Ukraine has marked six months since it launched an incursion into the Russian region of Kursk that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "brought the war home for Russians” and could serve as a bargaining chip in any future peace negotiations.

“Today marks six months of the Kursk operation. With our active operations on Russian territory, we have brought the war home to Russia,” Zelenskyy said in in his nightly video address on February 6.

Ukrainian forces launched the incursion on August 6, capturing swaths of territory in the Kursk region, including the city of Sudzha.

Zelenskyy recognized the brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces involved in the Kursk operation but made no mention of a counteroffensive reported by unofficial Ukrainian military blogs and the Russian Defense Ministry.

The ministry said Ukrainian troops and armored vehicles launched eight waves of attacks near the villages of Ulanok and Cherkasskaya Konopelka. Russan units thwarted the attempted counterattack, and the settlements are under Russian control, the ministry said.

It claimed Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses, including more than 200 soldiers and dozens of vehicles. The battlefield report could not be verified.

The General Staff of Ukraine's military made brief reference to military activity in Kursk region in an assessment of fighting on February 6, saying only that five clashes had taken place since the beginning of the day.

Ukraine has said its foothold in Kursk could be a useful bargaining chip in potential peace negotiations with Russia.

"At some point, when the war moves toward a diplomatic resolution, you will see just how important this operation was," Zelenskyy said on X on February 5.

Zelenskyy’s office said on February 6 that Ukraine is ready to open a humanitarian corridor to let hundreds of Russian civilians living in border areas seized by Ukraine to return to Russian-controlled territory.

More than 1,500 civilians are still living in areas of the Kursk region. Some have become angry at Russian authorities over lost contact with family members believed to be without communication on the other side of the front line.

"We are ready to open a humanitarian corridor from Kursk region to the depths of Russia in response to an official request of the Russian Federation," Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement.

"Apparently, the Russians do not want such a humanitarian corridor, because we have not received a corresponding request from them," the statement said, accusing Moscow of "indifference" to the fate of its own citizens.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has denied the U.S. State Department’s claim that his country had reached a deal allowing U.S. warships to transit the Panama Canal for free.

Mulino said he was surprised by the U.S. State Department’s statement on X that U.S. government vessels “can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the U.S. government millions of dollars a year.”

Mulino on February 6 rejected that statement and asked Panama’s ambassador to the United States to dispute it. The ambassador is scheduled to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on February 7.

Mulino said he had told U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on February 5 that he could neither set the transit fees nor exempt any vessels from paying from them.

The Panama Canal Authority also said it had "not made any adjustments” to the fees.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met with Mulino and canal administrators and visited the critical trade route earlier this week, said on February 6 from the Dominican Republic that he respects Panama's legal process, but the United States has a treaty obligation to protect the Panama Canal if it comes under attack.

"That treaty obligation would have to be enforced by the armed forces of the United States, particularly the U.S. Navy,” Rubio said. “I find it absurd that we would have to pay fees to transit a zone that we are obligated to protect in a time of conflict.”

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Rubio delivered a message from Trump when he met with Mulino, saying that that China's presence was a threat to the waterway and a violation of the U.S.-Panama treaty.

The treaty calls for the permanent neutrality of the American-built canal.

China's business with the canal is mainly carried out through Hong-Kong based Hutchison Holdings, which operates two ports near the entrances to the waterway under a 25-year concession renewed in 2021.

Rubio last week said under the current status, China could theoretically use the ports to shut down the canal should a conflict break out between the United States and China.

China has denied it plays any role in the operation of the canal and that it respects Panama's control over the waterway.

"Never ever has China interfered," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said last month and added that Beijing recognizes the canal as "a permanently neutral international waterway.”

The Panamanian president said his meeting with Rubio on February 2 was cordial and respectful. He indicated it was possible to review some Chinese businesses in Panama, including the port concession.

Mulino announced after Rubio's visit that Panama would not renew its memorandum of understanding to join China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He also announced further steps to cooperate on immigration, a major policy matter with the U.S. administration.

The BRI is Chinese leader Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy initiative, and the globe-spanning infrastructure project has led to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment around the world.

With reporting by AP

The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States held what she said was a “thorough discussion” with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who has been tasked with finding a resolution to the war in Ukraine.

The meeting on February 6 between Oksana Markarova and Kellogg took place after Kellogg rejected a report that he would present a peace plan for Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference next week.

Markarova said it was her first meeting with Kellogg since his appointment, though the two had met before.

"We held a thorough discussion with the special envoy and his team and my colleagues," Markarova said on Facebook.

Ukraine has been trying to establish close relations with the new administration under Trump, who has said he wants to bring a quick end to the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on February 5 in his nightly video address that Ukraine had been "significantly intensifying" its contacts with the Trump administration, adding that it also has had "quite meaningful contacts with other partners."

Zelenskyy, who will lead Ukraine’s delegation at the Munich Security Conference, said on February 6 that he is certain that there is no official U.S. plan yet, suggesting that any formal plan should be coordinated with Kyiv.

Andriy Yermak, chief of Zelenskyy's office, said the Ukrainian delegation would present the country’s position on ending the war and their views on how “a long and lasting peace” can be achieved.

“It’s necessary that the leaders and the experts in politics who will be in Munich realize that this is momentum,” he told the AP. “That we are very near to really ending this war by a just and lasting peace, but (it’s) necessary to be together [and not give] Russia an opportunity to divide the world, to divide partners.”

Zelenskyy has voiced confidence that Trump can pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into ending the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. He also has said Trump knows Ukraine’s positions, including the things on which there can be no concessions.

Kellogg said last week that Trump has a “solid” strategy to end the war within months. But Trump himself has said little since his inauguration about how he will seek to settle the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin announced on February 5 an increase in contacts with the United States regarding the push to seek a resolution of the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was ready to negotiate with Zelenskyy despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to hold talks with him because his term expired last year.

Zelenskyy has dismissed that notion, saying no election can be held while martial law remains in place.

Kellogg said on February 5 on the conservative U.S. broadcaster Newsmax that Ukraine would reach a point when it would have to hold and election.

"The sign of a healthy democracy is the willingness and the ability to have an election, even in the time of war," he said.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on February 6 quoted senior Russian parliamentarian Leonid Slutsky as saying preparations for a meeting between Putin and Trump were at an "advanced stage."

Slutsky, head of the State Duma's international affairs committee, said the meeting could take place in February or March.

"It will be about Ukraine, the Middle East and, more generally, issues of world politics and international relations in the near future. I am sure that this meeting will be a milestone," Slutsky said.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order slapping sanctions on officials with the International Criminal Court for opening investigations targeting the United States and Israel.

Trump's order said the court in The Hague “has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.”

The executive order, signed by Trump on February 6, said those actions “set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel,” including members of the U.S. military.

The order refers to an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his actions toward Palestinians in Gaza and recent actions by the court that endanger members of the U.S. military.

The order was signed after Netanyahu visited Trump at the White House on February 4. It notes that neither the United States nor Israel are members of the court.

Trump’s order imposes sanctions, including barring ICC officials, employees, and family members from entering the United States and freezes any assets they hold in U.S. jurisdiction. The sanctions also apply to anyone deemed to have helped the court's investigations.

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ICC Arrest Warrant Will Dog Netanyahu Even If He Never Faces The Hague  

The ICC issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif -- who Israel says is dead.

The warrants are for "crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024."

Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people, mostly Israeli citizens, and took hundreds of others hostage. A subsequent Israeli offensive aimed at neutralizing Hamas has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly in the Gaza Strip.

Trump in 2020 during his first administration imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban on the ICC's then-prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and other senior officials and staff. The move came after Bensouda launched an investigation into allegations of war crimes against U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions soon after taking office in 2021.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan,Khan later effectively dropped the United States from the Afghan investigation.

With reporting by AFP

The U.S. Justice Department is disbanding a program aimed at seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs started after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

A memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi issued on February 6 said the effort, known as Task Force KleptoCapture, will end.

"This policy requires a fundamental change in mindset and approach," Bondi said in the memo.

The program was designed to strain the finances of wealthy associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin and punish people who facilitated sanctions violations.

Bondi said resources now devoted to seizing the assets of oligarchs and enforcing sanctions will be redirected to “the total elimination of Cartels and TCOs” -- an acronym for transnational criminal organizations.

Task Force KleptoCapture was announced on March 2, 2022, just a few weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It brought indictments against aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and TV tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions evasion and seized yachts belonging to oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Charges Russian Oligarchs, State-Owned Bank CEO, And U.S.-Based 'Facilitators'

Bondi also ended the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was established in the first administration of President Donald Trump to police disinformation campaigns aimed at sowing discord and undermining democracy.

The task force was dedicated to investigating violations of the law requiring foreign agents to register with U.S. authorities. Bondi said the decision the scale back the policing of foreign interests had been made to "free resources to address more pressing priorities, and end risks of further weaponization and abuses of prosecutorial discretion."

Attorneys assigned to the task force will return to their previous posts. The changes will be in effect for at least 90 days and could be renewed or made permanent, according to the memo.

Some Republicans have accused the government of abusing the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to unfairly target political operatives, such as Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign manager.

He was indicted as part of a federal probe into Trump's role in Russia's influence campaign during the 2016 U.S. election. Manafort was convicted of several offenses, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal and lying on FARA documents, but he was ultimately pardoned by Trump.

FARA was also used to pursue Mike Flynn, Trump's first national-security adviser, who lied to the FBI about contacts with Russians.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP

France and the Netherlands delivered fighter jets to Ukraine, giving Kyiv a major boost in its ability to defend Ukrainian airspace amid an almost daily barrage of Russian attacks.

In Paris, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said in a post on X on February 6 that an unspecified number of Mirage 2000-5 fighters had arrived in Ukraine, while the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had also taken possession of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets.

"The Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received a long-awaited reinforcement - the first French fighters Mirage 2000 and F-16s from the Kingdom of the Netherlands," Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

"These modern fighting machines are already in Ukraine and will soon take on combat missions, strengthening our defense and ability to effectively resist Russian aggression."

Lecornu said in a post on X that with "Ukrainian pilots on board after training for several months in France, they will now help defend the skies over Ukraine."

Paris announced it would deliver Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine in early 2025, armed with air-to-ground missiles and electronic warfare countermeasures.

Ukraine has long sought modern Western fighter jets, especially F-16s and Mirage fighters. In 2023, several allied nations agreed to transfer F-16s to Ukraine with U.S. approval, and the first batch arrived in August 2024.

"This is another step in strengthening Ukraine’s security," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the arrival of the planes, which can fly at double the speed of sound.

"With the latest deliveries, we are also continuing to expand our F-16 fleet, with the Netherlands fulfilling its commitments to support this effort," he added.

Israeli aviation expert David Sharp told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service's Donbas.Realities in an interview that the newly acquired jets will replace older Soviet Su-24s and can employ Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles.

They will also be key in short- and medium-range combat missions and "of course, against Shahed drones and cruise missiles."

"As hunters of these, they're better than Soviet planes, which means they can save Ukrainian lives every night," he added.

WATCH: Archive Footage Of Mirage 2000-5 Fighter Jets

Video: French Mirage 2000-5 Fighter Jets

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The announcement comes as Ukraine looks to blunt widespread Russian air attacks and gains on the front lines as the war approaches its third anniversary on February 24.

At the same time, Kyiv has been taking the offensive where it can to strengthen its position as the West looks to jump-start talks toward a cease-fire and eventual peace agreement.

SEE ALSO:

Kellogg Rejects Report That Trump's Ukraine Peace Plan Will Be Revealed Next Week

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on February 6 an overnight drone strike on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airbase in Russia's Krasnodar region.

According to Ukrainian military officials, the base served as a key location for the storage, preparation, and deployment of Shahed drones and the maintenance of aircraft supporting Russian operations in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions.

Russian Telegram channels and residents of the town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk reported the drone strike, with videos circulating online showing flames near the airfield.

UGC Footage Of The Drone strike In Krasnodar Verified By RFE/RL

The head of the local district confirmed that air defense systems had been activated in response to drone activity.

At the same time, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses overnight downed 28 Ukrainian drones -- 13 over the Sea of Azov, eight over the Rostov region, six over Krasnodar Krai, and one over Astrakhan.

In another incident, three people were allegedly killed by a Ukrainian drone strike inside Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram that the incident took place near the village of Logachyovka, which has been banned declared off-limits due to ongoing drone attack threat since late October 2022.

The Polish Prosecutor-General's Office has launched an investigation into Prime Minister Donald Tusk after the head of the country's Constitutional Tribunal accused him and other senior ruling party officials of operating as an “organized criminal group” in order to mount a “coup d’etat.”

The move comes after Bogdan Swieczkowski, the chief justice of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal and an ally of the Polish opposition party PiS, said he sent a document to prosecutors outlining moves by the government that disregard court rulings, while also alleging Tusk's government has “unlawfully taken over” public media.

Tusk, whose government has refused to recognize the Constitutional Tribunal that was created under the previous right-wing government, appeared to brush off the allegations, posting a video on social media showing him playing table tennis while claiming he has bigger concerns than the investigation.

"Relax. We have serious things to do now. We will get to it eventually," he said while playing table tennis.

The social media post also has a laughing emoji next to the phrase "coup d'etat."

SEE ALSO:

A Russian Airline Bomb Plot? What We Know About The Polish PM's Accusations

President Andrzej Duda, who was a candidate for PiS in the 2015 presidential election that brought him to power, blasted the government's actions as "blatant constitutional violations."

But he stopped short of endorsing the coup accusations.

Tusk was elected prime minister in December 2023 after his party, Civic Platform, formed a pro-European coalition government with 248 votes in parliament against 201 from the opposition.

The vote froze PiS out of power even though it had won elections earlier that year, taking just over 35 percent of the total vote.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has confirmed that he will take part next week in the Munich Security Conference but rejected a report that he will reveal the White House's peace proposal while in Germany.

Kellogg said he looks forward to speaking at the annual conference and discussing “Trump’s goal to end the bloody and costly war in Ukraine,” and that he also plans to “meet with America’s allies who are ready to work with us.”

Since Kellogg revealed that he will speak at the conference, which is scheduled to take place February 14-16, there has been speculation that he will unveil Trump’s plan to end the war. Bloomberg news on February 5 quoted unidentified sources as saying that Kellogg would present the plan during the conference.

Kellogg flatly rejected the report in an interview with the news outlet Newsmax, saying "No we're not."

"The person that's going to present the peace plan is the president of the United States, not Keith Kellogg. That (presenting the peace plan) is not going to happen next week at all."

In comments on February 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will lead Ukraine’s delegation at the conference, said he is certain that there is no official U.S. plan yet, suggesting that any formal plan should be coordinated with Kyiv.

"Maybe I'm mistaken... but I'm sure that what's in various publications...is not President Trump's official plan, because I'm sure that our teams are going to work together," Zelenskyy said. "There can be no separate plan from somebody, not even from the United States."

Zelenskyy added that even before Trump's inauguration on January 20, "we had the opportunity to listen to each other, to hear about visons [of peace] and about things that are priorities and things on which there can be no concessions from the Ukrainian people. That is, he knows [our] position."

Zelenskyy voiced confidence that Trump can pressure Putin into ending the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

"Putin is afraid to speak with me about an end to the war. I don't know why. He is a grown man, but he's afraid to be left alone with me. I don't know. But nonetheless, I think that Trump will be able to force him to end the war."

Andriy Yermak, chief of Zelenskyy's office, said the Ukrainian delegation will present the country’s position on ending the war and their views on how “a long and lasting peace” can be achieved.

“It’s necessary that the leaders and the experts in politics who will be in Munich realize that this is momentum,” he told the AP. “That we are very near to really ending this war by a just and lasting peace, but (it’s) necessary to be together [and not give] Russia an opportunity to divide the world, to divide partners.”

Kellogg said last week that Trump has a “solid” strategy to end the war within months. The comment came amid behind-the-scenes talks and back-channel negotiations to find a way to bring the nearly 3-year-old Russian invasion to an end.

He and other officials have hinted at a plan to achieve what Trump allies call “peace through strength.” The plan includes potentially freezing the conflict and leaving Russian-occupied territories “in limbo.” It also includes providing security guarantees to Ukraine, but it is not specified what they would be.

The Kremlin announced on February 5 an increase in contacts with the United States regarding the push to seek a resolution of the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was ready to negotiate with Zelenskyy despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to hold talks with him because his term expired last year.

Ukraine has not been able to organize elections because it has been under martial law since the war started.

Kellogg said on February 5 on the conservative U.S. broadcaster Newsmax that Ukraine would reach a point when it would have to hold and election.

"The sign of a healthy democracy is the willingness and the ability to have an election, even in the time of war," he said.

According to Kellogg, the United States is considering the possibility of putting pressure not only on Moscow, but also on Kyiv to come to the table. He warned on February 2 that both sides will have to make concessions if they hope to negotiate a settlement to the war.

Zelenskyy "has already indicated he will soften his position on land," Kellogg said on February 1. "And Putin is going to have to soften his positions as well." Trump has insisted he wants to end the war quickly, and said he wants to meet Putin as soon possible.

Zelenskyy said on February 5 in his nightly video address that Ukraine had been "significantly intensifying" its contacts with the Trump administration, adding that it also has had "quite meaningful contacts with other partners."

Zelenskyy said in an interview published on YouTube on February 4 that he would agree to direct talks with Putin but the United States and European Union must take part.

"If people believe we must move to the diplomatic track, and I believe we are ready to move to the diplomatic track, there must be the U.S., Europe, Ukraine, and Russia."

Asked in the interview with British journalist Piers Morgan how he would feel sitting opposite Putin at a negotiating table, Zelenskyy said: “If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this setup."

He added: "I will not be kind to him, I consider him an enemy. To be honest, I think he considers me an enemy, too."

The German government said on February 5 that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance would attend the Munich Security Conference. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced that Vance would attend. The conference confirmed that Vance would attend on X.

DUSHANBE -- The Tajik Supreme Court has delivered guilty verdicts in a controversial high-profile treason case, handing lengthy prison terms to former senior government officials and politicians who were accused of plotting to overthrow authoritarian President Emomali Rahmon.

After a monthslong trial that occurred behind closed doors inside a detention center known for its strict security measures, the court gave 27-year sentences to both Tajik Ex-Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and the leader of the opposition Democratic Party and ex-lawmaker Saidjafar Usmonzoda.

Shokirjon Hakimov, first deputy leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party of Tajikistan; Ahmadshoh Komilzoda, a former deputy chairman of the Democratic Party; Akbarshoh Iskandarov, an ex-speaker of parliament; and Nuramin Ganizoda, a retired colonel from the State Committee for National Security, were all given 18 years in prison.

Abulfaiz Atoi, a former Foreign Ministry press secretary, received a 17-year prison term.

SEE ALSO:

Tajikistan's Secret Trial: A Plot To Seize Power Or A Government Fearful Of Being Overthrown?

The court also sentenced journalist Rukhshona Hakimova to eight years in prison. Authorities have not disclosed the specific nature of the reporter's alleged crime, citing state confidentiality. However, reports suggest that her prosecution on a treason charge was linked to an article she wrote about China’s influence in Tajikistan.

The defendants were denied public hearings, and their families were barred from attending the proceedings. Lawyers were also bound by nondisclosure agreements and independent media were denied access to the courtroom.

SEE ALSO:

'Real Journalism Is Dying' -- Tajikistan's War On Independent Media

Authorities cited national-security concerns as the reason for the secrecy.

Despite the clandestine nature of proceedings, however, sources close to the investigation told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that many of the accused rejected the charges made by the Prosecutor-General's Office.

Iskandarov and Komilzoda, for instance, stated that their convictions were based on insufficient evidence, according to the sources.

During earlier hearings in December 2024, several defendants also reportedly denied all the allegations and complained of being coerced by investigators.

SEE ALSO:

Tajikistan Increases Pressure On Opposition At Home, Abroad

With few details about the trial emerging, the lack of transparency has fueled speculation that it was politically motivated.

Authorities have framed the case as an attempt to prevent an overthrow of the government, but human rights activists and international observers have said the trial is part of a broader crackdown on dissent.

With Tajikistan’s judicial system largely under the government's control, it's likely that any appeals lodged against the sentences will have little impact.

Rahmon, who has run Tajikistan with an iron fist for more than three decades, has been criticized by international human rights groups over his regime's stifling of political pluralism, independent media, religious freedoms, and civil society.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and said Washington will not renew funding for the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees.

Trump signed an executive order on February 4 just before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country has long accused both UNHRC and the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) of bias against Israel and antisemitism.

The executive order said the United States helped found the United Nations after World War II to prevent future global conflicts and promote international peace and security. But some UN agencies “have drifted from this mission and instead act contrary to the interests of the United States while attacking our allies and propagating anti-Semitism,” it said.

UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated as foreign terrorist organizations, according to the order, while UNHRC has protected human rights abusers by allowing them to use the organization to shield themselves from scrutiny.

The executive order also said the United States would review involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The executive order said UNESCO has demonstrated failure to reform itself, continually demonstrated anti-Israel sentiment over the past decade, and failed to address concerns over mounting debts.

SEE ALSO:

Israel's Ban On UN Agency 'Beyond Catastrophic' For Palestinians

The order also set up a broad review of U.S. funding for multilateral organizations to be completed within 180 days. The review is to determine in part which organizations, conventions, and treaties “are contrary to the interests of the United States" and whether they can be reformed.

Trump also pulled the United States out of the Human Rights Council during his first term in office. The U.S. ambassador to the UN at the time, Nikki Haley, accused the council of “chronic bias against Israel” and pointed to what she said were human rights abusers among its members.

President Joe Biden renewed support for the 47-member UNHRC, but announced in September that the United States would not seek a second consecutive term.

The council's activities include reviews of countries' human rights records and specific allegations of rights abuses.

UNRWA is currently providing humanitarian assistance to many of the 1.9 million people displaced by the war in Gaza who depend on its deliveries for survival.

U.S. funding of UNRWA was halted in January 2024 by Biden after Israel accused 12 of its employees of involvement in Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack.

A series of probes found some "neutrality related issues" at UNRWA, but no evidence for Israel's chief allegations, and most other donors that had similarly suspended funding resumed their financial support.

Trump said based on the UN's “great potential” the United States would “continue to go along with it,” but added that the primary purpose of the United Nations should be settling conflicts.

A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Guterres has worked tirelessly to implement many reforms and increase efficiency and innovation.

Stephane Dujarric added that U.S. support for the United Nations has saved countless lives and advanced global security.

"The secretary-general looks forward to continuing his productive relationship with President Trump and the U.S. government to strengthen that relationship in today’s turbulent world," Dujarric said.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a proposal on February 4 under which displaced Palestinians would leave the Gaza Strip, allowing the United States to take ownership of the coastal territory and develop it economically into a “phenomenal” place where many nationalities could live in peace.

Trump said this would occur after the resettlement of the Palestinian people to other countries to get them out of what he said was a “hell hole” of demolished buildings following more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

Trump made the surprise proposal at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying such a drastic move is necessary because other ideas to end decades of conflict between the Palestinian people and Israelis have not worked.

His proposal on the Gaza Strip would see the United States taking it over and would appear to upend years of U.S. policy calling for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump said the United States would work to dismantle all unexploded bombs and other weapons in the territory and clear away destroyed buildings before economically developing the area.

"If it's necessary, we'll do that, we're going to take over that piece, we're going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it'll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of," Trump added.

SEE ALSO:

As Netanyahu Visits The White House, Could Trump's Gaza Plan Happen?

The president did not immediately offer details on where the Palestinians would be resettled, but said he would support resettling them "permanently" in other countries. Earlier in the day he repeated his call for Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab states to take in Gazans. Hamas has adamantly insisted it wants to remain in Gaza.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Trump may have floated this idea to raise the stakes after Arab countries refused his request to take in Palestinians.

"Now, he’s cranking up the pressure: If you won't take them, we’ll remove them ourselves and take control of Gaza," Dubowitz said on X. "Classic Trump: Go to the extreme, making what once seemed outrageous suddenly look like the reasonable middle ground."

The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement that its call for an independent Palestinian state was a "firm, steadfast, and unwavering position."

The statement noted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto ruler, has said Saudi Arabia will not stop working toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Trump said he had discussed his proposal with Netanyahu during their meeting at the White House. He also said he had raised it with other leaders of countries in the Middle East and claimed it had been met favorably.

Netanyahu said Trump sees a different future for the Gaza Strip, which he said has been the source of so many "trials and tribulations" for the Israeli people.

"He has a different idea," Netanyahu said. "It's something that could change history and it's worthwhile really pursuing this avenue.”

Just two weeks into his second term, Trump was hosting Netanyahu to discuss the future of the Gaza cease-fire, the release of hostages, and a renewed push for a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order on February 4 to restore his "maximum economic pressure" policy on Iran aimed at hurting its oil exports and slowing its nuclear program.

Ahead of a meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump signed a presidential memorandum reinstating a policy that Trump imposed during his first administration.

Trump's memo orders the U.S. Treasury Department to impose "maximum economic pressure" on Iran through sanctions and enforcement mechanisms on individuals and entities that violate existing sanctions.

It also directs the Treasury and State departments to implement a campaign aimed at "driving Iran's oil exports to zero."

U.S. sanctions on Iran's energy sector have been in place since 2018, when Trump during his first term in office withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. Iranian oil sales plummeted as a result.

But in recent years, a combination of Iran mastering sanctions-evading tactics and Washington's reluctance under the Biden administration to strictly enforce the sanctions led to Iran increasing its exports.

"I would expect tougher U.S. action against countries involved in the movement, or where tankers engage in ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian crude," said Gregory Brew, an Iran and energy analyst at the U.S.-based Eurasia Group.

The rise in Iran's oil sale is in part due to China's appetite for Iranian oil. Tehran offers Beijing a steep discount to take its sanctioned oil, making it worthwhile for China to take on the risk of bypassing U.S. sanctions.

"On paper, China doesn't take any Iranian oil, it's always camouflaged in China's customs data as Malaysian or [Emirati] crude oil," said Brew.

"But China is likely to respond negatively to any sanctions that touch its own banks, refiners, or ports. If the sanctions are limited to tankers or intermediaries, I doubt we'll see much of a reaction from Beijing."

As he signed the memo, Trump described it as very tough but also said he was open to a deal with Iran and expressed a willingness to talk to the Iranian leadership.

"With me, it's very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. Asked how close Tehran is to a weapon, Trump said, "They're too close."

SEE ALSO:

The Farda Briefing: Iran Wants To Negotiate With U.S., But What Will It Concede?

Aside from abrogating the nuclear deal, Trump in his first term ordered the killing of one of Iran's top generals in 2020, for which Iran has vowed vengeance.

After signing the memo, Trump commented on Iranian threats against him that were revealed by the Justice Department last year during the U.S. presidential campaign. Trump said there would be a drastic response if he were assassinated.

"I’ve left instructions if they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left,” he said.

Vice President J.D. Vance would become president if Trump died, and he would not necessarily be bound by any instructions left by Trump.

Later on February 4, during a joint news conference with Netanyahu, Trump said he wanted Iran to be peaceful and successful, praising Iranians as an “unbelievable group of people.”

He said he hated imposing the maximum pressure campaign during his first term in office and “hate to do it just as much now.”

But he reiterated his staunch opposition to Tehran developing a nuclear weapon and said if Iran becomes a nuclear-armed nation, that would be “very unfortunate” for them.

"I say this to Iran, who's listening very intently: I would love to be able to make a great deal. A deal where you can get on with your lives," Trump said at the news conference.

The president said Iran would find it very beneficial if it can convince him that they won’t develop a nuclear weapon, saying if that were the case, “I think they are going to have an unbelievable future.”

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week appeared to green-light talks with Trump's administration in the hopes of lifting sanctions. Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier appealed to Trump to "choose rationality" and resume nuclear negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would agree to direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end almost three years of war, but he would do so if that is the only way to bring peace to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also warned against lifting sanctions against Russia and raised the question of whether nuclear weapons would be the answer to Ukraine's need for security guarantees. The Ukrainian president made the comments in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan posted on February 4 on YouTube.

On holding talks to end the war, Zelenskyy said: "If people believe we must move to the diplomatic track, and I believe we are ready to move to the diplomatic track, there must be the U.S., Europe, Ukraine, and Russia."

Asked how he would feel sitting opposite Putin at a negotiating table, Zelenskyy said: “If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this setup."

He added: "I will not be kind to him, I consider him an enemy. To be honest, I think he considers me an enemy, too."

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Call For Elections In Ukraine: A Step Toward Peace Or A Gift To Putin?  

The interview comes as U.S. President Donald Trump -- who has pledged to end the war -- pushes for a solution to end the fighting. Trump has said he is ready to talk with Putin about a cease-fire in Ukraine, while Putin has said he is open to discussions with Trump on issues such as the Ukraine war and energy prices, but ruled out speaking directly to Zelenskyy.

Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, on February 2 warned both sides will have to make concessions if they hope to negotiate a settlement to the war.

Zelenskyy "has already indicated he will soften his position on land," Kellogg said. "And Putin is going to have to soften his positions as well."

In the interview released on February 4, the Ukrainian president also said that offering Russia any respite from sanctions would increase the risk of a second invasion.

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His comments on Ukraine having nuclear weapons arose in response to a question about security guarantees. He said if Ukraine's accession to NATO drags on for years or decades, allowing Ukraine to have nuclear weapons could be a sufficient guarantee of security to deter Putin from another attack.

Zelenskyy reiterated that a roadmap for Ukraine to join NATO is still Kyiv's favored way to end the fighting and get security guarantees. But he said it was “absolutely fair” to raise a question about nuclear missiles.

“Will they give us missiles in such quantity that we can stop Russia? I am not sure about this, but I think it would help. Otherwise, what missiles can stop Russia's nuclear missiles?” he said.

Kyiv has struggled on the battlefield to hold back Russian forces, and Zelenskyy conceded in the interview that Ukraine is unlikely to recapture some of the territory it lost to Russia.

"Regrettably, the support that is provided by our partners is insufficient to push Putin fully out of our territories," he said.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Russian forces have launched a deadly missile strike on the eastern frontline city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, killing at least five and injuring dozens, the head of the regional military administration said.

"Enemy strike on Izyum. According to preliminary data, the occupiers used a ballistic missile," Oleh Synyehubov wrote on Telegram. He initially said that four civilians had been killed, but later updated the death toll to five.

According to Synyehubov, Russian forces struck the central part of the strategically important city, which links up key road networks and supply routes.

Initially, 17 people were reported injured, five of whom were hospitalized. The number of injured has now increased to 38 people, including one 15-year-old girl.

According to preliminary data, Russia used ballistic missiles in the attack.

Local authorities reported that the strike hit an administrative building and damaged another administrative facility nearby, as well as multistory residential buildings. The regional military administration said there are no military facilities in this area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said rescue operations are still ongoing at the site of the incident and offered condolences to the families of the dead.

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"Such brutality is intolerable," he said on Telegram. "We must put pressure on Russia by using every available means -- military force, sanctions, and diplomatic efforts -- to stop this terror and protect lives."

The Russian military regularly attacks Ukrainian regions, causing widespread destruction in civilian areas with drones, rockets, artillery, and various types of bombs.

The Kremlin has denied it targets civilian areas despite evidence of such attacks.

Within minutes of U.S. tariffs taking effect, China responded with measures of its own on American imports, opening a new chapter in trade tensions between the two countries.

The rapid-fire response from Beijing was announced after Trump's 10 percent tariff across all Chinese imports came into effect on February 4. The Chinese tariffs will impose 15 percent levies on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as 10 percent tariffs for crude oil, farm equipment, and some cars. China's Finance Ministry said that the measures will start on February 10.

SEE ALSO:

U.S. Tariffs On Canada, Mexico Suspended For 30 Days

China's Commerce Ministry and its Customs Administration also announced separate moves that impose export controls on critical minerals tungsten, tellurium, ruthenium, and molybdenum based on national security grounds. Beijing also announced an antitrust probe into Google.

The tit-for-tat tariffs mark a renewal of the trade war waged by Beijing and Washington during U.S. President Donald Trump's first term in office.

During the first trade war, Trump deployed tariffs to try to get China to bend on trade issues and China replied with tariffs of its own. U.S. tariff rates on Chinese goods rose sixfold to 19 percent, while Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods nearly tripled to 21 percent, shaking markets as the world's two largest economies ramped up economic tensions.

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Washington says the current U.S. tariffs were levied on China for not halting the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. When the measures were first announced on February 2, Beijing said that it would file a legal case against the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and “take corresponding countermeasures,” without elaborating further.

China is the main source of the supply of many leading critical minerals and many of those banned for export in the new Chinese measures are used in the production of electronics and high-tech devices.

The exchange of tariffs between Beijing and Washington comes after Trump suspended his threat of 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Those agreements were reached on February 3 and include a 30-day pause in return for concessions on border and crime enforcement with the two neighboring countries.

No such agreement was reached with Xi, and the White House said that Trump does not plan to speak with the Chinese leader until later this week.

Democratic members of Congress have challenged the Trump administration's apparent attempt to fold the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) into the State Department, a move that calls into question funding for aid programs around the world, including billions of dollars in development aid to Ukraine.

The lawmakers gathered outside the main office of the USAID in downtown Washington on February 3 to criticize what they called an “illegal maneuver” by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has been tasked by President Donald Trump with downsizing the government.

The Democratic lawmakers held the gathering as a protest after reports that agency employees had been told not to report to work on February 3 and subsequently were locked out of their government e-mail and other accounts as a gutting of the agency appeared to be under way.

“We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” Musk said on X on February 3.

The lawmakers who spoke outside the agency’s main office in Washington defended the work of the USAID and said the actions interfered with congressional power.

“We don’t have a fourth branch of government called Elon Musk. And that’s going to become real clear,” said Representative Jamie Raskin (Democrat-Maryland).

He added that he didn’t know what Musk’s motivations were, “but they’ve got nothing to do with what has been lawfully adopted by the people of the United States of America through the Congress of the United States. We’re going to defend USAID all the way.”

Senator Chris Murphy (Democrat-Connecticut) said the move created a constitutional crisis and vowed to fight it.

“The people get to decide how their taxpayer money is spent. Elon Musk does not get to decide,” he said, also speaking alongside Raskin at the USAID building.

Murphy called the move an attempt to “turn this government over to a handful of unelected billionaires and corporate interests, and we are not going to let them do that.”

USAID is an independent government agency established by Congress in 1961 and has a workforce of approximately 10,000 people around the world. It is the U.S. government’s main international aid arm and receives tens of billions of dollars from Congress annually to fund programs in some of the world's poorest countries.

These include anti-poverty programs, health programs, disaster relief, and programs to promote democracy and defend human rights.

SEE ALSO:

Trump's USAID Reform Causes Alarm As Musk Weighs In On Foreign Aid

A recent report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said USAID in fiscal year 2023 managed more than $40 billion in combined appropriations to support projects in around 130 countries. The top three recipients of aid were Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Jordan. Afghanistan is also one of the top 10 recipients of USAID funding.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he is the acting director of USAID but said he has delegated that authority so he would not be running its day-to-day operations. He informed Congress of the reorganization of the agency in a letter, saying some parts of USAID might be absorbed by the State Department and the remainder may be abolished.

The move is “not about ending the programs that USAID does,” but about taking policy direction from the State Department, Rubio said.

Speaking in El Salvador during a visit to South America, Rubio said he has been frustrated with USAID for years by what he said was the agency’s refusal to respond to State Department policy directives. The agency “has to be aligned with American foreign policy,” he said.

Rubio stressed that the money that USAID receives are taxpayer dollars, but the agency has become a “global charity separate from the national interest.”

In an interview with Fox News later on February 3, he said: “I think we’re going to be the most generous nation on Earth in a way that makes sense, that’s in our national interest.” The State Department posted a transcript of the interview at its website.

Members of Congress took aim at Musk, the world's richest man, when news broke early on February 3 that employees had been sent e-mails on February 2 telling them not to report to work the next day.

Senator Patty Murray (Democrat-Washington) accused Musk of taking the actions against USAID while SpaceX stands to make millions of dollars in profit from government contracts with the Pentagon.

Murray told a news conference at the Capitol that the freeze of already approved funds for USAID is putting “trust at the lowest level” seen in a lifetime and asked what funds would be seized next.

But the White House was adamant that the agency must be reformed, publishing a statement highlighting the "waste and abuse" it said existed at USAID, including $1.5 million to "advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities."

It also singled out funding for the production of a “transgender opera" in Colombia, a “transgender comic book” in Peru, and for “sex changes and LGBT activism” in Guatemala.

“The list literally goes on and on -- and it has all been happening for decades,” the statement said. “Under President Trump, the waste, fraud, and abuse ENDS NOW.”

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

A British court has sentenced former soldier Daniel Khalife to 14 years and three months in prison for spying for Iran and escaping prison.

Khalife, whose prison break in 2023 made international headlines, was found guilty of spying for Tehran last November.

The judge, Parmjit Kaur Cheema-Grubb, described Khalife during his sentencing on February 3 as a "dangerous fool" who was initially driven by "a selfish desire to show off" rather than intending to harm the interests of the United Kingdom.

"The mere fact you started on this dangerous and fantastical plan demonstrates your immaturity and lack of wisdom," Cheema-Grubb said.

London-born Khalife, 23, joined the British Army in 2017, and it was not long before he started collecting sensitive information and sharing it with Iranian agents. He was paid in cash and insisted to his handlers that he would rise through the army ranks "very easily."

Khalife escaped from London’s Wandsworth Prison in September 2023 while awaiting trial and spent three days on the run, sparking a massive manhunt.

With reporting by the BBC

A bomb exploded at a Moscow apartment complex, authorities said, killing and wounding several people, including the founder of a battalion fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

The February 3 incident was the latest in a string of unusual explosions and shootings, which have raised fears of a return to the gangland violence that plagued the Russian capital in the 1990s.

Russian authorities were quoted by the state news agency TASS as saying that the device detonated around 9:45 a.m. local time and may have been delivered to the Alye Parusa complex by courier.

Among the casualties was Armen Sarkisian, the founder of an ethnic Armenian military unit that has been fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian troops. The Interfax and TASS quoted unnamed officials as saying he died after being hospitalized in critical condition.

Eyewitnesses said that at the time of the explosion Sarkisian was seen walking down a hall in the building toward a parking lot.

TASS quoted an unnamed law enforcement official saying it was likely an intentional act. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The newspaper Kommersant said Sarkisian's bodyguard, Oleg Kasperovich, was killed and another bodyguard seriously injured.

The unit Sarkisian is credited with founding is called ArBat, now formally a part of Redut, a Russian military intelligence-backed mercenary network.

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Ukrainian authorities have accused him of involvement in the violence during the 2014 Maidan street protests in Kyiv.

According to Ukrainian media, he is also a close acquaintance of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia following the Maidan protests.

In April 2018, Sarkisian was detained in France, where he was awaiting extradition to Ukraine. However, he was released after two days "on personal recognizance."

The bombing occurred just over a month after a top general in Russia's chemical and biological weapons protection forces was killed when an electric scooter detonated on the sidewalk outside his building.

Kyiv called a proposal that Washington has developed thus far for peace in Ukraine a "failed plan," saying a push for a cease-fire and elections in Ukraine isn't enough to "intimidate" Russian President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, on February 2 warned that both sides will have to make concessions if they hope to negotiate a settlement to the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "has already indicated he will soften his position on land," Kellogg said. "And Putin is going to have to soften his positions as well."

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"We're going to have discussions with everybody over time, and probably in the near term," he added. "And it's good for both sides."

Kellogg told Reuters in an interview that Washington wants Ukraine to hold elections, potentially by the end of this year, especially if a truce is reached to stop the fighting.

Dmytro Lytvyn, an aide to Zelenskyy, on February 2 said that "we haven't seen Mr. Kellogg's full interview, only a few quotes about the elections, so it's hard to fully assess his position."

"But if his plan is just a cease-fire and elections, it is a failed plan -- Putin won't be intimidated by just those two things," he told Reuters.

Ukraine remains under martial law and has not held elections since Russia's invasion -- something Kellogg said was permitted under the Ukrainian Constitution.

Putin has called Zelenskyy "illegitimate" because his presidential term has officially expired.

Late on February 2, following Kellogg's comments, Trump said talks with Ukraine and Russia were going "pretty well."

"We have meetings and talks scheduled with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia. And I think those discussions are actually going pretty well," he added without being specific.

Zelenskyy has rejected any deal that would require him to make territorial concessions to Russia, which controls large portions of southeastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula.

Some of the territory was taken during a previous invasion in 2014, while the rest was captured following Russia's full-scale invasion of February 2022.

However, Ukraine -- outgunned and outmanned by Russian forces -- has suffered increasing battlefield losses in recent months, leading to pressure on Zelenskyy to ease his opposition to the loss of land, even temporarily.

Russia has also suffered massive casualties on the battlefield and its economy has been left in ruins through military spending and Western-imposed sanctions.

The future of U.S. military aid to Ukraine is also unclear. Trump has criticized the amount of assistance provided to Kyiv by the previous administration.

Trump said on February 3 that he wants Ukraine to supply the United States with rare earth minerals as a form of payment for U.S. financial support.

"We're telling Ukraine they have very valuable rare earths," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earths and other things."

More than four dozen minerals, including several types of rare earths, nickel, and lithium, are considered critical to the U.S. economy and national defense. Ukraine has large deposits of uranium, lithium, and titanium.

Trump has vowed to quickly end the war but has not provided details of any potential plans to bring the sides together.

Kellogg on January 31 said Trump has a "solid" strategy to end the war in Ukraine within months, also without providing details.

Kellogg's assertion came amid behind-the-scenes talks and back-channel negotiations to find a way to bring the nearly 3-year-old Russian invasion to an end.

SEE ALSO:

How Russia Neutralized Ukraine’s Tactical Nuclear Weapons

Putin for his part has complimented Trump and signaled a willingness to meet. But he's also ruled out holding talks with Zelenskyy, which would potentially complicate any upcoming negotiations.

Ukraine has sought long-term security guarantees, including the potential for Western peacekeeping forces, to prevent Russia from rebuilding its forces and attacking again following a cease-fire.

On the battlefield, Ukraine continued to target fuel and energy facilities inside Russia. Drones ignited a fire in the Astrakhan region and forced the suspension of flights at several airports, Russian officials and media said early on February 3.

"Ukrainian armed forces attempted a drone attack on objects located in the region, including fuel and energy facilities," Astrakhan Governor Igor Babushkin said on Telegram.

"The attack was successfully repelled. Falling drone sparked a fire. There were no casualties," he wrote from the southern Russian region near the Kazakh border.

He did not specify what was on fire, but the Baza Telegram channel said it was a gas-processing plant near Astrakhan city.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities on February 2 said the toll of the Russian missile strike the day before in Poltava reached 14 dead, including three children, with at least 20 injured.

With reporting by Reuters

Tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canada and Mexico will be paused for 30 days, the leaders of the two countries said on February 3 after calls with Trump in which they pledged stronger border measures to stop migrant crossings and illicit drugs.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on X that Canada would deploy nearly 10,000 officers to help secure the border, list drug cartels as terrorists, appoint a Fentanyl Czar, and crack down on money laundering.

"I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million," he said. "Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together."

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also agreed to send 10,000 members of her country's national guard to the border to address drug trafficking.

Sheinbaum said on X the deployment would begin immediately. She added that the United States committed to work to stop the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico.

"Our teams will begin working today on two fronts: security and trade," she said. "They are pausing tariffs for one month from now."

Trump had warned Americans earlier on February 3 that they may face economic “pain” because of the trade tariffs he announced over the weekend on Canada, Mexico, and China -- the top three U.S. trading partners.

"Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not!)" Trump wrote on February 2 on his social media platform in regard to the effect tariffs could have on U.S. consumers.

"But...it will all be worth the price that must be paid," he added.

SEE ALSO:

Trump Announces New Tariffs On Canada, Mexico, China. What Happens Next? 

Experts have said that the tariffs could roil the world economy. They also have pointed out that U.S. consumers would actually pay the tariffs in the form of higher prices for imports from the three countries.

Trump has also threatened tariffs on goods from the EU, saying they would “definitely happen" and that it would be "pretty soon." He also suggested the United Kingdom could be the target of tariffs.

The EU on February 2 said it would "firmly" retaliate if Trump imposes tariffs, although it said it hopes to avoid a trade war through talks.

"The European Union regrets the U.S. decision to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China," a spokesman for the European Commission said.

Trump announced the long-promised economic policy on February 1, saying Washington would hit Canada and Mexico with tariffs of 25 percent on all goods, although Canadian energy products will face a 10 percent tariff. The new tariffs also include a 10 percent levy on goods from China, on top of those previously set.

The tariffs imposed on Chinese goods remained poised to begin on February 4.

All three countries targeted by the initial announcement had threatened retaliatory measures while also urging trade talks instead of tariffs.

Trump said he was imposing them on the U.S. neighbors until the flow of migrants and illegal fentanyl into the United States was stopped, although the cause of those issues is widely debated and involves a number of complex factors.

He has also said they would help reduce trade deficits with leading partners and spur industrial output in the United States.

He also indicated that more tariffs could be coming against China, saying if Washington can’t make a deal with China, "then the tariffs will be very, very substantial.”

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Panama Canal on February 2, warning the host country that Washington will "take measures necessary" if it doesn’t curb Chinese involvement in the crucial waterway.

Following the threats, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino seemed to take that to heart as he said he addressed Washington's concerns over Beijing's purported influence by not renewing Panama's deal to join China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Mulino also announced further steps to cooperate on immigration, a major policy matter with the U.S. administration.

The decision to not renew the 2017 memorandum of understanding to join the BRI marks an early move to calm Washington's concerns over Chinese influence in Panama. The BRI is Chinese leader Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy initiative, and the globe-spanning infrastructure project has led to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment around the world.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Rubio delivered a message from President Donald Trump stating that China's presence was a threat to the waterway and a violation of the U.S.-Panama treaty.

SEE ALSO:

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"Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the treaty," Bruce said.

Rubio did not specify the steps Panama needed to take or suggest what moves the United States might take in retaliation if measures were not taken.

Mulino told reporters that Panama will seek to work with the United States on new investments, including infrastructure projects.

"I think this visit opens the door to build new relations…and try to increase as much as possible U.S. investments in Panama," he said.

Trump has said he does not rule out military force over Panama -- remarks that irked many U.S. allies in Latin America and elsewhere.

In comments on February 2, Trump claimed that "China's running the Panama Canal."

"That was not given to China, that was given to Panama -- foolishly -- but they violated the agreement, and we're going to take it back, or something very powerful is going to happen," Trump told reporters.

Trump has also made remarks about the United States potentially purchasing the island of Greenland from Denmark -- which says it's not for sale -- and suggested Canada should annex itself to the United States, although the seriousness of those comments was not clear.

China's business with the canal is mainly carried out through Hong-Kong based Hutchison Holdings, which operates two ports near the entrances to the waterway under a 25-year concession renewed in 2021.

Rubio last week said that under the current status, China could theoretically use the ports to shut down the canal should a conflict break out between the United States and the Asian giant.

The Panamanian president said his meeting with Rubio was cordial and respectful. He indicated it was possible to review some Chinese businesses in Panama, including the port concession.

SEE ALSO:

From Ukraine To The Pacific, Trump Administration Faces New Threats From China-Russia Partnership

China has denied it plays any role in the operation of the canal and that it respects Panama's control over the waterway.

"Never ever has China interfered," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said last month and added that Beijing recognizes the canal as "a permanently neutral international waterway.”

The Panama Canal was built in a U.S.-led project, and Washington maintained control when it began operation in 1914, also holding the surrounding Canal Zone.

In 1964, it began to negotiate the situation following deadly riots by Panamanians angered over foreign control of the waterway.

After long, contentious negotiations, President Jimmy Carter signed the deal that gave the canal to Panama at the end of 1999.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

TBILISI -- Georgian authorities arrested several opposition figures during anti-government protests on the streets of Tbilisi on February 2, prompting the European Union to again condemn what it termed the "brutal crackdown" on dissent.

At least one of the detained protesters -- Nika Melia, a leader of the Coalition for Change -- was later released but said he was subject to physical violence while being held by the police.

The Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to RFE/RL's request for comment on the reported arrests from the protest -- held on and around the Tbilisi Mall -- as anti-government demonstrators rallied for the 67th consecutive night.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the latest action against demonstrators, journalists, and opposition politicians.

Mass Arrests And Clashes Erupt In Tbilisi As Protesters Attempt To Block City’s Highway

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"The brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, journalists, and politicians tonight in Tbilisi is unacceptable," she wrote on X.

"Georgia falls short of any expectation from a candidate country. The EU stands with the people of Georgia in their fight for freedom and democracy."

SEE ALSO:

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Video from the February 2 protest shows Melia being held and forcibly led away by black-clad security personnel.

Melia later told opposition TV Pirveli that at least 25 others were arrested during the day and that some were also subject to physical violence while being held.

Former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, another opposition figure, was also arrested, an AFP journalist on the scene reported.

Also held was Tamar Tevzadze, a student activist from Tbilisi's Ilia State University. Video from her arrest appears to show her screaming as multiple security personnel hold her on the ground.

Claims of violence carried out by police cannot immediately be verified, but many protesters detained over recent months have reported being physically beaten while under detention and during the demonstrations themselves, often by masked men wielding baseball bats.

The government has denied any wrongdoing during the protests.

Georgia received EU candidate status in December 2023, but ties with Brussels first became tense following the adoption in May 2024 of a controversial Russian-style "foreign agent" law pushed through parliament by the Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012.

Relations with the West deteriorated further amid the government's violent crackdown on protesters angered by Georgian Dream’s distancing itself from the EU, its perceived tilt toward Russia, and in reaction to last year's disputed election in the Caucasus nation.

Georgian Dream claimed victory in the October parliamentary vote, which the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said was marred by instances of vote-buying, double-voting, physical violence, and intimidation.

SEE ALSO:

New Georgian President Sworn In Amid Political Standoff

The authorities responded violently to the anti-government demonstrations, arresting hundreds of people and surveilling participants with Chinese-made cameras with facial-recognition capabilities.

Former President Salome Zurabishvili -- who broke with the government during her term and sided with protesters -- on January 18 told Fox News that the United States and Europe have a "stake" in defending Georgian democracy against both an "unconstitutional" government in Tbilisi and potential Russian interference.

On December 29, Georgian Dream pushed through its candidate, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player and right-wing populist, as the country's new president.

However, Zurabishvili, his predecessor, continues to call herself Georgia's "only legitimate president" and is recognized as president by Georgia’s opposition amid widespread claims the country’s parliamentary elections were not free and fair.

With reporting by AFP

The death toll from a Russian missile strike on a residential building in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava has risen to 14, including two children, according to the State Emergency Service.

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Russia Strikes Historic Buildings In Odesa; At Least 14 Killed In Poltava Attack

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The Ukrainian government agency also said on Telegram on February 2 that "17 people were injured, including four children. 22 were rescued," adding that 194 people, including 11 children, were being helped by psychologists and that "emergency and rescue operations are ongoing."

According to local authorities, Russian forces launched a missile strike on Poltava on February 1, hitting a high-rise apartment block in the city.

A section of the building from the first to fifth floor was destroyed in the strike, reducing much it to rubble and causing a fire to break out. Eighteen apartment buildings and a kindergarten located nearby were also damaged.

The Prosecutor-General's Office reported that, according to preliminary data, the strike was carried out by a Kh-22 supersonic cruise missile.

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The Russian military regularly attacks Ukrainian regions with various types of weapons, causing widespread destruction of Ukrainian civilian sites with drones, rockets, artillery, and various types of bombs.

The Kremlin has denied it targets civilian areas despite evidence of such attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he ordered military strikes on a senior “attack planner” of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Somalia who had been hiding with other members in the impoverished East African nation.

The action on February 1 marked the first military action carried out by Trump since he took office for his second term on January 20.

“These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies,” Trump said in a statement.

“The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.”

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Trump added that the U.S. military had targeted the attack planner for years but that it was not able to take the person out until his term. The target was not identified by name.

Defense chief Pete Hegseth said an initial assessment indicated "multiple" militants were killed in the attacks. No civilians were hurt, he added.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he was informed of the air strike and that he extended his “deepest gratitude for the unwavering support of the United States in our shared fight against terrorism.”

Mohamud said U.S. counterterrorism efforts are “highly valued and welcomed in Somalia” and he praised what he called Trump’s “bold and decisive leadership.”

The Puntland state information minister, Mohamud Aidid Dirir, told Reuters that the strike took place in the Cal Miskaad Mountains within the Golis range.

"The number of casualties is still unknown as it was dark. But our forces on the front line could hear the sound of explosions,” he said.

The IS affiliate in Somalia has faced counterterrorism actions in the form of U.S. air strikes and attacks by Somali security forces, but it still remains active, mainly in the Puntland region.

The U.S. military -- under both Republican and Democratic administrations -- has carried out air strikes in Somalia in the past, targeting terrorist hideouts.

U.S. action in Somalia is perhaps best known from the 2001 movie “Black Hawk Down,” the story about a U.S. helicopter shot down in Mogadishu during the country's civil war in 1993.

Some of the U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Africa have suffered as Chad and Niger -- two former partners -- demanded that U.S. forces exit their countries. Russia has in recent years moved to increase its influence in the region.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

NOVI SAD, Serbia -- Thousands of student protesters and others marked three months since the fatal November 1 collapse of a concrete roof at a rail station in Novi Sad, blocking three bridges in Serbia’s second-largest city as pressure mounted on President Aleksandar Vucic’s government.

The action -- labeled "Three Months, Three Bridges" -- on February 1 caused a kilometer-long line of cars attempting to enter the city as students from Novi Sad University and their supporters announced a 24-hour blockade on the city’s Freedom Bridge, due to last until 3 p.m. on February 2.

Hundreds of the participating students had arrived after a two-day protest march of some 80 kilometers from Belgrade to Novi Sad. The demonstrations come amid months of anti-government protests following the deadly infrastructure collapse in Novi Sad that killed 15 people.

Protesters Block Bridges In Serbia's Novi Sad

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Protesters have demanded accountability for those responsible for the roof collapse -- which many blame on government corruption and incompetence.

Serbian farmers on tractors joined students on the main thoroughfares of the capital, Belgrade, on January 27 for a similar 24-hour protest blockade against Vucic’s handling of the aftermath of a deadly railway station disaster.

Although rallies initially focused on the Novi Sad tragedy, the mounting anger could also pose a longer-term threat to Vucic's government, which has attempted to maintain close ties to traditional ally Russia while also promoting the country's European Union membership hopes.

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On January 28, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned following weeks of mass protests demanding accountability for the deadly accident. Vucic said he accepted the resignation reluctantly because, he insisted, Vucevic “did nothing wrong.”

During the February 1 rally, thousands of people marched through Novi Sad – a city of some 380,000 people -- waving flags and signs as they occupied the three main bridges before converging on Freedom Bridge, the largest.

Farmers on tractors once again joined the rallies.

"I don't think anything like this has ever happened in Novi Sad before. And I am certain that Gen Z will bring change because I believe in all these young people," law student Nedeljka Mijanovic told AFP.

Local resident Slavica Nikolic told AP, “After long time, we can feel positive energy in the air, on the streets, among the people."

“When I talk to people, it feels like hope has woken up. We remember well some uglier times. This is finally some sort of new hope, that something good is going to happen in this country.”

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Student Vasilije Pantic told RFE/RL that "I have mixed emotions: People are here for the tragedy in which 15 people lost their lives. I feel said for them."

"But I'm also proud of myself and my colleagues for the journey that we've made here," referring to the march from the capital.

With reporting by AP and AFP