Ukraine expects Russian push as drones 'target Moscow'
Russian forces have been slowly grinding their way through Ukrainian lines along several parts of the frontline this northern hemisphere summer, throwing forth continuous waves of infantry as it seeks to press home its advantage in men and munitions.
Russian troops have already pushed into northern Ukraine's Sumy region over the past months, carving out a small foothold there.
"I dedicated two days to working with units in Kharkiv region," Syrskyi wrote in a post on the Telegram app.
He said he spent the time talking to commanders, studying the situation in the area and the needs of troops there.
"The Russians are looking to press with numbers but we have to be ready, use appropriate tactical and technological solutions not to allow the (Russian soldiers) to move forward," Syrskyi said.
Russian air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow on Saturday, the city's mayor said, while one of the capital's main airports temporarily halted outgoing flights.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency services were working at the sites of the downed drones but gave no information on potential damage.
The Defence Ministry said 94 drones had been destroyed over Russia overnight on Saturday and 45 more between 8am and 1.50pm.
Outgoing flights at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport were temporarily paused on Saturday before they were later lifted, Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said, citing "restrictions" over the capital's airspace as well as strong winds.
Rosaviatsia said incoming and outgoing flights at airports in several other Russian cities were also temporarily halted, including at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, citing safety concerns.
Ukraine's top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi has warned of a possible new Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, a part of northeastern Ukraine which has been the scene of heavy fighting since Russia invaded in 2022.
Russian forces have been slowly grinding their way through Ukrainian lines along several parts of the frontline this northern hemisphere summer, throwing forth continuous waves of infantry as it seeks to press home its advantage in men and munitions.
Russian troops have already pushed into northern Ukraine's Sumy region over the past months, carving out a small foothold there.
"I dedicated two days to working with units in Kharkiv region," Syrskyi wrote in a post on the Telegram app.
He said he spent the time talking to commanders, studying the situation in the area and the needs of troops there.
"The Russians are looking to press with numbers but we have to be ready, use appropriate tactical and technological solutions not to allow the (Russian soldiers) to move forward," Syrskyi said.
Russian air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow on Saturday, the city's mayor said, while one of the capital's main airports temporarily halted outgoing flights.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency services were working at the sites of the downed drones but gave no information on potential damage.
The Defence Ministry said 94 drones had been destroyed over Russia overnight on Saturday and 45 more between 8am and 1.50pm.
Outgoing flights at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport were temporarily paused on Saturday before they were later lifted, Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said, citing "restrictions" over the capital's airspace as well as strong winds.
Rosaviatsia said incoming and outgoing flights at airports in several other Russian cities were also temporarily halted, including at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, citing safety concerns.
Ukraine's top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi has warned of a possible new Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, a part of northeastern Ukraine which has been the scene of heavy fighting since Russia invaded in 2022.
Russian forces have been slowly grinding their way through Ukrainian lines along several parts of the frontline this northern hemisphere summer, throwing forth continuous waves of infantry as it seeks to press home its advantage in men and munitions.
Russian troops have already pushed into northern Ukraine's Sumy region over the past months, carving out a small foothold there.
"I dedicated two days to working with units in Kharkiv region," Syrskyi wrote in a post on the Telegram app.
He said he spent the time talking to commanders, studying the situation in the area and the needs of troops there.
"The Russians are looking to press with numbers but we have to be ready, use appropriate tactical and technological solutions not to allow the (Russian soldiers) to move forward," Syrskyi said.
Russian air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow on Saturday, the city's mayor said, while one of the capital's main airports temporarily halted outgoing flights.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency services were working at the sites of the downed drones but gave no information on potential damage.
The Defence Ministry said 94 drones had been destroyed over Russia overnight on Saturday and 45 more between 8am and 1.50pm.
Outgoing flights at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport were temporarily paused on Saturday before they were later lifted, Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said, citing "restrictions" over the capital's airspace as well as strong winds.
Rosaviatsia said incoming and outgoing flights at airports in several other Russian cities were also temporarily halted, including at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, citing safety concerns.
Ukraine's top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi has warned of a possible new Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, a part of northeastern Ukraine which has been the scene of heavy fighting since Russia invaded in 2022.
Russian forces have been slowly grinding their way through Ukrainian lines along several parts of the frontline this northern hemisphere summer, throwing forth continuous waves of infantry as it seeks to press home its advantage in men and munitions.
Russian troops have already pushed into northern Ukraine's Sumy region over the past months, carving out a small foothold there.
"I dedicated two days to working with units in Kharkiv region," Syrskyi wrote in a post on the Telegram app.
He said he spent the time talking to commanders, studying the situation in the area and the needs of troops there.
"The Russians are looking to press with numbers but we have to be ready, use appropriate tactical and technological solutions not to allow the (Russian soldiers) to move forward," Syrskyi said.
Russian air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow on Saturday, the city's mayor said, while one of the capital's main airports temporarily halted outgoing flights.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency services were working at the sites of the downed drones but gave no information on potential damage.
The Defence Ministry said 94 drones had been destroyed over Russia overnight on Saturday and 45 more between 8am and 1.50pm.
Outgoing flights at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport were temporarily paused on Saturday before they were later lifted, Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said, citing "restrictions" over the capital's airspace as well as strong winds.
Rosaviatsia said incoming and outgoing flights at airports in several other Russian cities were also temporarily halted, including at St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, citing safety concerns.
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West Australian
7 hours ago
- West Australian
Trump threatens extra 10pc tariff on countries that align with ‘Anti-American' BRICS policies
US President Donald Trump has threatened an additional 10 per cent tariff on countries that orient themselves along the 'Anti-American policies of BRICS.' Trump's announcement, which did not elaborate on any specific policy of BRICS, came as the group's meeting is underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 'Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10 per cent Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday evening stateside. The bloc's leaders took aim at Trump's sweeping tariff policies in a joint statement dated July 6, warning against 'unjustified unilateral protectionist measures, including the indiscriminate increase of reciprocal tariffs.' Without calling out the US, the leaders voiced 'serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules,' warning that the 'proliferation of trade-restrictive actions' threaten to disrupt the global economy and worsen the existing economic disparities. They also offered symbolic backing to fellow member, Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on the country, without naming Israel or the US which carried out the military operation. The BRICS group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran. The bloc describes itself as 'a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries from the Global South and for coordination in the most diverse areas.' This year, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent Premier Li Qiang to the meeting in his absence, while Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, attended online. BRICS goals include improving economic, political and social cooperation among its members, and 'increasing the influence of Global South countries in international governance.' The bloc seeks to challenge Western-dominated institutions of global economic governance, as well as to supplant the US dollar's role in the global economy, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Separately, Trump confirmed that the US will start delivering letters on Monday, detailing country-specific tariff rates and any agreements reached with various trading partners. That affirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments over the weekend. The Trump administration has said that tariffs announced in April will take effect on August 1, instead of July 9, for countries that have not reached an agreement with the US. Bessent rejected the idea that Aug. 1 was yet another new tariff deadline. 'We are saying this is when it's happening, if you want to speed things up, have at it, if you want to go back to the old rate that's your choice,' Bessent said Sunday on CNN's 'State of the Union.' In April, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the steep tariffs he had unveiled just days prior on most trading partners. That pause is due to expire on Wednesday, sparking concern among investors and US trading partners. CNBC
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Australia has been invaded. And the invader is sure to come back with greater force
Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes? Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes? Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes? Australia was invaded last week. The invader did a lot of damage, similar to previous invasions over the past couple of decades. The invader took people's homes, damaged the power grid, wrecked roads and bridges, and destroyed crops. All the things that invaders do. And the invader will come again and again in greater force, destroying lives and property. The invader, of course, is the more violent weather caused by climate change. The same invader that killed at least 78 in Texas in the last week. This is the biggest national-security threat facing most countries. This is the national-security threat that the nations of the earth should be spending 3.5 or even 5 per cent of GDP to address. It provides the answer Australia should give to the preposterous US demand that we spend more on "defence" - a demand that really means wasting more money buying American weapons and adding to the $500 million already handed over to the Americans to bolster their shipyards to build submarines we will never get. And what rent is the US paying on Pine Gap, the North-West Cape and the Darwin base, if anything? When are we going to question whether it is worth remaining such a close ally of the US? What is the point of NATO increasing "defence" spending if NATO cannot use its undoubted force and ability to push the Russians out of Ukraine and arrest Putin to be tried for war crimes for which there is copious evidence? The passing last week of the One Big Beautiful Bill reinforces the fact that the US no longer shares with us common values. The bill slashes food, medical, and educational help from people who desperately need it to give money to the already wealthy who do not - in a way that runs counter to the Australian fair go. Just as the slashing of USAID is contrary to Australia values because it has killed innocent children. Maybe we could ignore that. But, more profoundly, in the medium to long term, the bill will likely damage the US and its position in the world so much economically that many American allies will question whether any alliance with them is worth continuing. It is a tragic irony that President Donald Trump whose political success has relied on the slogan "Make America Great Again" has with this bill and earlier actions attacked the two most important contributors to America's historic greatness: the rule of law and technological superiority. The rule of law provides the basis for economic strength. First, personal freedom (from arbitrary arrest and attack from government) nourishes individual economic activity. Secondly, the certainty that contracts will be impartially enforced; civil wrongs will be impartially addressed; and property rights respected underpins business confidence. Without the rule of law, the risks cause investors to shy away. Trump has undermined the world trading system and eroded the rule of law - bedrock Australian values - in America. Worse, the Supreme Court and the Congress have supinely allowed the erosion to go unchecked. Indeed, they have added to it. This is now not just a rogue President, but a nation that is losing any claim to holding the moral high ground. The second, more corrosive, effect on American greatness comes with the Big Beautiful Bill's attack on American technological progress. First, the bill makes it harder for Americans to get a college education by slashing student-loan funding and direct funding to universities. This is slashing the arteries of American industrial and technological superiority. Worse, the Bill removes tax incentives for electric vehicles and renewable electrification generally and provides more tax incentives for fossil vehicles and fossil industries generally. In short, it hands to China on an electrolysis plate, all of the wealth and technological advantage of the energy revolution. China already manufactures 80 per cent of the world's solar panels, 75 per cent of its batteries and 70 per cent of its EVs. The US is not even trying to catch up. Developing nations are not going to waste their money and time transitioning through coal and gas as demand for electrical power rises. They will go straight to the Chinese renewable industry because the US has vacated the field. READ MORE CRISPIN HULL: It also hands to China the massive industry of making devices more electrically efficient: think LED light globes, induction stoves and the like. Trump's mad, ideological obsession against renewable energy has driven him to a position where his other obsession - the rise of China - is lost. Hawks may well support an alliance with an immoral but strong nation, but surely they are misguided to so closely attach itself to a nation that sabotages its own economic and industrial strength? Trump has also squandered America's intelligence advantage, by surrounding himself with sycophants. Intelligence that tells a leader what he wants to hear is no intelligence at all. Who can forget the imagery of the sycophants who verbally told Putin that they agreed to his Ukraine invasion while their body language said it was mad. US intelligence officials concocted evidence to say the illegal bombing of Iran neutralised the threat, when all it did was make Iran more determined. And speaking of China and the rule of law, if the Chinese Communist Party wants to resume the civil war that ended in 1949, Australia should not get involved, even if the US does. We have wasted too much blood and treasure following the US into mad, bad and illegal wars: Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. None of them achieved anything but death and destruction and more violence. Taiwan is not a member of the UN. It does not even profess itself to be an independent nation. Yes, 20 million plus people are enjoying democratic rights which is terrific. But we should no more go to war with China to defend those rights than go to any of a score of African countries to do the same thing. Where is the end game in all this sabre rattling? It is like the lead-up to World War I. It will all be over by Christmas, they said, with more than four years of futile carnage before them. And when will American jurists, legislators, and American people generally realise they are being led by an ignorant fool of an emperor who has no clothes?
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes
Russia and Ukraine have struck each other with hundreds of drones, throwing Russian air travel in disarray, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced deals with allies that would allow the country to scale up drone production. Photos circulating on social media showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St Petersburg as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's Transport Ministry. The flight disruptions hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions. Russian air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the night-time attacks, and 39 more before 2pm Moscow time on Sunday, Russia's Defence Ministry said. It did not clarify how many had hit targets or how many had been launched in total. Early on Sunday, Ukrainian drones injured two civilians in Russia's Belgorod region near the border, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday. The Ukrainian attacks came just days after Russia pummelled Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles overnight into Friday, in what Ukrainian officials called the largest such strike since Russia's all-out invasion. Large-scale Russian drone strikes on Sunday injured three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, local officials said. A Russian attack involving Shahed drones also targeted port infrastructure in Mykolaiv in central Ukraine, according to local governor Vitaliy Kim. He reported warehouses and the port's power grid were damaged but there were no casualties. Hours later, Russia launched a glide bomb and a drone at the front-line town of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, killing four civilians and injuring a fifth, the prosecutor's office said. Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine had inked deals with European allies and a US company to step up drone production, ensuring it receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year. Zelenskiy did not name the US business in his nightly video address but said Ukraine and Denmark have also agreed to co-produce drones and other weapons on Danish soil. Ukraine has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep inside Russia in a surprise attack. Outmanned and outgunned, Ukraine's army has also turned to drones to compensate for its troop shortage and shore up its defences. Russia and Ukraine have struck each other with hundreds of drones, throwing Russian air travel in disarray, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced deals with allies that would allow the country to scale up drone production. Photos circulating on social media showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St Petersburg as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's Transport Ministry. The flight disruptions hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions. Russian air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the night-time attacks, and 39 more before 2pm Moscow time on Sunday, Russia's Defence Ministry said. It did not clarify how many had hit targets or how many had been launched in total. Early on Sunday, Ukrainian drones injured two civilians in Russia's Belgorod region near the border, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday. The Ukrainian attacks came just days after Russia pummelled Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles overnight into Friday, in what Ukrainian officials called the largest such strike since Russia's all-out invasion. Large-scale Russian drone strikes on Sunday injured three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, local officials said. A Russian attack involving Shahed drones also targeted port infrastructure in Mykolaiv in central Ukraine, according to local governor Vitaliy Kim. He reported warehouses and the port's power grid were damaged but there were no casualties. Hours later, Russia launched a glide bomb and a drone at the front-line town of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, killing four civilians and injuring a fifth, the prosecutor's office said. Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine had inked deals with European allies and a US company to step up drone production, ensuring it receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year. Zelenskiy did not name the US business in his nightly video address but said Ukraine and Denmark have also agreed to co-produce drones and other weapons on Danish soil. Ukraine has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep inside Russia in a surprise attack. Outmanned and outgunned, Ukraine's army has also turned to drones to compensate for its troop shortage and shore up its defences. Russia and Ukraine have struck each other with hundreds of drones, throwing Russian air travel in disarray, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced deals with allies that would allow the country to scale up drone production. Photos circulating on social media showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St Petersburg as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's Transport Ministry. The flight disruptions hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions. Russian air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the night-time attacks, and 39 more before 2pm Moscow time on Sunday, Russia's Defence Ministry said. It did not clarify how many had hit targets or how many had been launched in total. Early on Sunday, Ukrainian drones injured two civilians in Russia's Belgorod region near the border, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday. The Ukrainian attacks came just days after Russia pummelled Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles overnight into Friday, in what Ukrainian officials called the largest such strike since Russia's all-out invasion. Large-scale Russian drone strikes on Sunday injured three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, local officials said. A Russian attack involving Shahed drones also targeted port infrastructure in Mykolaiv in central Ukraine, according to local governor Vitaliy Kim. He reported warehouses and the port's power grid were damaged but there were no casualties. Hours later, Russia launched a glide bomb and a drone at the front-line town of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, killing four civilians and injuring a fifth, the prosecutor's office said. Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine had inked deals with European allies and a US company to step up drone production, ensuring it receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year. Zelenskiy did not name the US business in his nightly video address but said Ukraine and Denmark have also agreed to co-produce drones and other weapons on Danish soil. Ukraine has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep inside Russia in a surprise attack. Outmanned and outgunned, Ukraine's army has also turned to drones to compensate for its troop shortage and shore up its defences. Russia and Ukraine have struck each other with hundreds of drones, throwing Russian air travel in disarray, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced deals with allies that would allow the country to scale up drone production. Photos circulating on social media showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St Petersburg as hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's Transport Ministry. The flight disruptions hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions. Russian air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the night-time attacks, and 39 more before 2pm Moscow time on Sunday, Russia's Defence Ministry said. It did not clarify how many had hit targets or how many had been launched in total. Early on Sunday, Ukrainian drones injured two civilians in Russia's Belgorod region near the border, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday. The Ukrainian attacks came just days after Russia pummelled Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles overnight into Friday, in what Ukrainian officials called the largest such strike since Russia's all-out invasion. Large-scale Russian drone strikes on Sunday injured three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, local officials said. A Russian attack involving Shahed drones also targeted port infrastructure in Mykolaiv in central Ukraine, according to local governor Vitaliy Kim. He reported warehouses and the port's power grid were damaged but there were no casualties. Hours later, Russia launched a glide bomb and a drone at the front-line town of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, killing four civilians and injuring a fifth, the prosecutor's office said. Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine had inked deals with European allies and a US company to step up drone production, ensuring it receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year. Zelenskiy did not name the US business in his nightly video address but said Ukraine and Denmark have also agreed to co-produce drones and other weapons on Danish soil. Ukraine has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep inside Russia in a surprise attack. Outmanned and outgunned, Ukraine's army has also turned to drones to compensate for its troop shortage and shore up its defences.
