Trump Proposes Two-Year Shutdown of Kennedy Center Amid Ongoing Turmoil 
U.S. Accuses Cuba of Harassing Top Diplomat Amid Rising Tensions 
U.S. Government Enters Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal 
Pierre Poilievre Retains Conservative Leadership After Election Defeat in Canada 
Israel Intensifies Gaza Airstrikes Amid Ceasefire Tensions 
U.S. and Israeli Military Leaders Hold Pentagon Talks as Tensions With Iran Escalate 
Russian Drone Strike Kills Miners as Ukraine Pushes for Peace Talks Amid Energy Crisis 
Trump Orders DHS to Avoid Protests in Democratic Cities Unless Federal Assets Are Threatened 
Zelenskiy Awaits U.S. Details as Ukraine Prepares for Possible Peace Talks Next Week 
Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns 
Democrats Score Surprise Texas State Senate Win, Fueling Momentum Ahead of 2026 Midterms 
Trump’s Iraq Envoy Mark Savaya Ousted Amid U.S.-Iraq Tensions Over Iran Influence 
Putin Envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Visit Miami for Talks With Trump Administration Officials 
Christian Menefee Wins Texas Special Election, Narrowing GOP House Majority 
Keir Starmer Urges Prince Andrew to Testify in U.S. Epstein Investigation 
Syria Detains Group Over Rocket Attacks on Damascus Military Airport Amid Hezbollah Allegations 
U.S.–Venezuela Relations Show Signs of Thaw as Top Envoy Visits Caracas 
Russia continues to bombard Ukraine following the successes of Ukrainian forces in their counter-offensive. Russian strikes all over the country led to 11 people dead and 64 people injured.
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said Monday that the Russian strikes across the country killed 11 people and wounded 64 others. The agency said on the Telegram messaging platform that the regions of Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, and Ternopil no longer had power during the strikes, and power in other parts of Ukraine was partially disrupted as a result.
The widespread strikes led to international condemnation. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the strikes on Kyiv and of civilian targets in the cities were “a reprehensible act” by Moscow.
“The bombardment of Kyiv and of civilian targets in many other cities is a reprehensible act by Russia. It is an unacceptable escalation of violence that strengthens Belgium’s resolve in supporting the people of Ukraine and their brave fight for a free and sovereign nation,” tweeted De Croo.
US President Joe Biden also condemned the strikes in a statement, saying Washington will continue to impose costs on Russia for doing so.
“They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people,” said Biden in the statement, adding that Washington has provided Ukraine with $16.8 billion of military assistance and imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine back in February. Biden said the strikes only reaffirmed the US commitment to continue supporting Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a statement condemning the strikes, saying that the recent attacks now present a “profound moral issue” and that the international community must make clear that Vladimir Putin’s actions on Ukraine are unacceptable.
Blinken said the international community must speak out this time against Russia’s continued aggression on Ukraine, noting that the “core principles” of the United Nations charter “are at stake.”
Due to the strikes on Ukraine’s power networks, authorities in Kyiv have asked businesses to limit energy use, and the Ukrainian energy ministry said it was halting electricity exports to the European grid.
