Pigeons on Rome's cobblestones

Last week some pigeons were enjoying their bath on Rome's cobblestones after the rain.

Have a nice new week.

The beginning of Spring

 

Spring has arrived in the Northern Emisphere, although the weather is still cloudy here down on the 42nd parallel.

The beginning of Spring often indicates equinox has occurred, warming weather and blooming flowers. I hope it would also indicate the end of the neo-colonial war in Iran.

                

On the Strait of Hormuz front, I've just heard that the "Epstein coalition" (US & Israel) doesn't want to do a cease fire with Iran. In addition, the two members of the Espstein coalition call Europe countries "cowards" over lack of support for their war on Iran. And I think that's a good news, as it means there are some people in Europe who reason, as they refused to allow their soil to attack Iran. 

I am so glad to hear that France and Italy have opened talks with Iran seeking to negotiate a deal to guarantee safe passage of their ships through the Strait of Hormuz. China, Russia and Britain have already done the same. The US and Israel are increasingly isolated. 

               

Have a lovely Spring 🌺🌻🌼

They are only protecting their oil and gas

Sorry to hear that some EU countries are still offering military bases to US killing machine. As it's known, Spain and Britain condemn the attack to Iran as illegal under international law, while Germany has chosen to support US & Israel. 

Most surprisingly, a few EU countries are also supporting Israel's chemical warfare, that poisoned the air of Teheran with toxic fire and black rain that will cause cancer for decades in a city of 10 million people. 

I've also noticed that EU journalists don't mention that a US Tomahawk missile hit an elementary school in Teheran, killing 167 victims in that school. In addition, Western journalists don't write that US & Israel bombs have been damaging Iran's century-old cultural heritage since March, 1st.   

Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, Serbia: US bombs have never brought democracy and never will. They bring chaos, death, destruction, instability and the unberable silence of children who will never come home. Regimes can't be changed by missiles attack. All the attempt at "regime change" by the US since late 1990 have ended in major failures. 

The good news is that our Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has already said Italy will not join Iran war, while also beginning to withdraw Italy's troops from the Middle East.

May god protect the innocent people who are only protecting their oil and gas.

Shared interests rather than vassalage

Huge congrats to the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, who blocked the US military from using critical strategic assets.  

For the first time in modern history a British prime minister denied the US permission to launch offensive strikes from Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire and sovereign base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. 

Starmer mentioned the catastrophic mistake in Iraq and the 2003 US misadventure drive by faulty intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction.  He underlined that the UK would not participate in regime change in Iran from the sky without a clear lawful mandate.  

I took the above photo in 2019 when I visited the British Parliament.  

In the meanwhile, I think it is not a coincidence the fact that many goods imported from the US have been stalled on supermarket shelves since March 1st. People don't buy them anymore. And once again we can see how Trump destroys the economy of his country. 

Greetings from Italy. 

Non-immediate effects of Trump's war

 

While Trump was campaigning for Presidential election in 2024, he said he would not be starting any new wars in the Middle East. On the contrary, there have been massive strikes on Iranian targets for the second time in less than a year. Not to mention of deployment of tens of thousands of US forces in the whole Middle East.

Certainly now, with the loss of some US members of the military, new polling indicates that the majority of US people disapprove of going to war against Iran.

Meanwhile, there are already reverberating economic losses related to Trump's war, as many cruise ship reservations and a lot of booked tourist accomodation have been already cancelled by American tourists. 

That's how Mr. Trump destroys ecomonomic growth in South Europe 🤨

Huge congrats to Spanish policy-makers, who refused to let the US military use their bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran. 

Uranium enrichment is just a pretext to exert pressure

This is the second time in less than nine months that diplomacy was betrayed by both US and Israel.  Iranian and American diplomats were supposed to meet on Monday, March 2nd, to talk about any possible deal on nuclear issue. And Americans knew that these negotiations went quite well. This is a betrayal of the whole UN system.

The above photo shows the T-shirt I'm wearing today. On the T-shirt it says:  "Smiling even when in trouble".

I think the whole world, from China to the EU and from Russia to India must balance Washington's arrogance. Whatever it takes. 

Victory for the US Constitution

On Friday, February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Washington's yellow haired man violated federal reserve law when he imposed biggest and boldest tariffs customs across the world.

In tariff case, Supreme Court justices didn't say what's going to happen to $ 133 billion already collected in import taxes now declared unlawful. 

From an economic perspective, US' small businesses are facing severe financial strain and closures due to tariffs. Now the Supreme Court decision delivers a major relief to US' importers of wine, spirits, cheese, oilve oil and other agri-food products from the EU.

According to constitutional law experts, US Supreme Court has for the first time confronted Trump's broader challenge to the rule of law.

That's victory for the American constitution.

Himalayan monkey

Last year in late August my daughter took the picture below while she was visiting Nepal. 

There is a great talk in Nepal on crop-raiding monkeys. I would have never thought that farmers in Nepal don't like those monkeys. 

These creatures are found in the South Asian country in a wide variety of habitats, including urban areas. 

Naples' Angevin Castle

Just a quick post to say that I will stay in Naples this weekend. Naples is located in South Italy, 200 kilometers South from Rome.  

 

The 13th century fortress in the above photo is a significant medieval landmark located close to Naples' port. Naples' Angevin castle was not destroyed in WWII, though the city suffered extensive damage. It is now housing the Civic Museum of Naples.  

The special Italian variety of small tomatoes, in the above photo, is famous for their ability to be stored through the winter by hanging them in bunches. Those tomatoes are typical of Naples' Vesuvius volcano and its surroundings.

I know this is quite an "instagram-style" post 😃

Greetings 

Swans in winter

 

Just to show those flocks of beautiful swans, ducks and other birds that were spot in Stockolm early this month. 

Those marvelous creatures were enjoying water in the coldest part of winter in the Northern side of Europe. 

 

  

                                           

Photo courtesy of Stefano Gazzano. He is a friend of mine who went to Stockolm for job.

 ❄  🦢  🇸🇪

With regards to another Northern country of the world touching the Arctic Circle, I appreciate the Canadian president, Mark Carney, for sharing his thoughts at Davos, Switzerland, last week. He said publicy that "In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: compete with each other for favour, or to combine to create third path".    

Thank you to wake us up.

 

In this cold week of January, Europe coordinates forces and demonstrates that middle powers, when unified, can constrain a superpower. France, Britain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and other EU countries are ready to invoke article 5 of NATO  teatry, which was signed in Washington in 1949. 

According to NATO's Article 5, an armed attack against one member state is considered an attack against all. In this perspective, Trump's threats to Greenland did more to unite Europe than any speech or policy paper could have achieved. He threatened. Europe unified. He backed down. 

Who gives him the right to threaten an European state ❓ Greenland has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1814 and it gained extensive self-rule in 2009. Denmark handles defence and foreign policy 🇬🇱 🇩🇰

I think Trump  feels humiliated by how this played out, as European countries demonstrated they will defend each other even against threats from Washington. 

Unity provides protection 🇨🇦 🇪🇺 🇬🇧

Thank you Mr. Trump to wake us up.

Globar war

I wanted to share this map that was published by the Italian newpaper "Corriere della sera" on the 18th January, 2026. People and journalists often speak about the so called risk of third world war. It is not the case, as there is already a global war.

The map shows all the current wars and tensions across the world.

On the 22nd of June, 2025, US cruise missiles hit Iran. US missiles also hit Somalia and Yemen.

Israel is still carrying on the ethnic cleansing of poor Palestinian people in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel is at war with Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. 

On the 25th December, 2025, US missiles hit Nigeria's Jihad groups.

On the 3rd January, 2026, Venezuela President, Maduro, was kidnapped by the Americans. The US has seized a sixth Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. These are acts of war. 

The Ukraine-Russia war still continues and Kiev has already lost more than one fifth of its territory.

Trump has just threatened Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Canada.

Trump wants to occupy Greenland. He has just said that European countries that opposed to his plan to occupy/buy Greenland will face 10% tariffs customs from February. 

Some European countries will send warships, submarines, troops and military equipment to Greenland as soon as possible. 

Trump imposed high tariff rate on US trading partners, including China, Mexico and Canada, on cars, eavy trucks, aluminium, furniture, lumber, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and copper, among others. The highest average rate since 1943 ‼

We should learn from history. With regards to Greenland, Trump's behaviour reminds me Hitler's justfication for invading the Sudeteland in Czechoslovakia in 1939. He claimed that if Germany didn't take it, then others might, which was the main part of Hitler's justification. Trump sounds exactly the same, considering that he says there is immediate security threat to Greenland from Russia or China. 

The German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Fredrick Hegel wrote that while history offers lessons, people, nations and leaders often fail to apply them.  

New China-Iran corridor

 

On the 25th of May, 2025, the first freigh train from Xi'an, tha capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi, arrived at Aprin inland port, Iran. The new China-Iran railroad stretches approximately ten thousand four hundred kilometers, traversing kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. 

This integrated chain of connected railways allows the opportunity to transport oil and cargo containers on steel wheels across the Eurasian continent instead of unsafe maritime routes. In addition, the new railway also binds China and Iran closer togheter. In geopolitical terms, Iran will not be cut off from global markets. It is not a coincidence the fact that China purchases 77 percent of Iran crude oil export. 

Global geopolitical dynamics will be reshaped by this transcontinental railway, due to the fact that it gives Iran a mechanism to reduce dependence on volatile sea lanes in the Persian Gulf and its strait of Hormuz. In other words, the two Asian countries can cooperate to construct an alternative system, one less dependent on Western powers. Actually, for the Unites States and its satellites, this railway can tilt the balance of power, as it is perceived as more than just a trade route. It's a challenge to America's currency influence over global finance. China has begun shifting major trade deals with partners such as Iran, Russia and Central Asia countries, thereby avoiding the global dollar system. Actually, since 2012  China has been buying Iranian oil mostly in Yuan Renminbi.

China can forge partnership outside traditional Western systems, thank to this new transcontinental railway. It shifts the balance of power, as countries that once relied on United States controlled routes now face a parallel network China can influence directly. Countires like Iran, Central Asia states and even Russia now have options. 

The China-Iran railway demonstrates that infrastructure is more than engineering. It's a tool of geopolitics, economics and strategy, that challenges established systems.

New trade routes redefine global politics.

On the Greenland front, I'd like to write just a few words about Trump's ridiculous speeches on phantom Russian submarines sailing under Denmark's territorial waters or through the Artic sea. It is fair to say that it would be normal to spot warships and submarines of countries bordering the Artic sea, such as Russia, Norway or Canada.

Happy to see Europe taking Trump's stupid threats seriously, before it is too late. In addition, there are apparently already troops in Greenland from Canada, who are there for an annual exercise they do there 🇩🇰  🇬🇱 🇨🇦 🇪🇺

Greetings

Murder of Aurora

I've just read Asep's post about the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota, United States. That woman was killed by a police officer three days ago. That's truly sad, there's no doubt about it. Asep's big question is: why do police officers need to carry lethal weapons when dealing with illegal immigrants❓

Illegal immigration is not easy to manage. While illegal immigrants and human being traffickers try to cross the Italian border illegally or circulate in Italy, police officers don't know whether they are criminals or have escaped from prison in their countries. 

The dramatic video of the U.S. police officer, who opened fire on a woman in Minnesota, has been spread across the world. But the news of the illegal immigrant, Emilio Gabriel Valdez Velazco, who three days ago killed a young woman, Aurora, in Milan, Italy, hasn't been spread in the same way. That illegal immigrant also admitted to abusing the nineteen-year-old Italian women. 

I took the above photo in Rome close the railway station.

I would like to emphasize once again on my blog that illegal immigrants are not allowed to cross the border in Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Slovakia, etc. ... Should I continue❓ If we, Westerners, really want to help Sub-Saharian population, we have to create jobs there, in their countries. 

Have a lovely third week of January ❄

Hegemonic behaviour

On the 3rd of January, 2026, Venezuela president Maduro was removed from power and replaced by a regime compliant to United States demands. 

Nobody asks why Chinese or Russian warships weren't there, close to the numerous Venezuela's Caribbean island and archipelagos. If Russians were to kidnap Moldova's president, United States soldiers, tanks and missiles would be deployed close to the Moldovan border in less than 24 hours. A 5th grade boy/girl would understand this point. 

Otherwise, it is also likely that Russia traded Venezuela to get more, from the president of the United States, at the Ukraine-Russia negotiating table. But we have no evidence about such secret agreement between Washington and Moscow.