WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - Three International Criminal Court judges on Wednesday sued U.S. ​President Donald Trump and his administration over sanctions imposed on them last year, arguing the measures were unlawful.

Czech President Petr Pavel on Tuesday said that he had filed a lawsuit against the government, challenging Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's decision to not include him in the government delegation attending the NATO summit in Ankara in July.

Note;.couldn't find any other source.

Iran has announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz in two months, after the 60-day period of negotiation that has been triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding.

Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the strait would not be welcome.

[The Netherlands]. A new NOS analysis based on shared photographs, video, and data suggests that a small but consistent group of activists regularly show up at local asylum protests across the Netherlands, regardless of the municipality. While these demonstrations are typically initiated by local residents, the analysis indicates that this group repeatedly joins in and, according to the findings, steers parts of the gatherings towards a more radical and violent agenda.

The core group appears to be no more than a few dozen individuals.(..) Far-right organization Defend Nederland was identified as the most active group in the analysis, appearing at 43 of the 48 protests examined. According to the report, Defend Nederland maintains close ties with several radical groups, including Nationale Trots, Brigade Holland, Freedom Fighters, and Identitair Verzet.

Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg want stronger safeguards to act faster against democratic and legal breaches in future EU members. The proposal reflects the lessons learned from the Orbán era.

Alt source Reuters

Aviation News – Germany and France have agreed to abandon a flagship project to develop a next-generation European fighter jet after failing to overcome longstanding industrial disputes between the companies involved. The decision marks a significant setback for one of Europe’s most ambitious defence initiatives and raises new questions about future military cooperation on the continent.

Chinese espionage in the European Union and neighboring countries reveals its full scope when certain pieces are connected. The May 20 arrest in Germany of a German couple of Chinese origin who were taking military-technology information from universities is a particularly notable case. But it is only one of many. The episode exposes a strategy of large-scale, coordinated infiltration when placed alongside other arrests in EU member states and neighboring countries. In total, around 30 agents and collaborators have been uncovered in Europe and its vicinity in just the past two years; some were arrested, several expelled, and others are awaiting trial. China typically denies all espionage allegations and describes them as slander.

Among the apparent attempts to interfere with Wilson’s findings – based on interviews with officials from 14 law enforcement agencies in the UK – was an approach to him by a former British police officer who had been a Chinese citizen before being naturalised in the UK, he said.

Russia used its powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile for a third time in Ukraine as part of a massive attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region that killed at least four people and injured about 100.

Russia hit the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region with the missile, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said. He described a heavy Russian assault that also hit a water supply facility, burned down a market and damaged dozens of residential buildings and several schools. They are genuinely deranged,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

Turkish riot police forced their way into the headquarters of the country's main opposition party on Sunday, days after a court dismissed its leadership.

Clouds of tear gas billowed outside the Republican People's Party (CHP) building in Ankara, where party members had blocked the entrances with a makeshift barricade.

Footage from the scene showed those inside shouting and throwing objects towards the entrance, and police being sprayed with hoses. (..)

Human Rights Watch warned on Saturday that Erdoğan's government was undermining Turkish democracy with "abusive tactics" against the CHP.

"Among the core courses is one titled “Defence against technical reconnaissance”. Over 144 hours across two semesters, students are taught the full toolkit of modern hacking, including password attacks, software vulnerabilities and so called trojans – malicious programs disguised as legitimate software that can grant unauthorised access to a system.

To pass the course, students are required to carry out “practical penetration tests”, while one module is devoted entirely to computer viruses. As part of the assessment, they must develop one themselves.

Students are also taught the structure and organisation of US and British military intelligence agencies. Separate sessions cover the use of western intelligence in the war in Ukraine, and the development of enemy reconnaissance and strike drones on the Ukrainian battlefield.

Apart from hacking tasks, the curriculum also covers information warfare. Advanced students must complete a seminar on developing a disinformation campaign, the documents suggest, tasked with creating a social media video using “manipulation, pressure and hidden propaganda”.

Students are taught the mechanics of psychological manipulation and how to impose a “correct” perception of information on an audience."

A wildfire broke out on Thursday near Weert, in the province of Limburg, according to the regional safety authority. The fire is located in the area of Geuzendijk. Kempen Airport, which is mainly used for recreational aviation, is being evacuated as a precaution. Smoke from the fire is moving in the direction of Budel. It is part of a spree of wildfires throughout the Netherlands in the last few days.

Update 20.38 CET via NOS

Here’s what has happened in the last few hours:

• The Netherlands is being ravaged by wildfires. These are the key developments from the last few hours:
• The Netherlands is requesting assistance from European fire services. “We hope to have additional resources at our disposal as early as tomorrow,” says the coordinator of the national wildfire task force. According to the coordinator, it is unprecedented for the fire service to request international assistance.
• There have been at least six wildfires across the country today. Some of these have now been brought under control or even extinguished, but a number of fires are still raging.

Translation via Deepl.

The Greek parliament on Wednesday voted to lift the immunity of 13 MPs from the ruling New Democracy party who are alleged to have been involved in a scandal involving EU agricultural funds.

Two MPs, Katerina Papakosta and Kostas Karamanlis, will be investigated for the alleged felony of moral instigation against the financial interests of the EU. Nine MPs – Ioannis Kefalogiannis, Notis Mitarachi, Kostas Tsiaras, Kostas Skrekas, Dimitris Vartzopoulos, Maximos Senetakis, Lakis Vasileiadis, Christos Boukoros and Theofilos Leontaridis – will be investigated for the same alleged offence, but as a misdemeanour.

EU member states on Wednesday gave a preliminary approval to unlock a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. The decision comes after delays linked to an oil dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, with Hungary vetoing the funding.

EU member states on Wednesday gave a preliminary approval to unlock a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. The decision comes after delays linked to an oil dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, with Hungary vetoing the funding.

Many hope that the stumbling blocks Orban erected will be removed, though there is also concern that Magyar, once a staunch loyalist of the defeated prime minister who split over anti-corruption concerns, won’t play ball all the time.

The main thing Magyar will try to focus on in Brussels is, after all, not foreign policy. It’s to unblock some 18 billion euros ($21 billion) that the EU has frozen in recent years due to what is perceived as democratic backsliding in the country during the Orban years.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s parliament voted Saturday to elect Nizar Amidi, a political official with one of the country’s two main Kurdish parties, as president, five months after a parliamentary election that didn’t produce a bloc with a decisive majority.

His election comes as Iraq is reeling from the fallout of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Iraq became caught in the middle of the conflict, with Iran-backed militias launching attacks on U.S. bases and diplomatic facilities as well as on critical energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel carried out airstrikes targeting the militias, some of which killed members of the Iraqi military.

The war and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz also largely halted the oil exports upon which Iraq’s economy depends.

The Great Recession in Europe, the economic downturn that began in 2008, resulted in job and income loss, which demonstrably contributed to a rise in poor mental health among those affected. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the measures put in place to contain the virus, similarly caused a spike in the prevalence of poor mental health due to job and income insecurity. Moreover, this crisis negatively impacted mental health through other factors, notably social isolation and the deterioration of working conditions in sectors such as care.

Question; these trends must somehow be worldwide anyone has a take on this from their region?

The 2024 report outlines several interconnected aspects influencing the situation of young people [15-29 yo] in the European Union (EU), encompassing demographics, employment, education, social inclusion, political engagement, environmental activism, and health. These topics are not isolated but are intricately related, with many factors influencing others, creating a complex landscape for policy makers and stakeholders.

#Note 1: Relevance with reference to this recent euronews Post and the many comments, I digged up a recent 2024 comparative study published by EU.

#Note 2: Summary of 90 page publication in the comments (via Le chat AI). Or check the original pub in pdf via the link.

#Note 3: This more elaborate eurofund 2025 study titled, 'The roots of Europe's mental health crisis run deep' , encompasses all big Europen crises since 2009 and their economic & mental health impact. Yes, there is a strong correlation, and there are no simple solutions.

• Trump administration said in 2020 that he could leave treaties
• Congress passed law in 2023 barring unilateral NATO withdrawal
• No NATO member has ever withdrawn from the 77-year-old alliance
• As senator, Rubio helped lead effort to prevent unilateral withdrawal

WHAT DOES U.S. LAW SAY? In 2023, Congress passed, and then-President Joe Biden, a ​Democrat, signed into law, legislation barring any U.S. president from suspending, terminating, denouncing or withdrawing the United States from the treaty that established NATO unless the withdrawal is backed by a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate.

TL;DR; Per 2023 Congressional Law, not without a 2/3 US Congressional majority (and with a one year notice to NATO). But, experts said this lack of commitment, rather than any law, was the key point.