Slovenia First In EU To Impose Arms Embargo On Israel

 Tiny Slovenia has become the first European Union member state to completely halt arms trade with Israel over its ongoing military operations in Gaza.

The decision was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob following a government meeting on Thursday, and it features a ban on the transit of weapons to and from Israel. "The government of Slovenia is the first in the EU to prohibit the import, export, and transit of military equipment involving Israel," an official statement in state news agency STA indicated.

Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob 

Slovenia clarified that it was taking this step on its own, and complained about a lack of unified action within the European Union due to internal disagreements on the question of policy toward Israel.

The statement from Slovenia on the new drastic arms ban focused on the spiraling humanitarian crisis based on lack of food and aid, which has resulted in at least dozens or more Palestinians dying from hunger. "It is the duty of any responsible country to act, even if that means taking the lead," the government statement said.

"We have been clear from the beginning: if the EU is not able to take concrete measures by mid-July, we will act on it ourselves in Slovenia. And that's what we did today."

However, Slovenia has for some time stopped approving any arms export licenses to Israel - a status quo which has been in effect since October 2023. The prime minister is actually threatening more punitive actions to come, targeting Israel:

"People in Gaza are dying because humanitarian aid is systemically disabled," he continued. "They are dying under ruins, with no access to drinking water, food and basic medical care. It's a total disruption of humanitarian access and conscious prevention of basic conditions for survival."

"Slovenia will always stand on the side of international law and human rights," he added. "In the coming weeks, we will prepare additional measures against the Israeli government's actions, which mean serious violations of international humanitarian law."

Slovenia, which has also been a member of NATO since 2004, is among small European states which have issued formal recognition of Palestinian statehood (done in June 2024).

Just this summer and in the past week, France, the UK, and Canada have said they plan to recognize Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.

Meanwhile Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Thursday said the quiet part out loud amid an emerging diplomatic war against Israel, saying the country was in danger of becoming isolated.

Wadephul said Berlin is trying to prevent this. "Israel must always find friends, partners, and supporters in the international community. And that is currently in danger in this situation. And if there is one country that has a responsibility to prevent this, then in my view it is Germany," he told reporters on a trip to Israel.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/tiny-european-country-becomes-first-eu-impose-arms-embargo-israel

Exposing China's Military & Media Push In Africa

  by Antonio Graceffo via The Epoch Times,

China’s growing control of African ports, particularly along the Atlantic, combined with deepening military ties and an aggressive propaganda campaign, poses an emerging threat to U.S. national security...

At a July 2025 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin Anderson warned that Africa is becoming a key battleground in global competition, with China, Russia, and terrorist groups posing increasing threats to U.S. national security.

Nominated to lead U.S. Africa Command, Anderson emphasized China’s shift from purely economic engagement to a growing military presence and aggressive information operations across the continent. He expressed particular concern over Chinese investments in African ports, especially along the Atlantic coast, which could be used to restrict U.S. access in times of conflict.

Chinese state-backed companies now have ownership stakes in roughly one-third of Africa’s 231 ports, with 78 facilities across 32 countries and a heavy concentration in West Africa, 35 compared to 17 in East Africa. Many of these ports have already been used by People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships conducting military exercises. This expanding control includes major ports in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Namibia.

A strong Chinese presence in West African ports would significantly enhance the PLAN’s access to the Atlantic, bringing it inside the U.S. security perimeter, an area far more difficult to defend than the Pacific due to fewer islands and resupply points. Africa lies just 3,000 miles from the U.S. East Coast, roughly the same distance as New York to California, meaning a Chinese resupply base on the Atlantic coast could put submarines within striking range of New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

While Chinese nuclear submarines can stay at sea for extended periods, they currently lack the ability to resupply or take on provisions in the Atlantic. Establishing a base would solve that, enabling not only sustained deployments but also pre-positioning for intelligence collection, containerized missile rearming, and disruption of U.S. or allied operations.

Since 2000, PLAN vessels have made 55 port calls across Africa, including in West African nations such as Morocco and Mauritania, demonstrating China’s intent to expand its military use of these facilities. A Chinese foothold on the African coast would give the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) a powerful platform to influence global trade and project power across both sides of the Atlantic.

Beijing has already demonstrated its willingness to convert commercial ports into military infrastructure, as evidenced by its 2018 project in Djibouti, where the state-owned China Merchants Group constructed a PLAN-exclusive base adjacent to a commercial port. Seven additional African ports, spanning both the Atlantic and the West Indian Ocean, have been identified as likely candidates for future Chinese military use.

In addition to base building, China is rapidly expanding its military-to-military cooperation in Africa. In 2000, less than 5 percent of African weapons came from China. Today, Chinese-made armored vehicles are used by 70 percent of African militaries, making China the continent’s top arms supplier. Officer training has followed a similar trend: from under 200 African officers trained in China at the turn of the century to more than 2,000 today.

Since 2006, China has conducted 20 joint military drills with African forces, steadily increasing in scale and sophistication, most notably the August 2024 land and sea exercises with Tanzania and Mozambique, and recent joint air force drills with Egypt. The following month, Beijing pledged a 1 billion yuan military grant to support African armed forces, train 6,000 personnel, and host 500 young officers for joint training, patrols, and exercises.

To make its expanding military presence in Africa more palatable, the CCP relies heavily on a coordinated propaganda campaign aimed at reshaping African perceptions. Through state-controlled media platforms such as CGTN and Xinhua, partnerships with local news outlets, journalist training programs, and satellite networks such as StarTimes, the Chinese regime promotes an image of itself as a generous, non-interfering partner, while subtly undermining the United States.

These efforts are part of Beijing’s broader “media warfare” strategy, which includes offering free or low-cost international content to African newsrooms and funding media exchanges and seminars. The China-Africa Press Center places African journalists in Chinese newsrooms for 10-month rotations where they report on CCP activities, reinforcing pro-Beijing narratives. Increasingly, the CCP relies on African journalists as the faces of its messaging, a shift from the 1990s, when Chinese reporters dominated the coverage. This tactic gives Chinese propaganda an air of local authenticity.

From ports to military training to propaganda, the CCP is working methodically to undermine the United States and achieve maritime parity. Africa has become a staging ground for Beijing’s long-term strategic ambitions, encompassing the military, economic, and ideological spheres. Unless the United States responds with a coherent counterstrategy, it risks losing critical access and influence not only in Africa but also across the Atlantic.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/exposing-chinas-military-media-push-africa

BioXcel Phase 3 Targets 23M Annual Episodes: 1st At-Home Treatment for Bipolar, Schizophrenia Agitation

BioXcel Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BTAI) has completed the last patient visit in its pivotal Phase 3 SERENITY At-Home clinical trial, evaluating IGALMI® (dexmedetomidine) for treating agitation in bipolar disorders or schizophrenia patients at home. The study collected data from over 2,200 agitation episodes across more than 200 patients at 22 sites nationwide.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial tested a 120 mcg dose of BXCL501 and aims to support a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to expand IGALMI's label for outpatient use. Topline data is expected this month. If approved, IGALMI would become the first FDA-approved therapy for the estimated 23 million annual episodes of bipolar or schizophrenia-related agitation occurring at home in the U.S.

https://www.stocktitan.net/news/BTAI/bio-xcel-therapeutics-announces-last-patient-last-visit-in-serenity-axhfyhi465bd.html

4DMT's stock climbs as eye disease gene therapy patients keep jettisoning injections

 4D Molecular Therapeutics has posted 60-week data on a gene therapy, providing evidence of durability in diabetic macular edema (DME) and sending its stock up more than 40% in premarket trading.

The phase 2 trial is assessing single doses of 4D-150, a gene therapy that encodes aflibercept and a sequence that inhibits expression of VEGF-C. Aflibercept, an anti-VEGF drug that Regeneron markets as Eylea, is the active control in the study. 4DMT designed 4D-150 to provide sustained delivery of anti-VEGF agents, freeing patients from burdensome injections and potentially improving outcomes.

Researchers shared 60-week results from the trial at the Annual American Society of Retina Specialists annual scientific meeting. Among the nine patients who received the phase 3 dose, 4DMT reported a gain of best corrected visual acuity of 9.7 letters, compared to 8.4 letters in the 32-week cut of the data.

The biotech tracked a 78% reduction in supplemental injections in people who received the phase 3 dose compared to projected on-label use of aflibercept 2 mg. 4DMT saw an 86% reduction in injection burden after 32 weeks. After 60 weeks, participants on the phase 3 dose had 58% fewer injections than their peers on the lower doses of 4D-150. Four of the nine patients on the phase 3 dose were injection free. 

Shares in 4DMT rose 42% to $6.30 in premarket trading Friday in the wake of the readout.

4DMT said the therapy continues to be well tolerated, with no intraocular inflammation at any time point and no subjects needing modification to the topical corticosteroid regimen. No cases of the eye conditions hypotony, endophthalmitis, vasculitis, choroidal effusions or retinal artery occlusion were seen. Mean intraocular pressure was within the normal limits.

The biotech provided a regulatory update, revealing that the European Medicines Agency has followed the FDA in agreeing that a single phase 3 trial can support approval in DME. 4DMT will also have data from two phase 2 trials, including one in DME, and two planned phase 3 studies in wet age-related macular degeneration. 

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/4dmts-stock-climbs-gene-therapy-patients-keep-jettisoning-jabs

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https://www.marketscreener.com/news/alphabet-s-capitalg-nvidia-in-talks-to-fund-vast-data-at-up-to-30-billion-valuation-sources-say-ce7c5fd2de80ff2c