Around the World in 5 – 6
“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.”
In his bid to bolster American defence, Donald Trump has announced the ‘Golden Dome’ defence project, modelled on Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’. The aim of the initiative is to deploy space-based interceptors and sensors capable of detecting and neutralising missiles between launch and point of impact. With an estimated cost of $175 billion, Trump has pledged that all construction will take place within the United States, aligning with his broader push for domestic manufacturing. Further details are expected to be released as conceptual plans are finalised.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), following a joint investigation with the United States, Germany, and France, has discovered that a Russian military unit has been targeting public and private organisations in a ‘malicious cyber campaign’ since 2022. The attack has focused on defence suppliers, IT services, and logistical support companies. The unit is also reported to have used a variety of espionage tactics, including the deployment of nearly 10,000 spy cameras near the Ukrainian border and around military installations to track aid shipments.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Wednesday 21st saw the country’s highest court sentence former Prime Minister, Matata Ponyo Mapon, to ten years of forced labour after finding him guilty of embezzlement amounting to approximately $245 million. The ruling followed an investigation into a failed agricultural project that collapsed in 2017. Other individuals, including former central bank governor Deogratias Mutombo and South African businessman Christo Grobler, have also been found guilty.
Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip reached new tensions today as the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) fired shots near a diplomatic delegation of European officials visiting a refugee camp in the Palestinian city of Jenin, located in the West Bank. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, called the incident “unacceptable,” prompting several foreign ministers — including France’s Jean-Noël Barrot and Germany’s Johann Wadephul — to seek clarification from Israeli counterparts. This incident occurred just hours after Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that his offensive would not stop “until all of the territories of the Gaza Strip [are] under Israel’s security control.” The UK has committed £4 million in critical aid, including medicines and drinking water, although supplies have yet to reach Palestinians despite Israel’s temporary lifting of its 11-week blockade on food and water earlier this week. Today, a further 82 Palestinians were killed by air strikes targeting residential buildings in Jabalia.
Across the Indian Ocean, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have completed the final round of negotiations to update their free trade agreement to include digital and green economy policies. ASEAN, composed of ten Southeast Asian nations, remains China’s most significant trading partner, with trade valued at nearly USD $234 billion in the first quarter of 2025. The negotiations, which began in November 2022, were aimed at “injecting greater certainty into regional and global trade,” and promoting further integration of supply chains and production.
Heaven and Hell, Octave Tassaert, c.1850.
