Russia-Ukraine war: Pressured by Putin and Trump, walls close in on Zelenskyy

The Defence Department is cutting 5,400 probationary workers and implementing a hiring freeze, excluding uniformed military personnel, in an effort to reduce the civilian workforce by 5-8% and prioritize the President's goals. The move follows the firing of federal employees with fewer civil service protections, including 2,000 from the US Forest Service and an expected 7,000 from the Internal Revenue Service. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth supports the cuts to focus on readiness and efficiency. Full...

Russia is considering using $300 billion of frozen sovereign assets in Europe for reconstruction in Ukraine, with the condition that part of the funds be spent on the territories controlled by Moscow. Talks between Russia and the United States on ending the Ukraine war have begun, with hopes of a meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin. Russia's main demands include the withdrawal of Kyiv's troops and an end to Ukraine's NATO aspirations, while Ukraine seeks...

Hadi Matar, an American-Lebanese man, was found guilty by a jury for attempting to kill novelist Salman Rushdie by stabbing him on stage, leading to a potential 25-year prison sentence. Matar, convicted of attempted murder and assault, believed Rushdie had "attacked Islam," despite admitting to reading only two pages of The Satanic Verses. Rushdie, targeted by a 1989 fatwa, detailed his attack and lasting injuries in his memoir Knife, highlighting the ongoing debate between free...

India and Bangladesh have agreed to establish a new communication link between their border-guarding forces and identified 99 new areas for fence erection along their shared border during the recent director general-level talks between the BSF and BGB. The three-day talks, held in New Delhi, were the first high-level meeting between the two forces since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh last year, resulting in the decision to open a new "hotline"...

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin distributed welfare aid and inaugurated infrastructure projects worth ₹1,476 crore in Cuddalore on Friday. He inaugurated 602 completed projects, including a drinking water initiative benefiting 6.8 lakh people and handed over 550 tenements. Additionally, he announced plans for developing Wellington Lake and allocated funds for Veeranam Lake and road widening projects in the district. Full Article

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Chinese counterpart FM Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Johannesburg, discussing developments in bilateral ties, specifically focusing on direct flights and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. They reviewed peace and tranquility in border areas and emphasized the importance of resuming direct flight connectivity and facilitating travel between the two countries. Full Article