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Russian invasion  Sanctions
Merz to allay Belgian concerns about the EU's Ukraine proposal

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Brussels on Friday to try to allay concerns expressed by Belgium about the EU's plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

He will have dinner with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others.

- I don't want to persuade him, but to convince him, says Merz.

Large parts of the Russian assets in Europe are located in Belgium. The country's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said on Thursday evening that Belgium is being "pushed into a corner" by the EU.

The political situation in Israel
More than one in four Israelis want to leave the country: "No good future"

More than a quarter of Israelis are considering leaving the country. This is according to an opinion poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, reports Haaretz. The most common reason given among both Arab and Jewish Israelis is the lack of a good future for their children.

In second place among the reasons are the high cost of living and the war. 48 percent of Jewish Israelis state "alienation to Israeli culture" as a contributing reason for wanting to leave. Among Arab Israelis, the figure is lower, 39 percent. Despite this, more Arab than Israeli citizens want to leave: 30 and 26 percent respectively, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The opinion poll was conducted in April with a representative sample of 907 adult Israelis.

Tensions in the Caribbean
Admiral: There was no order to “kill them all”

Admiral Frank Bradley, who ordered the attack on an alleged drug boat on September 2, says there was never an order from above to “kill them all,” reports the AP. Several media outlets have reported that Pete Hegseth gave the order, but both the Defense Secretary and the White House have denied the report.

“He was very clear that he never received such an order,” says Republican Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, after Bradley was questioned in Congress.

Democrats have reacted strongly after the hearing.

“I am deeply hurt,” says Democrat Jack Reed.

Trump's USA The War on the Media
NYT sues Pentagon in protest of new press policy

The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over the Defense Headquarters' new rules for journalists, the newspaper reports.

According to the lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington on Thursday, the new guidelines violate journalists' constitutional rights.

The newspaper wants the court to issue an order stopping the Pentagon from applying the press policy.

The new rules mean that journalists must sign a 21-page document that limits their working methods, such as their contacts with sources. According to the Pentagon, this is about preventing leaks that harm national security.

 

The climate threat Global challenges

Agreement reached on EU rules on deforestation

EU countries have agreed on new rules against deforestation, reports TT. Companies will be forced to account for their supply chains to show that they do not contribute to deforestation. Those who do not comply with the rules can be fined.

The EU's so-called deforestation regulation is due to enter into force on December 30 next year. It has already been postponed twice.

"An agreement in record time!" writes EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall (M) on X.

The US and other countries have pushed to stop the regulation, which aims to reduce the 10 percent of global deforestation caused by consumption within the EU. 

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EU agrees on rules for rainforest deforestation

TT

Updated 22.01 | Published 21.55

 

The rules that are to stop imports of products produced on land where rainforest has been recently logged have been postponed in several rounds. Archive image. Photo: Jorge Saenz/AP/TT

EU legislators have reached a temporary agreement on rules against rainforest deforestation.

“The aim is to simplify the implementation of the existing rules and postpone their introduction to give actors, traders and authorities the opportunity to prepare adequately,” the Council of Ministers wrote in a press release.

The so-called Deforestation Regulation, EUDR, aims, among other things, to stop imports of products produced on land where rainforest has been recently logged. However, there has been sharp criticism from several countries outside Europe as well as companies and forestry companies in Europe, who are concerned about excessive administration and bureaucracy.

The regulation is not expected to enter into force until December 30, 2026, after the EU Parliament decided to postpone it in November this year.

Economy

Fed vs. inflation
Four out of five economists believe that the interest rate in the US will be cut

The US central bank Federal Reserve will cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points next week, a clear majority of economists in a Reuters poll estimated. Over 80 percent of more than 100 respondents said that the Fed will cut interest rates on December 10.

The Fed is expected to cut interest rates to a range of 3.50-3.75 percent to strengthen the slowing labor market, the news agency writes.

The market currently expects a cut to 89 percent, according to CME's Fedwatch tool.

The tariff crisis The chip fight
Senators want to stop exports of Nvidia's AI chip to China

The Senate wants to stop Nvidia from selling its most advanced chips to China according to a bipartisan proposal that was presented on Thursday evening, the Financial Times writes.

The law would force the Commerce Secretary to deny export licenses for advanced chips to China for 30 months. It would prevent Nvidia from selling the H200 and Blackwell to China.

The announcement comes at the same time as the Trump administration is reportedly considering allowing Nvidia to sell the H200 chip to China.

Democrat Chris Coons says that “the rest of the 21st century will be determined by who wins the AI ​​race” and warns of what will happen if the technology is based on China’s values.

US-China relations
Sources: US pauses sanctions against China’s spying activities

The US is pausing its plans to sanction China’s state intelligence and security service MSS, despite it carrying out cyberattacks on US telecom networks and tech companies. The FT reports, citing sources.

The Americans are taking a step back until their dependence on China for rare earth metals has decreased, according to the sources. Donald Trump's backtracking is causing frustration among American China hawks in the administration who believe Trump is sacrificing national security for a trade deal.

- It seems like the administration is giving in to buy time to reduce dependence on critical metals from China, said Zach Cooper, Asia expert at the think tank American Enterprise.

The metals have been a hot issue in the trade conflict between the superpowers.

Tesla's future
Tesla climbs in Consumer

Tesla takes a leap on the list of reliable cars in the industry magazine Consumer Reports' annual ranking. The electric car giant advances to 10th place from 18th place last year on the list of 30 different car brands.

- They definitely have their challenges, but by continuing to improve without making too many changes, they can produce more reliable cars, Jake Fisher at Consumer Reports tells CNBC.

The ranking is based partly on Consumer Reports' own tests, and partly on consumer reports on reliability, safety and customer satisfaction.

Subaru tops the list, followed by BMW and Porsche. Volvo moves up one place to 21st in this year's ranking. 

Political situation in Tunisia

Opposition leader arrested in Tunisia – sentenced to 12 years

Tunisian politician Ahmed Nejib Chebbi has been arrested at his home, his daughter and lawyer told AFP. The leader of the country's largest opposition coalition, the NSF, was sentenced on Friday to 12 years in prison for conspiracy against the state and membership in a terrorist group. According to human rights organizations, the trial against him and 39 others was politically motivated. Some of them have been sentenced to up to 45 years in prison, according to the Middle East Monitor.

Civil society has sharply criticized the increasingly restricted rights since President Kais Saied took power in 2021. The NSF opposition movement was formed after he dissolved parliament the same year.

The European Parliament last week urged Tunisia to release "all those imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression".

“I will make my cell the base of my resistance”

After 40 opposition Tunisians were imprisoned to serve long sentences, a pre-recorded video has been posted on the Facebook page of human rights lawyer Ayachi Hammami. In the video, he calls the judges political decisions on the orders of President Kais Saied.

“I will make the cell in which Kais Saied imprisons me the base of my resistance,” he says in the video according to the New York Times, and announces a hunger strike.

Civil society is sharply criticizing the increasingly restricted rights and persecution of opposition figures since President Kais Saied took power in 2021.

Last week, the European Parliament urged Tunisia to release “all those imprisoned for exercising their freedom of expression.”
 

European security policy

Norway and Britain in new historic defense pact

Norway and Britain have agreed on the most comprehensive defense agreement between the countries in modern times, writes NRK. The agreement means that the countries' defenses will be integrated even more into each other.

According to Ekot, the countries will, among other things, establish a joint fleet to hunt Russian submarines and protect underwater infrastructure. British Royal Marines will also be present in Norway to a greater extent.

The countries will also look at the possibilities of pre-storing British equipment and ammunition on Norwegian soil and establishing facilities to receive British forces on Norwegian soil.

Mysterious drones in the air during Zelenskyj's visit to Ireland

The Irish Navy raised the alarm about several mysterious drones near the route that Ukrainian President Zelenskyj took when he flew to Ireland, Irish media reports. The incident occurred on Monday and there were concerns that the drones were there to disrupt the trip, writes the Irish Times.

It is unclear where the drones came from or who was flying them, but RTE reports that the warship that raised the alarm saw that they were not ordinary drones.

Investigators believe the drones were intended to disrupt travel and were not intended to attack the plane, sources told the Irish Times. The plane was never in danger, according to the information. 

 

Putin Calls Europe's BLUFF, Ukraine's Final Hour is Here | Scott Ritter & Ray McGovern 

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PUTIN VOWS to TAKE Ukraine's Donbas Region /Patrick Henningsen & Lt Col Daniel Davis

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