Sweden’s national security apparatus was once again thrust into disarray Friday after Tobias Thyberg, newly appointed as National Security Adviser, resigned less than 24 hours into the job over ‘sensitive’ photos tied to a past dating app profile.

The abrupt departure marks the second consecutive scandal for the nation’s top security post, raising questions about vetting procedures and institutional stability at a time when Sweden is navigating rising geopolitical tension in Northern and Eastern Europe, Politico reports.

“Shortly after the government’s decision yesterday to appoint Tobias Thyberg, entirely new personal information about him emerged,” said Johan Stuart, State Secretary to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, in a statement. “This is, of course, serious.”

According to Stuart, Thyberg admitted Thursday evening that he failed to disclose relevant personal information during the recruitment process, which he was obligated to share. He voluntarily withdrew from the position soon after. Annika Brändström, deputy national security adviser, will serve in an interim capacity while a new search begins.

The resignation followed inquiries from Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s largest newspaper, which contacted Thyberg regarding “sensitive” images linked to a defunct Grindr dating profile.

“These are old pictures from an account I previously had on the dating site Grindr,” Thyberg told the paper. “I should have informed [the government] about this but I didn’t. I have therefore said I do not intend to take up the position.”

Thyberg’s professional record includes stints as ambassador to Afghanistan (2017–2019), ambassador to Ukraine until 2023, and most recently, as head of the foreign ministry’s unit for Eastern Europe and Central Asia—regions critical to Sweden’s expanding defense posture following its accession to NATO in March 2024.

The latest resignation deepens the sense of instability around the position. Thyberg’s predecessor, Henrik Landerholm, stepped down in January after a prosecutor opened an investigation into his mishandling of highly classified documents at a conference facility in 2023.

Sweden has only had two national security advisers since creating the role in 2022, both now felled by unforced errors. While the office itself remains operational, the pattern has drawn scrutiny from opposition lawmakers and national security observers who warn that persistent turnover in the post risks undermining Sweden’s credibility among Western allies.

For now, the Kristersson government faces the delicate task of finding a third appointee – someone with deep regional expertise, but without the kind of personal baggage that could once again make headlines.

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Democrats are reportedly extremely unhappy with the fact that Joe Biden’s family and his handlers are wheeling him out for interviews knowing full well that he’s completely out of it and that practically anything he says has the potential to harm their already dismal standing.

As we highlighted this past week, Biden slurred and stumbled his way through an interview with the BBC wherein he claimed that he still believes he would have won the election had he stayed in the race.

In a further disastrous appearance on The View he claimed that Kamala Harris lost because most voters are racist and sexist.

He also had to be helped out by his carer Dr Jill when he was asked to comment on his obvious cognitive decline, because he couldn’t muster a coherent sentence.

Now it’s being reported that Democrats are fuming behind the scenes, and they just want Biden to fade away.

🚨 If you thought Joe Biden was prepared to exit stage left to the serene beaches of Delaware, think again!

This week, Biden reemerged from the shadows.

Some Democrats are not too happy with the reputation rehabilitation tour! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/90IieTuwtq

— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) May 10, 2025

The Hill reports:

Democrats are blasting former President Biden’s reemergence in the spotlight following his interview Thursday on “The View,” his second major postpresidency interview…

Yet some Democrats are criticizing Biden’s recent appearances, arguing the former president is becoming a drag on the party as it seeks to rebuild following its widespread losses in 2024.

“Elections are about the future. Every time Joe Biden emerges, we fight an old war,” said Democratic strategist Anthony Coley, who worked for the Biden administration. “Every interview he does provides a contrast to Trump that’s just not helpful for the Democratic brand, which needs trusted messengers and fighters who can reach independents and moderates and inspire the base. Joe Biden ain’t that.”…

The report also notes that the consensus, according to one Democratic strategist, is that Biden needs to One Democratic strategist said Biden needs to “take responsibility for his actions” and “own up to the fact that he caused Democrats to lose.”

“I don’t think there’s a willingness to cop to the fact that he should never have run again in the first place,” the strategist said, adding “Why can’t he come out and acknowledge that part of this is on him?”

Maybe because they instigated a coup against him and now his family want a bit of sweet revenge?

He’s making more appearances than he did for his entire Presidency!!

— MagaCowboy (@cowboyracing500) May 10, 2025

Relax, @DNC. This is the best @JoeBiden ever. He’s sharp as a tack. Biden 2028!!!

— .𝕩𝕏 SJV 𝕏𝕩. (@sjvsworldtour) May 10, 2025

Comical.

Less than a year ago they said he was sharp as a tac and at the top of his game. Now they eat their own. 🤣🤣🤣

— Organic Oracle Outlaw 🤠 (@OrganicOracle) May 9, 2025

Democrats lied about his condition, because of Trump.

Just a reminder that they will do anything to win, even if that means lying to the American public.

— Arthur Morgan (@ArthurMorganTX) May 9, 2025

There was no way the Biden team would just shuffle off into obscurity. They don’t have enough resources to maintain the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. So they’re looking for a little golden parachute action to help them float into their comfortable sunset. And…

— Robert J. Thomas (@RobertJThomas1) May 10, 2025

Jill is draging him around on her leash. She can’t stand being out of the limelight and corridors of greed, coruption and power. She could carekess how ineffectual he is, she just takes over when he fails. If he were a decent person, I’d feel sorry for him, but he’s not.

— Paul Paquette (@PaulPaquette51) May 10, 2025

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Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was the only leader of a European Union country to travel to Moscow in observance of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

He’s received plenty of condemnation from across the EU, also including protests against him in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, where people were heard chanting “We’ve had enough of Fico,” and “Slovakia is Europe,” and “Stay there” – in reference to Fico being in Russia.

While meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Friday, he reportedly conveyed a pledge to veto against banning the import of Russian energy to Europe.

“Stopping supplies could cause technological problems,” he said, according to Russian media and other international reports.

“If the decision requires agreement from all 27 EU member states, we will use our veto right against banning the import of all types of energy resources,” Fico declared. He added, “If it’s decided by a majority vote instead of unanimity, then the big states will impose their will.”

Fico also characterized Europe’s anti-Russia sanctions as ultimately ineffective and having blown back on the EU itself. 

He further denounced Western efforts to build a “new Iron Curtain” – and filmed the provocative comments with English translation:

I reject the rise of a new Iron Curtain. The EU urgently needs to return to common sense, because the current proposal to completely cut off Russian energy supplies is not a plan for economic independence, but for suicide. pic.twitter.com/kjmi9bgbFJ

— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) May 8, 2025

And PM Fico further blasted his EU critics, especially the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas – who tried to thwart and forbid such a trip to Moscow. She had written, “All those who truly support peace cannot stand side-by-side with Putin. Those who truly support peace should be in Ukraine tomorrow, not Moscow.” 

“Ms. Kallas, I would like to inform you that I am the legitimate Prime Minister of Slovakia – a sovereign country. No one can dictate to me where I can or cannot travel,” he responded.

“I will go to Moscow to pay tribute to the thousands of Red Army soldiers who died liberating Slovakia, as well as to the millions of other victims of Nazi terror,” Fico said, adding that he also honors Allied forces such as RAF pilots and those who died during the Normandy landings.

Dear Mrs. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas pic.twitter.com/zRnpt66cqR

— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) May 9, 2025

But Kallas has said, “I’ve called all the member states, but also representatives of the institutions, to visit Kyiv as much as possible to show really our solidarity and that we are with Ukraine.” A number of Western leaders heeded the call and went to the Ukrainian capital Friday and Saturday.

President Donald Trump said late on Saturday that “great progress” was being made in ongoing U.S.-China talks over tariffs menacing the global economy, and even suggested a “total reset” was on the table as tariff negotiations are set to continue Sunday in Switzerland.

No major breakthrough was announced in discussions that lasted over 10 hours between U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and a delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Still, Trump struck an upbeat tone.

“A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform. “We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!”

He gave no further details, and officials at the White House also offered little information during and after the opening day of discussions.

Trump’s post followed reports that talks would continue Sunday, after extending late into the day on Saturday. Talks have been shrouded in secrecy, and neither side made comments to reporters as they left.

Several convoys of black vehicles left the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the UN in Geneva, which hosted the talks aimed at de-escalating trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks took place.

The opening day of negotiations were held in the sumptuous 18th-century “Villa Saladin” overlooking Lake Geneva. The former estate was bequeathed to the Swiss state in 1973, according to the Geneva government.

The Chinese delegation has left for the trade talks with the U.S. to be held today and tomorrow in Geneva in a bid to deescalate tensions, triggered by U.S. tariff wars. pic.twitter.com/eMS1cubnCJ

— Chen Weihua （陈卫华） (@chenweihua) May 10, 2025

Trump’s assessment aside, while prospects for a major breakthrough appeared dim when the talks opened there is hope that the two countries will scale back the tariffs they have slapped on each other’s goods, a move that would relieve world financial markets and companies on both sides of the Pacific Ocean that depend on US-China trade.

Trump last month raised U.S. tariffs on China to a combined 145%, and China retaliated by hitting American imports with a 125% levy. Tariffs that high essentially amount to the countries’ boycotting each other’s products, disrupting trade that last year topped $660 billion.

And even before talks got underway, Trump suggested Friday that the U.S. could lower its tariffs on China, saying in a Truth Social post that “ 80% Tariff seems right! Up to Scott″ Bessent.

Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, noted it will be the first time He and Bessent have talked. She doubts the Geneva meeting will produce any substantive results: “the best scenario is for the two sides to agree to de-escalate on the … tariffs at the same time,” she said, adding even a small reduction would send a positive signal. “It cannot just be words.”

Goldman Sachs expects both sides to cut tariffs by more than half when negotiations are over.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has aggressively used tariffs as his favorite economic weapon. He has imposed a 10% tax on imports from almost every country in the world.

But the fight with China has been the most intense. His tariffs on China include a 20% charge meant to pressure Beijing into doing more to stop the flow of the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the United States.

The remaining 125% involve a dispute that dates back to Trump’s first term and comes atop tariffs he levied on China back then, which means the total tariffs on some Chinese goods can exceed 145%.

Total US tariffs on Asian countries in context are shown below.

During Trump’s first term, the U.S. alleged that China uses unfair tactics to give itself an edge in advanced technologies such as quantum computing and driverless cars. These include forcing U.S. and other foreign companies to hand over trade secrets in exchange for access to the Chinese market; using government money to subsidize domestic tech firms; and outright theft of sensitive technologies.

Those issues were never fully resolved. After nearly two years of negotiation, the United States and China reached a so-called Phase One agreement in January 2020. The US agreed then not to go ahead with even higher tariffs on China, and Beijing agreed to buy more American products. The tough issues – such as China’s subsidies – were left for future negotiations.

But China didn’t come through with the promised purchases, partly because COVID-19 disrupted global commerce just after the Phase One truce was announced. As a result, America’s trade deficit with China came to a staggering $263 billion last year.

The fight over China’s tech policy now resumes.

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com

Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), two of the most hawkish members of Congress, are working together to sabotage the Trump administration’s chances of reaching a deal with Iran.

On Thursday, the senators held a press conference outlining a resolution they’re introducing that demands that any deal with Iran must include the total dismantlement of Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program, an idea that Iranian officials have made clear is a non-starter.

“To the Iranian regime: you claim all you want is a peaceful nuclear power program. You can have it, but you cannot enrich and you must dismantle,” Graham said. “And you must dismantle now.”

Graham and Cotton said that any deal must require ratification from the Senate and must also impose limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for its allies in the region, conditions that are also a non-starter for Tehran.

“A treaty with Iran in this space is only possible if you get 67 votes,” Graham said. “You’re not going to get 67 votes for a treaty regarding their nuclear program unless they deal with the missile program and their terrorism activity. So is it possible? Yes, if Iran changes.”

The senators also repeated President Trump’s threat that if there is no deal, the US will attack Iran.”

“Iran can either have a nuclear program that’s lying in ruins, smoking, destroyed, and dismantled, or it can have a peaceful civilian nuclear power program with no centrifuges, no enriching, no re-processing, and no pathway to a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump has been threatening to bomb Iran over its nuclear program even though his intelligence agencies recently reaffirmed that there’s no evidence Tehran is building a bomb or that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reversed his ban on the development of nuclear weapons.

Iran is currently enriching some uranium at 20% and 60%, which is still lower than the 90% needed for weapons-grade. Tehran has made clear that it’s willing to bring enrichment levels back down to 3.67%, the limit imposed by the JCPOA.

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to roll out artificial intelligence across the agency following a successful pilot program.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary has directed all FDA centers to immediately start using artificial intelligence (AI) and fully integrate it by the end of June, the FDA said in a May 8 statement.

By June 30, all centers will use what the agency described as a “common, secure generative AI system integrated with FDA’s internal data platforms.”

“I was blown away by the success of our first AI-assisted scientific review pilot,“ Makary said in a statement. ”We need to value our scientists’ time and reduce the amount of non-productive busywork that has historically consumed much of the review process. The agency-wide deployment of these capabilities holds tremendous promise in accelerating the review time for new therapies.”

AI refers to computer systems that can carry out complex tasks typically performed by humans.

“AI can be generally described as a branch of computer science, statistics, and engineering that uses algorithms or models to perform tasks and exhibit behaviors such as learning, making decisions, and making predictions,” FDA officials said in 2023.

Makary said on Thursday that past years have featured discussions on utilizing AI and that it’s time to start using it to save time, with some tasks that once took days now taking mere minutes.

“We at the FDA now have to ask big questions that we’ve never asked before. Why does it take over 10 years for a new drug to come to market? Why are we not modernized with AI and other things? We’ve just completed our first AI-assisted scientific review for a product and that’s just the beginning,” he said earlier in the week on social media platform X.

The rollout across the FDA is being coordinated by Jeremy Walsh, Booz Allen Hamilton’s former chief technologist, who was recently appointed as the agency’s chief AI officer, and Sridhar Mantha, who previously led the Office of Business Informatics at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

President Donald Trump has encouraged agencies to adopt wider use of AI, including through an executive order that said it is U.S. policy to “sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.”

An April memorandum from the White House said that agencies “must adopt a forward-leaning and pro-innovation approach that takes advantage of this technology to help shape the future of government operations.”

The FDA had previously expressed concern that AI contains bias that may “worsen inequalities in health care delivery,” while also saying AI could speed up review of drug applications to bring quicker timelines for making drugs available to patients.

The world’s most valuable companies hold immense sway over the global economy, shaping everything from technology to consumer trends. As of May 2025, U.S. giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia are worth trillions of dollars, reflecting America’s long-standing leadership in innovation and capital markets.

In this graphic, Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu ranks the world’s 50 most valuable companies, color coding them according to their country of origin.

Data & Discussion

The figures we used to create this graphic were sourced from companiesmarketcap.com, as of May 5, 2025.

The two largest companies in this graphic, Microsoft and Apple, have regularly swapped places as the world’s most valuable company over the past decade.

Both companies are integrating artificial intelligence into their product offerings, which has helped fuel their market cap growth in recent years.

Next, let’s take a closer look at some of the non-U.S. companies in this graphic.

🇦🇪 International Holding Company (IHC)

International Holding Company (IHC), based in Abu Dhabi, has rapidly become one of the Middle East’s most valuable firms with a market capitalization of $240 billion.

Originally a fishing company, IHC has transformed into a conglomerate with investments across healthcare, agriculture, real estate, and artificial intelligence. This includes a $50M investment in Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

🇹🇼 TSMC

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) holds a market cap of almost $1 trillion, making it the most valuable company in Asia. As the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, TSMC manufactures chips for major names like Apple, Nvidia, and AMD.

Check out this graphic from January 2025 to see a market capitalization breakdown of the global semiconductor industry.

🇨🇳 Tencent

Tencent, with a market cap of nearly $600 billion, remains one of China’s most influential tech companies despite regulatory headwinds.

The company is best known for its WeChat platform, but is also involved in gaming, cloud services, fintech, and even original content production. Through its Tencent Video platform, which has over 120 million paid subscribers, the company produces a variety of dramas, shows, and animations.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out this map showing the number of billion dollar companies by country in 2025.

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

A new Rasmussen poll has found that 80 percent of Americans identifying as ‘Liberal’ would like to see Elon Musk thrown in prison merely for being involved with the Department of Government Efficiency.

The poll found that almost three quarters of Democrats want Musk jailed, but when extended to those describing themselves as ‘Liberal’ the amount rose to 80 percent.

The question was worded “Would you support a hypothetical law that would imprison Elon Musk for his role in DOGE?”

FULL STORY:https://t.co/EqwfwI5MAs

— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) May 8, 2025

“A new telephone and online survey … of 1,067 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on April 30-May 4, 2025 …  finds that 54% of Likely Voters would support a hypothetical law that would imprison Musk for his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” reads the report from Rasmussen.

This includes “39% who would Strongly Support such a law,” it continues.

A more ‘moderate’ 68 percent said they would support a law banning Musk from being involved in any way with government, presumably purely because he is supportive of President Trump.

“The fact that a majority of Democratic voters would support imprisoning Elon Musk for trying to make government more efficient is a shocking indictment of the modern left, which has become increasingly more tyrannical in recent years,” said Justin Haskins, senior fellow at The Heartland Institute, who co-conducted the poll with Rasmussen.

He added, “We’ve reached a point where many Americans would rather unjustly punish innovation than fix the broken systems Musk was trying to reform.”

For what crime exactly?

— LisaO (@lisachriso) May 8, 2025

Due process for me, but not for thee.

— Lakota Patriot (@n8ivpatriot) May 8, 2025

It proves Musk was right when he recently posted this:

When the radical left can’t win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents.

This is their standard playbook throughout the world. https://t.co/FgmgeyQ2rp

— gorklon rust (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025

He’s exposing their waste and fraud.

— Will 🇺🇸 (@NoLeftTurns) May 8, 2025

Expose the truth, and the left wants you locked up.

— Masculine Based (@MasculineBased) May 8, 2025

Or worse.

That’s not a criminal; that’s a patriot. Musk is doing what our so-called leaders should be doing. shining a light on corruption. But the left? They’d rather protect the swamp.

— Make Men Great Again (@OneXOneY) May 8, 2025

Demons don’t like the light. 💀

— M (@FrivolouslyPink) May 8, 2025

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When America’s largest power grid operator warns of “growing risks” of summer power shortages, people pay attention—especially now, after witnessing Spain’s brief brush with net-zero collapse, when its failing green energy grid triggered the worst blackout in a generation.

PJM Interconnection, the largest power grid operator in the U.S., issued a warning Friday that extreme heat this summer could collide with record electricity demand, potentially triggering disruptions… 

“This season also marks the first time in PJM’s annual assessment, however, that available generation capacity may fall short of required reserves in an extreme planning scenario that would result in an all-time PJM peak load of more than 166,000 MW,” the grid operator warned. 

PJM reported it expects around 179,200 MW of available generation capacity this summer, along with 7,900 MW of contracted demand response—resources activated during extreme heat when 65 million customers across its service area, spanning 13 states and the District of Columbia, are setting air conditioning thermostats to max cool. 

The grid operator warned that a perfect storm of retiring fossil fuel plants, sluggish renewable energy growth, and soaring demand could trigger shortages for the first time:

“PJM continues to voice concerns about the supply and demand imbalance driven by generator retirements and the slow build of new resources in the face of accelerating demand growth.”

Meanwhile, U.S. power demand continues to increase because of electrification trends that fall under the ‘Powering Up America’ theme we have laid out for readers (read here), including the buildout of massive AI data centers, electric vehicles, and onshoring trends. Earlier this week, Goldman’s Hongcen Wei offered his take on America’s power.

PJM’s warning about potential summer shortfalls is a direct consequence of aggressive net-zero and green energy policies, which have destabilized power grids and driven prices higher—particularly in Mid-Atlantic states governed by far-left lawmakers. 

Goldman Says Mid-Atlantic Power Prices “Finally Caught Up To AI Data Center Load Growth Story” https://t.co/6BInBek7Zz

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 4, 2024

It’s now up to the Trump administration to push for the restoration of reliable fossil fuel generation to reestablish grid stability (some good news so far). A fragile power grid isn’t just an infrastructure issue—it’s a national security threat. Those who undermined the nation’s grid with green agendas to force grids to retire stable power production for unreliable power generation with Chinese solar panels must be held accountable.