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Europe
The Spanish Government wants Huawei to manage wiretaps for government
2025-07-16

the title is slightly less inflammatory than that, but it doesn't match the text of the article.

Huawei will manage authorized wiretaps for the Spanish government

  • Huawei has won a contract to provide digital storage for the Spanish Government
  • The Chinese tech giant will store and classify court-ordered wiretaps
  • This contrasts other western states that now largely avoid Huawei, and Chinese tech

Any Spanish government wiretaps carried out by law enforcement agencies will soon be managed by Chinese telecom giant Huawei thanks to a recently-won contract.

The €12.3 million contract was awarded to Huawei after a standard public procurement procedure - and the contract includes digital storage of judicially-ordered wiretaps, reports The Objective.

Huawei will supply its own high performance storage servers, OceanStor 6800 V5 for the project, which will store and classify intercepted communications and data collected through state agencies.

Mixed messages
Sectors of the National Police in Spain have grown uneasy with Huawei’s involvement in sensitive systems, with sources expressing concern over strategic inconsistencies regarding China and the state’s access to data and a potential threat to national security.

Huawei points out that no backdoor has ever been identified within its telecommunications equipment, and the company asserts that it would not answer CCP requests for intelligence, nor would its equipment be used to spy (unless you count government wiretapping contracts).

Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez has been one of the least combative towards Huawei’s presence, with Spain remaining a close partner within the EU for the company - holding several contracts with public administrations.

Interestingly enough though, the recent procurement comes in contrast to Spain’s de facto banishment of the Chinese telecom giant from all critical infrastructure, having reduced Huawei’s presence in the 5G cores of the largest three Spanish operators to 0%, according to Euronews.

European and American governments have been increasingly distancing themselves from Chinese technology firms in recent months, primarily citing national security concerns and the threat of exfiltrated data.

An ongoing trade war between the US and China has seen firms on both sides cut off from the opposing market, with market leaders like chipmaker Nvidia saying US tariffs mean it faces a multi-billion dollar hit.

Link


-War on Police-
DFL caucus in Minneapolis Coming Up - 5 leftards competing
2025-07-16
State of play: Incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey is vying against five challengers for the endorsement: State Sen. Omar Fateh, Council Member Emily Koski, the Rev. DeWayne Davis, Jazz Hampton and Brenda Short.

The big picture: Left-wing groups are hoping to build on a successful 2023 election that emboldened Frey's critics on the City Council, giving them the votes to rewrite the budget and enact other priorities without the mayor's support.

Frey has pitched himself and his council allies as practical moderates more interested in delivering on core services than ideologically driven "messaging" legislation
...........................................
The so-called moderate Frey (unlike others he didn't want to decimate the police - only demoralize them) may be helped by having 4 further lefties against him. Sort of the reverse of the NYC situation.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russia Concentrates Attacks in Three Directions - Ukrainian General Staff
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

ZSU are holding back Russian offensive in 11 directions.

The largest number of Russian attacks have been recorded in the Pokrovsky direction. There, Russian invaders are trying to advance in the areas of 13 settlements.

Since the beginning of the day, 110 combat clashes have occurred on the front. The Russian army has concentrated its main efforts in three directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational report as of 16:00 on Tuesday, July 15.

Thus, in the Severo-Slobodskoy and Kursk directions, seven military clashes have occurred since the beginning of the day.

In the Yuzhno-Slobodskoy direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled two Russian attacks near the settlements of Vovchansk and Stroyevka. One battle is still ongoing.

In the Kupyansk direction, Russian occupiers tried to break through in the area of the settlements of Stepovaya Novoselovka and Peschanoye. In total, three military clashes took place in this direction.

In the Liman direction, the invading army carried out 18 attacks near the settlements of Novy Mir, Novoyegorovka, Grekovka, Karpovka, Kolodyazi, Zelenaya Dolina, Torskoye, in the direction of Shandrigolovoe and Serebryanka. Four combat clashes continue.

In the Seversky direction, two enemy attacks were repelled near Grigoryevka and Vyemka.

In the Kramatorsk direction, our defenders stopped five enemy attacks in the areas of Predtechnoye, Belaya Gora and Stupochki. Another combat clash is still ongoing.

In the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out seven assaults near Dilievka, Toretsk, Novospassky and Rusiny Yar.

In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian invaders carried out 29 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Popov Yar, Novoekonomicheskoe, Mirolyubovka, Lisovka, Kotlin, Zvirovoe, Udachnoe, Alekseyevka, in the direction of the settlements of Rodinskoe, Pokrovsk, Muravka Filiya, Dachnoe. The defense forces repelled 28 enemy attacks. One battle is still ongoing.

In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attempted to advance near the settlements of Zaporozhye, Poddubnoye, Lesnoye, Mirnoye, Maliyevka, Shevchenko, Novosyolka and towards the settlement of Novokhatskoye. The defense forces repelled 14 assaults, and two more attacks are still ongoing.

In the Dnieper direction, our soldiers repelled six attacks in the area of the Antonovsky Bridge and near the Kozulsky and Zabich islands.

Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on July 14, Russia lost more than 1,200 servicemen, wounded and killed. The total number of Russian losses is approaching 1.1 million people.

Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Current information on the situation on the front line on July 15 (updated)
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

21:25 In the Sumy direction continue fierce clashes, the focus remains on Kondratovka and its environs. The enemy regularly transfers reserves here, trying to prevent further advancement of the Russian Armed Forces, but at the same time loses positions on neighboring sections of the front.

19:45 The Ukrainian Armed Forces are using heavy copters in the vicinity of Kondratovka and Alekseyevka. The "vampires" fly towards our positions day and night, but air defense successfully shoots down enemy drones far from the positions of Russian troops, –video.

19:05 Specialists of the Rubicon Center struck new targets:

- armored and automotive vehicles,
- elements of communication systems,
- fortifications,
- unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
.

18:32 Ukrainian Armed Forces with the help of drones continue to carry out attacks in the Belgorod region

In the Belgorod district, in the village of Yasnye Zori, a drone detonated in the courtyard of a house — the windows of the house, the fence and the garage were damaged.

In the village of Golovino, a drone attacked a private house — the wall and the fence were damaged.

In the village of Veselaya Lopan, a drone detonated in the parking lot of a commercial facility — the facade of the building and two cars were damaged. Another commercial facility was attacked in the village of Razumnoye — the bodies of two cars were damaged. On the Cheremoshnoye-Nikolskoye highway, an FPV drone struck a car — the vehicle's windows were knocked out and the body was damaged.

In the village of Murom in the Shebekinsky District, an FPV drone strike on an enterprise pierced the roof of one of the buildings.

In the village of Arkhangelskoye, a drone detonated in the courtyard of a house — windows were knocked out, the roof, facade, and summer kitchen were damaged.

Another residential building was attacked in the village of Malomikhaylovka — the glazing was damaged. In the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, a power line was knocked down as a result of a drone detonation.


18:20 FPV drones of the Vostok group struck Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles delivering personnel to the front line in the South Donetsk direction:

– Crews of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division from the Dnepr group destroyed a fortified enemy bunker in the Zaporizhia region.

- Drones from the South group identified and destroyed an American electronic warfare station, and also guided artillery at a number of targets.


17:55 Today the Armed Forces of Ukraine three times inflicted drone strikes on a civilian target - a courthouse in Belgorod.

To ensure the safety of residents, fighters from the Russian Orlan unit were immediately dispatched there.

17:30 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews of the Ivanovo paratroopers support assault aircraft in the area of Chasy Yar.

The accuracy of targeting plays an important role in delivering a strike. In this, the paratrooper artillerymen are assisted by reconnaissance UAV crews,video.

16:10 Criminal cases on terrorist attacks in connection with attacks by Ukrainian militants on civilian targets in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions.

The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened criminal cases on terrorist acts (Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) in connection with attacks by armed formations of Ukraine on civilian targets in the Voronezh and Belgorod regions.

15:45 In the Sumy region, the Tiger UAV detachment of the 83rd Separate Guards Airborne Assault Order of Suvorov Brigade, video.

Our paratroopers opened and destroyed: a T-64 tank, a two-link tracked all-terrain vehicle BV-206 "Los", a 120mm mortar, a signal amplifier for drones and an enemy pickup truck.

15:13 In the period from 13:10 Moscow time to 13:40 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type:

Three over the territory of the Belgorod region and
One over the territory of the Kursk region.


14:25 Druzhkovskoe direction:

Units of the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Division broke through enemy defenses east of Poltavka and entered Rusin Yar. East of Rusin Yar - fighting in the landings on the heights.

14:06 Ukrainian serviceman convicted for the use of weapons against civilians in the village of Nikolayevo-Daryino in the Kursk region

The evidence collected by the Main Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation was found by the court to be sufficient to sentence a serviceman of military unit A-7400 (225th separate assault battalion) of the armed formations of Ukraine, medic-rifleman soldier Sergei Valchuk. He was found guilty of committing a terrorist act on the territory of the Kursk region (subparagraphs "a" and "c" of Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

13:30 In the period from 11:40 Moscow time to 13:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed four Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.

13:15 Sever group scouts have uncovered a Ukrainian military communications system in the area of the village of Yanzhulevka (Chernigov region), –video.

The target was immediately attacked with fire from a copter: our UAV operators left the enemy without communication, destroying expensive Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment.

12:25 Summary of Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of July 15, 2025

Units of the North group of forces improved their tactical position, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized, ranger, airborne assault brigades, assault and airborne assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Kondratovka, Alekseyevka, Khrapovshchina, Ryzhevka and Novaya Sich in the Sumy region.

In the Khar'kov direction, units of the airborne assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Volchansk and Okhrimovka in the Khar'kov region.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 180 servicemen. Five combat armored vehicles, six cars, eight field artillery guns, an electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot were destroyed.

Units of the "West" group of forces improved their position along the front line, inflicted defeat on formations of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Borovskoye, Boguslavka, Petrovka, Kupyansk in the Khar'kov region and Torskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 230 servicemen, two combat armored vehicles, 14 cars and three artillery pieces. Two counterbattery stations and four ammunition depots were destroyed.

They inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, mountain assault, assault, airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a National Guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Zakotnoye, Slavyansk, Pleshcheyevka, Seversk, Dronovka and Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

The enemy lost up to 125 servicemen, two vehicles, two field artillery guns, an electronic warfare station and an ammunition depot.

Units of the "Center" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense. They defeated formations of three mechanized, assault, ranger, airborne brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a naval infantry brigade, two territorial defense brigades and a national guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novoekonomicheskoe, Novopavlovka, Dobropolye, Krasnoarmeysk, Rodinskoe, Dimitrov, Udachnoe of the Donetsk People's Republic and Filiya of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to 435 servicemen, a tank, five vehicles and three artillery pieces.

The manpower and equipment of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Novogeorgievka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Temirovka and Poltavka in the Zaporizhia region.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 185 servicemen, 10 vehicles and four field artillery pieces.

Units of the Dnepr group of forces improved their tactical position, defeated formations of a mechanized brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Kamenskoe, Novoandriyevka in the Zaporizhia region, Sadovoe and Nikolskoe in the Kherson region.

Up to 35 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, 12 vehicles, six electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were destroyed
.

12:05 Units of the troop groups "East", "Southern" and continued offensive actions, improved the tactical situation and liberated the settlements of Petrovka and Voskresenka of the Donetsk People's Republic.

11:24 Between 10:00 Moscow time and 11:00 Moscow time on duty eight Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by air defense systems:

Six over the territory of the Belgorod region and
Two over the territory of the Republic of Crimea.


10:35 Geran-2 drone crews struck UAV control point and temporary deployment point of the 82nd Separate Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the settlement of Raiskoe in the DPR.

10:05 Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as a result of which civilians in a number of Russian regions suffered

According to reports from executive authorities, as a result of an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two civilians, including a child, were injured in the Shebekinsky District of the Belgorod Region.

Two civilians in Gorlovka, DPR, were injured as a result of an explosive device being dropped from a Ukrainian militant UAV.

A Ukrainian drone attacked a civilian car in the Belovsky district of the Kursk region. As a result of the attack, two people were injured.

A UAV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine crashed in an industrial zone in the Lipetsk region, injuring one person.


9:50 In the period from 08.15 Moscow time to 09.00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.

9:10 FPV drone operators of the "East" group of forces inflicted strikes on enemy vehicles transporting personnel to the line of combat contact in the South Donetsk direction.

– Drone operators of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed a bunker of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhia region.

– The strike drone crews of the Center group of forces disrupted the command and communication system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, destroying radio control antennas, repeaters and satellite communication stations of Ukrainian militants in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.

– UAV crews of the Southern Group of Forces destroyed a US-made electronic warfare station and aimed artillery at enemy targets.


8:30 Front summary on the morning of 15.07.25

Zaporizhzhya Front. The Russian army has established full control over the village of Malinovka. Artillery crews and attack drone operators provided active fire support to the assault aircraft of the Vostok formation. The capture of Malinovka, located near Hulyaipole, creates conditions for the development of tactical success and advancement towards Zaporizhzhya.

Pokrovskoe direction. The Ministry of Defense reported the liberation of the settlement of Mayak. Fierce counterbattles are underway in the area of Popov Yar and Poltavka.

Active combat operations are underway in the Pokrovskoe and Konstantinovskoe directions. The Russian Armed Forces are preventing enemy rotation attempts in the Voskresenka area. Russian attack aircraft entered the city of Rodinskoye, located three kilometers north of Pokrovsk. Thus, the encirclement of Pokrovsk continues. Battles are underway for access to the outskirts of Konstantinovka, where Russian units are heading from Yablonovka; they have begun clearing fire pockets here.

Chasov Yar direction. Russian troops have improved their tactical position in Chasov Yar itself. Fighting continues. There are reports of progress in the Nikolaevka area.

Khar'kov direction. Russian troops are advancing deep into the Khar'kov region from the north and northeast. The Russian Armed Forces are storming the oil plant in Volchansk, are consolidating their positions in Degtyarny, and are clearing forest areas along the border in the Melovy area.

Sumy direction. Assault groups have taken up new positions in Yunakovka. Fighting for the village of Ryzhevka is underway.


8:03 During the past night, from 20:00 Moscow time on July 14 to 7:00 Moscow time on July 15, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 55 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:

– 32 UAVs – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
– 12 UAVs – over the territory of the Voronezh region,
– Six UAVs – over the Black Sea,
– Three UAVs – over the territory of the Lipetsk region,
– One UAV – over the territory of the Rostov region,
– One UAV – over the territory of the Kursk region.


Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran exposes seductress journalist working for Israel
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

by Leonid Tsukanov
A spy scandal that seemed to have been hushed up in 2022 is flaring up again in Iran. French-Jewish journalist Catherine Perez-Shakdam is accused of working for Israeli intelligence for many years. With her masterly command of words and her gift of seduction, she allegedly managed to gain the trust of more than a hundred high-ranking Iranian officials and ultimately exposed them to an Israeli attack.

The spy obtained secret data and visited forbidden sites practically arm in arm with the military and clerics - almost the same as the legendary Mata Hari did a century ago.

True, unlike the spy-dancer, with whom Peres-Shakdam is actively compared today, the latter managed not only to escape Iranian counterintelligence in time, but also left behind many unsolved mysteries that Tehran is still struggling with to this day.

The Rise of the Guest
The journalist's path to the top was swift. Having converted to Islam after marriage and voluntarily converted to Shiism, Peres-Shakdam began visiting Iran regularly and by 2017 had already become quite a well-known figure there.

Among other things, she managed to secure an audience with Ibrahim Raisi (at that time, the retired Prosecutor General of Iran), who was among the first to recognize the potential of the ambitious journalist and introduced her to the editors of several major Persian-language media outlets.

Over the next year, Peres-Shakdam established contacts with all the more or less influential publications in the country, becoming their regular contributor. She made connections among the security forces and the diplomatic corps, and secured the support of the "heavyweights" of Iranian politics.

She was also favored by the attention of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who considered Peres-Shakdam "the voice of the Islamic revolution" in the West and his main information weapon. Including because of her origins - Peres-Shakdam's Jewish roots gave Iranian ideologists the opportunity to say that even their co-religionists in Europe were disappointed with Israel's current course.

At one point, he even allowed the journalist to post some of her works on his official website, an honor not bestowed upon all theologians from Khamenei’s “inner circle,” let alone ordinary journalists.

Self-exposure
Peres-Shakdam lost her “favorite” status in February 2022, when bloggers close to Iranian ultra-conservative and former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began to promote a story in the press about her working for Israeli intelligence.

According to the anonymous sources, the journalist gained the trust of Iranian officials and clerics, with their help penetrating classified facilities and obtaining confidential information first-hand. Afterwards, she passed on the information she received to Tel Aviv.

It is noteworthy that a couple of months before this, Peres-Shakdam herself had drawn suspicion from the conservative wing: in an article published on one of the Israeli resources, she stated that she had never shared the ideas of the Islamic revolution and used “Muslim cover” only to infiltrate Iran and other countries to look at the situation “from the inside.”

This alone would have been enough to accuse the journalist of espionage. However, her ill-wishers then preferred not to act rashly, but to gather more information about her possible ambiguous connections.

The effect of the scandal exceeded even the wildest expectations. Rumor has it that Peres-Shakdam participated in Israel's "secret operations," including, for example, the assassination of IRGC special forces commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

Although the fatal strike on Soleimani's car was carried out by the Americans, the Pentagon was informed of the Iranian officer's route by Israeli operatives working in Iraq.

And given that shortly before the tragedy, Peres-Shakdam had communicated with Suleimani one-on-one, she was considered to be Tel Aviv’s liaison.

Miraculous rescue
The February scandal became the point of no return. Peres-Shakdam was immediately "excommunicated from the court," and her articles disappeared from the websites of most Iranian media, where they had recently graced the front pages. However, this was the end of the repression against her, and she left the country without hindrance.

Business connections, of which Peres-Shakdam had quite a few by that time, played a role. Thus, according to one version, in March 2022 — when the spy scandal reached its peak — the future President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian (at that time one of the leaders of the opposition wing) took the disgraced journalist under his wing.

According to other sources, Peres-Shakdam was vouched for by former President Hassan Rouhani and the "architect of the nuclear deal," retired Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Even taking into account the public's decline in trust in the reformists, the authority of these politicians was allegedly enough to leave Peres-Shakdam alone for a while.

However, it is much more likely that the order not to prosecute the journalist was given personally by Khamenei. The Supreme Leader clearly did not want to give his opponents a reason to laugh at himself (and at his failed "information weapon"), and so the scandal was hushed up rather quickly.

But after this incident, Peres-Shakdam moved to Great Britain and never returned to Iran. And since August 2022 (about six months after the incident with Ahmadinejad), the largest Israeli newspaper, The Jerusalem Post, has regularly published columns in which yesterday's "singer of the Islamic revolution" blasted Tehran's policies and praised Israel's successes in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria.

Women's charms
The Peres-Shakdam affair was recalled only recently, after the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict. In Tehran, it was believed that Tel Aviv was too skillful in identifying and “knocking out” Iranian critical infrastructure facilities (including those that were not known to the general public), and also liquidated prominent scientists and officers of key departments of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

This gave reason to look at the activities of the disgraced journalist from a new angle. Especially since she had previously visited some of the objects that were in the crosshairs with her high-ranking patrons.

New details about the “super spy’s” work also emerged.

For example, former Iranian parliament member Mustafa Kavakebian claims that Peres-Shakdam actively used feminine charms to obtain the necessary information and, during her trips to Iran, entered into intimate relationships with more than a hundred Iranian elites.

In addition, the journalist actively communicated with the wives of high-ranking officials and scientists at social receptions and in "salons". Bored women happily shared their sore points with the educated interlocutor, and she, in turn, disposed of this information at her own discretion.

Of course, the facts mentioned by Kavakebian still need to be proven. Moreover, personal grievances against the state system, which cut off his candidacy in the early elections of 2024, may well speak here. In addition, almost three years have passed since the journalist left Iran, and Tel Aviv would hardly rely on outdated information when delivering the first blows.

On the other hand, Kavakebian is not alone in his judgments: calls to re-examine the Peres-Shakdam dossier are heard not only from reformists, but also from conservatives. And the country's authorities will have to listen to them sooner or later.

It is noteworthy that Peres-Shakdam herself does not consider herself a spy and denies working for Tel Aviv, although she regularly makes ambiguous hints about her “Iranian period of life” in order to stir up the audience’s interest in her articles.

It is highly likely that she does not have a spy past, and Tehran is trying to shift responsibility for the failures in organizing defense onto the ubiquitous Israeli agents.

This approach, although it relieves public tension, is fraught with another problem: chasing fictitious spies, one can easily miss the real ones. Of which, judging by the results of the Israeli Operation Lion Force, quite a few were sent to Iran.

Link


Africa Subsaharan
Undermining Russia's Influence in Africa: British Send Secret Mission to CAR
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

by Arkady Melikov
British Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo Alison King intends to make an unofficial visit to the neighboring Central African Republic (CAR). According to a source for the African Initiative news agency, the goal of the secret trip is to try to convince the CAR leadership to take an anti-Russian position in the international arena and refuse to use military units trained by Russian specialists.

“The British and French authorities are doing everything possible to undermine Russian political influence in the countries of Tropical Africa and return them to the status of semi-colonies of the West,” noted Kirill Babayev, a specialist on the region and president of the National Coordination Center (NCC) for International Business Cooperation, in a commentary to Regnum News Agency.

Given the special interest mentioned by former colonial powers, in this case Britain, it is necessary to look at Ambassador King's record and the context of her mission.

Alison King took up her duties as the UK's acting ambassador to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in April 2023. Since London does not have a separate diplomatic mission in the Central African capital of Bangui, she also oversees the CAR.

King previously served as deputy head of the British mission in Lebanon, and before that she headed the Middle East and North Africa sector in the British diplomatic system. She also had experience working at the British Foreign Office, where she oversaw relations with the states of Northern and Central Europe and interaction with EU institutions.

King began to “work substantively” with Africa within the framework of negotiation formats to resolve the conflict in Sudan and as a participant in the work of the European Commission on sanctions and “blood” diamonds (diamonds mined in areas where military operations are taking place).

The probable goals of the current secret visit to the Central African Republic can be judged by the latest publications on the official resources of the British Embassy in the DRC - for the end of June and the beginning of July 2025.

It is obvious that the real problems of the CAR are not among London's priorities. The main topic of all statements remains the active presence of Russia, which the British side is clearly concerned about.

Thus, at the end of June, the British diplomatic mission issued a statement by its delegate to the UN Security Council, which expressed interest in the elections in the Central African Republic scheduled for 2026. Although it noted "the progress made in extending state authority in some areas of the country," London simultaneously expressed concern about Bangui's choice of security partners. In particular, the UK calls on the Central African Republic authorities to pay attention to the actions of pro-Russian groups and ensure that those who violate human rights are held accountable.

According to the British side, the protection of the electoral process in the republic should be handled exclusively by the UN Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). However, as many analysts emphasize, the effectiveness of this structure in matters of establishing order in the country remains extremely low. Moreover, the supposed neutrality of the mission is increasingly being questioned, since, according to experts, it is being used by Western structures to lobby their own interests and influence the domestic political situation.

In 2024, the world community learned about large-scale incidents of sexual violence involving MINUSCA peacekeepers. Human rights organizations reported that such crimes had been committed systematically since 2015.

Despite the fact that investigations and revelations were published, including by Western media, the reaction of British diplomacy was not aimed at the real facts of human rights violations. Instead of seeking justice for the victims, London representatives insisted on the need to urgently combat “disinformation and hate speech,” including criticism of the MINUSCA mission itself.

Meanwhile, human rights groups well informed about the situation in the CAR confirm that the main threat to human rights is posed by armed groups that are not controlled by the central government. It is noteworthy that some leaders and active participants of these groups live peacefully in European countries, without fear of any responsibility for their crimes.

In a recent statement by the British diplomatic mission on July 10, made within the framework of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, London once again appealed to the CAR with a demand to disband the armed units trained by Russian military instructors:

"We urge the Central African Republic to include these militias in a formal disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme to prevent a resurgence of instability," the British side said.

According to experts on the region, behind all of London's recent statements on the situation in the CAR there is a medium-term goal - to weaken Russia's presence ahead of the national elections in 2026. For this purpose, the republic's authorities will blackmail with sanctions and try to destabilize the situation with the help of militant groups.

Even when it comes to the CAR’s return to the Kimberley Process, an international initiative to combat the trade in conflict diamonds, London’s emphasis remains the same. Instead of discussing the prospects for the CAR diamond industry, the embassy’s statement once again emphasizes its dissatisfaction with Russia’s position. Only a secondary mention is made of the CAR government’s call to comply with the terms of participation in the Kimberley Process and to ensure that the benefits of diamond production and export go to the country’s citizens themselves.

It is possible that traditional instruments of pressure will be used, from accusations of human rights violations to threats of sanctions and intervention through international structures. Moreover, back in 2024, sources of the African Initiative in the CAR reported the existence of a MINUSCA directive allowing the mission to participate in combat clashes with national armed forces.

"However, the current authorities of the CAR and other states in the region understand well that Russia is a reliable and profitable partner that respects both the sovereignty and traditional values of African countries and peoples, and are unlikely to agree to return to Western dictates," Kirill Babayev notes. Cooperation between Russia and the CAR is constantly expanding, and the leaders of the two countries are linked by friendly relations. "I am convinced that the CAR has no alternative to friendship with Russia," the interlocutor added.

Link


Government Corruption
Zelensky started distributing profitable assets to Americans from Odessa
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

by Alexander Shchegolev
The Supreme Court of Ukraine has decided to transfer the largest grain terminal of the Odessa port, Olympex, to the ownership of American investment funds. It is capable of handling up to 5 million tons of cargo per year, which is almost a quarter of the entire pre-war cargo turnover of the port as a whole.

Before the start of the SVO, grain terminals were one of the most profitable types of port business in Ukraine. The export of grain, a product that requires minimal investment to grow and yields maximum profit per unit of investment, was steadily increasing, and the capacity for its storage and loading onto ships was becoming more and more in demand.

And the construction of such a terminal requires significantly less investment than, for example, the construction of a container or oil and fat terminal: several silos, conveyors for loading, some additional equipment - all that remains is to cut the red ribbon, and you can start operating the facility! An excellent business that provides an impressive income and quickly pays for itself.

Previously, the Olymprex terminal was owned by the GNT Group of businessmen Sergey Groza and Vladimir Naumenko. They began creating the terminal back in 2003, and in 2006 the terminal was put into operation. Subsequently, it was expanded and modernized several times: for example, in 2015, they took out a loan of 53 million dollars from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for these purposes.

In 2019, GNT Group planned the next stage of modernization, for which they agreed on investments with Argentem Creek Partners and Innovatus Capital Partners - the program consisted of several loans for a total of $93 million.

It was assumed that after the modernization work, the volumes of transshipment, and therefore profits, would increase, which would allow the loan to be quickly repaid, as money borrowed from other creditors during previous modernization cycles had been repeatedly repaid.

But the war began, and this business plan went down the drain: cargo flows fell almost to zero, and so did income. Accordingly, it was not possible to repay the loan, but the Americans did not try to understand the situation of the Ukrainian businessmen and demanded that the debt be repaid in kind.

An important nuance: the market value of the Olymprex terminal before the war, according to the most conservative estimates, was 150 million US dollars, and according to less conservative estimates, up to 300 million.

To put it simply, the Americans decided to cleverly take advantage of the situation in order to get a strategic enterprise at their disposal on the cheap.

For a long time, the situation was traditionally dragged out in Ukrainian courts, but in July 2025, events began to develop rapidly: having begun consideration of the case on July 4, on July 9, after only three sessions, the Supreme Court ruled that the terminal should be transferred to the ownership of the Americans.

Even according to official statistics, the average consideration of commercial cases in the Supreme Court takes 3-6 months, but in reality, in complex and complicated disputes and in cases where large sums of money are at stake, it can drag on for years.

Here the court made a final decision in just five days!

The Financial Times writes that the Americans owe the case's swift consideration to the very clear position of the Ukrainian President's Office, which "provided coordination support for the process." The publication also adds that "this will test Kyiv's ability to attract capital to restore the economy in the fourth year of the war."

In fact, there is no talk of any “attracting capital”: what is evident is a banal raid on the part of an American company, on whose side the official authorities of the country acted.

Moreover, they acted quite harshly and decisively: for example, one of the owners of GNT Group, Vladimir Naumenko, was arrested in June 2025 and placed in pretrial detention on charges of fraud.

The story there, by the way, is rather murky: Naumenko allegedly pulled off a number of fraudulent schemes to remove grain from the terminal, which was supposed to be there as part of the collateral for loans. However, this grain was removed and sold, and was recorded in the documents as "spoiled".

Plus, according to rumors, GNT Group participated in the schemes of the "king of Odessa smuggling" Vadim Alperin, whom Vladimir Zelensky intended to imprison at the dawn of his presidency. Grain bought from farmers for cash was exported through the terminal using forged documents. And these are just a few examples of what the terminal owners could be charged with.

However, such things are normal practice in Ukraine (or at least were before the war), and it is difficult to find an operator who has not engaged in such things. Many of them have been subject to various types of inspections, and even criminal cases have been opened, but such a thing as a terminal owner being put in jail for such things has never happened. True, American money was not involved in other cases…

And this takes the entire story of the Olympex terminal far beyond a simple economic dispute: it looks like a large-scale campaign is starting in Ukraine to distribute the remaining strategic assets at Kyiv’s disposal to “Western partners.”

For example, just recently it was announced that there were plans to transfer the container and universal terminals of the Illichivsk port, right next to Odessa, to Polish companies for a 40-year concession.

It should be understood that there are not many truly valuable assets left in Ukraine – ports, as well as agricultural land.

For example, next to Olymprekh there is another large private grain terminal - Brooklyn-Kyiv, and next to it there is another, smaller one - Novotech. Another whole group of terminals is located in neighboring Yuzhny: in addition to the giant TIS, there are also terminals MV Cargo, Delta-Vilmar, Global Ocean Link Terminal and others. True, there have been no conflicts with investors around these terminals for quite a long time, but, as they say, if there is a man, there will be an article!

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Afghanistan
'More effective than NATO': SCO welcomes Taliban and is not afraid of Trump
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

by Gevorg Mirzayan
On Tuesday, July 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov concluded his major Asian tour. In the Chinese city of Tianjin, he took part in a meeting of colleagues from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and before the meeting he was received by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The success story at the meeting was unexpectedly Afghanistan, the same one that used to be the main threat to the SCO. They managed to find a common language with the Taliban. But Russia's relations with the US are not so cloudless - at the summit, Lavrov, taking advantage of the opportunity, spoke about the pressure that the United States is exerting on Moscow and other members of the organization.

The SCO itself has long been a model structure for a multipolar world. Firstly, it has no vertical leadership: everyone, from China to Kyrgyzstan, has an equal voice and veto power. Secondly, because the SCO includes rivals at odds with each other (for example, India and Pakistan) and thus encourages them to cooperate.

The Pillar of Eurasian Security
This is primarily about cooperation in the area of collective defense. “ The SCO was initially created as an organization focused on economic cooperation. Now the economy has gone to BRICS, and the SCO is primarily concerned with security,” Nikita Mendkovich, head of the Eurasian Analytical Club, explains to Regnum.

It just so happens that all members of the organization are interested in stability, progressive development and the preservation of the secular nature of power in Central Asia. That is, simply put, it is necessary to protect the region from radical Islam and the influence of third overseas countries - those that are located far away, but still try to turn Central Asia into a source of unrest.

" It was decided to create a Universal SCO Center for Combating New Challenges and Threats in Tashkent on the basis of the current Regional Anti-Terrorism Center. At the same time, an SCO Anti-Drug Center is being created in Dushanbe, which will be linked by a special agreement and interaction procedures with the Center for Combating New Challenges and Threats, and a structure aimed at combating organized crime will be formed in Bishkek," Sergey Lavrov said following the meeting.

At the same time, some threats that have poisoned the atmosphere in Central Asia for decades have now been neutralized. For example, Afghanistan, with whose authorities Moscow has managed to reach an agreement. And not only Moscow. “Almost all SCO members are stepping up work with Kabul on a bilateral basis, and we are all united in the importance of effectively assisting in the restoration of this country and its sustainable development as an independent, neutral, peaceful state free of terrorism and drugs,” the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

This means that it is possible that Afghanistan will soon transform from a source of problems into a transit region for North-South transport corridors, and will also conclude agreements with Russia, China and other countries – “deals,” as US President Donald Trump would say – to develop its mineral wealth. Such equal agreements could also contribute to the growth of prosperity for ordinary Afghans.

"We can safely say that in the case of Afghanistan, the SCO succeeded more than NATO," Nikita Mendkovich sums up. It is not surprising, because when you respect other people's choice and sovereignty, and do not bomb weddings and do not teach other people how to live, these people are drawn to you.

The background of the ultimatum
The agenda of the meeting also included a topic that is outside the jurisdiction of the SCO – Ukraine. Lavrov spoke about the Kyiv regime’s refusal to negotiate, about the participation of Europeans in the SVO – but many were primarily interested in Trump’s fresh threat to introduce 100% tariffs against Moscow and its trade partners if an agreement that would end the armed struggle is not reached within 50 days.

Lavrov said that Russia responded to this statement calmly, making it clear that it would wait. "We want to understand what is behind this statement of '50 days'. There were 24 hours and 100 days before. We have been through all of this, and we really want to understand what motivates the President of the United States," the minister explained.

And the issue here is not so much about the motives for the threats - they are quite clear. Trump was, of course, driven by the desire to force the Kremlin to accept his scheme (which only assumed a deep freeze and did not take into account the goals of the SVO).

"Without the ability to convince Moscow within the framework of bilateral relations, the President of the United States, apparently, decided to do this through Russia's partners - members of the SCO. To put pressure on them so that they, in turn, put pressure on Moscow," Dmitry Suslov, deputy head of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, suggests in a conversation with the Regnum news agency.

The question is what the White House owner will do next. In Moscow, they believe that his new strategy is doomed to failure. "Our trade partners hear what has been said, but they can hardly predict their actions now. They have obligations, international obligations. And knowing these partners of ours, I do not see how they can abandon their independent policy," says Lavrov.

Benefits from partnership
The addressees of Trump's ultimatum are obviously such SCO members as India and China - the main buyers of our energy resources. It is highly likely that they will not refuse to purchase. Not only because of their independent policy, but also because of their unwillingness to lose the benefits of partnership.

China, which understands that Russia's importance as a major supplier of resources is only growing on the eve of an inevitable conflict with the United States, will not refuse. India, which, after the start of the NWO, sharply increased its purchases of Russian oil for processing at its refineries and subsequent sale as fuel and other oil products, is unlikely to refuse.

Last month, purchases reached an 11-month high of about 2.08 million barrels per day, according to Indian media.

"And on each barrel they save about 10 dollars. In general, Russia now accounts for 40 to 50% of all Indian crude oil imports," explains Igor Yushkov, a lecturer at the Financial University and an expert at the National Energy Security Fund, to Regnum.

Delhi does not want to lose this income, especially because of empty threats. “India has not yet responded to Trump’s threats. So far, he has only made words. When these words become actions, then there will be some kind of reaction,” Alexey Kupriyanov, head of the Indian Ocean Region Center at IMEMO RAS, explains to Regnum.

The general line is unchanged
Moscow is betting on patient waiting, which has its own logic. Trump has made loud promises and threats on trade, security, and relations with allies more than once or twice. His threats rarely develop into specific systemic actions. Including because these steps, as it turns out, can often harm the United States itself more.

This was the case with the sharp increase in import tariffs for China – and this will most likely be the case with the threats of tariffs against the same India. If not Trump himself, then at least his advisers should remember how the story ended with Delhi, which was threatened for cooperation with Tehran several years ago.

At that time, these threats provoked the anger of Indian politicians, scientists and civil society in general. The attack on sovereignty had the opposite effect to what was desired. As a result, Washington, not wanting to lose a promising partner in South Asia, backed down.

We have stated that our common line on strengthening the SCO as one of the supporting pillars of a more just multipolar world order remains unchanged," Lavrov said following the meeting in Tianjin. According to him, this common vision is supposed to be reflected in the SCO development strategy until 2035.

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Home Front: WoT
Trump says he has no intention of supplying Ukraine with long-range JASSM missiles
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Washington, July 15, 2025, 22:49 — IA Regnum. Washington does not intend to supply Kiev with long-range JASSM missiles. This was stated by US President Donald Trump on July 15.

“No, we are not going to do that,” the American leader responded to a question from journalists.

Earlier, the British newspaper The Financial Times, citing sources, claimed that Trump discussed the possibility of transferring long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in a telephone conversation with the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky.

As reported by IA Regnum, on July 7, Trump announced the resumption of arms supplies to Ukraine. On July 14, he indicated that the volume of military aid that would be sent to Ukraine through European countries would amount to billions of dollars. In particular, the United States is considering the possibility of transferring 17 Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine. According to the American leader, the EU countries will pay for the additional weapons that the United States will send to Ukraine.

On July 14, the American Military Watch Magazine wrote that the United States will not be able to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems in the near future due to an acute shortage of such systems in the American armed forces. According to an informed source of the publication, the US President's office is discussing the possibility of sending Ukraine long-range JASSM missiles to equip F-16 fighters.

JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is an American high-precision air-to-surface cruise missile capable of hitting targets at a distance of 370 to 1000 km,

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Home Front: Politix
White House Denies Reports Trump Calls to Attack Moscow and St. Petersburg
2025-07-16
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Washington, July 15, 2025, 16:17 — IA Regnum. US President Donald Trump did not call on the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg with American weapons. This was stated by White House press secretary Caroline Levitt on July 15.

Earlier, the American publication The Financial Times wrote that during a conversation with Zelensky, the American leader allegedly called on him to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg to put pressure on Russia.

"The Financial Times is notorious for taking words out of context to get more views as their paper dies. President Trump was simply asking a question, not encouraging more murder," Levitt told Fox News in response to the story.

She also clarified that Trump is currently “working tirelessly” to achieve a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.

Earlier, the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the FT publication, also suggested that the information about Trump's calls is fake. At the same time, according to the Kremlin spokesman, rhetoric of this kind is nothing new for Western media.

More from regnum.ru

Trump says Zelensky shouldn't target Moscow

Washington, July 15, 2025, 20:02 — IA Regnum. US President Donald Trump said that the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, should not “take aim at Moscow.” This was reported on July 15 by Reuters.

“No, Zelensky should not attack Moscow,” Trump responded to a question from reporters about whether Kiev would be able to strike the Russian capital if the US supplied long-range weapons.

In addition, the head of the White House emphasized that he is not on anyone’s side.

As reported by Regnum, on July 15, the American publication The Financial Times wrote that during a conversation with Zelensky, Trump allegedly urged him to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg to put pressure on Russia. According to the article, the American leader views such strikes as part of a strategy that should "make the Russians feel pain" and "force them to sit down at the negotiating table."

That same day, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt denied reports that Trump had called for attacks on Moscow and St. Petersburg. Levitt said the Financial Times had taken the words out of context to boost viewership as their paper was dying. Trump had simply asked a question, not encouraged further killing, she said.

According to the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, the information about Trump's calls is fake. At the same time, rhetoric of this kind is nothing new for Western media, the Kremlin spokesman added.

Even more from regnum.ru

Lavrov: Moscow wants to understand what is behind Trump's 50-day ultimatum
Beijing, July 15, 2025, 15:51 — IA Regnum. Moscow wants to understand what is behind the statement by US President Donald Trump about the need to resolve the Ukrainian conflict in 50 days. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 15.

"We want to understand what is behind this statement. 50 days. It used to be 24 hours. And 100 days. We have been through all this, and we really want to understand what motivates the US President," Lavrov said at a press conference following the SCO Foreign Ministers' Council.

According to the minister, European leaders for the most part “unceremoniously support” the requests of the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, and agree to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine to the detriment of taxpayers in their countries.

Earlier, columnists for the American newspaper The Washington Post noted in their article that Trump's ultimatum to introduce new trade tariffs within 50 days had caused concern among Western analysts. According to the authors, such actions could play into Russia's hands, giving it a strategic advantage.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on July 14, Trump said that he was "very unhappy with Russia's actions" and threatened to impose secondary sanctions of 100% on goods from the Russian Federation if Moscow did not reach a peace agreement with Kiev within the next 50 days. He also expressed confidence that the arms supplies to Ukraine agreed upon with the EU would speed up the process of concluding a peace agreement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, commenting on the words of the head of the White House, stressed that any actions that contribute to a ceasefire are important, but they must comply with international law.

President Vladimir Putin has previously called for not being afraid of new sanctions and preparing for any developments. He has repeatedly noted that the West wanted to weaken Russia with anti-Russian sanctions, but the restrictive measures have had the opposite effect.

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Economy
June CPI Report - Inflation still tame
2025-07-16
Inflation heated up for a second straight month in June. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the headline figure for the Consumer Price Index was at 2.7% year-over-year, up from 2.4% in May and higher than the expected 2.6% growth. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.3%, as expected.

Additionally, the core CPI was at 2.9% year-over-year, up from 2.8% in May but lower than the expected 3.0% growth. On a monthly basis, core prices rose 0.2% which was lower than the expected 0.3% monthly increase.

Here is the introduction from the BLS summary, which leads with the seasonally adjusted monthly data:


The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in June, after rising 0.1 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.7 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The index for shelter rose 0.2 percent in June and was the primary factor in the all items monthly increase. The energy index rose 0.9 percent in June as the gasoline index increased 1.0 percent over the month. The index for food increased 0.3 percent as the index for food at home rose 0.3 percent and the index for food away from home rose 0.4 percent in June.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in June, following a 0.1-percent increase in May. Indexes that increased over the month include household furnishings and operations, medical care, recreation, apparel, and personal care. The indexes for used cars and trucks, new vehicles, and airline fares were among the major indexes that decreased in June.

The all items index rose 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending June, after rising 2.4 percent over the 12 months ending May. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.9 percent over the last 12 months. The energy index decreased 0.8 percent for the 12 months ending June. The food index increased 3.0 percent over the last year.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syrian Interior Ministry: Clashes are still ongoing in some neighborhoods of Suwayda
2025-07-16
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