Articles from ‘Independent News Roundup’

A Democratic blue wave has swept across America, handing the party control of Congress and overturning historic Republican strongholds. Voters cite rising living costs and shrinking household budgets as reasons for change. In Texas, James Talarico claims a landmark Senate victory after campaigning against US funding for Israel, potentially setting up a clash with pro-Israel Democrats. Iran's parliament speaker says the result reflects American…

Armenia's parliament has descended into chaos, with lawmakers trading punches, throwing chairs and suffering injuries as tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government and the opposition reach boiling point. Behind the extraordinary scenes lies a deeper struggle over disputed elections, political freedoms, relations with Russia and the country's increasingly controversial alignment with the European Union. INR Report: Based on…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's attendance at a G20 gathering in Atlanta has exposed divisions between Washington and European governments over diplomatic engagement with Moscow. With European ministers reportedly refusing to participate in a traditional group photograph alongside Lavrov, the dispute raises a larger question: can international diplomacy succeed when governments refuse even symbolic engagement with their adversaries? INR…

Angry crowds reportedly stormed an alleged secret military prison near Kiev amid accusations that mobilised Ukrainian men were tortured and denied medical care, sparking violent clashes with authorities. Meanwhile, claims that Israel is pressuring Washington to strike Iran's nuclear facilities raise fears of severe retaliation. As Americans prepare to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, US defence contractors are pouring millions into both…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused European governments of repeatedly failing to honour agreements intended to resolve the Ukraine conflict, arguing that their record has undermined their credibility as future peace negotiators. As Washington prepares to broker another round of talks, Moscow is questioning whether European participation would contribute anything meaningful to a settlement. Europe Under Scrutiny · Russian…

Russia and African leaders discuss a three-year cooperation plan, with President Vladimir Putin contrasting their proposed partnership with Europe's colonial past. Russian forces undertake humanitarian mine-clearing operations in Alyoshki during a ceasefire, reportedly assisted by the US First Lady. Meanwhile, Israel's political landscape faces a potential shake-up as Arab parties are projected to double their parliamentary representation,…

A new European security order may be emerging as Washington considers reshaping NATO's role and negotiating compromises with Russia. Geopolitical analyst Andrew Korybko examines a possible post-war settlement involving European military realignment, security guarantees, renewed Russian energy exports and a US strategic pivot towards Asia. Could economic cooperation and mutual security concessions provide the foundations for lasting peace in…

Canada is confronting one of the most difficult questions in modern medical ethics: should a person whose only underlying medical condition is a psychiatric illness be eligible for medically assisted death? A recent opinion column in The Globe and Mail has brought the controversy back into public view, exposing deep disagreements over patient autonomy, the limits of psychiatric medicine and the responsibility of governments to provide effective…

Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks transformed American national security policy, the surveillance powers introduced during that emergency remain the subject of intense debate. Now artificial intelligence is creating capabilities that lawmakers in 2001 could scarcely have imagined. The question is no longer simply what governments can collect, but what they can discover, predict and decide about their citizens. INR…

An Israeli advertising technology company has been linked to a surveillance operation targeting internet users in more than 100 countries, including people accessing the internet through Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network. Investigations by cybersecurity researchers suggest that commercial advertising infrastructure was being exploited to identify potential surveillance targets, exposing how the global digital advertising system can be…