Federal Judge Restores Funding for Gateway Rail Tunnel Project 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
Trump Says “Very Good Talks” Underway on Russia-Ukraine War as Peace Efforts Continue 
Nighttime Shelling Causes Serious Damage in Russia’s Belgorod Region Near Ukraine Border 
Ohio Man Indicted for Alleged Threat Against Vice President JD Vance, Faces Additional Federal Charges 
Pentagon Ends Military Education Programs With Harvard University 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit 
U.S. to Begin Paying UN Dues as Financial Crisis Spurs Push for Reforms 
U.S. Announces Additional $6 Million in Humanitarian Aid to Cuba Amid Oil Sanctions and Fuel Shortages 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients 
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans 
US Pushes Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Before Summer Amid Escalating Attacks 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Jack Lang Resigns as Head of Arab World Institute Amid Epstein Controversy 
Trump Signs “America First Arms Transfer Strategy” to Prioritize U.S. Weapons Sales 
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said his country will increase its spending from its sovereign wealth fund for its military and civilian aid to Ukraine. The increase in spending will take place in the coming years to assist Ukraine.
Speaking to the Norwegian parliament on Thursday, Stoere said the country will temporarily increase the spending from its sovereign wealth fund of $1.3 trillion in the coming years to fund its military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. While Stoere did not mention how much would be spent on aiding Ukraine, the prime minister said it was a multi-year commitment.
“This will lead to a temporary increase in spending from the sovereign wealth fund,” said Stoere, adding that any extra spending should not impact Norway’s domestic economy, which would avoid impacts on interest rates.
The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund is one of the world’s largest investors and has since seen an increase in revenue inflows as the price of Norwegian oil and gas rose last year as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year and is now approaching its one-year anniversary.
Meanwhile, the British defense ministry, in its intelligence bulletin on Friday, found that the Russian Wagner mercenary group’s scale of recruiting convicts has likely significantly reduced since peaking between the summer and fall of last year. According to the Russian Federal Penal Service figures that were published on Tuesday, the national penal population in Russia is at 433,000, suggesting a decrease of 6,000 since November 2022.
The ministry noted that the FSIN data indicated a drop of 23,000 from September to November 2022, with Wagner recruitment playing a big role in the drop in population.
“Separately, anecdotal evidence from Ukrainian combatants over the last ten days suggests a reduced Russian reliance on human wave style assaults by Wagner convict fighters in key sectors,” said the ministry.
“Significant tensions between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defense are playing out in public; competition between factions in the Russian elite is likely to be partially responsible for the reduced supply of convicts,” the ministry added.
