Top World News

Jul 3, 2025 - World

Donald Trump is actively committing "obstruction" against Ukraine, according to the president's former "trusted operative."Lev Parnas, who worked closely with the president and his associates in the run-up to his first impeachment, flagged the breaking news in a Substack piece Thursday."Overnight, Ukraine was hit with one of the fiercest barrages in recent weeks. Russian missiles rained down on Odesa, crippling grain export terminals. Mykolaiv was struck again, shaking entire apartment blocks. And in the Lipsk region, strategic radar sites and energy infrastructure were targeted in a coordinated assault," Parnas said. "But this time, something was different. This time, Ukrainian officials were expecting help—help that never arrived."Now, according to Parnas, "we know why.""As I told you earlier, Donald Trump didn’t just 'pause' military aid to Ukraine—he sabotaged it. The missiles were already in Poland. Already staged. Already approved. And my sources confirm: Trump ordered them pulled back," he wrote. "Not delayed. Pulled. Back. This is active obstruction. This is betrayal. And yes—it’s emboldening Vladimir Putin and reshaping the battlefield right now as you’re reading this."The "fallout" in Congress has begun, according to Parnas."Yesterday, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick—yes, the same Fitzpatrick I told you to watch—found out about the missile pullback. And he didn’t stay quiet," Parnas wrote. "He sent a scathing letter to the President, demanding answers and accountability. And when it came time to vote on Trump’s so-called 'big, beautiful' bill—he voted NO. One of the few Republicans to stand up."But, Parnas added, "Fitzpatrick’s not alone.""Don Bacon. Thomas Massie. Tom Tillis. One by one, Republicans are breaking ranks. The cracks are no longer just forming—they’re spreading," he said. Read the full post right here.

Jul 2, 2025 - World

President Donald Trump announced his second trade deal as part of his "90 Deals in 90 Days" marathon, and this one is with Vietnam. For political analysts, however, the deal doesn't look as good as Trump boasts. "It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam," Trump announced on Truth Social Wednesday.Trump said that all imports from Vietnam will be taxed at 20% with a 40% tax on "transshipping." He goes on to celebrate that the United States will have "TOTAL ACCESS" to sell U.S. goods in Vietnam. As foreign affairs journalist Olga Nesterova explained, Trump is taxing Americans 20-40% while Vietnam gets products for free. However, the country's economy, cost of living and salaries are vastly different from those in the United States. For example, Numbeo data shows the cost of a 12-ounce bottle of soda is about 50 cents. The monthly cell phone bill with at least 10 gigabytes of data is under $6. A one-bedroom apartment in the City Centre averages under $400 a month.As political and media researcher Craig Harrington explained, "Our trade relationship with Vietnam was growing before Trump, but we still only exported $13.1 billion worth of goods to Vietnam in 2024 (they exported $136.6 billion to us). Tariffs aren't the reason we don't export much to Vietnam, it's because they are poorer than we are."Meanwhile, University of Michigan professor of public policy and economics, Justin Wolfers, noted on X, "'New' trade deal just dropped: US businesses get tariff-free access to the Vietnamese market, just as they were offered 8 years ago in the TPP, but Trump refused to sign. In addition, Trump's imposing a 20% tax on Americans who import goods from Vietnam."Political commentator Brian Krassenstein posted on X that the deal is "horrible" for the U.S."Trump announces what appears to be a horrible trade deal for the United States and Vietnam. American businesses will now be paying between 20 and 40% for imports coming from Vietnam. It’s literally like they want inflation," he wrote. The group Republicans Against Trump agreed, noting, it "sounds like a really terrible deal."Harrington pointed out that on April 4, there was a "zero-rate tariff offer in Vietnam was proposed." Trump announced his "Liberation Day" on April 2. "He's essentially done nothing in 3 months. A true genius at work. The art of the deal."Zeteo News founder and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan attacked, "Trump is brazenly and deliberately lying here - but American consumers and businesses will pay."

Jun 30, 2025 - World

Federal judges have found a way to get under the skin of Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's "border czar." And it involves protecting the rights of migrants that Homan wants to deport. On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes agreed to keep Kilmar Abrego Garcia in federal custody until at least mid-July over fears that he could be deported again. Abrego Garcia was deported to the infamous Salvadoran prison CECOT in March, even though an immigration judge granted him the legal right to remain in the United States in 2019 because of a well-founded fear of persecution if he returned to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States in June after months of wrangling between the Trump administration and federal courts. The judge's decision irked Homan, and he appeared on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show" to voice his displeasure. "It's just another disgusting story," Homan said. "These judges are telling us, 'I don't want you to abide by federal court orders issued by two judges that say this person needs to be deported.'"The situation between federal officials and Abrego Garcia came to a head last week. Holmes granted Abrego Garcia's request for a pre-trial release while he fights federal human trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty to charges. However, Abrego Garcia's lawyers told Holmes there was a high probability that immigration officials would detain Abrego Garcia again if he were released. The Department of Justice acknowledged this possibility in court, which caused Holmes to delay issuing her ruling on Abrego Garcia's release. Homan described Holmes delaying her order to release Abrego Garcia as a "radical, independent decision." He said the Justice Department and Attorney General Pam Bondi are "on top of this" recent ruling, and that they will "take this fight all the way." "Bottom line is, there is no place in this country for this man," Homan said. You can watch the entire exchange here.

Jun 29, 2025 - World

There is reportedly a fatwa, or religious edict, against Donald Trump.Trump recently ratchetted up the language against Iranian officials on his social media, leading to a "murder fatwa" against him, according to an ex-insider. In 1989, Iran's Supreme Leader issued a fatwa against author Salman Rushdie.Lev Parnas, a former "trusted operative" of Trump, flagged the news over the weekend.In a post called "BREAKING: U.S. Intelligence Intercepts Iran’s Private Response to Strike — Fatwa Issued Against Trump," Parnas says, "After Trump’s latest unhinged Truth Social post attacking Ayatollah Khomeini, a second Grand Ayatollah — Noori Hamedani — issued an official murder fatwa against Donald Trump."He highlights the following quote:“Any insult to the Ayatollah Khamenei is an insult to the foundations of Islam. Any individual or state threatening or striking him or aiding in such a crime is Mohareb — an enemy of Allah.""This is unprecedented," he said. "The geopolitical fallout from Trump’s actions isn’t just theoretical — it’s personal, global, and explosive."Parnas continued:"At the same time, Putin and Trump’s carefully choreographed theater from last week is unraveling, just as I warned. And now Trump is teasing a 'major announcement' related to Russia tomorrow — a cryptic post that has my sources working overtime. I’m hearing this could involve a shift on sanctions, an energy deal, or even an announcement tied to Ukraine."Parnas isn't the only one reporting the news. Tehran Times also Sunday published similar claims in a story, "Fatwas draw a red line: No tolerance for threats against Ayatollah Khamenei."Read more here.

Jun 29, 2025 - World

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly disputed details from an intercepted Iranian call that suggested damage to the country's nuclear program was not as extensive as President Donald Trump has claimed.On Sunday, The Washington Post first reported the existence of signals intelligence, which included Iranian government officials discussing the recent U.S. attack on nuclear facilities. "The communication, intended to be private, included Iranian government officials speculating as to why the strikes directed by President Donald Trump were not as destructive and extensive as they anticipated, these people said," the Post noted.For his part, Trump has claimed that Iran's nuclear program was "completely and totally obliterated."Leavitt did not deny that the call had been intercepted but disagreed with conclusions suggesting Trump's statements were wrong."It's shameful that The Washington Post is helping people commit felonies by publishing out-of-context leaks," she told the paper. "The notion that unnamed Iranian officials know what happened under hundreds of feet of rubble is nonsense. Their nuclear weapons program is over."A senior U.S. intelligence official also told the Post that "one slice of signals intelligence on its own does not reflect the full intelligence picture.""A single phone call between unnamed Iranians is not the same as an intelligence assessment, which takes into account a body of evidence, with multiple sources and methods," the person insisted.