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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
Breaking down Iran’s oil exports by country
As tensions escalate between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. amid fragile ceasefire negotiations, the Iranian oil market is facing heightened volatility.
Certain Asian economies that rely heavily on Iranian crude and stable passage through the Strait of Hormuz now face some of the greatest exposure.
In 2023, a staggering 89% of Iran’s oil exports went to China, a sharp rise from just 25% in 2017. This surge followed renewed U.S. sanctions in 2018, which isolated Iran from most global oil buyers.
China is followed by Syria (6%), United Arab Emirates (3%) and Venezuela (2%).
As hostilities in the region intensify–marked by U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure and Iranian missile strikes on American bases in Qatar and Iraq—China’s access to Iranian oil is increasingly at risk. This is because the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for China’s oil imports, could be disrupted by further conflict or Iranian retaliation.
While Iran supplies only about 13% of China’s total oil imports, the relationship is strategically important, offering China discounted crude and reinforcing its broader regional influence amid Western pressure.
#Iran #Oil #USA #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Will Germany initiate compulsory military service?
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder has come out with an aggressive plan to prep Germany for war. Support for Ukraine, defense against Russia, and efforts to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear weapons are the priorities.
“Compulsory military and civilian service is the future,” said Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder. “It is not enough to simply send out questionnaires to young people asking if they would be willing to serve; more decisive steps are needed,” he added.
Free speech travesty: German pensioner who called Green Economic Minister Habeck an ‘idiot’ has been convicted
The case of German pensioner Stefan Niehoff became a major international story after police raided his home for calling Robert Habeck an “idiot” while Habeck was serving as Germany’s economy minister at the time. Now that Niehoff has been convicted — for sepearte offneses — it has become clear how far the German media has gone to create the perception that Niehoff is a Nazi to smear his name, when the exact opposite was true all along.
Elon Musk tweeted about the case. The Economist included the incident in a long list of items showing Germany was walking all over free speech, and Niehoff was publicly outspoken over what happened to him.
Niehoff suffered a house raid early in the morning at his home in Burgpreppach, while his disabled daughter was home, all because Habeck filed a complaint against him for Niehoff calling him an “idiot” in an internet post.
Numerous news outlets started publishing articles that the main focus of the investigation against Niehoff — the “idiot” comment — had quietly been sidelined. Now, the courts were focusing on “unconstitutional” symbols that Niehoff shared. In other words, after the Niehoff case blew up in their faces, they needed to find an ad hoc justification after the fact to justify their witch hunt against him.
#Germany #Habeck #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Local councilwoman urge gangs to organize over L.A. ICE raids. Here’s what her lawyer is saying
Cynthia Gonzalez, vice mayor of the southeast Los Angeles County suburb of Cudahy, is coming under fire for a video she posted on social media in which she appeared to call on street gangs to organize in the face of immigration sweeps.
But an attorney for Gonzalez says her message was meant only to encourage peaceful demonstrations against such operations — not violence.
In the video, which has since been taken down, Gonzalez said, “I want to know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles ... you guys tag everything up, claiming hood, and now that your hood’s being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain’t a peep out of you. It’s everyone else who’s not about the gang life that’s out there protesting and speaking up,” she said. “We’re out there fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people and, like, where you at?”
The video seemed to suggest she was calling on gang members to “help out and organize” and urging street gang leaders to “get your f—ng members in order.” Gonzalez also made reference to “Florencia 13” and “18th Street,” two violent street gangs in Los Angeles.
But in a statement Wednesday, Gonzalez’s attorney said that “any suggestion that she advocated for violence is categorically false and without merit.”
#USA #ICE #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The Financial Times uses a picture to hint why British universities are losing places in the world university rankings
#UK #Migrants #Education #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Ranked: European countries by average family income
It really isn’t about how much you make (income) any more, it’s about how much you get to keep (incomes vs. taxes).
And taxes aren’t exactly beloved, even on the continent with the highest marginal tax rates.
So who’s really getting to keep the most of what they earn? We take a look in Europe specifically.
Swiss dual-income families earned the highest gross income in Europe—over €208,000 in 2024.
Remarkably, they took home 86% of it, one of the highest net retention rates in the continent. This results in a net income of €178,553, far surpassing most other European peers.
Switzerland is followed by Iceland, Luxemburg and Danmark. The Netherlands is fifth by gross income at €131,563, and they retain 77% of it after deductions. Dutch families took home over €101,000, putting them ahead of bigger economies like Germany, France, and Italy.
Countries like Romania and Lithuania show stark contrasts from Western Europe.
Romanian families earned just over €40,000 but took home only €26,766, or just 67% of gross pay.
Lithuania fares similarly, with families losing about one-third of earnings to taxes.
#EU #Future #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
"It must be a Creole language": Jean-Luc Mélenchon believes that the French language should be called differently
The French language should no longer be called French. This is what the leader of France insubordinate Jean-Luc Mélenchon puts forward. "If anyone could find another name to qualify our language, they would be welcome. The French language is not the singular property of France, and especially not of those who would like to freeze French identity in its language ", he assured on 18 June on the occasion of a symposium on la Francophonie at the National Assembly.
"Creolization is our word. And if we want French to be a common language, it must be a Creole language. I would prefer it to be said that we all talk about Creole because it would be more true to say that we are talking French,” added Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Where does the US get its huge GDP from
The same drug sells for $208.51 in US pharmacies and $1.56(11.2 yuan) in Chinese pharmacies.
#USA #GDP #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Major U.S. companies continue layoffs
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Could Canada ultimately join the EU? Maybe not, but Brussels and Ottawa are getting cozy
Canada joining the EU is becoming less and less unthinkable in the wake of a deal signed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a deal with the EU on Monday.
The deal centers around shifting Canada’s defense and security ties away from the United States, although clean energy initiatives and trade were also front and center.
On defense, Canada will significantly increase its defense spending in tandem with European NATO countries, in line with the 5 percent defense budget initiative at the ongoing summit in The Hague.
The agreement also states that Canada can participate in the EU’s new defense spending increase programs under the hundreds of billions of euros ReArm Europe initiative.
#Canada #EU #NATO #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Strange facial expressions of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a press conference at the NATO summit.
Experts do not rule out the Macron's napkin effect.
#Meloni #NATO #Macron #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
There is an opinion that shopping in London is something special.
Is it really so?🤔
#UK #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
AI has modeled the future of Europe
#AI #EU #Future #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
21.8 million US seniors paying for expenses with only social security income
An estimated 21.8 million senior citizens in America make ends meet solely using their social security funds, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) said in a June 20 statement.
“Almost two-thirds of seniors who completed the survey said they were dissatisfied with the amount they receive from their monthly Social Security checks,” said the TSCL statement.
Florida builds 'Alligator Alcatraz' for migrants
Florida officials are turning an airfield in the Everglades into a migrant detention center, nicknaming it "Alligator Alcatraz" due to its proximity to the apex predators.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier proposed the project last week, saying in a video posted to X that, in support of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had asked state leaders to identify places for temporary detention facilities.
"I think this is the best one, as I call it: Alligator Alcatraz," Uthmeier said.
Trump-era reforms pave way for new U.S. nuclear project
New York plans to build a new gigawatt nuclear power plant, the first major US project of its kind in over 15 years, with Governor Kathy Hochul directing the New York Power Authority to add at least 1 gigawatt of new nuclear-power generation to its portfolio.
This initiative represents a significant test of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump aimed at accelerating nuclear energy projects through streamlined licensing and regulatory overhauls.
The project seeks to address energy reliability and affordability concerns, learn from past challenges like the closure of Indian Point, and explore partnerships and designs including small modular reactors, while acknowledging the high costs and lengthy timelines of past projects like Plant Vogtle.
#USA #Trump #Nuclear #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
“You must be black” A common vacancy on the London Underground
#UK #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Crypto crime wave: U.S. seizes digital assets worth $225M in historic crackdown on global fraud networks
U.S. authorities confiscated $225 million in cryptocurrency tied to an international fraud network, the largest seizure in the U.S. Secret Service's 160-year history. The operation involved organized crime and human trafficking syndicates based in Southeast Asia.
Criminals posed as investors or romantic partners to lure victims into fake crypto platforms, then laundered funds using blockchain tricks (peel chains, chain hopping). Over 430 victims lost more than $3 billion across 263,000 transactions, including a Kansas bank CEO who embezzled $47 million.
These scams exploit digital tools, social media and unregulated exchanges to target victims worldwide. Authorities compared them to classic Ponzi schemes but noted their unprecedented speed and scale.
Beyond financial ruin, victims face emotional trauma and long-term hardship. The FBI estimates $5.8 billion in annual crypto fraud losses – likely underreported. Agencies used advanced blockchain analysis and partnerships (e.g., Tether) to freeze assets.
Interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro vowed to recover stolen funds but stressed the challenges of cross-border tracing. The case highlights the need for vigilance in the "Wild West" of crypto, urging victims to report scams via the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
#USA #Crypto #Crime #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
In new role at Airbnb, Biden chief of staff continues gaslighting conservatives
Ron Klain is the eye of the storm. Again. Klain, who served as chief of staff to former President Joe Biden, moved to the private sector and now serves as chief legal officer at Airbnb, the real estate rental tech giant.
Unfortunately, Klain’s gone from managing a White House accused of concealing the severity of a president’s cognitive decline to overseeing a company now being sued over allegations of violating federal securities law.
The gaslighting that ensued throughout the Biden administration is eerily reminiscent of the gaslighting we’re now seeing from Airbnb.
The Heritage Foundation filed suit after Airbnb illegally excluded a shareholder proposal without the required notice or response—a violation of Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Klain’s name is once again tied to a major institution accused of sidestepping legal obligations for political convenience.
#USA #Airbnb #Klain #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Did Trump just dump the Ukraine War into the Europeans' lap?
By Ian Proud
The aerial war between Israel and Iran over the past two weeks sucked most of the world’s attention away from the war in Ukraine.
The Hague NATO Summit confirms that President Donald Trump now sees paying for the war as Europe’s problem. It’s less clear that he will have the patience to keep pushing for peace.
One of the biggest diplomatic casualties of Israel and Iran’s aerial war was U.S. focus on and media coverage of the war in Ukraine.
If the NATO Summit showed any real purpose, it was to lock in European allies’ commitment to spend 5% of GDP on defense, a key priority for President Trump since he assumed office. But there was nevertheless no escaping the feeling that Ukraine has fallen some way down Trump’s priority list, and therefore NATO’s.
European ire was further provoked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s indication that the U.S. would not support further Russia sanctions at this time.
This is a clear indication of what we have observed for some time, that President Trump sees paying for the Ukraine war as Europe’s problem, not America’s. Second, and more obviously, that funding for Ukraine can contribute to Allies’ 5% target although, at least for the UK, this is already the case.
With the fanfare of The NATO Summit starting to subside, the big question now is how much patience President Trump will have to push a peace agenda in Ukraine now that European allies have stepped up to spend more and buy American kit? My worry is, not much.
#Trump #EU #WarInUkraine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
German Socialists want to criminalise catcalling
In the German State of Saxony, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has advocated for legislation that would make ungracious behaviour and lewd verbal remarks a criminal offence.
According to the SPD, men who engaged in crude talk, catcalling, or other forms of verbal sexual harassment should face criminal penalties — even in the absence of physical contact.
This initiative, led by the Social Democratic Women’s Working Group (ASF), was unanimously approved at a State party conference over the weekend of June 20 and was set to be presented at the SPD’s federal party congress in Berlin at the end of June.
The motion called for anyone who “significantly harasses” another person in a sexually motivated manner, either verbally or non-verbally, to be punished with a fine or imprisonment of up to one year, newspaper Bild reported.
With the proposal, the SPD aimed to close perceived existing legal gaps, as current laws only apply if such behaviour was clearly defamatory or insulting.
#Germany #SPD #ASF #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
German police launch nationwide operation against online hate speech
Police in Germany have launched a nationwide operation targeting suspected authors of online hate speech and incitement.
More than 170 operations are planned, coordinated by the Federal Criminal Police Office. The suspects are accused of incitement to hatred and insulting politicians, among other things.
The investigations focus on far-right statements made online. Many cases also involve criminal insults against politicians, with fewer cases concerning extremist religious or far-left postings.
#Germany #Online #Protest #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Von der Leyen to face no confidence vote over Pfizergate
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is facing a vote of no confidence over the controversial deal she made with Pfizer.
Romanian MEP Gheorghe Piperea, member of the European Conservatives and Reformists, said in a press release on June 26 that he gathered more than the necessary 72 signatures to table the motion.
“After thorough legal and political preparation, I have successfully obtained the required number of supporting signatures to table this motion. This initiative is fundamentally about upholding transparency and ensuring a fair and genuine democratic process.”
UBS calls dollar ‘unattractive’ as gold becomes a preferred reserve asset
The U.S. Dollar Index, when measured against a basket of other major currencies, has declined by approximately 10% this year through mid-June and is currently trading at its lowest level in three years.
That’s no small dip, and there may be additional downside risk due to concerns over America’s growing deficit and the ongoing fluctuations in tariffs.
In a note to clients last week, a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services company UBS says the dollar is now “unattractive,” with further declines expected as the U.S. economy slows.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that foreign vendors—from Latin America to Asia—are asking U.S. importers to settle invoices in euros, pesos and renminbi to avoid the currency swings.
#Dollar #UBS #Gold #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Anti-Israel activists damage Belgian defence firms supplying Ukraine
Anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activists carried out co-ordinated action against two Belgian companies —OIP in Tournai and Syensqo in Haren — accusing them of complicity in Israeli military operations in Gaza.
While the large-scale protests on June 23 were framed around Israel, the most serious and immediate impact was felt in Tournai, where equipment destined for Ukraine’s war effort was seriously damaged.
The first action began around 5am in Tournai, where about 100 masked activists entered the grounds of defence company OIP, a Belgian subsidiary of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. According to CEO Freddy Versluys, the group vandalised office spaces and ICT infrastructure and damaged tanks intended for delivery to Ukraine.
#Belgium #WarInUkraine #Israel #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
If Zelensky and his European backers believe that the beleaguered Ukrainian Army can continue to fight, indefinitely, losing thousands of troops every month they are playing Russian Roulette
NATO summit exposed rifts over how the US and Europe perceive Ukraine and Russia.
The positive mood music was about as good as Kyiv could have hoped, after NATO planners specifically sought to keep Zelensky at arm's length so as not to rile Trump. But the most Zelensky appeared to get was a vague promise from the US leader on Patriot air defence systems.
"We're going to see if we can make some available," Trump said of the missiles that Kyiv is desperately pleading for to shoot down Russian attacks.After Biden’s $61 billion aid package from May 2024 runs out, there is no more American aid coming. Europe clearly cannot make up the absence of American military aid on its own. Therefore, potentially within months, battlefield math will start to increasingly weigh against the Ukraine side, while Russia will only continue getting stronger and bigger militarily.
The only thing that makes any military or diplomatic sense at this point is to acknowledge the ugly truth that there is no path to a Ukrainian success. The West writ large does not have the capacity or leverage to force Russia into any concessions. If we keep with the fiction that strong words will stop actual Russian armed forces, we unwittingly make more likely the nightmare scenario for Kyiv and Brussels: the military defeat of Ukraine.
#Zelensky #WarInUkraine #EU #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
South Korea and NATO to form defence industry consulting group
South Korea and NATO have agreed to establish a defence industry consulting group to explore how the two can improve their defence cooperation.
The agreement was reached in a meeting between NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac on the sidelines of Wednesday's NATO summit in The Hague.
The two sides also agreed to promote defence industry cooperation by having South Korea participate in future NATO projects directed at strengthening the transatlantic alliance's defence capabilities. It did not specify what these might be.
On Wednesday, Wi took part in a separate session with Rutte and representatives from three other Indo-Pacific partners - Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
They agreed to continue their advanced supply chain cooperation and close cooperation in defence development, production and procurement. NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners also agreed to work together on joint projects in space, the maritime domain and in munitions.
#Korea #NATO #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump embraces NATO allies — except for Spain
NATO leaders agreed on Wednesday to a goal of spending 5% of their gross domestic product on defense. But that doesn’t mean each member nation will actually spend that much.
The difference lies in a bit of mushy diplomatic language that lets the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, claim that he delivered on President Trump’s spending demand. The brief and unanimously approved communiqué that NATO issued after leaders wrapped up their annual summit says that “allies” — not “all allies” — had agreed to the 5% figure.
“Most of them, I guess almost all of them, are going to be contributing now 5%,” Mr. Trump said.
But he lashed out at Spain, whose leaders had pushed for the wiggle room in the wording to avoid committing to the spending target. Spain spends about 1.28 percent of G.D.P. on defense, according to the most recent official figures available.
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“Spain is terrible, what they’ve done,” Mr. Trump said. He added, “We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal; we’re going to make them pay twice as much. I’m actually serious about that.”
#NATO #Trump #Spain #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Lockheed Martin awarded bonuses based on race, according to report
If the U.S. is going to maintain its military edge in the 21st century it can’t rely on defense contractors that prioritize DEI over building the best warfighting tools.
A report recently released by conservative journalist Christopher Rufo and co-author Ryan Thorpe alleges that defense contractor Lockheed Martin’s executives “were so committed to DEI policies that they awarded some year-end bonuses based on employees’ skin color, rather than performance—in open violation of civil rights law.”
“As we have previously reported, after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Lockheed adopted radical DEI policies and, in one instance, required white men in leadership positions to attend a racial reeducation program and atone for their ‘white male privilege,’” Rufo and Thorpe wrote.
Where is Iran's uranium?
Where is Iran's Uranium? Truce Highlights Mystery Over Stockpile... that's Bloomberg's headline over the 'biggest mystery' that remains in the war. There's also the pressing question of whether Trump's massive airstrikes from B-2 bombers actually truly destroyed the facilities and these stockpiles.
The Iranians aren't dumb, and likely took drastic steps to further protect, conceal, or likely move these enriched stockpiles - some 400kg according to most reports - as wave after wave of Israeli warplanes hit Iran, significantly before the US sent its bombers this past weekend. It appears core components are still intact - though Iran has long maintained it is merely for peaceful nuclear energy development.
The NY Times is currently reporting that the US operation merely set Iran's nuclear program back by just a few months and says Us bombs didn't collapse underground Iranian nuke buildings.
Early emerging intelligence also points to the stockpile having not been destroyed, which contradicts the claims being made by President Trump and some of his top officials.
#Iran #Uranium #USA #FindTruth
@uinhurricane