Trump's bombshell but subtle gesture to Putin that everyone missed... it could be his most ingenious move yet: MARK HALPERIN
Was their dialogue a failure that will bring the world more war? Or was it the first stone laid on a fragile path toward peace?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Signs of thaw as the Indian and Chinese foreign ministers meet in New Delhi
The foreign ministers of India and China met in New Delhi on Monday in a renewed effort by the nuclear-armed Asian rivals to ease tensions after a five-year border standoff significantly hurt relations. India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, welcomed Wang Yi for talks aimed at stabilizing relations that plunged in 2020 after security forces clashed along the disputed Himalayan border. The violence, the worst in decades, left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, freezing high-level political engagements. Since then, the two sides have deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces from some border areas. Jaishankar in opening remarks Monday called for deescalation of border tensions to give positive momentum to bilateral ties. 'Having seen a difficult period in our relationship, our two nations now seek to move ahead. This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides,' Jaishankar said. Wang said there has been peace and tranquility along the borders and China has allowed Indian pilgrims to visit some key places in the Tibet autonomous region. The Chinese foreign minister is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and hold talks with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the disputed border. Reducing the number of troops there is expected to be on the agenda. Wang's India visit coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which includes a penalty of 25% for purchasing Russian crude oil. The tariffs take effect Aug. 27.
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man ‘speechless' after personal gift from Putin
An Anchorage resident, Mark Warren, reportedly received a new Ural motorcycle as a personal gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The gift was presented by Andrei Ledenev, an employee of the Russian embassy, during a summit between Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska. Warren, a biker, immediately took the new motorbike for a spin and expressed his amazement and gratitude to Russian state media, saying: 'I'm speechless, it's amazing. Thank you very much.' The gesture followed Warren's earlier conversation with Russian state television reporters, where he mentioned difficulties obtaining spare parts for his old Ural bike due to its manufacturing plant being in Ukraine. Ural, the motorcycle company, now assembles its bikes in Kazakhstan, having ceased production in Russia after the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Reuters
3 minutes ago
- Reuters
Democratic-led states sue over Trump restrictions on crime victim grants
Aug 18 (Reuters) - A group of Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to prevent the Trump administration from forcing them to cooperate with immigration enforcement activities in order to receive grant funding to support crime victims. The lawsuit, opens new tab filed in federal court in Rhode Island is the latest case to challenge efforts by Republican President Donald Trump's administration to impose immigration-related conditions on states' ability to receive federal funding. Monday's lawsuit by state attorneys general in 20 states and the District of Columbia takes aim at a condition the U.S. Department of Justice recently imposed on the ability of states to receive grants pursuant to the Victims of Crime Act, which Congress enacted in 1984 to bolster support for crime victims. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. The department administers programs funded by fines and penalties assessed in federal criminal cases that allow states to receive grant funding to provide services for victims including medical care, counseling, shelter and compensation for lost wages. Attorneys general from states including California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island say those funds help about 10 million people annually. In 2025, nearly $1.4 billion in such funding is available, the lawsuit said. But under a new Trump administration policy, states can lose out on such funding if they decline to provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to facilities or honor all civil immigration enforcement requests, the lawsuit said. The conditions were imposed in keeping with a policy Attorney General Pam Bondi unveiled in February requiring the Justice Department to ensure that federal funds do not flow to so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions" that do not cooperate with ICE. The states' lawsuit argues that such conditions are unlawful and violate the U.S. Constitution by undermining Congress' power over appropriations. They are asking a judge to block the Justice Department from enforcing the conditions. Judges in Rhode Island have issued a series of rulings preventing the administration from imposing conditions on grant funding that align with Trump's broader agenda. Most recently, a judge in the state this month barred the Justice Department from enforcing new restrictions on grant funding used to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
