Photographs appear to show former Prince Andrew on all fours leaning over a woman or girl lying on the floor, in the latest release of Epstein files from the US Department of Justice on Friday. In one undated image, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor looks directly at the camera as he crouches over the fully clothed figure, whose face has been obscured. Another photograph shows Mountbatten-Windsor's hand placed on the same person's abdomen. In the background, another unidentified person props their feet up on a table, which has a stack of towels on it. The latest Epstein documents also contain an email exchange between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Mountbatten-Windsor in August 2010 in which the disgraced financier invites the royal to meet a “friend” for dinner in London. Epstein then describes her as a 26-year-old Russian that is “clevere (sic) beautiful, trustworthy,” and confirms that she has Mountbatten-Windsor's email. The messages are sent two years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex with a minor. More than a month later, in another set of emails, Epstein and Mountbatten-Windsor make plans to meet in London. Mountbatten-Windsor suggests dinner at Buckingham Palace where they would have “lots of privacy.” Epstein writes that the pair will “need/have private time.” CNN has attempted to contact Mountbatten-Windsor for comment. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied all accusations against him and insisted that he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior of which Epstein was accused. The Justice Department on Friday released its latest tranche of files related to the investigation into Epstein, six weeks after its Congressional deadline to do so. 5 early takeaways from DOJ's big Epstein files drop The new photographs and email exchanges are likely to cast additional scrutiny on Mountbatten-Windsor over Epstein links, which eventually led King Charles to strip his brother of his “prince” title and evict him from his Windsor mansion in an extraordinary move last year. Buckingham Palace did not offer a fresh statement when approached by CNN on Saturday. CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Max Foster contributed reporting.

US president reportedly eyes plot near Memorial Bridge for a large-scale structure named the Independence Arch Donald Trump reportedly wants the arch he is planning to build in Washington DC to dwarf the Lincoln Memorial. It would also be significantly taller than Paris's 164ft-tall Arc de Triomphe – but less than half the height than the Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri, the world's tallest arch. “I don't think an arch that large belongs there,” Catesby Leigh, an art critic who conceived of a more modest arch in a 2024 essay, told the Post. Leigh's idea was reportedly brought to Trump by allies of the president's administration. But Trump went for a permanent design four times larger and funded with leftover donations to the $400m White House ballroom project. “If you're going to build an arch that big, you should build it in another part of town – and one possible site that comes to mind is Barney Circle,” Leigh was quoted by the outlet as saying. Barney Circle in south-east Washington DC overlooks the Anacostia River. But Leigh also recommended an architect, Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, who in September posted enthusiastically on Twitter/X: “America needs a triumphal arch!” together with a rendering. Trump has reportedly considered more modest arch designs, including 165-ft-high and 123-ft-high versions, that he shared at a dinner in 2025. Trump is said to have told guests at a White House Christmas reception, “The one that people know mostly is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. And we're gonna top it by, I think, a lot.” The idea for an enormous arch in Washington DC is not entirely new. Trump told Politico in December that he hoped to begin construction of the arch within two months. Earlier in January, he posted images to his Truth Social platform of three potential designs, including one with gold gilding. The Post noted that Washington is unusual among major cities for lacking a triumphal arch to commemorate national achievements. Atlanta philanthropist and developer Rodney Mims Cook Jr, president of the National Monuments Foundation, has been appointed by Trump to the Commission of Fine Arts that would in theory oversee the arch.

Truthout is an indispensable resource for activists, movement leaders and workers everywhere. Please make this work possible with a quick donation. New court filings allege that federal and state officials withheld evidence of the Trump administration's involvement in the Everglades detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” a revelation that could revive a court-ordered shutdown. If the project is deemed a federal action, it would trigger mandatory environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires an environmental review for major federal projects. The records cited in the filing include a June 20 email documenting an agreement between Florida officials and the federal government to allow FDEM to detain noncitizens using federal immigration authority under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, with federal funding support. Additional emails show that Florida formally applied for federal funding for the detention facility by Aug. 7, followed by a federal grant award letter dated Aug. 15, that provided guidance on how those funds could be spent. Plaintiffs say the documents were never provided to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida despite discovery and public records requests, and that the agencies failed to update earlier sworn declarations after they were rendered inaccurate by new information. “We now know that the federal and state government had records confirming that they closely partnered on this facility from the beginning but failed to disclose them to the district court,” said Tania Galloni, an attorney with Earthjustice, which represents Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, in an emailed statement. DHS did not respond to Prism's request for comment. Since it was first announced in June of last year, “Alligator Alcatraz” has been at the center of a high-stakes legal battle over environmental law, federal authority, and Indigenous sovereignty. The brief adds that the tribe “had no notice of the facility,” even though federal environmental and historic preservation laws state agencies must consult with federally recognized tribes when undertaking major federal actions that may affect Tribal lands or cultural sites. A tribal village sits approximately 1,000 feet from the entrance to the detention camp; 11 villages are located within three miles; a school bus stop lies directly in front of the facility; and a K–12 school is less than 10 minutes away. Tribal leaders also warned that the facility threatens subsistence fishing and hunting, ceremonial practices, and the health of the Everglades ecosystem that sustains Miccosukee cultural life and recharges the Biscayne Aquifer, a primary source of drinking water for millions of Floridians. “We have a Tribal constitutional duty to defend our homelands from environmental degradation and defend our people from big government overreach.” Those concerns are echoed in a resolution adopted by the National Congress of American Indians at its 2025 annual convention in November. The resolution, titled “To Call for the Prohibition of Using Indian Country as Venue for Internment or Detention Camps,” situates “Alligator Alcatraz” within a broader national pattern and draws a parallel to the historical placement of Japanese internment camps on or near tribal lands during World War II. The resolution states that the facility was constructed on land where the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes hold federally recognized use and occupancy rights, under a state of emergency declared by Gov. New construction at the detention center was briefly halted on Aug. 21, when U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a temporary restraining order. Tribal leaders say the case is not only about a single detention facility, but about whether emergency powers can be used to bypass environmental safeguards and tribal consultation altogether. The outcome, tribal advocates argue, would determine whether environmental law and tribal sovereignty remain meaningful protections, or if they can be sidelined when government authorities say so. The tribe's legal intervention was followed by a political setback. On Dec. 30, Trump vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have expanded and clarified the Miccosukee Tribe's control over certain lands in the Florida Everglades. In a Dec. 31 statement responding to the veto, Cypress said the tribe was “disappointed” by the White House's decision to reject the bipartisan Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, which he described as a measure aimed at protecting a historic tribal village facing serious flood and environmental risks. Cypress emphasized that the tribe “has never sought to obstruct the President's immigration agenda,” but instead acted to ensure “sufficient environmental due diligence” to protect federal restoration investments in the Everglades. The legislation, he said, was not about “special treatment,” but about public safety, environmental stewardship, and clarifying land status for tribal members who have lived in the area for generations. It is revolting that the president would retaliate against their effort to defend a place that is not only deeply important to the Tribe but to so many Americans in Florida and beyond.” “Friends of the Everglades was founded by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1969 to protect this very site from harmful development, and we won't stop fighting until it's safe and the government complies with all environmental laws.” According to Bennett, the new findings regarding federal involvement “confirms the reasonableness of the district court's factual findings that there was a state-federal partnership for Florida to detain noncitizens with a commitment of federal funding, which affects a central issue in this appeal: whether there was a final, major federal action requiring compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.” Prism is an independent and nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color. Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes. We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks. We can only resist Trump's attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. Our fundraising campaign is over, but we fell a bit short and still need your help. Please take a meaningful action in the fight against authoritarianism: make a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout. If you have the means, please dig deep. Ayi is a Colombian American writer, theater-maker, and filmmaker based in Miami. Her work spans criticism, essays, fiction, drama, and journalism. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.

Experts said the memo's legal claims violate Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Truthout is an indispensable resource for activists, movement leaders and workers everywhere. An internal legal memo obtained by the New York Times reveals that federal immigration enforcement agents are claiming broad new powers to carry out warrantless arrests. The Times reported on Friday that the memo, which was signed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons, “expands the ability of lower-level ICE agents to carry out sweeps rounding up people they encounter and suspect are undocumented immigrants, rather than targeted enforcement operations in which they set out, warrant in hand, to arrest a specific person.” In the past, agents have been granted the power to carry out warrantless arrests only in situations where they believe a suspected undocumented immigrant is a “flight risk” who is unlikely to comply with obligations such as appearing at court hearings. “This memo bends over backwards,” Shuchart said, “to say that ICE agents have nothing but green lights to make an arrest without even a supervisor's approval.” Claire Trickler-McNulty, former senior adviser at ICE during the Biden administration, said the memo's language was so broad that “it would cover essentially anyone they want to arrest without a warrant, making the general premise of ever getting a warrant pointless.” Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, noted in a social media post that the memo appears to be a way for ICE to “get around an increasing number of court orders requiring [US Department of Homeland Security] to follow the plain words of the law which says administrative warrantless arrests are only for people ‘likely to escape. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes. We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks. We can only resist Trump's attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. Our fundraising campaign is over, but we fell a bit short and still need your help. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 30 rejected the Kremlin's proposal for holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow but signaled readiness for a meeting in a more appropriate format. I'm openly inviting him, if he dares," Zelensky said during a briefing with journalists, hinting that Putin is trying to avoid face-to-face talks. The comments follow Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov's statement that Moscow is prepared to ensure Zelensky's security and working conditions if he comes to Russia to continue discussions on ending the war. Ukraine previously said it was open to a meeting between Putin and Zelensky to discuss two crucial issues in an ongoing U.S.-led peace process: territorial questions and the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Last year, Putin rejected Zelensky's proposal for talks in Turkey, instead inviting the Ukrainian president to Moscow — an offer Zelensky promptly declined. Any real format for a meeting of leaders is suitable," Zelensky said. The latest round of peace talks among Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. officials took place in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24, with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff describing the discussions as "very constructive." Recent days saw renewed tensions in the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly again weighing strikes against Iran following weeks of violent crackdown against anti-regime protests. Ahead of the next round of talks between Russia and Ukraine, Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, will hold separate talks with U.S. officials in Florida. Dmitriev will meet with members of the Trump administration on Jan. 31, a White House official confirmed to the Kyiv Independent. According to the Ukrainian leader, there was no direct agreement between Kyiv and Moscow on halting strikes against energy facilities, but he pledged that Ukraine is ready to refrain from attacking if Russia does the same. Throughout this winter, Russia has escalated its attacks against Ukraine's power grid, causing one of the most serious energy crises during the war and triggering a state of emergency. A pause in Russian strikes — provided that Ukraine also refrains from attacking Russian oil refineries and tankers — was said to be discussed during the trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi. Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin's threat comes a few days after Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. officials held the latest round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24. The Air Force said on Jan. 31 that Russia launched 85 drones against Ukraine overnight, of which 55 were Shahed-type drones. Ukraine says it is working with SpaceX to stop Russian drones from using Starlink, after reports that satellite-connected UAVs are extending their range to strike deeper into Ukrainian territory. Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary traveled to Russia on Jan. 30 for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev will meet with members of the Trump administration in Florida on Jan. 31, a White House official confirmed to the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 30. I'm openly inviting him, if he dares," Zelensky said during a briefing with journalists. The Shadow Fleet Sanctions Act, introduced by Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen in September 2025, expands Washington's authority to penalize shadow fleet vessels and slaps new penalties on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other energy sector projects. If approved, the measure would prevent European companies from providing key services for transporting Russian oil. The comment from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov came a day after Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his request not to strike Kyiv as well as other Ukrainian cities and towns for a week.

Alfredo Mancillas Jr, 31, faces charges of drunken driving after his arrest early Tuesday morning, jail records show. Troopers who approached Mancillas alleged that he smelled of alcohol and that his eyes were watery and bloodshot, so they administered to Mancillas a field sobriety test, the Sahan Journal wrote. Mancillas failed, subsequently refused to submit to a breath test and was booked into a local jail on counts of third- and fourth-degree driving while intoxicated (DWI). A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – which oversees CBP – said in a statement that the agency's professional responsibility office was reviewing Mancillas's DWI arrest. “CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission,” the DHS statement also said. His arrest occurred weeks after more than 3,000 federal immigration agents descended on St Paul and Minneapolisas part of the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign. The so-called Operation Metro Surge invited widespread public backlash against the White House after agents fatally shot two 37-year-old US citizens in Minneapolis earlier in January: Renee Good and Alex Pretti. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot Good to death on 7 January as she drove away from a confrontation. Then the border patrol killed Pretti having already disarmed and restrained him on 24 January. Administration border chief Tom Homan was put in charge of the Minnesota operation and on Thursday said he “recognized that certain improvements could and should be made”, though he didn't elaborate.

Mitch Sylvestre arrives at the heart of his message midway through an hour-long presentation. With a series of infographics, screengrabs of tweets and headlines pulled from supportive news outlets projected on a screen behind him, he makes his case: thousands of kilograms of fentanyl are being sent to the U.S. from Canada; immigration is an effort to replace “old stock” white Canadians; money earned in Alberta is sent East and never returns. Mitch Sylvestre, speaking in Calgary on Jan. 26, has been travelling around Alberta making his pitch for the province's independence.Amir Salehi/The Globe and Mail Mr. Sylvestre, 70, a United Conservative Party constituency president and sports-store owner from Bonnyville, has given this presentation nearly 100 times over the past year, continually tweaking to keep it relevant. Most recently, he added Prime Minister Mark Carney's remarks in China about adapting to the “new world order.” The referendum push, coming as Quebec voters consider a renewed dalliance with the separatist Parti Québécois, is happening during a period of sharpened focus on Canadian national unity that hasn't occurred in generations. The landscape shifted with U.S. President Donald Trump's “51st state” provocations and tariff threats. Premier Danielle Smith, in response, embraced gentle diplomacy, punctuated by her trip early last year to meet Mr. Trump at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort and her suggestion that the U.S. delay its trade war with Canada until after last year's federal election to help the more “aligned” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Mr. Trump's threats undoubtedly propelled Mark Carney's rise to Prime Minister – an outcome that many staunch independence supporters, Mr. Sylvestre included, cite as their breaking point with Canada. The day after Mr. Carney's election last April, Ms. Smith – who was partly elected UCP Leader on a pledge to wrestle more control from Ottawa – announced that she would be making it easier for Albertans to engage in “direct democracy.” This concept allows the electorate to force votes on government policy through petitions, changes that have ushered new life into the possibility of an independence vote, coming as soon as this year. Alberta's separatists, with their referendum question approved by Elections Alberta, have until May 2 to collect nearly 178,000 signatures, or 10 per cent of votes cast in the past election. If successful, Albertans will have to answer yes or no: “Do you agree that the province of Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?” The referendum would be non-binding, but a Yes vote could trigger fraught negotiations between Alberta and Ottawa. Support for independence, floating between 20 and 30 per cent according to most polling, has remained stagnant, despite several flashpoints in the past year. Ahead of last year's election, in March, Ms. Smith threatened a national-unity crisis if Mr. Carney didn't respond to her demands to change federal energy and environmental policies and pave the way for a new bitumen pipeline. In November, most of Ms. Smith's demands were met in a milestone agreement signed with Mr. Carney, which she hoped would signal to Albertans that Canada can work – a sentiment for which she was booed days later at her party's annual convention. Meanwhile, Mr. Sylvestre, his right-hand man, lawyer Jeffrey Rath, and a cadre of separatists have built their campaign organization, Stay Free Alberta. On a Tuesday night in Donalda, population 216, there is coffee, tea and bite-size snacks, and about 40 chairs set up in rows, about half of which are filled. Stay Free Alberta has a list of speakers who show up to their events. Mr. Scott boasts that they will reach a million signatures, which they hope will force the province to negotiate with Ottawa on the movement's terms. And when there's a million plus signatures on this petition, that becomes much easier,” he says. Independence leaders are unconcerned with the risks of separation and steadfastly believe Alberta would be better off without Canada, arguing that its natural resources offer leverage over Ottawa. “We're building a political movement that will control the government of Alberta,” he said. For months, Mr. Rath and his colleagues have trumpeted two meetings with U.S. State Department officials in Washington and say their message has been received by the Oval Office. “I'm not going to demonize or marginalize a million of my fellow citizens when they've got legitimate grievances,” she said. Separatists' rejection of U.S. statehood has not stopped Mr. Trump's explicitly expansionist administration from weighing in on a potential referendum, raising concern that the campaign is laying out the welcome mat for unchecked foreign interference. So far, despite images on social media showing crowds at rallies and lines to sign the petition, there is little evidence that the movement is growing. Polling aside, the only metric of support came in a by-election last June when the separatist Republican Party of Alberta was trounced by the UCP in a riding where a strong strain of independence was believed to exist. Though Ms. Smith and Mr. Carney have signalled that their relationship is evolving, even warming, he said there are significant risks if their energy deal fails to yield results. “I'm convinced that there will be a crisis between Alberta and Ottawa some time,” said Prof. Cooper. At their stop in Eckville, Mr. Rath works up a sweat as he riffs on a number of subjects while arguing that Ottawa is engaging in “the planned destruction of our province.” Alberta, he says, would hold up trucks in transit to Ontario from B.C. We'll see how quickly Alberta remains landlocked under those circumstances.” Sandra Shippelt, a canvasser in Eckville, says Canada's cost of living is untenable, and she believes that an independent Alberta would be more affordable. She “loved Canada” but changed her mind about a year ago. On Monday, Spencer Burton and Alicia Ward were among several hundred people adding their names to the petition at the Big Four Roadhouse on Calgary Stampede grounds. The young couple, 33 and 35, view independence as a bargaining chip. Thomas Limqueco and his partner, Jean, who moved to Calgary from the Philippines 15 years ago, said they're disillusioned with Canada's immigration policy. Mr. Limqueco, calling Mr. Trump “the main guy” and “big dog,” said he felt Canada has no business standing up to the U.S. and didn't object to joining Alberta's southern neighbour. Later that evening, over four thousand people packed the Stampede venue for a rally, many wearing blue ballcaps reading “Republic of Alberta,” some with Alberta flags draped over their shoulders, nary a Canadian flag in sight. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Marla Ailor attended President Donald Trump's inauguration last year with her family, and remembered thinking it was a long day. So she breathed a sigh of relief on Friday as she watched Melania Trump's documentary and saw that — after a day that included three balls and returning to the White House at 2 a.m. — the first lady kicked off her heels. “You really appreciate what they have to go through in order to get through an event like that, and what their day must really be like.” Inside the premiere of Melania Trump's not-documentary documentary The film wasn't a hit in every city on its opening day. ET at Regal Gallery Place downtown — was about one-third filled, and almost everyone in the theater was a reporter. A chorus of replies came from across the room: “Here.” “Here.” “Here.” “I think it's really going to be very important. One scene depicts Donald Trump asking his wife if she'd watched his election night victory speech, as she responds — seemingly in a hurry to get off the phone — that she'll catch it later on the news. Attendees chuckled when he's told he'll ride to the inauguration with outgoing President Joe Biden and responds, “That'll be an interesting drive.” In London, some who attended the documentary's opening day panned it afterward. One person said that “it's like if Victoria Beckham became first lady.” I've covered Melania Trump for more than a decade. Here's what I learned from her new documentary Siblings Daniel and Elise Fairweather both disliked the film, even though Daniel — who called it “tone-deaf” — said he likes Melania Trump herself. “She's surrounded by ‘yes' men,” Elise Fairweather said. Still, across the United States on Friday, many Trump supporters said they'd bought tickets to see “Melania” on its opening day because they wanted to demonstrate their support for the first family. Outside an AMC theater in Los Angeles, Mary Eike, a 74-year-old retired CPA and Trump supporter, said she showed up early to catch the first screening. When asked what motivated her to come see the film, Eike told CNN she feels it's “about time they did something with that gorgeous first lady.” After seeing the documentary, Eike told CNN that she'd been struck by the same thing Ailor in Indiana had mentioned. A 73-seat theater at the Cinemark Majestic in Meridian, Idaho, was nearly full. Their reactions during the screening were largely subdued, with a few chuckles here and there, such as when Melania Trump calls her husband and says, “Hi, Mr. President,” and he responds, “Hi, honey.” “It was interesting to see the role of the first lady and garner perspective on what she does,” said Kenny Cormack of Meridian, who said he'd come to the earliest showing largely to accompany his mother and sister. In Jupiter, Florida, 69-year-old Maggie Little said she loved the music — including Melania Trump singing Michael Jackson's “Billie Jean” during a car ride and waving her hands to the Village People's “Y.M.C.A.” In California, Eva Hackett, 80, a retired real estate agent and a Los Angeles resident, said she appreciated seeing “how much work” goes into being the first lady. “I have a lot of admiration, more for her now than before. I always liked the fact that she was stubborn,” Hackett said. A moment many attendees across the county pointed to as a highlight: Melania Trump suggesting the word “unifier” as she watched the then president-elect practicing his inaugural address and looking for a word to replace what had previously been written. In Indiana, Erica Strahm, a 52-year-old youth coordinator for a tobacco prevention and cessation program from Westfield, said she teared up at times during the movie — including when Melania Trump talked about her relationship with her mother, who died in early 2024. She said she didn't learn new things about the Trumps, but appreciated being able to “see the behind the scenes of what you don't normally get to see.” It was one of those movies where at the end I wanted to clap,” she said.

Russia resolutely condemns US illegitimate prohibitive measures against Cuba and Washington's pressure on the Cuban leadership and people, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. The US White House published an executive order on January 29, declaring an emergency over Cuba, its policy and government. "Russia's position on this score remains unchanged: unilateral measures of sanctions pressure on sovereign independent states taken in circumvention of the UN and the provisions of its Charter and other norms of international law are absolutely unacceptable," the Russian diplomat stressed. "We resolutely denounce illegitimate prohibitive steps against Havana, the pressure on the Cuban leadership and citizens of that country. We are convinced that despite the obstacles created from outside on the way of its development, Cuba will continue maintaining effective foreign economic ties," Zakharova said. As the Russian diplomat pointed out, "this is yet another and quite radical recurrence, the strategy of maximum pressure on the Island of Freedom repeatedly used by Washington, which is aimed at economically stifling it." "What captures attention is that the new anti-Cuban document classifies Russia, along with some other equitable foreign partners of Havana, as a ‘hostile' and ‘malign' state," she said. "Assigning labels does not contribute either to stabilizing the Russia-US dialogue or raising the efficiency of Washington's important mediatory efforts for settling crises in various regions of the world," Zakharova emphasized. "The traditions of our cooperation that is comprehensive have deep roots and enjoy broad public and political support in both countries," the diplomat said. "Also, as we have stressed repeatedly, this cooperation is not directed against third countries and cannot be considered as detrimental to any interests.

MOSCOW, January 31. Northern Europe and the Baltic states should begin working on coordinated offensive information actions in case of a conflict, the North Atlantic Alliance's Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence said. A report titled Countering Information Influence Operations in the North Baltic Region obtained by TASS said that Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden need to work out actions that "should be more than ‘coordinated tweets from the capitals' and should demonstrate the value of coordinated offensive responses to penetrate hostile information environments, in preparation for a sudden escalation from threat actors. This would need to be prepared for in close cooperation with NATO and its plans and procedures." NATO also advised the Nordic and Baltic states to jointly develop their information warfare capabilities, assign responsibilities in this area, and regularly conduct joint exercises. In recent years, NATO has been intensifying its confrontation with Russia. In previous documents, Moscow is called the most significant and direct threat. At the same time, both representatives of the NATO countries and the military command of the bloc declare the possibility of a conflict between the alliance and Russia. Russian leader Vladimir Putin said in December that politicians in Europe were "raising the degree of hysteria" and "driving fears into their heads" about the inevitability of a clash with Russia. According to him, the allegations about a possible Russian attack on Europe are "lies and nonsense.

A federal judge on Jan. 30 struck down key parts of President Donald Trump's executive order that tightened citizen verification requirements for voter registration, ruling he exceeded his authority. The case concerns Executive Order 14248, which Trump signed on March 25, 2025, with the goal of preventing illegal immigrants from voting. In the order, the president directed the Election Assistance Commission to require in its national mail voter registration form that voters produce documentary proof of U.S. citizenship such as a U.S. passport.

This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve could bring about sweeping changes at a central bank that dominates the global economy and markets like no other. Warsh, if approved by the Senate, will be under close scrutiny from financial markets and Congress given his appointment by a president who has loudly demanded much lower rates than many economists think are justified by economic conditions. Whether he can maintain the Fed's long time independence from day-to-day politics while also placating Trump will be a tremendous challenge. Still, former associates and friends of Warsh say that he has the intellectual heft and people skills to potentially pull it off. Warsh has “a judicious temperament and both the intellectual understanding but also the hopefully diplomatic talents to navigate what is a challenging position at this point,” said Raghuram Rajan, an economics professor at the University of Chicago and formerly head of India's central bank. Warsh would replace current chair Jerome Powell when his term expires in May. Trump chose Powell to lead the Fed in 2017 but this year has relentlessly assailed him for not cutting interest rates quickly enough. “I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” Trump posted on social media Friday. Trump said later Friday in the Oval Office that he didn't ask Warsh to commit to cutting rates, calling such a question “inappropriate” and adding, “I want to keep it nice and pure.” The appointment, which requires Senate confirmation, amounts to a return trip for Warsh, 55, who was a member of the Fed's board from 2006 to 2011. He is currently a fellow at the right-leaning Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In some ways, Warsh is an unlikely choice for the Republican president because he has long supported higher interest rates to control inflation. Trump, by contrast, has said the Fed's key rate should be as low as 1%, a level few economists endorse, and far below its current level of about 3.6%. More recently, however, in speeches and opinion columns, Warsh has voiced support for lower rates, seemingly coming in line with Trump's point of view. Financial markets reacted in ways that suggest investors expect Warsh could keep rates a bit higher over time. The dollar and yields on long-term U.S. Treasurys ticked higher. Tillis is on the Senate committee that will consider Warsh's nomination. He added that Warsh is a “qualified nominee,” but stressed that “protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable.” Asked late Thursday whether Warsh could be confirmed without Tillis's support, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, “probably not.” Warsh has charged that the massive bond-buying, which was intended to lower longer-term interest rates and boost the economy, enabled Congress to ramp up spending without concern for higher borrowing costs. Instead, “Inflation is caused when government spends too much and prints too much,” he wrote in a November column in The Wall Street Journal. The announcement comes after an extended and unusually public search. Trump has sought to exert more control over the Fed. In August he tried to fire Lisa Cook, one of seven governors on the Fed's board, in an effort to secure a majority of the board. Powell revealed this month that the Fed had been subpoenaed by the Justice Department about his congressional testimony on a $2.5 billion building renovation. In a January 2025 column in The Wall Street Journal, Warsh praised Trump's deregulatory policies and potential spending cuts, which he said would help bring down inflation. He has also suggested that artificial intelligence will boost productivity, making the economy more efficient while reducing inflation. In December, Trump wrote on social media of the need for lower borrowing costs and said, “Anyone who disagrees with me will never be the Fed chairman!” If confirmed, Warsh would face challenges in pushing interest rates much lower. The chair is just one member of the Fed's 19-person rate-setting committee, with 12 of those officials voting on each rate decision. The committee is already split between those worried about persistent inflation, who'd like to keep rates unchanged, and those who think that recent upticks in unemployment point to a stumbling economy that needs lower interest rates to bolster hiring. If the Fed cuts its short-term rate too aggressively and is seen as doing so for political reasons, then Wall Street investors could sell Treasury bonds out of fear that inflation would rise. Trump considered appointing Warsh as Fed chair during his first term, though ultimately he went with Powell. Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting, readable fomat.

A Saab Jas 39 Gripen E-series jet in Lindköping, Sweden. The Swedish aerospace company has proposed to build the fighter jet and its GlobalEye military surveillance plane in Canada.Felix Odell/The Globe and Mail In Ottawa, various cabinet ministers are praying that TACO – the “Trump always chickens out” theory – is still valid. Or largely so, or at least somewhat so, for they are on the verge of gambling big on the U.S. President's rage factor. TACO is high on their minds because Prime Minister Mark Carney and several of his cabinet ministers, including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, are thought to be embracing the idea of Canada building the Saab Gripen fighter jet and Saab GlobalEye military surveillance plane. They are both Swedish creations whose construction in Canada would create 12,600 jobs, Saab has said. One senior politician close to the military action, whom The Globe is not identifying because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told me that odds of a deal with Saab have climbed to 85 per cent from 50 per cent or less before last fall. Mr. Trump would fly into a rage because Canada has ordered 88 U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jets. The question is whether his rage would be followed by punitive tariffs against Canada. Take Greenland, the Danish-controlled semi-autonomous territory that Mr. Trump wanted to “buy” and did not rule out invading if Denmark refused to succumb. On Jan. 17, he said he would hit the eight NATO countries that had sent small numbers of troops to Greenland with 10-per-cent tariffs. Ditto last April, when Mr. Trump's “Liberation Day” saw him unleash a barrage of tariffs. He also threatened several times to fire U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell (which he cannot legally do, but never mind that) because Mr. Powell was reluctant to crunch interest rates. On the other hand, Mr. Trump did not back down on his threat to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power. Trump's pledge to levy 50% tax on Canadian planes sparks confusion in industry Mr. Trump obviously dislikes Mr. Carney, who upstaged him at the Davos forum earlier this month. His threats against Canada have become a natural reflex. The latest, on Thursday, saw him vow to impose a 50-per-cent levy on Canadian-made aircraft all because Transport Canada allegedly failed to certify U.S.-made Gulfstream private jets. Never mind that the ministry has been working on their certification and that Gulfstreams are allowed to fly in Canada. To be sure, there is a fair chance that Mr. Trump will hit Canada with punishing tariffs if the F-35 order is scaled back in favour of the Gripen. He called for middle powers like Canada to band together. The upshot is that it would be exceedingly difficult for Ottawa to square Canada's foreign policy trajectory with buying the full F-35 order. The new reality is that Canada and other non-superpowers have to pursue their own national interests, which means derisking from the Trumpian United States. The F-35 is an extremely expensive and complicated American plane – an AI-powered computer with wings – that is dependent on endless U.S. software upgrades and a steady supply of spare parts. Handing the U.S., that is, Mr. Trump, an effective veto on the long-term sustainability on what would be Canada's most crucial weapon seems not just risky, but plain irresponsible. His Davos speech suggests that building the Gripen and downgrading the F-35 order would fit well his new geopolitical and geo-economic philosophy. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.