Scott Ritter : Will Trump Nuke Iran?
Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom
People cool off with water on the streets of Paris on Monday.
måndag 30 juni 2025
Economy
Fed vs. inflation
Trump presses Powell – shows what the interest rate “should” be
Donald Trump continues to put serious pressure on Jerome Powell. At a press conference on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held up what was claimed to be a letter to the Fed chief, according to Axios.
The letter listed a number of countries' key interest rates along with messages such as "you have cost the US a fortune" and "you should lower the interest rate significantly!"
Trump has also published the letter on Truth Social, and claims that the US key interest rate should be around 1 percent and not in the range of 4.25-4.5 as now. It is marked with an arrow on the list and the words: "should be here".
Tesla's future
Tesla's results: Has surged nearly 30,000 percent since its debut
Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, has had a crazy stock market result since its listing fifteen years ago, writes CNBC.
The stock has risen by nearly 30,000 percent since its IPO, meaning that an investment of $10,000 at the time would be worth almost $3 million today. The equivalent investment in the broad S&P500 index had grown to $57,000, the news agency notes.
However, sales have been sluggish in the past year and the stock, which is down 20 percent, has lagged far behind the index. Analysts have warned, among other things, about whether the company's investment in self-driving taxis and humanoid robots will last:
“Unless Tesla can come up with a whole new series of products that really appeal to consumers […] they will be seen as past their peak and starting to lose value,” said Brand Finance CEO David Haigh earlier this year.
The situation in Afghanistan
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans fleeing Iran
More than half a million Afghans have fled or been deported from Iran since the end of March, which risks worsening an already troubled situation in Afghanistan, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in a press release.
– We must act quickly [...]. Not just with emergency aid but also with more long-term support, says UNHCR's representative in Kabul, Arafat Jamal, who adds that international help is crucial to breaking the cycle of violence in the country.
In just one day, on June 26, over 36,000 Afghans left the country – a number that has continued to increase since the outbreak of war between Israel and Iran on June 13.
It was after the Taliban took power in 2021 that millions of people fled Afghanistan. Many of them ended up in the northern parts of Iran, writes al-Jazeera.
Ali fled Iran: “They threw us out like trash”
The 1.2 million Afghans deported from Iran face a difficult existence in a repressive Afghanistan characterized by extremist rule and economic collapse, Ali, who after 40 years in the neighboring country has now been forced to leave, tells Context.
“I grew up there, worked there, buried my parents there. But in the end, they threw us out like trash. I lost everything – my home, my small savings in cash, my dignity,” he says.
He has now become part of the wave of refugees that the UN warns could cause the collapse of the already fragile Afghan society. Many of those who left the country are now returning to a completely different one, which could deprive them of rights they took for granted.
“I love studying and would have liked to continue in Afghanistan, but I don’t think I can do it,” says Hajjar Shademani, who is facing a homeland with few opportunities for women.
TOP NEWS
Putins Ryssland
Unga ryssar blickar österut – lär sig prata mandarin
Sedan invasionen av Ukraina har Kina blivit Rysslands viktigaste partner – inte bara ekonomiskt och diplomatiskt, utan även kulturellt, rapporterar New York Times.
Intresset för grannlandet i öst har exploderat och många unga ryssar har börjat studera mandarin i hopp om att kunna studera i Kina. En av dem är 19-åriga Alyona Iyevskaya som beskriver Kina som ”så coolt”.
Utvecklingen är tydlig bland den ryska eliten, som i allt större utsträckning anställer barnskötare som talar mandarin. Till och med Vladimir Putins barnbarn har lärt sig att prata mandarin, sa presidenten nyligen till ryska statsmedier och tillade att hon har en lärare från Peking.
Experter och kritiker som tidningen varit i kontakt med menar dock att boomen i intresset för Kina snarare är ett intresse av nödvändighet än övertygelse, då Ryssland frysts ut av västvärlden.
Natos framtid
Italien vill bygga rekordlång bro för Natopengar
Italien vill att utgifterna för en enorm bro mellan fastlandet och Sicilien ska räknas till Natos nya försvarsutgiftsmål om fem procent, rapporterar Politico.
Italien är ett av de länder i alliansen som spenderar minst på sin militär. Bron ses som ett enkelt sätt för premiärminister Giorgia Meloni att skynda på utgiftsökningen till fem procent av BNP, med en redan planerad utgift.
Den föreslagna hängbron har varit en dröm för italienska ledare i flera decennier och skulle bli världens längsta.
Syrienkriget al-Assadregimens fall
Trump skrotar sanktioner mot Syriens nya styre
Donald Trump har underteckat en presidentorder som innebär att USA:s sanktioner mot Syrien slopas, rapporterar CBS News.
Trumps order är väntad. Under en resa genom Mellanöstern i maj sa han själv att han tänkte skrota sanktionerna mot landet som i december störtade diktatorn Bashar al-Assad.
Vita husets pressekreterare Karoline Leavitt säger att samtliga sanktioner mot den nya regeringen hävs men att de kvarstår mot al-Assad, hans medarbetare, människorättsförbrytare, knarksmugglare, personer med kopplingar till kemvapenverksamhet, IS och dess allierade samt iranska ombud.
Politiska läget i Ungern
Orbán kallar Prideparaden i Budapest för ”skamlig”
Prideparaden i Budapest i helgen var ”skamlig”. Det uppger Ungerns premiärminister Viktor Orbán.
I ett inlägg på Facebook delar han en video på en dansare iklädd de ungerska färgerna – röd, vit och grön – under en dragshow. Till det skriver Orbán: ”Jag är en av de som inte anser att det är en stolthet. Det är en skam”.
Trots att paraden var förbjuden uppges 200 000 personer deltagit, enligt arrangören, skriver Index.
Trump's USA
Conflict with universities
Harvard accused: Allegedly violated the rights of Jews
Harvard has violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students, the Trump administration says it can confirm in a new investigation into the university, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The accusation - the latest move in the conflict between the White House and the top university - could increase the risk that Harvard will lose funding.
In a letter to the university's president, Alan Garber, the presidential cabinet claims that Harvard has acted with indifference to the fact that Jewish students felt threatened on campus. If no changes are made to address this, all federal resources for the university could be withdrawn, the letter states.
Formal announcements of this kind are usually preceded by an agreement between the parties or a lawsuit, writes the Wall Street Journal.
LGBT rights in the US
Gender-affirming care may lose funding
The Trump administration is considering withdrawing funding for children's hospitals that offer gender-affirming care to young people, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The agency responsible for healthcare issues has sent letters to nine children's hospitals and requested information about their treatments in an investigation.
One of these hospitals, located in Los Angeles, is now closing its gender-affirming care operations, citing the investigation, even though the letter is not considered a direct threat. Many children's hospitals are completely dependent on financial support.
The head of the agency, Mehmet Oz, says in a statement that President Trump has been very clear that the country will "protect children from alternative and experimental procedures".
Trump's USA Musk vs Trump
Musk rages at Trump again: "The porky pig party"
Elon Musk once again lashes out at former running mate Donald Trump's big budget package. In a post on X, he writes that the budget opens the way for raising the debt ceiling by a “record-high” five trillion dollars.
He writes that it makes it clear that the United States has a one-party system, where he believes the “porkish pig party” is in power.
“It’s time for a new political party that actually cares about its citizens,” he writes.
Musk has been a very clear voice against Trump’s budget proposal, and has previously described it as “porkish.”
Tariff crisis Trump's tariff policy
Lutnick welcomes Canada's decision: "A dealbreaker"
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick thanks Canada after the country's government decided to withdraw the digital tax on American companies, writes Reuters.
In a post on X, he claims that the tax was intended to inhibit American innovation and that the White House saw it as a "dealbreaker" in attempts to reach a new trade agreement.
The Canadian decision was made just hours before the tax was due to take effect on Monday.
Failed tariff inflation could fuel conflict with the Fed
A widespread view among economists has been that the Trump administration's new tariffs on the rest of the world will lead to higher consumer prices. But so far, price increases have been somewhat subdued - which sets the stage for President Donald Trump to feel strengthened in his tariff policy and for internal tensions within the Federal Reserve. Bloomberg writes.
– Something that makes the situation difficult to assess is that we have never engaged in any similar experiment, says Professor William English at Yale, regarding the White House's tariff policy becoming difficult to assess.
So far, the uncertainty surrounding tariffs has caused Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to rest on his laurels instead of continuing with interest rate cuts. Powell has long endured heavy pressure from Donald Trump for his decision to remain firm, but now two central bank governors have also taken a position that the Fed should cut interest rates as early as July.
Tariff crisis Dollar development
The dollar is heading for its worst first half since 1973
The dollar's decline continues on Monday. The world currency is now heading for its worst first half since 1973, when the United States switched to a floating exchange rate. This is according to Capital Economics economist James Reilly, according to Reuters.
He warns that continued weakness in the dollar risks becoming self-reinforcing as European and Asian portfolios without currency hedges chase the movement.
– We therefore assess that this could be a decisive period for the dollar. Either it turns around or another 5 percent decline is around the corner, he says.
Tariff crisis Trump's tariff policy
Tariff pause nears end – new agreements expected soon
The end of the 90-day pause in the tariff crisis is drawing closer and US President Donald Trump is expected to present several new "trade agreements" in connection with it. Bloomberg reports.
– The White House will present several new framework agreements as trade agreements even if they do not meet the standard definition of a trade agreement, says law professor Tim Meyer at Duke University.
Clark Packard at the right-wing think tank Cato Institute believes in mixed outcomes in the US bilateral negotiations.
– My feeling is that the White House is potentially extending the deadline for certain countries that are negotiating in good faith, he says.
Heavy names contradict Trump about Iran bombs
While Donald Trump increasingly stubbornly insists that his bombings have completely destroyed Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons, more and more voices are being heard that claim the opposite.
The latest heavy name is the head of the UN Atomic Energy Agency, who assesses that Iran's ability to enrich uranium has been delayed by at most a few months.
There is probably no outsider who has better insight into Iran's nuclear energy program than Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA. He and his team of experts have been on site inspecting Iran's facilities for many years and have been in contact with the country's leading nuclear energy experts.
In an interview with the American television-company CBS, Grossi says that the damage to the facilities is extensive but not total.
- If the Iranians want to, they can start enriching uranium again within a few months, says Grossi.
He emphasizes that it is also a matter of Iran still having the knowledge of how to enrich uranium. All they need is to get some of the thousands of centrifuges they previously had up and running.
Grossi also points out that it is currently impossible to know whether Iran has had time to move any of the 400 kilograms of uranium that it has already enriched to places where the US and Israel have not bombed.
The question is quite crucial for making an assessment of how soon Iran will be able to build nuclear weapons.
The truth at the moment is that no one knows, except for a small circle of Iranian leaders who are unlikely to be particularly interested in telling us what really happened.
Grossi points out that even though the IAEA was able to inspect the Iranian facilities up until just a few days before they were bombed, there are uncertainties about whether Iran has revealed everything and what its real intentions are.
IAEA inspectors have found traces of uranium in places where Iran has not declared that any enrichment is taking place and, according to Grossi, have not been able to give any credible answers as to why.
In other words, there seem to be things that Iran has hidden even from IAEA inspectors, who have had fewer opportunities for inspections after Trump in 2018 terminated the nuclear energy agreement that Iran entered into during the time of Barack Obama.
Iran's foreign minister has once again made it clear that the country does not accept the US demand to stop enriching uranium. This goes directly against Trump's claims that Iran has given up on its attempts to acquire nuclear weapons after the bombs.
Another indication that the damage is not quite as extensive as Trump claims is an intercepted conversation between mellan Iranian government officials revealed by the Washington Post, in which the officials speculate about why the damage is not as extensive as expected.
This may not mean much in itself, but in the larger puzzle that is being put together, it is another indication that President Trump has overestimated the effects of the American bunker-busting bombs that were dropped on the facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.
The Trump administration has so far been unable to present any evidence of the extent to which the Iranian facilities have been destroyed. When it presented the results to the Senate last week, it referred to a simulation of the bombs' effects that the intelligence community had done. But nothing that proved what the actual damage looked like.
Which in itself is not so strange since these cannot be assessed without an on-site inspection. No outsiders have so far been able to visit the bombed facilities. Not even the IAEA.
But instead of saying it as it is; that it is not yet possible to know exactly how big the damage is, Trump maintains what he said minutes after the bombings took place. Namely, that the facilities are completely destroyed and that Iran's nuclear weapons program is buried for a long time to come.
Trump may be right, but it could just as well be what Grossi says. That Iran may soon resume uranium enrichment and that it may even have hidden some of what it already had.
But instead of acknowledging the uncertainty, Trump is hitting back forcefully at those who try to question the effects of the American bombings in the slightest.
Trump is threatening to sue CNN, the New York Times and other mediais outlets that have tried to give a more nuanced picture of the bombings.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, has said that those who have leaked information that contradicts Trump should be tried for high treason.
Trump himself says that he wants to force journalists to reveal their sources.
A truly astonishing attack on free media and their sources.
While Trump has seemed relatively uninterested in negotiating a new nuclear energy agreement with Iran after the bombs (the facilities are destroyed anyway, according to him), the head of the IAEA believes that it must be done in order to create security around Iran's possible nuclear weapons ambitions.
Iran's parliament has decided to throw out IAEA inspectors and suspend cooperation, but Grossi believes that this is mostly a political gesture. Iran has signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (of nuclear weapons) and has therefore committed to letting in inspectors.
The sooner that can happen, the sooner the world will have clarity on the effects of the bombings. After that, we will be free from Trump's unjustified overconfidence and the world will no longer have to guess where Iran stands on future nuclear weapons.
France warns of extreme heat: “Ten degrees above normal”
The heat wave continues its journey through Europe.Several red warnings have now been issued in France.
Temperatures above 40 degrees are expected there as well on Tuesday.
The extreme heat is plaguing southern Europe. In Spain and Portugal, temperatures of over 46 degrees have been measured over the weekend. According to the Spanish weather institute AEMET, it could get even hotter.
Now France is also warning of the heat. Several areas in the country have had temperatures between 36 and 38 degrees on Monday. Tuesday is expected to be even hotter. A total of 16 departments have issued a red heat warning, according to Le Parisien. An orange warning applies in another 68 departments.
– In some areas, temperatures are being measured that are more than ten degrees above normal for the season, Health Minister Yannick Neuder told the newspaper during a visit to Paris.
“Everyone’s concern”
Yannick Neuder urges French residents to be vigilant and to raise the alarm if anyone seems to be suffering from the heat.
– The heat wave is everyone’s concern, he says, but adds that the elderly are particularly vulnerable.
The heat will continue north. Both Croatia and Germany have issued warnings.
– It could be close to 40 degrees quite far up in Germany tomorrow, says Katarina Andersson, meteorologist at SMHI.
Record heat in the Mediterranean
The southern European heat is also visible in the Mediterranean, which on Sunday measured the highest average surface temperature ever: 26.01 degrees, according to the European Copernicus program.Last Sunday, Portugal had its hottest June day ever – 46.6 degrees in the Évora district. In Spain, authorities are warning that the temperature could exceed the country's record of 47.4 degrees. At least two people are feared to have died as a result of the heat so far, according to El País.
Those who are in the heat are urged to be careful and stay updated.
– You should not be out in the sun, but the best thing is to stay indoors where there is access to air conditioning, drink plenty of water and take your siesta in the middle of the day. "Don't lie on the beach," says Katarina Andersson.
Opponents rage – as Trump gains more power
Published 2025-06-29 15.14
A decision from the US Supreme Court gives Donald Trump even more power going forward.
Now opponents are furious, warning that the decision could become a threat to democracy.
- It is a frightening step towards authoritarian rule, says top Democrat Chuck Schumer.
The federal courts in the US are finding it harder to stop President Trump's decree that people born in the country will no longer receive automatic citizenship.
The country's highest court voted in favor this week.
But the decision does not only affect the issue of citizenship.
In practice, the ruling makes it easier for the president to get national decrees through in other cases as well, because it takes more for federal courts to be able to block them, reports CNN.
Trump calls it a “monumental victory”.
“We can now properly continue with cases that were wrongly stopped,” Trump said at a press conference after the decision.
This is important for Trump, who had as an election promise to revoke the right to citizenship at birth for children of parents who are not legally in the US. Several federal courts have blocked Trump’s decree, claiming that it violates the constitution.
Trump believes that it is about “radical left-wing judges” who wanted to ruin it for him.
During his previous presidential term, Donald Trump was able to appoint three new judges, which gave the Supreme Court a conservative majority of six judges to three, which also became the voting figures in this decision.
The Supreme Court of the United States has a conservative majority. Photo: Pontus Lundahl / TT
Reactions: “Existential threat to the rule of law”
The reactions to the decision from opponents have not been long in coming.
Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of the liberal judges on the Supreme Court, accused the conservative judges of posing an “existential threat to the rule of law” by allowing Donald Trump to “violate the Constitution”:
“Ultimately, the executive branch will be completely unfettered – and our beloved constitutional republic will no longer exist,” she wrote in a statement after the decision.
The Democratic minority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, did not hold back either.
– This is an unprecedented and frightening step towards authoritarian rule, a serious danger to our democracy and a predictable move from this extreme Maga court, he said in a statement, according to Sky News.
Not entirely decided
But the decision is not written in stone.
Now several states are expected to go to a lower court in the hope of having the decision paused, while the courts decide whether it is consistent with the constitution or not.
– We believe we will win when the lower courts review this, says California's Attorney General, Democrat Rob Bonta, to CNN.
Attorney General Pam Bondi disagrees. She says the administration is "very confident" that it will pass, reports Sky News.
With fewer opportunities for federal courts to block Trump, the actual question of citizenship will be voted on when the Supreme Court reconvenes after the summer.
“The question of citizenship at birth will be decided in October, during the next session of the Supreme Court,” Bondi said.
Mysterious sound before the crash – sabotage investigated
The plane crash that killed 260 people seconds after takeoff is still a mystery.
Sounds captured on a video clip may help answer the riddle.
At the same time, it is now confirmed that sabotage is being investigated as a possible theory.
Air India flight 171 took off from Ahmedabad airport at 1:39 p.m.
– When the plane takes off, it looks quite normal at first, says former pilot John Cox to The New York Times.
Seconds later, disaster strikes.
Sounds captured on a video clip may help answer the riddle.
At the same time, it is now confirmed that sabotage is being investigated as a possible theory.
Air India flight 171 took off from Ahmedabad airport at 1:39 p.m.
– When the plane takes off, it looks quite normal at first, says former pilot John Cox to The New York Times.
Seconds later, disaster strikes.
The desperate distress call
The flight captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 55, makes a desperate distress call to the control tower: “No thrust, mayday, mayday.”The Boeing plane with 242 on board crashes straight into the medical students' lunchroom just kilometers from the airport. One passenger miraculously survives. 19 people on the ground die. In total, the accident claims 260 lives.
- The Swedish Accident Investigation Board has launched a full investigation. It is examining all possibilities, including sabotage, says Murlidhar Mohol, the minister responsible for civil aviation, according to The Sun.
Confirms the sabotage theory
The newspaper states that sabotage has previously been mentioned as a possible cause, but that this is the first time the authorities have confirmed that it is an aspect being investigated.The New York Times has, based on footage from surveillance cameras that captured the crash on film, had experts analyze both the image and sound.
Such a catastrophic situation is incredibly rare. According to experts, it is "one in a billion", writes The Sun.
Initially, it was speculated that the pilots may have missed important points in the checklist in connection with the take-off.
The shadow shows
Among other things, the landing gear was not retracted and experts said that they may also have failed to set the wing flaps, which give the plane an increase in lift during take-off, in the correct position.But the analysis of the footage shows that the pilot tried to fold the landing gear, but that it was stuck in the half-folded position. A shadow along the wing on the surveillance film also shows that the wing flaps were folded.
Everything indicates that most of the flight seemed normal as it traveled along the runway and during the first seconds in the air. And then the engines seem to have completely shut down.
Another piece of the puzzle in this is the mysterious sound heard in the film when the plane loses ground in the air.
Emergency turbine running
If the electronics, hydraulics or engines are knocked out on a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, the emergency turbine located under the fuselage automatically starts.It rotates with the help of the speed wind and does not generate enough power to keep all the functions of the aircraft running, but can help land a plane in an emergency.
On three occasions when fuel ran out on board a passenger plane, it is the emergency turbine that probably saved all hundreds on board.
According to a sound expert who analyzed the sound heard on the Air India plane and compared it to the sound when a Dreamliner lands with the emergency turbine activated, the sounds match more than 97 percent, writes The New York Times.
Did not turn
Another detail in the film that points to both engines being turned off is the plane's movements in the air, experts tell the newspaper.Generally, when an airplane loses power in one of its engines, it yaws to one side before the plane's computers straighten it out. But before the crash, there was no such yaw.
- You don't see any indication of asymmetric thrust. You don't see any yaw, you don't see any rudder deflection, you don't see any smoke or puffs from either engine, former accident investigator Jeff Guzzetti told The New York Times.
- All of this together tells me that there was a symmetrical loss of power.
Contaminated fuel
The newspaper writes that this indicates that the catastrophic events behind both engines being knocked out probably occurred at essentially the same moment.The theory that has now been mainly put forward is contamination of the fuel. This is also how it is suspected that a possible sabotage occurred.
– As soon as the report comes in, we can determine whether it was an engine problem, something with the fuel or why both engines stopped working, says Murlidhar Mohol according to The Sun.
Middle East crisis USA vs Iran
Iran stops UN observers at nuclear facilities
Iran is accused of threatening independent UN observers after denying them access to the country's nuclear facilities, AFP reports.
According to Reuters, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that it can no longer cooperate with the UN nuclear agency IAEA. The reason given was that the safety of the facilities cannot be guaranteed.
Several EU countries are now condemning what they see as a step away from international transparency in Iran's nuclear program and are urging the country to "resume full cooperation in accordance with its legal obligations," AFP writes.
At the same time, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi is demanding that the United States rule out future attacks on the country before talks on the nuclear program can resume. He said this in an interview with the BBC.
Trump's USA USA vs Iran
Donald Trump: Can force reporters to reveal sources
Donald Trump is open to forcing journalists who reported on leaked intelligence regarding the US attacks on Iran to reveal their sources. The Guardian reports.
CNN and the New York Times were able to report last week on a report from the military intelligence service that assesses that the attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities did not cause any major damage.
Donald Trump has called the reporting false and unpatriotic.
"You go up to the reporter and say: It concerns national security - who did you get the information from? That's what you have to do. And I think we will do that," he writes on Truth Social, according to The Guardian.
Middle East Crisis
Gaza War
Gang threatens hospital: “Post-apocalyptic sci-fi”
New forms of violence and anarchy are emerging in Gaza after almost 21 months of war. The Guardian has spoken to staff at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis who tell of the threat posed by gangs clashing with each other.
Last week, the hospital was stormed by armed gangs searching for a man from a rival group. The man had been injured in the gangs’ fighting over valuable sacks of flour from looted aid convoys. Hospital staff were beaten, equipment destroyed and vehicles set on fire. Soon after, forces sent by the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry joined in. Israeli drones circled over the chaos.
“You have gangs fighting, Israeli airstrikes or soldiers shooting people, and Hamas is still there. Meanwhile, we have kilometers after kilometers of desperate people cooking over open fires, living in tents and being very hungry. It's like a kind of post-apocalyptic science fiction movie, says an aid worker.
West Bank
Israeli settlers attack IDF base in West Bank
A dozen or so Israeli settlers attacked an Israeli military base and several Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, reports Haaretz.
"A number of civilians set fire to and vandalized a security facility," the IDF confirmed on X.
According to AP, the attacks come after security forces there cracked down on settler violence in recent days. One general in particular was singled out as a "traitor" and attacked during the riot, writes AFP.
The incident drew criticism from unexpected quarters, when the usually apologetic Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir condemned the action on social media:
"Attacking IDF soldiers, who are our brothers and protectors, crosses a red line and must be dealt with with full force," he wrote, according to the AP.
Golan Heights conflict
Israel: Wants to see peace agreements with Syria and Lebanon
Israel is "interested" in concluding a peace agreement with old enemies Syria and Lebanon. This was stated by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at a press conference, according to Reuters.
Sa'ar says that it is in Israel's interest to expand the list of countries in the "circle of peace and normalization," writes TT.
At the same time, he emphasizes that the occupied Golan Heights should remain under Israeli control.
AFP writes that a peace agreement would be a remarkable shift after decades of war.
Neither Syria nor Lebanon has responded to the Israeli statement.
Idaho attack
Two firefighters killed by sniper in Idaho
At least two people have been killed when a suspected sniper opened fire on firefighters during a call to an outdoor recreation area in Idaho, several media outlets report.
Early Monday morning, Swedish time, a police operation was underway in the area. An evacuation order was declared in the area, but was later lifted.
Initially, it was unclear how many suspected perpetrators there were and the police chief told the AP that his staff at the scene were shot.
Suspected shooter found dead after several hours of hunting
Police in the US state of Idaho have found a deceased man with a gun at the site where two firefighters were shot dead. This is reported by AFP.
The man was found by the local task force after several hours of hunting, the police chief said.
Firefighters were called to a forest fire in an Idaho recreation area when they were suddenly fired upon by an unknown sniper. At least two people, believed to be firefighters, have been killed in the attack. The attack was carried out with high-caliber rifles.
Police are now investigating whether the fire was started intentionally to lure emergency services to the scene.
Climate Threat Global Challenges
Europe's heatwaves
Heatstroke and forest fires - Europe fights the heat
The heatwave in Europe is intensifying and in several countries the emergency services are mobilizing to deal with forest fires, writes AFP.
On Thursday, a large forest fire broke out just south of Athens and on Sunday it burned in southwest France and western Turkey. Two-thirds of Portugal was covered by warnings for extreme heat and forest fires yesterday and in Italy, warnings for extreme heat have been issued in 21 cities across the country.
Italian emergency departments report a ten percent increase in people being treated for heatstroke.
- It is mainly the elderly, cancer patients or homeless people who suffer from dehydration and heatstroke, says Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Association of Emergency Medicine.
Travel companies: "Most people know it's usually hot"
No charter company is letting travelers who are worried about the extreme heat in Europe cancel their bookings. According to the companies, this is not something that is requested, writes TT.
- Most people are aware that it's usually hot, says TUI's press officer Dian Martinez Valencia.
Ving's communications manager Claes Pellvik says that the slightly shaky weather in Sweden has even increased the pressure on trips to the sun.
In Seville, Spain, temperatures are approaching 50 degrees, writes Aftonbladet.
- I have never experienced so much heat like this, says Beatrice, who traveled from Portugal with her mother and sister.
Swedish Johanna Nilsson, who lives in Seville, tells Expressen that she is used to the heat but reacts to the behavior of some tourists.
- I have myself seen tourists sit on outdoor cafes and drink alcohol. It is life-threatening.
Floods in Pakistan
Many dead after heavy rain in Pakistan
At least 45 people have died in Pakistan in recent days, AFP reports. The country has recently been hit by heavy monsoon rains and several floods.
In the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the border with Afghanistan, 21 people died, ten of them children, in a flood.
Pakistan is one of the countries in the world hardest hit by climate change. Its 240 million inhabitants are increasingly affected by extreme weather phenomena and natural disasters, the news agency writes.
EU Plans to Allow Climate Credits by 2040
The
European Commission wants member states to be able to use carbon
credits to achieve climate goals from 2036, according to a draft that
Politico has seen.
This means that countries can pay for climate
projects in poorer countries and count the emission reductions as their
own. Reuters writes that the purpose of the credits is to make the goal
easier to digest for EU countries that have protested the costs.
However, critics believe that it could slow down the EU's own climate
action.
The EU's 2040 targets will be presented on Wednesday,
after several months of delays. According to previous drafts, the
Union's net greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced by 90 percent
compared to 1990 levels, as part of achieving climate neutrality by
2050.
söndag 29 juni 2025
Economy
Fed vs inflation
Economists: Trump's policies and attacks on the Fed threaten US as a safe haven
Donald Trump's debt-financed tax cuts and attacks on the Federal Reserve's independence risk reducing the US's role as a safe haven for investors, economists predict in a Financial Times survey.
Around 90 percent of those surveyed were somewhat or very concerned about the status of dollar assets over the next five to ten years.
Saroj Bhattarai at the University of Texas sees gold and the Swiss franc as the new safe havens.
- The US looks like an emerging market, he tells the FT.
"Astounding fiscal excesses" combined with the White House's desire to take over the central bank are very worrying, says Robert Barbera at Johns Hopkins University.
US Elections Trump's Budget
US Debt Mountain Expected to Grow Significantly with Senate Budget
The Senate version of President Trump's tax and spending package is expected to increase the US budget deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The proposal involves tax cuts of $4.5 trillion and spending cuts of $1.2 trillion compared to current law, writes Bloomberg.
An alternative calculation requested by Republicans shows the cost will be $507.6 billion higher than if the current tax policy is extended. But Democrats and some economists have criticized the calculation, which is considered to allow Republicans to circumvent rules and threaten financial development.
The Senate proposal is expected to increase the deficit by about $500 billion more than the House version, writes the news agency.
Tariff crisis Trump's tariff policy
Trump has no plans to extend the tariff break
President Donald Trump does not expect to have to extend the tariff break after the July 9 deadline, he tells Fox News.
The president says that a letter will soon be sent to all countries that do not have an agreement with the message:
- Congratulations, we will let you trade in the United States. You will pay 25 percent tariffs, or 35 percent or 50 percent or 10 percent.
At the same time, it would be "no big deal" if the United States instead extends the break, the president says.
On Friday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flagged that many agreements will not be finalized until around Labor Day on September 1, Bloomberg notes.
The future of Open AI
Report: Meta snubs Open AI for four AI analysts
Tech giant Meta is picking four AI analysts for the company's "superintelligence lab," writes Bloomberg, citing sources.
The information comes after Open AI founder Sam Altman claimed earlier this week that Meta had tried to attract AI talent from the company through hiring bonuses in the 100 million range.
In an internal meeting at Meta, Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth reportedly responded to the information by saying that Meta is offering salaries to AI talent in the millions, but that these are not lump sums at that level, writes The Verge.
Middle East crisis Food prices
Fertilizer giant: The unrest could cause food prices to skyrocket
Increased tensions in the Middle East could trigger a new shock to food prices. This is what Svein Tore Holsether, the CEO of Norwegian fertilizer giant Yara, warns, writes the FT.
According to Holsether, both fertilizer companies and customers are now closely monitoring the risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's urea and 20 percent of liquefied natural gas passes.
Holsether believes that "the food system is fragile" and that fertilizer markets have been "extremely volatile" in the past two weeks. He points to the recent production stoppage in Israeli gas fields, which led to disruptions in fertilizer production in Egypt.
- It shows how everything is connected, he says.
Trump's USA Trump's budget
16 hours of reading of Trump's budget in the Senate
Donald Trump's budget is now ready to be debated in the Senate - after 16 hours of reading, writes CBS News.
Democrats had requested that the 940-page text be read aloud in an attempt to delay the process. When the controversial budget is now to be debated, Democrats, who are very critical of the content, are expected to use the 10 hours allocated to the parties. How much time Republicans are expected to use is unclear, writes CNN.
The senators will then vote on several amendments, and there are no limits on how many amendments can be presented.
Donald Trump's budget is now ready to be debated in the Senate - after 16 hours of reading, writes CBS News.
Democrats had requested that the 940-page text be read aloud in an attempt to delay the process. When the controversial budget is now to be debated, Democrats, who are very critical of the content, are expected to use the 10 hours allocated to the parties. How much time Republicans are expected to use is unclear, writes CNN.
The senators will then vote on several amendments, and there are no limits on how many amendments can be presented.
The budget passed the first hurdle by a narrow margin - now a marathon debate awaits
After hours of intense discussions, Donald Trump's controversial budget passed a first hurdle on Sunday morning, reports American media. Then the Senate voted to allow the proposal to proceed to debate.
The vote was close, ending 51-49 after two Republicans, Thom Tillis and Rand Paul, voted with the Democrats.
The debate that is now expected could last up to a day.
The budget includes investments in defense and border protection, as well as large tax breaks financed by cuts in welfare and in the climate area. It also includes a raised debt ceiling.
Musk vs. Trump
Trump: Musk is wonderful but said inappropriate things
Elon Musk is a "wonderful" and "smart" guy, but he got upset and said things that were "inappropriate," Donald Trump tells Fox News about the big fight with his former gunman.
When asked if the president thinks the Tesla boss was upset because he didn't get his way, Trump replies that it was "tough" for Musk that the environmental bonus on electric cars was abolished.
- I don't want everyone to have electric cars, Trump says in the interview.
After hours of intense discussions, Donald Trump's controversial budget passed a first hurdle on Sunday morning, reports American media. Then the Senate voted to allow the proposal to proceed to debate.
The vote was close, ending 51-49 after two Republicans, Thom Tillis and Rand Paul, voted with the Democrats.
The debate that is now expected could last up to a day.
The budget includes investments in defense and border protection, as well as large tax breaks financed by cuts in welfare and in the climate area. It also includes a raised debt ceiling.
Musk vs. Trump
Trump: Musk is wonderful but said inappropriate things
Elon Musk is a "wonderful" and "smart" guy, but he got upset and said things that were "inappropriate," Donald Trump tells Fox News about the big fight with his former gunman.
When asked if the president thinks the Tesla boss was upset because he didn't get his way, Trump replies that it was "tough" for Musk that the environmental bonus on electric cars was abolished.
- I don't want everyone to have electric cars, Trump says in the interview.
Middle East Crisis
Gaza War
Analysis: Signals from the IDF about a desire to end the war
Donald Trump claims that there could be a ceasefire in Gaza “within a week”. The only person who knows whether there is any substance to that statement is probably Trump himself, writes Haaretz’s Amos Harel in an analysis. After the US’s support for Israel’s attacks on Iran, the ball is in Trump’s court, says Harel.
“If Trump puts enough pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu [...] there could be a breakthrough,” he writes.
Harel also addresses Defense Chief Eyal Zamir’s visit to troops in Gaza on Friday. Zamir’s message was that the military is close to achieving its goals. According to Harel, this was a clear signal that there is a desire from the IDF’s highest echelon to end the war soon.
At the same time, Netanyahu’s future is uncertain. A key question is whether the alleged victory against Iran can make enough voters forget about Israeli security failures in connection with the Hamas terror attack in 2023, writes Jason Burke in an analysis in The Guardian.
“Many have predicted Netanyahu’s downfall [...] Yet he has not only retained power, but time and again outmaneuvered his rivals and opponents.”
Analysis: Signals from the IDF about a desire to end the war
Donald Trump claims that there could be a ceasefire in Gaza “within a week”. The only person who knows whether there is any substance to that statement is probably Trump himself, writes Haaretz’s Amos Harel in an analysis. After the US’s support for Israel’s attacks on Iran, the ball is in Trump’s court, says Harel.
“If Trump puts enough pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu [...] there could be a breakthrough,” he writes.
Harel also addresses Defense Chief Eyal Zamir’s visit to troops in Gaza on Friday. Zamir’s message was that the military is close to achieving its goals. According to Harel, this was a clear signal that there is a desire from the IDF’s highest echelon to end the war soon.
At the same time, Netanyahu’s future is uncertain. A key question is whether the alleged victory against Iran can make enough voters forget about Israeli security failures in connection with the Hamas terror attack in 2023, writes Jason Burke in an analysis in The Guardian.
“Many have predicted Netanyahu’s downfall [...] Yet he has not only retained power, but time and again outmaneuvered his rivals and opponents.”
Analysis: Signals from the IDF of a desire to end the war
Donald Trump claims that there could be a ceasefire in Gaza “within a week”. The only person who knows whether there is any substance to that statement is probably Trump himself, writes Haaretz’s Amos Harel in an analysis. After the US support for Israel’s attacks on Iran, the ball is in Trump’s court, Harel believes.
“If Trump puts enough pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu [...] there could be a breakthrough,” he writes.
Harel also addresses Defense Minister Eyal Zamir’s visit to troops in Gaza on Friday. Zamir's message was that the military is close to achieving its goals. According to Harel, this was a clear signal that there is a desire from the IDF's highest echelons to end the war soon.
At the same time, Netanyahu's future is uncertain. A key question is whether the alleged victory against Iran can make enough voters forget the Israeli security shortcomings in connection with the Hamas terrorist attack in 2023, writes Jason Burke in an analysis in The Guardian.
"Many have predicted Netanyahu's downfall [...] Yet he has not only retained power, but time and again outmaneuvered his rivals and opponents."
Voices on Gaza
Israeli Ambassador: Knows that tragic things happen in war
The war in Gaza could have ended tomorrow if only Hamas released its remaining hostage. This is what Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, says in an interview with TT.
He places all the blame for the many deaths in Gaza on Hamas, and he does not want to answer whether Israel sees any upper limit on how many civilian lives the war can cost.
- I know that tragic things happen in war, but that is not our intention. It is Hamas that uses its population as human shields, he says.
He also believes that Israel has taken on board the criticism from the outside world by opening up for emergency aid through the criticized Israeli-American organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Israeli Ambassador: Knows that tragic things happen in war
The war in Gaza could have ended tomorrow if only Hamas released its remaining hostage. This is what Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, says in an interview with TT.
He places all the blame for the many deaths in Gaza on Hamas, and he does not want to answer whether Israel sees any upper limit on how many civilian lives the war can cost.
- I know that tragic things happen in war, but that is not our intention. It is Hamas that uses its population as human shields, he says.
He also believes that Israel has taken on board the criticism from the outside world by opening up for emergency aid through the criticized Israeli-American organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
West Bank
Israel: Has knocked out terror cells in the West Bank
The Israeli security service Shin Bet states that ten Hamas terror cells have been knocked out in the occupied West Bank, reports AFP.
According to Israel, the militants were planning attacks in the near future. 60 members are said to have been arrested. The investigation is described by Shin Bet as the most complex in the last decade.
Hamas is present in the West Bank, but unlike in Gaza, the terror group lacks formal power there. Israel has gradually escalated its presence in the West Bank. Since Hamas's 2023 terror attack, more than 900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settler violence has increased sharply.
Israel: Has knocked out terror cells in the West Bank
The Israeli security service Shin Bet states that ten Hamas terror cells have been knocked out in the occupied West Bank, reports AFP.
According to Israel, the militants were planning attacks in the near future. 60 members are said to have been arrested. The investigation is described by Shin Bet as the most complex in the last decade.
Hamas is present in the West Bank, but unlike in Gaza, the terror group lacks formal power there. Israel has gradually escalated its presence in the West Bank. Since Hamas's 2023 terror attack, more than 900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settler violence has increased sharply.
Political situation in Israel
Court postpones hearing of Benjamin Netanyahu
The Jerusalem court has agreed to postpone the hearing of Benjamin Netanyahu in the ongoing corruption trial against the prime minister, The Guardian reports. Netanyahu asked earlier this week for his testimony to be moved up due to the security situation.
The prime minister's lawyers asked that he be excused from testifying for the next two weeks. The court's decision applies only to the coming week.
Netanyahu is charged with bribery and fraud, charges he denies.
Court postpones hearing of Benjamin Netanyahu
The Jerusalem court has agreed to postpone the hearing of Benjamin Netanyahu in the ongoing corruption trial against the prime minister, The Guardian reports. Netanyahu asked earlier this week for his testimony to be moved up due to the security situation.
The prime minister's lawyers asked that he be excused from testifying for the next two weeks. The court's decision applies only to the coming week.
Netanyahu is charged with bribery and fraud, charges he denies.
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