Trump Says Fed Pick Kevin Warsh Could Win Democratic Support in Senate Confirmation 
Trump Administration Expands Global Gag Rule, Restricting U.S. Foreign Aid to Diversity and Gender Programs 
Trump to Announce New Federal Reserve Chair Pick as Powell Replacement Looms 
Christian Menefee Wins Texas Special Election, Narrowing GOP House Majority 
U.S. Government Enters Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on Canadian Aircraft Amid Escalating U.S.-Canada Trade Dispute 
Trump Nominates Brett Matsumoto as Next Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner 
Panama Supreme Court Voids CK Hutchison Port Concessions, Raising Geopolitical and Trade Concerns 
Democrats Question Intelligence Chief’s Role in FBI Georgia Election Raid 
Putin Envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Visit Miami for Talks With Trump Administration Officials 
Trump Family Files $10 Billion Lawsuit Over IRS Tax Disclosure 
Venezuela Proposes Amnesty Law and Plans to Transform Helicoide Prison 
Trump Threatens Aircraft Tariffs as U.S.-Canada Jet Certification Dispute Escalates 
Pierre Poilievre Retains Conservative Leadership After Election Defeat in Canada 
U.S. Approves Over $6.5 Billion in Military Sales to Israel Across Three Defense Contracts 
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Friday last week that they were having discussions with NATO about building a naval base at a port that is under construction on the Adriatic Coast for the alliance.
This also comes at a time when the alliance’s leaders are focused on bolstering their security also as Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine.
Speaking at a news conference last week, Rama said that Albania is in discussions with the alliance to set up a naval base at Porto Romano, which is also close to the town of Durres and is seen as the biggest port of Albania. Rama said the base would be co-financed by NATO and Albania. Albania became a NATO member country in 2009.
“We will soon go back to Brussels to continue our discussions regarding our proposal…for the installation of a NATO naval base in the new port in Durres,” said Rama.
This follows Rama’s comments back in May that his government was offering the alliance the Pashaliman naval base that is around 200 kilometers south of Tirana. Pashaliman was set up by Russia as a submarine base in the 1950s to host 12 submarines close to Vlore, the area where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet.
NATO is currently reconstructing the Kucova Air Base, which is 80 kilometers south of Tirana, to be used by the alliance.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has led Sweden and Finland to seek membership in the alliance, which was signed off by the 30 member countries during the Summit last week in Madrid. The 30 countries under the alliance signed the accession protocol Tuesday for Finland and Sweden, which would allow the two countries to join once their respective parliaments ratify the decision.
Finland and Sweden’s accession into the alliance also marks the most significant expansion since the 1990s.
“This is truly a historic moment,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg with the foreign ministers of the two countries. “With 32 nations around the table, we will be even stronger.”
Helsinki and Stockholm can now participate in NATO meetings and have access to intelligence with the protocol but will not be included in the defense clause until ratification, which may take up to a year.
