World NewsTogo nationals captured, US steps up military aid to Ukraine
Togo nationals captured, US steps up military aid to Ukraine
While you were sleeping, here's what global agencies reported overnight from Friday to Saturday.
- The government of Togo admitted it has information about Togolese nationals fighting on the Russian side, captured by Ukrainian forces. Under public pressure, they announced this in an official press release two days ago.
- The U.S. State Department approved a sale of equipment, services, and training for F-16 fighters to Ukraine, valued at $310 million, according to the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). This is the first such move since Donald Trump took office.
- American officials have prepared a new package of sanctions against Russia, targeting the energy and banking sectors, to urge an end to the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Friday, citing three administration officials. According to the agency, it is unclear whether Trump will approve the new restrictions.
- The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the main U.S. foreign intelligence agency, will reduce its workforce by 1,200 positions over the next few years, the "Washington Post" reported on Friday, citing sources within the Trump administration.
- The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday for permission to allow members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, access to sensitive personal data from the Social Security insurance agency.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday that Romania has been removed from the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The department stated that the decision, made just before the Romanian presidential elections, aims to "ensure border and immigration security."
- Armed gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif operating in Haiti, as reported by the country's authorities on Friday, have been recognized by the U.S. State Department as terrorist organizations. The Haitian government has declared a three-month state of emergency throughout the country.
- The Mexican NGO Causa en Común announced on Friday that the number of "unexplained disappearances" in the country from January to the end of April 2025 increased by 26 percent compared to the same period last year, totaling 5,018 people.
- Several thousand Turkish Cypriots took to the streets of the divided capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, on Friday to protest what they claim is Turkey's attempt to challenge the secularity of their community and expand the influence of Islam within it, reported the Associated Press.
- If the British Parliament passes a bill allowing euthanasia, 1,300 people could opt for assisted death in the first year, the health department assessed in a report published on Friday. It is assumed that approximately 60 percent of applicants would obtain permission to end their lives, according to the "Times" on Friday.
- On Saturday morning local time, parliamentary elections began in Australia, with the main contenders for victory being the Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and the Liberal-National coalition, led by Peter Dutton. The elections are dominated by issues such as rising living costs, a housing shortage, environmental protection, and tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration.
