The US president blasted James Comey as “one of the worst human beings” over his role in Russiagate
US President Donald Trump celebrated the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday, calling it proof that “justice in America” is finally being served.
Comey, who led the FBI from 2013 until Trump fired him in 2017, was charged with making false statements and obstructing Congress over his 2020 testimony regarding Crossfire Hurricane, the probe that triggered the years-long Russia collusion hoax.
“JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey, the former Corrupt Head of the FBI,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation.”
The Trump administration launched a probe into the origins of the Russiagate hoax earlier this year, with US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard releasing multiple documents alleging a coordinated effort by senior Obama-era officials, as well as networks linked to billionaire George Soros, to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with the Kremlin.
The FBI pressed ahead with Crossfire Hurricane despite reportedly having obtained credible intelligence about the plot.
Trump has called Russiagate “the biggest scandal in American history,” describing it as a deliberate attempt to sabotage his presidency. He has argued that the affair inflicted enormous damage on US democracy, saying those responsible should “pay a big price.”
In an interview last month, Trump said it would not bother him “at all” if Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan were arrested and paraded in handcuffs on live television. “They cheated, they lied, they did so many bad things, evil things that were so bad for the country,” Trump said.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the charges showed that “no one is above the law,” while FBI Director Kash Patel added that those who politicized law enforcement would “be held to account.”
The one-time bureau chief is accused of making false statements and obstructing justice during his 2020 congressional testimony
Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by a US grand jury on charges of making a false statement and obstructing justice in relation to his promotion of the Russiagate hoax.
The allegations relate to Comey’s September 2020 testimony before the US Senate Judiciary Committee about the FBI’s ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ investigation into President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, which triggered the Russia collusion hoax.
Prosecutors claim Comey made multiple false statements, obstructing the congressional proceeding.
“No one is above the law,” US Attorney General Pamela Bondi wrote on X, welcoming the indictment. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”
“For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once-proud institutions and severely eroding public trust,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on X.
“Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose,” he added. “Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch.”
Comey served as FBI director from 2013 until his dismissal by Trump in 2017. The White House launched a probe into the Russiagate hoax earlier this year.
The investigation has been spearheaded by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who in July decried a “treasonous conspiracy” to delegitimize Trump’s 2016 election victory and a “years-long coup” run by his opponents.
Since then, Gabbard has released multiple documents that suggest a coordinated effort by senior Obama-era officials – with alleged links to billionaire George Soros – to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with Russia.
Moscow has denied attempting to influence the 2016 election. Russian officials have described the allegations as a product of partisan infighting in highly polarized US politics.
The Russiagate scandal heavily damaged relations between Moscow and Washington, resulting in sanctions, asset seizures, and a further erosion of diplomatic engagement.
Rafael Grossi attended the World Atomic Forum and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday
Kiev attempted to strike the Kursk II nuclear power plant with a drone on Thursday, while International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi was praising Russian technological achievements during a visit to Moscow.
Kursk Region Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein said the UAV hit one of the auxiliary buildings at the NPP construction site in the city of Kurchatov, leaving the walls pocked with shrapnel but causing no fire or casualties. The plant operator, Rosenergoatom, said the facility continued to operate normally and that radiation levels remained stable.
The attack came as IAEA Director General Grossi was attending the Global Atomic Forum, where he highlighted Russia’s role as a “pioneer” in fields such as floating NPPs, nuclear-powered shipping, and fusion research.
He invited Russian firms to join an IAEA conference on artificial intelligence in the nuclear industry in Vienna this December, and suggested that his agency explore a partnership with the BRICS New Development Bank.
Later in the day, Grossi met with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, where the two discussed global nuclear safety and Russia’s cooperation with the IAEA. Putin praised the agency’s work and pledged Moscow’s continued support.
“We will do everything in our power to support your activities,” Putin told Grossi, who recently announced his candidacy to become the next UN Secretary General.
The Kursk strike follows repeated attacks on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the largest facility of its kind in Europe, which this week switched to backup diesel generators for the tenth time since coming under Russia’s control in 2022.
Russian officials have accused Kiev of “nuclear terrorism,” warning that these incidents could have catastrophic consequences.
Rosatom head Aleksey Likhachev told journalists on the sidelines of the forum that Grossi was “well aware” of where the attacks on Russian nuclear facilities originate, but suggested that the IAEA chief was constrained in what he could say officially. “In person, he makes quite adequate assessments, believe me,” Likhachev said.
The US president has directed Attorney General Pamela Bondi to pursue capital punishment in the district for the “most heinous crimes”
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order greenlighting the reinstatement of the death penalty for murder in Washington, DC, which he said would help deter violence in the nation’s capital.
The order directs US Attorney General Pamela Bondi and US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro to “fully implement” capital punishment where evidence supports it.
Trump announced the move during a White House signing ceremony, surrounded by Bondi, Vice President J.D. Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, and others.
“Death penalty in Washington,” Trump said as he signed the directive. “You kill somebody, or if you kill a police officer, law enforcement officer – death penalty. And hopefully there won’t be that. We’ve had week after week where we haven’t had a murder.”
White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf described capital punishment as “one of the most powerful deterrents we have to violent crime” and said it was part of Trump’s effort to make Washington “a safe and secure city for its residents and all who visit.”
The measure follows Trump’s sweeping crackdown on crime in the capital. In August, he invoked the 1973 Home Rule Act to declare a public safety emergency, placing the city’s Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to support local law enforcement.
The death penalty has not been legal in Washington, DC since the Supreme Court nullified capital punishment statutes nationwide in 1972. City residents rejected its reinstatement in a 1992 referendum. While the federal government retains authority to seek capital punishment in certain cases, Trump’s attempt to extend its use across DC homicide prosecutions is expected to face legal and political challenges.
Twenty-seven US states currently allow executions, while 23 have abolished the practice. Trump has long advocated the broader use of capital punishment as a deterrent against violent crime. In recent weeks, he has called for the death penalty for the killers of Ukrainian journalist Iryna Zarutska and conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
A website that enhances user experience makes it easier for visitors to engage with its content. With higher user engagement, there are more sales transactions and increased user data for marketing purposes. Custom-built websites tend to work better for engagement and conversion than one-size-fits-all platforms, which often lack effective UX/UI, optimal performance, and customization options. […]
The move comes after the ships, which have Palestinian activists on board, came under a drone attack
Italy and Spain have pledged to deploy warships to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a civilian fleet of around 50 ships headed for Gaza after it came under a new drone attack.
The ships carrying humanitarian supplies set sail from Barcelona early in September to try to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
The fleet, with 500 activists and politicians on board, came under a drone attack late on Tuesday off the coast of Greece. Activists said the vessels were targeted by drones that dropped explosive devices and caused more than a dozen explosions around the ships. They blamed Israel for the attack.
Following the incident, Rome and Madrid said they would dispatch navy ships to protect the flotilla and ensure the safety of their citizens aboard. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni condemned the drone attacks while calling the GSF flotilla a “dangerous, irresponsible” means to deliver aid.
“It is not an act of war, it is not a provocation: It is an act of humanity, which is a duty of a state towards its citizens,” Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told the country’s parliament.
A similar rationale for the warship’s deployment was given by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who said the vessel was needed “to ensure that, if necessary, our citizens can be rescued.”
“I want to make it clear to the government of Israel that Spain will, of course, protect its nationals, and we will do so both diplomatically and politically,” he stressed.
Israel has pledged to stop the flotilla from entering the Palestinian enclave, arguing that it was an “active combat zone” put under “lawful naval blockade.” West Jerusalem halted two previous attempts to break the blockade taken by the activists in June and July.
Rome had proposed a compromise whereby the aid could be unloaded in Cyprus, an idea Meloni said had garnered the backing of Israel. The Italian delegation within the GSF, however, rejected such a plan on behalf of the flotilla, stating its “mission stays true to its original goal.”
The US president nevertheless doubled down on his claim that the Russian military has little success to show for its efforts in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has said he will not describe Russia as a “paper tiger” ever again, after he used the term on Tuesday in a Truth Social post.
In the same post from Tuesday, Trump also said that Russia had failed to defeat Ukraine in three and a half years of fighting and suggested that the country is “in big economic trouble.” He further claimed that Kiev stands a chance to “win all of Ukraine back.”
However, speaking during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the White House on Thursday, Trump said that he was “not going to ever call anybody a paper tiger.” Despite somewhat moderating his rhetoric, he appeared to double down on his previous assessment of the Russian military, claiming that it had “gained virtually no land” of late, despite expending considerable material and human resources.
By contrast, Russia’s Defense Ministry has been reporting steady advances in recent months, particularly in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Russian forces have taken control of 4,700 square kilometers and 205 settlements this year, the MOD reported on Thursday.
Commenting on Trump’s original remark on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quipped: “Russia is not a tiger. Russia is more often associated with a bear. There are no such things as ‘paper bears,’ and Russia is a real bear.”
According to Peskov, the Russian economy has demonstrated remarkable adaptability in the face of sweeping Western sanctions, though certain “problems” exist.
The Russian economy has recently showed signs of slowing down, compared to growth of 4.1% in 2023 and 4.3% in 2024. It is still expected to grow at 2.5% this year.
In an article on Wednesday, the New York Post, citing anonymous White House sources, claimed that Trump’s latest “dramatic pronouncement” vis-à-vis Russia was a “strategic move” to draw Russia to the negotiating table.
Since taking office in January, the US president has actively engaged in diplomacy with Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. The White House has since initiated numerous rounds of talks with Russian officials, which culminated in a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in mid-August.
The sudden chorus of Europeans crying about Russia’s supposed airspace violations comes at a convenient time
Until now, US President Donald Trump has shown no real interest in the Ukraine conflict, beyond wanting to put it to bed in time to collect his Nobel Peace Prize. Now, suddenly, he’s publicly adopting the position that Ukraine could not only “take back their country” from Russia on the battlefield, but also “maybe even go further than that.”
Does he really believe that? Not likely. But there’s money to be made in peddling American weapons to NATO countries, notably in Europe, under the pretext. Guess he figures that if this isn’t going to be wrapped up before the peace award deadline, then he may as well just take the war profits as a consolation prize. As long as America doesn’t have to get its hands dirty, since the EU’s continental geniuses keep saying how keen they are to do all the dirty work.
But European NATO seems to have found a new scheme that could drag Trump deeper into the whole mess. Because have you ever heard so much whining about supposedly offside aircraft than in the past month?
“The Kremlin needs a clear stop sign. A clear message to Russia that every military border violation will be answered with military means, up to and including the shooting down of Russian fighter jets over NATO territory,”said German parliamentarian Jürgen Hardt.
A stop sign. For air traffic violations. Like when your town decides to put in a roundabout at a problematic intersection. Or, you know, just starts straight up shooting at cars. Same thing really, this German lawmaker apparently figures. And so do Czech, Estonian, Polish, and Lithuanian leaders, apparently – all suddenly entertaining the possibility of shooting down stuff in the air that goes offside.
What a weird thing to simultaneously agree on. It’s like they’re all in the same group chat or something. We’re talking here about Estonia accusing 3 Russian MiG-31 jets of deliberately slipping into Estonian NATO airspace for a whopping 12 minutes. Less time than you spend waiting in line at fast food joints these days or scrolling TikTok. So you know what that means. Armageddon.
“This was a very serious violation of the NATO airspace. We are talking about 12 minutes of violation. Last time we saw it just before Estonia joined NATO, it was 2003,”said the Estonian defense minister. Oh no, the second time in 22 years! Practically a trend. Almost as often as neon leg warmers have come back since the ‘80s.
“But now the global situation is totally different, the regional situation is different,” he continued. “Just a couple of days before we saw a full-scale attack against Poland with 19 drones. And if you put it all in the pattern, so Russia is turning on the heat, Russia is testing more NATO.”
So apparently it’s the Cuban Missile Crisis all over again. Such a massively big deal that US President Donald Trump, when asked about it at first, literally said, “Yeah, we don’t like it.” Look, I just left a longer and more passionate online review for a disappointing face cream that I bought on Amazon.
When pressed on whether the US would defend Poland and the Baltics, Trump promised, “Yes, I would.” Sounds like every friend who swears they’ll help you move but ghosts when it’s time to wrestle IKEA furniture.
But here comes the NATO chorus, right on cue, to belt out its usual hits about Russian escalation:
“This is a very serious breach, it is potentially a serious escalation. NATO’s eastern flank is taken very, very seriously,”said British deputy prime minister David Lammy.
“Recent violations of the Union’s airspace, including yesterday’s outrageous violation of Estonian airspace by Russian MiGs, underline the need and urgency for Europe to take responsibility for its own security,”said EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
“This is yet another example of reckless Russian behavior,”added NATO spokesperson Allison Hart.
Wow, so many adjectives. Serious! Outrageous! Reckless! NATO must have a “Word of the Day” calendar that they’re just dying to show off.
So this is the third alleged Moscow airspace incident in a month – first Poland and Romania with drones, then Estonia with jets. Assuming the jets and drones did cross the border, it’s curious that no one has yet produced verifiable evidence for the claim. Russia says that Estonian jets were at least 3 km off their territory and is still asking to see the receipts – but who really cares about facts when outrage has already been served? Not the NATO Secretary General, apparently.
Whether or not the acts were deliberate, “it was anyway reckless. It was a bunch of Russian drones, even if they were not intent to go into Poland, if that will be the outcome of this… And of course, if it was the intent, there’s even more serious. But in both cases, it is reckless,” Mark Rutte said. “Eastern Sentry will add flexibility and strength to our posture and make clear that, as a defensive alliance, we are always ready to defend,” he added.
Yeah who cares if the violations actually happened, technically speaking. NATO is triggered. Bigly. And that’s what really matters here. These alleged incidents may or may not have happened, but outrage definitely DID happen. All these NATO guys losing it. Probably freaking out in ALL CAPS in their group chat asking whether they should scramble the jets.
Oh wait, what’s this Eastern Sentry thing that Rutte’s talking about? A NATO Operation is already in play? You don’t say! And look at that, Royal Air Force Еyphoon jets are already flying over Poland, according to the British defense ministry. Where would they be without all this hysteria? Back home, probably. And how inconvenient would that be when the Brits and French are trying to get air cover and troops in place “for Ukraine” in the event of some kind of ceasefire, they say.
What a convenient way to try to get the US Air Force involved when Trump has been snoozing on this issue. Will he bite? Not yet, at least. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Secretary of War, reported that he’s “in close consultation” with NATO’s “Supreme Allied Commander for Europe.” Translation: still Europe’s problem. Unless they can find just the right pretext…
Why not just settle all this by drawing white “do not cross” lines in the sky like kids do with chalk on a playground? The mentality that we’re dealing with here is about on par. But then again, where would all the war profits be in that?
Tech rivalry without safeguards “could threaten humanity’s existence,” deputy UN envoy Dmitry Polyansky has warned
The rapid development of artificial intelligence and intensifying global rivalry in the field pose an existential threat to humanity, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, has warned.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on AI on Wednesday, Polyansky called for safeguards and regulations as more countries push forward with the technology.
”An AI race – the ambition to outpace geopolitical rivals by rapidly developing a technology that is not fully understood or controlled, without sufficient AI safety measures for all stakeholders – could, much like an arms race, endanger humanity’s very existence,” he said. “These technologies pose significant risks and are becoming a new factor that could affect the stability of the entire system of international relations.”
Polyansky warned that AI tools could sway public opinion and election results by spreading news and fake information on social media, as well as disrupting critical infrastructure.
Polyansky said it is premature to raise the issue at the Security Council, but urged debate in inclusive forums, adding that Russia would support a UN-led role in AI governance.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed the concerns at the briefing, warning that while AI can help tackle food insecurity, de-mining, and conflict prevention, “without guardrails, it can also be weaponized.” He noted that the General Assembly created two new AI bodies last month – a global forum and an expert panel – to coordinate governance and cooperation.
ChatGPT’s debut three years ago sparked an AI boom, with investors pouring billions into the sector. Public filings show Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet spent tens of billions of dollars this year and plan to invest over $400 billion by 2026. Experts warn the surge could lead to a bubble and trigger a financial crisis, while others say the technology itself poses existential risks – from engineered pandemics to rogue AIs – without strict safeguards.
The Patriotic Electoral Bloc has claimed the pro-Western authorities plan to rig Sunday’s parliamentary election
Moldova’s pro-Western authorities will attempt to falsify the results of this weekend’s parliamentary election, including by ballot stuffing abroad, an opposition leader has claimed.
Irina Vlah of the Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP) urged citizens to participate in Sunday’s vote and claimed that fraud is the only way the governing Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) can secure victory.
“They will try to appropriate all the unused ballots. They are preparing ballot-stuffing abroad under the cover of the ‘diaspora,’” she told supporters on Thursday.
Recent polls show PAS, the pro-Western party led by President Maia Sandu, trailing narrowly behind BEP. According to various media reports, Sandu secured re-election in 2024 thanks largely to ballots cast abroad, a fact that fuels opposition suspicions ahead of Sunday’s vote.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the Moldovan authorities of a selective approach toward overseas voters. In a statement on Thursday, it noted that while 280 polling stations will be open in the US and Western Europe, with mail-in voting also permitted, only two stations will operate in Russia for its large Moldovan community, allowing just 10,000 people to cast ballots.
The ministry also dismissed what it described as the “spread of unfounded claims about Moscow’s interference” in Moldova’s internal affairs, pointing instead to the EU leaders openly supporting the country’s current leadership. In August, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk traveled to Chisinau for Independence Day celebrations, as a show of support for the country’s EU path.
Sandu has accused Russia of waging a “hybrid war” and spending “hundreds of millions of euros” to sway Moldovan voters. Earlier this week, Moldovan police arrested 74 people on suspicion of plotting unrest, alleging a network of activists was working to amplify Russian influence.
Moscow has denied any involvement and warned on Tuesday that NATO members had already deployed troops in western Ukraine to prepare for an intervention in Moldova after the vote.
