logo
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump and Putin to meet ‘in coming days' but no sign Zelensky will be invited

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump and Putin to meet ‘in coming days' but no sign Zelensky will be invited

Independent10 hours ago
An agreement has been reached for Putin and Trump to meet 'in the coming days' to discuss a ceasefire, a Kremlin aide reportedly told Russian media.
The venue for the meeting has been agreed and is due to be announced later, and all parties have begun working on the details, IFAX reports, citing Yuri Ushakov.
It comes after Trump said there was 'a good chance' of a leaders' summit between Putin and Zelensky, which would be their first meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The face-to-face meeting would also be the first between a sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since the Second World War.
Earlier, Trump said his envoy Steve Witkoff made 'great progress' in a meeting with Putin in Moscow, adding: 'Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.'
What are the Storm Shadow missiles Russia claims to have shot down?
Earlier, we reported Russia claimed it had shot down eight British-made Storm Shadow missiles in service with the Ukrainian army over the past 24 hours.
- Storm Shadows are cruise missiles developed by France and the UK in the 90s. They are launched from aircraft.
- They have a range of more than 155 miles and exceed 600mph, according to manufacturer MBDA.
- The RAF and French air forced used them in the Gulf, Libya and Iraq.
- The UK announced it would provide Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles in May 2023 - the first country to do so.
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 12:30
Zelensky says Europe must participate in Ukraine peace process after Germany call
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Europe must participate in the peace process between his country and Russia after a call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday.
'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side,' he said.
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 12:22
Putin to visit India soon: reports
Russian President Putin is set to visit India soon, NDTV reported, citing India's National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval.
Mr Doval is in Moscow but did not specify dates.
We are very excited and delighted to learn about the visit of President Putin to India. I think the dates are almost finalised now.
The NSA
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 11:41
ICYMI Watch: Trump envoy Witkoff meets Putin in Moscow as Russia-Ukraine peace deadline looms
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 11:30
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 11:29
Zelensky will be bullied if Britain not invited to peace talks: UK former defence sec
Zelensky will be bullied by Trump and Putin if Britain is not invited to peace talks, UK former defence secretary has said.
'Because both Trump and Putin are known to be bullies, they bully people all the time, and I don't think two bullies versus Zelensky, who is a brave man, but I don't think would necessarily produce the right outcomes,' Sir Ben Wallace told Times Radio.
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 11:23
Ukraine says it struck Russia's Afipsky oil refinery
The Ukrainian military said on Thursday its drone units had hit the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, sparking flames in gas processing equipment.
Russian emergency services reported a fire at the plant caused by falling drone debris.
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 11:19
Explained: How much Russian oil does India buy?
As Trump's sweeping new global tariffs have come into force today, India is set to be hit by another 25 percent in late August, bringing the total to 50 percent.
The tariffs aim to target India's big purchases of Russian oil, the cornerstone of Moscow's war coffers and economy.
Here, Arpan Rai explains:
Here's how much Russian oil does India buy - explained
New Delhi vows to continue buying Russian crude despite Donald Trump's threat to hike tariffs
Steffie Banatvala7 August 2025 11:00
In pictures: Ukraine troops on the front line in Donetsk
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Is there a Trump side deal or not? New Paramount chief doesn't want to talk about it
Is there a Trump side deal or not? New Paramount chief doesn't want to talk about it

The Independent

time27 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Is there a Trump side deal or not? New Paramount chief doesn't want to talk about it

David Ellison made one thing abundantly clear on his first official day as the owner of the new Paramount – he did not want to get into whether a side deal was reached as part of the pre-merger $16 million lawsuit settlement paid to Donald Trump. After a grueling and politically tainted 13-month process, Skydance Media's $8.4 billion merger with Paramount Global officially closed Thursday. Weeks before Trump's Federal Communications Commission finally approved the deal, however, Paramount – then led by Shari Redstone – agreed to settle with the president in his 'meritless' complaint about a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Settling with Trump, which has long been a fraught topic in CBS hallways and sparked the resignations of several news leaders, prompted accusations of 'bribery' from lawmakers and free press advocates. Those allegations only grew louder after the president boasted just before the merger was approved that he had reached a separate agreement with Ellison to air up to $20 million of pro-Trump advertisements on CBS programming once Skydance took over. While the previous leadership of Paramount denied any knowledge of a secret handshake deal, Ellison – whose dad is pro-Trump Oracle founder Larry Ellison – had remained mum on the matter. However, with Thursday marking his first day as head of the newly minted Paramount Skydance, Ellison found himself pressed repeatedly on the issue at a press event heralding the merger. Having spent his morning making a symbolic first stop at the CBS News offices, where he 'said all the right things' while assuring the staff of his commitment to the news division, Ellison and his senior leadership team held a Q&A session at the company's headquarters in Times Square. While he was there to put forward his vision for the new Paramount's future, a number of media reporters were more interested in the recent past. 'We were not involved in the settlement in any way,' Ellison said when asked about the Trump payoff, adding that 'we complied with all laws including anti-bribery laws.' He then cited a recent letter sent to Democratic senators who inquired about the side deal and Paramount's cancellation of the longtime CBS late-night show hosted by Trump critic Stephen Colbert, which occurred just days before the administration approved the merger. That letter, which was from Skydance's general counsel, said the company was 'not involved' in the Colbert decision but didn't directly address the 'side deal' question. 'Skydance was neither a party to the lawsuit nor to Paramount's settlement of its litigation with the President,' the Skydance lawyer wrote. 'We're focused on the future… We are not going to politicize anything today,' Ellison responded when asked another time about the president's claims about free advertising. 'We want to entertain first.' Ellison would continue to double down on that message, specifically when asked about FCC chair Brendan Carr saying that Skydance had promised to 'root out the bias that has undermined the trust in national news media' once it took over Paramount. 'I do not want to politicize our company in any way shape or form, we want to obviously speak to the biggest audience possible,' he declared when pressed about any examples of bias he would intend to fix. Shortly before the merger's approval, Skydance told the FCC that it would hire an ombudsman to address 'complaints of bias' at CBS News once it took over Paramount. Asked whether he was concerned that the FCC could take action based on the ombudsman's findings, Ellison shrugged it off. 'I don't think it'll get to that,' he said. 'We want to be a path-based and truth-based news organization. That's what we're about. That's the legacy of CBS.' With Ellison also declining to answer questions about reports that he's in talks with Bari Weiss to possibly purchase her anti-woke outlet, The Free Press ,and install her in a senior role at CBS News, saying he doesn't want to address rumors, he continued down the same path time and time again. 'We're ready to move past the noise,' he proclaimed.

Trump targets banks with order barring discriminatory 'debanking'
Trump targets banks with order barring discriminatory 'debanking'

Reuters

time28 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Trump targets banks with order barring discriminatory 'debanking'

WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on large banks and their regulators on Thursday, signing an executive order requiring the banking industry to ensure it is not refusing financial services to anyone based on political or religious beliefs, a practice frequently described as "debanking." The order directed regulators to review all banks they supervise for any current or past practices that would effectively bar customers based on political or religious beliefs, and levy fines or other disciplinary measures as needed. It said regulators may refer certain cases to the Justice Department for potential civil action and also directed regulators themselves to purge any policies or practices that may discourage banks from providing services based on non-financial reasons. The executive order is the latest in a growing pressure campaign against the financial sector by U.S. conservatives, who argue they have been unfairly deprived of services on the basis of their political beliefs. Trump claimed in a CNBC interview on Tuesday that he personally was discriminated against by banks, asserting without evidence that JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America refused to take his deposits following his first term in office. JPMorgan said on Tuesday it does not close accounts for political reasons. Bank of America said it does not comment on client matters, and would welcome clearer rules from bank regulators on how to conduct its activities. The executive order said some financial institutions participated in "government-directed surveillance programs" against conservatives following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, by Trump supporters. "Such practices are incompatible with a free society and the principle that the provision of banking services should be based on material, measurable, and justifiable risks," the executive order said. Large banks have consistently said they do not reject customers on political or other belief-based grounds. Instead, they have argued that overzealous bank regulators and supervisors have discouraged them from engaging with certain sectors and have called for clearer guidelines. In a joint statement, major banking groups thanked the Trump administration for efforts to rein in "runaway regulations" and said the new order may provide sought-after clarity for lenders. "It's in banks' best interest to take deposits, lend to and support as many customers as possible. Unfortunately, regulatory overreach, supervisory discretion and a maze of obscure rules have stood in the way," said a joint statement from the Bank Policy Institute, American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association and Financial Services Forum. Trump-led regulators have already taken steps to loosen regulations, with all three federal bank regulators announcing this year they would no longer police banks on so-called "reputational risk," wherein supervisors could sanction institutions for activities that are not strictly prohibited but could expose the bank to negative publicity or costly litigation. The executive order directed all regulators to stop using that standard within 180 days. Banks increasingly complained the reputational risk standard was too subjective and vague, allowing bank supervisors to effectively bar firms from providing services to some people or sectors. The industry has also argued regulators need to update anti-money laundering rules, which frequently can force banks to shut down suspicious accounts without providing a reason.

Trump names chair of White House economic council as Federal Reserve governor
Trump names chair of White House economic council as Federal Reserve governor

The Guardian

time28 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Trump names chair of White House economic council as Federal Reserve governor

Donald Trump said Thursday he will nominate a top economic adviser to the Federal Reserve's board of governors for four months, temporarily filling a vacancy while continuing his search for a longer-term appointment. Trump said he has named Stephen Miran, the chair of the White House's council of economic advisers, to fill a seat vacated by Adriana Kugler, a Biden appointee who is stepping down Friday as governor. Miran, if approved by the Senate, will serve until 31 January 2026. The appointment is Trump's first opportunity to exert more control over the Fed, one of the few remaining independent federal agencies. Trump has relentlessly criticized the current chair, Jerome Powell, for keeping short-term interest rates unchanged, calling him 'a stubborn MORON' last week on social media. Miran has been a strong defender of Trump's income tax cuts and tariff hikes, arguing that the combination will generate enough economic growth to reduce budget deficits. He also has played down the risk of Trump's tariffs generating higher inflation, a major source of concern for Powell. The choice of Miran may heighten concerns about political influence over the Fed, which has traditionally been insulated from day-to-day politics. Fed independence is generally seen as key to ensuring that it can take difficult steps to combat inflation, such as raising interest rates, which politicians might be unwilling to take. Federal Reserve governors vote on all the central bank's interest-rate decisions, as well as its financial regulatory policies. Miran's nomination, if approved, would add a near-certain vote in support of lower interest rates. Kugler had echoed Powell's view that the Fed should keep rates unchanged and further evaluate the impact of tariffs on the economy before making any moves. At its most recent meeting last week Fed officials kept their key rate unchanged at 4.3%, where it has stood after three rate cuts late last year. But two Fed governors – Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman – dissented from that decision. Both were appointed by Trump in his first term. Still, even with Miran on the board, many of the 12 Fed officials who vote on interest rate policy remain concerned that Trump's sweeping tariffs could push inflation higher in the coming months. After the July jobs report was released last Friday, Miran criticized the Fed chair for not cutting benchmark interest rates, saying that Trump had been proven correct on inflation during his first term and would be again. The president has pressured Powell to cut short-term interest rates under the belief that his tariffs will not fuel higher inflationary pressures. 'What we're seeing now in real time is a repetition once again of this pattern where the president will end up having been proven right,' Miran said on MSNBC. 'And the Fed will, with a lag and probably quite too late, eventually catch up to the president's view.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store