WASHINGTON, Oct 12 - Catholics serving in the US Army should not participate in the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan that the Pentagon is planning to livestream in December, a prominent US archbishop said on Monday.In an unusually strongly worded statement, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the spiritual care of Catholic members of the US armed forces, raised a series of objections to the unprecedented plan to broadcast the execution of Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in a 2009 shooting spree.Broglio said he presided at the funeral of one of Hasan's victims, and lamented the shooting. But the Ohio-born archbishop asked whether the US wanted to "imitate the terrorists of this world and make a public spectacle of barbarically killing our adversaries.""I oblige any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church," Broglio said.US Army regulations do allow for soldiers to request religious exemptions or accommodations, and the Army has yet to say how it intends to select members of the firing squad.US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to livestream the shooting last week, triggering a backlash among Republicans in Congress, religious leaders and international observers. US President Donald Trump approved Hasan's execution by firing squad but has said he is still deciding whether to allow the livestreaming to proceed.The event would be extraordinary, even for a country that has long employed capital punishment. A government execution has never been broadcast or livestreamed, according to death penalty experts, and the US military has not executed anyone by firing squad since 1945. Hasan, now 56, requires a wheelchair, having been shot by police during his arrest.Hegseth said last week he wants US soldiers to execute Hasan at the time, day of the week and location of Hasan's shooting spree. Hegseth has argued that making the event public will help serve as a deterrent.Broglio questioned whether the effect of a livestreamed execution on young viewers had been considered. He said the US military had a good reputation and asked if there was "really a value to throwing them in the same boat with terrorists by broadcasting the image of the execution of a man in a wheelchair to the whole world."Broglio's statement was issued shortly after he met on Monday in Rome with Pope Leo, who has clashed with Trump and his Pentagon over issues including the Iran war. Leo on Saturday condemned the death penalty, without mentioning the Hasan case specifically.Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, has said that if it does ultimately get livestreamed, he would not watch it. REUTERS
Read briefing Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s chief executive, with various iterations of the Muse avatar in Menlo Park, California, on Sept 23.SAN FRANCISCO - Meta on Oct 12 unveiled two new “frontier” artificial intelligence (AI) models called Wonder and Wonder Full, which the company claims perform at a level comparable to that of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.“Muse Spark was our first family of models, and now Muse Wonder is a much larger and more advanced class of models that brings us to the frontier,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on X.Zuckerberg has pushed Meta to compete with leading AI labs, particularly OpenAI and Anthropic, over the past year or so amid a race to win over customers and diversify beyond advertising, from which it has historically derived most of its revenue.In June 2025, the company made a US$14 billion (S$18 billion) investment in Scale AI, an AI startup based in San Francisco, and poached its co-founder Alexandr Wang as part of the deal.Zuckerberg subsequently made Wang the company’s chief AI officer overseeing its newly formed division called Superintelligence Labs.Meta launched its Spark model in April, marking a departure from its open-source model known as Llama, which lagged behind the rest of the industry.The new models can soon be used in Meta’s new personal agent app, known as Muse, for paid subscribers only.Wonder is “our largest and most capable model yet” and “rivals the big (boys),” Wang posted on X, presumably referring to leading labs OpenAI and Anthropic.In a blog post, Meta touted so-called benchmarking data from an independent firm called Artificial Analysis which appears to show that Meta’s newest Wonder models outperform its own previous models, Spark, as well as various models developed by Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.Artificial Analysis’s own website shows that Wonder is also among the most expensive models.Meta has committed billions towards competing in the global race to dominate AI, despite growing concerns about safety and security.In July, the Facebook and Instagram maker said its spending on AI-related investments could reach US$145 billion in 2026.In its early years, Facebook was known to operate under a philosophy of “move fast and break things,” but more recently, Zuckerberg implied Meta would balance safety with speed.“Meta delayed shipping Muse for several months to focus on safety and security. We didn’t call for everyone else to do this before we would,” Zuckerberg posted on X in September.In August, Meta launched Muse Code, a product intended to compete with similar automated coding tools offered by OpenAI and Anthropic.Then in September, it launched an agentic app called Muse. Agentic software can autonomously perform specific tasks such as coding, research, shopping, booking reservations or shopping.At its annual developer conference Connect in September, Meta also revealed a new handheld AI hardware product called Muse Charm that allows users to interact with their Muse agent separately from a smartphone.Developers have been racing to design agentic apps that will capture users’ attention, time and wallets. AI-powered hardware remains an elusive goal for the industry as well.While Silicon Valley heavyweights OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta dominate the landscape, young startups like Instinct are also becoming breakout hits.Zuckerberg sped up Muse’s launch due to Instinct’s popularity, the New York Times reported.Some competitors have called for an industry-wide slowdown to address and mitigate safety concerns.In September, Zuckerberg was one of six American tech executives to sign what President Donald Trump described as a “morally binding” commitment to build adequate safeguards around ever more advanced AI models.Executives from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI and Nvidia also signed the agreement but there is no consensus among politicians or industry leaders around how to best move forward.Leaders at Anthropic, OpenAI and Google have encouraged “pacing” - or slowing down - development after models created by all three were found to have escaped their testing environments or taken actions without authorisation.“We will slow down as much as necessary in order to make sure that every successive AI technology that we release is actually safe,” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei told the United Nations last month. AFP
Read briefing The moment the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was hit by a Houthi strike on Oct 10, captured in a screengrab taken from CCTV footage.SANAA - A Houthi official on Oct 12 warned the US it would receive a “painful response” if it entered the war in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has reportedly requested Washington’s help in dealing with the group as it weathers repeated attacks.Yemen’s civil war – in which a Saudi-led military coalition supports the government against the Iran-backed Houthis – reignited in July, months into the wider regional conflict that has roiled energy markets and plunged the Middle East into crisis.The Houthis quickly began targeting Saudi oil facilities, tankers and transport hubs, including with a string of lethal strikes on Riyadh’s airport, rocking the world’s top oil exporter.Blasts resounded over the capital again on the night of Oct 12, with the Saudi coalition saying it had intercepted a Houthi missile and the group saying it had, again, targeted the airport.Following an attack on Oct 10 at the facility that killed 13 people, US President Donald Trump said he was considering joining Saudi strikes against the group, after having reportedly rebuffed previous requests for help from the kingdom.“If the US becomes involved in the aggression against Yemen, we will not deliberate over the decision to respond, rather, there will be a swift and painful response targeting the US and all its interests in the region,” Houthi political bureau member Mohammed Al Bukhaiti told AFP in an interview.He also warned “all employees and workers at Saudi oil facilities and airports to stay away from these sites, as they have become legitimate targets”.The Oct 10 strike on King Khalid International Airport was the deadliest attack on Saudi soil in more than a decade, and also left hundreds wounded.Trump said the attack was “not acceptable” and that he would be speaking to the kingdom’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, telling reporters the US was “going to look at” the possibility of joining Saudi strikes.Operations remained suspended at the sprawling airport on Riyadh’s outskirts on Oct 12.Bukhaiti said the purpose of the campaign against Saudi targets was to send a message to the crown prince “that he can no longer wage aggression against Yemen from a safe position”.Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told a conference in Riyadh on Oct 12 that the recent events had “tested our infrastructure, our institutions, our people, and our resilience”.CCTV footage of Oct 10’s attack released by Saudi authorities showed Muslim pilgrims in religious attire waiting in departure lounges before a sudden blast tore through the building and brought down flaming debris.The atmosphere in Riyadh remained tense on Oct 12, as state broadcaster Al Ekhbariya said the military coalition was responding to drone and missile threats.In the evening, mobile phones received a loud government alert warning of a “hostile aerial threat” before the announcement of the interception.It was the first use of the phone alert system in Riyadh in weeks, with no official reason given for the lack of messaging during the attacks targeting the capital in recent days.The Houthis said they had also targeted the Khamis Mushait base in the kingdom’s south with a drone.The US embassy in Saudi Arabia said US government employees must obtain its authorisation before using any airport in the kingdom, and urged US citizens to “take extreme caution” if they chose to do so.The mission also said “American citizens have been detained for taking photos of recent events” in Saudi Arabia.The UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways announced on Oct 12 that it was cancelling all flights to and from Riyadh until next week, and also suspended flights to Dammam and Jeddah.Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air said it too was cancelling all Riyadh flights until Oct 17.US operator Delta announced it would delay the launch of direct flights from Atlanta to Riyadh, scheduled for Oct 23.Despite vast spending on military hardware, the Houthi attacks on oil, military and transport facilities across the large, mostly desert country are stretching Saudi defences.Thomas Juneau, security analyst at Ottawa University, said that despite some success, “Saudi Arabia is so large that it’s simply impossible for them to consistently defend themselves”.Riyadh leads an international coalition that has supported Yemen’s government militarily since 2015, including by seeking to exert control over Yemeni airspace and the airport in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.Juneau said the Houthis now “want to do to Saudi Arabia what Saudi Arabia does to them”.The long-running Yemeni civil war has created a deeply entrenched humanitarian crisis in the impoverished country.UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was “appalled by the repeated attacks” on Saudi Arabia, but urged both sides to back down, adding “continued fighting will only unleash further misery with no end in sight”. AFP
Read briefing Democratic Republic of Congo's former President Joseph Kabila walks to attend a meeting in Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File PhotoGOMA, Oct 12 - Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has launched a new political-military coalition to replace the AFC-M23 alliance fighting government forces in eastern Congo, taking a more direct role in an insurgency he had previously stopped short of openly backing.• The new 'politico-military' group known as the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN) will be headed by Kabila, with rebel leaders Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa, Freddy Kaniki and Sultani Makenga serving as deputies, the group's adviser Claude Ibalanky announced at a press conference.• Congolese authorities have for months accused Kabila of supporting AFC/M23, which captured vast territories in eastern Congo during an offensive last year, but the former president had denied involvement.• In a speech on Friday, Kabila accused the government of corruption, poor governance and military setbacks in eastern Congo, and criticised its minerals deal with the United States.• Kabila is an ally of Nangaa, the former electoral commission chief who oversaw the contested 2018 vote that ushered Felix Tshisekedi into office and ended Kabila's presidency.• Kabila travelled to rebel-held Goma in 2025, and several former allies have since taken positions within AFC/M23, deepening perceptions of an alliance between the former president and the insurgency.• The United Nations and Western governments accuse Rwanda of backing M23 and exercising command and control over the rebels. Rwanda denies supporting the insurgency.• Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia by a military court after being convicted of treason, war crimes and crimes against humanity over allegations that he supported the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebellion in eastern Congo. He has denied the accusations and said the case was politically motivated. REUTERS
Read briefing Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with members of the government via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 8, 2026. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERSNEW YORK/WASHINGTON/KYIV, Oct 12 - President Donald Trump's envoys told Ukrainian officials on Friday that a deal to allow Russian diesel exports is part of a bid to draw Russia back to negotiations after the failure of previous efforts to launch sustained talks to end the war, three people familiar with the meeting told Reuters.Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner told the Ukrainians in a meeting in Miami that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not prepared to negotiate an end to his 4 1/2-year-old war in Ukraine and that the deal announced last week could help restart trilateral talks, said two of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity.The third person said the US relayed to the Ukrainians that the diesel deal could help "soften" Moscow's position in part because it "sends a signal that Trump is open to do things" with Russia.That deal, under which Russia will supply more than 2.25 million barrels of diesel to US and global markets, has triggered a backlash from some US lawmakers, who say it will give Moscow cash to pursue its war without forcing Putin to make concessions to end the conflict. On Monday, Trump publicly defended the deal, calling it "the right choice for the American people."Trump says the agreement will lower US energy prices, which have become a political headache for his Republican Party ahead of pivotal midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.Trump also wanted the Ukrainians to stop striking Russian refineries, Kushner said in the meeting, reiterating that the administration had made that request several times, the two people said. Trump has said Ukraine’s attacks are increasing global fuel prices, but most experts say the war in Iran is the main driver of the high costs.“The idea was that the US could go back to Russia and say ‘See, the Ukrainians stopped striking and we gave you this deal. Now it’s your turn to do something,’” one of the people said.Trump on Sunday announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine days after unveiling the diesel deal. The warring sides have not confirmed the ceasefire, though, and Russia struck energy targets inside Ukraine on Monday.The Russian embassy in Washington and the presidential office in Kyiv did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A person close to the Kremlin said the diesel deal "is a way to bring Russia back" to the negotiations.One of the people familiar with the meeting said the diesel agreement is just one part of a larger conversation about how to bring Ukraine and Russia back to the negotiating table and end the war. The meeting also touched on security guarantees for Ukraine, the person said, without elaborating.Trump has repeatedly said Putin wants to reach a settlement to end the war - a claim he repeated on Saturday. Ukrainian and European officials have expressed doubts that the Russian leader is willing to end the military campaign soon.Some experts have said the diesel agreement will do little to lower prices in the US. The additional amount provided to the market will be less than a day's supply for the US transport sector alone.The Ukrainian officials attending the meeting were skeptical of the US approach, which they see as using business deals to appease Russia, the two people briefed and one person in the meeting said.The Trump administration has previously tried to entice Putin, including through sanctions relief proposals as well as potential mineral deals. Neither has substantially changed Russia’s core demands or persuaded it to accept a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.The person close to the Kremlin said Putin will only return to the table when "he gets the remaining 11% of Donbas, which he can present domestically as victory." Ukraine has said it will not hand any more territory to Russia, but that freezing the conflict on the existing battle lines could be the basis for a peace deal.In the Miami meeting, Kushner and Witkoff stressed to the Ukrainian officials “all that the US has done for Ukraine,” one of the people said, including providing military and intelligence support to its forces.The Americans did not threaten to cut off that support if Ukraine did not agree to stop striking Russian refineries, the two people briefed and the person in the meeting said.The meeting in Miami, which also included European officials and virtual appearances by representatives from the World Bank, came after Witkoff and Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv in September. Witkoff said then that the sides had created “new momentum” and that a new round of talks could soon begin.Tensions between the US and Ukraine have spiked since the announcement of the US-Russia diesel deal. Zelenskiy called it a "weak decision" by the US and a “gift to Putin.” Trump said on Saturday that Zelenskiy “could have settled this war many times” and Ukrainians needed to “get a new president.”
Read briefing Nidal Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 31 at Fort Hood in 2009, would be the first person executed by a US military firing squad since 1945.WASHINGTON - A top Trump administration official said on Oct 11 that the planned livestream execution of the perpetrator of a mass killing of US soldiers would not pose an additional security risk to the United States.“I don’t see an elevated risk at this point at all because of this,” US Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin told CBS News’ Face the Nation, when asked if it risked turning the perpetrator into a martyr for his cause.“I think people need to understand... if you attack America, we will come after you, and we will make sure that the punishment fits the crime,” he added.Nidal Hasan, 56, a US Army psychiatrist, shot dead 13 people and wounded more than 30 in an Al-Qaeda-inspired attack at a military base at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.The plan to publicly broadcast his death by firing squad, scheduled for Dec 3, was first put forward by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon on Oct 8, drawing condemnation in the United States and beyond.President Donald Trump later left uncertain whether the execution would be publicly broadcast.When Mullin was pressed on Oct 11 with questions about livestreaming, he told CBS: “No one has to watch it if they don’t choose to.”Trump “leads this country with a very, very, very direct, forward, straight hand, and he’s restoring America values and bringing us... where America should be.”UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham condemned the possibility of a public execution in the US as “abhorrent.”“It’s something that I can’t say I ever want to see anywhere in the world,” he told The Rest is Politics podcast. AFP
Read briefing Oct 11 - At least 72 artisanal miners were killed in an airstrike in northern Sudan on Saturday, rights monitor Emergency Lawyers said on Sunday, in the second such incident in several months.Emergency Lawyers blamed the Egyptian air force for the strike, a claim Reuters could not immediately verify. The Egyptian military did not comment on the incident and Egypt's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Images shared on social media and by local rights groups but not verified by Reuters show dozens of bodies strewn in rubble and others wrapped in funeral shrouds, and miners describing an airstrike on the area.Emergency Lawyers said such a cross-border attack would violate international law.Northern Sudan has seen an influx of artisanal miners and makeshift gold mines as the country's ongoing conflict disrupted other sources of livelihoods and gold became the key cash source for both warring parties. Experts and those in the sector say much of that gold is smuggled into Egypt.The war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has seen an increased frequency of mass-casualty events, particularly as drone warfare becomes the primary mode of fighting.On Friday, some 31 people were killed in a drone strike on a displacement camp in an army-controlled area of Sudan's Blue Nile state, one of the war's frontlines, according to the United Nations. REUTERS
Read briefing SAO PAULO, Oct 11 - With Brazil's polarized presidential election entering its final stretch, candidates rallied supporters and politicians on Sunday in Sao Paulo, the nation's largest state capital, ahead of the October 25 runoff.Conservative Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who led the first round on October 4 with 47% of the vote, met with reelected Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas. Building on his early post-election momentum, Bolsonaro focused his Sunday campaign efforts on securing political backing by meeting with mayors and city councilors."I want to be very close to each one of you, mayors. This is how we are going to build a truly better Brazil, because federal resources will reach the ground level," the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro said, promising that municipalities would receive more funding to combat crime if he is elected.Meanwhile, incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who trailed by two percentage points in the initial vote, headlined a major rally on Avenida Paulista. Speaking to reporters before taking the stage, the leftist leader promised to redouble efforts on public safety, a top worry for voters."For the working people, for the community, for the territory, protection; for criminals, prison," Lula said, adding that if reelected, he wants to overhaul the national approach to crime with direct federal government involvement.From atop a sound truck, the president urged young voters, who made up a large portion of the crowd, to turn out, while also appealing to older citizens, for whom voting is optional after age 70.Retired Petrobras employee Carlos Teobaldo da Silva, 79, who rose through the ranks from bricklayer to maintenance supervisor, wore his orange company uniform to the rally. He said he felt compelled to vote for Lula, even though voting is optional at his age."I believe in a turnaround, and I will keep fighting for Lula's reelection and his projects," Silva said. REUTERS
Read briefing Oct 11 - Russian attacks killed six people in two Ukrainian cities on Sunday, including a strike on a grocery store in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, where three people died and 20 were injured, officials said.Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov, writing on Telegram, said two children were among the injured.Pictures posted online showed emergency crews moving around badly damaged buildings and burned-out vehicles.In a separate attack in western Ukraine, officials said a Russian strike killed three people. REUTERS
Read briefing Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian air strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, north-eastern Ukraine, on Oct 11.KYIV - Russian strikes hit multiple Ukrainian power plants on Oct 11 after US President Donald Trump’s claim that both sides had agreed to stop hitting each other’s energy infrastructure, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said.Zelensky, in a post on social media, said a drone had hit a Kyiv power plant, leading to power outages in the capital.Shortly later, he said there had been a strike on the CHP-5 power plant in the eastern city of Kharkiv, while adding that “Ukrainian skies have been infested with Russian ‘shaheds’ all day,” referring to a type of drone.Trump had announced on the morning of Oct 11 in Washington that “effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine.”“Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote on his Truth Social network without any further details.Zelensky expressed surprise at the announcement and said he was seeking further details, while Russia has yet to confirm its agreement.The announcement came two days after Trump announced a temporary easing of US sanctions on Russian diesel, prompting outrage by Ukraine and its European allies, who argued it only emboldened Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.Trump, whose war against Iran has led to global oil shortages, has blamed Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries for sending diesel prices soaring, creating major risks for his party in US elections next month.“Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well,” Zelensky said on his Facebook page after speaking with the leaders of Canada, Finland and NATO.Russia has launched waves of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since invading in February 2022, knocking out power and heating to millions during freezing temperatures, while Ukraine has systematically struck Russian oil refineries that it says fund the war.Trump’s announcement on Oct 11 came amid mounting tensions between Trump and Zelensky over the US-Russia diesel deal.Zelensky said the deal was a “weak decision,” while several of Ukraine’s European allies expressed outrage and pledged to increase pressure on Moscow.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney added to the chorus on Oct 11 after a call with Zelensky, saying the diesel deal “is in direct opposition to the efforts of Ukraine, Canada and our allies to create peace and stability in Europe.”Asked about the criticism on Saturday, Trump lashed out at Zelensky, saying it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president” who would finally settle the war.“First of all, with all respect to President Trump, it’s up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader,” Zelensky told ABC News.He said that fuel prices were rising because of the war in the Middle East and the blocking of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Germany’s foreign minister said Oct 11 that Berlin continued to “fully support” Zelensky.“Europe needs stability and that means that we are very clearly continuing to stay by the side of Ukraine and its government,” Johann Wadephul said in Berlin.EU chief Ursula von der Leyen also backed the Ukrainian leader “as he leads the fight for his people’s freedom.”“Fully supported the call of President Zelensky for a ceasefire that would protect global food supplies and energy infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia,” von der Leyen wrote online on Oct 11 after talking to Zelensky.Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris supports a “real energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine.“Currently, Russia continues to refuse that, by lately intensifying further its strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure,” Macron said on Oct 11. “France will continue to stay by the side of Ukraine and President Zelensky.”And in Kyiv, several residents expressed concern about Trump’s call for Zelensky to be replaced.“I believe our president is the best, and Americans should think about their own president,” said 40-year-old Olesia Goncharuk.“We Ukrainians decide our own fate and our own freedom, and we are free people,” she told AFP.The row between Zelensky and Trump comes weeks before closely-fought US elections dominated by voter frustration over the cost of living.
Read briefing Oct 10 - Nine people were confirmed dead in Erie, Pennsylvania, authorities said, after what Governor Josh Shapiro called a "tragic mass shooting."The incident occurred late on Friday and investigators determined that all deaths occurred before officers arrived at the scene, a statement from the city of Erie said on Saturday."I’ve spoken with Mayor Devlin and offered my Administration’s full support following the tragic mass shooting in Erie last night — killing nine of our fellow Pennsylvanians," Shapiro wrote in a Saturday morning post on X, referring to Mayor Daria Devlin.Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said in a statement following the shooting that the scene was one of the most difficult he has encountered during his tenure.“The loss of life is devastating, and the circumstances we are working through are deeply disturbing,” he said.Lorah added that authorities were still working to establish a motive. The city said a news conference was scheduled for Saturday. REUTERS
Read briefing British Prime Minister Andy Burnham discussed “the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia” over its invasion of Ukraine, in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.LONDON - British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Oct 10 told Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky he had his “complete solidarity” after he clashed with US President Donald Trump over a diesel deal with Russia.In a call between the two leaders, Burnham told the Ukrainian president he recognised that “the past 24 hours had been difficult for Ukraine and reiterated his complete solidarity”, according to a readout released by his Downing Street office.The leaders discussed “the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia”, with Burnham making it clear the UK “would continue to strengthen its sanctions on Russia and to take further action to constrain the Russian war machine, building on new UK designations against Russian targets announced this week”.Trump and Zelensky traded barbs on Oct 10 after Washington moved to ease sanctions on Russian diesel and Moscow’s continued strikes on Ukraine killed at least 21 people, including four children. AFP
Read briefing US President Donald Trump speaking to reporters at the White House on Oct 10 before leaving for a rally in Tennessee.WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky traded barbs on Oct 10 after Washington moved to ease sanctions on Russian diesel and Moscow’s continued strikes on Ukraine killed at least 21 people, including four children.Trump, whose party faces dim prospects in November’s midterm elections partly over soaring US fuel prices, announced on Oct 9 that he had called Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and agreed to allow Moscow to release large amounts of diesel onto global markets.Ukraine and its European allies expressed dismay at the move, with Zelensky telling reporters on Oct 9 it was a “weak decision.”EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, meanwhile, said on Oct 10 that lifting sanctions on Russian diesel would only help fuel the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.“This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won’t,” she wrote online.Asked about the criticism on Oct 10, Trump told reporters that Zelensky had disobeyed his orders not to strike Russian refineries.Trump said the strikes risk worsening global fuel shortages caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.“He better damn well stop,” Trump said of the strikes, before adding that Ukraine should “get a new president.”“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal, because he could have made many deals that, for some reason, he never does,” Trump said.Moscow has intensified its deadly bombardment of Ukraine in recent months, sending civilian casualties soaring, while US-led efforts to broker an end to the more than four-and-a-half-year conflict remain deadlocked.Early on Oct 10, a Russian glide bomb attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed 20 people, including three children, according to Ukraine’s state rescue service.“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelensky said, in a post on X.“We saw people under the rubble - a woman, her husband and a child,” one rescuer, Daniil Pishkin, told AFP.He added that he saw two people rescued from the wreckage but “unfortunately, there was a little girl who died”.A resident of one of the buildings that was hit, who identified herself as Iryna, 69, said she just had time to seek refuge in the bathroom after receiving an air raid warning.“They were 75 years old. They were simply thrown out there, onto the street. They didn’t make it to the hospital,” she told AFP.A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region killed an 11-year-old boy, the region’s governor said.Russian strikes, meanwhile, triggered large-scale power outages in the capital Kyiv, Ukraine’s DTEK energy provider said, as the city’s mayor reported a strike on a restaurant.The Russian defence ministry said it had hit a “data centre” used by Ukraine’s military.The announcement on Oct 9 of the diesel deal came as US, Ukrainian and European officials were meeting in Miami, in a renewed diplomatic push to end the war.Trump, who has repeatedly touted his credentials as a peacemaker, has long sought to broker a deal since taking office in January 2025.US envoy Steve Witkoff posted to X after the meeting that the “constructive discussions” tackled “potential avenues to de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter and advance efforts toward a durable and lasting peace”.Witkoff said the meeting included “the E3, the European Commission, Ukraine and NATO”.The Kremlin said on Oct 10 that Trump had conveyed his ideas about how to de-escalate the war to Putin during a phone call on Oct 9.Putin received the proposals “with understanding”, the Kremlin said, without elaborating on what the proposals were or the Russian president’s response.Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, now occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Read briefing A view of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Russia, where a laboratory worker who reportedly died from the disease worked.GENEVA - The World Health Organisation said on Oct 10 that it still does not know what caused the pneumonia that killed a Russian laboratory worker at an anti-plague research centre in Siberia this month, and that no case of plague had been registered.The WHO said the Russian state regulator reported that tests of the laboratory worker and those who came in contact with her were negative for the high-threat pathogens tested, that her contacts still showed no symptoms, and that no further linked cases of severe pneumonia had been identified.“Based on the information provided... (the) WHO has not identified evidence of ongoing transmission associated with this event. A key uncertainty remains the absence of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker,” it said in a statement.The lab worker fell ill and died in undisclosed circumstances on Oct 2, prompting authorities to quarantine about 200 people and causing public health fears on social media.Global health officials have been extra alert to fatal pneumonia cases of undetermined cause since the Covid-19 pandemic, which began with a cluster of fast-spreading fatal respiratory illness in China.Russian authorities have said the lab worker was appropriately vaccinated and that they found no microorganisms linked to her work in her body.On Oct 8, Russia said it had completed health checks on all the worker’s contacts.It says it provided full information to the WHO according to established procedures. REUTERS
Read briefing FILE PHOTO: A picture taken on December 4, 2007 shows death row inmate Christa Pike entering a Knox County Criminal Court in Knoxville, Tennessee, US., obtained by Reuters on September 30, 2026. J. Miles Cary/ Knoxville News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS/File PhotoOct 10 - Death row inmate Christa Pike was released from a US hospital on Saturday and sent back to prison where she will continue receiving medical care following her botched execution attempt in Tennessee, her attorneys said.Pike was discharged from a local hospital and is now at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, where she has been housed for more than 30 years, said attorneys Stephen Ferrell and Luke Ihnen from Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, and Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason from the Tennessee Office of the Post Conviction Defender in a joint release.Pike, sentenced to death for a 1995 murder, awoke "angry and confused" in the hospital this week with a long recuperation ahead after surviving the attempted execution on September 30, her lawyers said on Wednesday. They previously believed she could be brain-dead.Pike, 50, had been taken from the execution chamber to a Nashville hospital, unconscious, critically ill and with severe arm injuries after two injections failed to kill her at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.A Tennessee judge this week ordered state officials to preserve all evidence related to their failed attempt to execute her, a development one of her lawyers called the "first of many steps to preserve and enforce her constitutional rights."Tennessee Governor Bill Lee suspended all executions for the rest of the year while investigators look in to the botched execution of Pike and a similar failure involving Tony Carruthers in May, when prison officials were unable to set up intravenous lines. REUTERS
Read briefing US President Donald Trump said on Oct 9 he had had a “highly successful” discussion on diesel with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said on Oct 9 that Russia had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global marketplace in an effort aimed at cutting prices for the fuel ahead of the November midterm elections.The move comes as prices of diesel, used in agriculture, heating homes and trucking goods, are near record highs ahead of the Nov 3 congressional elections that will determine control of Congress.Trump said in a post on social media he had a “highly successful” discussion with President Vladimir Putin in which they agreed that Russia will immediately supply the diesel.An envoy for Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, praised cooperation between Russia and the United States on diesel and energy in a post on X on Oct 9, shortly after the call.Trump said Russia would supply another 500,000 tonnes in November, and another 1,000,000 tonnes “immediately thereafter.”Even more would come after that, Trump said, “based on the condition of their diesel refineries” which have been damaged by attacks during Russia’s war on Ukraine.The unusual move comes as the US has imposed sanctions on Russia’s energy companies over its war on Ukraine that began in February, 2022.The Treasury Department issued a general licence on Oct 9 allowing importation of Russian diesel until April 7, 2027.Diesel prices, which can drive inflation, are up 70% since the US-Israeli war with Iran began this year, despite two high-profile recent moves by Trump to boost supplies of the fuel: pressuring allies to release emergency reserves and expanding access to tax-exempt red-dyed diesel, which is normally used for farm equipment.The wars in Iran and Ukraine have triggered an unprecedented global fuel supply crunch, pushing average US diesel prices to US$6.28 a gallon on Oct 8, according to the AAA motorist organisation.“Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority,” Trump said.Three industry sources said earlier on Oct 9 that Trump will issue a directive in the coming days to some US department heads to find ways to control prices of diesel.The directive, which they said could take the form of a presidential memo, will push officials to find ways to bypass local and state regulations blocking energy production and use the Cold War-era Defence Production Act (DPA) to increase output of oil and fuel.Under the DPA, the president has authorities allowing loans, or loan guarantees to expand domestic manufacturing of critical materials and to require companies to prioritise government contracts for essential goods.The White House has been weighing how to use the DPA to expand refining capacity as the war with Iran exposes a US vulnerability to supply disruptions and price spikes.Refining executives told administration officials in September that federal money would be better directed toward making refineries more efficient or expanding existing plants rather than financing an entirely new refinery, which would be considerably more costly and take years to complete.Trump also said he expected gasoline prices to fall soon to levels around US$1.85 to US$1.95, well below Oct 9’s average price of about US$4.37 a gallon, according to AAA. REUTERS
Read briefing DAKAR, Oct 9 - Blackwater founder Erik Prince's forces suffered a major battlefield loss in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-September when enemy forces ambushed them, killing and wounding at least 20 people, including a popular former UFC fighter, sources close to the government and his company said.The frontline clash shows how Prince, an ally and supporter of US President Donald Trump, has taken on an expanded role in Congo through his company Vectus Global. The company, which also operates in Haiti and other parts of Africa, provides consulting and security services and previously helped Congo’s army secure the city of Uvira in South Kivu against Rwanda-backed rebels who control swathes of the east.A veteran special operator reported on his podcast earlier this week that former US Green Beret and Ultimate Fighting Championship contestant Tim Kennedy was injured in Congo. The involvement of Prince's forces and the number of casualties have not previously been reported.The attack in South Kivu on September 17 left about 20 dead and wounded, two sources working with Congo's government said. The dead included at least seven Congolese and a former member of New Zealand's Special Forces, while the wounded included Kennedy and another foreign contractor, the sources said.A Vectus Global representative declined to comment. The company has not previously suffered casualties in Congo, a source with direct knowledge of the operation said.One of the sources who works for Congo's government said that Rwandan forces backing the M23 rebels may have surprised them by tracking a drone used for surveillance operations to their location.Spokespeople for the Congolese and Rwandan governments and for the M23 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Kennedy, the former mixed martial arts fighter, survived the attack with three gunshot wounds to the leg, three sources said, and is being treated at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the suburbs of Washington.Kennedy has a popular podcast channel and millions of followers on social media. Trump is a fan of UFC, hosting fights at the White House this year.The US State Department and Walter Reed declined to comment. Kennedy's parents did not respond to requests for comment.A Congolese security source, who said some 20 people were wounded and killed in the attack, added that villagers were likely among the casualties as well. Reuters spoke to at least 10 sources either with direct knowledge of the attack or briefed on the outcome.Prince's initial mandate in Congo was to secure and improve revenue collection from the country's vast mineral reserves, which have been plundered for decades, fuelling relentless conflict in the east.But in January and early February, his forces deployed to Uvira after Washington helped broker a deal for Rwandan-backed rebels to withdraw from the strategic town.One of the sources with direct knowledge of the attack said the Vectus team was travelling between locations when the ambush took place and its sophistication suggested Rwandan forces were involved."It reinforces the need for DRC sovereignty to be restored. It's an incredibly dangerous place right now," the source said.Prince is the founder of now-defunct private military firm Blackwater, some of whose members were pardoned in 2020 for killing Iraqi civilians.The State Department has said it does not have any contracts with Prince in Congo, though US officials have said they plan to work more closely with Vectus Global in Haiti.The deal for Rwandan-backed rebels to withdraw from Uvira was part of wider agreements brokered by the Trump administration to try to end the conflict in eastern Congo.Kennedy, a father of four, has posted his views on politics, culture, fitness and more on social media. He also runs a popular YouTube podcast in which he interviews UFC fighters, veterans, cultural disruptors and others.He has often posted about his family, including four young children. In late August, he posted about having "incredible conversations about what being a man means and what sacrifice really looks like" with his son. He did not disclose details about his upcoming trip to Congo.The United Nations and Western powers say Rwanda backs M23, even exercising command and control over the group. Rwanda denies this. Fighting in the decades-long conflict flared early last year, with M23 fighters making rapid gains in the east, which is rich in tantalum, gold, lithium and other minerals. REUTERS
Read briefing FILE PHOTO: President of the Parliament of Moldova Igor Grosu attends the inaugural meeting of the Speakers of Parliament of EU candidate countries, in Belgrade, Serbia, July 7, 2026. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic/File PhotoCHISINAU, Oct 9 - Moldova's pro-European government intends to press for changes in legislation to allow for the production of weapons, but needs them for its own defence and has no intention of providing them to neighbouring Ukraine, the head of parliament said on Friday.Parliament Chairman Igor Grosu, the No. 2 official in Moldova's state hierarchy, said the changes were needed to proceed with the manufacture of dual-purpose weapons, like drones."I would very much like for us to produce them for ourselves. We need them, particularly for dual-use purposes," Grosu told a two-day international security forum, citing drone use for national security, emergencies and agriculture.Grosu, head of President Maia Sandu's Action and Solidarity Party, which holds a majority in parliament, dismissed any suggestion that they might be meant for use by Ukraine in its 4-1/2-year-old war with Russia."Of course not! Why would we?" he told reporters. "We would produce them for ourselves."Sandu's administration, which wants Moldova to join the European Union by 2030, has been fiercely critical of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.Moldova, lying between Ukraine and EU member Romania, has been buffeted by the war. Increasing numbers of drones and missiles, believed by authorities to be Russian, have intruded into the country's airspace in recent weeks, with debris crashing on its territory.Grosu told the forum that 88 such violations of Moldova's airspace had been recorded since Russia's February 2022 invasion."With such figures, people are asking a simple question: Can our state defend us?" he said."We cannot provide this defence overnight. And we cannot in four years make up for 30 years of failing to finance our defence. To protect our airspace we need radar, equipment, trained personnel, communications, infrastructure and procedures."Sandu told the forum on Thursday that Moldova's position in the region was "vulnerable". She said domestic defence production was a key part of future defence planning and changes to legislation would soon be submitted to parliament. REUTERS
Read briefing People holding babies stand outside the maternity ward of a hospital in Panama City on Oct 9, following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake.PANAMA CITY - A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck near the southern coast of Panama on Oct 9 at a 12.6km depth, according to the US Geological Survey, damaging some buildings but without affecting the critical Panama Canal trade waterway.In Panama, where earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, television images showed elderly residents reduced to tears in the streets as a series of weaker aftershocks rattled the country.“We’re scared. It’s just the two of us old folks here. The house has cracked, and we’re afraid it could fall on us,” said Ricardo Brown, 74, speaking by phone from the Las Minas area in Herrera province in southern Panama, where he noted the quake damaged a number of homes.The quake’s epicentre was close to the rural community of La Pitaloza in a sparsely populated area of Herrera, near the Pacific coastline. Shaking was also felt as far as San Jose, the capital of neighbouring Costa Rica, according to a Reuters witness.Omar Smith, who heads Panama’s civil protection agency, told local outlet Telemetro Reporta that impacts had been reported in Chitre, the capital of Herrera, and along the coast in Los Santos province.People evacuated from a building in Panama City on Oct 9, after Panama was struck by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake.Videos shared by newspaper La Prensa showed the tower of a historic building had collapsed along with several balconies of a residential building in Penonome, a city about halfway between the epicentre and Panama City.In the capital, the service on two lines of the Panama City Metro was temporarily suspended for safety reasons, the operator said. Nationwide, Panama’s ministry of education ordered the closure of schools.The impact prompted the US Tsunami Warning System to warn that hazardous tsunami waves were possible along parts of the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico within the next three hours. The system also said there was a tsunami threat to Hawaii, while Chile’s navy also issued a tsunami alert.Panama was due to hold a national evacuation drill on Oct 12 to test the country’s emergency response capabilities against earthquakes. REUTERS
Read briefing RABAT, Oct 9 - King Mohammed VI said on Friday that Morocco's efforts to curb irregular migration had produced "concrete results," but that the current cooperation model with Spain had reached its limits amid recurring crises.At least 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into the enclave of Ceuta in July. Most have returned but thousands, including minors, remained.Speaking at the parliament's opening, the king cited "obsolete" and "unrealistic" Spanish court decisions that hindered cooperation on migration."They are regrettably impeding the repatriation of minors and of fake asylum seekers, while fueling the greed of criminal networks," he said.Since the Ceuta migration crisis, Spanish opposition parties have blamed Pedro Sanchez's government and accused Rabat of facilitating the crossing.Morocco rejected the accusations, blaming the crossing on social media and misinterpretations of a court ruling that appeared to open a legal loophole for arrivals by sea.Morocco's partnership with Spain was a "sovereign choice" and "it will never be subject to any pressure, threat, or blackmail," the king said.He added that Morocco would propose a vision centred on shared development, economic competitiveness and regional stability to its partners.Relations between Morocco and Spain have improved since Spain backed Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara in 2022. But bilateral ties have faced a test since the Ceuta migration crisis.The king appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country's first female prime minister, after her party finished on top in the September 23 election.He urged members of parliament to put young people at the heart of public policies. REUTERS
Read briefing A person kicking a tear gas canister in Nantes, France, on Oct 8, as French high school and university students demonstrate for better school conditions.PARIS - France’s education minister on Oct 8 promised 3,000 substitute teachers for the country’s worst-off high schools, after tens of thousands took to the streets nationwide to demand better education and less police brutality.Students have blocked entrances to hundreds of high schools for more than a week, with squads of riot police deployed - occasionally resulting in violent clashes.High school students across the country - most aged 15 to 18 - have complained of absent teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings that cannot cope with rising temperatures.In a bid to placate the anger, Education Minister Edouard Geffray on the evening news said the teachers would be deployed in the coming days to replace absent staff at the 114 worst-affected of around 3,700 high schools.The interior ministry said 71,500 took part in protests across the country, most outside their schools, with police detaining more than 500 people.In Paris, where some 24,500 took to the streets, a few fireworks streamed up into the sky as students from schools and universities rallied in Bastille Square.Crowds of students climbed the famous monument at its centre, some waving the French flag and singing the national anthem.A student sat with his legs dangling on the top of a bus stop, clutching a sign reading: “Reason for absence: Too busy fighting for our future.”Jeanne, a 15-year-old student from a top Paris high school, said she wanted to show solidarity with pupils in less privileged areas outside the capital.“There shouldn’t be people who are more educated than others when we’re all in the public education system,” she said.Marianne, a 20-year-old university student who also did not want to give her second name, said she objected against excessive police force in recent days of protest.Some demonstrators have started fires and vandalised bus shelters. In response, police have used tear gas, batons and blast balls, prompting rights groups and the children to accuse them of using disproportionate force.A 15-year-old lost a hand on Oct 5 after police fired a stun grenade, and the government has suspended the use of the weapon.Police on the evening of Oct 8 said they used tear gas in Bastille to disperse some “high-risk profiles”.Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu in a televised address on the evening of Oct 7 promised a plan to respond to the crisis by the end of October.Although he denied security forces had been given “orders to confront” the protesters, many were unconvinced.“We don’t want words, we want action,” 17-year-old Camille told AFP at a student march in the western city of Nantes.Outside one high school in Rennes, 18-year-old Hanaa told AFP she was “disappointed and unconvinced” by Lecornu’s remarks.Assane Seck, father of a 15-year-old student in a Paris suburb, told AFP that at his son’s school, “a teacher in one subject or another is missing” almost every day.Economy Minister Roland Lescure said this week there was room to address demands for more school resources within the highly constrained 2027 budget.In the current draft, education has the second-largest increase in funding - after defence - with a boost of 1.4 % to €90.9 billion (S$130 billion).A report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found that France spends 24% more per student on upper secondary education than the OECD average - but markedly less at earlier stages, particularly primary schools.The country’s recent PISA score - an annual survey which assesses the performance of education systems by measuring the skills of 15-year-old students - was France’s worst since the rankings began in 2000.Hundreds of students, police and teaching staff have been injured since the protests began, and thousands of people - mostly children - have been arrested.The unrest has erupted just months ahead of the 2027 election to choose a successor to centrist President Emmanuel Macron. AFP
Read briefing BRASILIA, Oct 8 - Brazil's next Congress is likely to pose a greater obstacle to legislation to protect the environment after elections this month, according to a study by climate advocacy group Observatorio do Clima, which found that almost 70% of elected lawmakers have little or no commitment to environmental issues.The study analyzed bills, legislative proposals, speeches and public statements by new and re-elected lawmakers and concluded that 64 of the Senate's 81 members have a track record of "very low" or "low" commitment to environmental issues. In the lower house, 345 of 511 lawmakers were placed in the same category.The Liberal Party, home to right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who will face President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff election for the presidency later this month, has the weakest environmental credentials among major parties, the study found.Bolsonaro defied pollsters to beat Lula in the first round, though he did not secure enough votes to avoid a second vote.All of the party's 28 senators elected on Sunday, as well as members elected to the lower house, were classified as having very low commitment to environmental issues.Other right-leaning parties, including Novo, Republicanos, Progressistas and Uniao Brasil, also showed low support for environmental causes, the study said.Environmental advocates could face a more challenging political landscape with Congress shifting further to the right and if Bolsonaro -- whose past comments on climate change have caused concern -- is elected president, Observatorio do Clima said.Proposals that could weaken environmental protections, including measures to reduce protected areas, allow mining on Indigenous lands and ease environmental licensing requirements, may gain momentum under the new Congress, the group added."This picture points to four years of difficult work for those focused on climate and environmental issues," said Suely Araujo, the group's public policy coordinator. REUTERS
Read briefing US Vice-President J.D. Vance answering questions at an Oct 8 White House press conference. He said Microsoft had laid off 6,000 American workers in 2025 while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B temporary worker visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.WASHINGTON - The Trump administration froze on Oct 8 some green-card filings by Microsoft, Adobe and major IT outsourcers and opened probes into nine top universities, widening a visa crackdown it says targets fraud and protects American jobs.The twin actions mark the broadest strike yet against skilled-worker immigration programmes – potentially cutting off a common path to permanent residency for foreign tech workers – while putting some of the country’s top research universities on notice.“There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused the system more than Microsoft,” Vice-President J.D. Vance said.He said the company laid off 6,000 American workers in 2025 while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B temporary worker visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.The announcement about the permanent labour certification process – PERM – came hours before Trump was due to give Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.Under PERM, required for most employment-based green cards, employers must show that hiring a foreign worker will not harm US workers’ wages or job opportunities.Microsoft is the largest filer of PERM applications, according to data from the US labour department.The company said in a statement that about 80% of the H-1B applications it filed in the last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of current employees, not to hire new workers. In July, the company said it would cut 4,800 jobs, or about 2.1% of its global workforce.Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said the suspension would also cover Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini.“We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies,” Sonderling said.He said these companies had since 2009 sought almost three million foreign workers, and had received over 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and over 100,000 permanent labour certifications.Amazon.com was the largest employer of approved H-1B beneficiaries in fiscal 2026, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Apple and Microsoft, according to US immigration data.Vance said the suspensions would last “as long as it needs to,” adding that the administration wants the companies to change how they hire. He said some companies post ineffective job ads, then cite a lack of applicants to justify hiring lower-paid foreign workers.Microsoft said in its statement that it pays its H-1B employees the same as any other employees doing comparable work.“The immediate financial impact on major technology companies may be relatively limited at this moment, but the longer-term implications for innovation and competitiveness could be much more significant,” said Ken Mahoney, CEO of Mahoney Asset Management.Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Wipro and Capgemini did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Nasscom, India’s IT industry body, said Indian tech companies in the US had significantly reduced their reliance on H-1B visas, and relatively few of their workers sought green cards through the PERM process.The suspensions are the latest in a series of steps against skilled-worker programmes. In September 2025, the Labour Department launched an enforcement drive called “Project Firewall” as a White House proclamation imposed a one-time US$100,000 (S$128,000) fee on new H-1B petitions for workers hired from abroad.During President Donald Trump’s second term, companies have faced growing pressure to keep jobs and production in the United States rather than move them overseas.The action comes despite closer ties between the administration and tech leaders, who are lobbying for lighter AI regulation.Vance also said nine universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, would be investigated for what the administration called the misuse of exchange-visitor visas to undercut American wages.The nine schools also include Brown and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Labour Inspector-General Anthony D’Esposito said subpoenas had already been served.D’Esposito said investigators would examine whether foreign influence, improper financial relationships or visa abuse were compromising federally funded research.“It could have an enormous economic impact on the whole US economy,” said Sarah Spreitzer, a vice-president at the American Council on Education, which represents college and university presidents. International students historically spent US$40 billion a year while in the US, she said.The probe deepens the administration’s long-running fight with Harvard over foreign students.In 2025, the Department of Homeland Security subpoenaed the university over alleged misconduct by international students and its compliance with immigration law.
Read briefing Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, speaks while U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff listens during a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (not pictured), amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 6, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Oct 8 - US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet Ukrainian representatives on Friday in Miami to discuss new ideas and proposals for addressing the war in Ukraine, an American source familiar with the plan said on Thursday.Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the conflict was at a dangerous stalemate. President Donald Trump this week said he planned to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone soon.The source said Witkoff and Kushner would hold a working session with the Ukrainians to discuss "new ideas and proposals that American negotiators began developing with the Russians and Ukrainians during their recent visit to the region".The meeting will include representatives from the White House National Security Council and US Treasury Department, the source said.The American negotiators also invited national security advisors from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as well as officials from NATO and the European Union.They are expected to discuss proposals for security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war prosperity plan, and other aspects of the conflict, the source said. REUTERS
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