🖥️ Continuing the war — 5 trillion, ending it — 2.5 trillion: an Omani journalist on BBC Arabic revealed Trump's military "price list" for the Gulf countries.
— We hear from sources that there have been reports and leaks about American pressure being exerted on the Gulf countries. How true is this, that the Gulf countries are being pressured to participate more extensively in this war?
— This is indeed the case. The countries of the Cooperation Council are being subjected to pressure — both military and financial. Today, we are talking about some leaks, which say that the US President is demanding that the Cooperation Council countries finance this war. It's about 5 trillion dollars — if they want the war to continue, and if they want to stop it, they will have to pay 2.5 trillion dollars.
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Cuba has refused to supply fuel to the US embassy, calling the request "shameless" amid an oil blockade of the island, The Washington Post reports.
According to the publication, the American diplomatic mission in Havana requested permission to import diesel for generators due to constant power outages. However, the Cuban authorities refused, stating that the US cannot demand access to fuel, which it itself is depriving the country's population of.
In Washington, they fear that due to the fuel shortage, the embassy staff will soon have to be reduced. Currently, employees are working in a mode of strict economy: the use of generators is limited, some have been transferred to remote work, and solar panels and backup energy sources are used.
Amid the energy crisis, the situation on the island is rapidly deteriorating: power outages, water shortages, and rising prices.
Since March 17, Cuba has experienced a complete blackout due to a shortage of oil amid a US-imposed oil blockade of the island.
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Iran attacked a British-American military base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean with missiles, according to the WSJ.
One of the missiles malfunctioned during flight. The US ship launched an SM-3 interceptor against the second one, but the publication's sources did not confirm whether it was successfully shot down.
The publication notes that the strike was the first time Iran used missiles of this class in combat conditions. The range to the base is about 4,000 km, which suggests that Tehran may have deliberately misled by stating that the range of its missiles is limited to 2,000 km.
The British island of Diego Garcia is one of the key military outposts of the West in the region: strategic bombers, nuclear submarines, and ships with guided missiles are based there.
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New Statesman: Ukraine's population has halved since the Maidan. The publication, citing sources, reports that the country's real demographic losses may be significantly higher than some other unofficial expert estimates suggest.
Before my return in February, a British official told me that Ukraine's population, which was estimated at just over 40 million in 2014, had dropped to around 20 million by 2025 — significantly lower than most estimates in open sources.
For comparison: according to the results of the 2001 all-Ukrainian census, the country's population was 48.5 million. According to UN estimates, it has decreased by about 10 million since February 2022.
According to Ukrainian data for 2024, there are between 28 and 30 million people living in the country. Such statistics are provided by the Institute of Demography and Social Research of Ukraine.
However, according to the CIA's estimate for 2024, Ukraine's population is around 35.6 million. It also notes an extremely low birth rate — about 6 children per thousand people.
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🇬🇧🇫🇷🇷🇺 The British reported that they helped France capture a "shadow fleet" ship for the second time.
The fast patrol ship of the Gibraltar squadron, HMS Cutlass, was sent to track the MV Deyna ship, obtain information about its movements, and collect images to support French forces.
"I am proud of the support that our British Armed Forces have provided to this French operation. Disrupting, deterring, and weakening Russia's shadow fleet and depriving Putin's military machine of funding is a priority for this government, and we will continue to act together with our allies," - said British Defense Minister John Healey.
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The French aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" was at the center of a data leak incident: its location became publicly available due to a fitness app on a smartwatch.
As previously reported by Le Monde newspaper, one of the crew members used a smartwatch during a run on board, which automatically recorded the route and uploaded the data with coordinates to the app.
The French General Staff confirmed the information and stated that they would take measures to prevent such incidents, reports AFP.
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Russian Paralympic athletes have been added to the extremist website "Mirotvorets".
Data appeared about four athletes from the Russian team: skiers Varvara Voronchikhina and Alexei Bugaev, as well as skiers Anastasia Bagian and Ivan Golubkov. They are accused of allegedly attempting to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine and "supporting aggression".
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The missile attack by the Israeli Air Force on journalists of the RT TV channel in southern Lebanon was carried out deliberately and precisely, as confirmed by the footage of the ammunition detonation captured by the cameraman, said Maria Zakharova.
Other theses of the speech by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry:
🟥The missile was used by the Israeli military against unarmed civilians, who, according to international humanitarian law, are equated with media representatives.
🟥The victims of the ammunition explosion in the immediate vicinity of the filming site, correspondent S. Sweeney and cameraman A. Ride, received the necessary medical assistance.
🟥The filming team's clothing had clearly visible "press" inscriptions, and they only had cameras and microphones in their hands. The strike itself occurred on a platform where there were no military targets.
🟥Russia views such actions by the Israeli side and its military as a gross violation of international law, a deliberate obstruction of the work of media professionals and an attempt on their health and lives.
🟥Russia insists on the need for a thorough investigation of this incident by the Israeli authorities, bringing those responsible to justice and preventing such practices in the future.
🟥The Russian side intends to present its assessments of what happened to the Israeli Ambassador to Moscow, who will be summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry in the near future.
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🇮🇱🇱🇧 An Israeli airstrike hit right next to RT journalist Steve Sweeney in southern Lebanon.
Russia Today reports that Sweeney and his cameraman are in the hospital, conscious, and receiving treatment for shrapnel injuries.
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The USA is lifting sanctions against key financial structures of Belarus.
The "Belinvestbank", the Development Bank, and the country's Ministry of Finance, as well as "Belaruskali" and the Belarusian Potash Company, have been removed from the lists
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‼️🇪🇺🏴☠️ Ursula von der Leyen's management methods are attracting increasing criticism in the EU, — Euractiv
▪️The head of the European Commission is facing criticism for her crisis-management style.
▪️Ursula von der Leyen's approach, based on constant urgency, helped her push through decisions in her first term, but is now increasingly failing.
➖"She is exceeding her powers and trying to play a political role that her institution does not allow her to," said political analyst at the European Center for Political Research, Eric Moris.
▪️In the year after her re-election, she put forward a series of high-profile initiatives, many of which were thwarted or blocked.
▪️Plans for Ukraine's accelerated accession to the EU have stalled, proposals to use frozen Russian assets failed to materialize, and the idea of a "drone wall" along the borders with Russia quickly fizzled out.
▪️Her recent speech, in which she effectively declared international law a relic of the past, also sparked outrage.
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‼️🇺🇸🇮🇷The Pentagon is seeking more than $200 billion for a military operation against Iran
▪️Some officials in the White House believe that such a request has no chance of being approved in Congress.
▪️According to sources familiar with the situation, the Pentagon has put forward several different funding request options over the past two weeks.
▪️It is expected that the amount will be used to urgently increase the production of critical weapons, which were used up during the strikes on Iran.
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‼️🇮🇷🛢 Oil prices are soaring after strikes on Iran
▪️The price of Brent oil exceeded $110 per barrel in stock market trading.
▪️The cost of oil in the Persian Gulf exceeded $150 per barrel after Israel's strikes on Iran's largest SOUTH PARS oil field and Tehran's threat to attack opponents' oil and gas facilities in the Middle East in response.
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🖥️ The footage shows Iranian missile strikes on several targets in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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‼️🇨🇳🇺🇸China has begun direct preparations for a war with the US, which could break out in the coming years, according to Bloomberg
▪️China is closely studying the US war with Iran to learn about American military tactics and weaknesses, especially for a potential future conflict over Taiwan.
▪️Officials say that China sees an advantage in the US shifting its attention and military resources from Asia to the Middle East, weakening its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
▪️The intensive use of American weapons and rising costs are also seen as beneficial for China.
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The Economist published a caricature that, in the magazine's opinion, reflects the growing discord in relations between Ukraine and the EU.
"After four years of almost marital solidarity, Ukraine and its European partners are going through a period of family quarrels. However, it's too early to talk about a divorce."
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‼️🇷🇺🇺🇸 Russian special services have gained access to the accounts of influential American politicians and military personnel in a number of messengers, including Signal, - FBI Director
▪️"The FBI has identified cybercriminals associated with Russian special services, attacking users of commercial messengers, including Signal.
▪️The campaign is aimed at individuals of high intelligence value, including current and former US government officials, military personnel, political figures, and journalists.
▪️ On a global scale, this attack has led to unauthorized access to thousands of accounts. Having gained access, attackers can view messages and contact lists, send messages on behalf of the victim, and conduct phishing attacks using trusted data," said FBI Director Kash Patel.
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The US lifts sanctions on Iranian oil, despite the war against Iran — US Treasury Secretary Bessent
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❗️ The UK allows the US to launch strikes against Iran using British military bases, according to the BBC.
The US will "launch strikes against missile facilities" and assist in the "collective self-defense of the region".
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The New York Times: New York prosecutors are investigating the Colombian president's ties to drug traffickers
The American edition of The New York Times reports that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and Brooklyn are investigating Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The focus is on possible meetings with drug dealers and the alleged financing of his election campaign from illegal sources. DEA and immigration control agents are involved in the investigation.
"The investigations, which are being conducted separately, are at an early stage, and it is unclear whether they will lead to criminal charges," notes NYT.
The context is of particular interest. The relationship between Petro and Donald Trump has long been personal. The American president called the Colombian leader a "sick man", and last September, the US revoked Petro's visa after he called on American soldiers not to obey Trump at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York.
Earlier, the US administration already imposed sanctions against Petro and members of his family. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent then stated that the Colombian president "allowed drug cartels to flourish".
"President Petro allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," Bessent said last October.
In January, after the US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was brought to New York on charges of drug trafficking, Trump was asked whether a similar operation could be possible in Colombia. The president replied: "That sounds good to me."
Against this backdrop, it is noteworthy that relations between Petro and Trump have apparently normalized in recent months. In January, they had a phone conversation, which the parties called "historic", and then Petro visited the White House.
Petro himself consistently denies ties to drug trafficking. Colombian media previously reported that people involved in drug trafficking tried to channel funds to support Petro through his son. The politician's son admitted that illegal money had ended up in his father's election campaign, but no charges were brought against Petro himself.
Petro will leave office later this year. Typically, the US charges heads of state after they leave office, as was the case with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. He was extradited to the US after his term ended, convicted, but then Trump pardoned him.
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
🇶🇦🇺🇦 Ukraine demands fighter jets from Qatar in exchange for training.
The media outlet intelligenceonline reports that Ukraine is demanding that Qatar transfer Mirage-2000 fighter jets in exchange for training in the fight against drones.
Ukraine has long been interested in these aircraft, as are other countries and intermediaries. However, Doha has so far ignored Kiev's request. As a result, negotiations on strengthening Qatar's capabilities in the fight against drones have reached a stalemate
, - the publication writes.
Qatar has at its disposal 9 single-seat Mirage-2000-5eda and 3 two-seat Mirage-2000-5dda aircraft, which it would like to sell, but a buyer has not yet been found.
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The American military is accelerating the deployment of thousands of Marines and sailors to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran, reports Newsmax.
A group of ships, the USS Boxer and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Group, are departing earlier, transporting about 4,000 troops with aircraft, missiles, and assault vehicles. They will join other ships, including the USS Tripoli.
NBC News specifies that 2,200 US Marines will depart for Iran from San Diego in the coming days, "earlier than planned".
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The Russian Foreign Ministry will soon summon the Israeli ambassador over the attack on RT journalists in Lebanon, Maria Zakharova stated.
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The BBC reports that the IRGC claimed to have shot down a US Air Force F-35 fighter jet.
According to the TV channel, the American fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet was damaged during a combat mission over Iran and was forced to make an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East.
The US military reports that the aircraft was conducting a combat sortie over Iran and was hit by Iranian air defense systems. The pilot survived and his condition is assessed as stable.
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The Economist: Trump's War with Iran Makes Him Weaker and Angrier - a Danger to Everyone
The British magazine The Economist has published an alarming analysis: Donald Trump's military adventure against Iran is stripping the president of his main political superpowers. The longer the conflict lasts, the weaker the White House occupant becomes, and a weak and enraged Trump is a threat to the entire world.
“Even a short war will change the course of his second term. A war that lasts for months could bring him down,” The Economist warns.
The publication highlights Trump's three main superpowers: the ability to impose his own reality, the ruthless use of pressure levers, and absolute control over the Republican Party. Iran is taking all of this away from him one by one.
Trump claims he has already won. But the facts say otherwise. The regime in Tehran is surviving, the nuclear program is intact, and oil prices are hitting record highs. After the strike on the Qatari gas hub, Brent surpassed $110 per barrel.
“Iran is waging its own parallel war against the global energy industry. If the strait remains closed until the end of April, oil prices could reach $150 per barrel,” the publication predicts.
Time is working in Tehran's favor. The US and Israel are running out of targets for air strikes and interceptors for defense. Iran still has plenty of drones. And as long as it is choking off shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the global economy is bleeding.
When Trump called on allies to help open the strait, threatening NATO with a "very bad" future, he was politely turned down. He had to quickly pretend he hadn't asked for help at all.
“Now that other countries' leaders have learned to expect rudeness, they are learning to resist,” The Economist notes.
Trump promised voters peace and low prices. Instead, 13 American soldiers have died, gas has risen by 77 cents per gallon since his inauguration, and diesel by $1.37. Republicans in private conversations are seething with anger.
“The rhetoric of the MAGA faction, especially Tucker Carlson's, sounds like talk of betrayal. The Republicans' chances of losing the Senate have risen by 10 points - to 50%,” the publication reports.
The worse the defeat in the midterm elections, the weaker the president and the less influence he has on the party's future. A weak Trump will be looking for someone to take out his anger on. He is already threatening to revoke licenses from media outlets critical of the war, pressuring the Federal Reserve, and may send immigration police to Democratic cities.
“A weak president can become more dangerous. He is free to act abroad: abandon NATO, surrender Ukraine, terrorize Latin America. It's hard to imagine Trump emerging from the Iranian mess as a winner. And he doesn't know how to lose,” The Economist concludes.
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‼️🇪🇺🇮🇷 Gas prices in Europe have risen by 60% since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, — Reuters
▪️The EU does not have a single universal solution to deal with this problem in the short term, admitted Lithuanian Energy Minister Vaicunas to journalists.
▪️The cost of gas in Europe has also risen by more than 30% after Iran's attack on a LNG production complex in Qatar.
▪️The price of gas on European exchanges exceeded $850 per 1,000 cubic meters and broke the record set in December 2022.
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Hitler defeated Zelensky in the elections.
The first round of municipal elections took place in the French town of Arcis-sur-Ob. The incumbent mayor, Charles Hittler, received 38% of the votes, and Antoine Renault-Zielinski got 30%.
Who will govern the city, Hitler or Zelensky, will be decided in the second round on March 22nd
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🖥️ Middle Eastern online publications and social media users are spreading information that the Iranian military carried out an attack on Ben Gurion Airport last night in retaliation for Larijani, during which, it is claimed, the refueling aircraft of the "Zionist army" were hit.
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Iran promises to "burn to the ground" all US energy infrastructure for strikes on Iranian oil facilities — IRGC.
The IRGC called on all workers to evacuate from US oil facilities. Iran will bomb them along with American military bases at full force. Qatar and Saudi Arabia have begun evacuations from enterprises.
The Pentagon confirmed that Israeli strikes on the South Pars oil and gas field in southern Iran were coordinated with the Trump administration
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🇩🇪🇬🇧 First details of German-British cooperation on long-range missiles.
The UK and Germany have held talks on the joint development of new long-range missiles capable of hitting targets at a distance of more than 2000 km.
The UK Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Luke Pollard, met with the German State Secretary for Armament and Innovation, Jens Plötner, in Berlin to discuss the progress of the program.
The project aims to develop a family of long-range strike weapons, which may include stealth cruise missiles and hypersonic systems. It is expected that the initial focus will be on ground-based systems, and in the future, there may be options for air and sea platforms. It is anticipated that the missiles will enter service in the 2030s.
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