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Category: Politics

Israel cuts off humanitarian supplies to Gaza as it tries to upend ceasefire deal

Israel cuts off humanitarian supplies to Gaza as it tries to upend ceasefire deal

The Guardian reports: Israel has cut off humanitarian supplies to Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas into accepting a change in the ceasefire agreement to allow for the release of hostages without an Israeli troop withdrawal. The office of the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Sunday it was imposing a blockade on Gaza because Hamas would not accept a plan which it claimed had been put forward by the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to extend phase one…

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‘America is going down’: China can capitalise on damage caused by Trump, retired PLA colonel says

‘America is going down’: China can capitalise on damage caused by Trump, retired PLA colonel says

The Guardian reports: The damage caused by Donald Trump to the United States’ reputation is creating opportunities for China, particularly with regards to Taiwan, according to a retired senior colonel from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Speaking to the Guardian in Beijing, Zhou Bo said that Trump was damaging the US’s reputation “more than all of his predecessors combined”. “By the end of his second term, I believe America’s global image will simply become more tarnished, its international standing will…

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Trump administration backs away from fight against Russian cyber threats

Trump administration backs away from fight against Russian cyber threats

The Record reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, according to three people familiar with the matter. Hegseth gave the instruction to Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, who then informed the organization’s outgoing director of operations, Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Ryan Heritage, of the new guidance, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. The…

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As its spies look for new recruits, Moscow wants direct flights to resume from Russia to the U.S.

As its spies look for new recruits, Moscow wants direct flights to resume from Russia to the U.S.

CNN reports: Foreign adversaries including Russia and China have recently directed their intelligence services to ramp up recruiting of US federal employees working in national security, targeting those who have been fired or feel they could be soon, according to four people familiar with recent US intelligence on the issue and a document reviewed by CNN. The intelligence indicates that foreign adversaries are eager to exploit the Trump administration’s efforts to conduct mass layoffs across the federal workforce – a…

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Russian lawmaker predicted Trump and Vance would ambush Zelensky

Russian lawmaker predicted Trump and Vance would ambush Zelensky

Julia Davis reports: The disgraceful spectacle of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance taking turns insulting the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a White House meeting on Friday was a welcome sight for pro-Kremlin propagandists in Moscow. They’ve described it as an ambush, designed as a way for America to part ways with Ukraine—and they couldn’t be happier with the way this setup played out. Appearing on Friday’s breaking news broadcast on channel Solovyov Live, political scientist…

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UK gives royal welcome to Zelenskyy after White House ambush

UK gives royal welcome to Zelenskyy after White House ambush

The Observer reports: King Charles will hold an ­official audience at Sandringham with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday as the UK and EU demonstrate their “unwavering” ­support after his humiliation at the hands of Donald Trump and JD Vance in the White House. Keir Starmer will also host European heads of government and the leaders of Canada and Turkey at a special defence summit aimed at presenting a united front on the Ukraine crisis. On arrival in Downing…

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‘After this, you’d really have to be a fool to trust the word of the United States’

‘After this, you’d really have to be a fool to trust the word of the United States’

  Eric Edelman and Eliot Cohen bemoan the shameful meltdown in the Oval Office between VP Vance, President Trump and President Zelensky. They discuss Vance’s ambush and whether he executed it alone or in concert with Trump and note that those who are blaming Zelensky for rising to the bait are objectively pro-Putin. They discuss Vance’s dark political views and they consider what Europeans can and should do. They also discuss Trump’s delegation of responsibility to others and his “Trump…

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The Trump administration said these aid programs saved lives. It canceled them anyway

The Trump administration said these aid programs saved lives. It canceled them anyway

By Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Brett Murphy This story was originally published by ProPublica After the Trump administration moved to freeze nearly $60 billion in foreign aid in January, officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly assured Americans that lifesaving operations would continue. “We don’t want to see anybody die,” he told reporters in early February. Aid organizations the world over scrambled to prove their work saved lives, seeking permission from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for…

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Musk and Republican lawmakers threaten judges with impeachment

Musk and Republican lawmakers threaten judges with impeachment

The New York Times reports: Congressional Republicans, egged on by Elon Musk and other top allies of President Trump, are escalating calls to remove federal judges who stand in the way of administration efforts to overhaul the government. The outcry is threatening yet another assault on the constitutional guardrails that constrain the executive branch. Judicial impeachments are rare and notoriously time-consuming. The mounting calls for removing federal judges, who already face increasing security threats, have so far not gained much…

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Trump is the greatest threat to free markets and personal liberties

Trump is the greatest threat to free markets and personal liberties

Dana Milbank writes: Over the past 48 hours, I’ve been receiving from readers and friends the sort of notes one gets upon losing a loved one or perhaps receiving a terminal diagnosis. “So very sorry.” “Hang in there.” “Sending you love and strength.” “With appreciation and sorrow.” The cause of death? The belief that Post owner Jeff Bezos has just ended the tradition of open debate that has guided this paper’s editorial page for generations. “We are going to be…

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Putin doesn’t want peace, he wants Ukraine

Putin doesn’t want peace, he wants Ukraine

In an editorial, The Kyiv Independent says: It’s time to say it plainly. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up. In the past several weeks, the U.S. leadership has demonstrated explicit hostility towards Ukraine and aligned its rhetoric and policy with Russia. The animosity culminated today when U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting in the Oval Office. After…

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‘The free world needs a new leader,’ says EU foreign policy chief as the U.S. aligns with Russia

‘The free world needs a new leader,’ says EU foreign policy chief as the U.S. aligns with Russia

Politico reports: European leaders on Friday rallied to defend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after United States President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance subjected him to a tirade of withering and infantilizing abuse in the Oval Office. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.” In what may prove to a significant turning point in the tottering postwar…

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How Elon Musk carried out an electronic coup and seized control of the U.S. government

How Elon Musk carried out an electronic coup and seized control of the U.S. government

The New York Times reports: Trump had announced the Department of Government Efficiency on Nov. 12 as an entity outside of government, but Mr. Musk quickly began to see problems with that — including the fact that it could be subject to public-record rules. He was also intent on getting access to federal data and payment systems. He felt that if he could not, the whole endeavor would be a waste of his time. Several people involved in the talks…

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The DOGE coup is worse than you think

The DOGE coup is worse than you think

Brian Barrett writes: If you’ve felt overwhelmed by all the DOGE news, you’re not alone. You’d need too much cork board and yarn to keep track of which agencies it has occupied by now, much less what it’s doing there. Here’s a simple rubric, though, to help contextualize the DOGE updates you do have time and energy to process: It’s worse than you think. DOGE is hard to keep track of. This is by design; the only information about the…

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Hegseth threatens military strikes in Mexico

Hegseth threatens military strikes in Mexico

The Wall Street Journal reports: It was the first call U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held with Mexico’s top military officials, and it wasn’t going well. Hegseth told the officials that if Mexico didn’t deal with the collusion between the country’s government and drug cartels, the U.S. military was prepared to take unilateral action, according to people briefed on the Jan. 31 call. Mexico’s top brass who were on that call were shocked and angered, feeling he was suggesting U.S….

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Musk’s Starlink is keeping modern slavery compounds in operation

Musk’s Starlink is keeping modern slavery compounds in operation

Wired reports: The plea for help arrived last summer. “I am in Myanmar and work for a fraud company,” a Chinese human-trafficking victim wrote in a short email sent from within the Tai Chang scam compound. Like thousands of others in the region, they were promised legitimate work only to find themselves tricked into modern slavery and forced to scam people online for hours every day. Tai Chang, which backs on to the Myanmar-Thailand border, has been linked to incidents…

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