Latest news with #Público
Ya Biladi
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Spain : Sumar ministers silent on Polisario's calls to exit government over Sahara stance
In Spain, the five ministers from the far-left Sumar coalition have remained silent in the face of calls from the Polisario Front to leave Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government, following Madrid's reaffirmation of support for Morocco's position on the Sahara. On April 17, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reiterated this support during a meeting in Madrid with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita. «If Sumar is looking for a reason to break with the government, this is the most important one they will find», said Abdellah Arabi, Polisario representative in Spain, in an interview with La Razón. He emphasized the deep divisions between the coalition — made up of 16 small parties — and the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) on the issue. Despite this, neither Yolanda Díaz (Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor), Ernest Urtasun (Culture), Mónica García (Health), Pablo Bustinduy (Social Rights and Consumer Affairs), nor Sira Rego (Youth and Children) have publicly criticized Albares' remarks. Silent on the Sahara, Vocal on Defense Spending The left-wing daily Público noted this silence, reporting: «None of the five Sumar ministers have commented on the Albares-Bourita meeting or issued any public statement. Their press teams simply referred questions to the party spokespeople». Since Donald Trump's presidency, Sumar has also withdrawn from the social platform X, and Yabiladi found no related posts from the five ministers on Facebook condemning Spain's continued support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. As Público pointed out, Spain's position on the Sahara was not included in the coalition agreement signed on October 23, 2023, between Pedro Sánchez and Yolanda Díaz (then Sumar leader), nor was it part of the 2019 agreement between Sánchez and Pablo Iglesias that formed the previous coalition government with Unidas Podemos. «Foreign policy is defined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Government», said Pablo Iglesias after the Royal Armed Forces' operation in El Guerguerate on November 13, 2020. «It's not appropriate for me to give my opinion... I must be cautious and respect everyone's areas of responsibility», he told Spanish public media. While silent on the Sahara issue, the Sumar ministers have voiced strong opposition to Sanchez's recent decision — adopted by the Council of Ministers on April 22 — to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP. Health Minister Mónica García said that although they are «a minority within the Council of Ministers, that doesn't mean we aren't a coalition». She added that Sumar «will continue to advocate for policies that go beyond military rearmament», according to public broadcaster RTVE.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
It's no longer safe for any country to buy weapons from Trump's America
Donald Trump has inflicted enormous long-term damage on America's defence export industry, a lucrative earner worth $320bn (£250bn) a year in all its forms. Foreign defence sales are 10 times greater than US exports of liquefied natural gas. First in line for collective repudiation is Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet. Mark Carney ordered a review of Canada's order for 72 of these advanced aircraft within hours of becoming prime minister. It will determine whether 'other options could better meet Canada's needs'. Nuno Melo, Portugal's conservative defence minister, says the F-35 is no longer considered a safe choice to replace his country's ageing F-16s. 'We have to know that an ally will be on our side whatever the circumstances,' he told Público. 'The world has changed. This ally of ours, so predictable over the decades, could limit the use, maintenance, components, and everything needed to ensure that the aircraft are operational in all scenarios,' he said. Portugal is looking at a European alternative. Germany may be next. 'Nobody needs to buy an F-35,' said Tom Enders, ex-Airbus chief and now head of the German Council on Foreign Relations. He said Germany's contract for these fighters was a misguided attempt by Angela Merkel to 'appease' Trump during his first term. It should be cancelled forthwith. Europe does not strictly need the US Patriot missile defence system either. The upgraded Franco-Italian SAMP/T rival is more or less 'equivalent'. 'It is absolutely imperative that we free ourselves of dependence on US systems as far and as quickly as possible. We can't simply close our eyes to the fact that this American government has become an adversary,' Mr Enders said in an explosive interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine. He said Trump was likely to blackmail and coerce Europe in much the same way as he has coerced Ukraine. 'No one believes any more that he will stand by Article 5 if Putin invades the Suwałki Gap,' he said. One should be cautious reading too much into share price movements. But it is striking that Lockheed Martin's stock has dropped 23pc since late October, while Dassault Aviation has almost doubled in dollar terms on talk of more orders for the Rafale. French missile-maker Thales is up 90pc. The European defence sector has seen an explosive rise over the last month, pushed even higher by Germany's coalition deal for €1 trillion of rearmament and infrastructure – to be ratified this week by a constitutional amendment to the debt brake. Mr Enders, a no-nonsense parachute officer and ex-head of European defence group EADS, said the US has access to the operating system of F-35s. 'We know the Americans can shut the thing down, whenever they want. We are totally dependent,' he said. Experts disagree over what the Pentagon can or cannot do remotely to paralyse an F-35. 'There is no explicit kill switch. It's not something that can be turned off on any given day,' said Justin Bronk, an aviation specialist at the Royal United Services Institute. But the fact that this discussion is even going on in the highest circles of European defence and foreign policy exposes the complete collapse of confidence in the US military alliance. In my view it is irreversible. Mr Enders has just launched Germany's 'Sparta' project, drafted by leading figures calling for immediate and massive German rearmament. It clearly has the backing of incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz. Rather than trying to catch up with Russia in tanks and aircraft, Germany and Europe should together seek 'asymmetric superiority' by building a drone wall on Nato's eastern flank, according to Mr Enders. This could be done very quickly and at a fraction of the cost. 'We need tens of thousands of smart robots on the battlefield,' he said. A few dozen people can make a thousand combat drones for less than it costs to make a Leopard 2 tank shell. 'These drones can knock out enemy systems that cost several million with great precision,' he said. Europe should move fast to escape the clutches of Elon Musk's Starlink. Mr Enders said Eutelsat's OneWeb could do much of the job if buttressed by the medium-orbit satellites of SES. The focus should be on the 'sharp end' of defence. Some of the weapons should be in the field in six to 12 months, but none beyond five years. 'We're not interested in a new arms system that takes 20 years,' he said. Sparta includes a dash for 'cloud-combat' hypersonic weapons, a European missile shield, as well as a joint nuclear deterrent in coordination with France and the UK that span the escalation ladder from tactical nukes to strategic missiles. There have always been restrictions on how US weapon exports can be deployed, but the rules were clear. Trump has turned every form of vulnerability into a means of extortion. He has shown that he will not hesitate to cut rough with military kit to get his way – in Ukraine's case to force capitulation on Kremlin terms – or 'dividing up certain assets' as he put it. Those terms will probably be close to the Istanbul Protocol: neutrality, a skeleton military like Germany in the 1920s, Russian control over four annexed (but unconquered) oblasts, cultural re-Russification of Ukraine, plus a Vidkun Quisling-like figure to replace Volodymyr Zelensky. Europe faces serious dangers trying to extricate itself from US dependency. 'If European politicians provoke Trump we could get into an even more precarious position, setting off a vicious cycle,' said one expert from a Nato state helping the Ukrainian military. But it cannot go on as before either. 'The US has complete lockdown and ownership of our security architecture. Long-range fires and potentially the Patriot missiles and some intelligence systems could stop working if somebody in Florida or Washington presses 'no' on a computer. You couldn't keep the show on the road,' he said. The Stockholm Institute (Sipri) says the US cornered 43pc of global weapons exports over the last five years. This cannot last. Japan, India, Latin America, and the Middle East, will all be wary of locking into complex defence systems that could be used as leverage by the White House at any time, and for any purpose. It is no protection if suppliers are private companies. Trump compels corporate leaders to kiss the ring and execute his agenda. He is imposing his ideology on capitalist America proactively. Even the Washington Post has bowed to pressure, refusing to publish views that flout Maga nostrums. Two of the irresistible selling points of US arms exporters have long been that a) the dependency would not be abused, and b) that countries were implicitly coming under the US security umbrella by aligning their fortunes with America. Neither has currency in Trump's Hobbesian world. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
18-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
It's no longer safe for any country to buy weapons from Trump's America
Donald Trump has inflicted enormous long-term damage on America's defence export industry, a lucrative earner worth $320bn (£250bn) a year in all its forms. Foreign defence sales are 10 times greater than US exports of liquefied natural gas. First in line for collective repudiation is Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet. Mark Carney ordered a review of Canada's order for 72 of these advanced aircraft within hours of becoming prime minister. It will determine whether 'other options could better meet Canada's needs'. Nuno Melo, Portugal's conservative defence minister, says the F-35 is no longer considered a safe choice to replace his country's ageing F-16s. 'We have to know that an ally will be on our side whatever the circumstances,' he told Público. 'The world has changed. This ally of ours, so predictable over the decades, could limit the use, maintenance, components, and everything needed to ensure that the aircraft are operational in all scenarios,' he said. Portugal is looking at a European alternative. Germany may be next. 'Nobody needs to buy an F-35,' said Tom Enders, ex-Airbus chief and now head of the German Council on Foreign Relations. He said Germany's contract for these fighters was a misguided attempt by Angela Merkel to 'appease' Trump during his first term. It should be cancelled forthwith. Europe does not strictly need the US Patriot missile defence system either. The upgraded Franco-Italian SAMP/T rival is more or less 'equivalent'. 'It is absolutely imperative that we free ourselves of dependence on US systems as far and as quickly as possible. We can't simply close our eyes to the fact that this American government has become an adversary,' Mr Enders said in an explosive interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine. He said Trump was likely to blackmail and coerce Europe in much the same way as he has coerced Ukraine. 'No one believes any more that he will stand by Article 5 if Putin invades the Suwałki Gap,' he said. One should be cautious reading too much into share price movements. But it is striking that Lockheed Martin's stock has dropped 23pc since late October, while Dassault Aviation has almost doubled in dollar terms on talk of more orders for the Rafale. French missile-maker Thales is up 90pc. The European defence sector has seen an explosive rise over the last month, pushed even higher by Germany's coalition deal for €1 trillion of rearmament and infrastructure – to be ratified this week by a constitutional amendment to the debt brake. Mr Enders, a no-nonsense parachute officer and ex-head of European defence group EADS, said the US has access to the operating system of F-35s. ' We know the Americans can shut the thing down, whenever they want. We are totally dependent,' he said. Experts disagree over what the Pentagon can or cannot do remotely to paralyse an F-35. 'There is no explicit kill switch. It's not something that can be turned off on any given day,' said Justin Bronk, an aviation specialist at the Royal United Services Institute. But the fact that this discussion is even going on in the highest circles of European defence and foreign policy exposes the complete collapse of confidence in the US military alliance. In my view it is irreversible. Mr Enders has just launched Germany's 'Sparta' project, drafted by leading figures calling for immediate and massive German rearmament. It clearly has the backing of incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz. Rather than trying to catch up with Russia in tanks and aircraft, Germany and Europe should together seek 'asymmetric superiority' by building a drone wall on Nato's eastern flank, according to Mr Enders. This could be done very quickly and at a fraction of the cost. 'We need tens of thousands of smart robots on the battlefield,' he said. A few dozen people can make a thousand combat drones for less than it costs to make a Leopard 2 tank shell. 'These drones can knock out enemy systems that cost several million with great precision,' he said. Europe should move fast to escape the clutches of Elon Musk's Starlink. Mr Enders said Eutelsat's OneWeb could do much of the job if buttressed by the medium-orbit satellites of SES. The focus should be on the 'sharp end' of defence. Some of the weapons should be in the field in six to 12 months, but none beyond five years. 'We're not interested in a new arms system that takes 20 years,' he said. Sparta includes a dash for 'cloud-combat' hypersonic weapons, a European missile shield, as well as a joint nuclear deterrent in coordination with France and the UK that span the escalation ladder from tactical nukes to strategic missiles. There have always been restrictions on how US weapon exports can be deployed, but the rules were clear. Trump has turned every form of vulnerability into a means of extortion. He has shown that he will not hesitate to cut rough with military kit to get his way – in Ukraine's case to force capitulation on Kremlin terms – or 'dividing up certain assets' as he put it. Those terms will probably be close to the Istanbul Protocol: neutrality, a skeleton military like Germany in the 1920s, Russian control over four annexed (but unconquered) oblasts, cultural re-Russification of Ukraine, plus a Vidkun Quisling-like figure to replace Volodymyr Zelensky. Europe faces serious dangers trying to extricate itself from US dependency. 'If European politicians provoke Trump we could get into an even more precarious position, setting off a vicious cycle,' said one expert from a Nato state helping the Ukrainian military. But it cannot go on as before either. 'The US has complete lockdown and ownership of our security architecture. Long-range fires and potentially the Patriot missiles and some intelligence systems could stop working if somebody in Florida or Washington presses 'no' on a computer. You couldn't keep the show on the road,' he said. The Stockholm Institute (Sipri) says the US cornered 43pc of global weapons exports over the last five years. This cannot last. Japan, India, Latin America, and the Middle East, will all be wary of locking into complex defence systems that could be used as leverage by the White House at any time, and for any purpose. It is no protection if suppliers are private companies. Trump compels corporate leaders to kiss the ring and execute his agenda. He is imposing his ideology on capitalist America proactively. Even the Washington Post has bowed to pressure, refusing to publish views that flout Maga nostrums. Two of the irresistible selling points of US arms exporters have long been that a) the dependency would not be abused, and b) that countries were implicitly coming under the US security umbrella by aligning their fortunes with America. Neither has currency in Trump's Hobbesian world.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A European country said it might no longer be comfortable buying F-35s because of Trump
Portugal is reconsidering the purchase of F-35s over changing US relations with Europe. Portugal is gearing up to spend $6 billion transitioning its air force to the jet. But its defense minister said Donald Trump's stance toward NATO "must be taken into account." Portugal says it's uneasy about replacing its older US-made F-16 fighter jets with F-35s over doubts about President Donald Trump's behavior toward the US's allies, as well as future access to maintenance and parts. On Thursday, Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo told the newspaper Público that "we cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choices." He also said the most recent US posture toward NATO "must make us think about the best options." Melo, who also leads Portugal's CDS-People's Party, did not entirely rule out buying the planes, but said: "The world has already changed." If Portugal does reverse course, it would represent the loss of a lucrative contract for Lockheed Martin, the jet's manufacturer, that appeared to have been all but locked in. Last April, Portugal's air force chief of staff, Gen. João Cartaxo Alves, said pilot training with Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force had already begun ahead of an anticipated $6 billion transition to the F-35. The F-35 Lightning II is considered one of the world's most advanced fighter jets. Melo's statements came amid a distinct chilling of relations between the US and Europe, particularly over military matters. Trump has sidelined European leaders from recent Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations and has repeatedly criticized Europe's financial contributions to Ukraine's defense. Melo said Portugal had always seen the US as a reliable ally but recent US changes in stance toward NATO and the rest of the world must be taken into account. He also raised concerns that the US could place limitations on the maintenance and supply of components for the F-35: "Everything that has to do with ensuring that aircraft will be operational and used in all types of scenarios." Portugal is facing snap elections after its government lost a vote of confidence this week, throwing further uncertainty over the country's long-term stance toward the jet. At least 10 European countries have F-35s in their fleets, and Lockheed Martin has industrial partnerships in six European nations. The company has described the F-35 as the "NATO standard fighter of choice." Norway announced in February that it had taken delivery of three more F-35s, bringing its fleet of the aircraft to 49. Earlier this week, the Netherlands' defense minister, Ruben Brekelmans, told reporters that F-35 partner countries remained fully committed to the program. In a statement sent to BI, Lockheed Martin said it "values our strong partnership and history with the Portuguese Air Force and looks forward to continuing that partnership into the future." It also said questions about foreign military sales of the F-35 were best addressed by the US government. The White House and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider
Euronews
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Euronews
Did FC Porto's former president predict the Lisbon earthquake on the day of his funeral?
An image of the front page of an old Portuguese newspaper is circulating on social media, claiming that Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, the late former president of FC Porto, predicted a tremor in Lisbon that occurred on the day of his funeral. It's dated 30 July 2005 and quotes Pinto da Costa as saying: "Some people think the country is just Lisbon, but they're wrong. For those fools who wish me dead, I smile but I won't forget." "On the day I'm buried, Porto will cry but Lisbon will feel an earthquake or my name isn't Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa," the former football executive allegedly said. The front page quickly became viral on Portuguese social networks, because Lisbon did indeed record an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale on 17 February — the same day as Pinto da Costa's funeral. The earthquake's epicentre was recorded around 14 kilometres from Seixal, in the district of Setúbal, at 1:24 pm local time. Authorities said at the time that it didn't cause any damage. Pinto da Costa passed away at the age of 87 on 15 February after battling prostate cancer. His funeral took place two days later, culminating with his coffin being brought into the Estádio do Dragão, FC Porto's stadium, for applause and a minute's silence by thousands of fans. Various social posts have linked the two events using the front page, attributed to the now-defunct newspaper O Comércio do Porto, claiming that Pinto da Costa made a prediction 20 years ago that eerily came true. One post on X for example says "They were warned," while another says "There's something divine about this man." However, the front page is fake — there's no evidence that Pinto da Costa ever made such a prediction. The clue here is the date of the supposed front page — 30 July 2005 is actually the day that O Comércio do Porto published its last ever issue. The real front page is dedicated to the newspaper's farewell, as reported at the time by Público, which has also debunked the claims. A photo of Pinto da Costa, his supposed quote, and a headline celebrating 20 years of his presidency at Porto have replaced the real headline, which says "See you next time," and a photo of the editorial team. The rest of the elements on the front page remain unchanged. The headline on the fake edition is factually incorrect as well — Pinto da Costa had served 23 years as Porto's president by 30 July 2005, not 20. For good measure, a reverse image search of the fake front page shows us various national Portuguese reports that have also debunked the claims, with no sign of a legitimate source for the quote. What's the significance of the fake quote? The false quote attributed to Pinto da Costa appears to refer to his and FC Porto's fierce rivalry with Lisbon team Benfica (known as O Clássico), as well as with Sporting CP, which is also based in the capital. Together they are known as Os Três Grandes — the three biggest football teams in Portugal. Pinto da Costa, who served as Porto's president between 1982 and 2024, is largely credited with fostering the rivalry, not just between the clubs, but between both cities, after he revolutionised FC Porto to help it become a dominant Portuguese side that could challenge the Lisbon teams. What started as a competition between football clubs became a feud between the north and south of Portugal, especially owing to Porto's success under Pinto da Costa. They are one of Portugal's two most-decorated teams alongside Benfica, with 86 major trophies, including five consecutive league titles between 1994 and 1999 - a Portuguese record. Such success against Lisbon's top teams, combined with Pinto da Costa's own disdain for Lisbon, bred much animosity between the sides. This ill-feeling was expounded by allegations of wrongdoing, including match-fixing, bribing referees and financial misconduct, all of which likely acted as a catalyst for the fabrication of the fake O Comércio do Porto front cover to suggest that Pinto da Costa had cursed Lisbon decades prior. Regardless, he will be remembered as a significant figure in Portuguese football, not only for revolutionising FC Porto but also for driving changes in other clubs that raised the level of the game across the country. "An eternal inspiration, an immortal legacy," Porto said in a tribute to its former president, adding that he was "the greatest figure in the history of the blue and white club."
