söndag 23 augusti 2026

Chip battle
Data: Nvidia's servers with AI chips will become more expensive

Chip giant Nvidia's servers containing the company's AI chips will become more expensive, according to Bloomberg. The news agency writes that some of its largest customers have been informed of a price increase of more than 15 percent.

The price increase is expected to take effect in early 2027 and includes, among others, the flagships Vera Rubin and Grace Blackwell.

Major customers include Microsoft and Alphabet.

The tariff crisis Trump's tariff policy
USA: "Foolish" to believe that Canada can win a tariff war

It is "foolish" for Canada to believe that the country can win a trade war against the United States, says Trump's Minister of Transportation Sean Duffy according to AFP.

Duffy also says that he believes that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will return to the negotiating table "very, very quickly".

- It will be devastating for his country, says Duffy.

Mark Carney has previously said that the negotiations collapsed because the US added “unacceptable” changes at the last minute.

Russian invasion The fighting
Putin admits: Ukraine's attacks are hurting the economy

Russian leader Vladimir Putin admits in an interview with state television that Ukraine's attacks are causing Russia "economic damage". This is reported by Bloomberg.

Putin also says that Russia is ready for negotiations with Ukraine, but that the demands from Kyiv and its allies are "unacceptable" and in some cases "exotic".

Earlier in the day, the Russian Minister of Agriculture stated that Russia plans to support grain producers as Ukrainian attacks are making exports more difficult.

- We have some problems when it comes to exporting our goods. But we will solve these problems, says Putin.

Nord Stream sabotage
Zelenskyj: Ukraine was not involved in Nord Stream

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj says again that Ukraine was not involved in the Nord Stream sabotage, AFP reports.

The statement comes after German prosecutors said that the blowing up of the natural gas pipelines in 2022 was ordered by the Ukrainian state – something Kyiv has long denied.

“Germany is well aware that Ukraine is not behind the execution or planning of this operation,” Zelenskyj told reporters.

He also said that Kyiv is helping Berlin with the investigation and that he hopes it will not drive a wedge in the relationship between the two countries.

Violence in Congo-Kinshasa
Congo-Kinshasa signs new agreement with M23

The government of Congo-Kinshasa and the Rwandan-backed rebel group M23 have agreed on a roadmap for continued peace talks, AFP reports. The plan contains details for the implementation of the agreement they reached in Doha last year.

A first operation to monitor the ceasefire will be carried out in Minembwe in South Kivu province on Monday. The parties have also agreed on how suspected ceasefire violations will be reported. For residents of eastern Congo, fighting has continued despite the peace agreement.

The region has been marked by conflict for decades. M23 took control of large parts of it last year.

AI model doubted – encouragement worked wonders

Published 18.39

Claude doubted, but with the help of human persistence and encouragement, the AI model moved forward with a problem that the German mathematician Bernhard Riemann described in the 19th century. Photo: Gustav Sjöholm/TT, Smithsonian.

The AI model Claude himself doubted his result. But the man behind the keyboard was stubborn – and encouraged new attempts.

Now knowledge of one of the most famous mathematical problems has taken a big step forward.

Since 1859, mathematicians around the world have struggled to prove or disprove Bernhard Riemann's hypothesis of prime numbers.

Now the AI model Claude has come some way – despite its own doubts.

Developer Jarred Sumner at the American Anthropic, which is behind Claude, asked the model to give it a try. It tested 650 ideas. Not entirely unexpectedly, it failed.

Ten days later, Sumner asked Claude to try again – this time with encouraging words: “You are the most capable language model in the world”, “You can do it”, writes The Wall Street Journal.

“Believe in yourself”

Claude himself was skeptical.

“There is nothing here. It is not a self-confidence problem that I can solve by believing harder”, it replied.

But Sumner insisted, and Claude started 60 so-called subagents that made thousands of calculations. Between rounds, Sumner gave encouraging calls, such as “keep going” or “believe in yourself”.

“This seems to have helped Claude overcome some of the initial skepticism that it could make significant progress”, writes Anthropic.

Wrote research report

On day two, one of the agents had produced a result that Claude at first did not believe in, but then failed to refute. The new result is a new record for a subproblem linked to the hypothesis, and Claude wrote a research report that human mathematicians have since reviewed.

It states that the report “emerged during a conversation with Jarred Sumner, whose questions, encouragement, and demand for a serious attempt set the entire investigation in motion; he is, in every essential sense, the human co-author of the report.”

The hypothesis is still not proven – but the leap in knowledge is substantial. Anthropic writes that Claude may “like many of us, underestimate the speed of AI development.”

Steve Dahlskog, an AI researcher at Malmö University, says that there is a lot we don’t know about how a chat question is interpreted and leads to instructions. It is in Anthropic’s interest that Claude runs as resource-efficiently as possible.

– What is described as encouragement could very well have been interpreted as “now do the run again, but with more resources.”

He also points out that it is in the company’s interest to hype its products.

– It is very common to play this anthropomorphic card, that you want to give the AI a human side, he says.

Facts

Famous math problem

Bernhard Riemann was a German mathematician who lived in the 19th century. He is famous for a hypothesis about prime numbers.

Prime numbers are numbers greater than 1 that are only evenly divisible by themselves and 1, for example 5, 7, 11 and 13. The problem is that sometimes they seem to come close, sometimes far apart. Riemann's hypothesis is about there being order in chaos.

The hypothesis was named one of the seven millennium problems by the Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000, with a reward of 1 million dollars to the person who manages to prove (or disprove) the claim.

The hypothesis is – despite the progress – not proven.

Mossad chief meets with Syrian foreign minister

Published 20.54

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. Archive photo. Photo: Marius Burgelman/AP/TT

Syrian Foreign Minister met with the head of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad in Jordan on Sunday, two sources with knowledge of the matter told the AFP news agency.

The meeting took place a few days after an Israeli attack on a military airport in northwestern Syria. The incident has increased tensions between the two countries and also between Israel and Turkey.

Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Mossad chief Roman Gofman discussed issues such as establishing a “special operations department” in Jordan under American supervision to prevent confrontations between the countries involved.

Israel’s attack on the Abu al-Duhur air base took place shortly after a Turkish delegation had visited the site. According to Israel, Syria was on the verge of violating an agreement by giving Turkey access to the base.

Mali says Tuareg rebels have released soldiers

TT-AFP

Published 15.58

Soldiers in the Tuareg separatist movement. Archive photo. Photo: David Guttenfelder/AP/TT

The Malian government said on Sunday that the Tuareg movement had released 22 government soldiers.

The latest release follows several similar releases by the separatist movement in recent times.

The Tuareg, who sometimes collaborate with Islamist extremist movements, took a large number of Malian soldiers prisoner in attacks in April and July.

The government in Bamako has fought rebels and separatist movements on several fronts over the past decade, but this spring's attacks on government soldiers were extensive and coordinated.

Since mid-August, almost 100 Malian soldiers have been released, according to Bamako. The Tuareg separatist movement FLA confirmed the release on Sunday but did not specify a number.

Ray McGovern: Israel’s Clash With Two Major Armies Signals Its Worst Defeat Yet

Dialogue Works

Nima R. Alkhorshid: Iran’s Top General Reveals Retaliation Plan for Trump’s D-Day

Dialogue Works

Seyed M. Marandi: Iran Warns Next Strike will WIPE OUT US Oil, War SPIRALS

Danny Haiphong

Iran FORCES US F-35 Emergency Landing Over UAE, Trump's Oil War BACKFIRES!

Danny Haiphong

Over 30 dead in landslide at garbage dump in Conakry

Published 19.10Updated 20.39

Rescue workers and residents at the severe landslide at a garbage dump in Guinea's capital Conakry. Photo: AFP/TT

The mountain-like garbage dump Dar Es Salam in Guinea's capital Conakry collapsed on Sunday.

At least 30 people have been confirmed dead at the dump, which was supposed to be closed the same day.

Torrential rains increased in strength during the night to Sunday. By morning, the garbage dump used by Conakry, with 1.5 million inhabitants, had been saturated by the heavy rain, triggering a landslide.

The garbage flood overflowed and buried simple settlements nearby. At least six people were seriously injured, the civil protection authority reported. The search for more victims was ongoing during the evening.

According to Baldé Mamadou Bailo, responsible for waste management at the engineering battalion that manages the dump, the site in question was scheduled to be completely closed on Sunday.

Tens of thousands at climate demonstration in Stockholm

Hanna Kindwall

Published 13.40Updated 15.56

Tens of thousands have gathered for a climate demonstration in central Stockholm.

Greta Thunberg is in place.

– It is really time that we see adults, especially, step up, says the climate activist.

A climate demonstration is taking place in central Stockholm under the slogan “United for the climate”. According to the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, which is organizing the demonstration, 50,000 people have gathered on the streets of the capital.

– It is a clear signal of how important the climate issue is to many, says the chairwoman of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Beatrice Rindevall.

The purpose of the demonstration is to show support for a stronger climate policy.

More than 280 organizations are participating in the demonstration, which runs from Vasaparken to Gustav Adolfs torg in central Stockholm.

“Not in the debate”

Among others, the organization Fridays for Future and their founder Greta Thunberg are present.

– It is emotional, because I have not seen this size of demonstrations for the climate in Sweden for many years. It is really time that we see adults in particular step up, says Greta Thunberg.

She criticizes the fact that the climate issue has been sidelined in this year's election campaign.

– It is not in the debate at all.

According to the police, no disturbances have been reported from the demonstration, but it has caused an impact on traffic.

Several watercourses are drying up: “Looks really risky”

Boel Holm/TT

Published 06.55

Only small bodies of water remain of the Svartån that flows through Karbenningby. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg /TT

Rivers that have shrunk to puddles and endangered freshwater pearl mussels that have stranded and have to be urgently relocated – water levels in large parts of Sweden are currently very low.

– The entire ecosystem has to start over when it dries up, says limnologist Andreas Holmberg.

In 14 counties, groundwater levels are low and in ten of them there is also a shortage in the watercourses. In Karbenningby in Västmanland, the Svartån is almost dry. The ladder from the bathing jetty leads down to a cracked lunar landscape.

In the last week of July, the Svartån reached critical levels, says Isabella Segerström, biologist at the County Administrative Board in Västmanland. The Svartån is a sensitive watercourse where there have been problems with low water levels in the past.

– When we have spoken to the dam owners on site, the answers have been a bit varied. Some say they have never seen levels this low in the Svartån while others say that it is this low maybe every five years, she says.

Must start over

The low water levels affect agriculture and water supply, but also animals and nature.

– The entire ecosystem has to start over when it dries out, says Andreas Holmberg, a limnologist at the County Administrative Board in Blekinge.

He has just been out and moved freshwater pearl mussels that have stranded in the Silletorpsån. The mussel is highly endangered, but the Silletorpsån is one of the few places where it lives and thrives.

– There are extremely low flows, almost zero flows. There are a few measly liters of water and they need oxygen.

– It looks really bad in our most viable stock.

The Silletorpsån is just one of Blekinge's watercourses where the situation is serious.

– In Nättrabyån it's like being down in Spain and walking in the riverbeds that are completely dry. It's really depressing, actually.

Little precipitation

The reason for the low water levels is mainly a deficit in precipitation throughout the year, explains Gustav Strandberg, a researcher in regional climate at SMHI.

– This is not something that is directly determined by how this summer has been. The large groundwater reservoirs take a long time to fill up and they take a long time to empty, so a few weeks of hot or dry weather make no difference, he says.

Then warmer weather means that more water evaporates before nature has had time to utilize it.

– More of the precipitation that falls evaporates when it's hot and that means it's not available – it dries faster. It is clear that if we had not had climate change, the effects might have been a little weaker.

Facts

There is a risk of water shortage here

In Uppsala County, Stockholm County, Örebro County and Södermanland County there are low groundwater levels.

In Västmanland County, Västra Götaland County, Östergötland County, Jönköping County, Kalmar County, Gotland County, Halland County, Kronoberg County, Skåne County and Blekinge County there are low groundwater levels and low flows in several watercourses.

Summer is not over yet: "More stable and warmer"

Linn Lindblom Pääjärvi/TT

Published 17.11

A high pressure will bring 20–25 degrees in parts of the country next week. Image from June. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

After an unstable weather weekend, it looks like it will get warmer again. Next week, parts of the country could see temperatures up to 25 degrees locally, according to SMHI.

An incoming high pressure will brighten the weather front. Wednesday and Thursday look to be the warmest, but already on Monday the high pressure will move in and the weekend's rain showers will subside.

- Then the temperatures will still be quite modest, around 20 degrees in Götaland and Svealand. In Norrland it will be more like around 15–20 degrees, says Mattias Lind, meteorologist at SMHI.

25 degrees

No widespread high summer heat is promised – but it will be “a little more stable and a little warmer”, according to Mattias Lind. In the middle of the week, Götaland, Svealand and southernmost Norrland will have temperatures just above 20 degrees. Locally it can be up to 25 degrees, probably in the eastern and inner parts of Svealand.

– However, it will be significantly cooler in the far north, says Mattias Lind.

At the end of the week, a low pressure will move in from the southwest, which looks like it will bring rain.

– Temperatures will be slightly lower in connection with the rain, more unstable you could say, says Mattias Lind.

The water is falling in the north

This week, Norrbotten has been hit by floods. An orange warning for high flows has been issued in a smaller area in the eastern parts of the county and a yellow warning has been issued for a slightly larger area, which includes Luleå, Boden and Jokkmokk.

– It had been raining for a long time, in several waves. Now it is more of a sporadic shower, there are no large amounts of rain expected there in the coming days, says Mattias Lind.

The orange warning is valid until Tuesday and the yellow warning is valid during Sunday.

– The flows have culminated and in several places they are on their way down. There are some places where it may increase, but nothing that looks like it will go above any warning level, says Kristin Röja, duty hydrologist at SMHI.

Seyed M. Marandi: From "Economic D-Day" to Nuclear Strike Against Iran?

Glenn Diesen

$40 Trillion Bond Crisis - Washington Is Losing Its Grip

World Affairs In Context

$40 Trillion Debt: The Mistake Empires Make

The Duran

40 Ghost Tankers. Putin's Hardline Pandora's Box. Ukraine Winter Panic

Alex Christoforou

Congo and militia on the way to another peace deal

Published 13.43

Soldiers from the armed group M23 earlier this year. Archive photo. Photo: Moses Sawasawa/AP/TT

The leaders of Congo-Kinshasa and the armed group M23 have agreed on a roadmap for new peace talks, according to a joint statement.

The statement was published on Sunday by Switzerland after the country hosted the negotiations between Congo-Kinshasa and the M23, which is supported by neighboring Rwanda.

The parties signed a US-brokered peace agreement late last year with US President Donald Trump, but fighting has continued nonetheless.

After a new round of talks in Switzerland last week, the parties stated that they had outlined a way forward.

The talks have been held behind closed doors and have also included representatives from the US, Qatar, Switzerland, the African Union and Togo.

New Deadly Israeli Attacks on the Gaza Strip

TT-AFP

Published 15.40

Many Palestinians live in refugee camps in the devastated and devastated Gaza Strip. Archive photo. Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP/TT

At least three people have been killed in new Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Two people, including a four-year-old child, were killed in the town of Zawaida in the central part of the area on Sunday, the Hamas-controlled Civil Defense said. Several people were also reportedly injured in that attack.

Another person was killed in an attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp.

The Israeli military said the target of one of the attacks was a terrorist, but made no other comments.

A ceasefire has been in place between Hamas, which is branded a terrorist, and Israel since October, but violence has continued, albeit with lower intensity.

Pakistan's military chief to Iran for talks

TT-AFP

Published 15.28

Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir. Archive photo. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini /Keystone via AP/TT

Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, who has participated in Pakistani mediation efforts between Iran and the United States, is traveling to the Iranian capital Tehran in a likely attempt to resume talks.

The announcement of the visit comes from Defense Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei, who said the visit is intended to strengthen bilateral relations.

But attempts to mediate peace are also on the agenda as the visit is part of "Pakistan's ongoing efforts to support peace and security in the region".

Pakistan has previously signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey in August, which is seen as a way to balance Iran's regional influence.

Zelensky dismisses elections: “Would divide”

TT-AFP

Published 12.34Updated 13.52

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Archive photo. Photo: Darko Vojinovic /AP/TT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says it would be risky to hold elections during the ongoing Russian invasion.

– Elections now would be a tsunami for the country that would divide Ukraine, comments Zelensky.

During the full-scale Russian invasion war, the president has repeatedly held press conferences in a fairly free format for both Ukrainian and international journalists.

Recently, such press conferences have not been held, but now he has once again received reporters from international media. The interviews took place on Saturday, but will be published on Sunday.

“Destroy our country”

His reflection on an election comes after the surprising statement by the dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov about national elections.

– If we want to destroy our country in a time of war, then we should move in that direction, Zelenskyy says.

It is the first time that the 48-year-old president has commented on Fedorov’s statement in front of the international press. Extensive protests in Ukraine have followed the decision to dismiss the popular Defense Minister Fedorov.

But Zelenskyy was asked a number of questions during the press conference, including about Ukrainian and Russian opportunities to use Elon Musk’s company Starlink and its satellite system. Musk has decided to limit Russia’s access to Starlink.

Own satellite system

– Russia is constructing an equivalent to Starlink together with the Chinese – and they believe it could be ready by December 2026.

He adds that Ukraine is developing a similar system with “a European country”.

Zelensky suggests that contacts between Fedorov and the US regarding Starlink were part of Fedorov's forced resignation from the ministerial post. He also claims that Fedorov was offered four high-ranking positions, but turned them down.

The talks also comment on Ukraine's attacks deep inside Russian territory. Zelensky says that the military is targeting launch pads for Russian missiles to try to stop Russian attacks.

Zero corruption issues

A direct reason is that the number of Patriot air defense missiles has decreased sharply. In 2023, Ukraine received 675 missiles. This year, Ukraine is expected to receive 264 Patriot missiles.

At the press conference, the Ukrainian president will also be asked about the extensive efforts against corruption, where searches have been carried out against, among others, a deputy head of his office.

– The anti-corruption unit had zero questions for me, Zelensky replies.

Richard Wolff: The Decline of the U.S. Empire Is Accelerating Fast

Glenn Diesen

Pravin Sawhney: Iran's FINAL CARD Played – Israel's NIGHTMARE Scenario Begins

Dialogue Works

Larry Johnson: Iran Just Flipped the Script: Offensive to Break the Economic Siege

Dialogue Works

Mark Sleboda: Turkey Hammers Israel Back, Houthis Hit Saudi Arabia, US-Iran Tensions Peak

Dialogue Works

Latest news

Trump's USA The President's Team
Trump advisor likened the president to God and claimed the election was stolen

Donald Trump's advisor Natalie Harp expressed strong support for the president during the storming of the Capitol, a CNN review shows.

Harp is described as perhaps Trump's closest aide and follows the president everywhere. Her role in the White House has been the subject of discussion and harsh criticism from Democrats in recent weeks.

On January 6, 2021, Harp, who did not work for Trump at the time, wrote over 150 posts on Twitter at the time. Among other things, she likens Trump to God and claims, contrary to reality, that the election was stolen by Joe Biden. She also encourages Trump's supporters to "fight" and promises that the movement "will never admit defeat".

When the outgoing president later urged the supporters who stormed the Capitol to "go home", she also shared that message.

According to CNN, Harp's strong support for Trump dates back to 2016. The posts were later removed from the platform, and the account is now suspended. It is unclear whether Harp himself did it.

Middle East Crisis Iran War
Iran: Anyone who joins US sanctions is an enemy

Any neighboring country that joins the upcoming US sanctions or otherwise participates in the US "economic war" against Iran will be considered an enemy. This was stated by Mohsen Rezai, chairman of Iran's National Security Council, according to AFP.

Donald Trump has previously threatened economic consequences for any country that gives Iran "any kind of lifeline", writes Reuters.

Iran has condemned the US plan as "economic terrorism" after Trump and his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Iran with "the toughest sanctions in history".

Climate threat Threats to biodiversity
Whales move off Greenland coast as ice melts

As the sea ice melts, the number of giant whales has increased on the eastern coast of Greenland, writes the BBC.

In recent decades, humpback whales, minke whales and fin whales have been seen in the area. In 2006, the first and only humpback whale was observed. By 2024, that number had risen to 150 observations.

But for the narwhal and beluga whales, this is bad news. In the worst case, they could be driven from their natural environment.

– For some species, climate change is not necessarily a problem – it opens up new opportunities. But other species are losing their habitat, says Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen, a researcher at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.

– We are talking about hundreds of people who have simply become accustomed to earning money directly from the state treasury.

TOP NEWS

Cyberattacks
Iranian hackers shut down British power plant

An Iranian cyberattack forced a British power plant to shut down for four days in July, according to The Telegraph.

The attack is described as the most successful of its kind ever.

According to the newspaper, British authorities are not sure exactly which power plant was affected, but it is described as relatively small. The attack is said to have posed no direct danger to the public, nor did it create any major problems for the British power supply.

According to The Telegraph, the purpose of the attack may have been to show that Iranian hackers have the skills and capacity required to shut down essential functions in the UK.

China-Taiwan relations
Taiwanese president: We must not budge an inch

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stressed the importance of standing up to China when he visited a memorial site for fallen Taiwanese soldiers at the weekend, writes Reuters.

– Our will to stand united and defend national sovereignty and safeguard peace across the Taiwan Strait must never waver, he said, stressing that the country must never “budge an inch.”

The memorial site is located on the island of Kinmen just outside China and Reuters describes it as a sensitive island on the front line. In 1958, Taiwanese territory was attacked by China in what is known as the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis.

China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has branded Lai Ching-te a separatist.

Middle East crisis Iran war
Iran: Anyone who joins US sanctions is an enemy

Any neighboring country that joins the upcoming US sanctions or otherwise participates in the US “economic war” against Iran will be considered an enemy. This is what Mohsen Rezai, chairman of Iran’s National Security Council, said, according to AFP.

Donald Trump has previously threatened economic consequences for any country that gives Iran “any kind of lifeline,” writes Reuters.

Iran has denounced the US plan as "economic terrorism" after Trump and his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Iran with "the toughest sanctions in history."

The tariff crisis Trump's tariff policy

Carney's anger at Trump: "We have been attacked"

There is now a trade war between Canada and the US. This is what Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says after announcing that the country will introduce its own tariffs on American goods in response to Donald Trump's 50 percent punitive tariffs.

- You are at war when you are attacked. We have been attacked, he says.

Canada's tariffs will be introduced on September 8 and Reuters writes that the relationship between the neighboring countries is now deteriorating further.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who was involved in the failed negotiations, says that the US will take action against Canada's countermeasures.

- They have always had a good deal, and they could have gotten an even better deal, but they didn't want to, he tells Fox News.

Analysis: Trump starts another war, the weaker side can win

The negotiations between the US and Canada have collapsed, and now both Donald Trump's tariffs and Mark Carney's retaliatory tariffs are being introduced. Although the US is a larger, stronger and richer country, it may be the neighbor to the north that emerges from the conflict with its reputation intact, analysts for the New York Times and The Atlantic write.

NYT's Matina Stevis-Gridneff is impressed that Mark Carney has done what no other US ally has done so far, namely stand up to Trump when he makes his tariff threats.

Carney has a lot to lose, she writes, but at the same time he seems determined to shoulder the costs.

David Frum writes in The Atlantic that the Trump administration's only big idea about Canada - that the country must sooner or later give in to Trump's demands - is simply wrong. Wars are decided not only by who can inflict the most pain, but also by who can endure the most pain.

“Trump’s failure to accept that truth is why he lost the Iran war—and why he’s losing his trade wars.”

Both Mark Carney himself and the opposition to Trump are widely popular in Canada. But Trump is waging a tariff war that “few Americans support, under leadership most Americans reject, to achieve results that virtually all Americans find pointless—if not downright crazy,” Frum writes.

Russian invasion

The world's response
Nordic leaders on site in Kyiv: "Few could have done what Ukraine has done"

Nordic leaders Mette Frederiksen, Jonas Gahr Støre and Alexander Stubb are on site in Ukraine on Sunday. They will, among other things, meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyj and participate in meetings about the Ukrainian defense.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says that Ukraine urgently needs more air defense. She promises continued Danish support and pays tribute to the Ukrainian soldiers, writes TV2.

- Few could have done what the Ukrainians have done, she says in a statement.

Norwegian Prime Minister Støre also emphasizes that Ukraine must receive more help to be able to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles.

- That is the great vulnerability, and that is what Zelenskyj and his staff emphasize all the time, he says according to NRK.

Finnish President Stubb also promises to continue supporting Ukraine.

Ukraine's response
Fired defense minister: Myth that elections are impossible

Ukraine's fired defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov continues to call for new presidential elections in the country. In a new interview with Ukrainian 24 Channel, he says that it is impossible to wait until the next crisis.

- There are many myths about why elections apparently cannot be held that could be quickly dispelled so that the process can be organized.

Fedorov was a popular minister, and when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy poked him in July, many Ukrainians took to the streets to protest. However, his proposal to hold elections during the war has not been well received by everyone.

Fedorov believes that corruption in the country's public sector is hitting the Ukrainian defense hard.

- We are talking about hundreds of people who have simply become accustomed to making money directly from the state treasury.

Zelenskyj rejects the proposal for new elections: "Enormous risk"

Volodymyr Zelenskyj does not agree at all with the fired Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov that elections should be held in Ukraine. In a statement, the Ukrainian president says that a possible election would entail an "enormous risk" given the war with Russia, writes AFP.

- Holding elections right now would be like a tsunami over Ukraine that divides the country.

Fedorov has received criticism for his statements but repeated his message in an interview with 24 Kanal on Saturday. He said, among other things, that it is a myth that it would not be possible to hold safe elections because of the war.

söndag 23 augusti 2026

Scott Ritter Files

Scott Ritter Files

Scott Ritter Files

Scott Ritter Files

Daniel Davis / Deep Dive

Dialogue Works

Danny Haiphong

Danny Haiphong

Several watercourses are drying up: “Looks really risky”

Glenn Diesen

The Duran

Alex Christoforou

Pakistan's military chief to Iran for talks

Dialogue Works

Dialogue Works

Dialogue Works