tisdag 30 juni 2026
Latest news
China-UK Relations
Concerns: China's giant embassy could be used as a prison
Taiwan fears that spaces under China's planned giant embassy in London could be used to detain regime critics, reports The Telegraph.
The large embassy complex is set to become China's largest diplomatic mission in Europe. The plans have been controversial since they were unveiled in 2018 and include a hidden space next to sensitive communications cables.
The British debate has so far mainly focused on the risk of espionage. Now, however, Taiwan's representative in the UK is warning that the embassy could also become a hub for Beijing's cross-border persecution of dissidents.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy dismisses the concerns as "completely baseless" and describes them as "malicious slander".
Russian Invasion The Battles
Putin: There Never Was an Alaska Agreement on Ukraine
The United States and Russia never agreed on a plan to end the war in Ukraine when Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska, last year. Putin admitted this this weekend, according to the Washington Post.
“The spirit of Anchorage, although it was never expressed in any formal documents and no one signed anything, was that we discussed some possible ways to end the crisis in Ukraine,” Putin said.
Several high-ranking Russian representatives accused the United States last week of not living up to the agreement from the Alaska meeting. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also claimed that the summit was a way to buy time to arm Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the accusations, saying there never was an agreement, but added that if there had been one, the war might already be over.
Political situation in Germany
Germany sees increase in left-wing violent crimes
German intelligence warns that left-wing extremism is increasing in the country, reports the Financial Times. In a new report, the agency states that the number of violent crimes with left-wing extremist motives increased by 60 percent in 2025. The crimes included attempted murder, assault, sabotage and arson.
– Left-wing extremism is increasing again in Germany and poses a threat to public safety and order, said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt at a press conference where the annual report was presented.
According to Dobrindt, the increase is taking place, among other things, as a reaction to the already widespread right-wing extremism in Germany.
– For both left-wing and right-wing extremists, we see that the potential for violence is increasing sharply, said Dobrindt.
Political situation in Peru
The election in Peru is decided – Keiko Fujimori becomes president
On Monday, it became clear that Keiko Fujimori won the presidential election in Peru by the smallest possible margin. Fewer than 50,000 votes separated her from leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez.
The conservative president-elect will become the country's first female head of state. The victory also means that the Fujimori dynasty returns to power after more than two decades.
Keiko's father, former president Alberto Fujimori, ruled the country between 1990 and 2000 but was later sentenced to prison for abuse of power and human rights violations.
Keiko Fujimori is also the latest in a line of conservative leaders in South America to receive the support of US President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fujimori on her victory and announced that the Trump administration looks forward to deepening cooperation with her government.
Trump's USA Trans rights
US Supreme Court allows states to ban transgender women from sports
The US Supreme Court has decided to allow state laws that prohibit transgender women from competing in girls' and women's classes in school sports to remain in place, reports the AP.
The decision means that several Republican-controlled states, including Idaho and West Virginia, can continue to apply rules that require students to compete in the gender category they were assigned at birth, rather than the gender identity they have.
Donald Trump made the issue one of his most important campaign promises ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Shortly after he was sworn in, he signed a presidential order aimed at banning transgender women from competing on women's sports teams, reports the BBC.
Political situation in South Africa
Thousands protest against migrants in South Africa
Thousands of people took part in the largest anti-immigration demonstration in South Africa since 2008 on Tuesday, reports the AP.
Previous similar demonstrations have led to violence. Therefore, the police deployed hundreds of police officers in several cities, including Johannesburg.
The demonstrations were held after what some groups called “deadline day”, June 30, when all migrants who are illegally in the country were urged to leave South Africa.
“Today is the last day. After today, we will deal with our president and our country. We do not want outsiders to come here and interfere,” says protester Nkele Thebe at the start of the demonstration in Johannesburg.
The government has dismissed the initiative and stressed that only the authorities have the authority to enforce the country’s migration laws.
Migrants have recently been accused of being behind, among other things, the country's rising crime rate and high unemployment among South Africans.
Migrants leave South Africa: "We weren't safe"
At the same time that thousands of people gathered in several South African cities to demonstrate against illegal migrants, thousands of migrants from Malawi and Zimbabwe gathered outside their respective consulates in the hope of being able to return home. This is reported by the AP.
The border crossing to Zimbabwe has also seen a sharp increase in traffic in recent days as buses with migrants left South Africa.
Nigeria is one of the countries that has previously offered its citizens help to return from South Africa due to the increasingly hostile tone. So far, 632 Nigerians have voluntarily returned to Nigeria, and thousands have signed up for Nigeria's consular list to be flown home.
“We weren’t safe, so we had to leave,” says Emmanuella Akagbosun, who moved to South Africa in 2017 but has now returned to Nigeria.
Celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States
Fireworks at Mount Rushmore despite fire risk
Despite the drought and warnings of an imminent risk of forest fires in the US state of South Dakota, the Trump administration is planning to hold the first fireworks show at Mount Rushmore in six years. This is reported by Politico.
The event is part of the celebration of the United States' national day and the country's 250th anniversary.
- Fireworks at Mount Rushmore are a terrible idea. We are in the middle of a serious drought, says Jay Davis, president of the grassroots and environmental organization Sierra Club's South Dakota chapter.
However, a spokesman for the state's governor Larry Rhoden urges calm and says that the authorities have taken into account the fire risk and taken the necessary safety measures. The final decision on the fireworks will also be made on the day.
The Trump administration is also investing heavily in celebrations elsewhere, including in the capital, Washington DC, where the fireworks will start later than before but last for a longer period.
Record-breaking fireworks display to light up Washington on July 4
The fireworks over the National Mall in Washington DC are usually seen as one of the highlights of the US's national holiday celebration on July 4. This year they will start later, last longer and be more extensive than ever before, writes The Washington Post.
Normally, the show starts just before 9:30 p.m. and lasts between 17 and 25 minutes. This year, when the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, it is not expected to start until after 10:30 p.m. and could last up to 40 minutes.
No public explanation for the late start has been given. However, the goal of the expanded show is to set a world record for the world's largest fireworks display. About 850,000 rockets will be launched from ten locations along the Potomac River and around the reflecting pool in the heart of Washington.
Right to citizenship confirmed – Trump: “Bad”
The US Supreme Court rejects President Donald Trump’s decree to revoke the right to citizenship at birth in the US.
“Bad for our country,” Trump writes on Truth Social.
Instead, he is placing his hope in Congress:
“We can easily change this in Congress through legislation.”
The Supreme Court stated in Tuesday's decision that the court's assessment leans towards the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees citizenship at birth, ratified by Congress in 1868, three years after the end of the American Civil War.
The president's executive order has been a cornerstone of the Trump administration's campaign against irregular migrants in the United States.
Lower courts around the United States have blocked the executive order, which has not become law in any state.
"Those who wrote the 14th Amendment made a promise to 'every free person born in this country,'" Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the ruling.
SAS future
Airbus rises on the Paris Stock Exchange after SAS's major investment
Airplane manufacturer Airbus rises on the Paris Stock Exchange after the announcement that SAS is buying 40 long-haul aircraft from the company in a deal worth around 100 billion kronor.
"The investments will support the continued development of SAS's long-haul network and strengthen the airline's ability to link Scandinavia closer to important international markets," SAS writes in a press release.
Around lunch, the share was up almost 2 percent at most, but has since fallen back slightly and closed up 1.7 percent.
Competitor Boeing also rose around 1 percent on Tuesday.
SAS confirms historic investment - buys 40 planes for over 100 billion kronor
SAS is making the largest investment in the company's history and is ordering 40 new long-haul aircraft worth over 100 billion kronor, the company announced at a press conference.
– It is the company's largest order, says CEO Anko van der Werff according to several media outlets.
The airline will continue its operations at Arlanda, but the hub for the new long-haul routes to be expanded will be in Copenhagen.
If everything goes as planned, the investments will result in 25,000 new jobs according to SAS by 2030. According to calculations from SAS, there will be around 4,000 new jobs in Skåne and southern Sweden, writes Sydsvenskan.
Yesterday, Anko van der Werff confirmed to Berlingske that SAS would present major investments.
The future of defense
Major defense IPO may be postponed – investors hesitate
The Franco-German defense group KNDS may be forced to postpone its planned stock market listing in July. This is because investors are hesitant to jump on the bandwagon, writes FT.
Several investors are said to have given the thumbs down this week due to the valuation of the equivalent of 133 billion kronor, according to the newspaper's sources.
At the same time, the company's German owner family, which controls 50 percent of the company and the French state the rest, states that it will not carry out a listing that values the company lower than the current level.
Saab receives order for 16 Gripen planes from Ukraine – deal worth 25 billion
Saab
has signed a contract with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration
(FMV) for an initial delivery of 16 Gripen Es to Ukraine, Saab writes in
a press release.
The order is worth SEK 24.6 billion and will be booked in the third quarter. Deliveries to FMV will take place in 2029-2030.
In addition to the aircraft, the contract also includes spare parts and associated equipment and supplies.
-
I am very proud that Sweden and Saab can now enable the delivery of
Gripen Es to Ukraine and provide the country with a world-class fighter
aircraft that provides a new level of operational capability, says Saab
CEO Micael Johansson in a comment.
At the end of May, the
government announced that it would donate 16 Gripen planes of the C/D
model to Ukraine, and that the country intends to purchase 20 Gripen
E/Fs.
Saab's press officer Mattias Rådström tells DI that what
was previously the case were "declarations of intent, ambitions and
directions", but that a contract has now been signed.
A final decision on the listing is expected next week.
Jonson: Ukraine will receive a significantly stronger defense
It is now clear that Sweden is donating 16 Gripen C/D at the same time as Ukraine is buying 16 Gripen E.
Defense Minister Pål Jonson met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Kyiv on Tuesday to sign the agreement.
- Ukraine will receive a significantly stronger air defense thanks to the Gripen plane, he tells DN.
According to Saab, the deal is worth almost SEK 25 billion.
Economy
Foreign exchange market
Japanese currency at 40-year low
The Japanese currency, the yen, has not been as weak against the dollar as it is now since 1986, Bloomberg reports.
The weak currency benefits exporters while making imports more expensive, which hits consumers and thus risks making Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi unpopular.
The recent weakening of the currency has been driven by concerns that Japan's central bank is at greater risk than its global counterparts of falling behind in curbing inflation, which was triggered by the sharp rise in oil prices following the war in Iran.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reiterated during a press conference on Tuesday that the authorities "stand ready to take action whenever necessary," according to the Financial Times.
EU-China Relations
EU and China Set New Deadline for Trade Talks
Following the recent escalation, the EU and China have now set a deadline of October to make progress in the trade conflict, reports Bloomberg.
– Not everything will be resolved, not everything will be addressed, but we believe that our teams have enough time until October to deliver concrete results, says EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
Above all, the parties should work to resolve the growing trade deficit, where subsidized Chinese goods are flooding into the European market, says Sefcovic after meeting Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Brussels on Monday.
The Gold Price
Gold on track for its worst quarter in over 10 years
After
hitting a record high of $5,595 an ounce in January, the gold price is
now on track for its worst quarter in over a decade, the FT reports.
On
Tuesday, the precious metal fell to $3,943 an ounce, its lowest level
since November, before recovering later in the day. Over the past three
months, gold has fallen nearly 14 percent.
“The biggest headwind
is that the market has realized that the Fed’s new head is concerned
about inflation and will fight it with interest rate hikes,” says Tom
Price, an analyst at Panmure Liberum.
A cooling interest among
small savers is also behind it. According to analysts, some investors
have dumped gold to instead jump on the AI bandwagon and Space X's
record-breaking listing.
Gold-based exchange-traded funds are now
heading for a second consecutive month of outflows, according to the
industry organization World Gold Council.
Space X stock market trip
Stock exchange blunder – was left without allocation after miss
South Korea's largest brokerage house Mirae Asset Securities was left without allocation after an internal misunderstanding in the space company SpaceX's record-breaking stock market listing, writes Bloomberg.
The brokerage misinterpreted an email in the listing process, which meant that customer orders worth about $1.1 billion were never registered.
“We lie flat and apologize,” management wrote to clients on June 15.
Epstein affair Investigation
Sources: Buffett pauses donation to Gates Foundation
Investor legend Warren Buffett is pausing his annual donation to Bill Gates' charitable foundation, which he has paid every year for two decades, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. Buffett reportedly wants to wait for a review of Microsoft founder Gates' connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before making a final decision.
Warren Buffett has donated shares in his investment company Berkshire Hathaway for billions of dollars in June or July each year, as part of a lifelong commitment to the Gates Foundation, the newspaper writes.
Britain invests billions – will arm the army
Great Britain must prepare for war to preserve the peace, says Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
On Tuesday, an increase in defense spending by 15 billion pounds will be presented.
The world is more dangerous and more unstable than in decades, says Starmer when presenting the new defense investment. The increase of 15 billion pounds takes defense spending to almost 300 billion pounds, equivalent to over 3,800 billion Swedish kronor, over the next four years, British media reports.
Starmer emphasizes that defense spending must not be a "bottomless pit".
- We can't just spend more. We have to spend better, he says.
According to Starmer, the initiative will be financed by postponing certain road and energy projects.
– This is about making the necessary decisions, making the right choices to protect our nation.
Deadly violence against protesters in Kenya
At least one person has been killed in new protests in Kenya, according to reporters on the spot. In the informal settlement of Mathare, police have used tear gas against protesters.
Two more people were injured when clashes broke out between police and protesters in Mathare, AFP reporters said.
Last week, the capital Nairobi was virtually shut down by police, in connection with the second anniversary of the 2024 anti-government protests. As a result of the police presence, the day passed without violence, but a long line of activists were arrested.
Tuesday's protesters were protesting against arrests, particularly of two activists who have not been heard from since their abduction.
Deadly protests also erupted in June last year in connection with the anniversary. The combined death toll from the 2024 and 2025 protests is close to 130, according to Kenyan authorities.
Fujimori declared winner in Peru's election
Right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori has been declared the winner in Peru's presidential election by a narrow margin, after a protracted vote counting process.
When all the votes have now been counted, it is clear that Fujimori has rounded up 50.1 percent of the votes against 49.9 percent for leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez, the country's electoral commission Onpe announced.
That is a difference of just under 50,000 votes.
Keiko Fujimori is the daughter of the authoritarian and in practice deposed and imprisoned president Alberto Fujimori.
Finland risks more expensive F-35 planes
There is a risk that Finland will also be affected by an increase in the price of American F-35 planes, according to Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen.
Raw materials and components for military equipment have become more expensive due to, among other things, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, according to the minister.
–This is noticeable in all defence equipment deals, and it is a factor that is also driving up the costs of the F-35. We cannot give any details yet, but we will certainly not be able to avoid it either, he tells STT.
Finland has prepared itself by building up domestic capacity for spare parts and maintenance of the plane, he points out.
Increased costs for the F-35 due to technical problems and inflation have attracted attention in the US and Denmark, among others. Finland has ordered 64 planes for approximately 10 billion euros, the first of which are due to be delivered this year.
Earthquakes in Venezuela
Over 1,700 confirmed dead in Venezuela
The number of people confirmed dead after the earthquakes in Venezuela has now risen to 1,719, CNN reports. The information comes from the president of the Venezuelan parliament, Jorge Rodríguez.
On Monday, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Venezuela said that at least 10,000 people are expected to have died in the earthquakes, according to Sky News.
The earthquakes that hit Venezuela on Wednesday last week had a magnitude of 7.2 and 7.5. According to CNN, Rodríguez stated that 189 buildings were completely destroyed in the earthquakes.
Satellite images: 58,000 houses may have been damaged in the earthquake
More than 58,000 buildings have likely been destroyed or damaged in the earthquakes in Venezuela. This is shown by satellite data from Nasa, according to AFP.
The estimate is based on radar images from the European Sentinel-1 satellite and is described as preliminary. According to authorities, 855 damaged buildings have been confirmed so far.
About 1,700 people have died and thousands are missing after the two earthquakes, the strongest in the country in over 100 years.
The bombing in Monaco
Information: Ukrainian oligarch injured in Monaco bombing
Three people have been injured in an explosion in Monaco, several media outlets report.
A couple in their 50s and 60s are being treated for life-threatening injuries, while a 13-year-old has been taken to hospital with minor injuries. According to information to AFP, one of the injured is Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolayev.
No one has been arrested, but police are hunting a suspected perpetrator.
– It is likely a terrorist attack, says Prime Minister Christophe Mirmand, according to Le Monde.
Police hunt suspect in hat after the attack
Police are still searching for the man suspected of the bombing in Monaco on Monday night, where several people were injured, Reuters reports. French police are also participating in the hunt.
According to French and Ukrainian media reports, the intended target was pro-Russian Ukrainian businessman and oligarch Vadym Yermolayev. He has been living in Monaco since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has been subject to Ukrainian sanctions since December 2023.
According to Le Figaro, surveillance cameras show a man leaving a backpack at the entrance to a building shortly before the explosion. BFMTV reports that the man was wearing light-colored pants, a black jacket and a black hat that partially hid his face. He then left the scene on foot in the direction of the neighboring town of Beausoleil
The prince on the attempted assassination in Monaco: "A heinous crime"
In an Instagram post, Monaco's Prince Albert II calls Monday night's bombing of a building in the country "a heinous crime" and "a shock to all of Monegasque society".
According to sources including Le Figaro and AFP, the attack was aimed at pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolayev, reports TT.
Initially, it was reported that a man and a woman had suffered life-threatening injuries after the attack. Later, prosecutor Stephane Thibault stated that the man's condition had stabilized, but that the woman was still being treated for life-threatening injuries, writes AP. Several media outlets have reported that the man is Yermolayev.
The incident is being investigated as a suspected attempted murder. According to Reuters, police are hunting a man who is seen on surveillance footage placing a bag at the entrance to a building shortly before the explosion.
Political situation in the UK
British defense spending criticized: “Too little, too late”
The defense investment plan that Britain’s outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer has presented is an improvement compared to previous announcements – but still not enough. This is the opinion of both the political opposition and the former army chief of staff Richard Dannatt.
“It is a step in the right direction, but it is not the sharp increase that the country requires and that our allies expect,” Dannatt told The Guardian.
At the same time, a defense policy spokesman for the British Conservative Party describes the investment as “too little, too late,” reports the AP news agency.
The investment plan will be presented in its entirety on Tuesday. However, it is already clear that it is designed according to the Ukrainian model, with a strong focus on drones and other unmanned combat vehicles.
UK re-equips following Ukrainian model
UK is expected to present the biggest restructuring of its armed forces in decades on Tuesday, reports Politico.
The defence is to change with clear inspiration from Ukraine, with a focus on cheap weapons systems that can defeat high-value targets. At the same time, the pace of innovation is to increase sharply, with development cycles to be measured in weeks instead of years, according to the British Ministry of Defence.
The investment plan, which will be one of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's last major investments before he steps down, also includes several notable changes. Among other things, the UK is expected to downgrade the traditional naval combat capability that has long been a hallmark of the country's military. The plan does not include any new funding for the eight Type 83 destroyers or Type 32 frigates, which have been a central part of the fleet's reconstruction until 2030.
Instead, six new warships will be built to serve as lead ships for unmanned systems, including Type 93 anti-submarine warfare vessels.
Middle East Crisis Peace Talks
Qatar: No direct talks between US and Iran today
There will be no direct talks between the US and Iran in Doha in the coming days, a spokesman for Qatar's foreign ministry said, according to several news agencies.
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in the Qatari capital, but their meetings will be held with Qatari mediators - not with Iranian representatives, according to Reuters.
The announcement comes after conflicting reports during the day about whether a direct meeting between the US and Iran would take place. The development follows several days of escalation around the Strait of Hormuz, despite the ceasefire that the countries agreed to last week.
Sources: Witkoff to Meet Iranian Delegation on Tuesday
On Tuesday night, sources told CNN that Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is on his way to the Qatari capital Doha to hold talks with an Iranian negotiating delegation during the day.
Trump had previously said that Iran had requested a meeting in Doha on Tuesday. But that information was first denied by Tehran, before it completely reversed course and announced that a delegation had been sent to Qatar.
The news of the meeting comes after the countries have exchanged attacks on each other around the Strait of Hormuz for several days, despite the ceasefire agreement signed last week, writes the BBC.
Top Democrat doubts Trump's optimism about a deal
Adam Smith, a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives, is doubtful that Iran will agree to a long-term agreement with the US to open the Strait of Hormuz. He says this in an interview with CNN.
– It's just that they say everything is going well, that Iran will agree to everything they want, and I doubt it, says Smith about the American administration.
Two weeks ago, Iran and the United States signed a peace agreement that stipulates that a longer agreement should be signed within 60 days. Despite this, attacks between the countries have continued in recent days.
On Tuesday, the United States and Iran are to meet for talks in the Qatari capital Doha, according to CNN.
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