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A €44 billion austerity gamble, strikes in the streets, and promises to Kiev are about to go up in smoke France’s government is once again on the verge of collapse. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou faces near-certain defeat in a confidence vote over a disputed austerity plan, a showdown that threatens President Emmanuel Macron’s authority at home and casts doubt on Paris’ ability to deliver on its ambitious promises abroad – including security guarantees for Ukraine. France in meltdown – how bad is it this time? Bayrou has staked his survival on a confidence vote scheduled for Monday, September 8. At issue is an austerity package wor…

The event revives a 400-year-old tradition that was discontinued after the 1917 Revolution Thousands of Orthodox Christians took part in a large procession on Sunday celebrating the Council of Moscow Saints, a Russian Orthodox Church feast honoring the saints of Moscow. The event marks the revival of a tradition that was discontinued after the Russian Revolution in 1917. The march was led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and joined by clergy from the Moscow diocese, monastic communities, and lay believers. Organizers estimated that about 40,000 people took part. Participants came from across Russia and also…

Anna Kontula has said she worked as an escort from age 16 before switching to politics Finnish MP Anna Kontula has revealed that she was a sex worker for years before entering politics. In an interview with the new outlet Helsingin Sanomat (HS) published on Saturday, Kontula said she is not ashamed of the experience, adding that it helped shape her political career. Kontula, 48, is serving her fourth term in the Finnish Parliament. While she has long campaigned for sex workers’ rights, she had never spoken publicly about her own experience. Kontula told HS she began escorting at 16 while living in a student dorm, and said the choic…

Moscow’s forces attacked an industrial and logistics facility in Kiev, the Defense Ministry has said DETAILS TO FOLLOW View the full article

It will be “a space where ideas are born, and everyone feels pride in Russia and its future,” says the Centre’s general director The first branch office of the National Centre RUSSIA has opened in Primorye, established by order of President Vladimir Putin. The ceremony took place on the Sports Embankment in Vladivostok, with Governor Oleg Kozhemyako attending. “This is truly a focal point for residents and visitors, where they can learn about landmarks, projects, and achievements of the region, and see how we are shaping the future of our cities and Vladivostok as an agglomeration,” he said. He noted this opening is only the first …

Peace in Ukraine is close because the two leaders are engaged in dialogue, Kirill Dmitriev has said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, are bringing the end of the Ukraine conflict closer, Kirill Dmitriev, a presidential aide on international economic affairs, has said. He added that the diplomatic efforts of the two men could prevent World War III. Dmitriev, who is also the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the country's sovereign wealth fund, wrote on X on Saturday: “Stalin, Roosevelt & Churchill won WWII. Putin & Trump will prevent WWIII.” He accompanied his post with …

Mayor Brandon Johnson has said the US president’s words indicate that he wants to occupy the city and “break our Constitution” US President Donald Trump has ramped up threats to deploy federal troops to Chicago for an immigration crackdown, warning that the city “will soon find out” why he renamed the Defense Department the “Department of WAR.” The warning follows Trump’s order to dramatically ramp up deportations in Democrat-led cities after riots swept Los Angeles earlier this year. On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social what appears to be an AI-generated meme showing him in military uniform with the Chicago skyline, helicopter…

Several regions in the country suffer worst rains in decades with dozens of lives lost and relief efforts underway Muhammad Shaban Mir, 55, was emotionally on the edge following the week-long shutdown of the Jammu-Srinagar highway in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Kashmir valley’s sole road connection with mainland India was and shut due to the weather situation and stranded his apple harvest. The consignment, bound for Delhi, would have delivered Mir’s family of eight their yearly earnings. On Wednesday, Mir's fear turned to desperation as floodwaters swept away his three-acre orchard, destroying months of work overnight. “We …

The potential talks could take place in October in South Korea, the network has reported US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping could meet in October in South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, CNN reported on Saturday, citing sources. This comes amid trade tensions between the two countries. According to three unnamed Trump administration officials, the president and his top advisers “are quietly preparing” to travel to the APEC meeting and hold talks with the trade ministers of member states. The APEC summit is scheduled for late October to early November in Gyeongju, South Korea. Th…

The building near Independence Square has caught fire, Vitaly Klitschko said The seat of the Ukrainian government in Kiev has been struck by a Russian drone, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said on Sunday. Ukrainian media reported strikes in different parts of the capital. Klitschko wrote on Telegram that “a government building caught fire following the apparent shootdown of a drone.” Ukrainian news agency UNIAN shared a video showing smoke rising from a building near Independence Square. DETAILS TO FOLLOW View the full article

The US vice president has dismissed accusations of war crimes US Vice President J.D. Vance has bluntly rejected accusations that a missile strike on a boat carrying alleged Venezuela-linked cartel members amounted to a war crime. On Tuesday, the US destroyed what President Donald Trump described as a “drug-carrying boat” in international waters in the southern Caribbean, killing 11 people on board. Trump claimed the vessel was tied to the Tren de Aragua cartel, which he has designated as a terrorist organization. Venezuelan officials dismissed the footage as fabricated, calling it “cartoonish.” In a post on X on Saturday, Vance…

The suspect had cast ballots in her pet’s name twice, the prosecutors say A California woman has been charged with registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in her pet’s name in two elections, the Orange County Attorney General’s Office said on Friday. Prosecutors said Laura Lee Yourex “self-reported” her actions in 2024 and now faces five felony counts. If convicted on all charges, she could serve up to six years in prison. According to the statement, Yourex submitted a mail-in ballot under the name of her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, which was counted. She attempted to do so again in the…

Around 300 South Korean nationals were swept up in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, Seoul said South Korea has lodged a protest after US immigration authorities detained hundreds of workers at Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing complex in Georgia. The raid took place Thursday at the construction site of a battery plant in Bryan County near Savannah, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution that employs about 1,200 people. US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said the operation was part of an inquiry into unlawful employment practices. The Atlanta office of the Bureau of Alcohol…

The backers of the banned group rallied on Parliament Square on Saturday More than 425 people were arrested in London on Saturday for showing support for the banned activist group Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police said. The group was outlawed under the Terrorism Act in June after its members broke into a military base and spray-painted two planes red in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza. Since then, its supporters have staged multiple demonstrations against the ban. On Saturday, activists gathered on Parliament Square carrying Palestinian flags and signs reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Police de…

The French president’s rating has sunk to record lows amid a budget deficit Thousands marched through Paris on Saturday, demanding the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron and calling for France to leave the EU. Macron’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest level since he took office in 2017, amid a spiraling budget deficit and growing discontent with his government’s financial policies. Around 80% of French people say they do not trust Macron, according to a poll conducted for Le Figaro and published on Wednesday. Trust in Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, the fifth to hold the post in less than two years, has also fallen …

West Jerusalem was taken by “surprise” by the admonition, the Washington Post has reported A public warning from the United Arab Emirates prompted the Israeli government to drop a planned discussion on annexing the West Bank, the Washington Post has reported. A senior UAE diplomat reportedly told Israeli media earlier this week that such a move would be a “red line” that would block Israel’s path to regional integration. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to discuss the issue at a major government meeting on Friday, according to local media. On Wednesday, UAE special envoy Lana Nusseibeh told the Times of Israel…

Jens Spahn believes there needs to be European-level nuclear deterrence and that Berlin should take the lead on the issue Germany should have access to French and British nuclear weapons, senior lawmaker Jens Spahn has said. In return, Berlin could work with Paris and London to modernize their arsenals, he told the newspaper FAZ. Spahn, who leads the joint CDU/CSU parliamentary group, has emerged as a strong proponent of an EU-level nuclear weapons system. “We… need an ability to deter at the European level … together with the French and the British,” he said in an interview published on Saturday, arguing that US nuclear arms in Eu…

Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has said exports could be diverted if sales to the US plummet Laos could reroute its coffee sales from the US to Russia due to the heavy tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has told RIA Novosti. Trump imposed 40% levies on goods from Laos last month as part of a broader flurry of country-specific tariffs aimed at addressing what he called unfair trade imbalances. “Among the goods that Laos supplies to the US, but can also supply to other countries, are agricultural products such as coffee,” Siphandone told the news agency on Saturday on th…

Foreign businesses are welcome if they have not supported the Ukrainian army, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Western businesses are welcome to return to Russia if they have not supported the Ukrainian army and have met all obligations to their employees and the state, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. In an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok released on Saturday, Peskov outlined Moscow’s approach to foreign companies that left the Russian market after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 and Western sanctions. He stated that “it would be wrong to say we are not inter…

Moscow has long warned that cutting its oil and gas will damage the bloc’s economy The European Union must permanently cut off all Russian energy imports, Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen has declared. Most EU countries have halted direct imports of Russian crude and gas under sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. However, Brussels continues to push for a full phase-out of Russian energy by the end of 2027 under its RePowerEU Roadmap. The plan calls for ending spot gas contracts, suspending new deals, limiting uranium imports, and targeting the so-called Russian “shadow fleet” of oil tankers allegedly used to bypass …

The US recently deployed a large naval and air force not far from the South American country The US military is authorized to shoot down Venezuelan aircraft if commanders judge them a threat, President Donald Trump has said. His warning followed reports that Venezuelan aircraft had buzzed American warships taking part in what Washington describes as an anti-drug mission near the South American country. Asked by reporters on Friday what the US would do if Venezuelan jets fly near US naval vessels again, Trump warned that “they’re going to be in trouble.” “If they do put us in a dangerous position, we’ll shoot them down,” he stressed.…

Brussels earlier accused the US company of anti-competitive practices in the ad tech market US President Donald Trump has threatened the EU with a probe that could lead to higher tariffs after the bloc fined Google for violating antitrust laws. The European Commission on Friday ordered the US company to pay a €2.95 billion ($3.5 billion) fine for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the advertising technology market by favoring its own display services. Regulators said the practice allowed Google to charge high fees, harming rivals and online publishers. The company was told to stop the “self-preferencing” practices, address …

Jesse Watters warned that Power of Siberia 2 could meet the same fate as the sabotaged Nord Stream “Someone” could blow up Russia’s planned gas pipeline to China to derail the energy cooperation between the two countries, conservative Fox News host Jesse Watters has suggested. Speaking on air on Thursday, Watters said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “lost his customers in Europe” after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 and unprecedented Western sanctions, and was now turning to Asia. He described the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline as a key element of that strategy. “Putin’s putting down a big old pipeline to Chi…

The prime minister has said New Delhi and Washington share a strong strategic partnership amid US pressure over trade with Russia Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has responded to US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on India’s ties with Russia, calling the US-India relationship “very positive and forward-looking.” Modi’s response came hours after Trump said he would “always be friends” with Modi, despite concerns over India’s oil purchases from Russia. Trump made the statements hours after he posted on Truth Social that the US seems to have “lost” India and Russia to “deepest, darkest China.” “Deeply appreciate and fully …

Overloaded at home, White House visitors from Old Europe traded dignity and honor for elusive security guarantees. A suicidal mission. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36, KJV) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s White House bow on 18 August 2025 was a masterclass in tragicomedy. Not entirely surprising. Under the crushing weight of expectation, the actor-turned-war-hero merely reverted to form, falling back on his greatest skill: performing at his own expense – eliciting laughter even from Thalia, the Muse of Comedy. It was not his antics – a tragic script perfor…