Category: World

Taiwan plans to discuss strengthening its defense capabilities with the incoming Trump administration. The government is considering a large-scale contract for the purchase of American weapons amid threats from China.

Taiwan does not yet have a clearly defined list of defense agreements to discuss with the incoming administration of US President Donald Trump, but plans to raise the issue of strengthening its defense capabilities. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.

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Taiwanese security officials said that while specific arms arrangements have not yet been determined, Taipei is ready to actively cooperate and take into account recommendations to strengthen the island's defense.

This issue becomes relevant against the backdrop of Trump's statements about the need for Taiwan's financial participation in ensuring its own security.

According to the Financial Times, the Taipei government is considering a large-scale contract for the purchase of American weapons, which may emphasize Taiwan's determination to strengthen its defense against the threats from China.

Given the situation, Taiwan plans to focus on strengthening its self-defense capabilities and hopes that negotiations with the new US administration will help in this direction.

Taiwan hands over HAWK air defense system to UkraineNov 13 2024, 03:39 PM • 16176 views

US President-elect Donald Trump intends to nominate Florida Senator Marco Rubio for the post of secretary of state.

Source: statement circulated by the Trump campaign, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Marco Rubio, according to the US president-elect, "is a highly respected leader and a very powerful voice for freedom" and will be "a true friend of our allies and a fearless warrior who will never back down before our enemies".

Although Congress must approve the next secretary of state, this personnel selection is unlikely to encounter any issues because Republicans hold a majority in the US Senate.

At one point, Marco Rubio publicly chastised party members for questioning the necessity of aiding Ukraine and emphasised the significance of doing so.

His rhetoric has also been increasingly critical of Ukraine in recent years; in April, he voted against a long-suffering US$61 billion project that would have supported Kyiv. His rhetoric on how to end the war has also altered recently.

Pete Hegseth, a veteran and Fox News commentator who voiced disdain for the practices of Pentagon commanders, was previously selected by Trump to be his secretary of defense.

Additionally, Trump confirmed that Mike Waltz, a congressman from Florida, will be his national security adviser in the next government.

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Brazil's Supreme Court has been evacuated after a series of explosions near the building in the capital's government quarter. One person was killed in the incident, the country's president was not injured.

The Supreme Court of Brazil has been evacuated after powerful explosions near the building. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.

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Photos from the scene were reportedly released showing bodies in the street. Rescue services confirmed the death of one person as a result of the explosion.

The Supreme Court building is located in the government quarter of the capital, not far from the presidential palace. According to the spokesman for Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the head of state was outside the palace during the incident and was not injured.

The incident has caused considerable alarm in the center of Brasilia, where key government offices are located. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the explosions, and special services and law enforcement are working at the scene.

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell to a nine-year lowNov 7 2024, 02:30 PM • 13834 views

US President-elect Donald Trump intends to appoint Tulsi Gabbard, a politician and former US Army Reserve officer who opposes providing aid to Ukraine, as Director of National Intelligence.

Source: Fox News; Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council (NSDC)

Details: In a statement, Trump said Gabbard had fought for the United States and the freedoms of all Americans.

Gabbard was formerly a Democratic Congresswoman.

In 2022, the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine's NSDC warned that Gabbard had been paid by the Kremlin to work on a foreign audience for several years.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war, the politician has declared that "the United States is guilty of military aggression" against Russia, having "provoked" the Russians for many years, and has claimed that the ruling Washington elite wants to use Ukrainians to kill as many Russians as possible.

Gabbard has also spread disinformation globally about weapons of mass destruction allegedly being developed in Ukrainian biolabs.

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The UN Security Council has condemned the attacks on UNIFIL peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon in late October and early November. The UN Security Council called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of peacekeepers.

The UN Security Council has condemned the attacks that have been directed against UNIFIL peacekeeping forces operating in southern Lebanon in recent weeks. This is reported by AFP, UNN reports.

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The statement issued by the Council emphasizes the need to ensure the security of peacekeeping personnel and the territories in which they operate and calls on all parties to the conflict in Lebanon to strictly adhere to this principle.

The statement pays special attention to the attacks that took place on October 29, as well as November 7 and 9, which are of deep concern to the international community.

The Council recalled that peacekeeping forces should never be the target of aggression, and their work is aimed solely at maintaining stability in the region.

Israel attacks secret arms supply routes between Syria and LebanonNov 13 2024, 10:38 PM • 1540 views

US President-elect Donald Trump has claimed to have discussed the war in Ukraine and Middle East escalation with incumbent Joe Biden during their meeting.

Source: Trump in an interview with New York Post, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Trump, he and Biden "both really enjoyed seeing each other" at the White House on Wednesday.

Quote: "You know, it’s been a long, it’s been a long slog. It’s been a lot of work on both sides and he did a very good job with respect to campaigning and everything else. We really had a really good meeting." Trump said.

He also stated that he and Biden had discussed two matters on which they previously disagreed: the war in Ukraine, which Trump promised to end immediately after entering office, and the ongoing Middle East conflict.

"I wanted — I asked for his views and he gave them to me. Also, we talked very much about the Middle East, likewise. I wanted to know his views on where we are and what he thinks. And he gave them to me, he was very gracious," Trump said.

The president-elect also announced another meeting with Biden at the White House before his inauguration on 20 January and described the Oval Office where they talked as "so beautiful."

The White House previously stated that Donald Trump and Joe Biden's meeting lasted approximately two hours.

At the latest count, Trump received the votes of 312 electors in the 5 November presidential election, compared to the requisite 270.

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Donald Trump has chosen Tulsi Gabbard as his nominee for the post of Director of National Intelligence. Gabbard, who left the Democratic Party in 2022, has military experience and has become an active Trump supporter.

Trump has appointed Tulsi Gabbard as a candidate for the post of Director of National Intelligence. This is reported by CBS News, according to UNN.

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The nomination of Tulsi Gabbard, known for her active public position and military experience, is likely to spark a serious debate in the Senate during the confirmation process.

Gabbard, who has a background in the National Guard and ran in the 2020 presidential election as a Democratic candidate, subsequently left her party in 2022. Since then, she has become an active supporter of Trump, joining his campaign and joining his transition team.

Gabbard's appointment is supported by Trump's close allies, including Steve Bannon, who noted that Gabbard has long sought to make changes in the US intelligence community, which he believes needs reform. Her appointment is seen as the new administration's desire to reform national intelligence, in particular, to increase transparency and accountability in this area.

Tulsi Gabbard also advised Trump before his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris in September, which was part of her political work on the Trump team.

Trump has chosen a new US Secretary of State: Marco Rubio to lead US diplomacyNov 13 2024, 08:35 PM • 2922 views

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed reports in the media that Ukraine could build its own nuclear bomb if the US decreases military support.

Source: Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Twitter (X); Times

Quote: "Ukraine is committed to the NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]; we do not possess, develop, or intend to acquire nuclear weapons. Ukraine works closely with the IAEA and is fully transparent to its monitoring, which rules out the use of nuclear materials for military purposes."

Details: Earlier, the Times said, citing a reportedly produced memorandum for Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, that Ukraine would be able to quickly develop a rudimentary plutonium weapon using technology comparable to the American Fat Man bomb launched on Nagasaki in 1945.

The Times also stated that Kyiv, lacking time to construct and deploy huge uranium enrichment facilities, would have to rely on plutonium retrieved from spent fuel rods previously used in nuclear reactors at nuclear power plants.

Background:

• In October, Zelenskyy mentioned that during a conversation with US presidential candidate Donald Trump, they discussed Ukraine’s need to join NATO, referencing Kyiv's previous renunciation of nuclear weapons.
• Bild journalist Julian Röpcke later claimed, citing an "unnamed Ukrainian official", that Ukraine could develop nuclear weapons in a matter of weeks to use against Russia.
• Subsequently, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has no intention of restoring its nuclear arsenal, addressing a comment he made earlier during a meeting with Trump.

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John Thune has become the new leader of the Republican Party in the US Senate, defeating a candidate from Trump's supporters. Senators demonstrated their independence from the future president by electing an experienced politician.

Senator John Thune of South Dakota has been elected leader of the Republican Party in the US Senate. He received the most votes during a secret ballot, which also included Florida representative Rick Scott, a politician supported by Donald Trump's inner circle, UNN reports with reference to the BBC.

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Previously, Mitch McConnell was the leader of the Republicans in the Senate, a position he held for the past 17 years.

According to media reports, Scott's candidacy was supported by the world's richest man, the owner of Tesla and Space X, Elon Musk, who works closely with Trump and will be appointed to a position in his administration. Scott is considered to be a less traditional politician and a brighter representative of the Trumpian wing of the Republican Party.

Trump will soon choose a special envoy to lead negotiations to end the war in Ukraine – mediaNov 13 2024, 04:40 PM • 14604 views

However, the senators preferred the familiar Senator Thune, who had been the second most influential Republican in the Senate (after McConnell) for the previous four years.

The publication adds that Trump does not formally interfere in the election of the Republican leader in the Senate, but members of his entourage tried to influence it. Therefore, the election of Thune can be seen as a demonstration of some independence of senators from the future owner of the White House.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, nearly 10,000 km of railway tracks and 43 station buildings in Ukraine have been damaged, destroyed or lost.

Source: Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), as reported by Ukrinform

Details: It is stated that since 24 February 2022, nearly 10,000 km of tracks and 43 station buildings have been damaged, destroyed or lost, along with other infrastructure facilities.

A report by Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), covering February 2022 to January 2024, estimates that up to 507 km of railway tracks have been damaged, and 126 railway stations and terminals have been either damaged or destroyed. Over 55 of these are in Ukraine-controlled areas, while the remainder are in territories currently outside Ukrainian control.

More than 700 km of railway lines are located in temporarily occupied territories. Overall, 5,500 buildings and around 4,000 structures belonging to Ukrzaliznytsia have been damaged, destroyed or lost.

KSE analysts estimate the total direct damage to railway infrastructure at USD 4.3 billion.

Ukrzaliznytsia has been restoring tracks damaged by Russian forces, with more than 3,600 km of tracks, 41 station buildings and other infrastructure facilities partially or fully restored since the invasion began to ensure trains continue to operate.

In seasonal repair works over the first eight months of 2024, railway workers managed to repair 737.6 km of tracks, reaching 62% of the year’s target.

Background: In September, Russian forces attacked a station and train in Zaporizhzhia.

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