European security policy Military tested Thiel's drone - went "disastrously"
Drone manufacturer Stark has carried out test flights with the British and German armies, both of which went "disastrously", according to the Financial Times.
- They have oversold their capacity and now they have to pay the price, says a person who has informed about one of the tests.
Stark's answer is that their drones crash all the time.
"That's how we test, develop", it is written in a statement.
The German startup has raised capital from Peter Thiel, Sequoia Capital and the NATO investment fund, among others.
The crypto market Voices are raised for a ban on crypto mining in Norway
Around a third of the electricity in Norwegian data centers goes to crypto mining and from political quarters voices are being raised for a ban, according to E24.
- The longer it takes before we stop these eager crypto interests, the more expensive the electricity will be, says Lars Haltbrekken of the Socialist Left Party (SV).
Together with the Rødt party, SV wants a licensing system for data centers where operators need to apply, similar to new wind or hydropower. Last summer, a majority in the Storting asked the government to investigate a general ban on crypto mining. But the government, which SV is a supporting party, believes that Norway's EEA agreement with the EU prevents this.
Streaming war Sources: Netflix wants to buy HBO and Discovery
Netflix is considering making a bid for part of the giant Warner Bros Discovery, according to sources to Reuters.
The interest concerns the division that houses streaming services such as HBO as well as film and television studios. Netflix therefore does not want to buy the linear television business with channels such as CNN and TNT.
Warner Bros Discovery is reviewing options from a sale to a breakup and recently rejected an offer from Paramount Skydance.
Swedish law enforcement 2025 has already broken the record for bombings
Despite the fact that there are two months left in 2025, the annual record for bombings has already been broken, Aftonbladet's review shows.
So far, there have been 159 explosions – almost once every other day. The previous record year, 2023, was 152.
– That is of course remarkable. It shouldn't be like that in peacetime in a welfare state, says criminologist Sven Granath.
Hand grenades have been common this year. According to Granath, this depends on availability – someone brings in a large batch of hand grenades that are sold in different regions. In 2023, homemade thermos bombs were common because someone had the right materials and expertise, says Granath, calling them "the seasonal ingredients".
Terror Threats FBI Thwarts Planned Terror Attack in Michigan
The FBI has thwarted a planned terror attack against this weekend's Halloween celebrations in Dearborn, Michigan, agency director Kash Patel said on X.
"The FBI's vigilance prevented what could have been a tragic attack - and thanks to their commitment, Michigan can have a safe and happy Halloween," he wrote.
According to CBS News sources, five people between the ages of 16 and 20 have been arrested. They are believed to have been inspired by a National Guardsman who was arrested in the state in May, suspected of planning an ISIS-inspired terror attack on a military base in Detroit.
Fox News reports that the terror plans are linked to IS, in an article that Kash Patel has republished on X.
Budget crisis in the US The poorest are right: Trump must pay for food stamps
Two federal judges have ruled that the White House must continue to fund the SNAP food program, something Trump and his colleagues have not wanted to do during the ongoing government shutdown. This is reported by American media.
42 million Americans, about one-eighth of citizens, receive food stamps through the program, for example. The US government has been shut down since October 1 and the food program's money runs out tomorrow.
The judge in Massachusetts rules that the government should use emergency money to at least distribute some of the food aid.
Dutch elections Jetten: “My victory shows that populists can be defeated”
Rob Jetten, leader of the left-liberal center-left party D66, told AFP that his victory over far-right populist Geert Wilders’ PVV in the Dutch elections sends a message to Europe and the rest of the world.
“It is possible to defeat the populist movement if you campaign with a message that is positive for your country.”
The election was a close one. With only international postal votes left to count, D66 leads the PVV by 15,155 votes. Jetten and his party have declared victory and are believed to have a better chance of forming a government, as several other parties have rejected governing with Wilders.
If 38-year-old Rob Jetten succeeds in forming a government, he will become the country’s youngest and first openly gay prime minister ever.
Russian invasion Negotiations Sources: Pentagon has Tomahawks for Ukraine
After reviewing its stockpile, the Pentagon has determined that the United States can provide the long-range Tomahawk missile to Ukraine, American and European sources tell CNN.
The announcement does not mean that Kyiv will receive the missile, but that the defense headquarters is handing over the decision to President Donald Trump.
When Trump's Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyj was in the United States in early October, Trump said that he could not give away what they need to protect themselves, and was referring to the Tomahawk missiles.
The missile is at the top of Kyiv's wish list, but neither Biden nor the Trump administration has fulfilled the wish. Russia has, as with many other things, threatened that they would view Ukrainian attacks with the missile as a provocation of war.
Security around the Baltic Sea Poland intercepts Russian plane over the Baltic Sea – again
For the third day this week, Poland has sent fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea, the Polish Armed Forces write on X.
During Friday morning's incident, the Russian plane flew without its transponders on. It never violated Polish airspace but was escorted away according to NATO procedures.
"This is the third similar incident this week, which confirms the increasing activity within the Russian aviation industry in the Baltic Sea area," writes the Polish Armed Forces. Paint attack on the Swedish embassy in Moscow
The Swedish embassy in Moscow has been subjected to a paint attack, reports SVT Nyheter. It was during the night of October 24 that the incident occurred and the embassy suspects that a drone was involved.
The paint was discovered in the morning and no one was injured.
"In the middle of the paint stain lies a plastic bag and shards of hard plastic, probably a bottle or can. I consider it unlikely that someone would have managed to throw or hurl the container so far into the area (approximately 50 meters)," the embassy writes in a report to the Swedish Foreign Ministry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes to the channel that the embassy in Moscow is in contact with Russian authorities. Elections in Tanzania The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to Tanzania
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all non-essential travel to Tanzania. The decision was made on Friday and is valid until further notice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a press release.
An undemocratic election was held in the country on Wednesday in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan was the only candidate. Extensive protests broke out and received a violent response from the government.
According to the opposition party, as many as 700 people have been killed.
Climate Threat COP30 Climate Summit Trump Will Not Send Anyone to Climate Summit
Donald Trump will not send a high-ranking representative to the UN climate summit COP30 in Brazil next month, The Guardian reports.
The newspaper writes that the US has always had official representatives there, even during Trump's previous term, but that this year's meeting may be the first where they will not be present.
Trump has repeatedly called climate change a "hoax" and a "fraud" and has actively cut back on climate action since taking office.
“An ordinary American girl has brought down a prince with her courage”
King Charles’ decision to strip his brother Andrew of his princely title and evict him from his home is a step in the right direction, the family of sex trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre told the BBC.
“Today, an ordinary American girl has brought down a prince with her courage,” the family wrote in a statement.
Giuffre has accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her for years. The allegations have made headlines again since her autobiography was published posthumously. She took her own life earlier this year.
Virginia Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts told the BBC that King Charles’ decision is not enough.
– The king deserves praise, I think he’s doing a fantastic job. But we have to take it a step further: Andrew deserves to be locked up.
Don't want to be neighbors with the "terrible man"
The neighbors of the Royal Lodge, where Prince Andrew lives, are rejoicing that King Charles is kicking his brother out of the mansion.
- It's high time he left. The king has made the right decision, one of them tells The Telegraph.
But not everyone is rejoicing. The newspaper has also spoken to those who live next door to Sandringham, the king's country estate that is expected to be Andrew's new home.
- He is a terrible man and we don't want him here, says neighbor Susan Larkins.
She is supported by Jackie Cruickshank, who is afraid that photographers looking for new pictures of the ex-prince will ruin life in the village.
Andrew is being kicked out of his rent-free home and stripped of his titles due to allegations that he abused then-17-year-old Virginia Giuffre, who was also one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims.
Sources: Andrew to skip line of succession
Despite losing his titles, Prince Andrew is still eighth in the British line of succession. But the British royal family would not let him take over the throne, even in the highly unlikely scenario that the seven before him die, sources told The Telegraph.
According to the newspaper, the court would take “measures and steps” to ensure that Andrew does not become king.
It was on Thursday that the royal family announced that Andrew would lose his titles and be evicted from the Royal Lodge residence in Windsor. His new address will be the country estate of Sandringham. The move will take place after Christmas, to avoid an “uncomfortable situation” during the royal family’s traditional celebrations at Sandringham.
Andrew’s royal titles – the case in point
Britain’s King Charles stripped Prince Andrew of his princely title and
residence of the Royal Lodge on Thursday following allegations of sexual
assault against Virginia Giuffre.
The decision was made in consultation with the government and was deemed
necessary despite Andrew's continued denials of the allegations; he
reached a settlement with Giuffre in 2022.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of abuse when she was 17 and
recently died, has posthumously published an autobiography that has
revived the case.Virginia Giuffre, som anklagat
Andrew för övergrepp när hon var 17 år och nyligen avlidit, har postumt
gett ut en självbiografi som åter aktualiserat fallet.
The royal family has tried to persuade Andrew to leave the Royal Lodge
and he is expected to move to Sandringham House; the decision is
described as exceptional and historic.
Giuffre's family welcomed the decision but believe it is not enough,
while experts say the king's actions are aimed at protecting the
reputation of the monarchy.
The blockade means a shortage of fossil fuels. Here people queue at a gas station in Bamako earlier in October. Photo: AP/TT
Great
Britain and the United States are now sending embassy staff home from
Mali, where the capital Bamako is under siege by jihadists.
The
Swedish Foreign Ministry writes in an update that the extremists are
trying to "put pressure on the military junta that rules the country".
The
jihadist movement JNIM has described itself as a branch of the
terrorist sect al-Qaeda. Now its militiamen have been blocking the roads
to the city of Bamako for some time, in what is seen as an attempt to
starve out the country's military junta.
The deteriorating
security situation means that non-essential embassy staff must leave the
country, Britain and the United States announced, according to the AFP
news agency.
Sweden closed the remaining embassy in Bamako last
year. A far-reaching travel advisory applies to Mali. The situation in
the country is “continually worsening and attempts to leave are becoming
increasingly risky,” the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in
an update this week.
Demands for tougher measures against gangs after police raid
Families
have begun burying their loved ones after more than a hundred people
were killed in a police raid in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
At the same time, there are demands for even tougher measures against gangs in the country, writes AFP.
A
group of lawmakers working with former President Jair Bolsonaro is
expressing their support for the offensive against the Comando Vermelho
gang. The group says they will accelerate a bill to designate Comando
Vermelho and First Capital Command – Brazil’s two largest criminal gangs
– as “terrorist organizations.”
– The bill is about to be voted on in the lower house, says lawmaker Chris Tonietto from the right-wing Liberal Party.
The
bill would allow security forces to use more lethal weapons to
“neutralize” criminals, according to Rio’s police chief Felipe Cur.
Even
left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been accused by
critics of being soft on crime, has signed new bills against organized
crime.
Rio de Janeiro police raid – the case is relevant
At least 132 people were killed in a police raid on the Comando Vermelho
gang in Rio de Janeiro on October 28, according to local authorities
and legal representatives.
More than 2,500 police and soldiers took part in the operation, which is
described as the largest and deadliest in the state's history.
The UN human rights agency OHCHR expressed concern about the operation
and called for a swift and effective investigation into the events.
Residents and activists in the Complexo da Penha favela accused the
police of executions and described the operation as a massacre.
After blowing up alleged drug shipments in international waters, the White House has now decided to strike inside Venezuela, according to Miami Harald.
Venezuela's current president Nicolas Maduro. Photo: Jesus Vargas/AP
The US military has also significantly increased its presence off the coast of Venezuela as part of an attempt to stop the drug trade linked to the regime in Caracas.
Several targets have now been identified. At the same time, President Nicolas Maduro, who the US accuses of being a dictator, is said to be on the move.
– Maduro is about to fall into a trap and may soon discover that he cannot flee the country even if he decides to. What is even worse for him is that there is now more than one general willing to capture and hand him over, says a source.
Skeptical of attack
Andrés Rivarola Puntigliano. Photo: Stockholm University
The White House has raised the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million. At the same time, $25 million is being offered for the arrest of one of his henchmen.
On his way to Air Force One, Trump says he has not yet decided whether to strike Venezuela, Bloomberg reporter Hadriana Lowenkron reports
But President Nicolas Maduro has already picked up the phone and called Russia, China and Iran to ask for help, the Washington Post reports.
According to the newspaper, he has requested radar equipment, missiles and the ability to repair aircraft.
He has also asked Chinese President Xi Jinping and “expanded military cooperation”.
Andrés Rivarola Puntigliano, a professor of Latin American studies at Stockholm University, is skeptical that the US would strike Venezuela.
But he sees a clear reason why Trump has targeted Maduro.
“He is the head of this regime and has been in power for a long time. He is the one who gives a face to the Venezuelan regime. The US believes that if they get rid of him, they can achieve a change of power. But I don’t think the system is so dependent on Maduro. There is a system and a power apparatus in which the military is very involved,” he says.
He believes that Trump is primarily interested in oil.
– Oil is important. Absolutely. And it is this product that has allowed Venezuela to gain a special position. But I also believe that the United States would like to remove Russian and Chinese influence from Latin America.Trump has made it very clear that he wants to try to eliminate competition from other major powers in the region.
The American president speaks to the media aboard Air Force One. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
The US destroyer USS Gravely on exercise off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. Photo: Robert Taylor/AP/TT
US President Donald Trump denies that he has plans for a related attack on Venezuela, which has been rumored in the US media.
– No.
That was the short answer from Donald Trump to a direct question from journalists about whether he plans to strike the South American country.
According to newspaper reports in the US earlier on Friday, a military attack has been decided, and could come very soon – information that has not been officially confirmed.
Regardless of the veracity of the various reports, the US has recently increased its military presence in the Caribbean. This week, an American destroyer was sent to Trinidad and Tobago for exercises near the coast of Venezuela – which the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called a “military provocation with the aim of provoking a war in the Caribbean”.
According to The Washington Post, Maduro has also turned to both Russia and China for help, including in the form of missiles and radar systems.
In recent weeks, the US has carried out a number of attacks on so-called drug boats, mainly off the coast of Venezuela, where a total of over 40 people have been killed. Washington describes the operation as combating drug smuggling.
Donald Trump recently gave the CIA the go-ahead to carry out covert operations inside Venezuela, which is part of the US’s attempt to put pressure on Maduro.
Venezuela is asking Russia, China and Iran for military assistance during the escalation with the United States, documents obtained by the Washington Post show.
The Venezuelan government is asking for, among other things, radar systems, aircraft repair equipment and potentially even robots and drones, according to the US intelligence documents.
According to information to the Miami Herald, the Trump administration has decided to launch a ground attack on Venezuela in the near future. Trump himself denies this.
It is not clear how Russia, China and Iran have responded to Venezuela's request.
Trump: Not considering attacks in Venezuela
Donald Trump says he has no plans to attack targets in Venezuela. When asked directly if he is considering such attacks, he briefly answers "no", Reuters reports.
The denial comes after the Miami Herald and the Wall Street Journal published information that an attack could be imminent. According to the Miami Herald, the decision has already been made.
Sources: US has decided to attack Venezuela
The Trump administration has made the decision to attack military targets in Venezuela, sources tell the Miami Herald.
The
attacks could come at any time, within hours or days. The US will
attack targets via the air that are used for drug trafficking in the
country, the newspaper writes.
The Wall Street Journal has
somewhat conflicting information and writes that Donald Trump has not
made a definitive decision about the attacks.
US officials
believe that the cartel exports about 500 tons of cocaine annually to
Europe and the US. The US has doubled the reward for information leading
to Maduro's arrest to 50 million dollars, which is the largest reward
ever, writes the Miami Herald.
The US military has greatly
increased its presence off the coast of Venezuela and has repeatedly
attacked boats that the US says are smuggling drugs.
Trump's War on Alleged Narco-Terror - It's About the Point
Since September, the United States has carried out at least fourteen
military attacks on boats allegedly smuggling drugs from Venezuela and
Colombia, mainly in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans.
At least 61 people have been killed in the attacks, according to US
authorities, and some attacks have taken place in international waters.
US President Donald Trump has justified the efforts with combating drug
trafficking and has classified several Latin American cartels as
terrorist organizations in armed conflict with the United States.
Venezuela has responded to the US military presence with military
exercises and Colombia has recalled its ambassador to the United States;
relations between the countries have deteriorated.
Several experts and international actors question the legality and
motives behind the US military operations, and believe that the aim may
be to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to leave power.
Threat to the Amazon Deforestation in the Amazon drops by eleven percent
The rate of deforestation in the Brazilian part of the Amazon has decreased by eleven percent since last summer. This is stated by Brazil's space agency, which follows the development of the rainforest through satellites, according to the AP.
The country's environmental regulatory agency states that the development reflects stronger environmental monitoring. They have carried out just over 9,500 inspections this year, 38 percent more than last year.
The equivalent of SEK 5.7 billion in fines has been handed out in connection with the inspections. In addition, over 4,500 machines and livestock linked to illegal logging have been seized.
Greenpeace: "There is room for improvement"
The fact that deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has decreased by eleven percent this year shows what is possible when the entire community works together. This is what Márcio Astrini of the local climate organization Climate Observatory tells AP before handing out a boot.
– While part of the government is delivering solutions, another part is contributing to the problem by approving oil extraction projects in the Amazon River basin.
The message from Brazilian Greenpeace is also twofold. They welcome the news but want to see a system that protects the rainforest regardless of which politician is in power.
– The result is encouraging, but there is still room for improvement, says spokesperson Ana Clis Ferreira.
Hurricane Melissa Parts of Jamaica cannot be reached – death toll rises
At least 19 people have died in Jamaica as a result of Hurricane Melissa, reports the BBC, citing the country's information minister. Rescue efforts are still underway but some places are difficult to reach.
– There are entire communities that appear to be stranded and areas that appear to have been leveled, says information minister Dana Morris Dixon.
Electricity is still out in large parts of the island and parts have been without water for several days.
“Everyone is just completely disconnected, every tree is across the road, so you can't get far by car, not even a bike,” Trevor Whyte, who lives in the town of White House in Westmoreland, told the BBC.
Satellite images show that almost all the buildings in some Jamaican villages have been destroyed by the hurricane.
The nuclear weapons of the great powers Expert: Nuclear weapons tests not for PowerPoint people
The announcement that the US will resume nuclear weapons tests is puzzling many experts, reports the Washington Post. Several of them question the usefulness of the tests, which are expected to be both expensive and time-consuming.
The US has not tested nuclear weapons since 1992. At the test site in the Nevada desert, a new shaft must be dug unless Donald Trump decides to carry out the test above ground. It has been banned since 1963 and has not been done in the US since 1962.
Because modern nuclear weapons tests are based on computer modeling, new personnel must be brought in and trained.
– The people who tested nuclear weapons were not bureaucrats. They were not PowerPoint people but people with shit under their nails, Paul Dickman, who was present during several tests in Nevada in the 1980s, tells the newspaper.
Tensions in the Caribbean Sources: US has decided to attack Venezuela
The Trump administration has made the decision to attack military targets in Venezuela, sources tell the Miami Herald.
The attacks could come at any time, within hours or days. The US will attack targets via the air that are used for drug trafficking in the country, the newspaper writes.
The Wall Street Journal has somewhat conflicting information and writes that Donald Trump has not made a definitive decision about the attacks.
US officials believe that the cartel exports about 500 tons of cocaine annually to Europe and the US. The US has doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to 50 million dollars, which is the largest reward ever, writes the Miami Herald.
The US military has greatly increased its presence off the coast of Venezuela and has repeatedly attacked boats that the US says are smuggling drugs.
Trump's War on Alleged Narco-Terror - It's About the Point
Since September, the United States has carried out at least fourteen
military attacks on boats allegedly smuggling drugs from Venezuela and
Colombia, mainly in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans.
At least 61 people have been killed in the attacks, according to US
authorities, and some attacks have taken place in international waters.
US President Donald Trump has justified the efforts with combating drug
trafficking and has classified several Latin American cartels as
terrorist organizations in armed conflict with the United States.
Venezuela has responded to the US military presence with military
exercises and Colombia has recalled its ambassador to the United States;
relations between the countries have deteriorated.
Several experts and international actors question the legality and
motives behind the US military operations, and believe that the aim may
be to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to leave power.
Israel has committed hundreds of human rights violations in the Gaza War. That is one of the conclusions of a classified report from the US State Department, reports the Washington Post.
The report expresses doubts about whether Israel will be held accountable for the crimes. Partly because of the number of cases involved, and partly because the Israeli military is the only investigating body.
Despite the suspicions, the US has continued to export weapons and provide support to Israel without interruption. Normally, it is enough for an American official to raise the alarm about suspected human rights violations for the State Department to pause arms deliveries. When it comes to Israel, the process is considerably more extensive.
– To date, the US has not withheld any support from Israel despite overwhelming evidence, former official John Paul tells the newspaper.
IDF suspends chief legal officer after leaked abuse video
The Israeli military IDF has suspended its chief legal officer, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. She has been ordered on leave while an investigation into a leaked video of suspected abuse at an Israeli military base is underway.
The video shows several Israeli soldiers forming a wall around a Palestinian who was being held in Gaza. Other soldiers are then said to have beaten, stomped on and sexually assaulted the prisoner.
Tomer-Yerushalmi is not suspected of the leak herself, but according to Haaretz, employees in her department are believed to have sent the video to the media. An investigation is now underway to determine how much she knew about the leak.
Rob Jetten hopes to form the Netherlands' next government. Photo: Peter Dejong/AP/TT
The left-liberal D66, led by Rob Jetten, won the extremely close election in the Netherlands, reports the ANP news agency.
It was a long time before D66 and Geert Wilders' far-right PVV party weighed in after the election on Wednesday, but on Friday the ANP stated that the PVV can no longer catch up.
Both Jetten and Wilders have said that whoever ends up with the most votes will get the first chance to form a government. Regardless, Jetten has been considered to have the clear best chance of putting together a coalition, as several major parties have rejected a collaboration with the PVV.
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Left-liberal Rob Jetten wins the election in the Netherlands
Rob Jetten and left-liberal D66 win the election in the Netherlands, according to Dutch media. The election has been extremely close and it was a long time between D66 and Geert Wilders' far-right party PVV.
Although not all the votes have been counted yet, the ANP news agency writes that no party can overtake D66, writes Dutch NOS.
The 38-year-old former climate and energy minister can now become the country's youngest prime minister ever, according to Bloomberg.
Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the summit. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Although President Donald Trump declares victory after the summit with China's Xi Jinping, it appears rather that Xi has pulled the longest straw.
China can still use the rare earth metals as a bargaining chip against the United States.
The big question now is what Trump meant by his worrying statement that the United States will resume nuclear weapons tests. Quick version
On one level, the world can temporarily breathe a sigh of relief. The trade war between the US and China is about to be de-escalated. A temporary ceasefire has been agreed.
The US is lowering trade tariffs against China in exchange for a promise that China will continue to export the important rare earth metals to the US without restrictions for at least a year. China is also promising to resume imports of soybeans from the US.
But there is no doubt that it is China that will have the strongest bargaining chip in the future. China has something that the US and the rest of the world are completely dependent on. The rare earth metals are used in all electronics produced in the West. They are essential in car manufacturing and the development of wind and solar energy.
After Trump aggressively pushed for increased tariffs against China, he threw in the towel during the summit in South Korea. There will be no 100 percent tariffs. Instead, tariffs will be reduced to 47 percent.
It was almost comical to see how much Trump was keen to emphasize the incredibly good personal relationship he has with Xi at the same time as Trump has made constant threats against China.
Trump patted Xi on the back while China's leader remained relatively neutral to Trump's honorifics.
The world leaders met in Busan, South Korea. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP
He also gave Trump lesson by saying that the two countries should focus on having a good relationship in the long term instead of falling into a pattern of constant retaliation.
A clear pass to Trump that it is his way of conducting politics that led to a serious crisis between the two countries in the first place.
In many ways, we are now back to square one, the situation that prevailed before Trump shocked the tariffs against China and China responded with the same coin.
Trump gambled big but his gamble did not pay off. China can import its soybeans from other countries. The United States, like no other Western country, has any alternative to China when it comes to importing the vital rare earth metals.
It is not just about the metals per se but mainly about the fact that China is one of the few countries that is prepared to produce them despite severe environmental problems.
Sweden is one of the few countries in the West that can break the Chinese monopoly. The so-called Per Geijer deposit in Kiruna can help Europe break its dependence on China. But it is about extracting the rare earth metals in processes that meet strong environmental requirements. Something China does not need to worry about in the same way.
Therefore, it will take time before any production can start in Sweden.
Trump was, as usual, not slow to declare victory after the meeting with Xi, even though all he really did was create a crisis that did not exist and then claim that he solved it.
– On a ten-point scale where ten is the best, I would say this was a twelve, Trump said before boarding the plane home.
He can certainly boast that the tariffs against China are now higher than when he started the tariff war, but in many ways it is the American consumers who have to pay for them. So the question is whether voters see it as a victory.
Just an hour before the meeting with Xi, Trump made a worrying but also strange statement when he announced that the United States was resuming its nuclear weapons tests. He justified this by saying that other countries had begun testing nuclear weapons.
At best, Trump has misunderstood things.
Russia recently tested a new missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons. North Korea's Kim Jong-un conducted a missile test shortly before President Trump arrived in South Korea to meet with Xi Jinping. But none of these countries have recently conducted any nuclear weapons tests. North Korea conducted its most recent test in 2017.
The US president boards Air Force One in Busan. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP
If Trump is serious about his statement, it is a very dangerous development. Then the world could be heading towards a race to develop new nuclear weapons, increasing the risk that these terrible weapons will one day be used.
Neither the US, Russia nor China have conducted any test explosions since the early 1990s. There is also a test ban treaty from 1996 that all three major powers signed, which prohibits test explosions.
Today, the US, China and Russia instead use computer-simulated tests to develop their nuclear weapons.
Starting test explosions again would be an enormous step backwards for the ambitions of getting the great powers to disarm in the nuclear weapons area.
Trump gave no details except that he had given the Pentagon the order to start immediately.
Only when we learn more will it be possible to assess the seriousness of the US president's statement.
Prince Andrew with daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. Photo: TT
King Charles is stripping his brother of both his princely titel and royal status. From now on, the scandalous prince will go by the name Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
It is a surname that was constructed by Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, and it is intended to be used by royals who are far from the throne and who lack prince or princess titles.
There is probably no distance that is far enough from the throne in Andrew's case. He is accused of rape, he has had a close friendship with a pedophile and he is said to have been good friends with an arms smuggler. He is also said to have had connections to a Chinese spy in Britain.
He has also been caught lying in a controversial interview with the BBC in 2019 in which he tried to clear his name. The lies and the fact that he defended his friendship with Epstein became his first major fall from the royal pedestal.
His mother, Queen Elizabeth, banned him from representing the royal family and the United Kingdom.
In 2022, the next major fall came. The prince settled with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of rape. She claimed that she was forced to have sex with him on three occasions when she was 17 years old.
Prince Andrew, or if it was his mother, paid several million to Giuffre so that the prince would avoid trial.
From that day on, Andrew was no longer allowed to use the title of His Royal Highness and he was forced to renounce all his royal patronages to various organizations.
Prince Andrew with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who also lost her duchess title. Photo: TT
The shame was total for Andrew, who is describid by many as pompous, proud and with a von oben attitude. He believes that he is entitled to everything that life has to offer. Whether it is about women, money or power.
The nail in the coffin was the previously secret documents about Epstein that were published by the US Congressional Oversight Committee. Andrew appears there several times. Virginia Giuffre's memoirs, which were published posthumously the other week, revealed extremely embarrassing and terrible details about the prince.
In the aftermath, Andrew renounced his princely title and dukely title. But that meant in practice that he kept them, it was just that he did not use them.
That was not enough for the British. All the accusations and revelations have led to the very unique and spectacular decision that King Charles is now taking. The titles are to be removed.
It is not a coincidence. Since royals today have no political power, they must rely on the support and trust of the people. That is the only currency they can trade with.
King Charles does not want to be the king who lost the love of the British people and ruined the monarchy because of a shameless, possibly criminal, younger brother.
He also does not want his son, Prince William, to be forced to tackle the scandal as his first act as new regent when that day comes.
In this royal soup we have the classic tabloid ingredients: sex, lies and crime. Also tragic death. Virginia Giuffre took her own life earlier this year. According to her relatives, because of the many sexual crimes she was subjected to.
In the royal press release, it is clear that they stand on the side of the victims.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will now forever be written in the history books as the first prince to lose his titles and status.
Formerly known as Prince Andrew, now he will be Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Photo: Aaron Chown/AP
Prince Andrew loses his title, Buckingham Palace says.
From now on, he will be called Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
– It is a very surprising decision from King Charles, says Aftonbladet's court expert Jenny Alexandersson.
"His Majesty has today begun a formal process to remove Prince Andrew's titles and honors," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Andrew recently announced that he is giving up his royal titles after reports of his association with convicted pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, Virginia Giuffre's memoir was published, in which she shared her horrific experiences with Epstein and the British prince. Giuffre, who was a major plaintiff in the Epstein case, was found dead this spring on her farm in Australia.
"She lost her life by suicide after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking," her family said in a statement.
King Charles takes the reins. Photo: Cecilia Fabiano/AP
"Drastic decision"
It is the first time in over 100 years that a senior member of the royal family has stopped using a ducal title. The last time this happened was when Queen Victoria's grandson, the Duke of Albany, was stripped of his title in 1917 for fighting on the side of the Germans during World War I.
- It is a very surprising decision by King Charles. Today, a prince or princess title is considered a birthright. It takes a lot before a regent makes such a drastic decision and removes a title. Prince Andrew has been dogged by big headlines surrounding Epstein and allegations of sexual misconduct. It was the nail in the coffin for the scandalous prince, says court expert Jenny Alexandersson.
The ex-prince will now move from the royal cottage to a property in Sandringham in Norfolk that will be privately financed by the British king, writes the BBC.
The Royal Lodge (the royal cottage) is located in Windsor and has 30 rooms and a large park. Photo: TT
