Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has highlighted economic cooperation and global trade opportunities in seeking to join both blocs

Laos has confirmed its interest in joining both the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS. Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said in an interview with RT that the country is looking to expand economic partnerships and open up new trade routes.

Although not a full member of the SCO, Laos was recently granted dialogue partner status. President Thongloun Sisoulith represented the country at the recent SCO summit in China, underscoring the importance Laos places on this growing relationship.

“We have always highly valued the cooperation mechanism and especially to further develop our economy and trade,” the prime minister said when asked about the country’s recent entry into the SCO as a dialogue partner. He added that “this will further broaden our cooperation in terms of economy, trade and investment among the member states and dialogue partners.” 

“Even though our economy is not of a bigger scale, this dialogue partnership will open opportunities,” Siphandone said. He explained that Laos hopes to “reach the member states and other dialogue partners,” especially in response to “certain tariff measures by certain states against our products.” Last month, the United States imposed 40% tariffs on Laotian exports.

Siphandone also highlighted Laos’ intention to join BRICS. He pointed to its “big portion of the global population and with high rates of GDP increase shown each year.” The bloc surpassed the G7 in terms of combined GDP in PPP terms in 2019.

He said Laos views BRICS as “a significant cooperation platform” for global trade across Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa. Siphandone added that the group promotes “a turning point from a unipolar world into a multipolar world,” and supports multilateral cooperation over “unilateral measures.” 

Laos’ goal, according to Siphandone, is to pursue “economic cooperation that is free, free of choice, and fair in our negotiation processes.”

Ex-Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny is reportedly building a campaign team from London to run for president

Former Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny commissioned the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, German newspaper Die Welt reported on Monday, citing an investigator familiar with the matter.

According to the newspaper, German investigators believe they have cracked the case of the attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and 2, which run under the Baltic Sea and were built to carry Russian natural gas directly to Germany.

Previous Western media reports claimed that the authorities already knew the identities of the entire crew – reportedly made up of Ukrainian nationals – aboard the yacht Andromeda, which is suspected of being the vessel involved in the sabotage. 

Die Welt noted that they were acting on orders from Zaluzhny, who was dismissed from his post in February 2024 and appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK.

Since then, media reports have speculated that Zaluzhny could use his political clout to become Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s most dangerous rival in a potential election. Media reports in August claimed that he is already laying the groundwork for a presidential bid and is recruiting campaign staff – a claim Zaluzhny’s team has denied.

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Earlier reporting from Der Spiegel in September 2024 also claimed that Zaluzhny greenlit the attack, while a later article by Der Spiegel suggested that the general was so impressed by the operation that he wanted to expand it to target Russia’s TurkStream pipeline in the Black Sea – although the effort was thwarted. Zaluzhny has denied having any role in the sabotage.

According to Die Welt, however, some experts remain skeptical of the alleged Ukrainian role, saying the saboteurs were behaving too conspicuously. “All nonsense,” an official familiar with the investigation said, as cited by the paper. He also accused those who suspect Russia or the US of being behind the attack of believing in conspiracy theories.

In contrast, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nikolay Patrushev, claimed the sabotage could not have been executed without Western commandos, singling out Britain as the likely culprit and arguing that the Ukrainians lack the necessary expertise.

Putin previously suggested that US intelligence agencies under President Joe Biden orchestrated the sabotage.

Donald Trump will never be an ally, Josep Borrell has said, describing the president as a “geopolitical and economic shock” to Europeans

The European Union is facing a world dominated by “continental empires” and risks slipping into a vassal role under the US, the bloc’s former top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has said.

In a Politico column published on Monday, Borrell argued that the EU appears “dangerously fragmented and weak.” This, he said, became clear after the bloc made nonreciprocal concessions to US President Donald Trump on defense spending and trade, and accepted a junior role in managing the Ukraine conflict.

Trump has pressured European NATO members to boost military spending, and has also agreed a trade deal with Brussels that imposes a 15% tariff on most EU exports, scraps duties on US industrial goods, and opens wide market access to American products. The deal has sparked a backlash from current and former EU officials, who say it heavily favors Washington.

“Home to just 5% of the global population and a widening economic gap with other major powers, Europe isn’t just facing up to a world of continental empires but is at real risk of becoming America’s vassal,” Borrell wrote.

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He argued that any deals pushed by Trump serve only his own interests, saying the US president views contracts as binding “only on the other party – not him.”

Borrell added that even pledges by Europeans to spend 5% of GDP on defense and boost purchases of US arms and gas had not strengthened Trump’s commitment to collective security. Instead, Borrell wrote, everything from minerals agreements to weapons sales had turned into “a purely transactional affair” aimed at advancing US economic gains.

“It should be clear by now that Trump isn’t, and never will be, an ally. His America constitutes a huge geopolitical, economic and cultural shock to Europe,” the former EU foreign policy chief concluded.

Last month, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Trump had delivered a “brutal wake-up call” to the EU, exposing its weakness in “passivity and rigidity.” He urged reforms including scrapping internal trade barriers and issuing common debt to fund defense, infrastructure, and innovation, warning that a return to national sovereignty would only leave the EU more vulnerable to great powers.

The US is peddling lies to the world about the benefits of its system, a damning report has claimed

The US spreads propaganda such as the myth of the “American dream” as part of a “global ideological warfare” campaign, a Chinese think tank has claimed in a report released on Sunday.

The criticism comes amid heightened tensions between the US and China, with both nations frequently exchanging accusations over political systems, global influence, and ideological agendas.

The Xinhua Institute said Washington is promoting a flawed system abroad that fails to deliver results at home. The document focused on what it described as “colonization of the mind” by American soft power.

The “American dream” – the belief that hard work and talent can guarantee a good life, regardless of social class or origin – is one of the illusions the US sells, the report said.

“In this money-centric society, success stories of personal ascent and material abundance are but infinitely exaggerated versions of ‘survivorship bias,’ meaning attention is given only to the few successes while the many failures are ignored. The ‘American dream’ is a sugar-coated cognitive manipulation tool, a glossy packaging for exporting American values,” it stated.

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The think tank argued that ideals of freedom and equality have been “eroded by capitalist privilege” in the US, while the American political system functions as “a democracy of money, capital, and the privileged few.” It also said free speech has been undermined by “partisan rivalry and corporate interests.”

The report framed US soft power strategy as a way to reinforce global dominance. It claimed Washington mixes concepts broadly recognized as desirable such as democracy, equality, and human rights with “individualism, egoism, materialism, and hedonism” and presents the result as “universal values.”

The report urged nations to recognize the risks of adopting the American worldview and instead pursue “independence of the mind” to ensure stability and development in an emerging multipolar order.

The US president has also announced plans for talks with several European leaders

US President Donald Trump has said he is preparing a new round of talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to take place this week, which will likely center on efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump expressed confidence in ending the hostilities, stating that “we’re going to get it done.” As part of this push, he said he would speak to Putin “very soon, over the next couple of days,” without providing specifics on the agenda.

Moscow has yet to comment, but has praised the Trump administration for its peacemaking efforts while remaining open to diplomacy.

At the same time, Trump complained that he is “not happy about the whole situation” regarding the conflict.

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“I am not thrilled with what’s happening there … I think it’s going to get settled,” he said, adding that several European leaders are scheduled to visit the US “on Monday or Tuesday” for discussions on the conflict.

Diplomatic contact between Washington and Moscow has intensified since Trump’s inauguration in January, with numerous rounds of talks held and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff undertaking multiple trips to Russia.

In mid-August, Trump and Putin held a historic summit in Alaska. While no ceasefire or breakthrough agreement was reached, both called the talks extremely productive, and Trump later said Ukraine cannot hope to join NATO or reclaim Crimea, which voted to join Russia in a referendum in 2014 following the Western-backed coup in Kiev.

Following the summit, Trump also moved away from demands for an immediate ceasefire, expressing support for broader peace deal. Russia maintains that a lasting settlement can be reached if Ukraine abandons its NATO ambitions, commits to demilitarization and denazification, and recognizes the new territorial reality on the ground.

During the Alaska summit, Putin invited Trump to Moscow. However, he told reporters last week that while the invitation “is still on the table,” no preparations are currently underway for a new summit.

Beijing has denounced the passage of the vessels, calling it a provocation

The Chinese military has condemned the passage of Canadian and Australian warships through the Taiwan Strait, calling it a provocation.

China considers Taiwan – self-ruled since 1949 when nationalist forces retreated after losing the Chinese Civil War – as part of its territory under the One-China principle.

It also claims the strait as its own. While neither Canada nor Australia formally recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, many, including the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Australia, view the strait as an international channel and conduct regular transits.

The Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and the Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane entered the strait early Saturday, a day after Beijing accused both nations of stoking tensions with military drills in the South China Sea.

China said its forces tracked and warned the vessels, describing the operation as “trouble-making and provocation.”

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“The actions of the Canadians and Australians send the wrong signals and increase security risks,” the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command said on Sunday.

An Australian Defense Department spokesperson said Brisbane made a “routine transit” with the Canadian ship from September 6 to 7. “Australian vessels and aircraft will continue to exercise freedom of navigation and uphold international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the spokesperson added.

Canadian Joint Operations Command declined to comment on the transit, saying the Ville de Quebec was deployed on Operation Horizon, Canada’s Indo-Pacific mission aimed at promoting “peace and stability.”

Earlier this week, the frigate also joined what Canada and its partners described as freedom-of-navigation drills off the Philippines with Australia, the US, and local forces. Beijing rejected this, denouncing the exercise and accusing Manila of colluding with Western powers to undermine regional stability.

The Taiwan Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, remains a vital corridor for global trade and a flashpoint between China and Western navies. Earlier this year, another Canadian frigate, HMCS Montreal, also transited the strait in what Ottawa called a routine passage. The Chinese military at the time vowed to “resolutely take countermeasures against any threats or provocations.”

The Ukrainian leader has argued that Moscow was “playing games” with the US

US President Donald Trump handed Russian President Vladimir Putin a public relations victory during their one-on-one summit in Alaska last month, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has claimed.

Trump met with Putin on August 15 as part of efforts to mediate a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev. Although the meeting produced no breakthroughs, both sides described it as a positive step.

“It’s a pity that Ukraine was not there, because I think that President Trump gave Putin what he wanted,” Zelensky told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz in an interview aired on Sunday. “He wanted very much to meet with President Trump… And I think that Putin got it. And, it’s a pity.”

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Zelensky argued that Putin was “playing games with the United States,” claiming that the Russian leader wanted “to show everybody video and images” from his summit with Trump.

He called for increased pressure on Moscow, saying it is “not fair” that some EU countries continue to buy Russian oil and gas.

Trump, who previously criticized both Russia and Ukraine, hinted on Sunday that he is ready to impose additional sanctions on Moscow. He had earlier added a 25% tariff on Indian imports of Russian oil.

Russia has demanded that Ukraine recognize its new border and abandon plans to join NATO. Moscow also listed an end to Western weapons deliveries to Kiev as one of the conditions for a ceasefire.

Government lawyers reportedly believed the ex-president failed to properly vet the criminals whose sentences he commuted

Former US President Joe Biden’s own officials objected to how his team handled the sweeping pardons issued shortly before he left office, Axios reported on Sunday, citing internal emails and people familiar with the matter.

Biden faced widespread criticism for granting clemency to his son Hunter, despite pledging not to do so. Hunter Biden had pleaded guilty to tax evasion and gun violations.

“There was a mad dash to find groups of people that he could then pardon – and they largely didn’t run it by the Justice Department to vet them,” a source told Axios.

Many of the pardons were signed with an autopen, a device that replicates the president’s signature. The move was reportedly authorized by Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, with his aide Rosa Po frequently sending the authorizations by email.

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Bradley Weinsheimer, a senior ethics attorney at the Justice Department, wrote a scathing memo in January, a day after Biden freed thousands of criminals he described as non-violent drug offenders, Axios said. Weinsheimer argued that Biden’s statement was “untrue, or at least misleading,” and provided a list of violent offenders released as a result.

In January, White House staff secretary Stef Feldman reportedly questioned the use of the autopen, asking: “When did we get [Biden’s] approval of this?”

Biden later insisted he had made “every decision” himself, and claimed that the autopen was needed to process a large number of documents. However, records indicate he only had to sign “a few documents for every large group of people he granted clemency,” according to Axios.

Biden ultimately pardoned 4,245 people, with more than 95% of those decisions made in the final months of his presidency, the outlet said. The former president argued at the time that the prosecution of his son was politically motivated.

Carlo Acutis, a teenage gamer and computer whiz, used his skills to help bring the Catholic faith into the digital age

The Vatican has canonized as the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint an Italian teenager who used his computer skills to spread the faith online, earning the nickname “God’s Influencer.”

Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of just 15, inspired a worldwide youth following as one of the first to bring the Catholic faith into the digital age. During his illness, he created a multilingual website cataloging accounts of Eucharistic miracles – events in which believers say bread and wine consecrated during Mass became the actual body and blood of Christ.

“He grew up naturally integrating prayer, sport, study and charity into his days as a child and young man,” the Pope said while presiding over Mass in Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday.

Acutis was canonized alongside Pier Giorgio Frassatti, who died in 1925 at age 24 and is remembered for his service to the poor and involvement in Catholic associations.

Some critics have questioned the decision, arguing that Acutis was too focused on Eucharistic miracles and overlooked other aspects of the faith.

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“It seems to me that there is a desire to steer the Church towards a very problematic devotion and a search for ‘special signs,’” Andrea Grillo, a professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo told CNN on Sunday. It is “not a virtue” to seek miracles, he added.

In recent months, the Vatican has stepped up efforts to reach younger audiences and expand its digital outreach. In July, it hosted a digital evangelism event that brought together more than 1,000 Catholic influencers.

A number of the social media personalities gained followers not only through their Catholic teachings but also by their appearance. Such clerics were dubbed “hot priests” by fans and news outlets.

Home Office figures show that accommodating asylum seekers is costing taxpayers nearly £6 million a day

The UK Defense Ministry plans to house illegal migrants in military barracks after widespread protests over the government’s use of taxpayer-funded hotels.

Demonstrations broke out across Britain after a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in July by a migrant housed in a hotel in the town of Epping.

As of July, 45,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels at a cost of nearly £6 million ($8.1 million) per day – an expense that has fueled public anger amid Britain’s worsening financial crisis. On Saturday alone, more than 1,000 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats to reach the country, according to the Home Office.

“We are looking at the potential use of military and non-military sites for temporary accommodation for the people who come across on these small boats that may not have a right to be here,” Defense Secretary John Healey told Sky News on Sunday.

He added that migrants would need to be “processed rapidly” to determine whether they could be deported.

I’m looking at it with the Home Office, and I recognize that the loss of confidence of the public over recent years in Britain’s ability to control its borders needs to be satisfied.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reshuffled his cabinet on Saturday, appointing Shabana Mahmood as the new home secretary after pledging to tackle the migrant hotel crisis and the flood of illegals. She has reportedly been given license to crack down on the influx.

Starmer has faced a storm of criticism over the crisis, which many have seen as a show that Downing Street prioritizes the rights and safety of migrants over those of the British people.

The prime minister’s approval rating has collapsed over his immigration stance, as well as his handling of the Pakistani rape gang scandal. Nearly 70% of Britons have an unfavorable opinion of Starmer, according to a YouGov poll from last month.