US sanctions Italian UN official, Germany summons the Chinese ambassador over Red Sea incident, Swiss Embassy Tehran reopens

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First the tidbits from the Middle East, or near abroad, that's hotter than usual this time of year for reasons…

WASHINGTON, DC – US sanctions UN's Special Rapporteur on Palestine, an Italian citizen

Politico reports US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday sanctions against Francesca Albanese, an Italian citizen who serves as the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur, alleging "a campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel."
Last week in a report she alleged 48 entities should face recriminations from the International Criminal Court (ICC), of which neither the US nor Israel is a signator, and called on the ICC to "prosecute corporate executives and/or corporate entities."
Albanese was banned from entering Israel in February 2024 after she said, "the victims of October 7 massacre were not murdered because of their Jewishness, but in response to Israeli oppression."

BERLIN, GERMANY – Chinese ambassador summoned after plane lasered over the Red Sea

The AP reports the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chinese ambassador Tuesday to protest after a German aircraft was targeted with a laser pointer by a Chinese warship in the Red Sea, resulting in an aborted mission.
Germany's surveillance aircraft was taking part in the EU Aspides mission to defend civilian ships against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in one of the world's busiest waterways.
A spokesperson for Germany's Defense Ministry said that in using the laser against its aircraft, the Chinese had "accepted the risk of endangering people and materiel."

TEHRAN, IRAN – Switzerland reopens Tehran embassy and with it, US interests section

Reuters reports Switzerland reopened its embassy in Tehran last Sunday following a two-week closure that began amid the recent 12-day war with Israel.
Ambassador Nadine Olivieri and her team returned overland from Azerbaijan last Saturday.

And on the main stage…

NORTHWOOD, ENGLAND – France and UK agree to 'Northwood Declaration' nuclear pact

The New York Times reports that at the conclusion of a three-day state visit to the UK Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to a comprehensive defense pact that included a pledge to have the two countries' nuclear arsenals "work together in the event of serious danger to allies in Europe."
The announcement took place at the British military base Northwood, hence the name, "Northwood Declaration."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that an attack form an adversary would be met with a "response from our two nations".

PARIS, FRANCE – French intelligence concludes China spread doubts about Rafale jet

The AP reports French military and intelligence officials believe China deployed its embassies "in an effort to hammer the reputation and sales" of France's flagship Rafale fighter jet, manufactured by Dassault Aviation, after the jets were put to use earlier this year in the conflict between India and Pakistan.
A French intelligence report shared with AP alleges China's defense attachés sought to persuade countries that alread ordered the fighter jets, most notably Indonesia, to not buy more and purchase Chinese made planes instead.
Military researchers and analysts have been digging into how Pakistan's Chinese-made fleet fared in clashes against India and its Rafale jets this spring. The Pakistani Air Force claimed it downed five Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, while India acknowledged the loss of aircraft but did not say how many planes were brought down.

PARIS, FRANCE – Police raid office of far-right National Rally party over campaign finances

France 24 reports French police raided the offices of the far-right National Rally Party at 8:50 am Wednesday as part of a fraud probe into the party's financing and alleged use of forged documents between 2020 and 2024, Paris prosecutors said.
Party president Jordan Bardella, who took over after Marine Le Pen was convicted in March of embezzling EU funds barring her from running in the 2027 presidential election, alleged a fresh campaign of harassment from authorities.
National Rally "still remains toxic for many" because of its deep history of racism and antisemitism but is nonetheless the country's single largest party in parliament at present.

PARIS, FRANCE – Court orders Russian basketball player jailed at US request

Meduza reports a Paris court has ordered Russian basketball player, Daniil Kasatkin, jailed over a US indictment charging him with participating in a ransomware gang.
Kasatkin, 26, was arrested June 21 at Charles de Gaulle Airport at the request of US authorities who have charged him with involvement in negotiations for payments on behalf of the ransomware gang which sought to extort 900 companies between 2020 and 2022, charges he denies.
For the last four years Kasatkin played for VTB league MBA-MAI Moscow, which competes on the international professional level, but days after his arrest the team announced his depature on July 3.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE – Wildfire shuts airport and forces evacuation of hundreds

The Guardian reports a wildfire on the outskirts of Marseille has brought the airport of France's second largest city to a halt and destroyed "around a dozen" homes as well as forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents.
Around 100 people experiences non-life threatening injuries which French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called "remarkable given the extent of the fires."
The cause appeared to be a vehicle that caught fire on the A552 highway.

BERLIN, GERMANY – Deportations of Syrian nationals with criminal records to begin

Euractiv reports Germany's Interior Ministry has ordered the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to initiate deportations of "dangerous" Syrian nationals and "delinquents," confirming news first reported by Die Welt.
In the first six months of this year, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees opened more than 3,500 cases that could lead to asylum status being revoked. Already 57 individuals have had their asylum status revoked and lower-level protective status removed in 22 cases. Nearly 800 Syrians have voluntarily repatriated in a program that has seen 2,000 sign up.
Nearly one million Syrians live in Germany, the majority of whom arrived between 2015 and 2016. Since the fall of deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad in December 2024, asylum procedures have been suspended in several European countries including Austria and Germany as far-right political parties made campaign issues out of asylum policies.

BERLIN, GERMANY – Interior Minister invites EU counterparts to migration summit

Politico reports German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt invited his counterparts from the EU to a summit in Zugspitze in the Bavarian Alps on July 18 to draft stricter migration rules within the 27-nation bloc.
From the wider Alpine region, Austria, Czechia and France are expected to send their interior ministers who will be joined by their counterparts from Denmark and Poland as well as the EU's new "migration czar," Austrian conservative Magnus Brunner.
The summit aims to come up with "concrete ideas" on border protection and the deportation of rejected asylum seekers to third countries outside the EU.

MUNICH, GERMANY – Court rules police officer with nazi sympathies can only be demoted

Ynet reports that a Munich court ruled in February that a police officer, identified only as Michael R. in accordance with German privacy law, cannot be fired but only demoted and given administrative duties after he sent private messages expressing clear sympathies for Nazi and far-right ideology. The ruling also reduced financial penalties against him but upheld an earlier 2023 decision from a Munich court. The decision was only published this last week.
The ruling maintained that his messages were protected by free speech laws and that his private messages were confidential by law and considered "playful provocation" among friends rather than targeted hate speech.
The 45 year old officer sent antisemitic messages between 2014 and 2016, when his duties included serving as a bodyguard for Charlotte Knoblach, a Holocaust survivor and former president of Germany's Central Council of Jews who is now the president of the Jewish community of Munich and upper Bavaria and is widely considered one of the most prominent Jewish voices in the country. Among other things, he expressed his desire to defecate on her doorstep and wished for her death in Auschwitz so he could go home early. Knoblach said she found herself "at a loss in the face of this ruling," adding, "This is about trust," and while antisemitism is everywhere at present, "it cannot be tolerated in places where people are supposed to safeguard minorities."

PRAGUE, CZECHIA – Major afternoon blackout effects millions

Radio Prague International reports millions were effected by a blackout last Friday afternoon disrupting life in the capital Prague and several regions including Bohemia and the north of the country. The cause is currently under investigation.
Hospitals and transportation were disrupted and hundreds were trapped in elevators in Prague due to the sudden loss of power.
A spokesman for the Czech electric company PRE Karel Hanzelka said the issue was from "the upper-level transmission grid," and "simply, electricity stopped flowing to Prague from outside". Two key substations, Chodov and Malešice, went offline, leaving the capital reliant on one substation.

BEZNAU, SWITZERLAND – Nuclear plant restarts as river water cools down after heat wave

Swissinfo reports the Beznau nuclear plant was able to restart its second reactor and return to operational capacity Tuesday as water in the nearby Aare River cooled down, enabling the reactor to use the river water for cooling purposes, following a dramatic heat wave.
The Axpo electricity group received the go ahead from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy after consultations with the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate.
On June 29, Beznau slowed down to half capacity due to the overheating temperatures of the Aare River which exceeded 25 degrees Centigrade (77 degrees Fahrenheit) for three consecutive days.

BERN, SWITZERLAND – Kosovar indicted as alleged leader of terror cell in Switzerland

Swissinfo reports the Office of the Attorney General indicted a Kosovar on charges of indoctrination, financing and recruiting for a Kosovo-based terror group that also supported the so-called Islamic State in the Geneva region.
Along with a 33 year old Swiss-North Macedonian accomplice, the 36 year old Kosovo national were arrested on September 1, 2022 as part of criminal proceedings that began the preceeding July.
Both suspects are serving "early sentences".

VADUZ, LIECHTENSTEIN – Emergency task force to deal with Russian 'zombie trusts'

The Financial Times reports Liechtenstein has responded to a crisis of "zombie trusts" linked to sanctioned Russians with an emergency task force after a raft of resignations of fiduciary and board of directors in the last six months in the wake of a US sanctions on Russia.
Nearly eight hundred legal entities worth billions linked to Russians in Liechtenstein are in legal limbo, meaning they are recognized as legal but effectively frozen with no one in charge to either manage their assets or enter the process of liquidation. The US has also warned of secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions who work with certain Russian individuals even if those individuals are not necessarily sanctioned.
Bankers and lawyers warned the problem risks infecting the country's financial services sector if the government of Liechtenstein did not step in. Liechtenstein's Financial Market Authority adopted a zero tolerance approach and said last September the US sanctions should be treated as legally binding as the reputational risks are existential.

LJUBLANA, SLOVENIA – PM to call 'consultative referendum' on NATO membership

Euractiv reports Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob announced last Friday plans to call for a "consultative referendum" on the country's NATO membership in response to an initiative by junior coalition partner the Left Party that will ask voters if they are in favor of increasing defense spending to 3% of GDP or €2.1 billion ($2.5 billion) by 2030.
The Left Party proposal won in parliament by a vote of 46 to 42 with Golob's liberal party opposed. His junior coalition partners the Social Democrats and the Left Party stood with the Conservatives in favor. The counter-referendum is intended to "dispel any doubt as to the true will of the people."
Slovenia agreed to increase defense spending at the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24 but was one of the few NATO countries that had not met the previous threshold of 2% GDP spending on defense by 2024, though the country says it plans to by the end of this year.

WASHINGTON, DC – US officials announce arrest of Chinese state hacker in Italy

Reuters reports the US Department of Justice announced Tuesday they unsealed a nine-count cyber crimes indictment against a Chinese national, Xu Zewei, 33, after he was arrested July 3 in Italy at the behest of US officials.
Xu claims he is "a victim of mistaken identity" whereas US officials call him a "prolific" Chinese state hacker.
The indictment alleges hacking intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021 targeting US universities "to steal groundbreaking COVID-19 research."

FERRARA, ITALY – Italian authorities break up gold smuggling ring to Switzerland

Swissinfo, citing the Italian news agency Ansa, reports last Friday Italian authorities announced they dismantled a gold smuggling ring that netted the perpetrators more than €26 million (24.3 million Swiss francs or $30.6 million) in profits in exchange for 560 kilos (1,235 pounds) of gold and 65 kilos (143 pounds) of silver.
Italy's Guardia di Finanza believes the gold and silver were smuggled to Switzerland to be melted down, with the precious metals acquired in Italy likely from underground or illicit sources. More than €220,000 worth of gold and silver jewelry was seized over the two-year investigation, including from a container buried in the garden of one of the lead perpetrators, while €100,000 in cash was seized by Swiss authorities during a vehicle check at a border post.
Seventeen individuals were referred for criminal prosecution on charges of transnational conspiracy, illegal trade in used precious metals and money laundering. Eight other individuals have entered into a plea bargain agreement and are cooperating in exchange for fines that will be donated to charity.

BERGAMO, ITALY – Airport shuts for two hours after man sucked into engine on tarmac

The AP and Reuters reports that flights ground to a halt at Bergamo Airport outside Milan shortly after 10:20am Tuesday when a man was sucked into an airplane's engine on the tarmac after someone ran onto the runway as a plane was taking off. Flights resumed by mid-day.
The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera featured an image of a body bag next to an aircraft on the tarmac.
The low-cost carrier Volotea flight was set to leave Italy's third biggest airport for Asturias, Spain when the incident occurred. All 154 passengers on board and the flight crew were safe but offered psychological counseling if needed and were rebooked for an afternoon flight.

WALD IM PINZGAU, AUSTRIA – Small propeller plane crashes, four dead

The AP reports a small propeller plane crashed Saturday killing all four people, three men and a woman, all believed to be German nationals, on board.
The plane had departed from Oberschleissheim near Munich.
No information was immediately available on the cause of the crash.

And finally… it's summer holiday season in Europe and the animals and security stories are lit!

AURILLAC, FRANCE – Unusual bee attack leave 24 injured

The AP reports three people are in critical condition and nearly 24 injured after a massive bee attack over a 30-minute period left passersby in need of medical attention.
The three individuals who required critical care were medevaced to a nearby hospital, including a 78 year old who had to resuscitated after going into cardiac arrest.
The mayor of Aurillac, Pierre Mathonier, said the incident "may have been related to Asian hornets threatening a beehive that had been installed on the roof terrace of a downtown hotel more than a decade ago."

TARANTO, ITALY – 'Heroic' police bloodhound found dead after eating nail-laced food

The AP reports public outrage after a famous Italian police bloodhound named Bruno who recovered nine people, including five who remained alive and four who had died over the course of his career was found dead after eating food laced with nails in his shed in Taranto, Italy.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni , who has been photographed with Bruno after a heroic rescure, called his death "vile, cowardly, unacceptable."
His trainer Angelo Caressa took to social media on Tuesday to urge police "to find the killers before I do," and told police that he thought he was the intended target and Bruno was killed "to get to me." Caressa has rescued dogs that are used for illegal dog fights and gave police the names of two individuals he believes might be behind the canine's assassination.

But not to end this week with the sads, we have a living heroic pup too!

FEE GLACIER, SWITZERLAND – Chihuaha helps lead rescuers to man who fell into glacier

The AP reports that a Chihuaha helped rescue crew find his owner after he fell into a crevasse of a nearby glacier.
Air Zermatt, a rescue, training and transport company, reports the pup's owner who was equipped with a walkie talkie fell through a snow bridge on the glacier and fell about 26 feet. He was able to make contact with a person nearby who contacted the emergency services.
After thirty minutes, a member of the rescue services crew spotted the chihuaha, enabling rescuers to rappel down and rescue the man and man's best friend, both of whom were taken to the hospital for treatment. Bruno Kalbermatten, spokesman for Air Zermatt, said, "Imagine if the dog wasn't there! I have no idea what would happen to this guy."

Stay safe and remember to bring your pet chihuaha when exploring glacier crevasses!

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