Latest news

Russian Invasion  International Response
Canada provides new air defense support to Ukraine

Canada has pledged new support to Ukraine for air defense systems and new drones, AFP reports.

The pledge was made during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada, where he also signed an agreement on a "centennial partnership" with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

"Ukrainians helped build Canada, and Canadians will help rebuild Ukraine," said Carney, referring to the many Ukrainian immigrants who have come to Canada since the late 19th century.

The support package is valued at the equivalent of 2.4 billion kronor. Canada has also pledged an additional 3.1 billion in loan guarantees to support Ukraine's energy supply during the winter. 

Putin’s Russia
Norway confirms: Russian exercise involving secret weapon halted

Last spring, NATO allies detected several Russian submarines conducting exercises with a secret weapon designed to destroy critical undersea cables, Reuters reports. The exercise took place in deep Arctic waters, just off the coast of Svalbard.

Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik confirms to *Dagbladet* that Norway participated in the operation. The UK and the US also took part, according to sources cited by Reuters. The submarines were reportedly prevented from completing their exercise and eventually left the area.

"This involves both deterrence and defense. We have repeatedly conveyed to Russian authorities that any attempt to damage our critical undersea infrastructure will be exposed and will have consequences," Sandvik says.

The Situation in North Korea
South Korea: Kim Ju-ae has a younger sibling

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has other children besides his daughter Kim Ju-ae, AFP reports.

According to South Korea’s intelligence agency, the NIS, there is a younger sibling in the family, and possibly an older brother as well. Reports regarding the older brother have not yet been verified.

"Even if he exists, he is not being considered as a successor," the intelligence agency writes.

Kim Ju-ae was first introduced to the public in 2022 when she attended the launch of a ballistic missile. North Korean state media have referred to her as "the beloved child" and "a magnificent guide"—terms usually reserved for describing the leader and his successor. 

Trump’s USA  The US Midterm Elections
Analysis: Trump’s promise isn’t a bribe—but it feels like one

Donald Trump’s promise of a "dividend" equivalent to 50,000 kronor for all adult Americans, contingent on a Republican election victory in November, is puzzling analysts at CNN and The Guardian.

Both outlets suggest that while the promise might not technically constitute bribery, it certainly feels like it borders on it.

Writing for The Guardian, Adam Gabbatt describes the entire speech as feeling desperate.

"The electoral equivalent of a dumped boyfriend offering to take his ex-girlfriend on a mini-vacation to Venice," he writes. CNN’s Aaron Blake calls the $5,000 pledge “bizarre” and suggests it is likely foolish to expect any money to actually land in one’s mailbox. For one thing, the initiative would cost over a trillion dollars. It would also require congressional approval, which is unlikely, he writes.

He also points out that this marks the fourth time during Trump’s second term that he has promised Americans direct cash payments.

Adam Gabbatt echoes this sentiment. He highlights Trump’s previous promises, such as the “Doge” payout and the $2,000 tariff-funded payout.

“Those payments weren’t bribes either, but they never materialized, either.”