SEC Moves to Dismiss Insider Trading Case Against Trump-Pardoned Terren Peizer 
Iran-Oman Near Strait of Hormuz Deal as Shipping Tensions Persist 
New Zealand MMP Electoral System Faces Fresh Referendum Debate 
Germany Warns of Daily Hybrid Warfare Threats 
Russia Intensifies Drone and Bomb Attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Deepening Civilian Fear 
Trump Faces Tough Choices as Iran War Drags On 
Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Has Spread Further, Hunter Biden Says 
US ‘Digging In’ Across Indo-Pacific, Pentagon Official Says 
North Korea May Deploy 120 Missiles to Russia 
Trump Administration Weighs Executive Order on Vaccines and Autism Research 
Taiwan President Lai Oversees Coastal Strike Drills in Han Kuang War Games 
Taiwan Tests Penghu Defense, Mobile Internet Limits in War Drills 
Houthi Attack on Yemen’s Mocha Port Kills Seven, Injures 30 
US Expands Social Media Vetting to Foreign Journalists Seeking Visas 
Russian Strikes on Ukraine Kill Six, Wound Dozens in Balakliia and Sumy 
ICE to Complete Nationwide Body Camera Rollout by End of August 
The United States has accused Russia of trying to “freeze” Ukraine into submission as the war moves toward its ninth month. The accusations come amidst Moscow’s push to move thousands of civilians out of the partially occupied Kherson region.
Following a meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in Germany Friday last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that as Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to succeed on the battlefield, he has turned to try and “freeze” Ukraine into submission. On the same day of the G7 meeting, US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Kyiv to reaffirm Washington’s support for Ukraine.
This comes amidst advances by Ukrainian troops on the ground, while Russia has repeatedly bombarded the country’s infrastructure with missiles and drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has left around 4.5 million people without power.
During Sullivan’s visit to Kyiv, he told a news conference that Ukraine is in need of air defense at this time amidst the barrage of missiles and explosive drones sent by Russia.
On the ground, Ukrainian forces are gearing up for an offensive in the southern territory to reclaim occupied areas. Moscow moved forward with moving civilians out of the partially-occupied territory of Kherson, and the Russian army said that around 5,000 residents were being evacuated from the region. Russia has already been urging civilians to leave Kherson since mid-October, pledging to turn its main city into a fortress.
Kyiv said the so-called evacuations of civilians by Moscow were like the Soviet-era “deportations” of its people.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, in what might be an indirect comment to Russia and the West, called on nations to prevent the threats or use of nuclear weapons in Europe and in Asia, during his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing Friday last week.
“The international community should…jointly oppose the use or threats to use nuclear weapons, advocate that nuclear wars must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought, in order to prevent a nuclear crisis in Eurasia,” said Xi.
