28 ‘Ndrangheta associates arrested for drug trafficking and violence

Italian and Albanian nationals trafficked drugs from South America to Europe, ultimately selling them in Rome

Europol has supported Italian law enforcement in dealing a heavy blow to the ‘Ndrangheta criminal organisation. In an action day conducted on 8 July 2025 across Italy, Spain and Albania, special intervention teams have arrested 28 suspected criminals of Italian and Albanian nationality. Among the individuals taken into custody is an Italian national from the Calabria region suspected of setting up the criminal structure for cocaine trade in the San Basilio area of Rome.

This individual, together with his three sons, is suspected of closely collaborating with an Albanian criminal group, which handled some of the logistical aspects of the drug trafficking trade. The Albanian members of this network allegedly organised the extraction of shipments from various Spanish and Dutch ports as well as the subsequent transport to Italy. In addition, they were responsible for the drug sale in other parts of Rome.

Investigations show that the cocaine sold in Italy was acquired in South America and transported in containers to ports across Europe. The transport from the Gioia Tauro harbour in Calabria to Rome was allegedly facilitated by Calabrian criminal brokers.

Torture as a tool to instil fear within the criminal organisation

The arrested individuals are suspected to have trafficked at least 1 019 kilograms of cocaine and 1 497 kg of hashish in 80 trafficking operations. Prosecutors suspect four Italian individuals of having kidnapped a drug dealer, causing him physical and psychological harm – an example of the severe violence associated with the ‘Ndrangheta criminal organisation. The torture inflicted was filmed with a mobile phone, with the video subsequently spread in order to instil fear, silence and submission within members of the criminal group located in Rome.

This complex investigation also brought to light the sophisticated communication methods used to exchange information within the criminal organisation. To evade discovery by the authorities, its members would rely on encrypted messaging via devices distributed by an Albanian criminal service provider, who was also arrested on 8 July.

Europol support and international collaboration

On the action day, a Europol expert with a mobile office was deployed to Italy to cross-check information against Europol’s databases. Europol provided financial analytical support and facilitated the information exchange between Italian and Spanish authorities, leading to five arrests in Spain over the course of the investigation, prior to the action day.

https://youtu.be/gN8gPLBfI6A

Starmer has signed up to the UN’s agreement to raise taxes in the UK

According to The Telegraph, the UK government, led by Sir Keir Starmer, has endorsed the United Nations’ (“UN’s”) Sevilla Commitment, a global agreement that calls for greater environmental levies and “gender-responsive taxation.” The Conservative Party has criticised it for potentially making it harder for a future government to reverse Labour’s tax rises.

The agreement, signed by 192 countries at a summit in Seville, Spain, contains 42 references to taxation, including specific mentions of taxes on “high net-worth individuals,” tobacco, alcohol, natural resources and pollution, as well as promoting higher taxes on unhealthy products such as sugary drinks.

Related: UK government to announce supermarkets will police what is in your shopping trolley and limit purchases of “unhealthy” food

The commitments in the deal are not legally binding, but critics have warned that signing up to the pact shows the Government is locking Britain into a permanent course of ever higher taxation, with the Conservatives accusing Labour of “outsourcing tax policy to organisations that don’t reflect the priorities of the British people.”

The agreement encourages the “broadening of the tax base,” including a crackdown on the “informal sector,” which includes cash-in-hand payments, and suggests specific tax rises that countries should introduce, such as effective taxation of natural resources and taxes on tobacco and alcohol.

A Government spokesman has stated that the agreement is not legally binding and that UK tax-setting powers are for the Chancellor and the Chancellor alone, with no plans to cede tax-setting powers to an international organisation, and that the agreement is designed to support developing countries in mobilising more finance for their own sustainable development.

The UK has also signed up to several declarations drawn up during the conference in Seville, including one that promotes higher taxes on unhealthy products and another that focuses on efforts to remove “harmful” and “ineffective” tax reliefs, amid fears that Labour is lining up a series of fresh tax raids in the autumn to fill an estimated £30 billion “black hole.”

https://expose-news.com/2025/07/07/starmer-has-signed-up-to-the-uns-tax-agreement/

BlackRock's ETF Holdings Top 700,000 Bitcoin; Far Above Saylor's 'Strategy'

BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund has just crossed over 700,000 BTC in assets under management, far surpassing Michael Saylor's stash at (Micro)Strategy.

As The Block reports, the combined assets held by all U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs are now at approximately 1.25 million BTC ($135 billion), according to CoinGlass data - nearly 6% of bitcoin's total 21 million supply.

IBIT accounts for approximately 56% of that AUM alone - greater than Strategy's 597,325 BTC ($65 billion) stack, for comparison.

Meanwhile, as CoinTelegraph reports, US Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, combined with Michael Saylor’s Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, have purchased more Bitcoin than the supply generated by miners almost every month so far this year, according to Galaxy Research.

Strategy and the US Bitcoin ETFs have collectively bought Bitcoin worth $28.22 billion in 2025, while Bitcoin miners’ net new issuance has amounted to $7.85 billion during the same period.

As of June, the combined entities have bought more Bitcoin than the new supply being generated each month, except in February, when the combined entities sold Bitcoin worth $842 million.

All of which supports the trend higher in bitcoin along with global liquidity surging…

https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/blackrocks-etf-holdings-top-700000-bitcoin-far-above-saylors-strategy

>>23296373

Jiz lane

Every 40 Seconds Someone In the US Has a Stroke – But 80% Are Preventable

According to the CDC, every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke. Fortunately, 80% of cardiovascular disease and stroke is preventable, according to the American Heart Association. If you are age 40 or older, you should consider getting screened for stroke and cardiovascular disease risks.

Life Line Screening Has Screened Over 11 Million People

Life Line Screening has been offering peace of mind or early detection for stroke and cardiovascular disease risk since 1993, with over 11 million people screened. Not only is it easy to get screened, but it’s also affordable, non-invasive, and convenient with over 15,000 community-based locations throughout the U.S.

In 2023 alone, Life Line Screening provided screenings to over 630,000 customers, held events at over 15,000 locations nationwide, identified 10,000 critical results, and discovered about 46,000 abnormal results.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/07/every-40-seconds-someone-us-has-stroke-80/

Iran 'Rapidly' Beefs Up Air Defenses With Chinese Help After Israel Ceasefire

Iran has taken possession of Chinese surface-to-air missile batteries as Tehran rapidly moves to rebuild defensives destroyed by Israel during their recent 12-day conflict, sources have told Middle East Eye.

The deliveries of Chinese surface-to-air missile batteries occurred after a de-facto truce was struck between Iran and Israel on June 24, an Arab official familiar with the intelligence told MEE.

Another Arab official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive intelligence, said that the US's Arab allies were aware of Tehran's efforts to "back up and reinforce" its air defenses and that the White House had been informed of Iran's progress.

The officials did not say how many surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, Iran had received from China since the end of the fighting. However, one of the Arab officials said that Iran was paying for the SAMs with oil shipments.

China is the largest importer of Iranian oil, and the US Energy Information Administration suggested in a report in May that nearly 90 percent of Iran’s crude and condensate exports flow to Beijing.

For several years, China has imported record amounts of Iranian oil despite US sanctions, using countries such as Malaysia as a transshipment hub to mask the crude's origin.

"The Iranians engage in creative ways of trading," the second Arab official told MEE. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump likely heavily discussed Iran and its nuclear program when they meet on Monday.

MEE reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Deepening relationship

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-rapidly-beefs-air-defenses-chinese-help-after-israel-ceasefire