🇮🇱👃💥👑 — 📰 The Wall Street Journal | Israel Sees Opening for Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites, U.S. Intelligence Finds | Assessment near end of Biden’s term concluded risks have increased as Tehran has been weakened | February 12, 2025:

"U.S. intelligence agencies concluded during the final days of the Biden administration that Israel is considering significant strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this year, aiming to take advantage of Iran’s weakness, officials familiar with the report said.

The finding was included in an analytical assessment produced around the new year as the Biden administration wound down. The analysis highlighted the risks of further high-stakes military activity in the Middle East after the degradation of Iran’s capabilities over the past year.

The intelligence analysis concluded Israel would push the Trump administration to back the strikes, viewing him as more likely to join an attack than former President Joe Biden and fearing the window for halting Tehran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon was closing, two of the people familiar with the intelligence said."

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🇦🇪🪽👎📝🇵🇸 — 📰 ZeroHedge | UAE Ambassador Says Arab World Has 'No Alternative' To Trump's Gaza Plan | February 13, 2025:

"In an extraordinarily surprising development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE has signaled the possibility of removing all Palestinians from Gaza, in accordance with Trump's controversial Gaza plan.

UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba in a fresh interview called the plan "difficult but inevitable" and said he's sees "no alternative" but Trump's plan to expel Gaza's population and undertake massive economic redevelopment of the Strip. He had been asked by a reporter whether the UAE is working on a separate plan, to which he responded no, there's no other plan.

It was in September 2020 that the UAE announced the Trump-sponsored Abraham Accords for normalization with Israel. UAE has long been a close regional US-ally, but the ambassador's words are still deeply surprising and might actually contradict the UAE's official stance.

For example, regional media just yesterday reported:

The UAE, a key ally of both Israel and the United States in the Muslim world, has taken a firm stance against U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported plan for Gaza. In a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan strongly rejected any attempt to displace Palestinians or deny them their “inalienable rights.” 

The country's leadership has just this week called for a two-state solution. And per Reuters:

It said the UAE, one of the few Arab countries that normalised relations with Israel, categorically rejected any attempt to displace the Palestinians and deny them "inalienable rights".

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👤💬🙎‍♂️👔📉💣🔫 — 📰 Associated Press | Trump wants denuclearization talks with Russia and China, hopes for defense spending cuts | February 13, 2025:

"WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants to restart nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China and that eventually he hopes all three countries could agree to cut their massive defense budgets in half.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump lamented the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in rebuilding the nation’s nuclear deterrent and said he hopes to gain commitments from the U.S. adversaries to cut their own spending.

“There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many,” Trump said. “You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons.”

“We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully much more productive,” Trump said.

While the U.S. and Russia hold massive stockpiles of weapons since the Cold War, Trump predicted that China would catch up in their capability to exact nuclear devastation “within five or six years.”

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🇸🇦👏👔🤝👤 — 🇸🇦 Saudi Foreign Ministry on 𝕏:

"#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commends the phone call that took place between President Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America and President Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation on 12 February 2025, and the announcement regarding the possibility of holding a summit attended by their excellencies the two Presidents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commends the phone call that took place between President Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America and President Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation on 12 February 2025, and the announcement regarding the possibility of holding a summit attended by their excellencies the two Presidents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom expresses its welcome to hosting the summit in Saudi Arabia, and reaffirms its ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, which began with the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis where His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, expressed in his calls on 3 March 2022 with both President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Kingdom's readiness to provide its good offices to reach a political solution to the crisis. Over the past three years, the Kingdom continued these efforts, which included hosting numerous meetings on this matter.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 14 February 2025 / 15 Sha'aban 1446"

🔗 Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN)

🇩🇪🇺🇸J.D. Vance will deliver a "tough message" for Europe in Munich, CDU/CSU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said.

As reported by n-tv, Merz said that US Vice President J.D. Vance will make a “tough and stern statement” on behalf of the US to Europe at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

"The turning point that the German Chancellor spoke about in his government speech on February 27, 2022, will come this weekend," Merz said on ZDF television.

He noted that he already has preliminary information about the content of Vance's speech.

"His speech will be confrontational," Merz said.

Let us recall that Vance is also scheduled to meet with Zelensky in Munich.

🇺🇸📞🇪🇺❗️ — At the Munich Security Conference, United States Vice President JD Vance says Europe and the European Union has essentially given up the values that won the Cold War over the Soviet Union

🔗 The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial)

🇺🇸📞🇪🇺🇬🇧 — "Free speech, I fear, is in retreat in Europe" JD Vance says, discussing the outlawing of private prayer near abortion clinics in the UK.

🔗 The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial)

🇺🇸🗯🇪🇺 — 🇩🇪 BILD:

""European leaders are afraid of their own people." US Vice President Vance threatened Putin and criticized Europe

US Vice President J.D. Vance made several bold statements in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, including threatening Russia with possible sanctions and even military action if the Kremlin does not agree to a peace deal that guarantees Ukraine's independence.

"There are economic means of pressure, and of course there are military means of pressure"

— Vance emphasized.

The US vice president also lashed out at European politicians, saying they “sound like Soviet leaders” when they talk about disinformation to discredit other opinions. He called on European governments to acknowledge the rise in protest sentiment and change their migration policies.

Vance paid special attention to Germany and the Alternative for Germany party. He called on German parties to cooperate with it, as well as with other right-wing forces that criticize migration policy.

"European leaders are somehow afraid of their own people. Unfortunately, I think the will of the voters has been ignored by many of our European friends"

— the politician noted.

Vance plans to repeat his statements at the Munich Security Conference, where he plans to deliver a tough speech to European leaders."

🔗 Source:

🇺🇸🔫🛫🗺 — 🇩🇪 BILD:

"US Vice President J.D. Vance may announce withdrawal of US troops from Europe at Munich Security Conference

At the Munich Security Conference, which began today, US Vice President J.D. Vance may announce a massive withdrawal of American troops from Europe. This was stated by the head of the conference, Christoph Heusgen, noting that Washington expects Europe to contribute more to its defense capability.

Before the conference, CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz also expressed the expectation that Vance would make a "tough statement" about Germany and European countries.

"This conference will be remembered for a long time"

— he told reporters.

Vance himself confirmed that he intends to touch upon the topic of a negotiated settlement of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. He also stressed that the United States is interested in the North Atlantic Alliance being prepared for future challenges.

Before the conference, Vance met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. According to Baerbock, the current conference is “more important than ever” because Europe faces “existential choices” on security issues amid the US president’s planned talks with Russia."

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🇺🇸🤝🇩🇪 — 🇩🇪 BILD:

""Germany is a great ally of the US." How the Munich Security Conference is going

The International Security Conference continues in Munich. At the same time, the planned meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Vice President J.D. Vance was postponed to a later date. In Moscow, in turn, it was officially confirmed that there is no Russian delegation at the Munich Conference.

US officials at the conference reaffirm their support for European allies but insist on a greater role for them in ensuring security.

"Germany is a great ally of the United States"

— Vance said after meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, but stressed that Europe must take on more defense responsibilities.

Meanwhile, the EU and the US are discussing trade issues. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed readiness to find a mutually beneficial solution on customs duties, but said that the introduction of new US tariffs is a step in the wrong direction.

Security in Munich remains under special scrutiny after the recent attack that left 36 people injured. Munich police have stepped up security measures and organisers of demonstrations have been asked to hold their actions in one specific location instead of marching to better protect them."

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🏦🇺🇸👍🚤🇵🇦 Bank of America Report Highlights Panama Canal’s Autonomy, Efficiency, and Financial Strength

The Bank of America (BofA) Global Research team, this week, released an independent report noscriptd, “Strong, efficient & profitable – who wouldn’t want to own the Panama Canal?” Their findings emphasized the operational independence, neutrality, as well as the financial resilience and critical role the Panama Canal plays in global commerce and reviewed some of the challenges faced in the region the past few years.

BofA stressed that the waterway was owned by the Government of Panama, but managed by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which the report says has consistently invested in enhancing the capacity and operational efficiency of the waterway since Panama took full operational control in 1999. According to BofA, “[T]he Panama Canal Authority has doubled the capacity with a $5.25 billion USD expansion launched in 2008 and completed when Neo Panamax locks were inaugurated in 2016. Investments have totaled $15 billion USD over the past 25 years including $10 billion USD in capital expenditures and $5 billion USD in operational and maintenance expenses.”

The report continues to say that the ACP’s commitment to operational efficiency and strategic investment is evidenced by its ability to adapt to ever evolving challenges. For instance, in response to the drought that impacted the canal’s water levels, the report states that, “To safeguard against future water shortages, the Indio River project is advancing with expectations that it will match Alhajuela Lake in capacity. This initiative is part of a broader effort to restore and optimize the Panama Canal watershed, providing a more sustainable approach to water management. A community census is currently underway to assess resettlement needs, and the relocation process is expected to begin by the end of 2025.”

In addition to its infrastructure investments, the ACP also maintains a transparent and market-driven toll system, according to the report. Using data from the ACP, BofA’s analysts explain that the tolls are determined by vessel type and industry segment, independent of nationality. The report also cited the ACP Administrator, Dr. Ricaurte Vásquez, indicating that his team had found that total transit fees are less than 1% of the value transiting the canal estimated at $581 billion USD.

https://pancanal.com/en/bank-of-america-report-highlights-panama-canals-autonomy-efficiency-and-financial-strength/

@FelipeChannel

A different list of market&crypto-oriented channels will appear soon 🙂

🇦🇪❤️💰 Abu Dhabi Discloses $437M Stake in BlackRock Spot Bitcoin ETF

The ownership interest was held via Mubadala Investments, one of the country's sovereign wealth funds

The Middle Eastern city of Abu Dhabi on Friday disclosed a $436.9 million stake in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) as of Dec. 31, 2024.

The stake was held via Mubadala Investments, one of the country's sovereign wealth funds, per a 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/02/14/abu-dhabi-discloses-usd437m-stake-in-blackrock-spot-bitcoin-etf

https://www.theblock.co/post/341046/abu-dhabi-sovereign-wealth-fund-bought-437-million-of-blackrocks-spot-bitcoin-etf-in-q1

@FelipeChannel

#BREAKING

🇦🇷📈 Looks like Argentina just release his own crypto-token $LIBRA over Solana blockchain!

CA: Bo9jh3wsmcC2AjakLWzNmKJ3SgtZmXEcSaW7L2FAvUsU

https://x.com/JMilei/status/1890521742961156552

https://www.vivalalibertadproject.com

https://dexscreener.com/solana/bzzmnvfm7t6zsgfelxzermrxfkanldo4fszvsisxcszz

@FelipeChannel

🇧🇲📈 National coin of the Bermuda will be launched today on Solana at 01:00 UTC.

Inspired by amazing success of $CAR and $LIBRA.

AMA session will be launched at 01:30 UTC with answers to questions, as well as a detailed denoscription of tokenomics and airdrop criteria

https://x.com/alagoasgoverno/status/1890561304294777172

@FelipeChannel