Category: Hot News

Inflation in the US has remained above 3% since Joe Biden took office. Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris over the Biden administration's handling of inflation. He compared a recent campaign pledge she made to curb rising prices to measures used in communist nations. Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump mocked Harris for her promise to implement the first federal ban on price gouging on food if she is elected president. “Just yesterday Kamala laid out her so-called economic plan, saying that she’s going to lower the cost of food and housing starting on day one, but day one for Kamala was three and half years ago, so why didn’t she do it then?” Trump asked. Earlier this week, Harris pointed to the cost of items such as bread and ground beef, claiming that large food manufacturers are increasing profits and accusing some grocery chains of not passing savings onto customers. The Republican nominee denounced Harris's “socialist” approach to price controls, calling her “comrade Kamala,” and adding that she had gone “full communist.” “It will cause rationing, hunger and skyrocketing prices,” he said. “Just like [the Biden-Harris administration’s] Inflation Reduction Act, which is one of the great scams of all time. Inflation has been so bad, it’s gone up much more than 50%. They say 30%, 40% — many more people are being devastated.” Trump emphasized that the “radical liberal policies” of recent years under President Joe Biden have led to “horrific inflation” that has devastated the middle class and “gutted the finances of millions of American families.” “They have no idea, they’re grossly incompetent people. Real incomes are down by over $2,000 a year. Think of that, minimum, and ours up five times that amount, more than five times that amount. Her price hikes have cost a typical household a total of $28,000, and that’s called the Kamala Harris inflation tax. She was there for everything.” Inflation surged to 9.1% year-on-year in June 2022 before starting to decrease as the Federal Reserve implemented a series of interest rate hikes. However, annual inflation remained above 3% before dropping to 2.9% this past July, the first time it has dipped below the 3% mark since March 2021.

Donald Tusk has called for those who carried out the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines to remain silent. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged those responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines to “keep quiet,” as intelligence sources in Germany point to a joint Polish-Ukrainian plot to destroy the underwater lines. According to German media, prosecutors in Berlin issued an arrest warrant in June for a Ukrainian national known as ‘Vladimir Z’ in connection with the destruction of the pipelines. Working with a team of saboteurs, Vladimir Z is believed to have rented a yacht in Poland, sailed to a site in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm, and planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. German investigators filed a cooperation request with their Polish counterparts in the hope of locating the suspect, who is said to have been tracked to a location west of Warsaw before disappearing, German state broadcaster ARD reported. In a post on X on Saturday, Tusk appeared keen to quash any attempts to investigate the attack. “To all the initiators and patrons of Nord Stream 1 and 2,” he wrote. “The only thing you should do today about it is apologise and keep quiet.” According to ARD, Poland, despite EU inter-state regulations, has failed to respond to Berlin’s request for cooperation. In an interview with Die Welt on Thursday, the former president of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, August Hanning, claimed that Poland was likely involved in facilitating the attack. “The way it seems is that it was a Ukrainian team that… operated there,” he said, referring to Poland. However, he added, “this was of course only possible with support from the land.” “When we look at the map… pretty evidently, the Polish agencies were engaged here, and I think not only agencies… I think that this was an arrangement between [people] at the top level in Ukraine and in Poland,” he speculated. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski rejected Hanning’s accusations, telling the Polsat broadcaster on Friday that “Poland did not take part in anything.” Back in January, the Wall Street Journal claimed that Poland’s internal security agency to turn over testimony from eyewitnesses who encountered the yacht’s crew, withheld CCTV footage from the Polish port of Kolobrzeg where the vessel was moored, and “failed to answer queries, obfuscated or gave contradictory information,” when pressed by German investigators. The Nord Stream lines were destroyed in September 2022, more than a year before Tusk took office. However, Poland’s previous conservative government appeared to openly approve of the attack, with then-Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski sharing an image of a giant gas leak at the blast site along with the caption “Thank you, USA” within hours of the explosions. While German investigators have apparently coalesced around the idea that the pipelines were destroyed by Ukrainian saboteurs, an alternate theory put forward by American journalist Seymour Hersh claims that the CIA was responsible. Citing sources within the intelligence community, Hersh argued that CIA divers working with the Norwegian Navy planted remotely-triggered bombs on the lines last summer, using a NATO exercise in the region as cover. The aim of the CIA operation, Hersh’s sources allege, was to sever Germany’s main gas links to Russia, removing the opportunity for Berlin to lift sanctions on Moscow and resume gas deliveries. Officials in Kiev that Russia blew up its own pipelines, a claim that has been ridiculed by the Kremlin.

Pyongyang has stated that it will always stand with Moscow in the fight to defend its sovereignty. The North Korean Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Region, calling it a terrorist act backed by the West. The ministry said in a statement on Sunday that Kiev's most significant attack on internationally recognized Russian territory since the conflict began in February 2022 was a result of the "vicious anti-Russia confrontational policy" of the US. The ministry, as quoted by state-run news agency KCNA, stated that the Americans and their allies are attempting to deceive the public by claiming they had no involvement in the incursion, but "various heavy hardware, including US and Western tanks discovered daily on the Kursk battlefield, clearly proves who is behind Ukraine." The ministry warned that Washington, which has spent "astronomical" amounts on supplying Kiev with weapons, is pushing the security situation towards World War III. The statement reads, "North Korea condemns the armed attack on Russian territory launched by the [Vladimir] Zelensky puppet authorities under the manipulation and support of the US and the West as an unforgivable act of aggression and terrorism." It added that Pyongyang will always stand with Moscow in its efforts to protect its sovereignty. Russia and North Korea have significantly strengthened bilateral relations recently, with the leaders of both countries exchanging visits within less than a year. During a trip to Pyongyang in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which includes a mutual defense agreement. Western officials have celebrated and expressed support for Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Region, but denied any prior knowledge of the operation or any involvement in it. However, Mikhail Podoliak, the top adviser to Zelensky, claimed that "there were discussions between partner forces, just not on the public level," of the attack. Nikolay Patrushev, an adviser to Putin and former Security Council secretary, stated earlier this week that the incursion was "planned with the involvement of NATO and Western special services." Washington also stated that it had prohibited Kiev from using US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles in the attack on Kursk Region. However, Ukraine has used various other American equipment in the operation, including Bradley and Stryker infantry fighting vehicles, Patriot air defense systems, and HIMARS multiple rocket launchers. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that since the incursion into Kursk Region began on August 6, Kiev has lost up to 3,460 troops and several hundred pieces of military hardware, including 50 tanks, 45 APCs, and three US-made HIMARS systems. "The operation to destroy the Ukrainian armed formations continues," the ministry stated.

Thousands are seeking compensation for harm allegedly caused by coronavirus vaccines, according to the paper The Telegraph reports that almost 14,000 people in Britain have applied for government payments for disabilities they claim were caused by Covid-19 vaccines. The paper stated that only 175 people, or less than 2% of those seeking compensation, have received a one-off payment of £120,000 ($155,300). Data obtained by The Telegraph through Freedom of Information requests shows that those who were eventually reimbursed suffered from conditions such as stroke, heart attack, dangerous blood clots, inflammation of the spinal cord, excessive swelling of the vaccinated limb, and facial paralysis. The outlet noted that approximately 97% of the successful applications were related to the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, with the remaining percentage related to US-made vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The outlet noted that the UK government continues to recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine, despite its use being halted in Germany, Italy, France, and other European countries by March 2021, amid reports of a growing number of blood clotting cases. Thousands of people have been denied payment due to the government’s medical assessors arguing that there is no concrete evidence that their health problems are a result of the vaccines, the report read. Hundreds of others were turned down for being “not disabled enough,” it added. Under the rules of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), an applicant must be at least 60% disabled to qualify. An AstraZeneca spokesperson told The Telegraph that its vaccine “has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects.” Regarding the health complications caused by the vaccine, the spokesperson said, “our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems.” In May, AstraZeneca, which officially admitted that its vaccines could cause blood clots in certain cases, began the withdrawal of its product worldwide, saying that newer vaccines adapted to the latest coronavirus variants were more effective. Around 16,000 people have sought payments since the introduction of the VDPS in 1979, with most of the claims related to Covid-19 vaccines. The increasing workload resulted in an increase of the staff responsible for handling applications from four people to 80 last year. “We continually review our processes to further develop the way in which we manage claims, and to provide a better service for claimants,” a National Health Service spokesperson said.

The home secretary has ordered a review of the state’s counter-terrorism strategy amid rising violence against women and girls, the British paper reports The UK government plans to treat extreme misogyny with the same seriousness as Islamist and far-right extremism. This comes in response to growing violence against women, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has directed a review of the counter-terrorism strategy to combat violence against women and girls. This review aims to address concerns that current legislation is too narrow. The updated guidance will likely require teachers to report any students suspected of extreme misogyny to the government's Prevent program. Currently, teachers, healthcare workers, and local authorities are obligated to report individuals they believe are at risk of radicalization. “For too long, Governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and we’ve seen the number of young people radicalized online grow,” Cooper told the newspaper, vowing to close any loopholes in existing policies that hinder authorities from cracking down on violence. The comprehensive review of the Prevent program, expected to conclude by autumn, will focus on developing a new strategic approach involving close collaboration between the government and communities. This measure is part of a wider counter-extremism strategy the Home Office plans to unveil next year. This move aims to address growing concerns about the influence of misogynistic figures who are radicalizing teenage boys through online platforms. The news outlet cited Andrew Tate, a controversial British-American influencer who self-identifies as a “misogynist,” as an example. Tate is currently awaiting trial in Romania on charges of rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Home Office currently categorizes several types of extremism as areas of concern, including Islamist, extreme right-wing, animal rights, environmental, and Northern Ireland-related. The list also includes an online subculture called “incel,” short for “involuntarily celibate.” This refers to a misogynistic worldview promoted by men who blame women for their lack of romantic prospects. In the year ending March 31, 2023, there were 6,817 referrals to the Prevent program, an increase of 6.4% from the previous year, according to government statistics. Of these, 37% were categorized as “vulnerability present but no ideology of counter-terrorism risk,” while 19% were related to extreme right-wing ideologies, and 11% were associated with Islamist extremism. In February, a study conducted by UK telecommunications multinational Vodafone found that 70% of teachers had witnessed a rise in sexist language in their classrooms over the past year, while 69% of boys had encountered posts promoting misogyny. The study also revealed that 42% of parents had heard their sons make inappropriate comments due to online content.

German authorities are investigating potential sabotage at a military barracks near Munich, following a string of suspicious incidents at army facilities in recent weeks. The German military has found signs of a possible break-in at a barracks in southern Germany, the latest in a series of suspicious incidents at army facilities in recent weeks, according to local media. In some cases, there were concerns that the water supply had been deliberately contaminated. During a routine inspection on Thursday, a gaping hole was discovered in the barracks fence at the Christoph Probst Barracks in the Bavarian town of Garching near Munich, Bild reported, citing a spokesman for the armed forces. The facility also houses the Central Institute of the Medical Service and a military hospital. The spokesman added that there was no evidence anyone had accessed the buildings on the facility’s grounds. Authorities also found no connection to the potential sabotage of the drinking water supply at the air force barracks near Cologne earlier this week, adding that the water at the facility was safe. At the time, the military said the water supply at the Cologne base had been “interrupted because the drinking water system showed unusual values.” As in Garching, the alarm was raised after a guard found a hole in the fence near the water plant on the barracks grounds. An immediate search for intruders was unsuccessful. After an investigation, the authorities confirmed that the water was safe to drink. A similar suspicious incident also occurred on Tuesday at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in the western part of the country, which hosts a number of reconnaissance aircraft. A NATO spokesman told Bild that the security at the facility stopped a man who attempted to illegally enter the base, adding that the fence was not damaged. Given that the attempted trespassing came after the Cologne incident, the authorities checked the water supply at Geilenkirchen, but no abnormalities were found. On Thursday, a breach in the fence surrounding the central drinking water supply of the city of Mechernich, western Germany, was also discovered. An investigation showed that the water was not contaminated, although the incident led to thousands of residents being advised not to use the water, even for showers, while the probe was ongoing.

Elon Musk's social media platform X has halted operations in Brazil, citing alleged censorship orders from the Brazilian Supreme Court. The company claims that Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has threatened to arrest its legal representative in Brazil if X does not comply with court orders to remove certain content. X says it refused to comply, calling the orders the “most draconian demands of any country on Earth.” The orders target accounts associated with former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters, who have been accused of spreading disinformation about the Supreme Court. Moraes has previously ordered the suspension of accounts belonging to these individuals. X claims that Moraes, acting in secret, threatened its legal representative, Rachel Nova Conceição, with arrest if the company did not comply. X shared a document allegedly signed by Moraes, stating that an arrest warrant would be issued against Conceição, accompanied by a daily fine of 20,000 Brazilian reals ($3,650). ”Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process,” the X post read. “As a result, to protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operations in Brazil, effective immediately,” placing sole blame on Moraes. However, X stated that the service would still be available to Brazilian users. Elon Musk, who took over Twitter in October 2022 and rebranded it as X, reposted the statement, calling Moraes an “utter disgrace to justice” and claiming that his orders “would require us to break (in secret) Brazilian, Argentinian, American, and international law.” He later explained that the decision to close the office was made in response to “secret censorship and private information handover demands.” The Brazilian Supreme Court refused to comment on the matter, stating that it would neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of the document presented by X. Moraes has previously warned the platform against “disobeying judicial orders,” insisting that “social networks are not lands without laws.”

Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini traveled into Kursk Region with Ukrainian forces Italy’s RAI broadcaster has recalled two of its reporters, Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini, after they accompanied Ukrainian troops on a cross-border raid into Russia’s Kursk Region. Earlier on Saturday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal probe into the incident. “The company decided to make journalist Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini return temporarily to Italy, solely to ensure personal safety and security,” RAI said in a statement on Saturday. The two reporters will fly back to Milan on Sunday, the broadcaster added. On Wednesday, RAI aired a TV report on Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Region, in which a four-person crew of journalists were embedded with Kiev’s forces and drove deep into Russian territory. In the clip, Battistini and Traini could be seen as their car drove past what appeared to be destroyed Western-supplied Ukrainian armor, before they arrived at the Russian town of Sudzha, which sustained significant damage during the fighting. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Italy’s ambassador to Russia, Cecilia Piccioni, on Friday to lodge a “strong protest” over the report. The film crew “illegally entered the territory of the Russian Federation to cover the criminal terrorist attack by Ukrainian militants in the Kursk region,” the ministry said. It added that the Italian reporters “used their presence in our country to whitewash the crimes of the Kiev regime” and accused them of a “gross violation of Russian legislation and elementary rules of journalistic ethics.” On Saturday, the FSB announced that it had opened a criminal investigation into “foreign journalists Simone Traini and Stefania Battistini, who illegally crossed the State Border of the Russian Federation.” The agency also said that it had determined that CNN journalist Nick Paton Walsh had traveled to Sudzha, and that a “procedural decision” would soon be made against all three. Ukrainian forces launched an attack on Kursk Region last week, using thousands of troops to conduct the largest incursion into Russia since the start of the conflict. Russia has denounced the assault as a provocation and accused Kiev of targeting Russian civilians. According to by American media outlets, Ukraine began planning the incursion in 2023 and used 10,000 troops who otherwise would have been deployed to bolster the country’s battered frontline forces later this year. The incursion has cost Kiev up to 3,160 troops and several hundred units of military hardware, including 44 tanks, 43 APCs and three US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launch systems, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. “The operation to destroy the Ukrainian armed formations continues,” the ministry added.

A malfunctioning door seal forced J.D. Vance's Boeing 737 to return to Milwaukee shortly after takeoff. A Boeing 737-800 carrying GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, experienced a mid-air malfunction and made an emergency landing in Wisconsin on Saturday. This incident occurred just a week after Trump's own jet was diverted due to a mechanical issue. After campaigning in Milwaukee on Saturday morning, Vance boarded the jet – a chartered aircraft known as ‘Trump Force Two’ – and departed for his home state of Ohio. However, within minutes of takeoff, the pilot declared an emergency and returned to Wisconsin's largest city, where the plane underwent inspection by ground crew and firefighters. “The pilot reported a malfunction with the door seal. As soon as the issue was resolved, the plane resumed its originally planned flight path back to Cincinnati,” Vance's spokesman, Taylor Van Kirk, stated. The malfunction resulted in a delay of approximately one hour for the flight. Earlier this month, ‘Trump Force One’, a Boeing 757-200 owned by the former president's company, was diverted en route to a rally in Montana due to a mechanical problem. The plane was heading to Bozeman, where Trump was holding a campaign rally, and made an emergency landing in Billings. The two cities in Montana are approximately 140 miles (225km) apart. Airport officials in Billings attributed the diversion to unspecified “mechanical issues,” while Trump made no mention of the incident in a video address released on social media shortly after. Trump continued his journey to Bozeman aboard a smaller private jet. Vance's emergency landing is the most recent in a series of safety incidents affecting Boeing aircraft. Five years after a malfunctioning stability system caused two 737 MAX 8 aircraft to crash, killing 346 people, the mid-air blowout of a 737 MAX 9 door panel brought the company back into the headlines in January. As further potential safety issues in Boeing aircraft continued to surface, the company agreed in July to pay a fine of $243.6 million and plead guilty to for its attempts to conceal faults with the stability system responsible for the 2018 and 2019 crashes.

Former President Trump has brought back key members of his 2016 campaign team in an effort to win back the White House. Former US president Donald Trump has re-hired key members of his 2016 campaign team, met with former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard for debate preparation, and appointed his sons and major donors to lead his official transition team. This comes as polls show Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in a close race. Corey Lewandowski, who managed Trump’s successful 2016 campaign, will return to help the Republican retake the White House this November, campaign co-managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a statement on Thursday. Joining Lewandowski will be Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, Alex Bruesewitz, and Tim Murtaugh, who were described by Wiles and LaCivita as “veterans of prior Trump campaigns” Lewandowski was fired by the Trump campaign shortly before the 2016 election, after he allegedly groped a female reporter. Brought back four years later to lead a pro-Trump fundraising committee, he was fired again in 2021 over separate allegations of sexual misconduct. Wiles and LaCivita did not say what precise roles Lewandowski and the four staffers will play in this year’s campaign, but Trump told reporters on Thursday that Lewandowski will be a “personal envoy or he’ll be at some level.” Trump and Harris are currently tied in most polls, with Harris holding a lead of less than 1% over the former president, according to compiled by RealClearPolitics. Amid that Trump blames his campaign staff for the erosion of his four-point lead over President Joe Biden, he has enlisted the help of ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard ahead of his upcoming debate with Harris, the New York Times reported on Friday. Gabbard, a former US Representative and vocal opponent of the Democratic Party’s interventionist foreign policy, was credited with ending Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign with a single debate performance. In the 2019 showdown, Gabbard eviscerated Harris’ record as California’s attorney general, slamming her for jailing thousands of marijuana offenders “and then laughing about it,” for her use of prison labor, and for blocking evidence that would have freed innocent men on death row. “There is no excuse for that and the people who suffered under your reign as prosecutor, you owe them an apology,” Gabbard said, leaving Harris unable to respond. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the former president met with Gabbard, claiming that he “does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisors and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage.” Should Trump triumph over Harris in November, his transition team will be led by Linda McMahon, who headed the Small Business Administration during his first term, and by businessman Howard Lutnick, he said in a statement on Friday. McMahon and Lutnick are both major donors to Trump’s campaign, and they will be joined on the transition team by running mate J.D. Vance and Trump’s two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric. Transition teams help presidential election winners staff their administrations, and are typically named several months before election day.

The move comes after the WHO declared a global health emergency over the virus China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced on Friday that it has begun monitoring people and goods entering the country for mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. These new measures will be in effect for six months, according to the GAC. The announcement follows the World Health Organization's (WHO) designation of the recent surge in infections in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) two days prior. The WHO has also called for a vaccination campaign. People arriving in China from “countries and regions where cases of the disease have been confirmed should declare their conditions to customs upon entry if they have symptoms” including fever, headache, rashes and others, the GAC stated. They emphasized that “customs officers will implement medical measures and conduct sampling and testing in accordance with the prescribed procedure.” The statement also added that vehicles, containers, and goods from areas where mpox cases have been detected should be sanitized. Mpox can spread through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms, a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, and swollen lymph nodes. According to the WHO, the disease is typically mild and fatal only in rare instances. Last year, China's National Health Commission classified mpox as a Category B infectious disease alongside COVID-19, AIDS, and SARS. This move empowered national authorities to implement emergency measures, such as restricting gatherings, suspending work and school, and sealing off areas in the event of an outbreak. Mpox was first identified as a distinct illness in 1958 among laboratory monkeys in Denmark. The first documented cases in humans were recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The virus has long been endemic in central Africa, primarily in the DRC. When it first began spreading in late 2022, the WHO declared an emergency and renamed the disease mpox to avoid “racist and stigmatizing language.” On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for “a coordinated international response” to stop the spread of the disease and save lives globally. The statement followed a viral outbreak in the DRC that spread to neighboring countries earlier this month.

Russia’s ambassador to Washington has said that a witch hunt is underway in America ahead of the presidential election. Anatoly Antonov claims that freedom of speech in the US is only permitted for those who express pro-American views, while dissenters are subjected to a “political inquisition.” The diplomat was commenting on an FBI search at the home of Russian-born US political analyst and author Dimitri Simes in Virginia, on Tuesday. Simes, a critic of President Joe Biden’s administration, has been co-hosting a geopolitical talk show on Russia’s Channel 1 since 2018. Antonov wrote in a Telegram post on Saturday that the targeting of Simes is another example of the “witch hunt” taking place in the US in the run up to the presidential election on November 5. "Hundreds of people are declared undesirable just because they dare to contradict the policies of the administration. They are forbidden from having their own point of view” and government agents are “breaking into homes, performing searches and seizing documents,” he stated. According to the ambassador, the situation in the country resembles the “dark times of McCarthyism,” a campaign against suspected communists led by Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. "The local ruling circles have decisively embarked on the path of total censorship. Freedom of speech in modern America is sacred only if this speech is pro-American. All dissidents are subject to political inquisition, especially when it comes to those who fight against one-sided and biased views on Russia,” he said. Antonov accused Washington of double stands when it comes to democracy and freedom of speech. While “easily” neglecting the rights provided by the First Amendment at home, US officials, “at the same time continue to lecture the whole world on democratic values and human rights,” he wrote. Simes is a naturalized US citizen, who immigrated from the Soviet Union in 1973. He served as an aide to President Richard Nixon and as the publisher and CEO of National Interest magazine, which advocates a realist approach to international relations and geopolitics. At the height of Russiagate, Simes was among those investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as a suspected contact between Donald Trump and the Russian government. The report by Muller in 2019, which failed to find any evidence of collusion between Moscow and Trump’s 2016 campaign, also vindicated Simes. FBI agents arrived at his property in Virginia a week after a search took place at the home of former US Marine and UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter in New York state. Ritter, who is now a journalist and commentator, said the US authorities appeared to be “primarily concerned” with his “relationship” with Russian media outlets – RT and Sputnik news agency.

Israeli FM has urged British and French counterparts to “publicly clarify” their commitment Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, has stated that his country expects not only the United States but also its allies, including Britain and France, to assist in offensive operations against Tehran in the event of direct conflict. Katz made these comments during a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourne in Jerusalem on Friday, according to a Hebrew-language statement from his office. ”Israel expects France and Britain to publicly clarify to Iran that it is unacceptable for it to attack Israel, and that if Iran attacks, the US-led coalition will join Israel not only in defense but also in an attack against significant targets in Iran,” the said, as cited by the Times of Israel. Katz reiterated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he made it “clear” to his colleagues that they should publicly announce their countries “will stand with Israel not only in defense but also in striking targets in Iran.” The French and British diplomats downplayed these assertions, with Sejourne telling reporters that it would be “inappropriate” to discuss any “retaliation or preparation for an Israeli retaliation” amid diplomatic efforts to negotiate a deal to end the Gaza war. A joint French-British following the meeting also made no mention of any anti-Iran coalitions. “We have urged Iran and its proxies to stand down the ongoing threats of military attack against Israel. We have also stressed to all parties that the spiral of escalating reprisals must end,” they said in their only reference to Tehran. The meeting in Jerusalem occurred shortly before the latest round of indirect ceasefire talks ended without breakthroughs, though there were promises to return to the negotiating table next week. The war between Israel and Hamas has dragged on for 10 months since the militant group staged a deadly incursion, resulting in approximately 1,100 deaths and around 200 hostages. The massive Israeli response has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health officials. The risk of wider conflict in the Middle East was drastically exacerbated by the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh, who served as the Palestinian armed group’s lead negotiator in indirect talks with Israel. He was killed in Tehran on June 31, hours after attending the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iran promised to inflict a “harsh punishment” on Israel, which has neither acknowledged nor denied any involvement in the killing. The US has deployed additional warships and a submarine to the Middle East to protect the Jewish state from potential attacks, but it remains unclear whether Washington has agreed to any plans to bomb Iran. In April, when Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for the bombing of its embassy in Damascus, US fighter jets and warships helped intercept many of the incoming projectiles. However, this was a purely defensive operation, with no direct counterstrike on targets inside Iran.

The assailant reportedly shouted something about Irish military involvement in Mali Ireland's counter-terrorism and counter-espionage agency is now involved in the investigation of the brutal attack on an Irish army chaplain outside Renmore Barracks, located on the outskirts of Galway city. The suspect, a 16-year-old Irish national, was waiting for his victim at the entrance to the military installation late Thursday evening. When Father Paul Murphy, 52, arrived in his vehicle, the youth approached the car and began stabbing him through the window. The chaplain then drove his car through the barracks gate, seemingly attempting to flee the attacker, according to the Irish Times. Military guards witnessed the incident and fired several warning shots before subduing the assailant with batons. Father Murphy survived the attack. Military personnel administered first aid before paramedics transported him to the hospital. While awaiting surgery, he expressed gratitude for everyone’s “prayers, love, and concern,” writing in a social media post that he “will be well.” “Soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area,” the Defence Forces said in a statement, adding that the assailant was handed over to the national police. The Special Detective Unit, responsible for terrorism offenses, has already questioned the suspect and concluded that he had been “radicalized to an extent” online, according to a source cited by the Irish Times. Authorities are not ruling out a possible “terrorist motivation” behind the attack. During the assault, the teenager reportedly shouted something about Irish military involvement in Mali, but his exact grievances remain unclear. Approximately 100 members of the Irish Defence Forces are involved in various peacekeeping roles around the globe, including in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, though only a handful of them had been part of the EU military training mission in Mali which officially earlier this year.

The FBI allowed the cremation of the alleged shooter’s body, a US Congress member has said The remains of Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to kill Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump last month, were released to his family for cremation in what appeared to be a cover-up, Congressman Clay Higgins has said. Crooks was killed by the US Secret Service on July 13 after he opened fire on Trump during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He managed to injure Trump and two rally-goers, while killing a third. Higgins, a Louisiana Republican with a background in law enforcement, is a member of the congressional Task Force established to investigate the attempted assassination. He traveled to Butler earlier this month to examine the crime scene. His findings from the trip were made public on Thursday. “My effort to examine Crooks’ body on Monday, August 5, caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact,” Higgins wrote in the report. “The FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after J13. On J23, Crooks was gone. Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc.” Higgins noted that the county coroner “would have never released Crooks’ body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI.” The coroner’s report and the autopsy report were not ready as of August 5, and without the body there was no way to verify their accuracy, Higgins noted. Such actions by the FBI “can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort,” he wrote. Higgins was in Butler for three days and spent about 20 hours investigating the crime scene. According to his findings, Crooks fired eight shots from the roof of a building overlooking the fairgrounds where Trump spoke. The ninth shot came from a Butler SWAT operator and struck Crooks’ rifle, while the tenth shot from a Secret Service sniper killed him. The FBI reportedly has the casings from the roof, but they “released the crime scene” after just three days and cleaned up the blood and other “biological evidence,” according to the report. Crooks did not use a ladder to climb the roof, but an air conditioning unit. He somehow knew to take a position that minimized his exposure to Secret Service snipers, Higgins wrote, noting that it is not usual practice to assign counter-snipers to former presidents. “I have not yet investigated Crooks’ origins, how he came to be a shooter, how he manufactured a remote trigger bomb, etc. I have not reviewed the harvested evidence, nor have I examined his home, his vehicle, spoken with his family, his neighbors, his classmates, examined his computer, his emails, or his closet,” Higgins wrote, vowing that he intends to do so.

China's Defense Ministry has accused the US of seeking to "intimidate the world" with its nuclear power. Spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said on Friday that America poses the greatest nuclear threat to the world due to its "irresponsible decisions" in maintaining global dominance. He criticized Washington for using its nuclear arsenal to intimidate the international community. These accusations stem from the Pentagon's decision to upgrade US Forces Japan into a joint force headquarters. This upgrade, announced in late July, places a three-star officer in command, reporting directly to the Indo-Pacific Command commander. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hailed the development as a significant improvement in US-Japan military ties, emphasizing their commitment to "extended deterrence." This includes a pledge to "defend Japan with the full range of our capabilities, including our nuclear capabilities." Zhang Xiaogang argues that the US and Japan are using the "China military threat" as justification for their actions. He believes these actions provoke conflict and destabilize the region. The Pentagon's July statement did mention China's nuclear arsenal expansion as a topic discussed during the "extended deterrence meeting." According to the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman, the US poses the greatest nuclear threat due to its vast nuclear arsenal and its policy of allowing first use of nuclear weapons. The US National Defense Strategy, published in 2022, identifies Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran as potential nuclear adversaries. The strategy also allows for a nuclear first strike to prevent conventional attacks. In 2018, the US withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Moscow, citing China's non-participation in the agreement. The US continues to pursue modernization of its nuclear arsenal. The New START Treaty, the last bilateral agreement limiting American and Russian nuclear stockpiles, is set to expire in 2026. Russia suspended its participation last year, citing hostile US policies, but pledged to uphold its core terms. In October 2023, the Pentagon accused China of rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, prompting calls for war preparations against both China and Russia. The US also announced plans to modernize its most powerful nuclear bomb. Zhang Xiaogang contends that the US's actions in Japan escalate regional tensions and increase the risk of nuclear proliferation and conflict.

Republican Party nominee has pledged to build a good relationship with Islamic Republic of Iran if he’s returned to Oval Office US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he hopes Washington will be friendly with Tehran if he returns to the White House. He made the remarks on Thursday while speaking at a press conference in New Jersey about his plan to restore world peace. “I’m not looking to be bad to Iran, we’re going to be friendly, I hope … maybe, but maybe not,” Trump said, after accusing Tehran of funding the Palestinian militant group Hamas. “But they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump stressed. The US withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) in 2018 during the first term served by Trump, who at the time dubbed the agreement “the worst deal ever.” The Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action, which in 2015 was signed by Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and the US administration of President Barack Obama, envisaged Tehran scaling down its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international restrictions on it. Then Washington’s denouncement of the landmark agreement prompted Iran to renege on some of its JCPOA commitments and return to enriching uranium. Earlier this week, Trump’s campaign team claimed that Iranian cybercriminals have stolen internal US documents, their goal being influencing the 2024 election. A previous cyber-intelligence report by Microsoft had warned that hackers and fake-news sites allegedly linked to Iran could be targeting an unidentified official related to a US presidential campaign. Trump later posted on his Truth Social platform that he believed Iran was behind the attack, writing “We were just informed by Microsoft Corporation that one of our many websites was hacked by the Iranian Government – Never a nice thing to do!” Iran’s permanent mission to the UN has denied the Trump campaign’s allegations, in a statement to Reuters, writing that “the Iranian government neither possesses [the documents alleged] nor harbors any intent or motive to interfere in the United States Presidential election.”

Most of the Republican US presidential candidate’s income still comes from Mar-a-Lago Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump has made $300,000 from ‘Greenwood Bible’ sales and owns up to $5 million worth of cryptocurrency, according to his personal financial disclosures. The Federal Election Commission made the 250-page disclosure form public on Friday. It reveals that the Mar-a-Lago club and resort in Florida earned almost $57 million in income since his previous disclosure, while the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey drew over $37 million in “golf-related revenue.” A line that caught the eye of NBC News was that the former – and potentially future – American president has earned $300,000 from sales of “The Greenwood Bible,” a customized edition retailing for $59.99 that includes a handwritten chorus of ‘God Bless the USA’ by country singer Lee Greenwood. A limited edition of the Bible bearing Trump’s personal signature sells for $1,000 apiece. Trump valued his cryptocurrency wallet and “virtual ethereum key” holdings at between $1 million and $5 million. Although he initially considered crypto a “scam,” he has recently argued that if the US doesn’t lead in the industry, China will. “I know a lot of very good people that are really into that world and into that market. They’re smart, they’re good people, and they think it’s going to be very beneficial,” Trump said earlier this month, in a live stream with internet personality Adin Ross. Legal troubles in New York, which Trump has called a politically motivated witch hunt, have resulted in over $100 million in liabilities, according to the disclosure. Trump’s wife Melania has earned over $330,000 from a licensing agreement to sell NFTs, while getting paid over $237,000 for a speaking engagement to Log Cabin Republicans in Florida in 2024. Kamala Harris, the vice president and Democratic nominee, filed her 2023 disclosures in May. It revealed that her investment portfolio consisted of mostly passively managed index funds, according to CNBC. One member of the outlet’s Financial Advisor Council called it “the cleanest portfolio you’ll see in a politician” and insisted there was “no way that she can game the system.” The Harris disclosure also revealed she earned over $8,000 in royalties from a 2019 children’s picture book she authored, as well as a “smaller sum” from her memoir, ‘The Truths We Hold.’ She also reported receiving tickets to a Beyonce concert, valued at more than $1,600, as a gift from “Beyoncé Knowles-Carter” herself.

The new British government’s relations with Moscow remain at a “crisis” level, Andrey Kelin has claimed The new Labour government in the UK is not open to meaningful dialogue with Russia and is repeating the previous, Conservative government's negative stance, according to Moscow's ambassador to Britain, Andrey Kelin. In an interview with RIA Novosti on Thursday, Kelin stated that communication between Russia and the UK is currently very limited. “Given the crisis in bilateral relations caused by the British government, our interactions with the UK authorities are mainly limited to contacts with the Foreign Office. This was the case under the Conservatives, and it continues under the Labour Party,” the envoy stated. He noted that these contacts are infrequent and only occasionally of a political nature. Primarily, they involve the activities of the diplomatic and consular missions of Russia and Britain concerning the current global agenda, the envoy explained. He also pointed out that British politicians who have advocated for dialogue with Russia have faced strong criticism from the UK government. “We know the British who express sensible ideas, but there are few of them here. And, within the anti-Russian consensus that prevails in the local establishment, it is difficult for them to convey and defend their point of view...” “Those who dare to speak from such positions are subjected to harsh criticism, denigrated in the media, and there have been attempts to compromise them,” Kelin said. The British Labour Party won a historic parliamentary election in July, defeating the Conservatives and taking control of the nation's government. The Tories have suffered their worst-ever election defeat, while Labour's landslide victory brought a new party to power for the first time in 14 years. The ambassador had stated in early June that he anticipated accusations of Moscow-linked election interference, adding that the change of government in the UK was unlikely to alter London's policy towards Russia.

The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has condemned attacks “terrorising” Palestinian civilians Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, has denounced the latest assault by Israeli settlers on a Palestinian village in the West Bank, threatening to propose sanctions against their supporters, including those in the Israeli government. On Thursday, media reports surfaced indicating that masked Israeli settlers had invaded the Palestinian town of Jit in the occupied West Bank. Nasser Sedda, a leader of the town council, informed CNN that numerous invaders fired bullets, sprayed tear gas at the residents, and set fire to several buildings and vehicles. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged the attack, stating that the Israeli assailants had set fires, thrown rocks, and Molotov cocktails before being dispersed by Israeli security forces. “Day after day, in an almost total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank, contributing to endanger any chance of peace,” Borrell stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The Israeli government must stop these unacceptable actions immediately,” he stated in a follow-up tweet, having confirmed his “intention to table a proposal for EU sanctions against violent settlers’ enablers, including some Israeli government members.” Palestinian health officials reported, as cited by Euronews, that the violent attack resulted in the death of a 23-year-old Palestinian and critically injured another. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent indicated that two individuals sought medical assistance for injuries sustained from stones, and others required help for smoke inhalation. Commenting on the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “those responsible for any offense will be apprehended and tried” with “utmost severity.” A new wave of hostilities erupted on October 7 after Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel from Gaza, leading to the deaths of around 1,100 individuals, while 200 others were taken hostage. The extensive Israeli response has claimed over 40,000 lives, while another 92,401 people have been wounded, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel's war with Hamas and the siege of Gaza have attracted international criticism in recent months, including threats of sanctions. West Jerusalem has recently experienced a consistent decline in Western support due to the mounting death toll and deepening humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Earlier this week, Borrell criticized two cabinet members, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, over “war crimes,” warning that they could face international sanctions.