The Red Sea is on Fire - about Houthi strikes on shipping in the Red Sea The Houthis have once again intensified their strikes on shipping in the Red Sea. Over the past few days, two vessels - Magic Seas and Eternity C, both flying the Liberian flag and belonging to Greek companies, have been attacked. The first bulk carrier sank after a massive attack by drones and small arms, the crew was evacuated. The second vessel was attacked on Monday - two crew members were injured, and two more are missing. 🖍 The latest Houthi attack on the Eternity C vessel demonstrates an unconventional approach for them - a prolonged battle using small arms and RPGs from small boats. This is significantly different from their previous tactics of quick strikes using drones and missiles. 🚩 The change in tactics indicates more confident behavior of the Houthis in the area previously controlled by the US aviation. Moreover, if the attack was successful, such raids may become systemic and much more frequent. 📌 The choice of a target with a Liberian flag and a Greek operator may indicate a change in priorities: strikes not only on Israeli interests, but also on members of the Western coalition supporting actions in Gaza and Yemen. The Houthis' retaliatory actions will most likely become tougher and more large-scale in a near future.

Iranian official reportedly says fuel ships may not pass to Europe through the Strait of #Hormuz If Iran carries out its threat to block oil tankers heading to #Europe, the EU will be in serious trouble.

Jun 11-12, 2025 - President Trump Statements "OUR DEAL WITH CHINA IS DONE, SUBJECT TO FINAL APPROVAL WITH PRESIDENT XI AND ME. FULL MAGNETS, AND ANY NECESSARY RARE EARTHS, WILL BE SUPPLIED, UP FRONT, BY CHINA. LIKEWISE, WE WILL PROVIDE TO CHINA WHAT WAS AGREED TO, INCLUDING CHINESE STUDENTS USING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH ME!). WE ARE GETTING A TOTAL OF 55% TARIFFS, CHINA IS GETTING 10%. RELATIONSHIP IS EXCELLENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!" "Adding to the China readout, President XI and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade. This would be a great WIN for both countries!!!"

PLA Navy in 2025: More warships, farther than ever before • 1,350+ Chinese vessels near Taiwan (+26%) • Liaoning’s longest deployment ever, deep into WESTPAC • First circumnavigation of Australia • 20+ joint combat readiness patrols These deployments demonstrate Beijing's blue water ambitions and the capability to project power outside the first and second island chains, sending a clear message to not only the U.S. and Taiwan but also Australia, Japan, and the Philippines.

Tracking U.S. Navy carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups and Deployed Chinese PLA Navy big decks • USS Nimitz (CVN 68) + PLA CNS Shandong (17) square off in the South China Sea • CNS Liaoning (16) east of the Philippines on record-setting deployment • 2x PLAN amphibious assault ships operating: CNS Hainan (31) + CNS Anhui (33) • 2x U.S. Navy amphibious ready groups deployed: USS America (LHA 6) in WESTPAC + USS Tripoli (LHA 7) in EASTPAC • USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) remains on station in CENTCOM AOR • USS George Washington (CVN 73) preparing for summer patrol • USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) returned home • USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) deploying next

Trump decides US general will be Supreme Allied Commander Europe — report US President Donald Trump decided that a US general will for now continue to hold the post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Reuters reported. Citing three unidentified US officials, a Western official and a NATO source, the report said Trump had already communicated the decision to North Atlantic Alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Traditionally, the same person holds the positions of Supreme Allied Commander Europe and US European Command. Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich is expected to become the next EUCOM commander. Now the director for operations at the US military's Joint Staff, he will succeed Army General Christopher Cavoli. EUCOM also oversees the Middle East and North Africa. NBC News reported in March that the Trump administration was considering the possibility that the US will give up the post of SACEUR, which has been held exclusively by US generals since 1951. According to the report, the idea was part of a major reorganization of US commands aimed at cutting costs. Should the plan materialize, NBC said, it would mark a retrenchment in America’s leadership in the alliance.

WAR PREP in Europe’s north? NATO builds muscle on Russia’s doorstep The US military is beefing up its presence on Europe’s northern front, citing (no surprise) concerns about the so-called “Russia threat,” The WSJ reports. The Trump administration wants NATO to get “more lethal,” turning Northern Europe into their favorite testing ground near Russia’s border, it added. 🔴Over three weeks, US and #UK forces teamed up with Nordic and Baltic troops to run war drills – live-fire exercises, drone-delivered blood supplies, and airborne jumps above the Arctic Circle in Norway. 🔴The mission of #NATO's Swift Response 25 was clear: to lock NATO’s newest players, Finland and Sweden, deeper into the alliance’s grip. 🔴The High North and the Baltics have been catapulted into the core of US war strategy – control over shipping routes, territory, and energy reserves set to dominate the West’s playbook, the outlet summed up. NATO’s muscle-flexing isn’t subtle – testing grounds today, battleground tomorrow?

Gigantic Mexican Navy ship crashes into the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, leaving 23 sailors injured. The collision sheared off the ship’s 147-foot masts, sending sailors tumbling. 23 are injured, 4 in serious condition.

President Trump demands free passage through Panama, Suez Canals for US ships President Donald Trump has called for free passage through the #Panama and #Suez Canals for American warships and merchant ships. "American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals! Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America. I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!"

Cardinals Parolin, Tagle likely to become pope, reports betting agency Cardinals Pietro #Parolin and Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle have the best chance of ascending to the throne of St. Peter after the upcoming elections, data of the Polymarket betting agency showed. Polymarket estimates the chances of victory for Italian Parolin, who has held the position of secretary of state of the Vatican since 2013, at 35%. The election of the Filipino Tagle is less likely, it is predicted with a probability of 23%, while on April 21 it was about 35%. 70-year-old Parolin is one of the most experienced diplomats of the Holy See and plays an important role in Vatican's foreign relations. According to Newsweek, he also participated in negotiations with China and the governments of the Middle East. The current secretary of state is seen as a centrist candidate who takes a less liberal position on some issues than the late Pope Francis. For instance, the cardinal called legalization of same-sex marriage in Ireland in 2015 "a defeat for all mankind." At 67, Tagle is one of the youngest candidates for the Holy See. The Filipino, according to the magazine, was a confidant in the inner circle of the deceased pontiff. From 2011 to 2019, he was archbishop of Manila, and after that prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, one of the abolished divisions of the Roman Curia, which dealt with evangelization and missionary issues. Tagle belongs to the progressive wing and advocates for inclusivity. Previously he criticized the Catholic Church for being too harsh towards divorced couples and people in same-sex relationships. Cardinals may only convene to elect a new pope no earlier than after nine days of mourning after the funeral, or two weeks after death, meaning that the event can start no sooner than May 10. Theoretically, 135 cardinals can claim the papacy.