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Export licences for graphics processors are not a traditional instrument of peacemaking. According to a Wall Street Journal report, they were used as one in the South Caucasus.&nbsp;US negotiators are said to have used the promise of access to Nvidia Blackwell processors for an Armenian AI data centre as an incentive in the talks that produced a provisional peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed at the White House in August.&nbsp;The Armenian side has not treated this as an awkward revelation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said publicly that he personally lobbied President Donald Trump to expedite the chip-transfer approvals, and framed the matter as part of the peace agreement itself.&nbsp;The Project&nbsp;The data centre at the centre of this is real and already approved.&nbsp;The AI startup Firebird received US government clearance to export Nvidia chips to Armenia for a supercomputer project — a 100-megawatt facility backed by an initial $500 million investment, using Dell servers and Nvidia's Blackwell processors. The first phase was slated for mid-2026.&nbsp;For Armenia, a landlocked country of under three million people, a facility of that size is not an incremental technology investment. It is an attempt to become infrastructure that other countries need.&nbsp;What Makes This Unusual&nbsp;Export controls on advanced chips have been used as a stick for years. Washington restricts what Nvidia can sell to China, and the policy is straightforwardly punitive in intent.&nbsp;Using the same controls as a carrot is a different proposition. It treats an export licence as a sovereign favour to be traded — which, functionally, is what it has become. The scarcity is manufactured by policy, which means the ability to relieve it is a diplomatic asset that costs the United States nothing to create.&nbsp;That is an efficient form of leverage. It is also one that only works while the scarcity holds.&nbsp;The Uncomfortable Part&nbsp;There is a reading of this that is genuinely positive: a peace agreement was signed, and if compute access helped get it there, that is a cheaper inducement than most of the alternatives available to American diplomacy.&nbsp;The harder question is what it establishes. If chip access is a bargaining chip in territorial negotiations, then the allocation of AI infrastructure becomes a function of geopolitical alignment rather than economic demand — and countries learn that the route to compute runs through Washington's foreign policy priorities.&nbsp;It also creates a dependency with a short half-life. An export approval can be withdrawn, and a 100-megawatt facility built around a specific vendor's processors is not easily repurposed if the political weather changes.&nbsp;The Physical Cost&nbsp;The facility's demands are worth stating plainly, because they are rarely part of the diplomatic conversation.&nbsp;A 100-megawatt data centre consumes roughly the annual electricity of a city of 120,000 people, and cooling it can require more than 500,000 gallons of water per day. In a region where water allocation is itself a source of tension, that is not a neutral footprint.&nbsp;What To Watch&nbsp;Whether the provisional agreement holds, and whether the chip approvals survive it if it does not. Whether Firebird's first phase actually comes online on schedule. And whether other governments now approach Washington with the same trade in mind — because the precedent, once set, is available to anyone with a border dispute and a plot of land.&nbsp;The lesson other capitals will take from this is not about Armenia. It is that compute is now something you can negotiate for.

US negotiators used the promise of Nvidia Blackwell access for an Armenian AI data centre as an incentive in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks, the WSJ reports. Armenia's PM says he lobbied Trump directly.

Export licences for graphics processors are not a traditional instrument of peacemaking. According to a Wall Street Journal report, they were used as one in the South Caucasus. US negotiators are said to have used the promise of access to Nvidia Blackwell processors for an Armenian AI data centre as an incentive in the talks that produced a provisional peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed at the White House in August. The Armenian side has not treated this as an awkward revelation. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said publicly that he personally lobbied President Donald Trump to expedite the chip-transfer approvals, and framed the matter as part of the peace agreement itself. The Project The data centre at the centre of this is real and already approved. The AI startup Firebird received US government clearance to export Nvidia chips to Armenia for a supercomputer project — a 100-megawatt facility backed by an initial $500 million investment, using Dell servers and Nvidia's Blackwell processors. The first phase was slated for mid-2026. For Armenia, a landlocked country of under three million people, a facility of that size is not an incremental technology investment. It is an attempt to become infrastructure that other countries need. What Makes This Unusual Export controls on advanced chips have been used as a stick for years. Washington restricts what Nvidia can sell to China, and the policy is straightforwardly punitive in intent. Using the same controls as a carrot is a different proposition. It treats an export licence as a sovereign favour to be traded — which, functionally, is what it has become. The scarcity is manufactured by policy, which means the ability to relieve it is a diplomatic asset that costs the United States nothing to create. That is an efficient form of leverage. It is also one that only works while the scarcity holds. The Uncomfortable Part There is a reading of this that is genuinely positive: a peace agreement was signed, and if compute access helped get it there, that is a cheaper inducement than most of the alternatives available to American diplomacy. The harder question is what it establishes. If chip access is a bargaining chip in territorial negotiations, then the allocation of AI infrastructure becomes a function of geopolitical alignment rather than economic demand — and countries learn that the route to compute runs through Washington's foreign policy priorities. It also creates a dependency with a short half-life. An export approval can be withdrawn, and a 100-megawatt facility built around a specific vendor's processors is not easily repurposed if the political weather changes. The Physical Cost The facility's demands are worth stating plainly, because they are rarely part of the diplomatic conversation. A 100-megawatt data centre consumes roughly the annual electricity of a city of 120,000 people, and cooling it can require more than 500,000 gallons of water per day. In a region where water allocation is itself a source of tension, that is not a neutral footprint. What To Watch Whether the provisional agreement holds, and whether the chip approvals survive it if it does not. Whether Firebird's first phase actually comes online on schedule. And whether other governments now approach Washington with the same trade in mind — because the precedent, once set, is available to anyone with a border dispute and a plot of land. The lesson other capitals will take from this is not about Armenia. It is that compute is now something you can negotiate for.

US negotiators used the promise of Nvidia Blackwell access for an Armenian AI data centre as an incentive in the talks that produced a provisional Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Armenia's prime minister has said he personally lobbied Donald Trump to speed the chip approvals, framing the request as part of the deal.

Nvidia chips were reportedly used as leverage to help broker a peace deal in the Caucasus

Dr Ruth Bar, the woman at the centre of a 1993 scandal involving Benjamin Netanyahu, has spoken about the affair that briefly threatened to derail the Israeli politician’s early rise within the Likud party. On January 14, 1993, Netanyahu appeared live on Israel’s Channel 1 and publicly admitted that he had had an extramarital affair with Bar, who was working as his strategic adviser during his campaign for the Likud leadership.At the time, the party was choosing a successor to Yitzhak Shamir after Likud’s defeat to Yitzhak Rabin in the 1992 election. Netanyahu’s main rival in the leadership contest was David Levy.Netanyahu had returned to Israel from the United Nations only a few years earlier and joined Likud, where his political style and rapid rise unsettled established figures in the party.Among those who viewed him as a threat were the so-called “Likud princes”, including Bennie Begin, Ehud Olmert, Dan Meridor, Roni Milo and Limor Livnat.<h2>A threat to Netanyahu’s political ambitions</h2>As Netanyahu gained momentum in the leadership race, his personal life suddenly became part of the political drama.According to the account, someone called his family home and told his wife, Sara, that Netanyahu was having an affair with his strategic adviser. The caller allegedly threatened to make a tape containing evidence of the relationship public unless Netanyahu withdrew from the race.Netanyahu chose not to step aside. Instead, he decided to address the allegations himself.He arrived at the Channel 1 studio, where news anchor Ya’acov Ahimeir and police affairs reporter Uri Cohen-Aharonov were waiting, and admitted on live television that he had cheated on his wife.Netanyahu also accused a “senior Likud politician”, referring to David Levy, of attempting to blackmail him. He further claimed he was surrounded by what he described as a “gang of criminals”.<h2>The tape that never surfaced</h2>The confession triggered an immediate uproar across Israel, which had only one television channel at the time.The alleged tape, however, was never released.According to the account, there was no tape in the first place. The threat may have been a prank or an attempt to intimidate Netanyahu, but it was enough to push him into making a highly unusual live television confession.The episode became one of the most dramatic moments of Netanyahu’s early political career. Despite the scandal, he went on to win the Likud leadership contest and eventually became one of Israel’s most prominent political figures.<h2>Who is Ruth Bar?</h2>Bar’s name was published at the time, but she largely disappeared from public view after the scandal. With social media and today’s digital news ecosystem still years away, she was able to return to a private life and continue working as a psychologist and strategic consultant. Bar later worked with senior Israeli political figures, including Shlomo Lahat, Zvi Bar, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Dan Meridor and Gabi Ashkenazi.Her professional clients also included major Israeli companies and brands such as Osem-Nestlé, Tivall, Sabra, Strauss, Jafora, Materna, Tara, Nirlat and Electra.In the financial sector, she worked with institutions including Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Clal, Psagot and Gazit Globe, as well as Israel’s Tourism Ministry.

In 1993, Benjamin Netanyahu publicly admitted to an extramarital affair with strategic adviser Dr. Ruth Bar after facing blackmail threats, though he ultimately secured the Likud party leadership.

Dr Ruth Bar, the woman at the centre of a 1993 scandal involving Benjamin Netanyahu, has spoken about the affair that briefly threatened to derail the Israeli politician’s early rise within the Likud party. On January 14, 1993, Netanyahu appeared live on Israel’s Channel 1 and publicly admitted that he had had an extramarital affair with Bar, who was working as his strategic adviser during his campaign for the Likud leadership. At the time, the party was choosing a successor to Yitzhak Shamir after Likud’s defeat to Yitzhak Rabin in the 1992 election. Netanyahu’s main rival in the leadership contest was David Levy. Netanyahu had returned to Israel from the United Nations only a few years earlier and joined Likud, where his political style and rapid rise unsettled established figures in the party. Among those who viewed him as a threat were the so-called “Likud princes”, including Bennie Begin, Ehud Olmert, Dan Meridor, Roni Milo and Limor Livnat. A threat to Netanyahu’s political ambitions As Netanyahu gained momentum in the leadership race, his personal life suddenly became part of the political drama. According to the account, someone called his family home and told his wife, Sara, that Netanyahu was having an affair with his strategic adviser. The caller allegedly threatened to make a tape containing evidence of the relationship public unless Netanyahu withdrew from the race. Netanyahu chose not to step aside. Instead, he decided to address the allegations himself. He arrived at the Channel 1 studio, where news anchor Ya’acov Ahimeir and police affairs reporter Uri Cohen-Aharonov were waiting, and admitted on live television that he had cheated on his wife. Netanyahu also accused a “senior Likud politician”, referring to David Levy, of attempting to blackmail him. He further claimed he was surrounded by what he described as a “gang of criminals”. The tape that never surfaced The confession triggered an immediate uproar across Israel, which had only one television channel at the time. The alleged tape, however, was never released. According to the account, there was no tape in the first place. The threat may have been a prank or an attempt to intimidate Netanyahu, but it was enough to push him into making a highly unusual live television confession. The episode became one of the most dramatic moments of Netanyahu’s early political career. Despite the scandal, he went on to win the Likud leadership contest and eventually became one of Israel’s most prominent political figures. Who is Ruth Bar? Bar’s name was published at the time, but she largely disappeared from public view after the scandal. With social media and today’s digital news ecosystem still years away, she was able to return to a private life and continue working as a psychologist and strategic consultant. Bar later worked with senior Israeli political figures, including Shlomo Lahat, Zvi Bar, Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Dan Meridor and Gabi Ashkenazi. Her professional clients also included major Israeli companies and brands such as Osem-Nestlé, Tivall, Sabra, Strauss, Jafora, Materna, Tara, Nirlat and Electra. In the financial sector, she worked with institutions including Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Clal, Psagot and Gazit Globe, as well as Israel’s Tourism Ministry.

In 1993, Benjamin Netanyahu publicly admitted to an extramarital affair with strategic adviser Dr. Ruth Bar after facing blackmail threats, though he ultimately secured the Likud party leadership.

‘I had an affair with Netanyahu’: Ruth Bar breaks silence on 1993 scandal

Anthropic has confirmed that it submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the Securities and Exchange Commission on a confidential basis. Reporting around that filing points to a Nasdaq listing as soon as October, with Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley leading an offering expected to raise more than $60 billion.&nbsp;If it completes near those figures it would be among the largest public offerings in the history of the stock market.&nbsp;A Caution On The Numbers&nbsp;The valuations attached to this listing deserve scepticism, and the range is the reason.&nbsp;Google's investment earlier in 2026 was struck at a reported $350 billion valuation. A Series H-1 in May has been reported at $965 billion. The New York Times reported in late August that an eventual IPO could value the company at $2 trillion.&nbsp;Those figures span a factor of nearly six within a single year. Some of that is genuine repricing in a fast-moving market, but a spread that wide across sources and dates is not a valuation — it is a range of opinions about one, and no single number in it should be reported as settled.&nbsp;Because the S-1 was submitted confidentially, it is not available on EDGAR. Anthropic has not set a share price, a share count, or a listing date, and has said the timing and completion of any offering depend on market conditions.&nbsp;The Risk Factor&nbsp;The detail that makes this filing genuinely unusual was reported by CNBC in late August: the S-1 is expected to name public backlash against AI among its risk factors.&nbsp;Risk-factor sections are typically defensive boilerplate, drafted to inoculate against future litigation. But this one is close to the company's foundational premise. Anthropic has positioned itself for years as the lab that takes AI risk seriously — and it is now, reportedly, obliged to tell prospective shareholders that public hostility to its industry could damage the business.&nbsp;There is no contradiction in that, strictly speaking. A company can believe the technology is dangerous, believe it should be built carefully, and disclose that others disagree. But it does compress an unusual amount of tension into a regulatory document.&nbsp;What The Filing Will Actually Reveal&nbsp;The financial disclosure is the part worth waiting for.&nbsp;Anthropic's annualised revenue was reported at around $30 billion as of April 2026. What has never been public is the cost of producing it: compute spend, gross margin, the economics of serving frontier models at scale. Private rounds do not require that; a public listing does.&nbsp;The same filing will settle a related question. Google and Amazon have both taken large positions in Anthropic — Google committing up to $40 billion in total, Amazon roughly $33 billion — and their stakes have contributed materially to reported profits at both companies. An IPO puts a market price on those holdings rather than a negotiated one.&nbsp;Why Now&nbsp;Two readings, and both are defensible.&nbsp;The optimistic one: the company has the revenue trajectory to justify a listing and is choosing to raise while conditions are favourable, funding compute commitments that run to many tens of billions.&nbsp;The sceptical one: private valuations have run far ahead of what late-stage investors will keep funding, and a public listing transfers that risk to a broader base of buyers. Companies rarely list at the bottom of their own perceived value.&nbsp;What To Watch&nbsp;Whether the public S-1 arrives before the October window and what gross margin it discloses. Whether the AI-backlash risk factor survives into the final document or is softened. And whether the listing prices anywhere near the figures now circulating — because the gap between $350 billion and $2 trillion is not a rounding error, and the market is about to resolve it.

Anthropic has confirmed a confidential S-1 with the SEC, with reporting pointing to an October Nasdaq listing raising $60bn+. Quoted valuations range from $350bn to $2 trillion.

Anthropic has confirmed that it submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the Securities and Exchange Commission on a confidential basis. Reporting around that filing points to a Nasdaq listing as soon as October, with Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley leading an offering expected to raise more than $60 billion. If it completes near those figures it would be among the largest public offerings in the history of the stock market. A Caution On The Numbers The valuations attached to this listing deserve scepticism, and the range is the reason. Google's investment earlier in 2026 was struck at a reported $350 billion valuation. A Series H-1 in May has been reported at $965 billion. The New York Times reported in late August that an eventual IPO could value the company at $2 trillion. Those figures span a factor of nearly six within a single year. Some of that is genuine repricing in a fast-moving market, but a spread that wide across sources and dates is not a valuation — it is a range of opinions about one, and no single number in it should be reported as settled. Because the S-1 was submitted confidentially, it is not available on EDGAR. Anthropic has not set a share price, a share count, or a listing date, and has said the timing and completion of any offering depend on market conditions. The Risk Factor The detail that makes this filing genuinely unusual was reported by CNBC in late August: the S-1 is expected to name public backlash against AI among its risk factors. Risk-factor sections are typically defensive boilerplate, drafted to inoculate against future litigation. But this one is close to the company's foundational premise. Anthropic has positioned itself for years as the lab that takes AI risk seriously — and it is now, reportedly, obliged to tell prospective shareholders that public hostility to its industry could damage the business. There is no contradiction in that, strictly speaking. A company can believe the technology is dangerous, believe it should be built carefully, and disclose that others disagree. But it does compress an unusual amount of tension into a regulatory document. What The Filing Will Actually Reveal The financial disclosure is the part worth waiting for. Anthropic's annualised revenue was reported at around $30 billion as of April 2026. What has never been public is the cost of producing it: compute spend, gross margin, the economics of serving frontier models at scale. Private rounds do not require that; a public listing does. The same filing will settle a related question. Google and Amazon have both taken large positions in Anthropic — Google committing up to $40 billion in total, Amazon roughly $33 billion — and their stakes have contributed materially to reported profits at both companies. An IPO puts a market price on those holdings rather than a negotiated one. Why Now Two readings, and both are defensible. The optimistic one: the company has the revenue trajectory to justify a listing and is choosing to raise while conditions are favourable, funding compute commitments that run to many tens of billions. The sceptical one: private valuations have run far ahead of what late-stage investors will keep funding, and a public listing transfers that risk to a broader base of buyers. Companies rarely list at the bottom of their own perceived value. What To Watch Whether the public S-1 arrives before the October window and what gross margin it discloses. Whether the AI-backlash risk factor survives into the final document or is softened. And whether the listing prices anywhere near the figures now circulating — because the gap between $350 billion and $2 trillion is not a rounding error, and the market is about to resolve it.

Anthropic has confirmed it submitted a confidential draft S-1 to the SEC, with reporting pointing to an October Nasdaq listing that could raise more than $60 billion. The valuations attached to it vary enormously depending on the source and the date — and the filing is reported to name public hostility to AI among its risk factors.

A company built on AI safety is about to ask public markets to price it

Microsoft AI has released MAI-Transcribe-2 with an unusually blunt claim attached: that it is the fastest, most accurate and cheapest speech recognition model in the world.&nbsp;The price is $0.10 per hour of audio — around $1.67 per thousand minutes — and it undercuts the transcription services offered by OpenAI, Google and ElevenLabs.&nbsp;The Number Behind The Number&nbsp;The more revealing comparison is internal.&nbsp;MAI-Transcribe-1 launched at $0.36 per hour, itself considered competitive at the time. The new model arrives at roughly 72 per cent below that, from the same company, within a single product generation.&nbsp;That is not a response to a competitor undercutting Microsoft. It is Microsoft undercutting itself, which is what a company does when it has decided the category should not be a profit centre at all.&nbsp;The Expiry Date&nbsp;One detail deserves more prominence than it is getting: $0.10 is an introductory price that runs only through the end of 2026.&nbsp;Microsoft has not said what the model will cost afterwards. Anyone building a product on that rate is building on a number with a known expiry and no announced successor — and transcription is exactly the kind of dependency that is easy to adopt and awkward to migrate off once it is embedded in a workflow.&nbsp;This is a familiar shape. Price low enough to move the market, let the integrations accumulate, then set the real rate once switching has become someone else's engineering problem.&nbsp;That is not an accusation of bad faith. It is the standard playbook, and it is worth naming while the discount is still in effect rather than after.&nbsp;Where It Runs&nbsp;The model is available now through Microsoft Foundry and the MAI Playground, with OpenRouter availability described as coming soon.&nbsp;Reports of the team size behind it — one account puts it at around ten people — and of speed gains of roughly ten times over OpenAI's comparable offering come from coverage of the launch rather than from independently verified benchmarks, and should be treated as claims rather than settled numbers until third parties have run their own tests.&nbsp;Why Microsoft Would Do This&nbsp;Transcription is not a business Microsoft needs to win on margin. It is a feature that makes other things work: meeting summaries in Teams, accessibility across Office, call handling in customer service, and the voice layer of any agent that has to listen before it acts.&nbsp;Priced near zero, it becomes a reason to stay inside Microsoft's stack rather than a line item customers evaluate on its own. Priced at $0.36, it was a purchase decision. At $0.10, it is closer to an assumption.&nbsp;The competitive effect lands hardest on companies for which speech recognition is the entire business rather than a supporting feature. ElevenLabs and similar specialists cannot subsidise transcription from an operating system and a cloud contract.&nbsp;What To Watch&nbsp;What the post-introductory price turns out to be, and how much notice customers get. Whether independent benchmarks support the accuracy claim once researchers outside Microsoft can test it. And whether OpenAI and Google respond with cuts of their own — which would confirm that speech recognition has finished its transition from product to utility.&nbsp;For buyers, the practical advice is narrow: the rate is real, it is good, and it is dated. Plan for what happens in January.

MAI-Transcribe-2 costs $0.10 per audio hour, 72% below Microsoft's own previous model, undercutting OpenAI, Google and ElevenLabs. The rate is introductory and runs only through the end of 2026.

Microsoft AI has released MAI-Transcribe-2 with an unusually blunt claim attached: that it is the fastest, most accurate and cheapest speech recognition model in the world. The price is $0.10 per hour of audio — around $1.67 per thousand minutes — and it undercuts the transcription services offered by OpenAI, Google and ElevenLabs. The Number Behind The Number The more revealing comparison is internal. MAI-Transcribe-1 launched at $0.36 per hour, itself considered competitive at the time. The new model arrives at roughly 72 per cent below that, from the same company, within a single product generation. That is not a response to a competitor undercutting Microsoft. It is Microsoft undercutting itself, which is what a company does when it has decided the category should not be a profit centre at all. The Expiry Date One detail deserves more prominence than it is getting: $0.10 is an introductory price that runs only through the end of 2026. Microsoft has not said what the model will cost afterwards. Anyone building a product on that rate is building on a number with a known expiry and no announced successor — and transcription is exactly the kind of dependency that is easy to adopt and awkward to migrate off once it is embedded in a workflow. This is a familiar shape. Price low enough to move the market, let the integrations accumulate, then set the real rate once switching has become someone else's engineering problem. That is not an accusation of bad faith. It is the standard playbook, and it is worth naming while the discount is still in effect rather than after. Where It Runs The model is available now through Microsoft Foundry and the MAI Playground, with OpenRouter availability described as coming soon. Reports of the team size behind it — one account puts it at around ten people — and of speed gains of roughly ten times over OpenAI's comparable offering come from coverage of the launch rather than from independently verified benchmarks, and should be treated as claims rather than settled numbers until third parties have run their own tests. Why Microsoft Would Do This Transcription is not a business Microsoft needs to win on margin. It is a feature that makes other things work: meeting summaries in Teams, accessibility across Office, call handling in customer service, and the voice layer of any agent that has to listen before it acts. Priced near zero, it becomes a reason to stay inside Microsoft's stack rather than a line item customers evaluate on its own. Priced at $0.36, it was a purchase decision. At $0.10, it is closer to an assumption. The competitive effect lands hardest on companies for which speech recognition is the entire business rather than a supporting feature. ElevenLabs and similar specialists cannot subsidise transcription from an operating system and a cloud contract. What To Watch What the post-introductory price turns out to be, and how much notice customers get. Whether independent benchmarks support the accuracy claim once researchers outside Microsoft can test it. And whether OpenAI and Google respond with cuts of their own — which would confirm that speech recognition has finished its transition from product to utility. For buyers, the practical advice is narrow: the rate is real, it is good, and it is dated. Plan for what happens in January.

Microsoft AI has released MAI-Transcribe-2, claiming it is the fastest, most accurate and cheapest speech recognition model available, at $0.10 per hour of audio. That is roughly 72 per cent below what its own predecessor launched at — but the company has confirmed the rate is introductory and only holds through the end of 2026.

Microsoft cut AI transcription pricing by 72 per cent, and the rate expires in December

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday (Sep 5) said that it struck three Iranian crude oil tankers. The strikes come after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted two US Navy Warships in the region with ballistic missiles. The US military said that CENTCOM “permanently disabled” disabled Iranian crude oil carriers after Tehran’s “failed attacks” on its vessels.“Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship,” the CENTCOM statement read.It added that Iranian tankers were part of a “multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.”“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper said. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.”Watch video here:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/Xo0Vj0t2AJ">https://t.co/Xo0Vj0t2AJ</a>&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2096231596449767452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Which US Navy warships did Iran target?</h2>Without specifying which US Navy vessels were targeted by the IRGC, CENTCOM said that “a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks.”&nbsp;Notably, the US military has deployed USS George Washington in the Middle East after the USS Abraham Lincoln was relieved from the position following concerns over its extended stay in the region. USS Abraham Lincoln was sent to Thailand for port maintenance after US sailors’ families alleged a mental health crisis aboard the vessel due to its prolonged deployment of over 250 days without a port visit.&nbsp;

US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday (Sep 5) said that it struck three Iranian crude oil tankers. The strikes come after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted two US Navy Warships in the region with ballistic missiles.



US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday (Sep 5) said that it struck three Iranian crude oil tankers. The strikes come after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted two US Navy Warships in the region with ballistic missiles. The US military said that CENTCOM “permanently disabled” disabled Iranian crude oil carriers after Tehran’s “failed attacks” on its vessels. “Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship,” the CENTCOM statement read. It added that Iranian tankers were part of a “multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.” “Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper said. “We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet.” Watch video here:

CENTCOM said US forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy warships, imposing economic costs on the IRGC-linked oil network.

CENTCOM strikes 3 Iranian oil tankers after 2 US warships targeted | VIDEO

A Greek two seat F-4 Phantom ‌fighter jet crashed during an air show near Athens, according to a Greek Air Force official. The incident happened at Tanagra ​air force base, where people had gathered to watch the annual “Athens Flying Week”. Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft taking off and performing manuevers before suddenly losing altitude and crashing about a hundred metres from the spectators. An explosion followed by thick plumes of smoke was seen as the jet crashed.Several aicraft and helicopters were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the fire. It was unclear whether the pilots survived the crash or if anyone in the crowd had been injured.“A search and rescue ​operation ⁠is under way,” the air force official told the news agency.According to public broadcaster ​ERT, people were urged to vacate the area via announcements on loudspeakers.Reportedly, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias cancelled a trip to Thessaloniki’s International Fair to visit the scene of the accident.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">BREAKING: A Greek Air Force F-4 Phantom crashed at Tanagra Air Base during Athens Flying Week. There is no official update yet on the crew’s condition or the cause of the crash.<a href="https://t.co/N9GOumMn2K">pic.twitter.com/N9GOumMn2K</a>&mdash; Clash Report (@clashreport) <a href="https://x.com/clashreport/status/2096211888719675487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 FULL VIDEO: The moment a Hellenic Air Force F-4E Phantom II crashed during a solo display at Athens Flying Week in Tanagra, Greece. The footage captures the aircraft’s final maneuver before impact. No parachutes were visible in the immediate aftermath. The condition of the… <a href="https://t.co/kUKXUIzgzR">pic.twitter.com/kUKXUIzgzR</a>&mdash; XPRESS (@Xpress_24_7) <a href="https://x.com/Xpress_24_7/status/2096220415974601077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Reports suggested that witnesses reported seeing smoke emitting from the aircraft before it went down. Videos show that the aircraft may have broken into two parts, with fire breaking out at two seperate points on the ground.The circumstances that led to the crash of the fighter jet remains unclear.

A Greek F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an airshow near Athens, bursting into flames. A search-and-rescue operation is underway, with pilot and crowd casualties still unclear.

A Greek two seat F-4 Phantom ‌fighter jet crashed during an air show near Athens, according to a Greek Air Force official. The incident happened at Tanagra air force base, where people had gathered to watch the annual “Athens Flying Week”. Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft taking off and performing manuevers before suddenly losing altitude and crashing about a hundred metres from the spectators. An explosion followed by thick plumes of smoke was seen as the jet crashed. Several aicraft and helicopters were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the fire. It was unclear whether the pilots survived the crash or if anyone in the crowd had been injured. “A search and rescue operation ⁠is under way,” the air force official told the news agency. According to public broadcaster ERT, people were urged to vacate the area via announcements on loudspeakers. Reportedly, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias cancelled a trip to Thessaloniki’s International Fair to visit the scene of the accident.

A Greek F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an airshow near Athens, bursting into flames. A search-and-rescue operation is underway, with pilot and crowd casualties still unclear.

Greek F-4 Phantom ‌fighter jet crashed during airshow near Athens

AMD used its IFA 2026 keynote to announce Threadripper Halo Station, a workstation built around a claim it is happy to make loudly: that it is the most powerful workstation in the world.&nbsp;The specification is the argument. A 96-core, 192-thread Threadripper PRO 9995WX on Zen 5, boosting to 5.4GHz, supporting up to 2TB of DDR5 system memory — and up to four Instinct MI350P accelerators, each carrying 144GB of HBM3E at 4TB/s.&nbsp;At four cards that is 576GB of high-bandwidth GPU memory in a single desk-side chassis. AMD's presented configuration uses two cards for 288GB, with the upgrade path to four.&nbsp;Everything significant in the system is liquid cooled, which AMD frames as a noise decision as much as a thermal one. A machine intended to sit next to a person has different constraints from one in a rack.&nbsp;The One Use Case&nbsp;AMD has been unusually direct about what this is for. The system is designed around running AI models with more than one trillion parameters locally, without a cloud connection.&nbsp;The memory figure is what makes that plausible. Model weights have to fit somewhere, and at 4-bit precision a trillion-parameter model lands within reach of 576GB. The MI350P's bandwidth — which AMD puts at fourteen times that of any LPDDR5X variant — is the difference between a model that technically loads and one that responds at usable speed.&nbsp;This is the specification that determines whether local inference at frontier scale is real or theatrical, and AMD has chosen to compete on exactly that number.&nbsp;The Target&nbsp;The comparison AMD wants is with Nvidia's DGX Station, and the positioning is transparent.&nbsp;Nvidia has spent years making the desk-side AI workstation its own category, and AMD's pitch is that supercomputer-class compute should be available to an individual developer rather than rationed through a cloud queue. Whether that lands depends almost entirely on software — Nvidia's advantage has rarely been silicon alone, and CUDA remains the reason many teams do not seriously evaluate alternatives.&nbsp;Hardware parity does not resolve that. It only makes the question worth asking again.&nbsp;Who It Is Actually For&nbsp;The honest audience for this machine is narrow, and worth naming.&nbsp;It is for teams working on data they are not permitted to send anywhere — medical records, defence work, unreleased financials, anything under a jurisdictional constraint. It is for researchers whose iteration speed is bottlenecked by cloud scheduling rather than raw compute. And it is for organisations that have run the arithmetic on sustained inference and found that renting indefinitely costs more than owning.&nbsp;It is not for most developers, who will continue to rent because renting is cheaper until utilisation is high and constant.&nbsp;The Missing Number&nbsp;AMD has not announced pricing, availability, or complete system specifications.&nbsp;That absence matters more than usual here, because the entire economic case rests on it. A local machine competes with a cloud subscription, and without a price the comparison cannot be made. Four MI350P cards represent serious silicon, and the plausible range for a fully configured system starts well above what most individual developers will fund themselves.&nbsp;Until AMD publishes a number, 'available to individual developers' is a positioning statement rather than a claim that can be tested.&nbsp;What To Watch&nbsp;The price, first and above all. Whether the four-card configuration ships at launch or arrives later. And whether the software stack has closed enough of the gap that a team can move a working pipeline across without rewriting it — because that, not memory capacity, is what has kept this category Nvidia's.

Threadripper Halo Station pairs a 96-core Threadripper PRO with up to four MI350P accelerators and 576GB of HBM3E, aimed at Nvidia's DGX Station. AMD has not announced what it costs.

AMD used its IFA 2026 keynote to announce Threadripper Halo Station, a workstation built around a claim it is happy to make loudly: that it is the most powerful workstation in the world. The specification is the argument. A 96-core, 192-thread Threadripper PRO 9995WX on Zen 5, boosting to 5.4GHz, supporting up to 2TB of DDR5 system memory — and up to four Instinct MI350P accelerators, each carrying 144GB of HBM3E at 4TB/s. At four cards that is 576GB of high-bandwidth GPU memory in a single desk-side chassis. AMD's presented configuration uses two cards for 288GB, with the upgrade path to four. Everything significant in the system is liquid cooled, which AMD frames as a noise decision as much as a thermal one. A machine intended to sit next to a person has different constraints from one in a rack. The One Use Case AMD has been unusually direct about what this is for. The system is designed around running AI models with more than one trillion parameters locally, without a cloud connection. The memory figure is what makes that plausible. Model weights have to fit somewhere, and at 4-bit precision a trillion-parameter model lands within reach of 576GB. The MI350P's bandwidth — which AMD puts at fourteen times that of any LPDDR5X variant — is the difference between a model that technically loads and one that responds at usable speed. This is the specification that determines whether local inference at frontier scale is real or theatrical, and AMD has chosen to compete on exactly that number. The Target The comparison AMD wants is with Nvidia's DGX Station, and the positioning is transparent. Nvidia has spent years making the desk-side AI workstation its own category, and AMD's pitch is that supercomputer-class compute should be available to an individual developer rather than rationed through a cloud queue. Whether that lands depends almost entirely on software — Nvidia's advantage has rarely been silicon alone, and CUDA remains the reason many teams do not seriously evaluate alternatives. Hardware parity does not resolve that. It only makes the question worth asking again. Who It Is Actually For The honest audience for this machine is narrow, and worth naming. It is for teams working on data they are not permitted to send anywhere — medical records, defence work, unreleased financials, anything under a jurisdictional constraint. It is for researchers whose iteration speed is bottlenecked by cloud scheduling rather than raw compute. And it is for organisations that have run the arithmetic on sustained inference and found that renting indefinitely costs more than owning. It is not for most developers, who will continue to rent because renting is cheaper until utilisation is high and constant. The Missing Number AMD has not announced pricing, availability, or complete system specifications. That absence matters more than usual here, because the entire economic case rests on it. A local machine competes with a cloud subscription, and without a price the comparison cannot be made. Four MI350P cards represent serious silicon, and the plausible range for a fully configured system starts well above what most individual developers will fund themselves. Until AMD publishes a number, 'available to individual developers' is a positioning statement rather than a claim that can be tested. What To Watch The price, first and above all. Whether the four-card configuration ships at launch or arrives later. And whether the software stack has closed enough of the gap that a team can move a working pipeline across without rewriting it — because that, not memory capacity, is what has kept this category Nvidia's.

AMD used its IFA 2026 keynote to unveil Threadripper Halo Station, a liquid-cooled workstation pairing a 96-core Threadripper PRO 9995WX with up to four Instinct MI350P accelerators and 576GB of HBM3E. It is designed for one job: running models above a trillion parameters locally, with no cloud connection. Pricing has not been announced.

576GB of HBM3E under a desk: AMD's Halo Station is aimed squarely at Nvidia's DGX

OpenAI has released GPT-6 Astra alongside an unusual admission: by the company's own measure, the model is dangerous enough to require restrictions it has never imposed before.&nbsp;Astra is the first model OpenAI has designated 'Critical' for cybersecurity under its Preparedness Framework, the internal system the company uses to grade how much damage its models could do.&nbsp;What The Rating Means&nbsp;The Critical threshold is not a vague warning. Under OpenAI's published definition, a model reaches it if it can identify and develop working zero-day exploits across severity levels in many hardened real-world systems without a human directing each step — or devise and carry out novel end-to-end cyberattacks against hardened targets when given only a high-level goal.&nbsp;OpenAI's finding is that Astra can do this. Not that it might eventually, or that a determined user could coax it into trying.&nbsp;The Test That Produced The Number&nbsp;The most striking result is also the most carefully designed.&nbsp;A model trained on public security data can appear to discover vulnerabilities when it is really reciting them. To control for that, OpenAI tested Astra against vulnerabilities disclosed only in the three months before launch — material the model could not have memorised.&nbsp;It found two previously unknown vulnerabilities during that test. OpenAI says it is disclosing both to the software makers involved.&nbsp;Stripped of its production safeguards, the model scored 100 per cent on ExploitBench, against 78.5 per cent for its predecessor GPT-5.6 Sol. On ExploitGym it reached 42.4 per cent against Sol's 30.3 per cent.&nbsp;The perfect score is the headline, but the ExploitGym figure may matter more: it suggests the harder benchmark is now the one with room left in it.&nbsp;How OpenAI Is Handling It&nbsp;Access is deliberately awkward.&nbsp;Astra is going first to a limited set of organisations before reaching ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise users. For enterprise workspaces it is off by default, and an administrator has to switch it on by hand — a small piece of friction that assumes some customers would rather not have it available at all.&nbsp;The public version refuses advanced offensive requests, including generating proof-of-concept exploits. OpenAI has said it intends to relax those limits for vetted defenders through a programme it is calling Daybreak.&nbsp;The Tension In That Plan&nbsp;Daybreak is where the reasoning gets harder to follow.&nbsp;The case for it is real: defenders are outnumbered, and a tool that finds flaws before attackers do is worth having on the right side. The case against is that 'vetted defender' is a category defined by an application form, and the capability being handed over is the one OpenAI has just classified as Critical.&nbsp;The model was also pre-trained on more than 100,000 GPUs at Stargate, which is worth noting for a simple reason: the capability did not arrive through a clever safety-relevant breakthrough. It arrived through scale, which means it is reproducible by anyone with comparable compute.&nbsp;What To Watch&nbsp;Whether the two disclosed vulnerabilities are patched before details circulate. Whether other labs now run the same benchmarks and publish results, or quietly decline to. And whether the Critical designation carries any regulatory consequence — because at present, the only body that decided this model crosses a dangerous threshold is the company that built it and shipped it anyway.

GPT-6 Astra is the first model OpenAI has rated 'Critical' for cyber risk under its Preparedness Framework. Unguarded, it scored 100% on ExploitBench and found two real zero-days.

OpenAI has released GPT-6 Astra alongside an unusual admission: by the company's own measure, the model is dangerous enough to require restrictions it has never imposed before. Astra is the first model OpenAI has designated 'Critical' for cybersecurity under its Preparedness Framework, the internal system the company uses to grade how much damage its models could do. What The Rating Means The Critical threshold is not a vague warning. Under OpenAI's published definition, a model reaches it if it can identify and develop working zero-day exploits across severity levels in many hardened real-world systems without a human directing each step — or devise and carry out novel end-to-end cyberattacks against hardened targets when given only a high-level goal. OpenAI's finding is that Astra can do this. Not that it might eventually, or that a determined user could coax it into trying. The Test That Produced The Number The most striking result is also the most carefully designed. A model trained on public security data can appear to discover vulnerabilities when it is really reciting them. To control for that, OpenAI tested Astra against vulnerabilities disclosed only in the three months before launch — material the model could not have memorised. It found two previously unknown vulnerabilities during that test. OpenAI says it is disclosing both to the software makers involved. Stripped of its production safeguards, the model scored 100 per cent on ExploitBench, against 78.5 per cent for its predecessor GPT-5.6 Sol. On ExploitGym it reached 42.4 per cent against Sol's 30.3 per cent. The perfect score is the headline, but the ExploitGym figure may matter more: it suggests the harder benchmark is now the one with room left in it. How OpenAI Is Handling It Access is deliberately awkward. Astra is going first to a limited set of organisations before reaching ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise users. For enterprise workspaces it is off by default, and an administrator has to switch it on by hand — a small piece of friction that assumes some customers would rather not have it available at all. The public version refuses advanced offensive requests, including generating proof-of-concept exploits. OpenAI has said it intends to relax those limits for vetted defenders through a programme it is calling Daybreak. The Tension In That Plan Daybreak is where the reasoning gets harder to follow. The case for it is real: defenders are outnumbered, and a tool that finds flaws before attackers do is worth having on the right side. The case against is that 'vetted defender' is a category defined by an application form, and the capability being handed over is the one OpenAI has just classified as Critical. The model was also pre-trained on more than 100,000 GPUs at Stargate, which is worth noting for a simple reason: the capability did not arrive through a clever safety-relevant breakthrough. It arrived through scale, which means it is reproducible by anyone with comparable compute. What To Watch Whether the two disclosed vulnerabilities are patched before details circulate. Whether other labs now run the same benchmarks and publish results, or quietly decline to. And whether the Critical designation carries any regulatory consequence — because at present, the only body that decided this model crosses a dangerous threshold is the company that built it and shipped it anyway.

OpenAI has launched GPT-6 Astra and simultaneously classified it as ‘Critical’ for cybersecurity under its own Preparedness Framework — the first model to cross that line. In testing without safeguards it scored 100 per cent on ExploitBench and discovered two previously unknown vulnerabilities, which OpenAI says it is now disclosing to the affected vendors.

OpenAI has released a model it says can find and exploit zero-days on its own

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to halt strikes against Kyiv for three days as US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow for talks on the Ukraine war.&nbsp;"The Russian president and commander in chief... has given the order not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight tonight," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS.&nbsp;The Kremlin said it would brief the media after Putin meets with the two US representatives.&nbsp;The order to suspend strikes on Kyiv came as Russia prepared for the arrival of the American delegation.<h2>US envoys arrive in Moscow</h2>Witkoff and Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday as Washington stepped up efforts to revive negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has entered its fifth year.&nbsp;Two people familiar with the visit told Reuters that Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev received the US representatives at the airport.&nbsp;The latest development follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for a temporary ceasefire while the US representatives travel between Moscow and Kyiv.&nbsp;“There will be no airstrikes on our part, and Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire, without its own airstrikes, for the duration needed to conduct these talks,” Zelensky said in his evening address.&nbsp;However, Zelensky on Saturday accused Russia of carrying out strikes on two Kyiv airports overnight in an attempt to disrupt the diplomatic effort.&nbsp;“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” Zelensky said on X.&nbsp;He added that Ukraine would pose “no threats to diplomacy” and stressed that Kyiv remained interested in advancing peace efforts.&nbsp;“Ukraine is interested in bringing peace closer. Russia will be held accountable for what it does,” he said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-trying-to-derail-trump-s-peace-push-zelensky-accuses-moscow-after-strikes-on-kyiv-airport-1788606923021">Russia trying to derail Trump’s peace push? Zelensky accuses Moscow after strikes on Kyiv airports</a><h2>Trump sends envoys with peace proposal</h2>US President Donald Trump said on Friday, September 4, that he had sent Kushner and Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal aimed at ending the Ukraine war.&nbsp;“They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump told reporters when asked about the weekend trip.&nbsp;Trump did not disclose the details of the proposal. He also did not say whether the plan would require Ukraine to surrender territory, a possibility he has previously raised.&nbsp;However, Trump said the United States had “an idea for peace” and expressed hope that his representatives could make progress.&nbsp;“I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it,” Trump said.&nbsp;The Moscow talks could provide a fresh opportunity for Washington to push Russia and Ukraine towards a temporary ceasefire and broader negotiations aimed at ending the war.

Putin has ordered a three day pause on strikes against Kyiv as Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow with a proposal aimed at advancing efforts to end the Ukraine war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to halt strikes against Kyiv for three days as US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow for talks on the Ukraine war. "The Russian president and commander in chief... has given the order not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight tonight," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS. The Kremlin said it would brief the media after Putin meets with the two US representatives. The order to suspend strikes on Kyiv came as Russia prepared for the arrival of the American delegation. US envoys arrive in Moscow Witkoff and Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday as Washington stepped up efforts to revive negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has entered its fifth year. Two people familiar with the visit told Reuters that Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev received the US representatives at the airport. The latest development follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for a temporary ceasefire while the US representatives travel between Moscow and Kyiv. “There will be no airstrikes on our part, and Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire, without its own airstrikes, for the duration needed to conduct these talks,” Zelensky said in his evening address. However, Zelensky on Saturday accused Russia of carrying out strikes on two Kyiv airports overnight in an attempt to disrupt the diplomatic effort. “Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” Zelensky said on X. He added that Ukraine would pose “no threats to diplomacy” and stressed that Kyiv remained interested in advancing peace efforts. “Ukraine is interested in bringing peace closer. Russia will be held accountable for what it does,” he said. Also Read: Russia trying to derail Trump’s peace push? Zelensky accuses Moscow after strikes on Kyiv airports Trump sends envoys with peace proposal US President Donald Trump said on Friday, September 4, that he had sent Kushner and Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal aimed at ending the Ukraine war. “They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump told reporters when asked about the weekend trip. Trump did not disclose the details of the proposal. He also did not say whether the plan would require Ukraine to surrender territory, a possibility he has previously raised. However, Trump said the United States had “an idea for peace” and expressed hope that his representatives could make progress. “I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it,” Trump said. The Moscow talks could provide a fresh opportunity for Washington to push Russia and Ukraine towards a temporary ceasefire and broader negotiations aimed at ending the war.

Putin has ordered a three-day pause on strikes against Kyiv as Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow with a proposal aimed at advancing efforts to end the Ukraine war.

After Zelensky, Putin orders 3-day pause in strikes as US envoys arrive in Moscow for Ukraine talks

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday (Sep 5) denied that Israel was preparing to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza, following proposals by far-right Israeli ministers calling for the territory’s population to leave.“I can tell you categorically there is no plan of the Israelis to displace people out of Gaza against their will,” Huckabee told reporters while visiting Palestinian-Americans in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.His comments came days after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir proposed a plan to encourage the departure of 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in its first year, with the remaining population leaving over the next six years. Defence Minister Israel Katz had also said Israel was prepared to remove Palestinians by sea and land.<h2>Trump administration backs ‘choice’</h2>Huckabee said US President Donald Trump’s administration supported Palestinians having the option to leave Gaza voluntarily, while rejecting any suggestion of coercion.“There is an open-mindedness if people wish to leave, that they should have the right to leave,” he said, describing it as a “disgrace” to “incarcerate” Palestinians inside Gaza.“Nobody is suggesting there would be forced displacement – the Israelis are not, the Americans are not. I know of no one who supports that,” he added.Forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is prohibited under international humanitarian law and can constitute a war crime. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, launched after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, has already displaced virtually the entire population at least once.<h2>Gaza plan remains contentious</h2>The issue has repeatedly sparked international alarm, particularly after US President Donald Trump earlier proposed temporarily relocating all Palestinians from Gaza and redeveloping the territory as a luxury resort. Trump later backed away from the proposal following strong opposition, including from Egypt.Huckabee’s remarks come ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, with polls indicating a closely fought contest involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government includes far-right ministers advocating tougher policies toward Gaza.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee denies Israel plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, as far-right ministers push relocation proposals and Trump’s administration backs voluntary departure.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday (Sep 5) denied that Israel was preparing to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza, following proposals by far-right Israeli ministers calling for the territory’s population to leave. “I can tell you categorically there is no plan of the Israelis to displace people out of Gaza against their will,” Huckabee told reporters while visiting Palestinian-Americans in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. His comments came days after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir proposed a plan to encourage the departure of 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in its first year, with the remaining population leaving over the next six years. Defence Minister Israel Katz had also said Israel was prepared to remove Palestinians by sea and land. Trump administration backs ‘choice’ Huckabee said US President Donald Trump’s administration supported Palestinians having the option to leave Gaza voluntarily, while rejecting any suggestion of coercion. “There is an open-mindedness if people wish to leave, that they should have the right to leave,” he said, describing it as a “disgrace” to “incarcerate” Palestinians inside Gaza. “Nobody is suggesting there would be forced displacement – the Israelis are not, the Americans are not. I know of no one who supports that,” he added. Forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is prohibited under international humanitarian law and can constitute a war crime. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, launched after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, has already displaced virtually the entire population at least once. Gaza plan remains contentious The issue has repeatedly sparked international alarm, particularly after US President Donald Trump earlier proposed temporarily relocating all Palestinians from Gaza and redeveloping the territory as a luxury resort. Trump later backed away from the proposal following strong opposition, including from Egypt. Huckabee’s remarks come ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, with polls indicating a closely fought contest involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government includes far-right ministers advocating tougher policies toward Gaza.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee denies Israel plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, as far-right ministers push relocation proposals and Trump’s administration backs voluntary departure.

‘There is no plan’: US envoy denies Israel’s forced Gaza displacement bid

Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s two airports overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday (Sep 5). The attacks come as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared to visit the region in a fresh attempt to break the deadlock over ending the war. Zelensky said Russia also struck a civilian target in the Dnipro region, killing four people, and accused Moscow of trying to disrupt the visit.“Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” Zelensky said on X, adding there would be “no threats to diplomacy” from the Ukrainian side.“Ukraine is interested in bringing peace closer. Russia will be held accountable for what it does,” he said.Steel producer Metinvest said on Saturday (Sep 5) that a Russian ballistic missile strike on a Ukrainian steel plant in the eastern Dnipro region, killing five people. The attack also resulted in damage to the plant’s production facilities and infrastructure, forcing a halt to all operations.The strikes come a day after Zelensky said that a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s powerful SBU security service in central Kyiv, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting the office of the agency’s acting chief. The strike hit the building on Volodymyrska Street, opposite the historic St Sophia Cathedral, marking the first reported attack on the SBU headquarters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.<h2>Trump envoys arrive in Moscow</h2>This comes hours before Russian agencies reported that US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday (Sep 5). They are also expected to visit Kyiv, marking their first trip to war-torn Ukrainian capital since Trump returned to office last year, having already played roles in ceasefire negotiations involving Gaza and Iran.In Moscow, the US envoys are expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to an Axios report.Ahead of their visit, Trump told reporters, “They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war.” He added, “We have an idea for peace.” He declined to say whether the plan involved Ukraine ceding territory.<h2>Fighting continues as diplomacy stalls</h2>The renewed diplomatic push comes amid intensified Russian and Ukrainian missile and drone attacks. Zelensky has proposed a temporary ceasefire during the envoys’ visit, saying Ukraine would halt airstrikes if Russia reciprocated. Moscow had not immediately responded to the proposal.

Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s two airports as US envoys Witkoff and Kushner head to Moscow and Kyiv with a peace proposal, while attacks in Ukraine kill civilians and Zelensky calls for a temporary ceasefire.

Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s two airports overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday (Sep 5). The attacks come as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared to visit the region in a fresh attempt to break the deadlock over ending the war. Zelensky said Russia also struck a civilian target in the Dnipro region, killing four people, and accused Moscow of trying to disrupt the visit. “Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” Zelensky said on X, adding there would be “no threats to diplomacy” from the Ukrainian side. “Ukraine is interested in bringing peace closer. Russia will be held accountable for what it does,” he said. Steel producer Metinvest said on Saturday (Sep 5) that a Russian ballistic missile strike on a Ukrainian steel plant in the eastern Dnipro region, killing five people. The attack also resulted in damage to the plant’s production facilities and infrastructure, forcing a halt to all operations. The strikes come a day after Zelensky said that a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s powerful SBU security service in central Kyiv, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting the office of the agency’s acting chief. The strike hit the building on Volodymyrska Street, opposite the historic St Sophia Cathedral, marking the first reported attack on the SBU headquarters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Trump envoys arrive in Moscow This comes hours before Russian agencies reported that US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday (Sep 5). They are also expected to visit Kyiv, marking their first trip to war-torn Ukrainian capital since Trump returned to office last year, having already played roles in ceasefire negotiations involving Gaza and Iran. In Moscow, the US envoys are expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to an Axios report. Ahead of their visit, Trump told reporters, “They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war.” He added, “We have an idea for peace.” He declined to say whether the plan involved Ukraine ceding territory. Fighting continues as diplomacy stalls The renewed diplomatic push comes amid intensified Russian and Ukrainian missile and drone attacks. Zelensky has proposed a temporary ceasefire during the envoys’ visit, saying Ukraine would halt airstrikes if Russia reciprocated. Moscow had not immediately responded to the proposal.

Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s two airports as US envoys Witkoff and Kushner head to Moscow and Kyiv with a peace proposal, while attacks in Ukraine kill civilians and Zelensky calls for a temporary ceasefire.

Russia trying to derail Trump’s peace push? Zelensky accuses Moscow after strikes on Kyiv airports

In surprising detail, a 30-year-old worker rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in Nepal after nine days claimed that he kept chanting the ‘Hare Krishna’ mantra while trapped, with the expectation of being saved. He was trapped in the tunnel during the devastating floods that claimed thousands of lives. “I was chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra for the past nine days,” Sah said after he was rescued safely. A video has also been released by the Nepali Army displaying Sah being carried on a worker's back, with his face covered with mud.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">VIDEO | Nepal: A person identified as Sanjay Shah rescued alive today from the tunnel of Trishuli–3 &#39;A&#39; Hydropower Project. Visuals of the rescued person. (Source: Third Party) (Full video available on PTI Videos - <a href="https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p">https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p</a>) <a href="https://t.co/kM7nRYZN9p">pic.twitter.com/kM7nRYZN9p</a>&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://x.com/PTI_News/status/2095738631638143446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sah, an employee of the Nepal Electricity Authority and a foreman from Saptari district in Madhesh province, stated that he had been working in the control room when the disaster hit the area. During the flood, he initially stayed behind to save others. “I was working in the control room. My responsibility was to save everyone’s life,” Sah said.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="http://wionews.com/world/the-wrong-question-keeps-getting-asked-about-pakistan-s-navy-1788603301249">The wrong question keeps getting asked about Pakistan's navy</a><h3>Shah trapped for nine days</h3>He also mentioned that he had alerted others to flee after learning of the disaster occurring upstream. However, by the time he tried to escape himself, it was too late. He then spent nine days trapped in darkness inside the tunnel. He said he was able to stay in contact with three or four nearby workers, either by speaking or making sounds. Sah added that additional people might still be trapped further inside the tunnel, possibly near the powerhouse. “Not everyone may have been able to escape. The tunnel is very long,” he said, and added that the force of the floodwater could have carried people further inside. The other rescued worker, 45-year-old mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan, was airlifted to Nepal Army Hospital in Chhauni, Kathmandu, for treatment due to health complications, while Sah was taken to a local hospital in Trishuli. Security officials said his condition was stable. Sah and Maharjan are the first workers rescued from the hydropower project since the disaster struck, though a small group had earlier managed to escape from a different tunnel shortly after the incident. Search and rescue efforts, led by the Nepal Army using specialised equipment, are ongoing.

Shah, an employee of the Nepal Electricity Authority and a foreman from Saptari district in Madhesh province, said he had been working in the control room when the disaster hit the area. During the flood, he initially stayed behind to save others.

In surprising detail, a 30-year-old worker rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in Nepal after nine days claimed that he kept chanting the ‘Hare Krishna’ mantra while trapped, with the expectation of being saved. He was trapped in the tunnel during the devastating floods that claimed thousands of lives. “I was chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra for the past nine days,” Sah said after he was rescued safely. A video has also been released by the Nepali Army displaying Sah being carried on a worker's back, with his face covered with mud.

Shah, an employee of the Nepal Electricity Authority and a foreman from Saptari district in Madhesh province, said he had been working in the control room when the disaster hit the area. During the flood, he initially stayed behind to save others.

'I was chanting Krishna mahamantra': Nepal worker rescued from tunnel after 9 days

Pakistan Navy briefings follow a familiar script. A new frigate joins the fleet, and the language reaches for words like "milestone" and "capability enhancement." A submarine is handed over, and someone inevitably invokes blue-water aspirations, as though the phrase becomes true through sheer repetition. This ought to be reassuring. Increasingly, it is not, and the reason is worth stating plainly.&nbsp;None of this is a case against the hardware itself. The Type 054A/P frigates are genuinely capable ships. The Hangor-class submarines, once fully delivered, will meaningfully shift the undersea balance in the Arabian Sea. The engineering and the procurement logic behind both programs are not in question. What is in question is what these acquisitions are being asked to prove, and how rarely anyone in a position to press the point actually does.&nbsp;The question worth asking is simple: modernisation toward what end? If the answer is deterrence against a conventional rival, that is a legitimate and defensible goal, and the program should be judged against it directly. But that is rarely how the narrative is framed. It is framed instead as evidence of a maturing, more capable maritime power in general terms, as though "capable" is self-justifying and does not require specifying capable of doing what, for whom.&nbsp;The gap between these two framings is no longer hypothetical. It surfaces every time the Gulf of Aden or the Bab al-Mandeb produces another headline about a vessel under attack, and Pakistan's navy, for entirely explicable, structural reasons, has nothing to contribute to the response. The fleet was not built to reach that corridor, was not postured to operate there, and by most public accounts has never seriously attempted to. That is not, on its own, a scandal. It is the predictable consequence of where budget and doctrine have been directed for a decade. What comes closer to a scandal is how rarely this is stated outright, rather than allowing the word "modernisation" to imply otherwise by omission.&nbsp;This pattern is not unique to Pakistan, and the instinct behind it is not especially cynical. Navies generally describe themselves in the most flattering available terms, and "blue-water" is a flattering term. But somewhere in that process, a distinction has been lost: the navy being built and the navy that Pakistan's most exposed citizens, the seafarers and merchant crew who actually cross these dangerous waters for a living, rather than reading about them from a distance, might reasonably expect to exist on their behalf are not automatically the same navy. Few people, pressed directly, would claim otherwise. Yet public discourse proceeds as though they were identical, because acknowledging the difference means admitting that a large and costly modernisation program has left an entire category of exposure essentially untouched.&nbsp;Fairness requires acknowledging the limits of what any navy can reasonably be asked to do. No serious observer expects Pakistan to sustain an independent expeditionary presence in the Red Sea; the budget does not support it, and the strategic case for attempting it would be weak regardless. But there is a wide, largely unexamined space between doing nothing and projecting blue-water power a thousand kilometres from home, and no serious public accounting of what belongs in that space has yet been offered. A liaison arrangement with the coalition structures already active in the corridor. A monitoring system tracking Pakistani-crewed vessels entering elevated-risk waters. A faster, better-resourced consular and repatriation process for when incidents occur. None of these requires a new hull. All of them require an admission that the current program, whatever its genuine achievements, was not designed with this specific problem in mind.&nbsp;That admission is unlikely to come from within the institution itself; commissioning ceremonies are not natural settings for self-audit, and the incentives working against it are well understood. But the question needs to keep being asked from outside, because the cost of not asking is not abstract. It surfaces, with some regularity now, in a corridor far from where the newest frigates operate, and it will keep surfacing there until "modernisation" comes to mean something more specific than it currently does.

The Type 054A/P frigates are genuinely capable ships. The Hangor-class submarines, once fully delivered, will meaningfully shift the undersea balance in the Arabian Sea. 

Pakistan Navy briefings follow a familiar script. A new frigate joins the fleet, and the language reaches for words like "milestone" and "capability enhancement." A submarine is handed over, and someone inevitably invokes blue-water aspirations, as though the phrase becomes true through sheer repetition. This ought to be reassuring. Increasingly, it is not, and the reason is worth stating plainly. None of this is a case against the hardware itself. The Type 054A/P frigates are genuinely capable ships. The Hangor-class submarines, once fully delivered, will meaningfully shift the undersea balance in the Arabian Sea. The engineering and the procurement logic behind both programs are not in question. What is in question is what these acquisitions are being asked to prove, and how rarely anyone in a position to press the point actually does. The question worth asking is simple: modernisation toward what end? If the answer is deterrence against a conventional rival, that is a legitimate and defensible goal, and the program should be judged against it directly. But that is rarely how the narrative is framed. It is framed instead as evidence of a maturing, more capable maritime power in general terms, as though "capable" is self-justifying and does not require specifying capable of doing what, for whom. The gap between these two framings is no longer hypothetical. It surfaces every time the Gulf of Aden or the Bab al-Mandeb produces another headline about a vessel under attack, and Pakistan's navy, for entirely explicable, structural reasons, has nothing to contribute to the response. The fleet was not built to reach that corridor, was not postured to operate there, and by most public accounts has never seriously attempted to. That is not, on its own, a scandal. It is the predictable consequence of where budget and doctrine have been directed for a decade. What comes closer to a scandal is how rarely this is stated outright, rather than allowing the word "modernisation" to imply otherwise by omission. This pattern is not unique to Pakistan, and the instinct behind it is not especially cynical. Navies generally describe themselves in the most flattering available terms, and "blue-water" is a flattering term. But somewhere in that process, a distinction has been lost: the navy being built and the navy that Pakistan's most exposed citizens, the seafarers and merchant crew who actually cross these dangerous waters for a living, rather than reading about them from a distance, might reasonably expect to exist on their behalf are not automatically the same navy. Few people, pressed directly, would claim otherwise. Yet public discourse proceeds as though they were identical, because acknowledging the difference means admitting that a large and costly modernisation program has left an entire category of exposure essentially untouched. Fairness requires acknowledging the limits of what any navy can reasonably be asked to do. No serious observer expects Pakistan to sustain an independent expeditionary presence in the Red Sea; the budget does not support it, and the strategic case for attempting it would be weak regardless. But there is a wide, largely unexamined space between doing nothing and projecting blue-water power a thousand kilometres from home, and no serious public accounting of what belongs in that space has yet been offered. A liaison arrangement with the coalition structures already active in the corridor. A monitoring system tracking Pakistani-crewed vessels entering elevated-risk waters. A faster, better-resourced consular and repatriation process for when incidents occur. None of these requires a new hull. All of them require an admission that the current program, whatever its genuine achievements, was not designed with this specific problem in mind. That admission is unlikely to come from within the institution itself; commissioning ceremonies are not natural settings for self-audit, and the incentives working against it are well understood. But the question needs to keep being asked from outside, because the cost of not asking is not abstract. It surfaces, with some regularity now, in a corridor far from where the newest frigates operate, and it will keep surfacing there until "modernisation" comes to mean something more specific than it currently does.

The Type 054A/P frigates are genuinely capable ships. The Hangor-class submarines, once fully delivered, will meaningfully shift the undersea balance in the Arabian Sea.&nbsp;

The wrong question keeps getting asked about Pakistan's navy

United States President Donald Trump while defending Vice President JD Vance &nbsp;said that the war with Iran is “small potatoes”. Asked during an Oval Office exchange about Vance’s comments made a day earlier that the on-and-off attacks in the Middle East are not a “war", Trump said US strikes on Iran are now “intermittent” and “a lot of people don’t call it a war.”&nbsp;“I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing," said Trump, speaking to reporters.&nbsp;Vance, when asked during a White House press briefing Thursday about whether the fighting could end before voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 elections said “I wouldn’t call it a war, right now, there is no active shooting.”&nbsp;During his interaction Trump highlighted that the US casualties in the Iran conflict is relatively lower than some other recent US wars.&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nobody-will-do-it-once-i-m-gone-trump-admits-to-putting-his-name-on-everything-1788591162628">'Nobody will do it once I’m gone': Trump admits to putting his name on everything</a>&nbsp;“We did Venezuela and we did this. In Venezuela, we lost nobody,” said Trump, talking about the capture of its then president Nicolas Maduro and his wife by US forces and taking them to New York City to face federal drug trafficking charges.&nbsp;“And this, we lost 18 people. And, in Vietnam we lost 100,000 people. And in other conflicts, we lost tens of thousands of people," said Trump.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Trump again threatened to attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”. Backing his months-long US military campaign against Iran Trump said, "We're in five months now. And you know what we did in five months? They're not going to have a nuclear weapon; that's what we did.""Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because if they did, you probably wouldn't be standing here very long," he added.&nbsp; &nbsp;

During his interaction Trump highlighted that the US casualties in the Iran conflict is relatively lower than some other recent US wars.

United States President Donald Trump while defending Vice President JD Vance said that the war with Iran is “small potatoes”. Asked during an Oval Office exchange about Vance’s comments made a day earlier that the on-and-off attacks in the Middle East are not a “war", Trump said US strikes on Iran are now “intermittent” and “a lot of people don’t call it a war.” “I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing," said Trump, speaking to reporters. Vance, when asked during a White House press briefing Thursday about whether the fighting could end before voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 elections said “I wouldn’t call it a war, right now, there is no active shooting.” During his interaction Trump highlighted that the US casualties in the Iran conflict is relatively lower than some other recent US wars. ALSO READ: 'Nobody will do it once I’m gone': Trump admits to putting his name on everything “We did Venezuela and we did this. In Venezuela, we lost nobody,” said Trump, talking about the capture of its then president Nicolas Maduro and his wife by US forces and taking them to New York City to face federal drug trafficking charges. “And this, we lost 18 people. And, in Vietnam we lost 100,000 people. And in other conflicts, we lost tens of thousands of people," said Trump. Meanwhile, Trump again threatened to attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”. Backing his months-long US military campaign against Iran Trump said, "We're in five months now. And you know what we did in five months? They're not going to have a nuclear weapon; that's what we did." "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because if they did, you probably wouldn't be standing here very long," he added.

During his interaction Trump highlighted that the US casualties in the Iran conflict is relatively lower than some other recent US wars.

Iran war is "small potatoes" for US, says Trump as he defends Vance

Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan has declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy after a 12-person jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The decision came on Friday (Sep 4) after seven days and over 38 hours of deliberations following a highly publicised trial.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mistrial-declared-in-lindsay-clancy-case-prosecutors-consider-retrying-high-profile-case-1788583802438/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/mistrial-declared-in-lindsay-clancy-case-prosecutors-consider-retrying-high-profile-case-1788583802438/embed</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Clancy, 36, a former labour and delivery nurse from Duxbury, Massachusetts, was charged with murder in the January 2023 deaths of her three children: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan. Following the incident, Clancy attempted suicide by jumping from a second-story window of her home, leaving her permanently paralysed.Throughout the 21-day trial, the core legal dispute focused on Clancy's mental state at the time of the killings. Lead defence attorney Kevin Reddington did not dispute that Clancy committed the acts, but argued she was not criminally responsible due to severe postpartum psychosis. The defense presented testimony detailing Clancy’s rapid mental decline, severe anxiety, and auditory hallucinations commanding her to harm her children, alongside her brief stay at a psychiatric hospital weeks before the tragedy.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-tensions-rise-as-juror-disputes-over-reasonable-doubt-as-verdict-remains-elusive-1788490030779">Lindsay Clancy murder trial: Tensions rise as juror disputes over 'reasonable doubt' as verdict remains elusive</a>&nbsp;Prosecutors argued that Clancy acted with deliberate premeditation. They pointed out that she had arranged for her husband to pick up takeout and medication, giving her time alone with the children, and argued she retained the capacity to distinguish right from wrong despite her documented psychiatric conditions.&nbsp;Deliberations proved difficult as jurors were asked to choose between five options, ranging from first-degree murder to not guilty by reason of insanity. Court notes indicated the panel was split 11-1.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jury-to-deliberate-in-tragic-lindsay-clancy-postpartum-psychosis-murder-trial-1787853888572">Jury to deliberate in tragic Lindsay Clancy postpartum psychosis murder trial</a>&nbsp;The defence filed an emergency appeal with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court seeking to hold an inquiry into or remove the holdout juror, alleging the juror was refusing to follow court instructions regarding reasonable doubt. However, the state's highest court denied the request, clearing the way for Judge Sullivan to formally discharge the jury.&nbsp;"Each one of you knew how difficult the case was going to be... but still, you braced for that duty," Sullivan told jurors before dismissing them.&nbsp;<h2>What happens next…</h2>&nbsp;A mistrial does not constitute an acquittal or a conviction. Clancy will remain in custody and under psychiatric care at Tewksbury State Hospital. The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office will decide whether to retry Clancy, offer a plea bargain, or adjust the charges. A status conference has been scheduled for September 29, 2026.

Following a deadlocked jury mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case, prosecutors must decide whether to retry the mother accused of triple murder, seek a plea deal, or drop charges. Learn the next legal steps. 

Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan has declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy after a 12-person jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The decision came on Friday (Sep 4) after seven days and over 38 hours of deliberations following a highly publicised trial. https://www.wionews.com/videos/mistrial-declared-in-lindsay-clancy-case-prosecutors-consider-retrying-high-profile-case-1788583802438/embed Clancy, 36, a former labour and delivery nurse from Duxbury, Massachusetts, was charged with murder in the January 2023 deaths of her three children: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan. Following the incident, Clancy attempted suicide by jumping from a second-story window of her home, leaving her permanently paralysed. Throughout the 21-day trial, the core legal dispute focused on Clancy's mental state at the time of the killings. Lead defence attorney Kevin Reddington did not dispute that Clancy committed the acts, but argued she was not criminally responsible due to severe postpartum psychosis. The defense presented testimony detailing Clancy’s rapid mental decline, severe anxiety, and auditory hallucinations commanding her to harm her children, alongside her brief stay at a psychiatric hospital weeks before the tragedy. Also read: Lindsay Clancy murder trial: Tensions rise as juror disputes over 'reasonable doubt' as verdict remains elusive Prosecutors argued that Clancy acted with deliberate premeditation. They pointed out that she had arranged for her husband to pick up takeout and medication, giving her time alone with the children, and argued she retained the capacity to distinguish right from wrong despite her documented psychiatric conditions. Deliberations proved difficult as jurors were asked to choose between five options, ranging from first-degree murder to not guilty by reason of insanity. Court notes indicated the panel was split 11-1. Also read: Jury to deliberate in tragic Lindsay Clancy postpartum psychosis murder trial The defence filed an emergency appeal with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court seeking to hold an inquiry into or remove the holdout juror, alleging the juror was refusing to follow court instructions regarding reasonable doubt. However, the state's highest court denied the request, clearing the way for Judge Sullivan to formally discharge the jury. "Each one of you knew how difficult the case was going to be... but still, you braced for that duty," Sullivan told jurors before dismissing them. What happens next… A mistrial does not constitute an acquittal or a conviction. Clancy will remain in custody and under psychiatric care at Tewksbury State Hospital. The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office will decide whether to retry Clancy, offer a plea bargain, or adjust the charges. A status conference has been scheduled for September 29, 2026.

Following a deadlocked jury mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case, prosecutors must decide whether to retry the mother accused of triple murder, seek a plea deal, or drop charges. Learn the next legal steps.

Mistrial declared in Lindsay Clancy trial: What happens next?

US Vice President JD Vance has revealed his diet plan on Thursday, indicating that he has been following sauerkraut and high-protein foods to lose weight. His remark about his diet came after Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, asked him for advice on giving up sugar. “I’m a devout Christian,” Vance said during a White House press briefing, and explained that he tries to practise “some kind of self-denial” during the season. Describing how he came across the diet, Vance stated that on “Fat Tuesday”, apparently referring to Shrove Tuesday, he mentioned to his wife that he was thinking of giving up sugar and social media. He said he then reached out to Kennedy for advice, and the health secretary introduced him to the "intense" diet plan. Vance summed it up by saying: “I eat a lot of high-protein stuff, and I eat a lot of sauerkraut,” Vance told the press. “And let’s just say that if that was Fat Tuesday, Fat Wednesday never came.” He concluded: “So my advice to you is that if you want to lose weight, call Bobby Kennedy, and if you want to enjoy what you eat, do not call Bobby Kennedy.”&nbsp;Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nobody-will-do-it-once-i-m-gone-trump-admits-to-putting-his-name-on-everything-1788591162628"> 'Nobody will do it once I’m gone': Trump admits to putting his name on everything</a><h3>What is Vance's sauerkraut diet?</h3>Known as the "sauerkraut diet" or the "living diet," the plan centres on fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi to support gut health, paired with grass-fed meat. Those who follow it also avoid alcohol and ultra-processed foods to cut belly fat and reduce inflammation. The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, have also reported being fans of the diet. In 2024, Vance also disclosed that he had lost 2st 2lb in the two years after he won his Senate seat in 2022. He stated that the changes were the result of “eating better” and denied using weight-loss drugs. At an Easter lunch, Donald Trump addressed Vance’s weight loss in April, saying, “Where is JD? He’s lost weight. He got a little thinner." “I’m looking for a heavy-set gentleman, and now I find a perfect-looking specimen.”&nbsp;

In 2024, Vance also disclosed that he had lost 2st 2lb in the two years after he won his Senate seat in 2022. He stated that the changes were the result of “eating better” and denied using weight-loss drugs.

US Vice President JD Vance has revealed his diet plan on Thursday, indicating that he has been following sauerkraut and high-protein foods to lose weight. His remark about his diet came after Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, asked him for advice on giving up sugar. “I’m a devout Christian,” Vance said during a White House press briefing, and explained that he tries to practise “some kind of self-denial” during the season. Describing how he came across the diet, Vance stated that on “Fat Tuesday”, apparently referring to Shrove Tuesday, he mentioned to his wife that he was thinking of giving up sugar and social media. He said he then reached out to Kennedy for advice, and the health secretary introduced him to the "intense" diet plan. Vance summed it up by saying: “I eat a lot of high-protein stuff, and I eat a lot of sauerkraut,” Vance told the press. “And let’s just say that if that was Fat Tuesday, Fat Wednesday never came.” He concluded: “So my advice to you is that if you want to lose weight, call Bobby Kennedy, and if you want to enjoy what you eat, do not call Bobby Kennedy.” Also read: 'Nobody will do it once I’m gone': Trump admits to putting his name on everything What is Vance's sauerkraut diet? Known as the "sauerkraut diet" or the "living diet," the plan centres on fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi to support gut health, paired with grass-fed meat. Those who follow it also avoid alcohol and ultra-processed foods to cut belly fat and reduce inflammation. The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, and the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, have also reported being fans of the diet. In 2024, Vance also disclosed that he had lost 2st 2lb in the two years after he won his Senate seat in 2022. He stated that the changes were the result of “eating better” and denied using weight-loss drugs. At an Easter lunch, Donald Trump addressed Vance’s weight loss in April, saying, “Where is JD? He’s lost weight. He got a little thinner." “I’m looking for a heavy-set gentleman, and now I find a perfect-looking specimen.”

In 2024, Vance also disclosed that he had lost 2st 2lb in the two years after he won his Senate seat in 2022. He stated that the changes were the result of “eating better” and denied using weight-loss drugs.

'If you want to lose weight? call...': JD Vance reveals his diet plan and secret for weight loss

Latest News Today Live Updates: An explosion at a military ‌barracks in Bolivia on Friday claimed at least 10 lives. The blast in the Viacha municipaliy, about 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz occurred ​at around 2:30 p.m.And from the world of technology, US federal regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla’s new steering-wheel-free Cybertruck vehicles, just a day after the company began offering rides in the autonomous taxis in Austin, Texas.Coming to India, ISRO's succesfull satellite launch has now placed a first imaging satellite in orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km. Stay with us for more latest news, breaking updates and developments as they unfold.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday (Sep 5) denied that Israel was preparing to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza, following proposals by far-right Israeli ministers calling for the territory’s population to leave.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/there-is-no-plan-us-envoy-denies-israel-s-forced-gaza-displacement-bid-1788612300248">Read more.</a>

Following the successful launch of India's GSLV F-17/EOS-05 space mission on Friday(4th September), employees of the Indian space agency ISRO have sought a clarification from the Indian Government over the ongoing privatisation of certain ISRO activities.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/are-isro-activities-being-privatised-anxious-staff-seek-govt-response-1788608646073">Read more.</a>

Are ISRO activities being privatised? Anxious staff seek Govt response

Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s two airports overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday (Sep 5). The attacks come as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared to visit the region in a fresh attempt to break the deadlock over ending the war. Zelensky said Russia also struck a civilian target in the Dnipro region, killing four people, and accused Moscow of trying to disrupt the visit.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-trying-to-derail-trump-s-peace-push-zelensky-accuses-moscow-after-strikes-on-kyiv-airport-1788606923021">Read more.</a>

Israel is not planning forced displacements from Gaza, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says during an occupied West Bank trip.&nbsp;

Israel is not planning forced displacement from Gaza, says US ambassador Huckabee

Zelensky condemns Russian strikes on Ukrainian airports ahead of US envoys' visit. &nbsp;

Zelensky condemns Russian strikes

“The Israeli government must guarantee the safety and security of the population in the West Bank,” US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has said.

 Israel must guarantee safety, security of West Bank population, says Ambassador Huckabee

The IDF says its airstrikes last night in southern Lebanon, in response to a Hezbollah drone attack, targeted members of the terror group and its infrastructure. Lebanese health authorities reported three dead in Israeli strikes near Nabatieh and Rmadiyeh.

IDF says it struck Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure after drone attack

An Iranian oil tanker off Kharg Island has been struck by missiles, according to Iran’s Student News Network (SNN). The tanker was struck by four US missiles and is being evacuated.

US target Iranian oil tanker off Kharg Island

Israeli forces arrested one woman and two men during raids in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. Adwan al-Krouz and his mother were detained during a raid on a shelter housing people displaced from the Jenin refugee camp—a camp that the Israeli military has forcibly emptied, according to Wafa. In a separate raid in eastern Jenin city, Israeli forces also arrested Mohammad Nasser al-Saadi.

Israeli army arrests 3 Palestinians in Jenin raids

United States President Donald Trump has admitted that the various construction projects he has undertaken in Washington, DC, will one day bear his name to secure his presidential legacy.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nobody-will-do-it-once-i-m-gone-trump-admits-to-putting-his-name-on-everything-1788591162628">READ MORE</a>

'Nobody will do it once I’m gone': Trump admits to putting his name on everything

Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks violence throughout the war in Sudan, said that the rebel group Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, or SPLM-N, launched an attack on Thursday in the areas of Debi and Luweri in the town of Kauda in South Kordofan.

Clashes in southern Sudan leave at least 21 dead

Jalandhar Police Commissioner confirmed that the fraud case was filed at a city police station on August 16, 2026, after cops launched a probe.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fbi-wanted-fraud-accused-arrested-in-jalandhar-over-600-000-scam-1788584047036">READ MORE</a>

 FBI-wanted fraud accused arrested in Jalandhar over $600,000 scam

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to encourage a shift away from the familiar Mercator world map towards projections that show continents closer to their true size. The non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union members, passed 164-1 on Friday, with six abstentions. The United States cast the only no vote. For more than four centuries the Mercator projection has been the default classroom and newsroom map. It keeps compass bearings straight, useful for sailors, but stretches land near the poles. Greenland can look as large as Africa. Africa is in fact about 14 times bigger.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-to-correct-the-map-as-india-backs-fairer-world-view-1788587948849">Read more</a>

UN votes to ‘correct the map’ as India backs fairer world view

US President Donald Trump has reiterated threat to attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”, days after Washington targeted Iranian military targets. While speaking to reporters at the Oval office, Trump backed his months-long US military campaign against Iran, saying it was being done to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-iran-s-pickaxe-mountain-that-trump-has-again-threatened-to-bomb-1788585763463">Read more</a>&nbsp;

What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain that Trump has again threatened to bomb?

On Friday (Sep 4), the United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the "Correct the Map" resolution. For centuries, standard world maps visually shrunk the true size of Africa. Now, 164 countries have voted in favour of introducing a map that accurately depicts the region's scale, with the United States casting the sole opposing vote. In a session held at the UN headquarters in New York, the UNGA officially moved away from the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of the 2018 Equal Earth design.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-to-correct-world-map-that-visually-shrank-africa-for-450-years-1788579306430">Read more</a>

UN votes to correct world map that visually shrank Africa for 450 years

Eight people from Tamil Nadu were killed after the car they were travelling in crashed into a lorry parked on a highway in Kerala’s Thrissur district, police said on Saturday. Seven of the victims died on the spot while an eighth was rushed to hospital but could not survive.<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/eight-killed-in-kerala-s-thrissur-after-car-rams-into-lorry-parked-on-highway-1788577096641">Read more</a> &nbsp;

Eight killed in Kerala’s Thrissur after car rams into lorry parked on highway

An explosion at a military ‌barracks in Bolivia on Friday claimed at least 10 lives. The blast in the Viacha municipality, about 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz occurred ​at around 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) local time ​in an area used to store pyrotechnic material, ⁠authorities said.Though the immediate cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, preliminary investigations point to the blast originating from the ​defence ministry's fireworks stockpile.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-10-killed-in-explosion-at-bolivia-military-base-several-injured-1788575337565">Read more</a>

At least 10 killed in explosion at Bolivia military base, several injured

Catch today’s top breaking news: A fatal explosion at a Bolivian military base leaves 10 dead, US regulators investigate Tesla's steering-wheel-free Cybertruck, and ISRO successfully launches India’s first geo-imaging satellite into a 36,000 km orbit. Stay tuned for live updates. 

Latest News Today Live Updates: An explosion at a military ‌barracks in Bolivia on Friday claimed at least 10 lives. The blast in the Viacha municipaliy, about 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz occurred at around 2:30 p.m. And from the world of technology, US federal regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla’s new steering-wheel-free Cybertruck vehicles, just a day after the company began offering rides in the autonomous taxis in Austin, Texas. Coming to India, ISRO's succesfull satellite launch has now placed a first imaging satellite in orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km. Stay with us for more latest news, breaking updates and developments as they unfold.

Catch today’s top breaking news: A fatal explosion at a Bolivian military base leaves 10 dead, US regulators investigate Tesla's steering-wheel-free Cybertruck, and ISRO successfully launches India’s first geo-imaging satellite into a 36,000 km orbit. Stay tuned for live updates.

Latest News India and World LIVE Updates: US envoy denies Israel’s forced Gaza displacement bid

US President Donald Trump planned to fly to Ireland next week with the Boeing luxury jet donated by the Qataris despite security concerns and incomplete upgrades, a senior administration official confirmed on Friday (September 5). Earlier, Trump announced that the plane would be taken out of service for roughly a month for new security upgrades. On Friday (September 4), Trump said that after his term ends, the plane would probably go to his presidential museum. A senior administration official claimed that the decision comes weeks after Trump suggested the plane would be grounded for nearly a month while it underwent unspecified security upgrades. Explaining further, a senior administration official said, “We don’t comment on specific upgrades or modifications to Air Force One. We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture.”&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-to-correct-world-map-that-visually-shrank-africa-for-450-years-1788579306430">UN votes to correct world map that visually shrank Africa for 450 years</a><h3>Two custom-built Boeing aircraft</h3>The jet was repurposed for presidential use earlier in Trump’s term, following years of delays to the two custom-built Boeing aircraft meant to eventually become the new Air Force One. While those planes yet to be ready have been designed from the basics, with elaborate missile-defence systems built in. The plane, costing $400m, a “palace in the sky,” has never been confirmed to have a match. Concerns about the plane's defence capabilities resurfaced after Trump's most recent trip abroad on it, to a NATO summit in Turkey this past July. It later came to light that Trump had actually been secretly transferred via a catering truck onto a different, older aircraft after officials became aware of a potential Iranian threat in Ankara, leaving the plane he'd originally boarded to serve as a decoy. That original flight, which may have been the actual target, carried Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, several senior aides, and the travelling press corps, none of whom were informed of the threat and who were instructed to keep their window shades drawn. The incident has since been featured in a new Netflix mini-documentary, sparking widespread criticism and outrage over accusations that Trump had been willing to treat his own staff and journalists as disposable to protect himself. Meanwhile, what security enhancements, if any, the jet has actually received since being grounded remains unclear to this day.

A senior administration official claimed that the decision came weeks after Trump suggested the plane would be grounded for nearly a month while it underwent unspecified security upgrades.

US President Donald Trump planned to fly to Ireland next week with the Boeing luxury jet donated by the Qataris despite security concerns and incomplete upgrades, a senior administration official confirmed on Friday (September 5). Earlier, Trump announced that the plane would be taken out of service for roughly a month for new security upgrades. On Friday (September 4), Trump said that after his term ends, the plane would probably go to his presidential museum. A senior administration official claimed that the decision comes weeks after Trump suggested the plane would be grounded for nearly a month while it underwent unspecified security upgrades. Explaining further, a senior administration official said, “We don’t comment on specific upgrades or modifications to Air Force One. We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture.” Also read: UN votes to correct world map that visually shrank Africa for 450 years Two custom-built Boeing aircraft The jet was repurposed for presidential use earlier in Trump’s term, following years of delays to the two custom-built Boeing aircraft meant to eventually become the new Air Force One. While those planes yet to be ready have been designed from the basics, with elaborate missile-defence systems built in. The plane, costing $400m, a “palace in the sky,” has never been confirmed to have a match. Concerns about the plane's defence capabilities resurfaced after Trump's most recent trip abroad on it, to a NATO summit in Turkey this past July. It later came to light that Trump had actually been secretly transferred via a catering truck onto a different, older aircraft after officials became aware of a potential Iranian threat in Ankara, leaving the plane he'd originally boarded to serve as a decoy. That original flight, which may have been the actual target, carried Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, several senior aides, and the travelling press corps, none of whom were informed of the threat and who were instructed to keep their window shades drawn. The incident has since been featured in a new Netflix mini-documentary, sparking widespread criticism and outrage over accusations that Trump had been willing to treat his own staff and journalists as disposable to protect himself. Meanwhile, what security enhancements, if any, the jet has actually received since being grounded remains unclear to this day.

A senior administration official claimed that the decision came weeks after Trump suggested the plane would be grounded for nearly a month while it underwent unspecified security upgrades.

Donald Trump plans to travel to Ireland on Qatari-donated jet amid security concerns

The United Nations voted on Friday (Sep 4) to adopt the ‘Correct the Map’ resolution, led and sponsored by Togo. With a positive response from 164 countries,&nbsp;Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator published a landmark map that will soon be phased out of offices, schools and the atlas, a word coined by him. Mercator in 1569 published the map that would fundamentally alter global navigation and forever change how humanity visualises planet Earth. Nearly five centuries later, his revolutionary grid system known as the Mercator projection remains the backbone of modern web mapping and maritime navigation.&nbsp;<h2>About Mercator</h2>&nbsp;Born Geert De Kremer in 1512 in Rupelmonde, County of Flanders, Mercator was a polymath who combined mathematical precision with artistic engraving. Beyond designing mathematical instruments and terrestrial globes, he was the first cartographer to coin the term ‘atlas’ to describe a bound collection of maps. However, his most enduring legacy grew out of a practical crisis facing 16th-century sea captains during the Age of Discovery.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-to-correct-world-map-that-visually-shrank-africa-for-450-years-1788579306430">UN votes to correct world map that visually shrank Africa for 450 years</a><h2>Solving the Navigator's Dilemma</h2>During the 1500s, transoceanic travel was perilous. Navigating a spherical Earth on a flat piece of paper created serious geometric errors. Ships attempting to sail long distances following straight lines drawn on traditional charts drifted dangerously off course, as straight lines did not align with constant compass directions.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-to-correct-the-map-as-india-backs-fairer-world-view-1788587948849">UN votes to 'correct the map' as India backs fairer world view</a>&nbsp;Mercator solved this mathematical puzzle by projecting the spherical globe onto a seamless cylinder. By establishing a conformal grid where lines of latitude and longitude intersect at exact 90-degree right angles, he created a map where any straight line drawn between two points represents a constant compass heading, mathematically termed a rhumb line or loxodrome.&nbsp;With this, the sailor could draw a straight line from Europe to the Americas, hold the compass at that fixed angle, and eventually reach their destination.<h3>Distortion at the Poles</h3>&nbsp;While Mercator's mathematical grid preserved shapes and local angles, it introduced severe spatial tradeoffs. To keep latitude and longitude lines as a uniform grid, the distance between parallels had to expand exponentially as map coordinates moved away from the Equator toward the North and South Poles.&nbsp;This design creates drastic area distortion. On a standard Mercator chart, Greenland appears roughly equal in size to the entire continent of Africa. In reality, Africa is roughly 14 times larger. High-latitude regions, including North America, Europe, Russia, and Antarctica, appear disproportionately massive compared to equatorial landmasses like South America, Central Africa, and India.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The UN General Assembly voted 164–1 to adopt the ‘Correct the Map’ resolution, phasing out Gerardus Mercator’s 1569 projection in favour of the 2018 Equal Earth design to accurately display Africa's true size. The US cast the sole opposing vote.

The United Nations voted on Friday (Sep 4) to adopt the ‘Correct the Map’ resolution, led and sponsored by Togo. With a positive response from 164 countries, Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator published a landmark map that will soon be phased out of offices, schools and the atlas, a word coined by him. Mercator in 1569 published the map that would fundamentally alter global navigation and forever change how humanity visualises planet Earth. Nearly five centuries later, his revolutionary grid system known as the Mercator projection remains the backbone of modern web mapping and maritime navigation. About Mercator Born Geert De Kremer in 1512 in Rupelmonde, County of Flanders, Mercator was a polymath who combined mathematical precision with artistic engraving. Beyond designing mathematical instruments and terrestrial globes, he was the first cartographer to coin the term ‘atlas’ to describe a bound collection of maps. However, his most enduring legacy grew out of a practical crisis facing 16th-century sea captains during the Age of Discovery. Also read: UN votes to correct world map that visually shrank Africa for 450 years Solving the Navigator's Dilemma During the 1500s, transoceanic travel was perilous. Navigating a spherical Earth on a flat piece of paper created serious geometric errors. Ships attempting to sail long distances following straight lines drawn on traditional charts drifted dangerously off course, as straight lines did not align with constant compass directions. Also read: UN votes to 'correct the map' as India backs fairer world view Mercator solved this mathematical puzzle by projecting the spherical globe onto a seamless cylinder. By establishing a conformal grid where lines of latitude and longitude intersect at exact 90-degree right angles, he created a map where any straight line drawn between two points represents a constant compass heading, mathematically termed a rhumb line or loxodrome. With this, the sailor could draw a straight line from Europe to the Americas, hold the compass at that fixed angle, and eventually reach their destination. Distortion at the Poles While Mercator's mathematical grid preserved shapes and local angles, it introduced severe spatial tradeoffs. To keep latitude and longitude lines as a uniform grid, the distance between parallels had to expand exponentially as map coordinates moved away from the Equator toward the North and South Poles. This design creates drastic area distortion. On a standard Mercator chart, Greenland appears roughly equal in size to the entire continent of Africa. In reality, Africa is roughly 14 times larger. High-latitude regions, including North America, Europe, Russia, and Antarctica, appear disproportionately massive compared to equatorial landmasses like South America, Central Africa, and India.

The UN General Assembly voted 164–1 to adopt the ‘Correct the Map’ resolution, phasing out Gerardus Mercator’s 1569 projection in favour of the 2018 Equal Earth design to accurately display Africa's true size. The US cast the sole opposing vote.

He named the ‘atlas’ and shrank Africa: UN votes to phase out Mercator’s map

&nbsp;United States President Donald Trump has admitted that the various construction projects he has undertaken in Washington, DC, will one day bear his name to secure his presidential legacy. “Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will,” Trump said when asked about the “triumphal arch” in an interview by New York Magazine.&nbsp;The “triumphal arch” is only one of many projects Trump has begun construction of in Washington, DC. The White House ballroom is another of the president's marquee construction projects that is mired in controversy.&nbsp;Despite the debate surrounding his construction work and his intent to give them his name, Trump said “the people should be thankful” for the ballroom.&nbsp;“A lot of people said, ‘Don’t do this interview.’ But I’m proud of the work I’m doing,” Trump added.Trump is already entangled in several lawsuits for renaming the Kennedy Center and its campus after him, overhauling the capital’s popular golf course and renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.&nbsp;<h2>What all are being named after Trump</h2>&nbsp;That's not all, “Trump Accounts,” “TrumpRx,” and “Trump Gold Card” are names given to his policy achievements that offers a fast-track to legal residency in the U.S. for the price of $1 million.While the Department of State has created a commemorative “Patriot Passport” featuring an image of Trump.&nbsp;The US military too is going to bear Trump's name as it is also developing a line of “Trump-class” battleships as well as the USS Donald J. Trump aircraft carrier.&nbsp;But closes to his heart and the most-expensive project yet seems to be gold-filled, bullet-proof White House ballroom that was once the East Wing.&nbsp;According to the recently revealed designs, the ballroom will have an ornate, gold-stuffed interior with golden marble floors and a chandelier. The exteriors will have a gold finishing, a plan that was not previously approved by federal agencies this year.&nbsp;

Despite the controversy surrounding his construction work and intent to give them his name, Trump said “the people should be thankful” for the ballroom.

United States President Donald Trump has admitted that the various construction projects he has undertaken in Washington, DC, will one day bear his name to secure his presidential legacy. “Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will,” Trump said when asked about the “triumphal arch” in an interview by New York Magazine. The “triumphal arch” is only one of many projects Trump has begun construction of in Washington, DC. The White House ballroom is another of the president's marquee construction projects that is mired in controversy. Despite the debate surrounding his construction work and his intent to give them his name, Trump said “the people should be thankful” for the ballroom. “A lot of people said, ‘Don’t do this interview.’ But I’m proud of the work I’m doing,” Trump added. Trump is already entangled in several lawsuits for renaming the Kennedy Center and its campus after him, overhauling the capital’s popular golf course and renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. What all are being named after Trump That's not all, “Trump Accounts,” “TrumpRx,” and “Trump Gold Card” are names given to his policy achievements that offers a fast-track to legal residency in the U.S. for the price of $1 million. While the Department of State has created a commemorative “Patriot Passport” featuring an image of Trump. The US military too is going to bear Trump's name as it is also developing a line of “Trump-class” battleships as well as the USS Donald J. Trump aircraft carrier. But closes to his heart and the most-expensive project yet seems to be gold-filled, bullet-proof White House ballroom that was once the East Wing. According to the recently revealed designs, the ballroom will have an ornate, gold-stuffed interior with golden marble floors and a chandelier. The exteriors will have a gold finishing, a plan that was not previously approved by federal agencies this year.

Despite the controversy surrounding his construction work and intent to give them his name, Trump said “the people should be thankful” for the ballroom.

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to encourage a shift away from the familiar Mercator world map towards projections that show continents closer to their true size. The non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union members, passed 164-1 on Friday, with six abstentions. The United States cast the only no vote. For more than four centuries the Mercator projection has been the default classroom and newsroom map. It keeps compass bearings straight, useful for sailors, but stretches land near the poles. Greenland can look as large as Africa. Africa is in fact about 14 times bigger.&nbsp;India voted in favour. Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps. “Maps play an important role in how societies understand geography and the relative scale of the world around us,” he said. But New Delhi's backing came with a caveat. The resolution, Puri argued, should be read as support for equal-area projections in general , maps that keep the relative size of landmasses honest, not as an endorsement of the 2018 Equal Earth projection or any single design.&nbsp;“Equal area projections are particularly relevant because they preserve the relative sizes or areas of continental and territorial landmasses,” he said. “This can help address distortions in perceived landmass size.” Different jobs need different maps, he added. No one projection fits every purpose. The text should stay “technological and methodological neutral,” leaving countries, schools and cartographers free to choose.&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-iran-s-pickaxe-mountain-that-trump-has-again-threatened-to-bomb-1788585763463">What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain that Trump has again threatened to bomb?</a>&nbsp;India’s position, he pointed, was limited to “the principle of encouraging equal area approaches, where the objective is to preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.” That, he said, met the resolution’s goal without favouring one method. “India has therefore voted in favor of this resolution.”&nbsp;The resolution does not ban Mercator. Navigators can still use it. It urges schools, media, governments and tech firms to prefer equal-area maps when size comparisons matter. France has already said it will drop Mercator in official materials. The African Union adopted Equal Earth earlier this year. Washington called the vote a distraction from peace and prosperity and linked it to a “radical ideological project.” Six countries, several in Eastern Europe, abstained.&nbsp;Over time the vote is likely to filter into textbooks, news graphics and digital maps. Children in India and elsewhere may grow up seeing Africa as the vast continent it is.

India voted in favour as Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps. 

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to encourage a shift away from the familiar Mercator world map towards projections that show continents closer to their true size. The non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union members, passed 164-1 on Friday, with six abstentions. The United States cast the only no vote. For more than four centuries the Mercator projection has been the default classroom and newsroom map. It keeps compass bearings straight, useful for sailors, but stretches land near the poles. Greenland can look as large as Africa. Africa is in fact about 14 times bigger. India voted in favour. Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps. “Maps play an important role in how societies understand geography and the relative scale of the world around us,” he said. But New Delhi's backing came with a caveat. The resolution, Puri argued, should be read as support for equal-area projections in general , maps that keep the relative size of landmasses honest, not as an endorsement of the 2018 Equal Earth projection or any single design. “Equal area projections are particularly relevant because they preserve the relative sizes or areas of continental and territorial landmasses,” he said. “This can help address distortions in perceived landmass size.” Different jobs need different maps, he added. No one projection fits every purpose. The text should stay “technological and methodological neutral,” leaving countries, schools and cartographers free to choose. ALSO READ: What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain that Trump has again threatened to bomb? India’s position, he pointed, was limited to “the principle of encouraging equal area approaches, where the objective is to preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.” That, he said, met the resolution’s goal without favouring one method. “India has therefore voted in favor of this resolution.” The resolution does not ban Mercator. Navigators can still use it. It urges schools, media, governments and tech firms to prefer equal-area maps when size comparisons matter. France has already said it will drop Mercator in official materials. The African Union adopted Equal Earth earlier this year. Washington called the vote a distraction from peace and prosperity and linked it to a “radical ideological project.” Six countries, several in Eastern Europe, abstained. Over time the vote is likely to filter into textbooks, news graphics and digital maps. Children in India and elsewhere may grow up seeing Africa as the vast continent it is.

India voted in favour as Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps.&nbsp;

The United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the "Correct the Map" resolution led and sponsored by Togo on Friday (Sep 4). For centuries, standard world maps visually shrunk the true size of Africa. Now, 164 countries have voted in favour of introducing a map that accurately depicts the region's scale, with the United States casting the sole opposing vote. In a session held at the UN headquarters in New York, the UNGA officially moved away from the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of the 2018 Equal Earth design.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Mercator projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was originally designed for maritime navigation because it preserved linear directions. However, its mathematical formula heavily distorts the size of landmasses as they stretch toward the poles. As a result, standard classroom and digital maps have long depicted Greenland as roughly the same size as Africa, despite Africa being more than 14 times larger (30.3 million square kilometers compared to Greenland's 2.1 million).&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-votes-to-correct-the-map-as-india-backs-fairer-world-view-1788587948849">UN votes to 'correct the map' as India backs fairer world view</a> Supporters of the ‘Correct the Map’ initiative argued that centuries of Mercator-based cartography fostered a subtle form of visual bias, subconsciously diminishing the perceived geopolitical and demographic weight of the Global South. The resolution urges member nations, educational publishers, and digital platform providers to transition to equal-area projections in all public, academic, and administrative uses.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/around-90-per-cent-of-people-have-at-least-one-bias-against-women-un-report-603527">Around 90% of people have at least one bias against women: UN report</a>&nbsp;The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Savric, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny, was chosen for its ability to maintain accurate relative land areas while preserving visually accurate continent outlines. Unlike rectangular cylindrical maps, Equal Earth offers a curved frame that avoids severe distortion at higher latitudes while representing Africa, South America, and Asia at their true relative scale.&nbsp;

The UN General Assembly has voted 164–1 to phase out the 1569 Mercator map projection in favor of the Equal Earth map. Learn how the new map accurately reflects Africa's true size after 450 years of distortion. 

The United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the "Correct the Map" resolution led and sponsored by Togo on Friday (Sep 4). For centuries, standard world maps visually shrunk the true size of Africa. Now, 164 countries have voted in favour of introducing a map that accurately depicts the region's scale, with the United States casting the sole opposing vote. In a session held at the UN headquarters in New York, the UNGA officially moved away from the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of the 2018 Equal Earth design. The Mercator projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was originally designed for maritime navigation because it preserved linear directions. However, its mathematical formula heavily distorts the size of landmasses as they stretch toward the poles. As a result, standard classroom and digital maps have long depicted Greenland as roughly the same size as Africa, despite Africa being more than 14 times larger (30.3 million square kilometers compared to Greenland's 2.1 million). Also read: UN votes to 'correct the map' as India backs fairer world view Supporters of the ‘Correct the Map’ initiative argued that centuries of Mercator-based cartography fostered a subtle form of visual bias, subconsciously diminishing the perceived geopolitical and demographic weight of the Global South. The resolution urges member nations, educational publishers, and digital platform providers to transition to equal-area projections in all public, academic, and administrative uses. Also read: Around 90% of people have at least one bias against women: UN report The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Savric, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny, was chosen for its ability to maintain accurate relative land areas while preserving visually accurate continent outlines. Unlike rectangular cylindrical maps, Equal Earth offers a curved frame that avoids severe distortion at higher latitudes while representing Africa, South America, and Asia at their true relative scale.

The UN General Assembly has voted 164–1 to phase out the 1569 Mercator map projection in favour of the Equal Earth map. Learn how the new map accurately reflects Africa's true size after 450 years of distortion.

US President Donald Trump has reiterated threat to attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”, days after Washington targeted Iranian military targets. While speaking to reporters at the Oval office, Trump backed his &nbsp;months-long US military campaign against Iran, saying it was being done to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.&nbsp;"We're in five months now. And you know what we did in five months? They're not going to have a nuclear weapon; that's what we did," Trump said.&nbsp;"Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because if they did, you probably wouldn't be standing here very long," he added.&nbsp;While making the statement he also warned of attacking the Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”, if the US detects activity there.&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-10-killed-in-explosion-at-bolivia-military-base-several-injured-1788575337565">At least 10 killed in explosion at Bolivia military base, several injured</a>&nbsp;"We may hit Pickaxe very soon because if there was anything going on with Pickaxe," Trump said.&nbsp;He also &nbsp;highlighted that the US intelligence was closely monitoring activity at the site. "We know everybody that's moving at Pickaxe; we know everybody that's moving everywhere all over Iran. And if anything goes bad, we hit them; we hit them hard," Trump said.&nbsp;<h2>What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain that Trump continues to threaten?</h2>&nbsp;<ul><li>Pickaxe Mountain is the site of Iran's heavily fortified nuclear programme that has not been the target of US and Israeli strikes</li><li>It is near the heavily damaged Natanz ‌uranium ⁠enrichment facility (Largest in Iran), which was bombed by both the US and Israel</li><li>The ​Pickaxe Mountain site ⁠hosts ​two deeply ​buried ⁠tunnel complexes</li><li>There have been claims that some of Iran's stock of highly enriched uranium are kept at this site, which could be further enriched for use in nuclear weapons</li><li>The site at Pickaxe Mountain, as claimed by experts, was likely chosen to protect it from air strikes</li><li>Some analysts estimate the core of the facility to be roughly 100m (328ft) underground</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Some analysts estimate the core of the nuclear facility in the Pickaxe Mountain to be roughly 100m (328ft) underground.

US President Donald Trump has reiterated threat to attack Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”, days after Washington targeted Iranian military targets. While speaking to reporters at the Oval office, Trump backed his months-long US military campaign against Iran, saying it was being done to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. "We're in five months now. And you know what we did in five months? They're not going to have a nuclear weapon; that's what we did," Trump said. "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because if they did, you probably wouldn't be standing here very long," he added. While making the statement he also warned of attacking the Pickaxe Mountain “very soon”, if the US detects activity there. ALSO READ: At least 10 killed in explosion at Bolivia military base, several injured "We may hit Pickaxe very soon because if there was anything going on with Pickaxe," Trump said. He also highlighted that the US intelligence was closely monitoring activity at the site. "We know everybody that's moving at Pickaxe; we know everybody that's moving everywhere all over Iran. And if anything goes bad, we hit them; we hit them hard," Trump said. What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain that Trump continues to threaten? Pickaxe Mountain is the site of Iran's heavily fortified nuclear programme that has not been the target of US and Israeli strikes It is near the heavily damaged Natanz ‌uranium ⁠enrichment facility (Largest in Iran), which was bombed by both the US and Israel The Pickaxe Mountain site ⁠hosts two deeply buried ⁠tunnel complexes There have been claims that some of Iran's stock of highly enriched uranium are kept at this site, which could be further enriched for use in nuclear weapons The site at Pickaxe Mountain, as claimed by experts, was likely chosen to protect it from air strikes Some analysts estimate the core of the facility to be roughly 100m (328ft) underground

Some analysts estimate the core of the nuclear facility in the Pickaxe Mountain to be roughly 100m (328ft) underground.

An explosion at a military ‌barracks in Bolivia on Friday claimed at least 10 lives. The blast in the Viacha municipaliy, about 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz occurred ​at around 2:30 p.m.&nbsp;(1830 GMT) local time ​in an area used to store pyrotechnic material, ⁠authorities said.&nbsp;Though, immediate cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, preliminary investigations point to the blast originating from the ​defense ministry's fireworks stockpile.&nbsp;According to Viacha health director Rita Nebraska, between 10 and 15 people were believed to ​have died in the explosion, while 62 ​people were injured, reported Reuters. Fourteen of the wounded were transferred to hospitals ‌in ⁠La Paz, including a girl with third-degree burns.&nbsp;There were damage to dozens of homes too. Much of the damage was caused by windows being shattered by the explosion.&nbsp;According to firefighters a heat source remained at the site, raising the risk of ⁠another ​explosion. Residents were urged to ​stay at least 150 meters away. &nbsp;

The blast in the Viacha municipaliy, about 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz occurred ​at around 2:30 p.m.  (1830 GMT) local time.

An explosion at a military ‌barracks in Bolivia on Friday claimed at least 10 lives. The blast in the Viacha municipaliy, about 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz occurred at around 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) local time in an area used to store pyrotechnic material, ⁠authorities said. Though, immediate cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, preliminary investigations point to the blast originating from the defense ministry's fireworks stockpile. According to Viacha health director Rita Nebraska, between 10 and 15 people were believed to have died in the explosion, while 62 people were injured, reported Reuters. Fourteen of the wounded were transferred to hospitals ‌in ⁠La Paz, including a girl with third-degree burns. There were damage to dozens of homes too. Much of the damage was caused by windows being shattered by the explosion. According to firefighters a heat source remained at the site, raising the risk of ⁠another explosion. Residents were urged to stay at least 150 meters away.

&nbsp;The blast in the Viacha municipaliy, about 30 km (19 miles) from La Paz occurred ​at around 2:30 p.m. &nbsp;(1830 GMT) local time.

US President Donald Trump said Friday (September 04) that he was sending Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal aimed at ending the four-year-old Ukraine war.&nbsp;“They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump told reporters when asked about the weekend trip by his son-in-law Kushner and businessman Steve Witkoff.&nbsp;Trump did not reveal whether the proposal would require Ukraine to give up territory, a possibility he has previously suggested. However, he said the US had “an idea for peace.”&nbsp;The visit will mark the first trip to Kyiv by Kushner and Witkoff since Trump returned to the White House last year and promised to bring the war to an end. Both envoys have already travelled to Moscow.&nbsp;“I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it,” Trump said.&nbsp;Trump blamed the conflict, which began after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, on what he called a “personality problem” between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/brics-summit-1-trn-sovereign-capital-set-to-converge-in-delhi-for-first-ibrics-summit-1788547281503">BRICS 2026: $1 trillion sovereign capital set to converge in Delhi for first iBRICS Summit</a><h2>Zelensky proposes temporary ceasefire</h2>Zelensky earlier said Ukraine had proposed a temporary ceasefire while the US envoys travel between Moscow and Kyiv.&nbsp;“There will be no airstrikes on our part, and Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire -- without its own airstrikes -- for the duration needed to conduct these talks,” Zelensky said in his evening address.The proposal comes as Washington continues efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine closer to a possible peace agreement.&nbsp;Trump also repeated his view that Putin does not intend to attack NATO countries. His comments came after Germany accused Russia of attempting to carry out a drone attack on an airport earlier this week.&nbsp;“I speak to him. I know him very well. Putin's not looking to attack NATO territory,” Trump said in the Oval Office.<h2>Ukraine accuses Russia of escalation</h2>Earlier Friday, Zelensky accused Russia of targeting the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in Kyiv. He said a Russian drone struck the building and claimed Moscow had aimed directly at the personal office of the SBU chief.&nbsp;Zelensky said he had ordered the SBU to deliver an “appropriate, tangible response”.&nbsp;Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the incident as a “major escalation”.&nbsp;With Trump's envoys now preparing to meet officials in Moscow and Kyiv, the latest push puts a possible peace plan back at the centre of US efforts to end the conflict.

Donald Trump said he was sending Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the Ukraine war, while Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a temporary ceasefire to allow the talks to take place.

US President Donald Trump said Friday (September 04) that he was sending Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal aimed at ending the four-year-old Ukraine war. “They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump told reporters when asked about the weekend trip by his son-in-law Kushner and businessman Steve Witkoff. Trump did not reveal whether the proposal would require Ukraine to give up territory, a possibility he has previously suggested. However, he said the US had “an idea for peace.” The visit will mark the first trip to Kyiv by Kushner and Witkoff since Trump returned to the White House last year and promised to bring the war to an end. Both envoys have already travelled to Moscow. “I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it,” Trump said. Trump blamed the conflict, which began after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, on what he called a “personality problem” between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Also Read: BRICS 2026: $1 trillion sovereign capital set to converge in Delhi for first iBRICS Summit Zelensky proposes temporary ceasefire Zelensky earlier said Ukraine had proposed a temporary ceasefire while the US envoys travel between Moscow and Kyiv. “There will be no airstrikes on our part, and Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire -- without its own airstrikes -- for the duration needed to conduct these talks,” Zelensky said in his evening address. The proposal comes as Washington continues efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine closer to a possible peace agreement. Trump also repeated his view that Putin does not intend to attack NATO countries. His comments came after Germany accused Russia of attempting to carry out a drone attack on an airport earlier this week. “I speak to him. I know him very well. Putin's not looking to attack NATO territory,” Trump said in the Oval Office. Ukraine accuses Russia of escalation Earlier Friday, Zelensky accused Russia of targeting the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in Kyiv. He said a Russian drone struck the building and claimed Moscow had aimed directly at the personal office of the SBU chief. Zelensky said he had ordered the SBU to deliver an “appropriate, tangible response”. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the incident as a “major escalation”. With Trump's envoys now preparing to meet officials in Moscow and Kyiv, the latest push puts a possible peace plan back at the centre of US efforts to end the conflict.

Donald Trump said he was sending Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the Ukraine war, while Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a temporary ceasefire to allow the talks to take place.

Russia-Ukraine truce in sight? Trump sends US envoys with 'peace plan'; Zelensky offerst emporary ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday (Sep 4) said that a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s powerful SBU security service in central Kyiv, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting the office of the agency’s acting chief. The strike hit the building on Volodymyrska Street, opposite the historic St Sophia Cathedral, marking the first reported attack on the SBU headquarters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.“Unfortunately, a Russian drone hit the central building of the SBU on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, opposite the St. Sophia Cathedral,” Zelensky said on Telegram. “The drone was aimed directly at the office of the head of the security service in that building.”Acting SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad was not near the building when the attack occurred and was unharmed, according to Ukrainian officials. The SBU said the headquarters would “certainly be restored”.<h2>Kyiv vows retaliation</h2>Zelensky said he had spoken with Poklad after the strike and instructed the security agency to prepare an “appropriate, tangible response”. He said Ukrainian authorities had already identified potential targets for retaliation, although the timing had yet to be decided.“The areas to be targeted have been identified. The timing will be chosen to ensure a successful outcome,” Zelensky said.Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the strike as a “major escalation”. Russia had not immediately commented on the Ukrainian claims.Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 12 people were wounded in the attack. Images published by Ukrainska Pravda showed dark smoke emerging from windows of the SBU building, while emergency vehicles gathered outside.<h2>Strike comes before Witkoff, Kushner visit</h2>The attack came just two days before US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to visit Kyiv, according to a senior Ukrainian official. The visit would be the pair’s first to the Ukrainian capital.The strike also comes amid rising tensions between Ukraine’s SBU and military intelligence agency GUR. A gunfight involving members of the two agencies erupted in Kyiv earlier this week, prompting Zelensky to call the incident “completely unacceptable”.The SBU has played a prominent role in operations against Russia, including attacks targeting Russian military and security infrastructure. Moscow has intensified daytime drone strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks, including the use of faster jet-powered drones that are more difficult for Ukrainian air defences to intercept.US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war have struggled to make progress, while Washington has increasingly focused attention on the conflict with Iran.

Zelensky accused Russia of directly targeting the SBU chief’s office in Kyiv with a drone strike, calling for a “tangible response” as officials described the attack as a major escalation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday (Sep 4) said that a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s powerful SBU security service in central Kyiv, accusing Moscow of deliberately targeting the office of the agency’s acting chief. The strike hit the building on Volodymyrska Street, opposite the historic St Sophia Cathedral, marking the first reported attack on the SBU headquarters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. “Unfortunately, a Russian drone hit the central building of the SBU on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, opposite the St. Sophia Cathedral,” Zelensky said on Telegram. “The drone was aimed directly at the office of the head of the security service in that building.” Acting SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad was not near the building when the attack occurred and was unharmed, according to Ukrainian officials. The SBU said the headquarters would “certainly be restored”. Kyiv vows retaliation Zelensky said he had spoken with Poklad after the strike and instructed the security agency to prepare an “appropriate, tangible response”. He said Ukrainian authorities had already identified potential targets for retaliation, although the timing had yet to be decided. “The areas to be targeted have been identified. The timing will be chosen to ensure a successful outcome,” Zelensky said. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described the strike as a “major escalation”. Russia had not immediately commented on the Ukrainian claims. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 12 people were wounded in the attack. Images published by Ukrainska Pravda showed dark smoke emerging from windows of the SBU building, while emergency vehicles gathered outside. Strike comes before Witkoff, Kushner visit The attack came just two days before US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to visit Kyiv, according to a senior Ukrainian official. The visit would be the pair’s first to the Ukrainian capital. The strike also comes amid rising tensions between Ukraine’s SBU and military intelligence agency GUR. A gunfight involving members of the two agencies erupted in Kyiv earlier this week, prompting Zelensky to call the incident “completely unacceptable”. The SBU has played a prominent role in operations against Russia, including attacks targeting Russian military and security infrastructure. Moscow has intensified daytime drone strikes on Ukraine in recent weeks, including the use of faster jet-powered drones that are more difficult for Ukrainian air defences to intercept. US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war have struggled to make progress, while Washington has increasingly focused attention on the conflict with Iran.

Zelensky accused Russia of directly targeting the SBU chief’s office in Kyiv with a drone strike, calling for a “tangible response” as officials described the attack as a major escalation.

‘Major escalation’: Zelensky accuses Russia of targeting SBU chief’s office

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‘Major escalation’: Zelensky accuses Russia of targeting SBU chief’s office