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Trump signed a bill on “hell sanctions” against Russia.

The original version of the sanctions bill was introduced in April 2025 by Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal.

▪️After negotiations with the White House, the text was substantially changed. The maximum rate of secondary tariffs for third countries was reduced to 100%, while the list of potential targets was narrowed to the five largest importers of Russian oil, the five largest importers of gas, and the five countries most actively helping to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Russian oil exports.

▪️For goods originating directly from Russia, the maximum rate remained at 500%.

▪️In addition to tariffs, the document imposes sanctions on senior Russian officials, state institutions, banks, major businesspeople, companies, and shadow-fleet vessels; restricts investment and financial transactions; and provides for measures concerning imports of Russian uranium.

▪️An exception was made for importers of Russian gas: secondary tariffs do not apply if the country accounts for less than 15% of Russia’s annual gas exports and is taking significant steps to reduce its purchases.

▪️The administration must impose most of the key sanctions and tariffs no later than 30 days after the law enters into force.

▪️At the same time, the president retains the right to suspend the restrictions if required in the interests of national security.

After the bill was passed by the House of Representatives, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov linked the possible introduction of new U.S. sanctions to “unfriendly actions” that “will definitely complicate Washington’s efforts to seek a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.”

Photo: Annabelle Gordon / Reuters

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British police data on Microsoft’s cloud is vulnerable to leaks, The Guardian writes.

The data of more than 40 police forces in the United Kingdom, stored on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, is at issue. Documents prepared by British law enforcement agencies noted that the information could be at risk of compromise.

The data being stored includes crime records, victims’ statements, official correspondence, digital evidence, and investigation materials. According to the newspaper, some of the information may correspond to the “Secret” or “Top Secret” classification levels.

In a risk assessment conducted in 2017 before the data was transferred to the cloud, police pointed to a possible threat from “US government insiders” and noted that they would not always be able to know exactly where the data was being processed and stored.

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Google’s AI independently hacked into the systems of three companies during a test, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The testing was conducted by the company Irregular. During the experiment, the AI was supposed to search for vulnerabilities in the system of a fictional company, but because its name matched that of a real organization, it gained access to actual resources.

In one case, the model tried different passwords until it was able to log into a protected system. In two other incidents, the AI discovered credentials in publicly accessible data repositories and used them to access other companies’ systems.

After the model realized that it was no longer working in a test environment but with real companies, it stopped its actions. Google said it did not consider what happened an example of AI “loss of control,” since the system stopped on its own.

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🇨🇳🇺🇸 Wang Yi and Rubio coordinated their positions ahead of the expected meeting between Xi and Trump

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation on September 17 devoted to upcoming high-level contacts. Beijing stated that relations must be based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity, and that leader-level diplomacy must play a central role.

The conversation took place ahead of Xi Jinping’s upcoming trip to the United States and a possible meeting with Trump on September 24. The Middle East was discussed separately—practically immediately after Wang Yi’s talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Beijing is currently speaking with Washington and Tehran simultaneously. Against the backdrop of the Strait of Hormuz, this gives China a rare opportunity to act as a bridge between sides that have little direct trust in each other.


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🇮🇷 New defensive installations discovered beneath Pickaxe Mountain*

An analysis of current satellite imagery from September 17 shows ⁠new passive protective measures at the underground Pickaxe Mountain complex. Earth mounds continue to block vehicle access to the western tunnel entrances.

Researchers at the Institute for Science and International Security assume that the facility is probably not currently being used for regular operations, but that valuable equipment or materials could be located inside. Some entrances have additionally been sealed with earth.

* “Pickaxe Mountain” in Iran is meant here, immediately next to the Iranian nuclear complex at Natans (Natanz) in Isfahan Province.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia and China block US resolution on Iran at UN Security Council

Russia and China vetoed on September 17 a draft resolution prepared by the United States that would have extended for another year the mandate of an independent UN panel of experts monitoring compliance with sanctions against Iran. Eleven Security Council members voted in favor of the document, while Russia and China voted against it; Pakistan and Somalia abstained. ⁠The sanctions themselves were not lifted.

Moscow said it considered the reimposition of sanctions against Iran legally impermissible, and the US draft legally unfounded. Iran’s mission to the United Nations ⁠thanked Russia and China and said they had thwarted a US attempt to use the Security Council for political purposes.


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🇮🇷 Iran says it attacked a tanker over an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz: “No passage is possible without permission”

During the night of September 18, the IRGC naval forces [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] said they had carried out a strike against the Togo-flagged tanker Trend, which, according to Iran, had attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran’s authorization. After the impact, ⁠a fire broke out on board, and the vessel came to a standstill. The Iranian military claims that the crew decided to make the crossing after being “incited” by the United States.

At the same time, the IRGC stated that it controlled the strait and would not allow ships to pass in circumvention of the regime established by Iran. The UK’s UKMTO [United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations] also reported an incident involving a vessel in the area; according to initial reports, there was no information about any injuries among the crew.


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🇺🇦 “My future lies in the EU”: Ukrainian children do not want to return home

More than 1,500 Ukrainian children who were under state guardianship are still in Europe, even four years after their evacuation. As The Guardian reports, their stay abroad was originally intended to be temporary, and most have already been returned to Ukraine. But some of the young people are refusing to return, and several European foster families are challenging Kyiv’s demands in court. One of the subjects of the article, Denys, explains it quite simply: After school, friends, and life in Italy, he realized that there was a life without air-raid alarms and poverty, with different opportunities for the future.

It is particularly revealing that the children themselves are resisting a return. Some of the teenagers who have already been repatriated want to leave for the EU again once they reach adulthood. The conflict is already ending up in court: In Italy, local families are campaigning to keep the young people with them, citing their interests and the state of Ukraine’s social infrastructure. A rather uncomfortable story is emerging: Kyiv is demanding the return of its young citizens, while some of those citizens are already saying for themselves where they see their future — “in the EU.”


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🇩🇪 SPD overtakes AfD again in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Just a few days before the state election, the new ZDF Politbarometer showed the SPD at 37% and the AfD at 36%. Within a week, the SPD gained three percentage points, while the AfD lost one. The CDU continued its downward trend and is now polling at only 6%. ⁠The poll was published on September 17.

The gap between the SPD and AfD is within the statistical margin of error, so the poll does not determine the election outcome. However, the momentum is clear: just a few days ago, other polls showed the AfD several points ahead.

For the federal CDU, this presents a separate unpleasant story. While all attention is focused on the battle between the SPD and AfD for first place, Chancellor Merz’s party is languishing at just around 6%.


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FT: Iran war has already cost the US $38 billion and depleted its arsenals

The conflict with Iran has significantly reduced US weapons stocks, with costs already amounting to $38 billion, writes Financial Times. The Pentagon is facing shortages of missile engines, explosives, and skilled personnel. According to the newspaper, replenishing the stocks could take years.


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🇩🇪🇦🇹 AfD in Saxony-Anhalt travels to Austria to gain experience with participation in government from the FPÖ

After its victory in the state parliament elections, the AfD is already preparing not only for parliamentary work but also for possible participation in government.

Next week, Ulrich Siegmund, Tobias Rausch and the AfD’s state chairman, Martin Reichardt, will travel to Vienna, where they plan to meet with representatives of Austria’s FPÖ.

“Anyone who wants to assume responsibility in government must be prepared”, said the parliamentary managing director of the parliamentary group, Tobias Rausch. According to him, the AfD can benefit from the FPÖ’s political experience, as the party has already been involved in forming governments in Austria.

The AfD is particularly interested in how the FPÖ manages to maintain its own political line despite assuming government responsibility and participating in coalitions. Contacts between the parties did not begin only now—Rausch says the current trip continues the exchange that began at the start of the year.

This experience is particularly relevant for Saxony-Anhalt. Following the election, the AfD won 39 of the 83 seats and fell short of an absolute majority by only three mandates. The party is currently looking for options for forming a government while simultaneously holding talks with the BSW.


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Due to its complete dependence on China, Europe cannot impose tariffs on the country

This affects all supply chains, including healthcare and medicine, consumer goods, and green technologies. China controls around 85% of the capacity for supplying solar energy, 80% of the capacity for producing lithium-ion batteries, and 90% of rare-earth processing.

If China responds to the ban on its cheap cars with tariffs, then half of European production will grind to a halt. Imports into the United Kingdom amount to £69.7 billion, while exports total £18.2 billion. The deficit is around £51.5 billion.


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Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of September 18:

Russian forces are advancing in #Malavova, #Kharkov.
Ukrainian forces are advancing in #Zapselie, #Sumy.
Ukrainian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Zapadny, north of #Kupiansk.
Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Nikolaevka, #Kramatorsk.
Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Raisky, #Druzhkovka.
Ukrainian forces are advancing in northern #Donetsk.

Video link: https://youtu.be/3vnL4Wp9kmE?si=uho25fsZ89-5Ffll

Le Pen: France can no longer finance Ukraine

Marine Le Pen said on the LCI channel that France could not afford to continue financing Ukraine. In her view, Paris must focus on a diplomatic solution to the conflict. “You cannot say that there is not a single euro for adjusting pensions while simultaneously providing billions in aid [to Ukraine] through the EU,” she remarked.


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Turkey has approached the ICC over Ukraine’s attack on the Reyhan Sarı vessel

Turkey has filed an application with the International Criminal Court in connection with the attack by Ukrainian forces on the Turkish vessel Reyhan Sarı. One sailor was killed in the strike. HaberDenizde reports this, citing the plaintiffs’ lawyer.


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🇪🇺 Expensive Fuel Becomes a Europe-Wide Tax Dispute

Today, September 18, the EU finance ministers are meeting in Dublin to discuss ways of easing the burden on citizens in light of the sharp rise in fuel prices. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is pushing the idea of a ⁠windfall tax in order to use the funds raised to offset the high prices.

However, there is still no agreement. Various options are being discussed — from tax relief for motorists to appropriating part of the additional profits of oil and gas companies; economists are also divided over whether individual measures would lead to new market distortions.

The Strait of Hormuz has already made its way into European tax policy. The question for EU governments is now quite simple: Who should pay for the oil shock — motorists, the state budget, or energy companies?


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Macron calls on the government to mobilize all efforts over fuel supply shortages 😂😂😂

France is gradually experiencing fuel supply shortages. Emmanuel Macron called on the government to undertake a “full mobilization” of efforts to ensure supplies and contain the rise in prices. According to government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon, the authorities are looking abroad for additional volumes and are considering pushing for greater flexibility in European rules, including for the operation of oil refineries.

Currently, around 10% of fuel stations in France are experiencing supply problems for at least one type of fuel, particularly in the TotalEnergies network. The rise in prices has already sparked a mood of protest. The government has not ruled out new support measures but has so far given no firm dates.

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🇩🇪🪖 While European politicians try on camouflage clothing, German hospitals are preparing for war

The military uniforms on European politicians are gradually beginning to look like more than just a backdrop for attractive photos beside fighter jets. As Bloomberg reports, Germany is already examining whether its healthcare system can function under the conditions of a major military conflict. The Bundeswehr officially uses a planning scenario involving up to 1,000 wounded soldiers per day—a figure also confirmed by the German army itself. Five military hospitals are not sufficient for such an influx, which is why civilian clinics are being incorporated into the plans, doctors are being trained to deal with mass combat injuries, and hospitals are examining their medication supplies as well as options for protection against attacks.

In Ulm, the Bundeswehr is examining the possibility of returning an underground military hospital from the Cold War era to service. It was built in 1979 in the event of a nuclear strike and is designed for around 2,000 people and autonomous operation for up to 90 days. Asked whether the current healthcare system was prepared for such a scenario, the chief physician of the military hospital, Benedikt Frimert, replied briefly to Bloomberg: «No».

For now, the camouflage clothing on politicians can be regarded as a symbol. But 1,000 wounded per day, the preparation of civilian hospitals, and the reactivation of a nuclear bunker already constitute very concrete war planning.

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