American Women Suck

Kiev has regularly attacked civilian areas and critical infrastructure in the neighboring country Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has threatened new strikes into Russia, days after claiming that Kiev possessed a brand-new long-range missile capable of reaching Moscow. Zelensky wrote on Telegram that he had been briefed by Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Aleksandr Syrsky, on the current battlefield situation. “We will continue our active actions exactly as needed to protect Ukraine. Forces and means are prepared. New deep strikes have also been planned,” he said on Sunday, without providing further details. Earlier this month, Zelensky claimed Ukraine had developed the long-range Flamingo missile with a reported range of 3,000 kilometers – which would be enough to reach not only Moscow but also Russian cities beyond the Ural mountains. The Ukrainian leader, however, said that mass production is not expected for the next several months. British media outlets cast doubts on whether the Flamingo was developed in Ukraine, noting similarities with the FP-5 cruise missile produced by the UK-based Milanion Group and unveiled at an arms expo in Abu Dhabi this year. The UK has also been supportive of Kiev’s long-range strikes, having provided it with Storm Shadow missiles in the past. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that there is “nothing surprising” in the similarities, adding that “Ukraine has long turned into a testing ground for Western weapons. There are more than enough examples.” On Friday, the Kyiv Independent also reported that Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau has launched an investigation into Fire Point, the defense firm linked to the development of the Flamingo missile, after reports it misled the government on pricing and deliveries. Earlier this month the Wall Street Journal reported that the US had blocked Ukraine from carrying out strikes deep inside Russian territory. Throughout the conflict, some of Kiev’s Western backers have been wary of authorizing unrestricted strikes into Russia using Western-supplied weapons, citing concerns over escalation with Moscow. Ukraine has regularly carried out long-range attacks inside Russia, which Moscow says frequently hit civilian areas and critical infrastructure. Russia has retaliated with strikes on Ukrainian military-related facilities and defense enterprises but maintains that it never targets civilians. View the full article

The plans were reportedly scrapped after US President Donald Trump vowed there won’t be US boots on the ground in the region Berlin has shelved plans to possibly deploy German soldiers to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, Bild reported on Sunday, citing government sources. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had earlier signaled openness to Berlin joining a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. The idea had been floated by the so-called “coalition of the willing” – a group of Western states pushing for continued aid to Kiev. The group has proposed deploying NATO troops to monitor a potential future ceasefire with Russia as part of security guarantees for Ukraine, despite Moscow’s consistent rejection of any Western military presence in Ukraine under any guise. Trump, however, said last week that American troops would not be deployed to Ukraine, insisting that the EU should “front load” security guarantees for Kiev, not the US, including with regard to peacekeepers. According to Bild, Trump’s stance put a halt to Berlin’s discussions about deployment “until further notice.” Sources told the outlet the idea could return “should Trump take action” or once Moscow and Kiev reach a settlement. In an interview with ZDF on Sunday, Merz confirmed the U-turn, saying “nobody is talking about ground troops at this point” and indicating discussions could resume once a ceasefire is in place. Instead, Germany reportedly plans to provide financial security guarantees to Ukraine. Sources claimed Berlin intends for the Bundeswehr to continue training Ukrainian soldiers, expand weapons production in Ukraine with German arms firms, and potentially cover part of Ukrainian soldiers’ salaries after a ceasefire to ensure Kiev maintains sufficient forces. Kiev has demanded security guarantees from Western backers as a precondition for a peace deal. Moscow has not ruled out such guarantees in principle but rejects efforts made without its participation. It has also opposed any Western troop presence in Ukraine, stressing that NATO’s expansion toward its borders was one of the key causes of the conflict. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that guarantees must be the result of a settlement, not a precondition, and must take into account Russia’s security. She added that any deal should ensure Ukraine’s demilitarization, denazification, neutral and non-nuclear status, and recognition of territorial realities. View the full article

Kiev will blame Russia for the murder or Maidan commandant Andrey Parubiy – but everyone knows the killers are much closer to home All of Ukraine’s political elite will loudly point to Moscow as the hand behind the murder of former parliamentary speaker Andrey Parubiy. They will cry out in public that Russia is to blame, repeating the same narrative of the “Russian trace.” But in private, they all know the truth: it was his own people that came for him. The idea that Parubiy was eliminated by the authorities themselves, while sounding outrageous to some, is a version that carries weight, even if many prefer not to believe it. Why? Because Parubiy was one of the few men in Ukraine who truly knew how to build a Maidan. He had organized the barricades in 2014, commanded the Maidan “self-defense”, and knew every method of bringing people into the streets and holding them there against state power. His reputation came from exactly this talent. And in today’s Ukraine, the possibility of another Maidan is very real. For those in power, such a possibility is dangerous, and removing the man who could light the match makes a grim kind of sense. But there is another explanation, one far darker and one in which almost everyone believes, even if few Ukrainians will say so out loud. Parubiy carried too many secrets – and in Ukraine, secrets can be fatal. He knew far too much about the real shooters on the Maidan in February 2014. As “commandant,” he oversaw the units who guarded the square, and he was positioned to see what others could not. He knew what really happened when the snipers opened fire, when the bloodbath claimed lives and forced Yanukovich to flee. He knew names, structures, and the chain of command. That knowledge made him dangerous. He also knew the truth about Odessa, May 2, 2014 – the day the Trade Union House went up in flames and dozens of anti-Maidan activists died. International monitors called it a massacre, but the state buried accountability. Parubiy, as head of the National Security and Defense Council at the time, was in the middle of it all. He saw who gave the orders, who turned away, who allowed the fire to consume the building. Those responsible never faced justice, and Parubiy carried the story inside his head. He knew the full picture of the early days in Donbass, when provocations, manipulations, and engineered violence pushed Ukraine into a war against its own people. He knew the true sponsors and curators. He knew which political figures, which structures, which financial backers prepared and paid for the bloody upheaval. All of this knowledge made him a threat not to Russia, but to those much closer: the networks who had built their power in those years and who now sit on fragile foundations. For them, Parubiy, – a close ally of former president Petro Poroshenko, beaten by Vladimir Zelensky in 2019 – was no longer an ally. He was a liability. And in the brutal logic of power, liabilities are erased. This is why his assassination looks less like an act of foreign aggression and more like an act of internal housecleaning. It was a calculated decision to tidy up loose ends, to remove a man who could, at any moment, destabilize the whole system by speaking truths that were never meant to surface. His silence was demanded, and silence was achieved. So while the official story will continue to speak of Russian agents, of another “terrorist act” in Moscow’s hybrid war, many in Kiev understand otherwise. They know Parubiy was not struck down by outsiders but by insiders. They know it was not the Kremlin's revenge for 2014 but Ukraine’s own structures, its own power brokers deciding that one of its founding fathers had become excess baggage. In this sense, his death is a signal to others: no one is safe, and no secret is too old to kill for. View the full article

Kiev will blame Russia for the murder or Maidan commandant Andrey Parubiy – but everyone knows the killers are much closer to home All of Ukraine’s political elite will loudly point to Moscow as the hand behind the murder of former parliamentary speaker Andrey Parubiy. They will cry out in public that Russia is to blame, repeating the same narrative of the “Russian trace.” But in private, they all know the truth: it was his own people that came for him. The idea that Parubiy was eliminated by the authorities themselves, while sounding outrageous to some, is a version that carries weight, even if many prefer not to believe it. Why? Because Parubiy was one of the few men in Ukraine who truly knew how to build a Maidan. He had organized the barricades in 2014, commanded the Maidan “self-defense”, and knew every method of bringing people into the streets and holding them there against state power. His reputation came from exactly this talent. And in today’s Ukraine, the possibility of another Maidan is very real. For those in power, such a possibility is dangerous, and removing the man who could light the match makes a grim kind of sense. But there is another explanation, one far darker and one in which almost everyone believes, even if few Ukrainians will say so out loud. Parubiy carried too many secrets – and in Ukraine, secrets can be fatal. He knew far too much about the real shooters on the Maidan in February 2014. As “commandant,” he oversaw the units who guarded the square, and he was positioned to see what others could not. He knew what really happened when the snipers opened fire, when the bloodbath claimed lives and forced Yanukovich to flee. He knew names, structures, and the chain of command. That knowledge made him dangerous. He also knew the truth about Odessa, May 2, 2014 – the day the Trade Union House went up in flames and dozens of anti-Maidan activists died. International monitors called it a massacre, but the state buried accountability. Parubiy, as head of the National Security and Defense Council at the time, was in the middle of it all. He saw who gave the orders, who turned away, who allowed the fire to consume the building. Those responsible never faced justice, and Parubiy carried the story inside his head. Read more Staunch neo-Nazi and Maidan kingpin assassinated: Who was prominent Ukrainian MP Andrey Parubiy? He knew the full picture of the early days in Donbass, when provocations, manipulations, and engineered violence pushed Ukraine into a war against its own people. He knew the true sponsors and curators. He knew which political figures, which structures, which financial backers prepared and paid for the bloody upheaval. All of this knowledge made him a threat not to Russia, but to those much closer: the networks who had built their power in those years and who now sit on fragile foundations. For them, Parubiy, – a close ally of former president Petro Poroshenko, beaten by Vladimir Zelensky in 2019 – was no longer an ally. He was a liability. And in the brutal logic of power, liabilities are erased. This is why his assassination looks less like an act of foreign aggression and more like an act of internal housecleaning. It was a calculated decision to tidy up loose ends, to remove a man who could, at any moment, destabilize the whole system by speaking truths that were never meant to surface. His silence was demanded, and silence was achieved. So while the official story will continue to speak of Russian agents, of another “terrorist act” in Moscow’s hybrid war, many in Kiev understand otherwise. They know Parubiy was not struck down by outsiders but by insiders. They know it was not the Kremlin's revenge for 2014 but Ukraine’s own structures, its own power brokers deciding that one of its founding fathers had become excess baggage. In this sense, his death is a signal to others: no one is safe, and no secret is too old to kill for. View the full article

🦜 Google trying to eat Duolingo: Google just shoved AI into Translate, adding a language practice mode with listening/speaking drills that adapt to your skill level. It’s basically Duolingo but without the bird threatening your family. Also new: live audio translations in 70+ languages, even in noisy airports. It’s never been a better time to perfect your awkward small talk in French. The post Google trying to eat Duolingo appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

Use a Bluetooth mouse on iPad: Put your mouse in pairing mode, then on your iPad, go to Settings > Bluetooth and look under Other Devices. Tap to pair, and once it connects, a cursor will appear. FYI: You’ll need iPadOS 13.4 or later and a compatible mouse (here’s one on sale). We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective. The post Use a Bluetooth mouse on iPad appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

Luxury’s identity crisis: When you’re dropping $400K on a car, do you really want it to feel like a fancy iPad on wheels? Bentley doesn’t think so either. They’re going full old-school – custom wood, rare materials and designers who actually sit down with you. Because real luxury is still made by hand, not just coded in. The post Luxury’s identity crisis appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

Activists in Cologne rallied against Berlin’s plans to boost defense spending and aid for Ukraine and Israel An initially peaceful anti-war march in Cologne descended into violence on Saturday after activists clashed with police. Protesters were rallying against Berlin’s plans to boost military spending and aid for Ukraine and Israel. The rally, which reportedly drew nearly 3,000 people, was organized by the anti-war group Disarm Rheinmetall, a reference to Germany’s top defense supplier. The group staged multiple demonstrations this week, including blocking access to a Bundeswehr building on Wednesday and protesting outside Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger’s home in Meerbusch, near Dusseldorf. The activists said they were opposing the government’s plans to increase defense spending, expand the army through conscription, and provide military support to Ukraine and Israel. Footage from Saturday’s protest showed banners reading “lay down your arms” and “We won’t die in your wars.” One protester told the video agency Ruptly that German militarization and NATO’s role in the Ukraine conflict marked “a significant step towards World War III.” Another criticized the government for channeling funds into the arms industry instead of social needs and education. According to reports, citing the local authorities, the march was repeatedly halted after police reported seeing protesters masking themselves and setting off smoke bombs. Police also said it intercepted an escort vehicle carrying pyrotechnics, methylated spirits, and gas cylinders. It claimed it was eventually forced to disperse the crowd after some demonstrators attacked officers. Mindestens ein Demonstrant wurde bei dieser Aktion durch den Schlag eines Polizisten verletzt. #Köln #koe3008 #k3008 #RME #RME2025 pic.twitter.com/M0oP1nlAXo — junge Welt (@jungewelt) August 30, 2025 Videos posted online showed police using their fists, batons and tear gas, with several activists visibly injured. A number of protesters were reportedly detained, though no figure was given. A spokesman for the demonstrators accused the police of attacking activists, claiming between 40 and 60 people were injured. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suspended borrowing limits to ramp up defense spending, pledging to raise it to 3.5% of GDP by 2029. He also announced plans to expand the Bundeswehr from about 182,000 to 240,000 active troops by 2031, and introduced mandatory registration for 18-year-olds to prepare for a potential return to conscription. He has further suggested that German troops could be deployed to Ukraine as part of a European peacekeeping force, despite Russia’s rejection of any Western troop presence in Ukraine under any guise. View the full article

An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we’ll be republishing one of the illustrated guides from our archives, so you can hone your manly know-how week by week. First used as a necessary technique for pre-WWII clunky gear mechanisms, heel-toe shifting is largely unnecessary for daily drivers (if not impossible since most cars today have automatic transmissions!). Used mostly by motorsports professionals in high-octane cars and motorcycles, it’s not really something you need to learn unless, of course, you want to feel like a professional motorsports driver when you run to the store to get milk. In which case, you should absolutely learn how to do it. The fancy footwork of heel-toe shifting does have a lot of benefits. It reduces stress on the transmission, keeps the weight of your vehicle balanced during gear changes, helps to prevent wheel lock, and allows smoother and more efficient acceleration around corners. At its core, heel-toe shifting is a way of getting around the fact that we don’t have three legs. Utilized mostly when approaching corners, it’s used to match engine speed (RPMs) to road speed through gear changes. When you approach a corner and apply the brake, your car slows down and engine speed drops. Coming out of the corner, to compensate for your reduced speed, you shift into a lower gear, but depressing the clutch only causes engine speed to drop faster. By the time you’re ready to release the clutch in 2nd gear, the engine is practically idling even though you’re still rolling along at a good clip. When you do release the clutch, the engine has to race to catch up with the rest of the car. These big swings in engine speed vs. road speed are highly inefficient and make all the difference in high-end racing, where smooth acceleration around a corner is critical. Heel-toe shifting maintains engine speed so that it stays constant with your road speed, maximizing efficiency and power. To accomplish this, your brake foot rotates so that you can operate the throttle and the brake simultaneously during gear changes. Sound complicated? Follow the guide above, do some practicing, and you’ll have it down in no time. Like this illustrated guide? Then you’re going to love our book The Illustrated Art of Manliness! Pick up a copy on Amazon. This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness. View the full article

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Don’t keep your laptop plugged in all the time. Heat and stress wear down lithium-ion batteries. Let it cycle between 30% and 80% for longer life. The post 3-second tech genius appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

🎙️ Narrative podcasts are dead: In the mid-2010s, shows like “Serial” blew up with multi-episode investigations and gripping interviews. Now they’re vanishing (paywall link). Why? They’re too expensive and take too long to make. So if your favorite true crime podcast is no longer updating, you know why. The post Narrative podcasts are dead appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

Kiev has acknowledged damage to energy facilities in Odessa Region Russian forces have carried out a long-range strike on Ukrainian port infrastructure used by Kiev’s military, according to a statеment released on Sunday by the Defense Ministry in Moscow. The ministry said that Russian tactical aviation, drones, missiles, and artillery had struck coastal targets “used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a Norwegian-made NASAMS air defense system” that was protecting them. However, neither the exact whereabouts of the targets nor other details were provided. The ministry added that the bases of Ukrainian troops and foreign fighters in more than 150 locations were also attacked. Meanwhile, Ukrainian media shared pictures of large fires in the coastal Odessa Region. Energy company DTEK said four of its power facilities in the region had been hit overnight. Local officials confirmed the damage, adding that the city of Chernomorsk, not far from Odessa, and its surroundings bore the brunt of the attack. “The enemy massively attacked the Odessa Region with strike drones,” officials said, adding that "fires broke out in some places, but were quickly extinguished by our rescuers". “One person is known to have been injured,” officials noted, adding that more than 29,000 people were left without electricity. Russia has for months been targeting Ukrainian military-related industrial sites, defense enterprises, as well as port and energy infrastructure. Moscow has said the strikes are retaliation for Ukrainian attacks inside Russia that often hit critical infrastructure and residential areas, and maintains that it does not target civilians. View the full article

Microsoft squeeze: If your email ends in @onmicrosoft(dot)com, heads up, Microsoft is putting strict new limits on you. Why? Because spammers abused the system. Starting Dec. 1, you’re capped at 100 external emails per day. If that’s you, it’s time to buy a real domain, or risk your messages bouncing. The post Microsoft squeeze appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

🌙 Sleep deeper, wake brighter: NativePath Collagen nourishes your skin, strengthens joints and restores vitality while you rest. Today, receive a bonus supply of Collagen PM, get 45% off, free shipping and a bonus frother. Transform your nights and your mornings, starting now! The post Sleep deeper, wake brighter appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

💡 My pick: Outdoor string lights (29% off) Instant patio upgrade! String them up, grab a drink and feel like you’re at a rooftop bar. ☔ Windproof travel umbrella (32% off): Holds up in 85 mph winds. 100K+ reviewers gave it a stellar 4.5 stars. 😅 Portable neck fan (61% off): Forget waving a paper plate. This keeps you cool, hands-free on hot days. 🦟 Mosquito repeller (30% off): Ditch the sticky bug spray. Create a 20-foot bug-free zone around your patio. 👄 Organic lip balm set (17% off, six flavors): Dry, cracked lips? These hydrate so they stay silky smooth. 🛒 Fire up the grill and your cart: Tap here to see all the Labor Day markdowns before they’re gone. There’s even more on my Amazon page. We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective. The post Labor Day backyard bliss appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

The proposed measures won’t impact Israel’s military action in Gaza, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has said Germany has blocked the European Commission’s latest proposal to sanction Israel over the war in Gaza, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has said. Israel has faced growing backlash over its conduct in the conflict, accused of allowing almost no aid into the enclave. Several Western states have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state, and in some cases, scale back military and trade cooperation with Israel. The European Commission last week proposed suspending Israel’s participation in the Horizon Europe research program, cutting off funding for Israeli start-ups in drone technology, cybersecurity, and AI. This was intended to pressure Israel to improve humanitarian aid deliveries, according to a draft resolution. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Copenhagen on Saturday, Wadephul said Germany rejected the plan, as it was “not convinced” that curbing Israel’s access to EU research funds would influence its military action. Instead, he noted that Berlin has already restricted the delivery of weapons that can be used in Gaza, suggesting Brussels should focus on similar steps. “I believe this is a very targeted measure, one that is very important and very necessary,” he said. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged on Saturday that the bloc is divided on the issue, and that she is “not very optimistic” that ministers will reach an agreement soon, even though it does not require full unanimity. She added that some states want stronger economic pressure. Denmark, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, recently signaled support for tougher sanctions, such as suspending trade with Israel. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and his Slovenian counterpart, Tanja Fajon, have condemned the EU’s inaction over Gaza. Fajon told Bloomberg this week that the bloc has not imposed “a single measure” against Israel, contrasting it with the bloc’s unity in sanctioning Russia over the Ukraine conflict. The Gaza conflict began in 2023 when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 61,000 people in the enclave. A UN-backed panel earlier this month declared that there is a famine in northern Gaza, with over half a million people on the brink of starvation. View the full article

💼 Making AI dough: The AI gold rush is minting baby millionaires. Fresh grads are landing $200K+ starting salaries, some under 25 raking in $500K to $1M a year. Yes, you read that right. Companies like Databricks and Scale AI want “AI-natives” so badly they’re poaching PhD students before they even graduate. The post Making AI dough appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

The tech billionaire was responding to data showing Scotland’s deaths outpaced births by 34% in the first half of 2025 Europe could “die out” unless it fixes its demographic problems by boosting birth rates, tech billionaire Elon Musk has warned. In a post on X on Saturday, Musk was responding to statistics from Scotland showing 34% more deaths than births in the first half of 2025. “Unless the birth rate at least gets back to replacement rate, Europe will die out,” he wrote, referring to the average number of children needed per couple for a population to replace itself. The replacement fertility rate is generally set at 2.1 children per woman, accounting for child mortality and near-equal gender ratios at birth. Recent studies, however, suggest that this level may be insufficient, pointing to a long-term survival threshold closer to 2.7 children per woman. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, the fertility rate in England and Wales fell to 1.4 in 2024, while Scotland’s stood at 1.3 – both far below replacement levels. In the EU, fertility has been declining for years, reaching a record low of 1.4 live births per woman in 2023. Unless the birth rate at least gets back to replacement rate, Europe will die out https://t.co/0COU5Zj9QM — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2025 Musk, a vocal advocate for higher birth rates who has fathered at least 14 children and donated millions to fertility research, has often raised the alarm over the demographic decline in Europe. His warnings, however, extend beyond Europe. Musk has cited global demographic data, claiming that civilization “is going to crumble” unless birth rates rise. He previously argued that population collapse due to low fertility “is a much bigger risk to civilization” than climate change. Either Europe starts having large families or it will keep dying https://t.co/UNX72ZRn98 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2025 Worldwide, fertility has been falling for over 50 years. UN data shows it stood at around 2.2 births per woman in 2024, down from 5 in the 1970s and 3.3 in the 1990s. Only 45% of countries and areas – home to roughly a third of the global population – reported fertility levels at or above 2.1 last year. Just 13% had fertility rates of 4.0 or higher, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Yemen. Falling birth rates and population decline have also become a pressing issue for Russia, with Rosstat recording just 1.2 million births in 2024 – the lowest since 1999 – reflecting a fertility rate of 1.4. View the full article

Kaja Kallas has insisted that frozen Russian assets should fund reparations The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has said Ukraine faces a “huge gap” in financing, as the bloc remains deeply divided over whether frozen Russian assets should be used to support Kiev. Over $300 billion in Russian assets have been frozen in Western institutions since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, mostly under EU control. The largest share is held in Belgium through the Euroclear clearing house. While interest is being sent to Kiev, full confiscation is seen by legal experts as a “minefield.” Moscow has denounced the freeze as “theft.” Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister, said frozen Russian assets should not be returned unless Moscow pays reparations. Speaking at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Saturday, she stated that the bloc must prepare for a future ceasefire or peace deal, but added that the EU’s position on full confiscation remains unchanged. “Yes, it is true that many Member States raised this issue, that Ukraine’s funding gap is enormous, and we need to find the funding now,” she told reporters when asked if the asset debate was linked to peace talks or immediate funding. “It is also clear the political reality that Belgium and many other countries are not willing to discuss it now in this, but everybody agrees still that Russia should pay for the damages, not our taxpayers,” she said. Poland and the Baltic states have backed the full seizure of frozen Russian central bank assets to support Ukraine, while Belgium, France, and Germany have raised legal and financial concerns. Earlier this week, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever likened the funds to “a goose that lays golden eggs,” warning that confiscation could trigger systemic risks and should be deferred until peace negotiations. Euroclear-linked officials and Belgium’s foreign minister have echoed this stance, citing potential breaches of international law and damage to the euro’s credibility. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg also cautioned that acting without a solid legal foundation would be “an enormous setback, and basically a disgrace” for the EU. The US has suggested using the assets as leverage in peace talks. View the full article

You already know the usual scams. Romance, crypto, tech support, job offers, fake investments, and the list goes on. But what you might not realize is that a growing number of people behind these scams aren’t evil masterminds. They’re victims, too. Across Southeast Asia, scam compounds have become a massive underground industry. These operations run out of hotels and warehouses and are worth up to $19 billion a year in Cambodia alone. That’s more than half the country’s entire GDP. People are being lured in by fake job ads, kidnapped and forced into these human trafficking compounds where they’re made to scam people all day long. They are beaten, locked up and told to meet daily scam quotas. If they don’t, they’re punished. Some have even died trying to escape. 🎯 Now they’re after kids This isn’t just about fake emails and text messages anymore. Scam networks are using AI and deepfake tech to create fake explicit content of tweens and teens. They use it to blackmail families in sextortion scams, threatening to release real and fake explicit images unless they get paid. Kids are committing suicide when faced with the reality they shared an intimate photo with a scammer threatening to send it to friends and family, as well as post it on social media. This is getting darker by the day. 🛡️ Protect yourself and family The next time you get a sketchy message from someone you don’t know, it might not be a criminal in a hoodie. It could be someone who was tricked, trafficked and forced to work inside one of these scam mills. Stop and think. Scammers target emotion, desperation, loneliness, fear, even love. If it feels off, walk away. Don’t click links in messages. If it’s legit, you’ll be able to find it from the source. Talk to your family. Especially your tweens and teens. They need to know that they are being targeted. Often, it’s a swap of a nudie pic that leads to sextortion. Scams are only profitable if people fall for them. If less money flows into these organizations, maybe the scales will tip against such hostile industries. The more we know, the harder we make it for these criminals, and the fewer innocent people end up trapped inside these operations. 📢 Tap the share icons below right now to help spread the word. The post Scams are an underground industry appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

World leaders are gathering in Tianjin for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit Chinese President Xi Jinping is welcoming top leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit is set to open in Tianjin on Sunday. More than 20 heads of state and representatives from ten international organizations are attending. The summit, which wraps up on September 1, unfolds against the backdrop of rising global tensions – from the Ukraine conflict and Israel’s war in Gaza to escalating trade disputes sparked by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. The summit will address regional security, economic cooperation, and cultural ties, along with transport, energy, digitalization, AI, and green development. On September 2, Putin will travel to Beijing for talks with Xi focused on trade, security, the Ukraine conflict, and ties with the US. The next day, he will take part in events marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. He is also expected to hold around ten bilateral meetings with leaders including India’s Narendra Modi, Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian. View the full article

The two leaders have met on the sidelines of the SCO summit as both nations look to stabilize relations following long-standing border tensions Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Tianjin on Sunday, marking a key diplomatic engagement as New Delhi and Beijing move to stabilize relations. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, hosted by China this weekend. This is Modi’s first visit to China since 2018. The meeting follows months of efforts by both countries to restore ties strained by prolonged border tensions. The leaders previously met last October in Kazan, Russia at the BRICS summit. ”Our relationship got a positive direction. There is peace and stability on the borders,” Modi said. He also noted the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, an important pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar in the Tibetan autonomous region of China, as well as plans to resume direct flights between the two nations. “The interests of 2.8 billion people of both countries are linked to our cooperation. This will also pave the way for the welfare of the entire humanity. We are committed to taking our relations forward on the basis of mutual trust, respect and sensitivity,” Modi stated. ⚡️World Focus on SCO Summit: PM Modi Shakes President Xi’s Hand Prior to Meet on Sidelines #SCO2025 Video Courtesy: DD News pic.twitter.com/WY8Zgyvo1l — RT_India (@RT_India_news) August 31, 2025 The meeting comes as the two nations work to restore ties after a prolonged chill triggered by a deadly border clash in June 2020. It also takes place against the backdrop of Washington’s recent 50% tariffs on India, which were imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump in response to the country’s trade policies and continued oil trade with Russia. View the full article

The labor ministry has revised the list, placing Mohammed on top instead of Michael Mohammed and Ahmad are among the most common names of welfare recipients in Germany, according to newly revised figures released by the federal government. Olena, a Ukrainian variant of Helen, is the only female name in the top ten. Germany’s unemployment rate reached 6.4% in August, with the total number of jobless people exceeding three million for the first time in a decade. According to Federal Employment Agency data, 5.42 million people were receiving welfare benefits at the end of 2024 – of which 48% were foreigners, compared to 19.6% in 2010. The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party had requested information on the most common first names of recipients to support its argument about the failure of integration. In June, the labor ministry replied that the leading names were Michael, Andreas and Thomas, followed by Daniel, Olena and Alexander – prompting media ridicule of the AfD. However, the initial list did not combine different spellings of names, such as Thomas and Tomas or Mohammed and Mohamed, listing them separately. The revised data placed Mohammed – spread across 19 spellings – in first place with nearly 40,000 entries, followed by Michael with about 24,600 and Ahmad with more than 20,600. Olena remained the only female name among the top ten, with around 14,200 entries. Germany is the European Union’s top migrant destination and the world’s third-largest refugee-hosting country, according to UN data. Under former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-border policies, more than a million people arrived from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq during the 2015 migrant influx. In recent years, the country has granted temporary protection to 1.2 million Ukrainians and received 334,000 asylum applications in 2023, nearly a third of the EU total. The migrant crisis has strained housing, public services and finances, contributing to the rise of the AfD, which has recently led national polls as Germany’s most popular political party. The AfD came in second in February’s federal election with 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag, but was excluded from coalition talks. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) has designated the AfD a “confirmed extremist entity.” While that classification was temporarily suspended, senior officials have continued to seek legal grounds to pursue a formal ban of the party. View the full article

The Russian president is set to meet the Chinese, Indian and other world leaders during a packed four-day visit President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Tianjin at the start of a four-day official visit to China, where he will take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and attend commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. The Russian leader’s Ilyushin Il-96 aircraft touched down on Sunday morning in the northern Chinese city, where President Xi Jinping is hosting the SCO gathering. The summit, which runs through September 1, is expected to focus on strengthening regional security, expanding economic cooperation, and deepening cultural and humanitarian ties among member states. Leaders will also discuss transport, energy, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and green development. A final declaration and a long-term strategy through 2035 are due to be adopted. Putin will later travel to Beijing for bilateral talks with Xi on September 2. The discussions are expected to cover economic cooperation, international security, and regional issues, with particular attention to the conflict in Ukraine and relations with the United States. On September 3, the he will attend large-scale Victory Day commemorations in the Chinese capital. During the visit, Putin is also scheduled to hold around ten bilateral meetings with foreign leaders on the sidelines of the summit, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. View the full article

Kremlin aide Kirill Dmitriev has accused European leaders of prolonging the conflict with “impossible demands” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev has accused the EU of deliberately undermining US-led peace efforts in Ukraine, following media reports that Washington increasingly believes European leaders are obstructing negotiations. In a series of posts on X, Dmitriev said Brussels was “sabotaging a real peace process” by encouraging Kiev to pursue what he called “impossible demands.” His remarks came after reports in Axios and the Atlantic that the White House is growing frustrated with EU governments for undermining President Donald Trump’s peace initiative. “EU warmongers exposed… Even Washington now sees it – EU leaders are prolonging the conflict in Ukraine with impossible demands,” Dmitriev wrote, urging the bloc to “drop Biden’s failed logic” and “stop sabotaging a real peace process.” “I warned about these efforts to sabotage the Trump peace plan before,” he added in a separate post. The envoy, who was part of the Russian delegation at the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin, also criticized a recent Politico report on Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, which he described as an attempt to discredit the American side’s mediation. “Afraid of a peace plan, EU/UK warmongers push ‘foreign influence’ ops in the US and worldwide to undermine US–Russia talks. Dialogue will prevail – more key people see the massive effort to derail progress,” he wrote. Dmitriev has previously praised Trump for seeking what he described as a “real solution” to the conflict. He has also denounced Brussels’ repeated sanctions packages against Russia, arguing that they are aimed at prolonging the war and blocking cooperation between Moscow and Washington. Moscow has long insisted on a peace agreement that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict. It has demanded that Ukraine maintain neutrality, stay out of NATO and other military blocs, demilitarize and denazify, and accept the current territorial reality – including the status of Crimea and other regions that voted to join Russia in referendums in 2014 and 2022. View the full article