US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will add a $100,000 (£74,000) annual fee for applicants to the H-1B visa programme for skilled foreign workers, BBC reports. Trump’s order mentions “abuse” of the programme and will restrict entry unless payment is made. Critics have long argued that H-1Bs undercut the…
Three Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace Friday in a move the Baltic nation called “unprecedentedly brazen” and that appears to be the latest test of NATO’s defenses by the Kremlin’s forces. NATO aircraft intercepted the jets, the military alliance’s spokesperson Allison Hart said on X. The incursion occurred over the Gulf of…
The Taliban government has removed books written by women from the university teaching system in Afghanistan as part of a new ban which has also outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment, BBC reports. Some 140 books by women – including titles like “Safety in the Chemical Laboratory” – were among 680…
Reuters. Ukrainian troops and engineers will train their Polish counterparts in a joint group on tackling drones, Ukraine’s defence minister said on Thursday (September 18). The initiative will integrate new military technology to protect people and critical infrastructure, Ukrainian defence minister Denys Shmyhal said at a news briefing with his Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz….
Reuters/CCTV. European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on Wednesday proposed a package of sanctions against Israel due to its strikes on the Gaza Strip. The proposal included suspending certain trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel, and sanctions on Hamas. However, the…
Russia supports the idea of reforming the United Nations Security Council and adjusting it to new realities, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to a TASS reporter’s question. “Indeed, we have consistently supported the idea of reforming the UN Security Council and adjusting the Security Council to the reality of fast-changing times,” Peskov…
U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were given the royal red carpet treatment on Wednesday (September 17) with a carriage procession through the grounds of Windsor Castle, Reuters reports. Trump spoke to King Charles and Prince William while Melania was seen speaking to Queen Camilla and Princess Kate before the procession…
The European Commission will propose speeding up the phase-out of Russian fossil imports, the European Union executive’s head Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday after a call with U.S. President Donald Trump, Reuters reports. Von der Leyen said that she had a call with Trump on strengthening joint efforts to increase economic pressure…
Reuters. A United Nations commission of inquiry concluded on Tuesday (September 16) that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had incited these acts. The 72-page legal analysis cites examples of the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a…
Reuters. Large plumes of smoke were rising in Gaza on Tuesday (September 16) morning, amid reports from Axios citing Israeli officials said that the Israeli military had launched a ground offensive a day earlier to seize Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban centre. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to request for comment…
British authorities are planning their largest security operation since the coronation of King Charles III in 2023 to ensure the safety of former U.S. President Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to the United Kingdom, The New York Times reported. According to the report, British intelligence and security agencies will deploy drones, snipers, mounted police,…
U.S. President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, arrived in Israel on Sunday (September 14), amid tensions with fellow U.S. allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reports. Rubio and his wife Jeanette Dousdebes were greeted by the…
US President Donald Trump remains steadfast in his mission to end the war in Ukraine, US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg, who is visiting Kyiv, wrote on X. “Honored to meet with Ukraine’s Minister of Veterans’ Affairs, Natalia Kalmykova, and her team. Her dedication to supporting those who’ve sacrificed so much…
Poland does not currently plan to sever diplomatic relations with Russia, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Sept. 12 during a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv, Hromadske reported. His comments come days after Russian drones entered Polish airspace during a large-scale attack on Ukraine on Sept. 10. Poland…
We will be able to form a final idea of the practical functioning of this transport route when we get familiarized with the specific details of this project; this has not happened yet. Maria Zakharova, Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated this during a press briefing Friday and commenting on Russian Deputy…
Robert Fico declared that he will not support new sanction packages against Russia until the European Commission presents concrete proposals regarding electricity prices. After a meeting with European Council President António Costa, the Slovak Prime Minister added that he also expects proposals on how to align European climate policy with the needs of the automotive…
The Trump administration approved an assistance package worth $14.2 million to assist Lebanon with its efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the U.S. Defense Department announced Wednesday, UPI reports. The Lebanese military will use funds from the Presidential Drawdown Authority package to dismantle arms held by non-state groups, including Hezbollah. On Friday, the Lebanese government…
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar calls European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement that the Commission will propose sanctioning Israeli ministers and a partial suspension of the EU’s association agreement with Israel “regrettable,” saying her remarks strengthen Hamas and ignore Israel’s efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, The Times of Israel reports….
The EU will suspend its “bilateral support” with Israel and partially suspend the trade parts of its association agreement with Tel Aviv, Von der Leyen told MEPs during her State of the Union speech, Euronews reports. In an unusually tough-worded sequence, von der Leyen denounced a “man-made famine” in Gaza and “a clear attempt”…
French President Emmanuel Macron nominated Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister on Tuesday, Reuters reports. The 39-year-old, who has served as the defense minister for over three years, is a close associate of Macron, local media reported. Lecornu will be tasked with consulting political parties to “build the necessary agreements for decisions…
A tense confrontation erupted at Kakha Kaladze’s election headquarters on Melikishvili Avenue last night, involving members of the Georgian Dream youth wing and protesters, 1tv.ge reports. Both sides exchanged accusations over the attack, which escalated into a physical altercation resulting in injuries. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued a statement urging protesters to…
The EU’s most senior sanctions envoy is holding talks in Washington with US officials after Donald Trump said he was ready to take further action against Russia over the war in Ukraine, The Guardian reports. David O’Sullivan, the EU sanctions envoy, is meeting US counterparts on Monday, as Europe and the US look for…
Venezuela pledged on Sunday to sharply boost troops in coastal states to tackle drug trafficking – a move that comes after the U.S. ordered the deployment of an additional 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to carry out operations against drug cartels, Reuters reports. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered more troops in the…
There was uncertainty on the streets of Paris on Monday (September 8) ahead of a confidence vote in the national assembly which Prime Minister Francois Bayrou looks certain to lose, deepening France’s paralysis at a critical time for Europe, Reuters reports. Should Bayrou fall, President Emmanuel Macron will likely face the task of finding…
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the €2.95 billion fine was “unfair” and “discriminatory” and later told reporters he will “be speaking to the European Union.” US President Donald Trump has threatened retaliation after the European Commission fined Google €2.95 billion for abusing its dominant position in the advertising technology industry,…
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Friday was appointed as the country’s new foreign secretary, replacing David Lammy, who becomes the new deputy premier, as well as the justice secretary in a major Cabinet reshuffle. Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet reshuffle came more than a year after becoming the prime minister following the resignation of…
The US is to phase out security assistance programmes for European armies along Russia’s border, as it pushes the continent to pay for more of its own defence, FT reports. Pentagon officials last week informed European diplomats that the US would no longer fund programmes that train and equip militaries in eastern European countries…
Reuters. Some 30 Western leaders were holding talks in Paris on Thursday (September 4) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace deal with Russia, hoping to do enough to persuade the United States to back their efforts. The summit, both in person and by video-link,…
Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (September 3) reiterated his calls for Hamas to release all hostages and suggested Israel’s war in Gaza would end if they did. “Tell Hamas to IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages (Not 2 or 5 or 7!), and things will change rapidly. IT WILL END!,” he said…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said he is prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, provided there is adequate preparation. Putin stated that Zelensky could visit Moscow if there is a prospect of a favourable outcome, during a press conference in Beijing broadcast on state television at the conclusion of his four-day visit…
