Zelenskiy says he discussed Russia sanctions, drone deal with Trump
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The Sun
8 minutes ago
- The Sun
Russia claims control of Sichneve village in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region
MOSCOW: Russian forces pressing their slow advance through eastern Ukraine have captured the village of Sichneve in east-central Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. Russian forces have for months been pushing westward along sections of the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line, capturing new villages nearly on a daily basis, mainly in Donetsk region. Ukraine's military says its forces are holding their frontline positions and on Monday issued a pointed denial that its troops were surrounded in Pokrovsk, a logistics hub in Donetsk region under heavy attack for months. Russian forces now hold about 20% of Ukraine's territory since invading their smaller neighbour in February 2022 and have formally annexed four regions -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Moscow says it has full control of Luhansk region and holds parts of the others, plus Crimea, a peninsula it seized in 2014. Authorities in Kyiv made no mention of Moscow's latest announcement of a captured village in Dnipropetrovsk region and for weeks have denied that Russian forces have entered the region. Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report. The General Staff of Ukraine's military said Ukrainian forces continued action to contain Russian forces that have been trying to move closer to Pokrovsk, once a city of 60,000 residents and site of Ukraine's only colliery producing coking coal. 'At the same time, some sources are disseminating information suggesting that our units are surrounded in Pokrovsk,' it said in an evening report. 'This is absolutely not true.' Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, writing on Facebook, said Russian forces were trying to advance along the entire length of the front line. He said Ukrainian forces were facing the toughest fighting near Pokrovsk and two other areas of Donetsk region. But he added Kyiv's troops had 'achieved successes' in Sumy region on Ukraine's northern border, where Russian forces had secured a foothold in recent months. He also said they continued to fight in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv staged a mass incursion a year ago. Russia said it had expelled all Ukrainian troops from Kursk in April. - Reuters
The Sun
8 minutes ago
- The Sun
Texas redistricting battle sparks national fight for Congress control
TEXAS: The political battle over Texas' congressional redistricting is escalating into a nationwide fight, with Republicans and Democrats locked in an unprecedented mid-decade arms race to control the U.S. House of Representatives. At the urging of former President Donald Trump, Texas Republicans have proposed new congressional maps aimed at flipping five Democrat-held House seats in the 2024 midterms. The move intensifies partisan tensions, as Democrats warn of retaliatory redistricting efforts in blue states like California and Illinois. 'Donald Trump is a cheater, and so is Governor Greg Abbott,' said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, standing alongside Texas Democrats who fled the state to block the GOP's redistricting vote. 'As far as I'm concerned, everything is on the table.' Redistricting typically occurs every decade after the U.S. Census, but Trump has pushed for an unusual mid-cycle redraw, arguing Republicans deserve more seats after his strong 2020 Texas performance. 'I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, and we are entitled to five more seats,' Trump told CNBC. Democrats, needing only three more seats to reclaim the House majority, fear GOP-led redistricting in Texas, Florida, and other states could derail their 2024 prospects. Meanwhile, Democratic governors like California's Gavin Newsom are threatening countermeasures. 'If Texas moves forward, we will respond,' Newsom said. Legal battles loom as Texas Governor Abbott filed an emergency lawsuit to remove Democratic lawmakers who fled the state. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton also vowed to pursue court orders against absent legislators. However, legal experts note that courts have historically upheld lawmakers' right to break quorum as a political tactic. The standoff underscores how redistricting, once a routine process, has become a high-stakes weapon in America's partisan warfare. With both sides digging in, the fight over congressional maps could shape U.S. politics for years to come. - Reuters
Malay Mail
38 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
No favours for friends: Hungary, Slovakia hit by US tariffs despite backing Trump
BUDAPEST, Aug 6 — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised that the return of his 'dear friend' Donald Trump as US president would usher in a new 'golden age'. But trade unionist Zoltan Laszlo says Hungary's auto industry has seen the opposite as the United States announced new tariffs, with order cancellations and workflow disruptions marking employees' day-to-day experience. With tariff rates rising from 2.5 percent before Trump's return to around 25 percent and finally to 15 percent, the 'American tariff slalom' has caused nothing but chaos in the car industry, said Laszlo, who represents workers at Mexican automotive parts manufacturer Nemak's Hungarian plant. In recent years, Hungary and neighbouring Slovakia have become European manufacturing hubs for global car brands seeking lower labour costs, including British Jaguar Land Rover, German Mercedes and Japanese Suzuki. But due to the export-oriented nature of their automotive sectors, catering in part to the US market, they are among those EU nations hardest-hit by the latest tariffs slated to kick in on August 7. Despite hailing Trump's comeback and visiting him twice at his Mar-a-Lago luxury estate last year, Orban — his closest EU ally — was not spared the pain. Distress calls Neither were more favourable conditions extended to Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country is the world's largest automobile manufacturer per capita. According to analyst Matej Hornak, the incoming tariffs won't bode well. He warns of a drop in exports amounting to 'several hundred million euros' and the loss of '10,000-12,000' jobs in the sector. After the announcement of the EU-US trade deal, Orban was quick to apportion blame to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, saying Trump 'ate' her 'for breakfast'. But in April, the mayor of the Hungarian city of Gyor, whose strong economic growth is closely linked to its car manufacturing plants, had already warned of possible cutbacks and layoffs. For the city, which is home to various global brands and more than a dozen different parts and component suppliers including Nemak, the fresh tariffs are a disaster. As one of the biggest employers in Hungary, German carmaker Volkswagen alone provides jobs for more than 12,000 people. Its main engine factory in Gyor produces some Audi-branded vehicles directly for the US market. The Hungarian government has said that it is still assessing the impact of the tariff rates, vowing that upcoming business deals with Washington could mitigate the negative effects of Trump's 'America first' policy. Difficult compromise But more headwinds are ahead for Hungary and Slovakia, said Brussels-based geopolitical analyst Botond Feledy. 'When it comes to European dealmaking, Trump now prioritises more geopolitically influential figures — the main option for smaller nations such as Slovakia and Hungary is to join forces with others,' he told AFP. But the 'aggressive posturing' in the same vein of Trump's protectionist policies both countries adopted in recent months have isolated them among fellow EU countries, making compromises difficult, the expert added. Moreover, the stakes are high for Orban, whose 15-year rule has recently been challenged by former government insider-turned-rival Peter Magyar ahead of elections scheduled for next spring. 'Dissatisfaction with the standard of living has made voters more critical, which is also reflected in the popularity ratings of the governing parties,' said economist Zoltan Pogatsa, adding that 'Hungary has been in a state of near stagnation for many years now'. This year's economic 'flying start' touted by Orban did not materialise, with the government further lowering the country's growth goal from the initial 3.4 to one percent. 'So far, Trump's second presidency has only impacted the Hungarian economy through his tariff policy, which has been negative,' Pogatsa added. At the Nemak plant, a recent warning strike has led to management promising to sort out the unpredictable work schedules caused by the tariff changes, which were 'unhealthy and physically unbearable' and made 'family and private life become incompatible with work', said Laszlo. — AFP
