Thursday, June 5, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Zimbabwe faces mass starvation

Published 9 April 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Zimbabwean woman with her baby in the field.
2 minute read

An already crippled agricultural production has been made worse by extreme drought. Now the Zimbabwean government says nearly three million people will go hungry this year.

Reuters journalists report how villagers can be seen standing in groups, waiting for their names to be called so they can receive some grain, peas and cooking oil to help their families survive.

– We are grateful, but the food will only last a month. My crops have withered, says a 71-year-old woman.

Since the turn of the millennium, the country has faced serious food production problems after then-President Robert Mugabe decided to confiscate farms owned by white Zimbabweans and hand control over to people with little or no experience in agricultural production.

Zimbabwe’s political leadership claimed that the seizure of white farmers’ farms was a “fairness” measure to “correct the imbalance in land distribution” – but critics have pointed out that the move not only violated the farmers’ basic human rights, but that the farms were often given nepotistically to people loyal to the ruling Zanu-PF party.

State of emergency may be introduced

The decision led to a complete collapse of the country’s food supply, and for almost 25 years many Zimbabweans have had to rely on aid to survive in a country once known as the “breadbasket of Africa.

The food crisis has been exacerbated by a particular type of drought affecting many countries in Africa, with 2.7 million or more people now at risk of starvation. The “El Nino drought” that has hit Zimbabwe usually occurs only once a decade, but in the worst case it can last for a year or more.

According to Reuters, the government is even considering declaring a state of emergency after, among other things, maize production fell by 50%.

The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) says it has so far helped some 270,000 people in four particularly drought-stricken districts, but does not have the resources to feed everyone.

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Trump closes border to 12 countries – citing security threats

Donald Trump's USA

Published today 12:26
– By Editorial Staff
Afghans are one of several nationalities no longer allowed to enter the United States.
2 minute read

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning citizens from twelve countries from entering the US, while imposing partial restrictions on seven additional countries.

I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people, the president said.

The countries subject to a complete ban on entry are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The ban applies to both immigrants and temporary visitors.

Partial restrictions are also being introduced for citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Among other things, the measures restrict the ability to obtain visas or permits to enter the country.

Trump referred to Sunday’s firebomb attack in Colorado, in which 15 pro-Israel demonstrators were injured. The attack, which was reportedly carried out by an Egyptian citizen with an expired tourist visa, was cited as a reason for the new entry ban.

– The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, Trump said in a video posted on Truth Social.

The opposition: “Discriminatory”

The presidential order builds on an executive decree from January 20, in which Secretary of State Marco Rubio was tasked with identifying countries with inadequate traveler screening. Trump accuses several of the countries of abusing the US visa system and refusing to accept citizens who have been deported from the US.

I am committed to engaging with those countries willing to cooperate to improve information-sharing, he added.

The new ban is expected to lead to legal challenges and court cases similar to those that followed Trump’s first entry ban in 2017 – the so-called “Muslim ban” – which was ultimately approved by the Supreme Court in 2018.

Criticism has been sharp from activists and several Democratic representatives. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal called the ban “dangerous” and “discriminatory”.

– This ban, expanded from Trump’s Muslim ban in his first term, will only further isolate us on the world stage, she said in a statement. She also warned of alleged economic consequences and increased global uncertainty.

Musk on Trump’s budget: “A disgusting abomination”

Donald Trump's USA

Published yesterday 15:44
– By Editorial Staff
Musk believes the budget "undermines" the work of DOGE.
2 minute read

Tech billionaire and former White House Efficiency Chief Elon Musk sharply criticizes US President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, which was recently passed by a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

According to Musk, the budget proposal is a “disgusting abomination” – and he is supported by several prominent libertarian figures.

The budget proposal, which aims to prevent a tax increase at the end of the year while raising the ceiling on the US’s already staggering national debt by an additional $4 trillion, has now been sent to the Senate.

Musk, who recently resigned as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has repeatedly criticized the budget, claiming that it undermines his efforts to reduce the federal budget deficit.

I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination”, he wrote on X on Tuesday.

Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it”, he added.

In an interview with CBS News last week, Musk emphasized that the legislation “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing” because it “increases the budget deficit”.

However, House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed Musk’s criticism, saying that the legislation actually secures $1.6 trillion in savings, reduces spending, and provides tax breaks.

With all due respect, Elon is simply wrong about the One Big Beautiful Bill, he told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, adding that “Congress is working hard to get this to President Trump’s desk by July 4th”.

When asked about Musk’s criticism, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied that Trump is aware of the former presidential adviser’s views on the matter.

– It doesn’t change the president’s opinion, she told reporters on Tuesday.

Trump himself seems to wholeheartedly support the budget:

Passing THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL is a historic opportunity to turn our country around”, he wrote on social media, urging the Senate on Monday “to work as fast as they can to get this bill to MY DESK before the fourth of JULY”.

Even libertarian senators Thomas Massie and Rand Paul have criticized the budget, pointing out that it raises the US debt ceiling by several trillion dollars.

Large-scale Ukrainian attack on Russian air bases

The war in Ukraine

Published 2 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Defense analysts in the West describe the attack as the largest single offensive against the Russian air force since the war began in 2022.
3 minute read

The Ukrainian military, in cooperation with the country’s intelligence service SBU, has carried out one of the most extensive attacks to date against Russian air bases. The target is said to have been to knock out Russia’s strategic bombers – aircraft that have played a central role in recent months’ missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

According to several corroborating reports, at least five military airfields deep inside Russia were attacked during the night of Saturday. The operation, which according to unconfirmed sources went under the code name “Spider’s Web”, is said to have been planned for over a year.

Among the bases attacked are Olenya on the Kola Peninsula near Murmansk, Ukrainka in the Amur region of the Russian Far East, and facilities in Irkutsk, Ivanovo, and Ryazan. According to information in the international press, the attacks were carried out using drones that were smuggled into Russia and hidden in civilian transport vehicles near the respective air bases.

Ukrainian authorities claim that over 40 Russian bombers were hit or damaged, including heavy strategic aircraft of the Tupolev Tu-95 and Tu-22 types, as well as a Beriev A-50 radar reconnaissance aircraft.

Images and videos circulating on social media show what appear to be several destroyed aircraft and extensive fires at Russian bases, including Olenya, over 1,500 kilometers from the nearest Ukrainian territory.

The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that several bases were attacked but says most of the drones were shot down and the damage was limited.

Extent unclear

No independent confirmation of either the Ukrainian or Russian reports has been presented so far, but several defense experts in the West describe the attack as the largest single offensive against the Russian Air Force since the war began in 2022.

The extent of the damage is still unclear, but according to reports in the Kyiv Post, among others, entire hangars have been destroyed and the damage could amount to several billion dollars.

For Russia, this would mean a significant weakening of its ability to carry out long-range attacks against Ukrainian targets, as the aircraft types involved are difficult to replace in the short term.

Several analysts also point to the psychological and symbolic value of the attack. The strategic bombers not only play a conventional role in the war, but are also important in the logistics of the nuclear arsenal. The damage is therefore seen as a loss of prestige for Moscow.

Some analysts also interpret the attack as a deliberate show of force by Kiev ahead of the planned peace talks in Istanbul, which, according to Russian and Turkish media, are set to begin on Monday.

Railway sabotage with civilian casualties

At the same time, two separate acts of railway sabotage have been reported from Russian territory. One of them, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, led to derailment and several deaths. The other occurred in the Kirov region.

Explosive devices are said to have detonated on the tracks shortly before military transports passed by. Although the connection with the airbase attack has not yet been confirmed, several military analysts consider the events to be coordinated.

The attack has also brought to light a legal complication in the START treaty between Russia and the US, which is still in force. Under the terms of the agreement, strategic bombers must be visible to satellite surveillance, which makes it difficult to hide them in protected hangars, something that may have facilitated the Ukrainian drone attacks.

The fact that Ukraine managed to strike with such precision and range – deep into Russian heartland – also raises questions about how the country’s military capabilities have developed and what help it has received from Western intelligence services.

UK invests billions in new arms factories

The new cold war

Published 2 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
BAE Systems, based in the UK, is Europe's largest arms manufacturer, employing more than 83 000 people and producing, among other things, the Challenger tank.
2 minute read

The UK will invest $2 billion in new arms factories as part of a major military buildup, Defense Secretary John Healey announces ahead of the government’s Strategic Defense Review tomorrow.

The investment includes at least six new ammunition and explosives factories, as well as the purchase of over 7,000 domestically produced long-range weapons, including drones and missiles.

– The hard-fought lessons from Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine show a military is only as strong as the industry that stands behind it, said Healey.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer also underlines the need to respond to alleged threats from states with advanced military capabilities singling out Russia, Iran and North Korea in particular.

– We are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, so we must be ready to fight and win, he declares.

The investment is also said to be aimed at stimulating the economy, and will see the UK spend a total of around £6 billion on munitions during the current parliamentary term.

AI to improve decision-making in combat

– We welcome investment in new munitions factories, but we don’t know when they will be ready – only that these orders should have been placed months ago, said James Cartlidge, defense spokesman for the Liberal Conservative opposition.

The UK, one of Ukraine’s most generous funders, has decided to raise its defense budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a long-term goal of 3% by 2034.

Meanwhile, Moscow warns of rising tensions and accuses former prime minister Boris Johnson of sabotaging the 2022 peace talks and pressuring Ukraine to leave a claim he denies.

Meanwhile, the UK government has announced it will invest billions in artificial intelligence to improve decision-making on the battlefield and has committed to spending an additional £1.5 billion to improve the country’s military housing.

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