Lisa Smessaert

Kremlin hails Trump’s national security strategy as aligned with Russia’s vision Moscow welcomes White House document critical of the EU as talks to end the Ukraine war enter a key phase The Kremlin has heaped praise on Donald Trump’s latest national security strategy, calling it an encouraging change of policy that largely aligns with Russian thinking. The remarks follow the publication of a White House document on Friday that criticises the EU and says Europe is at risk of “civilisational erasure”, while making clear the US is keen to establish better relations with Russia. Continue reading...

Kremlin hails Trump’s national security strategy as aligned with Russia’s vision

Oligarchs and Diplomats (video with Michael Weiss) Thinking Live episode 2

substack.com/@snyder/note...

Russia’s ‘permanent test’ is pushing Europe to the brink of war – here’s what Moscow actually wants Moscow’s provocations may seem rash and incoherent, but they’re all part of a conscious, focused strategy.

theconversation.com/russias-perm...

Europe does not need the US to break Russia’s war machine and enable Ukrainian victory. Europe needs its leaders to find their proverbial balls and finally do their job: protect Europe.

Israel has assassinated five more Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, killing them in an airstrike Sunday targeting a media tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital. Among the dead is veteran correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who reported extensively from northern Gaza since October 2023.

Does pipeline fever mean missed opportunity elsewhere? | Pembina Institute Yet again this week, Premier Danielle Smith renewed her pitch for a new bitumen pipeline to be added to the federal government’s list of nation-building projects.The topic of pipelines has been…

“It’s time to kick wishful thinking on pipelines and shift the focus to other projects with real potential to bring us together and build a stronger Alberta,” writes our Executive Director Chris Severson-Baker in The Calgary Herald.

Read our op-ed 👇 3/3

buff.ly/koUfdkZ

Troubling scenes from an Arctic in full-tilt crisis The heat that hit Svalbard in February was so intense that scientists could dig into the ground with spoons, "like it was soft ice cream."

Troubling scenes from an Arctic in full-tilt crisis.

The heat that hit Svalbard in February was so intense that scientists could dig into the ground with spoons, "like it was soft ice cream."

grist.org/climate/trou...

#Norway #Arctic #Climate #heat #IceCream #Global

Everything You Wanted to Know About China’s Auto Industry Takeover Does Tesla have a future? Where are the cheap US electric vehicles? How rapidly are Chinese EVs taking over the globe? Here's what we know.

"America will never see low cost, small EVs as long as it is burdened with auto industry and dealership executives that keep beating the “Murcans don’t want sensible transportation choices” drum. We’ve never been offered the option." — Reader comment

Thoughts? wrd.cm/45gGjL1

Silicon Valley AI Startups Are Embracing China’s Controversial ‘996’ Work Schedule In an industry once known for cushy perks, some founders are now asking staff to commit to a 72-hour weekly schedule. You’re either in or you’re out.

These companies are embracing an intense schedule, first popularized in mainland China, known as “996,” or 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week. That’s a 72-hour work week, in case you’re doing the math.

Gaza doctors ‘becoming too weak to treat patients’ as hunger crisis deepens Malnourished medical staff say they are struggling to provide care to injured civilians, while recovery rates are also hit by

Gaza doctors ‘becoming too weak to treat patients’ as hunger crisis deepens

One Million Rising: Strategic Non-Cooperation to Fight Authoritarianism · No Kings Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and f...

As our slide toward authoritarianism accelerates, it falls on us to lead the fight against fascism and force vital institutions off the sidelines. Sign up for One Million Rising to learn strategic non-cooperation strategies and stand with one million Americans organizing their neighbors.

Trump admin cuts undermine efforts to track abducted Ukrainian children, Council of Europe envoy says "European countries will have to fund it," Thordis Gylfadottir, an envoy of the Council of Europe, told Politico. "We cannot stop tracking them and then just re-track them (abducted children) in the m...

⚡️Trump admin cuts undermine efforts to track abducted Ukrainian children, Council of Europe envoy says.

"European countries will have to fund it," an envoy of the Council of Europe told Politico. "We cannot stop tracking them and then just re-track them (abducted children) in the months ahead."

‘They're Not Breathing’: Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls Records of hundreds of emergency calls from ICE detention centers obtained by WIRED—including audio recordings—show a system inundated by life-threatening incidents, delayed treatment, and overcrowdin...

On the inside, records of hundreds of emergency calls from ICE detention centers obtained by WIRED—including audio recordings—show a system inundated by life-threatening incidents, delayed treatment, and overcrowding.

How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.

Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications.

Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.

Farmers turned soldiers, fields full of mines and a rural exodus: how Russia is punishing Ukraine’s countryside Agriculture is woven into Ukrainian culture, but daily attacks, a loss of workers and land contamination are tearing the industry apart

Farmers turned soldiers, fields full of mines and a rural exodus: how Russia is punishing Ukraine’s countryside

Ukraine moves forward on lithium mining under US minerals deal, NYT reports On June 16, the Ukrainian government reportedly agreed to begin drafting recommendations for a bidding process to develop the Dobra lithium field in central Ukraine.

⚡️Ukraine moves forward on lithium mining under US minerals deal, NYT reports.

On June 16, the Ukrainian government reportedly agreed to begin drafting recommendations for a bidding process to develop the Dobra lithium field in central Ukraine.

B.C.’s controversial Bill 15, explained | The Narwhal Bill 15 would give the B.C. government sweeping powers to fast-track major projects, from mines to highways

thenarwhal.ca/bc-bill-15-c...

B.C. NDP government narrowly passes controversial bills to fast-track projects | CBC News The B.C. NDP government narrowly passed two controversial laws that will fast-track infrastructure and clean energy projects. 

In case you missed it:

The BC NDP has passed Bill-15 😞

Ukrainian cities ‘terrorised’ by North Korean weapons in Russian hands – report Multinational team monitoring sanctions says 20,000 container loads of missiles, artillery, rocket launchers and other munitions illegally supplied Russian forces have used North Korean weapons to intensify missile attacks against critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and “terrorised” entire cities, according to a report by UN members that reveals the extent of Moscow’s dependence on the regime in Pyongyang. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, comprising 11 countries including the US, Britain, EU states and Japan, said Kim Jong-un’s dictatorship had supplied Russia with more than 20,000 containers of munitions since September 2023. Continue reading...

Ukrainian cities ‘terrorised’ by North Korean weapons in Russian hands – report

Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine, no Taurus missiles announced The agreement includes direct German investments in Ukraine's defense industry and a broader treaty between Kyiv and German arms manufacturers.

⚡️Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine, no Taurus missiles announced.

The agreement includes direct German investments in Ukraine's defense industry and a broader treaty between Kyiv and German arms manufacturers.

B.C.’s Bill 15 faces First Nations backlash | The Narwhal As B.C.’s controversial Bill 15 is poised to become law, First Nations leaders warn of lawsuits and protests

B.C.’s controversial Bill 15 is now law. Premier David Eby insists it will be good for B.C. but First Nations leaders have vowed to challenge the fast-tracking legislation in court VIA @sobittersosweet.bsky.social #bcpoli

Donate to Support Dr. Alaa: Gaza Doctor Couple Lost 9 Kids, Son in ICU, organised by Sheryl Drake Our friend, Israa Al-Najjar, who is currently living here in … Sheryl Drake needs your support for Support Dr. Alaa: Gaza Doctor Couple Lost 9 Kids, Son in ICU

Dr. Alaa Alnajjar a paediatrician in Gaza and mother of 10 went to work, and came home to find 9/10 children dead. Her sister lives in Vancouver and has a go fund me page to support Alaa, her husband and her one remaining child. Please consider donating.

www.gofundme.com/f/help-dr-al...

Israeli airstrike kills nine of Gaza doctor’s 10 children, reports say Dr Alaa al-Najjar was on duty at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis when she received her children’s bodies An Israeli airstrike on Gaza hit the home of a doctor, killing nine of her 10 children while she was on duty at her hospital, according to multiple media sources. Dr Alaa al-Najjar, a paediatric specialist at al-Tahrir hospital within the Nasser medical complex, was treating victims of ongoing Israeli attacks across the Palestinian territory on Friday when she received the bodies of nine of her children killed by a strike in Khan Younis. The eldest of the children was 12. Continue reading...

Israeli airstrike kills nine of Gaza doctor’s 10 children, reports say

‘One of the most heartbreaking tragedies’: Gaza doctor’s last goodbye before nine children killed in airstrike Dr Alaa al-Najjar was at work when Israeli strike destroyed her home, leaving one son and her husband as survivors In the early hours of Friday, as she did every day, Dr Alaa al-Najjar said goodbye to her 10 children before leaving the house. The youngest, Sayden, six months old, was still sleeping. And like every day, with war raging in Gaza and Israeli strikes landing just metres from her neighbourhood in Khan Younis, Najjar worried about leaving them at home without her. But Najjar, 35, had little choice. One of Gaza’s dwindling number of medics, a respected paediatrician at the Nasser medical complex, she had to go to work to care for injured babies who had barely survived Israeli attacks. She could never have imagined that that farewell to her family would be her last. Continue reading...

‘One of the most heartbreaking tragedies’: Gaza doctor’s last goodbye before nine children killed in airstrike

Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan among 380 writers and groups to call Gaza war ‘genocide’ Letter also signed by Hanif Kureishi and Russell T Davies urges ceasefire and unrestricted distribution of aid Three hundred and eighty writers and organisations including Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Russell T Davies, Hanif Kureishi, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and George Monbiot have signed a letter stating that the Israeli government’s war in Gaza is genocidal and calling for an immediate ceasefire. “The use of the words ‘genocide’ or ‘acts of genocide’ to describe what is happening in Gaza is no longer debated by international legal experts or human rights organizations,” reads the letter, which was also signed by William Dalrymple, Jeanette Winterson, Brian Eno, Kate Mosse, Irvine Welsh and Elif Shafak. Continue reading...

Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan among 380 writers and groups to call Gaza war ‘genocide’

US, EU no longer coordinating enforcement of Russia sanctions, media reports EU sanctions chief David O'Sullivan noted that there is "no more outreach" between the two sides on sanctions evasion and that G7 cooperation has "also lost momentum" in this regard, according to an i...

⚡️ US, EU no longer coordinating enforcement of Russia sanctions, media reports.

EU sanctions chief David O'Sullivan noted that there is "no more outreach" between the two sides on sanctions evasion, according to an internal report from an EU ministerial meeting, Suddeutsche Zeitung reported.

EXCLUSIVE: EU countries to slam Hungary over Pride clampdown EU countries will join MEPs in urging the Commission to step up over Hungary's anti-LGBTQ laws, according to a draft declaration seen by Euractiv.

EXCLUSIVE: EU countries to slam Hungary over Pride clampdown: EU countries will join MEPs in urging the Commission to step up over Hungary's anti-LGBTQ laws, according to a draft declaration seen by Euractiv.

Putin's negotiator Dmitriev pushing for release of $280 billion in frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian intel chief says "Dmitriev is trying to show the U.S. that let's not focus on war and peace, let's look at the bigger picture," Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Oleh Ivashchenko said.

⚡️ Putin's negotiator Dmitriev pushing for release of $280 billion in frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian intel chief says.

"Dmitriev is trying to show the U.S. that let's not focus on war and peace, let's look at the bigger picture," Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Oleh Ivashchenko said.

Nato's Achilles heel? The Suwałki Gap, and Lithuania's fears of a Russian attack Despite massive rearmament and evacuation plans, a major vulnerability remains — the Suwałki Gap, sometimes dubbed 'Nato’s Achilles’ heel', a narrow strip of land connecting the Baltic states with Poland. To the west lies the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, to the east, Moscow-loyal Belarus. If Putin were to strike here, it would be relatively easy for him to cut the Baltic states off from their allies.

Nato's Achilles heel? The Suwałki Gap, and Lithuania's fears of a Russian attack

“Fighting for Russia without a single Russian among us”

Moscow’s forced mobilization is wiping out indigenous men from colonized regions like the Yukaghirs, now with less than 2,000 left.