US envoy to meet Russia’s Putin for talks on ending Ukraine war

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold talks in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the Trump administration’s controversial proposal to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting comes after Washington said it was feeling confident about the plan, following talks with Ukrainian negotiators in Florida.”I think the administration feels […]

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Pacific island office enabling sanctions-busting ‘shadow fleets’

Dozens of oil tankers suspected of smuggling contraband crude for Russia and Iran have been using a beachside office in the tropical South Pacific to cover their tracks, an AFP analysis of sanctions data has revealed. Nestled next to a pizza shop in the far-flung Cook Islands is the modest headquarters of one of the […]

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Son of Mexican crime lord ‘El Chapo’ pleads guilty in drug case

A son of the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman pleaded guilty Monday in a Chicago court to drug trafficking charges in a deal that would see him cooperate with US prosecutors for a reduced sentence. Joaquin Guzman Lopez, one of four sons of the jailed Sinaloa cartel leader, pleaded guilty to drug […]

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White House gets scaled-down Christmas display amid ballroom work

US First Lady Melania Trump unveiled this year’s White House Christmas decorations on Monday — in a reduced space after President Donald Trump demolished part of the historic building for a new ballroom. The 55-year-old’s theme for the season was “Home is Where the Heart Is,” despite the fact that she spends relatively little time […]

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Russland meldet Eroberung von strategisch wichtiger Stadt Pokrowsk in Ostukraine

Russland hat die Eroberung der strategisch wichtigen Stadt Pokrowsk im Osten der Ukraine gemeldet. Die russische Armee habe zudem die Stadt Wowtschansk unter ihre Kontrolle gebracht, teilte der Kreml am Montag mit. Der russische Generalstabschef Waleri Gerassimow habe Kreml-Chef Wladimir Putin offiziell über die “Befreiung” der beiden Städte informiert, hieß es in einer Erklärung im […]

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From Honduras to Poland, Trump meddles in elections as never before

The United States has meddled for decades in elections around the world. But no modern president has done so as brazenly as Donald Trump. Forget shady CIA-hatched plots or surreptitious media campaigns. Trump has openly called on other countries’ electorates to vote for his right-wing friends, often deploying his favorite tool of social media. Most recently, […]

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Trump holds Venezuela meeting as Maduro rejects ‘slave’s peace’

US President Donald Trump summoned his top national security officials to the Oval Office on Monday to discuss Venezuela, as his counterpart Nicolas Maduro rejected a “slave’s peace” amid mounting fears of American military action. The meeting comes as Trump ramps up pressure with a major naval build-up in the Caribbean, bombings of suspected drug-ferrying […]

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Rich art: French pastry chefs auction chocolate sculptures

Chocolate artworks by some of France’s most famous pastry chefs sold at auction Monday for more than 100,000 euros in a charity event that had bidders smacking their lips. The Paris auction, organised by the pastry chef Pierre Herme, featured such whimsical creations as a chocolate clock, a bouquet of white chocolate roses and a […]

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Right-wing rivals for Honduras presidency in ‘technical tie’

A businessman who has US President Donald Trump’s backing for the presidency of Honduras was locked in a “technical tie” with a rightwing TV host after a preliminary vote count, the Central American country’s electoral body said Monday. Nasry Asfura, 67, led 72-year-old rival Salvador Nasralla by just 515 votes, making it a “technical tie,” […]

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