Author: Andrew Rogers

Moldova’s pro-European president, Maia Sandu, praised voters for resisting Russian influence after her party kept control in Sunday’s crucial election. The victory strengthens the country’s push to join the European Union and reduces Moscow’s sway over its politics. “We did not allow ourselves to be bought, intimidated, or frightened,” Sandu said. “We defended our country through honest, democratic choice. This election shows we have capable institutions and determined people.” With almost all ballots counted, Sandu’s Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) earned 50.03% of votes. This gives them 55 out of 101 seats in parliament. In comparison, a Moscow-leaning alliance led…

Denmark’s justice minister has warned that hybrid attacks in Europe are becoming as significant a threat as terrorism was after 9/11. Peter Hummelgaard spoke at a press conference, saying the region is entering a “new reality” where hybrid attacks are increasingly common. He explained that, just as the world adjusted to terrorist threats after September 11, countries now must adapt to hybrid warfare. “We are in a new reality in Denmark and in other countries,” Hummelgaard said. “We will face these situations again. This is the nature of hybrid warfare.” Recent attacks involving drones have raised security concerns across Europe.…

French and Serbian authorities have arrested 11 Serbian nationals accused of committing hate crimes in France and Germany. The suspects are linked to placing pigs’ heads near mosques and defacing Jewish sites. The arrests follow French officials’ warnings that foreign interference may have contributed to attacks on religious sites amid tensions over the Gaza conflict. France has previously investigated possible efforts by foreign actors, including Russia, to stir unrest. Serbia’s interior ministry said the arrested individuals were trained by another person acting under a foreign intelligence service. This handler remains at large, and their nationality has not been disclosed. The…

Gaza hospitals are struggling as a severe drug shortage leaves injured patients with little to no pain relief. Doctors are forced to perform operations without proper anaesthetics, and the few available painkillers are rationed. Since 7 October 2023, more than 167,000 Palestinians have been injured in Gaza, according to the local health ministry. Many suffer from blast wounds, burns, amputations, and fractures, overwhelming hospitals already facing shortages of essential supplies. At Nasser Hospital, Mahmoud*, a boy with a shattered knee from a gunshot wound, writhes in pain. Doctors can only offer a temporary nerve block, giving brief relief before the…

Britain may already be at war with Russia, according to former MI5 chief Eliza Manningham-Buller, due to the scale of cyber-attacks, sabotage, and other hostile activity orchestrated by Moscow. Speaking on a podcast with Lord Speaker John McFall, Manningham-Buller said the conflict is “a different sort of war,” but the intensity of cyber-attacks, physical sabotage, and intelligence operations is extensive. She agreed with Russia expert Fiona Hill, who previously warned that Moscow is effectively at war with the West. Recent cases underline the threat. Six Bulgarians were jailed in the UK this year for participating in a spy ring conducting…

Moldova’s ruling pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) has retained its parliamentary majority after Sunday’s critical election, securing 50.03% of the vote with over 99.5% of ballots counted. The result strengthens President Maia Sandu’s pro-Western agenda, keeping Moldova on track for closer European Union ties and away from Moscow’s influence. Sandu’s party outperformed pre-election surveys that predicted a reduced majority, a potential obstacle to her promise of EU membership within a decade. The main opposition, a pro-Russian alliance led by former president Igor Dodon, received 24.26% of the vote. Dodon has alleged electoral violations and called for peaceful protests outside…

Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of the national guard to Portland, Oregon, claiming the city is “war ravaged” and requiring protection. The president authorized the use of “full force, if necessary,” citing threats against federal immigration facilities. Trump described the situation as a serious security concern, saying immigration offices were “under siege from Antifa and other domestic terrorists.” He said all necessary troops should be sent immediately to restore order. However, local and state officials have strongly rejected Trump’s assessment. They argue that the situation in Portland does not warrant military involvement. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, a Democrat, said…

Key events on Sunday, September 28, 2025, day 1,312 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Ukrainian long-range drones hit an oil pumping station in Russia’s Chuvashia region, causing a fire and halting operations, the Ukrainian security service (SBU) said. Russia claimed it took over three villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Dnipro regions amid a slow advance. Moscow and Kyiv blamed each other for attacks on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been off the main power grid for four days. NATO is upgrading its Baltic Sea mission with an air-defence frigate and other military assets after drone sightings…

Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer has been ordered to pay $13.6 million after an international tribunal dismissed his claim of being a “foreign investor” in a mining project in Western Australia. The dispute lasted more than a decade and involved claims totaling almost $305 billion. The permanent court of arbitration, set up under international treaties, rejected Palmer’s case because it had no jurisdiction over a dispute between an Australian citizen and the national government. Attorney General Michelle Rowland said Palmer was not a foreign investor and could not access benefits under Australia’s free trade and investment agreements. She added that…

President Donald Trump fired Michele Beckwith, the acting US attorney in Sacramento, just hours after she instructed immigration agents to follow federal law in her district. Beckwith, who took the position in January, received an email on 15 July at 4:31 p.m. notifying her of her termination. The day before, Beckwith had spoken with Gregory Bovino, head of the Border Patrol unit in El Centro, a city about 600 miles south of Sacramento. Bovino was planning an immigration raid in Sacramento and asked who in Beckwith’s office to contact if his officers faced resistance. Beckwith told him that agents could…