities in Serbia, but attempts to block streets continued, both with the help of garbage bins and mass walking on pedestrian crossings - in more than 100 places across the country. Organizers of the protests mockingly called for not interfering with the security forces dismantling the barricades and to resume their installation later. It is worth noting that during the protests, Russia has been a kind of “silent figure.” The organizers of the protests say nothing about Serbian-Russian relations, but for many years these people have been demanding to join Western sanctions, stop (or at least reduce) Belgrade's cooperation with Moscow and Beijing, and focus exclusively on European integration. By the way, these people are also for the recognition of Kosovo's independence and the recognition of the events in Srebrenica as "genocide" for which the Serbs are to blame. Since only about 40% of Serbian citizens currently support its accession to the European Union, the opposition has to focus on the “fight against corruption,” but the openly anti-Russian positions of Aleksandar Vucic’s opponents have not gone away. It is clear that Moscow is closely monitoring events in Serbia, where more than 80% of the population supports the priority of cooperation with Russia. " We are monitoring this situation. We are interested in these unrests being, in general, calmed down, as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said, on the basis of the constitution and laws of this friendly state," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on June 30. “ We have no doubt that the current Serbian leadership will be able to restore law and order in the republic in the very near future,” the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, expressed hope on the same day. "There is no great philosophy here, so we will maintain order in the country. Thank you to our Russian friends for your good understanding and wise assessment of what is happening in Serbia," Vucic responded. He noted that huge amounts of money had been invested in the attempt at a “color revolution” in Serbia, and those who invested it could not simply say: it failed and it’s all over. "There will still be some torment, but overall it's all behind us. I want to tell them that Serbia has won, and I look forward to continuing cooperation with the Russian Federation," the Serbian president said. However, both victory and normal cooperation between Serbia and Russia are still quite far away. |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia | |||
War of Memory as Preparation for World War III | |||
2025-07-01 | |||
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Text taken from an article which appeared in alternatio.org Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics. [ColonelCassad] One can argue whether the Third World War is being prepared or is already underway, what phases precede large-scale military actions and whether they will happen at all, given the destructiveness of nuclear weapons, however, one way or another, any organization of large masses of people (whether it is the organization of the rear, the front or the entire country after the "nuclear apocalypse") requires mental, ideological preparation. ![]() One of the factors of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War was a systematic, planned, not only technical and technical, organizational, personnel, etc., but also ideological, mental preparation for war. The Nazi attack in 1941 was sudden and treacherous in the operational and tactical sense, but expected and inevitable in the strategic and political sense. The Soviet people were prepared by the authorities for war. Tractor drivers in the MTS realized that the tractor would sooner or later be replaced by a tank. Members of numerous flying clubs - that gliders would be replaced by fighters and attack aircraft. Workers - that they will have to take up the rifle again, etc. MTS is an acronym for Machine Tractor Station, a peculiar accoutrement under Soviet collectivization in the 1930s, whereby machinery needed to cultivate crops on the larger Khokhols and Goskhols (collective farms and state farms respectively) were concentrated in Machine Tractor Stations, likely as a cost saving measure. In the USSR there were cowards, there were alarmists, there were scoundrels, there were self-seekers and deserters but, firstly, they did not set the tone among the people, and secondly, even they clearly and distinctly understood the justice, sacredness and liberation character of the war. And not only because it was self-evident, but also as a result of many years of ideological pumping. The difference in the presence and absence of ideological preparation for war, the political argumentation of the authorities is clearly visible if we compare the Korean (1950-1953) and Vietnamese (1965-1974) wars in American history. The first was fought under the ideological pressure of McCarthyism and had virtually no effect on the state of American society and the stability of power, while the second led to a number of social crises. The objective side of American policy at that time — the hegemonic, unjust nature of wars — was thus smoothed over in different ways by the subjective factor of the state's ideological work. Ordinary Germans also entered the war with the USSR voluntarily, driven by ideology and plans for the Nazi reorganization of the world, and until they got their teeth kicked in the teeth near Moscow and in Stalingrad, the realization of the objective failure of the concept of their racial superiority did not come. Historians note that after Stalingrad, the morale of the fascist front and rear was not at its best and was falling with each passing day. Of course, the war of motors is primary, but the war of minds plays a key role when there is no multiple advantage in motors. Moreover, high motivation, a sense of danger to the Motherland, the inner spiritual core of the people, love of freedom, steadfastness and self-sacrifice, with the right organization, allow either to eliminate or neutralize the advantage of motors. We can recall the recent history of the intervention of the well-armed, equipped-with-the-latest-technology, Saudi Arabian armed forces in Yemen. There are many videos on the Internet in which the Houthis in flip-flops, without armor and equipment, with only small arms in their hands, smash the strongholds of the tactical Saudis. The lessons of the wars of the 20th century, the rare victories of Western countries and frequent defeats are analyzed in the United States and Europe. The conclusions are actively tested in controlled countries, in particular in Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics. So, a big surprise for everyone, including American tacticians and strategists, was that the rank and file of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a significant part of the Ukrainian people actually believed in the absolutely absurd idea of hostility between Russia and Russians towards Ukrainians. The average Ukrainian, even if we imagine that he does not know Russian, is not threatened by the Russian Federation as a state. The very idea of "Russia is seizing Ukraine" sounds ridiculous, because the fate of Ukraine is being decided in the confrontation between the Russian Federation and the United States. That is, a significant part of Ukrainians preferred the distant and culturally alien Americans and Europeans, who do not know, do not understand, do not respect and do not love Ukraine and Ukrainians. You can criticize and dislike the Russian Federation as a state as much as you like, but in theory no one except the hardened Banderites should want to die in the trenches for the yellow-blue trident, the Rada, the Zelensky-Poroshenko swindlers. But at least in the first year of the SVO there were many of them. This means that the ideological pumping worked brilliantly. What historical shame and disgrace awaits Ukrainians when they realize that they have fallen victim to the dusty Nazi myth of a horde of Asian subhumans threatening the eastern borders of civilization. It must be understood that in 2022, the West put an end to the era of soft, glamorous, liberal debilitation of its own and other people's populations. There is a gradual transition to a rabid ideological mobilization in the spirit of a new Cold War with Russophobia, Sinophobia and all other phobias and uplifting myths. In the United States, they are returning to McCarthyism, which historically was a creative reworking of Goebbelsism. No matter how the confrontation between the Trumpists and the chicks of the Obama-Biden nest ends, no matter how the break of the French, German and other European gardeners and vegetable growers between Atlanticism and sovereignty ends, the masses of citizens of Western countries will be mentally and ideologically prepared for a third world war. A question may arise: why is their ideological pumping up Goebbelsism, while ours is the Soviet patriotism of the past or Russian patriotism of today? Why is it militarization and imperialism for them, while ours is preparation to repel aggression and the desire for freedom and security? This is an important point, which is speculated on by both the liberal emigration and some ironically cynical nationalists who complain: “We are not like that.” Because we really are not like that. And the Chinese are not like that. And the Iranians are not like that.
The idea that a creeping rehabilitation of Nazism is taking place in Western countries has already been established in our literature and political agenda. This is clearly visible in the anti-Russian regimes in the border states (in Ukraine, the Baltics, Poland), that is, in those countries whose leadership has betrayed the interests of their peoples, turning the states into strongholds of pro-American military and political pressure on the Russian Federation. Incidentally, the reorientation of the United States from Europe to East Asia is unlikely to weaken these regimes or cause their collapse. They will continue to enjoy the passive support of the United States and the active support of France, Germany and the EU. No one will lose such an asset for no reason. The Nazification of public consciousness is taking place in Europe less clearly. Although, for example, Lavrov has explained more than once: “There is no word that would characterize this phenomenon. It is truly (I am not being ironic now) incomprehensible to the mind how the European Union openly wants to renew the European ideology of Nazism, where it was born, where it was destroyed, categorically banned by the Nuremberg Tribunal (also on European territory). Now it is being revived. Moreover, the leadership in this process belongs to the leaders of the Brussels bureaucracy. These are very sad events, very disturbing events. Of course, we will not put up with this, we will make every effort to ensure that this ideology does not raise its head, that it is destroyed once and for all and that Europe finally returns to its values.” The point is that Nazism is only a form, a variety of ideological justification for world domination, which has always been the main value of Europe. Europe in general was formed as a place where empires arose.
The United States, after all, was once an anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist force. And in Europe, freedom and liberation (for example, the Great French Revolution) historically always only flickered on the horizon, quickly degenerating into imperialism, but remaining a subject of philosophical and poetic comprehension. The situation is even less clear with America, especially with the advent of Trump, who situationally switches from Russia to China. The Nazification of American public consciousness was usually recorded through the imposition of Russophobia, the Russian threat. Since the priority has now changed, it is more difficult to notice. However, both Europe and the USA have forgotten even the external decencies of pluralism, the tyranny of self-censorship and the artificially fanned flames of public censure are raging. Despite the fact that the "general line" sometimes fluctuates greatly, having an opinion different from the official one is indecent and dangerous. This in itself is a sign of ideological mobilization and preparation. The key moment of Nazification in any country is the falsification of the history of World War II, the distortion of historical truth and memory, expressed in oblivion, belittling the role or defamation of the Soviet people, the Soviet state (USSR), the Red Army, Stalin. World War II was an event that determined the appearance of the 20th century. The modern world in a political sense is a consequence and result of World War II. And in order to enter the slippery slope of preparation for a world war today, it will inevitably be necessary to resolve the historical analogy with the last world war. And this is all the easier to do, the more false its history is. The US Presidential Proclamation on the 80th Anniversary of Victory in World War II does not mention the USSR: "On this V-I Day, we celebrate the unrivaled might, strength, and effectiveness of the American Armed Forces and pledge to defend our sacred right to freedom from all threats, foreign and domestic... Without the sacrifice of our American soldiers, this war would not have been won, and our world would look very different today." Trump's statements like these cannot be taken lightly: "We did more to win World War II than any other country — incomparably more... We won both wars, and no one came close in strength, courage, or military skill." These are not showman's quirks, but the result of a revision of historiography in the United States. Truman once declared in no less brazen fashion that the USSR had made no contribution to the defeat of Japan... Since the 1990s, the historiography of World War II has been systematically falsified in Europe. Most history textbooks in Western European countries say that the United States made a decisive contribution to the victory over fascism, and that the Soviet Union survived only thanks to Lend-Lease. And this year, a new national holiday appeared in Germany - Veterans Day. The Financial Times complains that many people, especially in the east, were skeptical about it, but kindly notes: "This event symbolizes a profound transformation in the attitude of German society to its armed forces and to the very concept of military service, especially against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine." "We could not be proud of our past wars," says Patrick Sensburg, head of the German Reservists Association. — In the 50s, 60s and 70s there was no culture of honoring veterans in the Bundeswehr.” It is not difficult to guess what kind of veterans the Germans are supposed to honor. As well as how we are now supposed to treat the Germans and all other Europeans who decided to repeat themselves in history. The truly insightful German Hegel wrote in his “Philosophy of History”: “Thus Napoleon was defeated twice, and the Bourbons were expelled twice. Through the repetition of what at first seemed only accidental and possible, it becomes a real and established fact.” The war of memory unleashed by the West is an element of the ideological pumping up of the masses in preparation for a major war. The war of memory is the first phase of Nazification. (c) Anatoly Shirokoborodov It should be noted that attacks on historical memory come from both outside and inside. Spoken like a true Stalinist | |||
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Trump announces end to all trade talks with Canada | |||
2025-06-28 | |||
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] The United States of America is immediately ceasing all discussions of a trade agreement with Canada. This was announced on June 27 by US President Donald Trump. ![]()
He noted that Canadian authorities are copying the actions of the European Union, which is also discussing the possibility of introducing a similar tax on the United States.
The head of the White House added that Washington will notify Ottawa within the next seven days of the amount of duty that the Canadian side will pay for doing business with the United States. As reported by Regnum News Agency, in early April, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the country would impose a 25% tariff on all U.S.-imported vehicles not covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA). The day before, Trump signed an executive order imposing 25% tariffs on imports of passenger cars, light trucks, and auto parts. Related: Trade agreement: 2025-06-25 Bessent urged to stop EU's ‘punitive' tax grab targeting U.S. firms [digital services] Trade agreement: 2025-06-16 G7 summit opens in Canada, with leaders to address trade, wars while hoping to avoid clash with Trump Trade agreement: 2025-06-14 Blue city joins LA chaos as anti-ICE agitators injure officers in violent riots | |||
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Bessent urged to stop EU's ‘punitive' tax grab targeting U.S. firms [digital services] |
2025-06-25 |
[FoxBusiness] "Europe has simultaneously deepened its exposure and relations to Chinese Communist Party-linked companies in critical infrastructure," the group said A nonprofit organization that advocates for the protection of free markets is urging the Treasury Department to ensure any trade deals negotiated with the European Union (EU) remove "punitive" taxes, fines and regulations imposed on U.S. companies providing digital services, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. Public Policy Solutions sent a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent Wednesday morning claiming Europe’s digital service taxes are unfairly hampering U.S. companies like Alphabet, Apple and Meta — and favoring China instead. The letter, which comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. and EU are growing close to a trade deal on non-tariff trade issues, accompanies a report the group compiled aimed at serving as a "resource" during ongoing trade discussions and outlines specific policies the group claims are hindering U.S. companies like the E.U.’s Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act. The Digital Markets Act singles out and imposes additional regulations on seven so-called "gate-keepers" of information: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft. The report noted that six of these companies are American, one is Chinese, and none are European. The Digital Services Act, meanwhile, aims to crack down on illegal content and misinformation, but critics of the law, like Public Policy Solutions, claim it restricts free speech and point out it imposes stricter rules on larger companies that meet a certain threshold. Of the 19 companies that qualify as a very large online platform (VLOP), 15 are based in the U.S., unfairly targeting American companies, according to Public Policy Solutions. "Europe’s digital service taxes are unfair and disproportionately impact the largest American tech firms while deliberately exempting smaller European competitors," Public Policy Solutions Co-founder and president Joe Grogan said in the letter to Bessent. "These measures distort competition, fragment the global marketplace, and undermine the foundation for meaningful economic cooperation. Europe cannot impose targeted taxes on U.S. companies and also negotiate trade agreements in good faith without meaningful change to their tactics in this space." Failure to comply with regulations in the Digital Markets Act results in fines. For example, the European Commission announced in April that it would fine Meta €200 million for violating the law, claiming Meta failed to provide consumers options to use less personal data. Likewise, Public Policy Solutions claims that American companies are treated differently than Chinese counterparts for similar violations. For example, the group notes that the EU slapped Meta with a $1.3 billion fine in May 2023 for sending data from European users to the U.S. Meanwhile, Chinese-based TikTok was fined only $600 million in May for sending European user data to China. "While raising barriers against its closest economic partner, Europe has simultaneously deepened its exposure and relations to Chinese Communist Party-linked companies in critical infrastructure, including 5G and cloud services," Grogan said. "The resulting vulnerabilities cut against the shared security interests of the United States and its allies." As a result, the group is urging that any trade deals reached with the European Union will remove stringent taxes and fines on American companies, eliminate "unfair" regulations included in the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, and remove gate-keeper designations. The U.S. has set a July 9 deadline for imposing a 50% tariff on all European Union goods, unless a trade deal is reached. The Office of the United States Trade Representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about reports of a deal on non-tariff trade issues nearing completion. Multiple members of the Trump administration have issued harsh criticism for European countries and their international rules that U.S. technology companies must follow. For example, Vice President JD Vance singled out the Digital Services Act in February for the "massive regulations" it requires of U.S. companies. "The Trump administration is troubled by reports that some foreign governments are considering tightening the screws on U.S. tech companies with international footprints," Vance said at the Paris AI Summit in February. "Now, America cannot and will not accept that, and we think it’s a terrible mistake not just for the United States of America but for your own countries." |
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European wimps want Israel to do the dirty work so they can then blame it |
2025-06-24 |
[IsraelNationalNews] While American B-2s were dropping fourteen-ton super bombs on the Iranian nuclear facilities, on magnificent Lake Geneva there was a meeting between the foreign ministers of France, Germany, England and Iran. Also present was Kaja Kallas, the high representative of EU foreign policy and the only woman there. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghachi, did not shake her hand. No European diplomat seemed upset. Remember when Erdogan left President of the European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen without a chair and former president Charles Michel shrugged? And Ursula, without a chair, muttered: "It’s regrettable, but I chose not to make the situation worse". A few hours later, the British foreign minister, David Lemmy of the Labour Party, addressed Iran in this way: "We did not participate in the attacks (by Israel and America)." In other words, we British ostriches have nothing to do with it. When Trump took out Iranian general Soleimani, German foreign minister Heiko Maas was quick to distance himself from the raid ("it will not help reduce tensions") and to point out that "as Europeans, we have reliable channels of dialogue with both sides". In mid-June, Israeli forces launched an unprecedented offensive against Iran, targeting military and nuclear infrastructure. The message from Jerusalem was unmistakable: Israeli deterrence is real and not subject to diplomatic concessions from anyone. The European Union issued ritual calls for "moderation on all sides", carefully avoiding any statement that might offend Tehran, always expecting the liquidation of the Iranian nuclear threat to be carried out by others. The exasperating European inertia is the result of impotence, which in turn is the result of a great misunderstanding that grew in the shadow of US military and political tutelage, progressively eroded since 1989 and now openly under discussion. If Israeli pilots hadn’t bombed Iran’s nuclear project, who else would have? The RAF? The French? The Germans? After all these years and all these "talks," the only country that finally intervened was the one with the most at stake: the one that Ayatollah Khamenei and his predecessors always said they wanted to annihilate like a "tumor." Israel acts because it must, because its survival demands it and as Melanie Phillips wrote, it has become the moral compass of the free world. America acts from principle because Trump wants to protect Western ideals. And he has secured his place in history, as has Benjamin Netanyahu. Europe doesn’t act because it no longer knows what it stands for. And the implications are clear. Some European leaders have "Das Houellebecq-Problem", as Die Welt calls it: Emmanuel Macron is siding with the Islamists and against the Jews because of "French demographic dynamics," not to mention the trade surplus with Iran. "Recognize the Palestinian state to appease French Muslims": this is the recommendation contained in a dossier from the Ministry of the Interior in Paris. Clear? It’s not about Gaza, it’s about us, in Europe! Along the corridors of the Paris Air Show, the French air show, the stands of Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics were fenced off with two-meter-high fences covered in black cloth, preventing access (and even a view) of the Israeli stands, at the same time that the Israeli air force was bombing Iranian atomic sites. Brilliant, these French. Those black panels reminded me of others. The ones used by the Italian government to cover the statues of the Capitoline nudes in Rome during the visit of Iranian President Hassan Rohani. At the time, in Le Figaro, I called it "the little Italy that submits to Iran". In 1976, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq purchased a nuclear reactor from France. While Iraq and France claimed that the reactor, called "Osirak" by the French, was intended for "peaceful scientific research", Israel rightly saw it differently and destroyed the reactor in 1981. Thank God. European dhimmitude was also atomic. From Swiss President Alain Berset to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, European chancelleries specialize in congratulatory telegrams for the anniversary of the Islamic Republic. In the European squares these days there is not a single demonstration for Israel or even one from the Iranian diaspora: only Islamic flags and slogans of submission. And Israeli flags are burned, in Italy, not in Tehran. In what imaginary world do Europe’s statesmen live - under the blackmail of multiculturalism, fear of their own shadows and their own cultural cowardice? |
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