Hochul, once Cuomo’s second in command, identifies ‘areas of alignment’ with socialist Mamdani
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul – once lieutenant governor under Andrew Cuomo – said Sunday she has identified “areas of alignment” with democratic socialist New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani. “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream asked Hochul if she supported Mamdani, who is now running against Cuomo and others, after noting how the candidate praised her for hosting Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to deter a GOP redistricting plan. “We still have many differences. I don’t know how you whitewash that away,” Hochul said. “He can agree with me, and many people agree with, and I think it’s not just Democrats who say New Yorkers stand up for our rights. We do that. It’s what we’re hardwired to do. We’re fighters. I’m a mom from Buffalo. I guess they’re not used to taking on a mom from Buffalo, perhaps.” CUOMO SUPPORTERS LOOK TO WEALTHY ENCLAVE TO TAKE DOWN MAMDANI: REPORT “There’s many areas of disagreement, but also there’s areas of alignment, including affordability,” the governor added of Mamdani. “You know, his election touched a nerve. And people said, you know what, we’re just not getting ahead. And the Trump policies that were promised to lift people up, reduce costs, not touch Medicaid, make sure that tariffs create jobs, none of that happened. So there is this sense of we need some change now.” As governor, Hochul said she’s worked with two different mayors of New York City already, and she’ll continue to “work with whomever the voters want me to, and I’ll make it work.” GOV. HOCHUL DODGES ON WHETHER SHE’LL ENDORSE ZOHRAN MAMDANI “I will make it work out because I’m not going to go to war with the 8 million residents of New York that I also represent, so my job is to calm things down,” Hochul said. “Let’s see what the election results are, but people have to recognize that candidate for mayor has also touched a nerve and we need to be responsive to that. So I’m aligned with him that we need to start finding ways to make life more affordable for New Yorkers.” Hochul assumed the role of governor after Cuomo stepped down amid multiple controversies and she was later elected to a full term. After a June Democratic mayoral primary loss to Mamdani, Cuomo joined incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams as another independent candidate running in the general election. Adams and Cuomo have traded barbs about which of them should drop out before November to better the chances of a Mamdani defeat.
NATO chief says upcoming Trump-Putin meeting will be about ‘testing’ Russian leader
President Donald Trump will use the upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to test how serious Putin is about ending the war with Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Sunday. Rutte told ABC’s “This Week” that the meeting comes as Trump continues to put pressure on Putin, noting the recent secondary sanctions on countries like India, which purchased Russian oil, and delivering lethal weapons to Ukraine. “Next Friday will be important because it will be about testing Putin, how serious he is on bringing this terrible war to an end,” Rutte said. Trump announced the first in-person meeting with Putin since Moscow launched its deadly invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in a Truth Social post on Saturday. The leaders are expected to meet in Alaska on Friday, Aug. 15. TRUMP, PUTIN WILL HOLD FIRST IN-PERSON MEETING SINCE UKRAINE INVASION In recent weeks, Trump has refused to mince words when asked about Putin. Trump said during a Cabinet meeting July 8 he was fed up with Putin and said he was eyeing potentially imposing new sanctions on Russia. The NATO chief called the upcoming meeting “an important step” in the process of reaching full-scale peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, wasn’t expected to be at the summit with Trump and Putin as of Sunday. Despite Zelenskyy’s absence, Rutte said “we need Ukraine at the table.” “It will be about territory,” Rutte said of the upcoming meeting. “It will, of course, be about security guarantees, but also about the absolute need to acknowledge that Ukraine decides on its own future, that Ukraine has to be a sovereign nation deciding on its geopolitical future, of course having no limitations to its own military troop levels, and for NATO to have no limitations on our presence on the eastern flank in countries like Latvia, Estonia and Finland.” PUTIN ALLY WARNS ‘TITANIC EFFORTS’ ARE UNDERWAY TO SINK TRUMP SUMMIT OVER UKRAINE WAR U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told CNN on Sunday that no decision had been made at this point about whether Zelenskyy would be invited to the meeting. “If [Trump] thinks that that is the best scenario to invite Zelenskyy, then he’ll do that,” Whitaker said, adding that “there’s time to make that decision.” When asked about whether Putin can be trusted, Whitaker said that in any situation of competing national interests it will be actions, not words, that decide whether peace is achieved and preserved. “Words are cheap, but in this case, whether it’s the Russians or the Ukrainians, both sides are going to have to take the actions to have peace and to continue to honor that peace,” he said. Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
Summertime and the living is uneasy on Capitol Hill
Senate Republicans faced a choice recently: Remain in session and confirm more of President Trump’s nominees, or finally abandon Washington for the vaunted August recess. Senators hung around – a little while – knocking out some of the President’s nominees for administration positions. But not all. That drew the ire of some conservatives, Trump loyalists and President Donald Trump himself. Trump seethed at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for requiring the Senate to run lengthy parliamentary traps and incinerate valuable floor time to confirm even non-controversial nominees. The President finally unloaded on the New York Democrat in a digital coup de grace, telling him to “GO TO HELL!” It’s notable that Trump has not yet met with Schumer or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., during his second term. But then again, this is a two-way street. And Democrats remember multiple tumultuous meetings with Mr. Trump during the last time he was in office. It culminated in verbal grappling between the President and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, and ended with Democrats abandoning the meeting after only a few moments. TRUMP TELLS SCHUMER TO ‘GO TO HELL’ OVER SENATE NOMINEE DEAL FUNDING DEMANDS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE So, it’s far from certain any such meeting would yield anything remotely productive. But back to the “August recess.” First, it’s important to establish that members of the House and Senate are not on “summer vacation.” Sure, there are always some breaks to visit with family and friends. Lawmakers are people, too. But truly, this is not a “break.” Lawmakers are always “on.” Not everything they do is centered around Washington. Any congressman or senator worth their salt will tell you that spending time back in their home states or districts is just as important – if not more so – than what goes down on Capitol Hill. Meeting with constituents. Visiting businesses. Conducting town hall meetings. Stopping by local coffee bars. Breaking bread at diners. Chatting up the local press corps. Members also use this longer respite for political travel and fact-finding missions overseas. These “CODELS” – short for “Congressional Delegation” – are a critical function for lawmakers to build bridges with foreign leaders and make their marks on how the U.S. approaches the rest of the globe. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., have recently led groups on trips to Israel. At least one other major trip is booked for later this month. So, the “August recess” is not inherently a “bad” thing. It’s an essential part of the job and probably one of the biggest misnomers in American politics. Still, many Americans simply dismiss August as a “vacation” for House members and senators, and it is a challenging optic for Congress. Which brings us back to the tension between staying in session to get “something” done and returning home. RECESS ON ICE AS REPUBLICANS HUNKER DOWN FOR HIGH-STAKES NOMINEE BLITZ It’s clear the Senate could have stayed in session to plow through more of President Trump’s nominees. Schumer and other Democrats simply weren’t going to relent and allow Republicans to confirm a slate of nominees “en bloc.” That’s where the Senate greenlights a large slate of nominees all at once and approves them either by unanimous consent or via voice vote. The Senate confirms the nominees all at once. The House certainly could have stayed in session to hammer out a few spending bills ahead of the deadline to fund the government by October 1. But here’s a stark reality – especially for the Senate: Lawmakers and staff desperately needed a break. Period. Full stop. Since May, the Senate in particular has conducted multiple overnight, round-the-clock and weekend sessions. Not just a few. The Senate voted deep into the night or overnight on the Big, Beautiful Bill. Then the Senate was back for late-night sessions confirming nominees. Yes. This is the people’s business. But the floor staff and support teams were exhausted. Senate leaders were mindful of that. And that’s to say nothing of the lawmakers themselves. It’s anecdotal, but lawmakers probably needed a break from one another, too. That makes them happier – and probably more productive when they return to Washington. But this still doesn’t solve the political dilemma facing Republican senators with a substantial core of their party demanding they remain moored in Washington to grind out nominees. And it may not satisfy President Trump, either. There’s lots of Senate talk now about “changing the rules” to accelerate the confirmation of nominees. One thing is for sure: the Senate won’t change the “rules” to expedite the confirmation process. The Senate boasts 44 standing rules. It takes 67 votes to break a filibuster on an actual rules change. But what Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could do is back the Senate into a special parliamentary posture where he can initiate a new “precedent” to confirm different types of nominees. That’s a maneuver that late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., executed to confirm some of former President Obama’s nominees. The same with former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to confirm Supreme Court nominees. DEMS DIG IN, TRUMP DEMANDS ALL: NOMINEE FIGHT BOILS OVER IN SENATE AS GOP LOOKS FOR A DEAL “New precedents” in the Senate require some complicated parliamentary wrangling. But only a simple majority is necessary to make good on this gambit for nominees. So, it’s easier and much more plausible than “changing the rules.” To the lay person, a new “precedent” doesn’t sound important. But there’s a reason why the Senate only has 44 standing rules and a voluminous book of precedents. You can accomplish a lot in the Senate if you’re able to concoct a new precedent. And note that it’s not just Republicans who want to change the way the Senate does things for some lower-tier, non-controversial nominees. Some Senate Democrats have expressed interest in changes, too. There are only so many minutes and so many hours. Time is just as valuable to
Dem, GOP reps defend Netanyahu Gaza plan following Israel trip
A pair of Democratic and Republican representatives appeared to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for Israel to take over Gaza on Sunday. Reps Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., appeared on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream after conducting a joint visit to Israel. Netanyahu’s office has faced some criticism after the nation’s security cabinet voted on Friday to allow the IDF to fully take over Gaza. Crawford argued that such a plan would be safer for the remaining hostages in Hamas custody. “I think they have a greater risk of dying under the current conditions than they would if the IDF takes the action that they’re talking about,” Crawford said of the hostages. “Basically, Hamas is starving them. People talk about the starvation in Gaza. The starvation is taking place at the hands of Hamas, and it’s primarily directed at the hostages that they are holding.” NETANYAHU VOWS TO TAKE FULL CONTROL OF GAZA STRIP, ‘LIBERATE’ PEOPLE FROM HAMAS Meanwhile, Gottheimer said a takeover by Israel is the “right answer,” so long as the IDF involvement is truly temporary. He argued that Hamas must be crushed fully, but another governing structure must be put in place. “The prime minister made it very clear … that there is no intent for long-term occupation or annexation, which I think is the right answer,” he said. “You need to make sure you crush Hamas, you get humanitarian aid in, and then you get a new governing structure in.” ISRAEL SECURITY CABINET APPROVES PLAN TO OCCUPY GAZA CITY Gottheimer added that he expects negotiations to lead to a “multinational Arab force” that keeps the peace in Gaza long-term. Netanyahu and his security cabinet met through the night before announcing on Friday that Israel planned to retake control over the entire Gaza territory and eventually hand it off to friendly Arab forces opposed to Hamas. “The Security Cabinet has approved the Prime Minister’s proposal for defeating Hamas. The IDF will prepare for taking control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside the combat zones,” Netanyahu announced on X. The office said the Security Cabinet had adopted, by vote, five principles for concluding the war which include: the disarming of Hamas, the return of all hostages – living and deceased, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control in the Gaza Strip, and the establishment of an alternative civil administration that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. The prospect of a full military occupation of Gaza comes 20 years after Israel’s full disengagement from the enclave when the government forcibly removed around 8,600 Jewish residents from the area. Shortly after, Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections and staged a violent coup to overthrow the Palestinian Authority and seize control of the Gaza Strip. Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report
Trump vows to make DC ‘safer’ and ‘beautiful’ as capital battles crime and homelessness
President Donald Trump vowed on Sunday to make Washington, D.C., “safer and more beautiful” as his administration doubles down on efforts to address crime and a growing homeless population in the nation’s capital. “I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN! Before the tents, squalor, filth, and crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the world. It will soon be that again,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Trump also announced that a plan to address homelessness, public safety, and urban cleanliness will be detailed during a press conference at the White House scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday. TRUMP INCREASES FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE IN DC FOLLOWING VIOLENT CRIME SURGE “The Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive. The American Public is not going to put up with it any longer,” Trump added. Trump wrote in a separate Truth Social post that he wants the homeless to “immediately” move “far from” the nation’s capital. “The criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong,” he wrote in the same post, adding that the new crackdowns on both issues are “going to happen very fast.” “There will be no “MR. NICE GUY.” We want our Capital BACK,” Trump wrote, adding that more details on these efforts will be laid out during a press conference on Monday. WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES FEDERAL SECURITY BLITZ AS PRESIDENT VOWS TO END DC ‘CRIME PLAGUE’ Trump has repeatedly characterized Washington, D.C., as “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world.” On Saturday, Trump said his administration will “essentially, stop violent crime” in the nation’s capital. Last week, Trump said he was weighing a federal takeover of D.C.’s police force, including the potential deployment of the National Guard, to confront rising crime in the capital. The renewed focus follows a series of violent incidents in the city, some involving federal staffers, including a high-profile employee from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who was a victim of an attempted carjacking. TRUMP THREATENS TO FEDERALIZE DC AFTER EX‑DOGE EMPLOYEE BEATEN “We have a capital that’s very unsafe, you know, we just almost lost a young man, beautiful, handsome guy that got the hell knocked out of him,” Trump said, referencing former DOGE employee Edward Coristine. The president described crime in D.C. as “out of control,” with young “thugs” and “gang members” who are “randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week in a statement to Fox News that “President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.” “Washington, D.C. is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” Leavitt added.
Putin ally warns ‘titanic efforts’ are underway to sink Trump summit over Ukraine war
A senior member of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle warned that multiple countries are mounting “titanic efforts” to undermine the upcoming summit between the Russian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Aug. 15, though Trump’s announcement, made via a Truth Social post on Friday, offered few additional details about the summit. It is also unclear if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be invited to join the talks as the Kremlin’s unprovoked war stretches into its fourth year. ZELENSKYY WON’T CEDE TERRITORY FOR PEACE DEAL AHEAD OF TRUMP‑PUTIN SUMMIT AS TRILATERAL MEETING TEASED “Undoubtedly, a number of countries interested in continuing the conflict will make titanic efforts to disrupt the planned meeting between President Putin and President Trump,” wrote Russia’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, in a Telegram post on Saturday, referencing the Kremlin’s ongoing war in Ukraine. While Dmitriev did not name specific countries, he warned that critics of the upcoming talks could seek to sabotage the summit through diplomatic maneuvers or media-driven provocations. Several NATO countries in Europe have been openly skeptical of any deal that rewards Russian aggression in the three-year-old war. Dmitriev, who met with Trump administration officials in Washington in April, has been dubbed Putin’s “shadow foreign minister” for his behind-the-scenes role in shaping Russia’s global diplomacy. As head of the Kremlin’s sovereign wealth fund and a recently appointed special envoy, he has often acted as an informal bridge between Moscow and Washington. Meanwhile, the Kremlin said in a statement on Saturday that Trump and Putin are expected to “focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.” “This will evidently be a challenging process, but we will engage in it actively and energetically,” the statement added. Trump has previously said that Putin and Zelenskyy were close to a ceasefire deal but suggested that Kyiv would have to concede significant territory, an outcome that Ukrainians and many European allies oppose.
Nagasaki commemorates atomic bombing 80 years on
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Japan has marked 80 years since the US dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
Trump border wall materials sold by Biden may soon find their way back to the feds, auctioneer claims
FIRST ON FOX: The global government-surplus auction house that listed unused components of President Donald Trump’s border wall under the Biden administration told Fox News Digital on Friday that it plans to coordinate with the Trump administration to return some of the materials to the federal government. In January 2021, President Joe Biden set in motion the chain of events that would eventually lead to the sale of unconstructed border wall components and implements. “Like every nation, the United States has a right and a duty to secure its borders and protect its people against threats. But building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution,” Biden said in an executive order halting construction. Until Friday, the ultimate fate of the unused border wall materials – originally estimated to be worth between $260 million and $350 million – remained largely unclear. A contentious court battle in Texas last December resulted in a 30-day freeze on the auctions, but little has publicly transpired since. BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION SURGES AHEAD AS ILLEGAL CROSSINGS PLUMMET TO HISTORIC LOWS In a statement to Fox News Digital, GovPlanet – an auction clearinghouse for public-sector and government surplus – announced Friday they have reached a breakthrough deal with the Trump administration. “GovPlanet has reached an agreement, working with the Office of the Border Czar, to return border wall materials that were previously deemed surplus and sourced by the federal government to GovPlanet via existing contracts,” said the company, a subsidiary of an Illinois-founded, British Columbia-based international operation called Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers-RB Global. “A third-party firm that has been contracted for construction of the border wall will take receipt of the materials over the next 90 days,” GovPlanet added. GovPlanet officials said they were pleased to work with the administration to return the materials “at-cost” to the feds and “protect the millions of dollars that U.S. taxpayers had already invested in this initiative.” “We are expediting the transfer of these materials to support the administration’s border protection plans. We value our longstanding partnership with the U.S. government and look forward to continuing to support America’s federal agencies.” TRUMP’S BORDER WALL EXPANSION MOVES FORWARD IN SEVERAL CRITICAL AREAS: ‘CRISIS IS NOT YET OVER’ Asked about the claim from the auction house, a White House official told Fox News Digital the Trump administration is “grateful for all third parties who are interested in helping keep America’s borders safe and secure.” After Biden’s order freezing construction, which ultimately led to the erstwhile auctions, Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said taxpayer money was being spent by the Pentagon to guard the materials as they languished in the New Mexico desert. A 2023 release from Fischer cited a $130,000-per-day figure for the storage and security of the panels in New Mexico and Arizona. A provision in the annual 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) required the Pentagon to submit a plan for transfer or sale of the materials. About 60% of the border wall components were transferred to southwestern states like Texas and California as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Fox News at the time that Texas purchased about $12 million from an auction. Tens of thousands of bollards, panels and components, including structural tubing, were later put up for auction on GovPlanet. Dozens of lots of materials were listed for auction by August 2023, according to the New York Post. The paper cited a $154,200 payday for 729 “hollow beams,” in one example. Screenshots on ABC-15 Phoenix’s website showed 33-foot by 8-foot steel wall panels being sold for $1 apiece in sets of five. Ernst lambasted the administration upon the news, saying that materials purchased with hard-earned taxpayer funds were being sold for “pennies on the dollar.” By that time, a total of $498,000 had been paid for the overall materials, according to Newsweek. The outlet cited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in confirming the implements were being marketed in accordance with federal acquisition regulations. REPUBLICAN AGS VISIT US-MEXICO BORDER WALL AS TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ CLEARS EXPANSION FUNDING But, the trail began to go cold after that hot summer, as Lt. Gov. Patrick informed Hearst Newspapers in December he had been told that any further sales would be frozen until after Trump’s second inauguration. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham argued in court that the Biden administration was ignoring prior court orders by selling off the components, according to the Houston Chronicle. GovPlanet appeared to de-list the items around that time. In a Dec. 27 ruling, Texas federal Judge Drew Tipton barred the selling of wall materials for 30 days, according to Law & Crime. The outlet added, citing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, that Tipton further asked the Biden administration to explain whether it violated a prior ruling in Texas’ favor that required certain funds be spent on border wall construction. Texas had claimed Biden’s auctions were netting buyers wall components at a rate that would have added up to about a half-mile per day, if constructed as Trump originally intended. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP There appeared to have been little movement on the sales since the 30-day moratorium expired in January, until Fox News Digital contacted GovPlanet on Friday. Several reports said the federal government no longer owns the border wall components the Biden administration set for auction, and that GovPlanet/RBGlobal legally possesses them. Art del Cueto, a Border Patrol union official, told ABC-15 that the stock cited in reports on the sales could “pretty much be utilized.” “They could put down footing, pick it back up and use it,” he said. “When you have to start with the new administration, wanting to rebuild it, what are we going to have to do, you’re going to have to use more taxpayer-funded money, which is insane to me,” del Cueto added. Fox News Digital reached out to Patrick’s office and DHS for comment.
Jordan to host meeting with Syria, US on Syrian reconstruction
President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s new government is trying to attract foreign investment as Syria’s economy lies in ruins. Jordan will host a Jordanian-Syrian-American meeting on Tuesday to discuss ways to support the rebuilding of Syria, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates says, as Damascus seeks investment deals with international companies to revive its war-ravaged economy. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and United States envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack are expected to attend, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s fledgling government has been grappling with the fallout from sectarian violence between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the southern province of Suwayda as well as Israeli strikes on Syrian soldiers and the capital, Damascus. Syria’s economy remains in tatters after nearly 14 years of war and the ouster of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December. Jordan made its announcement after Damascus signed 12 agreements worth $14bn on Wednesday, including a $4bn agreement with Qatar’s UCC Holding to build a new airport and a $2bn deal to establish a subway in Damascus with the national investment corporation of the United Arab Emirates. The projects “will extend across Syria and represent a qualitative shift in infrastructure and economic life”, Talal al-Hilali, head of the Syrian Investment Authority, said during a ceremony at the presidential palace in Damascus. He described the agreements as “a turning point” for Syria’s future. Al-Sharaa and Barrack were both present at the signing ceremony, according to Syria’s official SANA news agency. Advertisement The United Nations has put Syria’s post-war reconstruction costs at more than $400bn. Syria’s new authorities have worked to attract investment for the reconstruction of infrastructure across the country after the US and the European Union lifted sanctions on Syria in the wake of al-Assad’s ouster. Other major developments on the investment front include the $2bn Damascus Towers project for residential high rises, signed with the Italian-based company UBAKO; a $500m deal for the Baramkeh Towers project, also in Damascus; and another $60m agreement for Baramkeh Mall. Last month, Saudi Arabia said it would invest about $3bn in real estate and infrastructure projects in Syria. In May, Damascus signed a $7bn energy deal with a consortium of Qatari, Turkish and US companies as it seeks to revive its crippled power sector. Adblock test (Why?)
Ukraine says it hit Russian oil refinery in drone exchanges; key talks loom
Ukraine’s military has said it struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region in an overnight drone attack, causing explosions and destruction, according to an army statement, as daily aerial exchanges intensify with diplomatic momentum to end the war in play. Saratov’s governor said on Sunday that one person was killed and several residential apartments and an industrial facility were damaged, but did not mention the oil refinery being struck. “[Ukrainian] drones are targeting … deeper into Russian territory [than] in the past, where previous attacks have been focused on the line of contact in the south and the western parts of Russia,” said Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Moscow. It is still unclear whether Ukraine’s claims that it hit a refinery are true, he added. Ukraine’s military also said on Sunday that it had taken back a village in the Sumy region from the Russian army, which has made significant recent gains there. Ukrainian troops have “liberated and completely cleared” Russian forces from Bezsalivka, the military general staff said in a Telegram post. It said 18 Russian troops had been “eliminated” in the fighting. Russia’s war in Ukraine is now into its fourth year, as European leaders have welcomed plans by United States President Donald Trump to hold direct talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on ending the conflict. In Ukraine, three swimmers were killed by unexploded objects in the country’s southern Odesa region at two beaches where swimming has been banned, regional officials said on Sunday. The Black Sea region has long been a popular summer destination, but authorities have urged caution since Russia’s full-scale invasion left mines scattered near its coast. Advertisement “All of them were blown up by explosive objects while swimming in prohibited recreational zones,” Regional governor Oleh Kiper said in a statement. On Saturday, Russia launched a drone attack on a bus in Ukraine’s Kherson region, killing at least two people and wounding 16 others, according to Ukrainian officials. Another drone hit the bus as the police were responding to the attack, injuring three officers, the police added. Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region also killed two people travelling in a car in the Bilenkivska community on Saturday, as well as a 61-year-old woman who was in her home in the Vasylivka district, a local official reported. Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 16 of the 47 Russian drones launched overnight, while 31 drones hit targets across 15 different locations. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 97 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Black Sea overnight and 21 more on Saturday morning. Europe stresses support for Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin talks Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected any suggestion of land concessions to Russia as international efforts to end the war continue. Trump, who had promised to end the war within 24 hours of reentering the White House in January, plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, saying the parties were close to a deal that could resolve the conflict. Trump is reportedly open to inviting Zelenskyy to Alaska, but there has been no confirmation as of yet. Putin has insisted the conditions must be right for him and the Ukrainian leader to meet in person. The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s efforts, while stressing the need to maintain support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia. “The emphasis [of the European statement was] … that this is a war that is in Ukraine, but is in Europe too, and has huge potential ramifications for European security,” said Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. The Wall Street Journal also reported that European officials who met US Vice President JD Vance in the UK on Saturday had presented a counterproposal for peace, which included demands that a ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken. The proposal also said that any territory exchanges must be reciprocal, with firm security guarantees. Adblock test (Why?)