WITH EYES ON RUSSIA, NATO PREPARES FOR BIGGEST-EVER AIR DRILL IN ITS HISTORY

NATO has started the largest-ever air force deployment exercise in the Western military alliance’s history, a drill being presented as a display of unity among members and partners of the bloc as tensions with Russia have escalated following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The German Air Force-led “Air Defender 23” exercises, which began on Monday, involve approximately 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO and partner countries including Japan and NATO applicant Sweden, according to the German Air Force.

Up to 10,000 service members are participating in the drills, which run until June 23 and are designed to boost interoperability and preparedness of NATO “air forces in a crisis situation”, including protecting against drones and cruise missiles in the case of an attack within NATO territory.

“The significant message we’re sending is that we can defend ourselves,” Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz of the German Luftwaffe told public television on Monday.

The “Air Defender 23” exercise was conceived in 2018 in part as a response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine four years earlier, though Gerhartz insisted the drill was “not targeted at anyone” in particular.

He said the exercise would not “send any flights, for example, in the direction of Kaliningrad”, the Russian enclave bordering NATO member states Poland and Lithuania.

“We are a defensive alliance and that is how this exercise is planned,” he said.

Russia’s war on Ukraine has galvanised NATO, the Western military alliance set up almost 75 years ago to face off against threats from the then-Soviet Union.

TRUMP ESCALATES EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE CRIMINAL CASE

Donald Trump and his allies are escalating efforts to undermine the criminal case against him and drum up protests as the US former president braces for a history-making federal court appearance this week on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified information.

Trump’s Tuesday afternoon appearance in Miami will mark his second time in as many months facing a judge on criminal charges. But unlike a New York case some legal analysts derided as relatively trivial, the US justice department’s first prosecution of a former president concerns conduct that prosecutors say jeopardised national security and that involves Espionage Act charges carrying the threat of a significant prison sentence in the event of conviction.

Ahead of his arraignment, Trump ratcheted up the rhetoric against the justice department special counsel who filed the case, calling Jack Smith “deranged” and his team of prosecutors “thugs” as he repeated his claims that he was the target of apolitical persecution.

He called on his supporters to join a planned protest at the Miami courthouse on Tuesday, where he will be arraigned on the charges. “We need strength in our country now,” Trump said, speaking to his longtime friend and adviser Roger Stone in an interview on WABC Radio. “And they have to go out and they have to protest peacefully. They have to go out. Look, our country has to protest. We’ve lost everything,” he went on.

KYIV CLAIMS RECAPTURE OF FOURTH VILLAGE FROM RUSSIA

Ukrainian military officials said on Monday their troops have retaken another southeastern village from Russian forces, in the counteroffensive operations.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had repelled attempted offensives by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and had hit targets with sea-launched high-precision missile strikes.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister said that the country’s flag was flying over the village of Storozhov, in eastern Donetsk. A day earlier, Ukrainian officials said their troops had taken three other small villages nearby — Blahodatne, Makarivka and Neskuchne.

U.S. DECIDES TO RETURN TO UNESCO’S FOLD

The UN cultural and scientific agency UNESCO announced on Monday that the U.S. plans to rejoin — and pay more than $600 million in back dues — after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organisation’s move to include Palestine as a member. U.S. officials say the decision to return was motivated by concern that China is filling the gap left by the U.S. in UNESCO policymaking.

PAKISTAN BEGINS IMPORTING DISCOUNTED RUSSIAN CRUDE OIL

KARACHI: Pakistan began transporting discounted Russian crude oil to a refinery here in the cash-strapped country's port city, a move that is likely to provide relief to the people hit by inflation. The Russian crude has come to Pakistan at $50-52 per barrel against the price cap of $60 per barrel imposed by the G-7 countries.

ITALY’S SCANDAL-SCARRED EX-PM SILVIO BERLUSCONI DIES AT 86

Rome : Silvio Berlusconi, the former prime minister of Italy, has died at the age of 86. Known for his wealth, charm, and brash style, Berlusconi held power for a total of 17 years and faced numerous legal scandals and controversies. He built a media and business empire before entering politics and served as prime minister four times. Supporters admired his charisma and efforts to raise Italy's profile internationally, while critics accused him of using political power for personal gain.

Berlusconi faced criminal charges and corruption trials, but many cases were dismissed or overturned on appeal. Ultimately, he was convicted of tax fraud in 2013, leading to the loss of his Senate seat and a ban from public office. Despite setbacks, he remained active in politics, serving in the European Parliament and returning to Italy's Senate in 2022. Berlusconi was known for his flamboyant lifestyle, hosting scandalous parties and boasting about his relationships with women. He also had connections with other world leaders, such as Vladimir Putin.

CHINA SEEING STEEP HIKE IN CONTROVERSIAL FINES: REPORT

China’s indebted local governments are increasingly imposing controversial fines on residents in a bid to generate revenue. A Shanghai restaurateur was fined 5,000 yuan ($702) for serving shredded cucumber without a licence, prompting outrage on China’s Twitter-like Weibo. In a post viewed 9. 5 million times, one user wrote: “If they wanna fine you, even adding vinegar could be wrong. ”

Truckers in central Henan province last month made headlines when they questioned the accuracy of government vehicle weighing machines, after being repeatedly fined for exceeding limits: one driver had received tickets totalling $38,000 in the past two years. In Guangxi, one of China’s most indebted provinces, astate-backed company sparked anger in May for hiking parking fees, leading somecommuters to rack up thousands of yuan in charges. These scandals represent a broader trend of local governments using fines to bolster their coffers. A state council inspection last year found that in the wake of the pandemic and other economic difficulties, local government penalties had become more severe. Goldman Sachs Group estimates China’s total government debt is about $23 trillion.

YACCARINO: TWITTER TO BE 'MOST ACCURATE REAL-TIME INFO SOURCE'

The new boss of social media firm Twitter, Linda Yaccarino, has outlined her plans for "Twitter 2.0.", after taking over from Elon Musk a week ago.

She says the company is "on a mission to become the world's most accurate real-time information source".

Since Mr Musk bought Twitter last year, it has faced criticism over its approach to tackling disinformation.

In the last month, the company lost its head of trust and safety and pulled out of the EU's disinformation code.

In a series of tweets, which was also emailed to employees, Ms Yaccarino echoed Mr Musk's goal, that Twitter must transform the "global town square".

She said this would help "drive civilisation forward through the unfiltered exchange of information and open dialogue about the things that matter most to us."

"Users need to know that the town square is not biased," Ray Wang, the chief executive of Silicon Valley-based research firm Constellation told the BBC.

U.K. PM SUNAK HITS BACK AT JOHNSON OVER HONOURS LIST

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lashed out at his predecessor Boris Johnson on Monday in a row over political honours for allies of the former Premier.

Outgoing British Prime Ministers routinely recommend aides and close political associates for honours or elevation to the unelected House of Lords. Mr. Johnson was forced out of office last year by a series of scandals including COVID lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street dubbed ‘Partygate’.

His long-awaited honours list was published on Friday — but without several expected names.

As the row over the list unfolded, two Johnson allies who were not rewarded — Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams — both resigned from Parliament on Friday and Saturday, triggering by-elections.

Mr. Johnson himself also resigned as an MP on Friday claiming he had been forced out in a stitch-up by political opponents on the cross-party inquiry investigating whether he lied to parliament on “Partygate”.

Speaking at a tech conference in London on Monday, Mr. Sunak defended his handling of Mr. Johnson’s honours list and accused the former leader of asking him to overrule the committee that rejected eight of his nominations to the upper chamber.

“Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn’t prepared to do, because I didn’t think it was right. That was to either overrule the Holac (House of Lords Appointments Commission) committee, or to make promises to people,” he said. “I wasn’t prepared to do that. As I said I didn’t think it was right, and if people don’t like that then tough.”

INDIRECT TALKS WITH U.S. ARE ON THROUGH OMAN, SAYS IRAN

Iran on Monday said it has continued indirect negotiations with the United States through the Sultanate of Oman over its nuclear deal and a possible prisoner swap.

Iran’s nuclear programme has long been the subject of scrutiny from Western powers, resulting in sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy.

A 2015 deal granted Tehran much-needed sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme before it was torpedoed by the U.S.’ unilateral pullout in 2018.

In recent days, the two capitals have denied media reports that they were close to reaching an interim deal to replace the 2015 accord.

“We welcome the efforts of Omani officials and we exchanged messages with the other party through this mediator” over the lifting of U.S. sanctions, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said on Monday.

“We have never stopped the diplomatic processes,” he added during his weekly press conference.

Diplomatic ties between Tehran and Washington soured in 1980 following the 1979 Islamic revolution led by Iran’s first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal have so far failed to yield results.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday reiterated the denial of moves towards acquiring a nuclear weapon.