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Researcher & writer based in Hong Kong. Former academic. Longform articles archived at https://lauraruggeri.substack.com and https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com. Email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
NATO Summit - The Godfather Doctrine and its Protection Racket. When Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez explained that Spain is not going to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, saying instead that Madrid would spend 2.1 percent of its GDP, Trump responded “I think Spain’s terrible what they’ve done. They want to stay at 2 percent, I think it’s terrible. They’re doing very well. The economy is very well. And that economy could be blown right out of the water with something bad happening.”
He later added that he would negotiate directly with Spain on a trade deal, saying: “We’re going to make them pay twice as much. And I’m actually serious about that. . . . They want a little bit of a free ride, but they’ll have to pay it back to us on trade, because I’m not going to let that happen. It’s unfair. . . . They’ll pay more money this way.” @LauraRuHK
The authors of a recent article published in the U.S. magazine Foreign Affairs noticed with dismay that with the exception of Japan and the Philippines, Southeast Asian countries are refusing to take sides in the U.S.-Chinese rivalry. They lament that over the past 30 years have gradually but discernibly shifted away from the United States and toward China" as they see China as a source of economic opportunity, rather than a source of ideological threat. They conveniently ignore U.S. long history of neocolonialism in Southeast Asia - bloody coups, military aggressions, political meddling through colour revolutions and blackmail. Not to mention the 1997–1998 Asian Financial Crisis, a cautionary tale of Western financial neocolonialism, where Southeast Asian economies were devastated and exploited by speculative capital and then subjected to harsh IMF conditions that deepened economic hardship and eroded sovereignty through the imposition of austerity measures, privatization, and market liberalization designed to benefit American corporations.
They paint Washington as a benign provider of a "security umbrella" to ungrateful recipients of American generosity and are completely blind to U.S. attempts to dominate the region ideologically, economically, and militarily.
The authors are concerned that the second Trump administration’s policies could inadvertently bolster Beijing’s influence in Southeast Asia. Washington's decision to impose tariffs on ASEAN nations like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, combined with potential 100 percent tariffs on countries joining or approaching BRICS may alienate these nations. Additionally, if U.S. officials skip annual ASEAN meetings, they risk squandering the "trust and goodwill that Trump's predecessors have built up in Southeast Asia over the past half century" and pushing ASEAN countries closer to Beijing. @LauraRuHK
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/southeast-asia-starting-choose-khong-liow
Iran has launched 10 missiles at US bases in Qatar and one missile at a US base in Iraq. At least three missiles hit US’ Al Udeid base in Qatar, Iranian media reported. According to the New York Times, Iran gave warning in advance to avoid casualties. @LauraRuHK /channel/presstv/145955
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🇮🇷🗣Iran grateful to Russia for condemning actions of Israel, US against Iran - Araghchi
Tehran considers the actions of the US and Israel against Iran illegitimate, the Iranian side has right to defend itself, he said at the meeting with President Putin.
⚡️The Iranian parliament has agreed that the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, should be closed.
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At present, approximately 50 large oil tankers are attempting to navigate out of the Strait of Hormuz.
The oil industry appears to anticipate that this vital waterway may be closed in the near future.
Consequently, it seems likely that oil prices will surge.
@PressTV
Last year 382,071 foreigners moved to Italy, the highest number since 2014, statistics agency Istat said. The figures are derived from town registry offices, so are unlikely to reflect undocumented migration.
Ukrainians made up the biggest national group among those who arrived in 2023-2024, followed by Albanians, Bangladeshis, Moroccans, Romanians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Argentines and Tunisians. ▪️In the same period, 155,732 Italians emigrated, also the highest figure since 2014. The figure of almost 270,000 nationals emigrating in the two-year period from 2023 to 2024 was up around 40% compared to the previous two years.
Italy's stagnant economy and low wages - salaries are below 1990 levels in inflation-adjusted terms - have been blamed for pushing many Italians to seek better fortunes abroad. (Source: Reuters) @LauraRuHK
The New York Times openly admits that an attack on Iran is an attack on China's trade and energy security, and confidently suggests that there is not much China can do about it. Really? US overconfidence will blowback. It usually does. @LauraRuHK https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/world/asia/us-iran-israel-china.html
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Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of talks with the foreign ministers of Germany, France, UK and EU in Geneva, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi pointed out that as long as Israel continues its aggression against Iran, Tehran will not negotiate with any party.
The Israeli regime, he said, must stop its acts of aggression and crimes against the people of Iran, adding that until that doesn’t happen, there will be no negotiations with any party.
“Iran will continue to exercise its legitimate right to self-defense,” he remarked, adding that Iran is “deeply concerned” about the lack of condemnation of Israel’s horrific aggression."
He said that Iran supports continued dialogue with the three European countries and the European Union, and is ready for another round of talks in the near future.
@LauraRuHK
A US citizen who fled to Greece and was arrested on suspicion of killing his Russian partner, Anastasia Trofimova, and their infant daughter, had obtained from the Italian Ministry of Culture almost a million euros through tax credit benefits for a film that was never produced. The tax credit became cash when it was quickly transferred to a bank. According to US authorities, the man's real name is Charles Francis Kaufmann, and yet in 2017 he was issued a passport under the name Rexal Ford. Claiming to be a film producer/director/screenwriter (all Internet references to his films are bogus) he lived in several countries under his brand new identity. His last residence before entering Italy was Malta. Although his passport allowed him to travel to several countries without raising suspicion, for some reasons he didn't want to leave any trace of his entry to Italy and took a chartered boat from Malta to Sicily. Italian media initially referred to him and his partner as a homeless couple, drifters living in a tent and washing in public toilets, arguing in public. Then the narrative changed and he was described as someone living off thousands of euros he received from "his wealthy family" every month. An acquaintance of the couple said she was "a computer wizard, possibly a hacker." Her mother insists she was in Malta "to study English". Her body was discovered in Rome's Villa Pamphili park, a few hundred meters from her one y/o daughter's on 7 June. Last but not least, this mysterious man accused of double murder wants to be extradited to the US rather than Italy. Draw your own conclusions. @LauraRuHK
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Diplomacy vs Appeasement. Since i am reading all sort of nonsense with regards to China and Russia's approach to Israeli aggression, I would like to remind my readers that there is a substantial difference between effective diplomacy and appeasement. These approaches to international relations shouldn't be confused. Diplomacy seeks to advance a nation's interests through negotiation, while appeasement means conceding to the opponent's demands to avoid military confrontation. Since all wars are hybrid to an increasingly large extent, diplomacy can play an important role in the overall strategy. In hybrid warfare the importance of non-military instruments of national power shouldn't be underestimated. They include Diplomatic, Informational, Economic, Financial, Intelligence and Legal tools. The toolbox is never limited to military force alone. Yes, when push comes to shove, military superiority is still the decisive factor, just look at the Ukrainian front, but we shouldn't forget that the confrontation isn't limited to that theatre. Russia and China are perfectly aware of what is at stake in Iran and don't need Internet influencers cosplaying as analysts to remind them. As to those who are despondent and those who always seem to have a simplistic solution to complex problems, one that is invariably based on wishful-thinking or ignorance, well, maybe they should consider the possibility that Western non-military instruments are no longer as effective as they used to be — they encounter growing resistance. And that's because China and Russia are using them too. @LauraRuHK
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Tel Aviv stock market drops 3%, total losses estimated at $475 billion.
▶️ Video shows Tel Aviv Stock Exchange building which was one of the targets of Iranian missiles this morning.
@PressTV
China has attracted a growing influx of capital from Middle Eastern investors seeking to diversify their US-heavy portfolios.
Beijing announced on Tuesday that China had recorded a US$33 billion net capital inflow from non-banking sectors and higher foreign holdings of Chinese equities in May – an acceleration from April’s US$17.3 billion inflow.
The department did not break down the figures by country, but analysts noted a growing trend for global investors – including large Gulf sovereign wealth funds – to pivot towards stable, high-growth markets in Asia amid rising global instability.
“It is possible that some funds have been withdrawn from the US market for safe-haven purposes and redirected towards major trading nations and countries with substantial overseas net assets, such as China,” said Sun Lijian, director of Fudan University’s Financial Research Center in Shanghai.
Washington’s support for Israel amid an escalating regional conflict had left Gulf investors reluctant to put “all their eggs in one basket”, according to Sun.
The growing capital inflows into China also reflected the Gulf states’ increasing confidence in China’s opening-up policies and efforts to internationalise the yuan, he noted.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) were among the top 10 shareholders of 51 companies listed on China’s A-share markets as of the end of the first quarter, with their total holdings exceeding 16 billion yuan (US$2.23 billion), according to the state-run newspaper Securities Times. (Source: SCMP) @LauraRuHK https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3314922/china-records-bumper-capital-inflow-gulf-investors-hedge-against-us?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage
In a loop - The lie Benjamin Netanyahu has been telling for 30 years (1995-2025): "Iran is about to get nuclear weapons." Time to shut him up. @LauraRuHK /channel/olegtsarov/29809
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SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting held in China's Qingdao - Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Wednesday met with the defense ministers of several Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, including Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ruslan Mukambetov, and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, who are attending the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the SCO member states in Qingdao, China.
According to the Chinese Defense Ministry, Dong said that as profound changes unseen in a century are rapidly unfolding, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, while acts of hegemony, overbearing and bullying are severely undermining international order, becoming the primary source of instability and chaos. All parties should strengthen coordination and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the UN and the SCO, unite more progressive forces with shared ideals, uphold international fairness and justice and safeguard global strategic stability. Dong stressed that the defense departments of SCO member states must remain true to the organization's founding purpose, consolidate the strength of the SCO, continuously deepen practical cooperation, and take more robust actions to jointly preserve peace. (Source: Global Times) @LauraRuHK
The decline of Western dominance has been creating opportunities for non-Western nations to emancipate themselves from subalternity, set up new cooperation platforms based on multipolarity and mutual economic benefits.
As these nations focus on development and their national interest, the U.S. and its vassals, unable to compete economically, resort to hybrid warfare in a desperate effort to hold back the tide. Sanctions and military provocations, direct and through proxies, are part of this strategy.
Iran's restrained response—notifying the U.S. hours before the attack on US bases—reflects its desire to avoid a devastating war that could set back its progress. Meanwhile, the U.S. shows signs of waning appetite for prolonged conflict — it's retaining the capacity for targeted strikes, although their effectiveness is very much in doubt.
Israel emerges as the primary loser, facing growing vulnerabilities, isolation and diminishing strategic gains while Iran's retaliatory missiles expose weaknesses in Israel's Iron Dome. Let the Zionist entity choke on its chutzpah...the global majority approves. @LauraRuHK
The US has invented the expression "plausible deniability." But of course, it hasn't got an exclusive right to it. According to TASS, Russia and Iran are interacting in many areas. The Russian news agency added "disclosing details of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s talks in Moscow would be irresponsible." Absolutely. China and North Korea are also "interacting" with Iran but there is no need to broadcast details. @LauraRuHK
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Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, has criticised Israel for not being subject to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection programme, as it is not a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Nebenzia made the remarks during an emergency session of the UN Security Council held on Sunday to discuss the recent US attacks on Iran.
"There is no comprehensive program of IAEA inspections vis-à-vis Israel. Iran, on the other hand, was and remains the most inspected IAEA state in the world; but instead of getting support for taking such a stance, Iran has its territory and peaceful citizens being bombed, which is being done by a country that has in principle – I repeat – refused to sign the NPT. This is an outrageous and cynical situation, and we are surprised that the IAEA Director General has not said a word about it. Nor has he ever called on Israel to join the NPT."
"I think it is obvious to everyone in this chamber that unless we stop the escalation, the Middle East will find itself on the brink of a large-scale conflict, which is fraught with unpredictable consequences for the entire international security architecture. And the whole world could find itself on the verge of a nuclear catastrophe. We call for an immediate cessation of aggressive actions by Israel and the United States, and we urge all parties to exercise restraint and return into the fold of international diplomacy and negotiations."
22 June is the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow (День памяти и скорби.) On that day in 1941 Nazi Germany started its invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. On 22 June 2025 the US attacked Iran. Do you think it's just a coincidence (👍) or a deliberate provocation (🔥)?
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In a social media post, Trump brazenly claimed responsibility for attacks on Iran's nuclear sites that amount to a violation of Iran's territorial integrity and a breach of international conventions.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump claimed.
“All planes are now outside of Iranian airspace. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, #Fordow.”
The announcement followed reports in American media that the Pentagon was moving B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri toward the Persian Gulf.
According to Press TV sources, air defenses around the three underground nuclear sites were activated and the attack was successfully thwarted, except for minor exterior damage at the entry and exit points.
The source added that all three sites had long been evacuated and the enriched uranium had also been relocated to a safe location.
Trump’s statement came shortly after a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the ongoing Israeli military aggression against Iran and the question of US involvement.
Earlier, he had said he would make a final decision on the matter “within two weeks.”
An official, speaking to Press TV, said Iran is currently defending itself against the aggression of the Israeli regime and the United States while Trump seeks to create an illusion of victory.
By joining the Israeli regime's war against Iran, the official said, the US has effectively made itself a partner in the crime and exposed its interests in the region to Iranian retaliation.
"Calls for peace and a swift end to the war are signs of fear of Iran's military power and amount to an admission of American failure," the official noted. (Source: Press TV) @LauraRuHK
Yesterday at the Plenary session of SPIEF, the moderator Nadim Koteich (Sky News Arabia), asked president Putin: "Your army is advancing beyond the four regions that Moscow considers its own. How far will your army go?" Vladimir Putin: "You mentioned the regions that we consider our own. I have said many times that I consider the Russian and Ukrainian people to be one people. In this sense, the whole of Ukraine is ours.
But we proceed from the realities that are developing on the ground. Of course, there are people, and there are many of them in Ukraine, who strive to ensure their sovereignty and independence. By the way, we have never questioned their right – the right of the Ukrainian people to independence and sovereignty.
At the same time, the grounds on which Ukraine became independent and sovereign were set out in the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine of 1991, where it is clearly written that Ukraine is a non–aligned, non-nuclear, neutral state. It would be nice to return to these fundamental values, on their basis Ukraine gained its independence and sovereignty.
Second. From the very beginning, when the conflict had already acquired an acute, "hot" character, we suggested to the then Ukrainian leadership to immediately stop all hostilities, withdraw troops from those territories where people do not want to live as part of Ukraine, where anti-state and unconstitutional coups are taking place, but want to live either independently or as part of the Russian Federation. They refused.
How far will the army go. This is dictated by the logic of military operations, because the military commanders look at where it is better, where the ravines, mountains, rivers are, where it is better for the troops to go, in order to achieve the final result with the least losses. And that's why troops find themselves in different territories. You know, we have an old rule – it's not a saying, it's not a parable – but an old rule: wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, it's ours.
You see, I don't want to sound so militaristic. But as a matter of fact, we have proposed at every stage of the events that are taking place.… I want to emphasize this so that you understand that what I am saying is the absolute truth. At each stage, we suggested to those with whom we were in contact in Ukraine to stop, and said: let's negotiate, better do it now, because this logic of developing purely military actions can lead to your situation getting worse, and then we will have to conduct our negotiations from a position that is worse for you. It's happened a few times. I'm not going to go into details right now." @LauraRuHK▪️Read more 👉http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/77222
On May 25, 2025, the first freight train from Xi’an, China, arrived at the Aprin dry port, Iran, marking the official launch of a direct rail link between the two countries. This new logistical artery significantly reduces transit times (from 30–40 days by sea to roughly 15 days by land) yielding a direct impact on transportation costs. The railway deepens Tehran’s integration into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and offers China and Central Asian countries an access to Iranian ports on international waters. The route also circumvents vulnerable maritime chokepoints such as the Suez Canal, the Strait of Malacca, and the Strait of Hormuz. (Source: Silvia Boltuc, SpecialEurasia) ▪️Then on June 13 USrael attacked Iran, an integral part of a rail project that besides shortening distances also diversifies China's trade routes. Beijing has been concerned about the Malacca Strait for decades, as it could be blocked by the US and its allies in a confrontation with China. @LauraRuHK https://www.specialeurasia.com/2025/06/09/iran-china-railway-eurasia/
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The Italian newspaper Avvenire, which belongs to the Italian Episcopal Conference, pointed out that Kaufmann/Ford and Anastasia Trofimova, despite having the means to stay in expensive hotels, pitched a tent in the Villa Pamphili park, near Villa Abamelek, the residence of the Russian ambassador in Rome. Anastasia's and her daughter's naked bodies were also found in the same park. ▪️Read more here 👉 /channel/LauraRuHK/10203
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'Elon Musk: Why did X remove my check mark, restrict my account, and even shadow ban me?’ — Ex-Iranian FM Zarif
Adds that the world ‘needs to know all the facts’
He was reacting to his X account restricted in the wake of Israeli attacks
Iran launched a massive missile barrage early Thursday targeting Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Haifa, and al-Naqab, in one of the most significant retaliatory attacks to date.
According to Israeli media, over 20 missiles struck areas across the occupied territories, with several direct hits reported in central Tel Aviv and its northern district, Ramat Gan.
Iran’s state media, IRNA, stated the main target was the Israeli occupation military’s C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) headquarters located in the Gav-Yam tech park. The base houses thousands of military personnel, digital command systems, cyber operations units, and the Zionist army’s C4ISR systems.
While Soroka Hospital was affected by blast waves, it remained operational. Nearby, a sensitive biological research facility reportedly sustained damage, according to Israeli emergency services.
Il ministro degli Esteri iraniano Araghchi: “Netanyahu ha scatenato questa guerra per distruggere la diplomazia”.
E' necessario tenere a mente queste parole. Ed è per questo che vorrei sottolineare che è inutile e anzi controproducente discettare di forniture di armi da parte di Cina e Russia all'Iran quando questi paesi stanno compiendo sforzi diplomatici per evitare un'estensione del conflitto. Ieri, in occasione del Forum economico internazionale di San Pietroburgo (SPIEF), Vladimir Putin ha dichiarato: "L'Iran non sta chiedendo assistenza militare alla Russia. Ci sono state alcune forniture in passato, ma non legate alla crisi attuale".
▪️Sia la Cina che la Russia hanno condannato con forza l'aggressione israeliana denunciandola come una violazione della sovranità e dell'integrità territoriale della Repubblica islamica ai sensi del diritto internazionale. Hanno inoltre espresso la volontà di svolgere un ruolo costruttivo nella mediazione di un cessate il fuoco e nella ricerca di una soluzione diplomatica. I sionisti, e uso il termine in senso ampio, vogliono un'estensione del conflitto, ma questa escalation non è nell'interesse di nessun altro, e dovrebbe essere evitata con ogni mezzo.
▪️ Il Ministro degli Esteri iraniano Abbas Araghchi ha dichiarato in un post su X che ormai tutto il mondo dovrebbe sapere che "l'Iran si sta semplicemente difendendo. Anche di fronte all'aggressione più oltraggiosa contro il nostro popolo, l'Iran ha finora reagito solo contro il regime israeliano e non contro coloro che lo stanno aiutando e favorendo. Proprio come Netanyahu ha scatenato questa guerra per distruggere la diplomazia, il mondo dovrebbe essere molto allarmato per i crescenti tentativi del regime israeliano, che è in difficoltà, di farsi aiutare da altri e di coinvolgere nel conflitto l'intera regione e non solo", ha spiegato Araghchi. @LauraRuHK
I would like to stress that it's pointless and actually counterproductive to speculate about arms deliveries from China and Russia to Iran when efforts are being made to de-escalate the conflict. Yesterday at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg (SPIEF) Vladimir Putin stated "Iran is not asking Russia for military assistance. There were some deliveries in the past, but not related to the current crisis." Both China and Russia have strongly condemned the Israeli aggression as unprovoked and a violation of the Islamic Republic’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under international law. They have also expressed a willingness to play a constructive role in brokering a ceasefire and seeking a diplomatic solution. The Zionists are seeking an extension of the conflict, but that escalation is in no one else's interest and should be avoided by any means. @LauraRuHK
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