Global Pulse

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  • Turkish police detain dozens in raids on gay bars and homes of LGBTQ+ activists

    Turkish police detain dozens in raids on gay bars and homes of LGBTQ+ activists

    A widespread government operation across 12 Turkish provinces has resulted in the detention of at least 47 LGBTQ+ activists and community members, with raids targeting prominent queer advocacy groups, gay venues, and private homes, sparking widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.

    The crackdown, carried out over the weekend, is framed as part of the ruling government’s ‘My Family is Safe’ initiative, launched to uphold what state officials describe as traditional Turkish family values. The operation also aligns with the administration’s broader ‘Decade of the Family’ campaign, launched to reverse declining national birth rates.

    One of the primary targets of the raids was Kaos GL, one of Turkey’s oldest and most prominent LGBTQ+ rights associations. Official statements from prosecutors confirm that 26 people were detained in Istanbul, while an additional 21 were taken into custody in Ankara as part of an investigation into the organization. Kaos GL has pushed back on official counts, asserting that the actual number of detained activists exceeds 50, with more than 10 arrested during early-morning raids on their private residences.

    Alongside detentions, Turkish authorities have taken steps to censor queer organizing online: they have blocked multiple websites and social media accounts linked to LGBTQ+ groups, and have formally requested that X (formerly Twitter) shut down Kaos GL’s account as well as accounts belonging to roughly 15 other queer advocacy organizations. State officials have accused Kaos GL of posting obscene content accessible to minors, a claim rights groups dismiss as a baseless pretense for targeting the community.

    Authorities added that during the raids, law enforcement seized illegal drugs, unregistered digital equipment, smuggled alcohol, and an unlicensed firearm from the targeted locations. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that legal proceedings have already been launched against more than 160 individuals and multiple organizations and businesses across the country as part of the broader campaign, though he declined to confirm full detention numbers.

    This crackdown marks a further escalation of systemic targeting of Turkey’s LGBTQ+ community. Same-sex relations have been decriminalized in Turkey for decades, but same-sex marriage remains unrecognized, and systemic and social homophobia is widespread. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly publicly stigmatized LGBTQ+ people, describing them as ‘perverts’ and falsely blaming the community for Turkey’s falling birth rate. Previous attempts by queer activists to hold public pride parades have been met with consistent aggression, with riot police regularly dispersing gatherings and chasing participants.

    Turkey’s leading human rights groups have rejected the government’s framing of the operation, saying the ‘My Family is Safe’ campaign is nothing more than a cover for institutionalized discrimination. ‘The real name of this operation is not ‘My Family is Safe’; it is state-led discrimination, politics of fear and the dismantling of civil society,’ the Turkish Human Rights Association said in a post on X. The association added that the government has used the family values campaign to systematically target queer communities for years, eroding civil society space and further marginalizing already vulnerable minority groups.

  • Legendary Canadian boxer George Chuvalo dies aged 89

    Legendary Canadian boxer George Chuvalo dies aged 89

    Canadian heavyweight boxing icon George Chuvalo, a five-time national heavyweight champion whose decades-long career cemented his reputation as one of the sport’s most durable competitors, has passed away at the age of 89. He died on Saturday, which marked his 89th birthday, according to officials at Sully’s Boxing Gym, the Toronto training facility where Chuvalo honed his skills for years.

    Across 93 professional bouts compiled over his career, Chuvalo racked up 73 wins, 18 losses, and two draws. What stands out as one of the most extraordinary feats in boxing history, however, is that he was never knocked down to the canvas in any of his fights. That unmatched durability earned him the nickname “Canada’s greatest warrior” and the respect of even the most legendary opponents of his era.

    Born in 1937 to Croatian immigrant parents, Chuvalo grew up in Toronto and stepped into the boxing world at a young age, quickly rising through the amateur ranks before turning professional. He shared the ring with some of the biggest names in 20th century boxing, including George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and two legendary bouts against Muhammad Ali in 1966 and 1972. Though Chuvalo left both fights with losses, Ali himself famously called him the toughest opponent he had ever faced, a testament to Chuvalo’s incredible grit and resistance in the ring.

    News of Chuvalo’s passing drew tributes from across Canada, from political leaders to members of the global boxing community. “His photos have hung on our walls for decades. His stories have been passed down from one generation of fighters to the next,” representatives of Sully’s Boxing Gym shared in a statement confirming his death. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also honored Chuvalo’s legacy in a social media post, writing, “George Chuvalo was a heavyweight boxing legend, a family friend and a Canadian icon. My thoughts are with all of George’s family and loved ones as we mourn his passing.”

    Long after retiring from professional competition in 1978, Chuvalo remained a prominent public figure across Canada, channeling his personal tragedy into vital advocacy work. After losing three of his sons and his first wife to drug overdoses and suicide, Chuvalo toured the country as a public speaker to educate young people about the dangers of drug abuse and push for greater awareness of mental health issues. In a 1998 interview with CBC Radio, he shared his hope that his story would resonate with at-risk audiences: “I’d like to think if you’re ever tempted with the idea of doing drugs, or you ever flirt with doing drugs, I hope you think of me, George Chuvalo, and what drugs did to my family.”

    Outside of his advocacy work, Chuvalo explored several other ventures in retirement. He dabbled in acting, with small roles in the 1986 horror classic *The Fly* alongside Jeff Goldblum and the 1998 comedy *Dirty Work*. He also worked as a guest commentator for high-profile professional boxing matches and co-hosted the popular television boxing program *Greatest Knockouts* with friend and fellow fighter Charles “Spider” Jones.

    Chuvalo is survived by his second wife Joanne, his eldest son Mitch, his daughter Vanessa, and multiple grandchildren. The boxing community continues to mourn the loss of one of its most iconic figures, whose legacy both inside and outside the ring will endure for generations.

  • Iran war reshapes Brics ties but also exposes divisions

    Iran war reshapes Brics ties but also exposes divisions

    This past weekend, the Indian capital played host to a high-stakes gathering of global leaders at the 2026 Brics Summit, bringing together heads of state from a bloc that has increasingly positioned itself as a counterweight to Western-dominated global governance. Opening the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi framed the group’s collective mission: to evolve from passive “rule-takers” in the existing global order to active “rule-shapers” that reflect the interests of the world’s emerging economies. Among the attendees were heavyweight leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, newly inaugurated Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    It is no understatement to call this assembly of leaders remarkable on its own. Brics’ current membership brings together nations with long-running disputes, competing geopolitical interests, and even recent military conflicts. The 2020 deadly border clash between India and China remains a source of underlying tension, while Iran and the United Arab Emirates have found themselves on opposite sides of the ongoing Middle East war that has roiled global energy markets and sent shockwaves through the global economy. That India managed to bring all these rival leaders together for in-person talks stands as a major demonstration of New Delhi’s growing diplomatic clout, and offered a rare space for powers to reassess their bilateral relationships in the wake of escalating regional conflict.

    Despite this diplomatic win, the summit was defined by underlying tensions between members with competing visions for the bloc’s future. For core members including China, Russia, and Iran, Brics serves as a key tool to reduce the geopolitical and economic influence of the United States and Western Europe. But India has long rejected framing the bloc as an explicitly anti-Western alliance, a position driven by New Delhi’s goal of maintaining strategic ties with both Western and non-Western powers. “The group is not against anyone,” Modi emphasized in his opening remarks. Veteran Indian diplomat and former ambassador Anil Trigunayat explained that India’s core goal for the summit was to advance collective strategic autonomy for Global South nations amid a period of widespread geopolitical conflict, rather than positioning the bloc as a hostile counter to the West. “There are countries in the grouping which would like it to become anti-western, but it is not that,” Trigunayat noted.

    Against a backdrop of stark divisions that had derailed two previous joint ministerial statements earlier this year, the summit did achieve a rare milestone: the adoption of the consensus-based New Delhi Declaration. What the declaration omits, however, is as notable as what it includes. To reach consensus, negotiators side-stepped the bloc’s most divisive issues, offering only vague language that avoided assigning blame for ongoing conflicts. On the escalating Middle East war, the text calls for “maximum restraint,” condemns attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities, and reaffirms support for a two-state solution for Palestinians while opposing forced displacement and prolonged occupation – but names no responsible parties. In a sharp break from previous Brics declarations, the text makes no mention whatsoever of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On trade and economic policy, the declaration voices concern over “indiscriminate rising tariffs” and condemns unilateral punitive sanctions, but again avoids naming the United States, a choice widely seen as an effort to avoid triggering backlash from the Trump administration. Trump has previously labeled Brics’ collaborative initiatives, including plans for linked cross-border central bank digital currencies, as explicitly “anti-American,” leading many member states to avoid provoking his anger. Praveen Donthi, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, noted that the vague, un-named framing of contentious issues bears the clear mark of India’s negotiating approach. “Not mentioning any country by name, even as they condemned the conflict in the Middle East, bears the hallmark of India,” Donthi said, adding that the inclusion of strong language on tariffs was a notable surprise, as it allowed India to quietly convey its economic displeasure without direct confrontation.

    Beyond the formal declaration, the summit created space for diplomatic breakthroughs that seemed unthinkable just months earlier. Most notably, Iranian President Pezeshkian held face-to-face talks with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince – the highest-level in-person meeting between the two rival states since the outbreak of the latest Middle East war. For Iran, which is facing intense military pressure from the U.S. and Israel, sweeping American sanctions, a U.S.-led naval blockade of its ports, and Washington’s “Operation Economic Outcast” campaign to isolate Tehran globally, the summit offered a critical opportunity to demonstrate that it remains a respected global actor with regional and international partners. Pezeshkian used his time at the summit to push for deeper economic integration and expanded trade ties with other Brics members, including Malaysia, India, and Ethiopia.

    The summit also marked a key milestone for India and China: it was President Xi’s first visit to New Delhi in seven years, a trip that came amid gradual de-escalation of border tensions that reached a crisis point with the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. While deep mistrust and a massive lopsided trade imbalance in Beijing’s favor remain unresolved, the two leaders held cordial talks, agreeing to expand bilateral business ties, improve cross-border transport links, and work to reduce remaining trade barriers. Though Xi stayed less than 24 hours and skipped the summit’s gala dinner, trading only a handshake rather than Modi’s signature welcoming hug, Trigunayat framed the meeting as part of a gradual warming of bilateral ties, driven by mutual interest in cooperation. “We have to trust, but verify first,” he noted, adding that whether the talks will produce tangible long-term progress remains to be seen.

    Ultimately, the 2026 Brics Summit in New Delhi made clear that the bloc has carved out a unique role in global politics: it provides a space for rival powers to talk, advance their shared interests in reforming the global order, and operate outside the framework of Western-led international institutions. The core question that remains unanswered, however, is what comes next. While all members agree that a more inclusive, multipolar global order is needed now more than ever, reaching consensus on what that new order should look like, and how to achieve it, remains the bloc’s greatest unmet challenge.

  • AI staff ‘genuinely frightened’ for humanity’s future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC

    AI staff ‘genuinely frightened’ for humanity’s future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC

    A former artificial intelligence researcher from leading AI firm Anthropic has sounded an urgent alarm about the existential risks posed by the rapid, unregulated development of advanced AI systems, claiming that current progress rates could lead to human extinction in the near future if no action is taken.

    Jacob Coxon, a 27-year-old researcher who left Anthropic recently, made the comments to the BBC after his public resignation post highlighting AI dangers went viral online. His warning comes amid a growing wave of anxiety about AI safety that has split the technology industry, with some top leaders backing calls for a slowdown in development while others dismiss extinction warnings as overblown or even self-serving.

    In his interviews, Coxon said that many researchers working directly on cutting-edge AI are privately terrified by how quickly the technology is advancing, and share his concern about the potential for catastrophic outcomes. “I believe that if we don’t slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future,” Coxon stated. He added that many of his peers are so concerned about instability from rapid AI progress that they are already making personal contingency plans, including purchasing remote land to retreat to if disaster strikes.

    Coxon’s former boss, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, has publicly echoed the call for an industry-wide slowdown in AI development, arguing that while the technology holds enormous promise, the associated risks are severe enough that companies and governments need time to implement guardrails. Amodei’s position has been backed by other high-profile AI leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and xAI founder Elon Musk, who both support coordinated deceleration, binding regulation, and independent monitoring of advanced AI model development.

    Coxon welcomed Amodei’s proposal but noted that any global slowdown would require cooperation with China to avoid triggering an international AI arms race. He explained that AI company leaders and researchers find themselves trapped in a competitive race they cannot exit voluntarily, and that is why they are calling for government-mandated regulation to level the playing field.

    When asked to describe what an AI-driven catastrophe might look like, Amodei previously outlined one plausible scenario: a network of autonomous AI bots could coordinate to act as a decentralized supercomputer and take control of critical internet infrastructure. Coxon believes this outcome could become a realistic possibility within just six months to a year, and many of his colleagues think a full existential catastrophe could occur within the next two years.

    In response to Coxon’s departure, an Anthropic spokesperson reaffirmed the company’s long-held position that AI brings both enormous benefits and unprecedented risks, and that Anthropic has led the industry in building robust safety safeguards into its models. The spokesperson noted that Anthropic was the first firm to publish a formal framework for mitigating AI development risks, regularly conducts aggressive safety testing of its models, and publishes test results to enable independent scrutiny and prevent AI misalignment. “This work is also why we believe the world would benefit from the industry adopting a lawful, verifiable way to work together to pace how we release powerful models,” the spokesperson added.

    Coxon’s warning has been echoed by other senior figures in the AI research community. Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger wrote publicly: “We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans! I personally think it is >10% within the next decade.” Geoffrey Hinton, the “Godfather of AI” and Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist, also told the BBC that a 10% chance of human extinction from AI within a decade is “not unreasonable.”

    Not all industry leaders agree with these stark warnings, however. Marc Warner, CEO of AI safety firm Faculty, told the BBC it is “extremely hard to place a probability” on human extinction from AI, but acknowledged that the researchers raising the alarm are completely sincere in their concerns. Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who currently serves as a paid advisor to Anthropic, also wrote in the Sunday Times that he shares concern about AI risks to humanity, even as he remains generally optimistic about the technology’s future.

    Critics of the existential risk narrative argue that warnings like Coxon’s may be overhyped, and in some cases, driven by commercial self-interest. Clement Delangue, CEO of AI platform Hugging Face, noted on social media: “Sorry, but asking Jacob [Coxon] about AI extinction risk is like asking your AC guy about climate change. Not saying it’s necessarily uninteresting or wrong per se but let’s keep things in perspective.” Even so, Delangue later offered to collaborate on the safety solutions Amodei proposed in his recent essay.

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose company manufactures the high-powered chips that power most cutting-edge AI systems, dismissed Coxon’s warnings as untrue during a recent Goldman Sachs conference, repeating his previous position that claims AI will end humanity are “complete nonsense.” Huang’s comments reflect a growing backlash in Silicon Valley against the existential risk claims from current and former AI company staffers.

    A further layer of controversy comes from claims that Anthropic and OpenAI are pushing for regulation specifically to create barriers to entry that will block smaller competitors, leaving the two established firms to control the market as a duopoly. This commercial context has led some observers to question the motivations behind Amodei’s call for a slowdown.

    In related industry news, Anthropic is reportedly preparing for what could be a record-setting initial public offering (IPO), while OpenAI—most recently valued at $852 billion—announced last Friday that it would not be moving forward with an IPO this year, citing safety concerns as the primary reason.

    Despite his grim warnings, Coxon ended his interviews by noting that most AI researchers, himself included, still believe the technology can deliver enormous public benefits, including breakthroughs in disease treatment and widespread improvements to quality of life. The current debate over AI safety and risk, he argues, is not about stopping AI development entirely—it is about ensuring that development proceeds cautiously, with guardrails in place to prevent catastrophic harm.

  • Kosgei wins Great North Run but McColgan withdraws

    Kosgei wins Great North Run but McColgan withdraws

    The 45th edition of the iconic Great North Run delivered drama, dominant performances and unexpected twists this year, as a field of 63,000 registered runners took on the 13.1-mile half-marathon course across northeast England. Among the pre-race storylines that captured local attention was the highly anticipated comeback of British long-distance star Eilish McColgan, who had been working her way back to top form after a broken toe derailed her season earlier this year. That comeback was cut short just miles into the race, however, when a fresh foot injury forced the 35-year-old Scot to withdraw early, leaving the women’s elite field wide open.

    Seizing the opportunity without hesitation was Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, the Olympic silver medalist and former London Marathon champion who already held the women’s course record at the Great North Run from her 2019 run. The 32-year-old stamped her authority on the race from the opening mile, breaking away from the chasing pack early and spending much of the distance running alone at the front. She crossed the finish line in a time of 1:06:15, securing a comfortable victory that came two full minutes ahead of her compatriot Sheila Chepkirui, last year’s race winner, who took second place. While Kosgei’s winning time was slower than her 2019 course record of 1:04:28, her performance was no less dominant, cementing her status as one of the most consistent distance runners in the world. For British fans, the top finish by a home athlete came from Amy-Eloise Neale, who crossed the line in fifth place overall.

    For McColgan, the early exit adds another chapter to a tough 2025 season. The runner originally suffered her broken toe during April’s London Marathon, where she still pushed through the pain — with blood visible seeping through her running shoe by the finish line — to claim seventh place overall and top British honors. The injury forced her to miss July’s Commonwealth Games, and while she notched a win at London’s Big Half just one week prior to the Great North Run, finishing in 1:10:54, she had openly admitted post-race that she still harbored concerns about her injury recovery and overall fitness.

    The men’s elite race delivered a far tighter finish, with American runner Zouhair Talbi pulling off a stunning late surge to claim the title over last year’s champion, Kenya’s Alex Mutiso. The two runners matched each other stride for stride through nearly the entire 13.1-mile course, staying neck-and-neck into the final mile before Talbi, 31, kicked into another gear to pull away. He held off Mutiso’s late chase to cross the line in 59:47, just six seconds off his own personal best time of 59:41. Mutiso finished second with a time of 1:00:01, 14 seconds behind Talbi, while Japan’s Yohei Ikeda rounded out the podium in third place. The men’s course record of 58:56, set by Kenya’s Martin Mathathi back in 2011, remains unbroken after this year’s race. Marc Scott, the 2021 Great North Run champion, was the top British finisher in the men’s elite field, taking eighth place overall.

    In the wheelchair competitions, British legend David Weir made history once again, claiming his 10th Great North Run title with a winning time of 43:06 in the men’s race. Melanie Woods claimed the women’s wheelchair title with a finish time of 50:19. Beyond the elite competition, the race drew global attention for its massive participation field, which included UK politician Andy Burnham, who completed the iconic race and spoke publicly about his positive experience taking on the challenge.

  • What’s next after Donald Trump’s united Ireland comments?

    What’s next after Donald Trump’s united Ireland comments?

    When former U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at his own Doonbeg Golf Resort in County Clare, Ireland, to attend the Irish Open alongside his family, few expected a casual golf trip would ignite a fierce cross-border political controversy.

    For years, Trump had navigated around the sensitive, long-debated issue of Irish unity. While he once referenced the concept of a “merger” between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, he repeatedly avoided sharing explicit personal views, citing the deeply complex historical and political relationships at play. That all shifted on Saturday, when during a public appearance alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump broke his long-standing silence: he predicted that a united Ireland would ultimately come to pass, and said he would “love to see it” happen.

    Contrary to assumptions that this was another impulsive, off-the-cuff remark from the famously unpredictable former president, sources indicate Trump had already discussed the topic of Irish unity in private meetings with Irish leaders ahead of the public comment. Political analysts have floated multiple theories for his sudden shift: some argue it was a calculated diplomatic tactic to put his Irish hosts at ease, diverting attention from more contentious global topics such as the Gaza conflict and escalating tensions with Iran. Others point to domestic political incentives, noting that a public show of support for Irish reunification could help Trump court critical Irish-American voters ahead of upcoming U.S. midterm elections.

    In the 24 hours following his initial comment, Trump walked back slightly, acknowledging during a subsequent event that there was no “good” easy answer to the Irish unity question. Even so, he stopped short of retracting his original stance, adding that a united Ireland would be “cool” to see.

    The comment has already sparked immediate backlash from unionist politicians and the UK government, who have labeled the intervention “unhelpful.” Critics have brushed off the remark as just another outlandish “Trumpism,” drawing comparisons to past provocative proposals like purchasing Greenland or annexing Canada as the 51st U.S. state. Unlike those tongue-in-cheek suggestions, however, the conversation around Irish reunification is already an active, ongoing political process, with a clear legal pathway outlined in the Good Friday Agreement to hold a border poll on unification.

    While Trump’s endorsement is not a game-changer that will immediately accelerate the push for unification – a border poll remains no closer than it was before Trump’s visit to Ireland – it has already altered the momentum for pro-unification campaigners, who are expected to cite the backing of the former U.S. president in future advocacy. It is important to note that only the UK government holds the authority to trigger a border poll, and no clear threshold for holding such a vote has yet been established.

    Among the spectators at the Doonbeg resort was prominent former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Ian Paisley, a long-time friend of the Trump family. Paisley attempted to downplay the comment Saturday, arguing that while everyone is entitled to a personal opinion, Trump’s stance was wrong. Many political observers expect Paisley will push for a more explicit retraction from Trump during Sunday’s closing round of the Irish Open, when the former president is set to be back in the media spotlight.

    With Taoiseach Martin also expected to be in attendance near the 18th green on Sunday, political reporters are already preparing to press both leaders on the controversy. While both sides have signaled they intend to keep the focus on the golf tournament, the question of Irish unity is now firmly on the agenda, and unlikely to be avoided.

  • PM’s top security adviser says Europe faces hard winter to keep pressure on Putin

    PM’s top security adviser says Europe faces hard winter to keep pressure on Putin

    As Europe braces for a difficult winter amid depleted energy stockpiles and severe supply shortages following deep cuts to Russian fossil fuel imports, the United Kingdom’s top national security adviser has issued a stark call for European nations to stay the course on sanctions and support for Kyiv, warning that collective short-term hardship is necessary to maintain pressure on Moscow.

    In an unusually public address at the Yalta European Strategy Forum held in Kyiv, attended by senior Ukrainian leadership and international allies, Jonathan Powell laid out a distinctly optimistic framing of the ongoing war that runs counter to much recent public commentary. Powell, who traveled to the Ukrainian capital just last weekend to meet with envoys of U.S. President Donald Trump following their talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, argued that the current strategy of backing Ukraine and sanctioning Russia is already delivering results.

    Far from viewing growing Russian rhetoric around potential escalation as a cause for alarm, Powell framed it as a clear sign that Western pressure is finally hitting its mark on the Kremlin. “Talk of Russian escalation is not a problem – it’s a sign of success,” Powell told attendees. He urged European states to avoid easing restrictions, saying “we must not take our foot off the gas” when it comes to economic and political pressure on President Putin.

    Against a backdrop of ongoing Russian missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure, which have sparked widespread fears of crippling power outages this winter, Powell made the case that Ukraine has already secured a foundational victory regardless of ongoing territorial disputes. Even after five years of full-scale Russian invasion, Putin has failed to seize control of the entire country, and “a free Ukraine in Europe” will retain its sovereign right to choose its own future, even if portions of its territory remain occupied, he argued. “This war is not about territory, it is about the right of Ukraine to be independent,” Powell said. “To the extent that [Putin] gains another 10km of land or loses another 40km of land, this war is already won.”

    The optimistic assessment comes amid mounting challenges for both Ukraine and its European allies. Ukraine’s Economy Minister Oleksandr Kravchenko told the forum that Russian attacks on infrastructure this year alone have caused an estimated $10 billion (£7.4 billion) in damages. Combined with the ongoing Russian blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports that has crippled the country’s key grain export sector, Kravchenko projected Ukraine’s GDP will contract by 1.5% this year. Round-the-clock Russian strikes have also eroded economic output, weakened civilian morale, and deepened uncertainty ahead of the cold winter months.

    For Europe, the situation is equally precarious. Following Western sanctions that have cut most Russian energy imports, the bloc still relies on Russia for 12% of its total gas imports, with a full phase-out scheduled for January. However, the European Court of Auditors warned last week that this phase-out plan is “faltering” amid broader energy market disruptions tied to the Iran war, and some EU member states have been slow to cut remaining Russian energy ties. Powell warned that Europe cannot allow energy shortages to work to Putin’s advantage, saying that sustained pressure requires collective sacrifice. “It will require some real hardship and difficulties on our parts,” he said. “But we will have to swallow that and we have to keep the economic, military, political and diplomatic support going for Ukraine.”

    Acknowledging current headwinds for Ukraine – including shortages of critical Patriot air defense systems, repeated strikes on civilian and commercial infrastructure, and a growing government budget deficit – Powell still argued there are strong grounds for long-term optimism. He noted that Ukrainian forces have successfully held the front line, while Russia has suffered an estimated 1.5 million casualties. Ukraine has also expanded its ability to strike deep within Russian territory, and European resolve to back Kyiv remains solid, he added.

    On the diplomatic front, Powell pushed back against lingering concerns over a so-called “Anchorage compromise,” a rumored deal struck at last year’s Trump-Putin summit in Alaska that would have required Ukraine to cede territory and abandon its NATO membership aspirations. “The so-called Anchorage compromise is firmly dead,” he said. “We can stop worrying about it. It’s finished.” This clears the way for meaningful negotiations that do not require Ukraine to surrender un conquered territory, Powell added. He also noted that Donald Trump, who has shifted between supportive and critical stances on Ukraine, has changed his position in recent months. “He sees that Ukraine is doing better and therefore he is not leaning in the direction of Putin in the way that he was previously. I think that’s a really big asset,” Powell said.

    The core Western strategy, Powell explained, is to ramp up pressure on Putin until he is willing to enter good-faith negotiations. “Where we least expect it, Putin will be ready to negotiate… It’s all about getting him to be serious in that negotiation. And I think that strategy is beginning to work,” he said. Powell, who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and authored a book titled Talking to Terrorists, argued that Western powers should maintain open communication with Putin, even as he described the Russian leader as a terrorist. “What we don’t want is miscalculation – that they don’t understand where our red lines are. That’s why I think it’s important the CIA went to Moscow as well,” he said. “I would certainly be in favour of talking to this terrorist as well – to try and maintain communication.”

    Putin has given no public indication that he is feeling pressure, telling reporters earlier this month that he has no doubt “the enemy will crumble.” Meanwhile, on the ground in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities have begun mandatory evacuations of civilian residents from Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, the largest remaining Ukrainian-held cities in the Donbas region, which Russia claims as its own and has made a core military objective to fully capture.

  • One dead, 102 rescued from Indonesian ferry that went missing in Java Sea

    One dead, 102 rescued from Indonesian ferry that went missing in Java Sea

    A deadly ferry incident in Indonesia’s Java Sea has left one person dead, with search and rescue teams racing to locate dozens of missing passengers after the vessel lost contact amid severe bad weather, national search authorities confirmed.

    The stricken vessel, identified as Virgo Transport 8, was carrying a total of 243 passengers and crew when it ran into distress on its scheduled route from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan on Borneo. The last official communication from the ship was received at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, when it was located around 150 kilometers south of its destination port of Banjarmasin. Contact was abruptly lost shortly after that, triggering an immediate large-scale rescue response.

    As of the latest official update, 102 people have been pulled from the sea safely by responding teams. The search operation remains active, with multiple dedicated search and rescue vessels and a helicopter deployed to the incident zone. Authorities have also issued an alert to all commercial and private ships transiting through that section of the Java Sea, asking mariners to immediately report any sightings of debris or missing passengers to rescue coordination centers.

    This latest maritime incident comes just one month after another ferry emergency off Indonesia’s Madura Island, where a vessel fire claimed five lives. For the world’s largest archipelagic nation, which comprises more than 17,000 separate islands spread across thousands of kilometers of ocean, ferries serve as the primary and most widely used mode of inter-island transport for both passengers and cargo. The country’s long history of maritime accidents has repeatedly raised questions about safety standards for domestic ferry operations, particularly during monsoon season when severe weather and rough seas are common.

    Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency has not yet released additional details on the exact cause of the Virgo Transport 8 incident, nor the identities of the fatality and missing passengers. Authorities have pledged to continue search operations until all remaining people on board are accounted for.

  • Donald Trump continues two-day visit of Ireland

    Donald Trump continues two-day visit of Ireland

    Former U.S. President Donald Trump is wrapping up a two-day official visit to the Republic of Ireland, a trip that has blended leisure golf diplomacy with provocative political comments that have drawn international attention and widespread public pushback.

    On the second full day of his trip, Saturday, Trump took up residence at his own Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, County Clare, where he is in attendance for the 2026 Irish Open, watching the tournament’s opening rounds of play. The event is a natural fit for Trump, a lifelong avid golfer who has longstanding ties to the Co Clare resort and personal connections to top golfing talent competing in the tournament: defending champion Rory McIlroy, a Northern Irish golf star, previously played a round with Trump in early 2025, and Trump has publicly lauded McIlroy’s back-to-back Masters championship wins in recent years. Trump is scheduled to stay through Sunday to watch the tournament’s final round of play before departing for the U.S. from Shannon Airport Sunday evening.

    The most politically charged moment of the trip came a day earlier, during formal meetings in Dublin with Ireland’s top leadership, including Irish President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin. Speaking to reporters after his closed-door talks with Martin at Dublin’s Farmleigh House in Phoenix Park, Trump shared his unprompted stance on the long-running issue of Irish unification. “I would love to see a united Ireland,” Trump told reporters, adding that he believes unification will “happen eventually.” He called a united Ireland a “fantastic thing” and a “great thing,” arguing “how can it be bad?” While he acknowledged the United Kingdom would have a significant say in any border poll on unification, he praised Martin, saying the Taoiseach was “the right man over here to get it moving.”

    Trump’s comments quickly drew a response from Downing Street, the official residence of UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. A Number 10 spokesperson pointed reporters back to comments Burnham made earlier that week in the House of Commons, where the prime minister reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, the 1998 peace deal that ended decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. Burnham clarified Wednesday that any decision on holding a border poll on Irish unification rests solely with the Northern Ireland Secretary, and can only be considered when a clear public consensus in favor of unification emerges across Northern Ireland. A spokesperson for Martin later noted that Trump’s stance should not come as a surprise to any observers, saying the former U.S. president has “consistently held the view that he sees unity in Ireland as the optimal outcome.”

    Even as Trump held formal meetings and teed off at his Irish golf resort, thousands of Irish citizens gathered to demonstrate their opposition to the visit. More than 10,000 marchers took to the streets of Dublin to protest Trump’s arrival, organizing the demonstration to start moments after Trump departed the capital for his Co Clare resort. Event organizers said the protest was intended to deliver a clear, public message rejecting both Trump and his broader policy agenda.

  • Trump says Houthis asked US not to intervene in Yemen

    Trump says Houthis asked US not to intervene in Yemen

    In comments made Saturday, former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that Yemen’s Houthi movement has privately reached out to the United States, calling for Washington to stay out of its intensifying military conflict with Saudi Arabia. “The Houthis called us, and they let us know that they don’t want to fight with us. They don’t want me to go after them,” Trump stated publicly.

    Trump further noted that the Houthi group has allowed the vast majority of commercial vessels to pass unimpeded through regional waters, adding that their hostility is focused solely on a single nation. He also indicated he expects to resolve the ongoing standoff through diplomatic channels.

    Trump’s remarks came in the wake of a rapid, large-scale Houthi military advance across Yemen’s Red Sea coastline this week. In a lightning offensive, the Iran-aligned movement captured a broad stretch of territory along the strategic waterway, including key islands and control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a critical global shipping chokepoint that sits between Eritrea, Djibouti, and Yemen. The strait serves as the primary transit route for crude oil shipments leaving Saudi Arabia bound for Asian markets, making its control a critical geopolitical and economic flashpoint.

    According to a Friday report from Axios, Saudi Arabia — which backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government — had formally asked the Trump administration twice to launch direct military strikes against Houthi targets as the group advanced on the Red Sea chokepoint. Trump, the outlet confirmed, turned down both requests.

    The escalation of tensions extended beyond Yemen this week. On Friday, Saudi Arabia announced it had temporarily halted operations through its key East-West Pipeline after a drone attack launched from Iraqi territory targeted the infrastructure. The kingdom said it would hold off on retaliatory action at the request of the Iraqi government.

    In response to the incident, Iraqi authorities launched an official investigation, confirming that security forces had located drone launch platforms in the al-Tib region near the Iraq-Iran border. Following the discovery, the Iraqi government ordered the temporary closure of three border crossings connecting the country to Iran.

    When asked about the pipeline attack, Trump said he believes Iran was “probably” responsible for the strike that originated in Iraqi territory, though he offered no concrete evidence to support the claim. The former president also added that he had spoken by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he referred to as a personal friend.

    This week has also seen the Houthis step up cross-border attacks directly targeting Saudi energy infrastructure, launching a large-scale wave of drone and missile strikes against Saudi oil facilities. The expanding scope of the conflict has stoked global market fears of potential disruption to energy supplies, which could push already volatile oil prices even higher.

    In the most recent incident Saturday evening, just hours after Saudi authorities issued public warnings of imminent potential attacks, a Houthi projectile wounded two people in a southern Saudi region bordering Yemen.