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Heat up here. Heat. Heat. Hello and welcome to First Post Vantage with me Horsoya. Let's get started. diplomacy: who Donald Trump's war continues? Negotiations have left the table. The good old rhetoric of fury and retaliation has entered the chat yet again. And after oil and gas, nations may soon have to create a therapy fund for the street of Hormuse. We would ask the president for some clarity, but it appears he is also engaged in a diplomatic dispute with the English language. So we'll wait until the cat returns his tongue. Meanwhile, in Iran, the former Supreme Leader's funeral gets underway. Stay tuned. And pray. Why do countries buy weapons when everyone insists they only want peace? Sometimes it's to defend borders and sometimes it's to manage temper tantrums. I'll explain. Also on the show, we shift our attention to Marine Le Pen, or should we say France's most famous ankle monitor owner? And finally, the rich are packing their Birkkins. Why? I'll tell you in just a bit. All this and more lined up. But first, the headlines.
India and Australia seal a major uranium deal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart inked the landmark agreement. The two leaders met in Melbourne. This is the second leg of Prime Minister Modi's three-nation tour. This will boost New Delhi's nuclear power program. The United States approves the sale of longrange Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany. But Chancellor Frederick Mertz did not say when he expected the missiles to be delivered. The Tomahawks will be a key part of Berlin's deterrent strategy against Russia. And the world's chemical weapons watchdog reinstates Syria. In 2021, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had stripped Damascus of its voting rights after it found evidence that former President Bashar al-Assad had used nerve agent siren and chlorin gas on his own people. A fire test through a shoe factory in eastern China. At least 28 people were killed in the tragedy. There are fears that some people could still be trapped inside the building. Last November, China had launched a campaign against fire hazards in high-rise buildings. And the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Democratic Republic of Congo is the fastest growing ever. That's the announcement by African health authorities. The World Health Organization says it has already killed 600 people. Ebola spreads through contact and infected bodily fluids. Heat. Heat. Is the US and Iran war back on? I asked this tonight because look at what's happening in West Asia right now. Washington and Thran traded fire for the second straight day today. The US military struck some 90 targets across Iran. Around 14 people in Iran were killed across five provinces due to the recent US strikes. Fire and smoke were seen close to an airport in the southeastern city of Iran. Warplanes were heard over Iran's Kish Island and multiple explosions rocked the port cities of Bandarabas, Konarak and Chabahar. A maritime control tower in the southeastern port city of Chabahar was also hit. Iran retaliated to the fresh US strikes by striking Washington's allies in the Gulf. Air raid sirens were heard in Bahin. Kuwait said it responded to hostile missiles. Iran's revolutionary guard said that it has struck US military bases in Bahin and Kuwait. Theran also hit a satellite antenna in Qatar and even Jordan intercepted several missiles. The Iranian military also warned that the attacks would expand to other bases if the US repeat strikes. According to US forces, the latest attacks were carried out to further degrade Thran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Straight of Hormuz, which the regime has repeatedly mentioned that it will only open under Iranian arrangements. According to the regime, Washington targeted civilian infrastructure in the country, calling it a gross war crime. Iran's foreign minister Abbasarji also called Katari Prime Minister after the recent flare up. Qatar is a key mediator in the peace talks between the United States and Iran. According to an Iranian foreign ministry statement, the two parties underscored the importance of diplomatic means to resolve regional issues. But why does Iran keep provoking a country with vastly superior military power? It seems irrational until you look at the bigger picture. Iran understands something important. It cannot defeat America militarily, but it doesn't have to. Its real leverage is geography, specifically the straight of Hormuz. Around 1/5if of the world's oil and gas passes through this tiny maritime corridor. Iran has spent years reminding everyone that if it cannot export oil, perhaps nobody else should either. That's the card Iran keeps holding over global markets. And Iran appears convinced of something else. that Donald Trump, despite all the tough talk, does not actually want another full-scale war. Why? Because wars are expensive. They push oil prices higher. Higher oil prices mean higher inflation, and inflation has a habit of ruining election campaigns. With the midterm election in the US in November, Trump would not want to take such a risk. Yesterday, he himself admitted that the war may not restart. >> Mr. President, it seems that the war with Iran may start again. What do you expect from your European allies? >> No, I don't think it's going to start again. I think it's going to go very quickly. Uh they hit a couple of ships and so we hit them much harder. When they hit, we hit 10 times harder. You know, we hit much harder than they do. >> Now, Trump's master plan appears to have been start a war without an ending, then celebrate a memorandum of understanding without actually understanding. one that resolved everything except the disagreement. Trump now faces a tough choice. Should he escalate a war with staggering human, economic, and political costs or resurrect a ceasefire that rewards Iran handsomely just for agreeing to keep talking? Add to this chaos Trump's claim that Iran is plotting to kill him >> because I'm their number one target. It's out all over the place. I'm their number because there's that's the way they act and that's the way they've done it for 47 years. Trump has also turned to another well-worn page of his playbook. Since the war began, he has said one thing constantly that Iran wants a deal badly. He repeated it yesterday as well. >> They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal. I don't know that they're going to honor the deal. That's >> Now, at this point, it's hard to tell who Trump is trying to convince with these statements. You must have heard of the famous optical illusion called the Penrose stairs. It's a continuous loop of steps that ascends or descends endlessly. Donald Trump's strategy in Iran is beginning to resemble this visual illusion. So some politicians leave behind a legacy of speeches. Donald Trump leaves behind a searchable archive of Wait, did he really say that? At this point, he appears to operate like a browser with 97 tabs open. Yet somehow, the confidence bar remains permanently stuck at 100%. And here's why I'm saying this. At the NATO summit in Turkey, the US president made a handful of glaring gaps. Let me break them down for you one by one. First, Trump invented a new country. It's the Islamic Republic of Japan. Yes, he confused Iran and Japan. A collab no one asked for. I told the story yesterday. We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan. >> Islamic Republic of Japan. >> They were shot at the aircraft carrier over a period of about 1 hour. 111 missiles going to a very expensive ship and every one of those missiles was knocked down. It's the first country where Shinto shrines, bullet trains, and ayatollas apparently coexist, where sushi comes with sanctions. Google Maps is still processing this update. Social media immediately jumped in to mock the US president. They trolled him mercilessly, saying that his brain is mush. Second, he appeared to mistake Ukrainian President Vladmir Zalinski for Russian President Vladimir Putin. >> Do you have a a question for President Putin, please? Question for President Putin, please. Do you have a question for President Putin? Not not till >> what would you like to ask him? Because I'm going to ask him that question. >> I mean, they have similar names. I agree. But Trump's geopolitical filing system seems remarkably efficient. People with similar names, doesn't matter if they're fighting a war against each other, they go into the same folder. The next time Trump attends a summit, everyone should maybe wear name tags just to keep the negotiations from turning into a guessing game. Third, Trump thinks he is number one on Tic Tac. It's a rebranding for the Chinese social media app, you know, not Tik Tok, but Tik Tac. >> I mean, it came out. There was another list came out yesterday and I'm I'm number one on I like being number one on Tik Tok better, but I'm number one on the list for uh for killing. >> Now, he has repeated this claim again and again at a White House briefing. He claimed that he's more popular than Taylor Swift. Earlier, he had shared a graphic on Truth Social as well, saying he was the most followed and most watched world leader on the platform. Now, that graphic made no mention of Swift. She is no world leader unless her followers or swifties decide to break from the United States and create their own country. But let's talk facts. Donald Trump has some 16 million followers on the platform. Taylor Swift over 30 million. And both are not even in the top 10 most followed accounts on Tik Tok or should I say Tic Tac. Number four, Trump referred to the JCPO. The only problem it does not exist. He was apparently trying to attack the JCPOA. That's the joint comprehensive plan of action. The Iran nuclear agreement under former US President Barack Obama that he famously abandoned in 2018. But somewhere between the initialism and the microphone, a letter wandered off and history got a brand new typo. >> Country, they picked the wrong country. JC P. What a terrible what a terrible deal. I call it the Obama nuclear waste deal because what he did with that deal is he caused tremendous hardship in the Middle East. It was a terrible. >> Now it is a difficult abbreviation indeed for a president who treats facts the way a toddler treats a coloring book creatively and with no respect for the lines. And finally, Trump said he has been president three times. Now that is remarkable achievement, especially considering the US Constitution has only counted two of them. I've been right about everything and I have been for a long time. That's how I got to be president three times. That's how I won three elections. I did very well in the second one. Won it was a rigged election. >> Now, there's a famous saying, "Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Perhaps Donald Trump has taken this seriously. The recent slip ups have put the US president's mental health back in focus. The White House, of course, had a different explanation. Press Secretary Ken Levette praised Trump for delivering what she called a marathon high energy performance at the NATO summit. Multiple press briefings, an hourong press conference, and a barrage of unscripted questions. Apparently, the more you talk, the less anyone is supposed to notice what he said. Critics were unconvinced. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump embarrassed America on the world stage. Minnesota Governor Tim Walls couldn't resist. He joked that Donald Trump Jr. was probably scrambling to place bets on whether the United States was about to launch military action against the Islamic Republic of Japan. But here's the point. Who am I to mock someone for a slip here, a fumble there? After all, I am not Donald Trump. The same Mr. President who has built an entire political brand around mocking Joe Biden's verbal slipups. The tables have turned. Donald Trump often boasts about having a very high IQ. If that's the case, the bar should at least include not inventing new countries or treating world leaders like a matching name memory guess.
In death, Ayatah Ali Kame drew millions onto the streets. But he could not silence the divisions within the state he spent nearly four decades building. The regime wanted the world to see unity. What it merged instead was a glimpse of the battle for Iran's next chapter. One of competing visions, rival power centers, and a leadership divided over Iran's future. Our next report takes you inside Ayat Ali Kame's final journey to his resting place. >> A solemn journey through the skies. The coffins carrying Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatah Ali Kamini and several of his family members begin their final journey home. As the aircraft crosses into Iranian airspace from Iraq, an Iranian Air Force fighter jet flies alongside, escorting the plane in a symbolic final salute. Inside the cabin, the coffins are surrounded by mourners offering prayers. Outside, the military escort continues. It's the end of a funeral procession. Say Ali Kam united the nation and the Islamic world on the path of the free, strong and sound word. And as you see the millions are coming from Iraq, Thran, Kam and all countries, India, Pakistan and all the free people in the world. He's being buried at the shrine of Imam Resa in Mashad, Iran's holiest city, his birthplace, where his father is also buried. This was not a quiet funeral. It's one of the largest public funerals in modern history. This is the regime's proof to the world that Iran would not submit, that it would avenge its leader. The Islamic Republic designed every moment of it. Seven days, multiple cities, Thran, Kwam, Najaf, Karbala, Mashad, touching the holiest sites in Shia Islam. A procession route through central Thran specifically chosen to pass Azadi or Freedom Square, the very site of the 1979 revolution. And the message Iran is sending that this revolution began here and the revolution still stands. We are participating in the funeral procession of the supreme leader. May God sanctify his noble soul. We and Iran are one people. There's no difference between us. >> But look for one person in that crowd. Try to find him. You will not. Majakini, Iran's new supreme leader has not appeared in public since February. His face is on posters across Thran, but his voice has not been heard since the day his father was killed. >> The man responsible for leading Iran's response to this war did not attend his own father's funeral. And then the procession took an unexpected turn. Hardline mourners began chanting against President Pzeskan, against foreign minister Rakchi, against Iran's own negotiators, the men trying to find a deal with Washington. At the funeral of the supreme leader, one faction of Iran was publicly attacking another. So here's Iran's internal fault line. On one side, the hardliners. They want revenge for Kam's killing. They oppose any deal with Washington. They believe negotiating with America is surrender. The other faction is led by President Bzeshan. In the last election, he got 16.3 million votes. His government signed the memorandum with America. His foreign minister Abazari is the one trying to keep the door to negotiations open. Even as the deal collapsed this week, even as US bombing resumed, these two sides have been fighting for Iran's soul for years. The funeral gave both of them a stage and they used it. Now step back and look at what Ayatah Ali Kamune built. He ruled from 1989. He outlasted the Soviet Union. He outlasted five US presidents. He outlasted the Arab Spring. He built a nuclear program that survived every sanction thrown at it. He built a missile arsenal that fired 8,000 projectiles at American and Israeli targets. He built Hezbollah into a regional military power. He built the Houthis into a force that closed the Red Sea. His supporters call all of that a legacy. But that's one side of the story. Millions of others inside Iran also call it decades of isolation, of repression. The Islamic Republic needed this funeral to say one thing. We are one. We grieve together. We will rise together. The funeral was meant to project strength, to show a nation united behind its revolution. Instead, it revealed something else. A leadership divided over Iran's future. As Ayatah Ali Kam is laid to rest, the battle over the Islamic Republic he leaves behind may only just be beginning. >> Now, let me ask you a question. Why do nations buy weapons? Normally, it is to protect their borders or because they live in a rough neighborhood. But for Denmark, these are not normal times. The country faces a peculiar problem, an unpredictable NATO ally. US President Donald Trump has set his eyes on Greenland. He has repeatedly threatened to take Greenland from Denmark. And how is Copenhagen responding? By increasing its military spending and procuring sophisticated weapons. Denmark is buying the P8 maritime dominance aircraft and the MQ4 longrange surveillance drones. Denmark says this is for Arctic security, including securing Greenland, but there is a catch 22. The P8 and the MQ4 are both made by the United States, the same country that wants to snatch Greenland. So, Denmark will deploy US-made weapons to protect Greenland from the United States. Sounds like buying a guard dog from a burglar. This is what NATO has been reduced to in 2026. It functions more like a pyramid scheme than a security alliance. Now NATO met earlier this week. The summit was held in Turkey. But instead of focusing on cooperation and cohesion, Donald Trump threatened to take control of Greenland. Listen to this. >> Greenland doesn't help Denmark. Denmark doesn't spend money to really help Greenland, but it's an important part for the United States. And it's surrounded by China ships and Russian ships. And that's not going to happen. The ships is it's not going to happen. It was Greenland that in my and it continues to be that should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark. >> Now Trump's trust with Greenland is not new. He first demanded control of the island in 2019. That was during his first term in the White House. Since then, Trump has threatened to take over Greenland at least eight times. But Denmark's Prime Minister Meteor Frederickson has made it very clear Greenland is not for sale. She says Denmark will defend every inch of their territory. >> Yeah, I heard the US president yesterday and I think uh uh the US position is uh unfortunately very clear on this topic. Uh and our position is as clear as it has been all through. Um Greenland is of course not for sale. We are ready to defend every inch of NATO uh including our own territory. >> Now let me remind you this mudslinging was happening at the NATO summit. This is how the so-called leader of the free world behaves with allies. After the verbal sparring, Denmark got down to business. They placed an order for two P8 Poseidons. These are maritime dominance aircraft. They can hunt submarines, track and destroy warships, monitor coastlines, and gather intelligence. Along with these, Denmark also purchased MQ4 Tritons. These long range drones are specialized for surveillance. They can stay airborne for more than 24 hours, scan millions of square kilometers using advanced cameras and sensors, and monitor any military activity while being piloted by someone on land. Denmark's Ministry on Defense says these aircraft will be deployed to secure the Arctic and North Atlantic, including Arctic's largest island in Danish territory called Greenland. Here's the kicker. These weapons will be made by the United States, the same country, as I mentioned earlier, that is threatening to take over Greenland. Now, there was a time when Denmark worried about Russian and Chinese submarines near the Arctic. Today, the biggest threat to Greenland comes from a NATO ally. The P8 and the MQ4 are exceptional platforms. There is no denying that. But the story is larger than the aircraft and the drones. It is about something more valuable. Confidence and trust. Two things that don't come with a price tag. Denmark understands the Arctic is entering a dangerous chapter. It is every right to protect Greenland, but Denmark is buying aircraft, drones, and technology from America to defend Greenland from America. Moral of the story, if the US threatens to annex your country, buy American weapons and hope that your security guaranteed does not become your biggest security concern.
Now, Donald Trump's promised to settle the Ukraine war in 24 hours. Clearly, that did not happen. When he promised the US would stop giving Kee blank checks, that too did not happen. Instead, he is doing the opposite, supporting and funding the war. Trump wants to give Ukraine the license for Patriot missiles. Till now, Kee had to depend on Washington for them. Any delay shipments left Ukrainian skies exposed to Russian attacks. Now they will make these interceptors at home. On paper, this is about strengthening Ukraine. In reality, this is Trump's way of reducing his burden. Our next report tells you more. For the last 4 years, Ukraine has been busy defending itself from Russian attacks. Whether it was long range drones, cruise missiles, or ballistic missiles, Ukraine would always turn to its most prized possession, the Patriot air defense system. Designed to intercept ballistic missiles and enemy aircraft, the Patriot was instrumental in securing Ukrainian skies, it became the last line of defense with many batteries installed on rooftops in Kev. But things changed after February this year. Ukraine's Patriot batteries went silent. And there are two reasons for this. Low production rates and rising costs. Only the United States makes Patriot batteries and its interceptor missiles and Washington used up its stockpile against Iran. Patriots were heavily deployed across West Asia to protect US assets from Iranian drones and missiles. As per reports, the US fired more than 1,000 interceptors. That's equal to 6 years worth of stockpile. A single Patriot missile is worth $5 million. Along with a whopping cost, it takes almost 2 years to manufacture one missile. And because the US had exhausted its supply in Iran, it failed to deliver the missiles to Ukraine. The result, weeks of Russian aerial attacks that left Keev battered. Donald Trump wants to fix that. He's approved a plan to give Ukraine the license to make these weapons at home. So, one of the things we're going to be talking about is you'll uh we're going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That's pretty cool, right? Very. >> This way, you can't complain that we're not giving them enough. I say make them yourself. >> And here's what makes the Patriot air defense system so special. It's one of the most advanced systems in the world. It has a powerful radar that detects aerial threats up to 150 km away. The command center calculates the trajectory of the incoming threat. Then the launchers fire interceptor missiles at the target. Each Patriot battery can have multiple launchers, each holding up to 16 missiles. Each battery costs up to $1 billion, while the interceptors themselves cost up to 5 million. Currently, the US is facing a severe shortage and is unable to increase its production. By bringing Ukraine into the picture, Trump is looking to turn things around, and the Kremlin is certainly not happy. Moscow says Trump is not interested in ending the Ukraine war. As for the Patriot Systems, yes, it is an obvious fact that the United States is continuing to supply weapons and military technology to Ukraine on a large scale. That is indeed the case. We are aware of it. We do not wear rosetinted glasses and President Putin is fully aware of this as well. At the same time, however, there is a certain duality in the US position. >> Donald Trump built his political campaign on keeping the US out of forever wars. Since then, he has attacked Iran and is now helping Ukraine stand on its feet. For decades, America exported weapons. Now, it's exporting production. The Patriot missiles will no longer say made in America. Instead, they will say designed in the US and built in Ukraine.
If there were an Olympics for diplomatic flattery on Donald Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rout would get the gold medal. At the NATO summit in Anchora, Rut found himself answering perhaps the most uncomfortable question of the event. A Danish journalist asked him whether he had any self-respect. Listen to this. >> Mark, you sit next to Donald Trump in moments where he talks about conquering Greenland, talks about lashing out at allies like Spain, starting trade wars, things that it doesn't seem like the old Mari would approve of. Does this have any effect on your self-respect when you uh sit next to him like that and say nothing? >> You see, NATO had a fractious summit in Turk this week. Donald Trump revived his threat to take over Greenland. He ordered his administration to cut all trade ties with Spain. He expressed anger at the alliance for its defense spending targets. Trump has also been feuding with Italy's Prime Minister George Maloney. Never has Trump been subtle about his frustration at the alliance. But while he was busy targeting NATO, the group's boss Mark Rutter was full of praise for the man he called Dear Donald. He thanked Trump, called the US president's push to get NATO nations to increase defense spending a staggering achievement and a huge win and even came up with a term for it, the Trump trillion. Even when he was asked the question on self-respect, he could not stop praising Donald Trump. >> And I always know that President Trump and the US has completely committed to NATO. But there is this big irritant, the irritant that the Europeans were not paying the same as the Americans were paying. And this is an frustration on the US part since Eisenhower. And this American president has been able to solve this and not only get the Europeans to commit to spend the same as the US, but also to deliver on that commitment. >> And Trump loved this flattery. That's why I like him. That's what he said. Of course he does. Everyone likes compliments. But NATO isn't supposed to be a fan club. It's supposed to be a military alliance. So why is Europe's top diplomat sounding like he's auditioning to become the employee of the month at Trump Tower? The answer is more complicated than it looks because beneath all the compliments lies a strategy and perhaps a survival plan. Let's begin with the obvious. Donald Trump has never had warm relationships with NATO. For years, he has called the alliance unfair. He has accused European countries of freeloading. He has repeatedly threatened to leave. He has questioned whether America should defend allies who don't spend enough on defense. That's right. At the heart of NATO, Article 5, one attack on one member is considered an attack on all. It has only been invoked once after the September 11th attacks, and Europe came running to America's defense. Today, many Europeans wonder whether America would still do the same. Enter Mark Rutter. Before you write this off as pure grling, there is a method here. And diplomats have a name for it. They call it the praise and reality sandwich. Top slice flattery. Middle facts. Bottom slice more flattery. Rout praises Trump's obsession with burden sharing because it's not wrong. Europe has underspent for years. Then he slides in the inconvenient truths. Thousands of US flights out of European bases before the Iran ceasefire. coordination on Ukraine that doesn't make headlines. Numbers Trump can't wave away. It's lion taming essentially. Feed the ego, then step carefully around the teeth. And it worked for a while. Last year in the H, Trump left NATO's summit, calling his partners a nice group of people. It was at this summit that Rout referred to Trump as daddy. But is Rut's strategy even working? Because this year feels different. Trump wants more. Not just higher defense spending, not just bigger military purchases. He wants loyalty. That's much harder to measure, which means Rout's diplomatic balancing act has become even harder. You see, flattery has a shelf life, and Trump's demands have outgrown it. Critics say Europe's dignity is taking a beating. That flattering one leader sends Moscow a dangerous message that Europe appears desperate, dependent, afraid. Those perceptions matter because deterance is psychological as well. Supporters see something different. They argue Europe simply doesn't have the luxury of pride right now. Without American military power, NATO changes dramatically. Europe is rebuilding its defense industries, increasing spending, expanding ammunition production. But those projects take years, not weeks. So if swallowing diplomatic pride buys Europe time, perhaps it's worth it. And this isn't even new. Rout's predecessor, Yen Stolenberg, spent years doing something remarkably similar. His memoir reveals just how close Trump came to blowing up NATO meetings during his first presidency. The nightmare scenario was simple. What if an American president simply walked away? If Washington leaves, NATO loses its biggest army. That alone could embolden adversaries, which explains why successive NATO chiefs have invested extraordinary effort not in deterring Russia, but in reassuring America. Now, think about that irony. The alliance built to contain Moscow now spends half its energy coddling Washington. Diplomacy once revolved around treaties. Today, it usually revolves around telling Donald Trump he's brilliant before asking him not to annex another ally. And if NATO keeps adding praise every time it needs American commitment, it may soon discover something uncomfortable. Flattery is a very expensive currency. The problem is it keeps its value keeps depreciating if you keep repeating it.
Our next story is from France. For the last 9 years, the country has been governed by President Emanuel Macron. But Macron's time is almost up. Now his second presidential term ends next year. He cannot run for a third. So the question is who will succeed him. Well, we just got a pretty good hint. >> I had said that if I could be a candidate, I would be a candidate. I am able to be a candidate. I am a candidate. >> Say hello to Meen Le Pen. She's the current front runner for the French presidency. Multiple opinion polls put her in the lead. She has an edge over all her potential rivals. And this despite the fact that she's been found guilty of embezzlement. Yes, Marine Le Pen has a criminal record. She has been convicted for stealing funds from the European Union to the tune of $3.4 million. This was between the years 2004 and 2016. She was a member of European Parliament at the time. So she had staffers who were being paid by the EU. But instead of doing EU work, those aids were diverted to work for a political party. And this is not some far-fetched conspiracy theory. She has admitted that this took place. Though she called it a mistake. Le Pen was initially sentenced to 4 years in prison and she was banned from contesting elections for 5 years. But Leen did not accept defeat. She appealed her conviction and on Tuesday a French court granted her some relief. Her conviction still stands. The court did not overturn it but it has lifted the ban on her contesting elections. The court said that Le Pen could contest the election provided she wore an electronic tag, something like an ankle bracelet to track her location. This effectively placed her under house arrest. She would not have been able to travel across France to campaign. But Le Pen has found a way around this problem, too. >> I am filing an appeal because I am innocent of the charges against me and I am taking the case to the Court of Cassation to present it with a legal issue that is an extremely serious legal issue. But I remind you that the court of appeal restored my eligibility. It restored my eligibility. So today I am eligible. >> Now Le Pen has taken her case to France's top court. So her case is under appeal and until the court makes a ruling, Le Pen is a free woman. She's free to leave her house and free to campaign without an electronic tag. What's more, the timeline works in her favor. The top French court is expected to take months to make its decision, even if it rules against Le Pen. In the meantime, if Le Pen wins the election due in April, she also wins presidential immunity. Now that we've spoken about Le Pen's legal issues, let's take a closer look at who is Marine Leen, what are her politics, and why is she leading in the polls. Here's a quick rundown for you. Leen is a political veteran. She is 57 years old and she joined politics when she turned 18. Today, her party is called the National Rally. That is the English translation of her party's name. But before 2018, it went by another name, the National Front. The party has a very controversial history. It is considered a far-right political party. Though Leupen dislikes that moniker, she calls her party French nationalist. But the farright tag persists because of the party's history in politics. It was founded by Le Pen's father, Jean Marie Le Pen, and among the founders were former Nazis. Unsurprisingly, the party used to be anti-semitic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, the works. But Le Pen has spent years changing the party from within. She kicked out her own father in 2015. Under her, the party has shed its old anti-semitic reputation. Part of the reason she renamed it to the National Rally was to improve public perception. And all this has worked. Marine Le Pen made her party mainstream and she ended up coming second in the last two presidential elections. She also contested the 2012 presidential election where she finished third. So next year will be her fourth shot at presidency and opinion polls say she may finally win. Le Pen is still anti-immigration and this is resonating with a large part of the electorate. It's a hot button issue in France. Le Pen is also euroskeepic. She does not see the European Union benefiting France. She says the EU rules are hurting average French people. And we've seen the strike accord as well. French farmers have protested the EU's free trade agreement with the South American block Mercer. They've complained about excessive regulations eating into their profits and the cost of living crisis has been crushing ordinary people over the past few years. Le Pen assigns the blame to EU and many believe her. Add to this a very popular protetéé, the 30-year-old Jordan Bardella, and you have a recipe for success. Le Pen is closer to presidency than ever before. She will be able to sustain will she be able to sustain this momentum till election next April or is there another twist to come? We'll of course be tracking that story closely.
Now let's turn our attention to China. Dramatic visuals are coming out of the country. It looks like the combination of a natural disaster movie and a horror film. Typhoon Messak has caused widespread flooding in southern China. In some towns, flood waters have reached the second floor of houses. Cars are submerged. Emergency personnel are using rafts to rescue people stranded in the floods. At least 39 people have died. Over 130,000 people have been evacuated. It's absolute chaos in southern China. And it's not over yet. The region is now bracing for another major storm. And amid this calamity, there are visuals of dangerous animals in the flood waters. Over 900 snakes have escaped from a farm in Guangshi. And locals are reporting horror stories of being attacked by cobras. Our next report is all the details. >> In about 30 minutes, the water rose by 10 cm. I said the situation was different and I told everyone to get the things on the first floor ready. It was possible that well, we had just thought it wasn't that severe because never in history had it ever been this bad. >> Torrential rains have devastated the southern Chinese province of Guangshi. Over the past few days, the province has seen between 10 to 40 cm of rainfall. Some of the worst affected regions have seen up to 89 cm of rain. Entire towns are underwater. 39 people have been killed. Over 130,000 people have been forced to evacuate. But more than 10,000 are still trapped. Chinese emergency workers are using rafts and even massive flat bottom boats to evacuate stranded people. And locals say they have never seen anything like this before. In several hundred years, this is the first time the water has reached the second floor. >> The torrential rains were triggered by a typhoon. Typhoon Mesa made landfall in southern China in the island of Hainan. The remnants of the storm then moved inland leading to widespread destruction. Southern China's Guangshi province is the worst affected. 26 of the 39 reported casualties died in the city of Henghu in this province. They died after a reservoir dam nearby partially collapsed and sent a massive amount of water crashing into the city. The nearby provinces of Guangdong and Guiju have also seen torrential rain and widespread flooding. Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from these provinces as well. And it isn't just people who need rescuing. Animal shelters have been combing the affected regions to save cats and dogs. Meanwhile, you have videos like this emerging. Livestock such as pigs have been swept away in the floods and people are using heavy machinery to grab them from the water. But perhaps the most alarming incident of animals being swept away comes from Henghu. A snake breeding farm near the city was inundated and 900 snakes were swept away. This includes venomous snakes like the king cobra. There are hundreds of serpents now swimming through the flood waters in Guangshi province and they are terrorizing locals. Several people have been bitten by the snakes. Doctors are seeing an influx of snake bite victims. People who were attacked as they tried to clear the flood water from their houses. China has put the local snake bite center on high alert. Antivenenom supplies have been increased and guidelines have been issued on how to prevent and treat snake bites. The serpents have compounded problems in southern China which is already reeling from the impact of typhoons and the resultant deluge.
If you thought only your investment portfolio needed diversification, think again. The world's richest are now diversifying their addresses, too. It seems the world's richest are clutching their pearls, packing their Louis Vuitton, and heading to Dubai. Turns out when you're a billionaire, you don't just collect cars or super yachts, you collect zip codes, too. Because some of the biggest names in private wealth management believe the city's appeal is only growing. Experts at Julius Bear, one of the world's leading private banks, say Dubai has become one of the preferred destinations for the globally wealthy, which is interesting because it comes at a time when the Gulf is facing renewed pressure. From the latest US Iran escalation and attacks on vessels near the straight of Hormuz, you'd think that the war would send investors running, but experts are not worried. They are betting on the fact that neither side is seeking a full resumption of war, that the current escalation is likely to remain contained. Now, the bank's latest global wealth and lifestyle moved. It found that cities tied to the euro and Swiss Frank became more expensive for internationally mobile families. And while European cities became costlier, Dubai, relatively speaking, did not. In fact, Dubai fell to 14th place in the global lifestyle index, down from seventh last year. But the expert said that the drop should not be read as a sign of weaker demand or declining appeal appeal. It just means that while competition got costlier, Dubai stayed Dubai. But and this is very important. This data has a date stamp. This survey was carried out and completed before the war broke out in West Asia. The research concluded in late February and early March. Though it does not take into account the recent escalation in war or its effects on investor behavior, the underlying data predates the crisis in West Asia. So I take that news with the appropriate pinch of salt. Having said that, the longer term trend is also hard to ignore. The bigger story says that the rich aren't just buying apartments anymore in Dubai. They're moving their entire financial ecosystem and everything that comes with it. Property is just the first step. What comes next is the bank account, the family office, the business, the succession plan. And that is what we wealth managers love to see. Just look at the numbers as well. Last year, before the war broke out, around 9,800 millionaires moved to the UAE, bringing an estimated 63 billion in wealth. Today, Dubai is home to more than 200 centmillionaires and at least 20 billionaires and over 1,200 family related entities operating through the Dubai Financial International Financial Center. Why? Well, Dubai has no personal income tax and no capital gains tax. There's golden visas, worldclass infrastructure, and a government that has spent years turning wealth attraction into a national strategy. So yes, in the immediate aftermath of the war, people have fled Dubai. But the data says that in the long run, the ultra rich are not going to be looking for one safe haven. They will be looking for several. Because if there's one thing that the world's wealthiest have learned, it's this. Don't just diversify your portfolio. Diversify your address, too.
Every year Delhi waits for the monsoon and as soon as it arrives roads immediately submit their resignation. Cars become houseboats and office WhatsApp groups turn into weather bulletins because in Delhi the monsoon isn't just a season. It's an annual sequel. New year same script just different puddles. It's the one tradition nobody has managed to change. And now it is time for Vantage Shorts. Images that tell a story. A major fire ripped through the historic former Bata shoe factory in the Czech Republic, engulfing a building that stored around 70,000 pairs of shoes. Hundreds of firefighters rushed to contain the blaze. In Switzerland, a humanoid robot capable of changing its face to resemble world leaders and business titans drew crowds at the AI for good summit in Geneva. And in India, monsoon continues to wreak havoc across India. Today, New Delhi was swamped by heavy rain with water logging and traffic chaos while floods and landslides and rescue operations continued across several straits. Finally taking you back in history on this day on the 9th of July that is 1877 the first ever Wimbledon tennis tournament began with just 22 players competing in the men's singles. That's all for today. Thank you so much for watching. See you tomorrow. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat.