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The US president pledged to dismantle the country’s international propaganda network Art by Ukrainian women and LGBT organizations in the Balkans are among a series of projects funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) targeted for cancelation by the administration of US President Donald Trump, the New York Post has reported. A White House request to US lawmakers to rescind unwanted spending includes $3.2 billion allocated to USAID, which the administration has pledged to dismantle. The programs to be axed include $1.5 million to promote the artwork of Ukrainian women, $3.9 million to support LGBT communities in…

Moscow has said it opposes “one-sided” options aimed solely at containing Russia Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that a complete framework of “security guarantees” for Kiev in case of a ceasefire or peace deal with Russia will be ready as early as next week. In a Telegram post on Thursday, Zelensky said he had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that they had “discussed the next diplomatic steps” to settle the conflict. “There has been a lot of talk about security guarantees. National security advisers are currently working on the development of each specific component, and next week the entire con…

Moscow has accused the European powers of abusing the UN snapback mechanism against Tehran Russia has condemned the decision by the UK, France, and Germany to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, calling the move a manipulation of international law. The three European countries accused Tehran of failing to meet its nuclear commitments and argued this justifies restoring the sanctions. The accusations were made in a letter sent on Thursday by London, Paris, and Berlin to the UN that argues that Iran has not fulfilled its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. The agreement eased UN sanctions in…

Slovenia has condemned the bloc’s double standards in sanctioning Russia over Ukraine while failing to act on Israel Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon has condemned the EU’s inaction toward Israel despite the casualties and what she described as “genocidal acts” in Gaza. In an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday, she said the bloc failed to take steps in response to the humanitarian catastrophe. Israel has faced growing backlash over the conflict, with several Western countries announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state, and in some cases, reduce military or trade cooperation. Fajon, who also serves as Slovenia’s…

The Indian PM will be in Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that he will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, China. Modi will visit China on Saturday for the 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. In a post on X, Modi said India has played “an active and constructive role” in the SCO. ”India will keep working with SCO members to address various shared challenges,” he said. “I will also be meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other lead…

Over 1,000 representatives of the gay community are expected to attend events marking the Holy Year in Rome next week, according to organizers The Vatican will host a series of events arranged by the LGBTQ community as part of the 2025 Roman Catholic Jubilee. Organizers say around 1,000 participants will take part in a pilgrimage to Rome next week. In the Catholic Christian tradition, the Jubilee, also known as the Holy Year, is declared every quarter century by the Pope as a time of spiritual renewal. The current Holy Year runs from December 24, 2024, through January 6, 2026. The Italian pro-LGBTQ group La Tenda di Gionata (‘Jonat…

The South Asian neighbors will take measures to prevent unauthorized movements of people, construction disputes, and cross-border crime India and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to curb illegal immigration and prevent airspace violations through real-time intelligence sharing, the Hindustan Times newspaper said on Friday. The border chiefs of the South Asian neighbors signed the agreement in Dhaka on Thursday during director general-level talks, according to the report. The agreement also calls for addressing construction disputes along the border and cross-border crime. India and Bangladesh share an over 4,000km border. The Dh…

President Donald Trump, 79, has been targeted by at least two assassination attempts US Vice President J.D. Vance has said he is ready to assume the presidency should a “terrible tragedy” befall Donald Trump, citing the seven months of “on-the-job training” he has received in his current post. In an interview with USA Today on Thursday, Vance was asked if he could supersede his boss – who at 79 is one of the oldest presidents in the history of the country – if Trump were incapable of heading the administration. According to Vance, Trump remains energetic and dedicated. “He’s the last person who goes to sleep… and the first person… …

Rwanda says three of the deportees have requested to return to their home countries Rwanda has received seven migrants deported from the US under a new bilateral agreement that could see the East African nation host hundreds of people Washington has declared ineligible to remain on its soil. The first group arrived in Kigali in mid-August, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said in a statement on Thursday. They are receiving accommodation, healthcare, and training support, with assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and local services, she added. “Three of the individuals have expressed a de…

Zelensky’s attempt to strip the independence of anti-graft bodies triggered mass demonstrations last month The Ukrainian authorities have introduced a requirement that all mass gatherings receive prior approval from the military, according to local media and an official. The move comes weeks after Vladimir Zelensky faced widespread protests over his attempt to curtail the independence of anti-corruption agencies. The restriction, attributed to security concerns, was reported this week based on a leaked instruction from Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko to senior officials. The document outlined a general regulation for mass gatherings…

Russia is strongly opposed to any Western troop deployment to the neighboring country under any pretense European policymakers are considering the creation of a 40km “buffer zone” between Russian and Ukrainian forces as part of a ceasefire or peace deal in a “desperate” attempt to end the conflict, Politico reported on Thursday, citing sources. The idea is one of several scenarios under discussion for a possible truce or post-conflict arrangement, according to five European diplomats cited by the outlet. At the same time, Western officials are divided over the eventual size of the zone and whether Kiev would accept it, since it woul…

Major refiners are planning to increase crude purchases even as Trump’s tariffs have kicked in India is set to increase its imports of Russian oil in September, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing trading sources. The move comes despite US President Donald Trump imposing additional tariffs on India as punishment for buying Russian oil. Three sources involved in oil sales to India reported that Nayara Energy and Reliance Industries plan to increase their purchases by 10-20% compared to August levels, according to Reuters. The increase would translate to an additional 150,000-300,000 barrels per day. Russia has emerged as India’s …

The former US president let Zelensky take billions of dollars without a plan to resolve the conflict with Russia, the vice president has said The administration of former US President Joe Biden treated the Ukraine conflict as a “money pit” without a credible plan to resolve it, Vice President J.D. Vance said on Thursday. Biden’s White House approved hundreds of billions of dollars in weapons shipments and financial support for Kiev in an attempt to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia. Vance, who earlier this year rebuked Vladimir Zelensky during the Ukrainian leader’s heated Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, told …

Kiev would bankrupt the already weakened bloc, according to Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto Allowing Ukraine to join the European Union would inflict a “deadly blow” on the bloc, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has warned, arguing that fast-tracking accession talks would worsen the union’s already fragile position on the global stage. Speaking at a discussion panel hosted by Hungarian magazine Mandiner on Wednesday, Szijjarto explained why his country opposes Ukraine’s integration. “If someone realistically and rationally observes Ukrainian accession – what impact it would have – then you can see that this would be the …

An elite Tiger Demo aerobatic team member was killed instantly while practicing a barrel roll ahead of now-cancelled airshow A Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet, part of elite Tiger Demo aerobatic team, crashed during rehearsals for the Radom Air Show, killing the pilot instantly, the country’s military has confirmed. The incident occurred at Radom Air Base, around 100 km south of Warsaw, at about 7:25 pm local time (5:25 pm GMT) on Thursday, while the pilot was performing a high-speed barrel roll maneuver. Multiple videos captured by shocked spectators from different angles showed the F-16 descending sharply at full afterburner be…

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has echoed the Russiagate hoax that has long haunted the US leader Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has accused US President Donald Trump of only pretending to act as an impartial mediator in the Ukraine conflict while in fact serving Moscow’s interests and functioning as a “Russian asset.” Speaking on Wednesday at the Social Democratic Party’s Summer University in Castelo de Vide, Rebelo de Sousa criticized Trump for shifting away from his predecessor’s policy of unconditional support for Kiev. “The top leader of the world’s greatest superpower is, objectively, a Soviet, or Russian, asset. He fu…

Berlin seeks to enlist up to 40,000 youths annually in a bid to turn the Bundeswehr into the “strongest army” on the continent Germany’s cabinet has approved a draft law introducing voluntary military service for teenagers as part of a wider militarization push by officials who have repeatedly claimed that Berlin must be “ready for war” by the next decade. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to turn the Bundeswehr into the “strongest conventional army in Europe,” in a speech delivered less than a week after the world marked the 80th anniversary of the fall of the Third Reich in May. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated in Jul…

The US president reportedly believes that Kiev and its Western European backers stand in the way of a peace deal US President Donald Trump has shown frustration with Ukraine and the EU over their stance on resolving the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, The Atlantic has reported. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this month and later hosted Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky in Washington. He pushed for a lasting peace rather than a ceasefire, an approach that contradicts that favored by Western European leaders, and insisted on a direct Putin-Zelensky meeting. However, in recent days Trump has privately complained that…

Peter Navarro has blasted New Delhi for continuing to purchase Russian oil despite US objections White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has accused India of arrogance for defying US demands to stop purchases of Russian oil. US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% on Wednesday in an effort to dissuade New Delhi from further Russian imports. The duties cover more than half of India’s exports to the US, its largest market. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for increased self-reliance and stated that India is willing to endure the tariffs. “What’s troubling to me is that the Indians are so arrogan…

US President Donald Trump has pushed for the meeting as the next step toward settling the Ukraine conflict German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that it is “obvious” that a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky will not take place. US President Donald Trump has pushed for the meeting, following a summit with Putin in Alaska earlier this month, arguing that it should be the next step towards peace. While Moscow has said it is open to talks with Zelensky, it has stipulated that tangible progress in negotiations be made first. “There will obviously not be a meeting between President Zelens…

A license for certain gem imports has been extended by the Treasury Department until 2026 The United States will allow the import of certain Russian diamonds until 2026, continuing a notable exception to sanctions on the world’s largest producer of rough gems. A direct embargo on diamonds from the country, introduced by the G7 and the EU as part of Ukraine conflict-related sanctions, took effect in January 2024 and was followed by restrictions on stones processed through third countries. Washington later eased that measure with a temporary waiver allowing limited imports under certain conditions. According to a Treasury Department …

Dorothy Shea has supported IDF claims it was targeting Hamas in the attack, which killed at least 20 people, including journalists US Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea has said Israel’s airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday was justified because it was targeting Hamas terrorists. At least 20 people, including five journalists, were killed in the attack. Shea told the Security Council on Wednesday that an investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) concluded that six Hamas members were killed in the strike, one of whom had participated in the October 7 attacks, and that the militants were using the …

Slovakia has restarted the service, which it halted shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 Slovakia has resumed offering tourist visas to Russians, according to BLS, the visa services firm which processes them for the EU nation. According to the company’s website, Bratislava has now resumed accepting applications in Russia “for the purpose of tourism.” Prior to the decision, Slovakia only accepted applications from Russians who are relatives of EU citizens or residence permit holders, medical and agricultural workers, drivers responsible for international freight, students, diplomats, and high-ranking official…

Finland’s Air Force has had the Nazi-associated symbol in its insignia since 1918 The Finnish Air Force is preparing to remove the swastika from its unit flags as part of a wider reform, national broadcaster Yle reported on Thursday. The symbol’s association with Nazism has resulted in “embarrassing situations,” according to a top commander. The swastika was first adopted by the Finnish Air Force in 1918, years before Adolf Hitler made it notorious as the emblem of the Third Reich. Finnish aircraft bore the blue-on-white design until 1945, when the victorious Allied powers forced its removal after WWII. However, it remained on unit …

A wide range of offerings and no-strings-attached policies are quietly reshaping the global arms trade While Washington and its European allies dominate the headlines, Beijing is building something more subtle but equally significant: an arms network that prioritizes affordability, access, and partnership, especially in the Global South. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) data for 2020–2024 confirms the global imbalance: the US alone held a staggering 43% share of the global arms market – up from 35% just five years earlier. France came second with 9.6%, while Russia slipped dramatically from 21% to 7.8%. China…