Trump says he is 'not happy' with deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv
US President Donald Trump said he was “not happy” with the deadly Russian bombings of Kyiv and President Vladimir Putin must “stop” but has not specified if further action might be taken against Russia.
Late last night into Thursday night, the shelling of the Ukrainian capital killed at least 12 people and injured dozens.
The US president suggested he is “putting a lot of pressure” on the two sides to end the conflict in Ukraine, following the worst attacks Kyiv has seen since last July.
It is the latest disappointment in efforts to ram through a peace deal between the two countries – something the US president suggested he could do quickly as part of his election campaign last year.
In rare criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!”
The attack came at a time of growing pressure on Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Russian occupation of its territory as part of a peace deal.
On Thursday, Trump stood beside Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the White House and asserted that he had “no allegiance to anybody” but only an “allegiance to saving lives.”.READ MORE
Hegseth used Signal app connected to ‘dirty line’ on personal computer in Pentagon office: Sources
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had used the Signal app on an office computer, which was online through an unsecured commercial connection, so-called “dirty line,” two people told ABC News Thursday.
The “dirty line” is informal shorthand for describing a commercial internet connection used for accessing websites which would otherwise be blocked on the Pentagon’s unclassified (NIPR) or classified (SIPR) lines.
The soiled line was installed at the insistence of Hegseth so that he could use the Signal app on the home computer, sources said.
There’s a commercial internet line which has no firewall security whatsoever of any description that the Defense Department’s unclassified computer network possesses, so that makes it susceptible to being tapped in particular if classified material is being passed on.
Commented on for possessing the dirty line in Hegseth’s office, a Pentagon spokesman quoted an earlier comment by the Pentagon’s highest spokesperson Sean Parnell.
“The use by the Secretary of Defense of communications systems and channels is classified,” Parnell clarified. “But we can say that the Secretary has never used and no longer uses Signal on his government computer.”
“The use by the Secretary of Defense of communications channels and systems is classified,” Parnell stated. “But we can say that the Secretary has never used and no longer uses Signal on his government computer.”READ MORE
Judge maintains death penalty as possible punishment for Bryan Kohberger despite autism diagnosis
A judge on Thursday ruled that prosecutors can seek the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger if he is convicted of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, even though the defendant has just been diagnosed with autism.
Kohberger, 30, is accused of stabbing to death Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at a rental house off campus in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.
Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted in his trial, which will get underway in August.
However, his lawyers requested that Judge Steven Hippler exclude the death penalty as an available sentence, alleging Kohberger has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. They also have made numerous other motions disputing the death penalty, one of them regarding alleged violations by the state in presenting evidence.
“Mr. Kohberger’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diminishes his culpability, precludes retributive and deterrent goals for capital punishment, and subjects him to the inacceptable risk of being wrongly convicted and sentenced to death,” wrote defense lawyers in court documents.READ MORE
Trump Directs Sons to Fire Trump Org. Lawyer Because of Harvard Ties
The move to fire William A. Burck underscored both the overlap of Mr. Trump’s presidency and business and how far he will go to punish people he feels have wronged him.
President Trump on Thursday directed his sons to fire an independent ethics adviser to the family business because the lawyer also represents Harvard University, one of Mr. Trump’s targets in his battle against the nation’s most prestigious colleges.
On Twitter, Mr. Trump announced that the attorney, William A. Burck, has to be out because he is Harvard-linked. The university sued the Trump administration after threatening to withhold billions of dollars in funding unless the school agreed to comply with a list of requirements.
“Harvard is a danger to Democracy, having a lawyer, who works for me, who should thus be forced to resign, at once, or be dismissed,” Mr. Trump wrote of Mr. Burck, a co-managing partner at the law firm Quinn Emanuel. “He’s not that great, anyway, and I hope my very big and beautiful company, now operated by my sons, removes him ASAP!”READ MORE
The United States Thought China Would Veto Their Exports of Rare Earths. But They Have a Plan B: The Pacific Floor
America is brought to greater pressure as China puts the rare earths into a stranglehold. The more American dependence on such strategic materials, the further Washington goes into uncharted waters of the Pacific Ocean
America increasingly relies on China for rare earth elements, strategic materials found in everything from military systems to alternative energy uses. As Beijing squeezes the global supply of these strategic materials, Washington tries to shatter them.
However, it is not an easy task to undertake. The U.S. defense sector and rare earth-reliant industries stand in risk of getting bruised, since China’s processing capacity is the monopoly. It is in reaction to this that the U.S. finds other resources, including the Pacific Ocean’s deep-sea mining capacity.
China’s Growing Grip on Rare Earths China dominates the majority of the world’s market in rare earths, particularly the heavy rare earths utilized in military applications and green energy technology. In a fresh development earlier this year, Beijing imposed new export controls on seven rare earth minerals, such as samarium, gadolinium, and terbium.
These goods show up in products which can quite rightfully be called life-critical, like fighter jets, radar, and electric car batteries. Although China’s monopoly continues, the U.S. is already in real peril of its supply chain being severely disrupted, even for stricter export controls.READ MORE
Trump writes ‘Vladimir, STOP!’ after Russia launches deadliest strikes on Kyiv since last summer
US President Donald Trump declared he is “not happy” after Russia unleashed its nine-month deadliest round of strikes against Kyiv, instructing President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” as he is trying to persuade Ukraine to settle on a contentious ceasefire deal.
Russia deployed 70 missiles and 145 drones at Ukraine, primarily the city of Kyiv, during an attack declared by leader Volodymyr Zelensky as having been directed in an attempt to pressure the United States.
I am not pleased with the Russian bombing of KYIV. Not needed, and terrible timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 troops a week are being killed. Let’s GET THE Peace Deal DONE!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday.
Going further with the remarks in the Oval Office later, Trump vowed that “things will happen” if Russian strikes persist.
At least 12 died in the raids with 90 wounded, the emergency services for Ukraine reported, and additional casualties are said to be buried under the rubble. The emergency services added Moscow’s attack hit 13 sites in Kyiv, including residential areas and civilian targets.
The attack was the most expensive one on the city since July 2024, when an air bombardment killed 33 and hit a hospital and residential areas.
Zelensky stated on a visit to South Africa that the shelling was “first and foremost” directed at “pressuring the US.” He tried to counter Trump’s attempts to pressure Kyiv into concessions, stating to journalists: “The fact that Ukraine is ready to sit down at a negotiating table after (a) full ceasefire with terrorists… is a big compromise.”READ MORE
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