Geopolitics Daily
Posts
😲 Former Thai PM indicted

😲 Former Thai PM indicted

and NATO hits spending record

Ross Crabtree
June 18, 2024

Good evening from Australia!

As Thailand’s former Prime Minister faces indictment, President Lula of Brazil tracks down violent pro-Bolsonaro protesters in Argentina, and eight stand trial in Germany for allegedly plotting a coup.

Meanwhile, tensions are high in the Korean DMZ, the South China Sea between Taiwan and China, and the Israel-Lebanon border, where Israel has just targeted another senior Hizbollah commanding officer.

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇹🇭 Former Thai Prime Minister indicted for insulting monarchy: The 74-year-old billionaire and twice-elected premier faces one of four court cases that could trigger new political instability in the coup-prone kingdom. Thaksin, the leader of the Pheu Thai party—which heads the coalition government—is charged with lese-majeste over a 2015 interview with South Korean media. Critics argue that these laws suppress legitimate political debate, noting an increase in their use following youth-led anti-government protests in 2020 and 2021. Thaksin is the most prominent among over 270 individuals charged under these laws since the protests, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

2️⃣ 🇳🇱 🇺🇸 NATO’s spending record: A record 23 of 32 NATO countries now meet the alliance's 2 percent defence spending target, with Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey reaching the benchmark for the first time. "NATO allies across Europe and Canada are increasing defence spending by 18 percent this year," said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg alongside U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House. This significant increase highlights fairer burden-sharing, addressing criticisms from U.S. Republicans.

3️⃣ 🇧🇷 🇦🇷 Brazil pursue pro-Bolsonaro rioters in Argentina: Brazil has asked Argentina for information about several supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro who fled to avoid prosecution for their involvement in the 2023 riots in Brasília, suspected of being part of a coup attempt against President Lula. Brazilian authorities are considering extradition requests pending confirmation of their whereabouts and legal status in Argentina, where some are under court restrictions with electronic ankle tags.

4️⃣ 🇹🇼 🇨🇳 China considers the annexation of Taiwan a crucial national objective, according to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te: Addressing military academy cadets. He stressed the importance of understanding their adversary and resisting defeatism. Since taking office, Lai has faced attacks from China, which views him as a "separatist" and Taiwan as its territory. Lai maintains that only Taiwan's people should decide their future and has repeatedly sought dialogue with Beijing, which has refused. To demonstrate its military strength, China has conducted exercises around Taiwan following Lai's inauguration.

5️⃣ 🇰🇷 🇰🇵 Landmines cause multiple casualties in the Korean DMZ: North Korea's military reportedly suffered casualties from landmine explosions along the heavily armed border with South Korea. This incident occurred shortly before Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang, marking his first trip since 2000. In an unrelated event, North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the border for the second time in less than two weeks, retreating after South Korean forces fired warning shots. The Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), a 4 km-wide strip of land fortified with landmines, has divided the Korean Peninsula since the 1950-53 war, operating under a truce without a formal peace treaty.

Major Story

🇵🇸 🇮🇱 🇺🇸 DISSOLUTION OF ISRAEL’S WAR CABINET, US DEMOCRATS EARMARK $18 BILLION ARMS DEAL FOR ISRAEL

The end of the war cabinet

Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded the Israeli war cabinet responsible for overseeing the conflict in Gaza, rejecting demands from his far-right allies to join and aiming to consolidate his control over decision-making regarding Hamas in Gaza and Hizbollah in Lebanon.

Netanyahu informed ministers of this decision, noting that the war cabinet had initially formed as part of an agreement when Benny Gantz and his National Unity party joined an emergency coalition last year. This move follows Gantz’s resignation from the cabinet last week.

Israeli officials confirmed the dissolution of the war cabinet amid growing dissatisfaction with the management of the Gaza conflict, amidst calls from anti-government factions for a week of ongoing protests.

New arms deal for Israel

Meanwhile, two influential Democrats in the US Congress have reportedly agreed to endorse a significant arms sale to Israel, which includes 50 F-15 fighter jets valued at over $18 billion.

Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Ben Cardin had initially delayed the sale but yielded under strong pressure from the Biden administration, the Post stated.

Eric Harris, communications director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, explained that Senator Cardin’s concerns were addressed during ongoing discussions with the administration, leading him to approve the transaction.

The conflict enters a new phase?

Following another wave of deadly Israeli airstrikes reported overnight in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza—resulting in at least 17 casualties—the international community's efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza continue to falter.

Meanwhile, tensions escalate along Israel's northern frontier with Hizbollah—exacerbated by the high-profile assassination of another senior Hizbollah commander—which threatens to trigger further violence across the border.

Promotion

If you love our stuff we know you’ll love Ground News! Their platform provides around the clock coverage of global news from all political perspectives.

We can’t recommend their app enough!

(p.s. as we’ve partnered with them - by signing up you’ll be helping to grow this newsletter too! 🤫)

Get Ground News by clicking here ⤵️

Ground News App

Compare Today’s Top News Headlines from Multiple Perspectives: Local, Foreign, National; Left to Right. See What the Other Side Sees. Be Well Informed.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Recognition of Palestine will motivate measures to ‘strengthen’ West Bank settlements, says Israel: Israel’s Prime Minister's office stated that the Security Cabinet discussed responses to these recognitions and the Palestinian Authority's actions against Israel in international bodies. The Defence Minister and Attorney General requested more time to review some proposals, and the Prime Minister instructed that all measures be voted on in the next Security Cabinet meeting. International law deems all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal. Recently, Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia recognized Palestine.

2️⃣ 🇩🇪 Trial for German coup-orchestrators begins: Eight individuals purportedly linked to the German far-right Reichsbürger movement are set to stand trial for allegedly conspiring to violently overthrow the government, marking the third such case currently unfolding across Germany. Among the accused are a physician, a well-known chef, and an astrologer, identified as the leadership council orchestrating the plot. Prosecutors assert that had their plan to storm the parliament and depose the government succeeded, these individuals would have formed an interim cabinet. Charges include membership in a terrorist group and planning acts of treason. Prosecutors further allege the group intended to abduct Chancellor Olaf Scholz and broadcast the event to attract more supporters.