Occupied parts of Ukraine vote on joining Russia in 'sham' referendums
CNN
Four Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine are expected to begin voting in referendums on joining Russia, in a move that raises the stakes of Moscow's invasion seven months after fighting began.
The referendums, expected to take place over five days from Friday, could pave the way for Russian annexation of the areas, allowing Moscow to frame the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive as an attack on Russia itself.
Such a move could provide Moscow with a pretext to escalate its faltering war, which has seen Kyiv regain thousands of square miles of territory this month in a stunning counteroffensive.
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Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has announced a “strategic alliance” to fight organized crime with Erik Prince, the founder of the controversial private defense contractor formerly known as Blackwater.
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Indian authorities have arrested a Lithuanian man wanted by the US for allegedly running a $96 billion cryptocurrency exchange that allowed terrorist organizations, drug traffickers and cybercriminals to launder money.
A federal judge on Wednesday halted parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order that targeted a Democratic-linked law firm.
The sister of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the target of a bomb threat at her home earlier this month in Charleston, South Carolina, police said Wednesday.
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire announced Wednesday that she will not seek reelection in 2026, a decision that will bring an end to the senator’s historic career in Congress and sets up a competitive race for the Senate seat in the Granite State.
As Trump imposes sweeping 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, Mark Carney, leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party, told workers at a steel mill in Hamilton, Ontario that the country’s leadership was ready to sit down with the US “under a position where there’s respect for Canadian sovereignty.”