TOP NEWS

US-Russia Relations
Russia: Putin and Trump Agree on Prisoner Exchange

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin have agreed on a prisoner exchange. This is reported by NBC News.

- President Trump is a man who wants results, Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday.

He also claims that the US president's efforts to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine are being "sabotaged" by certain European countries.

European security policy
Fight for personnel in Europe's arms factories: "Would hire immediately"

As Europe begins to arm itself and reduce its dependence on US weapons, a new problem has emerged: a shortage of personnel. Pavel Cechal, head of the Czech missile manufacturer PBS Group, told Reuters that the company could easily have enough production to double its 800-person workforce. But the problem is finding people to hire.

“If they were on the job market, we would hire most of them right away,” Cechal said.

Reuters surveyed more than a dozen European defense companies, all of which report the same dilemma – demand is huge, but staffing is minimal. This is despite the fact that most companies have offered higher salaries, more benefits and targeted recent graduates.

Franco-German KNDS says it has extended shifts at its main factory in Bourges and plans to increase hiring by 50 percent per year. Germany's Rheinmetall, Europe's largest ammunition manufacturer, plans to increase its workforce by 29 percent by 2028.

Political situation in Canada
King Charles gives Trump the boot: "Canada is free"

On Tuesday, Britain's King Charles gave a speech during the opening of the Canadian parliament, reports the BBC.

The speech dealt, among other things, with the importance of sovereignty and independence in a crucial time for democracy and freedom, when many Canadians feel anxious.

King Charles then referred to a line in the national anthem "O Canada":

"As the national anthem reminds us: The true north is indeed strong and free!"

Canada is part of the Commonwealth and has King Charles as head of state, but it has been 70 years since a British monarch attended the opening of the Canadian parliament.

Today's speech was an unequivocal expression of support for Canada at a time when the country's independence has been repeatedly questioned by Donald Trump, according to the BBC's court correspondent Sean Coughlan.
 

Political situation in Argentina
Argentina leaves WHO: "Not based on science"

Argentina is officially leaving the World Health Organization WHO, news agencies report. The country's government claims that the organization's work is "catastrophic" and "caveman-like".

The decision was made by the country's president, right-wing politician and Trump supporter Javier Milei, back in February.

"WHO's recommendations do not work because they are not based on scientific foundations, but on political interests and bureaucratic structures that refuse to reconsider their own mistakes," a statement said after the ratification decision.

The announcement came in connection with the visit of US Secretary of Health, vaccine skeptic Robert F Kennedy, to Buenos Aires.