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Foreign Affairs (News/Activism)

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  • The war in Ukraine is shifting against Putin but he isn’t giving in

    07/10/2026 7:17:13 PM PDT · by Engraved-on-His-hands · 2 replies
    Wall Street Journal ^ | July 10, 2026 | Alexander Ward, Marcus Walker, Thomas Grove
    For four years, Russia has bet on outlasting Ukraine in a war of attrition. Now, as Kyiv’s drones inflict growing damage on both Russia’s army and oil industry, Moscow is finding out that time isn’t necessarily on its side. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion force is making ever-smaller gains at the front line, its losses exceed recruitment, and it is struggling to adapt to a Ukrainian drone campaign pounding its supply routes to its forward positions. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s stretched army hasn’t buckled as Russia hoped and is even pushing back the invaders in places with small counterattacks. Its increasingly capable...
  • Detroit-Canada bridge to open by late July after delay due to issues between countries, sources say

    07/10/2026 3:46:07 PM PDT · by E. Pluribus Unum · 11 replies
    AP News ^ | Updated 4:06 PM CDT, July 10, 2026 | JOEY CAPPELLETTI
    SAWYER, Mich. (AP) — A completed bridge linking Detroit and Canada is expected to open by the end of the month after U.S. and Canadian officials reached an agreement to resolve the dispute that delayed its debut, according to two people directly involved in the negotiations.The sources were not authorized to publicly disclose the deal before a formal announcement.A ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for early June was postponed after the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said the two countries needed more time to resolve “outstanding issues.” The delay followed President Donald Trump’s earlier threats to block the bridge’s opening.Commercial traffic is now expected...
  • China now has 7 of world’s 10 biggest banks as Beijing’s financial ambitions grow

    07/10/2026 3:15:56 PM PDT · by delta7 · 32 replies
    MSM ^ | 9 July 26 | Chelsea Yang
    China's 'big four' banks took the top spots in The Banker's latest global ranking, with JPMorgan Chase following in fifth place China's "big four" state-run banks are the largest in the world in terms of asset scale, a new report has found, underscoring Beijing's rising ambitions to build the country into a global financial powerhouse. The ranking released by The Banker magazine on Wednesday was topped by the four Chinese banks - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of China - with JPMorgan Chase following in fifth place. Chinese banks collectively...
  • Benjamin Netanyahu signals move away from US as Trump tensions explode over Iran war

    07/10/2026 2:32:37 PM PDT · by 4Runner · 56 replies
    Express US through AOL ^ | 7/10/2026 | Mataeo Smith
    Israeli Prime Minister suggested he's breaking away from the U.S. and forming a new alliance with India as Tel-Aviv and Washington butt heads over the former's strikes in Lebanon. The eyebrow-raising comments come as the apparent rift between the U.S. and Israel widens during the 4-month war with Iran. "You have to build new alliances and develop new relationships. That's what I'm doing right now with India," Netanyahu told Sharon Gal, a prominent right-wing journalist in Israel. Last month, Israeli officials denounced the fragile peace deal struck between the U.S and Iran, which seemed to disturb Vice President JD Vance,...
  • Erdogan’s Gift of Personalized Revolvers to NATO Leaders Sparks Diplomatic Headache

    07/10/2026 12:38:56 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 37 replies
    Greek Reporter ^ | July 10, 2026
    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has found an unusual way to keep this week’s NATO summit in Ankara in the headlines—by presenting fellow alliance leaders with personalized revolvers, leaving several governments to figure out how to legally transport, store, or dispose of the unusual diplomatic gifts. The presentation, intended to showcase Turkey’s growing defense manufacturing sector, quickly evolved into a logistical puzzle as visiting delegations confronted strict firearms regulations in their home countries. Each guest reportedly received a Turkish-made .357 Magnum revolver, engraved with the recipient’s name and displayed in a wooden presentation case alongside a cleaning kit, certificate, and...
  • Trump: U.S. Is Destroying Iranian Mine Layer Boats With Same Weapon Used Against Caribbean Narco Boats

    07/10/2026 3:46:50 AM PDT · by dennisw · 59 replies
    Breitbart ^ | 9 Jul 2026 | Oliver JJ Lane
    President Trump noted the weapons being used against the small boats are “the same exact missile” as those being used against narco boats attempting to smuggle drugs north to the United States from South America. While the President didn’t specific which missile that is, the chances are good it is either the old Cold War stalwart the AGM-114 Hellfire or the modern budget killer the APKWS. Created to kill Russian tanks in Central Europe in case the Cold War turned hot in the 1980s, the Hellfire remains an effective anti-armour air-to-ground weapon but both in terms of capability and cost...
  • New Air Force One Lacks Defensive Countermeasures of Previous Model, Officials Say

    07/09/2026 8:18:56 PM PDT · by E. Pluribus Unum · 36 replies
    The New York Times ^ | July 9, 2026, 8:47 p.m. ET | Tyler PagerEric LiptonAdam GoldmanEric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes
    The new Air Force One, which President Trump flew on earlier this week to Turkey, lacks the same defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities, according to multiple officials who have been briefed on how the jet was retrofitted.Experts say the absence of those capabilities on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, which was donated by Qatar, creates potential risk in using the jet abroad, a dynamic underscored by the abrupt decision on Wednesday for Mr. Trump to leave Turkey on the old Air Force One at the urging of the Secret Service.The episode...
  • Israel warned US of new Iranian plot to kill Trump: report

    07/09/2026 9:06:11 PM PDT · by thegagline · 92 replies
    The New York Post ^ | 07/09/2026 | Victor Nava
    Israel recently shared intelligence with the US about a new Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump, according to a report. The latest assassination plan, reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, comes after years of Iranian regime threats to kill Trump as revenge for the 2020 killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qasem Soleimani by US forces. When asked for comment, the White House referred The Post to Trump’s Wednesday remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara. ”They want to take out the US leader — me,” Trump said. “I’m on whatever list. I saw this morning I’m...
  • Death toll from devastating Venezuela earthquake climbs to 3,811 as rescue efforts continue

    07/09/2026 8:53:18 PM PDT · by Red Badger · 7 replies
    Not The Bee ^ | July 09, 2026 | Cardinal Pritchard
    In the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, the human cost continues to mount. According to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, at least 3,811 people have now died, with 16,740 injured, and 17,907 left homeless. VIDEOS AT LINK.................. The twin quakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, caused widespread destruction, particularly in coastal areas like La Guaira and the capital region of Caracas. Buildings collapsed, infrastructure failed, and entire communities were left in ruins — exposing the fragile state of much of the country's housing and public works after years of economic mismanagement...
  • The United States Is Still Talking to Iran After Big Strikes

    07/09/2026 7:11:12 PM PDT · by SeekAndFind · 26 replies
    Townhall ^ | 07/09/2026 | Cameron Arcand
    Technical talks between the United States and Iran are ongoing despite recent strikes and apparent rising tensions. A United States official confirmed to Townhall that “the United States is still committed to finding a resolution, and technical talks continue,” adding that “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”The official added that the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two countries last month “is performance-based, and Iran’s actions constitute failed performance at an unacceptable level.”NEW: @townhallcom can independently confirm other reporting that Iran talks are ongoing despite recent strikes.From a U.S. official:“President Trump made his feelings very clear yesterday in no...
  • More Deaths on American Highways at Hands of Noncitizen Truck Drivers

    07/09/2026 5:05:44 PM PDT · by Bobbyvotes · 20 replies
    https://www.declassified.live/ ^ | Jul 08, 2026 | Julie Kelly
    The Trump administration, led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is ridding America's roadways of noncitizen truck drivers. But the death toll continues to rise amid legal and blue state pushback. Flags are flying at half staff in the state of Pennsylvania in honor of Michael Pahira Jr., a state trooper killed after a tractor-trailer struck him on the morning of July 1. Pahira, a 20-year veteran of the force, was conducting a safety check of another commercial truck on the shoulder of 1-80 when Michael Bon, an illegal immigrant from Haiti, crashed into Pahira’s vehicle then hit the truck he...
  • Israel Rejects Trump's Suggestion to Leave Lebanon

    07/09/2026 3:23:17 PM PDT · by thegagline · 31 replies
    NewsMax ^ | 07/09/2026 | Sandy Fitzgerald
    Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday rejected President Donald Trump's suggestion that Israel could withdraw from southern Lebanon. He said Israel does not need anyone's approval to maintain its military presence there. "We didn't ask for anyone's approval to enter Lebanon, and we don't need approval to stay in Lebanon," Katz said in a statement, according to The Washington Examiner. "It is our right and duty to defend the residents of the Galilee and Israeli citizens from the threats of the jihadist terror group Hezbollah, which aims to destroy the State of Israel." Katz said Israel would continue to...
  • Air Force One swap was ‘distraction and misdirection’ to keep Trump safe: White House

    07/09/2026 12:19:48 PM PDT · by McGruff · 14 replies
    NY Post ^ | July 9, 2026 | Caitlin Doornbos
    The White House on Thursday claimed President Trump’s switch from the new Qatari-donated Air Force One to the original presidential plane on his flight home from Turkey Wednesday was a strategic “distraction” to keep the commander-in-chief safe. Denying that any physical security factors led to the swap out, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the new jet “is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff.” “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we...
  • Iran fires at US bases in Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain after second night of American strikes

    07/09/2026 12:14:53 PM PDT · by Mariner · 31 replies
    The New York Post ^ | July 9th, 2026 | By Ronny Reyes
    Iran launched missiles and drones toward American military bases in four Middle Eastern countries Thursday following a second night of US strikes on the Islamic Republic. Tehran said it targeted Patriot missile interceptors in Kuwait, early warning systems in Qatar, and fuel depots in Bahrain, which is also the home of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Iran also fired at least 10 ballistic missiles toward Jordan’s Azraq military base, which hosts the US Air Force’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, according the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mourners at a funeral procession in Mashhad, Iran, hold a red banner with "WE...
  • Trump says he loves Spain but launches his fiercest attack yet on its government

    07/09/2026 11:24:59 AM PDT · by nickcarraway · 10 replies
    Euroweekly News ^ | 08 Jul 2026 | Farah Mokrani
    US President says he loves Spain and its people while escalating criticism of Pedro Sánchez’s government Donald Trump has delivered one of his strongest attacks yet on Spain, but this time there was a notable shift in his language. While again threatening trade consequences and describing Spain as a poor NATO ally, the US President also made a point of separating the country from its political leadership, insisting that he has affection for Spain and the Spanish people even as he condemned the government’s stance. That distinction is becoming increasingly noticeable. Rather than portraying Spain itself as the problem, Trump’s...
  • Egypt blocks entry to 2SLGBTQ+ cruise days after Turkey did the same

    07/09/2026 10:38:16 AM PDT · by jerod · 63 replies
    CBC News ^ | July 09, 2026 | Verity Stevenson
    Mediterranean voyage changes course twice after Turkey, then Egypt refuse accessThe Scarlet Lady cruise ship has changed its itinerary for the second time this week, after first Turkey and now Egypt denied it entry to their ports. The ship, owned by Virgin Voyages and chartered by 2SLGBTQ+ travel company Atlantis Events, is carrying 1,900 passengers, including legendary Broadway performer Patti LuPone. The passengers found out on Thursday the cruise would not be heading to Alexandria, Egypt, as a replacement for previously planned stops to Kuşadası and Istanbul in Turkey. Earlier this week, Turkish authorities canacelled the planned port calls, saying...
  • EU now one step away from reviving private message scanning rules

    07/09/2026 6:36:55 AM PDT · by delta7 · 12 replies
    Cyber Insider ^ | 8 July 26 | Alex Lekandet
    The European Parliament has approved an urgent procedure to fast-track legislation that would revive the EU's expired “Chat Control 1.0” rules. This development sets up a decisive vote on July 9 over whether online platforms may once again be allowed to voluntarily scan private user communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). MEPs voted 331 in favor and 304 against using the urgency procedure, allowing Parliament to bypass the usual committee stage. The procedural vote does not itself reinstate the law but accelerates consideration of a proposal that would effectively restore the temporary legal framework that expired in April.
  • For Ukraine, Other Patriot Makers Are a Cautionary Tale

    07/09/2026 6:28:28 AM PDT · by McGruff · 29 replies
    NY Times ^ | July 9, 2026 | Jim TankersleyJavier C. Hernández and Christopher F. Schuetze
    Two American allies, Germany and Japan, already have permission to build the American interceptors, a license that President Trump says he will also grant to Kyiv. In 2022, as fears mounted over Europe’s missile defense capabilities against Russian strikes, the Biden administration granted permission for Germany to build a factory to manufacture state-of-the-art Patriot air defense interceptors. That factory has yet to produce a single Patriot — a sign of the time it can take and how difficult it can be to ramp up production of American weapons abroad, even after winning approval from the United States government to do...
  • No evidence' of Kyiv's involvement in Nord Stream sabotage, Ukrainian prosecutors say

    07/09/2026 6:02:22 AM PDT · by delta7 · 28 replies
    Kyiv independent ^ | 9 July 26 | Katerina Denisova
    Prosecutor General's Office hasn't established Ukraine's involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, prosecutors said on July 9, adding that the investigation and evidence collection are still underway. The statement comes a week after Germany's federal prosecutor filed charges against a Ukrainian national suspected of sabotaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022. The suspect is Serhii Kuznietsov, Ukrainian veteran who was extradited to Germany in November 2025. Ukrainian law enforcement is investigating the case as part of criminal proceedings into Russia's war against Ukraine and other alleged offenses. Investigators are reviewing information...
  • NY mom who recently moved to Ireland beaten to death inside home as police hunt someone she knew

    07/09/2026 5:45:08 AM PDT · by tlozo · 63 replies
    New York Post ^ | July 9, 2026 | Nicholas McEntyre
    A New York mother, who moved to Ireland with her teen daughter, was beaten to death inside her home as police launched a search for a “person of significant interest” whom she knew. Jamey Carney, a 43-year-old Westchester County native, was found covered under her bedsheets, suffering from multiple head wounds inside her rented home in the Irish town of Killarney on Tuesday... Blood stains were splattered around Carney’s room and the killer allegedly used a duvet to cover Carney’s wounded torso and face before fleeing... Results of the postmortem examination were not publicly released, but officials upgraded the case...