Iran Skips U.S. Technical Talks Over Unmet MoU Conditions and Frozen Funds Dispute 
Andy Burnham Sets Out Vision to Decentralize Britain as Labour Leadership Race Begins 
Russian Attacks Kill Four in Ukraine as Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv Come Under Fire 
Australia Plans Higher Fines for Social Media Firms Failing to Block Underage Users 
Israeli Airstrike Kills Three in Central Gaza Despite Ceasefire 
Maria Corina Machado’s Return to Venezuela Faces U.S. Hesitation After Deadly Earthquakes 
Trump Suspends Some Morocco Fertilizer Tariffs to Ease U.S. Supply Shortage 
US, Iran Agree to Halt Attacks Ahead of Doha Talks on Strait of Hormuz 
Sheinbaum Says No One Is Above the Law After Abuse Video of Ex-Pemex Chief Emerges 
Trump Questions Housing Bill as He Prioritizes SAVE America Act 
Mexico, U.S. Launch Sterile Fly Facility to Combat New World Screwworm Outbreak 
Trump Announces September Overhaul of Washington’s East Potomac Golf Links 
Ukraine Strikes Russian Titan-Barrikady Plant With Long-Range FP-5 Flamingo Missile 
Javier Milei Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni Resigns Amid Spending Scandal Investigation 
Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic to Resign, Calls Early Elections After Months of Protests 
Trump Urges Gasoline Retailers to Cut Prices to $2.50 Per Gallon, Warns of Legal Action 
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.”
