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Mahmoud Khalil , a pro-Palestinian activist from Columbia University, was recently arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly leading pro-Palestine protests at the Ivy League campus in New York City in 2024. Khalil was the leader of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest and was in his apartment on Saturday (March 8) when he was arrested.&nbsp;
Soon after the arrest, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to X and said, "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported." Khalil is a permanent resident of the US.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-resume-military-aid-and-intelligence-support-to-ukraine-after-uk-pm-starmers-appeal-to-trump-8841299">US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump</a>
The Donald Trump administration tried to deport the pro-Palestine activist after his arrest, but a federal judge temporarily blocked the attempt.
The arrest has come as a part of Trump's pledge to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters and any other students demonstrating against Israel.&nbsp;
<h2>Not students but 'paid agitators'?&nbsp;</h2>
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-stock-markets-crash-amid-recession-fears-and-trade-uncertainty-8841472">US stock markets crash amid recession fears and trade uncertainty</a>
The US president posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday (March 10) saying Khalil's arrest is "one of many to come" against pro-Palestine students.
Trump alleged that these protesters are not students but "paid agitators".
He added that his administration would not "tolerate pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic and anti-American activity".
"We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathisers from our country never to return again. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America&rsquo;s Colleges and Universities to comply," Trump wrote.&nbsp;
The arrest of the 30-year-old student - who graduated last year in December - led to protests in the US from civil rights groups and free advocates.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-likely-to-meet-xi-in-china-in-april-amid-growing-trade-tensions-report-8840978">Trump likely to visit China in April, meet Xi amid growing trade tensions: Report</a>
<h2>What did the university say?&nbsp;</h2>
The Columbia University said it would not cooperate with Trump administration's actions except what's required by law.&nbsp;
"Consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public university areas, including university buildings,&rdquo; the university's statement added.&nbsp;
"Columbia is committed to complying with all legal obligations and supporting our student body and campus community," the statement added.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/donald-trumps-reality-show-the-apprentice-is-coming-back-on-ott-8840747">Donald Trump&rsquo;s reality show The Apprentice is coming back on OTT</a>
Khalil's lawyer, Amy Greer, slammed his arrest, calling it "terrible and inexcusable". She said it's part of "the US government's open repression of student activism and political speech".&nbsp;
Khalil has not been charged with any crime and the judge has set a hearing for Wednesday (March 12).&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

WORLD | Khalil was the leader of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest and was in his apartment on Saturday (March 8) when he was arrested.

Mahmoud Khalil , a pro-Palestinian activist from Columbia University, was recently arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly leading pro-Palestine protests at the Ivy League campus in New York City in 2024. Khalil was the leader of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest and was in his apartment on Saturday (March 8) when he was arrested. Soon after the arrest, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to X and said, "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported." Khalil is a permanent resident of the US. Also read: US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump The Donald Trump administration tried to deport the pro-Palestine activist after his arrest, but a federal judge temporarily blocked the attempt. The arrest has come as a part of Trump's pledge to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters and any other students demonstrating against Israel. Not students but 'paid agitators'? Also read: US stock markets crash amid recession fears and trade uncertainty The US president posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday (March 10) saying Khalil's arrest is "one of many to come" against pro-Palestine students. Trump alleged that these protesters are not students but "paid agitators". He added that his administration would not "tolerate pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic and anti-American activity". "We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathisers from our country never to return again. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply," Trump wrote. The arrest of the 30-year-old student - who graduated last year in December - led to protests in the US from civil rights groups and free advocates. Also read: Trump likely to visit China in April, meet Xi amid growing trade tensions: Report What did the university say? The Columbia University said it would not cooperate with Trump administration's actions except what's required by law. "Consistent with our longstanding practice and the practice of cities and institutions throughout the country, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant to enter non-public university areas, including university buildings,” the university's statement added. "Columbia is committed to complying with all legal obligations and supporting our student body and campus community," the statement added. Also read: Donald Trump’s reality show The Apprentice is coming back on OTT Khalil's lawyer, Amy Greer, slammed his arrest, calling it "terrible and inexcusable". She said it's part of "the US government's open repression of student activism and political speech". Khalil has not been charged with any crime and the judge has set a hearing for Wednesday (March 12). (With inputs from agencies)

Why did Trump administration arrest pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil? What we know

US President Donald Trump is reportedly reversing his stance on military aid and intelligence support for Ukraine after an appeal from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of key US-Ukraine talks, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested there is "no military solution" to the conflict.
On the economic front, US stock markets suffered a major crash because of rising recession fears and trade uncertainty. Meanwhile, Poland is preparing its citizens for potential Russian aggression by distributing survival guides.
&nbsp;
Click on the headlines for more
<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-resume-military-aid-and-intelligence-support-to-ukraine-after-uk-pm-starmers-appeal-to-trump-8841299" aria-label="US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump">US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/01/QDNebB8HrQ5df9WZlUxJ.png" alt=" US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February 28, 2025. Photograph: (AFP) ">
In a significant policy reversal, US President Donald Trump, as per reports, is set to lift his ban on military aid and intelligence support for Ukraine following a last-ditch appeal by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.&nbsp;
<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/race-for-security-not-for-war-poland-prepares-citizens-for-russian-aggression-with-survival-guides-warns-males-of-compulsory-military-training-8841460" aria-label="'Race for security, not for war': Poland prepares citizens for Russian aggression with survival guides">'Race for security, not for war': Poland prepares citizens for Russian aggression with survival guides</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/11/WOJP0Ls8XTt9JUraRd71.png" alt=" Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk (C) addresses parliament on the situation in Ukraine, Warsaw, March 7, 2025. Photograph: (AFP) ">
Poland will soon send to its citizens guides on how to survive future crises and &ldquo;hazardous situations&rdquo; as the nation, which borders warring nations, Russia and Ukraine, faces the imminent threat of spillover violence.
<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-meets-saudi-crown-prince-in-jeddah-rubio-says-no-military-solution-to-ukraine-conflict-8841369" aria-label="Zelensky meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah; Rubio says 'no military solution' to Ukraine conflict">Zelensky meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah; Rubio says 'no military solution' to Ukraine conflict</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/11/t6GvjSqStCPr5BVj8XBd.png" alt=" In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on March 9, 2025, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the Taras Shevchenko National Prize awarding ceremony to honour cultural achievements in Kyiv. Photograph: (AFP) ">
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman early on Tuesday (Mar 11) ahead of the crucial talks between Ukrainian and US officials to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war.&nbsp;
<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-stock-markets-crash-amid-recession-fears-and-trade-uncertainty-8841472" aria-label="US stock markets crash amid recession fears and trade uncertainty">US stock markets crash amid recession fears and trade uncertainty</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/11/scTydpXVoJ58UhgCf3v7.png" alt=" A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York City on March 10, 2025. Photograph: (AFP) ">
US stock markets plunged on Monday as a mix of trade tensions, economic uncertainty, and the threat of a looming federal government shutdown drove investors into a panic. The steep selloff that started last week gathered pace, with the three main indexes experiencing huge losses.&nbsp;
Watch | Elon Musk says cyberattack caused by 'X' global outages
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Stay ahead of the day's events with WION's morning news brief, providing a quick yet comprehensive overview of the most important news from around the world.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly reversing his stance on military aid and intelligence support for Ukraine after an appeal from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of key US-Ukraine talks, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested there is "no military solution" to the conflict. On the economic front, US stock markets suffered a major crash because of rising recession fears and trade uncertainty. Meanwhile, Poland is preparing its citizens for potential Russian aggression by distributing survival guides. Click on the headlines for more US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump In a significant policy reversal, US President Donald Trump, as per reports, is set to lift his ban on military aid and intelligence support for Ukraine following a last-ditch appeal by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. 'Race for security, not for war': Poland prepares citizens for Russian aggression with survival guides Poland will soon send to its citizens guides on how to survive future crises and “hazardous situations” as the nation, which borders warring nations, Russia and Ukraine, faces the imminent threat of spillover violence. Zelensky meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah; Rubio says 'no military solution' to Ukraine conflict Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman early on Tuesday (Mar 11) ahead of the crucial talks between Ukrainian and US officials to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. US stock markets crash amid recession fears and trade uncertainty US stock markets plunged on Monday as a mix of trade tensions, economic uncertainty, and the threat of a looming federal government shutdown drove investors into a panic. The steep selloff that started last week gathered pace, with the three main indexes experiencing huge losses. Watch | Elon Musk says cyberattack caused by 'X' global outages

Morning News Brief: US to resume intelligence support to Ukraine; Zelensky meets Saudi crown prince, and more

Poland will soon send to its citizens guides on how to survive future crises and &ldquo;hazardous situations&rdquo; as the nation, which borders the warring nations of Russia and Ukraine, faces the imminent threat of spillover violence.
Amid growing fears of Russian aggression, the nation, as per reports, has also warned its male population that they would have to undergo military training.
This comes as the United States' commitment to European security grows increasingly uncertain, forcing Poland and other nations to reconsider their military preparedness and capabilities.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-resume-military-aid-and-intelligence-support-to-ukraine-after-uk-pm-starmers-appeal-to-trump-8841299">US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump</a>
<h2>EU ramps up military preparedness</h2>
The European Union recently announced plans to ramp up military capabilities in response to remarks from US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who have cast doubts on Washington's future support. The UK moved early, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledging in February to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP&mdash;an increase welcomed by US officials but deemed insufficient by some. Now, Poland is taking the lead with a more direct approach.
<h2>The precarious position of Poland</h2>
Situated on NATO&rsquo;s eastern flank, Poland finds itself in a uniquely vulnerable position. It shares borders with both Ukraine and Russia and has already experienced the war spilling over&mdash;last year, Ukrainian munitions landed on Polish soil, triggering alarm in Warsaw. Determined to ensure its population is prepared for any eventuality, the Polish Interior Ministry&rsquo;s civil protection unit has confirmed that households will soon receive instructional booklets.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-president-donald-trump-zelensky-what-to-expect-from-us-ukraine-talks-in-saudi-after-trump-zelensky-fallout-8840380">&lsquo;Ceasefire in sky and sea&rsquo;: What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump-Zelensky fallout</a>
Robert Klonowski, deputy director of the ministry, explained that the guides will provide crucial advice on &ldquo;how to deal with various hazardous situations,&rdquo; including surviving prolonged power outages. Special versions will be created for children and for the approximately 900,000 Ukrainian refugees now residing in Poland.&nbsp;
The initiative mirrors similar moves by other European nations&mdash;Sweden has already distributed civilian preparedness brochures, while Finland runs an emergency readiness website.
At the political level, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has emphasised the urgency of bolstering national security. Addressing the Sejm, Poland&rsquo;s lower house of parliament, he argued that military training for civilians is necessary to create a reserve force &ldquo;adequate to possible threats.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-meets-saudi-crown-prince-in-jeddah-rubio-says-no-military-solution-to-ukraine-conflict-8841369">Zelensky meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah; Rubio says 'no military solution' to Ukraine conflict</a>
Officials are expected to finalise plans for the training scheme by the end of the year, with as per Daily Mail, also includes provisions for voluntary participation by women.
Beyond conventional defence measures, Poland is also exploring nuclear security options. Tusk revealed that Warsaw is in serious discussions with France about joining its nuclear umbrella. &ldquo;We must be aware that Poland must reach for the most modern capabilities also related to nuclear weapons and modern unconventional weapons.&rdquo;
&ldquo;This is a race for security, not for war,&rdquo; he declared.
(With inputs from agencies)

World News | Poland is issuing survival guides to citizens amid fears of Russian aggression, highlighting the urgent need for crisis preparedness given its proximity to conflict zone.

Poland will soon send to its citizens guides on how to survive future crises and “hazardous situations” as the nation, which borders the warring nations of Russia and Ukraine, faces the imminent threat of spillover violence. Amid growing fears of Russian aggression, the nation, as per reports, has also warned its male population that they would have to undergo military training. This comes as the United States' commitment to European security grows increasingly uncertain, forcing Poland and other nations to reconsider their military preparedness and capabilities. Also read | US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump EU ramps up military preparedness The European Union recently announced plans to ramp up military capabilities in response to remarks from US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who have cast doubts on Washington's future support. The UK moved early, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledging in February to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP—an increase welcomed by US officials but deemed insufficient by some. Now, Poland is taking the lead with a more direct approach. The precarious position of Poland Situated on NATO’s eastern flank, Poland finds itself in a uniquely vulnerable position. It shares borders with both Ukraine and Russia and has already experienced the war spilling over—last year, Ukrainian munitions landed on Polish soil, triggering alarm in Warsaw. Determined to ensure its population is prepared for any eventuality, the Polish Interior Ministry’s civil protection unit has confirmed that households will soon receive instructional booklets. Also read | ‘Ceasefire in sky and sea’: What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump-Zelensky fallout Robert Klonowski, deputy director of the ministry, explained that the guides will provide crucial advice on “how to deal with various hazardous situations,” including surviving prolonged power outages. Special versions will be created for children and for the approximately 900,000 Ukrainian refugees now residing in Poland. The initiative mirrors similar moves by other European nations—Sweden has already distributed civilian preparedness brochures, while Finland runs an emergency readiness website. At the political level, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has emphasised the urgency of bolstering national security. Addressing the Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament, he argued that military training for civilians is necessary to create a reserve force “adequate to possible threats.” Also read | Zelensky meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah; Rubio says 'no military solution' to Ukraine conflict Officials are expected to finalise plans for the training scheme by the end of the year, with as per Daily Mail, also includes provisions for voluntary participation by women. Beyond conventional defence measures, Poland is also exploring nuclear security options. Tusk revealed that Warsaw is in serious discussions with France about joining its nuclear umbrella. “We must be aware that Poland must reach for the most modern capabilities also related to nuclear weapons and modern unconventional weapons.” “This is a race for security, not for war,” he declared. (With inputs from agencies)

'Race for security, not for war': Poland prepares citizens for Russian aggression with survival guides

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman early on Tuesday (Mar 11) ahead of the crucial talks between Ukrainian and US officials to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in Saudi Arabia, said there is "no military solution" to the conflict in Ukraine. US is hoping that diplomacy will deliver substantial progress towards ending Russia's war with Ukraine.&nbsp;
The Saudi state news agency SPA reported that during the meeting with Zelensky in Jeddah, the crown prince emphasised support for international efforts to resolve Ukraine's crisis and achieve peace.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-resume-military-aid-and-intelligence-support-to-ukraine-after-uk-pm-starmers-appeal-to-trump-8841299">US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump</a>
After the meeting, Zelensky took to his X account and wrote that he is "grateful" for the crown prince's "wise perspective" on global affairs and support for Ukraine.&nbsp;
"It was especially important to hear words of confidence in Ukraine&rsquo;s future," the Ukrainian president wrote.&nbsp;
"We discussed all key issues on the agenda&mdash;both bilateral matters and cooperation with other partners. I acknowledged the Crown Prince&rsquo;s efforts in bringing true peace closer. Saudi Arabia provides a crucial platform for diplomacy, and we appreciate this," he wrote.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-us-trade-war-ontario-premier-doug-ford-slaps-25-per-cent-surcharge-on-us-electricity-new-canada-pm-mark-carney-us-president-donald-trumps-trade-war-8840877">&lsquo;Feeling terrible for American people&rsquo;: Ontario slaps 25% surcharge on US electricity amid Trump&rsquo;s trade war</a>
"The Ukrainian delegation remains in Jeddah to work with the U.S. team on Tuesday, March 11, and we hope for practical outcomes. Ukraine&rsquo;s position in these talks will be fully constructive," he further added.&nbsp;
"With the Crown Prince, we had a detailed discussion on the steps and conditions needed to end the war and secure a reliable and lasting peace."&nbsp;&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jd-vances-cousin-who-fought-in-ukraine-slams-donald-trump-us-vice-president-for-ambushing-zelensky-vladimir-putin-8841069">&lsquo;Putin&rsquo;s useful idiots&rsquo;: JD Vance&rsquo;s cousin who fought in Ukraine slams Trump, VP for &lsquo;ambushing&rsquo; Zelensky</a>&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m83xv3f4-faax0heo-3a7qt4fl">
I had a good meeting with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. I am grateful for his wise perspective on global affairs and support for Ukraine. It was especially important to hear words of confidence in Ukraine&rsquo;s future. We discussed all key issues on the&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/BiBnaKViPl">pic.twitter.com/BiBnaKViPl</a>
&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1899237896055615605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>What does the US want?&nbsp;</h2>
Rubio was on his way to Jeddah when he said that there was a need to check Kyiv&rsquo;s readiness to make concessions in order to reach peace.&nbsp;
"The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things, to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way, shape or form," he told reporters on the plane.&nbsp;
"I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there's no military solution to this situation. The Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it'll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014," he added.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-pro-palestinian-campus-protester-first-arrest-of-many-to-come-8841026">Trump says pro-Palestinian campus protester &lsquo;first arrest of many to come&rsquo;</a>
<h2>Russia-Ukraine war latest&nbsp;</h2>
A Ukrainian strike on a village store in the Russian region of Kursk on Monday killed three people and wounded nine, the regional governor said.&nbsp;Ukrainian forces have occupied a part of Kursk region since last August.&nbsp;
"The Ukrainian armed force hit the Dobrynia shop in the village of Belaya in Belovski district. This happened at a time when people were grocery shopping after work," regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;
Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos

World | US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stresses there is no military solution to the Ukraine conflict, urging diplomatic efforts for substantial progress towards peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman early on Tuesday (Mar 11) ahead of the crucial talks between Ukrainian and US officials to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in Saudi Arabia, said there is "no military solution" to the conflict in Ukraine. US is hoping that diplomacy will deliver substantial progress towards ending Russia's war with Ukraine. The Saudi state news agency SPA reported that during the meeting with Zelensky in Jeddah, the crown prince emphasised support for international efforts to resolve Ukraine's crisis and achieve peace. Also read: US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump After the meeting, Zelensky took to his X account and wrote that he is "grateful" for the crown prince's "wise perspective" on global affairs and support for Ukraine. "It was especially important to hear words of confidence in Ukraine’s future," the Ukrainian president wrote. "We discussed all key issues on the agenda—both bilateral matters and cooperation with other partners. I acknowledged the Crown Prince’s efforts in bringing true peace closer. Saudi Arabia provides a crucial platform for diplomacy, and we appreciate this," he wrote. Also read: ‘Feeling terrible for American people’: Ontario slaps 25% surcharge on US electricity amid Trump’s trade war "The Ukrainian delegation remains in Jeddah to work with the U.S. team on Tuesday, March 11, and we hope for practical outcomes. Ukraine’s position in these talks will be fully constructive," he further added. "With the Crown Prince, we had a detailed discussion on the steps and conditions needed to end the war and secure a reliable and lasting peace." Also read: ‘Putin’s useful idiots’: JD Vance’s cousin who fought in Ukraine slams Trump, VP for ‘ambushing’ Zelensky I had a good meeting with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. I am grateful for his wise perspective on global affairs and support for Ukraine. It was especially important to hear words of confidence in Ukraine’s future. We discussed all key issues on the… pic.twitter.com/BiBnaKViPl — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 10, 2025 What does the US want? Rubio was on his way to Jeddah when he said that there was a need to check Kyiv’s readiness to make concessions in order to reach peace. "The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things, to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way, shape or form," he told reporters on the plane. "I think both sides need to come to an understanding that there's no military solution to this situation. The Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it'll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014," he added. Also read: Trump says pro-Palestinian campus protester ‘first arrest of many to come’ Russia-Ukraine war latest A Ukrainian strike on a village store in the Russian region of Kursk on Monday killed three people and wounded nine, the regional governor said. Ukrainian forces have occupied a part of Kursk region since last August. "The Ukrainian armed force hit the Dobrynia shop in the village of Belaya in Belovski district. This happened at a time when people were grocery shopping after work," regional governor Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos

Zelensky meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah; Rubio says 'no military solution' to Ukraine conflict

A driver abandoned his malnourished pet dog at the edge of the Arizona desert and people are horrified to see someone act in this manner. A video on social media shows the driver getting rid of the dog and driving away. The confused pup looks around and tries to chase after the vehicle, and looks visibly scared.
People started slamming the inhumane act and rage built up on online platforms soon after. Later, a man and a woman turned themselves in to the police for committing the "soulless" act.
<h2>Video of dog abandoned in Surprise, Arizona</h2>
The video shows a red SUV driving up to the end of Peoria Avenue in the city of Surprise on Saturday (March 8) at around 12:16 pm local time. The door on the passenger side opens and a small black and white pup hops out. The person in the car shuts the door and says "Bye Bye" before driving away. The poor dog turns around and tries to run after the car, but the vehicle zooms away pretty quickly.
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A woman abandons her dog on the side of the road on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. The dog was seen trying to chase after the car after the owner kicked it out and said "bye-bye." The dog was rescued. Depending on the severity of the crime, animal cruelty can be classed&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/Gd2rnOuh8K">pic.twitter.com/Gd2rnOuh8K</a>
&mdash; Denn Dunham (@DennD68) <a href="https://twitter.com/DennD68/status/1899282886676578803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
The dog then starts to run around confused. Thankfully, a woman was there and picked it up.
Joanna Buesen was walking her own pup at the time and witnessed the entire scene. She picked up the abandoned puppy and tried to console it.
Talking to AZ Family, Joanna said the pup was "defeated and sad". &nbsp; "I was angered. I was flabbergasted, shocked. Just so many emotions."&nbsp;
She believes the owners have no remorse for their actions and that they had "malicious intent". &ldquo;I understand things are hard and things can be tough in life, but you don&rsquo;t have to be a soulless human,&rdquo; Buesen added. &ldquo;And that is just a soulless thing.&rdquo;
<h2>Man and woman admit to abandoning dog in Arizona</h2>
The dog was handed over to the Arizona Humane Society. The Surprise Police Department looked for the suspects using the license plate information from the vehicle.
Several people soon started calling in with "tips". Later, 20-year-old Logan Gambill from Wittmann and 26-year-old Priscilla Galanos from Phoenix reached out and admitted to carrying out the act.
"During the investigation, video of the dog was shared on social media and quickly caught the attention of the community. As various media outlets aired stories about the dog's situation, the Surprise Police Department received an overwhelming number of calls and emails concerning the dog's welfare," the police department said on March 10.
It said the dog was a male and belonged to Galanos.
Gambill is accused of animal cruelty, and Galanos is accused of conspiracy to commit animal cruelty.&nbsp;
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Our cute little "Backstreet Boy" is living his best life <a href="https://t.co/eySbkIb7GC">pic.twitter.com/eySbkIb7GC</a>
&mdash; Surprise Police Dept (@Surprise_PD) <a href="https://twitter.com/Surprise_PD/status/1899259575062482948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Surprise police department shared a sweet video showing the pup in the station "living his best life" under their "paw-teetion".

World Trending | Two people abandoned a malnourished puppy in the desert in Surprise, Arizona. They drove up and opened the door after which the puppy came out. They then left.

A driver abandoned his malnourished pet dog at the edge of the Arizona desert and people are horrified to see someone act in this manner. A video on social media shows the driver getting rid of the dog and driving away. The confused pup looks around and tries to chase after the vehicle, and looks visibly scared. People started slamming the inhumane act and rage built up on online platforms soon after. Later, a man and a woman turned themselves in to the police for committing the "soulless" act. Video of dog abandoned in Surprise, Arizona The video shows a red SUV driving up to the end of Peoria Avenue in the city of Surprise on Saturday (March 8) at around 12:16 pm local time. The door on the passenger side opens and a small black and white pup hops out. The person in the car shuts the door and says "Bye Bye" before driving away. The poor dog turns around and tries to run after the car, but the vehicle zooms away pretty quickly. A woman abandons her dog on the side of the road on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. The dog was seen trying to chase after the car after the owner kicked it out and said "bye-bye." The dog was rescued. Depending on the severity of the crime, animal cruelty can be classed… pic.twitter.com/Gd2rnOuh8K — Denn Dunham (@DennD68) March 11, 2025 The dog then starts to run around confused. Thankfully, a woman was there and picked it up. Joanna Buesen was walking her own pup at the time and witnessed the entire scene. She picked up the abandoned puppy and tried to console it. Talking to AZ Family, Joanna said the pup was "defeated and sad". "I was angered. I was flabbergasted, shocked. Just so many emotions." She believes the owners have no remorse for their actions and that they had "malicious intent". “I understand things are hard and things can be tough in life, but you don’t have to be a soulless human,” Buesen added. “And that is just a soulless thing.” Man and woman admit to abandoning dog in Arizona The dog was handed over to the Arizona Humane Society. The Surprise Police Department looked for the suspects using the license plate information from the vehicle. Several people soon started calling in with "tips". Later, 20-year-old Logan Gambill from Wittmann and 26-year-old Priscilla Galanos from Phoenix reached out and admitted to carrying out the act. "During the investigation, video of the dog was shared on social media and quickly caught the attention of the community. As various media outlets aired stories about the dog's situation, the Surprise Police Department received an overwhelming number of calls and emails concerning the dog's welfare," the police department said on March 10. It said the dog was a male and belonged to Galanos. Gambill is accused of animal cruelty, and Galanos is accused of conspiracy to commit animal cruelty. Our cute little "Backstreet Boy" is living his best life pic.twitter.com/eySbkIb7GC — Surprise Police Dept (@Surprise_PD) March 11, 2025 The Surprise police department shared a sweet video showing the pup in the station "living his best life" under their "paw-teetion".

Video: Owner leaves malnourished puppy in Arizona desert and drives away

In a significant policy reversal, US President Donald Trump is set to lift his ban on military aid and intelligence support for Ukraine following a last-ditch appeal by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, reports said.&nbsp;
The move, if it happens, marks a significant shift from Trump's recent suspension of all aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, a decision that had also barred allies like the UK from sharing US intelligence with Ukraine as it continues to battle Russia.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-threatens-savvy-putins-russia-with-large-scale-sanctions-after-moscow-strikes-ukraine-8832564">Ukraine's battlefield losses rise as Trump pulls Kyiv's access to US intelligence and satellite imagery</a>
<h2>Trump-Starmer talks</h2>
Starmer, as per a Mirror UK report, spoke directly with Trump for approximately 20 minutes ahead of scheduled peace talks in Saudi Arabia, pressing for the reinstatement of intelligence-sharing and military assistance. UK officials have also worked behind the scenes to encourage Ukraine to meet US conditions to secure the resumption of support. A spokesperson for Downing Street confirmed that the prime minister hoped for a "positive outcome" from the discussions.
"The prime minister said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the talks that would enable US and intelligence to be restarted," said the Downing Street spokesperson.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jd-vances-cousin-who-fought-in-ukraine-slams-donald-trump-us-vice-president-for-ambushing-zelensky-vladimir-putin-8841069">&lsquo;Putin&rsquo;s useful idiots&rsquo;: JD Vance&rsquo;s cousin who fought in Ukraine slams Trump, VP for &lsquo;ambushing&rsquo; Zelensky</a>
Furthermore, Starmer is reportedly preparing to host a new meeting of countries willing to join his "coalition of the willing" to help protect Ukraine after any potential peace deal.
Addressing the Parliamentary Labour Party, Starmer emphasised the situation's urgency: The "real world is moving quickly and people look to their government to seize it and shape it for the benefit of the British people."&nbsp;
"That's why I have been clear the security of Ukraine is the future of Europe and our support for Ukraine is unwavering. Our defence and security must come first. That is what we owe to the British people," he added.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-president-donald-trump-zelensky-what-to-expect-from-us-ukraine-talks-in-saudi-after-trump-zelensky-fallout-8840380">&lsquo;Ceasefire in sky and sea&rsquo;: What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump-Zelensky fallout</a>
<h2>Vital Saudi peace talks</h2>
Ahead of the high-stakes negotiations in Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious optimism, remarking: "I think the notion of the pause in aid, broadly, is something I hope we can resolve. Obviously, what happens [today] will be key to that."
However, he also signalled that any restoration of US support would come with conditions, adding that Ukraine must be prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians will.&nbsp;
One potential requirement includes ceding territory to Russia as part of a broader peace agreement.
(With inputs from agencies)

World News | US President Trump is set to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal, marking a major policy shift amid ongoing tensions.

In a significant policy reversal, US President Donald Trump is set to lift his ban on military aid and intelligence support for Ukraine following a last-ditch appeal by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, reports said. The move, if it happens, marks a significant shift from Trump's recent suspension of all aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, a decision that had also barred allies like the UK from sharing US intelligence with Ukraine as it continues to battle Russia. Also read | Ukraine's battlefield losses rise as Trump pulls Kyiv's access to US intelligence and satellite imagery Trump-Starmer talks Starmer, as per a Mirror UK report, spoke directly with Trump for approximately 20 minutes ahead of scheduled peace talks in Saudi Arabia, pressing for the reinstatement of intelligence-sharing and military assistance. UK officials have also worked behind the scenes to encourage Ukraine to meet US conditions to secure the resumption of support. A spokesperson for Downing Street confirmed that the prime minister hoped for a "positive outcome" from the discussions. "The prime minister said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the talks that would enable US and intelligence to be restarted," said the Downing Street spokesperson. Also read | ‘Putin’s useful idiots’: JD Vance’s cousin who fought in Ukraine slams Trump, VP for ‘ambushing’ Zelensky Furthermore, Starmer is reportedly preparing to host a new meeting of countries willing to join his "coalition of the willing" to help protect Ukraine after any potential peace deal. Addressing the Parliamentary Labour Party, Starmer emphasised the situation's urgency: The "real world is moving quickly and people look to their government to seize it and shape it for the benefit of the British people." "That's why I have been clear the security of Ukraine is the future of Europe and our support for Ukraine is unwavering. Our defence and security must come first. That is what we owe to the British people," he added. Also read | ‘Ceasefire in sky and sea’: What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump-Zelensky fallout Vital Saudi peace talks Ahead of the high-stakes negotiations in Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious optimism, remarking: "I think the notion of the pause in aid, broadly, is something I hope we can resolve. Obviously, what happens [today] will be key to that." However, he also signalled that any restoration of US support would come with conditions, adding that Ukraine must be prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians will. One potential requirement includes ceding territory to Russia as part of a broader peace agreement. (With inputs from agencies)

US to resume military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine after UK PM Starmer's appeal to Trump

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The UK coastguard ended the search for a missing crew member after a cargo ship ran into a US-military charted tanker carrying jet fuel in the North Sea on Monday.
HM Coastguard rescued 36 crew members from the Stena Immaculate tanker and Solong container vessel, with one taken to hospital.
"One crew member of the Solong remains unaccounted for, after an extensive search for the missing crew member sadly they have not been found and the search has ended," said Matthew Atkinson, Divisional Commander for HM Coastguard.
Images showed a huge plume of thick, black smoke and flames rising from the scene about 10 miles (16 kilometres) off the east England coast, sparking concerns of "multiple toxic hazards".
The Stena Immaculate tanker was "anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull... (and) was struck by the container ship Solong", the Stena's US-based operators Crowley said in a statement.
The Stena was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to Jillian Morris, the spokesperson for the command that operates civilian-crewed ships providing ocean transport for the US Defense Department.
Crowley said the impact of the collision "ruptured" the tanker "containing A1-jet fuel" and triggered a fire, with fuel "reported released".
It was carrying around 220,000 barrels of jet fuel while the Solong was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, according to the Lloyd's List information service, but it is not known if any of the flammable compound had leaked.
The two vessels were still on fire 12 hours after the collision, said the coastguard.
A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the situation "extremely concerning".&nbsp;
All crew members aboard the Stena Immaculate were confirmed to be alive, a spokeswoman for the tanker's Swedish owner, Stena Bulk, told AFP.
<h2>'Toxic hazards'&nbsp;</h2>
A spokesman for the government's&nbsp;Marine Accident Investigation Branch spokesperson said "Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps".
Ivor Vince, founder of ASK Consultants, an environmental risk advisory group, told AFP that "the good news is it's not persistent, it's not like a crude oil spill".&nbsp;
"Most of it will evaporate quite quickly and what doesn't evaporate will be degraded by microorganisms quite quickly", he added, though warning that "it will kill fish and other creatures".
Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University, said "we are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards these chemicals could pose to marine life."
The jet fuel entered the water close to a breeding ground for harbour porpoises, sodium cyanide is "a highly toxic chemical that could cause serious harm", he added.
<h2>Humber traffic suspended&nbsp;</h2>
All vessel movements were "suspended" in the Humber estuary that flows into the North Sea, according to Associated British Ports (ABP), which operates in the Ports of Hull and Immingham in the region. &nbsp;
The German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said it was also dispatching a vessel capable of fire fighting and oil recovery.
The alarm about the crash near the port city of Hull in East Yorkshire was raised at 0948 GMT.
A coastguard helicopter, a plane, lifeboats from four towns and other nearby vessels were part of the large rescue operation, UK Coastguard said.
Grimsby native Paul Lancaster, a former seaman, told AFP that "I don't understand how two ships that big could collide".&nbsp;
"There must have been a massive engineering problem," he said outside a pub in Grimsby.
<h2>Collisions rare&nbsp;</h2>
Collisions remain rare in the busy North Sea.
In October 2023, two cargo ships, the Verity and the Polesie, collided near Germany's Heligoland islands in the North Sea.
Three people were killed and two others are still missing and considered dead.
In October 2015, the Flinterstar freighter, carrying 125 tonnes of diesel and 427 tonnes of fuel oil, sank after colliding with the Al Oraiq tanker eight kilometres (five miles) off the Belgian coast.
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World | All crew members from the Stena Immaculate were rescued, but one from the Solong remains missing. The incident has suspended vessel traffic in the Humber estuary.

The UK coastguard ended the search for a missing crew member after a cargo ship ran into a US-military charted tanker carrying jet fuel in the North Sea on Monday. HM Coastguard rescued 36 crew members from the Stena Immaculate tanker and Solong container vessel, with one taken to hospital. "One crew member of the Solong remains unaccounted for, after an extensive search for the missing crew member sadly they have not been found and the search has ended," said Matthew Atkinson, Divisional Commander for HM Coastguard. Images showed a huge plume of thick, black smoke and flames rising from the scene about 10 miles (16 kilometres) off the east England coast, sparking concerns of "multiple toxic hazards". The Stena Immaculate tanker was "anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull... (and) was struck by the container ship Solong", the Stena's US-based operators Crowley said in a statement. The Stena was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to Jillian Morris, the spokesperson for the command that operates civilian-crewed ships providing ocean transport for the US Defense Department. Crowley said the impact of the collision "ruptured" the tanker "containing A1-jet fuel" and triggered a fire, with fuel "reported released". It was carrying around 220,000 barrels of jet fuel while the Solong was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, according to the Lloyd's List information service, but it is not known if any of the flammable compound had leaked. The two vessels were still on fire 12 hours after the collision, said the coastguard. A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the situation "extremely concerning". All crew members aboard the Stena Immaculate were confirmed to be alive, a spokeswoman for the tanker's Swedish owner, Stena Bulk, told AFP. 'Toxic hazards' A spokesman for the government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch spokesperson said "Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps". Ivor Vince, founder of ASK Consultants, an environmental risk advisory group, told AFP that "the good news is it's not persistent, it's not like a crude oil spill". "Most of it will evaporate quite quickly and what doesn't evaporate will be degraded by microorganisms quite quickly", he added, though warning that "it will kill fish and other creatures". Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University, said "we are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards these chemicals could pose to marine life." The jet fuel entered the water close to a breeding ground for harbour porpoises, sodium cyanide is "a highly toxic chemical that could cause serious harm", he added. Humber traffic suspended All vessel movements were "suspended" in the Humber estuary that flows into the North Sea, according to Associated British Ports (ABP), which operates in the Ports of Hull and Immingham in the region. The German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said it was also dispatching a vessel capable of fire fighting and oil recovery. The alarm about the crash near the port city of Hull in East Yorkshire was raised at 0948 GMT. A coastguard helicopter, a plane, lifeboats from four towns and other nearby vessels were part of the large rescue operation, UK Coastguard said. Grimsby native Paul Lancaster, a former seaman, told AFP that "I don't understand how two ships that big could collide". "There must have been a massive engineering problem," he said outside a pub in Grimsby. Collisions rare Collisions remain rare in the busy North Sea. In October 2023, two cargo ships, the Verity and the Polesie, collided near Germany's Heligoland islands in the North Sea. Three people were killed and two others are still missing and considered dead. In October 2015, the Flinterstar freighter, carrying 125 tonnes of diesel and 427 tonnes of fuel oil, sank after colliding with the Al Oraiq tanker eight kilometres (five miles) off the Belgian coast.

Search ends for missing crew member after North Sea collision

All three people - a pilot and two hospital workers - aboard a medical helicopter were killed when it crashed in Mississippi on Monday (Mar 10), officials said. It was returning from transporting a patient. The helicopter crashed into a densely wooded area outside Jackson.&nbsp;
As identified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it was a Eurocopter EC-135.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/look-forward-to-rebuilding-canada-india-ties-carney-before-election-as-liberal-party-leader-ottawa-8841118">Look forward to rebuilding Canada-India ties: Carney before election as Liberal Party leader</a>
US-based media reports mentioned that two of the people were crew members who worked for the University of Mississippi Medical Center.&nbsp;
During a press conference, Dr LouAnn Woodward, who is the medical centre's top administrator, said that the helicopter was not carrying any patients at the time of the accident.
Families of the three victims were notified, but authorities didn't release names to protect their privacy. &nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-sea-collision-accident-between-oil-tanker-and-cargo-ship-injures-32-8840457">North Sea collision between oil tanker and cargo ship injures 32</a>
"The entire medical center family is heartbroken over this. This is the crew that responds to emergencies all across the state, and to see them today to respond to one of their own was just something that you can&rsquo;t put into words," Dr Woodward said.&nbsp;
Dr Woodward further mentioned that the AirCare helicopters and their crews played an integral role in providing critical care services across Mississippi.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rubio-says-us-hostage-envoys-direct-meeting-with-hamas-hasnt-borne-fruit-8841077">Rubio says US hostage envoy&rsquo;s direct meeting with Hamas &lsquo;hasn&rsquo;t borne fruit&rsquo;</a>
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🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> Medical helicopter carrying pilot, 2 hospital employees crashes, tragically fatal for all 3 passengers. A medical helicopter from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) crashed near the Natchez Trace Parkway. <a href="https://t.co/Fu5byOvF8O">pic.twitter.com/Fu5byOvF8O</a> <a href="https://t.co/E15EpbaRyH">pic.twitter.com/E15EpbaRyH</a>
&mdash; SyeClops (@SyeClops) <a href="https://twitter.com/SyeClops/status/1899211377715323360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>What caused the crash?</h2>
So far, it's not clear what caused the aircraft to lose control. The FAA, however, said that it and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the crash, which occurred around 1:15 pm (local time).&nbsp;
The crash comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of US air safety and becomes another addition to a string of plane crashes across the country.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-pro-palestinian-campus-protester-first-arrest-of-many-to-come-8841026">Trump says pro-Palestinian campus protester &lsquo;first arrest of many to come&rsquo;</a>
(With inputs from agencies)

World | The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred amid heightened scrutiny of US air safety practices

All three people - a pilot and two hospital workers - aboard a medical helicopter were killed when it crashed in Mississippi on Monday (Mar 10), officials said. It was returning from transporting a patient. The helicopter crashed into a densely wooded area outside Jackson. As identified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it was a Eurocopter EC-135. Also read: Look forward to rebuilding Canada-India ties: Carney before election as Liberal Party leader US-based media reports mentioned that two of the people were crew members who worked for the University of Mississippi Medical Center. During a press conference, Dr LouAnn Woodward, who is the medical centre's top administrator, said that the helicopter was not carrying any patients at the time of the accident. Families of the three victims were notified, but authorities didn't release names to protect their privacy. Also read: North Sea collision between oil tanker and cargo ship injures 32 "The entire medical center family is heartbroken over this. This is the crew that responds to emergencies all across the state, and to see them today to respond to one of their own was just something that you can’t put into words," Dr Woodward said. Dr Woodward further mentioned that the AirCare helicopters and their crews played an integral role in providing critical care services across Mississippi. Also read: Rubio says US hostage envoy’s direct meeting with Hamas ‘hasn’t borne fruit’ 🚨 #BREAKING Medical helicopter carrying pilot, 2 hospital employees crashes, tragically fatal for all 3 passengers. A medical helicopter from the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) crashed near the Natchez Trace Parkway. pic.twitter.com/Fu5byOvF8O pic.twitter.com/E15EpbaRyH — SyeClops (@SyeClops) March 10, 2025 What caused the crash? So far, it's not clear what caused the aircraft to lose control. The FAA, however, said that it and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the crash, which occurred around 1:15 pm (local time). The crash comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of US air safety and becomes another addition to a string of plane crashes across the country. Also read: Trump says pro-Palestinian campus protester ‘first arrest of many to come’ (With inputs from agencies)

Medical helicopter crash in Mississippi kills pilot and two crew members

The Vatican on Monday (Mar 10) gave a positive update on Pope Francis's health, saying the condition of the 88-year-old is improving and doctors no longer fear for his life. The Vatican indicated the Pope could even leave the hospital within days.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-sea-collision-accident-between-oil-tanker-and-cargo-ship-injures-32-8840457">North Sea collision between oil tanker and cargo ship injures 32</a>
Pope is currently being treated in Rome's Gemelli Hospital. He was in critical condition with pneumonia in both lungs.&nbsp;
But it seems his health condition has improved, as per the Vatican. It added, "The Holy Father's clinical condition remains stable."&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/look-forward-to-rebuilding-canada-india-ties-carney-before-election-as-liberal-party-leader-ottawa-8841118">Look forward to rebuilding Canada-India ties: Carney before election as Liberal Party leader</a>
During his course of treatment at the hospital, Pope experienced an isolated episode of bronchospasm that caused an episode of vomiting, which led to him inhaling some and a sudden worsening of his respiratory condition. It's been 10 days since then.&nbsp;
The Vatican, in the latest update, said that the improvements recorded in previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical findings, as well as by the Pope&rsquo;s good response to pharmacological therapy.&nbsp;
"For these reasons, the doctors have decided today to lift their guarded prognosis. However, given the complexity of the Pope's clinical picture and the severe infection present at the time of hospitalization, it will still be necessary to continue pharmacological treatment in a hospital setting for a period of time," the statement added.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rubio-says-us-hostage-envoys-direct-meeting-with-hamas-hasnt-borne-fruit-8841077">Rubio says US hostage envoy&rsquo;s direct meeting with Hamas &lsquo;hasn&rsquo;t borne fruit&rsquo;</a>
<h2>What did Pope do at the hospital?&nbsp;</h2>
The official statement mentioned that the Holy Father was able to follow the Spiritual Exercises via a video link with the Paul VI Hall; he then received the Eucharist and went to the chapel of his private apartment for a moment of prayer.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-claims-massive-cyberattack-after-x-twitter-outage-goes-down-worldwide-8841029">&lsquo;A country is involved&rsquo;: Elon Musk claims &lsquo;massive cyberattack&rsquo; after X goes down worldwide</a>
"In the afternoon, he again joined the Curia's Spiritual Exercises, following them via video link. Throughout the day, he alternated between prayer and rest," the statement added.&nbsp;
The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the third reflection for the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia, which is focused on the theme: "The first death".&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;&nbsp;

World | Pope Francis health update: Despite the progress, continued pharmacological treatment in the hospital is deemed necessary due to the complexity of his initial severe infection.

The Vatican on Monday (Mar 10) gave a positive update on Pope Francis's health, saying the condition of the 88-year-old is improving and doctors no longer fear for his life. The Vatican indicated the Pope could even leave the hospital within days. Also read: North Sea collision between oil tanker and cargo ship injures 32 Pope is currently being treated in Rome's Gemelli Hospital. He was in critical condition with pneumonia in both lungs. But it seems his health condition has improved, as per the Vatican. It added, "The Holy Father's clinical condition remains stable." Also read: Look forward to rebuilding Canada-India ties: Carney before election as Liberal Party leader During his course of treatment at the hospital, Pope experienced an isolated episode of bronchospasm that caused an episode of vomiting, which led to him inhaling some and a sudden worsening of his respiratory condition. It's been 10 days since then. The Vatican, in the latest update, said that the improvements recorded in previous days have been further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical findings, as well as by the Pope’s good response to pharmacological therapy. "For these reasons, the doctors have decided today to lift their guarded prognosis. However, given the complexity of the Pope's clinical picture and the severe infection present at the time of hospitalization, it will still be necessary to continue pharmacological treatment in a hospital setting for a period of time," the statement added. Also read: Rubio says US hostage envoy’s direct meeting with Hamas ‘hasn’t borne fruit’ What did Pope do at the hospital? The official statement mentioned that the Holy Father was able to follow the Spiritual Exercises via a video link with the Paul VI Hall; he then received the Eucharist and went to the chapel of his private apartment for a moment of prayer. Also read: ‘A country is involved’: Elon Musk claims ‘massive cyberattack’ after X goes down worldwide "In the afternoon, he again joined the Curia's Spiritual Exercises, following them via video link. Throughout the day, he alternated between prayer and rest," the statement added. The Preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, delivers the third reflection for the 2025 Spiritual Exercises of the Roman Curia, which is focused on the theme: "The first death". (With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis responding well to treatment, hospitalisation may end soon: Vatican

Former central banker Mark Carney, who is set to become Canada's next prime minister, recently said he would rebuild his country's relationship with India if he takes charge.
"What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trade relationship with like-minded countries," Carney said last Tuesday in Calgary before being elected as the leader of the governing Liberal Party.
"And there are opportunities to rebuild the relationship with India. There needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship. If I'm prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that," Carney said as Canada deals with US President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threat.
India-Canada ties saw tensions after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023 in the House of Commons said there were &ldquo;credible allegations&rdquo; of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia.
New Delhi, however, consistently denied the allegations, with the Ministry of External Affairs saying Canada has &ldquo;presented us no evidence&rdquo; in support of the serious allegations Ottawa chose to level against India and Indian diplomats.
After the controversy, both countries in a tit-for-tat move recalled their diplomats.
&ldquo;The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,&rdquo; the MEA said in December last year after Trudeau acknowledged that he had only intelligence and no &ldquo;hard evidentiary proof&rdquo; when he alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in Nijjar's killing.
Carney, 59, replaces Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remains in his post until his successor is sworn in the coming days.
Carney, who navigated crises as the head of the Bank of Canada, won 85.9 per cent of the vote.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

World: New Delhi, however, consistently denied the allegations, with the Ministry of External Affairs saying Canada has “presented us no evidence” in support of the serious allegations Ottawa chose to level against India and Indian diplomats.

Former central banker Mark Carney, who is set to become Canada's next prime minister, recently said he would rebuild his country's relationship with India if he takes charge. "What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trade relationship with like-minded countries," Carney said last Tuesday in Calgary before being elected as the leader of the governing Liberal Party. "And there are opportunities to rebuild the relationship with India. There needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship. If I'm prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that," Carney said as Canada deals with US President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threat. India-Canada ties saw tensions after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023 in the House of Commons said there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. New Delhi, however, consistently denied the allegations, with the Ministry of External Affairs saying Canada has “presented us no evidence” in support of the serious allegations Ottawa chose to level against India and Indian diplomats. After the controversy, both countries in a tit-for-tat move recalled their diplomats. “The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” the MEA said in December last year after Trudeau acknowledged that he had only intelligence and no “hard evidentiary proof” when he alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in Nijjar's killing. Carney, 59, replaces Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remains in his post until his successor is sworn in the coming days. Carney, who navigated crises as the head of the Bank of Canada, won 85.9 per cent of the vote. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Look forward to rebuilding Canada-India ties: Carney before election as Liberal Party leader

At least 32 people were injured on Monday (Mar 10) in a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship that was carrying cyanide. The accident happened in the North Sea.
"Ambulances are queuing on the quay" following the incident off the northeast coast of England, said Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East.&nbsp;
The UK Coastguard, on Monday (Mar 10), said that it was responding to a collision incident in the North Sea involving an oil tanker and a cargo ship.
According to UK media reports, both the cargo vessel and the oil tanker were ablaze off the northeastern coast of England.
"HM Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire," a Coastguard spokesperson said.
An alarm was triggered at 0948 GMT, alerting about the collision.
Images released by the local media from the scene showed a huge plume of black smoke rising from the vessel.
The massive rescue effort involved a Coast Guard helicopter, aircraft, lifeboats from four coastal towns, and multiple nearby vessels, the Coast Guard added.
Swedish tanker company Stena Bulk confirmed that it owned the oil tanker that was involved in the accident, stating that it was operated by US-based maritime company Crowley.
Lifeboat services said that several people abandoned the vessels after the collision occurred, according to British media reports.
<h2>North Sea tanker was under US military charter</h2>
A tanker ship, that was hit at anchor by another vessel in the North Sea, was on a short-term US military charter, a spokesperson said.
"Stena Immaculate was on a short-term charter with Military Sealift Command," according to Jillian Morris, the command spokesperson.
<h2>Oil tanker on fire</h2>
According to BBC reports, the oil tanker involved in the collision is on fire.
Vessels equipped with firefighting equipment have been dispatched to the location of the incident.
The cargo ship involved is the "Solong" or "So Long", owned by the German company Reederei Koepping, said local media reports.
<h2>UK Coast Guard assessing 'likely' pollution&nbsp;</h2>
The UK Coast Guard said that it was assessing the "likely" counter-pollution response that could be required after the collision incident.
"The incident remains ongoing and an assessment of the likely counter pollution response required is being enacted," a UK Coastguard spokesperson said.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: Swedish tanker company Stena Bulk confirmed that it owned the oil tanker that was involved in the accident, stating that it was operated by US-based maritime company Crowley.

At least 32 people were injured on Monday (Mar 10) in a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship that was carrying cyanide. The accident happened in the North Sea. "Ambulances are queuing on the quay" following the incident off the northeast coast of England, said Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East. The UK Coastguard, on Monday (Mar 10), said that it was responding to a collision incident in the North Sea involving an oil tanker and a cargo ship. According to UK media reports, both the cargo vessel and the oil tanker were ablaze off the northeastern coast of England. "HM Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire," a Coastguard spokesperson said. An alarm was triggered at 0948 GMT, alerting about the collision. Images released by the local media from the scene showed a huge plume of black smoke rising from the vessel. The massive rescue effort involved a Coast Guard helicopter, aircraft, lifeboats from four coastal towns, and multiple nearby vessels, the Coast Guard added. Swedish tanker company Stena Bulk confirmed that it owned the oil tanker that was involved in the accident, stating that it was operated by US-based maritime company Crowley. Lifeboat services said that several people abandoned the vessels after the collision occurred, according to British media reports. North Sea tanker was under US military charter A tanker ship, that was hit at anchor by another vessel in the North Sea, was on a short-term US military charter, a spokesperson said. "Stena Immaculate was on a short-term charter with Military Sealift Command," according to Jillian Morris, the command spokesperson. Oil tanker on fire According to BBC reports, the oil tanker involved in the collision is on fire. Vessels equipped with firefighting equipment have been dispatched to the location of the incident. The cargo ship involved is the "Solong" or "So Long", owned by the German company Reederei Koepping, said local media reports. UK Coast Guard assessing 'likely' pollution The UK Coast Guard said that it was assessing the "likely" counter-pollution response that could be required after the collision incident. "The incident remains ongoing and an assessment of the likely counter pollution response required is being enacted," a UK Coastguard spokesperson said. (With inputs from agencies)

North Sea collision between oil tanker and' cargo ship carrying cyanide injures 32

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that hostage envoy Adam Boehler&rsquo;s direct talks with senior Hamas officials about the release of hostages in Gaza was a &ldquo;one-off situation&rdquo; and as of now &ldquo;hasn&rsquo;t borne fruit.&rdquo;
&ldquo;That was a one-off situation in which our special envoy for hostages, whose job it is to get people released, had an opportunity to talk directly to someone who has control over these people and was given permission and encouraged to do so. He did so,&rdquo; Rubio told reporters en route to Saudi Arabia.
&ldquo;As of now, it hasn&rsquo;t borne fruit. Doesn&rsquo;t mean he was wrong to try, but our primary vehicle for negotiations on this front will continue to be Mr. Witkoff and the work he&rsquo;s doing through Qatar,&rdquo; he added.
<h2>Israel 'held talks' with White House over hostage envoy's TV interview</h2>
Senior Israeli officials were "surprised" to hear US hostage envoy Adam Boehler's remarks, in which he asserted that the United States is not &ldquo;an agent of Israel,&rdquo; The Times of Israel reported, citing an Israeli source.
In the wake of the interview, Israeli officials reportedly "held discussions" with White House officials.
Boehler, on Sunday, defended his direct talks with Hamas officials in an interview with CNN, which invited intense criticism from Israel.
He asserted that the US was "not an agent of Israel. We have specific interests at play.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hamas-confirms-multiple-meetings-with-us-on-gaza-ceasefire-deal-8836747">Also read: Hamas confirms multiple meetings with US on Gaza ceasefire deal</a>
<h2>'Helpful meeting'</h2>
Boehler said that he was confident a deal could be reached "within weeks" to free all hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
"I think it was a very helpful meeting. It was very helpful to hear some back and forth," Boehler said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union."
<h2>Hamas confirms multiple meetings with US</h2>
The political adviser to the Hamas chief, Taher Al-Nono, confirmed that multiple meetings occurred between Hamas leaders and US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler, according to news agency Reuters.
Nono said that the talks took place in the Qatari capital over the past week and were centred around the release of an American-Israeli dual national, who was held hostage by the Palestinian militant group in war-torn Gaza.
"Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners. We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people," Nono said.
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

World news: Senior Israeli officials were "surprised" to hear US hostage envoy Adam Boehler's remarks, in which he asserted that the United States is not “an agent of Israel,” The Times of Israel reported, citing an Israeli source.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that hostage envoy Adam Boehler’s direct talks with senior Hamas officials about the release of hostages in Gaza was a “one-off situation” and as of now “hasn’t borne fruit.” “That was a one-off situation in which our special envoy for hostages, whose job it is to get people released, had an opportunity to talk directly to someone who has control over these people and was given permission and encouraged to do so. He did so,” Rubio told reporters en route to Saudi Arabia. “As of now, it hasn’t borne fruit. Doesn’t mean he was wrong to try, but our primary vehicle for negotiations on this front will continue to be Mr. Witkoff and the work he’s doing through Qatar,” he added. Israel 'held talks' with White House over hostage envoy's TV interview Senior Israeli officials were "surprised" to hear US hostage envoy Adam Boehler's remarks, in which he asserted that the United States is not “an agent of Israel,” The Times of Israel reported, citing an Israeli source. In the wake of the interview, Israeli officials reportedly "held discussions" with White House officials. Boehler, on Sunday, defended his direct talks with Hamas officials in an interview with CNN, which invited intense criticism from Israel. He asserted that the US was "not an agent of Israel. We have specific interests at play.” Also read: Hamas confirms multiple meetings with US on Gaza ceasefire deal 'Helpful meeting' Boehler said that he was confident a deal could be reached "within weeks" to free all hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. "I think it was a very helpful meeting. It was very helpful to hear some back and forth," Boehler said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union." Hamas confirms multiple meetings with US The political adviser to the Hamas chief, Taher Al-Nono, confirmed that multiple meetings occurred between Hamas leaders and US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler, according to news agency Reuters. Nono said that the talks took place in the Qatari capital over the past week and were centred around the release of an American-Israeli dual national, who was held hostage by the Palestinian militant group in war-torn Gaza. "Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners. We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people," Nono said. (With inputs from agencies)

Rubio says US hostage envoy’s direct meeting with Hamas ‘hasn’t borne fruit’

The Trump administration has come under fire after its recent decision to withdraw military and intelligence support for Ukraine, with Vice President JD Vance&rsquo;s own cousin branding him and President Donald Trump as &ldquo;Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s useful idiots.&rdquo;
Nate Vance, a Texan who spent three years fighting on the front lines against Russia, voiced his disappointment in an interview with Le Figaro published on Sunday. He described his cousin as &ldquo;good&rdquo; and &ldquo;intelligent&rdquo; but criticised the administration&rsquo;s sudden shift away from aiding Ukraine, calling it a betrayal.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-zelensky-us-us-secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-russia-ukraine-war-us-ukraine-talks-mineral-deal-us-aid-8840748">From US aid to mineral deal: Much at stake as Zelensky, Rubio arrive in Saudi for crucial US-Ukraine talks</a>
<h2>'Ambush of absolute dishonesty'</h2>
&ldquo;When [JD Vance] criticised aid to Ukraine, I thought it was because he needed to appeal to his electorate, that it was part of the political game. But what they did to Zelensky was an ambush of absolute dishonesty,&rdquo; Nate Vance told Le Figaro.
Nate Vance said, "Donald Trump and my cousin clearly think they can placate Vladimir Putin. They are wrong. The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s useful idiots.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-slams-ungrateful-zelensky-for-extorting-us-ahead-of-talks-on-russia-ukraine-war-8837577">&lsquo;Took money like candy from baby&rsquo;: Trump slams &lsquo;ungrateful&rsquo; Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv</a>
<h2>'Not going to accept you killing my comrades'</h2>
A former US Marine, Nate Vance served in Ukraine&rsquo;s Da Vinci Wolves First Motorised Battalion from 2022 until January this year. He and JD Vance share grandparents and have spent family holidays together. However, he said his attempts to contact his cousin about the situation have gone unanswered.
&ldquo;Being your family doesn&rsquo;t mean I&rsquo;m going to accept you killing my comrades,&rdquo; he said.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-miffed-with-uk-after-king-charles-welcomes-zelensky-trudeau-to-his-home-8837379">&lsquo;Makes him feel less special&rsquo;: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home</a>
JD Vance is believed to be at the centre of a heated Oval Office exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month. During the meeting, both he and Trump berated Zelensky, allegedly for not showing enough gratitude for US military assistance. In the days following the confrontation, Trump suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-zelensky-us-president-donald-trump-makes-sarcastic-joke-about-white-house-suit-criticism-8837663">&lsquo;Sorry I&rsquo;m not in a suit&rsquo;: Ukraine&rsquo;s Zelensky makes sarcastic joke about Trump&rsquo;s attire criticism</a>
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has taken steps to strengthen its ties with Russia. On Friday, Trump said that the US was &ldquo;doing very well with Russia&rdquo; but admitted that dealing with Ukraine was proving more difficult.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: Nate Vance, who spent three years fighting on the front lines against Russia, criticised the Trump administration’s shift away from aiding Ukraine, calling it a betrayal.

The Trump administration has come under fire after its recent decision to withdraw military and intelligence support for Ukraine, with Vice President JD Vance’s own cousin branding him and President Donald Trump as “Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots.” Nate Vance, a Texan who spent three years fighting on the front lines against Russia, voiced his disappointment in an interview with Le Figaro published on Sunday. He described his cousin as “good” and “intelligent” but criticised the administration’s sudden shift away from aiding Ukraine, calling it a betrayal. Also read: From US aid to mineral deal: Much at stake as Zelensky, Rubio arrive in Saudi for crucial US-Ukraine talks 'Ambush of absolute dishonesty' “When [JD Vance] criticised aid to Ukraine, I thought it was because he needed to appeal to his electorate, that it was part of the political game. But what they did to Zelensky was an ambush of absolute dishonesty,” Nate Vance told Le Figaro. Nate Vance said, "Donald Trump and my cousin clearly think they can placate Vladimir Putin. They are wrong. The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin’s useful idiots.” Also read: ‘Took money like candy from baby’: Trump slams ‘ungrateful’ Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv 'Not going to accept you killing my comrades' A former US Marine, Nate Vance served in Ukraine’s Da Vinci Wolves First Motorised Battalion from 2022 until January this year. He and JD Vance share grandparents and have spent family holidays together. However, he said his attempts to contact his cousin about the situation have gone unanswered. “Being your family doesn’t mean I’m going to accept you killing my comrades,” he said. Also read: ‘Makes him feel less special’: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home JD Vance is believed to be at the centre of a heated Oval Office exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month. During the meeting, both he and Trump berated Zelensky, allegedly for not showing enough gratitude for US military assistance. In the days following the confrontation, Trump suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Also read: ‘Sorry I’m not in a suit’: Ukraine’s Zelensky makes sarcastic joke about Trump’s attire criticism Meanwhile, the Trump administration has taken steps to strengthen its ties with Russia. On Friday, Trump said that the US was “doing very well with Russia” but admitted that dealing with Ukraine was proving more difficult. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Putin’s useful idiots’: JD Vance’s cousin who fought in Ukraine slams Trump, VP for ‘ambushing’ Zelensky

Elon Musk has suggested that a major cyber attack was responsible for the multiple outages that hit his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), on Monday (March 10).
The billionaire entrepreneur claimed the attack was highly resourced and possibly linked to a coordinated group or even a nation.
"There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against 𝕏. We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved. Tracing &hellip;" Musk wrote on X.
His comments came in response to a post by a user named 'DogeDesigner', who had pointed out a pattern of recent disruptions, including protests against Dogecoin (DOGE), attacks on Tesla stores, and now, the outage on X.
"First, protests against DOGE. Then, Tesla stores were attacked. Now, 𝕏 is down. I wouldn&rsquo;t rule out the possibility that this downtime is the result of an attack on 𝕏," the user posted.
Another user responded, "They want to silence you and this platform," to which Musk replied, "yes."
Calls for further investigation also surfaced, with one user urging, "Trace it out and let everyone in X know who's behind it!"
Musk has not yet provided further details on the attack or any possible suspects.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | Science & tech: Elon Musk has suggested that a major cyber attack was responsible for the multiple outages that hit his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter)

Elon Musk has suggested that a major cyber attack was responsible for the multiple outages that hit his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), on Monday (March 10). The billionaire entrepreneur claimed the attack was highly resourced and possibly linked to a coordinated group or even a nation. "There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against 𝕏. We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved. Tracing …" Musk wrote on X. His comments came in response to a post by a user named 'DogeDesigner', who had pointed out a pattern of recent disruptions, including protests against Dogecoin (DOGE), attacks on Tesla stores, and now, the outage on X. "First, protests against DOGE. Then, Tesla stores were attacked. Now, 𝕏 is down. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that this downtime is the result of an attack on 𝕏," the user posted. Another user responded, "They want to silence you and this platform," to which Musk replied, "yes." Calls for further investigation also surfaced, with one user urging, "Trace it out and let everyone in X know who's behind it!" Musk has not yet provided further details on the attack or any possible suspects. (With inputs from agencies)

‘A country is involved’: Elon Musk claims ‘massive cyberattack’ after X goes down worldwide

US President Donald Trump, on Monday (Mar 10), said that the arrest of the leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in New York is "the first arrest of many to come."
Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent figure in Columbia University's protest movement against Israel's actions in Gaza that erupted in 2024, was detained by immigration officials over the weekend.
"We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The Department of Homeland Security said that the move was "in support of President Trump's executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State."
Khalil, a Columbia graduate, held a permanent residency green card at the time he was arrested, said the Student Workers of Columbia union.
<iframe width="600" height="" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114139222625284782/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<script src="https://truthsocial.com/embed.js" async="async"></script>

The US president, in his post, had threatened further action against other campus protesters.
<h2>'Will apprehend, deport terrorist sympathisers'</h2>
He alleged that some of the demonstrators were "paid agitators."
"Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathisers from our country &mdash; never to return again," he wrote.
"If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America&rsquo;s Colleges and Universities to comply," he added.
US college campuses, including Columbia, saw widespread student protests condemning Israel's actions in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. These protests sparked controversy and accusations of anti-Semitism.
Protests on campus turned heated, with some escalating into violence, building occupations, and lecture disruptions. The demonstrations drew a sharp divide between students protesting Israel's actions and pro-Israel advocates, including many Jewish students.
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

World: US college campuses, including Columbia, saw widespread student protests condemning Israel's actions in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. These protests sparked controversy and accusations of anti-Semitism.

US President Donald Trump, on Monday (Mar 10), said that the arrest of the leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in New York is "the first arrest of many to come." Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent figure in Columbia University's protest movement against Israel's actions in Gaza that erupted in 2024, was detained by immigration officials over the weekend. "We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The Department of Homeland Security said that the move was "in support of President Trump's executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State." Khalil, a Columbia graduate, held a permanent residency green card at the time he was arrested, said the Student Workers of Columbia union. The US president, in his post, had threatened further action against other campus protesters. 'Will apprehend, deport terrorist sympathisers' He alleged that some of the demonstrators were "paid agitators." "Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathisers from our country — never to return again," he wrote. "If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply," he added. US college campuses, including Columbia, saw widespread student protests condemning Israel's actions in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. These protests sparked controversy and accusations of anti-Semitism. Protests on campus turned heated, with some escalating into violence, building occupations, and lecture disruptions. The demonstrations drew a sharp divide between students protesting Israel's actions and pro-Israel advocates, including many Jewish students. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump says pro-Palestinian campus protester ‘first arrest of many to come’

Nearly 300 Indians flew home through Thailand on Monday after being released from scam centres in Myanmar, officials in the kingdom said, as part of efforts to shut down the illegal online fraud operations.
Authorities in Myanmar, under pressure from ally China, have cracked down in recent weeks on the scam compounds that have flourished in the country's lawless borderlands.
Around 7,000 workers from at least two dozen countries have been freed, the majority of them Chinese, but many have been languishing in squalid conditions in temporary holding camps on the Myanmar-Thai border.
A group of Indian officials crossed into Myanmar to accompany seven buses taking the freed Indian nationals&mdash;as well as three more carrying their luggage&mdash;to Mae Sot airport in northwest Thailand.
The Indian government sent a C-17 transport plane to carry the 266 men and 17 women back home, with a second batch of 257 due to be flown out on Tuesday.
China has repatriated more than 2,000 of its nationals freed from Myanmar scam centres through Thailand since the three countries began their crackdown late last month.
Scam centres have sprung up in Myanmar's border areas in recent years as part of a criminal industry worth billions of dollars a year.
Thousands of foreign workers staff the centres, trawling social media for victims to fleece, often through romance or investment cons.
Many workers say they were lured or tricked into taking the work and suffered beatings and abuse.
But China has so far treated its repatriated workers as criminal suspects, clapping them in handcuffs on their return home.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

World: A group of Indian officials crossed into Myanmar to accompany seven buses taking the freed Indian nationals—as well as three more carrying their luggage—to Mae Sot airport in northwest Thailand.

Nearly 300 Indians flew home through Thailand on Monday after being released from scam centres in Myanmar, officials in the kingdom said, as part of efforts to shut down the illegal online fraud operations. Authorities in Myanmar, under pressure from ally China, have cracked down in recent weeks on the scam compounds that have flourished in the country's lawless borderlands. Around 7,000 workers from at least two dozen countries have been freed, the majority of them Chinese, but many have been languishing in squalid conditions in temporary holding camps on the Myanmar-Thai border. A group of Indian officials crossed into Myanmar to accompany seven buses taking the freed Indian nationals—as well as three more carrying their luggage—to Mae Sot airport in northwest Thailand. The Indian government sent a C-17 transport plane to carry the 266 men and 17 women back home, with a second batch of 257 due to be flown out on Tuesday. China has repatriated more than 2,000 of its nationals freed from Myanmar scam centres through Thailand since the three countries began their crackdown late last month. Scam centres have sprung up in Myanmar's border areas in recent years as part of a criminal industry worth billions of dollars a year. Thousands of foreign workers staff the centres, trawling social media for victims to fleece, often through romance or investment cons. Many workers say they were lured or tricked into taking the work and suffered beatings and abuse. But China has so far treated its repatriated workers as criminal suspects, clapping them in handcuffs on their return home. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Nearly 300 Indians repatriated from Myanmar scam centres

US President Donald Trump is considering a visit to China as early as next month, South China Morning Post reported, citing multiple diplomatic sources.
This potential trip is likely aimed at finalizing a deal with Beijing, which has been the Republican leader's primary focus since his return to the White House for his second term.
Both presidents want to host a diplomatic visit to claim a triumph, but talks so far suggest Trump might visit China instead, said SCMP, citing sources.
It is not yet clear as to how far the discussions have progressed.
&ldquo;It is more difficult for Beijing officials to talk to their counterparts in Washington now than in the Biden administration, as Washington is going through drastic changes,&rdquo; SCMP quoted a source as saying.
Just days before Trump's return to the White House on January 20, he had a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they discussed various issues.
&ldquo;It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects,&rdquo; Trump said after he spoke to Xi on call.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a conversation with US counterpart Marco Rubio just a week later, although they are yet to hold an official meeting.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/if-us-wants-war-were-ready-to-fight-china-warns-trump-amid-tariff-row-8796239">Also read: &lsquo;If US wants war, we&rsquo;re ready to fight&rsquo;: China warns Trump amid tariff row</a>
<h2>'Trump and Xi to hold summit in April'</h2>
According to the SCMP report, a second source said that both countries were having discussions around holding a summit between Trump and Xi in the month of April.
Trump expressed hope for Xi to visit his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where they previously met in 2017. However, Beijing preferred a more formal meeting in either Washington or China.
&ldquo;Especially for Xi, if Trump visits China after the &lsquo;two sessions&rsquo;, it will be an important diplomatic victory,&rdquo; SCMP quoted the source as saying.
This comes as the trade friction continues to grow between the two countries after Trump slapped tariffs on Chinese goods, followed by retaliatory tariffs from China.
(With inputs from agencies)

World news: Just days before Trump's return to the White House on January 20, he had a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they discussed various issues.

US President Donald Trump is considering a visit to China as early as next month, South China Morning Post reported, citing multiple diplomatic sources. This potential trip is likely aimed at finalizing a deal with Beijing, which has been the Republican leader's primary focus since his return to the White House for his second term. Both presidents want to host a diplomatic visit to claim a triumph, but talks so far suggest Trump might visit China instead, said SCMP, citing sources. It is not yet clear as to how far the discussions have progressed. “It is more difficult for Beijing officials to talk to their counterparts in Washington now than in the Biden administration, as Washington is going through drastic changes,” SCMP quoted a source as saying. Just days before Trump's return to the White House on January 20, he had a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they discussed various issues. “It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects,” Trump said after he spoke to Xi on call. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a conversation with US counterpart Marco Rubio just a week later, although they are yet to hold an official meeting. Also read: ‘If US wants war, we’re ready to fight’: China warns Trump amid tariff row 'Trump and Xi to hold summit in April' According to the SCMP report, a second source said that both countries were having discussions around holding a summit between Trump and Xi in the month of April. Trump expressed hope for Xi to visit his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where they previously met in 2017. However, Beijing preferred a more formal meeting in either Washington or China. “Especially for Xi, if Trump visits China after the ‘two sessions’, it will be an important diplomatic victory,” SCMP quoted the source as saying. This comes as the trade friction continues to grow between the two countries after Trump slapped tariffs on Chinese goods, followed by retaliatory tariffs from China. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump likely to visit China in April, meet Xi amid growing trade tensions: Report

Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, announced that as of Monday, Ontario will impose a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity sold to 1.5 million American customers. This move is in direct response to Trump&rsquo;s ongoing trade war.
Ontario supplies electricity to Minnesota, New York, and Michigan. Ford warned that he was prepared to escalate further if necessary. &ldquo;I will not hesitate to increase this charge. If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,&rdquo; he said at a news conference in Toronto.
Ford added, &ldquo;Believe me when I say I do not want to do this. I feel terrible for the American people who didn&rsquo;t start this trade war. It&rsquo;s one person who is responsible, it&rsquo;s President Trump.&rdquo;
Despite Trump&rsquo;s offer of a one-month reprieve, Ford said Ontario would keep the surcharge in place, arguing that temporary pauses only create further uncertainty.
According to Ford&rsquo;s office, the new market rules require any electricity generator selling power to the US to apply a 25 per cent surcharge. The provincial government expects to generate between $208,000 and $277,000 per day in additional revenue, which will be used to support Ontario workers, families, and businesses.
This surcharge adds to the Canadian federal government&rsquo;s existing $21 billion worth of retaliatory tariffs on American products, including orange juice, peanut butter, coffee, household appliances, footwear, cosmetics, motorcycles, and certain pulp and paper products.
<h2>PM-elect Carney calls Trump 2.0 'most significant threat Canadians have faced'</h2>
Meanwhile, Mark Carney was elected leader of Canada&rsquo;s ruling Liberal Party on Sunday. The 59-year-old is expected to officially take over as prime minister within the next week, succeeding Justin Trudeau.
In his victory speech, Carney directly addressed the challenges posed by US President Donald Trump, calling his administration "the most significant threat Canadians have faced in their lifetime." He warned, &ldquo;If they succeed, they would destroy our way of life.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-mark-carney-liberal-leader-set-to-succeed-justin-trudeau-as-canadas-next-pm-8839736">Who is Mark Carney? Liberal leader set to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada&rsquo;s next PM</a>
To loud cheers from supporters in Ottawa, Carney announced his intention to keep Canada&rsquo;s reciprocal tariffs on US goods in place until the United States treats Canada with &ldquo;respect.&rdquo; He also dismissed Trump&rsquo;s suggestion that Canada could become a 51st US state, saying, &ldquo;Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way. Americans should make no mistake: In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.&rdquo;
I&rsquo;ve learned a few things from long experience in crises. The first is that &lsquo;plan beats no plan,&rsquo;&rdquo; he said. His vision includes building millions of homes, transforming Canada into an energy superpower, and establishing new trade corridors with "reliable partners."
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mark-carney-next-pm-of-canada-warns-of-existential-crisis-says-us-wants-our-country-8837801">Canada's next PM Mark Carney warns of existential challenge, says US wants 'our country'</a>
(With inputs from agencies)

World: Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that as of Monday, they will impose a 25% surcharge on electricity sold to 1.5 million US customers in response to Trump’s ongoing trade war.

Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, announced that as of Monday, Ontario will impose a 25 per cent surcharge on electricity sold to 1.5 million American customers. This move is in direct response to Trump’s ongoing trade war. Ontario supplies electricity to Minnesota, New York, and Michigan. Ford warned that he was prepared to escalate further if necessary. “I will not hesitate to increase this charge. If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,” he said at a news conference in Toronto. Ford added, “Believe me when I say I do not want to do this. I feel terrible for the American people who didn’t start this trade war. It’s one person who is responsible, it’s President Trump.” Despite Trump’s offer of a one-month reprieve, Ford said Ontario would keep the surcharge in place, arguing that temporary pauses only create further uncertainty. According to Ford’s office, the new market rules require any electricity generator selling power to the US to apply a 25 per cent surcharge. The provincial government expects to generate between $208,000 and $277,000 per day in additional revenue, which will be used to support Ontario workers, families, and businesses. This surcharge adds to the Canadian federal government’s existing $21 billion worth of retaliatory tariffs on American products, including orange juice, peanut butter, coffee, household appliances, footwear, cosmetics, motorcycles, and certain pulp and paper products. PM-elect Carney calls Trump 2.0 'most significant threat Canadians have faced' Meanwhile, Mark Carney was elected leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party on Sunday. The 59-year-old is expected to officially take over as prime minister within the next week, succeeding Justin Trudeau. In his victory speech, Carney directly addressed the challenges posed by US President Donald Trump, calling his administration "the most significant threat Canadians have faced in their lifetime." He warned, “If they succeed, they would destroy our way of life.” Also read: Who is Mark Carney? Liberal leader set to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada’s next PM To loud cheers from supporters in Ottawa, Carney announced his intention to keep Canada’s reciprocal tariffs on US goods in place until the United States treats Canada with “respect.” He also dismissed Trump’s suggestion that Canada could become a 51st US state, saying, “Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way. Americans should make no mistake: In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.” I’ve learned a few things from long experience in crises. The first is that ‘plan beats no plan,’” he said. His vision includes building millions of homes, transforming Canada into an energy superpower, and establishing new trade corridors with "reliable partners." Also read: Canada's next PM Mark Carney warns of existential challenge, says US wants 'our country' (With inputs from agencies)

‘Feeling terrible for American people’: Ontario slaps 25% surcharge on US electricity amid Trump’s trade war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Jeddah for discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday (March 10), according to reports from AFP and Reuters, citing a Ukrainian official.
<h2>US-Ukraine talks to follow</h2>
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is set to participate in US-Ukraine talks on Tuesday, said that the meeting is important to understand Ukraine&rsquo;s commitment to peace. 
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Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-us-state-secretary-marco-rubio-usaid-programs-elon-musk-doge-8840639">&lsquo;Thank you to DOGE&rsquo;: Trump&rsquo;s State Secy Rubio slashes 83% of USAID programs, Musk says &lsquo;tough but necessary&rsquo;</a>
"Important point is to establish clearly Ukraine&rsquo;s intentions to reach a point where peace is possible. The important thing to leave with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things like the Russians will. There are still more details to be worked out on the minerals deal with Ukraine. There will at some point be an effort to engage with Russia and establish a process to determine their positions, see how far apart we are," Rubio said.
He also said that the US must grasp Ukraine&rsquo;s stance and have a broad understanding of any concessions Kyiv might be willing to consider. The ongoing pause in aid to Ukraine is another key issue Rubio hopes to resolve, and Tuesday&rsquo;s discussions will be crucial in addressing the matter.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-president-donald-trump-zelensky-what-to-expect-from-us-ukraine-talks-in-saudi-after-trump-zelensky-fallout-8840380">&lsquo;Ceasefire in sky and sea&rsquo;: What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump-Zelensky fallout</a>
<h2>US intelligence support for Ukraine</h2>
Meanwhile, Donald Trump's former Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, asserted that the US had not cut off intelligence support for Ukraine&rsquo;s defensive needs.
"The US never shut off intelligence for 'anything defensive that the Ukrainians needed'," Witkoff said. He is part of the US delegation set to meet Ukrainian officials in Jeddah on Tuesday.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-wants-peace-zelensky-says-russia-is-the-only-reason-war-continues-ahead-of-key-talks-with-us-8839786">&lsquo;Ukraine wants peace&rsquo;: Ahead of talks with US, Zelensky says Russia is the &lsquo;only reason&rsquo; war continues</a>
<h2>What to expect from the talks?</h2>
During the upcoming peace talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine is expected to push for a ceasefire with Russia in both the air and at sea, according to an official.
Discussions will centre on efforts to achieve peace, although neither US President Donald Trump nor President Zelensky will be present. Russia is also not participating.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-slams-ungrateful-zelensky-for-extorting-us-ahead-of-talks-on-russia-ukraine-war-8837577">&lsquo;Took money like candy from baby&rsquo;: Trump slams &lsquo;ungrateful&rsquo; Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv</a>
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on the state of US-Russia relations, describing them as being at "an initial stage of restoring bilateral relations". He further questioned whether Ukrainian authorities genuinely seek peace.
Zelensky, however, reaffirmed Ukraine&rsquo;s commitment, saying, &ldquo;Ukraine has been striving for peace since the first second of the war.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;

World: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is set to participate in US-Ukraine talks on Tuesday, said that the meeting is important to understand Ukraine’s commitment to peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Jeddah for discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday (March 10), according to reports from AFP and Reuters, citing a Ukrainian official. US-Ukraine talks to follow US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is set to participate in US-Ukraine talks on Tuesday, said that the meeting is important to understand Ukraine’s commitment to peace. Also read: ‘Thank you to DOGE’: Trump’s State Secy Rubio slashes 83% of USAID programs, Musk says ‘tough but necessary’ "Important point is to establish clearly Ukraine’s intentions to reach a point where peace is possible. The important thing to leave with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things like the Russians will. There are still more details to be worked out on the minerals deal with Ukraine. There will at some point be an effort to engage with Russia and establish a process to determine their positions, see how far apart we are," Rubio said. He also said that the US must grasp Ukraine’s stance and have a broad understanding of any concessions Kyiv might be willing to consider. The ongoing pause in aid to Ukraine is another key issue Rubio hopes to resolve, and Tuesday’s discussions will be crucial in addressing the matter. Also read: ‘Ceasefire in sky and sea’: What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump-Zelensky fallout US intelligence support for Ukraine Meanwhile, Donald Trump's former Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, asserted that the US had not cut off intelligence support for Ukraine’s defensive needs. "The US never shut off intelligence for 'anything defensive that the Ukrainians needed'," Witkoff said. He is part of the US delegation set to meet Ukrainian officials in Jeddah on Tuesday. Also read: ‘Ukraine wants peace’: Ahead of talks with US, Zelensky says Russia is the ‘only reason’ war continues What to expect from the talks? During the upcoming peace talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine is expected to push for a ceasefire with Russia in both the air and at sea, according to an official. Discussions will centre on efforts to achieve peace, although neither US President Donald Trump nor President Zelensky will be present. Russia is also not participating. Also read: ‘Took money like candy from baby’: Trump slams ‘ungrateful’ Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on the state of US-Russia relations, describing them as being at "an initial stage of restoring bilateral relations". He further questioned whether Ukrainian authorities genuinely seek peace. Zelensky, however, reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment, saying, “Ukraine has been striving for peace since the first second of the war.” (With inputs from agencies)

From US aid to mineral deal: Much at stake as Zelensky, Rubio arrive in Saudi for crucial US-Ukraine talks

The US President Donald Trump's administration is set to eliminate 83 per cent of the programmes under the USAID and move the remaining to the State Department.
In other news, at least 32 people were injured after a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is set to propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during discussions with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week.
Click on the headlines for more
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-us-state-secretary-marco-rubio-usaid-programs-elon-musk-doge-8840639">&lsquo;Thank you to DOGE&rsquo;: Trump&rsquo;s State Secy Rubio slashes 83% of USAID programs, Musk says &lsquo;tough but necessary&rsquo;</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/01/25/JSeL9zzWnYqA38K8GJoy.png" alt=" US President Donald Trump with Secretary of State Marco Rubio Photograph: (Reuters) ">
The Trump administration is set to eliminate 83 per cent of the programmes under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and shift the remaining ones to the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday (March 10).
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-sea-collision-accident-between-oil-tanker-and-cargo-ship-injures-32-8840457">North Sea collision between oil tanker and cargo ship injures 32</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/10/OsHGYvDSbAqiiHttSt7B.jpg" alt=" North Sea tanker and cargo ship collision injures 32 Photograph: (AFP) ">
At least 32 people sustained injuries in the North Sea collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship and were brought ashore.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-president-donald-trump-zelensky-what-to-expect-from-us-ukraine-talks-in-saudi-after-trump-zelensky-fallout-8840380">'Ceasefire in sky and sea': What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump, Zelensky fallout</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/02/l2wqwuGh9djPXJuNhHXn.png" alt=" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Photograph: (AFP) ">
Kyiv is set to propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during discussions with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week, according to media reports. President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to arrive in the kingdom as the negotiations take place.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hamas-offers-flexibility-in-gaza-negotiations-pressures-israel-to-move-forward-8839816">'Continues to renege'; Hamas accuses Israel of backtracking on Gaza truce deal</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/02/LPTvUpQlzv6ptdnMfs30.jpg" alt=" Hamas demands implementation of second ceasefire phase Photograph: (AFP) ">
Hamas, on Monday (Mar 10), accused Israel of backtracking on a truce deal and refusing to go forward with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, as Israeli negotiators were scheduled to discuss a potential extension in Qatar.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-mark-carney-liberal-leader-set-to-succeed-justin-trudeau-as-canadas-next-pm-8839736">Who is Mark Carney? Liberal leader set to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada&rsquo;s next PM</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/10/HpktIw1F2bkXpZZaerqu.png" alt=" Canada's Liberal Leader and Prime Minister-elect Mark Carney speaks after being elected as the new Liberal Party leader in Ottawa on March 9, 2025. Photograph: (AFP) ">
After being elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Mark Carney is set to become the country&rsquo;s next prime minister. Carney, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, will succeed Justin Trudeau, who stepped down earlier this year.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-new-leader-vows-investigation-into-mass-killings-of-alawite-civilians-who-are-they-8839193">Syria&rsquo;s new leader vows investigation into mass killings of Alawite civilians. Who are they?</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/10/V1wtbtL7iuXZPMQSULbN.jpg" alt=" Combination image of Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and Security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government. Photograph: (AFP) ">
As Syria witnesses &ldquo;one of the biggest massacres&rdquo; since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, its new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has vowed to hunt down Assad loyalists and promised an investigation into the mass killings of Alawites following international backlash.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-iconic-tower-bridge-closed-as-man-climbs-up-and-sits-on-railings-8840138">UK&rsquo;s iconic Tower Bridge briefly closed as man climbs up and sits on railings</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/10/juKaH4gzq912DlipYlkj.jpg" alt=" Members of the emergency services work to bring down a person who had scaled part of Tower Bridge, in London on March 10, 2025. Photograph: (AFP) ">
The UK's Tower Bridge has been closed on Monday (Mar 10) after a man climbed up the iconic landmark in London. This comes two days after a pro-Palestinian protester caused chaos after climbing the Elizabeth Tower.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-confirms-us-in-talks-with-four-different-groups-interested-in-acquiring-tiktok-8839995">Trump confirms US in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring TikTok</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/01/19/c24NqEBq4XzBY3mz5QAX.png" alt=" Trump confirms US in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring TikTok Photograph: (Reuters, Wion Web Team) ">
US President Donald Trump, on Sunday (Mar 9), said that his administration was talking to four different groups that were interested in acquiring Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/iifa-2025-nitanshi-goel-alia-bhatt-katrina-kaif-in-best-actress-category-laapataa-ladies-8840596">IIFA 2025: Nitanshi Goel breaks down as she beats Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif in Best Actress category</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2024/05/15/431618-your-paragraph-text-2024-05-15t194405291.jpg" alt=" IIFA 2025: Nitanshi Goel breaks down as she beats Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif in Best Actress category">
Nitanshi Goel got emotional on the IIFA 2025 stage on Sunday night as she won the Best Actress in a Leading Role category for her performance in Laapataa Ladies. The film, helmed by Kiran Rao and backed by Aamir Khan, dominated the awards night with 10 wins.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/winning-captain-rohit-sharma-misses-cut-in-iccs-champions-trophy-team-of-the-tournament-8840507">Winning captain Rohit Sharma misses cut in ICC&rsquo;s Champions Trophy Team of the Tournament</a>
<img src="https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/03/10/PXlgU1x2x0aui1OtgzIH.jpg" alt=" Winning captain Rohit Sharma misses cut in ICC&rsquo;s Champions Trophy Team of the Tournament Photograph: (Others) ">
Rohit Sharma might have led India to a monumental win in the just concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand in Dubai but missed out on getting picked in ICC&rsquo;s Team of the Tournament announced Monday evening. His counterpart, the Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner, leads the best XI picked by a selection panel of commentators and former international players.
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Dive into today's top global stories, bringing you the most significant events and updates from around the world to keep you informed and engaged.

The US President Donald Trump's administration is set to eliminate 83 per cent of the programmes under the USAID and move the remaining to the State Department. In other news, at least 32 people were injured after a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea. Meanwhile, Ukraine is set to propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during discussions with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week. Click on the headlines for more ‘Thank you to DOGE’: Trump’s State Secy Rubio slashes 83% of USAID programs, Musk says ‘tough but necessary’ The Trump administration is set to eliminate 83 per cent of the programmes under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and shift the remaining ones to the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday (March 10). North Sea collision between oil tanker and cargo ship injures 32 At least 32 people sustained injuries in the North Sea collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship and were brought ashore. 'Ceasefire in sky and sea': What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump, Zelensky fallout Kyiv is set to propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during discussions with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week, according to media reports. President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to arrive in the kingdom as the negotiations take place. 'Continues to renege'; Hamas accuses Israel of backtracking on Gaza truce deal Hamas, on Monday (Mar 10), accused Israel of backtracking on a truce deal and refusing to go forward with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, as Israeli negotiators were scheduled to discuss a potential extension in Qatar. Who is Mark Carney? Liberal leader set to succeed Justin Trudeau as Canada’s next PM After being elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Mark Carney is set to become the country’s next prime minister. Carney, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, will succeed Justin Trudeau, who stepped down earlier this year. Syria’s new leader vows investigation into mass killings of Alawite civilians. Who are they? As Syria witnesses “one of the biggest massacres” since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, its new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has vowed to hunt down Assad loyalists and promised an investigation into the mass killings of Alawites following international backlash. UK’s iconic Tower Bridge briefly closed as man climbs up and sits on railings The UK's Tower Bridge has been closed on Monday (Mar 10) after a man climbed up the iconic landmark in London. This comes two days after a pro-Palestinian protester caused chaos after climbing the Elizabeth Tower. Trump confirms US in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring TikTok US President Donald Trump, on Sunday (Mar 9), said that his administration was talking to four different groups that were interested in acquiring Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. IIFA 2025: Nitanshi Goel breaks down as she beats Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif in Best Actress category Nitanshi Goel got emotional on the IIFA 2025 stage on Sunday night as she won the Best Actress in a Leading Role category for her performance in Laapataa Ladies. The film, helmed by Kiran Rao and backed by Aamir Khan, dominated the awards night with 10 wins. Winning captain Rohit Sharma misses cut in ICC’s Champions Trophy Team of the Tournament Rohit Sharma might have led India to a monumental win in the just concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand in Dubai but missed out on getting picked in ICC’s Team of the Tournament announced Monday evening. His counterpart, the Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner, leads the best XI picked by a selection panel of commentators and former international players.

Top 10 world news: US slashes 83% of USAID programmes; North Sea collision, and more

Following US hostage envoy Adam Boehler&rsquo;s TV interview on Sunday (Mar 9), where he asserted that the United States was "not an agent of Israel", Tel Aviv last night "held discussions" with White House officials, The Times of Israel reported, citing a source.
Boehler, on Sunday, defended his direct talks with Hamas officials in an interview with CNN, which invited intense criticism from Israel.
Senior Israeli officials were "surprised" to hear some of Boehler's remarks.
Some of them also believed that Boehler appeared for TV interviews with an aim to send Israel a pointed message.
He then also took to his X account and issued a post clarifying some of his statements.
<h2>&lsquo;We&rsquo;re the United States. We&rsquo;re not an agent of Israel&rsquo;</h2>
Boehler, in an interview with CNN, defended his direct talks with Hamas officials after the revelation ignited an uneasy conversation between him and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
&ldquo;I understand the consternation and the concern. I wasn&rsquo;t upset,&rdquo; he said, sharing details about his dialogue with Dermer.
&ldquo;At the same time, we&rsquo;re the United States. We&rsquo;re not an agent of Israel. We have specific interests at play,&rdquo; he added.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-surprised-after-trump-official-says-us-working-for-itself-says-hamas-militants-pretty-nice-guys-8837672">Also read: &lsquo;Hamas militants are pretty nice guys&rsquo;: US &lsquo;surprises&rsquo; Israel after envoy says Washington working for itself</a>
<h2>'Helpful meeting'</h2>
Boehler said that he was confident a deal could be reached "within weeks" to free all hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
"I think it was a very helpful meeting. It was very helpful to hear some back and forth," Boehler said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union."
<h2>'Nice guys'</h2>
Boehler alleged in the interview that US President Donald Trump signed off on his talks with Hamas ahead of time.
&ldquo;I spoke with Ron, and I&rsquo;m sympathetic. He has someone that he doesn&rsquo;t know well, making direct contact with Hamas," he said.&nbsp;
"Maybe I would see them and say, &lsquo;Look, they don&rsquo;t have horns growing out of their head. They&rsquo;re actually guys like us. They&rsquo;re pretty nice guys&rsquo;,&rdquo; the US envoy added.
<h2>Hamas confirms multiple meetings with US</h2>
The political adviser to the Hamas chief, Taher Al-Nono, confirmed that multiple meetings occurred between Hamas leaders and US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler, according to news agency Reuters.
Nono said that the talks took place in the Qatari capital over the past week and were centred around the release of an American-Israeli dual national, who was held hostage by the Palestinian militant group in war-torn Gaza.
"Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners. We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people," Nono said.
(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

World news: Boehler, in an interview with CNN, defended his direct talks with Hamas officials after the revelation ignited an uneasy conversation between him and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

Following US hostage envoy Adam Boehler’s TV interview on Sunday (Mar 9), where he asserted that the United States was "not an agent of Israel", Tel Aviv last night "held discussions" with White House officials, The Times of Israel reported, citing a source. Boehler, on Sunday, defended his direct talks with Hamas officials in an interview with CNN, which invited intense criticism from Israel. Senior Israeli officials were "surprised" to hear some of Boehler's remarks. Some of them also believed that Boehler appeared for TV interviews with an aim to send Israel a pointed message. He then also took to his X account and issued a post clarifying some of his statements. ‘We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel’ Boehler, in an interview with CNN, defended his direct talks with Hamas officials after the revelation ignited an uneasy conversation between him and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. “I understand the consternation and the concern. I wasn’t upset,” he said, sharing details about his dialogue with Dermer. “At the same time, we’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel. We have specific interests at play,” he added. Also read: ‘Hamas militants are pretty nice guys’: US ‘surprises’ Israel after envoy says Washington working for itself 'Helpful meeting' Boehler said that he was confident a deal could be reached "within weeks" to free all hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. "I think it was a very helpful meeting. It was very helpful to hear some back and forth," Boehler said in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union." 'Nice guys' Boehler alleged in the interview that US President Donald Trump signed off on his talks with Hamas ahead of time. “I spoke with Ron, and I’m sympathetic. He has someone that he doesn’t know well, making direct contact with Hamas," he said. "Maybe I would see them and say, ‘Look, they don’t have horns growing out of their head. They’re actually guys like us. They’re pretty nice guys’,” the US envoy added. Hamas confirms multiple meetings with US The political adviser to the Hamas chief, Taher Al-Nono, confirmed that multiple meetings occurred between Hamas leaders and US hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler, according to news agency Reuters. Nono said that the talks took place in the Qatari capital over the past week and were centred around the release of an American-Israeli dual national, who was held hostage by the Palestinian militant group in war-torn Gaza. "Several meetings have already taken place in Doha, focusing on releasing one of the dual-nationality prisoners. We have dealt positively and flexibly, in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people," Nono said. (With inputs from agencies)

'US not an agent...': Israel 'held talks' with White House over hostage envoy's TV interview

FBI&rsquo;s new chief, Kash Patel, took to X on Sunday (Mar 9) to flaunt his new look as he joins agents in a field exercise. The bureau&rsquo;s new director is giving a competition to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was dubbed &lsquo;ICE Barbie&rsquo; for her glamorous appearances in a bulletproof vest.
Patel, who is often seen in professional attire, wearing a suit and tie, was seen in a camouflage vest, a grey windbreaker, with matching sunglasses and a baseball hat.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-director-kash-patel-wants-private-security-and-direct-hotline-to-trump-8835180">&lsquo;He didn&rsquo;t fully trust FBI agents&rsquo;: FBI Director Kash Patel wants private security and direct hotline&nbsp;to&nbsp;Trump</a>
&ldquo;I am 1000% behind this FBI,&rdquo; he wrote in the caption as he shared his new look during what appears to be a drill. It is not clear where the pictures were clicked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I am 1000% behind this FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://t.co/SDxPvrotV7">pic.twitter.com/SDxPvrotV7</a>
&mdash; Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kash_Patel/status/1898814219744837805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
Patel is among US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s most controversial administration picks, having already sparked controversy within the bureau.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-slams-radical-left-lunatics-pins-hope-on-fbi-chief-kash-patel-to-enforce-law-8792602">Trump applauds FBI chief Kash Patel in address to Congress as he slams 'lunatic' Left</a>
As part of his premier initiatives, the new FBI chief has planned to partner with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), bringing in their trainers to improve the agents&rsquo; physical fitness and skills.
<h2>FBI chief vs ICE Barbie</h2>
Patel&rsquo;s latest outfit choice has evoked competition with another Trump cabinet pick, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem has earned the nickname &lsquo;ICE Barbie&rsquo; for her several appearances during field operations as she dons a bulletproof vest with make-up and perfectly styled hair.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kristi-noem-says-kids-of-migrants-have-the-option-to-not-cross-us-border-illegally-8838835">Kristi Noem says kids of migrants 'have the option' to not cross US border 'illegally'</a>
The 53-year-old former South Dakota governor was first seen in her glammed look during a photo-op in New York City, when the first major deportations raid took place under the Trump administration.
She has also been called &lsquo;Cosplay Kristi&rsquo; for wearing a giant cowboy hat during NBC&rsquo;s Meet the Press segment.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-zelensky-us-president-donald-trump-makes-sarcastic-joke-about-white-house-suit-criticism-8837663">&lsquo;Sorry I&rsquo;m not in a suit&rsquo;: Ukraine&rsquo;s Zelensky makes sarcastic joke about Trump&rsquo;s attire criticism</a>
Last week she accompanied the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for a series of raids undertaken to hunt down gang members and sex criminals in Virginia. She was seen in full tactical gear as she participated in the operation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We will not be deterred by leaks. If you come to this country and break our laws, we will hunt you down. Successful enforcement operation this morning&mdash;getting MS-13 members, 18th Street gang members and perpetrators of sexual crimes off our streets. <a href="https://t.co/67iqcFJw6x">pic.twitter.com/67iqcFJw6x</a>
&mdash; Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1896899210282504249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The outfit choices of Trump&rsquo;s key cabinet members reflect the president&rsquo;s concerns on how his subordinates appear in public. Noem and Patel seem to be catching up to the president&rsquo;s appreciation for outfits with their choice of attire and presentation.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | Trending | Patel, who is often seen in professional attire, wearing a suit and tie, was seen in a camouflage vest, a grey windbreaker, with matching sunglasses and a baseball hat.

FBI’s new chief, Kash Patel, took to X on Sunday (Mar 9) to flaunt his new look as he joins agents in a field exercise. The bureau’s new director is giving a competition to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was dubbed ‘ICE Barbie’ for her glamorous appearances in a bulletproof vest. Patel, who is often seen in professional attire, wearing a suit and tie, was seen in a camouflage vest, a grey windbreaker, with matching sunglasses and a baseball hat. Also read | ‘He didn’t fully trust FBI agents’: FBI Director Kash Patel wants private security and direct hotline to Trump “I am 1000% behind this FBI,” he wrote in the caption as he shared his new look during what appears to be a drill. It is not clear where the pictures were clicked. I am 1000% behind this FBI pic.twitter.com/SDxPvrotV7 — Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) March 9, 2025 Patel is among US President Donald Trump’s most controversial administration picks, having already sparked controversy within the bureau. Also read | Trump applauds FBI chief Kash Patel in address to Congress as he slams 'lunatic' Left As part of his premier initiatives, the new FBI chief has planned to partner with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), bringing in their trainers to improve the agents’ physical fitness and skills. FBI chief vs ICE Barbie Patel’s latest outfit choice has evoked competition with another Trump cabinet pick, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Noem has earned the nickname ‘ICE Barbie’ for her several appearances during field operations as she dons a bulletproof vest with make-up and perfectly styled hair. Also read | Kristi Noem says kids of migrants 'have the option' to not cross US border 'illegally' The 53-year-old former South Dakota governor was first seen in her glammed look during a photo-op in New York City, when the first major deportations raid took place under the Trump administration. She has also been called ‘Cosplay Kristi’ for wearing a giant cowboy hat during NBC’s Meet the Press segment. Also read | ‘Sorry I’m not in a suit’: Ukraine’s Zelensky makes sarcastic joke about Trump’s attire criticism Last week she accompanied the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for a series of raids undertaken to hunt down gang members and sex criminals in Virginia. She was seen in full tactical gear as she participated in the operation. We will not be deterred by leaks. If you come to this country and break our laws, we will hunt you down. Successful enforcement operation this morning—getting MS-13 members, 18th Street gang members and perpetrators of sexual crimes off our streets. pic.twitter.com/67iqcFJw6x — Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 4, 2025 The outfit choices of Trump’s key cabinet members reflect the president’s concerns on how his subordinates appear in public. Noem and Patel seem to be catching up to the president’s appreciation for outfits with their choice of attire and presentation. (With inputs from agencies)

FBI chief Kash Patel gives competition to ‘ICE Barbie’ Kristi Noem as he flexes his new look | See photos

The Trump administration is set to eliminate 83% of the programmes under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and shift the remaining ones to the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday (March 10).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m8379guy-w70a1nej-l3pemksi">
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces cancellation of 83% of USAID programs, says some "harmed" US interests <a href="https://t.co/3AnayxvrhX">pic.twitter.com/3AnayxvrhX</a>
&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1899106461919428639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
This decision shows the swift dismantling of the US' independent humanitarian agency, which had been on the hit list of both President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The remaining 1,000 USAID programmes will now be managed under the State Department&rsquo;s oversight.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-australian-prime-minister-malcolm-turnbull-fires-back-after-us-president-donald-trump-calls-him-weak-in-late-night-rant-8840486">&lsquo;Don&rsquo;t give in to bullies&rsquo;: Former Australian PM fires back after Trump calls him 'weak' in late-night rant</a>
<h2>Rubio defends cuts</h2>
In a post on X, Rubio said, "After a 6-week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programmes at USAID. The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States."
He added, "In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programmes we are keeping (approximately 1000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department. Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform." DOGE, a Musk-backed office, has placed officials in key government roles and played a significant part in reducing federal spending.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-miffed-with-uk-after-king-charles-welcomes-zelensky-trudeau-to-his-home-8837379">&lsquo;Makes him feel less special&rsquo;: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home</a>
<h2>Musk reacts</h2>
Musk, who had previously clashed with Rubio, responded to the announcement by saying, &ldquo;Tough, but necessary.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Good working with you. The important parts of USAID should always have been with Dept of State,&rdquo; Musk added. He has long been a vocal critic of USAID, even once suggesting that it should be "fed into a woodchipper."
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-president-donald-trump-zelensky-what-to-expect-from-us-ukraine-talks-in-saudi-after-trump-zelensky-fallout-8840380">'Ceasefire in sky and sea': What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump, Zelensky fallout</a>
A court filing in late February revealed that the administration had already cancelled nearly 5,800 USAID awards. It stated that Rubio had "made a final decision with respect to each award, on an individualised basis, affirmatively electing to either retain the award or terminate it pursuant to the terms of the instrument or independent legal authority as inconsistent with the national interests and foreign policy of the United States."
The administration&rsquo;s decision to freeze foreign aid payments and dismantle USAID has faced legal opposition. A federal judge permitted the government to proceed with suspending and terminating staff. However, another judge ruled that the administration must pay nearly $2 billion in outstanding fees for humanitarian work.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-wont-negotiate-under-intimidation-as-donald-trump-ramps-up-pressure-8839146">Iran won't negotiate under 'intimidation' as Donald Trump ramps up pressure</a>
The Supreme Court upheld this ruling last week, though it did not specify when the payments would be made.
USAID has historically distributed billions of dollars annually to combat poverty, address diseases, and respond to crises such as famines and natural disasters. It also supports democracy-building initiatives, independent media, and social development projects.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: This decision shows the swift dismantling of the US' independent humanitarian agency, which had been on the hit list of both President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.

The Trump administration is set to eliminate 83% of the programmes under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and shift the remaining ones to the State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday (March 10). Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces cancellation of 83% of USAID programs, says some "harmed" US interests pic.twitter.com/3AnayxvrhX — WION (@WIONews) March 10, 2025 This decision shows the swift dismantling of the US' independent humanitarian agency, which had been on the hit list of both President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. The remaining 1,000 USAID programmes will now be managed under the State Department’s oversight. Also read: ‘Don’t give in to bullies’: Former Australian PM fires back after Trump calls him 'weak' in late-night rant Rubio defends cuts In a post on X, Rubio said, "After a 6-week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programmes at USAID. The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States." He added, "In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programmes we are keeping (approximately 1000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department. Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform." DOGE, a Musk-backed office, has placed officials in key government roles and played a significant part in reducing federal spending. Also read: ‘Makes him feel less special’: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home Musk reacts Musk, who had previously clashed with Rubio, responded to the announcement by saying, “Tough, but necessary.” “Good working with you. The important parts of USAID should always have been with Dept of State,” Musk added. He has long been a vocal critic of USAID, even once suggesting that it should be "fed into a woodchipper." Also read: 'Ceasefire in sky and sea': What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump, Zelensky fallout A court filing in late February revealed that the administration had already cancelled nearly 5,800 USAID awards. It stated that Rubio had "made a final decision with respect to each award, on an individualised basis, affirmatively electing to either retain the award or terminate it pursuant to the terms of the instrument or independent legal authority as inconsistent with the national interests and foreign policy of the United States." The administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid payments and dismantle USAID has faced legal opposition. A federal judge permitted the government to proceed with suspending and terminating staff. However, another judge ruled that the administration must pay nearly $2 billion in outstanding fees for humanitarian work. Also read: Iran won't negotiate under 'intimidation' as Donald Trump ramps up pressure The Supreme Court upheld this ruling last week, though it did not specify when the payments would be made. USAID has historically distributed billions of dollars annually to combat poverty, address diseases, and respond to crises such as famines and natural disasters. It also supports democracy-building initiatives, independent media, and social development projects. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Thank you to DOGE’: Trump’s State Secy Rubio slashes 83% of USAID programmes, Musk says ‘tough but necessary’

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged leaders to &ldquo;not give in to bullies&rdquo; following a scathing social media post from US President Donald Trump.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform just before midnight on Sunday, and criticised Turnbull&rsquo;s leadership and his understanding of China.
&ldquo;Malcolm Turnbull, the former Prime Minister of Australia who was always leading that wonderful country from &lsquo;behind&rsquo; never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so. I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously, Australian&rsquo;s agreed with me!!!,&rdquo; Trump wrote.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-us-president-donald-trump-zelensky-what-to-expect-from-us-ukraine-talks-in-saudi-after-trump-zelensky-fallout-8840380">'Ceasefire in sky and sea': What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump, Zelensky fallout</a>
The comments appeared to be a response to an interview Turnbull gave to Bloomberg, in which he suggested that Trump&rsquo;s erratic leadership style was playing into China&rsquo;s hands.
&ldquo;President Xi will aim to be the exact opposite of Trump: where Trump is chaotic, he will be consistent. Where Trump is rude and abusive, he&rsquo;ll be respectful. Where Trump is erratic, he will be consistent,&rdquo; Turnbull said.
He warned that the world was now witnessing an &ldquo;undiluted&rdquo; version of Trump, arguing that his unpredictable nature made Chinese President Xi Jinping a more appealing partner for many nations.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-confirms-us-in-talks-with-four-different-groups-interested-in-acquiring-tiktok-8839995">Trump confirms US in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring TikTok</a>
&ldquo;For countries forced to choose between &lsquo;China on the one hand, and Trump on the other&rsquo;, many would &lsquo;find China a more attractive partner&rsquo;,&rdquo; Turnbull added.
<h2>Turnbull dismisses Trump&rsquo;s criticism</h2>
Following Trump&rsquo;s post, Turnbull told The Guardian that his Bloomberg comments &ldquo;speak for themselves.&rdquo;
&ldquo;His [Trump&rsquo;s] post proves that my comments hit the mark,&rdquo; he said.
During an interview on ABC&rsquo;s 7.30 with Sarah Ferguson on Monday night, Turnbull described Trump&rsquo;s remarks as &ldquo;rude and abusive&rdquo; and reiterated his belief that Trump&rsquo;s behaviour was pushing nations closer to China.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-zelensky-us-president-donald-trump-makes-sarcastic-joke-about-white-house-suit-criticism-8837663">&lsquo;Sorry I&rsquo;m not in a suit&rsquo;: Ukraine&rsquo;s Zelensky makes sarcastic joke about Trump&rsquo;s attire criticism</a>
&ldquo;If Trump abuses them, seeks to bully them, puts crippling tariffs on them, they will naturally edge closer to China,&rdquo; Turnbull stated.
He warned against appeasing the US president, likening it to schoolyard dynamics.
&ldquo;The reality is&mdash;if you suck up to bullies, whether it is... global affairs, or in the playground, you just get more bullying. I mean, are we just going to become just a conga line of sycophants creeping through the White House, paying homage to this guy and telling him he&rsquo;s a genius? It&rsquo;s ludicrous!&rdquo; he said.
<h2>A history of clashes</h2>
Trump and Turnbull have clashed before. In 2017, they had a tense phone call over a refugee resettlement deal brokered by Trump&rsquo;s predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump was highly critical of the agreement, saying accepting it would make him look like a &ldquo;dope.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-slams-ungrateful-zelensky-for-extorting-us-ahead-of-talks-on-russia-ukraine-war-8837577">&lsquo;Took money like candy from baby&rsquo;: Trump slams &lsquo;ungrateful&rsquo; Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv</a>
&ldquo;I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous,&rdquo; Trump reportedly said before ending the conversation.
Turnbull served as Australia&rsquo;s prime minister from 2015 to 2018. He was not voted out in an election but lost the leadership in an internal Liberal Party contest to Scott Morrison.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull described Trump’s remarks as “rude and abusive” and reiterated his belief that Trump’s behaviour was pushing nations closer to China

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged leaders to “not give in to bullies” following a scathing social media post from US President Donald Trump. Trump took to his Truth Social platform just before midnight on Sunday, and criticised Turnbull’s leadership and his understanding of China. “Malcolm Turnbull, the former Prime Minister of Australia who was always leading that wonderful country from ‘behind’ never understood what was going on in China, nor did he have the capacity to do so. I always thought he was a weak and ineffective leader and, obviously, Australian’s agreed with me!!!,” Trump wrote. Also read: 'Ceasefire in sky and sea': What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump, Zelensky fallout The comments appeared to be a response to an interview Turnbull gave to Bloomberg, in which he suggested that Trump’s erratic leadership style was playing into China’s hands. “President Xi will aim to be the exact opposite of Trump: where Trump is chaotic, he will be consistent. Where Trump is rude and abusive, he’ll be respectful. Where Trump is erratic, he will be consistent,” Turnbull said. He warned that the world was now witnessing an “undiluted” version of Trump, arguing that his unpredictable nature made Chinese President Xi Jinping a more appealing partner for many nations. Also read: Trump confirms US in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring TikTok “For countries forced to choose between ‘China on the one hand, and Trump on the other’, many would ‘find China a more attractive partner’,” Turnbull added. Turnbull dismisses Trump’s criticism Following Trump’s post, Turnbull told The Guardian that his Bloomberg comments “speak for themselves.” “His [Trump’s] post proves that my comments hit the mark,” he said. During an interview on ABC’s 7.30 with Sarah Ferguson on Monday night, Turnbull described Trump’s remarks as “rude and abusive” and reiterated his belief that Trump’s behaviour was pushing nations closer to China. Also read: ‘Sorry I’m not in a suit’: Ukraine’s Zelensky makes sarcastic joke about Trump’s attire criticism “If Trump abuses them, seeks to bully them, puts crippling tariffs on them, they will naturally edge closer to China,” Turnbull stated. He warned against appeasing the US president, likening it to schoolyard dynamics. “The reality is—if you suck up to bullies, whether it is... global affairs, or in the playground, you just get more bullying. I mean, are we just going to become just a conga line of sycophants creeping through the White House, paying homage to this guy and telling him he’s a genius? It’s ludicrous!” he said. A history of clashes Trump and Turnbull have clashed before. In 2017, they had a tense phone call over a refugee resettlement deal brokered by Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump was highly critical of the agreement, saying accepting it would make him look like a “dope.” Also read: ‘Took money like candy from baby’: Trump slams ‘ungrateful’ Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv “I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous,” Trump reportedly said before ending the conversation. Turnbull served as Australia’s prime minister from 2015 to 2018. He was not voted out in an election but lost the leadership in an internal Liberal Party contest to Scott Morrison. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Don’t give in to bullies’: Former Australian PM fires back after Trump calls him ‘weak’ in late-night rant

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s visit to Mauritius, the country&rsquo;s foreign minister, Dhananjay Ritish Ramful, has termed the ties between the two countries &ldquo;special and very unique&rdquo;. The Indian PM will be on a two-day state visit to Mauritius on the 11th and 12th of March, during which he will be the chief guest at the country&rsquo;s Independence Day as well. Speaking to WION&rsquo;s Sidhant Sibal, FM said, &ldquo;We have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties.&rdquo;
The visit by the Indian leader to Mauritius, the 2nd in a decade, will see the signing of a number of MoUs and big ticket announcements. FM Ramful pointed out that both countries will sign a MoU on White Shipping that will help in growing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.
Asked if the Chagos Island issue will be discussed during the visit, the FM thanked India&rsquo;s support and said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia.&rdquo;
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-miffed-with-uk-after-king-charles-welcomes-zelensky-trudeau-to-his-home-8837379" rel="noopener" target="_blank">&lsquo;Makes him feel less special&rsquo;: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home</a>
In 2024, the UK and Mauritius announced an agreement under which UK will cede sovereignty of the entire Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, marking the end of its control over its last African colony. But under that agreement, the UK secured a 99-year lease to retain control of Diego Garcia, ensuring the continued operation of the joint UK-US military base. India and the US back then welcomed it.&nbsp;
Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to your country? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: This is a great honor for Mauritius to have the visit of PM Modi. In fact, this is his second visit. He was here in 2015 for the National celebrations and he has very humbly accepted our invitation from our prime minister to come and be our chief guest for the National Day.
Sidhant Sibal: What kind of deliverables we are expecting, we know ahead of the visit that the Indian MEA said that there are MoUs which will be signed, there are projects which will be inaugurated. So if you can perhaps give an overview of what one can expect? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: In fact, this will be an opportunity, in the context of the visit of the Prime Minister, for us to take the opportunity and reinforce further this special and very unique relationship that we both share. So in that context, there is going to be a number of MoUs that are going to be signed. You know, India has always been a very important development partner of Mauritius in terms of infrastructure projects, etc. So we are looking to sign a number of MoUs. I can just list a few of those MoUs. There will be an MoU between the Ministry of Industry, small and medium enterprises, with the Ministry of micro small and medium enterprises of India on capacity building in relation to sport and medium enterprises. There&rsquo;s also going to be an MoU between the ministry of public service and administrative reforms of Mauritius and the National Centre for Good Governance, Department of Administrative Reforms, and Public Grievances of India on the training of about 500 public officers. There is also going to be an MoU between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Mauritius on the training of diplomats. More importantly, there is going to be a MoU between the Financial Crime Commission of Mauritius and the Directorate of Enforcement of India, as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation, on information sharing in relation to corruption matters and anti-money laundering issues. There is going to be a MoU on line of credit for a water pipeline replacement project in Mauritius. As far as maritime security is concerned, there is going to be a technical agreement on sharing of white shipping information between the Indian Navy and the Mauritian authorities here. So I have listed a few of those MoUs that we are looking forward to signing between the two countries.
Sidhant Sibal: So now talking about the cultural connect, we believe that the Prime Minister will be going to Ganga Talao as well, and there&rsquo;s a strong cultural connect between the two countries. So if you can perhaps talk about that cultural connection. And what can we expect during this visit in terms of that cultural connection? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: Well, we have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties. There are a few commitments from the Indian side to support it. We have the Mahatma Gandhi Institute here in Mauritius, which was set up by India. So there is support for the preservation of documented records on indentured workers from India. We are also looking forward to strengthening the diaspora engagement through the new India program. We are also looking forward to promoting tourism and cultural exchanges through visits to Char Dam and Ramayana trail, as well as ancient places of religious worship in India. So all these exchanges that we are looking forward to try and strengthen further this cultural bond that we share.
Sidhant Sibal: So my last question to you is on what will be the focus in terms of the regional issues, the stability of the Indian Ocean region, and briefly, also when it comes to the Chagos conversations, will this also figure out when the leaders sit? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: We already have arrangements with the Indian government on maritime security in the region. You know, the Indian Ocean is a very important place of strategic importance, and given the geopolitical climate right. Don&rsquo;t forget when PM Modi came to Mauritius in 2015, he initiated India&rsquo;s vision Sagar. India and Mauritius are members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association. We have also signed the Colombo Security Conclave. All these are structured dialogues are there for us to make sure that the Indian Ocean is an open, safe and secure place, because, as I&rsquo;ve said, the Indian Ocean is a very important trade route for both countries, and we have to ensure that this part of the of the world is secure, because we share common interests, both India and Mauritius. So this is why, with a view to enhance further that cooperation, we are signing this MoU on sharing of information with regards to white shipping. As far as Chagos is concerned, this has been a very long struggle by Mauritius, and in all the various steps towards us restoring our sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, India has always been very supportive, and there is currently discussions going on between UK and Mauritius on trying to reach deal. I&rsquo;m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia.
Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-man-who-climbed-big-ben-tower-with-palestinian-flag-comes-down-after-16-hours-8836020" rel="noopener" target="_blank">WATCH: Man who climbed Big Ben tower with Palestinian flag comes down after 16 hours</a>

World | India News: The Indian PM will be on a two-day state visit to Mauritius on the 11th and 12th of March, during which he will be the chief guest at the country’s Independence Day as well.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius, the country’s foreign minister, Dhananjay Ritish Ramful, has termed the ties between the two countries “special and very unique”. The Indian PM will be on a two-day state visit to Mauritius on the 11th and 12th of March, during which he will be the chief guest at the country’s Independence Day as well. Speaking to WION’s Sidhant Sibal, FM said, “We have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties.” The visit by the Indian leader to Mauritius, the 2nd in a decade, will see the signing of a number of MoUs and big ticket announcements. FM Ramful pointed out that both countries will sign a MoU on White Shipping that will help in growing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. Asked if the Chagos Island issue will be discussed during the visit, the FM thanked India’s support and said, “I’m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia.” Also read: ‘Makes him feel less special’: Trump miffed with UK after King Charles welcomes Zelensky, Trudeau to his home In 2024, the UK and Mauritius announced an agreement under which UK will cede sovereignty of the entire Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, marking the end of its control over its last African colony. But under that agreement, the UK secured a 99-year lease to retain control of Diego Garcia, ensuring the continued operation of the joint UK-US military base. India and the US back then welcomed it. Sidhant Sibal: How do you see the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to your country? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: This is a great honor for Mauritius to have the visit of PM Modi. In fact, this is his second visit. He was here in 2015 for the National celebrations and he has very humbly accepted our invitation from our prime minister to come and be our chief guest for the National Day. Sidhant Sibal: What kind of deliverables we are expecting, we know ahead of the visit that the Indian MEA said that there are MoUs which will be signed, there are projects which will be inaugurated. So if you can perhaps give an overview of what one can expect? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: In fact, this will be an opportunity, in the context of the visit of the Prime Minister, for us to take the opportunity and reinforce further this special and very unique relationship that we both share. So in that context, there is going to be a number of MoUs that are going to be signed. You know, India has always been a very important development partner of Mauritius in terms of infrastructure projects, etc. So we are looking to sign a number of MoUs. I can just list a few of those MoUs. There will be an MoU between the Ministry of Industry, small and medium enterprises, with the Ministry of micro small and medium enterprises of India on capacity building in relation to sport and medium enterprises. There’s also going to be an MoU between the ministry of public service and administrative reforms of Mauritius and the National Centre for Good Governance, Department of Administrative Reforms, and Public Grievances of India on the training of about 500 public officers. There is also going to be an MoU between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here in Mauritius on the training of diplomats. More importantly, there is going to be a MoU between the Financial Crime Commission of Mauritius and the Directorate of Enforcement of India, as well as the Central Bureau of Investigation, on information sharing in relation to corruption matters and anti-money laundering issues. There is going to be a MoU on line of credit for a water pipeline replacement project in Mauritius. As far as maritime security is concerned, there is going to be a technical agreement on sharing of white shipping information between the Indian Navy and the Mauritian authorities here. So I have listed a few of those MoUs that we are looking forward to signing between the two countries. Sidhant Sibal: So now talking about the cultural connect, we believe that the Prime Minister will be going to Ganga Talao as well, and there’s a strong cultural connect between the two countries. So if you can perhaps talk about that cultural connection. And what can we expect during this visit in terms of that cultural connection? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: Well, we have always shared very exceptional cultural exchanges, cultural heritage, historical bonds, and people-to-people ties. They underpin India-Mauritius special ties. There are a few commitments from the Indian side to support it. We have the Mahatma Gandhi Institute here in Mauritius, which was set up by India. So there is support for the preservation of documented records on indentured workers from India. We are also looking forward to strengthening the diaspora engagement through the new India program. We are also looking forward to promoting tourism and cultural exchanges through visits to Char Dam and Ramayana trail, as well as ancient places of religious worship in India. So all these exchanges that we are looking forward to try and strengthen further this cultural bond that we share. Sidhant Sibal: So my last question to you is on what will be the focus in terms of the regional issues, the stability of the Indian Ocean region, and briefly, also when it comes to the Chagos conversations, will this also figure out when the leaders sit? Dhananjay Ritish Ramful: We already have arrangements with the Indian government on maritime security in the region. You know, the Indian Ocean is a very important place of strategic importance, and given the geopolitical climate right. Don’t forget when PM Modi came to Mauritius in 2015, he initiated India’s vision Sagar. India and Mauritius are members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association. We have also signed the Colombo Security Conclave. All these are structured dialogues are there for us to make sure that the Indian Ocean is an open, safe and secure place, because, as I’ve said, the Indian Ocean is a very important trade route for both countries, and we have to ensure that this part of the of the world is secure, because we share common interests, both India and Mauritius. So this is why, with a view to enhance further that cooperation, we are signing this MoU on sharing of information with regards to white shipping. As far as Chagos is concerned, this has been a very long struggle by Mauritius, and in all the various steps towards us restoring our sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago, India has always been very supportive, and there is currently discussions going on between UK and Mauritius on trying to reach deal. I’m very sure that India, as always, will be very supportive and give assistance to Mauritius, so that you know that we can reach a deal that will restore, on one hand, our sovereignty over Chagos and also secure the base on the Diego Garcia. Also read | WATCH: Man who climbed Big Ben tower with Palestinian flag comes down after 16 hours

Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, Mauritius FM Ramful says ties with India ‘special and unique’

Kyiv is set to propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during discussions with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week, according to media reports. President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to arrive in the kingdom as the negotiations take place.
The talks, scheduled for Tuesday, mark the first meeting between Ukrainian and US representatives since a heated exchange at the White House between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. The dispute led to Zelensky leaving without signing a minerals agreement that Washington had been pushing for. Zelensky later described the incident as "regrettable" and expressed willingness to work with Trump's "strong leadership."
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-confirms-us-in-talks-with-four-different-groups-interested-in-acquiring-tiktok-8839995">Trump confirms US in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring TikTok</a>
<h2>Proposal for a partial ceasefire</h2>
A Ukrainian official told AFP on Monday, "We do have a proposal for a ceasefire in the sky and ceasefire at sea." The official added, "Because these are the ceasefire options that are easy to install and to monitor, and it's possible to start with them."
A report in The Financial Times, which cited a source familiar with the preparations, said Kyiv hopes that a partial ceasefire could encourage Washington to resume military aid and intelligence sharing.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-wont-negotiate-under-intimidation-as-donald-trump-ramps-up-pressure-8839146">Iran won't negotiate under 'intimidation' as Donald Trump ramps up pressure</a>
<h2>Seeking path to peace</h2>
Ukrainian and American officials are set to explore ways to bring an end to the conflict, which has continued for more than three years since Russia&rsquo;s full-scale invasion.
Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine's only aim is peace, stressing that Russia remains the sole reason for the war&rsquo;s continuation. "Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason that the war is continuing is because of Russia," he wrote on social media.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-wants-peace-zelensky-says-russia-is-the-only-reason-war-continues-ahead-of-key-talks-with-us-8839786">&lsquo;Ukraine wants peace&rsquo;: Ahead of talks with US, Zelensky says Russia is the &lsquo;only reason&rsquo; war continues</a>
On Monday, Zelensky was scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before Ukrainian officials held talks with their US counterparts the following day.
<h2>US seeks peace framework</h2>
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Washington aims to use the talks "to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well." He also revealed that Trump had received a letter from Zelensky, calling it "a very positive first step" and "an apology."
When asked whether Ukraine would sign a deal during the talks in Saudi Arabia, Witkoff said, "I think Zelensky has offered to sign it, and we'll see if he follows through."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to arrive in Jeddah on Monday, along with Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, according to the US State Department.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-slams-ungrateful-zelensky-for-extorting-us-ahead-of-talks-on-russia-ukraine-war-8837577">&lsquo;Took money like candy from baby&rsquo;: Trump slams &lsquo;ungrateful&rsquo; Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv</a>
<h2>US pressure on Ukraine</h2>
Washington has halted military aid, intelligence-sharing, and access to satellite imagery for Ukraine to push Kyiv towards negotiations.
Trump has recently reestablished communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin while criticising Zelensky, raising concerns in Kyiv and among European allies that the US leader might seek a settlement that benefits Russia.
Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Rubio met in Riyadh, where they agreed to resume dialogue and begin talks on the Ukraine conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: The talks, scheduled for Tuesday, mark the first meeting between Ukrainian and US representatives since a heated exchange at the White House between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.

Kyiv is set to propose an aerial and naval ceasefire with Russia during discussions with US officials in Saudi Arabia this week, according to media reports. President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to arrive in the kingdom as the negotiations take place. The talks, scheduled for Tuesday, mark the first meeting between Ukrainian and US representatives since a heated exchange at the White House between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. The dispute led to Zelensky leaving without signing a minerals agreement that Washington had been pushing for. Zelensky later described the incident as "regrettable" and expressed willingness to work with Trump's "strong leadership." Also read: Trump confirms US in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring TikTok Proposal for a partial ceasefire A Ukrainian official told AFP on Monday, "We do have a proposal for a ceasefire in the sky and ceasefire at sea." The official added, "Because these are the ceasefire options that are easy to install and to monitor, and it's possible to start with them." A report in The Financial Times, which cited a source familiar with the preparations, said Kyiv hopes that a partial ceasefire could encourage Washington to resume military aid and intelligence sharing. Also read: Iran won't negotiate under 'intimidation' as Donald Trump ramps up pressure Seeking path to peace Ukrainian and American officials are set to explore ways to bring an end to the conflict, which has continued for more than three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine's only aim is peace, stressing that Russia remains the sole reason for the war’s continuation. "Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason that the war is continuing is because of Russia," he wrote on social media. Also read: ‘Ukraine wants peace’: Ahead of talks with US, Zelensky says Russia is the ‘only reason’ war continues On Monday, Zelensky was scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before Ukrainian officials held talks with their US counterparts the following day. US seeks peace framework US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Washington aims to use the talks "to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well." He also revealed that Trump had received a letter from Zelensky, calling it "a very positive first step" and "an apology." When asked whether Ukraine would sign a deal during the talks in Saudi Arabia, Witkoff said, "I think Zelensky has offered to sign it, and we'll see if he follows through." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to arrive in Jeddah on Monday, along with Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, according to the US State Department. Also read: ‘Took money like candy from baby’: Trump slams ‘ungrateful’ Zelensky for extorting US ahead of talks with Kyiv US pressure on Ukraine Washington has halted military aid, intelligence-sharing, and access to satellite imagery for Ukraine to push Kyiv towards negotiations. Trump has recently reestablished communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin while criticising Zelensky, raising concerns in Kyiv and among European allies that the US leader might seek a settlement that benefits Russia. Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Rubio met in Riyadh, where they agreed to resume dialogue and begin talks on the Ukraine conflict. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Ceasefire in sky and sea’: What to expect from US-Ukraine talks in Saudi after Trump-Zelensky fallout

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