Marco Rubio spotted behind DJ booth at family wedding as social media reacts to viral clip
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is going viral — not for diplomacy, but for stepping behind a DJ booth at a family wedding and hyping up the crowd in a clip shared online that’s quickly gaining attention. The video, posted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino on X, shows Rubio wearing headphones and standing behind a DJ setup, leaning over the controls as music plays and guests dance nearby. At several points, he pumps his fist, nods along to the beat and appears to cue up the next track, drawing cheers from people gathered around the booth. “MOMENTS AGO, BEHIND THE SCENES—Our Great Secretary of State @MarcoRubio DJ’s weddings too! Here he is in action tonight at a family wedding… Let’s goooooo!!!” Scavino wrote in the post. DUFFY JUST GOT AN ADDITIONAL JOB IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION — AND HE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE WEARING MULTIPLE HATS The track playing in the video is “Shiver” by John Summit and Hayla, a high-energy dance song known for its pulsing beat and dramatic drop — a fitting backdrop as the crowd moves in sync and reacts to the music. The unexpected scene has set social media on fire, with users reacting to the unusual sight of a sitting U.S. secretary of state taking on DJ duties at what appears to be a family celebration. ONE-MAN CABINET: MARCO RUBIO WENT FROM RIVAL TO TRUMP’S POINT MAN, BUT CAN HE HANDLE IT? One user wrote, “Marco becoming the official White House DJ,” while sharing an AI photo of Rubio dressed in black, wearing sunglasses and headphones and standing beside DJ equipment. The image shows Rubio in a club-like setting, with lighting and staging that mirrors a professional DJ setup. Other X users shared AI images of Rubio mixing it up behind two turntables and a microphone. MARCO RUBIO EMERGES AS KEY TRUMP POWER PLAYER AFTER VENEZUELA OPERATION Another user wrote, “Marco can do it all!” posting another AI image showing Rubio at the turntables as Vice President JD Vance sits nearby on an ottoman, surrounded by haze and lighting effects. Rubio, who is also serving as acting national security advisor and has held several other roles, has taken on a wide range of responsibilities over the course of his career — and now, at least for one night, he can add DJ to the list.
Rudy Giuliani hospitalized in critical but stable condition: ‘He’s fighting’
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been hospitalized and is in critical but stable condition, according to a statement posted Sunday on X. Ted Goodman, a political strategist who launched a livestream program with Giuliani, posted about the hospitalization on Sunday evening. “Mayor Rudy Giuliani is currently in the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” Goodman wrote. “Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same level of strength as we speak. “We do ask that you join us in prayer for America’s Mayor Rudy Giuliani,” he added. RUDY GIULIANI INJURED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CAR CRASH AFTER AIDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM, SPOKESMAN SAYS After learning the news, President Donald Trump called Giuliani the “Best Mayor” in New York City’s history. “Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalized, and is in critical condition. What a tragedy that he was treated so badly by the Radical Left Lunatics, Democrats ALL — AND HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They cheated on the Elections, fabricated hundreds of stories, did anything possible to destroy our Nation, and now, look at Rudy. So sad!” Former mayor Eric Adams’ spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, said Sunday that even though Adams and Giuliani did not always agree politically, this moment “rises above politics.” “On behalf of Eric Adams, we are wishing strength, good health, and a full recovery to Rudy Giuliani—a man who devoted his life to public service,” Shapiro said. “From his years as a federal prosecutor to leading New York City through its darkest day on 9/11, he stood with this city when it needed him most. “Public service at that level demands sacrifice, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to the people you serve,” he continued. “Whatever differences may exist, those contributions deserve respect. We are keeping him and his family in our thoughts.” RUDY GIULIANI IS RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL, ‘RECOVERING WELL’ AFTER NEW HAMPSHIRE CAR CRASH, ASSOCIATE SAYS The hospitalization comes nearly eight months after Giuliani was seriously injured in a car crash in New Hampshire. Fox News Digital learned at the time that Giuliani was flagged down by a woman fleeing a domestic-violence incident. The former mayor helped the woman and called 911, remaining at the scene until police arrived. He later left the scene and was traveling on the highway when the vehicle he was riding in was struck from behind at a high speed. New Hampshire State Police said the crash happened just before 10 p.m. on Interstate 93 in Manchester. Troopers and fire personnel were already on the southbound side handling the reported domestic-violence incident when they witnessed a two-vehicle collision on the northbound side. Both vehicles ended up in the median and were heavily damaged, according to police. TRUMP TO AWARD RUDY GIULIANI THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM: ‘GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT’ Giuliani’s head of security and spokesman, Michael Ragusa, told Fox News Digital at the time that he was in “good spirits and recovering tremendously.” Giuliani was diagnosed with “a fractured thoracic vertebrae,” along with multiple lacerations and contusions and injuries to his left arm and lower leg, Ragusa said. “This was not a targeted attack,” Ragusa added in a post on X. “We ask everyone to respect Mayor Giuliani’s privacy and recovery, and refrain from spreading unfounded conspiracy theories.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Giuliani’s business partner and medical provider went to the hospital to oversee his care, according to Ragusa. Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Latest Trump assassination attempt exposes ‘educated assassins’ moral crisis, university president says
The California man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was highly educated and had worked as a tutor, a profile one university president said raises an unsettling question about the role of education in shaping character. Cole Allen, 31, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills last year. That doesn’t match the typical resume of a would-be presidential assassin, but a disturbing shift appears to be underway, according to Cornerstone University President Gerson Moreno-Riaño. “A troubling trend that appears to be emerging is that of the ‘educated assassin,’ individuals who do not fit the typical profile of people who commit such heinous acts,” Moreno-Riaño said. “These individuals are often schooled in some of America’s most elite institutions and act out of a perverted philosophical conviction that sees the killing of others not as evil, but as justified.” ALLEGED TRUMP ASSASSINATION PLOT: ANALYSIS SHOWS 1 IN 5 LEFT-WING POSTS CRY HOAX, ADMIN SHREDS ‘MORON’ CLAIMS “My concern has been for many, many years that some of these not just activists, but violent activists, are perhaps some of the most highly educated ones in our country,” he said. “When education ceases to educate, when it’s ideological, when it’s brainwashing, when it’s indoctrination, it’s no longer education… It’s something very different.” Prosecutors say Allen, who remains in federal custody, targeted Trump and Cabinet officials in the April 25 incident. He allegedly had authored a damning manifesto and left what authorities described as an extensive digital trail showing weeks of planning. In addition to his advanced schooling, Allen joined tutoring company C2 Education in March 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile. A Dec. 30, 2024, Facebook post from the company congratulated “Cole Allen of C2 Education Torrence” as a teacher of the month. CHARLAMAGNE BLAMES TRUMP FOR HEATED RHETORIC AMID WCHA DINNER FALLOUT Secret Service Director Sean Curran told Fox News Thursday that Allen shot an agent in the chest while “charging through security,” with the round stopped by the agent’s bulletproof vest. Curran said the agent returned five shots that missed, adding the agent was the only person other than Allen who discharged a weapon during the incident. Allen is believed to have tripped and fallen, prompting Secret Service agents to surround and subdue him. Defense attorneys claim prosecutors lack key physical evidence and dispute aspects of how the incident has been characterized. A defense memo described Allen as a “devout Christian,” a highly educated man with no criminal history and a “loved and respected teacher.” But Moreno-Riaño warned that credentials and professional roles do not necessarily reflect deeper moral grounding. “The universities have rejected the centrality of God, a theistic Christian worldview, but nothing has taken its place,” he said. “There is no moral compass for universities and for education today. It just doesn’t exist.” KANSAS PROFESSOR PUT ON LEAVE AFTER CALLING WHITE MEN ‘DANGEROUS ANIMALS’ IN THE WAKE OF CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER He added that parents should take a more active role in understanding what their children are being taught. “Parents can no longer… simply drop off their student” and assume responsibility ends there, Moreno-Riaño said. Moreno-Riaño also said people who carry out acts like this can hide their intentions, making them difficult to identify ahead of time. “Our entire life as a whole, whatever we do in private, whatever we’re doing in secret, does have a significant impact on what we do in public,” he said. Allen’s next hearing is scheduled for May 11. For Moreno-Riaño, the case points to a moral concern. “There’s a crisis of morality, a crisis of faith,” he said. “Without it, all we’re giving to students is just information then. And that’s not giving them guidance and moral direction.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Koch, Asra Q. Nomani, Jake Gibson, Julia Bonavita and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this reporting.
Patel says FBI has cut bureaucracy, moved 1,000 agents to field offices in ‘generational’ overhaul
In just 14 months, the FBI claims it has carried out a “generational” shakeup that has cut bureaucracy, shifted agents into the field and embraced artificial intelligence in what FBI Director Kash Patel calls a long-overdue effort to restore trust and sharpen its focus on protecting Americans. In a draft of a letter from Patel to the FBI workforce obtained by Fox News, the director wrote that the bureau has delivered on changes FBI employees have been requesting for years, transforming the FBI into a premier modern-day law enforcement organization. The overhaul has included a significant redistribution of personnel away from Washington, D.C., according to Patel, with more than 1,000 agents and staff reassigned to field offices and hundreds of intelligence personnel moved closer to active investigations. At the same time, Patel wrote, the bureau has accelerated its use of advanced technology, expanding artificial intelligence tools to help process tips, identify threats and streamline investigations. FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: WE HAVE MADE AMERICA SAFER IN JUST ONE YEAR Patel also touted significant cost savings, saying a sweeping review of contracts and facilities has already cut more than $300 million in spending, with additional savings projected in the years ahead. The planned relocation of FBI headquarters is expected to generate further long-term savings, with officials estimating billions in reduced costs. The reforms place a heightened emphasis on domestic security, including the creation of a multiagency mission center focused on domestic terrorism and politically motivated violence. DAN BONGINO REVEALS HE FEARS ‘FEDERAL PRISON’ IN CHILLING CLAIM AFTER YEAR AT THE FBI Officials say the FBI has also deepened its collaboration with both law enforcement and private industry, establishing new partnerships with technology companies and creating formal channels for state and local agencies to engage directly with bureau leadership. Patel wrote that while he has been the one pushing for the reforms, they could not have happened without the feedback of all those who work at the bureau.
Dem Senate candidate Sherrod Brown claims he supports ‘closing the border’; GOP says record proves otherwise
Republicans are calling out Democratic Senate primary candidate Sherrod Brown for being disingenuous on illegal immigration just days before Tuesday’s Ohio primary election. “I support closing the border to people so they just can’t cross the border at will, but I also say we, of course, should be deporting people that have committed a crime, surely,” Brown said in an interview last month, prompting reviews of his voting record to the contrary. That remark has raised concern about Brown trying to rewrite his voting record that showed longtime opposition to border security and deportation of criminal aliens since the first Trump administration. Brown served in the Senate for three terms (2007-2025), nearly two full decades, before losing in 2024 to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. Now, Brown is seeking the seat of Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who was appointed to Vice President JD Vance’s seat at the start of the second Trump administration. MAGA-OUSTED DEM SENATOR FROM KEY SWING STATE LAUNCHES COMEBACK CAMPAIGN AFTER LOSING SEAT IN 2024: REPORT Brown had been squarely on the side of the left against President Donald Trump’s border security and enforcement actions as a senator. Not only did he vote at least 10 times to protect federal funding for sanctuary cities from his time in the House in 2001 through his third Senate term in 2024, he has also: Brown’s voting record shows a discrepancy between his latest comments and his past votes and public positions. Brown has repeatedly opposed construction of a southern border wall “that doesn’t work,” calling the idea “stupid,” “wrong” and “ludicrous.” In the past he has voted: Fox News Digital reached out to Brown’s campaign for comment, but they did not immediately respond. The Ohio Senate race figures to be a very competitive one this summer, drawing massive campaign dollars from both sides in the pursuit of the Senate majority, with immigration remaining a top issue. “This November, Ohioans will have a clear choice between the past and the future,” Husted campaign manager Drew Thompson told Signal Cleveland, which reported a $1 million ad campaign for his Senate race this week, despite running unopposed in the primary. “Jon Husted is getting an early start by taking his story directly to voters who are ready for a fresh, common-sense approach in Washington.” HUSTED FILES FOR 2026 SENATE RACE, LAUNCHING AGGRESSIVE STATEWIDE RE-ELECTION PUSH Brown’s 32-year record of voting for sanctuary cities and illegal immigration will come back to haunt him in the state, Thompson added in a statement. “After shocking Ohioans in 2024 by claiming he only hears about illegal immigration from the far Right, Sherrod Brown is now desperate to return to Washington and continue the same Biden-era open border policies he supported for 32 years,” the statement read. “Jon Husted, on the other hand, is working to clean up Sherrod Brown’s mess by funding border security, supporting border agents, and standing for the rule of law.” Ohio is one of three races considered a toss-up by The Cook Political Report. The re-election campaign of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and the open Michigan seat vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., are the other two. Senate seats in Alaska (lean GOP), Georgia (Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.), North Carolina (lean Democrat) and New Hampshire (lean Democrat) are the other close races drawing attention and campaign dollars. “Sherrod Brown’s lies aren’t going to trick Ohioans,” NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “They know Brown has fought for over half a century alongside liberals like Kamala Harris to open our borders and protect dangerous criminal illegals from deportation.”
Who are the two Gaza flotilla activists abducted by Israel?
Two activists from a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla have been presented before an Israeli court days after they were abducted following their detention with 175 other campaigners by Israel in international waters near Greece. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila have been on a hunger strike during their detention although they have continued to drink water. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The Global Sumud Flotilla comprising more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy on April 12 with the aim of breaking an Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory. Gaza has been under an Israeli sea, land and air blockade since 2005, and since October 7, 2023, Israel has tightened its control over what goes in and out of the enclave – home to 2.3 million people. The activists were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece on Thursday. All of them were released except Abu Keshek and Avila. So who are the two activists and why has Israel detained them? Here’s what we know: Who is Saif Abu Keshek? Abu Keshek is a Spanish-Swedish national of Palestinian origin who was abducted from the flotilla off Crete on Thursday. According to the website of the Global Sumud Flotilla, he is based in Barcelona and has been organising Palestinian solidarity movements across Europe for more than 20 years. He and his wife have three children, aged one, four and seven. Before joining this year’s flotilla, “Abukeshek was a lead organiser in the Global March to Gaza and currently chairs the Global Coalition Against the Occupation in Palestine and represents the Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya (IAC),” the website noted. “He also serves on the General Secretariat of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad and sits on the board of the European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine”. Advertisement After Israel intercepted the flotilla on Thursday, Abu Keshek was abducted and transferred to Shikma Prison in Ashkelon. Shikma Prison (also known as Ashkelon Prison) in southern Israel has been frequently accused of harsh treatment and torture, particularly after Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza began in 2023. Abu Keshek was subjected to torture on Saturday on an Israeli military vessel, the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement that was based on accounts from released activists. The Israeli human rights organisation and legal centre Adalah visited the two men in Shikma Prison in Israel on Saturday and said: “The harrowing testimonies provided by both activists reveal physical violence and being held for prolonged periods in stress positions by Israeli military forces during the past two days they have spent at sea.” Abu Keshek “reported being kept hand-tied and blindfolded, and being forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure until this morning, resulting in bruising to his face and hands”, it said. “Avila reported being subjected to extreme brutality by the Israeli military during the seizure of the vessels,” it added, including being “dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice”. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez delivered a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speech on Friday, saying Spain would always protect its citizens and defend international law. “We demand the release of the Spanish citizen who has been unlawfully detained by Netanyahu’s government,” he said. Israel’s action has also prompted protests and condemnation from rights groups and governments. Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called it an “act of piracy”. Brazilian activist Thiago Avila and Spanish activist Saif Abu Keshek at a court in Ashkelon [Ilia Yefimovich/AFP] Who is Thiago Avila? Avila is a socio-environmentalist from Brazil. According to the Global Sumud Flotilla’s website, the 38-year-old has a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter with his wife and has dedicated himself to solidarity with Palestine for more than 20 years. “He is a Steering Committee member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and was one of the coordinators onboard the Madleen mission that was intercepted and kidnapped by the Zionist entity in June 2025,” the website noted. Avila was put in solitary confinement in Israel’s Ayalon Prison on June 11, 2025, for several days after he was abducted during the Freedom Flotilla mission. According to the Brazilian embassy, after his recent detention in Israel in Shikma Prison, Avila reported being subjected to torture, beatings and mistreatment. Advertisement “During a monitored visit in which he was separated by glass and unable to communicate freely, embassy officials observed visible marks on his face. He reported significant pain, particularly in his shoulder,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement. What did the court say? On Sunday, the court in Ashkelon, Israel, approved a two-day extension to the detention of the activists who were brought to Israel for questioning. “The court extended their detention by two days,” said Miriam Azem, the international advocacy coordinator at Adalah, which represents the men, told the AFP news agency. Israeli authorities had earlier asked the court to extend their detention by four days. “The Global Sumud Flotilla reiterates that the forced transfer of civilians from international and European waters into custody, combined with credible allegations of torture and the absence of due process, constitutes a serious violation of international law and must be met with accountability,” the flotilla said in a statement. The organisation has also called on governments, human rights organisations, legal institutions, media outlets and civil society worldwide to demand their release. Adblock test (Why?)
On World Press Freedom Day, Pope honours journalists killed in war zones
The pope urged the rememberance of journalists who lost their lives pursuing the truth, particularly in conflict areas. Published On 3 May 20263 May 2026 Pope Leo has marked World Press Freedom Day by condemning violations of media freedom around the world and paying tribute to journalists killed while reporting in conflict zones. At the end of his weekly Sunday prayer in a sunny Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, the pontiff said the day highlighted both the importance of independent journalism and the growing threats faced by reporters. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “Today we celebrate World Press Freedom Day … unfortunately, this right is often violated, sometimes in blatant ways, sometimes in more hidden forms,” he said. World Press Freedom Day, sponsored by the UN cultural agency UNESCO is intended to show support for media organisations that come under pressure or censorship. It is also an opportunity to commemorate journalists who have been killed at work. The Roman Catholic leader urged the faithful to remember journalists and reporters who have lost their lives pursuing the truth, particularly in conflict areas. “We remember the many journalists and reporters who have been victims of war and violence,” the pope said. A report last month by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs’ Costs of War project found that Israel’s war on Gaza was the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded, with Israeli forces having killed 232 Palestinian journalists since October 2023. More journalists have been killed in Gaza than in both world wars, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia, and the United States war in Afghanistan combined, the report found. Advertisement In past speeches, the leader of the Catholic Church has described journalism as a pillar of society and democracy, and information as a public good that must be safeguarded and defended. The pontiff has often thanked reporters for sharing the truth, saying that doing their job could never be considered a crime, and frequently calling for the release of journalists who have been unfairly detained or prosecuted. Last week, the leading Paris-based press freedom NGO, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), or Reporters Without Borders, found that freedom of the press around the world has fallen to its lowest level in a quarter of a century. For the first time since RSF started producing the index in 2002, it said more than half of the world’s countries fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom – “a clear sign that journalism is increasingly criminalised worldwide”. Adblock test (Why?)
Zelenskyy has no cards to play against Russia or the West
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s artistic skills have earned him the reputation of a public relations genius acknowledged by both friends and foes. United States President Donald Trump, who has openly attacked him in public, famously called the Ukrainian leader “the greatest salesman on Earth”. A much more sympathetic voice, New York Times columnist David French, has recently portrayed Zelenskyy as “the new leader of free world”. But Zelenskyy’s PR genius can do very little when it comes to changing the dynamics of the battlefield in the Russia-Ukraine war. In recent weeks, his administration and allies have tried hard to create the impression that the war might be approaching a turning point. But realities on the ground tell a different story. For example, there were official claims that in February, Ukraine made more territorial gains than Russia did. Some pro-Ukrainian war monitoring platforms have supported these claims while others have not. It is important to note these calculations can be tricky given that along the frontline there is an extensive grey zone in which control is unclear. The advances themselves are measured in 150-200 square kilometres per month. In other words, methodology can be manipulated in order to produce the desired conclusion: that Ukraine is gaining ground. In reality, there is nothing at all that suggests a significant change in the battlefield dynamics that have been in place for at least two years now. More importantly, Russian troops are currently besieging a number of industrial cities in the north of the Donetsk region. Their advances all along the northern border, in particular, are extending the active front line by hundreds of kilometres, which is making Ukraine’s personnel shortages even more acute. Advertisement Four years into the war, the Ukrainian army has had to resort to brutal campaigns to enforce mandatory conscription, pulling young men off the streets of towns and villages. Meanwhile, Russia is still able to lure volunteers by offering lavish compensation. Ukrainian officials have also claimed that Russia is losing more troops than it is able to recruit based on dubious casualty data. Zelenskyy, in particular, has stated the Russians suffered the highest number of monthly casualties in March this year – 35,000. But his statement contradicted his own Ministry of Defence, which claimed that the highest Russian monthly losses crossed 48,000 in January 2025, with an average monthly rate of roughly 35,000 throughout 2025. Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, former military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, also contradicted this narrative that Russia is having major difficulty with deploying personnel. He acknowledged in a recent interview that the collapse of the Russian mobilisation effort was not forthcoming. It should be noted that Ukraine is waging a successful drone campaign to damage Russian oil facilities. But it is doubtful that it could change anything beyond providing dramatic footage of oil tanks on fire for TV networks to broadcast. In April, Russian oil revenues surged to $9bn, thanks to the US-Israel war on Iran. The windfall Russia got in a month is equivalent to 10 percent of the loan Ukraine is to receive from the European Union over the next two years to help fund its war effort. It cannot be denied that Russia has sustained major economic losses due to the war, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged as much. But the Russian economy displays much the same downturn as other European economies, also affected by wars in Ukraine and Iran. Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity (an indicator reflecting living standards) currently exceeds that of less affluent EU countries, such as Romania and Greece, according to the IMF charts. The same indicator for Ukraine is on par with Mongolia and Egypt, while the country’s critical infrastructure lies in ruins and millions of Ukrainians have fled the country, most of them for good. With Ukraine’s prospects bleaker than ever, pro-Ukrainian audiences jump on every news from Russia, which they hope may signify “cracks in the regime”. Last month, an Instagram video by Russian influencer Victoria Bonya made Western headlines for its daring criticism of government policies. There may be frustration in Russia, but the regime is far from approaching a downfall. Advertisement This narrative, however, serves to distract Ukrainian and EU citizens from the painful truth that the war is heading towards a deadlock at best and Ukraine’s collapse at worst. Zelenskyy may have received a lifeline with the $90bn euro loan, but his and his allies’ lack of vision and winning strategy is staggering. The reality has already begun to kick in. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently suggested that Ukraine would have to concede some of its territory to Russia to end the war but get a faster track to EU membership in exchange. The EU’s defence chief, Andrius Kubilius, has gone further by claiming that NATO membership for Ukraine was out of the question and EU membership was going to be a “complicated process”. Instead, he proposed a military union of Ukraine and other European countries – an idea that Moscow will reject, interpreting it as NATO through the back door. What these contradictory statements manifest is that the main bargain over the contours of peace is currently going not so much between Zelenskyy and Putin, but between Zelenskyy and his Western, primarily European, allies. As Budanov recently claimed, the positions of Kyiv and Moscow can be moved closer to what is realistically attainable in peace talks. But Zelenskyy needs to show at least some kind of gain for Ukraine when a very unpalatable version of a peace treaty is finally signed. Ideally, that gain would be EU membership or real security guarantees, but as Merz and Kubilius’s statements suggest, the chances of attaining either are slim. The frustration among Ukrainians is already palpable. The head of the Ukrainian parliament’s fiscal committee, Danylo Hetmantsev, said European officials should stop seeing Ukrainians as “a tool for solving someone’s geopolitical tasks” or as a “human shield”. They have no right to define Ukraine’s destiny, he
Delhi Fire: Dramatic visuals show massive blaze, thick plumes of smoke emerge engulfing residential building in Vivek Vihar, 9 killed; WATCH
At least 9 killed after a massive fire engulfed a residential building in Vivek Vihar in Delhi’s Shahdara. The fire erupted in the early hours of Sunday. Dramatic visuals of the incident has emerged. WATCH
Chennai Airport Incident: Passenger jumps from Air Arabia flight after landing, runway closed briefly
A passenger on Air Arabia flight G9 471 from Sharjah jumped from an emergency exit after landing at Chennai airport, causing a temporary runway shutdown.