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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

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https://nordictimes.com/world/us-seizes-venezuelan-presidents-plane/

World

US seizes Venezuelan president’s plane

Published 3 September 2024
– By Editorial Staff
The US Department of Commerce promises to “identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States”.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

US authorities have seized a plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The United States claims that the aircraft was illegally purchased for approximately $13 million and then smuggled out of the United States in violation of current sanctions, which is why it has now been confiscated.

The plane is a Falcon 900EX and has been described as Venezuela’s version of Air Force One. The plane was reportedly seized in the Dominican Republic and then transferred to the US state of Florida. How the plane ended up in the Dominican Republic in the first place is not entirely clear, the BBC reports.

The Venezuelan government has condemned the US action as an act of “piracy”, with Foreign Minister Yván Gil commenting that the US has justified its actions “with the coercive measures that they unilaterally and illegally impose around the world” It also said it “reserves the right to take any legal action to repair this damage to the nation”.

According to US officials, the plane was seized for alleged violations of US export control and sanctions laws, and Maduro used a Caribbean shell company to conceal his involvement in the purchase of the plane from a Florida company in late 2022.

“Consequences of misgovernance”

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council also said the action was “an important step to ensure that Maduro continues to feel the consequences from his misgovernance of Venezuela”.

– It doesn’t matter how fancy the private jet or how powerful the officials – we will work relentlessly with our partners here and across the globe to identify and return any aircraft illegally smuggled outside of the United States, said Matthew S Axelrod of the Department of Commerce – one of the federal agencies involved in the seizure of the plane.

In addition, the United States supports the opposition in Venezuela and has recognized its candidate, Edmundo González, as the winner of the July re-election, while calling on Maduro to resign immediately.

Back in 2020, the US Department of Justice also accused the president of involvement in narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking, among other things, and anyone who can provide information leading to his conviction can be rewarded with $15 million (€13,6 million).

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/world/lithuanian-ex-president-no-need-to-fear-russias-nuclear-weapons/

World

Lithuanian ex-president: “No need to fear Russia’s nuclear weapons”

The new cold war

Published today 10:48
– By Editorial Staff
Dalia Grybauskaité was one of the voices calling for NATO to attack Russia as early as 2022.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Lithuania’s former president Dalia Grybauskaité rejects Vladimir Putin’s proposal for peace talks with Ukraine as disingenuous, claiming that it is merely a tactical maneuver aimed at buying time.

Despite widespread concerns that the war will escalate into a large-scale European nuclear conflict, Grybauskaité argues that the threat of weapons of mass destruction is greatly exaggerated and asserts that “there is no reason to fear nuclear weapons”.

– I believe these are games for the time being, an attempt to stall for time, an attempt to shift the blame to the Ukrainian side, but in fact they are stalling for time and are unwilling to end the war now, at least in the near future as they want to occupy as much of Ukraine as possible, the former president said in a press statement on Monday.

Her statement came after four European leaders visited Kiev over the weekend and appealed for a temporary ceasefire as a basis for peace talks. Putin responded with a counterproposal for direct negotiations in Istanbul – an initiative that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown some openness to, but only after a ceasefire is in place.

Most notable, however, was how Grybauskaité downplayed the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the conflict – describing Russian nuclear deterrence as “an obsolete doctrine” and claiming that weapons of mass destruction should no longer be considered a relevant threat in modern warfare.

– Nuclear deterrence was effective after World War Two, during the Cold War, but not now. No umbrella will help because now we have completely different weapons, a completely different nature of war. Nuclear weapons will not scare anybody.

“An obsolete instrument”

As recently as November, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine and opened the door to using tactical nuclear weapons in response to large-scale conventional military attacks – a move that has led to increased concern in several European capitals.

Despite this, Grybauskaité tried to downplay fears of nuclear weapons as completely unfounded – and instead turned the threat back on Moscow:

– There is no need to fear and there is no need to pay attention as it is an obsolete instrument and there is nothing to fear. The Russians may be afraid of nuclear weapons themselves, so let them be afraid.

It should be noted that Dalia Grybauskaité has long been one of the most vocal advocates in Europe for a more confrontational line toward Russia. Throughout the war in Ukraine, she has repeatedly criticized the West’s stance in the conflict and called for more direct military involvement from NATO – including attacks on Russian targets. According to Grybauskaité, the only way to stop Putin is to meet him with military force, not diplomacy.

“War can only be stopped by a war”, she has declared, arguing that “if we do not stop Putin in Ukraine, we will still have to fight a war, but in our countries”.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/white-south-africans-granted-refuge-in-trumps-us-genocide-is-taking-place/

World

White South Africans granted refuge in Trump’s US: “Genocide is taking place”

Donald Trump's USA

Published today 8:17
– By Editorial Staff
The first 59 white South Africans are welcomed by the US State Department.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Trump administration has begun relocating white South Africans to the US. The president himself defends the decision by saying that the group is being subjected to genocide – but that this is being hushed up because it is white people who are affected.

Fifty-nine white South Africans have already been flown into the country and, according to the Trump administration, are the first in a larger relocation of Afrikaners – a white minority group subjected to widespread violence, persecution, and discrimination in their homeland.

The program, which was presented in February, prioritizes Afrikaners who are considered to be in constant danger due to violence and harassment in predominantly black South Africa.

– Because they’re being killed. And we don’t want to see people be killed… it’s a genocide that’s taking place. Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white, Trump said in a press statement when a journalist demanded an answer as to why the president wanted to help white refugees in particular.

Afrikaners – mainly descendants of Dutch and French settlers who came to South Africa hundreds of years ago – make up about 2.7 million of South Africa’s 62 million inhabitants.

Many live in rural areas, where violent crime against farmers is common, and although there are no longer any official statistics, it is clear that thousands of white South Africans have been murdered in recent decades.

South African government denies persecution

Trump and several of his advisers, including South African Elon Musk, have pointed out that the murders are often motivated by racial hatred and that the victims are targeted because they are white.

However, South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola rejects the accusations and claims that “there is no data at all that backs that there is persecution of white South Africans”.

– White farmers get affected by crime just like any other South Africans, he claims.

The South African government further claims that Afrikaners are better off than most people in the country and that misinformation and inaccurate reporting are behind the perception that the group is particularly vulnerable.

Journalists, lobby organizations promoting mass immigration, and political opponents have also reacted with dismay to Trump’s decision to focus on helping white refugees rather than people of non-European descent.

“Brutally killed”

However, Trump stands his ground and emphasizes that he is not helping the Afrikaners because of their skin color, but because they are suffering from something horrific – something that is being silenced by Western media.

– Whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me, but white farmers are being brutally killed, and their land is being confiscated in South Africa.

– The newspapers and the media, television media, doesn’t even talk about it. If it were the other way round, they’d talk about it, that would be the only story they talk about. I don’t care who they are. I don’t care about their race, their color, I don’t care about their height, their weight, I don’t care about anything, I just know that what is happening is terrible.

Earlier this year, The Nordic Times highlighted the lives and history of the Afrikaners in a lengthy cultural article.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/top-eu-court-rules-on-von-der-leyens-secret-pfizer-messages/

World

Top EU court rules on von der Leyen’s secret Pfizer messages

The criticized covid vaccinations

Published yesterday 12:10
– By Editorial Staff
According to critics, transparency in the EU has decreased significantly under von der Leyen's rule.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s handling of secret text messages with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is now under scrutiny in a court case that threatens to destroy her political legacy and further erode confidence in the EU’s decision-making process.

Tomorrow, the EU General Court will rule on whether the European Commission broke the law by refusing to release text messages exchanged between von der Leyen and Bourla during negotiations on a controversial COVID-19 vaccine deal worth billions.

The ruling is expected to further undermine confidence in von der Leyen’s leadership, which is already heavily criticized for its abuse of power and centralization of decision-making. Among other things, the case concerns whether text messages should be classified as official documents and thus subject to EU transparency rules.

The case was initiated by The New York Times and its former Brussels correspondent, who took the matter to court after the Commission’s decision to refuse to publish the text messages in 2022.

In an interview with the NYT in 2021, Bourla revealed that he and von der Leyen had built up a “deep trust” through their text message negotiations. The agreement, which was concluded in May 2021, meant that the EU purchased up to 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID vaccine – the largest single vaccine purchase during the COVID crisis.

– This court ruling could mark a turning point for transparency in the EU. When it comes to key decisions, particularly those affecting public health, secrecy should be avoided, said Shari Hinds, EU policy director at Transparency International.

“The elephant who wasn’t in the room”

In 2022, EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly (2013–2025) ruled that the Commission had committed serious administrative errors by not even searching for the text messages. She called it a “wake-up call” for the EU institutions and said that transparency had declined during von der Leyen’s tenure.

– Information is being held back for political reasons and that culture comes from the top, O’Reilly told Politico in 2023, also criticizing von der Leyen’s absence during the trial:

– The elephant who wasn’t in the room. The one person who could tell us everything wasn’t there.

The European Commission has repeatedly refused to comment on the case, but an official claimed at a press conference that the vaccine agreements were negotiated with the full support of the member states.

“Transparency must be a priority”

The court has previously criticized the Commission’s censorship of the vaccine contracts, large parts of which have been classified as confidential on the grounds of commercial interests.

Tilly Metz, a Green MEP, was one of many who soon wondered who or what was behind von der Leyen’s reluctance to share the information.

– She gets bad advice there. If you want the public to be confident and trust the politicians and what they do – and the contacts they do with industry – you have to put the focus on transparency.

“Confused” dossier

During a hearing in November 2023, judges expressed skepticism about the Commission’s refusal to hand over the text messages. When the Commission’s lawyers finally acknowledged that the messages existed, they were met with laughter in the courtroom.

– We do not deny that they exist, said Commission lawyer Paolo Stancanelli during the hearing. He defended the Commission’s actions by arguing that the text messages were not relevant to the contract negotiations – a claim that the judges sharply questioned.

One judge, José Martín y Pérez de Nanclares, ruled that the Commission had not taken “adequate and diligent measures” to justify the secrecy, while another, Paul Nihoul, criticized the “relatively confused” dossier.

The pressure on von der Leyen is increasing further through an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which is looking into how the vaccine purchases were handled. In March, EPPO chief Laura Codruța Kövesi also confirmed that Commission officials had been questioned.

The EPPO is refraining from commenting on ongoing investigations, but the case risks further increasing mistrust in von der Leyen’s leadership and is expected to make it even more difficult for her to hold together an already deeply divided EU alliance.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/pkk-disbands-after-decades-of-armed-conflict/

World

PKK disbands after decades of armed conflict

Published yesterday 7:11
– By Editorial Staff
A group of female Kurdish rebel fighters.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has announced that the organization will be dissolved. This would mark the end of an armed conflict with Turkey that has lasted for almost five decades and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

In a statement on Monday, the Kurdish group said that “all activities” under the PKK’s name have ceased. According to the statement, the Kurdish issue has come “to a point where it can be resolved through democratic politics“.

The decision was taken at the PKK’s twelfth congress – a high-level meeting of the organisation’s decision-makers – where it was agreed to “dissolve the PKK’s organizational structure and end the armed struggle”. The implementation will be led by the imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan.

It is unclear whether the decision applies to all PKK-related groups operating in Iraq, Syria, and Iran, or how any disarmament will be carried out. Nor is it clear what will happen to the armed members at this stage.

The PKK emphasizes in its statement that “rebuilding Turkish-Kurdish relations is inevitable” and points out that the decision has also been influenced by “current developments in the Middle East”. The group calls on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government, as well as all political parties, to “assume responsibility and join the peace and democratic society process.

Reactions from Turkey have not been long in coming. Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkey’s ruling AKP party, called the announcement an important step.

– If terrorism is completely ended, the door to a new era will open, Celik said, but at the same time emphasized that “this decision must be implemented in practice and realized in all its dimensions”.

Armed conflict since 1978

The PKK was founded by Abdullah Öcalan in 1978 as a Marxist-Leninist and Kurdish nationalist movement, and has since waged an armed struggle against the Turkish state. Originally, the goal was to create an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey, but in recent years the movement has instead demanded greater autonomy within the country’s borders.

In March this year, the PKK declared an immediate ceasefire after Öcalan called on its members to lay down their arms and disband the organization. According to various estimates, the conflict between the PKK and Turkey has led to at least 40,000 deaths.

Relations between Turkey and the Kurds have been complex under President Erdoğan’s leadership. In previous years, Erdoğan attempted to win over Kurdish voters by expanding rights and easing restrictions on the use of the Kurdish language.

Photo: Chris Sang-hwan Jung/CC BY-SA 2.0

Largest minority

In 2013, cooperation began between the government and the pro-Kurdish Democratic People’s Party (HDP) with the aim of reaching a peaceful solution with the PKK. However, negotiations broke down in 2015, and relations have deteriorated significantly since then.

In recent years, Turkey has carried out harsh repression against Kurdish parties and groups, which are often accused of having ties to the PKK.

Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Turkey and are estimated to make up between 15 and 20 percent of the population, according to Minority Rights Group International. They also have a strong presence in northern Syria, northern Iraq, and parts of Iran.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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