Author: Looys Martel

At least 21 people were killed in violent unrest in Mozambique’s capital Maputo and northern cities a day after the country’s top court Monday (23 December) controversially confirmed the ruling party’s victory in a disputed poll. Mozambique’s largely deserted capital and other cities across the eastern African nation have been hit by skirmishes between protesters and police, which were triggered by the Constitutional Council’s decision to uphold the victory of the long-ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate Daniel Chapo. A total of “236 acts of serious violence were reported” since Monday across the Portuguese-speaking African country, in which at least 25…

The European Union’s approach to tackling Foreign Influence and Manipulation Interference (FIMI) highlights the serious attention placed on combating disinformation, particularly in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and broader geopolitical tensions. The European External Action Service (EEAS) reports that, between December 2022 and November 2023, it detected and documented 750 instances of foreign information manipulation and interference. This equates to approximately two false narratives being propagated every day, underscoring the scale and frequency of disinformation activities that need to be addressed. The contrast with U.S. efforts is evident, as the U.S. has been criticized for having a less effective…

Ankara (17/12 – 60). Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said on December 15 that Turkey is willing to provide military training for Syria’s army if requested by the country’s new authorities. “[Turkey] is ready to provide the necessary support if the new administration requests it,” Guler said. Despite Ankara denying that it provided support for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — a designated terrorist group that led the overthrow of former dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime earlier this month — President-elect Donald Trump characterized the post-Assad situation as an “unfriendly takeover” by Turkey during a news conference on December 16. In a…

French authorities have detected and foiled 68 cyberattacks linked to the Olympic Games since 22 July, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has said. Two of the attacks were directed at Olympic sites at Bercy and La Villette in the French capital last Thursday, Attal told reporters on Wednesday. “All these 68 cyberattacks, including the two cyberattacks that targeted Olympic sites, were detected in time and foiled,” Attal said, though he gave no details on the nature of the other attacks. Attal has resigned as PM but has stayed on as head of the caretaker government, on President Emmanuel Macron’s request, while Paris hosts…

Europe’s new “Iron Lady”, Estonia’s Kaja Kallas, is one of the strongest voices for an uncompromising stand against belligerent Russia. Brussels (30 June – 28). Having grown up under the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Kaja Kallas was urging EU leaders to take the Russian threat seriously long before the invasion of Ukraine On Saturday, the Reform Party chose climate minister Kristen Michal to replace outgoing Kaja Kallas, who is the EU’s new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The unanimous decision to nominate Michal was made following a closed-door meeting by the party’s governing board only two days after…

The man was seriously injured earlier this week in an explosion at a hotel in Roissy, on the outskirts of Paris. Materials intended to make explosive devices were found at his hotel room, according to prosecutors. French counter-terrorism investigators on Wednesday detained a dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen who seriously injured himself in an explosion two days ago. He was detained on suspicion of planning a violent act after a homemade explosive device detonated in a hotel in Roissy, on the outskirts of Paris on Monday. The man was treated by a fire brigade on Monday with prosecutors saying he suffered serious…

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall plans to set up at least four factories in Ukraine to produce artillery shells, military vehicles, gunpowder, and anti-aircraft weapons, the AFP reported on March 14. This could present a boost for Ukrainian defense production amid ammunition shortages and dwindling supplies from the U.S. “Ukraine is now an important partner for us, where we see a potential of between 2 and 3 billion euros ($2.18-$3.27 billion) per year,” Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said during a presentation of the company’s 2023 results, the AFP wrote. Previously, the company signed a contract with the Ukrainian Defense Industry (Ukroboronprom) in October 2023 to…

A Pole, a German, a Frenchmen, and a Swiss meet in a bar, or was it a Swiss, a French, a German, and a Slovak, I forgot. However, what otherwise sounded like the beginning of a quirky joke was in fact an informal luncheon by some of the brightest analysts of the European Union in early December last year. Nationalities aside, the topic of the lunch was, of course, the Ukraine. The basic question was simple, Are We at War? Will Russia win? What’s the consequence for Europe if Russia wins? What is the European Union willingness to defend the…

The number of antisemitic acts registered in France and Belgium have risen sharply since Hamas’ attack on Israel triggered the war in Gaza The number of antisemitic acts registered in France and Belgium rose sharply since Hamas’ attack on Israel triggered the war in Gaza, according to figures released Thursday in both countries. In France, data from the Interior ministry and the Jewish Community Protection Service watchdog showed that 1,676 antisemitic acts were reported in 2023, compared to 436 the previous year. According to the Council of Jewish Institutions in France — the country’s main Jewish interest group — the number of…

Dmitry Peskov added that the Kremlin is aware of the declarations by French officials who claim that they “cannot do anything” about the issue The Kremlin insists it has reliable information about the presence of French mercenaries in Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added that Paris should do more to better ensure that French citizens stay out of harm’s way. “We still insist that we are in possession of reliable information about the presence of French nationals in Ukraine, French mercenaries <…> and [we] believe that they [the French government] should take much better care of their…