Trump Administration Rejects Claims of Rift Between JD Vance and Marco Rubio on Iran Policy 
Crimea Power Outage After Ukrainian Drone Attack, Russian Authorities Say 
Peru Election Dispute Deepens as Roberto Sanchez Rejects Runoff Results 
Marco Rubio Reassures Gulf Allies Over U.S.-Iran Peace Deal 
Bessent Says U.S. Must Strengthen Supply Chains and Economic Security 
Iran Attack in Strait of Hormuz Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
US Seeks Gulf Support for Iran Peace Deal Amid Regional Tensions 
US Mobilizes Aid After Powerful Earthquakes Devastate Venezuela 
Young Brazilian Voters Shift Right Ahead of 2026 Election 
Iran Strait of Hormuz Tensions Rise After Ship Attack Delays IMO Escort Mission 
Republican Lawmaker Introduces AI Incident Reporting Bill to Strengthen U.S. AI Safety 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
US Urges States and Businesses to Strengthen Taiwan Ties Amid China Pressure 
Trump Orders DOJ Investigation Into Exxon, Chevron Over High Gas Prices 
ICC Judges Sue Trump Administration Over Sanctions, Calling Measures Unlawful 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
Johns Hopkins University Lays Off 110 Employees as Federal Research Funding Declines 
In the midst of Russia’s war with Ukraine, prosecutors are already looking to try Russian soldiers that were captured and detained by Ukrainian troops. A court in Ukraine has convicted two Russian soldiers for committing war crimes in the Kharkiv region.
This week, a court in Ukraine convicted two Russian soldiers for shelling a civilian area in the Kharkiv region. The soldiers were each sentenced to over 11 years in prison. This marks the second verdict handed to Russian soldiers that were detained by Ukrainian troops since the invasion in February.
Prosecutors requested a prison sentence of 12 years each for Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov. Bobikin and Ivanov’s defense requested leniency as both soldiers were following orders and had shown remorse for their actions. Both were charged for “violating the laws and customs of war.”
Both soldiers acknowledged being part of the unit that fired at targets in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region from the Belgorod region in Russia. The shelling destroyed the area of Derhachi but did not cause any casualties, according to prosecutors. Bobikin and Ivanov were arrested when they allegedly attempted to cross the border to continue the shelling.
This follows the conviction of Ukrainian courts last week of Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a Ukrainian civilian. Shishimarin was accused of killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov by shooting him in the head in Ukraine’s Sumy region at the early onset of the war.
Shishimarin’s lawyer said they plan to appeal the verdict, and more trials are expected to take place in both Ukraine and Russia.
Meanwhile, the US will be sending Ukraine advanced rocket systems as Kyiv continues to ask the West for more weapons and ammunition to strike back against Russian forces.
The rocket systems will be part of the new set of military assistance by Washington to Ukraine worth $700 billion. The new package will include helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, and spare parts, among others.
The US wants to help Ukraine defend itself but has stopped short of sending Ukraine weapons that could strike targets within Russia, which would lead to an escalation in the war.
