German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kyiv despite a Russian warning for foreign nationals to leave the Ukrainian capital, saying Germany would not be intimidated. Merz met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and honored fallen soldiers as Russian attacks and air raid sirens continued across the city. During the visit, Russian drones struck a bridge over the Dnipro River and damaged other infrastructure in Kyiv. Merz … Continue reading Merz pledges military and financial aid on visit to Ukraine

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law that prevents employers from relying solely on artificial intelligence to fire or discipline workers.  The law requires a human to review employment decisions when AI is the primary factor and requires affected workers to receive information about the AI system and data used. Newsom also signed measures restricting AI-based workplace surveillance and requiring companies to notify workers … Continue reading California Gov. Gavin Newsom bans AI ‘robo bosses’ in landmark state law

President Donald Trump held a midterm election rally in Durant, Oklahoma, on Thursday, urging Republicans to turn out for the November elections.  Thousands of people attended despite heavy rain, with the event beginning about two hours later than scheduled. Trump promoted several Oklahoma Republican candidates and called on voters to support the party in the midterms. He also discussed his administration’s economic policies, tariffs, immigration … Continue reading President Donald Trump makes rare visit to Oklahoma ahead of midterm election

Vice President JD Vance said it is “really obvious” to him that Sen. Ted Cruz is preparing to run for president in 2028, while saying he has not decided whether he will seek the presidency himself.  Cruz has recently increased his political activity, including campaigning for Republican candidates in states that play important roles in presidential nominations. Vance said his current focus is helping Republicans … Continue reading JD Vance Names ‘Really Obvious’ Presidential Opponent If Veep Decides To Run

Jared Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, benefited financially from its stake in Phoenix Holdings, which invests in several Israeli defense companies, according to a CNN investigation reported by Ynet.  Kushner was also serving as an unpaid White House envoy involved in negotiations over the Gaza war and ceasefire. CNN found no evidence that Kushner’s diplomatic activities directly influenced the investments, but the overlap has raised … Continue reading Kushner’s firm profited from Israeli defense investments while he negotiated Gaza war end

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would use “all weapons” in its arsenal, potentially including nuclear weapons, if its territory were directly attacked.  His comments followed Russian warnings that NATO could try to isolate Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave located between Poland and Lithuania. NATO rejected the accusations, saying it is a defensive alliance and that its military exercises do not threaten Kaliningrad.  The exchange comes … Continue reading Putin says Russia will use ‘all weapons’ in its arsenal if attacked

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Andy Burnham’s suggestion that the UK could eventually rejoin the European Union, saying “welcome back” and calling it good news for Britain and Europe.  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also said Spain would welcome a British bid to rejoin the EU, responding to Burnham’s call for a new long-term relationship with Europe.  Burnham has said the UK should consider several … Continue reading Senate Democrats block bill to limit lawmakers’ stock trades, citing voter ID provision

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Andy Burnham’s suggestion that the UK could eventually rejoin the European Union, saying “welcome back” and calling it good news for Britain and Europe.  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also said Spain would welcome a British bid to rejoin the EU, responding to Burnham’s call for a new long-term relationship with Europe.  Burnham has said the UK should consider several … Continue reading Macron says ‘welcome back’ to Burnham suggestion UK could rejoin EU

Pope Leo XIV criticized the legalization of medically assisted dying during a visit to Lourdes, France, calling it “false compassion” and saying that something being legal does not necessarily make it moral.  Speaking before about 150,000 people, many of them sick or disabled, Leo emphasized that people experiencing severe suffering retain inherent dignity that laws or technology cannot remove.  His comments came shortly after France … Continue reading Pope Leo criticizes legalization of assisted dying as immoral “false compassion”

Romanian lawmakers rejected a proposed center-right Cabinet led by Siegfried Muresan, prolonging the country’s political crisis. The Cabinet received 182 votes in favor, well short of the 233 needed for approval, with the Social Democratic Party and nationalist AUR party opposing it.  The crisis began in May when Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was removed through a no-confidence vote, and previous attempts to form a new … Continue reading Romanian lawmakers reject a new center-right Cabinet as political crisis deepens

Andy Burnham has pledged that Labour will campaign in the next general election on changing the UK’s voting system. He announced plans for a national commission to examine electoral reform and invited other political parties to participate. Burnham has previously backed proportional representation, arguing that the current first-past-the-post system does not adequately reflect the fragmented political landscape. The issue has gained attention after Labour won … Continue reading Burnham to fight next election on pledge to change voting system

Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday about his investigations into President Donald Trump.  Smith brought two federal cases against Trump involving classified documents and alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, but both cases ended after Trump returned to the presidency.  Republican senators, led by Chairman Chuck Grassley, questioned Smith over allegations that his investigations improperly targeted Trump … Continue reading Jack Smith doubles down, testifies that Trump committed crimes

Andy Burnham has proposed making social care in England free at the point of use for everyone who qualifies for support. He said the system would follow NHS-style principles, with everyone contributing and everyone covered, while acknowledging that tax increases could be considered. Burnham has asked Baroness Casey to accelerate her review of social care and provide advice on how the system could be implemented. … Continue reading Burnham proposes NHS-style social care system for England

France’s National Rally (RN) and its allies won a record 14 seats in the 348-member Senate, giving the party enough seats to form its first Senate group. Nine RN candidates won seats, while two candidates from Eric Ciotti’s allied Union of the Right for the Republic also won. Marine Le Pen described the results as a “historic victory” ahead of France’s next presidential election scheduled … Continue reading France’s far-right National Rally surges in Senate elections

South Korea demanded an explanation and apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. Seoul said the transfer had been covered by a confidentiality agreement intended to protect the prisoners and their families. Ukraine has disputed that an agreement existed to keep the transfer completely secret, creating a diplomatic dispute between the … Continue reading S Korea demands Ukraine apology over disclosure of N Korea’s POW transfer

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused European countries of blocking U.S.-backed efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. His comments came as Russia and Ukraine continued launching attacks following their deadliest summer of the war since 2022. Russian strikes killed four people in Ukraine on Saturday, while Ukrainian drones continued targeting Russian oil refineries and industrial facilities. U.S.-led efforts to secure a … Continue reading Russia accuses Europe of blocking Ukraine peace talks

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić resigned on September 27, ending his second presidential term several months early.  He plans to remain in politics and seek the position of prime minister in Serbia’s October 25 snap parliamentary election.  Vučić cannot seek a third presidential term under Serbia’s Constitution, which limits presidents to two terms.  Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić is expected to become acting president while preparations are … Continue reading Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announces resignation

Maine Democrats criticized Republican Sen. Susan Collins after a ProPublica report said the FBI had planned to investigate whether she knew about alleged illegal campaign contributions from defense contractor Navatek. The report said the investigation focused on an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving campaign donations and Navy contracts, but it did not proceed after Donald Trump returned to the White House. Collins denied the allegations, calling … Continue reading Maine Dems hammer Collins over report of pay-to-play probe

The U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a resolution calling for an end to the war with Iran, voting 49-50 on Thursday. Four Republicans — Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul — joined Democrats in supporting the measure, while John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote against it. The War Powers Resolution would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. troops from … Continue reading Senate narrowly votes down resolution calling for end to Iran war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday as Israel faces growing international criticism over its actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Many attendees walked out as Netanyahu took the stage, prompting him to criticize those who left the hall. In his speech, Netanyahu defended Israel’s military actions following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and praised U.S. support, … Continue reading Israel’s Netanyahu tells U.N. “we will continue to defend our state”

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater cooperation with the United States during a meeting with President Donald Trump, saying the two countries should avoid the “Thucydides trap” and the risk of military conflict. Xi urged stronger communication, mutual trust and regular military dialogue, while saying cooperation could benefit both countries despite their differences. Trump said the two leaders had developed a strong relationship and … Continue reading At Trump meeting, Xi Jinping lays out terms to avoid US-China military conflict

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency did not warn France about a potential Russian strike across southern Europe. Macron said French intelligence services had not received such a warning from the CIA. He nevertheless said Russia has been increasing what he described as hostile and criminal actions against European countries. Macron warned that France could potentially face attacks similar … Continue reading CIA did not warn France about possible Russian drone attacks, Macron says

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has declined to rule out challenging Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer for his New York Senate seat when his current term ends in 2028. Ocasio-Cortez said any decision about a Senate or presidential campaign would be personal and that she plans to focus on the 2026 midterm elections before deciding her next steps. She has also been mentioned as a potential 2028 … Continue reading AOC refuses to rule out run against Senate leader Chuck Schumer

ProPublica reported that the FBI investigated allegations involving U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and former Navatek CEO Martin Kao, who allegedly told investigators that political donations helped the defense contractor secure federal contracts. The report said an internal Navatek email indicated Collins had committed to helping the company obtain $32 million in naval contracts after Kao directed $150,000 through a shell company to a super PAC … Continue reading Sen. Susan Collins’ staff denies corruption allegations made in ProPublica report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to use his upcoming United Nations speech to defend Israel’s military actions in Gaza and criticize New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and inciting hostility toward New York Jews, while Mamdani has rejected allegations of antisemitism and criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Netanyahu said the 2023 Hamas attack killed about 1,200 … Continue reading Netanyahu says he will ‘tell the truth’ on Israel’s actions at United Nations