Articles from ‘Independent News Roundup’

In this opinion, former police officer Mike McDaniel argues that Sweden’s tougher approach to organised crime, including deporting foreign offenders, increased policing and measures aimed at gang recruitment, has contributed to a dramatic fall in shootings. With Sweden facing another election, he questions whether voters will continue supporting the policies he credits with reversing years of escalating gang violence. Opinion by Mike McDaniel |…

Donald Trump’s comments on the Falkland Islands and Irish reunification have raised questions about the future of the US-UK “special relationship”. Andrew Korybko argues the remarks may reflect deeper tensions over Britain’s refusal to join the US in the Third Gulf War, censorship, immigration and shifting NATO priorities. He explores whether Washington could increasingly pressure London over its territorial disputes, or whether Trump’s…

The economic engines of the world unite at the BRICS summit in New Delhi. Vladimir Putin says the bloc accounts for nearly half of global GDP growth while a joint declaration unanimously slams the old world order. In his first visit to India in almost seven years, China's Xi Jingping meets with Narendra Modi, with the two leaders committing to resolve their border issues and find common ground.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says international interest in BRICS continues to grow as the expanded grouping develops deeper trade links and financial infrastructure outside traditional Western-led systems. Speaking at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, Putin pointed to growing membership, $1.2 trillion in intra-BRICS trade and proposals for new cross-border payment mechanisms. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE · BRICS Looks Beyond Its…

US President Donald Trump has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure for America's soaring diesel prices, saying he has personally told Vladimir Zelensky to stop targeting Russian diesel production. RT reports US diesel has climbed above $6 a gallon, although market analysts cited in the report primarily attribute the surge to Middle East conflict and rising crude prices. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE · Trump Points…

Alternative for Germany co-leader Alice Weidel has called for Ukrainian migrants to return home, singling out military-age men and arguing that Germany can no longer sustain welfare payments for more than one million Ukrainians. Her comments come as the AfD gains electoral strength and Germany's approach to Ukrainian refugees becomes an increasingly prominent political issue. Alternative for Germany co-leader Alice Weidel has called for…

As many as 40,000 Hasidic Jews are expected to travel to the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah, continuing a pilgrimage centred on the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. Prayer, communal singing and dancing remain central features of the gathering, which has continued despite the Ukraine conflict and official warnings about the risks of travelling to the country. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE. · Tens of thousands of Hasidic…

Nearly 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001. What followed went far beyond the pursuit of Al-Qaeda, producing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, expanding the global security state, destabilising parts of the Middle East and leaving political consequences that remain visible a quarter of a century later. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE, with additional New Zealand context from official GCSB and US legislative records. · On the…

Germany's Alternative for Germany has filed a criminal complaint against Chancellor Friedrich Merz after he described the party's remigration policy as effectively advocating ethnic cleansing. The dispute follows the AfD's decisive election victory in Saxony-Anhalt and comes amid an intensifying national debate over immigration, political legitimacy and attempts to restrict the party. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE. · The Alternative…

Educational performance across parts of the developed West has deteriorated substantially over the past 15 years. TrendCompass argues the decline deserves much greater scrutiny, but its provocative suggestion that Western education may be deliberately producing less capable populations goes considerably beyond what the educational data itself establishes. INR Report: Based on analysis published by TrendCompass HERE. · TrendCompass begins with a…