Forwarded from Constantine's Notebook
🇧🇦🇷🇺 - Milorad Dodik is reported to be in Moscow, expected to meet with Putin on Tuesday.
Forwarded from Constantine's Notebook
🇸🇾 - Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announces formation of new transitional government.
🇺🇸 — A plane crashed into a home in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, leaving multiple dead. Officials have not yet given a full casualty count.
Side note, I actually saw the large fire from this. Little bit of local news from your Minnesotan admin
🇭🇺☦️︎🇸🇾 - The Hungarian government pledges €4.6 million ($5 million) to support Christians in Syria and in neighboring countries. Projects will include the construction of an Orthodox school and religious centre, and the support of local social and humanitarian missions. The announcement was made in Brussels by Tristan Azbej, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians.
Forwarded from Constantine's Notebook
🇲🇲🇷🇺 - The Russian Emergencies Ministry has sent rescuers to earthquake-stricken Myanmar.
🇺🇸✈️ — In other US aviation news, a Delta Airlines jetliner and an Air Force training jet experienced a near miss, on Friday, at Reagan International Airport in DC. The trainer was inbound for a flyover of Arlington National Cemetery.
🇷🇺 Eid in Moscow
Muslims in Russia, the fastest growing muslim population in Europe celebrate breaking of feast.
Videos from the Moscow Cathedral Mosque is the main Jumu'ah mosque in Moscow, one of the largest and tallest mosques in Russia, and the most spacious in Europe.
Muslims in Russia, the fastest growing muslim population in Europe celebrate breaking of feast.
Videos from the Moscow Cathedral Mosque is the main Jumu'ah mosque in Moscow, one of the largest and tallest mosques in Russia, and the most spacious in Europe.
🇮🇪 ‘We’re being taken for fools’: How soaring migration came back to bite Ireland’s political elite.
With finite housing and overstretched public services, the government’s ‘cack-handed’ border policies have triggered a wave of public anger - The Telegraph (UK)
...
"Yet as Ireland’s leaders scramble to regain control of the political narrative at home, a new one is being written abroad – often without them. Musk’s reposts carry Irish grievances far beyond the island’s borders. They’ve become ammunition in a broader clash playing out across the western world: over sovereignty, identity and elite complacency.
Last year, the Irish government proposed a sweeping hate speech bill – one that could, conceivably, have criminalised some of the posts shared by Musk, many of which cast Europe’s multicultural experiment in an unflattering light. Though the legislation was eventually shelved, many Irish politicians – like their British counterparts – seem convinced that racial harmony depends on narrowing the legal boundaries of acceptable speech.
Musk takes the opposite view: let people speak freely, and let the chips fall where they may.
For years, many Irish were hesitant to voice concerns about immigration. The country’s own emigrant legacy – generations who crossed the seas in search of a better life – made people reluctant to deny others the same chance. But the mood is shifting. To a growing number, the slogan “Ireland is full” no longer sounds xenophobic, but simply factual – a reflection of finite housing and overstretched public services.
Back in Dublin, Gavin Pepper keeps driving his taxi, and keeps speaking his mind. Some Dubliners recognise him and honk their horns. Many believe he is saying what others won’t. “Ireland belongs to the Irish,” Pepper insists. “Sinn Féin says Palestine belongs to the Palestinians – but we’re told Ireland belongs to everyone?” It’s the kind of message that now finds a warm reception in Washington. The question is: how far will it travel at home?"
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/30/soaring-migration-ireland-conor-mcgregor-elon-musk/
With finite housing and overstretched public services, the government’s ‘cack-handed’ border policies have triggered a wave of public anger - The Telegraph (UK)
...
"Yet as Ireland’s leaders scramble to regain control of the political narrative at home, a new one is being written abroad – often without them. Musk’s reposts carry Irish grievances far beyond the island’s borders. They’ve become ammunition in a broader clash playing out across the western world: over sovereignty, identity and elite complacency.
Last year, the Irish government proposed a sweeping hate speech bill – one that could, conceivably, have criminalised some of the posts shared by Musk, many of which cast Europe’s multicultural experiment in an unflattering light. Though the legislation was eventually shelved, many Irish politicians – like their British counterparts – seem convinced that racial harmony depends on narrowing the legal boundaries of acceptable speech.
Musk takes the opposite view: let people speak freely, and let the chips fall where they may.
For years, many Irish were hesitant to voice concerns about immigration. The country’s own emigrant legacy – generations who crossed the seas in search of a better life – made people reluctant to deny others the same chance. But the mood is shifting. To a growing number, the slogan “Ireland is full” no longer sounds xenophobic, but simply factual – a reflection of finite housing and overstretched public services.
Back in Dublin, Gavin Pepper keeps driving his taxi, and keeps speaking his mind. Some Dubliners recognise him and honk their horns. Many believe he is saying what others won’t. “Ireland belongs to the Irish,” Pepper insists. “Sinn Féin says Palestine belongs to the Palestinians – but we’re told Ireland belongs to everyone?” It’s the kind of message that now finds a warm reception in Washington. The question is: how far will it travel at home?"
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/30/soaring-migration-ireland-conor-mcgregor-elon-musk/
🇷🇺🇺🇲 March 30, 1867 - Russia signs a deal to sell Alaska to the US
In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, an event often termed "Seward’s Folly" after Secretary of State William H. Seward. This acquisition was met with skepticism in the U.S., as many viewed Alaska as a barren wasteland. However, the purchase strategically reduced British influence in North America and added a vast resource-rich territory to the U.S.
Why did Russia sell?
Russia sold Alaska due to financial and military strains, particularly after the Crimean War, and to prevent potential British acquisition through Canada.
The impact of the purchase
The deal significantly influenced U.S. economic development and foreign policy. The discovery of gold in the late 1890s and later oil validated the strategic foresight of the purchase. Alaska has since played a key role in America’s economic and strategic positioning, especially during the 1970s oil crises.
The purchase of Alaska, initially mocked, has proven to be a visionary move, demonstrating the importance of strategic thinking in foreign policy and national growth.
In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, an event often termed "Seward’s Folly" after Secretary of State William H. Seward. This acquisition was met with skepticism in the U.S., as many viewed Alaska as a barren wasteland. However, the purchase strategically reduced British influence in North America and added a vast resource-rich territory to the U.S.
Why did Russia sell?
Russia sold Alaska due to financial and military strains, particularly after the Crimean War, and to prevent potential British acquisition through Canada.
The impact of the purchase
The deal significantly influenced U.S. economic development and foreign policy. The discovery of gold in the late 1890s and later oil validated the strategic foresight of the purchase. Alaska has since played a key role in America’s economic and strategic positioning, especially during the 1970s oil crises.
The purchase of Alaska, initially mocked, has proven to be a visionary move, demonstrating the importance of strategic thinking in foreign policy and national growth.
Forwarded from Constantine's Notebook
🇸🇴🇹🇷 - A Turkish-made Bayraktar Akıncı drone has been spotted at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, as Turkey sends military aid to counter the Al-Shabaab offensive.