Category World News

In the event of a hoped-for peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, hundreds of nations pledged to send troops there on Friday as a security guarantee.

If President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker that peace are unsuccessful, 26 states agreed at a summit of the “coalition of the willing” on Thursday to provide forces to deter Russia from further aggression. The United States’ commitment, which is viewed as essential to any such security arrangement, is still a mystery.

At the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin stated that if some troops showed up, especially now that they are engaged in fighting, they would likely be legitimate targets. This was a move that came after the Russian president made a public display of close ties with China and North Korea.

Putin reaffirmed his claim that Ukraine’s closer military ties with the West are one of the “root causes” of the conflict, which started in February 2022 when Russian forces launched an invasion and stated that the deployment of foreign troops would not promote long-term peace.

Putin said, “I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop, if decisions are made that lead to peace, to long-term peace.”

Separately, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, stated that the Paris summit proposal was “definitely not” acceptable.

The presence of NATO forces, foreign forces, or international forces on Ukrainian soil, he said, “would be considered a threat to ourselves,” he said to reporters.

Peskov instead asserted that all necessary security guarantees for Ukraine were included in the terms of the 2022 peace negotiations in Istanbul.

Ukraine would abandon NATO goals and establish a neutral, nuclear-free status under the Istanbul framework. It would also receive security assurances from France, the US, Russia, China, and Britain.

However, the Paris summit proposal stated that any future agreement must be enforced by a “reassurance” force to patrol in Ukraine under the leadership of France and Britain.

Russia has previously violated numerous agreements with Ukraine and the West, including one that involved separatists fighting Kyiv’s army in the east between 2014 and 2022.

Uncertain

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, hosted the Paris summit, while other countries, such as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, took the initiative remotely.

After Trump and Putin had direct talks, the meeting stoked concerns that Macron is ready to accept Kremlin accounts of the conflict and its demands for a ceasefire. He led the charge to demonstrate that Europe can act independently of the US.

Therefore, it’s uncertain whether the US will be involved in the Paris proposal.

Trump has previously stated that Washington may provide additional support, such as air power, but won’t deploy troops there.

Putin stated on Friday that both Russia and Ukraine need security guarantees.

Russia will, of course, carry out these agreements, I repeat. However, no one has yet had a serious discussion about this with us.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Friday that wildfires are releasing a “witches’ brew” of pollutants that could end up destroying air quality across the globe. These pollutants are likely to have been made more frequent by climate change.

In its fifth annual Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, the WMO outlined how significant an impact air quality can be on a global scale following such wildfires in the Amazon, Canada, and Siberia.

The WMO stated in a statement that “wildfires are a major contributor to particle pollution and the problem is expected to get worse as the climate warms, putting rising risks to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health.”

“Air quality and climate change cannot be addressed alone,” he said. In order to safeguard our planet, our communities, and our economies, Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett said, “They must be tackled together.”

The WMO cited the importance of tiny aerosols as aerosols in wildfires, winter fog, shipping emissions, and urban pollution as particular risks because they can penetrate deep into the lungs or cardiovascular systems.

According to the WMO, wildfires in 2024 caused above-average PM 2.5 levels in Canada, Siberia, and central Africa. However, the Amazon basin experienced the biggest PM 2.5 surge.

According to WMO Scientific Officer Lorenzo Labrador, who coordinated the bulletin, wildfires in Canada also ended up causing air pollution in Europe.

“That occurred last year and this year as well.” When the weather is right, the air quality will deteriorate across continents, Labrador said at a press conference.

“We have essentially a witches’ brew of components that pollute the air,” the author says.

According to the WHO, air pollution causes 4.5 million premature deaths annually.

To protect human and environmental health, as well as reduce agricultural and economic losses, the WMO has called for better monitoring and better policies.

According to Paolo Laj, the WMO’s global atmosphere chief, the improvement can be clearly seen in meteorological data when nations take steps to combat poor air quality.

He told the AFP news agency, “Look at Europe, Shanghai, Beijing, and the cities in the United States: Many cities have taken measures and you see a significant decrease” in air pollution over the long term.

“Over the past ten years, Chinese cities have significantly improved their air quality. What they have accomplished is truly impressive.

The WMO attributed the decline in PM 2.5 levels in eastern China to sustained mitigation measures last year.

In an effort to rebrand the government agency with a more powerful brand, Donald Trump is slated to rename it the Department of Defense.

According to The Associated Press news agency, White House officials who are aware of the rebranding effort are expected to implement the name change in an executive order on Friday.

Unknown facts: The Department of Defense will have the name “Department of War” as its secondary name until legislation can change it permanently.

In a post above a news story about the reported change, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote “DEPARTMENT OF WAR.”

Hegseth didn’t make any additional remarks.

AUTHORITY OF WAR https://t.co/uyAZGiklRi

When the US was a new superpower, President Trump had predicted that a name change would bring back memories of earlier US military victories in World Wars I and II.

He told reporters late last month that “everyone likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War.”

He explained that the name was changed to “Department of Defense.”

Defense is “too defensive,” he said. And if we have to be offensive, we also want to be defensive, he said.

From 1789 until the US military’s reorganization at the end of World War II, which ended in 1945, the Department of Defense was known as the “Department of War.”

Following a merger with other departments in 1947, it was later renamed the National Military Establishment, and the name was later changed to the Department of Defense.

These name changes were made by a Congress-approved resolution.

The defense department is frequently referred to as simply the “Pentagon” or simply by its moniker, “DOD,” given the distinctive shape of its headquarters close to Washington, DC.

Defense Secretary Hegseth will be instructed to pursue legal and legislative means, according to reports from US media reports that it is still unclear how Trump will change the name.

In an interview with Fox News in the US, Hegseth claimed that his organization wants a “warrior ethos” and made similar remarks to Trump’s regarding the department’s name.

We need warriors who are able to impose lethal force on the enemy, he said.

We don’t want to play defense all the time, so we don’t want to have endless contingencies. We believe that titles, names, and words count. We are currently working on it with the president and the White House. He remarked, “Stand by.”

Lionel Messi made sure he had vivid memories of his final appearance in a distinguished career playing for Argentina’s national team at home.

In front of a raucous sellout crowd at Estadio Monumental to bid him farewell, the former Barcelona forward scored twice on Thursday in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Venezuela.

Messi said, “I’ve always dreamed of being able to finish this way here.”

“I’ve had many experiences on this pitch, both good and bad,” said one player. “It’s always fun to play in front of our fans in Argentina.”

Messi has yet to disclose when he will leave the sport’s elite, but the qualifiers for the 2030 World Cup will begin in 2027, at age 40.

Lautaro Martinez scored a goal in the 76th minute, while Lautaro Martinez added a goal in the 39th and 80th.

In South American World Cup qualifying games, Messi has now scored 36 goals and is still the top scorer ever.

Luis Suarez, his Inter Miami teammate, has 29 goals in qualifying for the Continental Cup, but he has already left Uruguay’s national team. Marcelo Moreno Martins of Bolivia leads with 22.

Messi stated in the future that he would only be able to compete in the World Cup in the following year.

“I’m eager, eager,” I say. It continues to experience the sensations day by day. He continued, “I enjoy it if I feel good, and if not, I’d rather not be there,” adding that the nine months until the tournament officially begins “is a long time.”

The World Cup champions, who have already qualified, will continue to lead the South American standings despite what happens in the final round on Tuesday, reaching 38 points.

Venezuela is still in seventh place and 18 points clear of its first World Cup opponent. They are still in contention to make the intercontinental playoffs.

Amanda Anisimova won the US Open final 6-4, 7-6, 6-3, to take on Aryna Sabalenka, who has already lost four sets to Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka, who is now defending her first major title.

“Oh, my God,” The 24-year-old said on Thursday after winning her first final at Flushing Meadows, “it means the world”.

“I’m attempting to process that right now. Absolutely a dream come true. I’ve wanted to live in the US for a long time. Open final with the goal of winning.

Osaka, the other US Open champion, enjoyed the big game in Arthur Ashe Stadium’s prime-time glare as she entered her first major semifinal since 2021.

In a tight opening set, the pair twice exchanged breaks, and Osaka refocused and roared when Anisimova hit a shot into the net on set point in the tiebreak following a delayed line call from the automated system.

However, Anisimova’s intensity was on par with that of Osaka’s as the 23rd seed struggled to carry the momentum forward in the following set.

After the players exchanged vicious hits for 12 games in the next set, Anisimova slammed into the tiebreak to end the game.

The eighth seed, who defeated Iga Swiatek 6 / 6 6-0 in the Wimbledon final two months ago, held on to her nerve until the win was over and made it back to Grand Slam finals.

She really made me want to run for the final. I wasn’t sure if I made it past the finish line. I made an effort to find more. There was a lot of fighting going on, Anisimova continued.

“I made an effort to remain optimistic. I’m working on that because there were a lot of nerves in the beginning. Yes, I think that was really getting to me because this tournament means a lot to me.

You’re just trying to survive, you’re in the end. I’m making an effort to enjoy the moment. When we were both playing incredible tennis, we would sometimes think, “How are we making these shots?” but we continued to be who we were.

Back-to-back dreams are kept alive by Sabalenka.

In a three-set victory over American fourth seed Jessica Pegula, reigning champion Sabalenka defeated fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula, who had already lost.

In a repeat of the final from the previous year, Sabalenka defeated Pegula 4-6, 6-3, and 6-4.

The Belarusian will make its third consecutive Flushing Meadows final appearance.

She played incredible tennis as usual, and I had to work really hard to get this win, Sabalenka said.

I’m so happy to be back in the final, and I’m hoping to make it all the way.

Sabalenka, 27, wants to become the first woman to have won three straight New York singles titles since 2012-2014 when Serena Williams won three.

Since winning the US Open in 2024, she has already reached the final four of her last five Grand Slams.

She said, “I’ll go out there on Saturday and fight for every reason I can in my life.”