Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has implored western allies to devise robust strategies for aiding Ukraine as it braces for combat with North Korean soldiers on their soil. The plea surfaced as it was revealed that these troops are expected to fight with their Russian cohorts, with an estimated 8,000 North Korean forces having arrived in Russia’s Kursk Oblast for participation in the war. While these forces are yet to engage in warfare, President Zelensky foresees this occurring in a matter of days. As Zelensky calls for new military alliances, such as an Asian Security Alliance between Japan, South Korea and possibly China, to counter the Russia-North Korea collaboration, he urges the West and international institutions to react strongly to Putin’s testing of global reactions with the military build-up at Ukraine’s border.
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Major General Alexander Ogloblin, former head of Russia’s military communications department, has been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of 10 million rubles ($103,000) from a telecommunications company to secure defense ministry contracts. Ogloblin had already been sentenced to four and a half years for embezzlement in February 2022 but was released early after implicating his former superior, Vadim Shamarin, in his testimony. His second arrest comes following statements against him by Shamarin, as part of a plea deal with investigators. Shamarin was accused of receiving procurement kickbacks. The arrest is seen as a crackdown on serving and former defense officials linked to former defense minister Sergei Shoigu.
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US Green Party contender Jill Stein has rejected calls by over a dozen European Green parties to drop out of the US presidential race. They argue she could harm the chances of Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris by splitting the left-wing vote in key states, thus potentially tipping the balance in Donald Trump’s favour. The European Greens wrote in an open letter that the race between Trump and Harris, compared to the 2016 contest, was “too close for comfort”. They also expressed the need for Kamala Harris as the US president to tackle global issues like climate change, and to bring stability to the Middle East. Stein has said she is “categorically not considering” quitting the campaign.
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Former President Donald Trump echoed Ronald Reagan’s famous question at a recent campaign event, asking voters if they are better off now than four years ago – effectively prompting a comparison between the current state and Trump’s presidency during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many scholars suggest that public amnesia may have distorted people’s memories, with only 4% of voters polled stating they most remember Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, responses focused on his ‘behavior’, economic policies, and stance on immigration. Experts argue that post-pandemic amnesia and a ‘misremembering’ of past events often happens after traumatic episodes. Furthermore, it’s contended that the Trump administration’s approach to the pandemic, characterized by denial, confusion, and misinformation, made it more challenging for the public to remember what happened accurately.
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During an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience”, vice presidential hopeful JD Vance admired Lily Collins’ Netflix show “Emily in Paris”, calling it a “masterpiece”. He praised the show despite earlier stating he and his wife were watching “some stupid show” after the Republican National Convention. However, Collins, who voted for the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, revealed she wasn’t a fan of Vance’s work. The actress praised Harris and Walz for supporting women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, climate policy and environmental protection, access to education and healthcare, and more. She further warned against the ‘dangers of the alternative’.
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Boston area pizza shop owner, Stavros Papantoniadis, received a sentence of over eight years in federal prison for forcing employees into working under severe conditions and using violence and threats to ensure compliance. He was convicted in June on three counts each of forced labor and attempted forced labor. Papantoniadis employed undocumented workers, made them work 14-hour shifts seven days a week, and used surveillance cameras to monitor them. He also violently attacked a worker who tried to quit. The court also sentenced him to one year of supervised release and fined him $35,000.
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Starting from Friday, hospital patients in Texas will be asked about their legal status in the US, following an order by Republican Governor Greg Abbott. The aim is to track spending on non-resident patients in an attempt to recover funds from the federal government. Critics argue this could deter people from seeking essential healthcare. Florida initiated a similar policy in 2020. Patients are not obligated to answer and hospital workers must inform them that their care will not be influenced by their response.
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A pregnant teenager from Texas died after being turned away from emergency rooms multiple times, highlighting concerns about the loss of abortion rights in the US. Nevaeh Crain, 18, went to two emergency rooms but her abdominal pain was not addressed. When she was eventually diagnosed with sepsis, she was released after doctors confirmed her fetus’s heartbeat. Doctors in states with strict abortion laws are wary of providing care to pregnant women due to fear of legal repercussions. The consequences have proven harmful to women who require healthcare, often being moved between hospitals, which wastes crucial time.
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In a discussion with journalist Michael Wolff, New York financier Eric Epstein criticised the management style of US President Donald J. Trump. Epstein paraphrased some of Mr Trump’s comments about former strategist Steve Bannon, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and Trump Counselor Kellyanne Conway. Epstein also named JP Morgan chief Jamie Dimon and business magnate Carl Icahn as involuntarily entangled in the internal conflicts of the Trump administration.
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The Colorado Department of State accidentally posted a spreadsheet containing partial passwords for voting systems on its website. However, it stated there is no immediate security risk, as two passwords are needed for each component and physical access is necessary. The passwords were accessible for over two months before being removed and the department aims to complete password changes by the end of the day.
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John Q. Hosedrinker