Some companies have expressed interest in developing Russian deposits, Kirill Dmitriev has said
Discussions with the US on rare-earth mineral projects in Russia are underway, a senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that. According to Kirill Dmitriev – the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and a key member of Moscow’s delegation to talks aimed at normalizing relations with the US – several American companies have reportedly expressed interest in working in Russia.
Dmitriev confirmed the ongoing discussions on joint rare-earth projects in an interview with Izvestia published on Monday.
“It’s an important part of cooperation, so we have certainly started discussing various rare earth projects in Russia,” he stated. Any Western involvement in extraction would require a significant easing of the sanctions on Russia, Izvestia noted.
Moscow seeks to develop its significant untapped deposits of the minerals, which are crucial for modern industry. In February, Putin suggested that Washington could also benefit from the resources after US President Donald Trump announced plans to normalize relations. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has offered his country’s mineral resources to Trump in exchange for continued support in the conflict with Russia.
The Trump administration is pursuing an agenda of reindustrialization following years of manufacturing shifting towards parts of the world with lower labor costs. Estimates suggest that the use of rare-earth minerals in the US could double as a result of this policy. The White House is actively seeking reliable sources of the vital materials.
Last year, Zelensky included privileged access to Ukraine’s natural resources for donor countries as part of his ‘victory plan’. Following his inauguration in January, Trump proposed a deal with Kiev aimed at recouping American aid provided during the Ukraine conflict. The latest version of Washington’s proposal reportedly seeks extensive US control over Ukraine’s extraction industry and transport infrastructure.
Following media reports suggesting that the agreement is unfavorable to Ukraine, Zelensky expressed reluctance to sign it. Trump warned that the Ukrainian leader would face “big, big problems” if he attempts to back out of the deal. Zelensky previously suggested that discussions on mineral resources were intended to secure the renewal of American assistance and intelligence sharing, which Trump temporarily suspended in late February.
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March 31, 2025 at 12:02AM
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Several European nations are reportedly shifting away from the idea of sending ground troops to the country
France and the UK are leading discussions on sending a military force to Ukraine, with the focus shifting to a potential deployment of air and naval forces amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing sources.
The two countries seek to send a European-led ‘reassurance force’ to Ukraine to secure cities and key sites away from the front lines and to provide logistical support and training to the Ukrainian army.
As part of the effort, a French-British military team plans to visit Ukraine in the coming weeks to assess the number of troops needed and potential deployment locations, the WaPo says.
According to unnamed diplomats familiar with the matter, “the European focus has also shifted to air and sea power” due to concerns over whether the West would be able to maintain a large deployment of ground troops, while some NATO members have proposed using their assets to patrol the skies or the Black Sea.
However, some European officials doubt that a ceasefire – a precondition for deploying troops – will be reached soon, a WaPo source said. According to the paper, some diplomats describe the discussions about sending the military to Ukraine “as an exercise in preparation and leverage.”
Several European countries are reportedly hesitant to send troops without a promise from the US to intervene in case of an escalation, with European officials seeking American support in the form of air defense assets, intelligence, and heavy airlift. However, US President Donald Trump has not provided assurances, with officials from his team offering mixed signals over whether the option is even on the table.
While Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently described the initiative as “simplistic,” a French official familiar with the matter told the WaPo that the discussions are proceeding “in perfect harmony with our American partners, who are interested in this approach and have told us it’s a good one.”
Russia has warned against any unauthorized deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine, which it would consider to be legitimate targets. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Moscow is opposed to the idea of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine, regardless of whether they are “under a foreign flag, under the flag of the European Union or national flags.”
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March 30, 2025 at 11:03PM
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Slovak politicians and economists argue that the measures “have never worked” and backfired on the countries that imposed them
Slovakia hosted a conference on Saturday calling for the removal of EU sanctions against Russia, with politicians and economists warning that the measures have backfired on the countries that imposed them – including Slovakia.
The event – For Slovakia Without Sanctions – was held in Bratislava and promoted a petition for a referendum aimed at persuading the Slovak government to push for the removal of the sanctions at the EU level.
The petition, initiated by the left-wing Party of Slovak Revival and the right-wing Homeland Party late last year, has so far gained more than 300,000 signatures, the organizers said.
Pavol Slota, the leader of the Homeland Party and one of the authors of the petition, argued that Slovakia’s future depends on ending the sanctions.
“It is about our whole nation, all Slovak citizens, about us fighting for our own future. We must do everything so that our message reaches every single Slovak citizen,” he said.
“If we leave everything as it is, it may happen so that we may not get a second chance… I have to ask you, do you respect weak people who adapt, who somehow just go along with the crowd? Or do you respect the strong people who respect themselves?” Slota said, urging people to support the campaign in defense of “our values, our traditions, our families, our nation.”
Economist and professor Peter Stanek told attendees that research, including from Western sources, has shown that the sanctions are ineffective.
“There are dozens of studies that clearly show that sanctions have never worked,” Stanek said. “They always affected those who imposed them… They drove the energy sector crazy.”
He added that European energy prices have been growing since 2021, warning that new US tariffs on EU exports and Brussels’ own costly militarization and climate programs will further amplify the economic fallout.
“Those sanctions begin to take on a completely different dimension [due] to the cretinism reigning in Brussels and the European Commission,” he said. “I can’t call it anything else, because they’ve probably run out of common sense.”
Former Slovak Justice Minister Stefan Harabin also addressed the conference, accusing the EU of “provoking the Russians” with sanctions and escalating the conflict by arming Kiev.
Under Slovakia’s constitution, the president can call a referendum if a petition gathers 350,000 valid signatures. The organizers pledged to continue collecting signatures. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a critic of EU policy on Ukraine, has called the sanctions counterproductive. He urged Brussels to re-engage with Moscow and warned that the bloc’s confrontational approach is hurting its own member states.
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March 30, 2025 at 03:31AM
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Washington became a “part of the kill chain” by providing invaluable intelligence and strategic support, one official told the paper
The administration of US President Joe Biden was far more deeply involved in backing Ukraine’s fight against Russia than previously acknowledged, a New York Times investigation has claimed, stressing that Washington’s intelligence was indispensable for Kiev's military operations.
The lengthy report released on Saturday offers a deep dive into an “extraordinary partnership of intelligence, strategy, planning and technology” that became Kiev’s “secret weapon” in countering Russia.
While the Pentagon supplied Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid, it also provided crucial intelligence that enabled Kiev to attack Russian command and control centers and other high-value targets starting in mid-2022, the NYT said.
According to the article, the heart of this partnership lay at the US Army facility in Wiesbaden, Germany, where American and Ukrainian officers set daily targeting priorities which they reportedly referred to as “points of interest,” for fear of appearing too provocative.
American and Ukrainian officers planned major counteroffensives together and launched large long-range high-precision strikes, using Western-supplied weapons on Russia’s Crimea, the NYT also claimed. The strikes using Western-supplied missiles have led to civilian casualties, with one ATACMS attack on a Sevastopol beach in June 2024 killing four and injuring more than 150.
The US has also dispatched dozens of military advisers to Ukraine, some of whom were allowed to travel close to the frontline.
In 2024, the US extended its permissions to allow Ukraine carry out limited long-range strikes using American-supplied weapons into internationally recognized Russian territory – for years considered a “red line.” Washington provided Kiev with the targeting data for the strikes.
One European intelligence official was shocked by the level of US involvement in the conflict, telling the Times, “they are part of the kill chain now.”
The cooperation, however, was at times tenuous due to disagreements over strategy and objectives, especially in the run-up to Ukraine’s botched counteroffensive in the southern sector of the front in the summer of 2023.
American officials reportedly viewed the Ukrainians as too ambitious and dismissive of strategic advice. The Ukrainians accused the Americans of being overly cautious. During the 2023 counteroffensive, the Ukrainian leadership was split between competing objectives – pursuing an assault toward Melitopol, and defending Artemovsk (Bakhmut). This reportedly undermined the unified strategy developed in Wiesbaden.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Ukraine “cannot exist” without outside support. Moscow has repeatedly denounced Western involvement in the conflict, saying it would only prolong the hostilities without changing their outcome.
However, the administration of US President Donald Trump has engaged with Russia with the aim of ending the conflict, an engagement that Moscow has described as productive.
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March 30, 2025 at 01:32AM
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The US president has said he still trusts National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
US President Donald Trump has said he has no plans to fire anyone after a journalist accessed a chat on the Signal encrypted messaging app in which senior members of the administration discussed military operations.
On Monday, The Atlantic magazine detailed purported confidential conversations between Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and other high-ranking officials regarding US strikes against the Houthi fighters in Yemen.
The author of the article, Jeffrey Goldberg, claimed to have obtained the information after being added to a chat on Signal called ‘Houthi PC small group’ by US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Asked by NBC News on Saturday if Waltz or Hegseth, who are said to have shared a detailed timeline of the planned attacks on the chat, will face repercussions over the leak, Trump replied: “I do not fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts.”
The president insisted that he still has confidence in both his national security adviser and the defense secretary.
“I have no idea what Signal is. I do not care what Signal is. All I can tell you is it is just a witch hunt, and it is the only thing the press wants to talk about because you have nothing else to talk about; because it has been the greatest 100-day presidency in the history of our country,” he said.
Politico reported on Friday that Vance was among the members of the administration who asked Trump to fire Waltz after the incident.
The outlet’s sources claimed Trump agreed that his adviser “messed up,” but ultimately decided against firing him. “Like hell he would give the liberal media and pearl-clutching Democrats a win,” one source explained.
Waltz’s spokesman, Brian Hughes, denied the report, calling it “gossip from people lacking the integrity to attach their names.” The national security adviser “serves at the pleasure of President Trump” and continues to have his support, the spokesman said.
On Friday, Waltz accompanied Vance on a visit to Greenland, where the vice president dismissed media speculation about tensions in the administration and defended the national security team.
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March 30, 2025 at 12:50AM
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The Russian president has suggested that UN-backed external governance in Kiev could provide a legitimate foundation for peace negotiations
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to establish a temporary international administration in Ukraine under UN supervision is based on historical precedents, according to Kirill Logvinov, who heads the Foreign Ministry’s Department of International Organizations. He told TASS on Sunday that the UN already has experience with this process.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is not possible to sign a peace agreement with Kiev because the current Ukrainian leadership lacks legitimacy. Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024, though he has remained in office without holding elections, citing martial law.
Putin suggested earlier this week that creating “external management or temporary administration” under the UN could facilitate elections in Ukraine and provide a legitimate foundation for negotiations. A peace deal signed with a newly elected leader, he said, “would be recognized around the world” and could not be overturned later.
“There is no formal mechanism for creating such administrations in the UN,” Logvinov acknowledged. However, he noted that the UN has established transitional authorities in several post-conflict areas, including Cambodia, East Timor, and Eastern Slavonia, setting a precedent for this type of arrangement.
“In all cases, the first step was reaching an agreement between the parties to the conflict – directly or through intermediaries – on the appropriate transfer of powers to the UN,” he explained. Once an agreement is reached, the parties or their mediators would then submit a formal appeal to the UN. The Security Council would instruct the secretary-general to prepare a framework for the temporary administration, including a timeline and budget.
Logvinov stressed that the final decision rests with the UN Security Council following a report by the secretary-general outlining the form and functions of the proposed administration.
Officials in Kiev have rejected the idea. Andrey Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, claimed on Telegram that the plan is an attempt by Moscow to delay peace talks.
Washington has not formally commented on the proposal. However, Reuters quoted an unnamed White House national security spokesperson who said Ukraine’s governance should be determined by its constitution and people.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dismissed the proposal on Friday, insisting that “Ukraine has a legitimate government, and so obviously that must be respected.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, currently the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, criticized Guterres’ remarks, calling them a “double lie.” Referring to Zelensky in a post on X, he said: “The nit is illegitimate. There’s nothing to respect him for. He failed, his people are dying, and his country is disappearing.”
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March 29, 2025 at 11:40PM
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The billionaire’s xAI artificial intelligence startup has acquired the social media platform
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has acquired the social media platform X, which he also controls. The acquisition was confirmed in a Friday post on X, where Musk stated, “@xAI has acquired @X in an all-stock transaction.”
“Since its founding two years ago, xAI has rapidly become one of the leading AI labs in the world, building models and data centers at unprecedented speed and scale,” the tech mogul said. He described X as “the digital town square where more than 600M active users go to find the real-time source of ground truth.”
In late 2022, Musk acquired Twitter, now known as X. Following his takeover, he implemented cost-cutting measures, including far-reaching staff cuts and the renegotiations of contracts, while also relaxing some content restrictions and reinstating certain banned accounts.
Musk noted that X has been transformed into one of the most efficient companies globally, highlighting its potential for scalable growth. He has stated that “xAI and X’s futures are intertwined,” emphasizing the advantages of combining their resources: “Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.”
AI development is one of the priorities of the government of US President Donald Trump, where Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to analysts, the billionaire has been focused on establishing himself as a leader in the AI industry.
Earlier this year, he attempted to lead a group of investors to purchase OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, for nearly $100 billion. The company’s CEO Sam Altman, however, rejected the offer. Musk had co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but departed before it gained significant traction, and subsequently launched xAI in 2023.
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March 29, 2025 at 12:23AM
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Security in South Sudan could deteriorate “rapidly and unpredictably,” London has warned
The UK has advised British nationals to leave South Sudan, where escalating tensions have sparked widespread fears that the East African nation is on the verge of renewed civil war.
The British Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) issued an updated travel advisory on Thursday, warning that security in Africa’s youngest country “could deteriorate rapidly and unpredictably.”
“If you are in South Sudan and judge it safe to do so, you should leave now. If the unstable security situation deteriorates, routes into and out of South Sudan may be blocked. Juba airport may close or be inaccessible,” the foreign office stated.
The alert comes a day after the British embassy in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, announced that it has temporarily reduced its staff and suspended in-person consular services due to security threats. The US has taken similar measures, ordering non-emergency US citizens, including government personnel, to depart the volatile country. Germany and Norway have also temporarily closed their embassies in South Sudan. Berlin has said the African country, which gained independence from war-torn Sudan in 2011, is “once again on the brink of civil war.”
The landlocked country has remained unstable since the end of a five-year civil war that erupted in 2013 over a feud between its president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and his current first vice president, Riek Machar.
Tensions have been growing between President Kiir and Machar since several Sudanese soldiers were recently killed when a UN helicopter came under attack while attempting to evacuate them from the troubled Upper Nile state, where clashes erupted in March. The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces are fighting the White Army militia, which is primarily made up of Nuer people, the vice president’s ethnic group.
On Wednesday, Machar’s party reported that over 20 heavily armed vehicles “forcefully” entered the vice president’s residence, disarmed his bodyguards, and issued an arrest warrant for him “under unclear charges.”
Later on Thursday, the opposition group said authorities had placed Machar under house arrest, adding that the action has effectively collapsed a 2018 peace agreement that ended the 2013 civil war.
The UN has also warned that the vice president’s arrest “takes the country yet one step closer to the edge of a collapse into civil war and the dismantling of the peace agreement.”
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March 28, 2025 at 11:20PM
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The number of victims is expected to rise as rescue operations continue
The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake which rocked Myanmar on Friday has reached 1,002, the state-run broadcaster MRTV has reported.
The updated figures are from “all the earthquake-affected areas nationwide,” the broadcaster said on Saturday.
According to an earlier report by Myanmar Now, at least 2,400 additional people have been injured across the Southeast Asian country.
The authorities said earlier that the number of victims is expected to keep climbing as rescue operations are continuing.
Earlier in the day, the country’s prime minister, Min Aung Hlaing, arrived in the city of Mandalay, which was heavily damaged by the quake. During his meeting with local officials, he “instructed them to carry out search and rescue operations as soon as possible and to take necessary measures” to assist those affected, according to MRTV.
The broadcaster had said earlier that 1,591 homes, 670 monasteries and 60 schools had been damaged in and around Mandalay, which is located some 17 kilometers from the epicenter of the quake.
Myanmar in ruins! A 7.7M earthquake leaves many dead and injured — Hospital collapse causes mass casualties as rescue efforts continue pic.twitter.com/AZpHavavNC
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said on Saturday that it has dispatched two planes carrying some 120 rescuers to assist Myanmar in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.
The tremors reached neighboring Thailand, where a skyscraper under construction collapsed in Bangkok. The city’s authorities have said that at least 10 people were killed, 16 were injured and 101 remain missing as a result of the natural disaster.
The Chinese embassy in Myanmar announced that a team of 37 rescue workers had been flown to the country. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on X that New Delhi has dispatched a plane loaded with emergency personnel, paramedics and humanitarian aid to Myanmar.
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the country’s leadership, saying that “Russia shares the grief of the friendly people of Myanmar.” He expressed his sympathy for those who have lost loved ones in the quake and wished a speedy recovery to all the injured, according to the Kremlin.
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March 28, 2025 at 11:05PM
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The government of Comoros says the move will create new prospects for bilateral cooperation
Comoros has agreed to the establishment of a Russian diplomatic mission in its capital, Moroni, local media reported on Thursday, citing a document from the African island nation’s Foreign Ministry.
The Comorian government has welcomed the move as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with Moscow, according to a letter addressed to the Russian mission in neighboring Madagascar and published by the news agency Comores-infos.
“The government of the Union of the Comoros accepts the request of the authorities of the Russian Federation to establish an embassy in the Union of the Comoros,” the ministry stated.
“The establishment of this embassy in Moroni will bring the Union of the Comoros and the Russian Federation, which have maintained bilateral relations for several years, closer together and open up new prospects for cooperation between the two countries,” it added.
The move comes at a time when Moscow has declared that developing ties with African states is among its top foreign policy priorities. Plans to open an embassy in Comoros and several other countries, including the Gambia, Liberia, and Togo, in the “near future” were first announced last month by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Currently, the diplomatic representation for Comoros is managed through Russia’s embassy in Madagascar.
Earlier this year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Moscow is set to expand its diplomatic presence in Africa with the establishment of embassies in Sierra Leone and South Sudan – the continent’s newest country. She said the relevant government decrees had been issued at the end of December, with the official opening of the missions scheduled for the “near future.”
Russia also intends to reopen its mission in Niger, which had, along with the Sahel state’s embassy in Moscow, ceased operations in the 1990s due to budgetary challenges.
In December 2023, Moscow’s embassy in Burkina Faso officially resumed operations after being shut for more than three decades. The mission in Equatorial Guinea also opened last year, according to Lavrov.
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March 28, 2025 at 12:16AM
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European countries must work with Washington to achieve peace between Moscow and Kiev, Giorgia Meloni has said
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has ruled out the participation of her country’s troops in a military force that the UK and France want to be deployed to Ukraine in the event that a peace deal with Russia is reached.
In early March, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said that their nations were ready to lead a “coalition of the willing” pro-Ukrainian European countries to support Kiev with troops and aircraft. The announcement followed the launch of bilateral talks between Moscow and Washington to settle the ongoing conflict, to which the EU and UK were not invited.
After a summit of Kiev’s backers in Paris on Thursday, which was attended by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, Meloni reiterated that “no national participation in a possible military force on the ground is planned” by the authorities in Rome.
According to a statement published by the Italian prime minister’s office, she also “stressed the importance of continuing to work with the US to stop the conflict and achieve peace” between Moscow and Kiev. She “hoped for the involvement of an American delegation at the next coordination meeting” of Ukraine’s European allies, the statement read.
In her interview with the Financial Times on Friday, Meloni stressed that it is “childish” to make Italy choose between the US and the EU.
Instead of deploying what London and Paris now call a “reassurance force” to aid Kiev, she proposed extending NATO’s mutual defense clause to Ukraine without actually making the country a member of the US-led bloc. Doing so would be “easier and more effective than the other ideas that are on the table,” she insisted.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic also said on Thursday that his country “will not be involved in Ukraine in any form.” Zagreb will not join the peacekeeping force because “the necessary conditions are simply not met – there is no peace agreement, nor the consent of the other side, which in this case is Russia,” he explained.
Russia has categorically ruled out the possibility of NATO-aligned European troops deploying to the conflict zone. It accused France and Britain of hatching plans for “military intervention in Ukraine,” which could lead to a direct military clash between Russia and the bloc. Moscow also suggested that London and Paris are deliberately escalating tensions in order to undermine efforts by the US and Russia to resolve the conflict.
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March 27, 2025 at 11:25PM
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Almost all newborns now receive extensive neonatal screening, the prime minister has said
Russia has achieved a historically low rate of infant mortality due to the advancement of the maternal and childcare system in the country, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishutsin has announced.
Addressing the State Duma on Wednesday, Mishustin said almost all newborns now receive comprehensive neonatal screening. Over the past two years, the tests have been expanded to cover 40 conditions instead of just five.
“Today, the infant mortality rate in the country is the lowest in the entire history of Russia and the Soviet Union,” the prime minister said. “Behind these words are thousands of babies, at the right moment, received life-saving care from highly skilled doctors and were given the chance to live.”
The modernization of pediatric medical institutions is ongoing in Russia as part of national health and demography projects, Mishustin noted. He added that over 20 hospitals have been put into operation across the country under national projects, and almost all existing clinics have been upgraded with state-of-the-art equipment.
Like many other countries, Russia is faced with a decline in birth rates, and is now developing a system that encompasses healthcare, childhood, and maternity. Late last year, President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of increasing birth rates, describing it as one of the “key issues for Russia.”
The country has introduced financial support programs for families, including lump-sum payments for childbirth and expanded maternity benefits. The government has also revived the Soviet-era “Mother Heroine” award, which provides financial incentives for women who have given birth to or raised ten or more children. Additionally, officials have discussed policies such as restricting the promotion of so-called ‘child-free’ lifestyles and potential tax incentives for families with multiple children.
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March 27, 2025 at 12:04AM
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The bloc still hopes to “maximize pressure” on Moscow, a European Commission spokesperson has told the Financial Times
The EU will not fulfill Russia’s demand to lift sanctions on the country’s main agricultural bank as part of the Black Sea ceasefire initiative discussed between Moscow and Washington, European Commission Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Anitta Hipper has said.
During the talks between Russian and US experts in Riyadh on Monday, the sides agreed to move towards reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which, according to the Kremlin, should include the removal of Western restrictions against Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions involved in the international sale of food and fertilizers. The maritime ceasefire is seen by Moscow and Washington as a step towards settling the Ukraine conflict.
In her interview with the Financial Times on Wednesday, Hipper insisted that “the end of the Russian unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine would be one of the main preconditions to amend or lift sanctions.”
“The EU’s main focus remains to maximize pressure on Russia, using all tools available, including sanctions, to diminish Russia’s ability to wage its war against Ukraine,” she insisted.
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that his administration is considering lifting some curbs against Moscow, saying that “there are about five or six conditions. We are looking at all of them.”
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed later that Kiev did not agree to the maritime truce due to it representing “a weakening of positions and a weakening of sanctions” against Russia.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, originally brokered in July 2022 by the UN and Türkiye, envisioned the safe passage of Ukrainian agricultural products in exchange for the West lifting its restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports. Moscow withdrew from the deal a year later, citing the West’s failure to fold up its obligations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that the maritime truce could take effect only once certain conditions set out by Russia are met. “Of course, this time justice must prevail, and we will continue our work with the Americans [on the Black Sea Initiative],” Peskov stressed.
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March 26, 2025 at 11:30PM
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Moscow’s “influence activities” are expected to intensify and become more sophisticated, a new report has claimed
Russia is using a variety of entities, including RT, to shape public opinion and stoke division in the US, an American intelligence report has claimed.
The allegation was made in the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, which was made available to the public on Tuesday. The document is said to reflect “the collective insights” of the country’s spy agencies.
The authors claimed that Moscow “uses influence activities to counter threats, including by stoking political discord in the West, sowing doubt in democratic processes and US global leadership, degrading Western support for Ukraine, and amplifying preferred Russian narratives.”
Russia employs so-called ‘troll farms’, which spread information through fake accounts, and “state media outlet RT in its efforts to covertly shape public opinion in the US, amplify and stoke domestic divisions, and discreetly engage Americans, while hiding Russia’s hand,” the report alleged.
The document reiterated accusations of Russian meddling in US elections – which Moscow has consistently denied – claiming that Russia “probably believes [such] information operations efforts... are advantageous, regardless of whether they affect election outcomes, because reinforcing doubt in the integrity of the US electoral system achieves one of its core objectives.”
“Moscow’s malign influence activities will continue for the foreseeable future and will almost certainly increase in sophistication and volume,” the paper suggested.
The threat assessment was released amid efforts by Russia and the administration of US President Donald Trump to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict and normalize relations between Moscow and Washington.
On Monday, Russian and US experts held 12-hour talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, agreeing to revive the defunct Black Sea Grain Initiative, which envisioned the safe passage of Ukrainian agricultural products in exchange for the West lifting sanctions on Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
Last September, the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden announced a new raft of curbs targeting several Russian media outlets, accusing them of attempting to “undermine democracy” and interfere in US elections. Then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken alleged that RT was “functioning as a de facto arm of [Russian] intelligence.”
Moscow has condemned the restrictions, saying that Washington had “declared war on freedom of speech.”
Earlier this month, American journalist Ben Swann, who previously headed RT’s operations in the US, urged the Trump administration to lift the curbs, arguing that they were unconstitutional and violated “rights of freedom of speech and press.”
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March 25, 2025 at 11:10PM
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The country’s leader says attempts to host direct talks between the conflicting parties have failed due to external factors
Angolan President Joao Lourenco is stepping down as a mediator in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) to focus on his new role as chairman of the African Union (AU), his office said on Monday.
President Lourenco had been attempting to facilitate direct talks between Congolese officials and the M23 rebel group in order to end decades-long fighting in the DR Congo, which escalated earlier this year and has resulted in thousands of deaths.
“Angola recognizes the need to relieve itself of the responsibility of mediating this conflict in eastern DRC, in order to more comprehensively focus on the general priorities established by the continental organization. These priorities pertain to peace and security across the continent as a whole,” the Angolan presidency said in a statement.
Negotiations had been scheduled to begin last Tuesday in Angola’s capital, Luanda, but the militants withdrew at the last minute after the European Union imposed sanctions on the group’s leadership. Previous Angola-mediated peace talks between DR Congo and Rwanda, which Kinshasa has repeatedly accused of supporting the M23, stalled last December after Kigali demanded that the Congolese government engage directly with the rebel group.
Last week, however, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whose government denies fueling the DR Congo conflict, and his Congolese counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, agreed to deescalate tensions following a surprise meeting in Doha, mediated by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Commenting on the Doha talks, which took place on the same day as the canceled Luanda dialogue, the Angolan government declared that while all efforts to end the offensive are welcome, “African problems should be resolved by Africans.”
On Monday, President Lourenco also said his mediation efforts failed due to a “combination of factors, including some external elements unrelated to the ongoing African process.”
“Necessary steps will be taken in the coming days to identify the country whose head of state… will take on the mediation of the conflict between the DRC and Rwanda,” he stated.
Angola’s decision comes at a time when the rebels have intensified their offensive, seizing another town in the DR Congo’s troubled east. The mineral-rich mining town of Walikale, home to approximately 15,000 people, fell last Wednesday after intense fighting between M23 forces and the Congolese army, along with allied militias. The militants had earlier captured key cities, including Goma and Bukavu.
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March 25, 2025 at 01:03AM
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Kiev is broadening its military recruitment as the US nudges it into a truce with Russia
Ukraine must enlist more young men into its armed forces, as a number of units face a pressing need for reinforcements, according to the country’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky.
In a regular news briefing on Monday, Zelensky announced that the military leadership had approved an expansion of recruitment targeting citizens aged 18 to 24. While mandatory conscription applies to men over 24, the government is trying to encourage younger individuals to volunteer by offering an array of incentives.
“I visited the front on Saturday. There is a demand from specific brigades, and we will be responding positively to it. There will be more brigades employing young specialists,” Zelensky stated. “This initiative will extend to the National Guard and border guard units, as all effective defense forces should be given every opportunity to enhance their capabilities.”
Under a recruitment campaign launched in February, young adults are promised 1 million hryvnia ($24,000) for a year of military service, as well as free dental care and the option to leave Ukraine after fulfilling their contract – an option not available to regular fighting-age men.
The Defense Ministry is promoting the offer by showing how much recruits can buy with the money – equating it to 15,625 cheeseburgers or 185 years of Netflix subscriptions. Critics have condemned the ad campaign as demeaning to potential recruits.
Last year, Zelensky reduced the minimum conscription age from 27 to 25, but refrained from further adjustments, citing concerns over the economic and demographic impact. Western supporters have urged Kiev to enlist younger men, saying the aging Ukrainian army is struggling to fight effectively.
Ukraine is intensifying its mobilization efforts as the US attempts to mediate a resolution to the conflict with Russia, leveraging Kiev’s reliance on foreign aid. Washington has convinced both sides to agree to a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure. After several attacks, however, Moscow has accused Kiev of not honoring its obligation and has threatened to pull out of the 30-day partial ceasefire.
Over the past few days, US officials met separately with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia to explore the potential resumption of the Black Sea Initiative, aimed at facilitating maritime exports.
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March 24, 2025 at 11:16PM
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The suspected traitor shared classified data about the country’s border resilience measures, the security agency has alleged
A suspected Russian traitor has been taken into custody for allegedly transmitting classified information to Ukraine, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced.
A brief statement on Monday identified the suspect as an employee of the central office of a Russian agency responsible for overseeing government operations.
Last year, he allegedly reached out to the Ukrainian government, offering “information about efforts to protect industrial and energy sites in the border areas of the Russian Federation,” as well as details on troop deployments.
If found guilty of treason, the suspect could face a life sentence.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has mediated a partial ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides pledging to suspend attacks against energy infrastructure.
The measure, which is meant to build momentum for a more comprehensive truce currently being negotiated in Saudi Arabia, was not honored by Kiev, according to the Russian military. Officials have accused Ukraine of launching a kamikaze drone strike against an oil transfer station in Russia’s Krasnodar Region and blowing up a gas metering station in Kursk Region.
Moscow has said that while its commitment not to attack Ukrainian energy sites holds, it reserves the right to pull out of the deal if Kiev continues to violate it.
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March 24, 2025 at 12:04AM
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier proposed sending troops to the conflict zone as part of a “coalition of the willing”
UK military officials have dismissed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposal for deploying Western troops to Ukraine as part of a ‘peacekeeping force’ to oversee a potential ceasefire, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. Senior military sources told the outlet that Starmer had “got ahead of himself.”
Starmer announced the initiative earlier this month, aiming to build a “coalition of the willing” to support Ukraine militarily. Last week, he claimed that multiple countries backed the idea of sending in a peacekeeping force of up to 10,000 troops, despite Moscow’s opposition to any Western deployments in the conflict zone.
London hosted planning talks last week with military officials from partner nations. However, military sources dismissed the plans as premature and politically motivated.
“There is no defined military end-state or military-strategic planning assumptions. It’s all political theater,” one senior army official told the news outlet.
“Starmer got ahead of himself with talk of boots on the ground before he knew what he was talking about.”
The discussions have reportedly shifted their focus from boots on the ground to air and naval support. The Telegraph reported that RAF fighter jets could be deployed to patrol Ukrainian airspace, while British Typhoons could provide air cover for ground forces, though the size and role of any ground deployment remain unclear.
“It’s politics. There’s no military sense in it,” another defense source said, noting that neither Russia nor the US support the coalition. He also pointed to a lack of clarity on mission goals.
“What is a 10,000-international force based in the west of the country over 400km from the front line meant to do? It cannot even protect itself,” he argued. “What is the mission? What is its legitimacy? What are the rules of engagement? How is it commanded, supplied and housed? How long is it there for and why? No one knows.”
Further planning talks are expected in London on Monday between British and French defense officials. French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly considering invoking the UN to authorize a European troop presence in Ukraine. However, Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of Western peacekeepers in Ukraine, noting that it would require UN Security Council approval, where Moscow holds veto power.
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March 23, 2025 at 11:20PM
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Ekrem Imamoglu was detained earlier this week on corruption and terrorism charges
A Turkish court formally arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Sunday and ordered his pretrial detention on corruption charges. The news comes amid violent protests that swept the country following Imamoglu’s detention earlier this week.
The mayor, a prominent member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) who is seen as a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday as part of a sweeping probe into alleged extortion, bribery, and fraud. Prosecutors have also opened a separate case into his alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara considers to be a terrorist organization.
On Sunday, the court approved the request of prosecutors to jail Imamoglu pending trial on the corruption charges. A decision on the terrorism probe is still pending. The mayor faced questioning in court on Saturday, where he denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the charges against him are politically motivated.
Imamoglu’s detention came days before he was due to be nominated as the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential election. His detention sparked some of the biggest protests in more than a decade, despite a ban on street gatherings in Istanbul, which has recently been extended until March 26.
Polis ekiplerinin Saraçhane'de direnen vatandaşlara yoğun biber gazı müdahalesiyle saldırdığı anlar: pic.twitter.com/AylTYfheZv
On Saturday, the city saw a fourth straight night of protests, with thousands of people gathered outside Istanbul’s municipal headquarters in Sarachane and at the Caglayan courthouse. Protesters waved flags and chanted slogans in support of Imamoglu. Police responded with tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowds.
People in Turkey are rising up in protest against Erdogan...
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Similar scenes were reported in Ankara and the western city of Izmir, where water cannons were deployed, according to local media reports. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 323 people were detained during the unrest across the country as of Sunday morning.
Ankara Kızılay'da Ekrem İmamoğlu'nun gözaltına alınmasını protesto eden yurttaşlara polis müdahale etti. pic.twitter.com/onWN2xn7vz
Imamoglu commended the demonstrations in a post on X, describing them as “a defense of democracy.” He also encouraged supporters to vote in symbolic “solidarity boxes” set up across the country by the CHP to allow people who are not party members to express their support for the mayor. Despite the court’s ruling, the CHP earlier reaffirmed its intention to endorse Imamoglu as the party’s presidential candidate.
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March 23, 2025 at 01:28AM
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The country has extracted a billion tons of coal over the past year to fuel its booming, energy-hungry economy
Coal production in India has hit a record high of 1 billion tons in the fiscal year ending March 31, according to Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy. With its rapidly growing economy, the country largely relies on coal for domestic power generation.
The world’s second biggest consumer of coal after China, India generates some 74% of its electricity from coal-based generation. Meanwhile, the share of coal in the nation’s energy mix amounts to approximately 55%.
India, which extracted 997.83 million tons of coal in the fiscal year of 2023-24, has now joined China as the only nations whose annual coal output exceeds 1 billion tons.
“This achievement will fuel our increasing power demands, drive economic growth, and ensure a brighter future for every Indian,” the minister said on Friday in a post on X, highlighting that coal producers in the country have “not only increased production but also ensured sustainable and responsible mining.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed India’s historic achievement, calling it a “proud moment for India” and highlighting the government’s commitment to energy security, economic growth and self-reliance.
Increasing domestic coal production has helped reduce imports. Coal purchases from abroad fell by 8.4% from April to December 2024, resulting in approximately $5.43 billion in foreign-exchange savings compared to the same period the previous year, according to the government.
Under its Coal Action Plan, the government has set a production target of 1.08 billion tons for the current fiscal year. While India continues to import coal to meet peak summer demand, the government aims to achieve self-sufficiency in coal by 2026 through increased domestic output and expansion of renewable energy sources.
The Indian economy averaged annual GDP growth of 6.5% in the two decades prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. It expanded by 6.4% in fiscal year 2024-25 and 8.2% the prior fiscal year, making India the world’s fastest-growing major economy. The Reserve Bank of India expects growth of 6.7% in the next fiscal year, which begins in April, driven by an uptick in industrial activity and household consumption.
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March 23, 2025 at 12:28AM
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Military investigators are working with affected residents from the town of Sudzha, which was liberated earlier in March
The Russian Investigative Committee has reported incidents of looting, arson, and shootings of civilians by Ukrainian military personnel in the town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Region. According to a statement released on Sunday, military investigators are currently working with residents, collecting evidence of crimes committed by Ukraine.
Sudzha, the largest town taken by Ukrainian forces during their cross-border incursion, was liberated by Russian troops earlier this month.
According to investigators, numerous accounts from victims support claims that there were orders to kill civilians in Kursk Region. Work is underway to find and hold responsible all members of Ukrainian armed groups who took part in these actions.
The statement also indicates that during January and February 2025, Ukrainian soldiers engaged in looting and set fire to civilian homes while people were still inside. “Targeted shelling of residential buildings in Sudzha resulted in significant destruction, with some homes completely ruined,” the statement reads.
Kiev launched an offensive into Kursk Region in August 2024, capturing Sudzha and several villages. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky stated that the incursion aimed to provide leverage for future peace negotiations. However, the Russian military quickly halted the advance and has been steadily reclaiming territory since then. According to the Russian military, around 86% of the territory held by Ukraine has been liberated.
Recently, US President Donald Trump acknowledged the precarious situation of “thousands of Ukrainian troops” surrounded by Russian forces in Kursk Region. He urged Moscow to spare their lives, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to offer guarantees of safety and humane treatment for those who surrender.
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March 22, 2025 at 11:22PM
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The US has made “tremendous progress” in settling the conflict during talks with Russia, Steve Witkoff has told Tucker Carlson
The US has achieved significant progress in negotiations with Russia aimed at settling the Ukraine conflict, Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, has told American journalist Tucker Carlson.
In an hour-and-a-half interview released Friday, the envoy signaled that Ukraine has apparently agreed to stay out of NATO – one of Moscow’s key demands in the conflict – with the key issue being the fate of former Ukrainian territories that voted overwhelmingly to join Russia.
Here are the key takeaways from the interview.
Prospects for a lasting ceasefire
The Trump administration has “made more progress in Russia in this Russian-Ukraine conflict in the last eight weeks than anyone thought we would ever make,” Witkoff claimed, referring in particular to his recent visit to Moscow.
According to the diplomat, the talks focused on “an ultimate ceasefire,” with one of the key topics being the Ukrainian troops surrounded in the border region of Kursk. “The Russians have taken it [Kursk Region] back. They’ve got people trapped there and the president doesn’t want to see everybody getting killed. That’s a significant battlefield condition that has to be dealt with.”
Witkoff said, “we’re not far away” from a 30-day ceasefire, but cautioned that the sides have to reach agreements on dozens of separate battlefield situations across the front, adding that Russian and US teams will meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia starting on Monday to discuss a number of issues.
’Elephant in the room’
The biggest issue in the Ukraine conflict is that of Crimea and four other regions that voted to join Russia in 2014 and 2022, respectively, Witkoff said. “They’re Russian speaking. There have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule,” he said.
The diplomat described the territorial dispute between Moscow and Kiev as the “elephant in the room” that “no one wants to talk about.” The problem is compounded by constitutional issues within Ukraine regarding the possibility of ceding territory, with questions lingering about the international recognition of the new reality on the ground, and Vladimir Zelensky’s political future, Witkoff said.
Nevertheless, the Trump envoy claimed that “we’re having a very, very positive conversation” on the topic.
Ukraine NATO membership off the table
Witkoff reiterated that he believes “it’s largely accepted” that “if there’s going to be a peace deal, Ukraine cannot be a member of NATO,” adding that this sentiment is shared by Zelensky and Andrey Yermak, his influential chief of staff.
Election in Ukraine
Asked whether Ukraine will hold a new election, Witkoff replied in the affirmative, without providing further details or a timeline. “Yes. There will be. They’ve agreed to it. There will be elections in Ukraine,” he said, arguing that Zelensky ended up “in a very difficult position” because he faces a powerful adversary.
Zelensky’s presidential term expired last May, but he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. Russia deems him “illegitimate,” insisting that the only legal authority now lies with the Ukrainian parliament until a new vote is held.
Russia ‘100%’ doesn’t want to attack Europe
Russia has no desire to invade other European countries, Witkoff said, rejecting the notion that “the Russians are going to march across Europe” as “preposterous.” He explained that the continent’s security is to a large extent guaranteed by NATO, which did not exist during World War II.
Putin prayed for Trump
Witkoff noted that Putin told him he prayed for Trump after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July. The Russian leader said he “went to his local church and met with his priest and prayed for the president – not because he could become the president of the United States, but because he had a friendship with him and he was praying for his friend,” the envoy recounted.
He added that his recent visit to Moscow “got personal.”“President Putin had commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump from the leading Russian artist and actually gave it to me and asked me to take it home to President Trump, which I brought home and delivered to him.”
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March 22, 2025 at 01:48AM
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The authorities have raided the homes of several TikTok influencers suspected of voter bribery linked to the opposition figure’s campaign
Romanian prosecutors have launched a sweeping crackdown on supporters of opposition figure Calin Georgescu, detaining a prominent influencer and conducting raids tied to alleged voter bribery during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Georgescu, a critic of NATO, the EU, and aid to Ukraine, won an unexpected first-round victory in last year’s election. The results were promptly annulled by Romania’s Constitutional Court, citing funding irregularities.
No evidence of wrongdoing by Georgescu has surfaced, but the authorities accused social media influencers of swaying public opinion.
A preliminary investigation reported by the media earlier this year suggested that the “irregularities” may have been caused by a consulting firm linked to the pro-Western National Liberal Party (PNL) which inadvertently helped Georgescu while trying to derail another candidate. Earlier this month, however, Georgescu was briefly detained on six criminal charges, including alleged “voter bribery.” The investigation against him is ongoing.
On Friday, the General Prosecutor’s Office said it ordered a preventive arrest of businessman and influencer Bogdan Peschir, accused of financing Georgescu’s campaign with nearly $900,000 in digital gifts and transfers.
Finantatorul campaniei lui Georgescu, obligat sa-si dea jos masca si ochelarii pic.twitter.com/QMvpvqxb0f
The Romanian Intelligence Service, in declassified documents cited by local media, including g4media and RomaniaTV, claimed that Peschir used the TikTok account ‘bogpr’ to donate to creators promoting Georgescu and alleged that a foreign “state actor” may have coordinated the effort.
Peschir has maintained that his donations were personal and voluntary, similar to “Elon Musk supporting [US President Donald] Trump” during last year’s presidential election, and denied having any ties to Georgescu’s campaign. Peschir’s lawyer slammed the arrest, calling it politically motivated.
Perchezitii in dosarul Georgescu pentru coruperea alegatorilor. Vizati sunt Peschir si Makaveli pic.twitter.com/qfwQXcweyX
Peschir’s arrest followed 17 raids carried out by Romanian police across Bucharest and nine counties on Thursday targeting influencers who allegedly supported Georgescu. Among them was TikTok personality Makaveli (real name: Alexandru Virgil Zidaru), who is known for his anti-mainstream views and links to right-wing MEP Diana Iovanovici-Sosoaca.
Sosoaca was barred from last year’s election after the Constitutional Court ruled that her anti-Western rhetoric and support for closer ties with Russia violated Romania’s democratic framework.
Media reports also indicate that the authorities raided the home of Alin Borcan, the self-proclaimed ‘king of TikTok’, who appeared before the media following the raid with a toy gun, and said the police were “searching for Mr. Georgescu in my drawers.”
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March 22, 2025 at 12:31AM
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The F-47 is “something the likes of which nobody has seen before,” the US president has said
US President Donald Trump has said he has awarded Boeing the contract to build the Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet.
The state-of-the-art aircraft will be named the F-47, Trump, the 47th US president, announced at the Oval Office on Friday.
“At my direction, the US Air Force is moving forward with the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet, number six, sixth generation, nothing in the world comes even close to it,” he said.
According to the president, the jet has been in the works “for a long period of time” and “will be the most lethal aircraft ever built.”
The program was previously known as Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), with the Air Force acknowledging that it had flown a full-scale prototype of the jet during Trump’s first presidency.
The F-47 “flies with drones. It flies with many, many drones, as many as you want. It is a technology that is new, but it does not fly by itself. It flies with many drones, as many as you want, and that is something that no other plane can do,” Trump said.
“After a rigorous and thorough competition between some of America’s top aerospace companies, the Air Force is going to be awarding the contract for the next generation air dominance platform to Boeing,” he announced.
Boeing beat Lockheed Martin for the deal. After the announcement, Boeing shares rose by 5%, while Lockheed’s fell by nearly 7%.
The F-47 is intended to replace the F-22 Raptor, a crewed aircraft designed to enter combat alongside drones, which is produced by Lockheed.
“We have given an order for a lot [of F-47s]. We cannot tell you the price,” Trump said.
Earlier this month, Lockheed Martin was also eliminated from the competition to build the US Navy’s next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter jet, amid the Pentagon’s discontent with delays in upgrading its F-35s, according to Reuters.
Boeing has also been under fire in recent years due to flaws discovered in its aircraft, leading to safety concerns and investigations. The company’s defense and space projects have been troubled by repeated cost overruns and delays. It has also faced a prolonged workers’ strike over insufficient wage increases.
Last month, Trump slammed Boeing for the cost overruns and delays with the production of the next presidential plane. “We are getting a new Air Force One, if Boeing could ever finish the damn thing,” he said.
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March 21, 2025 at 11:06PM
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Nigerian lawyers have expressed their opposition to the measures imposed by the president in response to tensions
Nigeria’s parliament has approved President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency measures and the suspension of an opposition governor in oil-rich Rivers State, following a series of attacks that targeted crude oil pipelines.
The West African nation’s leader suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and local legislators elected in 2023 for a period of six months on Tuesday. He accused Fubara of failing to take action against “disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militants.”
Tinubu appointed a retired Navy chief as the administrator of the state, which is located in the restive Niger Delta.
Prior to the move, the governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is currently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, were reportedly locked in a power struggle for several months. Both are members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party.
In a national address on Tuesday evening, President Tinubu said River State had been at a “standstill since the crisis started.”
The Nigerian Bar Association criticized Tinubu’s decision – arguing that tensions in the Rivers State have not “reached the level of a complete breakdown of law and order warranting the declaration of a state of emergency.”
“The power given to the President under Section 305 of the Constitution does not empower the President to suspend a Governor, Deputy Governor or other democratic organs of government,” the association said in a statement.
Some opposition legislators had also threatened to block the emergency measures. However, on Thursday, both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved Tinubu’s orders.
The region, a crucial center for oil production and home to several major energy firms, including Nigerian LNG – Africa’s largest liquefied natural gas facility – has long struggled with sabotage and vandalism, disrupting output and exports.
An explosion was reported Tuesday in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni area, following an earlier blast on the Trans Niger Delta Pipeline, in which Shell recently sold its shares to Renaissance Africa Energy Holdings. The British energy giant has been embroiled in longstanding legal disputes over environmental damage caused by decades of oil spills in Nigeria – claims it has consistently denied – blaming most of the leaks on illegal crude oil extraction.
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March 21, 2025 at 01:07AM
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Europe’s busiest airport has suffered a blackout resulting in over 200 flights being cancelled or diverted
A massive blaze which swept through an electrical substation in West London late on Thursday has led to a blackout at Heathrow Airport.
The transit hub, which usually handles about 1,000 flights per day, will reportedly remain closed until 11:59pm local time Friday night, as it is experiencing “a significant power outage.” Passengers have been advised to stay away and contact their airlines for further information, according to a message the airport posted on X.
The widespread power outage caused by the blaze at an electrical substation in Hayes has affected “many homes and local businesses,” according to a statement released by the London Fire Brigade.
As of 5:55am, firefighters were still working to bring the blaze under control, the service said in an early morning post on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing that part of a transformer unit was still burning.
Flights have been diverted to airports in Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, leaving thousands stranded. British Airways is working to notify passengers of their travel options for the following 24 hours and beyond; Heathrow is BA’s main hub.
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March 21, 2025 at 12:16AM
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Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has highlighted the need for more investment in human development
Excessive military spending is diverting crucial resources away from pressing humanitarian needs, Ghanian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said during an interview with RT.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue conference in New Delhi, India, he stressed that while billions of dollars are being poured into conflicts, millions of people continue to suffer from hunger, inadequate healthcare, and lack of access to essential services.
“Too much money is going into war when people are starving, people are dying. Babies are dying, pregnant women are dying when they shouldn’t be dying,” Ablakwa said, pointing out that over $380 billion has already been funneled into the conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
The minister questioned the global obsession with military expansion, arguing that funds could instead be used to combat homelessness, provide electricity, build hospitals, ensure clean water access, and fund childhood vaccination programs.
Ablakwa urged world leaders to rethink their allocation of resources, emphasizing that human development should take precedence over warfare. “We must stop shifting resources away from human development, using it to build killing machines,” he declared.
The foreign minister also highlighted the growing strength of South-South cooperation, noting that India and African countries share common challenges and a collective vision for development. “We are doing well in the G20, doing well in BRICS. South-South cooperation is at an all-time high,” he remarked.
According to Ablakwa, the global order is undergoing a transformation, moving towards a multipolar system where new alliances are being forged. As geopolitical landscapes evolve, the minister underscored the necessity of redefining international priorities – redirecting funds from war efforts to development and strengthening partnerships that foster prosperity for all.
“There’s a certain consciousness that we need to come together,” he observed.
In 2024, Western nations allocated €50 billion ($54 billion) in aid to Ukraine, with nearly 60% of the contributions coming from European allies and Canada, according to NATO reports. According to a 2024 report by Brown University’s Watson Institute, the US spent $22.76 billion to support Israel’s war in Gaza and military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
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March 20, 2025 at 01:21AM
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America possesses the expertise to run the Soviet-built facilities, Chris Wright has claimed
American nuclear specialists have the necessary expertise to operate Ukrainian nuclear facilities, should President Donald Trump authorize such a step, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has stated.
The possibility of the US taking over Ukraine’s energy supply, including its nuclear power plants, surfaced during Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday, according to official American accounts of the conversation.
When asked about the practical implications of such an arrangement by Fox News, Wright said it would be feasible if the Trump administration deems it a necessary step towards peace in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
”If it was helpful to achieve that end to have the US run nuclear plants in Ukraine – no problem, we can do that,” he said.
The Trump administration has suggested that potential American ownership of the Ukrainian energy sector “would be the best protection” for the infrastructure.
Soviet-built nuclear plants have become a vital source of electricity for Ukraine, as Russia has targeted parts of the power grid it considers crucial for Kiev’s military manufacturing and logistics.
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to Trump’s proposal for a moratorium on strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with Zelensky committing to halt long-range drone attacks on Russian facilities in return. Ukraine immediately broke the agreement by launching three kamikaze drones against an internationally-owned oil transfer station in Russia on Wednesday, according to Moscow’s military, which labeled it a blatant provocation.
Further discussions involving the US, Russia, and Ukraine regarding a gradual de-escalation of hostilities are scheduled for later this week. During a press conference on Wednesday, Zelensky announced plans to send specialists in port infrastructure to Saudi Arabia as he seeks protection for the national transport system.
At the same media event, Zelensky claimed he did not offer Trump ownership of Ukrainian nuclear plants but rather asked for American investment in the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant – which is operated by Russia and which Kiev considers illegally occupied.
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March 20, 2025 at 12:10AM
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