Grier's Note: June 15, 2025
Israel vs Iran, Elections in Poland and South Korea, Dutch and Mongolian governments collapse, The Truth about UFOs?
News from around the world
Israel has launched a major military operation to dismantle Iran’s nuclear missile program. Israeli forces have hit a wide target related to the nuclear program as well as targeted assassination of nuclear scientists and the Iranian security establishment. The operation came after months of talks between the US and Iran about a new nuclear deal which Israel watched with concern that Iran was simply using the discussions to run out the clock until it was in a position to produce nuclear weapons. Thus, the launch of this campaign that seeks to destroy Iran’s capacity to produce such a weapon.
In a blow to the government of Polish PM Donald Tusk, opposition-backed Karol Nawrocki won Poland’s Presidential election. While the role of President has normally focused on ceremonial duties, it has become contentious since Tusk formed a government as incumbent President Duda has used his veto power to block several priority bills of the government. The government had hoped to see a friendly President elected but instead is getting Nawrocki who campaigned on acting as a break on the government and now will take his win as a mandate to do just that.
Dutch PM Dick Schoof has submitted his resignation after populist leader Geert Wilders withdrew from the 4-party ruling coalition. Wilders had clashed with coalition partners about whether the government was moving fast enough to introduce restrictions on immigration and too cautious about challenging legal or bureaucratic obstacles to these measures. The collapse of the government 11 months after its formation puts the Netherlands on course for early elections. While Wilders hopes to benefit in the election as the most uncompromising leader on immigration, it is unclear whether any party will be willing to include him in a future coalition meaning he may emerge from the election with more legislators but less actual power.
The EU has approved Bulgaria’s request to adopt the Euro as its currency which means that starting in 2026 the Bulgarian Lev will be replaced by the Euro.
While Nigel Farage’s Reform UK continues to lead national polling and see gains in local elections and by-elections the party continues to have more than its share of internal drama. The latest episode saw Party Chair Zia Yusuf quit saying he could no longer work for a Reform government only to announce days later that he was rejoining the party to lead its plans for a government savings program modeled on the US DOGE efforts. The frequent stories of internal conflict within Reform have generated a lot of new conflict but there is little evidence yet that they are hurting the party as it continues to attract disaffected voters.
An effort to amend the Italian constitutional requirements for citizenship failed when turnout in the referendum did not meet the necessary threshold. The amendment, which would have made it easier to gain citizenship in Italy, was put on the ballot by a petition campaign organized by the opposition. The government of PM Meloni took a skeptical stance on the referendum with the PM herself refusing to cast a ballot in what the government described as a distraction from real issues.
The Czech Justice Minister has resigned over a controversy about his department accepting a donation of bitcoin from a convicted drug dealer which the government sold for more than $40 million. While the ex-Minister insists the transaction was “ultra-legal” and totally above reproach, the controversy has hurt Petr Fiala’s government as it tries to ready for elections scheduled later this year with the opposition finding lots to reproach the government about in regards to the donation.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has banned media from reporting on the activities of former Joseph Kabila and members of his political movement. The government has accused Kabila of plotting a coup attempt with the Catholic Church, a claim the DRC’s bishops have denied.
Rwanda has pulled out of involvement with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) after it was blocked from assuming the chair of the group as scheduled over claims from other countries in the group that it has been backing rebel groups in the DRC. Rwanda insists it is not part of the conflict but has decided it no longer wants to be a part of ECCAS while this disagreement continues.
Ghana is banning people from using the titles from honorary degrees saying that the apparently widespread use of people using titles like “Dr” from honorary degrees in the country is making it hard for the public to know who has actually earned a title through years of studies as opposed to easier process of being gifted an honorary degree.
The funeral arrangements for the recently deceased former Zambia President Edgar Lungu have become caught up in political infighting with the government and his political party organizing separate funerals with his family being caught in the middle. The government appears eager to avoid any chance that the opposition is able to benefit from the memorial events to gain a political boost.
Cameroonian police spent two days staking out the home of opposition leader Maurice Kamto. The presidential candidate drew the attention of the government from a speech where he promised that incumbent President Paul Biya would be protected under a Kamto government which led to angry officials asking why Biya should have to be worried about protection in the first place.
The former speaker of Liberia’s legislature has been charged with arson over a fire that destroyed the legislative buildings the day a vote to remove him from office was scheduled.
Chad has stopped processing US visa applications in retaliation to President Trump’s new “travel ban” which greatly restricts the ability of visitors from Chad to visit the US.
Tanzania has announced it is banning the social media platform X. While the government said the decision is related to concern about pornography on X, critics noted that it came as the government has been increasingly cracking down on criticism and the leading opposition leader is facing treason charges.
The World Bank has lifted a ban on loans to Uganda that it imposed after the passage of a harsh law on LGBT activities. The Bank says that it believes promised mitigation measures can address its concerns about the law and allow it to resume working with the country.
Kenyan authorities have charged the writer of a book about President William Ruto’s daughter. The somewhat creative interpterion of the law argues that her permission was required for the author to write about her.
The Wagner Group announced it is withdrawing from Mal with mission accomplished. From the outside, it is a little less clear what the Russian merceries accomplished as they leave the country even as Islamist rebel groups continue to make gains over the government.
Syria’s government has decreed that women must wear “burkinis” at the beach and swimming pools. The government’s moves on lifestyle are being watched closely as observers seek to see just how strict of a regime the new rulers will seek to impose.
Kyrgyzstan has taken down the tallest statue of Lenin in Central Asia. The move reflects the desire among ex-Soviet states in Asia to distance themselves from the legacy of the USSR as they try to build more distinct identities.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was elected President of South Korea in the election to replace impeached President Yoon Suk Yeo. Lee will have an advantage over Yoon in that his party will control both the Presidency and the Legislature meaning his agenda will not face the same blockages that so frustrated Yoon and may have helped motivate his ill-advised attempt to declare martial law. However, while Lee won a solid enough victory with his promises to try to lower the temperature with neighbours like China and North Korea, his conservative opponent still won 40% of the vote which reflects that deep divides remain in South Korea which could prove a challenge if Lee cannot bridge the gap between the two solitudes.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision to have his daughter Xi Mingze attend a state dinner for visiting Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has drawn speculation. Up until now, the Harvard-educated Mingze has totally stayed out of the spotlight so her participation in the state dinner has some wondering whether Xi has plans for his daughter to take a more public role.
The son of Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene posted a pretty sweet set of social media posts documenting his elaborate marriage proposal which included helicopter rides, designer handbags, and luxury cars. Unfortunately for the Oyun-Erdene family rather than simply getting a lot of hearts, they also led to the public asking a lot of questions about how the PM who has frequently highlighted his humble roots has accumulated the wealth on display. This all cumulated in the PM’s resignation after losing a non-confidence vote in Parliament after weeks of anti-government protests.
Violence on the border between Guyana and Venezuela has been growing as criminal gangs have launched attacks on Guyana in what Guyana suggests is a covert attempt by Venezuela to try to destabilize the region as it eyes the vast oil deposits recently discovered off the shores of Guyana.
Colombian Presidential candidate Miguel Uribe was shot while attending a political rally. While his prognosis appears promising the attempted assassination has raised concerns about a rise in political violence as the nation heads into a contentious political campaign where incumbent President Petro’s strategy of trying to negotiate with rebel groups is being challenged by the opposition such as Uribe.
Not so much truth out there?
For those following the ongoing reporting about weird and mysterious info the Pentagon has about potential UFOs a recent report poured some cold water on those looking for reasons to believe in ET. Reporters from the Wall Street Journal compiled evidence that suggests the story is not that the Pentagon has been hiding evidence of alien life but rather that it has been deliberately spreading it as a way of distracting from top-secret weapons programs.
The Journal reporting suggests one of the reasons that the talks of UFOs are so persistent within the military is that many within the military themselves were not in on the plan and so are legitimate believers which has made them credible seeming voices. It also notes that beyond the deliberate misinformation, the stories of UFOs have simply taken on a life of their own becoming a somewhat bigger thing than the military initially planned.
While no story can totally put to rest all speculation this story does offer a quite plausible account that pours a lot of cold water on the idea that the US military knows something about aliens that it is not telling. Plus, it tracks with the fact if there were a real conspiracy it’s hard to believe that Donald Trump could constrain himself from posting about it on Truth Social.
Of course, the skeptics of the skeptics could argue that having the military claim it's all disinformation would itself be the sort of disinformation that one might expect if there really was a plot to hide the existence of aliens from the public. This is why conspiracy theories are in some sense irrefutable since the point of view from the believer the more strongly they are debunked is just evidence of how the conspiracy goes that much deeper.
Links
Is science close to translating animals’ “languages”?
The people in China who pay for offices to pretend to work in
Why men in DC are getting plastic surgery on their jaws
Japan considers reintroducing wolves
Elephant visits a convenience store
Quote of the day
“Charles II once invited the members of the Royal Society to explain to him why a dead fish weighs more than the same fish alive; a number of subtle explanations were offered to him. He then pointed out that it does not.”- Alasdair MacIntyre