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Putin expresses interest in meeting Trump as White House Presses for Ukraine Peace deal

Published

1 year ago

August 8, 2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, August 7, he hopes to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump next week—possibly in the United Arab Emirates—as diplomatic momentum builds toward a potential resolution of the war in Ukraine. However, the White House signaled that such a summit is unlikely unless Putin also agrees to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Putin’s remarks came just a day before a White House-imposed deadline for Moscow to demonstrate progress toward ending the nearly three-year-old war in Ukraine—or face a new wave of U.S. sanctions. A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the sanctions are still expected to be announced Friday and said a U.S.-Russia summit would not happen unless Putin commits to engaging with Zelenskyy, either directly or through a sequential meeting.

Putin reiterated that he is open to talks with Zelenskyy “under certain conditions,” though he stopped short of specifying what those conditions might be. The Kremlin has consistently said such a meeting should only occur once substantive progress has been made through lower-level negotiations.

Despite speculation that the UAE could serve as the meeting venue, no formal location or schedule has been confirmed. Speaking in the Kremlin after a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Putin said both the U.S. and Russia had “expressed interest” in holding the summit.

The potential Trump-Putin summit has raised alarm in Kyiv, where officials fear being sidelined in backchannel negotiations between Washington and Moscow. In response, President Zelenskyy said Thursday that he had spoken with several European leaders, reaffirming the need for a multilateral approach.

“Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same boldness from Russia. It is time to end the war,” Zelenskyy said. He emphasized that any ceasefire must be tied to long-term security guarantees—something he believes must involve both the U.S. and Europe.

A recent Russian missile strike in Ukraine’s central Dnipro region killed four people and wounded eight others, Zelenskyy noted, criticizing Russia’s continued targeting of civilians even as peace discussions are floated.

Despite the White House’s insistence on including Zelenskyy in any peace process, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov downplayed that possibility. “We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump,” Ushakov said, calling it the priority and noting that Ukraine’s involvement “was not specifically discussed.”

Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, echoed this view, saying a summit would allow Moscow to clearly communicate its stance and potentially explore mutual economic cooperation—including in rare earth elements.

If held, the summit would mark the first U.S.-Russia meeting since Trump returned to the presidency and the first bilateral summit between the two nations since President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva in 2021.

Trump, who has long admired Putin, has recently grown more critical. While he initially echoed some of Putin’s narratives on the war, Trump has since voiced frustration with the Kremlin’s rigid negotiating stance and has threatened new sanctions if progress isn’t made.

Amid diplomatic developments, Ukrainian public sentiment appears to be shifting. A new Gallup poll released Thursday found that nearly 70% of Ukrainians now support negotiating a peace deal as soon as possible. In contrast, in 2022, roughly 75% favored continuing the fight until full victory.

Only about one-quarter of respondents now favor prolonging the war, a view that has declined across all age groups and regions. The poll surveyed over 1,000 Ukrainians aged 15 and older, excluding areas under long-term Russian control.

In Kyiv, reactions to the proposed Trump-Putin summit were divided. “Negotiations are necessary, and we all really want the war to end … because this war will only end with negotiations,” said resident Ruslan Prindun.

Others, like Volodymyr Tasak, were more skeptical: “It’s unlikely anything good will come of U.S.-Russia talks. Zelenskyy is being squeezed out.”

Lyudmila Kostrova, meanwhile, dismissed Putin’s motivations entirely: “He just wants to avoid sanctions. He’s not interested in ending the war.”

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SEE FULL LIST: NJC recommends 28 candidates for judicial appointments

Published

14 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended 28 candidates for appointment as judicial officers across six states, including 24 candidates for various State High Courts.

The recommendations cover the High Courts of Kano, Ebonyi, Edo, Adamawa and Ogun states, the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal and Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The Council announced the recommendations in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Babalola-Ogedengbe.

It said the decisions were taken at its 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.

According to the Council, one candidate was recommended as Grand Kadi of the Plateau State Sharia Court of Appeal, while another was recommended as Kadi of the Adamawa State Sharia Court of Appeal.

Two others were recommended as judges of the Adamawa State Customary Court of Appeal.

The appointment includes “24 High Court candidates and four candidates for the Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal.”

The full list of the 28 recommended candidates is as follows:

PLATEAU STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (GRAND KADI)

1. Tijjani Jibrin Zololo

KANO STATE HIGH COURT

2. Nafisah Yusuf Hassan
3. Halima Yahuza Ahmad
4. Abdullahi Abdulsalam Bature
5. Musa Ibrahim Umar

EBONYI STATE HIGH COURT

6. Dickson Edmund Amaga

EDO STATE HIGH COURT

7. Benson Osagie Osawaru
8. Taiye Osayanmon Omoruyi
9. Dorothy Ibhade Adamaigbo
10. Festus Osagie Usiobaifo
11. Pius Idemudia Oiwoh
12. Majebi Samuel Amune
13. Emike Jessica Imuekemhe

ADAMAWA STATE HIGH COURT

14. Aminu Sa’ad
15. Ibrahim Ulenda Musa
16. Sadiq Giwa
17. Musa Bala Mijinyawa
18. Japhet Ibrahim
19. Aliyu Bakari
20. Yakubu Ahmadu

OGUN STATE HIGH COURT

21. Olakulehin Luqman Abiola Oke
22. Adebimpe Folusho Obienu
23. Fatimat Adeola Daudu
24. Rafiat Bolanle Kadiri
25. Oludotun Olaniyi Osho

ADAMAWA STATE SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL (KADI)

26. Abubakar Ishaku

ADAMAWA STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

27. Elshama Gwama Dimas
28. David Benjamin Pembi

The NJC said all the recommended candidates were expected to be sworn in by their respective state governors without delay.

Source: punchng.com

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JD Vance reveals Iran war cost Republicans midterm elections, read details

Published

14 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

United States Vice President JD Vance has blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party’s poor performance in the 2026 midterm elections, saying many supporters of President Donald Trump switched allegiance to Democrats over dissatisfaction with the conflict.

Vance said this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, arguing that the party’s defeat was not primarily caused by poor voter turnout but by the defection of voters who supported the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024.

He said data analysis conducted by his team before the elections had shown that Republican supporters were turning out in significant numbers, despite opinion polls predicting a major Democratic victory.

“One of the things the data analysts on our side obsessed over was ‘composition’—whether the electorate looked close enough to 2024 for Republicans to win,” he said.

Vance explained that although turnout was encouraging in several states, a member of his data team had warned him that many Republican voters were angry and might not vote for the party.

“Well, that looks prophetic now. Our voters did show up. In Florida, for example, the electorate was nine points more Republican than Democrat, just a couple points worse than 2024,” he said.

“But the main problem is not turnout. The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.”

The Vice President acknowledged that the party might have failed to communicate its economic policies effectively, particularly on the cost of living and inflation.

However, he said the major reasons voters abandoned the Republicans were concerns about the war, economic hardship, America’s foreign policy priorities and its relationship with Israel.

According to Vance, a pollster who accurately predicted the election outcome identified four major demands among former Republican supporters who switched to the Democrats.

The demands were to end the war, prioritise the cost of living and inflation, put America first and change the country’s relationship with Israel.

“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance stated.

He also defended television personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, saying her earlier call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict had proved politically sound.

Vance warned against attempts by Republican establishment figures to attribute the party’s electoral setback to other issues, particularly immigration policy.

He said he was open to reviewing immigration enforcement strategies, including targeting businesses that employ undocumented workers, but rejected calls for amnesty.

“Anyone pushing amnesty is lying to you,” he said.

The Vice President challenged those who believed the war was worth the political cost to defend that position openly, noting that the defeat could cost Republicans control of the Senate for the next six years.

“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then do so. Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay,” he said.

“Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”

Despite the setback, Vance expressed optimism about the country’s future, urging disappointed Republican supporters to channel their anger into rebuilding the party and electing candidates who share their political views.

“Let’s take that anger and get back to the work of saving our country,” he added.

Source: punchng.com

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UK to strengthen immigration enforcement with facial recognition

Published

14 hours ago

November 5, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The United Kingdom government plans to expand live facial recognition technology to strengthen immigration enforcement and identify individuals who have violated immigration rules.

The initiative, being developed by the Home Office, could see facial recognition cameras deployed at transport hubs and public events to help immigration officers identify people who have overstayed their visas, entered the country unlawfully or breached their immigration conditions.

According to policy documents published in October and sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, the proposed expansion could extend the technology’s use to general immigration enforcement, including civil immigration violations that do not necessarily involve criminal offences.

The development comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood seeks to intensify immigration enforcement through increased funding, additional personnel and expanded deportation operations.

The Home Office said the technology would help officers identify individuals subject to removal proceedings and those attempting to re-enter the UK unlawfully.

The policy documents also suggest that facial recognition could reduce the need for repeated enforcement visits to residential properties and workplaces.

Authorities have already conducted three trials of the technology at Holyhead port in north Wales between November 2025 and February 2026. The trials focused on identifying individuals travelling from Ireland who were subject to deportation orders or wanted over immigration-related criminal offences.

The programme has now entered its formal delivery phase, with officials considering wider deployments at transport hubs and large public gatherings.

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that further trials were being considered while the government examined the potential benefits and implications of the technology.

U K Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “Facial recognition technology has been the biggest breakthrough for catching criminals since DNA matching, already helping police take thousands of dangerous criminals off our streets.

“The benefits are clear, but we must ensure that its use is fair, safe and proportionate.

“It is right we put in place clear laws to ensure that the use of this technology is watertight, so the public can have confidence that these tools, which are vital to our safety, are used responsibly too.”

However, the proposed expansion has raised concerns among civil liberties organisations and migrant rights advocates over privacy, surveillance and the possibility of inaccurate identification.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants described the development as a significant escalation of immigration enforcement powers, while the Open Rights Group questioned the transparency of the plans, public consent and the absence of comprehensive legislation governing facial recognition.

Critics have also warned that the technology could disproportionately affect people of colour because of concerns about identification accuracy.

Meanwhile, Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner William Webster has questioned whether existing regulatory arrangements are sufficient to oversee the expanding use of facial recognition across government agencies.

Under the proposed policy, individuals under 18 will not be included on facial recognition watchlists.

Source: punchng.com

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