Free Republic

US President Donald Trump admitted Tuesday that his past relationship with Russia President Vladimir Putin failed to influence Russia's war in Ukraine. Speaking at a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron during the 80th UN General Assembly, Trump said he once believed his personal connection with the Russian leader could ease tensions but "unfortunately, that relationship didn't mean anything." He criticized Moscow for prolonging the conflict, noting that after more than three years of fighting, "thousands are being killed weekly with no progress." Trump also praised France's role in helping address other regional disputes, saying Macron’s support had been...

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes Ukraine, with the support of the European Union and NATO, can win back all of the territory Russia has taken since its invasion. -snip- In the post, Trump criticized Russia's prosecution of the war, saying it had been fighting "aimlessly" in a war that a "real military power" would have won in "less than a week." "Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act," the post continues.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter NATO territory, shortly after nations in the Western military alliance condemned Moscow for violating Estonian airspace. "Yes I do," Trump told reporters when asked about whether he would support such moves. Trump made the comments to reporters before a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. More to follow...

After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option. Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than...

New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump hiking H-1B non-immigrant visa fees to a steep USD 100,000 would affect thousands of Indian students with the American dream. It will sharply reduce low and mid-paid H-1B hiring, concentrate approvals on senior and high-value roles, and force employers and employees to shift to alternative pathways, or restructure staffing models. Immediate effects are already visible in travel advisories and market reactions; medium-term effects will reshape sourcing strategies in tech, professional services, and higher education. The hike would mainly affect those aspiring for a middle or entry-level jobs, where the early career median wage...

A new proposal by Senator Jim Banks aims to restructure the H-1B visa system, drastically raising wage requirements and limiting alternatives companies use to hire foreign workers. -snip- The American Tech Workforce Act includes three main reforms. First, it increases the minimum required salary for H-1B visa holders from $60,000 to $150,000, which may disincentivize companies to look abroad for talent. The bill would also eliminate the OPT program, which allows foreign graduates to work in the U.S. for up to three years post-graduation. Thirdly, the bill replaces the current lottery system with a model awarding visas to the highest-bidding...

The Trump administration is planning to add a $100,000 to the fee for H-1B visa applications, taking aim at a program that is used to attract highly skilled workers to the U.S. The additional fee, which was confirmed to CBS News by a White House official, would impact employers including tech giants such as Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and Google, which have relied on the program to hire foreign workers. President Trump could sign a proclamation adding the new fee as soon as Friday, and which would restrict H-1B workers from entering the U.S. unless accompanied by the $100,000 payment, according...

Russia’s gasoline sales hit a two-year low on Tuesday as Ukrainian drone strikes and surging harvest-season demand intensify the country’s fuel shortage. Data from the St. Petersburg Exchange, reported by Kommersant on Wednesday, shows that sales of A-92 petrol dropped 21.7 percent to 15,600 metric tons on Tuesday, the lowest level since 2023. Sales of A-95 petrol fell 15.5 percent to 12,060 tons compared with the previous day, bringing total gasoline sales on the exchange down 19.1 percent to 27,700 tons. The sharp decline comes amid unscheduled shutdowns at several large Russian refineries, as Kyiv reportedly escalated its campaign against...

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is deliberately slowing its economic growth in order to suppress inflation. "As for the decline from more than 4% GDP growth: this is not a decline, it is a deliberate action. It is a slowdown in growth in exchange for curbing inflation and maintaining macroeconomic stability," Putin said during a televised meeting with top lawmakers. A graph published in Russian central bank's report earlier in September showed two consecutive quarters of gross domestic product (GDP) decline in quarter-on-quarter terms, aligning with the common definition of a technical recession.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has faced a fierce backlash for claiming that Hamas is 'more like a political organization' than a terror group. The 56-year-old commentator made the comment while speaking with Shahed Ghoreishi in the latest episode of The Tucker Carlson show clipped by Mediate. Speaking about Hamas, Carlson said 'They're Islamist extremists... I don't know if that's true, by the way. Seems more like a political organization.'

US Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) has repudiated popular right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson for claiming he would like to share “condolences” with the family of Osama bin Laden, the late al Qaeda leader who organized the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. “Something is wrong with Tucker Carlson,” Cruz said during an episode of his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz” that was released on Monday. Cruz was responding to Carlson, a controversial commentator and online provocateur, who said in a recent episode of his own podcast that he would have no problem expressing sympathy to the family...

Russia on Wednesday strongly condemned the Israeli attack on Qatar's capital Doha, calling it "a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter," and "an assault on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state." In a statement, the Foreign Ministry emphasized that Israel targeted Qatar's residential district, purportedly aimed at high-ranking members of the Palestinian Hamas movement who were reportedly located there, killing at least six people, including a Qatari police officer and injuring several people. "Russia views this incident as a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter, representing an assault on the sovereignty...

Qatar “strongly condemns” the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, calling it “cowardly.” Saying that the strike “targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari says that the “criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.” Ansari adds that Qatar “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty.” Qatar is investigating “at the highest...

The decapitated corpse of a mining company boss has been found in the latest episode of a grizzly string of mysterious deaths among senior Russian executives since the war in Ukraine started. The body of Alexey Sinistyn, CEO of potassium and magnesium mining firm K-Potash Service, was found near Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave on Monday, Russian media reported. The deceased was “found without a head,” state-run news agency RIA Novosti cited law enforcement officials as saying, adding that the body was found under a bridge with a tow rope attached to it.

If a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine ever comes together, the United States could take the lead role in monitoring a large buffer zone inside Ukraine envisioned as a way to protect the country from Russia, according to four people familiar with a plan that military officials from Ukraine’s allies, including the United States, have been discussing. -snip- On the latter front, the United States is discussing with Ukraine a deal that could be worth around $100 billion, under which Kyiv would be able to buy American weapons, while in exchange the United States would get intellectual property rights...

US President Donald Trump urged Europe to cease its purchases of Russian oil on a call with European leaders at the Coalition of the Willing, Fox News reported on Thursday, citing a White House official. Additionally, Trump stressed that European leaders should increase economic pressure on China "for funding Russia's war efforts," while stressing the importance of curbing financial aid to Russia. More to come...

The Russian and Chinese leader's creepy discussion involved fantasising about organ transplants and biotechnology in order to "live to 150". In a private conversation inadvertently captured in Beijing, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping discussed the possibility of achieving "immortality" through organ transplants and advanced medical procedures. The Chinese president, with whom Putin is said to be developing closer ties with, told his Russian counterpart via a translator: "Earlier, people rarely lived to 70, but these days at 70 you are still a child." In response, Mr. Putin said: "With the development of biotechnology, human organs can be continuously transplanted and...

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been overheard discussing organ transplants as a means of prolonging life on the sidelines of a military parade in Beijing. Putin suggested even eternal life could be achievable as a result of innovations in biotechnology, according to a translation of remarks caught on a hot mic. -snip- The exchange was relayed by a Mandarin translator for Putin and a Russian translator for Xi, and has been translated into English by the BBC. "In the past, it used to be rare for someone to be older than 70 and these days...

U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders on Thursday that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that he said is helping Moscow fund its war against Ukraine, a White House official said. Trump joined a call of the "Coalition of the Willing" countries, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who were meeting on security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace deal with Russia. "President Macron and European leaders called President Trump into their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting. President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war — as Russia received...

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticised the UN's nuclear agency and accused western powers of "double standards" as he joined the leaders of China, Russia and North Korea for a military parade in Beijing. The Iranian leader was one of 26 heads of state in the Chinese capital for a once-a-decade event showcasing China’s growing firepower and diplomatic clout alongside its closest international allies. Mr Pezeshkian told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV he backed Beijing's drive to reform systems of global governing, which he said should take a multilateral and "justice-oriented" approach.