South Korean President Apologizes to Families of Jeju Air Crash Victims, Pledges Full Investigation 
Canada Announces $2.5 Billion Economic Aid Package to Support Ukraine’s Financial Stability 
South Korea Prosecutor Alleges Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee Abused Power for Bribes 
Najib Razak Jailed 15 More Years in Landmark 1MDB Verdict With Major Political Impact 
Trump Administration Probes Corporate DEI Programs, Raising Questions for Google Stock 
Australia Orders Independent Review After Bondi Mass Shooting, Albanese Resists Royal Commission Calls 
Myanmar Election 2025 Faces Global Scrutiny Amid Civil War and Political Repression 
FBI to Permanently Close Hoover Building, Relocate Headquarters to Reagan Building 
U.S. Judge Blocks Deportation of British Anti-Disinformation Campaigner Imran Ahmed Amid Free Speech Dispute 
Bolsonaro Undergoes Phrenic Nerve Block Procedure After Surgery-Related Complications 
Trump and Zelenskiy Signal Progress Toward Ukraine Peace Deal, Donbas Still Unresolved 
Zelenskiy Discusses Ukraine Peace Efforts With Trump Envoys 
California Drops Lawsuit Over Federal Funding Cuts to High-Speed Rail Project 
Trump–Netanyahu Talks Aim to Revive Gaza Ceasefire and Address Iran, Hezbollah Tensions 
Argentina Congress Approves 2026 Budget Under Milei, Marking First Legislative Passage Since 2023 
Kosovo PM Albin Kurti Moves to Form New Government After Election Win 
Zelenskiy and Trump Meet in Florida as Ukraine Peace Talks Face Major Hurdles 
The British domestic counter-terrorism chief said that the expulsion of hundreds of suspected Russian agents across the European continent has dealt a major blow to Moscow. The spy chief added that the scale of the sanctions paired with the expulsions caught Russian leader Vladimir Putin off-guard.
In remarks at the United Kingdom’s MI5 headquarters in London Wednesday, the MI5’s Director-General Ken McCallum said that a large number of Russian officials have been expelled from countries across the world. This included 600 officials across Europe, 400 of which were suspected to be spies.
“This has struck the most significant strategic blow against the Russian intelligence Services in European history,” said McCallum. “And together with coordinated waves of sanctions, the scale has taken Putin by surprise.”
McCallum explained that the response followed a template set by the UK following the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury back in 2018. This resulted in diplomatic expulsions of Russian officials in the country. McCallum cited that the UK has refused over 100 Russian diplomatic visa applications since then on the basis of national security.
McCallum noted that the UK has been one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion back in February, and the backing of Ukraine by London was shown through Moscow’s allegations that the UK was involved in the damaging of the Nord Stream gas pipelines back in September.
“The serious point is that the UK must be ready for Russian aggression for years to come,” said McCallum.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia’s agreement to extend the Black Sea Grain Deal brokered by the United Nations was a sign that Moscow was aware that the world would not accept its refusal to extend the agreement.
“Together, we sent a clear message to President Putin that he should extend the Black Sea grain initiative, which was set to expire on Saturday,” Blinken told a news conference in Bangkok ahead of the APEC Summit. “Russia again heard and apparently felt that the world would not accept Moscow refusing to extend the agreement.”
