Bold News – May 20 – June 22
kaiUkraine may fire US-provided missiles deeper into Russia when under attack, Pentagon says
Jun 22 | https://tinyurl.com/dees28c6
The US is also allowing Ukraine to hit planes in Russian airspace with US-supplied air defence systems if they strike across the border
Ukraine’s military is allowed to use longer-range missiles provided by the US to strike targets inside Russia across more than just the front lines near Kharkiv if it is acting in self-defence, the Pentagon said.
China warns of possible ‘trade war’ with EU
June 21 | https://tinyurl.com/mrntjvux
BEIJING, June 21 (Reuters) – Beijing warned on Friday that escalating frictions with the European Union over electric vehicle imports could trigger a trade war, as Germany’s economy minister arrived in the Chinese capital with the proposed tariffs high on his agenda.
Biden Eases Visa Process for U.S. Grads and Dreamers
Jun 21 | https://tinyurl.com/ce2fnu3h
In a significant move aimed at benefiting U.S.-educated foreign nationals, the Biden administration announced a new policy Tuesday to streamline the work visa process for college graduates, including DACA recipients.
Graduates from U.S. colleges and universities, including DACA recipients (Dreamers), can now obtain work visas more quickly if they have a job offer in a field related to their degree.
In a win for Thailand’s LGBTQ community, lawmakers vote to legalize same-sex marriage
JUNE 20 | https://tinyurl.com/5bp7frfe
In Thailand, lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to legalize same-sex marriage. Of 152 Thai senators in attendance on Tuesday, 130 voted to approve the bill, with some abstaining.
Conscription squads send Ukrainian men into hiding
Jun 18 | https://tinyurl.com/jbhna7t5
A new law, introduced in May, requires every man aged between 25 and 60 to log their details on an electronic database so they can be called up. Conscription officers are on the hunt for those avoiding the register, pushing more men who do not want to serve into hiding.
Statement by President Joe Biden on the Occasion of Eid al-Adha
Jun 16 | https://tinyurl.com/fd87vr9y
We’re also working to bring a peaceful resolution to the horrific conflict in Sudan. And we continue to advocate for the rights of other Muslim communities – including the Rohingya in Burma and the Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China – facing persecution around the world. They, like all people, deserve to live free from violence and fear.
House passes defense bill automatically registering men 18-26 for draft
Jun 14 | https://tinyurl.com/5n6eb4ur
The House of Representatives passed a measure on Friday automatically registering men aged 18 to 26 for selective service.
It was part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets out the U.S. government’s military and national security priorities over the next fiscal year.
US, NATO Slam Putin’s Ukraine Peace Demands
Jun 14 | https://tinyurl.com/42z3z5kt
The United States and NATO on Friday rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands that Ukraine should withdraw from territory claimed by Moscow to end the Kremlin’s invasion.
“Putin has occupied, illegally occupied, sovereign Ukrainian territory. He is not in any position to dictate to Ukraine what they must do to bring about peace,” Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said at the end of a NATO meeting in Brussels.
UN refugee agency says record 117 mln people forcibly displaced in 2023
Jun 13 | https://tinyurl.com/bcv2x26p
More that 9 million people have been internally displaced and another 2 million have fled to neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan, Grandi said.
US submarine pulls into Guantanamo Bay a day after Russian warships arrive in Cuba
Jun 13 | https://tinyurl.com/3t64fvm6
U.S. Southern Command said the USS Helena, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, pulled into the waters near the U.S. base in Cuba on Thursday, just a day after a Russian frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker and a rescue tug crossed into Havana Bay after drills in the Atlantic Ocean.
‘Never forget damage done by nationalism and hate,’ German president says in France
Jn 10 | https://tinyurl.com/43dyu55d
ORADOUR-SUR-GLANE, FRANCE —
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned against the dangers of nationalism Monday, as he visited a World War II massacre site in France a day after European elections saw advances for the far right.
UN secretary-general calls for tax on ‘windfall’ profits of fossil fuel companies profits to help fund fight against climate change
Jun 5 | https://tinyurl.com/357yp375
GENEVA (AP) — U.N. Secretary General António Guterres called Wednesday for a “windfall” tax on profits of fossil fuel companies to help pay for the fight against global warming, decrying them as the “godfathers of climate chaos.”
Australian army to allow recruits from foreign nations
3 June | https://tinyurl.com/2v7pnwf3
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will allow recruits from foreign countries, including the UK, to help grow its ranks.
Australia has been struggling with enlistment shortfalls, as it seeks to beef up its armed forces in the face of what it says are growing regional threats.
Shangri-La Dialogue: US defence chief pushes ‘new convergence’ in Indo-Pacific while pledging more talks with China
Jun 1 | https://tinyurl.com/4jrsppub
Washington is seeking a “new convergence” in resolving disputes through dialogue, “not coercion and certainly not through so-called punishment”, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said on Saturday, stressing the importance of alliances and partnership in the Indo-Pacific.
In a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Austin said “dialogue is not a reward but a necessity” and pledged to hold more talks with China.
Luxury perfumes linked to child labour, BBC finds
27 May | https://tinyurl.com/mpdxzj7c
Children have picked ingredients used by suppliers to two major beauty companies, the BBC can reveal.
A BBC investigation into last summer’s perfume supply chains found jasmine used by Lancôme and Aerin Beauty’s suppliers was picked by minors.
ICC seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leaders and Israel’s Netanyahu
May 20 | https://tinyurl.com/yckyme7y
In a statement, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Hamas’s Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (Deif) and Ismail Haniyeh “bear criminal responsibility” for murder, extermination and taking hostages – among numerous other crimes – since the Gaza conflict erupted in the wake of Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on 7 October.