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President Donald Trump is more than hinting that a deal with Ukraine over its rare earth minerals could go a long way towards the U.S. continuing to support them in their war against Russia.
He said, “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things. I want to have security of rare earth. We’re putting in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earth. And I want security of the rare earth, and they’re willing to do it.” He added, “We made a lot of progress on Russia, Ukraine. We’ll see what happens. We’re going to stop that ridiculous war.”
‘Going to stop that ridiculous war’: Trump pushes Ukraine for rare earth deal in exchange for US aid– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration over what he seeks as an imbalance in aid contributions between the US and Europe, stating, “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things.”
Trump suggested that Ukrainian officials were open to such an agreement, pointing out the strategic importance of rare earth minerals to the high-tech economy.
After less than a month, the Swedish Prosecuting Authority has ruled that a subsea cable connecting to Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland was not cut deliberately as an act of sabotage. Rather, the investigators concluded the cutting of the cable was an accident due to a combination of weather conditions and “deficiencies in equipment and seamanship.”
Swedish prosecutors rule Baltic subsea cable cut an accident – Capacity Media
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An investigation into the ship that supposedly severed a subsea cable connecting Latvia to the Swedish island of Gotland was cut accidentally, authorities confirmed.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority ruled that the cable cut, which occurred in late January, was not an act of sabotage and that a combination of weather conditions and “deficiencies in equipment and seamanship” contributed to the cable break.
Swedish authorities had seized the ship, analysing its equipment to determine if the cut was deliberate. The seizure order on the ship has now been lifted, though the investigation remains ongoing to “determine whether there are other crimes that can be suspected in connection with the cable break”.
The UK’s Kier Starmer stated his cabinet’s policies regarding Brexit include a “reset” but not a “return” to the EU. The comments came during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ visit to the UK. He called for there to be “closer ties” between the UK and the EU.
Starmer said “I have been very clear (…) that I do want a reset of the relationship between the UK and the EU. That does not involve a return to the European Union. We had a referendum here on that, and that matter is settled… I think that is certainly in the UK’s best interest, I do believe it’s in the EU’s best interest, and already I hope that in the last seven months there has been a manifest difference in approach, tone and relationship,”
UK PM vows to ‘reset’ ties with EU but rules out rejoining the bloc – efe.com
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United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday pledged to “reset” the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union but ruled out rejoining the bloc, which the UK left in 2020.
A potential trade war 2.0 could be setting off between China and the U.S. as China has responded to President Donald Trump’s 10% import tariff on ALL Chinese goods with tariffs of their own.
These tariffs include a 15% tariff on U.S. coal and a 10% tariff on crude oil, farm equipment, and select vehicles. In addition to that, numerous investigations into U.S. companies have been announced, with Alphabet Inc being the biggest of those targeted companies.
China hits back with tariffs on U.S. goods– japantoday.com
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China on Tuesday slapped tariffs on U.S. imports in a swift response to new U.S. duties on Chinese goods, renewing a trade war between the world’s top two economies as President Donald Trump sought to punish China for not halting the flow of illicit drugs.
Trump’s additional 10% tariff across all Chinese imports into the U.S. came into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday.
Within minutes, China’s Finance Ministry said it would impose levies of 15% for U.S. coal and LNG and 10% for crude oil, farm equipment and some autos. The new tariffs on U.S. exports will start on Feb 10, the ministry said.
China also said it was starting an anti-monopoly investigation in Alphabet Inc’s Google, while including both PVH Corp, the holding company for brands including Calvin Klein, and U.S. biotechnology company Illumina on its “unreliable entities list”.
Separately, China’s Commerce Ministry and its Customs Administration said it is imposing export controls on tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium, molybdenum and ruthenium-related items to “safeguard national security interests”. China controls much of the world’s supply of such rare earths that are critical for the clean energy transition.
After four years of struggle, the people of Myanmar continue to see the quality of their life degrade, but yet their will to resist the junta that illegally took power in February 2021 has not waned. The resistance has only grown, and the territories the resistance claims have only increased.
That point is brought home by recent news of 22 junta troops being killed and eight captured in an ambush deep within junta territory. The junta recently announced a six-month extension of its “mandate to rule in preparation for elections” with a non-date-specific “promise” elections will be held this year. This move will only strengthen the resolve of the people of Myanmar to continue to resist this tyranny.
Myanmar’s escalating crisis: Junta losing grip as conflict Intensifies – The Borderlens
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A nation on the brink
A comparative assessment of Myanmar before and after the 1 February 2021 coup underscores the country’s descent into turmoil. Once experiencing relative political stability and economic growth under a quasi-democratic government, Myanmar is now a battleground where millions suffer daily.
More than 3,000 airstrikes have devastated civilian areas, killing at least 6,224 people, including 711 children and 1,387 women. The number of political prisoners has skyrocketed from 234 before the coup to 21,711 as of last month.
With the junta rapidly losing territorial control, resorting to forced recruitment, and cracking down on free speech, Myanmar’s future remains uncertain. As resistance forces continue their push, the question remains: how long can the military junta hold on before the country witnesses a decisive shift in power?
Working in cooperation with the Somali government, U.S. forces struck targets in Somalia alleged to be ISIS camps. The strikes were conducted through the air, hitting targets in the Golis Mountains. The U.S. claims there were “multiple operatives” killed, with no civilian casualties being reported.
Defense Secretary Hegseth stated, “This action further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies, even as we conduct robust border-protection and many other operations under President Trump’s leadership.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Statement on U.S. Africa Command ISIS Strikes in Somalia – HSToday
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth statement on U.S. Africa Command strikes in Somalia.
At President Trump’s direction and in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, we authorized U.S. Africa Command to conduct coordinated airstrikes today targeting ISIS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains.
Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. This action further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies, even as we conduct robust border-protection and many other operations under President Trump’s leadership.
In the face of belligerent warnings made by President Donald Trump, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino announced plans to leave China’s Belt and Road initiative, effectively ending its access to effectively run the Panama Canal. They also announced the U.S. Navy would no longer be charged to go through the canal as they have been until Trump made his ultimatums.
Panama President ENDS Canal Deal With China After Meeting with Marco Rubio– wltreport.com
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This is huge…
After meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the President of Panama has just agreed to end a key Panama Canal deal with China.
President José Raúl Mulino announced today that Panama will not renew their contracts with China from 2017, which are part of a CCP development initiative.
Take a look:
🚨BREAKING: Panama’s President has ended the country’s Panama Canal deal with China, immediately following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Are we tired of winning yet?
pic.twitter.com/sOQJZJJc5E— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 2, 2025
The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, vows NOT to renew the 2017 Chinese contracts on the Panama Canal that are part of the CCP’s Belt and Road Initiative. The contracts come up in one or two years, but could be even sooner.
A good strart!!
pic.twitter.com/rYuRlsLUl2— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 2, 2025
Fox News reported:
Panama’s president vowed Sunday to end a key development deal with China after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and after complaints from President Donald Trump that the Latin American country had ceded control over its critical shipping canal to Beijing.
According the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), they claim the Iranian Islamist regime is working on developing nuclear missiles that can effectively reach Europe. They are using North Korean designs, the report alleges.
A U.S. representative of the NCRI, Soona Samsami, told The Telegraph UK, “For over two decades, they have used negotiations and the West’s leniency as a means to advance their nuclear weapons program, threatening global peace and stability. Tehran has never been as weak and vulnerable as it is today. The desperate Iranian regime is thus speeding up the development of nuclear weapons. Now is the time to hold the regime accountable for internal killings, regional warmongering and nuclear weapons development.”
Iran secretly building nuclear weapons able to reach Europe based on North Korean designs – Ynetnews
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Iran has allegedly been covertly developing nuclear weapons with a 1,800‑mile range that could reach Europe using North Korean designs, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).The Telegraph in Britain reported Sunday that details provided by the NCRI indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is expanding its warhead program at two sites disguised as communication satellite launch facilities. The facilities, controlled by Iran’s nuclear weapons division – the Organisation for Advanced Defence Research (SPND) – are reportedly expediting missile production…According to the report, the first warhead base is located about 22 miles from the Iranian city of Shahrud. Experts from the SPND and the IRGC Aerospace Force have been working on a nuclear missile integrated into a Ghaem-100 rocket, capable of traveling 1,800 miles. This range would put targets in Europe –including Greece –and Israel within reach.