Political situation in the UK
Sources: Pressed Starmer invests heavily in defense
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer – who is fighting for his political survival – is planning a defense investment of 18 billion pounds, equivalent to 226 billion kronor. This is stated by defense sources for The Times.
National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell has reportedly warned Starmer that the country cannot afford the fighter jets, ammunition and technology required to maintain its place on the global stage without a sharp increase in defense spending.
The announcement, which is expected next week at the earliest, comes at a time when Starmer is in a deep political crisis and is challenged for the role of prime minister by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Starmer has promised to invest in defense and security during his time in power, and his critics have warned that this is not possible without substantial financial contributions.
Drone alert in Europe
Drone alert over Finland and Latvia – flights stopped
In Uusimaa, Finland, warnings about potential drones have been issued. People in the area are advised to stay indoors until the danger is deemed to be over, writes Yle. At Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, traffic has been suspended until further notice and arriving flights have had to be redirected.
Fighter jets have also reportedly been seen flying over Uusimaa and Helsinki.
At 06:30, air traffic was back on and the danger was deemed to be over.
At the same time, a drone alert has been received in eastern Latvia during the night, writes Delfi. Residents there are also advised to stay indoors. Anyone who sees a suspicious low-flying object is urged to raise the alarm.
NATO fighter jets have reportedly been activated, according to the country's defense force NBS.
“As long as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues, it is possible that similar incidents will be repeated, when a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle flies into or approaches Latvian airspace,” they write on X.
Political situation in Peru
Votes counted in Peru’s election – after a month
Left-wing candidate Pedro Sánchez will face Keiko Fujimori in the final and decisive round of elections in Peru next month. This is reported by Reuters.
It took a month to count all the votes after the first round of elections in the politically divided country, which led to accusations of vote fraud, not least from right-wing candidate Rafael López Aliaga, who was close to Sánchez in the vote count.
Right-wing politician Fujimori is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who fled to his parents’ homeland of Japan in 2000 after accusations of corruption and human rights violations. He was later arrested in Chile and imprisoned in Peru.
Keiko Fujimori received 17.18 percent of the vote while Sánchez received 12.03 percent – marginally more than López Aliaga’s 11.9 percent.
A total of 33 presidential candidates ran in the election, according to the AP
US-Cuba relations
Sources: US preparing indictment of Cuba’s Raúl Castro
The US is preparing an indictment of Cuba’s former president Raúl Castro, sources told ABC News.
Raúl Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president and, despite having now formally stepped down, is considered Cuba’s most powerful man.
According to the sources, the indictment concerns the shooting down of a plane belonging to the anti-government human rights group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.
The US has blocked all fuel shipments to Cuba and, according to the Wall Street Journal, the White House has made it its goal to push through a change of government on the island by 2026.
Earlier this year, the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to stand trial in the US.
