Zelensky says talks with US envoy ‘restore hope’ for strong agreement

Zelensky says talks with US envoy ‘restore hope’ for strong agreement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomes Keith Kellogg, US Special Envoy to Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg, in Kyiv on February 20, 2025. (REUTERS)
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Updated 21 February 2025
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Zelensky says talks with US envoy ‘restore hope’ for strong agreement

Zelensky says talks with US envoy ‘restore hope’ for strong agreement
  • “Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement" with the US, Zelensky said in a post on X after meeting with Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged on Thursday that Ukraine was ready to work quickly to produce a strong agreement on investments and security with the United States, saying a meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg “restores hope” for success.

“General Kellogg, a meeting which restores hope. We need strong agreements that will really work. I gave instructions to work fast and in a very, very even-handed fashion,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

“The details of the agreement are important. The better the details are drafted, the better the result.”

The meeting with Kellogg took place a day after Zelensky and US President Donald Trump exchanged barbs as US-Russian talks got underway on ending the three-year-old war pitting Kyiv against Moscow. Ukraine was not invited to the talks.

After the meeting with Kellogg, Zelensky said on social media platform X that Ukraine had to “ensure that peace is strong and lasting — so that Russia can never return with war.”

“Ukraine is ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement with the President of the United States. We have proposed the fastest and most constructive way to achieve results. Our team is ready to work 24/7.”

The talks with Kellogg also followed Ukraine’s rejection of an initial US proposal to develop rare earths in Ukraine.

In his comments on X, Zelensky also said his discussion with Kellogg focused on the battlefield situation, the security guarantees that Ukraine is seeking and the return of prisoners of war.

“It’s important for us — and for the entire free world — that American strength is felt,” he wrote.


Lithuania Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas steps down after investigations and protests

Lithuania Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas steps down after investigations and protests
Updated 21 sec ago
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Lithuania Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas steps down after investigations and protests

Lithuania Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas steps down after investigations and protests
  • Paluckas stepped down on Thursday following investigations into his business dealings that prompted protests in the Baltic country’s capital calling for his resignation
  • Paluckas, who is also a Social Democrat, ascended to the role late last year after a three-party coalition formed following parliamentary elections in October
VILNIUS: Lithuania Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas stepped down on Thursday following investigations into his business dealings that prompted protests in the Baltic country ‘s capital calling for his resignation.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced Paluckas’ resignation to the media on Thursday morning. A spokesperson for Paluckas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Paluckas, a newly established leader of the center-left Social Democrats, ascended to the role late last year after a three-party coalition formed following parliamentary elections in October. His entire cabinet is now expected also to resign, potentially leaving the country without an effective government weeks before Russia holds joint military exercises with neighboring Belarus.
Lithuanian foreign policy is unlikely to change as a result of the government shakeup. Nausėda, who was elected separately, is the country’s face on the world stage and has been one of the most stalwart supporters of Ukraine in its fight against invading Russian forces.
Paluckas has recently been dogged by media investigations into his business and financial dealings. Several media outlets published investigations in July regarding Paluckas’ past and present ventures and alleged mishandlings, including ones more than a decade ago. The Baltic country ‘s anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies subsequently launched their own probes.
In a devastating blow to his reputation, the media also revealed that Paluckas never paid a significant part of a 16,500 euro fine ($19,039) in connection with a 2012 criminal case dubbed the “rat poison scandal.”
Paluckas was convicted of mishandling the bidding process for Vilnius’ rat extermination services while serving as the capital city’s municipality administration director. Judges for the country’s top court in 2012 ruled that he abused his official position by illegally granting privileges to the company that offered the highest price in the bid.
He was also sentenced to two years behind bars, but the sentence was suspended for one year and he ultimately was never imprisoned.
The Social Democratic party leader denied any wrongdoing regarding his business affairs, labeling the criticism as part of a “coordinated attack” by political opponents.
He resigned before the opposition could formally launch impeachment proceedings. New coalition talks are expected to start shortly to form a new cabinet.

Zelensky urges ‘regime change’ in Russia and calls for confiscation of assets

Zelensky urges ‘regime change’ in Russia and calls for confiscation of assets
Updated 12 min 47 sec ago
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Zelensky urges ‘regime change’ in Russia and calls for confiscation of assets

Zelensky urges ‘regime change’ in Russia and calls for confiscation of assets
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the world should push for “regime change” arguing that President Vladimir Putin otherwise would continue to destabilize its neighbors

HELSINKI: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the world should push for “regime change” in Russia, arguing that President Vladimir Putin otherwise would continue to destabilize its neighbors.

“I believe Russia can be pushed to stop this war. It started it, and it can be made to end it, but if the world doesn’t aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilize neighboring countries,” Zelensky told a conference marking 50 years since the signing of the “Helsinki Final Act” on respecting borders and territorial integrity.

Zelensky also called for the confiscation of Russia’s financial assets, following the latest deadly strike by Moscow on Kyiv.

“We need to fully block Russia’s war machine ... put every frozen Russian asset, including the stolen wealth of corruption to work defending against Russian aggression. It’s time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them, confiscate them and use them to serve peace, not war,” Zelensky told the Helsinki conference in an online address.


Suspected arsonist appears in court over Melbourne synagogue fire that shocked the nation

Suspected arsonist appears in court over Melbourne synagogue fire that shocked the nation
Updated 44 min 15 sec ago
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Suspected arsonist appears in court over Melbourne synagogue fire that shocked the nation

Suspected arsonist appears in court over Melbourne synagogue fire that shocked the nation
  • The federal government has committed $20 million to rebuild the synagogue
  • Giovanni Laulu appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday after his arrest Wednesday

MELBOURNE: A suspected arsonist accused of destroying a Melbourne synagogue appeared in court seven months after the crime shocked the nation and triggered a large-scale investigation.

Giovanni Laulu, 21, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court Thursday after his arrest at a Melbourne home on Wednesday.

Police allege Laulu is one of three masked men who spread a liquid accelerant around the interior of the Adass Israel Synagogue then set it alight before dawn on Dec. 6. A worshipper preparing for morning prayers suffered minor burns.

Laulu is the first suspect to be caught, but police have foreshadowed more arrests. Police suspect there are also accomplices who planned the attack from overseas.

Laulu was charged with arson, reckless conduct endangering life and car theft.

Laulu confirmed his name but otherwise remained silent during the brief court appearance. He did not enter pleas or apply to be released on bail.

His lawyer told Magistrate Brett Sonnett this was not Laulu’s first time in prison. Laulu was then remanded in custody and will appear in court next on Aug. 6.

Prosecutors sought 12 weeks to gather evidence against Laulu and said 11 cell phones need to be analyzed. Sonnett gave the prosecution until Oct. 22 to present their case to Laulu’s lawyers.

Federal and state police, plus Australia’s main domestic spy agency, have been investigating the crime, which is suspected to be politically motivated. Police say more than 220 law enforcement officers have devoted more than 50,000 hours to the investigation.

State Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said Victoria Police would be relentless in pursuing and holding those involved in the synagogue arson to account.

“Victoria Police has seen first-hand the impact this incident has had in the Victorian community — the fear and distress a crime like this can cause,” Bush said in a statement.

“People deserve to be safe and feel safe, particularly when it comes to their places of worship. This is not negotiable in any way. We remain committed to identifying all those who seek to cause this kind of fear and harm, and ensuring they are brought to justice,” he added.

A wave of antisemitic attacks has roiled Australia since the Oct. 7, 2023. The synagogue attack is the only incident that has been classified as an act of terrorism, a designation that increases the resources available to the investigation.

The federal government has committed 30 million Australian dollars ($20 million) to rebuild the synagogue.


London’s Heathrow hit by more flight cancelations after air traffic failure

London’s Heathrow hit by more flight cancelations after air traffic failure
Updated 31 July 2025
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London’s Heathrow hit by more flight cancelations after air traffic failure

London’s Heathrow hit by more flight cancelations after air traffic failure
  • The second outage in as many years at NATS also affected Gatwick Airport near London, Edinburgh Airport in Scotland and other locations

LONDON: At least 16 flights to and from London’s Heathrow Airport were canceled on Thursday, a day after technical problems with Britain’s air traffic control system caused widespread disruption across the country’s airports.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS), which provides air traffic control services for planes flying in UK airspace and the eastern part of the North Atlantic, said on Wednesday its systems were fully operational with capacity returning to normal after it switched to a back-up system.

The second outage in as many years at NATS also affected Gatwick Airport near London, Edinburgh Airport in Scotland and other locations, resulting in 122 cancelations as of 1830 GMT on Wednesday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Heathrow’s website showed that at least 16 flights, including departures to Brussels and Toronto and arrivals from New York and Berlin, had been canceled on Thursday.

Heathrow, Britain’s largest and Europe’s busiest airport, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the latest cancelations.

Ryanair Chief Operating Officer Neal McMahon called on NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to resign, saying no lessons had been learnt since the August 2023 disruption caused by a malfunctioning in the automatic processing of flight plans.

NATS, which on Wednesday apologized to those affected by the failure, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a response to McMahon’s comments.

Heathrow was also hit by a fire at a power sub-station in March which stranded thousands of passengers.


China summons chip giant Nvidia over alleged security risks

China summons chip giant Nvidia over alleged security risks
Updated 31 July 2025
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China summons chip giant Nvidia over alleged security risks

China summons chip giant Nvidia over alleged security risks
  • The California based firm said earlier this month that it would resume H20 sales to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs that had halted exports

BEIJING: Chinese Internet authorities summoned Nvidia on Thursday to discuss “serious security issues” over some of its artificial intelligence (AI) chips, as the US technology giant finds itself entangled in trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Nvidia is a world-leading producer of AI semiconductors, but the United States effectively restricts which chips it can export to China on national security grounds.

A key issue has been Chinese access to the “H20,” a less powerful version of Nvidia’s AI processing units that the company developed specifically for export to China.

The California-based firm said earlier this month that it would resume H20 sales to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs that had halted exports.

But the firm still faces obstacles — US lawmakers have proposed plans to require Nvidia and other manufacturers of advanced AI chips to include built-in location tracking capabilities.

And on Thursday, Beijing’s top Internet regulator said it had summoned Nvidia representatives to discuss recently discovered “serious security issues” involving the H20.

The Cyberspace Administration of China said it had asked Nvidia to “explain the security risks of vulnerabilities and backdoors in its H20 chips sold to China and submit relevant supporting materials.”

The statement posted on social media noted that, according to US experts, location tracking and remote shutdown technologies for Nvidia chips “are already matured.”

The announcement marked the latest complication for Nvidia in selling its advanced products in the key Chinese market, where it is in increasingly fierce competition with homegrown technology firms.



CEO Jensen Huang said during a closely watched visit to Beijing this month that his firm remained committed to serving local customers.

Huang said he had been assured during talks with top Chinese officials during the trip that the country was “open and stable.”

“They want to know that Nvidia continues to invest here, that we are still doing our best to serve the market here,” he said.

Nvidia this month became the first company to hit $4 trillion in market value — a new milestone in Wall Street’s bet that AI will transform the global economy.

New hurdles to the firm’s operation in China come as the country’s economy wavers, beset by a years-long property sector crisis and heightened trade headwinds under US President Donald Trump.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the country to enhance self-reliance in certain areas deemed vital for national security — including AI and semiconductors — as tensions with Washington mount.

The country’s firms have made great strides in recent years, with Huang praising their “super-fast” innovation during his visit to Beijing this month.