RT THE ISLANDER (@IslanderWORLD)Europe has crossed a line it will never uncross.Not with tanks, not with treaties, not with declarations of war, but with something far more permanent: the politicisation of sovereign property. When Friedrich Merz announced an “interest-free” €90 billion loan to Ukraine while insisting Russian sovereign assets remain frozen until Moscow “compensates” Kiev, he was not issuing a warning to the Kremlin. He was delivering a notice to the world that Europe’s legal order has become ...

Welcome back. We are keeping an eye on Capitol Hill where this hour, Defense Secretary Pete Hgsth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are giving an all senators briefing on the dozens of military strikes the administration has carried out on those alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. And it comes as the US military released this new video of three more strikes carried out just yesterday.Let's bring in MS Now senior Capitol Hill reporter and host of Way Too Early, Alli Vatitali, our senior ...

Well, on that note, David, top Republicans in the Senate supporting now an investigation into those strikes. Here's what the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, and Senate Majority Leader John Thun, said yesterday. >> Were there survivors who were killed in that second attack.>> I don't have that information. >> Do you worry. >> But, but I do I do uh think we'll get that information and we're certainly going to um we're going to have available to us uh all of the audio and all of the ...

Peter Baker is chief White House correspondent for the New York Times and an MS Now contributor. Richard Hos is president ameritus for the Council on Foreign Relations and retired Army Colonel Jack Jacobs is a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and an MS Now military analyst. It's great to have all of you here.Peter, how likely is it that the Republican le House and Senate will demand some type of accountability here. >> Well, it's, you know, we should wait and see, right. because having a few people po ...

Allegations of War Crimes - The report focuses on allegations that the Trump administration ordered and executed a second strike on survivors of an initial attack on a boat suspected of smuggling drugs, potentially constituting a war crime [1][2][3][5] - Legal experts, including former JAGs and the former head of the Office of Legal Counsel, suggest the actions, if accurate, violate international law and the Department of Defense's own manual, specifically regarding the treatment of shipwrecked individuals [11][14][15] - The alleged orders to "kill everybody" and the subsequent strike on survivors are considered by some to be a violation of the law of war, potentially leading to charges of murder or war crimes [2][3][11][13] Congressional and Public Reaction - Lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties are demanding answers and conducting oversight into the US military operation in the Caribbean [1][6][7][9] - Key figures on the Senate and House Armed Services Committees have vowed to investigate the allegations, highlighting the bipartisan concern over the reported events [6][7][9] - The report mentions that if the reporting is accurate, the actions taken are in violation of the Department of Defense's own manual, which prohibits the killing of shipwrecked enemies and constitutes a war crime [15] Context and Potential Misidentification - There are claims that Coast Guard interdictions of suspected drug running boats are incorrect at least 25% of the time [21] - The report raises the possibility that individuals on the boat may have been coerced into participating by drug cartels, suggesting they may not have been willing combatants [22] - A conservative commentator argues that attacking suspected drug boats is lawless and that individuals on board are not necessarily enemy combatants, even if they are criminals [17][18]

General, a lot to sort through here and yet it really does seem simple. Andy McCarthy, a very conservative legal commentator who has supported Republicans for I mean it's the reason he's a Fox News contributor because he is conservative uh in in his worldview in writing things. But Andy McCarthy puts it two ways.First of all, he says he doesn't think this constitutes war attacking these boats. um and says if it doesn't constitute war, it's murder. But even if you believe, and he says, even for argument's sa ...

Geopolitical Landscape & Diplomacy - The world is shifting towards a multipolar order, requiring a clear understanding of national interests and a long-term perspective in diplomacy [1][8][9] - Singapore's diplomacy is not neutral but driven by its interests, such as defending international law, exemplified by its stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine [11][13] - Small countries need to be nimble and offer unique ideas to gain influence in international relations [15][16][17][18] Singapore's Diplomatic Approach - Singapore leverages the ASEAN platform to engage with larger countries, offering insights into multilateral cooperation [20][21][22] - Understanding the historical context of relationships is crucial, especially with close neighbors like Indonesia and Malaysia [24][25][26] - Building trust and fostering long-term relationships are essential for effective diplomacy [36][37][38] Regional Relations (ASEAN) - Relationships with immediate neighbors like Indonesia and Malaysia can be more complex due to deeper historical ties and potential for conflict [23][29] - Time plays a significant role in improving relations, moving beyond zero-sum thinking towards mutually beneficial outcomes [33][34][35] - Despite potential issues, the Singapore-Malaysia border crossing is one of the busiest in the world, highlighting the close relationship [27][28]