Europe to be excluded from Russia-Ukraine peace talks, US envoy confirms
US confirms Europe excluded from Ukraine peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s war. Europe will be excluded from talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, the United States lead Ukraine envoy said. General Keith Kellogg made the announcement on Saturday after the US sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv. Trump took European allies by surprise this week by calling Russia’s President Vladimir Putin without consulting them or Kyiv beforehand and declaring an immediate start to Ukraine peace talks. The Trump administration has made it clear to European allies in NATO to take primary responsibility for the region, stating that the US has other priorities, such as border security and countering China. Asked if he could assure the audience that Ukrainians and Europeans would be at the table for talks, Kellogg told a global security conference in Munich that “the answer to that last question, just as you framed it, is no”. Ukrainians, however, will “of course” be at the table, he said, adding it would be foolish to suggest otherwise. Advertisement European leaders were swift to react. “There’s no way in which we can have discussions or negotiations about Ukraine, Ukraine’s future or European security structure, without Europeans,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb told the same security conference in Munich. “But this means that Europe needs to get its act together. Europe needs to talk less and do more.” A European diplomat said the US questionnaire included six queries, with one specifically for European Union member states. “The Americans are approaching European capitals and asking how many soldiers they are ready to deploy,” one diplomat said, the Reuters news agency reported. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte chimed in by urging Europeans to get their act together. “To my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up [defence] spending,” he said in Munich. France is discussing with its allies the possibility of holding an informal meeting among European leaders on the issue, a French presidency official said on Saturday. Kellogg told the conference that talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine could focus on territorial concessions from Russia and targeting Putin’s oil revenues. “Russia is really a petrostate,” he said, adding that Western powers needed to do more regarding effectively enforcing sanctions on Russia. Kellogg’s announcement came shortly after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the creation of a European army, saying the continent could no longer be sure of protection from the US and would only get respect from Washington with a strong military. Advertisement “Let’s be honest – now we can’t rule out the possibility that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it,” said Zelenskyy. European nations cooperate militarily primarily within NATO, but governments have so far rejected various calls for the creation of a single European army over the years, arguing that defence is a matter of national sovereignty. Adblock test (Why?)
Children among 15 killed in crush at New Delhi train station in India
Indian officials said the accident happened amid a surge of passengers waiting for trains to attend a major Hindu religious festival. Ten women and three children were among at least 15 people killed in a crowd crush at a train station in India’s capital New Delhi, as thousands of Hindu pilgrims waited to board trains to attend the annual Mahakumbh Mela religious festival. The incident unfolded on Saturday night at about 8pm local time (14:30 GMT) on two platforms at the New Delhi Railway Station as huge crowds waited to board trains to Prayagraj city, where the festival is being held, some 624km (387 miles) southeast of the capital. Delhi’s Chief Minister Atishi, who only uses one name, told reporters that 15 people had died, while the local news outlet NDTV reported that the death toll was 18 people. India’s Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said four trains had been deployed to “evacuate” a sudden and unprecedented surge of travellers at the station and an investigation has been ordered to find out what went wrong. High-level inquiry ordered https://t.co/Egaifp5Onx — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 15, 2025 Advertisement Video footage shared on social media by local news organisations showed people jostling as they tried to force their way onto packed train carriages. “People were running across platforms and there was a chaotic situation that led to people falling on each other,” a man who witnessed the events told India’s ANI news agency. The Times of India said witnesses reported a “crowd surge” that was sparked by the delay of two trains which led to an unexpectedly large number of passengers waiting on platforms. When people rushed to board an arriving train, “the situation spiralled out of control, with some passengers fainting amid the sudden surge”, the media outlet reported. “This sparked rumours of a stampede, leading to further panic,” it said. The Mahakumbh is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and officials said about 500 million devotees have already visited the festival since it began in January. Crowd crushes regularly occur at India’s major religious festivals. At least 30 people were killed in a crush at the Mahakumbh last month when tens of millions of Hindus gathered to bathe in sacred river waters. The centrepiece of the six-week festival is the ritual bathing at the point where the Ganges and Yamuna merge with the mythical Saraswati River. At least 36 people were also crushed to death in 2013, the last time the festival was held in Prayagraj, and more than 400 died after they were trampled or drowned on a single day of the festival in 1954. Advertisement India’s railway system, which is the fourth-largest train network in the world, has also witnessed serious accidents in the last two years, including a collision in 2023 that killed at least 288 people. Adblock test (Why?)
Days after Modi-Trump meet, second US military plane carrying 119-deportees lands in Amritsar; third flight expected today
Of the fresh batch of deportees, 65 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, two each from Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
What led to stampede at New Delhi Railway Station that killed 15 people? 10 points
Saturday witnessed a horrific incident when stampede-like situation occurred at the New Delhi Railway Station. The incident took at least 15 lives, including three children, and 10 others.
New Delhi Railway Station Stampede Live Updates: 15 dead, several injured amid Mahakumbh rush, PM Modi condoles loss of lives
Earlier, in response to the incident, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw ordered a high-level investigation to investigate the circumstances leading to the stampede-like situation
Trump administration fires more than a dozen immigration judges
More than a dozen immigration judges were fired on Friday, coinciding with President Donald Trump‘s promise to trim the federal workforce. A union official told the Associated Press that 13 judges who were set to be sworn in, and five assistant chief immigration judges, were fired on Friday without warning. The move comes after two other judges were dismissed this week, the AP reported. No replacements have been announced. US IMMIGRATION BACKLOG REACHES NEW RECORD OF 3 MILLION PENDING CASES: REPORT Fox News Digital previously reported the U.S. immigration court backlog surpassed three million pending cases. Immigration judges currently average 4,500 pending cases each, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. The AP reported five top court officials were replaced by the Trump administration, including Mary Cheng, the agency’s acting director. TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKED BY THIRD FEDERAL JUDGE In a memo released on Jan. 27, Sirce Owen, acting director of the Department of Justice, noted the Biden administration “severely undermined” core values of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). “An effort to restore those values and to re-establish EOIR as a model administrative adjudicatory body is well underway,” Owen wrote. “If all employees are willing to join that effort, then there will be no limit to what EOIR can achieve.” The Trump administration on Thursday instructed agencies to lay off most probationary workers without civil service protection, the AP reported. The International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal employees, and the U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Saturday. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vivek Ramaswamy files paperwork ahead of widely-expected Ohio gubernatorial bid
Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign filed paperwork to begin his widely-expected run for governor of Ohio, Fox News Digital can confirm. The venture capitalist’s campaign filed its Designation of Treasurer form with Ohio’s Secretary of State on Friday. The form is a requirement before a candidate’s campaign committee makes any expenditures or receives contributions. The filing represents an official registration for Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial committee. While the filing was made under the name “Vivek Ramaswamy For Ohio” and online records did not note an explicit reference to the gubernatorial bid, Ramaswamy has been heavily hinting about the Ohio governor’s race, which will take place in 2026. Current Gov. Mike DeWine is ineligible to run, having taken office in 2019. The filing comes nearly a month after it was revealed that Ramaswamy left President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. In a statement to Fox News, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Anna Kelly said that Ramaswamy “played a critical role in helping us create DOGE.” MUSK AND RAMASWAMY IGNITE MAGA WAR OVER SKILLED WORKER IMIMGRATION “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today,” Kelly explained. “We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.” Ramaswamy’s exit from DOGE came after he and Tesla CEO Elon Musk polarized Trump supporters over their support for H-1B temporary worker visas. At the time, Ramaswamy addressed his departure by saying it was an “honor” to help create DOGE. “I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government,” he said. “I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!” TOP JD VANCE POLITICAL ADVISORS TO STEER RAMASWAMY RUN FOR OHIO GOVERNOR Republican leaders have endorsed Ramaswamy in recent weeks, including GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. In a post, Blackburn said that Ramaswamy has “a servant’s heart and a brilliant entrepreneurial mind.” “The people of Ohio would be well served by his leadership, and if he chooses to run, he’ll have my full support,” the Tennessee Republican wrote. Lee said that he was sure Ramaswamy would win a gubernatorial race in the Buckeye State and that he would “transform Ohio for the better.” “The results will benefit Ohioans—and Americans—for generations I’m honored to have worked with @VivekGRamaswamy, and I support him wholeheartedly,” Lee’s X post read. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Alex Nitzberg and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
Trump details his reciprocal tariff plans, asks foreign countries to ‘treat us fairly’: ‘Deliver RECIPROCITY’
President Donald Trump wrote a lengthy Truth Social post about his trade policy overhaul on Saturday, emphasizing his plans to charge reciprocal tariffs to countries that the U.S. does business with. In a post published Saturday afternoon, Trump explained how his reciprocal tariffs will work in a great amount of detail. In recent weeks, he has announced 25% tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports into the U.S., plus 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China. His recent move to implement reciprocal tariffs was decided “for purposes of Fairness,” Trump wrote. “For purposes of this United States Policy, we will consider Countries that use the VAT [value-added tax] System, which is far more punitive than a Tariff, to be similar to that of a Tariff,” Trump wrote. “Sending merchandise, product, or anything by any other name through another Country, for purposes of unfairly harming America, will not be accepted.” RED STATE AG PROMISES LEGAL FIGHT WITH ICE-RESISTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Most countries use a VAT system, including the United Kingdom, China and Mexico. Trump added that he will make provisions “for subsidies provided by Countries in order to take Economic advantage of the United States.” “Likewise, provisions will be made for Nonmonetary Tariffs and Trade Barriers that some Countries charge in order to keep our product out of their domain or, if they do not even let U.S. businesses operate,” the president added. “We are able to accurately determine the cost of these Nonmonetary Trade Barriers.” “It is fair to all, no other Country can complain and, in some cases, if a Country feels that the United States would be getting too high a Tariff, all they have to do is reduce or terminate their Tariff against us. There are no Tariffs if you manufacture or build your product in the United States.” THIRD JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER Trump concluded his post by claiming that the U.S. “has been treated unfairly by other Countries, both friend and foe.” “This System will immediately bring Fairness and Prosperity back into the previously complex and unfair System of Trade,” the Republican continued. “America has helped many Countries throughout the years, at great financial cost. It is now time that these Countries remember this, and treat us fairly – A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR AMERICAN WORKERS” “I have instructed my Secretary of State, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Treasury, and United States Trade Representative (USTR) to do all work necessary to deliver RECIPROCITY to our System of Trade!” Earlier this week, Trump promised that U.S. will be “flooded with jobs” as foreign trading partners are incentivized to move their businesses to American soil – despite his tariffs being fiercely criticized in recent weeks. “They can build a factory here, a plant or whatever it may be, here,” Trump said Thursday afternoon from the Oval Office. “And that includes the medical, that includes cars, that includes chips and semiconductors. That includes everything. If you build here, you have no tariffs whatsoever. And I think that’s what’s going to happen. I think our country is going to be flooded with jobs.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Large earthquake strikes West Texas, among strongest ever in state
The 5.0 magnitude earthquake is tied for the sixth strongest in state history. Scientists have warned for years that increased fracking in West Texas is causing higher earthquake activity.
Florida’s move from 2000s vexation to 2020s role model a blueprint for Arizona, lawmakers say
The 2000 presidential election was held up for weeks due to snafus across the state of Florida, and ultimately ended in a Supreme Court ruling effectively deciding that Texas Gov. George W. Bush would be named the victor. In recent Arizona elections, voters and Republican politicians have complained of similarly grueling canvassing, wait times, alleged technical difficulties and a generally drawn-out process. “How is it that Florida can have their results at 8:00 at night, and Arizona is the last in the country to report the electoral votes?” State Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, asked. Petersen said that Arizona hopes to learn from Florida’s failures, and how it went from an unwittingly tardy linchpin in a historically narrow election to a well-oiled machine that counts 11 million votes more quickly than some smaller states. AZ SENATE LEADER URGES BURGUM TO REVERSE OBAMA-BIDEN LAND GRAB AT URANIUM SITES Petersen referenced what he called the “Florida model” that now restricts “late early” ballot drop-offs at county recorders’ offices – as Grand Canyon State voters could do so on Election Day while Floridians have only until the Friday before. Tabulations of ballots will also occur on-site at offices, and address verification would occur every two to four years depending on the size of the Arizona county, he said. Petersen said that such changes are necessary to restore public trust in the election process; something both states have historically struggled with. In 2000, Bush supporters and conservative activists staged what became known as the “Brooks Brothers Riot” in Miami. Longtime Republican consultant Roger Stone had reportedly help organize the group of well-coiffed protesters to converge on Miami-Dade County’s election office in hopes of halting the disputed ballot tabulations. Bush later dubbed one participating lawmaker, then-Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., “Congressman Kick-Ass” for his voraciousness that evening. In Arizona in recent elections, right-wing activists, including commentator Alex Jones, converged on Phoenix election sites chanting, “1776” and demanding better oversight of the ballot count after allegations flew regarding problems with the long-winded canvassing. Arizona Democrats, however, appear opposed to Republicans’ reform bill, claiming potential disenfranchisement among other critiques. Gov. Katie Hobbs said that legislators are “attempting to jam through a partisan bill that guts vote-by-mail and makes it harder to vote.” NYC COUNCIL MODERATES THRILLED WITH HOMAN MEETING “I offered common sense compromises to count votes faster, and they were rejected. I refuse to let extremists make it harder for Arizonans to vote.” State Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, disagreed, saying on X that he has voted early every election since turning 18 and finds no such issues with the legislation. “I’ve read this bill over and over again and fail to understand how it ‘guts vote by mail and makes it harder to vote,’ Shope said. “There’s literally nothing in the bill that makes it harder to vote. Sign the Bill.” Christian Slater, a spokesperson for Hobbs, also criticized AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda over the legislation, saying the administration tried to “negotiat[e] in good faith,” but that Republicans “refused common sense compromises to protect voting rights.” Former Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., who retired from Congress to pursue a seat on the county board in Phoenix, said she supports the legislation, particularly from the vantage of her new role. “As a Maricopa County supervisor, I know this legislation will help instill more confidence in our elections process,” Lesko said in a statement. “Governor Hobbs should sign this bill – it’s the right thing to do for the future of Arizona elections.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Maricopa County – home to nearly two-thirds of the state’s population – would, under the legislation, see its early-vote deadline be set Friday evening prior to election day. In the other 14 counties, voters who choose to “late early” vote would be required to show ID to county staff – so recorders could skip the time-consuming verification process that can delay the final count. To push back on allegations of disenfranchisement, the bill would also provide for three days of early in-person voting running up to Election Day proper. One of Lesko’s counterparts on the Maricopa board said the measure appears nonpartisan. “This carefully crafted … legislation is a commonsense solution that ensures election integrity while expanding access by adding two extra days to an already nearly month-long early voting period,” said Supervisor Mark Stewart.