Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under increasing legal pressure. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. While this is mobilizing broad support for Netanyahu in Israel, it is exacerbating the country's international isolation and could make negotiations with Hamas and Hezbollah more difficult. At the same time, a corruption trial, which is soon to continue, threatens his political end. Critics accuse him of using the Gaza war to delay the proceedings. In addition, Netanyahu refuses to allow an independent investigation into the conduct of the war, which according to experts could have favored the ICC decision. Netanyahu could be arrested in future when travelling, except in countries such as the USA that do not recognize the ICC. Israel is counting on US support under future President Donald Trump to put pressure on the ICC.
Donald Trump nominates investor Scott Bessent as US Secretary of the Treasury. Bessent, an experienced financial expert, stands for market-friendly deregulation and more moderate tariffs. He will take on key tasks in tax, economic and sanctions policy, but will have to manage growing US debt and Trump's energy and trade policy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced further tests of the new Oreshnik hypersonic missile after it was used for the first time in the Ukraine conflict. The missile, which can hit several targets simultaneously, reached speeds of over 13,000 km/h according to Ukraine. Putin stressed that there was no defense against the missile and that it was being mass-produced. Kiev responded by developing new defense systems in cooperation with Western partners. President Selensky condemned the missile attack as an international offense and warned against further escalation. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate, with Russia blaming the West for direct interference.
The founding family of Seven & i Holdings has approached investment firms such as KKR, Bain Capital and Apollo Global Management for a possible takeover of the Japanese retailer, according to the *Nikkei*. As bank financing alone is not enough, Japan's largest banks are to be involved in the financing by the end of December. The family is trying to strengthen the group and fend off a hostile takeover by the Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard worth 47 billion dollars.
Americans can save a little on this year's Thanksgiving dinner as the price of a classic turkey has dropped again. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, a meal for ten people will cost an average of $58.08, down from $61.17 last year. Despite this savings, the overall cost for hosts has increased: According to Lending Tree, expenses for food, drinks and decorations average $431, up 19% compared to 2023. Travel is in particularly high demand this year: according to AAA, nearly 80 million Americans will be traveling - a record. At the same time, rising prices are putting pressure on budgets, which is also having an impact on Christmas sales, which are expected to experience the slowest growth in six years.
Olaf Scholz, after crises and disputes within the traffic light coalition, remains the SPD candidate for chancellor. Despite difficult government leadership, particularly due to the war in Ukraine and budget disputes, the SPD is once again backing him. After the collapse of the coalition and the dismissal of Finance Minister Lindner, Scholz remains determined. Although other candidates such as Boris Pistorius have been mentioned, he has decided not to run, meaning that Scholz's renewed candidacy is fixed.
France has given Ukraine the green light for the deployment of long-range missiles against Russian targets, which Ukraine considers to be a legitimate act of self-defense. This position was confirmed by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and follows the already known position of President Macron. France has been supplying Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine since July 2023, while Germany refuses to supply long-range weapons. Moscow reacted sharply to this permission and described it as a “death blow” for Ukraine. In Kiev, the Russian threat is seen as a sign of Putin's fear of the West and Ukraine. Mychajlo Podoljak, advisor to the Ukrainian president, called for a tougher stance from the West towards Russia. The Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region has inflicted heavy losses on Russia, but the area has also been partially recaptured. President Zelenskyi expressed the hope that the war could end in 2025 if Russia wanted it to and the global South sided more strongly with Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Barcelona on Saturday to protest against rising rents. According to the police, around 22,000 people took part, while the organizers put the figure at 170,000. The demonstrators demanded a 50% reduction in rents, open-ended rental contracts and a ban on speculative property sales. In addition, vacant apartments and tourist accommodation should be made available to locals again. The protest is directed against mass tourism and investments by foreigners, which are exacerbating the housing situation. Barcelona is planning to stop allowing vacation apartments from 2028 and make them available to permanent tenants instead. In the last ten years, rental prices in Spain have risen by 82%, while salaries have only increased by 17%. Similar protests have also taken place in Madrid and other Spanish cities.
Russia's new Oreshnik rocket will reach London in 16-17 minutes, Berlin in 11-12 minutes and Paris in 15-16 minutes. The British newspaper Daily Mail writes about this and publishes infographics. According to this, Oreshnik will fly to the most important European centers in 11-17 minutes. The Kremlin had previously stated that this missile could hit targets throughout Europe.
Trump calls NATO to crisis summit in Florida! “Could a meeting behind closed doors in Mar-a-Lago change the course of world history? US President-elect Donald Trump has invited high-ranking NATO representatives to Florida to discuss the Ukraine-Russia conflict. In this video, we take a look at the escalation of the conflict, Russia's deployment of hypersonic missiles and reports of North Korean support - and analyze Trump's bold plan to de-escalate.”
According to the Pentagon, since October last year, US forces stationed in the Middle East have been attacked twice in Jordan, 79 times in Iraq and 125 times in Syria by Iranian-backed militias.
US puts strategic nuclear submarines on high alert The US Department of Defense has announced an updated nuclear deterrence strategy As part of this strategy, the US Department of Defense has increased the readiness of the Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarines with Trident II intercontinental ballistic missiles and accelerated the development of the B61-13 free-fall bomb.
SpaceX and Blue Origin will bring equipment for astronauts to the moon
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