03 World

Trump set to unleash ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

Trump set to unleash ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs– www.channelnewsasia.com
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“COULDN’T CARE LESS”

Major economies including the European Union and Canada have vowed retaliation.

“We are going to be very deliberate in terms of the measures we take, to fight for Canada,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday.

The European Union, which Trump has accused of trying to “screw” the United States, said Tuesday it still hoped to negotiate a solution – but that “all instruments are on the table” to retaliate.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Trump on “productive negotiations” towards a trade deal between the US and the United Kingdom. Vietnam said on Tuesday that it would slash duties on a range of goods to appease Trump.

Israel announces plan to seize ‘large areas’ in Gaza – latest updates | Israel-Gaza war– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

Israel announces plan to seize ‘large areas’ in Gaza – latest updates | Israel-Gaza war– www.theguardian.com
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Airstrikes continued on Gaza on Wednesday morning after the Israeli defense minister announced that Israel intended to expand its war. In a statement, Israel Katz said the offensive was “expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and capture large areas that will be added to the security zones of the state of Israel.”

The move has been condemned by the Hostages Families Forum, who said it appeared that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were making the return of 59 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas “a secondary task” that had been “pushed to the bottom of the priority list.”

In a post to social media, Katz said:

I wish success to the IDF soldiers who are fighting bravely and powerfully in Gaza for the return of the kidnapped and the defeat of Hamas. The goal of Operation “Strength and Sword” is first and foremost to increase pressure for the release of all the hostages in the face of Hamas’ refusal.

Expanding the operation this morning will increase the pressure on the Hamas murderers and also on the population in Gaza and advance the achievement of the sacred and important goal for all of us. I call on the residents of Gaza to act now to remove Hamas and return all the hostages. This is the only way to end the war.

DOJ Charges Men Over Plot to Steal U.S. Technology for Iranian Regime– townhall.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

DOJ Charges Men Over Plot to Steal U.S. Technology for Iranian Regime– townhall.com
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Federal prosecutors have charged an Iranian company and two Iranian nationals with trying to funnel money to the country’s military while obtaining U.S. technology to improve drones.

The Justice Department made the announcement on Tuesday.

A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Hossein Akbari, 63, and Reza Amidi, 62, both of Iran, and an Iranian company, Rah Roshd Company (Rah Roshd), with conspiring to procure U.S. parts for Iranian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones), conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC – a designated foreign terrorist organization – and conspiring to commit money laundering.

Akbari is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rah Roshd. Amidi is the company’s commercial manager and was previously the commercial manager of Qods Aviation Industries (QAI), an Iranian state-owned aerospace company. They are both citizens of Iran and remain at large.

Sue J. Bai, head of the DOJ’s National Security Division, explained, “Today’s charges lay bare how U.S.-made technology ended up in the hands of the Iranian military to build attack drones.”

Europe’s Attacks On Free Speech, Elections Prove Vance Right– thefederalist.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

Europe’s Attacks On Free Speech, Elections Prove Vance Right– thefederalist.com
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It’s been a banner week for authoritarians in Europe, and it’s only Wednesday.

On Monday, a French court banned Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing National Rally party and the frontrunner in the 2027 presidential election, from seeking public office for the next five years. The same day, The Telegraph reported that a toddler had been booted from a U.K. preschool for being insufficiently supportive of LGBT politics. Over the weekend, a British couple revealed they had been arrested based on complaints they expressed in a WhatsApp chat about their daughter’s public school.

This is exactly the kind of crackdown on free expression that Vice President J.D. Vance chastised complicit European leaders about in February, in an address at the Munich Security Conference. This week’s insanity further proves Vance’s dire warnings were right.

Vance called out the U.K., Germany, Sweden, and the European Union for censoring and criminalizing the free expression of their citizens, citing police raids against Germans for comments posted online and the prosecution of a British man who dared to pray in silence outside of an abortion facility.

‘The law is the same for everyone’: Macron addresses Le Pen verdict for first time and criticises threats against judges – as it happened | Europe– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

‘The law is the same for everyone’: Macron addresses Le Pen verdict for first time and criticises threats against judges – as it happened | Europe– www.theguardian.com
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French President Emmanuel Macron has commented for the first time since Marine Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement and barred from running in France’s next presidential election.

Opening a weekly meeting of French ministers, Macron addressed the court’s decision by recalling the three things government spokesperson Sophie Primas said.

They were “that the judiciary is independent”, “that the threats made against judges are absolutely unbearable and intolerable”, and that “the law is the same for everyone”, Politico reports.

Macron also stated that “all defendants have the right to legal recourse,” Primas said.

Judge who sentenced Marine Le Pen under police protection amid online threats– www.euronews.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

Judge who sentenced Marine Le Pen under police protection amid online threats– www.euronews.com
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A torrent of online abuse has been directed at Bénédicte de Perthuis, the judge who presided over the Paris court on Monday.

While far-right politician Marine Le Pen vowed to appeal the conviction she was handed on Monday, the judge who presided over her case has faced a torrent of intimidating online reactions.

Bénédicte de Perthuis, the judge who sentenced Le Pen for embezzling EU funds and barred her from running in France’s 2027 presidential election, was placed under police protection on Monday night over alleged death threats she received, domestic press reported.

The fiery fallout came her way as some took offence at what they claim is political revanchism — despite de Perthuis herself emphasising that the role of the court and her as a judge was to treat Le Pen’s case like any other.

“Equality before the law is a pillar of democracy. Elected officials enjoy no impunity,” said de Perthuis on Monday, before she issued a judgment, which she had worked on with two other high-profile judges.

Susan Crawford beats Brad Schimel: Why Wisconsin Supreme Court loss was personal for Elon Musk | World News– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

Susan Crawford beats Brad Schimel: Why Wisconsin Supreme Court loss was personal for Elon Musk | World News– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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In a closely watched and historically expensive election, liberal Judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel to secure a 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, preserving the court’s narrow liberal majority. This outcome not only represents a significant victory for Democrats but also a deeply personal and strategic defeat for billionaire Elon Musk, who invested millions into the race in an attempt to sway its outcome.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race shattered records as the most expensive judicial election in US history, with Musk pouring over $21 million into Schimel’s campaign. Much of this funding came through Musk’s America PAC, a political action committee he established to support former President Donald Trump. Musk’s contributions included direct financial backing for Schimel and controversial cash incentives for voters—offering $100 for signing petitions and $1 million checks to select individuals. Despite these efforts, Crawford emerged victorious, securing the liberal majority on the court with national implications for issues such as abortion rights, labour laws, and electoral redistricting.

House Intelligence Committee Democrats Demand Independent Review of Signal Chat Leak– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

House Intelligence Committee Democrats Demand Independent Review of Signal Chat Leak– slaynews.com
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Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee are demanding that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard conduct an independent review of the recent Signal chat leak.

It comes after an anti-Trump journalist was inadvertently added to a Signal chat about a military attack, WPRI-TV reported.

Ranking member Jim Himes (D-CT) sent a letter to Gabbard Monday demanding a written response.

The issue occurred because National Security Advisor Mike Waltz accidentally added an Atlantic journalist to the Signal chat with officials.

The left-wing “news” outlet subsequently published the messages.

They were discussing a strike on Houthi terrorists.

White House desperately wants you to forget national security fail– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

White House desperately wants you to forget national security fail– www.dailykos.com
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The Trump administration is attempting to shut down growing concerns over the war plans leak, even as congressional requests for independent investigations have begun to surface.

Senior members of the Trump administration—including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz—discussed confidential war plans in a Signal group chat, in which journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally included.

“As the president has made it very clear, Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team, and this case has been closed here at the White House as far as we are concerned,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.

Leavitt, who has a history of lying, said that “steps have been made” to ensure that another leak doesn’t happen in the future but gave no details on what those purported steps were.

Tammy Bruce: Annexing Greenland Is ‘For Their Own Good’– crooksandliars.com

pgnewser April 3, 2025 0

Tammy Bruce: Annexing Greenland Is ‘For Their Own Good’– crooksandliars.com
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During her hit on Fox Business Network Monday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce ignored Trump’s military threats to acquire Greenland, claiming instead the US only wants to protect them from foreign threats.
.
When has Greenland been threatened?

Oh, wait. The U.S. just did.

VARNEY: Now this, President Trump did not rule out using military force to acquire Greenland from Denmark.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce joins me now. Tammy, how far will Mr. Trump go to control Greenland?

BRUCE: Well, you know, this is not, and good morning, Stu, nice to see you.

Crisis in Sweden as nuclear bunkers are readied for WW3 clash | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser April 1, 2025 0

Crisis in Sweden as nuclear bunkers are readied for WW3 clash | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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Sweden has announced a £7.7million plan to modernise its civil defence bunkers after warning Swedes to prepare for the risk of war. The Scandinavian country which shares a border with Russia has 64,000 such bunkers. Space is said to be sufficient enough for seven million people, almost three quarters of Sweden’s 10.5 million population.

The country’s Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is reported to be inspecting the shelters, some of which can accommodate thousands of people. The bunkers offer protection against the blast and heatwaves triggered by a nuclear weapon as well as radioactive fallout, gas from chemical or biological weapons and bomb fragments.

MSB said on Monday (April 1) that the modernisation work would take two to three years, with work already underway on 25 of the 80 largest shelters.

Sweden’s action comes amid rising tensions over the war in Ukraine and doubts over US President Donald Trump‘s commitment to defending Europe.

Trump Administration Health Funding Cuts: 23 states sue Trump administration over $11 billion health funding cut– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser April 1, 2025 0

Trump Administration Health Funding Cuts: 23 states sue Trump administration over $11 billion health funding cut– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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A coalition of attorneys general from 23 states has sued the Trump administration over its decision to revoke $11 billion in federal health funding, arguing that the move is illegal and endangers public health across the country.

The lawsuit has been filed in a federal court in Rhode Island.
According to the news agency AP, the move aims to block the administration from pulling back funds that were originally allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic for testing, vaccination, mental health services and addiction treatment.
The states involved in the lawsuit include New York, California, Colorado, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the District of Columbia.
“Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement Tuesday.
As per the news agency Reuters, the US department of health and human services (HHS) defended the cuts, stating that “the Covid-19 pandemic is over” and that taxpayer dollars should no longer be spent on what the agency described as a “non-existent pandemic”.
The funding in question was being used by states not only for pandemic-related efforts but also for tracking other infectious diseases such as measles and bird flu, as well as supporting mental health services and addiction treatment programs, reported Reuters.
Local and state health departments have warned that the sudden withdrawal of funds will lead to massive job losses, with some infectious disease teams expected to lose up to 90% of their staff.

Military Analysis: Europe’s Firepower is Far Behind U.S., Russia, and China | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com

pgnewser April 1, 2025 0

Military Analysis: Europe’s Firepower is Far Behind U.S., Russia, and China | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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After eighty years of relying on the U.S. for defense, the EU’s combined military power remains dwarfed by the U.S., Russia, and China.

Recent media reports have claimed that Europe is bolstering its defenses to counter Russia, increasingly independent of U.S. assistance.

These headlines, while attention-grabbing, often gloss over a critical clarification: Europe is not a unified political entity. It is a continent—a geographic space—lacking its own institutions or a standing army.

When such claims surface, they could plausibly refer to three distinct entities: NATO, the US-led transatlantic alliance with its collective defense framework; the European Union (EU), a political and economic union with limited military integration; or a broader notion of “greater Europe,” encompassing all nations on the continent, including non-EU and non-NATO countries like Russia itself.

For this article, I assume these claims point to the EU’s militarization efforts. And for the analysis, I am employing this PMEI framework—Political, Military, Economic, and Infrastructure—widely used in strategic and national security contexts, to provide a comprehensive lens to assess the EU’s complex systems, identifying strengths, vulnerabilities, and interdependencies across these critical domains.