Clashes erupt between protesting farmers and police in Warsaw, Poland. There are reports that several protesters were able to enter the Seimas building.

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❗️The price of gold updated its historical record, rising above $2153 per troy ounce.

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🇵🇱 Several police officers were injured in Warsaw during clashes with protesting farmers, Polish police said.

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EU Trots Out $1.6 Bln Scheme to Prop Up Continent’s Defense Industry

The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, has laid out a plan to the tune of roughly €1.5 billion (US $1.6 billion) to boost defense production on the continent.

Money for the struggling defense-industrial sector would come out of the pockets of member states, with a shift away from procurement outside the European Union deemed unsustainable.

The proposed European Defence Industry Program (EDIP) would necessitate member states to allocate a minimum of 50 percent of their defense procurement budgets within the EU by 2030, increasing to 60 percent by 2035.

By 2030, countries would need to jointly procure at least 40 percent of defense equipment.

Scraping together the funds needed to continue aiding Ukraine without bulldozing the continental bloc's own defense capabilities has become an increasing challenge for the EU.

As Brussels outlined the details of the strategy, it trumpeted the need to "stimulate cooperation between the EU and Ukrainian defense industries," in spite of the fact that propping up the neo-Nazi regime was what contributed to the bloc's current predicament

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📹 Former Pentagon senior security policy analyst Michael Maloof has said that Germany refused to supply Taurus missiles in Ukraine because of the need for a military presence.

"The Taurus, as I understand it, requires the presence of the military personnel from that country in order to operate it. It's a very sophisticated system. That's why the German chancellor said that he would rule out the export of such missiles, because it required the German military to operate it," he said.

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🇦🇹 Austrian Chancellor Nehammer admitted that the gas pipeline through Ukraine, through which the republic receives Russian gas, could be damaged at any time.

At any time, the pipeline can be damaged, through a terrorist attack or deliberate shooting, and thereby destabilize the situation with energy supplies.

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⚡️At 11:40 Moscow time, the Russian army launched a high-precision missile strike on a hangar in the industrial port area of Odessa, where preparations were being made for the combat use of unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

The target was hit.

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What’s known about Russia’s new Groza.04.K man-portable anti-FPV drone system

The Groza.04.K (lit. ‘Thunderstorm.04.K’) is designed to fight enemy FPV drones – a new class of UAVs used for kamikaze attacks, bombing runs, electronic and optoelectronic reconnaissance, and to serve as decoys to friendly radar and missile systems during enemy attacks.

The complex was created by the Novgorod-based Kvant Research and Production Enterprise - a pioneer of consumer televisions using analog signals, which are used by FPV drones

▪️ Mass production of the Groza.04.K is said to have begun, with Russian defense giant Rostec confirming that “the first batch has already been sent to the troops.”

▪️ The Groza.04.K kit was created in record time: the task to design a portable anti-FPV system was set in August 2023, and the system, which features “unique design solutions,” was built and delivered to the Defense Ministry for trials by the fall.

▪️ Rostec has not provided much information about the defense complex’s capabilities, but has published images of its carrying container, with the toolbox-sized black plastic box a sign that the system is portable enough to be toted around in a vehicle or on foot by a single trooper.

Kvant is a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of ground-based electronic reconnaissance and electronic suppression systems, including the 1L269 mobile jamming module (aka the Krasukha-2, lit. ‘Beauty-2’) and the 1L267 Moskva-1 mobile radio-electronic warfare system.

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📹Participants in the closing ceremony of the World Youth Festival sing the Russian anthem.

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How was the World Youth Festival 2024 going?

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Ray Kilicho from Tanzania during the closing ceremony of the World Youth Festival: youth is cool, and the organizers are great for supporting youth

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Israel goes on massive $8 billion bond sale spree since outbreak of Hamas war

Israel has issued bonds to the tune of $8 billion, in a transaction featuring $2 billion notes maturing in five years, $3 billion bonds due in 10 years, and $3 billion notes due in 30 years, according to sources cited by Bloomberg.

The recent bond issuance is the largest in Israel's history, setting a record for the country's financial sector. It also represents the first offering of Israel's international dollar bonds in the public market since the conflict with Hamas broke out.

The transaction aimed at shoring up badly needed funds was handled by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., BNP Paribas SA, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Deutsche Bank AG. It is anticipated that Israel will sell an almost record amount of local and global securities this year.

The ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict has stung Israel’s economy, with Moody’s Investors Service slashing the government’s rating by one level to A2 in February, while keeping Israel's credit outlook "negative."

Israel is expected to run up one of its widest budget deficits this century. According to the Bank of Israel, the conflict may cost Tel Aviv around $70.3 billion by the end of 2025, equivalent to around 13% of GDP.

Madish Parikh from India: I love Russia, come to Russia and you will love it too.

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🇦🇷 Nicolas Reyna from Argentina thanks his mother and encourages others to love family.

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